Spicecurry, the star of Asia and optimistic club--they are not merely names but living
testimonies to the love for India in the heart of Europe in Luxembourg.
Written By Miscellaneous|Last Updated: Feb 23, 2007, 12:00 AM IST|Source: Exclusive
Spicecurry, the star of Asia and optimistic club--they are not merely names but living
testimonies to the love for India in the heart of Europe in Luxembourg.
When Jaffer Sherwani gave up a career in teaching in
London and opened the star of Asia, the first Indian
restaurant here in 1974, he did it because he wanted to keep
alive Indian cuisine in a country full of European food.
Jaffer's son Ali Sherwani today runs "Desi vibes"
radio show mixing Indian classical with jazz and strains of
music from other parts of the world and his grandson Shanu
shares their entrepreneural skill and passion for music whose
album "Kinkysoul" is slated for release at the prestigious
music fair Midem starting in Cannes, France.
In 1992, banking professional Madhu Ramachandran moved
to Luxembourg having little hope of holding on to his passion
for cricket but managed to locate the optimistic cricket club
in a football-crazy country as he knows how the gentleman's
game is like a religion back in his homeland.
The smell of Indian spices wafts across the Spicecurry
cooking classes conducted by Sunita Trevida as a group of
foreigners watch her preparing mouth-watering dishes.
Anitha Kohli takes time off from teaching art to give
lessons in Hindi to foreigners--just for the love of her
national language.
They are among nearly 300 Indians who have brought
with them a range of talents that combines business with their
traditional culture, adding to the multicultural cauldron that
this country already is with its three-language system--German, French and Luxembourgish.
The Sherwani family, which hails from Hyderabad, is in
Luxembourg for over three decades, taking part in the economic
changes in this country and retaining the legacy of its
homeland.
In fact, the star of Asia restaurant epitomizes a
confluence of populations in Luxembourg. You visit on any
evening and you find Germans, French, Luxembourgers and of
course Indians enjoying biryani, naan, aloo gobi and all other
forms of Indian dishes--vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
Ali's brother Yedizar took control of the restaurant
when Jaffer called it a day and its ownership later went to a
another Indian Shyam Motiani.
Ali himself is in financial management business, being
the Director (Administration and Finance) of General
Mediterranean Holding Group in Luxembourg.
Following the footsteps of Ali, his son Shanu has
shown his entrepreneurial aptitude by setting up an event
management firm and also his love for music by becoming a
familiar disco jockey in the club circuit of Luxembourg.
Ali is the president of Indian Association of
Luxembourg and organizes cultural events on important
occasions including Diwali.
Luxembourg is considered the culture city of Europe
primarily because of confluence of cultures of Germany, France
and Austria over the centuries. Its theatrical productions are
characterized by a range of languages and styles and
international artistic influences.
From the middle of 15th century to the early part of
19th century, Luxembourg was ruled successively by
Burgundians, the Spanish, the Austrians and the French.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.