August 2024 – Issue No. V
Welcome to the August edition of Shor, a curation of South Asian experiences in New York City.
If you haven’t already, follow us on Instagram (@shor.nyc) for more live updates and event reminders. If you come across anything you think we should put in our newsletter, please DM there or shoot us an email at shor.newyork@gmail.com!
Events
A list of upcoming events in August.
Brown Girls Food Club x Pranoy Thipaiah — Sunday, August 4th
A virtual chat with Pranoy Thipaiah on taking his fifth-generation coffee and avocado production global.
Virtual | Food | Tickets
Gundi Studios: Pop-Up — Sunday, August 4th
Gundi Studios hosts a pop-up at Abacaxi Studio showing off their summer pieces.
Abacaxi Studio (Bed-Stuy) | Fashion | Details
Yara Bey — Thursday, August 8th
A rooftop DJ set at the Sultan Room by Yara Bey.
The Sultan Rooftop (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Zainab Saeed x BK Jani: Japaki Dining Experience — Friday, Saturday August 9th-10th
Chef Zainab Saeed is hosting a curated Japanese-Pakistani fusion five course experience in collaboration with BK Jani.
BK Jani (Williamsburg) | Food | Tickets
La Bayadère — Saturday, Sunday, August 10th-11th
A ballet story by Chiara Ajkun that explores the culture of India.
Ajkun Theatre (Midtown) | Dance & Music | Tickets
ZEEMUFFIN Presents: Azadi — Friday, August 16th
The second edition of the new Azadi event series hosted by DJ ZEEMUFFIN.
Silo (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Louis the Child B2B Jai Wolf — Saturday, August 17th
Jai Wolf B2B with Louis the Child at the Mirage.
Brooklyn Mirage (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
DJ Habibeats: Culture Shock — Saturday, August 17th
Collection of SWANA artists taking over Elsewhere from day to night.
Elsewhere (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Abby Govindan — Wednesday, August 21st
Comedian Abby Govindan hosts her solo stand up show, “How to Embarrass Your Immigrant Parents.”
Union Hall (Park Slope) | Comedy | Tickets
Queer Muslims of NY: End of Summer Picnic — Saturday, August 24th
Join the first ever meetup of Queer Muslims of New York in Central Park.
Central Park | Community | RSVP
Ali Sethi: New York — Monday, August 26th
Ali Sethi, Pakistani-American singer-songwriter performs at Blue Note Jazz Club.
Blue Note Jazz Club (Greenwich Village) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Author Discussion: Asha Thanki and Sadiya Ansari — Monday, August 26th
A discussion with acclaimed writers Asha Thanki and Sadiya Ansari on their latest books.
Strand Book Store (Union Square) | Literature | Tickets
COMING SOON (limited tickets)
Omar Souleyman, Haza ft. Myyuh & Carmen Sandiego — Wednesday, September 4th
A night of Dabke electronic music at Xanadu
Xanadu (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Sonny Singh Album Release Concert — Friday, September 6th
Sonny Singh is back in NY debuting his new album at DROM.
DROM (East Village) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Laylit - 6 Year Anniversary — Saturday, September 14th
A dance party hosted by Laylit, a collective featuring artists from the Arab/SWANA region with music inspired by New York and Montreal underground clubs.
Elsewhere (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Shubh Saran with Childish Japes — Wednesday, September 18th
Shubh Saran, guitarist and composer, performs at Nublu.
Nublu (East Village) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Nabihah Iqbal, Sugar Milk — Wednesday, September 25th
Nabihah Iqbal takes on Elsewhere with Sugar Milk
Elsewhere (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
DJ Boring, I. Jordan, Anish Kumar — Saturday, September 28th
A dance music event featuring DJ Boring, I. Jordan, and Anish Kumar.
Elsewhere (Bushwick) | Dance & Music | Tickets
Jyoty Presents: Homegrown — Every Thursday, September
Jyoty bringing beats and good vibes to Public Records every Thursday this September.
Public Records (Gowanus) | Dance & Music | Tickets
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Know an event we should add to our next list? Shoot us a message at shor.newyork@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!
Dining
New dining options in the city, from traditional to fusion flares.
Fontainhas, an all-day Indian café and wine bar featured in NYT, opened in Dumbo on June 13.
28 Jay Street (Dumbo) | Insta
The new Domican-Asian fusion restaurant launched in the Bronx earlier this year.
3541 Riverdale Ave (Kingsbridge) | Resy
August Spotlight: Ramita Ravi
A micro-profile of South Asian changemakers.
In mid-July we spoke with Ramita Ravi—a NYC based artist blurring the line between dreams and reality. As an accomplished dancer and choreographer, she has collaborated with artists like Raveena and made history as the first South Asian to dance for the NYC Rockettes and appear on So You Think You Can Dance. Leveraging her artistic journey, she also founded Artswrk, a national marketplace connecting artists with freelance work. In our conversation, we delve into Ravita’s career as a professional dancer and the industry experiences that drove her to build her business.
Dance has always been a significant part of Ravita’s life. “I was a part of the Dance Moms world,” she shares, dancing competitively 30 to 40 hours a week from 5 to 18 years old. Still, not seeing many professional dancers that looked like her, she never believed she could pursue it as a career. “Even though there were Indian dancers, in the competitions I was in growing up, it was still a very white space,” she recalls.
In college, Ramita was pre-med and considered a career in healthcare. But her senior year, her plans changed when her friend and future co-founder, Nick Silverio, encouraged her to audition for the national television show, So You Think You Can Dance. “I left the day of my graduation and went straight to LA to film the show,” she tells us, highlighting the whirlwind that jump started her dance career.
Now, Ramita dances and choreographs across TV, film, and theatre—working on music videos, Coachella sets, and events like Miss America. Her success didn’t come without hardship, however. When Ramira started dancing professionally, she didn’t realize that being an artist also meant navigating the rollercoaster of the freelance economy. Like many artists, she did everything from babysitting to flash mobs to product design while auditioning for dance roles. Then, the pandemic hit.
“COVID changed everything for me, honestly,” she tells us. At a time when many artists could no longer perform and earn income, Ramita’s experience in the industry inspired her to co-found Artswrk. Launched amidst the shutdown, the business began as an idea to help artists find steady work. Today, it has grown into a thriving marketplace where businesses can hire freelance artists and where freelance artists can find flexible income opportunities.
“I always wanted to be a performer, but I also always wanted to build something that made things easier for other artists,” Ramita shares. And with Artswrk, she’s accomplishing just that. In pursuing her own dreams, Ramita is building a community where other artists can achieve the same.
Here in New York City, we’ll keep an eye out for Ramita’s next performance or dance class. And if you’re an artist looking for work, check out Artswrk on their website or Instagram.
— Urooba
August Chai Corner: The Chai Spot
A monthly review of a chai spot in NYC.
The Chai Spot, sandwiched at the border of Nolita and Chinatown, was actually the first chai café recommended to me when I first moved to NYC from college three years ago. From the iconic lounge atmosphere to the noble philanthropic efforts (50 percent of profits go directly to women and children in Pakistan) the café quickly became a must-see on my to-do list. But, like many things you swear will only be on your to-do list for a week but end up there for months, I didn’t end up at The Chai Spot until now. So, mildly spiraling about the passage of time, I went to the cozy and colorful café on Mott street with my friend Suchy on a sunny afternoon in July.
Leaving our shoes at the door, we rested our tired feet on the colorful rugs and entered the Desi salon filled with cushions and ottomans. The atmosphere was lively but laid back (no less than 3 people napping), charged with the sound of people catching up or getting work done. Suchy and I ordered the traditional cardamom and Balochi chai to try alongside a veggie samosa. The cardamom chai itself was not as cardamom-y (making this a word) or as milk forward as previous spots, but it still hit the spot as a mid-afternoon treat.
Ultimately, while the chai wasn’t my *favorite* cup from the last few months, the ambiance of The Chai Spot made up for a lot. And while the chai is not as affordable as a spot like Punjabi Deli (plugging our May review), The Chai Spot not only offers a great place to pass time, but also uses the money for something good with much of the profits going directly towards building schools, providing grants, and creating scholarships in Pakistan. And with how much we spend in NYC, chai for a good cause is probably the last thing to complain about. So if you haven’t yet, definitely check out The Chai Spot for your next cup.
— Archit
Thank you!
If you read this far, thank you for checking out the August issue of SHOR! We will keep updating our events calendar throughout the month, but feel free to follow our instagram for event reminders and more frequent updates.
We’ll see you in September!
I loved this interview!!