SAJAforum

DESI SPOTTING: Liveblogging the Super Bowl 2010

Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010: Live-blogging the Super Bowl on this post, looking for South Asian stuff during the telecast - starting 6:45 pm EST. By the way, you can see all the ads, after the game, at CBSsports.com/superbowlads (and see NYT's Stuart Elliot commenting on the commercials here).

• See the 2009 Super Bowl desi live blog here.
• See the 2008 Super Bowl desi live blog here.
• See 2007 post about a single Bud Light ad.

• MEET BRANDON CHILLAR, A SOUTH ASIAN IN THE NFL: Listen to the SAJA webcast from 2010 with Brandon Chillar of the Green Bay Packers, the only South Asian to play in the NFL; his agent, Jim Ivler, his agent; and Kevin Negandhi, ESPN anchor . This year, Chillar and the Packers lost earlier in the playoffs (scroll down at that link, to see a history of South Asians at the Super Bowl).

6:30 pm: When I was a kid, the Super Bowl telecast was a South Asian-free zone. Not anymore...

6:45 pm: JOHN GILL, A SOUTH ASIAN AT THE SUPER BOWL: Turns out John Gill, a player on the reserve squad of the Indianapolis Colts (he may not play), has an Indian father. His full name is John Singh Gill and he told NUsports.com (he's a Northwestern University alum)...

Q: If you could dine with anyone from any period in history, who would it be?
A: Ghandi

[I don't know if the spelling was Gill's fault or NUSports.com's, but it's a common mistake, as we've documented in the past.]

Read the SepiaMutiny coverage of Gill, by Melvin Durai.

MOVIES: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in "My Name is Khan" + webcast

[Part 1 and part 2 of the video of the conversation above. The entire 1.5-hour audio webcast, with an in-depth discussion of their films and the state of Bollywood in India and the US, is available below.]

SAMMA, South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment and SAJA, South Asian Journalists Association, present the latest in their series of high-profile webcasts - via BlogTalkRadio - with some of the leading South Asian achievers in global media and entertainment...

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, two of the biggest stars in Bollywood, are promoting "My Name is Khan," which opens in U.S. theaters Friday, Feb. 12, 2010.

You can talk to them live during this SAJA-SAMMA call-in show:
Monday, Feb. 1, 2010
11:30 am-1 pm NY time
see local time around the world here: http://timeanddate.com/s/1jt8

Listen live, or later to a recording:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2010/02/01/shah-rukh-khan-and-kajol
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself at that link)

Or call-in to listen and/or talk to him at +1-347-324-5991.

Two entertainment writers on SAJA's board, Aparita Bhandari and Aseem Chhabra (@chhabs & host of AseemChhabraShow), will be interviewing the actors. We are not exactly sure which part of the 1.5 hours Khan and Kajol will be available (they have a busy day, including ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ). During the rest of the time, the hosts will discuss the actors' work and careers, the backdrop of this movie, and taking your live comments and questions. Many thanks to SAJA & SAMMA's @GiteshPandya for setting up these - and so many other SAJA-SAMMA events.

BOOKS: Salman Ahmad's "Rock & Roll Jihad" + webcast

SAJA and SAMMA present two events with Salman Ahmad, musician, author and ambassador of peace. 1. Wed, Feb. 17, 2010, 6:30-8 pm - public event at Columbia Journalism School, presented with MSA & ASMA (details coming soon); 2. the webcast below.

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010
11am-noon, New York time
9-10 pm, in Lahore, his hometown
See local time around the world: http://timeanddate.com/s/1jkt

==> Listen live, or later to a recording:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2010/01/28/music-salman-ahmad-muslim-rock-star-on-a-rock-roll-jihad
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself at that link)

Or call-in to listen and/or talk to him at +1-347-324-5991.

Send your questions/comments via e-mail to saja[at]columbia.edu (subject = webcast) of via Twitter @sajahq. You can also use the chatroom that will be open at the link above to ask live questions. You can also post your questions in the comments section below.

- - -

Every author likes to think his or her book is one of a kind, but Salman Ahmad's truly is - and not just because it is the first South Asian book to feature a foreward by Melissa Etheridge, Grammy-winning American singer.

"Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution," is by Ahmad, the lead singer of Pakistan's most famous living musician (the late, great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan used to hold that title) and has the lofty goals of affecting changing  in Pakistan, the Muslim world  and in West. From the Simon & Schuster website:

WEBCAST: Jay Sean, chart-topping singer/songwriter/producer

Listen to the recording: hit the play button above! - - -

SAMMA, South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment and SAJA, South Asian Journalists Association, present the latest in their series of high-profile webcasts with some of the leading South Asian achievers in global media and entertainment...

A conversation with UK-born Jay Sean, chart-topping singer/songwriter/producer and first solo male artist of Indian origin to top the Billboard Top 100 at #1 with "Down" (featuring Lil Wayne).  Along with Jay Sean's management and partners, Jeremy Skaller and Anjula Acharia-Bath, CEO/co-founder, Desi Hits!

You can watch the "Down" video on YouTube; read about him in the SAJAforum post on his hitting #1; read his official site; and read his Wikipedia entry. (PHOTO: Jay Mandal/On Assignment).

Friday, Jan. 15, 2010
Noon-1 pm, New York time
5-6 pm, London time (where he's calling in from)
See local time around the world: http://timeanddate.com/s/1j40

==> Listen live, or later to a recording:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2010/01/15/music-jay-sean-who-hit-1-on-the-billboard-charts-w
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself at that link)

Or call-in to listen and/or talk to him at +1-347-324-5991.

Send your questions/comments via e-mail to saja[at]columbia.edu (subject = webcast) of via Twitter  @sajahq. You can also use the chatroom that will be open at the link above to ask live questions. You can also post your questions in the comments section below.

===> As always, you are welcome to quote from anything said during the FREE, WORLDWIDE webcasts (50+) at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja

DOWNLOAD TO iTUNES: These audio webcasts are also available as downloadable MP3 files for your personal collection and on-the-go listening. If you want to subscribe to these as podcasts on iTunes, go to "Advanced" within iTunes, then select "Subscribe to podcast" and type in http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/feed and hit OK.

RECENT SAJA MUSIC WEBCASTS:

• A.R. Rahman, music maestro
  http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/12/webcast-ar-rahman.html
• George Mathew, classical music conductor and philanthropist
  http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/12/music-george-mathew-.html

WEBCAST: Ram Gopal Varma, a leading Bollywood director

[COMING Friday, Jan. 15 (noon EST), SAMMA/SAJA webcast with Jay Sean, who hit #1 on the Billboard charts with "Down" - WEBCAST LINK: http://bit.ly/sajammajay]

SAMMA, South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment and SAJA, South Asian Journalists Association, present the latest in their series of high-profile webcasts with some of the leading South Asian achievers in global media and entertainment...

A conversation with Ram Gopal Varma, director of "Rann," a fast-paced drama set in the world of media in today's India; starring Amitabh Bachchan, Paresh Rawal and Ritesh Deshmukh.

Varma is a leading Indian film director, screenwriter and producer and a voice of the new Indian popular cinmena. Varma has directed, written and produced films across multiple genres— psychological thrillers, underworld gang warfare, politician-criminal nexus, and musicals —and in a number of languages, including Telugu and Hindi. His biggest movies include "Rangeela" (1995); "Company" (2002) and "Satya" (1998). Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion about Bollywood, cinema and the changes happening in the world of Indian arts and beyond. Follow him on Twitter: @RGVZoomin

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010
10-10:30 am, New York time
8:30-9 pm, Mumbai time
See local time around the world: http://timeanddate.com/s/1j41

==> Listen live, or later to a recording:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2010/01/14/films-ram-gopal-varma-bollywood-filmmaker
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself at that link)

Or call-in to listen and/or talk to him at +1-347-324-5991.

Send your questions/comments via e-mail to saja[at]columbia.edu (subject = webcast) of via Twitter  @sajahq. You can also use the chatroom that will be open at the link above to ask live questions. You can also post your questions in the comments section below.

===> As always, you are welcome to quote from anything said during the FREE, WORLDWIDE webcasts (50+) at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja

DOWNLOAD TO iTUNES: These audio webcasts are also available as downloadable MP3 files for your personal collection and on-the-go listening. If you want to subscribe to these as podcasts on iTunes, go to "Advanced" within iTunes, then select "Subscribe to podcast" and type in http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/feed and hit OK.

RECENT SAJA MOVIE WEBCASTS:

NONPROFITS: Udai Tambar named new executive director of SAYA

And they say you can't go home again. Udai Tambar, one of the most experienced and dynamic South Asian leaders in the nonprofit space, is returning to the organization where he began his NGO career. New York-based South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) has announced that Tambar is going to be the organization's next executive director (succeeding Annetta Seecharran and the organization's founder, Sayu Bhojwani). 

SAJA has long been a supporter of SAYA, which, the press release describes as "the only organization in the nation that provides non-sectarian comprehensive youth development services to the South Asian American community." Translation: they do some amazing work with middle-, lower-middle-class and low-income and other South Asian kids in places like Queens and Brooklyn, far from the fancy Desi success stories on Wall Street, big corporations and the like.

Incidentally, he'd never mention it in his bio, but one of his more visible achievements has got to be the fact that he was responsible for coordinating the two-year community efforts that resulted in the Diwali parking holiday in New York City (which is now a permanent part of the official city calendar). 

Please see the full press release below and post your comments. Board co-chair Harsha Marti is coordinating press requests. 

TRAVEL: Sri Lanka #1, Nepal #31 in NYT's list of 31 places to visit in 2010 (India figures, too)

The New York Times travel section names "31 Places to Go in 2010" in its lead story this week.

The South Asia mentions:

#1: Sri Lanka. EXCERPT: For a quarter century, Sri Lanka seems to have been plagued by misfortune, including a brutal civil war between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority. But the conflict finally ended last May, ushering in a more peaceful era for this teardrop-shaped island off India’s coast, rich in natural beauty and cultural splendors.

#4: Mysore. EXCERPT: You’ve completed 200 hours of teacher training, mastered flying crow pose and even spent a week at yoga surf camp. What’s next? Yogis seeking transcontinental bliss head these days to Mysore, the City of Palaces, in southern India.

#13: Mumbai. EXCERPT: On the one-year anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, citizens painted a one-kilometer stretch of wall in South Mumbai with murals to show their love and hope for the city. The initiative, by a group of organizations that included the Mumbai Arts Project (MAP), which is dedicated to creating public art projects, is just one sign that Mumbai’s art scene is on the rebound.

#31: Nepal. EXCERPT: San Francisco, Amsterdam and Provincetown? Been there. Mykonos and Ibiza? Done that. Looking for the next gay destination? How about the Himalayan country of Nepal? Yes, Nepal.
In the roughly two years since the nation’s supreme court ordered that gay, lesbians and transgendered people be afforded equal rights, this conservative, mostly-Hindu country appears to be moving ahead full throttle.

The entry on #22, South Africa, mentions the new Taj Hotel opening there: Already known for its stunning beaches, mouthwatering cuisine and sophisticated night life, the city is welcoming high-end hotels, including the recently opened One & Only Cape Town and the forthcoming Taj Cape Town (www.tajhotels.com/capetown). Set to open this month, the Taj will have 166 rooms, many with views of Table Mountain.

See the full list here, along with a useful list of 10 Ways to Cut Travel Costs This Year.

Post your comments below.

Earlier on SAJAforum: Maldives #7 on "53 Places to Go in 2008."

JOB: Roving foreign correspondent for WashPost

In late 2009, SAJAforum posted jobs for Pakistani bureau chief of Reuters and Islamabad correspondent for the Washington Post. Here's a brand-new posting for what looks like an amazing opportunity for a journalist with the right experience, temperament, hunger, and frequent-flier miles.

DON'T FORGET: SAJAforum tips for American journalists going to South Asia for the first time.

Job Posting: Foreign Correspondent
   With the war in Aghanistan likely to intensify in the next year, we're planning to create a new, roving job on the foreign staff to help strengthen our coverage. Its  responsibilities will stretch from Iraq to Pakistan, and the duties will keep a correspondent on the road for at least seven months a year, dividing time between our bureaus in Baghdad, Kabul and Islamabad. The correspondent could be based in Washington or abroad.

    We're seeking an experienced war correspondent who has already spent time covering either the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan, if not both. Any candidate should be mindful of the dangers inherent in covering conflict zones, and should be prepared for long stretches away from home. We're seeking a minimum commitment of one year for the job, beginning no later than April 2010.

     A strong candidate would be an agile, self-starting reporter and a generous colleague eager to parachute into a new story every month or so. A strong internal candidate has already emerged, but we're eager to hear from others interested in this job or in other opportunities on the foreign staff. Applicants should contact Douglas Jehl jehld[at]washpostl by Jan. 18.

January 4, 2010

Please use code "SAJA" so they know you heard about it here.

MUSIC: Vijay Iyer's "Historicity" most acclaimed jazz album of the year + webcast

LISTEN TO SAJA-SAMMA WEBCAST WITH VIJAY IYER:

Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010
9 am-10 am, New York time
See local time around the world: http://timeanddate.com/s/1k3f

==> Listen live, or later to a recording:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2010/02/09/music-vijay-iyer
(you can set an e-mail reminder for yourself at that link)

Or call-in to listen and/or talk to him at +1-347-324-5991.

Send your questions/comments via e-mail to saja[at]columbia.edu (subject = webcast) of via Twitter @sajahq. You can also use the chatroom that will be open at the link above to ask live questions. You can also post your questions in the comments section below.

2009: The year British-Indian R&B artist Jay Sean topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts with "Down" and the year Indian-American jazz musician Vijay Iyer and his Vijay Iyer Trio's "Historicity" album was the most honored jazz album of the year. The latest accolade: He topped the fourth annual Village Voice Jazz Critics' Poll. From the VV article by Francis Davis:

HOLIDAYS: Santa tracked going by the Taj Mahal

NoradSanta.org's Santa tracker on Christmas Eve featured glimpses of Santa Claus as he traveled over South Asia en route to North America. Here are the relevant tweets that went out over Twitter.com/NoradSanta along with a video:

One of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal in India is a beautiful sight. It’s one of Dancer’s favorites :)

Santa's journey continues - he just zoomed through Dhaka, Bangladesh!

Santa is at the top of the world - Mt. Everest, which is 8,848 meters (29,029 ft) above sea level!