Singing for the Planet - May 10th event

PRESS RELEASE

Three Of New England’s Most Creative Singers
Join Voices Against Climate Change

On Saturday, May 10, three internationally acclaimed singers from widely varied musical traditions will join together to draw attention to the global climate crisis. “Singing For The Planet: World Voices Against Climate Change” will feature the mesmerizing South Indian innovations of Deepti Navaratna, the bilingual singer-songwriter-guitarist Dean Stevens, and the brilliant jazz singer Gabrielle Agachiko. The music begins at 7:00 pm, at Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA. Tickets are $25; $20 students/seniors. All proceeds will go to the environmental organization www.350MA.org.

For information, please call 781-396-0734 or go to www.warrensenders.com.


“Singing For The Planet” was conceived as a way for creative musicians to contribute to the urgent struggle against global warming. Because the climate problem recognizes no national boundaries, the artists represent musical styles from three different parts of the globe. While Navaratna, Stevens, and Agachiko sing in different languages and genres, all are virtuoso performers sharing the core values of expression, emotion and honesty. And, of course, all three artists and their accompanists are committed to raising awareness of the potentially devastating effects of global warming. Their choice of beneficiary, 350MA.org, is focused on building global consensus on reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels — action which climatologists agree is necessary to avoid catastrophic outcomes. It’ll be an evening of great vocal music, full of exquisite melody, compelling rhythm, expressive lyricism and daring improvisation — from three singers who are genuine masters of their craft.

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About the Artists

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Deepti Navaratna

With 'a particularly lovely and bewitching voice’ (Boston Globe, 2010),  Deepti Navaratna embodies a rare mix of classical wisdom, expressivity and virtuosity.  Her long-standing immersion in South Indian Classical music under gurus such as Rohini Manjunath and T.V Gopalakrishnan is the foundation of an adventurous and versatile musical personality that can move freely and easily between Carnatic classical repertoire to avant-garde contemporary compositions and everywhere in between.

Deepti Navaratna sings in Sanskrit, Kannada, Urdu, Hindi, Turkish and Greek as she explores the many ways in which world music can be unraveled with a distinct South Indian twist.  Accompanied by an eclectic cast of musicians – the concert promises to take the listener from Muttuswamy Dikshitar to Mirza Ghalib to Mozart, in a seamless exploration of unity in sound. The concert will feature traditional Carnatic classical repertoire framed by new music that inventively pairs traditional music with sounds of the world.

Deepti’s musical journey is studded with many firsts - she is the first South Indian classical musician to be awarded a merit scholarship and cash prize to study World music and Contemporary Improvisation at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, United States. She was the first South Indian classical vocalist to be selected to represent India in a month-long residency at the Music Omi International Music residency for which she was awarded the Rajshekar Parikh Fellowship as well.
Deepti is also recognized for charting new directions at the leading edge of contemporary Indian Classical music and world music. She received critical acclaim for her genre-slashing experiments in casting Carnatic sounds with an operatic finish in Indian-American composer Shirish Korde’s opera production in 2009 (www.thebanditqueen.com)  As an improvising soloist, she has collaborated with Richard Pittman (Conductor, New England Philharmonic & Boston Musica Viva), Zorana Sadiq (Soprano),  Robert Schulz (Boston Metropolitan Orchestra), Jan Muller Scheraws (Boston Musica Viva), Mehmet Sanlikol (Jazz pianist, Turkish composer), Nihan Devecioglu (Turkish folk singer & Mezzo-soprano) & Negar Booban (Persian Oud). As part of the Contemporary Improvisation Department at the New England Conservatory, she has collaborated with the likes of Ran Blake, Hankus Netsky, and Tanya Kalmanovitch.
A polymath whose domains of expertise span the sciences and humanities, Deepti holds a doctorate degree in Neuroscience and is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. An author of several international peer-reviewed original research articles and book chapters, her scientific work focuses on the etiology of diabetic complications in the brain.

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Dean Stevens


For twenty five years Dean Stevens has delighted audiences of all ages throughout the Americas. An exuberant performer of distinctive style and wit, he combines an intricate, self-taught guitar style with a versatile and expressive singing voice.

“...a charming entertainer, a musician of great sensitivity and wit. His spirit of joy and sharing shines through his music.”  — Jerry Christen, New Song Coffeehouse —


He has established himself as a formidable creator and interpreter of a wide spectrum of songs in English and Spanish. His own material explores a variety of personal and social topics, paints sketches of people and places, celebrates the Earth, and annoys the narrow minded.


“Dean Stevens will inspire you. Great voice!” — Pete Seeger —


Born and raised in Costa Rica, Dean is a lifelong student of Latin America. He learned Spanish at an early age, and readily absorbed the musical and topical influences of the region. He travels frequently to Central America, and has become known for his humanitarian efforts on behalf of refugees returning to their homes in El Salvador and Guatemala.

“Seeing and hearing Dean Stevens live on stage is proof that sanity, literacy, love, hope, and the forces of good are still alive and well and at work in the universe. Every song is offered with immediacy, humanity, and humor underscored by the most articulate and inspired guitar work you’ll hear anywhere on the topical folk circuit….a thinking and compassionate master communicator at the peak of his powers. Losing your faith? Go to a Dean Stevens concert!”  — Geoff Bartley —

Dean Stevens has four highly acclaimed recordings to his credit. His last release, “Eyes of Wonder” (Volcano Records), is a collection of songs in English and Spanish, with guest appearances by Sol y Canto, Randy Sabien, Linda Waterfall, and others.


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Gabrielle Agachiko and Agachiko

Kenya-born, England-raised Gabrielle Agachiko’s winding tri-continental road has brought her to Somerville, Massachusetts, and to the helm of Agachiko, her new seven piece band.  Featuring Gabrielle’s gripping, soulful and technically spot-on voice and presence, the band sports the unique horn section of flute, trumpet and tenor sax, along with classic hollow-body jazz guitar, acoustic bass and drums.  The sound can be understated and delicate, bluesy and brash, or full and lush.  Agachiko’s veteran musicians have pared their playing down to the essentials,  with all their energy focused on bringing the emotional reality of the songs to life.


Gabrielle Agachiko’s songs reflect a woman of confidence, clarity and deep understanding.
— Linda Yohn, WEMU Radio —


Agachiko’s repertoire ranges from originals to Nina Simone-related material, classic torch songs and even show tunes given an earthy reality by Gabrielle’s no-nonsense singing.   Arrangements are written by Grammy-nominated arranger and tenor saxophonist Russ Gershon (Either/Orchestra), and by flautist Ken Field (Revolutionary Snake Ensemble).


Agachiko proves she belongs in jazz…If (she) can do this much on her first jazz album, imagine the sequel. Yes!
— Carol Banks Weber, The Examiner —


Born in Nakuru, Kenya, Gabrielle attended boarding school in Dorset, England, where her musical talents were noticed and developed in Orchestra and Chorus.   As a teenager Gabrielle traveled to Hartsdale NY, where she finished high school, then moved to NYC to attend Julliard as a composition major.  After Julliard, she spent time in New York and Paris, working with the legendary Steve Lacy, before settling in Boston.  In the mid-80s, the power and emotional directness of her voice landed her in Atom Said, a band which rose to the top of the Boston rock scene before their guitarist/co-songwriter Reeves Gabrels was hired away by David Bowie for his band Tin Machine.
After fifteen years in Western Massachusetts, Gabrielle moved back to Boston in 2005.  In 2007, her growing interest in the work of Nina Simone led her to form a quintet to take on the Simone book.  Since that time, the scope of Agachiko’s repertoire has grown – as has the size of the band, with Gershon and trumpeter Scott Getchell recruited to fill out the horn section.  The band now includes Sam Davis, an underground legend around Cambridge MA for his legions of guitar students and surreal sense of humor; Blake Newman on bass, who’s been anchoring the Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam for 13 years, and Phil Neighbors, a rock-solid Boston scene veteran.

What’s exciting about the record is not only the material…, and Agachiko’s powerful vocals, but the overall conception — updated soul-jazz as Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln might have done it.
— Jon Garelick, The Boston Globe —

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About www.350MA.org and the number 350:
Co-founded by environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, 350.org is the hub of a worldwide network of over two hundred environmental organizations, all with a common target: persuading the world’s countries to unite in an effort to reduce global levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to 350 parts per million or less. Climatologist Dr. James Hansen says, “If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.” (Dr. Hansen heads the NASA Institute for Space Studies in New York City, and is best known for his testimony on climate change to congressional committees in the 1980s that helped raise broad awareness of the global warming issue.) Activists involved in the 350 movement include Rajendra Pachauri (Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Vandana Shiva (world-renowned environmental leader and thinker), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1984 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and a global activist on issues pertaining to democracy, freedom and human rights), Van Jones, Bianca Jagger, Dr. James Hansen, Barbara Kingsolver and many more.

350MA is the Massachusetts Chapter of 350.org, and the founder of the Better Future Project.

Warren Senders is the contact person for “World Voices Against Climate Change.” He is one of thousands of concerned global citizens hoping to trigger positive change through social action and the arts. He can be reached at warvij@verizon.net or by telephone at 781-396-0734

When Music Made the Audience Weep Tears of Joy….. - By Shuchita Rao

Pandit Jasraj Concert by MITHAS
write up By Suchita Rao

On a warm spring afternoon, lavender crocus raised their heads in pride and speckled brown

bunnies raced across the lush green grass lawns outside MIT’s Kresge auditorium. The air was  abuzz with excitement as MITHAS (MIT Heritage Arts of SouthAsia) was celebrating 21 years of service to the community with a grand concert by the renowned Hindustani vocalist, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj on April 13, 2014.

Dr. George Ruckert of MIT welcomed the audience and introduced the artists: Mewati gharana exponent Pandit Jasraj, one of the foremost vocal ractitioners of Hindustani music, his tabla accompanist, the well-known Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and illustrious vocalists, Tripti Mukherjee and Suman Ghosh to whom Pandit Jasraj is esteemed Guru.

Amala Mahadevan, chairperson of MITHAS thanked patrons and struck a spiritual chord with the audience when she conveyed that Pandit Jasraj, through his music, intended to pay homage to the soul(atman) of each and everyone in the auditorium. In Panditji’s words, every atman(individual soul) is a manifestation of the supreme soul (param-atman). 

The concert stage decorated by Shobha Shastry was a work of art. Long panels of pleated cream silk drapes flanked by flowing pink and purple fabric served as the elegant backdrop to a raised stage. Soft pastel purple lights reflected from mirrored panels on the ceiling. The celebrated maestro Pandit Jasraj dressed in an elegant silk dhoti, kurta and red waistcoat looked no less than an emperor surrounded by his accompanists and disciples who were dressed in rich hues of gold, red, chocolate brown and mustard silk ethnic wear. 

The melodious strains of two taanpuras, the harmonium, the swarmandal and the sound of a perfectly tuned tabla breathed musical life into the auditorium. Pandit Jasraj opened his concert with his signature invocation in Sanskrit, Mangalam Bhagwaan Vishnu, composed in the romantic afternoon raga Madhuvanthy. A vilambit khayal, Mehmaan se kaa lariye, set to 12 

beat cycle Ektaal followed with a leisurely and elaborate exploration in the lower and middle octaves. The occasional but deliberate use of rishabh in the ascent revealed the artist’s non-conventional take on the raga and his weaving of intricate solfege patterns with heavy gamak ornamentation created an exquisite and colorful quilt of melodic phrases infused with feeling 

and emotion (bhaava).

In the two subsequent faster compositions in 16 beat cycle teentaal, Kasturi Tilakam and Kaahe Maan Karo, the confluence of sensitive support on tabla, the blending of male and female 

vocal support by Suman Ghosh and Tripti Mukherjee created a sober and beautiful atmosphere steeped in melody.

The next khayal in Raag Din Ki Puriya set to medium tempo cycle of 16 beats, Chalo Chhalo Ri Aali Mandirva described the festivities of the spring season. The artist painted a visual 

landscape of pretty maidens stringing together flower garlands to greet their beloved. 

He constructed an impressive array of fast melodic patterns (taans) together with his accompanying vocalists. Pandit Jasraj’s early musical career as a tabla player was evident in the manner of construction of the taans with special emphasis of beats on accompanying rhythmic cycle. His investment in the progress of his accompanists could be seen in the manner he interacted with them, deftly guiding them sometimes and sincerely appreciating their support at other times.

Post-intermission, Pandit Jasraj sang two compositions in Raag Hansadhwani – the first one in praise of Lord Hanuman, son of Wind God, an ardent devotee of Lord Rama (Pavan Poot Hanuman) and the second one in praise of Lord Rama. The energetic renditions were marked by vigorous ornamented gamaks contrasting with graceful glides in three octaves. A question and answer exchange (sawal-jawab) with tabla artist Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri added variety to the presentation much to the delight of the audience.

Pandit Jasraj conversed with the audience with great love after the rendition of Raga Hansadhwani. “It is not my singing that you are listening to – you are listening simply to your own love” he remarked. Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri drew a chuckle from the audience when he shared that Pandit Jasraj was not too sure that he could sing in his normal capacity right before the program. “I told him GOD would take care of him. Now, I think GOD has taken too much 

care of him….” he said, making the maestro and the audience laugh openly at his humorous comment.

The piece-de-resistance of the evening, an emotionally expressive composition in Raag Adana, “Maata Kaalika” set to 16 beat cycle Addha teentaal was the next item to be presented. Pandit Jasraj sang with devotional fervor and sustained long rests on high notes with uncanny ease. Several imaginative variations on the lyrics added immensely to the prayerful mood. Deepti Nijhawan of Cambridge, ex-chairperson of MITHAS summed up the essence of the presentation. “It was spiritual and sensual all in one! Every member in the first row of the audience sitting next to me had moist eyes. I went home and listened to a you-tube clip of Maata Kaalika rendition several times over” she said.

Pandit Jasraj concluded by honoring the audience’s request to sing a Sanskrit shlok in Raag Bhimpalaasi “Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaaya”. This fitting finale with creative harmony and interactive participation of the audience via rhythmic clapping to the recurring utterance of “Vithalam Vithalam” transported the concert attendees to a higher realm of spiritual consciousness and ecstasy.

At the end of the three hour long program, when the audience rose to salute the performers,a visibly moved eighty-four year old Pandit Jasraj wiped off tears with his sleeve and bid an affectionate goodbye with the words “Jai Ho!”. The voice of a member of the audience rang out loud and clear when she said “You are the greatest Panditji!”. The maestro smiled and waved back in joy, acknowledging the love and warmth of his admirers. The receptiveness and affection of Boston’s audience had brought out his best colors, making the concert the kind that etches itself in the hearts of artists and music lovers for a long time. 

MITHAS could not have asked for more. The Pandit Jasraj concert had turned out to be a grand celebration of twenty-one years of service to the cause of preserving traditional art and music of South Asia. May MITHAS’s mission touch new heights of success in the coming years!

*picture credit - Jay Srinivasan

Launching Ekal _ ATFS BEE inititaive

Transcribed by Divya Mendiratta

Gauri : Welcome to Foundations TV everybody, our guest today is none other than Ranjani Saigal. Ranjani welcome to Foundations TV.

Ranjani : Thank you.

Gauri : Ranjani is representing  Ekal Vidhyalaya USA. She is the Executive Director. So Ranjani why don’t we start right off with an introduction about Ekal. Tell us something about Ekal.

Ranjani: Thank you very much Gauri for this opportunity to be here. Ekal Vidhyalaya is an organization that brings education to very remote rural and tribal areas in India. But for Ekal, the children in this areas will have no access to education, and will live in darkness of illiteracy. We run these schools at the very low cost of just a dollar a day. Thus for $365 a year an entire village is educated and transformed. We are in about 54,000 villages, reaching out to about to 1.5 million children, in India and in Nepal. And Gauri it really is a pleasure to be here with you, because you are also an educationist. Could you tell me a little bit about your initiative, in the Boston are?

Gauri : Absolutely, that is what I am representing here today, which is our center ‘ATFS learning center’. We have been around for more than 12 years, and we take pride in building the education foundation in this area. We have a lot of students. And right now actually, we have so many students who I meet every day, who have made it into excellent colleges. We take so much pride in being part of the education of those students.  And speaking of that, when I heard Ekal, and what Ekal does, and the infrastructure that Ekal has built over the 25 years, it completely resonates with my philosophy of running this center here. And I think it was such a logical step of partnering with Ekal Vidhyalaya. And today we are very excited to launch the partnership between ATFS learning center and Ekal Vidhyalaya. So Ranjani why don’t you tell us something about this really exciting initiative.

Ranjani : Fantastic Gauri. I can not tell you how excited I am for it. Because what you are doing is improving the lives of children in the Boston area, by providing them with a better way to learn. And then there is Ekal that is doing the same for very poor children, very underprivileged children. What better way there is than to run a competition, an opportunity for students in the New England area to showcase their talent in something like Math, English, or anything else that we can provide through the BEE. And yet at the same time be impacting the lives of some of the very underprivileged children. Thus it is really about children helping children. And I’m very excited about that Gauri.

Gauri : That is super exciting. I think there could have not been a better fit, than ATFS and Ekal working together towards this goal. I think we already set a goal of educating 900 students.

Ranjani : Yes, and we don’t mind going to a thousand.

Gauri : We don’t mind going beyond that. So that is only the beginning. And our first initiative or first contest, under this huge umbrella of Ekal – ATFS BEE Initiative is going to be the ‘Math BEE Contest’ coming up on May 3^rd. So that’s where we need a lot of our community members involved.

Ranjani : Absolutely. It is a chance for your child to really shine. And at the same time, while they are doing their homework they know that they are transforming the life of an underprivileged child. So I hope you will consider participating in this, to not only enhance your own intellectual and your mathematical abilities, but also support a young child far away from here.

Gauri : And this is only the beginning. We have something really exciting coming up as we move forward as well. But for now enrollment are open for Math BEE, on the ATFS website, which is www.aftsonline.com. And we are already taking enrollments and we are giving out sample papers. We have enough time for kids to prepare for their tests. And also go in very noble cause in mind to actually be helping out the underprivileged children, in rural and tribal India, through the infrastructure that Ekal is providing. Thank you so much Rajani for this huge beginning, I would say.

Ranjani: Absolutely. Thank you Gauri for coming in with a compassionate heart to help our children. Thank you and may education go forward in New England and in India.  

Indian Princess Mansee Sangani talks to The Foundations TV

Transcribed by Divya Mendiratta

Gauri : Welcome to Foundations TV everybody. Our guest today is Mansee Sangani, who has recently won the title of Indian Princess USA 2014, at the Jewel of India event, in Atlantic City. Many Congratulations.

Mansee : Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Gauri : Absolutely. It’s a pleasure to have you at Foundations TV. And she is here to share her journey with us. So before we actually go to a flash back of knowing, where you were born and brought up. I just want to hear that moment out from you. How was it to win this title?

Mansee : It was great, it was actually amazing. It really didn’t hit me that I had won, up until two days after it had already happened. On Sunday 19^th, on stage having your name called out, having the crown placed on your head, it was amazing. Memorable.

Gauri : That is really exciting. Is that something you had dreamed of, being a model, since the beginning? Or is it something just happened accidently for you?

Mansee : I would say it’s something that just accidently happened. It’s not something I had ever dreamed of. I guess I just kept myself very open to all the opportunities that were presented to me. I went with the flow.

Gauri : Wonderful. So I know Mansee has a full time job, and she is also doing post-graduation . So she is studying hard, she is taking two courses at this time; and doing the modelling. So I want to know, which was your first modeling experience? When was it the first time you went on the ramp?

Mansee : My first modelling experience was for a bridal show; in New England actually. This was in 2011. And it was absolutely amazing, at that time I didn’t even know how to put make up on myself. And then from doing that, to going to a show where you have people doing your make up, doing your hair, helping you put your clothes on. And then when you walk the ramp, you look glamorous. It was amazing, it was awesome.

Gauri : Lovely. So now tell us something about your background. Where were you born and brought up? And how did you end up in US?

Mansee :  I was born in India. My family and I were there for about 8 ½ years. After that my parents decided to move to New Zealand, so I practically grew up over there. We were in New Zealand for almost 8 years. And then we moved here. So we’ve been here in Boston for past 6 years now.

Gauri : Wonderful. So you did go to college here?

Mansee : Yes.

Gauri : Great. So all these years you have lived in three different countries, and you are doing three different things in your life. I want to know, who inspires you, who is your inspiration?

Mansee : It’s not one person, I would have to say two people, my mom and dad. From the moment that they wake up, to the moment that they go to sleep, all I see is them working. Whether something is at home, or whether is something outside, they are always working. When you look at such people, when you are around people who are constantly doing that, you look at yourself and you realize your parents are much older than you are, they are doing lot more work, you have no right to sit around and not do anything. They’ve always been not only inspirational, but also they’ve always been my motivation.

Gauri : So have they been supportive about this modelling experience of yours?

Mansee: They have. They have been extremely supportive. Whether it was modelling whether it was pageants, everything.

Gauri : Wonderful. What about challenges though, have you felt any challenges on this road to being Indian Princess USA?

Mansee : Yes, definitely

Gauri : Would you like to share some?

Mansee : Absolutely. This is actually not my first time competing for a title, I had competed last year. I made top 10, and then didn’t make it after that. That was a challenge, but I feel like it was more of a learning experience for me. So I waited, I tried it again, and here I am.

Gauri : So what is that you think made that difference in that one year? From last year to this year, what is that you grew into, or what quality of yours that you developed which helped you win this title?

Mansee : First of all, the pageant itself was a very big learning process in terms of everything. Then going from there, coming back home, trying different projects, different events. You are trying events that are at different level. You are constantly trying to succeed at them. So I think it makes you get better at what you are doing, if not perfect.

Gauri : That’s a great answer. So it not really one goal you are striving for, it’s always trying to improve yourself from where you were. It’s like a journey, a little competition with yourself. And trying to get better each time at whatever you are doing. And that kind of builds that quality that virtue within you for being successful. Is that what you think?

Mansee : Yes. And I think that’s important, because if you’re a doing one thing, that will get boring at some point. You want to try different things. And not just for the sake of trying it but you want to give it your best. If you fail, you want to get up and you want to try again and you want to keep trying.

Gauri : And that’s an experience too. Being resilient.

Mansee : Yaa.

Gauri : So where are you headed from here Mansee?

Mansee : Right now I’m actually completing my masters. So hopefully I will be done in another year. Because I won this title I get the opportunity to go to Thailand. So there’s an International pageant, called Indian Princess International. So I’m excited.

Gauri : Lovely. So when is it that pageant?

Mansee : It’s not actually until January.

Gauri : So you have time to finish up your education, or whatever courses you are trying to finish up before that.

Mansee : I have time to get around to United States now. Before I was limited just to New England. But now with a bigger title I can get around a lot more.

Gauri : So you have any tips for upcoming models, aspiring models, who want to look like you, feel like you, be like you.

Mansee : For sure. I feel like, when I started I was an amateur. I’m not perfect even now. I guess the only tip that I can really give to the people is that, try every opportunity, try everything that comes your way. For me, like I said I was open minded about it. If I had the time to do something I did it. I didn’t think twice. At the end of the day it’s really the experience, and it’s the experience is what makes perfect.

Gauri : I see you are involved in a lot with community events as well, and you are out there helping people for the events and causes. That really builds your confidence as well. That’s great. Thank you so much for sharing your journey today with us.

Mansee : Not a Problem. Thank you for having me.

Gauri : Absolutely a pleasure. And all the best for your pageant in January. And for all the other experiences you’re going to get between now and then.

Mansee: Thank you.

CONNECTICUT INDIANS RAISE FUND FOR CHIVIKULA’S CONGRESSIONAL RUN

PRESS RELEASE
By Thomas Abraham

An Indian American community group led by Dr. Thomas Abraham, Sailesh Naik, Ashok Nichani and Varghese Ninan raised funds for NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula for a his congressional run at a fundraiser dinner held at the Hampton Inn and suites in Stamford, CT on March 27^th.

Speaking at the event, Chivukula said he is running a positive campaign and that he has a good shot at the Democratic Primary  for the seat vacated Congressman Rush Holt. Chivukula, who is the Deputy Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly, said he would need over a million  dollars before June 3^rd Democratic Primary and appealed to the community to provide generous contributions as well as volunteer their time. Over $5,000 was raised at the fundraiser.

Those interested to contribute may do so online at www.chivukulaforcongress.com..

Attached photo: New Jersey Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Upendra Chivukula with organizers at a Stamford Fundraiser for him. From left to R: Shailesh Naik, Raed Ghaly, David Leun, Paul Ahuja, Sangeeta Ahuja, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Upendra Chivukula, Varghese Ninan, Shelly Nichani, Bhom Banta, Ashok Nichani, Anita Bhat, Meera Banta and Jaswant Mody.