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Legends LIVE!

A Fundraising Event for Compassionate Chefs Cafe - You Are Invited to Join Us for Conversations, Music & Food with Musical Legends and Celebrity Chefs

NewsUpNow.org interview about Legends LIVE!

One of the goals of Compassionate Chefs Cafe is to inspire and educate future leaders and citizens of the world through an appreciation of the performing arts and culinary exploration. This program will create an educational and historical archive that will allows us to raise funds on an ongoing basis while also being “edu- tainment” for our global audience. The funds raised by this event are exclusively for the San Francisco Tenderloin After School Program in San Francisco, California.

“Legends LIVE!” will feature real conversations with legendary local, national, and even international musicians/artists as we learn what their musical journey has taught, given, or taken away from them. We’ll hear stories of life on the road along with who has influenced their musical careers. We’ll also learn of their love for San Francisco and other cultural influences, favorite foods and of their life-long love affair with an industry that can either make or break you. Please visit LegendsLive.show for more info.

Our first interview is with Mr. Tony (TC-Too Cool) Coleman who played with Mr. BB King for over 30 years – a true legend in his own right. This taping is set for Sunday, May 29th, 2022, to kick off our first episode of 2022.

Every episode will showcase a celebrity chef to prepare our guest’s favorite dish. This dish will be featured at our “Royal Table” brunch following the taping of the live show. Our first episode will feature Mr. Coleman’s favorite dish: his grandmother’s gumbo. Our May celebrity chef will be long-time Bay Area favorite Chef Larry Keck. In addition to our celebrity chef’s creation, our own Chef Ranjan will prepare his version with an Indian twist – two different flavors from one recipe. Our VIP guests will enjoy a 6-course champagne brunch.

Local music students will also be part of our guest list to participate as audience members. They will be encouraged to interact with the musicians to learn about music history and careers.

About Compassionate Chefs Café

WHO: Compassionate Chefs Café is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID: 94-3136771) based in San Francisco and is dedicated to helping children across the street at the Tenderloin After School Program (TASP) and across the ocean at the Manav Sadhna, Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India. TASP provides valuable services to kids of families living in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco and serves as a shelter from the street culture and many harmful influences that abound in this area. TASP provides kids with a safe space in which they can play and study, and get the proper support and also training necessary to succeed in life.

WHAT: Compassionate Chefs Cafe is producing a series of four live recorded conversations with four legendary musicians who all share a deep love of the Bay Area. In addition to the conversation about music, there will be a journey of flavor memories using the chef-created dish as a leaping-off point. There will be a total of four episodes with four musicians and chefs recorded and made into an exclusive archive.

The founders of this program – Ranjan Dey of New Delhi Restaurant, Carmen Milagro of Peanut Butter & JAMMusic Sessions for Kids and Gleidson Martins of News Up Now – have invested $15,000 each to bring this event to the point where the series can be produced in front of an audience.

WHEN: Sunday, May 29th, 2022 at 11:00am

WHERE: New Delhi Restaurant, 160 Ellis Street, San Francisco, California 94102

WHY we’re asking for your help:

  • Help support more programs for the children of the Tenderloin After School Program.
  • We are creating a sustainable, evergreen product that would allow us to create a flow of long-term residuals and continuous proceeds from the potential sale of the series to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.
  • We will create movie night screenings with behind the scenes footage and other special events throughout the year with special guests and the Compassionate Chefs Cafe family to continue to bring our community together.
  • To continue to inspire, teach and educate children to think of themselves as global citizens.
  • To continue our support of existing programs for the Tenderloin After School Program.
  • Plant the seeds for a better future.

HOW we will use your DONATION and WHAT you will get:

  • Highlight your name or the name of your organization
  • Partner with us on our social media & promo campaign
  • Over 16K on private email list
  • Over 20K Social Media followers
  • Over 150K impressions
  • Coverage on 200+ Press & Media List coverage
  • Feature on the San Francisco Legacy Business Website
  • Feature on San Francisco Heritage community website

Donation: $10K +

  1. One member of your group will be featured on the show as an audience guest (Four Episodes)
  2. Table for four guests for four episodes / Royal Brunch
  3. Logo on step-and-repeat screen
  4. Logo statement mentioned by hosts during filming
  5. Admission for cooking zoom class with Chef Ranjan
  6. Sponsor’s logo on our website.
  7. Key sponsor collaborates with Guest Artist on an original tune.

Donation: $7000

  1. One member of your group will be featured on the show as an audience guest (Four Episodes)
  2. Table for three for four episodes / Royal Brunch
  3. Logo on step-and-repeat screen
  4. Logo statement mentioned by hosts during filming
  5. Admission for cooking zoom class with Chef Ranjan.
  6. Sponsor’s logo on our website.

Donation: $5000

  1. Table for two (Two Episodes)
  2. Logo on step-and-repeat screen
  3. Logo statement mentioned by hosts
  4. Logo on our website

Donation: $1000

  1. Table for two (One Episodes)
  2. Logo on step-and repeat screen
  3. Logo statement mentioned by hosts.
Goal: $60,000

All the proceeds raised by the “Legends LIVE!” episodes and fundraiser – will be donated to Compassionate Chefs Cafe. The funds from the “Legends LIVE!” events are earmarked specifically for the children of the Tenderloin After School Program. CCC never keeps funds for operating costs, 100% of donations go towards the children.

We are creating sustainable episodes to give inspiration to children. “Legends LIVE!” will be an ongoing series, which will secure a better future for the children assisted by the Compassionate Chefs Cafe.

Link for donation: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/compassionatechefscafe

We have partnered with the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation to process all online donations so that we are transparent to all of our donors how our funds are being allotted and ensure tax deductions for your contributions in support of the “Legends LIVE!” program. Please select “Compassionate Chefs Cafe” from the list of non-profits and set your donation amount!

If you would prefer to donate by check, please make the check payable to “Philanthropic Ventures Foundation” and write “Compassionate Chefs Cafe” on the memo line.
Checks can be mailed to:

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
1222 Preservation Park Way
Oakland, CA 94612

Thank you for your support!

Hosts

Carmen Milagro​ - Musician, Entrepreneur

Carmen Milagro is as a professional creative, story-teller, music, and video writer/producer. She’s also an international entertainer (Japan, Cuba, Europe plus the North and Central Americas). She is a spokesperson/emcee, public speaker, lead vocalist, as well as co-founder of Blue Moon Gypsies, a West Coast-style Country Music and Originals band. She’s also co-writing her first screenplay and musical production. She is a Hispa role model as featured in their 20k Hispanic / Latinx Stories. She is also a Hispanic Star Ambassador and was chosen as 1 out of only 90 stories in Book #1 “Hispanic Stars Rising ~ The New Face Of Power” a book of stories of Latino leaders from across the U.S.A.

As a community-driven advocate, Ms. Milagro “only hires onto” projects whose vision are aligned with her values. She is currently consulting for and plans to reclaim her role as lead advisor and Head Nut for her non-profit called Peanut Butter & JAMMusic Sessions for Kids which will be partnered with her client Music City San Francisco (2022) to inspire the next generation of young musicians. In her spare time, Carmen is an expert content writer for Live & ThriveCA and Better Health & Wellness magazines. She also hosted “Reading Rituals with Miss Carmen, featuring children’s stories authors reading their own words. As for her future plans, Carmen Milagro has no plans to slow down but rather go back to school at the age of 65, if not sooner, to become a full-time filmmaker.

Ms. Milagro has also been interviewed by the likes of JT Foxx, Janeshia “Hollywood” Adams-Ginyard (Black Panther), Jose Garcia (GHMU), Univision, Bay Area Vista, Bay Area Focus (CBS/KPIX), RDM Studios and a few others in the archives. These experiences inspired her to partner with celebrity Chef Ranjan Dey in San Francisco to co-produce, write and host “their newest collaboration” a series of video interviews with some legendary musical heroes to raise money for Compassionate Chefs Cafe a local non-profit that serves the children in the San Francisco Tenderloin neighborhood.

Ranjan Dey - Chef/Owner of New Delhi Restaurant

Ranjan Dey is the man behind the first New Delhi Restaurant at San Francisco in 1988. He started his career in the food business at the age of 14 at Calcutta’s Park Hotel as a vegetable cutter. After finishing high school, he graduated from the Institute of Catering Technology, Hotel Management and Applied Nutrition. But during all this, he kept his part-time evening job in different hotels. He then worked at the Grand and Great Eastern Hotels in Calcutta before he moving to New Delhi where he worked in Akbar and Janpath Hotels. Prior to moving to Hong Kong, Ranjan spent two years as a senior Chef in the kitchens of the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi.

New Delhi Restaurant was established in 1988 and opened by San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, on Nov 3rd, 1988. Since then many famous politicians have crossed its threshold from Lt. Governor Pete Wilson, former Gov. Jerry Brown, others like the late Milton Marks, Wille Brown and many more. In 1992 future President Bill Clinton made it a stop during his first presidential campaign when he met the Indians of the Bay Area to listen to their issues. He returned in 1996 during his re-election campaign and New Delhi Restaurant has been a favorite spot for political fundraisers ever since.

Special Musical Guests

Tony Coleman - Sunday May 29th, 2022
Tony Coleman’s illustrious career includes world tours with B.B. King, Otis Clay, Bobby Blue Bland, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, Albert Collins, Etta James, James Cotton, Katie Webster, Z.Z. Hill, O.V. Wright, Buddy Guy and others.
 
As a young drummer early on in his career, “Tool Cool” Coleman found himself on the road with Otis Clay, which also led him to record the live album in Tokyo, Japan. That experience led to other gigs with major R&B and blues artists. One jam session in particular, in a Chicago club called The High Chaparral, changed TC’s life forever…or so he thought. It was the night, Coleman met Mr. B.B. King.
 
Mr. King jammed with Otis Clay’s rhythm section and loved them so much, Tony Coleman, Russell Jackson and Leonard Gill became B.B. King’s rhythm section that very night. But as fate would have it, Tony only toured with B.B. for a few months when his ex-drummer returned. TC went back to Chicago, rejoined Otis Clay and returned to Japan. In 1980 TC moved to Dallas, Texas to play with Johnnie Taylor. While touring with Johnnie for a couple of years, TC was asked to play with Bobby Blue Bland. A few years later, fate brought B.B. King back into TC’s life. During the B.B. King & Bobby Blue Bland tour, Tony played for both artists (two shows a night) for the remainder. At the end of that tour, Tony rejoined B.B. King and toured with Mr. King’s organization, performing blues music around the globe for over 32 years. Tony Coleman’s solo CD “Out in the Open” featured guest artists Lucky Peterson, Kenny Neal and Frankie Lee. It was well received with great reviews and in 2002, this prompted TC to release his second album, “Travelin’ Man in the U.S and featured the Earth, Wind & Fire horn section, Lucky Peterson and other legendary Blues artists. Not too long ago (pre-pandemic) Mr. Coleman toured with country music artist Jamey Johnson on drums and percussion. 
 
In recent years, TC has also been busy in the studio as producer, recording artist, co-producing a special tribute to Mr. B.B. King with his partner, Ms. Carmen Milagro and sharing his stories “on-the-road”…again.
Larry Batiste Sunday June 12th, 2022
Our second interview is with none other than SF’s native son, THE man behind the scenes in both the Bay Area and Hollywood and a legend himself: Mr. Larry Batiste – Musical Director for the Grammys (Recording Academy)
Google link
LinkedIn
Mr. Batiste will attend our Press Conference on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. His interview is scheduled for Sunday, June 12, 2022.
Tommy Castro - Sunday September 4th, 2022
San Jose native, legendary Soul Blues & Rocker Mr. Tommy Castro (A Blues Man Came To Town). Castro joined Warner Brothers’ artists The Dynatones in the late 1980s, performing all over the country. He formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1992 and has not stopped touring since. Tommy Castro Wikipedia
Tommy Castro Presents: A Blues Man Came To Town
Mr. Castro’s interview is scheduled for
Sunday, September 4, 2022.
Anna Karney - Sunday December 4th, 2022

Anna Karney has been making great music for many years, performing across the country and putting out several singles, EPs, and albums, and now with her San Francisco-based band KARNEY is set to release a new single titled “Be Together,” the first in a series of singles she will be releasing throughout 2021.

Official Website
Ms. Karney’s interview is scheduled for Sunday, December 4, 2022.

Donation

Click here to Donate
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Jai Jagat New Dates! May 17th and 19th

American Consulate decided to recall all the visas. And asked that all parents – mom and dad – be present for a final interview with the kids; throwing our months and months of preparation out of the window. Monday they issued the final visa. So we had to move everything 2 weeks out. This has been quite an experience. I feel like I have been through the grinder.

Please make a note of the changes and book your tickets.
May 17th in San Jose: https://www.jaijagattour.com/sanjose
May 19th in Oakland: https://www.jaijagattour.com/oakland

Jai Jagat Facebook link

All is well which ends well. They are all on the way. Let me know which show you can attend and how many tickets you need.

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Spring India Day 2019 – Saturday, June 8

We are thrilled beyond words to share our extraordinary event that has touched thousands over the years in downtown San Francisco. This year we are expanding our horizons by adding “Experience India” as a strong theme. We want attendees to “feel” India through various activities. By weaving in local culture we will help attendees uncover the relevance of India’s heritage in our modern world in the USA.
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Angels Meet For Lunch!

Every so often a group of angels from Open Table gather at New Delhi Restaurant with Ranjan playing the role of Charlie. They talk about how to solve the problems of the world, where their energy will do the most good and what the next mission should be. Today they decided to keep it simple: Enjoy a delicious lunch, some wonderful company and continue the mission of supporting Compassionate Chefs Cafe with a spontaneous $100 donation. Thanks so much, Denise, Amanda and Chiara!

Every donation helps – if you would like to help too, please click here and donate in any amount.

The Voyage of Black Pepper

The Asian Society of Northern California is hosting their annual open house. This year, the food sponsor and speaker will be none other than Ranjan Dey! As part of the evening’s festivities, Ranjan will be giving a talk about the Indian city of Kochi and the role pepper plays in the history of India and it’s food.

Anyone and everyone are welcome to this event – it is an open house, after all!

Thu 14 Sep 2017
5:30pm – 8:00pm
500 Washington Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
FREE ASNC Members/Non-Members Suggested Donation of $20

Click here for tickets and more information.

To whet your appetite, here’s a video of Ranjan explaining the history of Indian pepper while in India – Kochin, to be exact.

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Update on the Legacy & Legends Wine Dinner

The funds are still rising from our July 6th wine dinner. In addition to the nearly $2,000 we raised that night, we have received an additional $1000 for the kids of Compassionate Chefs Cafe!

The donor wishes to remain anonymous, but our thanks is public. Thank you so much!

See more photos from the fabulous evening on our Facebook album.

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Save the Date: May 4th with 21st Amendment Brewery

Ranjan Dey invites you to join him in celebration of New Delhi Restaurant’s 30 year legacy by enjoying a legendary evening in our bar with Bay Area brewers 21st Amendment. The festivities begin Thursday, May 4th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Be part of the conversation about the stories and people that helped create these two San Francisco legends.

This event will benefit the kids of Compassionate Chefs Cafe in helping us raise $30,000 to help build the HeART Center in Ahmedabad, India and create a reunion of the Tenderloin After School Program kids with their counterparts in India.

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Funds and Fun were raised!

The Compassionate Chefs Cafe Fund raiser was a great success.
Together we raised almost $7000! Your support will help the kids of
Compassionate Chefs Cafe become global citizens. For more pictures, visit us at Facebook

The Cooking Twins complete their masterpiece.
Head of Raffle Ticket Sales: Gabe.
A happy door prize winner.
Happy people enjoying dinner.
The staff of Compassionate Chefs – who make it all possible.
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CCC and Project Ahimsa helped each other

In May, CCC was able to donate a bit to Project Ahimsa and got some matching funds in return. Our donation was matched for a grand total of $10,000. Yay for teamwork!

From their site:
Project Ahimsa raises funds the fun way – via music benefit performances. These resources become micro grants of a few thousand dollars each that support a music teacher or instrument purchases by local and international non-profits from Thailand to Tanzania.

Sonoma Sessions is our 23rd event over the past 11 years. We’re gonna break our single-event fundraising record by raising $40,000. This will be our very first event in Sonoma County and our first day-time event. A variety of corporate sponsors have underwritten the expenses of the event so that 100% of your donation goes to education programs.

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August 2011 Compassionate Chefs Cafe Gala Summary!

Twice every year, New Delhi Restaurant transforms into “Compassionate Chefs Cafe”- a unique space of giving and selfless service. At this event, you won’t receive a bill for the food you eat, because it is offered to you purely as a gift, with great love. In turn, you can “pay it forward” – whatever amount you wish – offering a gift of your own will go directly towards youth enrichment programs supported by Compassionate Chefs Cafe.

Our August 2011 fundraiser was another lovely evening that brought together people from all walks to life to help raise funds for a beautiful cause. We had a representative from the Tenderloin After School program that shared information about the importance of the program and the kids it supports. We also had a young woman who actually graduated from the program and has now returned to volunteer. She talked about the encouragement and support she received while she was in the program.

There was delicious gourmet Indian food catered by New Delhi Restaurant. Henna Garden was in the house as always providing beautiful mehndi for the guests. DJ Amar was behind the decks holding down the music. Beautiful dance performances were shared by the Dholrhythms Dance Company’s student troupe called “Rhythms of Punjab” that performed Bhangra as well as a bellydance performance by Calamity Sam.

We also sold Compassionate Chef’s cafe tshirts especially designed for this event by founder Ranjan Dey’s daughter Sarah Dey. We raised almost $4000 at this fundraiser. All the funds will be allocated to the projects we currently support, Ekatava in Ahemadabad, India and The Tenderloin after school program here in San Francisco. We are very grateful to everyone that joined us and opened up their hearts and pockets to help support our projects. Our next fundraiser will be in November and we hope you’ll be able to join us again.

Many thanks again from Compassionate Chefs Cafe!