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SASTA PRESENTS MUSIC LEGEND ILAIYARAAJA ON JULY 22 IN LAKELAND
Sri Ayyappa Society of Tampa (SASTA) will present music composer, lyricist and singer Ilaiyaraaja on July 22 at RP Funding Center in Lakeland. He will be accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra and popular singers. Well-known for integrating Indian folk music and traditional Indian instruments with Western classical music techniques, the legend has composed more than 8,500 songs in 1,418 feature films in over nine languages. He is also composer of Netflix’s popular "Stranger Things 4" show theme.
Nicknamed as "Isaignani" (musical genius) is also referred to as "Maestro," among others by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London. In 2014, American World Cinema portal "Taste of Cinema" placed him at the ninth position in its list of 25 Greatest Film Composers in the History of Cinema. He is recipient of five National Awards, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan.
The 5:30 p.m. concert will be at the George Jenkins Arena, RP Funding Center, 701 W. Lime St., Lakeland. Tickets starting at $55 can be purchased at https://mpv.tickets.com/?orgid=39189&agency=LKLD_PLAGENCY_MPV&eventid=3667
For sponsorship or ticket enquiries, call (813) 220-1999 or (813) 310-7225.
About SASTA: Sri Ayyappa Society of Tampa (SASTA) is the first temple of its kind in the USA where Lord Ayyappa is the main presiding deity with holy 18 steps (18 Padi). The ritual and architectural resemblance to the original Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, India, is the main attraction to draw devotees. Other deities are lords Ganesha, Muruga, Shiva, Vishnu and Karuppasamy, and goddess Durga,. The temple is at 6829 Maple Lane, Tampa. For more information, call (813) 618-7278 or visit https://www.tampaayyappatemple.org/
COMEDIAN KAPIL SHARMA SHOW ON JULY 29 IN ORLANDO
The namesake of The Kapil Sharma Show on Sony TV will take the stage in Orlando on July 29. Indian stand-up comedian, television host, actor, dubbing artist, producer and singer Kapil Sharma is winner of “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge” season 3 in 2007. He has hosted and produced television comedy shows such as “Comedy Nights with Kapil” and “Family Time with Kapil” on Colors TV and Sony TV channels respectively.
He has won multiple seasons of the comedy show “Comedy Circus” on Sony TV along with various partners and in 2011 participated in the singing reality show “Star Ya Rockstar” of Zee TV, where he finished as a second runner-up.
Krish Patel will present Kapil Sharma Live at 8 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., Orlando. To purchase tickets starting at $39, visit www.bollywoodeventsfl.com or call Patel at (407) 454-3334.
FLORIDA’S DEV SHAH WINS 2023 SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE
“Psammophile.” It was the last word that stood between Dev Shah and the championship title of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. For the Largo (Tampa Bay area) boy, spelling the word, which meant an organism that thrives in sand, was a piece of cake. He became the first Florida winner since 1999 when Nupur Lala of Tampa earned the title.
The win and the attention “have been very overwhelming at times since I am only 14,” says Dev in an exclusive interview with Khaas Baat. “And sometimes sleeping helps.”
The eighth-grader, who previously competed in the 2019 and 2021 national spelling bees, “did visualize myself winning before the bee began. But I just wanted to focus on the present. I was confident I would win.”
The competition began with 231 contenders who earned their spots by advancing through regional spelling bees. They represented all the 50 states as well as three countries outside the U.S.: Bahamas, Canada and China. The challengers then whittled down to 10 in the finals. Dev takes home $50,000 in cash and a commemorative medal. “You can do anything with the money, I was told,” he says. “But I will use it mostly for college.”
Plans for the future? “I have given some thought but have no aspirations since a lot can change in four years,” he says. “In just weeks, so much has changed. But whatever profession I pick, I will make sure spelling has a role in it.”
His father, Deval Shah, a software engineer, recalled that Dev had a special fondness for words since he was just 3 years old. Now that he has won the ultimate spelling bee, “we are relieved. The last 10 years have been hectic,” taking part in several academic competitions, including the North South Foundation (www.northsouth.org), “What do we do now? It’s a different mindset.” Dev’s elder brother Neil attends Yale University and his mother Nilam is a physician.
A student at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School in Largo, Dev’s favorite athlete is Roger Federer, movie is “La La Land” and game is Wordle. His hobbies include reading, tennis, playing the cello and solving math problems. He likes to learn and spend time with friends and watch historical fiction films and read historical fiction books. He also exercises to relax.
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