Home » Music (Page 2)
Category Archives: Music
Music Musings – Lenka
Do you ever hear a song and just smile? This Music Musings feature is pure pop – Australia’s Lenka who performed in Mumbai at blueFROG last weekend.
Lenka singing her heart out!
We’d missed a few good bands that came to town in the last few weeks with the uncertainty of return dates for the Jakarta project… so decided enough was enough… time to get out!
The Tour is to promote her new CD – Shadows. (more…)
Music Musings – KAN
Growing up in Canada, one is no stranger to celtic music. My sister’s partner is a drummer and for years was in a celtic band best known for rousing and raucous renditions of pub favourites.
KAN (Photo: Louis deCarlo)
Years ago, I saw the celtic folk group Flook perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, so when I learned that flautist Brian Finnegan‘s latest group KAN would be performing in Bombay at Bandra Bandstand’s amphitheatre, wasn’t going to miss it!
It was KAN’s 1st performance in India to kick off their tour organized through Celtic Connections and British Council. A warm, humid Bombay greeted these lads from Scotland, Ireland and Northern England, dripping with sweat, they were undaunted by the heat and technical issues, entertaining with jigs, reels and tall tales. (more…)
Music Musings – INDIVA
What do you get when you put together four amazing women – each unique, strong, vibrant performers – individually “divas” in their own right? INDIVA!
Described as four divas on a musical journey that blends Hindustani, Jazz, Classical and World Music, their harmonies and way of re-inventing familiar tunes and creating new that is uniquely theirs. We had the distinct pleasure of seeing them perform an amazing acoustic set this morning at Prithvi Theatre in Juhu, Mumbai and I’m so delighted to see such talent come together.
Indva’s unplugged
The divas have identified themselves with four elements: (more…)
House Cooling/Warming Part 2 – Special Paan
Wednesday’s “house-warming” was combined with the launch of The Bartender’s new video… The entire place was bursting with talent and instruments. Fabulous!
Sooooo…. NOT a cop!
It was a riot seeing the video together with the folks involved in making it – lots of familiar faces! The video was shot walking distance from home… And features some of my favourite Bandra graffiti, brought to life digitally with funky eye googling! It is based on an old hindi film hit “Khaike Paan Banaraswala” re-interpreted “Bartender” style.
We all cracked up at the sadhu and cop parts especially. Vinay a sadhu?? Ramon a cop?? Impossible!! Far too zany to even be the caricature ‘cool dudes’ that burst forth after eating the special paan spiked with a secret transformative formula. (more…)
Music Musings – Chic Gamine
This week’s feature is from my hometown of Winnipeg (and Montreal).
Years ago in Manitoba there was a remarkable all female acapella group Madrigaia. So when, on a visit to Winnipeg, I heard there was a new incarnation, pulled my parents, brother-in-law and friend out to see Chic Gamine at the West End Cultural Centre. I was utterly captivated, bought their self-titled CD and proceeded to play it (more than once!) for friends in India.
Chic Gamine (Photo: Rebecca Sandulak)
They are quixotic, winsome, wryly witty, multilingual (English, French, Portuguese, German…)… when I listen to their music, can’t help but break out into a giant smile! (more…)
Music Musings – Coffee
In this week’s feature, film that takes ‘centre stage’ and lead to discovering some catchy music. Think I better add another category to my list of ways to discover new music!
The film guy – Ivan Hughes
Ivan (left) with my uncle (right) – both big whisky fans!
Ivan is a guy who loves mountain climbing, film making and a good whisky. When his wife Angela got a job back in her hometown of Winnipeg a few years ago, they packed up the kids and critters, sold their gorgeous home in Squamish and settled down in the ‘Peg.
It was no surprise that he got involved with the Winnipeg Film Group and joined a private whisky tasting club – The Cabinet. (Hey Ivan – Am I STILL the only woman to enter the hallowed tasting den?)
As for the mountain climbing and adventurous spirit? The Canadian prairies are a loooong way from any serious rock climbing. However don’t let that fool you! Just check out their company Fringe Filmworks – pretty clear there are creative ways to let an adventuresome spirit loose on the world even if the base is Winnipeg!
For Coffee, Ivan did the direction and camera work…
The film guy’s family – Angela Heck ‘The Businesswoman’ & Thea Heck Hughes ‘The Child’ (more…)
Welcome to Music Musings – RÁJ’s Ghost
The last time I listened to the radio was when my car CD player gave its last gasp and died. I was too lazy, traveling too much (insert plausible excuse) to get it fixed or replaced and found I actually enjoyed the new English Radio One station – especially Brian’s Sunday evening blues spotlight.
Then my partner decided to treat me by completely upgrading my car music system and voilà! Back to CDs plus I can now even plug-in my iPod – Yipee! (You can tell my car is old as it had a cassette player not an iPod plug)
Discovering & sharing music – “Old Style” (more…)
“How come you don’t have an accent in Hindi?”
Just as my English has a “chameleon” quality (see “Can you drop the Indian accent?”), I’m often asked “How come you don’t have an accent in Hindi?”
I’ve got Hindi, what about you? (Photo: http://www.tattoodonkey.com)
Usually I explain that I have lived in India for more than a decade, studied Hindi in Delhi for a year augmented mid-way by a very helpful 6-week stint at the Landour Language School (near Mussourie).
What follows is generally “Aaah! That explains it!” type response. Because the ‘real’ Hindi is naturally from North India!
Yet I’m aware that my vocabulary has shifted between what is typically heard in Delhi to ‘Mumbaya’ words. And has deteriorated abysmally as my universe in Bombay is almost exclusively English.
When I lived in Delhi (1995-96, 2003-05) there were multiple daily opportunities to speak Hindi or at least ‘Hinglish‘ – in which one switches effortlessly between English, Hindi, blending words from each language. Today, I’m honest enough to know that when folks complement my Hindi, they are being terribly kind – even I can hear how badly I mess up!
However I have a few perspectives on this… and wonder if anyone else agrees? (more…)
Music Musings – Ask Your Sister
Music is something I enjoy immensely! I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see some amazing performances, jam sessions, festivals and more. Some dear friends also happen to be remarkably talented musicians and it’s no surprise that music is an integral part of our every day existence.
Credit clearly goes to our mother who inculcated a love of music from an early age – even if my sister and I groaned a bit as we practiced cello / tuba and viola / piano respectively. And if I gleefully abandoned western classical music for punk rock and folk as a teenager, the sheer unadulterated joy that comes from loosing oneself in truly good music – no matter the genre – was firmly entrenched.
Introducing “Ask Your Sister” (Photo: Bruce Dienes)
Back in Bombay… and straight to Bandra!
Its my first trip home to Mumbai since landing a super cool project in Jakarta. I managed to arrange a flight route (via Bangkok) that permitted me to arrive in time for a friend’s new gallery / event space launch. We reached just as the music began, what joy to be serenaded by a dear friend, munch on macaroon treats, sip wine and generally enjoy terrific company in a convivial atmosphere. Our friend has done well with this new venture!
For those unfamiliar with Bandra, it is a special neighbourhood – a catholic bastion with strong proud traditions that has become rather popular with ex-pats – including those seeking a more ‘regular’ life not bolstered by insane high salaries and expense accounts. You know the type – locally hired foreigners who have chosen to stay and forgo all the ‘extras’ that come with a pampered ex-pat nomadic life!
Particularly the immediate area around Veronica and Chapel road, one can still find old bungalows and a sense of community. The space I found myself just a few hours from landing is one such bungalow… That was falling into complete disrepair until along came friends with a huge labour of love and rather more money than they planned – transforming it into a new avatar – an enchanting space to enjoy for eclectic events and show off funky furniture.
Yes we were a rapt attentive audience!
Everyday Asia 