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Bards from Barmer
Folk music is a vast ocean and a few can claim to possess its enviable treasures, but the Rajasthani folk maestro Nek Mohammad Langah seems to be doubly blessed as his prodigious sons too have touched the horizons of acclaim at the national and international level. Believe it or not, but visiting London, Paris or other top concert venues is a routine affair for almost all uneducated family members of this family of Nek and his five sons. Umar (13) , a dropout from primary school, is just back from London after a performance with another troupe while the youngest Saleem (9), much sought after, is scheduled for a long tour. Both the budding artistes enrthralled the crowd at the SAARC fest in the city.
In all humility, Nek Mohammad (49), hailing from a sleepy village of Bardanwah Bandh in Barmer, salutes the grandeur of Indian music, especially Rajasthani folk which has elevated his persona from a ‘farsh' to 'arsh.' Having performed a number of times before Queen Elizabeth in London and Singhora Theatre Paris, where he spent three years on contract for daily performance, is by no means a small achievement. In the city for the SAARC Writers Folklore Fest, he shred his life experiences with Lifestyle. How is the folk music scenario in Rajasthan and what is the impact of classical music thereon? Rajasthan has a rich folk tradition, wherein musical communities like the Mangiyars, Langhas, Bhopas, Kalbeliyas have been singing ritual songs at family functions and for their patrons. The folk music is losing its feel due to urbanisation. I fear it might become a thing of the past. The ragas are the basis of all classical arts but many of us, not systematically trained, fail to comprehend their identical classification but certainly incorporate the essence of the raga's features in our folk compositions. Both Umar and Saleem have not learnt classical music but they can render it better than any accomplished performer. In fact, classical music has taken select aspects of folk music and refined it in a systematic way, as you will notice in our Rajasthani folk and sufiana music. What is the learning process for all folk artistes? Through inheritance and oral transmission from one generation to the next. Due to an upbringing in a musical environment, our children imitate songs and learn the nuances of music even before they learn to speak well. At five, I performed at a national concert along with my Dada Ustad Noor Mohammad, just like my sons Umar and Saleem are doing here in this fest. With both your sons Umar and Saleem stealing the limelight with their talent even though they're not educated, do you find them to be formidable challengers? Whenever they eclipse me as a performer, I feel proud. While my other three sons too, though illiterate, are globetrotting artists, my youngest son, the charismatic Saleem is gifted by the grace of Allah. Saleem loves film songs and stars like Shah Rukh Khan , Salman Khan and Rani Mukerjee are his favourites. With so many performances abroad, you must have made a
fortune by now? The artistes who ventured to perform abroad 50 years ago were the real beneficiaries. Now, with the growing popularity of our music, many middle men or contractors have emerged, who really flourish at the cost of performers. Let it be an untold story, please. And with this, Nek Mohammad signs off. lifestyle@tribunemail.com |
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Philosophy of art
Though her dancing skills were raised on a strong footing, she has learnt the art under Guru K.
Rajalakshmi. And before that she has had an extensive training from topmost gurus covering a wide spectrum in dance, music, choreography and
nattuvangam, utilising her god-gifted talents to coincide both creativity and purity. Her forte remains the ritu
shringar. “The family musical environment shaped up my sensibility for Bharatnatyam dance, which I took up at the age of four when one is too young to decide a calling or choice of dance form,” says
Padmaja, in city for an ICCR concert at the Pracheen Kala Kendra. “But whatever is ordained by God is always better, as my passion overtook my profession and I never knew I was destined to perform in over twenty countries.” Her traditional and contemporary dance productions have won her acclaim throughout the country and abroad including countries like the U.K., Germany, France, Belgium, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Israel, Nepal, China, Australia, the
U.S, New Zealand, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea and the Gulf countries. Her style that blends the classical with the modern, poetry with social issues ensures approbation from varied sections of the audience. Having presented dances in Hungarian, Chinese, Hebrew besides several Indian languages and dialects, she has also conducted workshops at dance departments of Universities like
Queensland, Australia and Weinstate, USA. She was delegated in April 2003 to Hungary, Spain and Germany by the ICCR on a cultural mission to create awakening among foreign audience through lecture demonstrations, workshops and displaying the magnificence of dancing art through stage performances. On her views on foreign audience she says, “They are very inquisitive and sometimes find it difficult to relate the thematic content usually weaved around the life and teachings of our religious deities.” She adds, “I also introduced the common themes of evils of junk food, pollution and of literary relevance for their conceptual grasp but maintaining the purities of the dance form.” On her most memorable performance she says, “My performance along with my troupe at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2006, before the august presence of His Excellency, Dr.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam still rejuvenates me.” |
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Golden opportunity
" Manjeet Kaur, a housewife, seconds her opinion. She says she has a lot of gold, which she bought for her wedding, and which she feels are of no use. "The chunky sets that you buy cannot be worn on daily basis. Moreover, it has become really risky to wear gold with the increasing number of snatching incidents. Artificial jewellery for that matter is very handy-you buy it, wear it and throw it. Even if you lose it, it hardly matters." Many shops in the AC market and Diamond Plaza just deal with these artificial ornaments. Shopkeepers are of the opinion that the reason for the increase in demand is not just because of the rates of gold, but also the desire to be unique and trendy. "We have women customers who order jewellery that are often worn by film stars and soaps. Moreover, they have become particular about the colours as well. Instead of gold, they match the jewellery with their dresses." "We go to various cities to get the designs made as per the specialty of a place. Jaipur and Mumbai are most popular choices because of the variety and style. I visit the cities almost once in a fortnight to keep myself updated with the latest trends and to order something if it cannot be made here, said another shopkeeper." |
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Cyber sharing
I miss writing letters," a 45-year-old-family friend sulks about technology taking over feelings. "Who cares about the world shrinking, who cares about those web camera chats, frequent mails, 24X7 message sharing and social networking sites, when there is no place for feelings," he lashes out at any development in the name of technology. However, contrary to the popular belief, Internet and mobile phones are not isolating people but enhancing their social worlds, according to a survey conducted in the US. The study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, titled 'Social Isolation and New Technology', found people's use of mobile phones and Internet is actually associated with larger and more diverse social networks. We ask people whether they agree with the same, given that every second person you bump into complains about the shortage of time….. 'I'll call you, don't worry,'- the closing line to most conversations.
Sunil Sharma, an employee with the Indian Railways, views it from both sides. "In a way Internet and mobile phones have brought the world together. Who has the time to write a letter or make a long distance phone call on a daily basis? A quick SMS or a Facebook or an Orkut chat does the needful. On the other hand, all these have also created a vacuum in inter-personal relations. A web camera chat or a scrap will not carry the same feeling like meeting up in person would." Actor Aman Dhaliwal, of Jodhaa Akbar fame, feels technology has indeed connected people. "Most of my friends and family members stay abroad. In the absence of technology, Internet or social networking sites, I can't think of staying in touch with them. I personally like the con call facility, where all friends can do unhindered chit-o-chat." The survey also says that on average, the size of people's discussion networks is 12 per cent larger among mobile phone users, nine per cent larger for those who share photos online, and nine per cent bigger for those who use instant messaging. The diversity of people's core networks tends to be 25 per cent larger for mobile phone users, 15 per cent larger for basic Internet users, and even larger for frequent Internet users, instant messagers, and those sharing photos online. Sahil Jain, of Exotic Flowers, supports the old school of thought, which says importance to 'feelings' and 'relationships' going for a toss because of technology. "Unlike 10-12 years back when we our parents would post greetings to friends and relatives, and make all the effort to visit them, now we rely on a phone or an SMS for the same. "This is a major drawback of technology." Sahil is also amused at fact that sometimes family members staying under one roof use cell phone or an SMS for connection." Amazing, like the developments of technology. jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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Tweet calls
Twitter may have gained immense popularity as a microblogging website but in India majority use it as a source for news.
A survey by technology site www.pluGGd.in says about 16 per cent of Indian users regularly 'tweet' to get news updates. While 11 per cent use it to stay in touch with their friends, 10 per cent use the website for research purpose, according to the survey. The social networking site, launched in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, came into prominence in the country during the 26/11 attacks when eyewitnesses sent an estimated 80 'tweets' every five seconds, helping in compiling a list of the dead and injured. Analysts attribute the recent surge in its popularity in India to the controversial 'cattle class' tweet by Union minister Shashi Tharoor, who is an active Twitter user with nearly 3 lakh followers, arguably the largest in the country. With its growing popularity, the website is now giving a tough competition to other networking sites like Google's Orkut and California-based Facebook, which was launched six years ago. While Facebook has around 8 million users and Orkut has around 16 million, Twitter has 1.4 million users in India, the third largest after Germany and the US.
— PTI |
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Hail gaming
With third-generation (3G) mobile services expected to be launched soon, India's gaming industry is poised for a four-fold growth over the next two-years, a leading industry player said. The gaming market, currently pegged at USD 100 million, is likely to vault to USD 400 million in the next two years, the official said.
"India's gaming industry is likely to touch USD 400 million by 2012. With third-generation (3G) mobile services expected to be launched soon, gaming companies are gearing themselves up for the big opportunity," GameShastra's Chief Executive Officer Prakash Ahuja said. GameShastra, a leading game services provider, operates a state-of-the-art game development studio in Hyderabad and is creating games across all major platforms. The company which has a portfolio of over 200 games across consoles and hand-held devices, is eyeing an USD 15 million revenue from mobile games within two-years of 3G's launch. Another leading player, Nazara Technologies, too expects to ride the wave and is eyeing a revenue of Rs 100 crore within two-years of 3G launch.
— PTI |
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Using in-car technology that gives out warnings over reckless driving may help reduce number of teenage deaths on the roads, experts believe. Safety engineer Oren Musicant at Ben-Gurion University in Israel examined in-vehicle data recorders with teenage drivers over six months. Staffordshire County Council, UK, had carried out a trial of the IVDRs that monitors unsafe driving events, such as overly sharp turns, heavy acceleration, hard braking and fast lane-changes, reports New Scientist. Musicant found that the number of unsafe driving events undertaken by each driver was cut by half after the warning lights were switched on. He proposed to the recent Intelligent Transport Systems conference in Stockholm, Sweden that the system could be added to the insurance companies mandate for teenage drivers. This could be part of such measures, lowering premiums if a teenager uses a risk detector." The IVDRs are made by GreenRoad of San Francisco, California. — ANI
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GEEK SPEAK
Our own world famous Indian Harley Davidson, I know it as the dear old Bullet which is now known as Royal Enfield, I have seen our proud machines cruzing with Harleys, BSA's and Triumphs from London to Coventry, this might be a shock for few but it is true, Royal Enfield motorcycles hold a special place in the hearts of many bikers, who ride them or have ridden them (including myself). It represents timelessness of the biking spirit and the never-ending joy of motorcycling in its most comfortable and simplistic form. Royal Enfield now has given us a new league of motorbikes, 'The new retro modern Bullet Classic.'
Royal Enfield has launched its retro thumper, the Bullet Classic. The bike that harks back to Enfield's classic British motorcycle design, has been launched with two engine options. The Bullet Classic 350 will come fitted with the same engine that was seen on the Thunderbird Twin Spark, with unit construction and a carburetor. T he variant will cost approx Rs 98,000. Accompanying it will be the Bullet Classic 500, which will come fitted with a Modern internationally available 500cc EFI (Electronic Fuel Injected) unit construction engine. The Bullet Classic 500, which has been priced approx at Rs 1.24 lacs, has a design heavily inspired from the 1932 G2 Royal Enfield motorcycle, which was the first bike to be known as 'Bullet', with its simple and sensuous lines, and that smartly upswept exhaust. Vintage bike cues abound on the Classic, with its spring-loaded split seat, thigh pads, headlamp hood and old Royal Enfield graphics on the tank. Modern elements that will add to the practicality of the bike are present too, like the gas-charged shock absorbers. A shift from 19-inch wheel to 18-inchers will also allow riders to choose from a larger variety of aftermarket
tyres.
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GizmOH! It's damaging
Leeza Manocha Doing the needful
Apoorva Garg Two ways about it
Loveena, Model |
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Spade work
First thing first, no buying of such fruit plants from 'any' source. In case of these fruit plants that were a monopoly of hills a few years back, they are now grown in plains too. It has become possible due to the introduction of such varieties that have a low chilling requirement and this can be met in plains. The purpose of apprising you with this technicality is that you may not get such plants from 'any' source that are suitable for hills only. Such plants will only bear flowers in winter but will not bear fruits. And for that too you will have to wait for at least three years to know about the spurious plants. That is quite some time. Second, the preparation for planting has to be done now, about a month before actual planting is done. This is the preparation of pits to receive plants. This is done by making a round pit of one meter dimension (one meter deep with one meter diameter). Keep the top soil on one side and the rest on other and then mix the rotten farmyard manure with equal quantity of top soil and refill the pit. It is better to keep the pit open for at least a week before filling it. Add about 30 gram of lindane dust in the pit at the time of refilling the pit. Fill the pit about six inches above the ground level as when you put water, the pit will settle down. Again add some soil-manure mixture to make up the volume. You must get your plants reserved now or else it will be late. Remember, if you miss, then you will have to wait for one full year as such plants are planted only once in a year that is during winter (when these are dormant). Get your plants reserved with the Horticulture Department of Punjab Agricultural University at Ludhiana or any of the nurseries of the Directorate of Horticulture, Punjab. You will get only the suitable varieties there. When you get plants from such sources, you may rest assure that they are healthy and free from any of diseases. But in case you buy plants from some source that you think is registered or authentic, look for 'tumors' on the roots. And if they have tumors do not buy such plants. They are nematode affected and that may shorten the plant life as they choke and drain the roots.
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Wedding planner
The main feature of the exhibition is its jewellery collection that include colored gems, stones-studded chic and classy jewellery, besides diamond bracelets, drop-dead gorgeous rings, shiny chandelier earrings, solitaries, sparkling necklace, jadau, kundan kanganas. According to Maninder Sethi, director, Excelsior Public Relations, there will be a fashion show. From conventional bridal lehngas to chic, classy Kashmiri and Pakistani salwaar suits, from traditional outfits to contemporary western attires, the show will have an entire gamut of clothing by prominent designers like Abdul Halder, Mona Lamba and Pali Sachdeva
and Khalid. Renowned Bollywood jewellery designer Punita Trrikha will showcase her elaborated designs embellished with diamonds and precious stones. |
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Run along…
Elemention Gym trainers were kept busy with warm ups for the participants of the Runningandliving.com 15km, then 10km and 5km runs, which started at CGA Elemention at the CGA Golf Range in Chandigarh.
Many have pushed themselves in the past and today they continued their journey of continuous improvement with fun and making new friends along the way. There were a couple of hundred police trainees who were also present as both boys and girls, men and women, sweated it out and had fun as they crossed the finish line. "We were delighted to see so many new faces running and hope each one of them will inspire 10 others to come and run. We have our first Runningandliving.com Half Marathon in Chandigarh on January 10 along with a 5 km run, and I am sure these runners and many others will register now on our website www.runningandliving.com and get Chandigarh buzzing in January," said Rahul Verghese - founder and CEO of Running And Living Infotainment, whose goal is to get 200 million people. |
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Sound of music
After a wonderful treat in the form of its 32nd Sangeet Sammelan, for the lovers of music, the Indian National Theatre is organising a five-day music appreciation programme starting November 9.
In a live concert of Indian classical music, the presence of an initiated listener who is conversant with the concepts, material, technique and end structures, makes a lot of difference even at the level of entertainment. Keeping in mind this aspect and for the uninitiated music lovers who would like to have a better understanding of this beautiful art form The Indian National Theatre is holding a Hindustani Classical vocal Music Appreciation Programme from November 9 to 13, in the Chitkara College of Mass Communication auditorium (Dainik Bhaskar building), Sector 25, Chandigarh. |
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Live in action
Film producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director Rajkumar Hirani, other technicians and actors, including Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, R. Madhavan and Boman Irani alongside Aamir, will have a visual chat with the masses, after releasing the music of the film on the Internet. "We are launching the music of 3i (Three Idiots) on the 9th of November, but for the first time this is happening on the (Inter)net... So the plan is to release the music at 11 a.m. and then all of us are in private chat rooms with you (fans) for an hour," Aamir posted on his blog www.aamirkhan.com/blog Saturday."When I say all of us, I mean Vinod Chopra, Raju Hirani, Kareena, Maddy (R.Madhavan), Sharman, Boman, the music director Shantanu, the lyricist Swanand, the singers Shaan, Shreya (Ghoshal), Suraj, and me... The chat is going to be a video chat as well and not only text," he added. The website for the music launch and chat is www.idiotsacademy.com. Based on Chetan Bhagat's bestseller Five Point Someone, the movie is releasing December 25. — IANS
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Bang on
The event was organised by a car-making company to mark the anniversary of its hatchback, A-star, in Mumbai. “The way of celebrating the completion of one year of the car is very nice. I love rock music and I love cars, so I am getting both at one place; what more can I ask for. Rock music has always been associated with something new and revolutionary which connects with the youth.” The enterprising filmmaker, who has made quite a mark with his earlier films, is all set to floor the audience with his forthcoming venture Karthik Calling Karthik. The film is slated to hit the screen across India in 2010. — ANI
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Hello TUNEZ Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (Tips): Things are changing. Raj Kumar Santoshi has returned to comedy genre after a long time and has also decided to give bubblegum music fare to us. For getting the flavour right, he has assigned the task to Pritam, who despite the charges of plagiarism flying thick and fast against him is having a nice run. He has made a bhelpuri with a bit of everything like Bollywood rap, pop and hip-hop. He is helped in this mission by DJ Suketu and the hyper Hard Kaur. There are basically seven songs, which feature again and again as remixes and reprises. Lyrics are by Irshad Kamil and Ashish Pandit. KK is in his element in the opener Mein tera dhadkan teri along with Sunidhi Chauhan, while Hard Kaur chips in with some funky rap. It also has a remix. Atif Aslam's Tu jaane na is quawwali like at times but is an enjoyable number. Its 'unplugged version' by Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh and 'reprise version' by Soham, Rana Majumdar and Ashish Pandit are even better. Mika's rough edges are quite noticeable in Oh by God, but the song is such that you don't expect anything better from either him or Sunidhi Chauhan. Romance reigns supreme in Tera hone laga hoon where both Atif Aslam and Alisha Chinoy give good account of themselves. But its remix is scratchy. Neeraj Sridhar and Suzzanne D'Mello row the Prem ki nayya song in the Bhojpur direction and the music also takes a rustic detour. Javed Ali and Jojo try to salvage 'aa jao meri tamanna' but are not able to do much. Hard Kaur has written Follow me herself and sings it with her usual masti.
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Kurbaan (Sony Music): A film produced by Karan Johar has to have first-rate music. Well, this one may not be the top grosser on the popularity charts but is certainly quality stuff. Urdu may not be the popular language with the present generation but that has not stopped composers Salim-Sulaiman from using such words as Shukran Allah Wal-hamdulillah. After all, it is very commonly used among Muslims to thank God. Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal have sung the song with élan while Salim Merchant has chanted the magical thanksgiving. Dua is a strange creation. It starts with a fast pace, takes sufi hues and then comes up with some English lyrics by Marianne D'Cruz Aiman. Nevertheless, the song by Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher is haunting. If you can understand the lyrics, Ali maula by Salim Merchant is an ideal sufi song. It also has a remix version. Shruti Pathak's Rasiya is sensuous, made even more seductive by a shair recited by Kareena Kapoor. One weak link in the album is Vishal Dadlani's Kurbaan hua. — ASC
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Blending tradition with modernity, Bangalore based danseuse Padmaja Suresh, an established exponent and teacher of
Bharatanatyam, has taken the Bharatanatyam dance to spectacular heights, especially by holding dance workshops in foreign countries. Holding masters degree in Philosophy after her B.Com
(Hons) she is now pursuing her doctorate, “Interlinking of Art and Philosophy”.
With the rate of gold touching the sky, the metal has almost lost its sheen for a common man. Realising this, the manufacturers are looking for a substitute, which are in the reach of a commoner and fashionable too. As a result, markets are flooded with artificial jewellery in all colours and designs. What is good about artificial jewellery is that it has a lot of variety and affordable. Sunita Rani, a student, says, "One can buy good jewellery merely for Rs 500 and the best part is that it looks as good as gold. I don't like buying gold at all. I would rather buy matching jewellery with every dress.
The iNO CP09 is a straightforward cellphone. The simple yet beautiful iNO CP09 handset is a very basic phone for those who find the addition of too many features more of a hassle than a utility. The oversized keypad and simple-to-use phone is quite ideal for grandparents and kids. The iNO CP09 features a standard calling function along with SMS. A small monochrome LCD display shows the time, battery and network signal. The phone also features an FM radio with a standard headphone jack at the bottom of the handset. An interesting feature is the red SOS button at the back of the phone. Pressing this SOS button triggers an alarm and calls a predefined number in case of an emergency.
No, I don't think mobile phones or social networking sites have done anything great when it comes to building relationships. They have instead done more damage. Today, if you are not happy with a relationship, all you need to do is send a short text, and there it goes. This deprives one from an explanation, which such a situation demands. This is indeed a sad state.
Why are we cribbing about 'personal feelings' going for a toss because of technology expanding? It is bringing the universe together. I think mobiles, SMS, networking sites are wonderful tools for staying in touch with the entire globe. No matter where we are, we can share information, both personal and professional. We can offer and take suggestions from friends sitting far away.
Technology again is a combination of good and bad. Where on one hand it has brought us close to friends and people staying far way, it has also taken away the personal touch from so many things. Now, instead of making a call, we prefer dropping an SMS, leave aside making an effort to visit someone. Even then, I think 'technology' has helped us a lot, in more than one way. Imagine how a long distance relationship would have survived if there had been no mobile or satellite phones.
Looking at the pictures you must be wondering, is it not a bit early to think about grapes and phalsa? No not much, you will need to perform such winter operations that are necessary for fruiting of the deciduous fruit plants like peach, plum, grapes, pear, mulberry, phalsa etc in a matter of few days from now. And above all, the time for planting these plants is also approaching fast. The preparations have to be done now.
Another year, another fabulous show…Excelsior, in its high spirits again, is up with an opulent and ostentatious wedding festival for Punjabis. Yes, the mega-event, The Luxury Edition Wedding Asia-09 is about to reach the city on November 13 at Taj-Chandigarh.
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan excels at innovative promotion for his films and this time the star has taken the internet route to pitch his forthcoming film 3 Idiots - where the film's star cast will video chat with fans on the web.
Bollywood actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar delighted the Mumbai audience with his live rock concert for an automobile brand he endorses. The concert also featured rock bands, Indian Ocean and Parikrama. Farhan sang songs from Rock On that had been a huge hit after its release and had made him into a youth icon. Farhan said that the aim of performing in this concert is to connect with the youth.