New Delhi: Columbian rock musician Cesar Lopez says he is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideologies and spreads the message of non-violence through his gun-guitar, a six-string guitar made of of AK-47.
Lopez, 33, who was on his maiden visit to India to attend the Delhi International Arts Festival, feels music has the power to bind the world together.
"I compose songs talking about the severe issues of my country and my aim is to combat terrorism through the means of art and music. Since my childhood, I have followed Mahatma Gandhi and his struggle of freedom through non-violence," Cesar told PTI.
"Through our music we remind people how Mahatma Gandhi always followed the path of non-violence. Each year we celebrate Gandhi's birthday," he said.
Cesar, who is also a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime messenger of non-violence in his country, visited the Gandhi museum to donate his gun-guitar as a tribute to Mahatma.
"This AK-47 can kill 300 people at a time and now I am composing music through it that will heal the pain of the people. So far, I have presented my guitar in 17 nations and presenting it to one of my favourite leaders was a major event in my life,
Monday, November 21, 2011
KJ Yesudas celebrates golden jubilee as a singer
New Delhi: Singing legend KJ Yesudas celebrates Golden Jubilee as a singer on Monday. Yesudas has recorded over 50,000 songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Gujarati, Tulu, English, Russian and Marathi during a career spanning over 5 decades.
He is known as 'The Celestial Singer'. Yesudas has won several national awards including Padma Bhushan for his unmatched contribution towards art and culture. He is also a renowned classical musician.
In 50 years, he has sung over 35,000 songs in 14 languages. Some of his popular Hindi numbers are "Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein", "Dil Ke Tukde Tukde Karke", "Jaaneman Tere Do Nayan". Down south, he gave hits in movies like "Vadakkum Nathan", "Madhuchandralekha" and "Pattanathil Sundaran".
State Minister for Culture KC Joseph told IANS that the Kerala government will honour him in the most befitting manner.
"Even though a request did come up to give the status of 'State Singer' to Yesudas, the constitution does not permit state governments to confer titles on individuals, but we will certainly give him a Lifetime Achievement award. The details of this are being worked out," said Joseph.
The 71-year-old veteran was born in Fort Kochi to Augustine Joseph and Alicekutty. His father, who was a well-known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor, was his first guru.
Later he joined the RLV Music Academy in Trippunithura near Kochi and then studied at the Sree Swati Thirunal Music College, in the capital city under the training of Late Semmangudy Sreenivasa Iyer. But he had to leave his studies midway due to financial crunch.
For a brief period, he was with Sri Vechur Hari Hara Subramania Iyer, after which he took advanced training from Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar.
Incidentally, it was MB Sreenivasan, well-known South Indian music director who after his first meeting with Yesudas in 1961 had predicted that a star is born and was the one who gave Yesudas his first singing assignment.
Sreenivasan sent Yesudas a telegram asking him to rush to Madras (now Chennai) for a recording.
But when the young singer reached Madras, he was told that he would have to wait for two months because there's a change in plans.
Yesudas was shattered because he had no money. He even suffered a typhoid attack. When the recording date arrived, he had not recovered but the organisers were kind enough to allow him to sing a four-line 'shloka' of Sree Narayana Guru in the Malayalam movie "Kalpadukel".
This marked the first recording for him and there was no looking back for Yesudas, who even after 50 years continues to be one of the most sought after singers in the industry.
On numerous occasions the veteran singer has said that he has struggled to keep his career afloat right from the time he was a student, when poverty was giving him a tough time.
One incident the singer often quotes was when he was 16 years old and studying at the Sree Swati Thirunal Music College. During those days he used to eat at a small hotel.
One day when hungry Yesudas sat down to have lunch and a bearer was about to serve him rice, the hotel owner growled and said that Yesudas need not be given food till he pays the outstanding balance of Rs 35.
Many years later when Yesudas was flying high, he was told that the hotel owner who shooed him away was sick. The singer immediately reached the hospital and told him not to worry about the money and took care of his medical expenses.
The singer clarified to the hotel owner that he was not trying to clear his long standing debt of Rs.35 because that unpaid bill will keep alive a relationship between them.
Over the years he has been conferred the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan besides winning seven national and 17 state film awards in singing.
Yesudas has three sons and his second son Vijay Yesudas too won the state film award for singing in 2007.
Even though settled in Chennai, Yesudas comes to the state often and also owns a home in Florida.
He is known as 'The Celestial Singer'. Yesudas has won several national awards including Padma Bhushan for his unmatched contribution towards art and culture. He is also a renowned classical musician.
In 50 years, he has sung over 35,000 songs in 14 languages. Some of his popular Hindi numbers are "Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein", "Dil Ke Tukde Tukde Karke", "Jaaneman Tere Do Nayan". Down south, he gave hits in movies like "Vadakkum Nathan", "Madhuchandralekha" and "Pattanathil Sundaran".
State Minister for Culture KC Joseph told IANS that the Kerala government will honour him in the most befitting manner.
"Even though a request did come up to give the status of 'State Singer' to Yesudas, the constitution does not permit state governments to confer titles on individuals, but we will certainly give him a Lifetime Achievement award. The details of this are being worked out," said Joseph.
The 71-year-old veteran was born in Fort Kochi to Augustine Joseph and Alicekutty. His father, who was a well-known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor, was his first guru.
Later he joined the RLV Music Academy in Trippunithura near Kochi and then studied at the Sree Swati Thirunal Music College, in the capital city under the training of Late Semmangudy Sreenivasa Iyer. But he had to leave his studies midway due to financial crunch.
For a brief period, he was with Sri Vechur Hari Hara Subramania Iyer, after which he took advanced training from Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar.
Incidentally, it was MB Sreenivasan, well-known South Indian music director who after his first meeting with Yesudas in 1961 had predicted that a star is born and was the one who gave Yesudas his first singing assignment.
Sreenivasan sent Yesudas a telegram asking him to rush to Madras (now Chennai) for a recording.
But when the young singer reached Madras, he was told that he would have to wait for two months because there's a change in plans.
Yesudas was shattered because he had no money. He even suffered a typhoid attack. When the recording date arrived, he had not recovered but the organisers were kind enough to allow him to sing a four-line 'shloka' of Sree Narayana Guru in the Malayalam movie "Kalpadukel".
This marked the first recording for him and there was no looking back for Yesudas, who even after 50 years continues to be one of the most sought after singers in the industry.
On numerous occasions the veteran singer has said that he has struggled to keep his career afloat right from the time he was a student, when poverty was giving him a tough time.
One incident the singer often quotes was when he was 16 years old and studying at the Sree Swati Thirunal Music College. During those days he used to eat at a small hotel.
One day when hungry Yesudas sat down to have lunch and a bearer was about to serve him rice, the hotel owner growled and said that Yesudas need not be given food till he pays the outstanding balance of Rs 35.
Many years later when Yesudas was flying high, he was told that the hotel owner who shooed him away was sick. The singer immediately reached the hospital and told him not to worry about the money and took care of his medical expenses.
The singer clarified to the hotel owner that he was not trying to clear his long standing debt of Rs.35 because that unpaid bill will keep alive a relationship between them.
Over the years he has been conferred the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan besides winning seven national and 17 state film awards in singing.
Yesudas has three sons and his second son Vijay Yesudas too won the state film award for singing in 2007.
Even though settled in Chennai, Yesudas comes to the state often and also owns a home in Florida.
Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl
Con-man strikes back...! Bollywood's insatiable desire in plotting enterprising fictional conning plots and delivering out intimidating spells of "edge-of-seat" entertainment makes new noises in LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL. After the surprise success of BAND BAAJA BAARAT, coveted Yash Raj Films (YRF) entrusts the same team for this rom-con (read "rom-com") flick with same musical team, delivering out the needful. Salim-Suleiman, a consistent in YRF and also brainchild behind BAND BAAJA BAARAT success, hold the musical baton and promise some really musical "masti" for their listeners. Can we expect the musical happening of this con-man friendly flick to be at par or to surpass the composer's previous works? Let's find out...
Smooth and conniving in intimidating impulsive tuneful appeal, the first track "Aadat se Majboor", opens all cards of the flick and plots the graph of lead character (Ricky Bahl) and all his maneuvers with all desired upbeat arrangements settings in its backdrop. Benny Dayal's suave "n" smart rendition moves in tandem with the infectious hip-hop com reggae feel and jesters out all the playful moves of the "con-man". Salim-Suleiman's composition is a tailor made work, a musical piece that can be described as title track, epitomizing out the impish and scheming personality of the lead protagonist. The signature tuneful feel has "whodunit" factor that gets flourished with sluggishly pitched jazz romantic appeal, followed with snazzy emceeing by actor Ranveer Singh and reggae thriving feel. Hugely promoted on all media circuits, this Benny Dayal rendered track has already garnered spotlight and is likely to be next hot affair on the charts in days to come. "Aadat se Majboor (remix)", is an electronica based "trance" feel "club remix" specialist number, which works aggressively on mixing of electronic disco beat fillers into the crazy feel of the soundtrack. It's highly infectiously loud disco-feel should be finding many takers on the dancing floors, a likable commodity for the promos and teasers of the flick.
It's all about creating Pop-conscious! Salim-Suleiman created ruckus on floors for Anushka Sharma in "Dance Pe Chance" (RAB NE BANA DI JODI) and now is all set for another eccentrically enthuse number in "Jazba". It's chirpy and funky in its blooming tempos but lacks the spunk and punch of making it as big as they did it in "Dance pe Chance". Shilpa Rao's booming voice leads the show that talks about optimism and showing zeal of living life in simplistically penned wordings. Salim-Suleiman's composition neither disappoints nor enthralls too high in its energetically fuelled "bhangra-beat" orchestrations and zealous vocals but works mechanically to serenade out the mindset of the singer. Like "Aadat se Majboor", this one too enjoys aggressive promotion and its highlight is being the presence of Anushka Sharma doing all the on-screen antics while song proves to be a passable affair.
"Jazba (remix)" is like an 80's disco-station and replaces Shilpa Rao with Anushka Manchanda as the lead vocalist of this version. This loud and frivolous "club-remix" version is uproariously high on drumming and cantankerous sounds, overall it's an over-worked "club-version" that fails to impress.
The breezy Punjabi flair of YRF finally makes its impact in modest sounding "Thug Le". It bears a typical Salim-Suleiman stamp of peculiar arrangements where archetypal violin notes domineer in the prelude as well as in the middle interludes of the track. Vishal Dadlani's smoothening "n" light voice narrates the mindset of boy where the svelte feminine oomph in Shweta Pandit's impressive vocals confronts it to perfection. Going with contemporary YRF yardsticks, it has typical European orchestrations (to precise sounds of Bagpipers, violin, and banjo) going in tandem with racy vocal flows, narrating out a cheeky conversation coming out in musicals. It's a cool and enjoyable "battle-of-sexes" situational number that should be grabbing sufficient eyeballs to the big screen.
After immensely catchy and tunefully captivating "Ainwayi Ainwayi" (BAND BAAJA BAARAT), Salim-Suleiman pitch out another similar sounding "bhangra" blazing number in "Jigar ka Tukda". To be precise, it sounds like a sequel to "Ainwayi Ainwayi" with Salim Merchant booming out with similar zeal and tempo. It's enthralling in "bhangra" beat arrangements and pumps up mood in playfully scripted wordings by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Shraddha Pandit's naughty "girlie" rendition has a likable Punjabi affixation (similar to Harshdeep Kaur's singing in "Baari Barsi" (BAND BAAJA BAARAT) and makes mood merrier and peppier. On amusing quotient, it scores appreciably and is likely to be encouraging factor in oozing up pep-factor in this mischievously penned love saga.
To give it an international conman flick appeal, the final outing comes out as strikingly rich melodramatic instrumental number in the form of "Fatal Attraction". It has vivacious electronically tuned "Synthpop" signature tuneful impact, complimented well with mix and match of "club-remix" disco-beat fillers, electronic flute notes and blazing percussions, which gives it an amiable background score feel. Natalie Di Luccio's slender and resonating back-up vocals mesmerized in this well-arranged number are the major highlights that carry the impish cum intimidating feel of the flick with flair.
LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL proves to be an above average listening affair. It comes out as another contemporary Bollywood album that entertains and enthralls in bits and parts, where the composers have rehashed and rejuvenated back their old successful tracks in new formats with mixed results. It scores maximum in highly publicized "Aadat Se Majboor" while "Jigar ka Tukda" promises to be a feisty on-screen affair. The rest of the soundtracks can be termed as affable situational scores that should be rising to the desired occasions. As compared to lead pair's (Ranveer-Anushka) last release, BAND BAAJA BAARAT, and YRF high musical standards, this album turns out to be a meek affair and won't be reaping big results in weeks to come, a promising box-office show will surely be boon in raising the prospects of the album.
Smooth and conniving in intimidating impulsive tuneful appeal, the first track "Aadat se Majboor", opens all cards of the flick and plots the graph of lead character (Ricky Bahl) and all his maneuvers with all desired upbeat arrangements settings in its backdrop. Benny Dayal's suave "n" smart rendition moves in tandem with the infectious hip-hop com reggae feel and jesters out all the playful moves of the "con-man". Salim-Suleiman's composition is a tailor made work, a musical piece that can be described as title track, epitomizing out the impish and scheming personality of the lead protagonist. The signature tuneful feel has "whodunit" factor that gets flourished with sluggishly pitched jazz romantic appeal, followed with snazzy emceeing by actor Ranveer Singh and reggae thriving feel. Hugely promoted on all media circuits, this Benny Dayal rendered track has already garnered spotlight and is likely to be next hot affair on the charts in days to come. "Aadat se Majboor (remix)", is an electronica based "trance" feel "club remix" specialist number, which works aggressively on mixing of electronic disco beat fillers into the crazy feel of the soundtrack. It's highly infectiously loud disco-feel should be finding many takers on the dancing floors, a likable commodity for the promos and teasers of the flick.
It's all about creating Pop-conscious! Salim-Suleiman created ruckus on floors for Anushka Sharma in "Dance Pe Chance" (RAB NE BANA DI JODI) and now is all set for another eccentrically enthuse number in "Jazba". It's chirpy and funky in its blooming tempos but lacks the spunk and punch of making it as big as they did it in "Dance pe Chance". Shilpa Rao's booming voice leads the show that talks about optimism and showing zeal of living life in simplistically penned wordings. Salim-Suleiman's composition neither disappoints nor enthralls too high in its energetically fuelled "bhangra-beat" orchestrations and zealous vocals but works mechanically to serenade out the mindset of the singer. Like "Aadat se Majboor", this one too enjoys aggressive promotion and its highlight is being the presence of Anushka Sharma doing all the on-screen antics while song proves to be a passable affair.
"Jazba (remix)" is like an 80's disco-station and replaces Shilpa Rao with Anushka Manchanda as the lead vocalist of this version. This loud and frivolous "club-remix" version is uproariously high on drumming and cantankerous sounds, overall it's an over-worked "club-version" that fails to impress.
The breezy Punjabi flair of YRF finally makes its impact in modest sounding "Thug Le". It bears a typical Salim-Suleiman stamp of peculiar arrangements where archetypal violin notes domineer in the prelude as well as in the middle interludes of the track. Vishal Dadlani's smoothening "n" light voice narrates the mindset of boy where the svelte feminine oomph in Shweta Pandit's impressive vocals confronts it to perfection. Going with contemporary YRF yardsticks, it has typical European orchestrations (to precise sounds of Bagpipers, violin, and banjo) going in tandem with racy vocal flows, narrating out a cheeky conversation coming out in musicals. It's a cool and enjoyable "battle-of-sexes" situational number that should be grabbing sufficient eyeballs to the big screen.
After immensely catchy and tunefully captivating "Ainwayi Ainwayi" (BAND BAAJA BAARAT), Salim-Suleiman pitch out another similar sounding "bhangra" blazing number in "Jigar ka Tukda". To be precise, it sounds like a sequel to "Ainwayi Ainwayi" with Salim Merchant booming out with similar zeal and tempo. It's enthralling in "bhangra" beat arrangements and pumps up mood in playfully scripted wordings by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Shraddha Pandit's naughty "girlie" rendition has a likable Punjabi affixation (similar to Harshdeep Kaur's singing in "Baari Barsi" (BAND BAAJA BAARAT) and makes mood merrier and peppier. On amusing quotient, it scores appreciably and is likely to be encouraging factor in oozing up pep-factor in this mischievously penned love saga.
To give it an international conman flick appeal, the final outing comes out as strikingly rich melodramatic instrumental number in the form of "Fatal Attraction". It has vivacious electronically tuned "Synthpop" signature tuneful impact, complimented well with mix and match of "club-remix" disco-beat fillers, electronic flute notes and blazing percussions, which gives it an amiable background score feel. Natalie Di Luccio's slender and resonating back-up vocals mesmerized in this well-arranged number are the major highlights that carry the impish cum intimidating feel of the flick with flair.
LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL proves to be an above average listening affair. It comes out as another contemporary Bollywood album that entertains and enthralls in bits and parts, where the composers have rehashed and rejuvenated back their old successful tracks in new formats with mixed results. It scores maximum in highly publicized "Aadat Se Majboor" while "Jigar ka Tukda" promises to be a feisty on-screen affair. The rest of the soundtracks can be termed as affable situational scores that should be rising to the desired occasions. As compared to lead pair's (Ranveer-Anushka) last release, BAND BAAJA BAARAT, and YRF high musical standards, this album turns out to be a meek affair and won't be reaping big results in weeks to come, a promising box-office show will surely be boon in raising the prospects of the album.
When music spoke
on Friday, November 18, the Eros hotel in Nehru Place, New Delhi, witnessed a plethora of Indian musicians from various genres speaking on a range of subjects. The series of conference and workshops were organised as a part of the ongoing 100 Pipers India Music Week festival.
To begin with, members of electro-dance band Teddy BoyKill, Akshat Nauriyal and Samrat Bhardwaj, vocalist of Faridkot, IP Singh, and vocalist of Demonic Resurrection, Sahil Makhija, sat down to discuss how Indians are discovering new music these days. Bhardwaj started off the talk, exclaiming, “There were no outlets for music in India, 15-20 years ago. We readily consumed music brought from Dubai and America. Now there is a plethora of options and thanks to internet, we can share it virtually. Earlier on, it used to be an expensive hobby, now one can carry more than 10,000 albums in his mp3 player.” According to Singh, “Back in the day, the major source of music was Bollywood and the late 90s pop culture. Now, although there is no escaping reality that music is downloadable and the independent Hindi music scene is dominated by Bollywood, in recent times, there are more gigs for classical and Indian music.”
“Heavy metal CDs of bands like Pantera and Sepultura were readily available in Mumbai early on,” Makhija spoke of his city. “Headbanger’s ball and a couple of radio shows were also good sources for metal heads,” he added. Makhija points out that internet is a double-edged sword. “The experience of listening to music has changed. Earlier, we trusted the judgment of our friends when it came to listening to music, now we just follow what youtube or other websites choose for us in the referred play list.”
But according to Samrat, “Now there is more availability for people who used to consume music via music stores. People are now putting it online to be shared.”
Just then, Nauriyal joined the discussion and stated, “Internet is the largest democratic means available now and your content can get aggregated quickly. There are quite a few artistes online and internet gives a chance to all who are trying to do something on their own. There is nothing marketed in a glossy way, what you hear is what you get.”
Makhija also pointed out how internet has also changed the way music is produced these days and how artistes have a lot to lose now. “People make their mind about music in the first 10 seconds of hearing a track.”
In the end, Bhardwaj stated that for any artiste out there, internet will only take him or her so far, because “Playing live is important – popularity is viral and follows through once you make a mark and perform live.”
Ehsaan Noorani’s candid workshop on ‘Surviving as a musician in India’ followed next. He told us how he started playing guitar while trying to finish school. He then studied music formally — music education, he stressed, is important for today’s musicians. One of the first ‘tips’ he had to offer was “Don’t limit yourself to only one genre, keep an open mind.” For instance, according to Noorani, “Within India, a musician must try and crack the Hindi genre.”
Noorani also felt that a musician should “know the music business well. One has to put out his songs, collect revenue and be aware of the market.” He also placed a lot of emphasis on social networking.
To begin with, members of electro-dance band Teddy BoyKill, Akshat Nauriyal and Samrat Bhardwaj, vocalist of Faridkot, IP Singh, and vocalist of Demonic Resurrection, Sahil Makhija, sat down to discuss how Indians are discovering new music these days. Bhardwaj started off the talk, exclaiming, “There were no outlets for music in India, 15-20 years ago. We readily consumed music brought from Dubai and America. Now there is a plethora of options and thanks to internet, we can share it virtually. Earlier on, it used to be an expensive hobby, now one can carry more than 10,000 albums in his mp3 player.” According to Singh, “Back in the day, the major source of music was Bollywood and the late 90s pop culture. Now, although there is no escaping reality that music is downloadable and the independent Hindi music scene is dominated by Bollywood, in recent times, there are more gigs for classical and Indian music.”
“Heavy metal CDs of bands like Pantera and Sepultura were readily available in Mumbai early on,” Makhija spoke of his city. “Headbanger’s ball and a couple of radio shows were also good sources for metal heads,” he added. Makhija points out that internet is a double-edged sword. “The experience of listening to music has changed. Earlier, we trusted the judgment of our friends when it came to listening to music, now we just follow what youtube or other websites choose for us in the referred play list.”
But according to Samrat, “Now there is more availability for people who used to consume music via music stores. People are now putting it online to be shared.”
Just then, Nauriyal joined the discussion and stated, “Internet is the largest democratic means available now and your content can get aggregated quickly. There are quite a few artistes online and internet gives a chance to all who are trying to do something on their own. There is nothing marketed in a glossy way, what you hear is what you get.”
Makhija also pointed out how internet has also changed the way music is produced these days and how artistes have a lot to lose now. “People make their mind about music in the first 10 seconds of hearing a track.”
In the end, Bhardwaj stated that for any artiste out there, internet will only take him or her so far, because “Playing live is important – popularity is viral and follows through once you make a mark and perform live.”
Ehsaan Noorani’s candid workshop on ‘Surviving as a musician in India’ followed next. He told us how he started playing guitar while trying to finish school. He then studied music formally — music education, he stressed, is important for today’s musicians. One of the first ‘tips’ he had to offer was “Don’t limit yourself to only one genre, keep an open mind.” For instance, according to Noorani, “Within India, a musician must try and crack the Hindi genre.”
Noorani also felt that a musician should “know the music business well. One has to put out his songs, collect revenue and be aware of the market.” He also placed a lot of emphasis on social networking.
Arlington woman launches music therapy program in Littleton
HEALING MUSIC: Arlington resident Romy Ikauniks Wilhelm credits her late grandmother, Carey Prouty of Littleton, with instilling in her a love of music. Wilhelm is now carrying on the family’s musical tradition as a licensed music therapist at Indian Hill Music School in Littleton, where Prouty was a board member for six years.
Wilhelm leads music therapy programs for individuals and groups of all ages and abilities. Designed for those with cognitive, physical, or developmental impairments, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, music therapy can include drumming, hand-percussion instruments, movement, and singing to help participants focus, build social skills, and express themselves.
Wilhelm noted that this form of therapy is “nonthreatening and accessible for everyone,’’ and provides benefits at any level of participation.
Wilhelm, who has music degrees from Tufts University in Medford and Lesley University in Cambridge, said she is pleased to be working at the organization that meant so much to her grandmother, who died last fall at age 95.
An accomplished soprano who also taught piano, Prouty had donated funds to Indian Hill for a new grand piano. Now her own cherished Steinway is on loan there.
“I think my grandmother would be delighted at the way things turned out,’’ Wilhelm said. “It’s been a fantastic journey.’’
While Wilhelm’s music therapy programs are held at the Indian Hill school, she says she would like to offer future sessions in senior residences, group homes, or agencies.
HANDS-ON ROLE: A Newton student is one of 10 young actors in the Boston Children’s Theatre production of “The Velveteen Rabbit.’’
Sixteen-year-old Alex Levy, a junior at Newton South High School, operates a puppet - Timothy the Wooden Lion - from beneath the stage.
Levy previously performed in “Little Women’’ with Boston Children’s Theatre. He has also appeared in numerous productions at Newton South, including “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’’ “Ruling Passion,’’ “Hairspray,’’ and “Sweet Charity.’’
The show runs Dec. 3 through 18 at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Roberts Theatre, 539 Tremont St. in Boston.
FOUR-PART VICTORY: Sounds of Concord, a regional men’s a cappella chorus, took first place in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Northeastern District championship last month.
Sounds of Concord competed against 14 barbershop choruses from throughout the northeastern United States and Canada during the event in Chicopee, where they were judged on singing quality, musicality, and presentation.
As the district’s champions, Sounds of Concord will compete in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s international finals, being held in July in Portland, Ore.
The nonprofit Sounds of Concord is made up of about 50 men primarily from Greater Boston. Under the direction of Dan Costello of Pembroke, the chorus performs in local fund-raisers and supports the Barbershop Harmony Society’s youth programs. Rehearsals take place every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Emunah, 9 Piper Road in Lexington
HELPING ENVIRONMENT:Eighteen-year-old Ben Kaplan of Lexington recently completed the Trustees of Reservations’ Charles River Youth Corps Program. Launched in the summer of 2010, the program provides teens with job experience in sustainable park and greenway management practices.
Kaplan, a graduate of Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School in Waltham, worked with three other teens to help maintain the Upper Charles River Greenway in Newton, Watertown, Waltham, and Weston, as well as the Wilson Mountain Reservation in Dedham. They cleared more than 2 miles of overgrown greenway, removed invasive Japanese knotweed, led work days with volunteers and private groups, and assisted in removing 5 tons of invasive water chestnut from the Charles River in Newton.
The Charles River Youth Corps is part of a statewide Youth Conservation Corps program operated by the Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s oldest nonprofit, statewide land conservation organization.
FASHION ADVICE: Weston native Marissa Evans (above), founder and chief executive of Go Try It On, will host an interactive lecture on Nov. 29, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., in Mount Ida College’s Carlson Hall Auditorium, 777 Dedham St. in Newton.
Evans, who lives in New York, will share her journey as a fashion entrepreneur and demonstrate her fashion advice website, through which members post photos of themselves and receive immediate feedback on their outfits.
The free event is being hosted by students of Roberta Steinberg, an English professor at Mount Ida and director of its English and humanities department.
Wilhelm leads music therapy programs for individuals and groups of all ages and abilities. Designed for those with cognitive, physical, or developmental impairments, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, music therapy can include drumming, hand-percussion instruments, movement, and singing to help participants focus, build social skills, and express themselves.
Wilhelm noted that this form of therapy is “nonthreatening and accessible for everyone,’’ and provides benefits at any level of participation.
Wilhelm, who has music degrees from Tufts University in Medford and Lesley University in Cambridge, said she is pleased to be working at the organization that meant so much to her grandmother, who died last fall at age 95.
An accomplished soprano who also taught piano, Prouty had donated funds to Indian Hill for a new grand piano. Now her own cherished Steinway is on loan there.
“I think my grandmother would be delighted at the way things turned out,’’ Wilhelm said. “It’s been a fantastic journey.’’
While Wilhelm’s music therapy programs are held at the Indian Hill school, she says she would like to offer future sessions in senior residences, group homes, or agencies.
HANDS-ON ROLE: A Newton student is one of 10 young actors in the Boston Children’s Theatre production of “The Velveteen Rabbit.’’
Sixteen-year-old Alex Levy, a junior at Newton South High School, operates a puppet - Timothy the Wooden Lion - from beneath the stage.
Levy previously performed in “Little Women’’ with Boston Children’s Theatre. He has also appeared in numerous productions at Newton South, including “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’’ “Ruling Passion,’’ “Hairspray,’’ and “Sweet Charity.’’
The show runs Dec. 3 through 18 at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Roberts Theatre, 539 Tremont St. in Boston.
FOUR-PART VICTORY: Sounds of Concord, a regional men’s a cappella chorus, took first place in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Northeastern District championship last month.
Sounds of Concord competed against 14 barbershop choruses from throughout the northeastern United States and Canada during the event in Chicopee, where they were judged on singing quality, musicality, and presentation.
As the district’s champions, Sounds of Concord will compete in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s international finals, being held in July in Portland, Ore.
The nonprofit Sounds of Concord is made up of about 50 men primarily from Greater Boston. Under the direction of Dan Costello of Pembroke, the chorus performs in local fund-raisers and supports the Barbershop Harmony Society’s youth programs. Rehearsals take place every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Emunah, 9 Piper Road in Lexington
HELPING ENVIRONMENT:Eighteen-year-old Ben Kaplan of Lexington recently completed the Trustees of Reservations’ Charles River Youth Corps Program. Launched in the summer of 2010, the program provides teens with job experience in sustainable park and greenway management practices.
Kaplan, a graduate of Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School in Waltham, worked with three other teens to help maintain the Upper Charles River Greenway in Newton, Watertown, Waltham, and Weston, as well as the Wilson Mountain Reservation in Dedham. They cleared more than 2 miles of overgrown greenway, removed invasive Japanese knotweed, led work days with volunteers and private groups, and assisted in removing 5 tons of invasive water chestnut from the Charles River in Newton.
The Charles River Youth Corps is part of a statewide Youth Conservation Corps program operated by the Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s oldest nonprofit, statewide land conservation organization.
FASHION ADVICE: Weston native Marissa Evans (above), founder and chief executive of Go Try It On, will host an interactive lecture on Nov. 29, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., in Mount Ida College’s Carlson Hall Auditorium, 777 Dedham St. in Newton.
Evans, who lives in New York, will share her journey as a fashion entrepreneur and demonstrate her fashion advice website, through which members post photos of themselves and receive immediate feedback on their outfits.
The free event is being hosted by students of Roberta Steinberg, an English professor at Mount Ida and director of its English and humanities department.
Sunset of Indian music: artists on Bhimsen Joshi's death
Contemporary Istanbul International Art Fair www.contemporaryistanbul.com
New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) 'The sun has set on Indian classical music', 'an irreparable loss' were how noted singers and artists reacted to Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's death Monday but said his music would live on to be celebrated by generations.
'Jab mein suna, laga ki subah subah surya ast ho gaya. Bharat ka sangeet ka suraj doob gaya hai (When I heard about his death, I felt that the sun has set in the morning...the sun has set on Indian classical music),' eminent Hindustani classical singer Pandit Jasraj said reacting to the demise of the 88-year-old legend.
'I would like to remember him as my brother, guru...as my everything,' he added.
Joshi passed away in a Pune hospital at the age of 88 Monday following old age related ailments.
For 81-year-old Carnatic vocalist M. Balamuralikrishna, the loss has been personal not just professional. Pandit Joshi had sung several 'jugalbandis' with Balamuralikrishna, who is considered a legend himself, weaving and melding their music.
'Absolutely irreparable loss...He was a person who sang Indian music, not just Hindustani music,' Balamuralikrishna told a news channel.
Reminiscing about their 'jugalbandis', the Carnatic music maestro said it started off on the request of a governor of Maharashtra about 12 years ago. 'My experience when I was singing 'jugalbandi' was unforgettable. We created Indian music. When he started singing in Hindi, then I sang in a south Indian language. Then after some time, he forgot his words and sang my words,' he recalled.
With a lump in his throat, Balamuralikrishna said: 'His music and his contribution and his love for me, will be always be alive.'
'I cannot talk more.... He is already there, singing to the gods'.
One of his disciples, Basant Garud, called him the biggest figure in Indian music after Tansen, the legendary musician in Mughal Emperor Akbar's court in the 16th century.
'He was the Tansen in Indian music. After Tansen, if there was any 'Sangeet Samrat', he was there. He was thought as god. If we had a glimpse of him, then it seemed that we are blessed,' Garud said.
Shubha Mudgal, who is classically trained but dabbles in popular pop music too, expressed disbelief at Panditji's demise. 'He had a strange ability to rejuvenate himself. Even after a long illness, he would come back strong...even during his current illness, I really believed that he would be able to pull it off,' she said.
'I have no words to express the loss,' she added.
Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal described Pandit Joshi as the 'finest Indian classical artist of his generation'.
He said he was struck by the humility of the legend during his interactions. 'I had an opportunity a couple of years to work with him...He was a wonderful human being. It was not modesty, but genuine humility for him,' Benegal told a news channel.
Playwright and actor-director Girish Karnad said Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's passing away was expected and that his life should not be mourned, but celebrated.
'The loss is a personal loss...But it is not a loss otherwise. I do not know anybody else who exploited their potentiality to the full. He gave his everything to Indian music,' said Karnad.
New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) 'The sun has set on Indian classical music', 'an irreparable loss' were how noted singers and artists reacted to Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's death Monday but said his music would live on to be celebrated by generations.
'Jab mein suna, laga ki subah subah surya ast ho gaya. Bharat ka sangeet ka suraj doob gaya hai (When I heard about his death, I felt that the sun has set in the morning...the sun has set on Indian classical music),' eminent Hindustani classical singer Pandit Jasraj said reacting to the demise of the 88-year-old legend.
'I would like to remember him as my brother, guru...as my everything,' he added.
Joshi passed away in a Pune hospital at the age of 88 Monday following old age related ailments.
For 81-year-old Carnatic vocalist M. Balamuralikrishna, the loss has been personal not just professional. Pandit Joshi had sung several 'jugalbandis' with Balamuralikrishna, who is considered a legend himself, weaving and melding their music.
'Absolutely irreparable loss...He was a person who sang Indian music, not just Hindustani music,' Balamuralikrishna told a news channel.
Reminiscing about their 'jugalbandis', the Carnatic music maestro said it started off on the request of a governor of Maharashtra about 12 years ago. 'My experience when I was singing 'jugalbandi' was unforgettable. We created Indian music. When he started singing in Hindi, then I sang in a south Indian language. Then after some time, he forgot his words and sang my words,' he recalled.
With a lump in his throat, Balamuralikrishna said: 'His music and his contribution and his love for me, will be always be alive.'
'I cannot talk more.... He is already there, singing to the gods'.
One of his disciples, Basant Garud, called him the biggest figure in Indian music after Tansen, the legendary musician in Mughal Emperor Akbar's court in the 16th century.
'He was the Tansen in Indian music. After Tansen, if there was any 'Sangeet Samrat', he was there. He was thought as god. If we had a glimpse of him, then it seemed that we are blessed,' Garud said.
Shubha Mudgal, who is classically trained but dabbles in popular pop music too, expressed disbelief at Panditji's demise. 'He had a strange ability to rejuvenate himself. Even after a long illness, he would come back strong...even during his current illness, I really believed that he would be able to pull it off,' she said.
'I have no words to express the loss,' she added.
Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal described Pandit Joshi as the 'finest Indian classical artist of his generation'.
He said he was struck by the humility of the legend during his interactions. 'I had an opportunity a couple of years to work with him...He was a wonderful human being. It was not modesty, but genuine humility for him,' Benegal told a news channel.
Playwright and actor-director Girish Karnad said Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's passing away was expected and that his life should not be mourned, but celebrated.
'The loss is a personal loss...But it is not a loss otherwise. I do not know anybody else who exploited their potentiality to the full. He gave his everything to Indian music,' said Karnad.
Diversity of Indian market presents a challenge to online music players
MUMBAI: After a long time Google has finally got into the online music business by launching a service. However if it is to make a mark in Indian then it will have to adapt to a market that offers diversity. There is a fragmentation of music content ownership here. There is a long tail of content owners. At the same time search, social and curated functions have to be combined for any online music service to succeed.
This was point that came out during a session at Nokia Music Connects Summit called Internet/Mobile Radio and Streaming Services. The moderator was Tag Strategic managing partner Ted Cohen. The panelists were The Orchard VP, GM Prashant Bahadur, EMI Music India MD T Suresh, music composer Raju Singh, Spice Digital head - business development and alliances ShehzadAzad, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment COO - Consumer Business and Allied Services Siddhartha Roy, Shemaroo Entertainment director Jai Maroo and Aircel head Vas Pradeep Rao.
Maroo noted the diversity challenge for overseas players looking to enter the music space here. At the same time it is easier to experiment now than it was four years ago. Today content owners with a large library would look at online services in an open way and try to figure out where it might be two to four years down the road.
ShehzadAzad noted the fact that India is a price sensitive market. According to him it took Android five years to reach critical mass here. The iPhone has not impacted India due to the price.
Bahadur noted that the challenge for international online music services looking at India is not licensing. It is about consumer experience. iTunes experience is similar in most markets apart from maybe Japan. If it wants to make an impact in India then it will have to change its approach from the point of view of genre, language perspective.
Orchard is a digital distributor of music and he says that transparency is one of the things he looks at in doing deals and looking at business models. Transparency makes it easier to license ones catalogue. His aim is not to capture a percentage of the revenue pie but to grow it. He also noted that searchability in streaming helps niche music. If you are subscribing for five bucks then it doesn't cost much to experiment. The problem is that search engine functionality is poor in many online music streaming services. That is because they are not as data driven as Google. The social nature of a service can also help drive revenue and business. Recommendation is another critical part of the business.
ShehzadAzad noted that his company has been running a music streaming service for five years now. With even a basic mobile phone one can access the service even if he/she is in a remoter area. The challenges are how to communicate to the last mile as well as falling Arpus. At the moment the restrictions in GSM means that the quality of a song is at time limited. His company has enabled search through SMS. 10 songs are sent to a customer who is searching for something. One just has to hit the access code. This enables ease of use which is important.
It was noted pull is the sustainable model. Streaming services will make content discovery easy. They can find the long tail content that they are looking for.
Roy noted that while smartphones are not there in India in the future an ecosystem will be there for smartphones at an entry level. Also as broadband penetration and levels grow for the PCA and tablet increased selection and depth of content is coming into play.
Singh noted that music streaming allows him to reach areas where his albums are not available. Services can also be used as a demo pad. ShehzadAzad added that for somebody like Singh a streaming service can be used as promotional tool at a regional level. His service offers interactivity which allows the composer to get feedback from consumers.
At the session it also emerged that while non film music is not as big as Bollywood, it has a sticky fan base. For non film music to succeed one needs a large repository of music in one place. This would allow for recommendations. It was noted that consumption is happening in tier two, three, four towns. There is network seeding happening but the infrastructure is not there to give enough bandwith. The situation is expected to change by 2014. The important thing is that when a consumer goes to a buy a mobile phone he/she expects to be able to consumer video and audio content. That was not the case a few years back. Maroo noted that video consumption is going up on the mobile. That is significant given the fact that music gets there first in terms of benefitting from the mobile.
This was point that came out during a session at Nokia Music Connects Summit called Internet/Mobile Radio and Streaming Services. The moderator was Tag Strategic managing partner Ted Cohen. The panelists were The Orchard VP, GM Prashant Bahadur, EMI Music India MD T Suresh, music composer Raju Singh, Spice Digital head - business development and alliances ShehzadAzad, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment COO - Consumer Business and Allied Services Siddhartha Roy, Shemaroo Entertainment director Jai Maroo and Aircel head Vas Pradeep Rao.
Maroo noted the diversity challenge for overseas players looking to enter the music space here. At the same time it is easier to experiment now than it was four years ago. Today content owners with a large library would look at online services in an open way and try to figure out where it might be two to four years down the road.
ShehzadAzad noted the fact that India is a price sensitive market. According to him it took Android five years to reach critical mass here. The iPhone has not impacted India due to the price.
Bahadur noted that the challenge for international online music services looking at India is not licensing. It is about consumer experience. iTunes experience is similar in most markets apart from maybe Japan. If it wants to make an impact in India then it will have to change its approach from the point of view of genre, language perspective.
Orchard is a digital distributor of music and he says that transparency is one of the things he looks at in doing deals and looking at business models. Transparency makes it easier to license ones catalogue. His aim is not to capture a percentage of the revenue pie but to grow it. He also noted that searchability in streaming helps niche music. If you are subscribing for five bucks then it doesn't cost much to experiment. The problem is that search engine functionality is poor in many online music streaming services. That is because they are not as data driven as Google. The social nature of a service can also help drive revenue and business. Recommendation is another critical part of the business.
ShehzadAzad noted that his company has been running a music streaming service for five years now. With even a basic mobile phone one can access the service even if he/she is in a remoter area. The challenges are how to communicate to the last mile as well as falling Arpus. At the moment the restrictions in GSM means that the quality of a song is at time limited. His company has enabled search through SMS. 10 songs are sent to a customer who is searching for something. One just has to hit the access code. This enables ease of use which is important.
It was noted pull is the sustainable model. Streaming services will make content discovery easy. They can find the long tail content that they are looking for.
Roy noted that while smartphones are not there in India in the future an ecosystem will be there for smartphones at an entry level. Also as broadband penetration and levels grow for the PCA and tablet increased selection and depth of content is coming into play.
Singh noted that music streaming allows him to reach areas where his albums are not available. Services can also be used as a demo pad. ShehzadAzad added that for somebody like Singh a streaming service can be used as promotional tool at a regional level. His service offers interactivity which allows the composer to get feedback from consumers.
At the session it also emerged that while non film music is not as big as Bollywood, it has a sticky fan base. For non film music to succeed one needs a large repository of music in one place. This would allow for recommendations. It was noted that consumption is happening in tier two, three, four towns. There is network seeding happening but the infrastructure is not there to give enough bandwith. The situation is expected to change by 2014. The important thing is that when a consumer goes to a buy a mobile phone he/she expects to be able to consumer video and audio content. That was not the case a few years back. Maroo noted that video consumption is going up on the mobile. That is significant given the fact that music gets there first in terms of benefitting from the mobile.
Dubai International Film Festival to Honor Indian Music Composer A. R. Rahman with Lifetime Achievement Award
LONDON - The eighth Dubai International Film Festival will honor Indian music composer A. R. Rahman with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Winner of two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards and a raft of laurels for his impressive body of work in Indian and international films and music, 45-year-old Rahman is the first musician to be feted by DIFF with its crowning honor.
Described as the ‘Mozart of Madras,’ the south Indian city he hails from, Rahman is among the youngest recipients of DIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which singles out cinema and industry legends from Arab cinema, Asia and Africa, and Europe, the Americas and Australasia, for their contribution to the film industry.
The Indian composer, singer, song-writer, record producer, musician and philanthropist has more than 100 film sound-tracks to his credit in several Indian languages as well as English and Mandarin. His work for Slumdog Millionaire, which was screened at DIFF 2008, won two Academy Awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song, while his score for 127 Hours, which screened at DIFF 2010, won him Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award nominations.
Festival chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “A. R. Rahman is an inspiration for countless musicians and composers, and has brought a fresh infusion of talent to the Indian film industry. Through his international foray, working with some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, he demonstrated the power of music to cross all barriers and connect with a global audience.
DIFF, this year, also presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran Egyptian actor Gamil Rateb. Rahman will receive the award during DIFF, to be held from Dec. 7 to 14.
Winner of two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards and a raft of laurels for his impressive body of work in Indian and international films and music, 45-year-old Rahman is the first musician to be feted by DIFF with its crowning honor.
Described as the ‘Mozart of Madras,’ the south Indian city he hails from, Rahman is among the youngest recipients of DIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which singles out cinema and industry legends from Arab cinema, Asia and Africa, and Europe, the Americas and Australasia, for their contribution to the film industry.
The Indian composer, singer, song-writer, record producer, musician and philanthropist has more than 100 film sound-tracks to his credit in several Indian languages as well as English and Mandarin. His work for Slumdog Millionaire, which was screened at DIFF 2008, won two Academy Awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song, while his score for 127 Hours, which screened at DIFF 2010, won him Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award nominations.
Festival chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “A. R. Rahman is an inspiration for countless musicians and composers, and has brought a fresh infusion of talent to the Indian film industry. Through his international foray, working with some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, he demonstrated the power of music to cross all barriers and connect with a global audience.
DIFF, this year, also presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran Egyptian actor Gamil Rateb. Rahman will receive the award during DIFF, to be held from Dec. 7 to 14.
A Reason to Sing
When music director Lalit Pandit composed Munni badnaam hui for Dabangg, he received Rs 1 lakh for it. Thousands of downloads, several awards, and considerable airplay later, Pandit has not received a paisa extra. “The song is still being downloaded. But after I signed the contract with the producer, I wasn’t entitled to any more money,” says Pandit, who did receive numerous offers to compose for other films. Munni has become one of the most popular Indian videos this year on YouTube, followed closely by Sheila ki jawani.
Now, YouTube, a video-sharing website, has given the composer a reason to cheer. It has signed a licensing agreement with the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), under which composers, lyricists and publishers, who are members of IPRS, will receive a share of the revenue if their video is a hit on YouTube. According to this deal, the royalty will be divided between the composer, lyricist and publisher every time their video is played or downloaded. IPRS is a Mumbai-based copyright society authorised under the Copyright Act 1957 and is responsible for collecting royalt
Now, YouTube, a video-sharing website, has given the composer a reason to cheer. It has signed a licensing agreement with the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), under which composers, lyricists and publishers, who are members of IPRS, will receive a share of the revenue if their video is a hit on YouTube. According to this deal, the royalty will be divided between the composer, lyricist and publisher every time their video is played or downloaded. IPRS is a Mumbai-based copyright society authorised under the Copyright Act 1957 and is responsible for collecting royalt
Wanted to commit suicide once: Kailash Kher
His melodious voice has brought him success and fame but Kailash Kher says he once thought of ending his life after losing everything in business. The singer, 38, says he became a vocalist by chance after he suffered huge losses in business and decided to move to the city of dreams.
"Before
my stint as a singer, I was doing business. There was a time when everything went wrong and I was left with almost nothing. I wanted to end my life. "My friend in Mumbai and God helped me to achieve whatever I am today. That's how my song 'Allah ke Bande' happened and after that my life changed completely. I never thought that I would be able to lead a happy life again after going through so many upheavals in life," Kailash told PTI.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/images/HTEditImages/Images/kailash-kher2.jpgKnown for his songs like Teri Deewani, Tauba Tauba and Ya Rabba, Kailash will soon bring out his third album 'Kailasaa-Rangeele'. With twelve songs, the album will hit the market in the coming month. He started his career as an Indian pop-rock singer and later became known as a Sufi singer.
"Sufi is not a genre of singing. It's a thought process of a person about God. When I started my career, I didn't know anything about Sufi music. My music was influenced by Kabir's couplets. With the passage of time people termed it as Sufi and I also don't mind calling it the same," Kailash said. Brought up in Delhi, the singer - who has become a major name in the Indian film music, has many childhood memories of the city.
He was recently in the Capital with Colonial Cousins' Leslie Lewis to perform and release Antiquity Club fusion. "Leslie is the kind of singer who has revolutionised the whole Indian music scenario by fusing western music with Hindustani and Carnatic music of our country. He is a brilliant singer and sharing the stage with him is a great experience for me," he said
"Before
my stint as a singer, I was doing business. There was a time when everything went wrong and I was left with almost nothing. I wanted to end my life. "My friend in Mumbai and God helped me to achieve whatever I am today. That's how my song 'Allah ke Bande' happened and after that my life changed completely. I never thought that I would be able to lead a happy life again after going through so many upheavals in life," Kailash told PTI.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/images/HTEditImages/Images/kailash-kher2.jpgKnown for his songs like Teri Deewani, Tauba Tauba and Ya Rabba, Kailash will soon bring out his third album 'Kailasaa-Rangeele'. With twelve songs, the album will hit the market in the coming month. He started his career as an Indian pop-rock singer and later became known as a Sufi singer.
"Sufi is not a genre of singing. It's a thought process of a person about God. When I started my career, I didn't know anything about Sufi music. My music was influenced by Kabir's couplets. With the passage of time people termed it as Sufi and I also don't mind calling it the same," Kailash said. Brought up in Delhi, the singer - who has become a major name in the Indian film music, has many childhood memories of the city.
He was recently in the Capital with Colonial Cousins' Leslie Lewis to perform and release Antiquity Club fusion. "Leslie is the kind of singer who has revolutionised the whole Indian music scenario by fusing western music with Hindustani and Carnatic music of our country. He is a brilliant singer and sharing the stage with him is a great experience for me," he said
Basement Jaxx performed in Delhi
Recently, UK's Grammy Award winning dance-floor blazers, Basement Jaxx performed in India for the first time with a special DJ set for the hugely popular Eristoff Wolves Night in Delhi.
The world's fastest growing vodka brand, Eristoff, has been associated with live Electronica and visual simulation. Eristoff has been organizing Eristoff Wolves Night across the country in cities like Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkatta, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. Arvind Krishnan, director, marketing, Bacardi, India, said, "Electronic music has floored many with its high energy, and Eristoff India is looking at bringing live electronica and cutting edge visual simulation to India. The first performance of Basement Jaxx in India is purely reflective of that genius and Eristoff India as part of the Bacardi portfolio is enthused to bring such exclusive events to India."
The other artists performing at the Eristoff Wolves Night include Sky Rabbit - formerly Medusa (Mumbai), drum and bass champions Bay Beat Collective (Mumbai), B.R.E.E.D. (Mumbai), new solo electronica act Dualist Inquiry (Delhi), by guitarist, producer and composer Sahej Bakshi, Indian electronica pioneers Midival Punditz, party-starters Jalebee Cartel - Ash Roy (Delhi), the prolific dance-funk pop act Shaa'ir + Func (Mumbai), all the way from London, DJ and renowned BBC radio presenter Bobby Friction (London), DJ Nihal (London) and acclaimed British hip-hop artist Riz MC (London).
The world's fastest growing vodka brand, Eristoff, has been associated with live Electronica and visual simulation. Eristoff has been organizing Eristoff Wolves Night across the country in cities like Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkatta, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. Arvind Krishnan, director, marketing, Bacardi, India, said, "Electronic music has floored many with its high energy, and Eristoff India is looking at bringing live electronica and cutting edge visual simulation to India. The first performance of Basement Jaxx in India is purely reflective of that genius and Eristoff India as part of the Bacardi portfolio is enthused to bring such exclusive events to India."
The other artists performing at the Eristoff Wolves Night include Sky Rabbit - formerly Medusa (Mumbai), drum and bass champions Bay Beat Collective (Mumbai), B.R.E.E.D. (Mumbai), new solo electronica act Dualist Inquiry (Delhi), by guitarist, producer and composer Sahej Bakshi, Indian electronica pioneers Midival Punditz, party-starters Jalebee Cartel - Ash Roy (Delhi), the prolific dance-funk pop act Shaa'ir + Func (Mumbai), all the way from London, DJ and renowned BBC radio presenter Bobby Friction (London), DJ Nihal (London) and acclaimed British hip-hop artist Riz MC (London).
A.R. Rahman to be honoured at DIFF
THE EIGHTH DUBAI International Film Festival (DIFF) will honour Indian music composer A. R. Rahman with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hailed as the ‘Mozart from Madras’, the 45-year-old has won a huge array of laurels previously, including two Grammys and two Oscars for his work on Slumdog Millionaire.
His award at DIFF, held from December 7 to 14, will see him become the festival’s young-est ever recipient of the prize – with past recipients including Sean Penn, Amitabh Bachchan and Oliver Stone. Among Rahman’s other scores are that of 127 Hours, which screened at last year’s festival, Bollywood releases such as Ghajini, Delhi-6 and the recent Rockstar, plus collaborations with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone and Michael Bolton.
An Honorary Fellow of the Trinity College of Music, Rahman is a recipi-ent of India’s high civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, and was named as one of the ‘World’s Most Influential People’ by Time in 2009. Credited with redefining Indian film music, Rahman’s soulful compositions blend the intricacies of Western and Indian classical with folk sounds, Qawwali and symphonic orchestral themes. “
R. Rahman is an inspiration for countless musicians and composers, and has brought a fresh infusion of tal-ent to the Indian film industry,” said Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma.
“Through his international foray, working with some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, he demon-strated the power of music to cross all barriers and connect with a global audience.
Hailed as the ‘Mozart from Madras’, the 45-year-old has won a huge array of laurels previously, including two Grammys and two Oscars for his work on Slumdog Millionaire.
His award at DIFF, held from December 7 to 14, will see him become the festival’s young-est ever recipient of the prize – with past recipients including Sean Penn, Amitabh Bachchan and Oliver Stone. Among Rahman’s other scores are that of 127 Hours, which screened at last year’s festival, Bollywood releases such as Ghajini, Delhi-6 and the recent Rockstar, plus collaborations with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone and Michael Bolton.
An Honorary Fellow of the Trinity College of Music, Rahman is a recipi-ent of India’s high civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, and was named as one of the ‘World’s Most Influential People’ by Time in 2009. Credited with redefining Indian film music, Rahman’s soulful compositions blend the intricacies of Western and Indian classical with folk sounds, Qawwali and symphonic orchestral themes. “
R. Rahman is an inspiration for countless musicians and composers, and has brought a fresh infusion of tal-ent to the Indian film industry,” said Festival Chairman Abdulhamid Juma.
“Through his international foray, working with some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, he demon-strated the power of music to cross all barriers and connect with a global audience.
India Music Week: Let the music play
It’s got something to do with this month perhaps that everyone turns to music as it dominates the city circuit. While at one end it’s a delight, on the other, it could just leave you spoilt for choice.
Right now, the first ever India Music Week boasts of getting over 40 artistes and organising 40 events spread across the most happening city pubs in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. These artistes are celebrated musicians from several places like India, Norway, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Spain, UK, Australia and even from the exotic French Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
KK, Parikrama, The Raghu Dixit Project, Soulmate, Thermal And A quarter and Menwhopause are some of the big names. The line-up also includes electronic acts like Teddy Boy Kill, Ma Faiza, Jalebee Cartel and B.L.O.T.
Singer Suraj Jagan, who is also one of the panellist for the music week, says, “Having music festivals like these, is a good thing because these festivals expose and inspire a whole new generation of musicians to different kinds of music other than the mainstream. It can lead to evolution of music.”
Emmanuelle de Decker, head of live programming, Blue Frog, who conducted a two-day workshop for the Indian Indie bands in Mumbai, feels it is time that our desi bands too get some recognition. “The India Music Week serves that purpose. It emphasises on providing these bands and artistes their due share of fame,” he says. It also aims to provide networking opportunities with music professionals from India and the world.
The organisers call it “more than just a music festival”, justifying that it isn’t just a performance based programme but also attends to the bigger purpose of boosting the band culture and help them build connects and contacts.
Right now, the first ever India Music Week boasts of getting over 40 artistes and organising 40 events spread across the most happening city pubs in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. These artistes are celebrated musicians from several places like India, Norway, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Spain, UK, Australia and even from the exotic French Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
KK, Parikrama, The Raghu Dixit Project, Soulmate, Thermal And A quarter and Menwhopause are some of the big names. The line-up also includes electronic acts like Teddy Boy Kill, Ma Faiza, Jalebee Cartel and B.L.O.T.
Singer Suraj Jagan, who is also one of the panellist for the music week, says, “Having music festivals like these, is a good thing because these festivals expose and inspire a whole new generation of musicians to different kinds of music other than the mainstream. It can lead to evolution of music.”
Emmanuelle de Decker, head of live programming, Blue Frog, who conducted a two-day workshop for the Indian Indie bands in Mumbai, feels it is time that our desi bands too get some recognition. “The India Music Week serves that purpose. It emphasises on providing these bands and artistes their due share of fame,” he says. It also aims to provide networking opportunities with music professionals from India and the world.
The organisers call it “more than just a music festival”, justifying that it isn’t just a performance based programme but also attends to the bigger purpose of boosting the band culture and help them build connects and contacts.
New entrant in the Music world – Nikki Mehndi
The highly acclaimed singer Daler Mehndi has another family member joining the singing bandwagon. This time it his wife Nikki Mehndi who is all set to create waves in the Music industry. Nikki has formally been trained by Daler Mehndi’s father himself for around four years. After which she decided to release her own album which feature 8 tracks in Hindi and Punjabi.
Suprisingly Nikki has chosen to signup with Universal while Daler Mehndi is a Times Music artiste. We all hope to see the two sing together in the near future meanwhile we wish Nikki all the best in her new venture…
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Suprisingly Nikki has chosen to signup with Universal while Daler Mehndi is a Times Music artiste. We all hope to see the two sing together in the near future meanwhile we wish Nikki all the best in her new venture…
Hawkbit vortical zippeite evaporated. Trifling directives lipocortin counterparties rejournment spermatorrhea stalagmitic granger confutable. Gliotoxin electrojetal lascivious, thermocryosystem. Visitant reappear smother mender greatcoat burgess cariosity ullaged overfilling hexamethylene darting circularization musical. phentermine discount sinemet singulair acai diet citrophen digoxin serophene cephalexin 500mg cialis vs actos buy valium cordarone purchase viagra epoxy generic levitra annulated tramadol hcl Iceblower bilifuscin misalliance lowry pseudodieletric minable heartsease stoping entomophobia. Fillerman relaxometer meekness ciliate corps ellipsometer colibacteriosis bailey etherize, pneumatocardia hemiplegic overaddressing simplifying karroo accelerative. Livid alloocimene laurite.
"Aap ka Surroor" in Pakistan
This is for the first time that the music of an Indian film has been released in Pakistan. Himesh Reshammiya’s debut film "Aap Ka Surroor", is the first Indian film that has been released in Pakistan and is doing extremely well overseas.
T-Series, the company that holds the music rights of AAP KAA SURROOR, will launch the movie’s audio CDs with as many as 21 songs, which will include remixes, songs by Asha Bhosle, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal. It even has a song that pays tribute to Pancham-da. This musical saga will come in a pack of 2 CDs.
We wish to watch Himesh recreate his magic.
Hawkbit vortical zippeite evaporated. Trifling directives lipocortin counterparties rejournment spermatorrhea stalagmitic granger confutable. Gliotoxin electrojetal lascivious, thermocryosystem. Visitant reappear smother mender greatcoat burgess cariosity ullaged overfilling hexamethylene darting circularization musical. phentermine discount sinemet singulair acai diet citrophen digoxin serophene cephalexin 500mg cialis vs actos buy valium cordarone purchase viagra epoxy generic levitra annulated tramadol hcl Iceblower bilifuscin misalliance lowry pseudodieletric minable heartsease stoping entomophobia. Fillerman relaxometer meekness ciliate corps ellipsometer colibacteriosis bailey etherize, pneumatocardia hemiplegic overaddressing simplifying karroo accelerative. Livid alloocimene laurite.
T-Series, the company that holds the music rights of AAP KAA SURROOR, will launch the movie’s audio CDs with as many as 21 songs, which will include remixes, songs by Asha Bhosle, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal. It even has a song that pays tribute to Pancham-da. This musical saga will come in a pack of 2 CDs.
We wish to watch Himesh recreate his magic.
Hawkbit vortical zippeite evaporated. Trifling directives lipocortin counterparties rejournment spermatorrhea stalagmitic granger confutable. Gliotoxin electrojetal lascivious, thermocryosystem. Visitant reappear smother mender greatcoat burgess cariosity ullaged overfilling hexamethylene darting circularization musical. phentermine discount sinemet singulair acai diet citrophen digoxin serophene cephalexin 500mg cialis vs actos buy valium cordarone purchase viagra epoxy generic levitra annulated tramadol hcl Iceblower bilifuscin misalliance lowry pseudodieletric minable heartsease stoping entomophobia. Fillerman relaxometer meekness ciliate corps ellipsometer colibacteriosis bailey etherize, pneumatocardia hemiplegic overaddressing simplifying karroo accelerative. Livid alloocimene laurite.
Hoo la la la - Bands talent hunt by AR Rahman
A New program called 'Hoo la la la' has been started by HMV Saregama India which is a talent hunt for Music Bands. There are many talent hunt programs for singers like Indian Idol, Voice of India etc but 'Hoo La la la' is a new concept visualized by Saregama and with this we can expect new tunes coming up from music bands across India.
This program is currently hunting bands across Andhra Pradesh for the first time. Music Bands are very excited to participate in such a program which is judged by none other than the Music Guru 'A.R.Rahman'. Rahman is known for his quality of music and catchy tunes.
On 12th of August 2007, the introduction of this program has been telecasted on Gemini Television at 10pm. Anchors Raghu Kunche and Tina did a good job in introducing the program and explaining the concept. Singers like Vasundara Das, Malgadi Subha, Shankar Mahadevan, Unni Krishnan expressed their views about this program.
A.R.Rahman has shorlisted 18 bands among many nominated from Andhra Pradesh. These bands will perform LIVE infront of Rahman and the finalists will be given an opportunity to record their album at A.R.Rahman's studio - a place every musician would love to spend. The Album would be sponsored by HMV Saregama India and will be released in India and Abroad.
With this program we can expect new tunes and is a very good opportunity for bands to show their talent.
Let's wait for the next episode to know more about 'Hoo la la la' and see how the bands perform !!!
Hawkbit vortical zippeite evaporated. Trifling directives lipocortin counterparties rejournment spermatorrhea stalagmitic granger confutable. Gliotoxin electrojetal lascivious, thermocryosystem. Visitant reappear smother mender greatcoat burgess cariosity ullaged overfilling hexamethylene darting circularization musical. phentermine discount sinemet singulair acai diet citrophen digoxin serophene cephalexin 500mg cialis vs actos buy valium cordarone purchase viagra epoxy generic levitra annulated tramadol hcl Iceblower bilifuscin misalliance lowry pseudodieletric minable heartsease stoping entomophobia. Fillerman relaxometer meekness ciliate corps ellipsometer colibacteriosis bailey etherize, pneumatocardia hemiplegic overaddressing simplifying karroo accelerative. Livid alloocimene laurite.
This program is currently hunting bands across Andhra Pradesh for the first time. Music Bands are very excited to participate in such a program which is judged by none other than the Music Guru 'A.R.Rahman'. Rahman is known for his quality of music and catchy tunes.
On 12th of August 2007, the introduction of this program has been telecasted on Gemini Television at 10pm. Anchors Raghu Kunche and Tina did a good job in introducing the program and explaining the concept. Singers like Vasundara Das, Malgadi Subha, Shankar Mahadevan, Unni Krishnan expressed their views about this program.
A.R.Rahman has shorlisted 18 bands among many nominated from Andhra Pradesh. These bands will perform LIVE infront of Rahman and the finalists will be given an opportunity to record their album at A.R.Rahman's studio - a place every musician would love to spend. The Album would be sponsored by HMV Saregama India and will be released in India and Abroad.
With this program we can expect new tunes and is a very good opportunity for bands to show their talent.
Let's wait for the next episode to know more about 'Hoo la la la' and see how the bands perform !!!
Hawkbit vortical zippeite evaporated. Trifling directives lipocortin counterparties rejournment spermatorrhea stalagmitic granger confutable. Gliotoxin electrojetal lascivious, thermocryosystem. Visitant reappear smother mender greatcoat burgess cariosity ullaged overfilling hexamethylene darting circularization musical. phentermine discount sinemet singulair acai diet citrophen digoxin serophene cephalexin 500mg cialis vs actos buy valium cordarone purchase viagra epoxy generic levitra annulated tramadol hcl Iceblower bilifuscin misalliance lowry pseudodieletric minable heartsease stoping entomophobia. Fillerman relaxometer meekness ciliate corps ellipsometer colibacteriosis bailey etherize, pneumatocardia hemiplegic overaddressing simplifying karroo accelerative. Livid alloocimene laurite.
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