Chai Time with Pranjali Sirasao

Chai time is a weekly program, on KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM. The program explores current events and issues relevant to South Asian literature, culture and music. The program is hosted by Pranjali Sirasao who teaches in Department of South & Southeast Asian Studies at UC Berkeley. In the past, she has taught in Stanford University and UC Davis. The program is heard in more than 100 countries around the world.

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Adopt A Village - Interview with Dr. Jayant Kumar of the Bihar Foundation of USA

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to Dr. Jayant Kumar of the Bihar Foundation of the USA about their non-profit and upcoming annual function Bihar Diwas - 2019 on June 30, 2019 @ICC Milpitas from 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM. Details of the program can be found here: tinyurl.com/yxwru8g8

Bihar Foundation of USA, California is a non-profit organization working to help poorest of poor people in India through their various projects. "Adopt A Village" under the Project-VisionBihar, Bihar foundation of USA recently adopted six villages in Bihar, India and sponsored 500+ Free Eye Surgeries and distributed 1000+ Free Eye Glasses, in association with Sri Sai Lions Netralaya, Patna, Bihar, India.

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Chaitime with Nima Gujar about Ekal Vidyalaya

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to Nima Gujar, President of Ekal Vidyalay, Bay Area Chapter. Ekal is a non-profit organization on a mission to bring basic education to every child across rural India. Ekal Vidyalaya’s mission targets the holistic development of rural and remote tribal villages in India by providing functional education that includes basic literacy, health and hygiene, economic development, social empowerment, and value education. The nonprofit has a goal of 100,000 schools by 2022 – the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. You can donate or/and volunteer for Ekal. Please join annual fundraiser for the Bay Area chapter of the nonprofit Ekal Vidyalaya. It is a melodious evening of music by the Vishwanath Batunge Group at ICC Milpitas on Sunday, April 7 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. It is the annual fundraiser for the Bay Area chapter of the nonprofit Ekal Vidyalaya. You can find all the information on their webpage ekal.org

Currently, Nima is the president of Ekal Vidyalaya, Bay Area Chapter. Nima Gujar is a principal at HGA, specializing in designing corporate workplaces throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Her expertise includes interior design details, construction documents, construction administration, client relations, project management, and team coordination. Apart from that she dedicates her time in social causes and is actively involved in Bay Area Maharashtra Mandal, Rajasthan Association of North America and is a founder of WWW (Wonderful Women of the World) which has been running successfully for last 16 years. It gives platform to women to come together and share their expertise and experience.

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The Reigning Begum - Interview with Padmabhushan Sursamragyi Begum Parveen Sultana

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk with Padmabhushan Sursamragyi Begum Parveen Sultana. She is currently visiting Bay area and will be performing at ICC Milipitas on 3/24/[email protected].

Parveen Sultana does not need any introductions. She debuted on stage at the age of twelve. In 1965 she recorded her first EP for EMI India, and in 1967 her first LP for the same label. She was conferred the Padmashri in 1976, at the age of 25 and was awarded Padma Bhushan (2014) by the Government of India, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1998, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama. Parveen Sultana has sung for Bollywood movies such as Gadar, Kudrat, Do Boond Pani, and Pakeezah, and several other Assamese films. She was awarded Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for the song "Hame Tumse Pyar Kitna" for the film Kudrat.

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Composing for a Cause - In conversation with vocalist Konark Sarangi

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to vocalist Konark Sarangi (www.konarksarangi.com/). A devoted student of Indian Classical Music and Vocal artist who works on Social Issue based Musical projects. His musical videos Hausla Na Ruthe and Ghar Jaana Hai have met with critical acclaim.

His first video “Ghar Jaana Hai” showcases the issue of Drought & Migration. The video has been well accepted in film festivals across the world with 23 official selections (Including Miami Beach Film Festival, Richmond International Film festival, Los Angeles Film Awards) and has won 6 Awards in various categories.

His latest video "Hausla Na Ruthe" has the Orissa Super Cyclone as its backdrop. The cyclone struck the state of Odisha in 1999 causing large scale devastation killing around 50000 people. "Hausla Na Ruthe" depicts one such story of 'Charu Maa,' a super courageous woman from the village of Gundalba, Odisha who refused to give up and led a group of women to fight against nature's fury and restored an entire forest cover that got destroyed in the 1999 Orissa Super Cyclone.

Konark started his musical learning under the able guidance of Shri Mahesh Kale in the San Francisco Bay Area. His quest for learning the highly rich traditions of Indian Classical music took him to the legendary Dhrupad vocalist, Padmashree Pandit Ramakant Gundecha from whom he learns Dhrupad gayaki. Konark has performed in various solo concerts in the US and has also performed as an accompanying artist in many classical / semi-classical concerts.

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आज रंग है ऐ माँ रंग है री: A Tribute to Ankit Chadha

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

We dedicate this episode of Chaitime to Ankit Chadha.

Ankit Chadha((21 December 1987 – 9 May 2018) was an Indian writer, storyteller, oral narrative performance artist, researcher, and educator but above all, he was a genuinely lovely human being and friend. Ankit specialized in research-based narratives performed in the centuries-old Dastangoi form of storytelling. He weaved biographical accounts of personalities like Kabir and Rahim to Dara Shikoh and Majaz into the conventional Dastangoi style of presentation. He performed Dastangoi globally, including at Harvard, Yale, and University of Toronto. Ankit left us and all his fans on 9th May 2018 few weeks after his last performance in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In this episode, we listen to my interview with the accomplished team of Khusro-ke-Rang which included Ankit Chadha, Bindu Narayanaswami, Vedant Bharadwaj and Ajay Tipaniya. This interview was recorded in July 2017, when I had an opportunity to travel with the group to attend a live performance of Khusro-Ke-Rang in Pondicherry.

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Interview with Journalist and Author Sanjay Patel

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In today's Chaitime,  we talk to anchor, art critic, music aficionado, journalist and author Sanjay Patel. Sanjay Patel is from Indore, India and he has had a unique honor of meeting almost every music personality of the industry. This year he completed his 40 years of public life. I had an opportunity to talk to him during my visit to Indore in 2017 and have him share his experience with music stalwarts: Mehdi Hasan, Prahlad Tipaniya, VG Jog. In this interview, he shares his broad experience as an anchor and journalist.

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Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon - In conversation with Javed Akhtar Sahab

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In today's Chaitime we talk to the famous Hindi/Urdu poet and lyricist, Javed Akhtar. It was an incredible honor and experience talking to Javed Akhtar Saheb and listen to him talk about his incredible journey, life lessons and his show Mein Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon, for which he is currently touring the USA.

Mein Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon has a unique format where the multifaceted lyricist shares intimate details and stories of his super hit songs along with an evening of soulful music. Mein Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon is coming to SanJose on Nov 3rd, 2018 .

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Bandish in Khayal - In conversation with Hindustani Classical artist Pandit Dr. Raja Kale

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to vocalist, composer, and scholar of Hindustani classical, semi-classical, and devotional music Pandit Raja Kale (www.rajakale.com) and listen to his compositions, recorded in KZSU studio. Pandit Kale is accompanied by renowned bay-area artist Raju Chithambaram, founder of Andaaz creations.

Pandit Raja Kale is a senior disciple of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. He also received valuable guidance from Pandit C. P. Rele and Pandit Balasaheb Poonchwale from the Gwalior Gharana. Pandit Raja Kale is known for rendering both old and new Hindustani classical music with an approach that is at once eclectic and focused on the performance. With his appealing style and gifted voice with wide range and rare tonal qualities, Pt. Raja Kale achieves perfect articulation in the alaap, taan as well as the exposition of the Bandish. He is equally proficient in presenting Thumri, Tappa, Natyageet, Bhajan, and Bhavgeet. He holds a Ph.D. with the thesis on the Importance of Bandish in Khayal. He has also received a senior fellowship from the Department of Culture of the Government of India for the study of the subject: Comparative study and analysis of "Gayaki" of Legendary singers Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, and Pandit Jasraj. Pandit Kale is the founder of Swarabhishek Gurukul, a music academy with the goal of teaching the real essence of Hindustani classical and semi-classical music. He has performed live on several notable occasions, and on broadcast media, including TV and Radio in India.

Raju Chithambaram is a lead vocalist in Bay Area band Andaaz Creations. Raju is a student of Mahesh Kale & Pandit Laxmi Ganesh Tewari and has sung with Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sadhana Sargam, and other elite Bollywood artists. Andaaz Creations is the originator of the Bollywood Broadway Musical and has raised over $1M in fundraisers.

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Chaitime with award-winning filmmaker Stanzin Dorjai Gya

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to award-winning filmmaker Stanzin Dorjai Gya about his life, his journey and his film - Shepherdess of the Glaciers. Shot at an altitude of 16,400 ft, Shepherdess of the Glaciers is an award-winning film by Stanzin Dorjai Gya and Christiane Mordelet.  In this movie, Stanzin tells the story of her sister who is a shepherdess in the rock-strewn mountain in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.  And through her story, Stanzin captures an intimate portrait of a disappearing way of life – one marked by challenges and isolation, but also beauty and spiritual grace.

Stanzin Dorjai has dedicated his career to sharing stories that open the viewers’ eyes and minds to the unique challenges of life in the High Himalayas. His work is as compelling as the landscape of Ladakh itself, and his message is as profound as the surrounding Himalayas. He is joined in the studio by Linda Cortright and Mary Dautricourt.

Stanzin is an internationally-acclaimed filmmaker who has directed and produced notable feature films and documentaries on regional, national and international issues.  “Jungwa: The Broken Balance,” a documentary based on the 2010 flash floods that devastated Leh, was selected for screening at the United Nations’ COP21 Paris Conference in 2015.  “The Shepherdess of the Glaciers,” an homage to his sister’s life, has won 20 awards, including the Grand Prize at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in 2016. Stanzin is alumnus of SECMOL and founder of Himalayan Film House. HFH seeks to promote and capture stories unique to this region as people face increasing socio-economic conflict and environmental degradation. 

Linda Cortright is founder and publisher of Wild Fibers Magazine, a U.S. quarterly and Pangong Craft Center in Phobrang village, Ladakh. Pangong Craft Center provides a warm, well-lit space for nearly 60 semi-nomadic women to spin and weave cashmere from the goats they lovingly raise.

Mary Dautricourt is the coordinator for  Stanzin's trip to the San Francisco Bay area. 

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Chadariya Jheene Re Jheene - One Kabir bhajan in various musical forms

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime we listen to the famous bhajan "Chadariya Jheene Re Jheene" written by 15th-century Indian mystic poet, Sufi and saint, Kabir whose writings influenced basic Indian spirituality in the voice of some of the well known folk, classical and modern singers. We hear the same bhajan sung in their unique way by Prahlad Tipaniya, Kumar Gandharva, Mukhtiyar Ali, Pandit Jasraj, Indian Ocean and Kabir Cafe. This show captures the power of Kabir's bhajan and the versatility of Indian music.

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Creating Public Leaders in India - Chaitime with Shobhit Mathur

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk with Shobhit Mathur of Vision India Foundation(www.visionindiafoundation.com) and Jayant Somani, and Ojas Somani of Sewa International(www.sewausa.org).

Shobhit Mathur is the co-founder and Executive Director at Vision India Foundation. He is an alumnus of IIT Bombay, University of Washington and Indian School of Business. Shobhit has previously worked with Amazon.com and Youth For Seva. He has a decade of full-time experience in the social and public sector.

Jayant Somani is the President of the Sewa Bay Area Executive Committee. Jayant is a semiconductor industry executive and holds a Master degree in Technology Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Ojas Somani is a youth volunteer with Sewa.

Vision India Foundation is a non-profit initiative by faculty and alumni of various IITs. It is an incubator for aspiring public leaders in India. India has a severe shortage of committed public leaders with a high character. VIF identifies trains and mentors young talent who would want to solve India's most pressing problems using public policy and governance. The goal is to bring about long-term systemic reform in the country by engaging highly motivated and well informed young talent. This approach is already in execution with great success for the past four years. More information about VIF can be found at www.visionindiafoundation.com

Sewa International is a Hindu faith-based, humanitarian, nonprofit service organization registered under Internal Revenue Code 501 (c) (3). Sewa specializes in disaster relief and rehabilitation with programs focused on family services; child, tribal and refugee welfare; women empowerment; health; and education. In addition to their work in the US, Sewa has undertaken development projects in Colombia, Guyana, India, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. More information about Sewa International is available here: www.sewausa.org

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Gata Rahe Mera Dil - Chaitime with Devanand Songs

Show Recording: soundclud.com/chaitimeradio

Devanand is considered one of the greates and most successful actors in the Indian film industry. In this Chaitime we celebrate his legacy with some of his popular songs.

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Immortal India - Chaitime with Author Amish Tripathi (In Hindi)

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to Author Amish Tripathi. Amish is described as ‘India’s first literary popstar’ by world-renowned film director Shekhar Kapur, Amish’s unique combination of crackling story-telling, religious symbolism and profound philosophies has turned him into an Indian publishing phenomenon.

Amish is a graduate of IIM-Calcutta and worked for 14 years in the financial services industry before turning to full-time writing. The success of his debut book, The Immortals of Meluha(Book no. 1 of the Shiva Trilogy) pushed him to take writing as full time career. He is passionate about history, mythology, and philosophy, finding beauty and meaning in all world religions.

Amish’s 6 books till now include:  The Immortals of Meluha (2010), The Secret of the Nagas (2011) and The Oath of the Vayuputras (2013), which collectively comprise the Shiva Trilogy, Ram – Scion of Ikshvaku (Book 1 of the Ram Chandra Series) (2015), Sita – Warrior of Mithila (Book 2 of the Ram Chandra Series) (2017), and Immortal India – Young Country, Timeless Civilisation. Immortal India is Amish’s first non-fiction book. His books have been translated into 19 Indian and International languages.

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Chaitime with Music Composer and Vocalist Ram Sampath

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to composer, producer, vocalist and musician Ram Sampath. Ram Sampath calls himself a musical schizophrenic & there's a good reason for that. At 21, he founded his own Indie label, Mutherfunk Records, through which he released his rock band's self titled album, "Colourblind". He is one of the few Indian composer- producers who has tasted mainstream success outside of Bollywood with his Desi-Pop albums like Shaan's, "Tanha Dil", Sona Mohapatra's self titled debut album, two super successful episodes on Coke Studio @ MTV India. He composed all the songs and music on Aamir Khan's groundbreaking TV show, Satyamev Jayate. He has composed music for over 5000 commercials and has won multiple national & international awards for his advertising work. And of course, he also works in Bollywood! He's done music for movies like Talaash, Khakee, Fukrey, Let's Talk & of course, Delhi Belly.

Ram sampath is currently visiting San Francisco Bay area for his show Ram Sampath Live! on March 10th and 11th. This show is a Mona Khan Company production and is a live music show with Ram Sampath and his band. The show will also be featuring Mona Khan Company dancers.  More details of the show(March 10th and 11th, 2018) can be found here: www.monakhancompany.com/ramsampathlive/

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Meri had ki sarhadein maula aake mita do- In conversation with poet and writer Kamal Kishore Rajput

Show Recording: SoundCloud

In this Chaitime, we talk to poet and writer Kamal Kishore Rajput. His new song "Meri had ki sarhade maula" was recently launched on Youtube. The song in this video is performed by well-known folk singer Padmashri Prahlad Singh Tipaniya and his group. This interview was recorded in July 2017 when I was introduced to Kamalji during my trip to Luniyakhedi, home of Shri Prahlad Tipaniya, and when Prahladji performed this song for the first time.

Kamalji worked professionally as a scientist in DRDO before his retirement. He now lives in Bangalore and besides writing sufi poetry, he also writes ghazals and bhajans. Many of his poems and ghazals have been performed by well-known artists and released on CD and Youtube video.

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Mystical Sufi Music with Sukhawat Ali Khan

Show Time: Every Sunday at 3:00pm to 4:00pm (PST) on KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM Show Recording: Click here Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter Previous Shows: SoundCloud

In this ChaiTime, we talk to musician Sukhawat Ali Khan about his music and his upcoming show on Saturday, 28 October 2017, 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM at The Center SF 548 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117, San Francisco, CA. RSVP here for the event.

The program is organized by Kaavya Connections: World Poetry, Literature & Music Meetup group to celebrate its 50th group event. For this event, Sukhawat Ali Khan will be accompanied by: Gurdeep Hira on Tabla, Swapan Gandhi on Flute, Vivek Anand on Vocals and Brad Murphy on Sound Production

Sukhawat Ali Khan represents the family lineage of the 600-year old Sham Chaurasia traditional school of music established during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar in India. He is trained in classical raga and Sufi Qawwali. He started learning music at the age of seven under his father Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, a legendary Pakistani/Indian vocalist. A San Francisco Bay Area resident, Sukhawat Ali Khan teaches his musical style and performs concerts for dance and world music lovers with his band Baraka Moon. Baraka Moon latest creation Wind horse is available on iTunes and Amazon Music.

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Shaam-E-Ghazal : Chaitime with Eminent Ghazal Singer Dr. Roshan Bharti

Show Recording: soundcloud.com/chaitimeradio

In this Chaitime, we talk to renowned ghazal singer from India, Dr. Roshan Bharti and his disciple, Sunita Narain Mathur.

A well-established name in the ghazal world, Dr. Roshan Bharti hails from the Senia Gharana. He took his training in ghazals under the tutelage of his father Ustad Yasmin Bharti. Dr Roshan Bharti is the grandson of Ustad Jamal Khan sahib, the revered guru of Shri Jagjeet Singh ji and the nephew of Mehndi Hasan Saheb, the great ghazal maestro. Dr. Bharti is a trained classical singer with a doctorate on ghazal queen ‘Begum Akhtar’s life and works’ from the University of Rajasthan. Currently he is imparting his knowledge of music as a professor in the Kota Girls’ college.

Dr. Roshan Bharti is a top grade AIR (All India Radio) and Doordarshan artist and he is also the youngest member of AIR and Doordarshan Audition Board. He has to his credit many great performances in India, Australia, Canada, North America and Bangkok. Roshan has sung with the great ghazal singers of Asia like Ustad Mehndi Hasan, Ustad Ghulam Ali, Shri Jagjeet Singh ji and Abida Parveen. The Times Music has released four of his ghazal albums ‘Ghazal Gold, Daagh, Ehsaas and Shaame Ghazal.