My 21st Birthday (and Boston Bhangra Weekend)

I'M FINALLY LEGAL! woohoo!

I have to say that my 21st birthday was more than I had hoped for. Although some things didn't necessarily go as planned I had a more than amazing time. Here's a rundown of my crazy weekend :

Friday I went crazy trying to pack, being the paranoid person I am I had like 10 different potential outfits and couldn't decide what to take to Boston with me. After, since I was president of the South Asian club in high school, I decided to go support and stop by at their Diwali event. Needless to say, I felt really really old. After that I headed to my cousin Jasmine's house to stay the night since my mom was at work, and my dad unfortunately had to be out of town. I think Jasmine is the only person who was as excited about my birthday as I was, if not more. We spent the night chilling like any other, trying not to fall asleep at 10pm. At midnight the cutest sister in the entire world walked out of the kitchen with a glass of wine and a gulab jamun with a candle in it. Beats a cake any day. OH and she wore one of those 'Happy 21st Birthday' banners as a chunni. Tell me she's not the most awesome sister anyone could ever have. After that we headed out to a place where I could get ID'ed, just because I can.
Neither of us got any sleep all night but we headed out for Boston around 9:30 and got there within a few hours. The drive there was some much needed sisterly bonding time and it was our first road trip together. We checked into the hotel and waited for our friend Sameera to get there. As we unpacked and chilled, Mandeep from E3UK records stopped by to give me some CDs which was pretty cool. We've been working together for a while so it was nice to finally meet someone from the company. Not to mention that British accent was on point. Once Sameera got there the party started because it was super live (and we were super loud) cracking the most obnoxious jokes until our stomachs hurt from laughing so much. Jasmine and I then headed to the show while Sameera went to go see a cousin of hers. Jus Reign was the host and kept picking on some bechara gora which was hilarious and the show was great! During intermission I got to see a couple of my friends. I met up with one of my closest friends since 9th grade who actually wrote and published a book called 'The Look From Beyond' a few years ago. Amrit used to deal with my stupid annoying stories every morning throughout high school so he pretty much knows my entire life's story. I also got to see my friend Sunny, aka Sunny Chakdebooty aka DJ AkC who's remixes I've played on my show a few times. I'm so grateful to have these friends because now a days it's so difficult to find genuine people. Dev Dhillon killed it on stage as the celebrity performer, and he wished me a happy 21st birthday on stage which was seriously the best. After that Mickey Singh got the whole crowd dancing as usual.Congrats to Nachdi Jawani Warriors on 1st place, DCMPAA on 2nd and RU Boys on 3rd place, you all killed it!
Before the afterparty we bumped into my homie Mickey Singh and Jus Reign which was crazy! Mickey is seriously the sweetest person ever and Jasmeet is exactly like how he is in his videos. I still can't believe this happened but at the afterparty Mickey and Jus Reign along with the entire party sang happy birthday to me. Such an epic birthday.
The after after party was insane as well, because everyone did bhangra in a food court which wasn't too far away from the hotel. My friend Harman, who DJ'ed at Bhangra State of Mind in Sacramento the week before did an amazing job DJ'ing at the after after party and I don't think anyone, including myself wanted to stop dancing. I'm so glad I met Harman during BSM weekend because along with being a great DJ he's also a great friend. I'm so thankful that everywhere I go I end up making at least one good friend and enough memories to last a lifetime.
When I got home Sunday night my adorable parents surprised me with a cake and balloons :)

Thank you to everyone who made my 21st birthday so special, specially Jasmine, Sameera, Mickey, Jus Reign, Harman, Mandeep, Hari B and Dev Dhillon! love you all ! :)
For more pictures check out my Instagram: Bhangraobsessed

Bhangra State of Mind 2013

Hey everyone! So I'm on my first flight to Sacramento, stopping over in Chicago. The flight was delayed and I'm not sure if we're going to get there on time for my connecting flight. It's my first time traveling alone so I'm super nervous. My dad's a nervous wreck as well. I mean after all his little girl is going all the way across the country by herself. I've met some pretty nice people and have had a pretty pleasant experience so far but I kind of want to get this trip over with so I can be in Sacramento to kick off Bhangra State Of Mind weekend already. Everyone from the committee has been pretty friendly so I'm looking forward to meeting all of them as well as a bunch of famous people who I met off twitter. Its going to be a pretty epic trip. I'm also going to be meeting my first fan from out of New Jersey, she's been super sweet and I'm so excited because seriously I never thought I could be a role model to someone but I guess I am. I'm going to be writing whenever I get a chance, the next time will probably be on my flight back home if I'm not too exhausted but I'll try to write was much as I can! Wish me luck and let's hope I catch my next flight on time. Airports are intimidating for no reason.

I'm on my flight back from Sacramento now and I have to say it's been one CRAZYYY weekend. I met up with so many awesome people and made so many friends, I think one of my goals is going to be to move to California one day. The fact that barely anyone here knew me was really refreshing. I loved walking into an event where no one had any preconceived notions about me, besides the random girls "muggin" (giving me dirty looks) the whole weekend, had to add some of my newly learned Cali slang thanks to Nikki. The whole committee was even more cool and respectful than I had expected. From the second I signed the contract for this event these guys ended up being homies instead of clients. Almost every hour there was someone checking to make sure I was okay or if I needed anything. Basically I felt like a mini celebrity. So I would really like to thank them for flying me out here for Bhangra State Of Mind this year.
Once I landed Gurjeet and Ashish picked me up from the airport and we went to In N Out, kind of regretting not getting anything but oh well there is always next time. Before even saying hi to Gurjeet the first question I asked was if his eyes were real because he has billiyan akhan and I couldn't tell from Instagram if they were contacts or not. I just had to. No sharam. And honestly I didn't even feel like I was meeting them for the first time at all.The hotel was SOO pretty it had like lakes/fountains and it was huge, like I kept getting lost. But it was super beautiful ( just like Gurjeet's eyes LOL). Once I got to my room and settled in I got ready for a photoshoot that never happened but I got to hang out with my homie Dilpreet Virk who was Mr. India Globe 2010. Super chill guy and once again it didn't feel like I had just met him for the first time. All I'm going to say is he's lucky I didn't throw his new shirt and shoes out the balcony. A little while after that I met Nikki, who is the "fan" of mine I wrote about earlier. I think I was most excited about meeting her because I wanted to know what exactly I did for her to look up to me, I still don't get it but hey I'm not complaining. Nikki and her sister are absolute sweethearts and I basically spent the entire weekend with them. Couldn't have asked for better people to hang out with.
 That night was my first experience at a team mixer. Everyone was so hyped and it pretty much seemed like a big family reunion because most of the teams knew each other from before. It was also the first time I was introduced to the participating teams as the host. The games were hilarious and definitely had everyone (almost) laughing. I got to meet a bunch of local celebrities too like Sumit, the main guy in the 'Pyaar Potion' video on YouTube, and the guys in the Jodi of the Bhangra terminology video, Gurpreet and Preet. Inquisitive, Tandy and my homie Salvin who is a local poet stopped by to say hi and hang out. Harry Singh, an upcoming Punjabi artist from my hometown of Dallas, TX did a little performance as well. This is where I got to meet the rest of the committee like Kirpal, Deep, Sukh, Manpreet, Inder, Indy and everyone else. It was a chill night because everyone was preparing for the competition the next evening but that didn't stop everyone from staying up all night, including myself.
 The next morning I guess I was still running on New York time because after 2 hours of sleep I woke up at 6:30 with ease. Tech time was pretty hectic but props to the committee for trying their best to make it run as smoothly as possible. All of these teams work SO hard on their routines and I really got to see how dedicated and passionate everyone is about Bhangra. It's always great to see people just as passionate about Bhangra as I am, if not more. The rest of the day was just running around and preparing for the show, and me partially on my Mufasa swag trying to air dry my hair so I could style it. My homie from Twitter, Brown Girl blogging came by to meet me and hang out before the show as well as a local singer named Harleen. Brown girl was with me backstage for a while trying her best to calm me down and now I'm going to be a part of her blog which is effing AWESOME. I felt like such a cool kid. And Dilpreet Mayall came out to support as well! The show was amazing, teams were great and overall I had a lot of fun. The girls screamed so much before I even properly introduced Mickey Singh who did a special performance and he killed it as always. Had everyone singing along and dancing. The only downside to the night was the fact that I walked like a cripple because my feet hurt so badly after wearing heels for like 6 hours.
Overall it was a great getaway from the east coast and an unforgettable experience.

We're about to land and I'm going to get on my connecting flight to Newark airport soon so I'll stop writing now. Mostly because I think I've written enough, and the after party was great but I'd rather not go too much into detail about that because I'm lazy. My next post will probably be after my birthday/ Boston Bhangra on the 16th, until then feel free to check out my previous blog posts. Just a reminder too you guys, I don't write this blog to brag or because I think I'm a celebrity or anything. I'm just a girl who loves to write and share her experiences with people. Bye!
For more pictures check out my Instagram: Bhangraobsessed

Vent.

Hey guys,

So I've been super stressed and overwhelmed lately and felt like writing would be the best way for me to vent. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm hosting the first annual Bhangra State of Mind competition in Sacramento, California on November 9th. I was actually really excited until I realized how much work I need to take care of before my trip. The script writing, the work from all of my classes, the packing, filming my intro video and something else which I'll write a separate post about soon,  it really starts to add up. Don't get me wrong I'm still super excited, but I wish it could just be November 8th so I can get on that plane and be away from everyone on the East coast, even if it's only for 3 days. One issue that's been stressing me out is one (or two) things. My parents.  Although my dad's always been pretty supportive considering he's in the same field, of course every brown dad (or any dad in general) fears for his daughter traveling alone, specially for the first time. When booking my flights I guess my dad had a panic attack or something because he flipped out about me traveling alone. He claimed that according to protocol they should be paying for one parent to come with me. I understand that I'll always be his little girl but according to the US government and the rest of the world, I'm an adult. Gotta let me do my own thing some time.  Because of that argument I wasn't able to book my flights that night and I ended up seeming extremely unprofessional. Of course that wasn't a big deal to the organizers, who were totally chill and understood my situation, but it really bothered me. Knowing the industry and how to work with others, I don't understand why my dad didn't realize he was making me look bad. Is it just me or do some parents put up more of a front in front of others to show how "strict" they are. His theory is that if people know your parents are around, they won't bother you. That's true in a sense but it's also not professional and makes me look like I can't work on my own and that I'm a kid. Regardless I'm grateful for this opportunity and such a supporting father.
With my mom on the other hand, I feel like since I'm not becoming a doctor she thinks I'm not getting anywhere in life, which is never good. So I'm determined to prove her wrong. How do you guys deal with pressure from your parents? Do they really think that the techniques their parents used to raise them will be right to raise us? For me it's not just my parents. People in my extended family have unintentionally made comments which made me feel like crap. I know they don't mean it but the jokes make me feel as though my family doesn't even support me which is pretty sad. Anyways I'm just looking forward to this mini vacation and meeting a bunch of new people. It's the next step to following my dream. Also does anyone know how to cure a sore throat? I like lost my voice :( 

Not As Easy As it Seems

I know it's been forever since my last post and I'm so sorry..if anyone actually reads my blog that is. Lately I've been hearing something a lot that's actually been bothering me. "You're famous" or "You're a celebrity". Usually people would be flattered, but I'm really not. I don't feel as though I'm deserving enough of being labeled as "famous" or being considered a "celebrity" To me I think of Miss Pooja or Neeru Bajwa or someone when I think of the word celebrity. Yes, I have met artists and influential figures in the industry but that's not why I do what I do. I have chosen this career path to give people some positive role models to look up to. If it was for the popularity I don't think that I would be doing my job for the right reasons.
In this field, and even in general, many people come and go from your life according to their benefit or selfish motives. You'll eventually learn how to spot your true friends from your fake ones. I've met many people who have pretended to be my friend when they needed me to promote an event or play their song on my show, but this is why I keep things strictly professional. No matter how close you are to me, I will always follow protocol. Sorry to say this but if your song absolutely sucks, I will give you constructive criticism and a reason as to why I can not play your song whether you like it or not. In the end it's to the benefit of both of us. I will not play bad music on my show and you will get some honest feedback to improve your skills. When you have improved, I will gladly play your music. Actually, I would come and ask you myself to send me your new track to play on my show. Some people take this the wrong way saying I'm stuck up or conceited, but I actually wish I was. If I was conceited I would be able to be a bitch to people who have done me wrong in the past but for some reason I have never been able to do that. I still have such a long way to go before I'm "famous" it's not even funny. So when people tell me that I'm a celebrity I can't help but laugh in their faces. I'm so blessed to have many amazing opportunities come my way and many amazing supporters so I do appreciate every single one of you, but please don't try to gas me up before I even make it anywhere haha. My duty is first to be a sevadar to the community and then comes my role as an RJ and host.
I also want to mention the fact that people say I'm "so lucky" to be meeting some of the people I meet. No doubt, I am truly blessed, but it's not easy. I have worked tirelessly to make these meetings and interviews happen. They don't just come to me. Trust me, my job is not by any means easy. At the end of the day I don't consider myself "lucky" persay, but I believe that I have done my job well and have been successful in completing a certain task. That doesn't mean I don't become completely star struck when I meet someone (after all, I am human) but in the end of the day work is work and I try to do my job to the best of my ability. Most of the celebrities I have met have become huge role models for me. (The humble and down to earth ones at least) have influenced me in a very positive way every time I meet them. Their passion, love and respect for the work they do remind me that this career path, just like any, is a struggle, but if you love what you do it makes things a lot easier and it makes life worth living.

Fight Ignorance.

First of all, congratulations to the new Miss America, Nina Davuluri! I could not be more ecstatic about the fact that someone of South Asian heritage has won the title. She truly deserves it.

"America is a melting pot" " All of our ancestors were immigrants, except for Native Americans" "Indian-American" "America is diverse". I've been hearing all of these things for years now. As a kid I did truly believe that everyone loved each other and got along. As I get older, my eyes are open to the fact that America is NOT such an accepting place. As the child of American immigrants, an Asian/ South Asian woman, as a Sikh, and as a female in the industry I understand that people will hate no matter what although the hate that I receive is nothing compared to what Nina is dealing with. We can blow the haters off and ignore them as much as possible, but what do we do about ignorance?
From the moment Nina Davuluri, Former Miss New York, was crowned Miss America Twitter basically blew up with tweets referring to her as a terrorist, an Arab, a Muslim and much more. First of all, even if she was Muslim, she is still an American and still deserves the title. Religion shouldn't matter. Second, these people need to go back to the first grade and figure out where India is on the map (if their tiny brains could handle that much information). I'm disgusted at the fact that people can be so ignorant and stupid. Calling someone of a different background a terrorist? Really? Last time I checked the TERRORISTS behind the massacre at Oak Creek Gurudwara in Wisconsin, the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, and she shooting in the movie theater in Colorado were all Caucasian. Every race, every religion and every country will have these nut jobs who go around trying to kill people. Don't blame it on one group of people.
As far as people saying Nina Davuluri is not American, I'd like to ask them if they know where she was born and I would also ask them to please go have a look at her passport. It's disgusting that apparently America is one of the top countries to get an education yet people are still so uneducated and ignorant and it's sad that the moment that was probably the happiest moment in her life, is bringing her so many challenges and so much hate.
Now, I kind of expected for some people of different cultures to be hating the new Miss America, but I never expected people of our own heritage to be joining in and hating her as well. Ever since last night I've been seeing comments and tweets saying " She's ugly though. She's so dark. Why did she win?". To all of the jealous brown girls saying these things, SHUT UP. Stop hating for once and just be proud that one of our own has made it this far. Don't be jealous just because your parents wouldn't let you compete in pageants. Everyone has something they're good at and everyone has something great about them. For her, she was meant to be a role model for people around the world. You meant to be something else. Just take your negativity and turn it into motivation to do something great with your lives rather than sitting around and talking crap like a bunch of bibi's in the gurudwara. Brown guys, you're not any better. Stop being mad that she'll never accept your friend request on Facebook and that a woman is more accomplished than you probably are. The hate will never change the fact that she was/is deserving and won the title of Miss America and she'll do great things in the future.
Before I end this, I just wanted to acknowledge all of the people of different cultures who are fighting against this ignorance with us. You guys are true Americans, not these backwards racists. If Miss America was a true representation of America, she would be obese and unemployed.

All Over The Place

I haven't really done anything exciting lately to be completely honest. The semester started so I've been going to class and working, and of course going doing Bhangra Beats every weekend. Since the summer's over my life is back to normal if not more hectic. This week my biggest problem has been trying not to procrastinate and getting my paper on Syria done on time, but I'm struggling and writing this blog post instead.

By the way, did I mention that I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA?! Yeah, I got booked to host Bhangra State of Mind in Sacramento, California on November 9th and I'm SO excited. I've never been to the West coast so I kind of just want to get there already. Also, I've never really traveled alone before.
I have to admit my dad was pretty mad when I booked this gig behind his back, but if I didn't he would have never agreed since I'll be going to Boston Bhangra the weekend after to celebrate my 21st birthday on November 16th. Everyone who knows me knows that my past few birthdays have been pretty crappy but I plan on making this one fantastic. Cali on the 9th, Boston on the 16th, NYC on the 23rd and then my little cousins sweet 16 on the 29th. It's going to be a hectic but amazing month.
But back to the present, I really don't know how to find sources for this paper. Since the issue with Obama trying to go into Syria is pretty recent I can't find any credible sources. Also, I can't decide which suit to wear to a wedding that I have to go to this weekend. Patiala or Anarkali? FINALLY I have normal problems like everyone else.
Another thing I wanted to mention is the fact that someone who I thought was really close to me has recently been going behind my back talking crap, considering me as "competition" even though they've practically known me since I was born. It hurts to see someone act like that, specially when I considered this person a member of my family. But I was wrong so oh well. I have many other people in my life who genuinely support me and don't act like fake immature little children even though they're grown adults. Someone who's interested into getting started in the industry emailed me a couple of weeks ago which absolutely made my day, and unfortunately I think I had way too many negative things to say about this industry. You really have to have thick skin and not let anything get to you because you never know what you'll end up dealing with in this field. People are selfish and mean, but seriously, just live your life, have fun, and in my case do a lot of bhangra and everything will just fall into place. No matter how tough things are just keep smiling, it'll get you a lot farther than you think. And I'm not sure how religious or spiritual everyone is, but a trip to the gurudwara really puts me in a better mood and gives me the strength to fight any battle that may come my way. Whether it's listening to kirtan in the morning in the morning, or doing ardaas or simply just wearing the khanda pendant every day, now I feel as though so matter how tough things get, Waheguru will always be by my side and help through every single situation.
One more lesson, never tell employers when you're applying for a job that you can work early mornings because waking up at 5am for a 6am shift is absolutely killing me, and my weekends.
Last but not least, good luck to everyone who's just started school, college or uni! And if anyones going to be at Bhangra State of Mind, Boston Bhangra, Or Bhangra in the City on November 23rd at Pranna tweet or FB me! I'd love to meet you guys and I'd love to have anyone who supports me join me to celebrate my 21st birthday :)

Absolutely Blessed

HI EVERYONEEEE! I want to start off by saying that I'm SO extremely happy. Got out of work at Old Navy super early, just in time to take a 2 hour nap and still have plenty of time to get ready for my busy day ahead. Today, my co worker/big brother  MC Vicc and I interviewed the biggest South Asian artist in North America at the moment, Mickey Singh. I have to say I've actually totally been fan-girling because ever since his new album Mick'stape came out, I honestly haven't been listening to anything else. It's awesome to see people in our community getting so far and making a name for themselves. The interview went extremely well and Mickey is extremely friendly and down to Earth.

Anyways, back to the point of this blog. I just wanted to take the time out to say THANK YOU to each and every single person who has supported me throughout the years. I still have a long way to go, but the amount of love and support I've been getting has been overwhelming and I couldn't be happier. Although the past year or so has been super tough, and things still kind of suck, lately I've been in such a positive mood that almost nothing can bring me down. (and no this is NOT a hint for the haters to try and change that).
Over the years I really wasn't taken seriously in regards to my career because I didn't have a fan base. I continued to think I literally had like 5 listeners and I actually still kind of do. Except now I think it's more like 10 listeners. But the amount of strangers messaging me and tweeting me saying that they listen to my show has honestly taken me completely by surprise. Also, those close to me who have never really acknowledged my hard work have been doing so and that too, a lot more than usual.
I'm far from being able to say I've attained success because I have such a far way to go but I just really wanted to reach out and thank everyone so much for their support. Some may thing their compliments and well wishes don't count but trust me, they really do. For the past couple of weeks I've felt like a completely new person. I've been a lot more confident in myself, which many know that I've struggled with and I have a new faith in my career path and in my show on Radio Asia which at one point I was thinking of giving up on. Thank you for giving me the support to convince me to continue following my dreams. Every postitive comment counts and I'm so thankful that people have considered me worthy of those compliments.  Here's one message I've gotten out of the many that really stood out to me
"Hey!

Just wanted to say that you are GREAT... keep doing what you are doing...unknowingly you have provided confidence to many brown girls growing up in their teens right now

Peace!!"

This was truly amazing and I had to read it over and over to understand what this guy actually wrote. I never had any role models growing up, because I was a total loner and didn't know anything about anything. A couple of years ago I came across someone named IISuperwomanII, and she became that role model I never had. A few years later, I came across the work of another South Asian woman who has taken the entertainment industry by storm by the name of Irene Sarah Mahmud, now Irene Sarah Mahmud Khan. She's an internationally published photographer, beauty blogger/guru on YouTube and she just directed her first music video which is the video for 'Bad Girl' by Mickey Singh and her husband Waseem Khan. I think Irene and Waseem are seriously the desi version of Beyonce and Jay Z. Role models are so important, specially at that stage in your life when you're trying to find yourself and figure your life out and I'm so glad I found out about these two women. Of course the women in my family like my late Nani and my sister Jasmine are two of the biggest influences in my life along with TV talk show host Gurmeet Sodhi, because these women were/are truly beautiful inside and out. But I've known ever since day 1 that I wanted to be a role model for your girls just as Superwoman and Irene have been for me, so for someone to tell me that is the absolute BEST compliment I could ever receive.

In other news, Saini Surinder listened to Bhangra Beats and tweeted me saying he was tuned in, and then he followed me on twitter which obviously absolutely made my life.

SO once again, thank you for your continuous love and support. I really wouldn't be able to do anything without you guys, and I still have a long way to go so please continue to support me. :)

United? I don't think so.

"I think it's safe for me to say that the India Day Parade(s) in Edison/Iselin get worse every year. It's sad that instead of celebrating our unity and independence some people are fighting against each other for "power" and TV time. If they really cared about actually celebrating and bringing the community together, these people would put their differences aside for this one event and meet that goal. The South Asian community in Edison/Iselin was one of the strongest and things like this show everyone how "united" our community really is. "

This status that I posted on Facebook after the India Day Parades in central Jersey got a huge response from other locals. The truth is that although the supposed leaders in our community put up a facade of everyone being "united" we're really not. Or at least they're not. For those who don't know, Edison used to have one huge parade every year to celebrate India's independence. For the past couple of years some power hungry poor excuses for die hard Indians have taken over and made it a complete shit show, for lack of a better word. The parade has been separated into 2 separate ones by two different community groups. So now instead of having one combined parade and cultural show we now have two parades (which end up lasting like 20 min each), two cultural shows, hundreds of confused Indians, and a handful of really stupid power hungry people.  It's pretty sad that we're celebrating our unity and independence as a country yet everyone is so divided. The South Asian community has become a joke as more people do things for their own personal benefit rather than the entire Indian community, which is how it used to be. It's also sad that people, specially the youth are losing interest in our own events and celebrations because of all of these selfish egotistical people. Growing up this parade was all about being proud to be Indian and seeing everyone who you haven't seen in a while. Now most people would rather NOT be anywhere near the parade. Even the police officers in each town genuinely had fun at this event even though they were working and now you'll honestly very rarely see a smile on their faces during the parades. The cultural shows are pathetic. The one on the Edison side had all those uncles fighting for the mic and TV time and TWO dance performances. I'm sure the Iselin side was slightly better but that didn't last long either. 
In my opinion we, the youth need to stand up and take over. These uncles need to be retired and be shown how things are really done and we should be the ones to show them.  If things keep going the way they are, we're going to lose touch with our great culture and history just because of some uneducated guys that think they can speak English but fail miserably. I'm sure many other people who grew up going to this parade feel the same way. I want to go back to the feeling of seeing hundreds of proud Indians flooding Oak Tree Road again because when I was younger, rain or shine, it would always be absolutely packed. I want to see people on the floats again, not just 2 random uncles fighting to face the TV cameras. I want this to be a CELEBRATION again, not a popularity contest.
And one more thing I would like to add is that I want to see some healthy competition between the DJs again. This year as DJ's passed each others floats I would see them giving the most dirty looks to each other which was pretty pathetic.

Inspire

I'M BACK!... and extremely exhausted. It's been a crazy and tiring but fun and memorable weekend. As most of you know I hosted the Khalsa Concert at Glen Cove Gurudwara in Glen Cove, New York this past weekend. It was definitely a long trip as I had to take 3 trains to get there, but it was totally worth it. The concert featured artists Nisha K. Sembhi, Mandeep Sethi, Raginder aka Violinder, Hoodini and Baagi. The concert marked the last day of the 2 week Khalsa Camp held at the gurudwara which also had a special guest, my homie Gurpreet Singh Sarin of American Idol!

 When I got there on Friday the first thing I saw was adorable little kids EVERYWHERE. If you guys don't know this already I'm totally obsessed with kids. During the course of the day I met a bunch of new people and saw a bunch of familiar faces from past events. Big thanks to Davinder for picking me up from the train station and also to my girl Ravnit for keeping me company! Anyways, the kids were following their daily schedule for the camp and then they had a little program for all of the children to show the parents what they had learned over the past two weeks. It was amazing to see all of these children come together and take more interest in their religion. After the children had done their shabads with their groups, Gurpreet, Raginder, Hoodini and Baagi shared some words with the kids and parents. Not only did they send the message that the children should be proud of who they are, embrace their Sikhi and not let anything hold them back from following their dreams, but they also mentioned to the parents that their child doesn't necessarily have to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer to be successful. If their child wants to pursue a career in the arts or has hobbies that they're passionate about, they should support them. I honestly wish that I had attended these camps while I was younger and I really feel like I missed out as a child. It would have been great to have the role models like these kids do today. One thing that I've always wanted to do is help children understand the value of their culture and traditions so I'm honored that I could be a part of this event.
I definitely want to thank the Sodhi family for being such gracious hosts. Gurmeet Sodhi who had organized the event honestly put her heart and soul into this event, which I rarely see anymore in our community. It was amazing to see how much time and effort she put into this event to inspire the kids of the gurudwara without even asking for anything in return. Now a days events are all about making money, organizers rarely plan events that will benefit the community so it was truly great to see her do this. Friday night, everyone was totally exhausted but excited for the concert the next day.
Before we headed to the Sodhi house I met a girl who I was formally introduced to a few months ago at an event, but never got the time to really speak to her. I'm usually the type of person who gets along with everyone, and I'm very friendly and outgoing, but this time it was different. Her and I started on somewhat of an awkward note speaking of mutual friends and what not, and literally an hour later I felt as though I had known her for years. At the age of 16, Japneet Sodhi (aka Bani) made me feel as though I was spending time with someone my age, as if we had been best friends our entire lives. Back at the house, we stayed up talking and watching Youtube videos along with Raginder who was also staying there. I don't even remember what time Bani and I went to bed just because we talked SO much. I came to a gig just to do my job, but I left with an amazing little sister <3.
 The next morning we slept in, but of course because of all of the girl talk we were super sleepy, but pumped for the awesome day ahead. I'd have to say the worst part of the day was the heat, but that's not even a big deal because the day was just so much fun that I almost forgot about how hot it was outside. When it was time to get ready, all of the girls I met were super friendly and helpful and I honestly felt as though I was hanging out with a bunch of little sisters or cousins. Without them, specially Bani, I would have been in panic mode. The event was supposed to start at 4, but we started at 5:30 because of the crowd showing up kind of late ( of course) and the heat. The concert was extremely well organized, unlike a lot of other events that I've been to. There were free refreshments for everyone attending which I was super happy about ( free donuts and lassi, woohoo!)
We started off by a Shabad by the children of the Khalsa Camp, followed by Bhangra performances by the same children, divided into different age groups, and then we started with the guest performances. Nisha Sembhi started painting her picture on the stage as all of the performances were going on. (girl powerrr!) then I introduced Hoodini and Baagi, who the children absolutely LOVED. These two definitely inspired a bunch of the kids at the camp. One kid who happened to be Davinder's younger brother actually wrote some stuff that he wanted to share on stage after meeting Hoodini and Baagi. Like I said on stage, no disrespect to any of the artists but that was definitely my favorite performance of the night. Following them was Mandeep Sethi who totally rocked the crowd and even had the aunties jamming to the music. Last but not least was Raginder aka Violinder. Accompanied by someone on the tabla (I'm sorry, I never got his name), he absolutely KILLED it. All of the kids, uncles and aunties kept cheering for an encore. At the end of the show was a collaboration by Mandeep, Hoodini, Baagi and Raginder which was super sick as well. Overall the show was truly a great experience and I'm honored that I could be a part of it. All of the artists were super friendly and I didn't even feel as though I was speaking to celebrities. One day I hope to be at a point in my career where I can inspire the youth just as they do.
 I got some interviews recorded so keep it locked on to Radio Asia or check out my facebook page facebook.com/bhangrabeatsonradioasia to find out when those will be airing! I also already have a bunch of pictures up on instagram and facebook if you guys want to check them out. :) OH and I did some interviews for Get Punjabi so if you have that channel keep a lookout for them :)

This Isn't A Battlefield

Hey guys I'm back! Sorry it's been a while. I've been totally caught up with family stuff and some events. Big shoutout to my homies from JSA in Delaware for getting me the gig on June 22nd! It was exhausting but I had a great time.

Anyways, last night I watched a video from VIBC which is the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration. It was held from May 30th to June 8th this year and featured a bunch of amazing artists and talented bhangra teams. They also had a discussion with a panel on a bunch of topics like Bhangra Teams' Forum, modern and traditional bhangra, and the whole popularity and competition factor.
Ever since 7th grade when I started dancing I've been learning more and more about bhangra itself, competitions,teams and the whole circuit.
An issue that one of the girls in the discussion brought up was that on BTF whenever she would give feedback she would get shut down because she "doesn't dance". Is that some kind of defense mechanism for anyone to use when they're given constructive criticism? Does the opinion of an audience member not count as "legit" feedback anymore? Or do some teams simply think they're the best? It seems like whenever a team doesn't want criticism they play the "oh but you don't dance" card.
As a self taught solo performer, I still have a lot to learn. But isn't it the duty of the more experienced dancers and teams to help educate the new dancers in the circuit rather than shutting them down every single time? If I were to post some feedback on BTF I would get a comment like "oh, but you've never danced on a team". Honestly, if us newbies are wrong, TELL US WHY. Don't rudely shut people down on a worldwide forum.
Most teams almost see bhangra as a popularity contest now rather than a folk dance and an age old tradition. Why is there so much hate and negativity in the bhangra community?
Also, in my opinion old is gold. Gimmicks are great to entertain the crowd and are super cool, but are we not losing sight of what bhangra really is?
I really just had to vent about that. But to anyone reading this who knows anything about bhangra, let's teach each other and share our views, because in the end our main goal should be to preserve our culture and pass it on to future generations. Competitions are great and all, but this isn't a battlefield. We all have one common passion, which is bhangra. Let's keep it that way and not turn against each other. Strive for respect, not popularity. The point is to make the bhangra community bigger, not create a divide. I get that competitions are intense and there's nothing wrong with some healthy competition, but why let that competition take over the entire circuit and blind us from seeing what bhangra truly is?
Bhangra Teams Forum is a great idea and a great way for everyone to communicate and learn. I'd love to see it grow more and see more positive feedback on the posts to keep it as awesome as it's always been
If I have the wrong impression, someone please comment or message me or something and let me know. Because as someone who's almost based my life around bhangra, I'd like to know. I will appreciate any sort of feedback.
I also want to quickly thank all of those in the Bhangra community who have supported me and been genuinely kind to me throughout this learning process, specially my favorite ladies from SMD! <3

OH and I can't stand it when people say that girls can't do bhangra. Just saying.

Beware of RATCHET MELAS

As some of you know, I had a gig to host yesterday. A lot of people asked me how it went so I decided to just blog about it and write about it once rather than over and over. I have to say it was a complete waste of time. I'm usually not one to go public about stuff like this, but for anyone trying to get into the Desi entertainment industry, these are some things to look out for.

Basically I was told to be there by 11. Being a girl, I take forever to get ready so I woke up at 9:30am, curled my hair and did my makeup and left the house by 11:15. Normally I would leave by like 10:45 but this is a desi mela, there was no way it was going to start before 12. I get there and no one knows what's going on. The organizer thought it would be a great idea to plan everything out by herself and ended up not giving anyone directions until the last minute. While touching up my makeup I met someone who I've known through work for a few years. Anyways, she was a judge for the dance competition and we were both told days before the event that there would be rooms for us to get ready in, but when we got there the rooms had no lights or mirrors, so she had to get ready in the bathroom. Lesson 1: Always make arrangements for guests at your event. Whether it's something as simple as getting a couple of lamps and mirrors, do it. It makes a difference.
When I got back to the stage my co-host (or the woman I would be taking turns to MC with codename: pagal aunty )took it upon herself to tell me she would be hosting until 3 or 4. It was 1:30 and the event had FINALLY started, but if I'm told I need to do my job at a specific time I'm going to follow it. Specially if this woman comes in at 12:45 and expects to take my slot, thinking of me as an amateur, but whatever.  I decided not to care as this would give me some time to hang out with my friends who were performing/ modeling and have a look at some of the stalls. Even though I had to leave by 6 I made arrangements to stay later because of how things were going.
When I got back to the stage I go up to my co host to let her know that I'm back and say " Hey It's 3:30 so I'm here whenever you're ready", then I get the bitch stare and she says " Oh well I'm good right now I can take care of it for another couple of hours". Excuse me, since when am I your backup? But once again I leave and some random ladies who I had met earlier asked me why I'm not on stage. I explained the situation and one of the ladies decides to go ask my "co-host" what time I'll be on stage. She also gets yelled at and pagal aunty says "Oh, well I don't care. Until the organizer tells me to I refuse to give up the mic". Well the organizer came, yelled at her multiple times for screwing a bunch of things up, and told her to pass it on to me. When I asked her to fill me in she goes " Hold on ill tell you", waving her old fat wrinkly hand in my face. Uhm who are you again? I didn't even know this aunty's name and she's waving her hand in my face like a diva. Apparently if she didn't announce the next few acts I would get too confused. (last time I checked I've been doing this for at least 5 years). Lesson 2: People are EXTREMELY fame hungry, whether they know what they're doing or not. Sometimes you have to fight for it.
I finally get on stage and everything is a COMPLETE mess. All of the performances were pushed back like 3 hours and even the organizer didn't have a set schedule. Lesson 3: MAKE A SCHEDULE. Even if it's a little off by the time the show starts, you can make changes, but have a schedule to follow. Don't just list random events and over-book performances.
Before I knew it I had made enemies, all of the dance teachers almost attacked me demanding to go next. I probably said "I'm sorry it's not up to me, I'm just following what the organizer is telling me. If she tells me to introduce you guys next, that's the only way I can do it. I'm just doing what I'm told" at least a hundred times. Lesson 4: DON'T SHOOT THE MC. Hosts/MCs are not in charge. We're just announcing whatever we're told. I'd suggest to anyone who will be on stage, find a secluded place with easy access to the stage.
THEN, pagal aunty came back, asking over and over if I needed any help. No, I've barely been on stage for 90 minutes. I've dealt with worse. I don't need another person breathing down my neck while I'm trying to do my job. This woman then tells me she's supposed to take care of another segment according to the organizer. I obviously wasn't going to take her word for it, and found out that the organizer never said such a thing. Lesson 5: Trust no one besides the light/sound people and the organizers.
Anyways, once it was time to announce that segment, I handed her the mic. Once again she decided to bitch at me to fill her in. Excuse me when I asked you to fill me in, you didn't. I'm not wasting my breath. You can ask the organizer. Fed up with everyone, specially her, I decided the sooner I got off stage the better, for my own sanity. If people want some fame at Ratchet Mela 2013 or something similarly bootleg to that, go ahead. As far as I'm concerned I don't want to be associated with that sort of organization. Mind you, I wasn't even getting paid, but I had committed to my station. I had to be there. Lesson 6: You need to have thick skin. Don't get offended when someone tries to take advantage of you or "shine brighter". You can do better. Don't settle for these unprofessional events like I did. Hint: If there are grammar errors on every piece of promotional material, don't do it. Overall, it was a good experience to know how to manage things backstage and during what could possibly be the worst case scenario for an MC, but I would never do it again.
A couple of other things I noticed : Models, bring some of your own makeup. Chances are if you've never heard of  the makeup artist they might mess up your face, forcing you to fix it. Also, always make backup arrangements for yourself. Have a couple of water bottles and granola bars or something in your purse. Bring  essentials like flats, hairspray, extra clothes, cash, makeup etc. And most importantly no matter what kind of situation you're in, smile as much as possible. It always leaves a great impression. Hope you guys learned from my terrible experience yesterday! :P

PS: thank you to Prachi, Surya and all of my girls who were modeling for attempting to keep me sane!

Expect the Unexpected

I was planning on writing my second blog post this weekend and possibly posting it early next week, but today's been an epic day. A friend found the video he took of my bhangra performance at a private event with Malkit Singh from a couple of months ago (Thanks Josh!!). Also a couple of days ago I was pretty bummed out about not getting this one gig I was looking forward to hosting. A couple of my friends(Raja and Vishwas- you guys totally rock) told me about this mela in Delaware and one of them was on the committee so I said "hey, let's give it a shot.".

Apparently Raja was too late in telling the organizer and they had already hired someone else. Super upset, I started questioning why adults in the Indian community always tell the youth to be more involved in community events, but then never give us the chance to. I really want to make some money this summer to finance all of my summer shopping because I hate spending my dad's money for things that I don't absolutely need. Most events that I end up hosting I don't charge for because of the nature of the event but it never hurts to make a few dollars while doing what you love right? My friend Vishwas suggested that I contact the organizer of the mela to let him know what I do, for reference for future events. I didn't expect much out of it but decided to give it a shot anyways. After a bunch of  Facebook messages that seemed more like essays, I got the offer to host the event. Even though it's only a week before the event and I don't have much time to prepare I'm SO excited. 2 weekends in a row.
Now I KNOW I finally need to figure out how to put on some false eyelashes, get one of my suits fixed and spend hours planning a hairstyle and makeup look. Although I'll be once again missing a week of my show, I'm pre-recording it thanks to my awesome team at Radio Asia( yay for Shawn and Nimish!). For those of you who still want to jam to some bhangra on Bhangra Beats, you can still tune in to Radio Asia Saturday from 4-6pm via radioasiafm.com, the Radio Asia FM app for iPhones and Androids and via iHeart Radio. If any of you are in New Jersey this weekend, on Saturday June 15th I'll be hosting at the Asian American Fair at the Garden State Exhibition and Conference Center in Somerset NJ, so come cheer for me and say hi! AND If you're in the Delaware Area come through to the mela going on, I'll be hosting in the auditorium from 2-7pm at Glasgow High School! I hope I see some of you there. Here's the link for the fb event! https://www.facebook.com/events/314317298700528/?fref=ts
Moral of this little story: NEVER GIVE UP! Good things will happen when you least expect them! In this industry, anything is possible. Don't get bummed out if you don't get your chance right away, if it's the right opportunity, it will come to you! Just try your best and always put your best foot forward. Don't be afraid to branch out and try new things. TAKE THE EXTRA STEP. You never know where it will take you. And hey, when you're trying to make it big in the South Asian entertainment industry, every event, every gig really counts. Just be sure to choose the right ones!

Who is this Trisha Bhangra Arora girl?

Hey guys! Yes I know, it seems like I'm just another average brown girl trying to be cool and blog. I've basically decided to start blogging because as my teachers told me in elementary school, writing really helps you get your emotions out. There's so much going on in my life that I feel as though I need to just slow down and let everything sink in. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not the average punjabi girl. I'm a host and MC, I have my own radio show on Radio Asia in New Jersey called Bhangra Beats, I'm an intern for E3UK, an aspiring journalist and most importantly, I'm absolutely obsessed with Bhangra. My career path has given me some unusual struggles which I'm sure will get worse in the future, but with the help of my dad, (sometimes) my mom, my cousin Jasmine and my amazing friends, I think I can get by. This definitely isn't about the typical desi girl trying to be a doctor or lawyer. Don't get me wrong, those are amazing careers, but I gotta do whats right for me.
It kind of sucks to admit it but as a kid my best friends were my cousins, parents and my stuffed animals. I was the weird girl in school that no one wanted to be friends with. As the only child of South Asian decent in elementary school some things were hard to deal with like having kids younger than me call me "that Indian piece of shit" and things like that so I was very quiet and reserved. Of course my nerdy glasses, frizzy hair and terrible fashion sense didn't help me much either. No friends equaled zero confidence. Finally elementary school came to an end and my parents decided on something BIG. We were moving. Dad worked at TV Asia which was in the heart of the brownest New Jersey town I knew of, Edison so we decided to move closer. Later I found out the reason for the move was actually because of all of the "kaale" moving into the town that I had grown up in. Typical. Anyways, I was SUPER excited. This move meant a fresh start, a new beginning. As an awkward lonely 12 year old, that was all I could have asked for. But I have to admit I was totally freaking out about middle school.
When 7th grade started, once again I was alone. I didn't know how to socialize or make friends. My mom no longer helped me with homework and I did terribly in math class, and I could just never remember my locker combination. It was horrific. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I met the "fob crew" as I liked to call them. You know, that group of popular desi girls who were mean to everyone? They were basically the equivalent of the goriyan in Mean Girls. At first I had thought I made a new group of friends, little did  I know these girls took no time in spreading rumors about me. Just what a new girl needs. I can easily say those few months were HELL. A Pre-teen girl's worst nightmare. In my spare time I started listening to more Punjabi music, learning Bhangra steps from YouTube videos and just teaching myself. It was the only way for me to escape the terrible life I had at school, and let's just say I've been obsessed ever since. Luckily I also found an amazing group of friends right before middle school was about to end and those girls are still my closest friends, no matter how distant we may get.
High School had finally begun and it was totally overwhelming, but it was the best time of my life. It was like a fresh start once again. I had finally convinced my dad to buy me my first hair straightener and I got contacts right before the 8th grade dance, so things were good. As much as I hated school, it was the best 4 years ever and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Of course some freedom would have been nice, but hey, I have Punjabi parents.
Now I've finished up my 2nd year of college and I'm looking forward to an amazing career in the future. My life is filled with ups and downs which I'm sure most of you can relate to. The reason I wrote about my childhood is I hope that some of you can relate to what I went through as a kid. As much as I didn't believe it while I was growing up, things DO get better and everyone has a bright future ahead of them. This blog is going to be all about what I'm going through as a girl in my 20's in the desi entertainment industry while trying to deal with the same issues or situations as any other brown person living abroad. I'll be posting about events I attend, my show, family, friends, and all that stuff. Hope you guys enjoy my posts :)