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Gingger Shankar at Sundance

I was sitting at the Filmmakers Lodge on Main St. at Sundance, and across from me was the pretty Gingger Shankar. I had been introduced to her by the team at Rukus Avenue label who insisted that we connect at Sundance. Gingger was a musician, not a filmmaker, and she has been involved with Sundance since 2007 when she got into Sundance Institutes Composers Lab.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
I was sitting at the Filmmakers Lodge on Main St. at Sundance, and across from me was the pretty Gingger Shankar. I had been introduced to her by the team at Rukus Avenue label who insisted that we connect at Sundance. Gingger was a musician, not a filmmaker, and she has been involved with Sundance since 2007 when she got into...
Music , India, Los Angeles, TV & Film, Carnegie Hall, Soprano, Sundance, Tanzila Ahmed, 10 String, Billy Corgan, George Harrison, Gingger Shankar, Smashing Pumpkins, Violin,

Inside DJ Rekha’s Party

With The Kominas, Al Thawra, and The Taqwacores cast members in tow, the first Saturday night of Sundance we snuck in our entire posse into DJ Rekhas party. DJ Rekha is well known in the Desi bhangra circuit and the founder of Basement Bhangra. I ran up to DJ Rekha after I got in she was spinning hot bhangra beats on the turntables.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
With The Kominas, Al Thawra, and The Taqwacores cast members in tow, the first Saturday night of Sundance we snuck in our entire posse into DJ Rekhas party. DJ Rekha is well known in the Desi bhangra circuit and the founder of Basement Bhangra. I ran up to DJ Rekha after I got in she was spinning hot bhangra beats on...
Music , Toronto, TV & Film, books, Snow, Party, Kominas, taqwacore, Sundance, the taqwacores, DJ Rekha, Tanzila Ahmed, Al Thawra, Born Confused, Indie Movies, Reena Shah, Tenuja Desai,

Taqwacore, On the Radio

You know you’ve made it big when you are on Oprah. Allright, so The Taqwacores wasn’t on Oprah, exactly. It was the radio show the Derrick Ashong Experience that was premiering on Oprah’s Sirius network channel that day. The Taqwacores entourage followed Eyad Zahra and Mike Knight to the basement of a pop-up radio station set up in particular for Sundance.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
You know you’ve made it big when you are on Oprah. Allright, so The Taqwacores wasn’t on Oprah, exactly. It was the radio show the Derrick Ashong Experience that was premiering on Oprah’s Sirius network channel that day. The Taqwacores entourage followed Eyad Zahra and Mike Knight to the basement of a pop-up radio station set up in particular for Sundance....
Music , punk, TV & Film, Film, Bands, radio, Harley Davidson, Oprah, Writing, Kominas, Michael Muhammad Knight, Muslim, taqwacore, Sundance, the kominas, Eyad Zahra, the taqwacores, Practice Session, Al Thawra, Filmstrip, Derrick Ashong Experience, Screenplay, Sirius,

At DJ Rekha’s Sundance Party

Mike Knight, his wife Sadaf and I were standing on a red carpet with a huge video camera shoved up to our face. We were trying to get into a party that my friend DJ Rekha was spinning at. Except, they wouldn’t let us go into the party without being asked a few questions first.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
Mike Knight, his wife Sadaf and I were standing on a red carpet with a huge video camera shoved up to our face. We were trying to get into a party that my friend DJ Rekha was spinning at. Except, they wouldn’t let us go into the party without being asked a few questions first.
Music , Indie, Celebs, TV & Film, Film, Red Carpet, Photos, Michael Muhammad Knight, taqwacore, Sundance, the taqwacores, DJ Rekha, Imran Malik, Park City, John Updike, Juxtapositions, Nightlilfe, Punks, Sadaf,

Women and Taqwacore: Thoughts From Michael Muhammad Knight, Eyad Zahra, and Riz Ahmed

At the bar, Riz Ahmed asked us all if we wanted a drink. Five of us passed. I looked around, realizing that half of us were the non-drinkers. Only around taqwacore types would being a non-drinker be alright. Riz Ahmed is an old skool Taqwacore, in from the UK for his film Four Lions which also showed at Sundance. His movie is a comedy about jihadists – it’s one of the other “Muslim” movies at Sundance. So basically, at the bar, we had all the Muslims at Sundance, ironically.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
At the bar, Riz Ahmed asked us all if we wanted a drink. Five of us passed. I looked around, realizing that half of us were the non-drinkers. Only around taqwacore types would being a non-drinker be alright. Riz Ahmed is an old skool Taqwacore, in from the UK for his film Four Lions which also showed at Sundance. His movie...
Music , Director, TV & Film, Film, Women, Documentary, Feminism, Michael Muhammad Knight, taqwacore, Sundance, Eyad Zahra, Riz Ahmed, Rasika Mathur, Noureen Dewulf, MC, Anne Leighton, Birth of Muslim Punk, Portrayal in Film, Rabeya, Taqwa Tour,

Hanging Out with Michael Muhammad Knight, and His Advice on Blogging

Mike Knight was sitting on the edge of a modern art deco-ish sofa next to his wife. Loud club music was blasting from the DJ spinning on the patio, and dim blue lights were illuminating all of us. We were at a party at the Sky Lodge, surrounded by pretty happy people. We nursed our non-alcoholic beverages, unable to talk to each other because of the loud music.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
Mike Knight was sitting on the edge of a modern art deco-ish sofa next to his wife. Loud club music was blasting from the DJ spinning on the patio, and dim blue lights were illuminating all of us. We were at a party at the Sky Lodge, surrounded by pretty happy people. We nursed our non-alcoholic beverages, unable to talk to...
TV & Film, Nightlife, Sundance, Surreal, the taqwacores, Park City, Main Street, Michael Muhmmad Knight, Noureen de Wulf, Sky Lodge, Writing Advice,

Walking Around Sundance

“Did you hear? The locals are all upset that a graffitti artist is in town,” the woman behind the register said. “Rumor was being spread that it was because of The Taqwacores. That it was some of their people graffing,” someone else in the store said.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
“Did you hear? The locals are all upset that a graffitti artist is in town,” the woman behind the register said. “Rumor was being spread that it was because of The Taqwacores. That it was some of their people graffing,” someone else in the store said.
Music , Style, Celebs, TV & Film, The Tasting Room, taqwacore, Sundance, Tanzila Ahmed, Imran Malik, Park City, Banksy, Kim Badawi, Gallery SHow, Art Show, Condo, katie holmes, Mug Shots, Portrait Sessions, Star Sightings,

Sundance: Impressions from the Punk House

The punk house is packed. And the first thing you notice when you step inside is the ridiculous amount of shoes in the front foyer, and the smell of all the dirty punk rock boys. Air mattresses are strewn about and everyone is looking for a missing phone charger. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and madness. But. You know there is a poorly strung acoustic guitar that the bands had bought at a pawn shop along the way to Sundance. And on that guitar, you can always count on some musician in the house to start strumming. Music in the punk rock house is constant. And amazing.

by: Tanzila Ahmed
The punk house is packed. And the first thing you notice when you step inside is the ridiculous amount of shoes in the front foyer, and the smell of all the dirty punk rock boys. Air mattresses are strewn about and everyone is looking for a missing phone charger. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and madness. But. You know there is a...
Music , TV & Film, Bands on Tour, Tattoos, Punk Rock, taqwacore, Sundance, Tanzila Ahmed,