He has been Shiva and Krishna, countless mythical heroes and ordinary humans, and he has traveled the globe, telling all their wondrous tales through the magic of rhythm and dance. Datuk Ramli Ibrahim is a changemaker, an innovator with bells on his feet. For over 30 years, this Malaysian dance pioneer has nurtured both Indian classical dance and contemporary modern dance in Malaysia. He brings past, present and future on the lit up stage with audacity and shows that culture is meant to be shared, regardless of faith or nationality.
Browsing: The Buzz
The buzz around us about trends and events
The Children’s Hope 25th anniversary gala honored Chandrika Tandon and Bob Roth for excellence, & hosted Mira Nair and her Broadway bound show Monsoon Wedding
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard shares a message about victory over challenges this Diwali. “Just as Lord Rama faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we as a people, face immense challenges—whether it’s war, poverty, disease, or countless other adversities.”
7316 people reached on Lassi with Lavina FB page Doli Sen, Sagufta Parveen and 130 others like it on Lassi…
India’s Freedom at Midnight – Sixty Years later. This piece was written in 2007. Now it’s a decade later -…
Sarab Kaur Zavaleta shares memories of her family’s exodus from Lahore during India’s convulsive Partition and subsequently her return visit to document the past and her family’s history in Pakistan in an upcoming film.
These are the littlest citizens and they seem to have a real hold on President Obama, and he on them. Look at these charming images clicked by Peter Souza, the Chief Official White House photographer and you’re bound to smile. The most powerful man in the world and Commander-in-chief of a mighty nation can baby-talk, snuggle and hug and cuddle and exchange high-fives with the best of them.
3638 people reached on Lassi with Lavina Nandita Godbole, Shagun Mehandru and 42 others Roshni Aa-Mom, Pratibha Manandhar, Lavina S…
Jyotsna Singh, grand-daughter of the Maharaja of Patiala, recalls a bygone time: “Naniji was exceedingly beautiful and at a young age she was married to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and had two daughters Elsie (my mother) and Angela (her younger sister). The English names were given by the English governesses who could not pronounce the Indian names of the children. And there were a lot – 52 siblings, a pack of cards my mother would tell me…..Though the mothers lived at the palace and spent time with the children, the children were really brought up by the governesses. My grandfather lived in the main Motibagh Palace with his wives and his older children.”
A majestic decorated elephant lumbering down the streets of Washington DC, with an Indian bridegroom ensconced like a maharajah on top; scores of chanting, dancing wedding guests causing a traffic jam on New York streets as they accompany the bridegroom in the ‘baraat’ or wedding procession, dancing the bhangra to the beat of village drums. Hundreds of guests in a man-made Gujarati village in New Jersey especially set up for a wedding celebration, with stalls, carts and even mud huts!
Yes, all this has come to pass as Indian immigrants have brought their Big Fat Indian Wedding to America.
The first thing I spotted was rows and rows of footwear lined up outside the door, neatly stacked. I dutifully shed my sandals too, and going inside found an Indian-style behthak in progress with silk cushions scattered on the woven carpet.
Arts lovers, some with babies in tow, were already sitting cross-legged, facing the empty expanse of a large wooden floor. Musicians were tuning up their instruments, in anticipation.
The space is the Anamika Navatman Studios, an innovative organization for South Asian Arts and the production was Bhinna Pravaaha: Memories of a Performing Artist – Maya Kulkarni. This is a first undertaking to record and pay tribute to the noted artists of the past.
Narasimha, the mighty God Vishnu in his half man-half lion avatar, sits with his frontal arms relaxed in meditation, his two rear arms bearing the chakra disc and the conch shell, which is now missing. Around his tautly crossed legs one is amazed to find a yogapatta – or yoga strap!
For many contemporary practitioners of yoga who consider the yoga strap to be a part of their daily routine in a studio, this brilliantly executed Chola period bronze sculpture is an eye-opener. It shows that not only did yoga originate in India but goes all the way back to the Hindu gods.
India urgently needs to break the chains of dependency that have for too long hobbled girls’ dreams from the day they enter school. When girls stay in primary school for just one extra year, it can boost their eventual wages by 10 to 20 per cent. A look at gender equality in India.
Strolling through the Chocolate Show in Manhattan (and munching as I went) I thought I had seen it all – chocolates with a hundred different flavors, chili chocolates, chocolates mixed with bacon, even chocolate lotions, lip glosses and potions. – until I came to the most unexpected – camel milk chocolates!
We are a city of immigrants. It is woven into our DNA, into our history and into the very concrete that binds our buildings. When you look at the skyline, think about the people who built it: working people who came here from every corner of the earth and made this a better, stronger place.
4902 people reached on Lassi with Lavina Pooja Vishwakrma, Aeayat Khan and 71 others Like it on Lassi with Lavina…
For immigrants in New York, there’s a particular comfort in being in the multicultural capital of America under the glow of Lady Liberty’s lamp. The city and state government has come up in support of all immigrants. “If anyone feels that they are under attack, I want them to know that the state of New York – the state that has the Statue of Liberty in its harbor – is their refuge,” wrote NY Governor Andrew Cuomo in an open letter to all New Yorkers.
Disney’s ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ is produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake and directed by Lasse Hallström; it has the music of maestro AR Rahman and the beauty of South of France; it’s a delightful comedy with enough gourmet food in it to get the mouths of all foodies watering, with Manish Dayal as the young culinary genius Hassan.
In this film Dayal gets to interact with topnotch stalwarts like the remarkable Helen Mirren – and the equally wonderful Om Puri, both embroiled in quite a rowdy Indo-French food fight. A report on the special tribute to Om Puri at the Museum of the Moving Image.
The scourge of cancer, the threat of a damaged environment, poverty and joblessness are some of the problems which endanger our world. However, instead of tales of gloom and despair, we share with you three wonderful stories of hope for our small planet.
Meet young entrepreneurs, all from California, who have come up with creative solutions to problems with their bold out-of-the-box thinking.
The dawn of 2017 – it’s the time for resolutions and advice from the experts! So here are New Year tips from Mumbai! No, not from the city but from the canine. This little bit of fluff, a Havenese, is as tiny as the megacity is big.
Mumbai’s philosophy of life is something we should all emulate – apart from chasing pigeons, that is. So usually you have Influencers and Movers and Shakers giving you their tips about living the perfect life in the new year. Well, let me tell you something – we all would be better individuals and have a better 2017 if we were all a lot more like Mumbai, the Philosopher-Dog.