This Week

Editor's Picks

The best South Asian cultural events happening right now in NYC

Nobody saved this. They built it themselves.

Thursday June 25: Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa at Joe's Pub. Sri Lankan comedian. Three self-directed specials. Paradise Gothic is his new hour — immigration, late-stage capitalism, the absurd task of trying to stay human in a world running by numbers.

Friday June 26: When the Sun Rises opens at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. Sahasra Sambamoorthi and Ahtoy Juliana made this. Not a grant, not a residency, not a commission from an institution that decided their work was worth the room. They rented the theater. They produced it. Bharatanatyam and kathak alongside salsa. An original nine-musician score. Three performances across a weekend.

The same impulse, two nights in a row. Read below before you book.

Editor's Pick

Baila Society x Navatman: When the Sun Rises


Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W 55th St

Sahasra Sambamoorthi and Ahtoy Juliana did not wait for an institution to produce this. They rented the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. They commissioned an original live score for nine musicians. Bharatanatyam and kathak alongside salsa. Three performances across a weekend. Independently produced.

"No one is coming to save our art forms. So we decided to create this show ourselves. We rented this theater. We produced it independently."
Devotional

Sound of Light — Radhika Vekaria


Secret church venue, Upper Manhattan

Grammy-nominated, UK/East African–Indian artist. Warriors of Light. Immersive, devotional, cinematic experience. The venue address is revealed only when you book. Ages 16+. No refunds.

If you are reading this before 7pm, this is still possible.

Classical

The Barman Brothers: Tabla & Srikhol


Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan USA, 305 7th Ave, Midtown

Gopal and Madhusudan Barman perform tabla alongside srikhol — a clay drum from Bengal, used in Vaishnavite kirtan, rarely heard outside of devotional contexts. The srikhol's kirtan roots give this concert a different quality than a standard percussion program. That is the reason to be there.

Coming Soon

Worth a Look

Thu, Jun 25 — Special Preview

Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa: Paradise Gothic

Joe's Pub, Lower Manhattan

Sri Lankan comedian, writer, and director. Three self-directed specials. Paradise Gothic: immigration, anarchism, late-stage capitalism. June 25 at Joe's Pub is a special preview — intimate, limited seats, the night before When the Sun Rises opens.

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Fri, Jun 12

Poetry Mehfil — Inside Voice x Kavita Collective

Barzakh Café, Brooklyn

A poetry mehfil presented by Inside Voice and Kavita Collective. Friday June 12, 6–8pm, 147 Utica Ave, Brooklyn. Two hours. Language in a room that knows how to hold it.

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Sat, Jun 20 — Worth the Trip

Zarna Garg: Million Dollar Excuses

Prudential Hall, NJPAC, Newark

Zarna Garg at NJPAC as part of the North to Shore festival. Variety's "10 Comics to Watch." The most visible South Asian female comedian working right now. 2,800 seats. 30 minutes on NJ Transit.

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Fri, Jul 10 — Worth the Trip

Dr. Satinder Sartaaj: Heritage Tour

NJPAC, Newark

Dr. Satinder Sartaaj, PhD in Sufi singing and poet. Performed at Royal Albert Hall (2014), starred in The Black Prince (2017). Carnegie Hall aligns him with Waris Shah and Bulleh Shah — translated into a contemporary global idiom.

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