IndiaPost.com - Legendary maestros enthrall at Cinemaya Media event

WASHINGTON DC: CineMaya Media Group, the leading South Asian media, entertainment, and marketing company held its inaugural Indian & American Achiever Awards on Sept 13 at imposing John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.

It was a well-organized event, which started with a banquet dinner moving onto the awards ceremony which was interspersed with classical performances by legendary maestros Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma (sarod), Pt. Birju Maharaj (Kathak) and Balamurali Krishna and Ajoy Chakraborty (vocal jugalbandi).

At the head of the attending dignitaries were India's Ambassador Ronen Sen and Chef de Cabinet to the UN Secretary General, Vijay Nambiar. Instituted to recognize individuals and multi-national companies who have not only excelled in their fields, but have contributed towards the collective advancement and growth of India and the US.

There were two honorees in four categories, one Indian and the other an American. Supported by the US-India Business Council, this inaugural event was also meant to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of India's Independence.

On the occasion, India's renowned music composer A.R. Rahman performed a rendition of the Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, accompanied on vocals by Penn Masala, the Indian a-cappella group, which also sang the American National Anthem.

The evening was eloquently hosted by rising Bollywood star, Kunal Khemu. Briefly addressing the audience, Ambassador Sen said the event was special as it celebrates the 60th anniversary of India's Independence and because it comes on the eve of the UN event to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on Oct 2 as Non-violence Day.

Also, the awards reflect the essence of India's cultural heritage and to recognize the oneness of Indians across the world. Commenting on the event and endowment, A.R. Rahman said, "I am very humbled that I was chosen for such an occasion.

The institution of this endowment will pave the way for Indian American students to excel in their fields with mentoring and opportunity for international exposure. It is a wonderful thought, and I look forward to doing my role of mentoring through this endeavor."

A message from the President of India Pratibha Patil congratulating the Cinemaya Media Group and another from President George Bush recognizing India's 60th Independence Day, were read out on the occasion.

What made the awards interesting were the high profile names among the nominees and eventual winners. The honorees were no less than Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Infosys Chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy (in the category Innovation, Science & Technology); Hollywood A-lister Richard Gere and Indian music legend A.R. Rahman (Arts, Entertainment & Media); New York Life Insurance and Tata Group of Companies (Multi-National company); and Bill Gates once again and founder of Reliance Industries the Late Dhirubhai Ambani for the Gandhi Lifetime Achievement Award.

On hand to receive the award was A.R. Rahman, while the rest were received by either company representatives or just someone available. The winners nicked other equally high profile personalities like the Chiefs of IBM, General Electric, Boeing, Echostar, MTV Networks, Rupert Murdoch, Sam Pitroda, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Deepak Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and Prof Amartya Sen.

Although the audience was at a loss to fathom the seriousness of the nominations - coming from a panel of esteemed board of advisors and judges that consisted of former Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill, Ambassador Vijay Nambiar, Ron Somers of US-IBC among others -- their mood was kept up by the anticipated treat of performances by the legendary maestros.

Significantly, CineMaya Media Group has also instituted a Scholarship Endowment through this event, which aims to encourage the efforts of deserving Indian-American students who have displayed great potential in various subjects, and give them knowledge, resources, and mentoring for advancement from the Honorees in each category for one year.

Four undergraduate students will be awarded scholarships of $5,000 each (one per category of awards). Details of the Scholarship Endowment application criteria and process will be announced after final consultation with the Honorees.

The principal sponsors of the event include Air France, Nationwide, DIRECTV, and Air India. Patrons include State Bank of India, HSBC, and ICICI Securities.