ZVM’s Indian Undercurrent

Taz here notes that these are the top cities with the top South Asian population, defined as all Asian Indians + Bangladeshis+ Pakistanis + Sri Lankans.

Top Cities of South Asian Americans

1. NYC (251,121)
2. Chicago (132,811)
3. Washington DC tri-state area (90,705)
4. Los Angeles/Long Beach (73,489)
5. Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ (71,116)
6. San Jose (70,581)
7. Houston (63,657)
8. Oakland (59,103)
9. Philadelphia (48,240)
10. Dallas (46,182)
11. Detroit (45,459)
12. Nassau-Suffolk, NY (40,670)
13. Boston (33,336)
14. Orange County (31,914)
15. Newark, NJ (30,614)
16. Bergen-Passaic NJ (29,429)
17. Jersey City, NJ (23,675)
18. Seattle (20,475)
19. San Fransisco (19,170)
20. Baltimore, MD (18,738)

What?! No Fremont? Or Milpitas?

News from India : of positive action, steely endeavour and quiet triumphs ~ news that is little known 

It’s good.

It makes you believe in that indomitable spirit of India, in her overwhelming desire to succeed, and somehow come up on top.

And you know it’s happening, very very fast.

Read Russell Peters Interview on CBC first. Some interesting facts:

• Peters was a comedian for 16 years (yes sixteen!) before he was “discovered”
• The discovery was helped by a fan who decided to circulate a video on the internet (yes - the famous one with ,”tap some bong”, !xobile, “beat your kids white people” and others)
• His exponential rise to fame was only in the last two years, as Peters himself puts it in the interview (”I dont know what happenned, why was I known in the last two and why not in the last 16″) seems mysterious.

Some of this can be answered by applying the concepts outlined in “Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell.

“Things can happen all at once, and little changes can make a huge difference.”

Partly because of the reach and cheap distribution power of the internet, we have a relatively obscure comedian for 14 years, today headlining with the likes of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and others in Las Vegas - all because of one kid who decided to make it available for free!

I dont think Russell Peters himself understood the concept of making your work known as widely as possible and for free; in one standup event in NY he comes on stage where the audience starts to holler “Tap some bong! Tap some bong!” - Russell retorts “You downloading bastards!” - the same who are responsible for the groundswell of support that catpulted him to the top today.

So for the comedians who are trying to make it big today, do NOT underestimate the power of the internet. The intersection of media and the web is still in chapter 1 and will go a long way before we see the end of it.

ACDC         - Currentu Byattree
Aha          - Oho
All Saints   -      Yella Saadhugale
Audio Slave  -         Dhvani Gulaama
BabyFace   -         MaguMaka
Back Street Boys   -    Hind beedhi huduguru
Bad Boys Blue  -          Neeli Poli huduguru
Bad Company    -         Kettu Kharkane
Baker Street    -       Iyengar Raste
Bananarama     -     Devuru Baalehannu
Billy Idol     -     Bekkina Vigraha
Black crowes   -      Kappu Kaagigalu
Black Sabbath   -     Kari Sabbakki bathu
Blind Melon     -      Kurudu Kalangri
Chemical Brothers  -     Rasayane sodharegalu
ColdPlay         -  ChaliAta
Collective Soul -         Atma Chow Chow
Color me badd      -      Kettudage banna haki
counting Crows  -        Enuso kaagigalu
Creed          -        Vichara
Culture Club    -         Samskaradha Ispet Kendra
Cutting Crew    -       Hajam Nan makalu
Deep Blue Something  -  Aallla Neeli eno
Def Leppard         -  Kivdu Chirute
Dire Straits         -  Sakkath Ayomaya
Duran Duran          -  Maadu Ood-dha Maadu Ood-dha
Eagles         -           Garuda
Everything but the Girl  -    Figar bittu bere yalla
Faith Hill               -  Nambike Betta
Faster Pussycat    -        Bega bekku
Fine Young Cannibals    -      Valle yuva nara-bakshakaru
FireHouse               -     Benkimane
Fools Garden   -                  Huchura udhyanavana
FourPlay    -                Nalaku Jana Aadodhu
Garbage    -             Kachada
Gipsy Kings -                Lambadi Raja
Go West     -          Paschima Hogi
GodSmack       -           Devuru Kapala
Goo goo dolls         -     gugoo (peddu) gombegalu
Grateful Dead      -        Aabhari Sattavaru
Greenday       -        Hasuru Dhina
HoobaStank     -           Yarappa bittidhu?
INXS            -      Solpa Jaasthi Aithu
Iron Maiden      -       Kabna-dha Kanya
Journey             -   Prayana
Kansas               -    Krishnan maavan-dhu
Linkin Park  -               Jodso Udyana
Little River Band   -            Chikka Nadhi Baaja
Lou bega         -      Ousara
Matchbox 20     -           Benkipatna ippathu
Maxi Priest    -            Langa-ony Poojari
Meat Loaf        -        Mamsada thundu
MegaDeth      -          Vishaala-Saavu
Metallica       -           Kabna-nekkan-a?
Modern Talking   -              Aadunika Maathu
Moody Blues       -      Neeli Feelingu
Naughty by Nature  -             Modhlinda Thunturu
NickelBack          -   Childre vapas
No Doubt        -      Anumanane illa
Noble Savages    -         Punyathma baddi makalu
Papa Roach        -      Jirle appa
Pearl Jam          -      Mutthina Gojju
Pet Shop Boys   -          Saakuva Praani Angadi Huduguru
PM Dawn          -      Sandhye-ne Bellagge
Radio Head        -       Aakasha Vani Thale
Rainbow         -     Indradhanusu
Red Hot Chilli Peppers   - Bisi Bisi Kempu Menasinkai   galu
Red Nex        -     Kempu Kathu
Roxette         -    Yella Thara Kallu
Rush       -     Bega
Salt N Pepa -           Uppu Kara
Seal         -     Mucchu
Shaggy        -    JataksRaja
Simply Red  -        Sumne Kempu
six pence none the richer  -        aaru kaasu astay saaku
Smashing Pumpkins          -    Vadadhuhogthairo Kumblekaigalu
Smashmouth        -     Moothi vadee
Snoop Doggy Dogg   -          Thika-nai-mari
Soul Asylum         -  Atma ke Lodge
Spice Girls          -   Sambhara Hudigiru
StarShip           -Nakshatradha Dhoni
Stone Temple Pilots   - Kallidha Devasthanada Pushpaka chalakaru

Gautam was 7 years old when I met him first in Delhi (I was 10). He’s come a long way from that today - a budding amateur photographer. He and a buddy toured the US recently for a few days coast-to-coast and has taken some breathtaking photos (see below). Good luck with this, and Happy 18th Birthday buddy!
n