DesiShades Local Coverage
18th January 2012
Colorado State Governer's proclamation for January 14-29, 2012 as Health for Humanity Yogathon Weeks
It has been a remarkable day for HSS in Colorado. On 18th January 2012, the Governer of the State of Colorado announced the proclaimed that January 14 - 29, 2012 as HEALTH FOR HUMANITY YOGATHON WEEKS. In the proclamation notice, the yoga was recognized as an ancient process of keeping the human body and mind in good health; and the Surya Namaskar, also called Sun Salutation is a special sequence of yoga postures that provides the key health benefits of yoga in a very succinct package. The spiritual training has been considered a part of physical training since ancient times in India; Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), USA is a voluntary, non-profit, social and cultural organization, which aims at preserving and passing on the ancient Hindu Heritage and cultural values to the next generation of Hindus and raise awareness around the world.
HSS is hosting its 6th annual HEALTH FOR HUMANITY YOGATHON to create awareness of yoga and its advantages in achieving healthy body, mind and spirit during January 14-29, with the concluding grand finale session with a mass marathon on 29th January at Louisville Middle School. HSS encourages everyone to join this ceremony during 9am-1pm. Pl check the copy of the proclamation here.
8th January 2012
Sewa Colorado's distribution of bikes and buspasses to high school kids
On 8th January, Sewa Colorado team distributed bicycles and bus passes to 31 Bhutanese children. The event went very well and a few prominent community leaders participated in the event as guests. The Bhutanese children will now ride the bicycles to the school instead of walking or riding a bus. These children currently walk 6 miles or more every day to attend school as their families have no car and cannot afford to buy bus passes. Earlier Sewa gave one bike to a girl and bus passes to 5 children. These bikes are all new and purchased through money raised from volunteers and the community. Sewa also provided bus coupons to all of these students to cover harsh winter days when it is very difficult to ride bicycles to school. The Bhutanese priest performed puja to the bikes while chanting and offering flower petals on the bikes. Several community leaders and Sewa Colorado volunteers including Krishna Vaidyanathan, Narender Kumar, Bipin Agarwal, Sridhar Talanki, Balaji Ramanathan, Madhu Bhat, Vidyasagar Tontalapur, Raj Chiluka, Dinesh Shenoy, Srini Kairamkonda have attended this event.
Sewa International is a 501(c)(3) Hindu faith-based nonprofit charity. Sewa International in the USA has 38 chapters in 20 metros and 22 states. The Colorado chapter of Sewa has undertaken the Bhutanese Refugees Empowerment project that offers financial help, supplies essential material, employment assistance, mobility help and other help in transitioning to a new environment while preserving their culture. Sewa International is helping the Bhutanese community in more than 20 metro areas in America after the first wave of immigrants started arriving in 2008. Sewa volunteers have conducted SAT coaching classes, women empowerment programs, Yoga and meditation classes and many other programs to help build a confident Bhutanese community. For more details about Sewa USA, visit http://www.sewausa.org
3rd December 2011
Tamil Association of Colorado's Deepavali Celebrations
Tamil Association of Colorado has celebrated Deepavali with a colorful cultural program at Vista Peak High School, Aurora, CO on Saturday 3rd December 2011. The ugly roads and the snowy weather could not stop any crowd to be present at the event to have the utmost joyful event. The program started with a prayer song by Anirudh Prakash, followed by the welcome address by the president Manikandan Sankaran. Meera Ganeshan orchestrated Paarampariyam and classical dance item Vasantha Jatiswaram choreographed by Puja Allepalli has received great applause. Manmadhan Ambu a hilarious comedy directed by Rajasekhar is thoroughly enjoyed by the audiences. The kids dances Vaannavil by Arichuvadi groups choreographed Kala and Ezhil, Sinthanai Sei Manamae choreographed by Hemamalini and Kalaivani, Classic Twist choreographed Sonu & Prathyusha and What's my name choreographed by Vismaya Bachu are successful to bring up kids talents and cute to see their rhythmic steps. Other dances by Denver Dragon Girls, Vaanavillum Naan Athil Vannagalaum Naan by Muruganantham sister are great. The comedy galatta by Aravind and Senthilkumar have recalled the different dance steps by the Tamil superstars. Laya Dance Academy's dance by adults was very vibrant on the stage, with a mixture of classical and modern dancers. The program was sponsored by Oracle and American Family Insurance agent Ram Vaidyanathan. After the program, there was a sumptuous dinner catered by India's Harvest restaurant.
5th November 2011
Crowd enjoyed the Diwali party at India's Restaurant
There was a good crowd at the Diwali party organized by India's Restaurant on Saturday 5th November. Several people dressed in the traditional and partywer joined the party, that started at 8:30pm. In addition to the tasty bite sized appetizers, drinks and the full course dinner has been the main attraction at the party, apart from the live DJ music. People have been seen on the dance floor all thru the evening.
30th October 2011
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (CO/WY Chapter) Fall Meeting & Golf tournament
The AAPI fall 2011 meeting started off with Golf tournament at the Emerald Golf course at the Windsor gardens, Denver. The Golf tournament was lead by Dr Sohan Bhatia and Mrs. Anjali Bhatia. A few of our members namely Dr &Mrs. Vedanthan, Dr Suman Morarka and Dr Apurva Patel participated on this sunny afternoon and won a few laurels too.
The dinner meeting was held at the India’s restaurant on Hampden Avenue. We had a good attendance of the local physicians, medical students, residents, medical personnel, and some of the spouses. The highlights of the meeting were 1.Recognition of the Basic science investigators: Dr Preveen Ramamoorthy, National Jewish Health for his pioneering work on Genomics in clinical medicine; Dr Subbiaha Pugazhenthi PhD for his work on Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer’s; Dr Ravi Mahalingam for his research on Chicken pox (Varicella) virus.
Dr Preveen Ramamoorthy PhD was the main invited speaker and his talk on ‘Personalized medicine’ was very informative and well received by the audience. The Golf tournament and the dinner meeting at the India’s was fully sponsored by Mr. & mars Scott and Janette Henington of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Financial Services, Centennial, CO.
17th September 2011
Hindustani Vocal Concert by Mr.Nachiketa - Organized by CFAA
Colorado Fine Arts Association (CFAA) created history by organizing a Hindustani Vocal Concert by Shri Nachiketa Yakkundi accompanied by Smt. Priya Hariharan on the Violin and Shri Nabin Shreshtha on the Tabla on Sept. 17th, 2011 at Broomfield Auditorium.
CFAA Board member Gayathri Krishnamurthy welcomed the audience and introduced the artists. Nachiketa, based in Cupertino, California is an ace Hindustani Vocalist. Hailing from Dharwad, Karnataka, Nachiketa Yakkundi was initiated into Hindustani classical vocal music by his parents. His formal study began in Madras under Shri B. N. Simha and later under Shri B. Hanumantachar. His rigorous and extended pedagogy came under the virtuoso late Padmabhushan Pandit Basavraj Rajguru.
Shri Nachiketa began the evening by singing three compositions in Raag Shree which is a different from Raag Shree of Carnatic Music. Raag Shree in Hindustani Music comes from Purvi Thaat. It is sung in the evening time and has a "Gambhir" mood to it. The first compositon "Chain Ganvaye" was composed by Late Pt. C R Vyas set in Vilambit(slow) Ektaal followed by a bandish "Saanjh Bhayi re" composed by Pt. Ratnakant Ramnathkar set in Dhrut(fast) Ektaal. The third composition was a vandana to Lord Hanuman. He continued the program with Raag Kesari Kalyan, which is a Mishra(mix) of Raag Hamshadwani and Raag Shudhdha Kalyan. This Raag itself is a creation in honor of Lord Hanuman himself. The composer Late Pt. Ramashreya Jha created a Jod bandish which is a set of two bandishes consisting of thematic flow of the beauty of Lord Hanuman.
Next was "Sarasa Sugandha Aali" in Raag Gagan-Vihang which is again a Mishra(mix) of Raag Pat-Bihag, Bihag, Shankara, Nand and its own characteristics. This Raag was created by Late Pt. Dinkar Kaikini. A Tarana in Raag Shyam Kalyan, a traditional Raaga, composed by Pt. Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale set to Rupak Taal followed by a Marathi Abhang in Raag Malkauns popularized by Late Pt. Bhimsen Joshi was icing on the cake. He completely mesmerized the audience by singing a Vachana in Kannada written by Basavanna and put to tune by Basavraj Rajguru in Raag Bhatiyar which is a morning raga. Vachanas were primarily composed by Vachanakaras in the 12th Century. Vachana literally means "that which is said". These are readily intelligible prose texts. All Vachanas are tribute to Lord Shiva. Finally, he ended the concert with a Surdas Bhajan composed by Late Pt. Kumar Gandharva in Raag Bhairavi. Priya and Nabin were great at Violin and Tabla respectively and kept up with all the intricacies.
Right after the concert Smt Madhura Gokhale interviewed Nachiketa which provided the audience with a unique insight into the mind of the artist. Ajay Menon thanked the performers, introduced the CFAA board of directors and unveiled the next programs of CFAA to conclude the festivities for the evening. CFAA's tokens of appreciation were handed over to the artists by eminent members of our audience - Shri Joginder Singh Viruthi, Mr Kedar Bhide and Dr Arti Saproo. Krish Hariharan, Vice President of CFAA talked about the upcoming Rhapsody 2011 program. The quality of the concert and the organization from the CFAA team stood out during the whole time.
4th July 2011
Colorado rocks in DHIM-TANA singing and dance contests
In an initiative by Telugu Association of North America, with TV-9, Telugu leading 24-hr TV news channel, DHIM-TANA, Colorado kids proved its position with several winners in various categories. In the Folk/Film dance Solo 14-19 age group, Medha Gudavalli won the first prize, and won 2nd prize in Classical Dance Solo 14-19 age group. Lasya Gaddipati has won 2nd and 3rd place in Classical Dance Solo - under 7 and Classical Singing Solo - under 7 categories respectively. Apoorva Gundu of Westminster, CO has won 3rd prize in Classical Dance Solo 8-13 age group.
In the recent TANA convention held in San Jose, CA, popular telugu film singers Kausalya, Pranavi distributed the prizes in the presence of Kalatapasvi K. Viswanath, Sri Nandamuri Balakrishna, Smt Nannapaneni Rajakumari and other prominent people from Andhra Pradesh, India.
Our heartiest congratulations to these rocking stars from Colorado.
21st May 2011
An evening of Rabindra Sangeet by Sharmila Roy Pommot
The first ever Rabindra Sangeet Concert in Denver, Colorado was a major success on May 21, 2011 organized by Colorado Fine Arts Association, a non-profit organization promoting the fine arts. The evening kicked off with Mr. Ajay Menon (President) who gave a brief introduction of CFAA and introduced the MC's of the evening Ms. Sri Garimella and Mr. Amitabha Rakshit followed by the vote of thanks by Mr. Krish Hariharan (Vice President). It was .Wonderful evening at the Denver Art Museum listening to Sharmila Roy Pommot pay tribute to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th birth anniversary. Ms Sharmila Roy Pommot accompanied by Mr. Nabin Shrestha on the tabla, Ms. Sreeparna Gupt Das on the Keyboard and the multi-talented Virtuoso Ms. Priya Hariharan on the violin (in the latter part of the concert) were truly captivating and kept the audience enthralled.
Ms. Sharmila brought Tagore and the times he lived in back to life for us and did it with so much thought so much feeling and so deeply connected to his muse and thought process. Her choice of songs to please the audience from the various states of India ...talking about the various composers who inspired him... the simple dignity and humor in her introductions to each song... in her very demeanor... it was genuine... inimitable and it was real. It was universally enjoyable and it was very fitting for a student of Vishva Bharati and Shantiniketan. The story telling with each song broke all language barriers...Tagore came alive on stage as an aristocrat, a young student sent away to London to learn law and who instead came back with a bag of songs, a young married man very much in love and then a philosopher. The famous song "Aekla Chalo Re" which was written and sung during the Dandi March of our Pre-Independence was rendered with so much passion that the audience could not sit still and had to sing with Ms. Sharmila. Tagore's famous song "Phule Phule Dhole Dhole" which was an inspiration from a Scottish ballad was rendered so nicely that the audience was kept captivated by the music. Ms. Sharmila's sweet and enchanting voice - the interactive/ story telling concert kept the little kids interested as well. Ms. Roy also inculcated some carnatic music into her Rabindra Sangeet which was a very unique and novel style.
All in all it truly was one of a kind concert ever. As the evening came to an end, the audience wanted more of Ms. Sharmila Roy Pommot...and went back home with soulful music and many memories to be cherished. Those of us who knew the language reveled in the lyrics and those who didn't, enjoyed it as music is to be enjoyed - from the mind and the heart!
** DesiShades is thankful to Ms.Sri Garimella for this write-up
14th May 2011
Indian Dance Festival 2011 by Kerala Association of Colorado
The 12th Indian Dance Festival by Kerala Association of Colorado created a wholesome appreciation of the rich Indian dance traditions. The Indian dance style dates back to centuries. All the performances provided not the entertainment, but they also reflected the traditional and Philosophical meaning to the life. It was a typical spring day with gentle showers on 14th April, though it did not interrupt the Indian Dance Festival, the tradition of Colorado has been following for the past 12 years. It was the same enthusiasm from people with a good attendance, participation and cheer-up from beginning to the end with continuous applauses for every program on the stage. West High School in Denver was set to stage all these performances for over 4hours in duration. The audiences were warmly welcomed by the president Mr. Krish Krishnan who took the driving wheel for the second term after a little break, and explained the changes that the current team is bringing up.
The program started with the traditional Bharatanatyam dance Ananda Nartana by Annika Ajay, from Shivanjali Center for Fine Arts. Natyapriya School of Dance students Divya, Anjali, Shama and Aishwarya's performance for Pushpanjali was very well received by the audience. The Kuchipudi dance medley by Girija and Meghna from Saimeghna Dance School continued the classical performances greatly blended Annamacharya krithis. Narmada, semi-classical performance by Abhinaya School of Dance students Namita, Mythreyi, Sharada, Shrenija, Diya, Devanshi, Kavya, Rhea, Sona, Vaishnavi and Asha was a visual feast, that portrayed the holy river Narmada flowing through the mountains and plains to unite with the Arabian sea. The Mohiniyattam item Kusruthi Ganapathi by Sneha was appreciated by the audience. The young girls from Shivanjali - Aditi, Meghana, and Namritha, Shreya, and Shrushti performance showed the kids interest in the mainstream of Indian dance.
KAC brings a distinguished guest artist for the annual event. This year's artist Ms. Lakshmi Kurup from New York has a high profile in Indian Classical Dance and internationally acclaimed artist in multiple classical forms. She performed three different items-- Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and in Kuchipudi style, with same ease and expertise in their respective traditional strengths. Her first item of the evening - Padamanjari successfully showed the gestural and facial acting when her beloved Krishna arrives after a long period. The next item in Bharatanatyam tradition was the famous Nadesha Kautum, an invocatory piece that praises the Lord Nataraja, and the dancer was equally successful to bring up the expertise. Ms.Kurup's third item of the evening was a traditional Kuchipudi tarangam.
Shiva Stuti by Lata Sudendra was a great number. This was a famous composition of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, in Praise of Lord Shiva. Kanchadalayadakshi-- Traditional Kuchipudi dance by Prathyusha Apaprasu, Sonu Venkatraman and Avani Gangavelli of Laya Dance Academy was very well received by the audience. This piece was about goddess Lakshmi Devi, queen of the Universe. This was an outstanding performance with full of rhythm and zest. The semi-classical item for a Tamil movie song by Visual, Reinjure and Kamala was very much charming. This melodious song composed by AR Redman was intelligently blended with nice movements with a classical touch. A Bollywood medley dance performed by Joice was refreshing. The Nepali folk dance by the young girls Nikita, Arina, Akriti, Pradiptee, Lasata and Sarina was really cute, which showed the best movements for the rhythmic beats. The medley of dances by Smokey Hill High School girls Vikasini, Arthi, Sanjana and Hershini was joyful to watch. The girls received the best applause for their fast paced movements for the high-beat tracks. Muthu Mazhai was a Tamil movie song, for which the Kavitha and Nivetha was a great ending to the show. Last but not the least was the Desi Caliente choreographed by Subbu was a vibrant to the show.
The 2011 Colorado Dance festival invited a diverse range of artists including the younger performers to the dance gurus.
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