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For Desi Parents

ForDesiParents is an online community that aims to address the challenges faced by South Asian parents raising their kids in the United States. The objective is to provide a platform which encourages the exchange of ideas and tips, offers tools and invites suggestions

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South Asian Institute
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WHAT:
Penn Masala, a highly acclaimed a capella group from the University of Pennsylvania, will be performing live in Austin on UT campus for ISA’s first ever Fall Benefit Concert! Penn Masala has performed on stages as diverse and renowned as Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and, very recently, the White House. They have even performed alongside legendary artists such as Sunidhi Chauhan and A.R. Rahman! Opening for Penn Masala is Dhoom, winners of UT ISA Talent Show and FOI 2009. Don’t miss this opportunity to see both groups live in concert…and help out a great cause at the same time!

WHEN:
Friday, November 13th at 6:30 PM

WHERE:
LBJ Auditorium on UT Campus. For map & directions, see http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/about/map.php.

WHY:
Proceeds from this event will be going to a philanthropy organization on UT campus, Nourish International. Nourish’s mission is to eradicate poverty by engaging students and empowering communities. What sets them apart is that the students in the organization actually travel to small communities around the world and use their skills to assist the members of the society. For example, last summer, five students from the Austin chapter traveled to Guatemala to assist in a micro-financing project.

PURCHASING TICKETS:

1) ONLINE: Tickets can be purchased online right now (http://www.ut-isa.org/pennmasala) at our low, pre-sale rates! Hurry, though, as they won’t last for long!

2) WEST MALL/JESTER: They can also be purchased at Nourish and ISA’s table on West Mall and/or Jester for all UT students who wish to pay in either check or cash. Tickets will be sold on West Mall(UT Campus) from 11am – 2pm on Mon, Tues and Wed and in Jester (UT Campus) from 11am – 2pm on Thurs and Fri.

3) OFFICERS: Tickets can also be purchased through Nourish Members and ISA Officers.

PRE-SALE PRICES:
$10 for UT ISA members (including VIP perks!), $13 for non-members, and $20 for non-member VIP tickets! VIP benefits include choice seating and a backstage meet-and-greet after the show!

AFTER-PARTY:
There will be an after-party in downtown Austin after the event! Both Penn Masala and Dhoom will be present!

WEBSITE:
For more information, see the official event website at http://www.ut-isa.org/pennmasala.

HEADLINER

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Penn Masala, the world’s first and premier Hindi a cappella group, was formed in 1996 by a group of students at the University of Pennsylvania. After breakthrough performances at Bhangra Blowout in 1998 and SASA 1999, the group took the nation by storm and went on to perform for sold-out crowds in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Houston, and Philadelphia. Over the last decade, Penn Masala has spread the popularity of Hindi a cappella music abroad by performing in Toronto, London, and at the 2002 Star Screen Awards in Mumbai, where they had the honor of performing alongside the Indian sensation, Sunidhi Chauhan. In 2003, the group was invited to perform at the Zee Bollywood Awards in New York and was honored by receiving the Project IMPACT Award for Outstanding Contribution to the South Asian-American Community. Penn Masala completed its first tour of India in the January 2006 by performing for thousands in Mumbai and Kolkata. During this trip, the group was featured on the hit Zee TV Show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 as well as on multiple TV and radio talk shows. In September 2007, the group had the opportunity to perform with legendary musician A.R. Rahman at The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. For more information on the many shows the group has had over the years, click here.

Penn Masala’s music has been influenced by the Eastern and Western cultures that represent the group’s membership and it continues to inspire the South-Asian American population. In twelve years, Penn Masala has released six albums, all of which have been well-received by fans of all ages. The group also released its first compilation CD, Out of Stock, of some of its most popular songs, two of which were featured on the soundtrack of the 2001 hit movie, American Desi. Currently, the group is promoting its sixth studio album, On Detours, which was released in March 2009. The album features a mix of popular Hindi and English covers as well as three original tracks: Detours, Kal Ka Sapna, and Distant Places.

OPENING ACT

DHOOM is the first ever percussion stage performance group to be formed at The University of Texas at Austin.  After being in the performance seen for only a year, DHOOM has already swept over the Texas South Asian crowd.  Performing instrumental medleys of both Bollywood and mainstream American music, DHOOM is sure to be enjoyed by every one!

DHOOM took home first place at ISA Talent Show in Austin and was crowned the 2009 Festival Of India Talent Show CHAMPION this past April in Dallas, TX.DHOOM is bigger, better, and ready to rock the house this year, don’t miss out on our very first performance of this year!

Nourish International works with students to solve some of the problems caused by global poverty. By running ventures on their campuses during the year, Nourish Chapters earn money to conduct sustainable development projects in communities abroad. Over the summer, students from Nourish Chapters travel abroad to partner with local communities in implementing these solutions.  Learn more about what we do and how you can get involved.

Nourish International was founded in 2003 by Sindhura Citineni as the UNC student group “Hunger Lunch.” Since incorporating as a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2006, Nourish has grown into a national organization with chapters at 23 universities across the United States. This summer, Nourish sent 34 students to work with community partners in Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil and Uganda. In 2008, Nourish received the North Carolina Peace Prize for excellence in cross-cultural solutions and sustainable development.

Visit <http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/nourish/> for more information!