Jay Sean Paul Asks Do You Remember

The Jay Sean camp started the PR wheel for his new single, "Do You Remember" last week. The promotion included a promo video that added comedic timing to his skill set. Be still my heart.

The new single, featuring Sean Paul, finally dropped yesterday, and guess what, Jay? We LOVE it. Very similar to "Down", this is a love song with a dance beat. Although, the verses are at a much slower tempo which really allows for Jay's voice to sell the track. Sean Paul is on the track for only :40 seconds, but in that short amount of time reminds us why he is so radio-friendly. Jay sure has a knack for pulling romantic lyrics from typically raunchy artists, such as Lil Wayne and Sean Paul.

Criticism: I could have done without the "hype man". When I imagine Jay whispering sweet nothings in my ear, I don't imagine some big dude screaming "Hey!" "Yo Jay!" in the background. But hey, that's just me.

Do you think Priyanka Chopra will be gracing Jay with her presence in this video?

Missing Sikh Girl Found in Hotel Room with Her Brother-in-Law

This might just be one of the strangest stories I've heard in awhile. For the past 2 days, 16-year-old Nevada resident Karamjit Kaur has been missing. Her disappearance caused a nation-wide stir, with her picture flashing on the Today Show and other news stations. The media compared her situation to the story of a teenager who, just the year before, was raped and murdered in NV.

The night of her disappearance, Karamjit told her parents she wanted to go for a bike ride and was never seen again. Until today, when Reno police say they have found Karamjit with her brother-in-law in Indiana. Authorities said they found Karamjit Kaur unharmed with Parvinder Singh at a hotel in Merrillville, Ind. In all the media reports, the sister (married to Singh) was not mentioned.

With the help of students and staff at North Valleys High School, police were able to identify Singh to get a lead on Kaur's whereabouts. Singh was visiting Reno before Kaur's disappearance. Reno police spokesman Steve Frady said investigators were reviewing circumstances "to determine if there's any potential for criminal charges."

Though I am grateful for the safe return of young Karamjit, I have to wonder what the complete story of this situation might be. The details thus far are very telling.

First Major Pakistani Art Showcase on Display in New York

The first ever major contemporary Pakistani art showcase in the United States entitled “Hanging Fire” is currently on display at the Asia Society in New York through January 3rd. But the display is not without its share of controversy. Exhibits include a piece called “Spine,” a reaction to “restrictive South Asian female underwear,” according to the New York Times as well as an visual notebook entitled “I Pierre Seel, Deported Homosexual” poking fun at several famed Pakistani actors and singers.

“Hanging Fire” is a reference to an idiom “to delay decision.” The exhibit was thus titled as, in essence, a plea to the audience not to judge the art immediately based on typecast images of Pakistan, but rather to judge based on the art itself. The title also refers to often turbulent landscape within Pakistan.

A total of 55 pieces by 15 artists from all over Pakistan will be shown, utilizing a variety of different media from video to music. For instance, the “Shan Pipe Band Learns the Star Spangled Banner” is a musical piece of a Pakistani pipe band playing the American anthem, effectively fusing the two cultures and giving an entire new spin to the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.

To learn more about the exhibition, including information about tickets, hours and directions, please visit: Asia Society Visit Information

References:

Pakistani Artists of Asian Society Show Find a Contemporary Voice

Asia Society

You Can't Pull A Kanye On Dhoonya Dance

Kajal, one of the co-founders of Dhoonya Dance, wrote in to Oprah about her love for Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachan. You can imagine her excitement when her email to Oprah landed her, and her DC based dance troupe, a spot on the show. The group thought they were on the show to represent Bollywood dance but the group, comprised of graduate students, young professionals, and one former SAPNA model (Priya Pandya), had their dance interrupted by their two Bollywood heroes, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachan. Or at least, they tried to interrupt them. The mantra at Dhoonya might just be, "no matter what, keep dancing" because the Bollywood power couple were literally standing in the middle of the group when the dancers stopped (and mostly because the music ended). The girls were incredibly shocked, almost unable to react. It was a classic heartwarming Oprah moment.



Congrats Dhoonya Dance! You ladies looked beautiful, as always!

Julia Roberts Finds Herself in India

You might be familiar with the book Eat, Pray, Love thanks to Oprah. I, myself, not a fan. But I'm in the minority, because the book has been #1 on the NYT Paperback Nonfiction List for over a year and is a NYT Bestseller!

The book chronicles the journey of its author, Elizabeth Gilbert, as she recovers from a divorce by taking an extended trip overseas. Enjoying food, wine, and pleasures of the senses in Italy and then finding spiritual awakening in India and Indonesia, she reconnects with herself and what makes her happy. A great premise, but I am put off by the reinforced stereotype that South Asia is the land of spiritual awakenings. Since the Beatles, it has become a trend for wealthy westerners to travel to the "mystical East" to find simplicity and be one with God. Well that age old story is now being turned into a movie.

Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner are turning Eat, Pray, Love into what they hope will be one of the biggest movies of 2010. They've also selected Academy Award Winner Julia Roberts as the leading lady. Having the A-list actress in India has caused a stir since her arrival, scores of policemen, armed with bamboo sticks, private guards and plainclothes security guards keep tight security, and newspapers and television stations in India have been covering Roberts’ every move. The Hollywood actress is currently staying at the Pataudi Palace, close to Delhi, with her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus.

The shooting of the film began with prayers offered by a Hindu priest.The Times of India newspaper quoted the priest, Swami Dharam Dev, as saying he had given the names of Hindu gods for her three children.

“I have named her twins Hazel and Phinnaeus as Laxmi and Ganesh, while Henry will be called Krishna Balram,” he was quoted as saying.

Oscar nominated Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and Oscar nominated Viola Davis (Doubt) will also reportedly participate in India shooting. The cast includes Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Paris Film Festival award winner Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Golden Globe [ Images ] winner James Franco (Pineapple Express) and Luca Argentero (Lezioni di cioccolato). Eat, Pray, Love is directed by Emmy nominated Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck).

Pictured: Julie Roberts at a village called Mirzapur in Haryana.

Archie Panjabi of Bend It Like Beckham Stars in CBS Drama

You knew her as the high maintenance, very girly older sister from Bend It Like Beckham, but the roles that Archie Panjabi has taken since then have portrayed her as a rebellious, intelligent South Asian woman. Working for justice in The Mighty Heart, Archie is set to take on a new strong female character. She is set to appear this Fall in CBS's new legal/political drama, The Good Wife.

Archie plays the character Kalinda, a bisexual Indian investigator who works alongside the show's attorney protagonist, played by Emmy award winner Julianna Luisa Marguiles.

Ishaara Knows the 3 B's of Success: Blonde, Bollywood, and Berkeley

Every college South Asian dance team dreams of greatness, whether it's winning Bhangra Blowout, Phillyfest, or the ultimate championship, the Best of the Best. But one team, Ishaara, beat out 70 other competitors to win an audition on NBC's America's Got Talent. Ishaara was formed by a group of student who met at Berkeley, and have been competing in the South Asian dance competition scene.



Though South Asian dance teams with non-desi members are not uncommon, this is the first case I've seen of the lead dancer being a modelesque Blonde bombshell. Girlfriend could dance, but certainly cast a shadow over the desi female dancers, literally and figuratively. I know one song this team might want to avoid, "My Desi Girl" from Dostana. Jokes aside, Ishaara is on the right track. Fusion Bollywood dancing with diverse teams is certainly going to be the future of South Asian dancing in the states.

The contestants of America's Got Talent compete to win their own show in Vegas. Unfortunately, Ishaara was voted off the show last night and is no longer in the competition. It wasn't surprising, unless Bollywood teams opt to be more risque, they might never have a home in Sin City.

Indian American Fashion Designer Turned Serial Rapist

Anand Jon Alexander has graced many "most influential South Asians in the U.S" top twenty lists. He has designed for celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Rosario Dawson, Lawrence Fishburne, Gina Torres, Oprah Winfrey and Janet Jackson.

Once rubbing shoulders with the social elite, on August 31, 2009, Anand was sentenced to 59 years to life in Los Angeles for 16 sex crimes, including forcible rape and sexual battery. He is expected to be extradited to New York, where prosecutors will charge him with over 40 more counts against 12 more women and girls. The counts range from first-degree forcible rape to the rape of a minor. Jon also still faces charges in Texas and Massachusetts.

Prosecutors claim that Anand had sex with girls and women, some as young as 14, over a six-year period from 2002 to 2007. He arranged career related meetings with them and forced them to have sex. Nine women testified against Alexander during his trial.

It's common to hear of young models and actresses using sex or being taken advantage of for jobs and roles in Hollywood. Yet, you don't often hear of individuals being prosecuted.

Anand's sister has been his biggest advocate, launching Support Anand Jon . She claims, "We have been subjected to racism. Even mass murderers are not treated that way, the way Anand is treated in jail." She has received support from designers Leena Singh, Samanth Chauhan, Charu Parashar.

Chauhan said: "We all are a part of a family and Anand was someone who made it really big in the international fashion scene. What has happened to him can happen to any of us. We just want to tell him that we all are with him."

Could this really happen to anyone in the fashion scene? Is there that much sex happening in interviews? Did the women go after Anand because he was an Indian behaving this way?

You weigh in.

Do I Hear $1 Million? Auctioning 20th and 21st century South Asian Art

Christie’s, the world's leading art business founded in 1766, will feature over 100 works from the leading 20th and 21st century artists from South Asia during their September 16th Christie’s South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale.

The painting to the left has an estimated worth of $10,000 and was created by Bengali artist, Jamini Roy, born in 1887. That concludes the more affordable art. Also being showcased is artist Jitish Kallat, who has emerged as one of India’s leading artistic voices and Dawn Chorus- 7, 2007 (estimate: $80,000-100,000) is his most celebrated series.

Christie’s will also pay tribute to Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), who recently passed away, one notable highlight from Mehta is his Mahishasura (estimate: $600,000-800,000), "which refers to the traditional Hindu tale of the Warrior Goddess Durga slaying the Buffalo Demon, Mahisha. Another version from this series realized $1,584,000 in September 2005 at Christie’s New York and established a world auction record for a Contemporary Indian painting. It was the first work in the category to break the million dollar mark. " - Artdaily.org

Painting Credit: JAMINI ROY (1887-1972) , Untitled (Mother and Child) , signed in Bengali (lower right) . www.christies.com