| Your Hidden Talent |
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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
My hidden talent?
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Obits, Nov 3rd 2023
Nov 3rd, 2023. Obituaries in The Newest Times of India
Writer, stage director, actor and part time art critic "Captain Nemo" was found dead when his body was fished out of the raging Kali river. Also found were his wife's body, a back pack and his favourite bike "Hurricane". Apparently this fatal accident was a result of one of those misadventures that Nemo and "B" was known for, trying to navigate through the rough passes and valleys in the Dandeli, Castle Rock, Karwar region on a bike. A man who tried many things but never found fame finally found limelight when he married "B[lanché]", whom he directed in the critically acclaimed "A streetcar Named Desire" partly because of her beauty queen status and the fact that the marriage created quite a stir. As he would joke later, Blanché and Noir made a good pair. His later plays were recieved enthusiastically, encouraging him to write a few of his own. On Nov 2nd, his 50th birthday, he was gone.
"B[lanché]", A beauty queen turned actress was already famous when she married Nemo. For 15 years after marriage they partnered in some of the most electrifying theatrical productions, adventures and misadventures. For someone who had never rode a bike, even on pillion before getting to know Nemo, "B" turned out to be quite adept at riding powerhouse bikes and rough riding. She was just 35 years old when her body was recovered from Kali river.
Writer, stage director, actor and part time art critic "Captain Nemo" was found dead when his body was fished out of the raging Kali river. Also found were his wife's body, a back pack and his favourite bike "Hurricane". Apparently this fatal accident was a result of one of those misadventures that Nemo and "B" was known for, trying to navigate through the rough passes and valleys in the Dandeli, Castle Rock, Karwar region on a bike. A man who tried many things but never found fame finally found limelight when he married "B[lanché]", whom he directed in the critically acclaimed "A streetcar Named Desire" partly because of her beauty queen status and the fact that the marriage created quite a stir. As he would joke later, Blanché and Noir made a good pair. His later plays were recieved enthusiastically, encouraging him to write a few of his own. On Nov 2nd, his 50th birthday, he was gone.
"B[lanché]", A beauty queen turned actress was already famous when she married Nemo. For 15 years after marriage they partnered in some of the most electrifying theatrical productions, adventures and misadventures. For someone who had never rode a bike, even on pillion before getting to know Nemo, "B" turned out to be quite adept at riding powerhouse bikes and rough riding. She was just 35 years old when her body was recovered from Kali river.
LET THERE BE LIGHTs, camera, action...
Extracts from the soon to be published mammoth book by Captain Nemo : "LET THERE BE LIGHTs, camera, action..."
Editor's notes:
1st Editor's Note : Having been given the enormous responsibility to make sense out of a mountain of material written by our dear dead friend "Captain Nemo", I will attempt to stay as close to his spirit when encountered with ambiguity. Some of the stuff written here just seems to be a figment of Nemo's imagination, a hallucinogen induced fantasy. But having known Nemo since childhood, I will credit that there might be some truth, a lot of heresay and blasphemy and finally some delusions of grandeur.
2nd Editor's Note : Knowing Nemo as I do since childhood and being privy to some of Nemo's innermost secrets and thought patterns I am confident that most of what is written here is true. There will be some exaggerations as in any work of creativity, hallucinogen induced or otherwise, but that cannot be considered as propogating falsehood. To regard this book as entirely fictitious and fantastic just because Nemo has written this book in first person narrative, will be akin to putting Nemo and McLean or Bagely on the same pedestal. I think Nemo deserves better.
Both editors and the publisher write a note about the style of Nemo's writing :
To quote one of Nemo's favourites - But you must know that we are all in agreement, whatever we say [ Turba Philosophorum ]
Nemo is inspired by a lot of writers whom he read avidly throughout his life; during his childhood days at Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall and the City Central libraries to his adoloscence at National High School and the slow graduation to adulthood in National College. He imitates too many authors to be named individually, but a true initiate will immediately recognise Umberto Eco or Bhagavad Gita or Kipling or Quran in some line and Anderson or Dylan in another. We hope that people, especially writers writing thousand page tearjerkers, will not accuse him of plagiarism and sue him.
We hope the readers will enjoy reading this book, if not for literary merit then for the sheer pleasure of nit picking or figuring out which Anderson or Dylan has been imitated and where... and maybe someday write another book as a rejoinder pointing out factual / grammatical errors, a kind of errata so to speak.
We are sure such a thing would bring some joy and solace to Nemo...
Dedication :
Dedicated to our wives for all the torture they bore endlessly while we toiled with this illegible manuscript for free. And also to the publisher for underwriting this mammoth with no expectation of a return whatsoever... We hope that when his time of reckoning comes, the correct amount spent on this will be credited in his charity a/c
Editor's notes:
1st Editor's Note : Having been given the enormous responsibility to make sense out of a mountain of material written by our dear dead friend "Captain Nemo", I will attempt to stay as close to his spirit when encountered with ambiguity. Some of the stuff written here just seems to be a figment of Nemo's imagination, a hallucinogen induced fantasy. But having known Nemo since childhood, I will credit that there might be some truth, a lot of heresay and blasphemy and finally some delusions of grandeur.
2nd Editor's Note : Knowing Nemo as I do since childhood and being privy to some of Nemo's innermost secrets and thought patterns I am confident that most of what is written here is true. There will be some exaggerations as in any work of creativity, hallucinogen induced or otherwise, but that cannot be considered as propogating falsehood. To regard this book as entirely fictitious and fantastic just because Nemo has written this book in first person narrative, will be akin to putting Nemo and McLean or Bagely on the same pedestal. I think Nemo deserves better.
Both editors and the publisher write a note about the style of Nemo's writing :
To quote one of Nemo's favourites - But you must know that we are all in agreement, whatever we say [ Turba Philosophorum ]
Nemo is inspired by a lot of writers whom he read avidly throughout his life; during his childhood days at Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall and the City Central libraries to his adoloscence at National High School and the slow graduation to adulthood in National College. He imitates too many authors to be named individually, but a true initiate will immediately recognise Umberto Eco or Bhagavad Gita or Kipling or Quran in some line and Anderson or Dylan in another. We hope that people, especially writers writing thousand page tearjerkers, will not accuse him of plagiarism and sue him.
We hope the readers will enjoy reading this book, if not for literary merit then for the sheer pleasure of nit picking or figuring out which Anderson or Dylan has been imitated and where... and maybe someday write another book as a rejoinder pointing out factual / grammatical errors, a kind of errata so to speak.
We are sure such a thing would bring some joy and solace to Nemo...
Dedication :
Dedicated to our wives for all the torture they bore endlessly while we toiled with this illegible manuscript for free. And also to the publisher for underwriting this mammoth with no expectation of a return whatsoever... We hope that when his time of reckoning comes, the correct amount spent on this will be credited in his charity a/c
Random ramblings
Had been to an awesome play "Meghnad badh kabya" a few days ago at the inaugural 'Rangashankara' theatre festival. This was a solo performance of about two and a half hours of difficult-to-understand-for-begalis-themselves of bengali poetry describing the events leading to
Meghnad's slaying. The play was presented by Nandikar, one of the most respected theatre groups in India [ the site is still incomplete, but still, www.nandikar.com ] The performer was Gautam Halder [ http://www.zatang.com/locals/cityk/kceleb13.htm ]
The performance was mindblowing, I had not enjoyed theater so much in ages as I did that night.
Brilliant solo acting, sparse music; just enough make an impression without being intrusive, neat unobtrusive set. The kind of play I always wanted to do, but could not for the sheer lack of talent. I was spellbound by this guy who, for two and half hours worked his magic in front of a
totally unappreciative and unresponsive audience. If I had had even a small percentage of this guy's talent and if my audience were as unresponsive, I would have walked out. But, the lack of response did not deter him, in fact it did not affect him at all... he was so involved in the play, one minute a helpless Ravan, in another a Hanuman, and in yet another moment a glorious Ram, a Prameela, a Mandodari and of course Meghnad...
At the end of the play I went to meet the cast and crew of Nandikar involved with this play [ unfortunately I missed their other critically acclaimed play "Shanu Roy Choudhary" which was staged that afternoon ] They all came across as very humble, dedicated theatre people... quite the contrast to our Bangalore theatre crowd : arrogant and pretentious.
A note about Bangalore audience : I have always been disappointed with bangalore audience for being insensitive, uncultured and pretentious. I'd hate to be told to switch off my mobile when I attend a music concert or a play. But Bangalore audience likes to be told time and again to switch off their mobiles and disregard that instruction completely. Maybe it's like a power thing for them... I've got the power to ruin a play or a concert. I am sure a mobile ringing does not affect the artistes, but it sure distracts the audience.
A small digression : As a person who was [ unfortunately, past tense is correct ] involved in theatre as a producer, director and actor, I have always wanted my audience to be responsive, even if it were just cat-calls, wolf-whistles or snide remarks about the dialogues... It would
give us an indication as to what was going right and what was going wrong. Our forté being mainly improvisational and absurd plays we could really thrive on such responses. In our college we used to have a inter-class theatre fest every year. The fest was fiercly competitive, but the spirit among the participating teams was co-operative. No one came with the intention to destroy the rival's play. Seniors and juniors would work together on backstage and sets and props management even for performances by other competitors, I dont remember a single instance where we had issues of mistrust, misunderstanding or fears of sabotage coming up.
The audience were students, wannabe actors and actresses who took a lot of pleasure matching wits with those on stage, coming up with sharp and often hilarious one-liners in response to something said on stage. One incident which is still remembered even to this day is : Our seniors were performing a very serious play based on the Mahabharat, extremely talented guys and the play was going superbly until this scene.
The scene was between Drona and Ashwathaama.
Drona [roars] : Ashwathaama
Ashwathaama [ humbly, on bended knees and folded hands ] : guruvarya
Wit from the audience [ imitating Drona's roar ] : dabbakke neeru haaku ( = pour water into the watercarrier, a reference to the practice of villagers who take water in earthen or metal pots while going for their morning constitutionals behind bushes )
Everyone in the auditorium burst out laughing, no need to say the scene was totalled as no actor could keep a straight face after that and the troupe was sporting enough to concede defeat in the face of such spontaneous wit.
Meghnad's slaying. The play was presented by Nandikar, one of the most respected theatre groups in India [ the site is still incomplete, but still, www.nandikar.com ] The performer was Gautam Halder [ http://www.zatang.com/locals/cityk/kceleb13.htm ]
The performance was mindblowing, I had not enjoyed theater so much in ages as I did that night.
Brilliant solo acting, sparse music; just enough make an impression without being intrusive, neat unobtrusive set. The kind of play I always wanted to do, but could not for the sheer lack of talent. I was spellbound by this guy who, for two and half hours worked his magic in front of a
totally unappreciative and unresponsive audience. If I had had even a small percentage of this guy's talent and if my audience were as unresponsive, I would have walked out. But, the lack of response did not deter him, in fact it did not affect him at all... he was so involved in the play, one minute a helpless Ravan, in another a Hanuman, and in yet another moment a glorious Ram, a Prameela, a Mandodari and of course Meghnad...
At the end of the play I went to meet the cast and crew of Nandikar involved with this play [ unfortunately I missed their other critically acclaimed play "Shanu Roy Choudhary" which was staged that afternoon ] They all came across as very humble, dedicated theatre people... quite the contrast to our Bangalore theatre crowd : arrogant and pretentious.
A note about Bangalore audience : I have always been disappointed with bangalore audience for being insensitive, uncultured and pretentious. I'd hate to be told to switch off my mobile when I attend a music concert or a play. But Bangalore audience likes to be told time and again to switch off their mobiles and disregard that instruction completely. Maybe it's like a power thing for them... I've got the power to ruin a play or a concert. I am sure a mobile ringing does not affect the artistes, but it sure distracts the audience.
A small digression : As a person who was [ unfortunately, past tense is correct ] involved in theatre as a producer, director and actor, I have always wanted my audience to be responsive, even if it were just cat-calls, wolf-whistles or snide remarks about the dialogues... It would
give us an indication as to what was going right and what was going wrong. Our forté being mainly improvisational and absurd plays we could really thrive on such responses. In our college we used to have a inter-class theatre fest every year. The fest was fiercly competitive, but the spirit among the participating teams was co-operative. No one came with the intention to destroy the rival's play. Seniors and juniors would work together on backstage and sets and props management even for performances by other competitors, I dont remember a single instance where we had issues of mistrust, misunderstanding or fears of sabotage coming up.
The audience were students, wannabe actors and actresses who took a lot of pleasure matching wits with those on stage, coming up with sharp and often hilarious one-liners in response to something said on stage. One incident which is still remembered even to this day is : Our seniors were performing a very serious play based on the Mahabharat, extremely talented guys and the play was going superbly until this scene.
The scene was between Drona and Ashwathaama.
Drona [roars] : Ashwathaama
Ashwathaama [ humbly, on bended knees and folded hands ] : guruvarya
Wit from the audience [ imitating Drona's roar ] : dabbakke neeru haaku ( = pour water into the watercarrier, a reference to the practice of villagers who take water in earthen or metal pots while going for their morning constitutionals behind bushes )
Everyone in the auditorium burst out laughing, no need to say the scene was totalled as no actor could keep a straight face after that and the troupe was sporting enough to concede defeat in the face of such spontaneous wit.
Such are the sorrows of parting...
All these years while we were together
we took each other for granted.
The longest we were together was for a day
And we were away for months.
But I never despaired for I knew
We would meet again.
Now the hour of parting has come
And I know not when we'll meet again.
Unspoken words, well meant gestures
the involuntary gaze that always found you.
Eyes grow misty and the heart beats faster
Whenever I see your sweet smiling face.
Are we doomed to be seperated?
Oh... Why? why? why?... did we ever meet?
I ask God every sleepless night.
I'm afraid... angry... lovelorn...
Why didn't I tell you before?
Am I too late now?
Do I still stand a chance?
or... have I missed the bus?
Feb '94
we took each other for granted.
The longest we were together was for a day
And we were away for months.
But I never despaired for I knew
We would meet again.
Now the hour of parting has come
And I know not when we'll meet again.
Unspoken words, well meant gestures
the involuntary gaze that always found you.
Eyes grow misty and the heart beats faster
Whenever I see your sweet smiling face.
Are we doomed to be seperated?
Oh... Why? why? why?... did we ever meet?
I ask God every sleepless night.
I'm afraid... angry... lovelorn...
Why didn't I tell you before?
Am I too late now?
Do I still stand a chance?
or... have I missed the bus?
Feb '94
Today will be yesterday
Cold morning today;
Mists take long to clear.
Pin points of light
Diffracted : blurs vision.
Light no longer scattered
The benefit of hindsight,
Makes Tomorrow's hazy
Yesterday long gone.
The air is crisp and clear,
Sights no longer clouded,
Today is yesterday again
And I'm a little wiser.
Mists take long to clear.
Pin points of light
Diffracted : blurs vision.
Light no longer scattered
The benefit of hindsight,
Makes Tomorrow's hazy
Yesterday long gone.
The air is crisp and clear,
Sights no longer clouded,
Today is yesterday again
And I'm a little wiser.
Casablanca
I seem to be on a nostalgia trip... rehashing some old poems written when I was still juvenile and not yet delinquent. Must be the season, I guess. Apart from birds, there are these very dangerous vectors called cupid's arrows carrying a virulent form of virus which seems to be infecting everyone. :)
Hope you enjoy this one... my impression after watching 'Casablanca", of course, no prizes for guessing who Rick is here... ;)
Casablanca
A beautiful life
I'd once lived.
But without Ilsa,
Casablanca kills...
Every waking moment,
Every dying day,
Every carousal,
kills without Ilsa.
And Sam sings
The same old songs.
But without Ilsa,
They seem tuneless.
The loser lost love,
But gained sympathy!!!
Ilsa's still gone...
And Rick is still alone.
Hope you enjoy this one... my impression after watching 'Casablanca", of course, no prizes for guessing who Rick is here... ;)
Casablanca
A beautiful life
I'd once lived.
But without Ilsa,
Casablanca kills...
Every waking moment,
Every dying day,
Every carousal,
kills without Ilsa.
And Sam sings
The same old songs.
But without Ilsa,
They seem tuneless.
The loser lost love,
But gained sympathy!!!
Ilsa's still gone...
And Rick is still alone.
Live concerts... no lip sync please
Ok, this started as a comment to SSM's blog on Strings' online source... but it grew too big to be a comment. And clever me thought why not edit a bit and make it a new blog ;)
Warsi Brothers in sufi music, had the good fortune to listen to them live twice. Beautiful stuff... spontaneous and soulful.
Indian Ocean is better when they are jamming live than they are on studio tracks... I mean, their Desert Rain Live is much better than the studio albums. Good improvisers, no lip sync :)
I prefer live recordings better than the studio stuff... The passion that one generates when on stage is quite exhilarating... listened live to Stones, Scorpions and Deep Purple standing quite close to the stage. The experience was mindblowing.
I bought a double CD set the other day of "Santana - Live at fillmore 1968" to join a few others like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Van Morrison at the mecca of music - Fillmore (East and West). Now tripping on some live concerts of Little Feat...
Something extraoridnary happens in live concerts (even with ordinary artistes like Enrique I suppose, but I never risked it :P )
The excitement is palpable... some false notes when the artiste tries to improvise, some amplifier hiss... some feedback howl... they make me feel real and involved. Like listening to an old LP with scratches... :)
And sometimes the bands produce gems... like Allman Bros jamming for 43+ minutes on "Live at ludlow garage" album (the entire 2nd CD is one jam session of "Mountain jam") or Rare Earth improvising for 20 odd minutes on "get ready" which is hardly 4 mins in the studio version. Amazing..
Have some live concert videos of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Niel Young, Eric Clapton, Allman Bros. and Stones... But the best in my possession is the DVD of Woodstock 69.
Warsi Brothers in sufi music, had the good fortune to listen to them live twice. Beautiful stuff... spontaneous and soulful.
Indian Ocean is better when they are jamming live than they are on studio tracks... I mean, their Desert Rain Live is much better than the studio albums. Good improvisers, no lip sync :)
I prefer live recordings better than the studio stuff... The passion that one generates when on stage is quite exhilarating... listened live to Stones, Scorpions and Deep Purple standing quite close to the stage. The experience was mindblowing.
I bought a double CD set the other day of "Santana - Live at fillmore 1968" to join a few others like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Van Morrison at the mecca of music - Fillmore (East and West). Now tripping on some live concerts of Little Feat...
Something extraoridnary happens in live concerts (even with ordinary artistes like Enrique I suppose, but I never risked it :P )
The excitement is palpable... some false notes when the artiste tries to improvise, some amplifier hiss... some feedback howl... they make me feel real and involved. Like listening to an old LP with scratches... :)
And sometimes the bands produce gems... like Allman Bros jamming for 43+ minutes on "Live at ludlow garage" album (the entire 2nd CD is one jam session of "Mountain jam") or Rare Earth improvising for 20 odd minutes on "get ready" which is hardly 4 mins in the studio version. Amazing..
Have some live concert videos of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Niel Young, Eric Clapton, Allman Bros. and Stones... But the best in my possession is the DVD of Woodstock 69.
Secure elections? surely you are joking Mr. Chief Minister!!
I was one of the few who was fortunate enough to be able to vote y'day. It was amazing to see thousands of people returning home disappointed unable to vote inspite of having voter's id card and other proofs of their existence... many of them who had voted time and again at the same booths and dead sure that their names were in the voters' list.
There were riots, fights and acid throwing on opponents, distribution of money and sachets of illicit liquor for votes, all captured on candid camera in the heart of Bangalore city.
If this was the case in sober urban Bangalore, I shudder to think what would have happened in some of the more volatile parts of our state... and then there is the case of a suspended election commission official performing his "suspended" duties as a polling officer in the chief minister's constituency.
And what is the election commission trying to prove by having a one month election process? Their superiority? Their autonomy? or are these extended versions of black comedies played over the huge electorates only to satisfy their hugely inflated bureaucratic egos and claim that they are doing a great job of ensuring "free and fair" elections? One month!!! dammit... with EVMs, we should have got the results in one day, not wait for a month to know who wins. 5 phases of elections!!! and the EC wants no opinion polls, no political ads, no mudslinging, what the heck? Who decides what's right? Is there no such thing as "right to information"? And if opinion formation is a part of the 'dis'information spread by political opponents, are not the elctorate intelligent enough to know what's true and what's not? And if they don't, why do they even vote?
Last time in 1999, I had a fight with the polling officer and cast a challenge vote because someone else had voted in my name... at 11 am!!!!. There were a lot of villagers standing with me having the same complaint. ( Though I claim to live in urban Bangalore, my constituency is really backward... ) I'd heard of people casting proxy votes in the evening towards closing time... what had happened to us was atrocious and at the same time too audacious.
The polling officer claimed that they cannot verify the identity of the people without id cards... and I showed him mine as did the few villagers, he had no answer. Then I told him that I would want to vote and he said 'no that is not possible'. I told him that I am entitled to cast a 'challenge vote'. Then he said 'ok'. But the moment he said that, all the villagers standing there said they also wanted to challenge vote. The polling officer changed tack, said I'd have to pay Rs.2/- to cast my challenge vote. I said I knew of no such rule, but if that is the price I have to pay to be satisfied of discharging my duty, I will pay. He said it is for the envelope in which he will put my challenge vote and seal. I said ok, if that is the case I will get you envelopes, but will not pay if I am not gonna get a reciept. And I bought 20 envelopes and gave them to him and told him to use the rest for others who would want to challenge vote. I cast my vote, saw to it that it was sealed properly and left. Wondering if it was worth it to have spent 15 bucks for the envelopes...
There were riots, fights and acid throwing on opponents, distribution of money and sachets of illicit liquor for votes, all captured on candid camera in the heart of Bangalore city.
If this was the case in sober urban Bangalore, I shudder to think what would have happened in some of the more volatile parts of our state... and then there is the case of a suspended election commission official performing his "suspended" duties as a polling officer in the chief minister's constituency.
And what is the election commission trying to prove by having a one month election process? Their superiority? Their autonomy? or are these extended versions of black comedies played over the huge electorates only to satisfy their hugely inflated bureaucratic egos and claim that they are doing a great job of ensuring "free and fair" elections? One month!!! dammit... with EVMs, we should have got the results in one day, not wait for a month to know who wins. 5 phases of elections!!! and the EC wants no opinion polls, no political ads, no mudslinging, what the heck? Who decides what's right? Is there no such thing as "right to information"? And if opinion formation is a part of the 'dis'information spread by political opponents, are not the elctorate intelligent enough to know what's true and what's not? And if they don't, why do they even vote?
Last time in 1999, I had a fight with the polling officer and cast a challenge vote because someone else had voted in my name... at 11 am!!!!. There were a lot of villagers standing with me having the same complaint. ( Though I claim to live in urban Bangalore, my constituency is really backward... ) I'd heard of people casting proxy votes in the evening towards closing time... what had happened to us was atrocious and at the same time too audacious.
The polling officer claimed that they cannot verify the identity of the people without id cards... and I showed him mine as did the few villagers, he had no answer. Then I told him that I would want to vote and he said 'no that is not possible'. I told him that I am entitled to cast a 'challenge vote'. Then he said 'ok'. But the moment he said that, all the villagers standing there said they also wanted to challenge vote. The polling officer changed tack, said I'd have to pay Rs.2/- to cast my challenge vote. I said I knew of no such rule, but if that is the price I have to pay to be satisfied of discharging my duty, I will pay. He said it is for the envelope in which he will put my challenge vote and seal. I said ok, if that is the case I will get you envelopes, but will not pay if I am not gonna get a reciept. And I bought 20 envelopes and gave them to him and told him to use the rest for others who would want to challenge vote. I cast my vote, saw to it that it was sealed properly and left. Wondering if it was worth it to have spent 15 bucks for the envelopes...
random thoughts...
At home this Saturday night, wondering what to do when my friend who was supposed to join me for dinner excused himself at the last moment, I thought let me clean up the table draws and throw out all those scraps of paper… I had not cleaned it since ’94.
As Santana blared out from the headphones, I set about doing that… these are some of pieces / things I found worth mentioning:
1. A piece of paper with “kisi ka bhi liya naam tho aayiya tu hi tu… yeh to pyaala sharaabka, ban gaya yeh lahu” written on it. I must have been lovesick :p or listening to Radio Ceylon and just happened to like that particular line… :)
2. a note to myself asking me to remember that I should write a letter to one Mr. Advani asking him to stop taking people for a ride on his rath…
3. a torn piece of paper which had “ If by any chance God has not read these lines of Wilde : ‘ A prayer must never be answered, if it is, it ceases to be a prayer and becomes correspondence’ and grants Mr. Yeats’ wish, the child when she grows up, will be unfit live even in an utopia” Almost certain now that it is the last remnant of my masterpiece critical essay on Yeats’ “A Prayer for my daughter”
4. A sheet with the lyrics of songs from a Kannada play ( “karimaayi” amazing lyrics and terrific rhythm oriented folk songs )… in the margin a short cryptic line “classical physics : space and time, now Space-Time” Wonder what I was reading when I wrote that.
5. A short note on a ridiculous essay by Anthony Trollope.
6. A lengthy essay trashing the New Economic Policy, written in ’93 quoting figures culled from who-knows-where. I was a ‘maatam ka maseeha, criticizing NEP because I was a socialist and thought signing GATT was a sell-out.
7. Yeats again… an essay on Easter 1916. My thought when I reread it : would Yeats approve the Intifada if he were alive now?
8. A sheaf of stapled papers, randomly written lines from lyrics of old hindi songs… from ‘laakhon taare aasmaan mein’ to ‘tum jo mil gaye ho” ( I remember the songs of this movie better than the movie itself )
9. And a ditty, I know not from where I found ( certainly not created by me, and I intend no offense to any feminist who might chance upon this piece )
“Tell me what it is like to be teaching these girls?
Do you find that they have any brains?
Do they take themselves seriously ( may I ask ) or do you?”
10. A note taken / stolen from Nietzsche ( otherwise why it would be written down by me? I own the bloody book don’t I? Must have used it somewhere, somewhen to impress someone… ;) ) - "Old God comes to a final decision : ‘Man has become scientific – there is only one solution : he will have to be drowned!’ "
and the classic line from Linus ( of Charlie Brown ) : I love mankind, it’s people I cannot stand!!!
As Santana blared out from the headphones, I set about doing that… these are some of pieces / things I found worth mentioning:
1. A piece of paper with “kisi ka bhi liya naam tho aayiya tu hi tu… yeh to pyaala sharaabka, ban gaya yeh lahu” written on it. I must have been lovesick :p or listening to Radio Ceylon and just happened to like that particular line… :)
2. a note to myself asking me to remember that I should write a letter to one Mr. Advani asking him to stop taking people for a ride on his rath…
3. a torn piece of paper which had “ If by any chance God has not read these lines of Wilde : ‘ A prayer must never be answered, if it is, it ceases to be a prayer and becomes correspondence’ and grants Mr. Yeats’ wish, the child when she grows up, will be unfit live even in an utopia” Almost certain now that it is the last remnant of my masterpiece critical essay on Yeats’ “A Prayer for my daughter”
4. A sheet with the lyrics of songs from a Kannada play ( “karimaayi” amazing lyrics and terrific rhythm oriented folk songs )… in the margin a short cryptic line “classical physics : space and time, now Space-Time” Wonder what I was reading when I wrote that.
5. A short note on a ridiculous essay by Anthony Trollope.
6. A lengthy essay trashing the New Economic Policy, written in ’93 quoting figures culled from who-knows-where. I was a ‘maatam ka maseeha, criticizing NEP because I was a socialist and thought signing GATT was a sell-out.
7. Yeats again… an essay on Easter 1916. My thought when I reread it : would Yeats approve the Intifada if he were alive now?
8. A sheaf of stapled papers, randomly written lines from lyrics of old hindi songs… from ‘laakhon taare aasmaan mein’ to ‘tum jo mil gaye ho” ( I remember the songs of this movie better than the movie itself )
9. And a ditty, I know not from where I found ( certainly not created by me, and I intend no offense to any feminist who might chance upon this piece )
“Tell me what it is like to be teaching these girls?
Do you find that they have any brains?
Do they take themselves seriously ( may I ask ) or do you?”
10. A note taken / stolen from Nietzsche ( otherwise why it would be written down by me? I own the bloody book don’t I? Must have used it somewhere, somewhen to impress someone… ;) ) - "Old God comes to a final decision : ‘Man has become scientific – there is only one solution : he will have to be drowned!’ "
and the classic line from Linus ( of Charlie Brown ) : I love mankind, it’s people I cannot stand!!!
Almost cut my hair...
'Almost cut my hair... It happened just the other day' What was I thinking? Cut my long mane just coz this chit of a girl asked me to?
And how would I look when I put on my Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, leather jacket with Dee Snider's snout and sunglasses, rode my big motorcycle?
'What happened to your head?' my friends would ask... caring little that what was inside was intact, that this was just a short term loss of image, till I got rid of that pesky-pain-in-the-u-know-where out of my... err... hair. I'd say 'lately things... they don't seem the same...' and move on.
'Rocks on the road...' There was a time when I sang 'my guitar wants to kill your mama', true Zappa style accompanied by best guitar imitation on vocal chords ;) the eternal rebel, coz her mama hated my mane. Now whom do I kill with my guitar? Her mama's been gone a long time... leaving this li'l one behind.
But where will I move on? How will I move on? How will I get rid of my li'l daughter who hates my mane?
I thought... and today I cut my hair.
...Puppy-dog waves on a big moon sea,
snap our heels half-heartedly
and how come you know better than me
that this is not love.
No, this is not love.
(Jethro Tull - This is not love)
And how would I look when I put on my Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, leather jacket with Dee Snider's snout and sunglasses, rode my big motorcycle?
'What happened to your head?' my friends would ask... caring little that what was inside was intact, that this was just a short term loss of image, till I got rid of that pesky-pain-in-the-u-know-where out of my... err... hair. I'd say 'lately things... they don't seem the same...' and move on.
'Rocks on the road...' There was a time when I sang 'my guitar wants to kill your mama', true Zappa style accompanied by best guitar imitation on vocal chords ;) the eternal rebel, coz her mama hated my mane. Now whom do I kill with my guitar? Her mama's been gone a long time... leaving this li'l one behind.
But where will I move on? How will I move on? How will I get rid of my li'l daughter who hates my mane?
I thought... and today I cut my hair.
...Puppy-dog waves on a big moon sea,
snap our heels half-heartedly
and how come you know better than me
that this is not love.
No, this is not love.
(Jethro Tull - This is not love)
they are changing...
I am no big fan of Nadine Gordimer. But I was reading a short story by her the other day. It is called "The end of the tunnel" (Why haven't you written, Selected stories 1950-1970 , Penguin) It is about a man and a woman eloping ( pardon my bluntness, Nadine is more subtle ) and in the last few lines a realization hits the woman what she has been doing to this man - "I'm going to make him just the same, She thought, I shall change him into just what I've always had"
And I remembered "another cup of coffee", a song by Mike and the Mechanics, (does anybody listen to Mike and the Mechanics at all anymore? or am I still in the 80's?) which had these lines
"They all love him but they always try to change him
That's what happens when a girl becomes a wife"
But why am I writing this short piece? I went to a wedding today and saw another man changing from someone to someone else...
And I remembered "another cup of coffee", a song by Mike and the Mechanics, (does anybody listen to Mike and the Mechanics at all anymore? or am I still in the 80's?) which had these lines
"They all love him but they always try to change him
That's what happens when a girl becomes a wife"
But why am I writing this short piece? I went to a wedding today and saw another man changing from someone to someone else...
mai nazar se pee raha hoon...
Had been to Ghulam Ali's live concert last night. Have been a big fan of his gazals and always wanted to see and hear perform live. Last night that wish was fulfilled...
The concert was a big success mainly because hardly any gazal concert happens in Bangalore even with such a huge hindi/urdu speaking crowd. So the public lap up whatever is dished out... I was disappointed. He was just not upto his usual high quality of singing.
Ghulam Ali managed to keep the audience engrossed with his showmanship and sense of humor more than with his gazals... his singing left a lot to be desired, depending solely on voice modulation to grab attention.
The other things that soured the experience were :
A small stoppage due to the video recording equipment being on and the accompanists not being able to adapt to his improvisations.
I enjoyed the lyrics, but the rendering was disappointing. At the end of the concert I felt it was just another experience, like listening to AR Rehman or Jatin-Lalit's music - popular, but soulless.
May 5 2004
The concert was a big success mainly because hardly any gazal concert happens in Bangalore even with such a huge hindi/urdu speaking crowd. So the public lap up whatever is dished out... I was disappointed. He was just not upto his usual high quality of singing.
Ghulam Ali managed to keep the audience engrossed with his showmanship and sense of humor more than with his gazals... his singing left a lot to be desired, depending solely on voice modulation to grab attention.
The other things that soured the experience were :
A small stoppage due to the video recording equipment being on and the accompanists not being able to adapt to his improvisations.
I enjoyed the lyrics, but the rendering was disappointing. At the end of the concert I felt it was just another experience, like listening to AR Rehman or Jatin-Lalit's music - popular, but soulless.
May 5 2004
C theories, Blair's debt, Bush & Mugabe's Indira act
Conspiracy theories from 'who ghost wrote Franks' biography of Indira G' to 'was Mike Denness fixed by SA to revenge Hansiegate'[ for those who have a short memory : Sachin was found guilty of tampering the ball by Mike Denness ] People's imagination is tested in these times to come up with more imaginative connections between seemingly unconnected events / people and establish a credible set of "facts" which support their theories. And when one cannot find a suitable scapegoat they can always fall back on Indira Gandhi's 'foreign hand' theory. Blair repays debt to Scarlett by making him chief of MI6 for saving his skin in the Hutton enquiry, What was the deal between Blair and Lord Hutton, to get Gilligan and a defiant BBC board implicated? Sweet revenge : Gilligan and the board director lose their jobs while Blair is on the way to sainthood. Will Hutton be the next law minister if Blair gets re-elected?
Will the 'whistleblowers' from Abu Gharib be eliminated 'with extreme prejudice' lest further disclosures embarrass the almost-certain-to-be-re-elected Bush and his war-mongering cronies? What's few more to a few thousand already dead and a few million more on their way to the hospital to slow and painful death due to depleted uranium ammo? Bush protects Rumsfield to protect himself... Rumsfield could bring down Bush like a ton of lead if he senses that he is in trouble, after all Bush did order the humiliation of 'eye-raqis' didn't he through the secret services? to avenge the humiliation of Bush Sr. by a defiant Saddam...
What does Amnesty International say about the Guantanamo facility or the Abu Gharib concentration camp? Nothing... after all Amnesty's job is just to rap gently on the wrists of western powers for abuses of human rights while arm twisting the browns and blacks of the world to toe the line of the sole superpower. But the US doesn't care for Amnesty reports do they? They get it written the way they want them. Whitewashed with a few small grey spots, so that it looks like a 'fair' assessment. You need to worry only if you are a weak brown / black nation because your ration can be withheld on charges of human rights abuse.
The inhuman dictator in Zimbabwe nationalises private schools on the pretext that they were racist? But who attended those schools? Who could afford them with inflation in Zimbabwe being around 800%? Sons and daughters of ministers, rich business people and huge property owners : in Zimbabwe that means mostly blacks. So is the Establishment in Zimbabwe calling their own sons and daughters racist? There must be something else here. What are we missing? I guess a few pictures like the Abu Gharib ones would help.
After all a picture is supposed to speak a thousand words...
Will the 'whistleblowers' from Abu Gharib be eliminated 'with extreme prejudice' lest further disclosures embarrass the almost-certain-to-be-re-elected Bush and his war-mongering cronies? What's few more to a few thousand already dead and a few million more on their way to the hospital to slow and painful death due to depleted uranium ammo? Bush protects Rumsfield to protect himself... Rumsfield could bring down Bush like a ton of lead if he senses that he is in trouble, after all Bush did order the humiliation of 'eye-raqis' didn't he through the secret services? to avenge the humiliation of Bush Sr. by a defiant Saddam...
What does Amnesty International say about the Guantanamo facility or the Abu Gharib concentration camp? Nothing... after all Amnesty's job is just to rap gently on the wrists of western powers for abuses of human rights while arm twisting the browns and blacks of the world to toe the line of the sole superpower. But the US doesn't care for Amnesty reports do they? They get it written the way they want them. Whitewashed with a few small grey spots, so that it looks like a 'fair' assessment. You need to worry only if you are a weak brown / black nation because your ration can be withheld on charges of human rights abuse.
The inhuman dictator in Zimbabwe nationalises private schools on the pretext that they were racist? But who attended those schools? Who could afford them with inflation in Zimbabwe being around 800%? Sons and daughters of ministers, rich business people and huge property owners : in Zimbabwe that means mostly blacks. So is the Establishment in Zimbabwe calling their own sons and daughters racist? There must be something else here. What are we missing? I guess a few pictures like the Abu Gharib ones would help.
After all a picture is supposed to speak a thousand words...
In my time of dying... a k a scenes from a memory
As the white skirt of the nurse became a blurred haze through the frosted glass door and sister morphine started to have her effect on me, my dazed mind played tricks.
Misery loves company but why does it always choose mine?...The foot hits my knee and I scream in pain... Linus telling Lucy "I love mankind, it's people I can't stand"... The Common Man perplexed as ever looking at Govinda in parliament wearing a yellow shirt over a pink tights dancing to : unnnhhh unnnh ankhiyonse goli maare in Italian accent... I'm swimming in a river, the stream is fast and full, it starts raining heavily again... the trees, the electric poles blur as I ride 'the hurricane' humming 'ezy ryder'... chocolate sauce flows, filmed in monochrome and a shriek from the neighbouring seat... Why doesn't Frank Bullit listen to me? I know who the killers are... someone telling me : Shashi Kapoor as Siddartha is a laugh... A fragment of a conversation : '...who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?, I am... but did you read Rosemary's baby? It's horrifying... I preferred to watch the movie, Mia Farrow was good, but why choose John Cassavetes?'... Purple Haze spreads all over and I see two hands chopping down the mountain with the palms' edges and pick up all the pieces and make an island... As the Wolf howls 'the red rooster', 'who's been talking', 'wang dang doodle' Clapton plays lead and Watts drums, Chess has made a masterly move... Our mathematics prof. asking us to solve a puzzle : 'brothers and sisters have I none, but that man's father is my father's son'... Shankar pulling out a few nerves from my body and stringing them on to his violin : no wonder it feels so good to hear it play... I'm telling someone :'I'd rather be an intelligent spectator than be the protagonist’, that line was inspired by Belbo, but I ain't gonna tell you I am a plagiarist, will I?... a fragment of a conversation : 'what happened to that new girl of yours?'; 'she is no longer mine'; 'but you said she was permanent?'; 'she is, I am not'... As Sentenza lies dead and Tuco raves and rants, the man with no name but my face, unsmiling even in victory rides in to the setting sun...
...Blackness...
.
.
.
.
What is this woman in white, wearing a strange cap doing to me?
Why is the world upside down and Why am I crying?
Misery loves company but why does it always choose mine?...The foot hits my knee and I scream in pain... Linus telling Lucy "I love mankind, it's people I can't stand"... The Common Man perplexed as ever looking at Govinda in parliament wearing a yellow shirt over a pink tights dancing to : unnnhhh unnnh ankhiyonse goli maare in Italian accent... I'm swimming in a river, the stream is fast and full, it starts raining heavily again... the trees, the electric poles blur as I ride 'the hurricane' humming 'ezy ryder'... chocolate sauce flows, filmed in monochrome and a shriek from the neighbouring seat... Why doesn't Frank Bullit listen to me? I know who the killers are... someone telling me : Shashi Kapoor as Siddartha is a laugh... A fragment of a conversation : '...who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?, I am... but did you read Rosemary's baby? It's horrifying... I preferred to watch the movie, Mia Farrow was good, but why choose John Cassavetes?'... Purple Haze spreads all over and I see two hands chopping down the mountain with the palms' edges and pick up all the pieces and make an island... As the Wolf howls 'the red rooster', 'who's been talking', 'wang dang doodle' Clapton plays lead and Watts drums, Chess has made a masterly move... Our mathematics prof. asking us to solve a puzzle : 'brothers and sisters have I none, but that man's father is my father's son'... Shankar pulling out a few nerves from my body and stringing them on to his violin : no wonder it feels so good to hear it play... I'm telling someone :'I'd rather be an intelligent spectator than be the protagonist’, that line was inspired by Belbo, but I ain't gonna tell you I am a plagiarist, will I?... a fragment of a conversation : 'what happened to that new girl of yours?'; 'she is no longer mine'; 'but you said she was permanent?'; 'she is, I am not'... As Sentenza lies dead and Tuco raves and rants, the man with no name but my face, unsmiling even in victory rides in to the setting sun...
...Blackness...
.
.
.
.
What is this woman in white, wearing a strange cap doing to me?
Why is the world upside down and Why am I crying?
Hope springs eternal...
Something I wrote during my college days... I remembered this poem(?) today when a friend narrated an anecdote about Socrates teaching someone the difference between love and marriage...
Hope springs eternal...
Crush of college still fresh in mind,
I thought "God! it's her" when I saw my wife.
She resembled her... slightly.
Her "Ideal man" she thought when she saw me.
I resembeled her first love... slightly.
We married. We were happy.
The novelty wore off. The comparisons began.
She was an angel, a Godess...
He was so sensitive, romantic, caring...
Arguments...
The question in the end always -
"how could I've been so stupid?"
We are in total agreement.
Only on that one point.
The show goes on.
We are man and wife for the world.
Between us - we are anything but that.
We go on... seeking endlessly...
those mythical, magical, perfections
of our lost first loves.
Hope springs eternal...
Crush of college still fresh in mind,
I thought "God! it's her" when I saw my wife.
She resembled her... slightly.
Her "Ideal man" she thought when she saw me.
I resembeled her first love... slightly.
We married. We were happy.
The novelty wore off. The comparisons began.
She was an angel, a Godess...
He was so sensitive, romantic, caring...
Arguments...
The question in the end always -
"how could I've been so stupid?"
We are in total agreement.
Only on that one point.
The show goes on.
We are man and wife for the world.
Between us - we are anything but that.
We go on... seeking endlessly...
those mythical, magical, perfections
of our lost first loves.
C L D
Great romantics. I and my wife.
Candle light dinners at a far off resort.
A full moon night by the beach
With the waves washing our feet.
One coconut, two straws.
Hand in hand a walk in the misty mounts.
Beautiful dreams. Fantasies really...
Because we both lead seperate lives.
Have to. To make ends meets.
She works 9 to 5
And I work flexitime
(16 hours a day, If I have to
Continue getting my pay cheque)
The only time we have together is
On sundays, when she catches up
On her week's housework.
And I, the chauvanist that I'm
Try to catch up with the world
With old newspapers and TV.
But every sunday we do have
Candle lit dinners.
Courtesy of the KEB.
The waves do wash our feet
when the rain drain in
front of the gate overflows.
We break through the thick city smog
when we leave together for our jobs.
And every day and night
We dream the same dreams. Seperately.
Hoping against hope that we'll live it.
Someday...
Candle light dinners at a far off resort.
A full moon night by the beach
With the waves washing our feet.
One coconut, two straws.
Hand in hand a walk in the misty mounts.
Beautiful dreams. Fantasies really...
Because we both lead seperate lives.
Have to. To make ends meets.
She works 9 to 5
And I work flexitime
(16 hours a day, If I have to
Continue getting my pay cheque)
The only time we have together is
On sundays, when she catches up
On her week's housework.
And I, the chauvanist that I'm
Try to catch up with the world
With old newspapers and TV.
But every sunday we do have
Candle lit dinners.
Courtesy of the KEB.
The waves do wash our feet
when the rain drain in
front of the gate overflows.
We break through the thick city smog
when we leave together for our jobs.
And every day and night
We dream the same dreams. Seperately.
Hoping against hope that we'll live it.
Someday...
All that jazz...
What started as a simple inventory taking exercise has now become a blog to express my gratitude to the many masters' music, which have given me so much pleasure over the years. For a starter, I'm listing my favorite jazz collection:
1. Miles and Monk at Newport [ Miles Davis Sextet - Davis, 'Cannonball' Adderley, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers & Jimmy Cobb, recorded live on July 3rd 1958. Thelonius Monk Quartet - Monk, Charlie Rouse, Butch Warren & Frankie Dunlop, with Pee Wee Russel, recorded live on July 4 1963. Monk And Pee Wee had never rehearsed or played together before this performance, but does it show anywhere? Mind blowing... ]
2. Miles Davis At Fillmore : Live at the Fillmore East [ Davis, Steve Grossman, Chick Correa, Keith Jarret, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moriera. Recorded between June 17th and 20th, 1970 ]
3. Dig - Miles Davis featuring Sonny Rollins [ Davis, Rollins, Jackie McLean, Walter Bishop, Tommy Potter, Art Blakey. Recorded October 5th 1951. Check out 'it's only a paper moon' and 'my old flame'... outstanding in a recording that itself is extraordinary ]
4. Miles Davis - A tribute to Jack Johnson : OST of a documentary film "Jack Johnson" made by William Cayton, as a tribute to the world heavyweight champion. Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Mclaughlin, Steve Grossman, Bill Cobham, Michael Henderson. Recorded April 7 and November 11, 1970 ]
5. Heart of things - John McLaughlin Live in Paris [ McLaughlin, Dennis Chambers, Gary Thomas, Mathew Garrison, Otmaro Ruiz, Victor Williams. Recorded November 4th and 5th 1998, Paris. Electric, that's the only word to describe this album ]
6. Ultimate Dizzy Gillespie, selected by Roy Hargrove [ The best of Dizzy Gillespie played between 1950 and 1964, selected by Roy Hargrove in a series called 'Ultimate Verve' where jazz specialists select their favorites from other influential jazz musicians featured in Verve catalogue, like: Bud Powell selected by Chick Correa, Lester Young selected by Wayne Shorter etc. ]
7. Louis Armstrong - Louis & The Big Bands, 1928-1930 [ Louis Armstrong leading huge orchestras featuring 8 to 10 or more artistes in recordings between 1928 and 1930 ]
8. Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin [ Billie Holiday teams up with Ray Ellis and his orchestra to record this superb album. Recorded February, 1958. As Ray Ellis says in the liner notes an anecdote : '... Looking back, I was very fortunate to be involved in this album. I never realised the impact it would have until I was in Madrid, Spain in 1990. A friend introduced me to a Spanish acquaintance of his. He couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak Spanish, but when he heard my name he replied, "Ray Ellis? Billie Holiday????" ]
9. Duke Ellington Centennial Edition - The best of the complete RCA Victor recordings 1927-1973 [ There is now way I can put in words what this album makes me feel... :) ]
10. Duke Ellington - Blues in orbit [ Recorded between 1958 and 1959, this is a classy album, a must have for any jazz fan ]
11. Louis Armstrong - This is Jazz series from Sony [ Earliest recording 1926, latest recording 1933... superb intro to Louis Armnstrong's music ]
12. The Essential Count Basie [ Recordings mainly from 1939, but of the recording done in 1936, all of them produced by John Hammond ]
13. Stan Meets Chet - Stan Getz and Chet Baker [ Getz, Baker, Jodie Christian, Victor Sproles and Marshall Thompson. Recorded February 16th, 1958. Amazing stuff. ]
14. Weather Report - 8:30 [ This is special... Live concert recordings from the 8:30 tour, The original line up of Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine are joined by Erich Zawinul on percussions. On disk 2, check out the song 'The orphan'... it has 10 members of the West Los Angeles Christian Academy Children's Choir accompanying Wayne Shorter, a very short piece, beautiful. ]
There are many more, but later...
1. Miles and Monk at Newport [ Miles Davis Sextet - Davis, 'Cannonball' Adderley, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers & Jimmy Cobb, recorded live on July 3rd 1958. Thelonius Monk Quartet - Monk, Charlie Rouse, Butch Warren & Frankie Dunlop, with Pee Wee Russel, recorded live on July 4 1963. Monk And Pee Wee had never rehearsed or played together before this performance, but does it show anywhere? Mind blowing... ]
2. Miles Davis At Fillmore : Live at the Fillmore East [ Davis, Steve Grossman, Chick Correa, Keith Jarret, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moriera. Recorded between June 17th and 20th, 1970 ]
3. Dig - Miles Davis featuring Sonny Rollins [ Davis, Rollins, Jackie McLean, Walter Bishop, Tommy Potter, Art Blakey. Recorded October 5th 1951. Check out 'it's only a paper moon' and 'my old flame'... outstanding in a recording that itself is extraordinary ]
4. Miles Davis - A tribute to Jack Johnson : OST of a documentary film "Jack Johnson" made by William Cayton, as a tribute to the world heavyweight champion. Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Mclaughlin, Steve Grossman, Bill Cobham, Michael Henderson. Recorded April 7 and November 11, 1970 ]
5. Heart of things - John McLaughlin Live in Paris [ McLaughlin, Dennis Chambers, Gary Thomas, Mathew Garrison, Otmaro Ruiz, Victor Williams. Recorded November 4th and 5th 1998, Paris. Electric, that's the only word to describe this album ]
6. Ultimate Dizzy Gillespie, selected by Roy Hargrove [ The best of Dizzy Gillespie played between 1950 and 1964, selected by Roy Hargrove in a series called 'Ultimate Verve' where jazz specialists select their favorites from other influential jazz musicians featured in Verve catalogue, like: Bud Powell selected by Chick Correa, Lester Young selected by Wayne Shorter etc. ]
7. Louis Armstrong - Louis & The Big Bands, 1928-1930 [ Louis Armstrong leading huge orchestras featuring 8 to 10 or more artistes in recordings between 1928 and 1930 ]
8. Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin [ Billie Holiday teams up with Ray Ellis and his orchestra to record this superb album. Recorded February, 1958. As Ray Ellis says in the liner notes an anecdote : '... Looking back, I was very fortunate to be involved in this album. I never realised the impact it would have until I was in Madrid, Spain in 1990. A friend introduced me to a Spanish acquaintance of his. He couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak Spanish, but when he heard my name he replied, "Ray Ellis? Billie Holiday????" ]
9. Duke Ellington Centennial Edition - The best of the complete RCA Victor recordings 1927-1973 [ There is now way I can put in words what this album makes me feel... :) ]
10. Duke Ellington - Blues in orbit [ Recorded between 1958 and 1959, this is a classy album, a must have for any jazz fan ]
11. Louis Armstrong - This is Jazz series from Sony [ Earliest recording 1926, latest recording 1933... superb intro to Louis Armnstrong's music ]
12. The Essential Count Basie [ Recordings mainly from 1939, but of the recording done in 1936, all of them produced by John Hammond ]
13. Stan Meets Chet - Stan Getz and Chet Baker [ Getz, Baker, Jodie Christian, Victor Sproles and Marshall Thompson. Recorded February 16th, 1958. Amazing stuff. ]
14. Weather Report - 8:30 [ This is special... Live concert recordings from the 8:30 tour, The original line up of Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine are joined by Erich Zawinul on percussions. On disk 2, check out the song 'The orphan'... it has 10 members of the West Los Angeles Christian Academy Children's Choir accompanying Wayne Shorter, a very short piece, beautiful. ]
There are many more, but later...
Kinda blue... 1
As I go through my incomplete jazz collection list that I posted as a blog here, I am feeling a little blue at all those obvious misses... I ask myself : How did I miss "A friday night in San Francisco" or "Casino" or "Cole Porter - A centenary tribute, 1891-1991". But my second list of jazz titles will surely cover them.
I am also getting angry with myself for not keeping track of the CDs... I am missing Ray Charles, Artie Shaw, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Christian, Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Louis Jordan and many more blues, rock and metal stuff :-(
I'm listing my blues collection... And a note that this listing is not in any particular order of preference... All are absolutley fascinating pieces of work
1. John Lee Hooker - The best of John Lee Hooker [1965-1974], Awesome collection of JLH's music, check out especially his improvisation with Van Morrison on "Never get out of these blues alive" [ recorded September 28-29, 1971 with Elvin Bishop on Slide Guitars ] and "I'm bad like Jesse James" [ recorded with Muddy Waters' band serving as the backing band... chilling stuff... ] This CD also features among others, "Bluebird", "one bourbon, one scotch, one beer", "The waterfront".
2. Muddy Waters - The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album [ recorded February 6 & 7, 1975 ] This can be considered a supersession, check out the artistes who backed Muddy Waters - Paul Butterfield, Bob Margolin & Pinetop Perkins [ Muddy Waters band ] Garth Hudson & Levon Helm [ The Band ], Fred Carter and Howard Johnson.
3. Muddy Waters - King Bee, Johnny Winter joins Muddy Waters Band to create some awesome music.
4. Jamming With Edwards [ recorded some late night in may 1969, Nicky Hopkins on Piano, Ry Cooder on Slide, 'numbled bathroom mumblings' by Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman on Bass and Charlie Watts on Drums ]
5. Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions [ recorded between May 2nd and 7th 1970, featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Ian Stewart, Klaus Voorman, Ringo 'Richie' Starr and many more... ] Check out 'The red rooster', 'Who's been talking', 'Wang Dang Doodle' and 'Killing Floor'. There is a false start on 'The red rooster' listen attentively to Eric Clapton asking Howlin' Wolf to show him how to play the guitar so that they get it right... This double CD set is a must have for any blues fan.
6. Eric Clapton - EC was here. Brilliant Live album, check out 'presence of the lord' and 'Driftin' blues'
7. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East [ recorded live at Fillmore East, March 12 & 13 1971, Duane & Gregg Allman, Dicky Betts, Berry Oakley, Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks ] This album features an amazing 23 minutes jam on 'whipping post'.
8. B.B. King - The Electric BB King, His best. Originally released in 1969, This has some of his best works. As the liner notes point out, this is a breakthrough album for B.B. King.
9. John Mayall - Lost and Gone. [ originally released as 'Road Show Blues' in 1981 ] This is a superb album having some great tracks like 'Road Show' ' Mama, talk to your daughter' and 'Reaching for a mountain', a tribute to JLH - 'John Lee Boogie'
10. Stevie Ray Vaughan & The Double Trouble - Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985 [ recorded live at Montreux International Jazz Festival - July 17, 1982 and July 15, 1985 ] Truly an epic album... awesome guitars, heartbreaking anecdotes of SRV being booed by a snobbish Swiss audience that cared more for a black skin on the 'blues' guitarist than the fiery, virtuoso performance SRV put up there, David Bowie and Jackson Browne discovering SRV and his subsequent rise to superstardom. Check out 'Rude Mood', 'Pride and joy' and 'Texas flood' on Disk 1, 'Tin Pan alley ( aka Roughest place in town ), 'Voodoo Child ( slight return )' [there's an amazing improvisation of 'power of soul' in this track] and 'Couldn't stand the weather' on Disk 2
11. Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys - Live at the Fillmore East [ recorded live at Fillmore East, December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970 ] Hendrix, Buddy Miles and Billy Cox team up for some searing hot performances. Check out the blistering pace and stunning guitars on 'Izabella' 'Machine Gun', 'Earth Blues'... If this doesn't get you hooked on to Jimi's music, nothing will.
12. Santana Blues Band - Live at the Fillmore 1968 [ recorded live at Fillmore West, December 19-22 1968. Santana with David Brown, Bob 'Doc' Livingston, Marcus Malone, Gregg Rolie ] Stunning and mind bending, check out the brilliant improvisations on 'freeway' a 30 odd minutes jam... 'Fried neckbones', 'conquistadore rides again' and 'jingo' are awesome too...
More titles in the second list...
I am also getting angry with myself for not keeping track of the CDs... I am missing Ray Charles, Artie Shaw, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Christian, Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Louis Jordan and many more blues, rock and metal stuff :-(
I'm listing my blues collection... And a note that this listing is not in any particular order of preference... All are absolutley fascinating pieces of work
1. John Lee Hooker - The best of John Lee Hooker [1965-1974], Awesome collection of JLH's music, check out especially his improvisation with Van Morrison on "Never get out of these blues alive" [ recorded September 28-29, 1971 with Elvin Bishop on Slide Guitars ] and "I'm bad like Jesse James" [ recorded with Muddy Waters' band serving as the backing band... chilling stuff... ] This CD also features among others, "Bluebird", "one bourbon, one scotch, one beer", "The waterfront".
2. Muddy Waters - The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album [ recorded February 6 & 7, 1975 ] This can be considered a supersession, check out the artistes who backed Muddy Waters - Paul Butterfield, Bob Margolin & Pinetop Perkins [ Muddy Waters band ] Garth Hudson & Levon Helm [ The Band ], Fred Carter and Howard Johnson.
3. Muddy Waters - King Bee, Johnny Winter joins Muddy Waters Band to create some awesome music.
4. Jamming With Edwards [ recorded some late night in may 1969, Nicky Hopkins on Piano, Ry Cooder on Slide, 'numbled bathroom mumblings' by Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman on Bass and Charlie Watts on Drums ]
5. Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions [ recorded between May 2nd and 7th 1970, featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Ian Stewart, Klaus Voorman, Ringo 'Richie' Starr and many more... ] Check out 'The red rooster', 'Who's been talking', 'Wang Dang Doodle' and 'Killing Floor'. There is a false start on 'The red rooster' listen attentively to Eric Clapton asking Howlin' Wolf to show him how to play the guitar so that they get it right... This double CD set is a must have for any blues fan.
6. Eric Clapton - EC was here. Brilliant Live album, check out 'presence of the lord' and 'Driftin' blues'
7. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East [ recorded live at Fillmore East, March 12 & 13 1971, Duane & Gregg Allman, Dicky Betts, Berry Oakley, Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks ] This album features an amazing 23 minutes jam on 'whipping post'.
8. B.B. King - The Electric BB King, His best. Originally released in 1969, This has some of his best works. As the liner notes point out, this is a breakthrough album for B.B. King.
9. John Mayall - Lost and Gone. [ originally released as 'Road Show Blues' in 1981 ] This is a superb album having some great tracks like 'Road Show' ' Mama, talk to your daughter' and 'Reaching for a mountain', a tribute to JLH - 'John Lee Boogie'
10. Stevie Ray Vaughan & The Double Trouble - Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985 [ recorded live at Montreux International Jazz Festival - July 17, 1982 and July 15, 1985 ] Truly an epic album... awesome guitars, heartbreaking anecdotes of SRV being booed by a snobbish Swiss audience that cared more for a black skin on the 'blues' guitarist than the fiery, virtuoso performance SRV put up there, David Bowie and Jackson Browne discovering SRV and his subsequent rise to superstardom. Check out 'Rude Mood', 'Pride and joy' and 'Texas flood' on Disk 1, 'Tin Pan alley ( aka Roughest place in town ), 'Voodoo Child ( slight return )' [there's an amazing improvisation of 'power of soul' in this track] and 'Couldn't stand the weather' on Disk 2
11. Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys - Live at the Fillmore East [ recorded live at Fillmore East, December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970 ] Hendrix, Buddy Miles and Billy Cox team up for some searing hot performances. Check out the blistering pace and stunning guitars on 'Izabella' 'Machine Gun', 'Earth Blues'... If this doesn't get you hooked on to Jimi's music, nothing will.
12. Santana Blues Band - Live at the Fillmore 1968 [ recorded live at Fillmore West, December 19-22 1968. Santana with David Brown, Bob 'Doc' Livingston, Marcus Malone, Gregg Rolie ] Stunning and mind bending, check out the brilliant improvisations on 'freeway' a 30 odd minutes jam... 'Fried neckbones', 'conquistadore rides again' and 'jingo' are awesome too...
More titles in the second list...
Frank Zappa & Mothers, Ahead of their time - A short review
A couple of days ago, searching for some music, I chanced upon a full album mp3 file... the title fascinated me, did not hesitate to line it up for download. Downloaded it and I'm listening to it for the umpteenth time, I don't seem to tire of it...
The album is called "Ahead of their time", a 1993 release of a live concert recorded on October 28, 1968 with BBC Symphony orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London. I guess the reason for the release as Zappa's death in 1993.
This album is initially funny, the band members improvising [Frank Zappa : They're making up their lines as they go along, isn't it thrilling? in the track 'holding the group back'] and making fun of quite a few things from "atonality" to "diatonic system" to "the Pope and his birth control ban"... Roy Estrada, who would later form Little Feat is in top form as the mexican who auditions for the Mothers'. His 'holiday in Berlin' is truly class.
And what appears as a Zappa joke on the audience at first look turns out to be quite an extraordinary musical journey, It's brilliant, irreverent and very Zappesque. Zappa as the master of ceremonies, holding the play and plot together builds a neat comedy which offends purists and catholics [ if they are anti-choice that is, after all making fun of the Pope is not a joke ], but titillates and educates if you try to understand the intent. It makes fun of pop and it's propogators with - "Frank Zappa : Jimmy Carl, I must inform you, I must inform you, Jimmy Carl, for your own good, that here in London you're not gonna get any pussy unless you look like a popstar. Fix him up! . . . Mod Jacket . . .
(Jimmy Carl Black : Oh Jeezus . . . )
Frank Zappa : Frilly Mod Neckpiece, Jimi Hendrix wig, and a Feather Boa." ;)
The music gets serious and is brilliant towards the second half, check out the instrumental 'let's make the water turn black', 'King Kong' and 'the orange county lumber truck, parts 1 & 2" where Zappa's mastery of the guitar is unmistakable.
... Check out the artistes :
Frank Zappa: guitar, vocals
Ian Underwood: alto saxophone, piano
Bunk Gardner: tenor saxophone, clarinet
Euclid James 'Motorhead' Sherwood: baritone saxophone, tambourine
Roy Estrada: bass, vocals
Don Preston: electric piano
Arthur Tripp: drums, percussion
Jimmy Carl Black: drums
Members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
This album is a must not just for any Zappa fan but all music fans... go get it.
The album is called "Ahead of their time", a 1993 release of a live concert recorded on October 28, 1968 with BBC Symphony orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, London. I guess the reason for the release as Zappa's death in 1993.
This album is initially funny, the band members improvising [Frank Zappa : They're making up their lines as they go along, isn't it thrilling? in the track 'holding the group back'] and making fun of quite a few things from "atonality" to "diatonic system" to "the Pope and his birth control ban"... Roy Estrada, who would later form Little Feat is in top form as the mexican who auditions for the Mothers'. His 'holiday in Berlin' is truly class.
And what appears as a Zappa joke on the audience at first look turns out to be quite an extraordinary musical journey, It's brilliant, irreverent and very Zappesque. Zappa as the master of ceremonies, holding the play and plot together builds a neat comedy which offends purists and catholics [ if they are anti-choice that is, after all making fun of the Pope is not a joke ], but titillates and educates if you try to understand the intent. It makes fun of pop and it's propogators with - "Frank Zappa : Jimmy Carl, I must inform you, I must inform you, Jimmy Carl, for your own good, that here in London you're not gonna get any pussy unless you look like a popstar. Fix him up! . . . Mod Jacket . . .
(Jimmy Carl Black : Oh Jeezus . . . )
Frank Zappa : Frilly Mod Neckpiece, Jimi Hendrix wig, and a Feather Boa." ;)
The music gets serious and is brilliant towards the second half, check out the instrumental 'let's make the water turn black', 'King Kong' and 'the orange county lumber truck, parts 1 & 2" where Zappa's mastery of the guitar is unmistakable.
... Check out the artistes :
Frank Zappa: guitar, vocals
Ian Underwood: alto saxophone, piano
Bunk Gardner: tenor saxophone, clarinet
Euclid James 'Motorhead' Sherwood: baritone saxophone, tambourine
Roy Estrada: bass, vocals
Don Preston: electric piano
Arthur Tripp: drums, percussion
Jimmy Carl Black: drums
Members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
This album is a must not just for any Zappa fan but all music fans... go get it.
Extracts from the Journal of Dr. Faustus
Extract from the Journal of Dr. Faustus
Friday night:
Place: Bangalore –
Mephistopheles and I have come to meet an old friend who goes by the rather pretentious name of “eternal” and who likes to be called Captain Nemo [I should never have told him about his previous lives, but hindsight, as they say comes only after the fact.]
Nemo told us that he has got into a rut with his work, the mindless peering into a CRT to make sense of the characters appearing on it once in a while… trying to match some software professional’s skills with the requirements from his clients… He had a sinus problem... The women in his life have all disappeared for the Independence Day weekend, leaving him sighing… He has a writer’s block…
I solved his sinus problem with a snap of my finger, remedies made from leftovers. This being a weekend in Bangalore, even Mephisto, with all his magical powers could do nothing about making software professionals available for a talking to. Nemo has no desire to see Helen of Troy [maybe he has no desire to see a thousand digitized ships… and the topless towers of Ilium suddenly bursting into flames on his widescreen dolby home theatre system.] and Mephisto, damn his black soul, declines to materialise Norma Jean so we can do nothing about his loneliness. The easiest thing to do is to get Nemo out of his writer’s block, and who has had a better life than me for a wonderful narrative of adventures? [My friend Casanova’s life comes a distant second… but his share of misadventures is more than mine]
In a few moments, dear journal, I shall leave to have dinner and to tell Nemo some fascinating stories. I have no idea when I shall return to you, till then… fare thee well…
Saturday Night : Blank
Sunday Night : Blank
Monday Night:
Place: Weimar
When we took leave of Nemo today morning, he was exhausted but very restless, bursting with ideas for writing. I hope he slept for a few hours atleast before going to work. The last three nights were spent in a joyful, nostalgic mood at Nemo’s home in Bangalore. We [I and Mephisto] recollecting all our adventures of the last few centuries… my associations with some of the greatest men of science, philosophers and adventurers. And Nemo listening, what an owl he is… doesn’t sleep till the first rays of dawn strikes him… He listened and made notes, not trusting his phenomenal memory for trivia for the first time since I got to know him.
He might soon write about some of those people, their work and my associations with them …
Knowing him, he might just write it in a first person narrative. IF he does so, I hope people will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed living it…
Friday night:
Place: Bangalore –
Mephistopheles and I have come to meet an old friend who goes by the rather pretentious name of “eternal” and who likes to be called Captain Nemo [I should never have told him about his previous lives, but hindsight, as they say comes only after the fact.]
Nemo told us that he has got into a rut with his work, the mindless peering into a CRT to make sense of the characters appearing on it once in a while… trying to match some software professional’s skills with the requirements from his clients… He had a sinus problem... The women in his life have all disappeared for the Independence Day weekend, leaving him sighing… He has a writer’s block…
I solved his sinus problem with a snap of my finger, remedies made from leftovers. This being a weekend in Bangalore, even Mephisto, with all his magical powers could do nothing about making software professionals available for a talking to. Nemo has no desire to see Helen of Troy [maybe he has no desire to see a thousand digitized ships… and the topless towers of Ilium suddenly bursting into flames on his widescreen dolby home theatre system.] and Mephisto, damn his black soul, declines to materialise Norma Jean so we can do nothing about his loneliness. The easiest thing to do is to get Nemo out of his writer’s block, and who has had a better life than me for a wonderful narrative of adventures? [My friend Casanova’s life comes a distant second… but his share of misadventures is more than mine]
In a few moments, dear journal, I shall leave to have dinner and to tell Nemo some fascinating stories. I have no idea when I shall return to you, till then… fare thee well…
Saturday Night : Blank
Sunday Night : Blank
Monday Night:
Place: Weimar
When we took leave of Nemo today morning, he was exhausted but very restless, bursting with ideas for writing. I hope he slept for a few hours atleast before going to work. The last three nights were spent in a joyful, nostalgic mood at Nemo’s home in Bangalore. We [I and Mephisto] recollecting all our adventures of the last few centuries… my associations with some of the greatest men of science, philosophers and adventurers. And Nemo listening, what an owl he is… doesn’t sleep till the first rays of dawn strikes him… He listened and made notes, not trusting his phenomenal memory for trivia for the first time since I got to know him.
He might soon write about some of those people, their work and my associations with them …
Knowing him, he might just write it in a first person narrative. IF he does so, I hope people will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed living it…
Strange Times...
I was bugged with Bangalore life, but could not take off very far as there was a huge amount of work to be finished and not much time. Saturday night, I came home around midnight, switched off the mobile [ had not done it for months, maybe that needed as much a break as I did ], kept the parallel landline near my bed off the hook and slept like a log... my first real sleep in almost a fortnight. I had slept for a good ten hours at a stretch when my mother woke me up to discuss the critical issue of what to cook for breakfast and wondering what was wrong with the phone - there was no dial tone :D
I don’t know why I did it, but I switched on the mobile without really thinking about it and immediately it rang. My friend was trying to reach me for quite some time dialing frantically on both the landline and mobile numbers and getting strange messages each time... it was engaged, or temporarily disabled, switched off or out of coverage area. My friend was sure I was dead tired and would not have ventured out anywhere, after all I was with him till late night. He wanted to know what I was thinking of doing that day. So I told him that I would like to do what any honest working man like me would want to do on any given sunday [ when there are no football matches that is... ] - EAT and SLEEP.
He asked me if I wanted to go to someplace interesting... an orphanage run by a couple of our mutual friends. There was a guru pooja happening there, good food, nice place to relax and spend a night away from the din [ this guy should choose marketing, away from the din indeed... ] So I told him to wait till I join him...
It was good hard ride of about 40 kilometers on Kanakapura road. We reached the place at about 2pm. Postponed lunch till 4 and then hogged on the simple 'rice, thiLi saaru, kosambari and beans palya' like refugees from Somalia... The villagers who were serving the food were so nice and friendly that I could not refuse the food :D
This orphanage was started by a old man simply called 'thaatha' [ old man, grand father ] and considered to be a man posessing some miraculous powers. The people from the neighbouring villages come there and leave their children when they are in trouble and cannot raise them. They take them back when their situation improve, so orphanage may not be the technically correct word to describe this place though there are some kids with no family... A lot of sadhus and sanyasis gather at this place on this particular day to remember this grandfather-who-came-from-who-knows-where. They perform poojas and then the whole night they will sing bhajans and leave at dawn. So I will call it an ashram henceforth.
At dusk things started to get really interesting. Till that time I was watching the kids rehearse their songs and dances. Sometime in the evening, we started getting visitors I'd never have expected to see in such a surrounding... a few Japanese and some strangely named mystery lady. It was at this point the situation turned interesting to me personally... I had seen the sadhus smoke on chillum before, but never seen them elaborately preparing them... clean and wash the grass, put it in, light it with such reverence and drag blissfully. The japs were equally reverential to the chillums, I sorely missed a handycam [ not just for these visuals, the kids playing around and rehearsing and a lot of other things were quite beautiful and deserved being on a tape ]
After some time of lounging around the place I decided to take a walk. This place is on a hillock close to the forest... it was pitch dark, being just a couple of days before New Moon day. I walked for about half and hour and while returning met one of the guys working with the orphanage and he told me it was dangerous thing to do, what with a huge python close to 20 feet in length, in that area. But it was lovely weather, a walk in that weather was just right to remove the cobwebs from the mind. By the time I came back to the ashram, the place was filled with smoke... but there was no evil smell of adulterated grass that I have smelt in the city among friends.
A few of my friends who had come there were freaking out on the pot offered by the sadhus and really getting into a groove. They had not seen so much grass in their entire lives. And here each guy was having pouches filled with 'good, pure' stuff... the sight of that itself was enough to blow their mind.
I needed something more...
When one guy offered me a smoke, I declined, telling him that I did not smoke, but I would like to try some in any different form... So I was offered biscuits mixed with it, but the old man who offered it said 'it is very strong, you will just sleep'. So I said 'ok, rejected as a biscuit, anything else?' and my friend offered to make tea. It sounded good, so I said 'yeah, why not?' So tea was made with grass mixed with it... It tasted a bit different. I did not feel much different after drinking it except a bit more alert than the usual 'tea effect'.
At around midnight, I sat with a group of people. They were talking philosophy and in between singing songs or vachanas or dasa padas to substantiate or justify their arguments. These guys were deep, I have heard many people talk this kind of stuff before, but never with the kind of understanding or practicality as these guys. So I was quite intrigued by them... wondering : who they were? where did they come from? what had these guys studied? where did they get this phenomenal memory to recall odd bits of poetry which sometimes did not even register in our minds?
I went down to the room once again and sat listening to the bhajans, the last thing I remembered was looking at my watch and noting the time to be 03:03.
Woke at 6:30 AM as fresh as I'd ever been before I started this donkey work and started the journey back home so relaxed that I was almost floating on air...
But half an hour on the road, the euphoria evaporated as the dread of a city life returned...
I don’t know why I did it, but I switched on the mobile without really thinking about it and immediately it rang. My friend was trying to reach me for quite some time dialing frantically on both the landline and mobile numbers and getting strange messages each time... it was engaged, or temporarily disabled, switched off or out of coverage area. My friend was sure I was dead tired and would not have ventured out anywhere, after all I was with him till late night. He wanted to know what I was thinking of doing that day. So I told him that I would like to do what any honest working man like me would want to do on any given sunday [ when there are no football matches that is... ] - EAT and SLEEP.
He asked me if I wanted to go to someplace interesting... an orphanage run by a couple of our mutual friends. There was a guru pooja happening there, good food, nice place to relax and spend a night away from the din [ this guy should choose marketing, away from the din indeed... ] So I told him to wait till I join him...
It was good hard ride of about 40 kilometers on Kanakapura road. We reached the place at about 2pm. Postponed lunch till 4 and then hogged on the simple 'rice, thiLi saaru, kosambari and beans palya' like refugees from Somalia... The villagers who were serving the food were so nice and friendly that I could not refuse the food :D
This orphanage was started by a old man simply called 'thaatha' [ old man, grand father ] and considered to be a man posessing some miraculous powers. The people from the neighbouring villages come there and leave their children when they are in trouble and cannot raise them. They take them back when their situation improve, so orphanage may not be the technically correct word to describe this place though there are some kids with no family... A lot of sadhus and sanyasis gather at this place on this particular day to remember this grandfather-who-came-from-who-knows-where. They perform poojas and then the whole night they will sing bhajans and leave at dawn. So I will call it an ashram henceforth.
At dusk things started to get really interesting. Till that time I was watching the kids rehearse their songs and dances. Sometime in the evening, we started getting visitors I'd never have expected to see in such a surrounding... a few Japanese and some strangely named mystery lady. It was at this point the situation turned interesting to me personally... I had seen the sadhus smoke on chillum before, but never seen them elaborately preparing them... clean and wash the grass, put it in, light it with such reverence and drag blissfully. The japs were equally reverential to the chillums, I sorely missed a handycam [ not just for these visuals, the kids playing around and rehearsing and a lot of other things were quite beautiful and deserved being on a tape ]
After some time of lounging around the place I decided to take a walk. This place is on a hillock close to the forest... it was pitch dark, being just a couple of days before New Moon day. I walked for about half and hour and while returning met one of the guys working with the orphanage and he told me it was dangerous thing to do, what with a huge python close to 20 feet in length, in that area. But it was lovely weather, a walk in that weather was just right to remove the cobwebs from the mind. By the time I came back to the ashram, the place was filled with smoke... but there was no evil smell of adulterated grass that I have smelt in the city among friends.
A few of my friends who had come there were freaking out on the pot offered by the sadhus and really getting into a groove. They had not seen so much grass in their entire lives. And here each guy was having pouches filled with 'good, pure' stuff... the sight of that itself was enough to blow their mind.
I needed something more...
When one guy offered me a smoke, I declined, telling him that I did not smoke, but I would like to try some in any different form... So I was offered biscuits mixed with it, but the old man who offered it said 'it is very strong, you will just sleep'. So I said 'ok, rejected as a biscuit, anything else?' and my friend offered to make tea. It sounded good, so I said 'yeah, why not?' So tea was made with grass mixed with it... It tasted a bit different. I did not feel much different after drinking it except a bit more alert than the usual 'tea effect'.
At around midnight, I sat with a group of people. They were talking philosophy and in between singing songs or vachanas or dasa padas to substantiate or justify their arguments. These guys were deep, I have heard many people talk this kind of stuff before, but never with the kind of understanding or practicality as these guys. So I was quite intrigued by them... wondering : who they were? where did they come from? what had these guys studied? where did they get this phenomenal memory to recall odd bits of poetry which sometimes did not even register in our minds?
I went down to the room once again and sat listening to the bhajans, the last thing I remembered was looking at my watch and noting the time to be 03:03.
Woke at 6:30 AM as fresh as I'd ever been before I started this donkey work and started the journey back home so relaxed that I was almost floating on air...
But half an hour on the road, the euphoria evaporated as the dread of a city life returned...
Genius Loves Company
Take these chains from my heart and set me free
Take these tears from my eyes and let me see
For sheer listening pleasure, there is nothing to beat this album. Ray is at his best, partnering some really awesome artists from really diverse genrés... from Jazz /Blues, Country, Soul, Pop.
The first track "Here We Go Again" - (featuring Norah Jones)is a beautiful jazz piece with a brilliant Hammond organ solo by Billy Preston. The very neat, upbeat "Sweet Potato Pie" - (featuring James Taylor)will make one smile with it's simple but naughty lyrics... "You Don't Know Me" - (featuring Diana Krall) is a bitter-sweet song, sounds almost pop-ish which kind of blends into the next pop song "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" - (featuring Elton John), this version sounds much classier to me, specially when Ray sings : "What have I got to do to make you love me?"... really heartbreaking. The next song is a superb "Fever" - (featuring Natalie Cole), an upbeat jazz song with finger snapping rythm and a loose drum section... Natalie is brilliant. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" - (featuring Bonnie Raitt) Bonnie Raitt's wailing slide guitar ably supporting Ray's rasping vocals to make it a awesome sounding song... "It Was A Very Good Year" - (featuring Willie Nelson), remember Frank Sinatra singing this song? This version is cool, laidback and beautiful, with Willie Nelson in awesome form... "Hey Girl" - (featuring Michael McDonald) sounds pretty good, with a nice rythmic, pop-ish feel to it...
"Sinner's Prayer" - (featuring B.B. King) This song is the pick of the lot for all the obvious reasons. Both BB and Ray in peak form, brilliant blues song... 'Lord please have mercy on me... bring in some more artistes who will carry on the legacy of these men...' [ my version... :)) ] "Heaven Help Us All" - (featuring Gladys Knight) is a throw back to the old classic soul songs with some neat harmony backing vocals, "Over The Rainbow" - (featuring Johnny Mathis) is slow and sweet, sounding like one of those romantic soundtracks from Disney animation movies... Winding up this brilliant album is a live version of "Crazy Love" - (featuring Van Morrison), this is one of the best collaborations I've heard on this soul / gospel song.
Highly recommended album.
Take these tears from my eyes and let me see
For sheer listening pleasure, there is nothing to beat this album. Ray is at his best, partnering some really awesome artists from really diverse genrés... from Jazz /Blues, Country, Soul, Pop.
The first track "Here We Go Again" - (featuring Norah Jones)is a beautiful jazz piece with a brilliant Hammond organ solo by Billy Preston. The very neat, upbeat "Sweet Potato Pie" - (featuring James Taylor)will make one smile with it's simple but naughty lyrics... "You Don't Know Me" - (featuring Diana Krall) is a bitter-sweet song, sounds almost pop-ish which kind of blends into the next pop song "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" - (featuring Elton John), this version sounds much classier to me, specially when Ray sings : "What have I got to do to make you love me?"... really heartbreaking. The next song is a superb "Fever" - (featuring Natalie Cole), an upbeat jazz song with finger snapping rythm and a loose drum section... Natalie is brilliant. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?" - (featuring Bonnie Raitt) Bonnie Raitt's wailing slide guitar ably supporting Ray's rasping vocals to make it a awesome sounding song... "It Was A Very Good Year" - (featuring Willie Nelson), remember Frank Sinatra singing this song? This version is cool, laidback and beautiful, with Willie Nelson in awesome form... "Hey Girl" - (featuring Michael McDonald) sounds pretty good, with a nice rythmic, pop-ish feel to it...
"Sinner's Prayer" - (featuring B.B. King) This song is the pick of the lot for all the obvious reasons. Both BB and Ray in peak form, brilliant blues song... 'Lord please have mercy on me... bring in some more artistes who will carry on the legacy of these men...' [ my version... :)) ] "Heaven Help Us All" - (featuring Gladys Knight) is a throw back to the old classic soul songs with some neat harmony backing vocals, "Over The Rainbow" - (featuring Johnny Mathis) is slow and sweet, sounding like one of those romantic soundtracks from Disney animation movies... Winding up this brilliant album is a live version of "Crazy Love" - (featuring Van Morrison), this is one of the best collaborations I've heard on this soul / gospel song.
Highly recommended album.
A very brief introduction to Kannada literature
This is my small attempt to introduce people to the world of Kannada
literature. When I write a capital letter it is the emphasis or the phoenetic equivalent in my language Kannada, so that you will find it easier to pronounce them... like l as in "kamala" is the soft one and L in "KhaLanaayaka" ( meaning a villain ) is the hard one, similarly k and K are the soft and hard ones respectively...
Kannada literature has won the maximum Jnanapeetha awards - seven.
If there is one person who can write the most complex of things in a simple language it is Maasti. His name is Maasti ( his native place ) Venkatesha Iyengar and pen name is "Sreenivasa". He has translated some wonderful Shakespearean plays ( The Tempest = "ChanDamaarutha", Twelfth night = "dwaadasha raathri" ) has written some amazing plays ( kaakana kOte, ajjana daari, Bhattara magaLu, Vimalaa Marienne ). He is one of the most admired short story writers in Kannada and the most prolific too. Some of his novels and novellas are : chennabasavanayaka, chikaveera raajendra, subbaNNa, maathugaara raamaNNa, SheShamma. "arChana" is a series of short character sketches of some very well known people, "malaara" is a collection of short poems. He died at a ripe old age of 95. He won a Jnanapeetha award.
"kuvempu" or "kuppaLLi Venkatappa puttappa" is another doyen of Kannada literature. He wrote a great poem of about thousand pages in a meter called "mahaaChandas" based on the raamaayaNa. It is called "Sree raamaayaNa darShaNa" He won the Jnanapeetha award for this work. He also wrote a great many works of which two novels stand out... "kaanoora heggaDathi" and "malegaLLalli madumagaLu", many plays "beraLge koraL" ( based on the Ekalavya incident ), "smaashaana kurukshetra" ( The burial ground of Kurukshetra ). But the one which is my all time favourite is his version of the Pied piper, a beautiful poem called "bommanahaLLiya kindari jogi" the finest creation of a brilliant mind for the children. His series of essays on his childhood days at his native place "kuppaLLi" near TheerthahaLLi makes wonderful reading. His son poorNaChandra tejaswi is also a noted littreteur, painter, photographer and his translations of Kenneth Anderson's
"Tales from the Indian Jungle" are worthy of being classed equal to the originals... Incidentally Kenneth Anderson lived in Bangalore till his death and he himself has acknowledged the fact that Tejaswi's translations are better. Both Kuvempu and Tejaswi have won the Sahitya academy prize.
Dr. D V gunDappa is another genius who wrote magnificent poetry and
philosophy. He won the Sahitya Academy award for his philosophical poem "mankuthimmana kagga" ( the poem of a dimwit ), a great work. Some of his other works include "samskruthi", "gadaayuddha", "omarana osage" ( a translation of Omar Khayyaam's "Rubaiyat"... amazing work ). One other great Kannada stalwart TP Kailasam is supposed to have given the initials "DV" a totally different meaning... "dio volante" ( dio volante in latin means "god willing" or as in urdu "inshallah" ) and said he "god willing, he could have made me as talented and philosophic, but knew there could only be one and it had to be Gundappa.. ) But Kailasam was elder to Gundappa, so it just shows how great DVG's genius was. His son Prof. BGL Swamy was another great writer... a botany professor, he wrote a great deal in both Kannada and Tamil ( which he learnt during his stint as the the HOD in Madras University ). Both Father DVG and son have won the Sahitya Academy prizes.
"da raa bendre" or "dattaatreya raamachandra bendre" was a fantastic poet. His pen name is "ambikaathanayadatta" ( datta, the son of ambika / Saraswati ). He won the Jnanapeetha award for his collection of poems "naaku thanthi" ( four wires ). He has written a poem on Tagore which goes like this : " nuDidu byasattaaga, duDiduDidu sattaaga, janaka higgina haadu needaava, janaka higgina haadu needaava gurudeva..." ( when ennui sets in after talking, and we feel dead after working, the one who gives people a happy song, the one who gives people a happy song is Gurudeva, Tagore... this is my translation please ignore the lack of poetry in it ). His son vaamana bendre also won a Sahitya Academy prize.
This has gone long enough for a supposedly very brief introduction... next time I'll write about few more authors and two great playwrights Kailasam and Sriranga...
literature. When I write a capital letter it is the emphasis or the phoenetic equivalent in my language Kannada, so that you will find it easier to pronounce them... like l as in "kamala" is the soft one and L in "KhaLanaayaka" ( meaning a villain ) is the hard one, similarly k and K are the soft and hard ones respectively...
Kannada literature has won the maximum Jnanapeetha awards - seven.
If there is one person who can write the most complex of things in a simple language it is Maasti. His name is Maasti ( his native place ) Venkatesha Iyengar and pen name is "Sreenivasa". He has translated some wonderful Shakespearean plays ( The Tempest = "ChanDamaarutha", Twelfth night = "dwaadasha raathri" ) has written some amazing plays ( kaakana kOte, ajjana daari, Bhattara magaLu, Vimalaa Marienne ). He is one of the most admired short story writers in Kannada and the most prolific too. Some of his novels and novellas are : chennabasavanayaka, chikaveera raajendra, subbaNNa, maathugaara raamaNNa, SheShamma. "arChana" is a series of short character sketches of some very well known people, "malaara" is a collection of short poems. He died at a ripe old age of 95. He won a Jnanapeetha award.
"kuvempu" or "kuppaLLi Venkatappa puttappa" is another doyen of Kannada literature. He wrote a great poem of about thousand pages in a meter called "mahaaChandas" based on the raamaayaNa. It is called "Sree raamaayaNa darShaNa" He won the Jnanapeetha award for this work. He also wrote a great many works of which two novels stand out... "kaanoora heggaDathi" and "malegaLLalli madumagaLu", many plays "beraLge koraL" ( based on the Ekalavya incident ), "smaashaana kurukshetra" ( The burial ground of Kurukshetra ). But the one which is my all time favourite is his version of the Pied piper, a beautiful poem called "bommanahaLLiya kindari jogi" the finest creation of a brilliant mind for the children. His series of essays on his childhood days at his native place "kuppaLLi" near TheerthahaLLi makes wonderful reading. His son poorNaChandra tejaswi is also a noted littreteur, painter, photographer and his translations of Kenneth Anderson's
"Tales from the Indian Jungle" are worthy of being classed equal to the originals... Incidentally Kenneth Anderson lived in Bangalore till his death and he himself has acknowledged the fact that Tejaswi's translations are better. Both Kuvempu and Tejaswi have won the Sahitya academy prize.
Dr. D V gunDappa is another genius who wrote magnificent poetry and
philosophy. He won the Sahitya Academy award for his philosophical poem "mankuthimmana kagga" ( the poem of a dimwit ), a great work. Some of his other works include "samskruthi", "gadaayuddha", "omarana osage" ( a translation of Omar Khayyaam's "Rubaiyat"... amazing work ). One other great Kannada stalwart TP Kailasam is supposed to have given the initials "DV" a totally different meaning... "dio volante" ( dio volante in latin means "god willing" or as in urdu "inshallah" ) and said he "god willing, he could have made me as talented and philosophic, but knew there could only be one and it had to be Gundappa.. ) But Kailasam was elder to Gundappa, so it just shows how great DVG's genius was. His son Prof. BGL Swamy was another great writer... a botany professor, he wrote a great deal in both Kannada and Tamil ( which he learnt during his stint as the the HOD in Madras University ). Both Father DVG and son have won the Sahitya Academy prizes.
"da raa bendre" or "dattaatreya raamachandra bendre" was a fantastic poet. His pen name is "ambikaathanayadatta" ( datta, the son of ambika / Saraswati ). He won the Jnanapeetha award for his collection of poems "naaku thanthi" ( four wires ). He has written a poem on Tagore which goes like this : " nuDidu byasattaaga, duDiduDidu sattaaga, janaka higgina haadu needaava, janaka higgina haadu needaava gurudeva..." ( when ennui sets in after talking, and we feel dead after working, the one who gives people a happy song, the one who gives people a happy song is Gurudeva, Tagore... this is my translation please ignore the lack of poetry in it ). His son vaamana bendre also won a Sahitya Academy prize.
This has gone long enough for a supposedly very brief introduction... next time I'll write about few more authors and two great playwrights Kailasam and Sriranga...
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