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A musical soiree
PACESETTER Atharv Baluja
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Make your own fashion rules Yes, the Indian fashion designers are reiterating a similar opinion. 2014 will be all eclectic. Young women will flaunt crop tops, fringe and exaggerated silhouettes. Graphic and digital prints will be rule. So will wide-leg pants, palazzos, longer skirts, jackets or shrugs. Designer Gautam Gupta says, “We will see a range of bold prints, sheer look, comfortable silhouettes, layering and texturing in women's attire. Men would be seen more in sport-inspired looks.” A high point of the year will be fusion attire. Young Indians will opt more for fusion clothes — combining Western and Indian clothes in a neat style. Casual dressing will be all about combining separates and styling them in your own way.
Designer Pooja Bajaj says: “This year African-inspired fashion with triangular prints and fringes will rule. The cuts such as halter neck and asymmetrical patterns will come together.” Fringe look of 1920s will be back. Skirt tops, bottoms or shirts will sport short or long fringes. One has the choice to replace lacy cuff-ends or collars with these fringes. Those who are willing to experiment can even have long fringes reaching up to their waists, hanging from their saree blouses. Short crop tops will be spotted even in chilled winter months, sported on inner layering. Sculpted look will be look in women's wear. Don't mistake it with the body-hugging look of the previous year though. This has more mono or dual-tone attires with sculpted shoulders, hip and high collars. These dresses will have 3-D pleats, peplum style, origami cuts with ruffled folds or fringes on the sides or front. Men's wear will deviate from the usual monochromes, solid colours to prints and even flowers. Designer Pawan Sachdeva says: “Bold prints on shirts and tees for men will be in. Dominating colours would be blue, green, electric grey along with the classics whites and blacks.” That's what international ramps are showing too. Design houses like Prada, Saint Laurent, Raf Simons, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and others have come out with tropical floral prints on shirts and pants for casual dressing for men. Formal corporate suits will have soft, fluid lines with softer fabric, longer jackets and loose pants. The year will also see the revival of retro look of the 1960s, 1950s and even the 1940s like high waists, spread collars etc. It will all be comfort, natural, simple fabric and texture for both women and men. For women chiffons, Chantilly lace, net, cotton-silk, cotton-satin, cotton-lycra, linen, etc., are expected to be seen around in the next season. Designer Rajat Suri says, “We will see a lot of shimmering and natural paper-like delicate material like soft cotton, silk, linen suede, light wool and organdies.” Fabric for men will regular cotton, linen, denims and knits but there will be some blends such as cotton-satin, lycra-cotton, linen and cotton silk. Natural and comfort fabrics will rule even for men's apparel trends. According to the designer duo Kapil and Mmonika, “This year will be all about bright colours like blue, tangerine, yellow, orchid and neutral tones like sand, placid blue, violet, etc.” Besides prints, men's wear will see light blues, military green, electric grey along with the classics white and black.
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A musical soiree Hardcore
music aficionados will tell you that even in this age of electronic music, there is no single instrument to match the versatility of the human body. Our vocal cord is a perfect chordophone; when we pucker our lips and whistle, we produce aerophonic sounds and the clapping hands are the best example of an idiophone. But no matter how melodic our body may be, it cannot match the versatility of the instruments that have been crafted for the specific purpose of creating music. Wind instruments like the flute, mouth organ, clarinet or saxophone require a player to blow into these to make music. Percussion instruments like the drum, dhol or tabla create sound when a person strikes them with the hand or stick.
Sound of music String musical instruments like the guitar, sitar and violin create music when the strings are manipulated and they create musical vibrations. Electronic instruments like the keyboards and synthesizers reproduce the sounds of all other instruments. And finally, the shiny brass instruments like the trumpet, French double horn or bugle are also wind instruments but produce different sounds because of the metal these are made of. Though we are all too familiar with the look and sound of different categories of instruments like the guitar, flute, piano or a drum, what many may not know is that there are thousands of musical devices which are specific to a region, country or a tribe. For example, harmonium, sitar, sarod, veena, dholak, tanpura and ghungaroo are Indian or pertain to the Indian subcontinent. Similarly, banjo, bass and electric guitars trace their descent to America while violin comes from Finland, harp from ancient Egypt, mandolin from Italy and rabab from Afghanistan. Today many important musical instruments have spawned many lookalikes but with slight variations. The guitar, for example, comes in many variations ranging from an acoustic guitar to an electronic guitar, bass guitar, Hawaiian guitar as also the arch top and resonator guitars.
Vanishing heritage In India, a wide variety of musical instruments have gone silent and become a part of the vanishing heritage. Instruments like dahara from Kashmir comprising a 75 cm iron bar twisted at both ends holding 40 iron and bronze rings has gone extinct. The rings, when shaken, produced rhythmic sounds. It was traditionally used as an accompaniment to Laddishah — one of the most popular folk songs of the region. Today, there are hardly any craftsmen who know how to make the instrument. Though many old instruments have disappeared, the good news is that many new ones are being invented. For example, the 1994 Grammy award-winning Indian musician Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt created the Mohan Veena, which is a fusion of two instruments — vichitra veena and the Hawaiian guitar. A few years later, he created another instrument — the vishwa veena — which was a hybrid of Mohan Veena and the harp. Both the new instruments are now pushing the frontiers of fusion music. For centuries, India has given a pride of place to instrumental musicians who have excelled in indigenous genres. From Pandit Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan in sitar to Ali Akbar Khan, Hafiz Ali Khan and his son Amjad Ali Khan in sarod, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Pannalal Ghosh in flute, Jaikishen (of Shankar Jaikishen duo) and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in harmonium, the country has produced some of the greatest musicians. From the dawn of civilisation, musical instruments have played an important role in the culture of nations and music has been a vital part of the social human process. Music is used to enhance the significance of ceremonies and rituals. It is a motivation tool to encourage victories in sports and other competitions. It is an important element of military and other defence services to inspire them in wars. It is a part of religious services and customs not just in India but in most countries of the world.
Healing touch In modern medicine, music and musical instruments are also being used to promote healing. Once thought to be a device merely to keep patients in good spirits, music therapy is today exploring new and exciting frontiers and coming into its own as a cure. Psychiatrists say that music has a direct impact on the mood and physical well being. In the West, it is widely being used in old age homes, asylums and maternity wards. During World War I, music therapy was used to help heal wounded servicemen. Shortly after the war, Dutchman Willem Van de Wall, a professional harpist, organised one of the first formal music therapy programmes in mental hospitals in America. “Each body organ responds to a particular vibrational frequency,” he told the gathering of physicians and psychiatrists. “The entire body is a symphonic chord.” Whether the body is a symphonic chord or the evolution of musical instruments has been inspired by the human body, the truth is that music and the devices with which it is played have influenced humankind in a myriad number of ways. From ancient instruments to state-of-the-art digital devices, musical tools have developed over the ages with the evolution of the world.
US-based Howard Needham is considered by many as the modern world’s best violin maker. He brings more than 40 years of expertise to each instrument he creates in his workshop in Maryland. His 2010 Joachim del Gesu violin is considered a classic and used by top professionals in concerts around the world. Price:
Rs 16.8 lakh ($28,000)
As far as authentic tone and feel go, the Gretsch G9400 Broadkaster Deluxe Resonator banjo is a top quality instrument. It puts a modern spin on one of the most favoured folk instruments in the world. It has a gloss-finished body, mahogany neck containing a rosewood fingerboard complete with 22 frets. Price:
Rs 36,000 ($600)
The Jupiter 852L French Double Horn is meant for professional concert-level players. This double horn offers extreme durability in comparison to string levers, which are susceptible to snapping. The mechanisms are fully adjustable and the four-valve double tubing method offers tremendous flexibility. Price:
Rs 1.8 lakh ($3,000)
STUDIO GUITAR Price: Between
Rs 1.11 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh ($1,850 and $2,500)
THE SYNTHESISER EFFECT Price:
Rs 2.40 lakh
This Indian sitar offered by www.sitarsencat.com has a teakwood top and pumpkin body. Its strings are made of bone with a bone nut to accommodate and it has very ornate floral carvings on its body and back of the gourd. It has 11 sympathetic strings, five chikari strings and two bada strings. Price: Rs 75,000 ($1,250)
TIMELESS HARMONICA Price:
Rs 19,500 ($325)
The Tama Star classic shell pack includes a bass drum, two mounted toms and a floor tom. Made of African bubinga wood by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen, it has a fuller and deeper tone, a powerful resonance and rich lows. Its aluminium mounting provides lighter weight and truer tonal vibration.
BLOW YOUR OWN TRUMPET Price:
Rs 1.56 lakh ($2,600)
Fitted with innovative electronics, the MM-50E Mandolin by American company Epiphone is a professional instrument, which is often used in live performances. It has an ornate body with dual F-holes and it has a carved spruce top. The rosewood fingerboard makes it a very playable instrument. Price:
Rs 33,000 ($550)
The AS43 Intermediate Alto Saxophone by Amati is appropriate for students preparing to be professionals. Its main characteristic is the newly designed, small bell flare made of brass alloy that improves playability. It is well-adjusted for a firm grip as it has a compact bow, which is easy to hold and play evenly. Price:
Rs 1.5 lakh ($2,500)
Since 1853, Steinway pianos have set high standards for sound, touch and beauty. The majestic Concert Grand Piano is almost nine feet in length and is the overwhelming choice of professional pianists. This piano is designed to satisfy music maestros who desire the highest level of musical expression. Price:
Rs 72 lakh ($1,20,000)
GREENLINE CLARINET Price:
Rs 2.28 lakh
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One-stop shop for Punjabi films Atharv Baluja has established North India’s first fully equipped post-production studio that will help to make a difference to the quality of Punjabi movies Jasmine Singh Machines
interested him more than anything else. Atharv Baluja the brain behind Artha Film Studios, North India's first fully equipped post production studio completed his electrical engineering from Thapar University, Patiala, because this is something he thought he wanted to do. Atharv, 24, started working on some documentaries and finally ended up making his first Punjabi film Avain Raula Pai Gaya. As the cliché goes, fate had something else in store for him. “I faced a tough time during the post production of my first film, so I decided I will come up with a studio that will make life easier for other Punjabi film directors,” shares Atharv who launched the first state-of-the-art post production studio a month back in Mohali. Artha Film Studios is Atharv’s dream project and is likely to smoothen production hassles for the growing tribe of Punjabi filmmakers. “This studio is a one-stop destination for all the Punjabi filmmakers who have to rush to Mumbai for post-production work. Now, they will not have to do any running around,” says Atharva. The studio is packed with state-of-the art gadgets, which promise to deliver quality work. The studio boasts of a DI Theatre, 19-ft screen, highest quality grading projectors and screens, colour-grading panel for highest precision in colour quality and sharpness. “We work with the latest technology that guarantees quality work in a proper time.” A separate relaxation corner that has a TT table, magazines that make for a good read, a lounge where you can sit and sip piping hot coffee, rich graffiti on the walls, the studio has everything you can ask for that makes working fun. However, Atharv credits his qualified team for this. He has the best, qualified and experienced team, which is making a difference in the industry. Most of the employees have worked as technicians in films like Singham, Golmaal series, Rajneeti, Aarakshan, Ram Leela and Yamla Pagla Deewana. “The biggest challenge was to source people who are good in this field, for I couldn't have managed to singlehanded run this studio. My technicians understand movie making, they can deliver what is expected of them.” His team is already busy handling the post production of many Punjabi films like Moga to Melbourne, Myself Ghaint, Yaaran da Ketchup, Mere Yaar Kaminey and Ishq Brandy. They prepare music tracks, do dubbing, editing, everything required to the movie a neater and add finesse to the final look. When most Punjabi filmmakers do not consider post-production as a big deal and are never ready to spend money on it, Atharv likes to believe that it is the post-production finishing touches that give the final shape to the movie. “You can either make or break the movie in the final process. We deliver quality work, filmmakers don't have to run to Mumbai for the job, and then we make sure that they are not charged exorbitantly.” The studio uses a RED Epic Film Camera, on which all latest Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters are shot with. As he puts it, “Quality work without any compromise is my endeavour, if we have to see good Punjabi films, the producers and directors have to focus on making them more slick.”
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JOURNEY INTO THE PAST
Price:
Rs 12.65 lakh per person ($23,000)
Price:
Rs 3,000 ($50)
KEEPING TRACK OF JEWELS
Price:
Rs 5.75 lakh ($9,600)
NECKLACE L'INCOMPARABLE
Price:
Rs 330 crore ($55 million)
GEEK SEAT
Price: Between
Rs 30,000 & Rs 36,000 depending upon features ($500 & $600)
CAR POOL
Price:
Rs 6 lakh ($10.000)
Price:
Rs 2.40 lakh a pair ($4,000)
SEE-THROUGH TOASTER
Price: Yet to be announced
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Musical instruments have played an important role in the culture of various nations. Now new innovations are instrumental in pushing the frontiers of fusion music
Jasmine Singh
The
CLASSIC VIOLIN
RESONATOR BANJO
DOUBLE HORN
The Gibson name is almost synonymous with the guitar. The company’s Les Paul Studio has been one of the most popular choices of guitarists ever since its introduction in 1983. The upgraded version of the guitar has increased sonic versatility and performance advancement and is stunning to look at. 
The Japanese Korg Corporation is a name to reckon with in synthesisers. Its
Kronos X 88-key synthesiser integrates easily with the computer. It can also send and receive two channels of audio to and from the computer. It has the ability to produce drum grooves and 185 different musical effects.
TEAKWOOD ROSE SITAR
The Chromonica 64- Key C Chromatic Harmonica by German company Hohner is a top quality 4-octave chromatic mouth organ both for professionals and beginners. In addition to the excellent handling, it offers fast response across all octaves. This timeless instrument truly represents the harmonica history.
BUBINGA DRUM KIT
The Yamaha Xeno Artist Trumpet is an incredibly easy blowing instrument that slots perfectly throughout all registers. A well-rounded trumpet, it can be used in both classical and commercial settings. The upper register and the sound contain plenty of core. It comes with a beautifully designed case.
ELECTRIC MANDOLIN
SAXOPHONE SPECIAL
CONCERT GRAND PIANO 
The Greenline clarinet by French company Buffet Crampon is among the most popular in the world. The clarinet is made from African Grenadlla wood and carbon fibres, which gives it a balanced timbre and a warm and powerful tone. It is a hardy instrument and can withstand admirably any temperature changes. 
It’s a journey of a lifetime. The Trans-Siberian Railway, from Moscow to Vladivostok is one of the oldest and longest continuous railway line in the world stretching almost 10,000 kilometres and covering one-sixth of the world in 15 days of sheer luxury. Starting from Moscow it passes through ancient and exotic towns like Omsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Khabarovsk and onto Vladivostok. There are day stops at most of these breath-taking historical places where passengers can meet locals and sample their culture and food. But if you are planning to take a joy ride it is best to be warned that it is reserved for people with deep pockets!
What's a good beer if it does not froth over, goes an old English phrase. If you too get put off by flat beer then go for the Jokki Hour beer mug from Japanese company Takara Tomy. Just pour out a regular can of beer so that it doesn't fill the whole mug. Then press down the switch on the handle and bubbles will immediately start to form giving a frothy crown of head on your beer. The longer you hold the button down the more head you'll get. So go ahead, quench your thirst with a chilled beer that has an inviting and divine white foam at the top.
It goes without saying that precious jewellery requires constant safeguarding. Now with safes also not being a “safe” option, it is time to think of other ways of securing valuables. German locksmith artisanry company Döttling has launched a stylishly smart safe that is designed to outwit thieves. The portable jewellery box also comes with a GPS tracking device that informs the owner of its position from anywhere in the world. This compact-yet-elegant safe, made of calf leather includes a number of small pockets to organise valuables. And, if lost or stolen, it can be located anytime, anywhere — much to the dismay of potential jewel thieves.
It's a masterpiece creation that has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most valuable necklace. The L'Incomparable necklace has 637-carat diamonds and has the world's largest internally flawless diamond pendant weighing 407.48 carats. Designed by Switzerland-based luxury jeweller Mouawad, the necklace has created a sensation with a Russian oligarch and Chinese tycoon in the race to buy it. Considering that the main diamond of the necklace was found in a dump by a little girl in Congo, its price today almost rivals the economy of that country!
Here’s some good news for those who can't bear to be parted with their tablet or laptop for even a few minutes. Microsoft has launched the eToilet which is a 21-inch flat-screen monitor built on the toilet lid that swings out on a swivel arm when in use. Many of its functions are activated by touch and it has a proximity sensor that will protect the screen from spray during use or flushing. The eToilet's composition gauge offers web-based advice about personal hygiene and healthy diet. The best part is the lid shuts automatically when left open thereby sparing you the wife's finger-wagging.
How about a vintage game of pool? Is there a vintage version of the game, you'd ask? The answer is no, but if your table happens to be the top of a 1965 convertible Mustang, then the game will definitely take on a retro shade. One of the greatest pony cars to ever grace the auto industry — the legendary Ford Mustang has been transformed into a pool table and comes complete with real chrome bumpers, working head lights and real tyres and wheels. It's even painted in original 1965 "Rangoon Red" for that 1960s feel.
The two trilogies of Star Wars have spawned a sea of merchandising ranging from games, toys, watches, books, accessories and anything you can actually think of. Well, not anything. No one had really thought that it would be possible to wear Darth Vader and Yoda cufflinks. Now American luxury store Neiman Marcus has teamed up with Disney for the limited edition, 14-carat gold cufflinks shaped like the faces of the main protagonist Darth Vader and Yoda. The Vader cufflink features the famous Sith Lord's head and Yoda has a Jedi Master's head on one end and the Rebel Alliance insignia on the other. The cufflinks are guaranteed to push up your style quotient.
One look at this gadget and you know that the future kitchen has arrived...or is arriving soon. Simply called the Future, the transparent glass toaster is still in the development stage. Once it hits the market, it will rid mankind of a basic irritant that has been plaguing breakfast eaters for centuries — burnt toast. With the Future toaster all you have to do is to shove in one slice of bread and literally watch it heat up to a perfect golden brown toast — or the colour of your choice.