Chaitimeradio

In this ChaiTime, we talk to the world-renowned Baul singer Parvathy Baul(https://parvathybaul.com) and experience her divine music LIVE!!. In the studio, she is joined by Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh. Parvathy is visiting the San Francisco Bay Area from 9/20 to 9/25, and she will be performing at various venues. Complete information about the multiple events can be found here: https://parvathybaul.com. Parvathy Baul is the most recognized woman Baul performer in the world: she is a practitioner, performer and teacher of the Baul tradition from Bengal, India. The Baul tradition weaves together threads from Buddhism, Sufism, and Hinduism. She is also an instrumentalist, storyteller, and painter. In February 2019, she was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, national recognition for her immense contribution to the ancient Baul tradition. Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh (“BG”) is the CTO at 8VC. Since receiving his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Yale, BG has had a distinguished career in Silicon Valley, working for 20+ years in techn

In this Chaitime, we talk to Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand about the upcoming concert Heart to Heart: Healing thru Music on July 20 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm at the Cemex Auditorium, Graduate Business School, 655 Knight Way, Stanford. More information about the program can be found here: https://arts.stanford.edu/event/84299/ It is a free concert with Jazz and Carnatic Fusion, and it is being organized for raising awareness of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and the work done by the H2H Foundation. H2H Foundation (https://www.h2h.foundation/) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to saving the lives of children born with congenital heart defects (CHDS) by providing free pediatric cardiac surgeries. Dr Anand is a professor of pediatrics(Pediatric critical care) and anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at the Stanford University Medical Center.

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: https://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.

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. Nim

In this Chaitime, we talk with Padmabhushan Sursamragyi Begum Parveen Sultana. 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.

In this Chaitime, we talk to vocalist Konark Sarangi (http://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

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 performanc

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.

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, and life lessons.

In this Chaitime, we talk to vocalist, composer, and scholar of Hindustani classical, semi-classical, and devotional music Pandit Raja Kale (http://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. H

In this Chaitime, we talk to award-winning filmmaker Stanzin Dorjai Gya (https://www.stanzindorjaigya.com) 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 ha

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.

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.

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

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 an

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 Ind

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.

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. The program is organized by Kaavya Connections: World Poetry, Literature & Music Meetup group to celebrate its 50th group event. 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. For his upcoming event, he will be accompanied by: Gurdeep Hira on Tabla, Swapan

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 Mehn

Today, we will take a step back in time to appreciate an icon of his era. A poet of melancholy, spirituality, pain, and divine love - Sahir Ludhiyanvi was a true genius. Each of his songs is a gem and it is impossible to capture his poetry in a one hour show और फ़िर ये sports season है तो मुझे पता भी नहीं था कि show होना है या नहीं तो ये episode वैसा है कि जो दिल में आया कह दिया, जो सुनना चाहा वो सुन लिया types, एकदम impromptu पर साहिर साहब के लिखे गाने हैं, अच्छे ही लगेंगे आपको। समय की पाबंदी की वजह से कुछ बेहतरीन गीत रह गए लेकिन अगली बार...