ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio USA

Books by Mamata Banerjee at the JAAGO BANGLA Stall at Kolkata Book Fair 2012

Kolkata, Feb 2, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio / Penning Creations) Literature governs the Bengali mind. From metaphorical allusions during courtship to seething dialectics over coffee cups, words have served as a powerful political tool in Bengal. The pens here are mightier than the swords.

A book fair in Kolkata without a hint of a local flavor is almost incomprehensible. The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee waved her literary wand and released three of her books at her Trinamool Congress party stall, evocatively named “Jaago Bangla”. The three books titled “Poriborton” (Change), “Kobita” (Poems) and “My unforgettable Memoirs” are being lapped up by her ardent followers and other book lovers. While “Poriborton” charts the incredible rise of the swashbuckling leader, “Kobita” is a more somber collection of words brooding about death. "The response has been overwhelming for us. We are already running out of stock", gleamed Sudhangshu Dey of Deys' Publishing.

From Left: Sunil Chetri, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Srijit Mukherjee,Probal Mullick,Rudranil Ghosh and Anupam Roy

Anupam Roy being felicitated

Somnath on the Ghatam

Kolkata, January 29, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio/ Penning Creations): “Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.” –Swami Vivekanda

21st of January 2012, on the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Kolkata witnessed an evening dedicated towards encouraging and honoring the young talents of Bengal. The program organized by “Bishwe Bangalee… Melody Worlwide” was an attempt towards recognizing those youth icons who are presently doing excellent work in various fields.

“Bishwe Bangalee… Melody Worlwide” is an initiative to show the international audience what Bengal is capable of, through various cultural events. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has done commendable work. A number of international events are to be organized on this platform in the days to come.

The evening of 21st January began with recitation of poems of the renowned modern and yester year poets which reflected the youthful spirit of India. Sutapa Bandopadhyay did a commendable job in reciting the poems like “Kochit Kirone Dipto” and “Jhulan” by Rabindranath Tagore, “Amar Naam Bharatbarsho”, “Ami Subhash” by Amitava Dasgupta, “Amalkanti”, “Buban” by Achintya Kumar Dasgupta, amongst many others. These poems explained the purpose of the evening in a way that even a thousand words could not have. 

The language that communicates beyond the boundaries of nation is the language of art and entertainment. The new age entertainers of Bengal have presented their work in the Global arena and were highly acclaimed by critics all over the world.

Director Srijit Mukherjee who created a connect with hearts of the young crowds through his films “Autograph” and “Baishey Srabon” and pulled a certain class of audience back to the theatres also graced the occasion with his presence.

Talking about the other eminent figures present in the evening:

Actor Rudranil Ghosh who started of as a comedian and has established himself as a pro for all genres of acting in today’s date. He has proved his worth as an actor in films like “Bedroom”, “Chaplin” and many others.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, January 19, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio / India PRwire) When it comes to shopping for kids, only the best will do! Just for kids, the newest kids fashion brand launched it's happy and bright spring summer collection 2012. On the show was an array of smart casuals, footwear and accessories for children aged 0 to 14.

Sandip Soparrkar with son Arjun

Designer Shweka Sabarwal

Sandip looked dapper in a yellow embroidered kurta. It was the first time for him on the ramp with his six year old son Arjun, and he seemed mighty happy about it. What was endearing was to see the very well-turned out Jesse Randhawa turn up to cheer her family.

Washington, D.C.­, Jan 26, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio) The brilliant, Grammy Award-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman returns to perform a program of works by Brahms, Liszt and Prokofiev at The Music Center at Strathmore on March 2. Bronfman’s technique and exceptional lyrical gifts have won consistent critical acclaim and enthusiastic audiences worldwide for his solo recitals, orchestral engagements and broad catalog of recordings.

Said the New York Times of Bronfman’s “fine musical instincts” in a performance with the New York Philharmonic, “Bronfman played every passage with clarity and honesty. During the vehement episodes [he performed] with steely power and uncanny ease. Yet in the slow movement he showed another side, playing with exceptional elegance and milky pianissimos.” Said the Chicago Sun Times of Bronfman’s performance of Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto, “As soloist, the ever-phenomenal Yefim Bronfman showed how this often banged-about score can be played with both technical and musical finesse.”

Bronfman’s 2010-2011 North American season highlights included performances of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the orchestras of Houston, Cincinnati and St. Louis, and Brahms’s Second Text Box: Who: Yefim Bronfman Where: The Music Center at Strathmore When: Friday, March 2 at 8p.m. Program: Brahms Sonata in F minor, Op. 5 Liszt Selections from Transcendental Études, S.139 Prokofiev Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major Tickets: $23-65, available at www.wpas.org or (202) 785-WPAS (9727). Piano Concerto with the orchestras of Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles, among others. He performed with Europe’s most celebrated orchestras, including the Concertgebouw, the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, the Israel Philharmonic and Berlin Staatskapelle. In the fall, Bronfman and long-time friend and collaborator Pinchas Zukerman toured the U.S., with concerts in Chicago, Kansas City, Boston and at Carnegie Hall.

Washington, D.C., Jan 26, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio) Internationally recognized for his electrifying performances and penetrating interpretations, and compared by Gramophone to the young Evgeny Kissin, 18-year-old British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor makes his Kennedy Center debut at the Terrace Theater on March 3.

Grosvenor is “one in a million – several million,” said The Independent.

Grosvenor is among the world’s most sought-after young pianists. He took center stage playing Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto on the BBC’s first night of the Proms last summer, the youngest soloist in the history of that eminent concert series and proof of both his credentials and popularity with British audiences. Said a review in The Guardian, “revelling in [the concerto’s] brilliance and conveying its blend of showmanship and poetry with easy assurance…He then went on to dazzle with an encore: one of Brahms's Hungarian dances arranged by Georges Cziffra, delivered with breathtaking panache.” Said The Observer of Grosvenor’s first disc on the Decca label, also released last summer, “This shows his ability to twin youthful exuberance with impeccable technique and magisterial musical intelligence. Grosvenor’s balance of oratory and ornament, gesture and poetry – evident, too, in Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit– are moving as well as impressive. He’s a phenomenon: modest, poised and natural, as well as brimming with talent.” Said Gramophone, “To call such playing that of a master-pianist will invite accusations of exaggeration and hyperbole – but what else can I say?” “It’s is hard to know which is the more startling in a pianist still in his mid-teens: the all-encompassing mastery of technique, or the flair and maturity of imagination. He really is a rare talent,” said International Piano Magazine.