MAPI BANQUET AND AN ‘EVENING WITH THE MAESTROS,’ MARCH 22, 2008

The Troy Marriott was a beautifully appointed backdrop to MAPI’s Gala Banquet and music concert held on March 22, 2008.  Following a program that filled a busy Saturday with seminars, lectures and exhibition booths under the theme ‘Business of Medicine: Emerging Trends’, a wonderful spread of traditional Indian food was followed by a much-heralded performance by percussionist Zakir Hussain and Anup Jalota, known for his repertoire of devotional music.

MAPI (The Michigan Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) was founded in 1976 by a small group of gallant physicians of Indian origin. These founders defined and structured this organization as the first to support the international medical graduates of Indian origin. MAPI soon evolved into a larger entity as additional Indian physicians dedicated their time to the worthy causes of MAPI. In 1982, MAPI gave birth to a larger umbrella organization, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), a national professional organization.

MAPI focuses primarily on issues surrounding practice of medicine by its members. It conducts educational activities through various professional channels and Continuing Medical Education (CME) meetings. Past speakers have included renowned physicians and high-ranking officers of various national medical associations, political leaders, and financial executives.

Coordinated by Narendra Sheth, ‘An Evening With The Maestros’ provided a rare opportunity to experience Hussain and Jalota on stage simultaneously, and the audience, made up of all age groups, were clearly enthralled.  Ustad Zakir Hussain, who has worked with many Western groups (perhaps most noteably, The Beatles), is a prodigious percussionist and the son of Ustad Alla Rakha, himself the leading tabla artist of his time.  Planet Drum, which he produced, was awarded Grammy for Best World Music album in 1992.

Shri Anup Jalota, who is popularly known as Bhajan Samrat,  is perhaps best known for his performances in musical form the bhajan and the ghazal. recorded over 1200 bhajans, gazhals and songs. In the course of having performed over 4000 live concerts spread over 100 cities on all five continents, he has released more than 150 albums of bhajans and gazhals and it often claimed that he’s been a bigger star than Elvis Presley since 1998 when he surpassed Presley's record of 45 gold and platinum discs with 58 discs of his own.

Meanwhile, musical coordinator Narendra Sheth is a force to be reckoned with in his own right.  The legendary host of the Geetmala Radio Program along with his GeetMala Foundation and FOMAPI (Federation of Michigan Association of Physicians of Indian Origin), Sheth recently completed 34 years worth of programing, making his the longest continually running Indian radio program in Michigan. Geetmala can be heard every Saturday on WPON 1460AM from 11 AM - 1 PM.