HOUSTON, March 7, 2014 — On Friday, April 4, 2014, Asia Society Texas Center, in collaboration with Zulu Creative and event chairs Janae and Kenneth Tsai, will host the third annual Spotlight Asia: Cocktails and Cultural Fusions. The Tsais will be joined by a host committee of Houston's most energetic and best connected social scene patrons.

Presented by American First National Bank, the lantern-themed event will light up the night in the Texas Center’s internationally acclaimed Yoshio Taniguchi-designed building at 1370 Southmore Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77004 from 8:00 pm to midnight.

The glimmery evening will feature New York-based turntablist and producer DJ Kalkutta, back by popular demand. When she's not opening for acts like Ke$ha and Ludacris or performing on SNL, Ellen, GMA, and The Tonight Show, she’s working at New York’s highest-profile nightclubs and venues, including the opening of the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as 1Oak, The Boom Boom Room, and Riff Raff's. Surrendered to a Mother Teresa-founded orphanage at just two days old, Kalkutta was adopted by an American woman and given a chance at a brighter future. Today, she is known for her deep knowledge of a myriad of genres and formats, and shares bills with some of the world’s hottest DJs. Kalkutta also spins events for brands such as Betsey Johnson, Ted Baker, Steve Madden, Maserati-Ferrari, and Sephora. With beauty, talent, and a cross-cultural understanding, Kalkutta shines as an ambassador for all things music, style, and nightlife.

Casting a mesmerizing musical glow on the dancefloor is Vietnamese-American Houston-based Baohaus. An eclectic, fun, and soulful DJ born and raised in Los Angeles with sounds synonymous to her vibrant energy, Baohaus has been featured at clubs from LA and San Francisco to Honolulu and Houston, moving crowds with 80s, 90s, nu-disco, hip-hop, funk, and soul. Her art of spinning is a platform to share musical talent and to introduce the world to artists who have impacted her creativity, old-school to new. Baohaus brings a brilliant talent for capturing moods with the right touch to create any type of ambiance.

Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar will ignite a sense of culinary wonder with signature appetizers, and sushi will be offered courtesy of Glen Gondo & Sushic. An open bar will also be available with signature cocktails. For $25, guests may also purchase a “Sparkling Pass” at the event only for unlimited bubbly, curated by 13 celsius. Decadent luxuries provided by Monica Pope’s Sparrow Bar + Cookshop are sure to capture the essence of the season.

A series of luminary lounges hosted by Houston’s leading restaurants and media will allure guests with respites from the party-going limelight. Little Soya and Uchi will dazzle guests with unexpected textures and flavors that push the boundaries of Japanese cuisine. Guests can also pose for photos at the PaperCity Photo Hotspot. Texas Hookah Lounge will offer guests relaxing draws from hookah pipes in the Jasmine Garden, while FlashBox photo booth captures the fun inside.

For guests seeking the ultimate enlightening experience, a raffle will be held for two Business/BusinessFirst® round trip airfare tickets from Houston to Taipei, courtesy of United Airlines. Raffle tickets can be purchased only at the event for $25 each or five tickets for $100. Airfare tickets must be used before December 31, 2014.

For event tickets, Asia Society members pay $60 in advance through March 28th or $75 at the door. Non-member tickets, which include a one-year Asia Society membership, are $85 in advance through March 28th or $100 at the door. To purchase advance tickets or for more information, visit AsiaSociety.org/Texas/SpotlightAsia2014 or contact Bronwyn Walker at 713.496.9937 or [email protected]. The event is open to ages 21 and up.

Asia Society Texas Center wishes to acknowledge and thank the evening’s sponsors (as of March 7, 2014): 13 celsius, American First National Bank, Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar, Glen Gondo & Sushic® the Sushi Company, Little Soya, PaperCity Magazine, Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, Texas Hookah Lounge, Uchi, and United Airlines.

About Asia Society Texas Center

Asia Society Texas Center is part of a leading global educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, Asia Society Texas Center provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to connect Americans and Asians for a shared future.