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Glenlivet’s “The Guardians Chapter”
Warning! While whisky inspired and definitely fuelled the evening, this post is actually not about whisky tasting. Instead it was a gathering generously hosted by Glenlivet in the gorgeous old Camelot Bungalow at Kemps Corner in Mumbai last month.
Camelot by night (Photo: Carissa Hickling)
The evening’s main feature was the stories of fascinating authors’ and the convivial atmosphere engineered by the gorgeous and talented stage and film actress Lillete Dubey and others. (more…)
Gay for a day (or more!!)
Sex is personal yet becomes political when a nation decides to interfere in acts between consenting adults.
Today’s decision in India by the Supreme Court is such a step backwards… reinforcing a retrograde law from 1860.
Gay Parade (Photo: India Today)
A bit of background – in 2009 the Delhi High Court made a landmark ruling that took a step towards decriminalising sex between two consenting same gendered adults. However noted that this is ultimately a matter for the government decide through legislation. In the interim, the matter made it to the Supreme Court with the ruling out today… re-confirming that homosexuality is criminal in India?!
Wanna learn more? Just read Gay sex, homosexuality is an offence: Supreme Court upholds Section 377. Black day for LGBT community (more…)
Losing the right to vote?
While not always the case, for many of us that chose to embrace the world unfettered by the borders of our birth… we give up a few things along the way… like the right to vote.
Many Manitoba provincial and Canadian federal elections ago I lost the right to exercise my democratic ‘right.’ And while I may have lived a decade + in India, that alone would never bestow any rights to participate in elections here.
Yet if I COULD vote who WOULD I vote for?? (more…)
Music Musings – Sridhar/Thayil’s STD
This Music Musings feature is STD – a remarkable duo from Suman Sridhar and Jeet Thayil. Seems fitting as we’ve enjoyed listening to their CD with them at our recent dinner gathering – what fun!
ShridharThayil (Photo: STD MySpace)
Him – Jeet is an old friend of my partner – known for his edgy poetry, blistering guitar, funky offbeat and outrageous approach. His book Narcopolis was short-listed for the 2012 Man Booker prize and draws one into a different side of Bombay – its addictions, predilections and transformations in the 70s and early 80s.
Her – I first saw Suman on Boxing Day (26 Dec 2010) at an evening gathering of music and merriment in Bandra. Her quirky style and powerful talent blew everyone away – blues, jazz scatting, opera, Hindustani classical… she effortlessly slips between styles seducing and conquering them all.
Them – Together they are a combustible combination… flirting and bending musical styles, mocking and breeching boundaries of conventions, creating a sexy groovy sound that is uniquely theirs. (more…)
Music Musings – Fatoumata Diawara
Compared with Angelique Kidjo, Fatoumata Diawara from Mali was performing this week in Mumbai and is today’s Music Musings feature!
Fatoumata Diawara (Photo: Wikipedia)
Now living in Paris, Fatou’s singing, guitar, dancing and theatricality was mesmerizing. Her sound clearly reflects her Wassaoulou tradition in a folk pop way that deftly weaves a bit of funk, jazz and rock for good measure.
It’s been some time since we’ve seen such a brilliant performer – not just musically talented but also puts on a show. Warms up the audience, charms, beguiles, engages, captivating one and all completely. A born story-teller, she spoke of war, women’s rights, and embracing the world traveling by choice or forced by circumstance.
One of the most entertaining numbers was when she decided to teach everyone the different dance styles of Africa and proceeded to go region and country by country demonstrating each with such joy and abandon! (more…)
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…)
An unexpected guest
One of the things about living in India (and many other parts of the world!) is there can be a casual impromptu approach to popping over to someone’s home.
The other night was such an evening where my partner bumped into a friend when he was out, so the friend came home to savour a couple single malts, nibbles, music and conversation for a few hours. It was a relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable and completely unplanned evening.
However after he left, we had an unexpected guest… who stayed for the night. (more…)
Glenfarclas special
Part of tasting notes from a monthly private whisky club in Mumbai, India. This session is from our ‘archives’ and was a special event hosted by the Four Seasons featuring Glenfarclas.
Tasting Notes from 24 Nov 2011
Our ever evolving evenings brought our intrepid whisky sipping souls to the Four Season for a special evening with George S Grant of Glenfarclas family. For those unfamiliar with this distillery, the following story may be of interest: (more…)
Winter is coming… so make soup!
Winter is coming to my ‘home town’ of Winnipeg… while here in my ‘adopted home’ Mumbai, it is perpetual summer. And yet I find myself in a strangely sentimental mood thinking about friends and family in colder climes. So, what to do? Make a ‘winter’ inspired soup, of course!
Winter is coming! (The Weather Network)
The trick with this ‘Winter soup’ is to predominantly use root vegetables. As with the ‘Sick Chick’ and Monsoon Soup, a pressure cooker makes all the difference.
Here are the ingredients: (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…)
Everyday Asia 