About: Kanwal

Prasanna, a pioneer in performing Carnatic music on the guitar, an engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology, a composer for award winning films, an internationally acclaimed guitarist in contemporary Jazz, Rock and Blues, a Magna-Cum-Laude graduate of Berklee College of Music, and an entrepreneurial visionary who established a world class music college that blends the Indian Gurukula system of learning with contemporary western college education pedagogy.

Prasanna was voted among the ‘top 50 creative Indians’ by Open Magazine in 2010. He was awarded the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ for Carnatic music by H.H. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi in 2006. He is deeply devoted to spreading the gospel of Carnatic music on the guitar and is passionately educating young children from all over the world in this beautiful art form.

Prasanna’s creative collaboration with A.R. Rahman includes guitar performances in the Score and Soundtrack of Dreamworks’ ‘A Hundred Foot Journey’, Disney’s ‘Million Dollar Arm’ alongside numerous Indian films like Puthiya Mugam, Jeans, Swades, Highway and others. In addition to this, he has to his credit, film scores for many films.

We talk to Prasanna about his musical journey and about his performance at the IAAC Diwali Concert, to be held on November 6th, at 7 PM ET – LIVE in person at the Rubin Museum of Art 150 West 17th street, NYC. Do tune – in for sure, for this wonderful conversation with him, this Tuesday, 2nd November, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, on MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

The India Association of Minnesota (IAM) invites the public to a gathering on Saturday October 30 at 5 p.m. at the Maple Grove Central Park Phenow Pavilion at 12000 Central Park Way, Maple Grove, MN 55369. This is IAM’s first breast cancer awareness event called Pink Garba.

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month. “The Pink Garba initiative supporting breast cancer awareness encourages women to adopt the life-saving practices of regular self-examinations, clinical breast exams and mammograms and helps them recognize there is a supportive community behind them.

A panel of experts will discuss prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and respond to questions from the audience. There will be a fun trivia and Q&A session with prizes.

We have a detailed discussion about the event with one of the organizers’, Tanwi Mookherjee Prigge, this Thursday, 28th October, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, on MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Yash Raj Films is the biggest Indian studio and it’s Chairman and Managing Director, Aditya Chopra, has directed and produced some of the biggest blockbusters in the history of Indian cinema. His debut directorial, the historic romantic film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which released in 1995, is still running in theatres. Popularly called DDLJ, it is one of the highest grossing movies in the history of Indian cinema and the biggest IP of the country’s rich and diverse movie industry.

After 26 years, Aditya Chopra is set to direct DDLJ again and it will mark his debut as a director on Broadway. He strongly feels Broadway and Indian films are ‘two long lost lovers separated in time’ because of their intrinsic similarities as both celebrate heart-warming stories and human emotions through music and dance.

Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical is set to be on stage in the Broadway season of 2022-2023, with a World Premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego September 2022.

The Indo American Community of New England held a virtual welcome and Town Hall Question & Answer session with the new Honorable Deputy General Counsel of India (NY) – Dr. Varun Jeph.

MeraSangeet was part of the event and it was a delight for us to interact with Dr. Jeph and the FIA members.

We bring to you some moments from Dr. Jeph’s address – catch these for sure – today, 18th October, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, on MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

The Indo-American Arts Council is a not-for-profit arts organization passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing and building an awareness of the arts and artists whose heritage lies in the Indian subcontinent in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts and folk arts. 

IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. They work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding.

The IAAC’s focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work in the United States.

Do save the dates – 29 and 30 November, 8 PM ET and watch the IAAC Music Concert – LIVE on Facebook. For more information, do visit, www.iaac.us

The Erasing Borders Dance Festival of the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) invites dancers, dance companies and choreographers across the world to present works of artistic excellence sharing movement, heritage, and inspiration from India. The festival is curated for the New York City public and can now be viewed globally in its virtual edition.

It was a delight to have Suman Gollamudi. Executive Director, Indo-American Arts Council, with us. She talks about all the dance forms that are being presented on the ongoing festival- as well as about the much awaited workshops that will be held on the weekend.

For the details, do visit https://iaac.us/erasing-borders-dance-festival-2021/. Also, do tune in for this wonderful conversation with Suman, this Friday, 24 September, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and11:00 PM – EST

Dr. Mattoo is the Chairman of the Indo American Arts Council. He is also the co-founder and owner of Atlantic Dialysis Management services, the largest private dialysis provider in New York State.

He was the CEO of Wyckoff-Heights Medical Center and co-chairman of the Chief Medical Officer’s Council of the Columbia Presbyterian system.

He is the President of the Mattoo Center of India Studies at State University of New York. He is also the Co Editor of the book Ananya. A Portrait of India.

We talk to Dr. Mattoo about his journey here in the US – about the Erasing Borders Dance Festival and much more – do join in on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, this Saturday, 18th September, on MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Divya Chaturvedi has been Saheli’s Co-Executive Director since 2018. She has a long-term commitment to the cause of reducing domestic violence and the economic empowerment of women in the South Asian communities.

Divya brings more than 15+ years of global non-profit management experience passionately working on a range of gender issues from microfinance, domestic violence and gender research, to leadership development at a number of world’s leading international organizations and academic institutions like UNDP, UNIFEM, Ford Foundation, and Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).

She holds an MPA degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

Do join in the conversation where we talk to Divya about Saheli, how to reach it, about Domestic abuse and its different ugly forms, how to recognize it at the very outset and much more – save the timings – this Saturday, 11 September, on our Hindi Radio Show, Chat and Chai, MeraSangeet Gold at 7:00 AM , 11:00 AM , 1:00 PM , 3:00 PM , 5:00 PM , 7:00 PM , 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM – EST.

Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) has announced its annual Erasing Borders Dance Festival, September 22-26, 2021 at 8:30 P.M. ET.

Now in its 14th year, the Erasing Borders Dance Festival will be all-virtual in its presentation. Ten artists trained in Indian dance forms from across the world will be brought together in a virtual borderless festival.

The dance festival is one among Indo-American Arts Council’s other flagship events featuring music, film, and literature, all dedicated to furthering the knowledge and living practices of the arts of the Indian sub-continent.

The Erasing Borders Dance Festival of the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) invites dancers, dance companies and choreographers across the world to present works of artistic excellence sharing movement, heritage, and inspiration from India. The festival is curated for the New York City public and can now be viewed globally in its virtual edition.