Rise with Anoushka Shankar

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Chicagoans attending the final concert in the city’s Music Without Borders series were treated to performances by talented sitarist Anoushka Shankar and DJ Karsh Kale. I considered myself a lukewarm fan of Indian classical music at best, but after sitting in the open air Pritzker Pavillion of beautiful Millennium Park in the shadow of Anil Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture, the sounds of Kale’s innovative stylings and Shankar’s sitar blended with electronic music quickly changed my mind. I’m going to check out Shankar’s Rise and Kale’s Broken English and I suggest you do the same.

Luella Bartley & M.I.A.

Luella + M.I.A. Photo: David Sims

Fashion Rocks, a supplement to Condé Nast publications this month, has paired fashion with musicians speaking to personal style and the intersection of the two art forms. One article focuses on fashion designers and their personal musical inspiration. UK designer Luella Bartley cites none other than this girl’s favorite, M.I.A. as her musical inspiration.

The two met in 2000 when M.I.A. and Bartley moved to Notting Hill with Justine Friedmann (of Elastica). At that time, Maya was making documentaries and also her own clothes, confections of “bright flourescent fishnet fabrics.” Of M.I.A. Luella says, “She had an unabashed in-your-face craziness that I loved, admired, and identified with.”

How much do I love that these two were once roommates? Watch Fashion Rocks on September 9 on CBS. Although I wish M.I.A. were performing that day, I think it’s a night mostly dominated by the likes of the Pussycat Dolls and Beyoncé.

Love Kahani Magazine

Kahani’s Summer 2006 cover.

How awesome is Kahani? We posted about this great literary magazine at our old blog when Kahani was first starting out. Since its launch, it has gotten better with each issue. I just went back to see what they’ve been up to and was so pleased to find that the magazine has not wavered from its original concept. Targeted to the South Asian community, Kahani is a literary magazine which focuses on strengthening cultural connections in children ages 7-12 of South Asian descent.

It’s wonderful to see that it has gotten such great reception from the press and librarians across the U.S. This magazine is everything I would have wanted when I was younger. Lots of short stories, games and puzzles and gorgeous illustrations. A sample issue is available for download on their site so you can see for yourself. A subscription would make a great gift to a young niece or nephew.

Looking for Lovely Rita

Pals Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson re-unite in The Darjeeling Limited. Photo courtesy of Slate.

Wes Anderson, the director of cult classic Rushmore and 2001 hit The Royal Tenenbaums, is headed to the subcontinent. He will direct Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman as three brothers who journey through India in The Darjeeling Limited. Production Weekly reports that filming begins in December.

Meanwhile, casting director Cindy Tolan is scouring the South Asian community for a young woman to play Rita, an “attractive, intelligent and articulate” stewardess on a train in India. This may be your chance to become the next Ash—no experience is necessary for the role. The actress-to-be should be in her mid-20s to mid-30s, speak English and preferably Hindi, as well. Email dlcasting@gmail.com with a letter and headshot to apply.

Welcome to the Nirali Weblog!

In October 2004, we interviewed the feisty M.I.A.–and it’s still the most-read story in our archive.

Welcome back, Nirali fans! When we launched Nirali Magazine in September 2004, we were just four South Asian American young women with a big idea. And what a welcome that idea received! Readers from all over the world wrote appreciating the magazine. Soon, our little labor of love exploded, and as more of you read Nirali, more of you wanted to get involved. Today, we’re proud to boast a much larger staff comprised of talented journalists, artists and businesspeople.

Because Nirali was (and still is) powered entirely by volunteers, it became difficult for the staffers to maintain while juggling our increasingly busy lives. But we are excited to announce that we will be back, better than ever, on September 1, 2006, with a brand new design and more fabulous stories to serve you. We’re undergoing some changes—changes that will make it easier for us to bring Nirali to you, and we’re looking forward to being around for a long time. We hope you’ll join us.

Of course, in the year that we’ve been on hiatus, the web has become an even more important part of our daily lives. We’re excited to bring you the Nirali weblog. Here, you’ll read late-breaking news, commentary on events of interest to our community, and perhaps even get a glance into the lives of some of the Nirali staff. We encourage you to share your thoughts with us in the comments, because this weblog is your space.

Thanks again for reading!