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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 7 CITY VIEWS December 12, 2025 Music Lovers In New Jersey Enjoy “Classically Yours”- Raag-Based Songs Of Bollywood By Archana Adalja Malini Shah Of Queens, NY Honored For Community Service, Women’s Empowerment B ayside, Queens, based community leader Malini Shah was recently honored and recognized for her contribution to commu- nity service, cultural advocacy and women’s empowerment by two Queens based organizations, the New American Voters Association (NAVA) and South Asians of NewYork, Inc. (SANY). Invitees at the celebratory event included special guest Congresswoman Grace Meng; Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz; Senator John Liu; Assembly Members Steven Raga, DavidWeprin and Nily Ro- zik; City Council Members Shekhar Krishnan, Julie Won and Linda Lee; District Leader Dilip Nath who is also the President of NAVA, and Rhonda Binda. The event was attended by a large number of com- munity members. Shah was the Community Cultural Liaison for the late Council Member Paul Vallone. She is currently the Vice President of the Clinton Club, member of the Queens District Attorney’s South Asian/Indo- American Council, Vice- President of the Center for women of NewYork (CWNY) and represents Speaker Adrienne E. Adams on the Board of Mu- seum of Arts and Design. Shah and CWNY advocate for gender equality and support women facing financial, legal, and social challenges, and connect them with essential services. Shah is also the Co-Chair of Felicia’s Prom- ise, a nonprofit organization that empowers young women from underrepresented communities in NewYork. As a cultural ambassador, Shah has organized cultural programs, cultural exchange and promo- tion of Indian arts under her Nritya Kala Kendra / Indo-American Arts and Cultural Forum. Shah is the President of Difference,Inc., her jewelry com- pany, and an active member of theWomen’s Jewelry Association. Shah has been much decorated with several awards which include the Award for Outstanding Service to Society from the Society of Foreign Con- suls, the Dr. Martin Luther King Visionary Award, Queens Ambassador Award, Women of Distinc- tion in Leadership Award, South Asian Leadership Award, Hind Rattan Award, and most recently, an Award from District Attorney Melinda Katz during Women’s History Month. NAVA was established two years ago with an aim to advance political awareness, educate the new immigrant communities in NewYork City, and increase voter turnout in local and federal elec- tions through promoting naturalization. It partners with the National Partnership for New Americans, a coalition of immigrant and refugee rights organiza- tions. The organization declares it is its mission to increase interaction between the immigrant com- munities in NYC and their local elected officials, and to increase voter registration. South Asians of NewYork, Inc., is a commu- nity organization based in Flushing, NY, offering cultural, educational and social programs to foster unity within the local South Asian population. PHOTO:PROVIDED BY NAVA Senator John Liu presented community leader, policy adovocate, cultural ambas- sador and entrepreneur Malini Shah with special honor and recognition for her remarkable contribution at an event organized recently by NAVA and SANY organizations. By a StaffWriter M ore than 200 music lovers attended the 2nd Classically Yours, musical extravaganza focused on raag-based songs from Indian cinema The event was organized by Foram Music under the leadership of Foram Shah and Sanjay Shah and held on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Royal Albert’s Palace, New Jersey. Classically Yours’ selection brought music from Bollywood spanning more than 75 years, presented by 15 talented singers and supported by 4 accomplished musicians, a press release from organizers said. Dr. Tushar Patel emceed the event providing details of all raags and unique- ness of each song. The event was supported by Grand Sponsor Piyush Patel, a New Jersey entre- preneur. Additional supporters included Rupen & Hina Patel, Della, Utpal, and Nirmal Jagad. A major highlight of the evening was the presentation by the exclusive mu- sic workshop members, who trained throughout the year under Foram and Sanjay Shah. They delivered over 30 curated songs based on more than 15 Hindustani classical raags, including Raag Khamaj, Yaman, Shivranjani, Bhairavi, Bhupali, and Pilu, among many others that have enriched Hindi filmmusic for decades. Foram and Sanjay Shah also treated the audience to several perfor- mances of their own. Foram Shah emphasized her commit- ment to promoting the foundation of Indian classical music within the com- munity, especially among the younger generation eager to learn. She noted that while the tri-state area is home to over 50 singing groups and many talented vocal- ists, many lack structured guidance and classical discipline. With dedicated men- toring, rigorous training, and sincere ef- fort, Foram and Sanjay aim to help singers refine their skills and elevate their musical journey, the press release said.es . PHOTO:PROVIDED Organizers and participants in the “Classically Yours” concert