Surjo's Shelter

54th anniversary of the Munich Air Tragedy, and my tribute to the Busby Babes!

2012-02-07T14:16:00.004+05:30

Hey all,
Been a long time since I wrote something here, and it is fairly fitting since the topic of discussion has been a long time coming. For more than a year, my good friends at http://bigfourza.com/blog/ and I have been mulling over the idea to incorporate some hard-hitting music into their product. For those who don't know about the product, them good folks run a website concentrating on the top 4 of the Barclays Premier League, and they are refreshing because they don't take themselves too seriously.
You have a number of websites that give you kick-for-kick coverage and tonnes of statistics and so on, without really any opportunity for the viewer to do anything except absorb. These websites assume a higher moral ground and we are oh-so-blessed by their presence. BigFourZa, on the other hand, is supremely interactive, funny, has enough facts to keep you interested, and enough fiction to keep you bemused. It would be a great product for women to come in and express their views about their favourite football player, except that women don't know it exists. This is possibly one of two football places in the world, where cooing over CR7's looks might be acceptable, the other being CR7's bedroom.
I digress. The main point being, that they wanted to have music, specifically to do with the top 4 clubs of English football. So, being a Manchester United fan, obviously I move to that first. For those who claim to be football fans and don't know about the Munich Air Tragedy, my words to you are.. "Have you been living under a rock?" This great tragedy that befell football, has in my opinion, changed the game entirely and took it onto the direction we see today. From small towns supporting their own teams to millions across nations finding the qualities they most admire in their favourite clubs, the landscape has changed. The Busby Babes were one of the major contributors to this evolution.
The comeback that was staged by the Red Devils in the next ten years, is probably the greatest of all time, and still serves to reinforce our tenacity on the pitch, our most recent showing against Chelsea being another prime example of the fire in our guts. So, naturally, a very powerful event, needing some pretty powerful music. This song was made over the period of a year, the music was good but the lyrics weren't, and then my singing wasn't good, then I got busy, then the lyrics got good but my singing wasn't, and then finally it was done.
So I hope you take the time to listen to this creation. There will be more football oriented songs for other clubs in the top 4 to look out for, but it gives me great pride to present 'Red Devil'. You can listen to it right here on the blog, top right hand corner, big widget with BigFourZa written on it. Head over to their website and 'like' their Facebook page too.

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/bigfourza

So there you have it, will be writing more about a few certain things, as of right now, life is good, and I sure hope it is going good for you too.

Sayonara!!

My trip re-making memory lane!! Oh and I played a show as well!

2011-11-27T19:34:00.002+05:30

Hey all,
Hope things are going great for all of you. They certainly are for me. Well, on the 26th of this month I was scheduled to appear in a show as the guitarist for Shilpa Rao. As it so happened, the show was to be in Darbhanga, this most legendary of places. This place has provided me with great stories and greater friends and I was very keen to finally get there and see what the madness was all about for myself. The rest of the band and I were driving up to Darbhanga, which is a fair distance away from Jamshedpur. Somebody told me the Nepal border isn't far off from there. My dad reminded me of the time he and my brother had to undergo a 36 (yes 36) hour bus journey to get there for answering an engineering entrance exam. But that was 10 years ago, the roads have improved and we had a very competent driver.

Well, we started late night and made excellent progress, got to Ranchi in 1.5 hours (against a normal time of 3 hours). My own health was little bit of a downer as I am not used to long distances inside a closed car, obviously couldn't keep open windows for it was fiercely cold. That aside, all went well and we were well into Bihar till the next morning.

Then the legendary madness began. Before you think of this as some great expose`, please be forewarned. I am just using saucy lines, the stories aren't that crazy. We were some distance off of Samastipur when we encountered this massive traffic jam. Time brought curiosity and we found out that earlier in the morning a truck ran over a hapless motorist killing him instantly and now the villagers have blockaded the road in an effort to get compensation for the victim's family from the state government. One man in a car ahead of us suggested paying Rs.1500 to the villagers so they'd clear the road. I'm not sure whether that sum was the gentleman's value of human life but the comment was in poor taste, at the very least. We were already running a bit late and decided to step out of queue, reverse and head back the way we came from. The villagers, who had by now decided to walk down the queue of vehicles, asking them to pay up to be let through, spotted us and started running after us. Of course they couldn't catch us, this car got to Ranchi in 1.5 hours. What ensued was driving through a village dirt-track through fields, cattle-sheds and so on for around 45 minutes till we got back on any kind of tarred road again. After a fair amount of asking about, we finally landed on familiar territory and went right through to Darbhanga, and then asked our way into the hotel. The hotel was actually situated in the premises of an old fort, and the accommodations and service too was from another time, but that is just an observation. I stayed there for less than 10 hours, I really didn't care much about the standard of accommodation, although the bathroom could have used a shower.

More fun after the gig, we packed our instruments in, our driver safely napping away in the hotel room (he was the one driving through the entire night after all), and as we are to leave the venue, one of the tires gets punctured. Nobody apart from me had any clue what to do and I was rusty at best. There I was, in the Darbhanga night, 12 midnight actually, lying down beneath the car trying to get everything in position. A lot of hard work and a couple of mistakes later, finally it was all done. Took a long time though. Got back to the hotel to realize they stop dinner after 10 or something. Thankfully somebody from Shilpa's entourage had ordered a lot of food as back-up and we didn't go hungry. Anyway, at around 2 in the night, after 11 odd hours in Darbhanga, we got back in the car. Went off to sleep, knew that they stopped somewhere to try and repair the puncture in the tire. Anyway, was awoken at 7:30 in the morning to be told that..... the tire was punctured, the same one!! Ha ha, what fun! And it turned out, on the previous occasion, the tire wasn't punctured, the air just went out. Go figure! Anyway, there I was in the middle of the highway on my back again. Thankfully, the driver was a great help, and we got through this quickly. And he had blazed through the night because we covered a huge distance in a very short amount of time!! For that I was grateful. From there on it was pretty much routine, albeit a little delayed as the guys were intent on making random stops! Nevertheless, an action packed 36 hours. Yes, by this time, my dad was getting to Darbhanga. He he.

Oh and btw, played a kick-ass show in the midst of all of that!

Cheers!
Surjo
_/\_

My best live experience: Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Pandit Ram Kumar Sharma!!

2011-08-02T00:07:00.002+05:30

Hi all,
Hope everyone is in good health and enjoying life to the fullest. I want to talk about a performance that I witnessed this evening. Quite simply the best live performance I have ever seen with my two eyes. The artistes in question were Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on Mohan Veena and Pandit Ram Kumar Sharma on Tabla.

The evening started well as we reached the venue (Tata Auditorium) on time, the event was running a bit late so we actually caught the soundcheck as well. Now since I have performed around the city a fair few times therefore I know pretty much all the sound guys in the city, and to my dismay, one of the absolute worst was handling the console and sure as the sun shines everyday he was making a lot of errors. Nevertheless, the quality of the performers was such that he couldn't make much of a negative impact.

Well after the soundcheck and the introductions, it was time for the music to take centrestage. Before he began, Pandit Bhatt gave a small discourse to the audience, speaking of the movement within a raga and the tradition of performance followed in Indian classsical music. For those who don't know about the order, it is the alaap followed by main theme of the raag on a fixed taal (gat) followed by the final phase of drut gat where the improvisation takes the most brilliant turns and the call and response themes are evoked between the lead and rhythm instruments.

The choice of Raga for the evening was Shyam Kalyan. The alaap at the start itself was absolutely mesmerizing. It was of course an added bonus for me that the Mohan Veena is very similar to a slide guitar so I could understand all that was being performed in terms of movement and nuances. The tuning of the Mohan Veena initially sounded like an open F major sus2, although I couldn't be sure of that.. He did change it later to a 1-5-8 tuning on the lead strings. He had a small machine with him which made the sound of the drone or tanpura, so that was actually neat, since he was able to control the volume of the drone himself.

When the alaap was over, Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra entered the fray, Tritala being the rhythm of choice. His entry was on small call and response session itself, but that soon gave way to the fixed structure of the raga. Now my elder brother was a tabla player and a good one too, so I kinda know the basic necessities of technique and slight intricacies of movement that are needed, so that being said, Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra is the most astounding table player I have ever seen. The clarity of his thekas, the quickness of his fingers, the position of his wrists, his control over the dynamics of the instrument, he could take the thing from a whimper to a rumble in a matter of seconds. There was a section where he was playing 64th notes (1/64) continuously for atleast 3 minutes till the audience had to applaud his effort. As is true for all artistes, the two Pandits were temperamental, which I appreciated greatly, and they really loved the respect they earned from the audience. After every cadenza, the audience let loose a flurry of applause and both of them lapped it up.

After the madhyam gat came the dhrut gat and that is when things really spiced up, the call and response section was amazing and I am not going to even try and put it in words because you got to see it to believe it. Now as a pure experiment I was actually trying to bob my head to some of the stuff being played and funnily enough some of my movements were very similar to the rhythm for a headbanging experience. Which basically meant that even though the music sounded very serene, there was a lot of aggressiveness in some of the improvisations, especially in the final sections.

They finally finished with a huge flourish. I realized that they had played one raga for almost an hour, an hour on one melodic idea (let's call it a scale for the purpose of understanding), with 3 notes as the chords in the background. That is insane, that level of depth is available only to those who are willing to dig deepest.

After that he played 3 more songs, one was a "pahadi" song, then a request from the audience, I couldn't quite hear what the request was but I thought I heard Dilli gharana or something in there. And finally he played the composition that won him his Grammy. I really can't say much about all the other songs for 2 reasons, a) I recollect them all to be awesome, especially the Grammy winning piece. B) The raga had knocked me out.

The audience was standing, the applause was unanimous, and so was the smile on all our faces, and on the faces of the two stalwarts who made it happen. Best show ever.

Noodling!

2011-06-26T14:45:00.002+05:30

Hi,
Hope everyone is doing good. This is going to be short, talking about a few things. My Youtube channel has now crossed more than 20,000 views in total, and that is a lot in thanks to the fact that I have put up regular covers this year for the fun and entertainment of all those who were kind enough to ask for fun and entertainment.
However, I have decided to stop playing covers and requests from here on out because of one rather important thing. To be considered seriously as a musician, I got to stop playing stuff of others and concentrate more on my own music, there have already been many instances when a lot of people have put me down for playing covers. I'm ok with being put down by certain people who have tonnes more experience and whose advice will invariably help me a great deal.
The playing covers isn't something that I used to live for, when I got a guitar in my hands I am not playing covers for even one second, I'm just jamming and playing. Whatever comes out of me, so I guess I should be a little bit more concentrated in those random ideas and work on making something more out of it.

Anyway, a lot of work is being put in and a lot of decisions are being made, my own personal life is in a bit of a rug right now which is leading to a bit of a rut in the music scheme of things as well. Nevertheless, the stuff is being made ready and you will be having something from me soon. This blog has also crossed more than 5000 page views, never thought such things would happen. Very very cool. :)

Thank you and take care.

The wanderer!

2011-05-16T19:55:00.002+05:30

Hey all,
This is going to be a little introspective and hopefully short. I am very lucky in that I recognized what I needed to do in life, and I devoted myself to it. It takes a lot of sensitivity I guess to even realize what it is that you like in life. I am a very stubborn person by nature and I just stuck to my guns as far as my decisions for life went. I wanted to pursue music professionally for a long time before I actually took the plunge. I wasn't interested in a college education because I knew it wouldn't help me at all. But on the insistence of my parents I did my engineering from a very decent college, had my job at the end of it all. Only to throw it all away, best throw ever.

The music business isn't an easy business, stress on the word business. But I am not going to talk about that, that is an eternal struggle that is part and parcel of this game. What I am going to talk about is a little different. You realize that from the time we are born. we have a home. But actually, the home changes a lot for a lot of us. Parents move, we move out, hostels, apartments, PGs and what not. But wherever we stay, that is home. How do we classify that as home?? It is because "WE" stay there. The places might change, but our core set of values defines that place, as HOME.

Now I have found something similar in music. So far I have been a journeyman musician of sorts, playing here and there, helping people out with songs and stuff. So no home in music to speak of in terms of a band. Oh, and for those of you who don't know, I have quit _RoCKBAaJ_.

But despite me being a journeyman, I still have a home in music. It is in music itself, when I first got introduced to music, I used to listen to old Bangla and Bollywood songs, the things my parents were into. Then when I was in my teens, I too was swept up by the pop brigade that dominated Mtv, in Backstreet Boys and that entire trip. A little older and I got introduced to The Eagles and Bon Jovi. When I first started playing in band, it was GnR and Iron Maiden. The tastes have changed over the years, and that is my home. So it's like my home has changed over the years, and I feel with every new style of music that I come to appreciate, that there's something more waiting for me out there, that I need to go seek. Which results in me walking on. There will come a time when I shall settle down, and that time seems incredibly close, to one style of music, which I can call my own. A home which shall be mine, and I won't be a mere guest but a part of the family.

Thank you for reading, wherever you are, have a good night.

Morley Mark Tremonti Wah Pedal GuitarPlayback Wallimann Contest

2011-04-23T14:09:00.000+05:30

Hi all,
Another day of happiness for me. I think these things I am doing haven't been done before in India, definitely not a small town kid (kid, who're you kidding!!) like me. I have managed to make it to the final list for another worldwide guitar contest. Like the last time, I didn't win, but I am getting closer to the prize.

You might be wondering what this contest is all about. Well, it's quite simple really. They had asked the participants to choose one out of a collection of backing tracks. What are backing tracks.. well they are songs without the main guitar parts. So you can fill that space up. There were a lot of backing tracks to choose from, and I went with one that I thought would challenge me. No point going in for the track where everybody knows what to do, there were so many entries on similar backing tracks, had to do something to be different from the rest from the very outset.

So I picked up this really difficult funk/big band backing track in the style of James Brown maybe. And I always associated funk with rhythm playing, but to play a solo over it, and make it sound convincing. Very very difficult. Anyway, cut to the chase, I put in my entry and it made it to the final round of 18. So I am really happy. Unfortunately there was only 1 prize, so we can't know who came second or third.

The prize was the Mark Tremonti wah pedal. Mark Tremonti is the ex-Creed, Alterbridge guitar player. BTW, you guys should watch this video on youtube, and read the comments in there by the other participants. You'll see the respect that I manage to gain on a worldwide basis, but of course, not many people know about that in India. It is a little weird, I am doing things that no one has done before, and nobody who is anybody, knows about it, or gives a shit. Funny world and funnier line of work I have chosen.

Anyway, if you have read this much of the post you might as well watch it. And please don't forget, the Indie Aid for Japan album, please help the victims by buying the album. It is only $6, Rs. 266. Think about it.

Take care

Of a time in the past!

2011-04-13T19:48:00.002+05:30

Hi all,
This post has nothing to do with music, and it's been a while since I have written something of the sort. Well, I have been reading the Mahabharat of late. All those who are close to me know that I have a fascination for the book. I have read several versions of the epic depending upon the amount of abridgment offered. But for the first time ever, I am attempting to read the complete Mahabharat, translated directly from Sanskrit (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli all the way back in 1896, close to 4000 pages), word for word. Since it is written in somewhat old English, it is a trifle difficult to follow language wise at times, and is very difficult to follow as per content throughout.
But it is an amazing read, I am still in the nascent stages, but there are a few things that I have gathered without a doubt. Now there is a thing which is written in the book, which says, if you read this book with the spirit of belief, you shall benefit from reading it. If you read it with the spirit of fault-finding, then you shan't benefit from it. Having read a fair bit of The Holy Bible, I see this as a recurrent theme in books which are somehow related to Dharma( religion) in whichever way. I always thought it to be a really good marketing ploy, I mean you have to believe in it to benefit from it. But it is much simpler than that.
These books are telling us the tales of extraordinary human beings, people whose great power was on display on account of their extraordinary deeds. People will find it hard to believe if they don't see it in front of their eyes. There will be doubt, but therein lies the choice. If you believe in that man, then you believe in his deeds, and are uplifted by the knowledge that a common man like you and me could be capable of such greatness. If you choose to not believe in it, then you simply scoff at it, and turn your back on it. I chose to believe, and personally, it is one of my better decisions.
Reading about society as it was prevalent then, one thing jumps out very clearly. Their society is far superior than ours, having a far higher moral standard and standard of living as well. There was no crime in those kingdoms,barely 50 years before the Pandavs and Kauravs were born. No crime, not because of a very good law and order system, but because nobody needed to commit a crime, they were that content with their place in life, and with what life gave them in return. To me it seems like they were all part of a giant machine, and they knew it. They knew that they were cogs of a wheel that contributed to something much larger than themselves. If they could continue being a part of this supremely well-oiled machine, then they would reap all the benefits that come from living in a Utopian society.
I'd like to give a couple of examples, and I'll talk about the ones which caught my eye the most. In this day and age, where all people are concerned about is making a quick buck, and then some more, there is hardly any great amount of integrity towards a greater purpose in life. Everybody has to struggle a great deal just to get by, just to be able to earn enough to keep the family moving, and nobody is different. The people who have a lot of money, have a lot of power, have the power to take some extra money off of the poor who don't have enough in the first place. Even though you don't need the money, you take it.. why?? Because you can!!!
Compare this to that period. There was a strict caste system in place and every caste had their specific duties. Brahman, priests, people who devoted their lives searching for the greatest truth, and if they were to find it, to help everybody else in society partake of it. Kshatriya, warriors, leaders of the people and defenders of the land. If they didn't do their job right, then who'd lead the people, then who'd keep the hermitage of the Brahman safe and allow him to carry on with all of his studies in peace. Vaishya, traders, whose job was to earn profit in the most honest way possible, to make sure that the kingdom stayed wealthy. Shudra, the lower caste, assigned to perform the menial tasks that the other castes wouldn't perform. The caste system has been abolished from common senses now, but that is because it was violated by the people, used as a pretext for killing another man.
That wasn't the case with the society of old. Think about it, a Brahman could never earn wealth in his life, it was against his teachings, he was supposed to beg for alms and food. So in a kingdom where the Kshatriya and Vaishya do their duty correctly, he should never have to go hungry, and in his gratitude, he could make sure that the blessings of the gods were showered upon his benefactors. The Vaishya wouldn't have to worry about the security of his crops, cattle etc. because the Ksahtriya would take care of it, and about the blessings of the gods because the Brahman would take care of it. And you can see how this goes, everybody was the part of a much greater chain, and all they had to do was perform the assigned task to the best of their ability and the entire thing would run smoothly. And judging by the quality of life that they led, I think the system they followed had way more merit than demerit.
Now some of you might be saying, there were fewer people then than there are now, so there was more to go around. Which brings me to my second example, that most debated of all subjects, sex. Such is the mindset now that an average man thinks about sex once every 8 seconds! That's a scary figure. Humans are also animals, and if you look at any animal, they mate only during the season of mating, not at every drop of a hat because they felt like it, or because the weather was good, or because that's what they do for a living.
Again, in that time 50 years before the birth of the Pandavs and the Kauravs, it is actually written in The Mahabharat, that there would be no birth of children outside of the proper time, the men and women would mate only during season or they wouldn't. It was an act of procreation, not recreation. And that was written in a paragraph which stated that everything took place in it's proper time, with it's proper weightage. It was said that the trader, even though his job was to earn a profit, could not be greedy. If the bull who carried his yolk looked lean, then he wouldn't force it to carry the yolk, but would instead fatten him up till he was able to carry the yolk. If a calf was nursing on the cow's milk, then they wouldn't milk that cow, since the calf would then get lesser to feed on. If they had the prospect of extra produce, they wouldn't take it, since they already had enough, and didn't want to tempt the gods by trying to take advantage of the bounties thus provided.
So I come back to the differences in the then and now, and the total change in mindset that has occurred over the course of thousands of years. I am not writing all this to start a war of words, I am writing this almost as general knowledge for those who read it, as a different prospective to life, as a look back to how our very ancestors lived, and why it was a happier time, and why we were the leaders of the world.
I have of course decided to read The Mahabharat and there is a mine of information in that epic, will write about a few more of those things in the future.
Take care

The journey so far 2!!

2011-03-27T21:30:00.005+05:30

Hi all,
Hope everyone is doing good. There are a few quick things that I shall address in this post even though I am in a mood to ramble a whole lot.

Before I start, as you might have noticed, "The Land of the Rising Sun" is on the top left corner of the page, you can play it while you read, and download it from here for free as well. No need to go the main site whatsoever. :)

Read on.

Firstly, thank you guys so much for all the support. My first single was released earlier in the week and it has done much better than I expected thanks to all of you. The song was actually written and recorded and finished at a breakneck pace of 4 days!! The main motivation behind the song was simple, the tsunami in Japan has caused a lot of damage and everybody is trying to contribute in some way or the other to help the cause. Now since I don't have any money to donate as I am still struggling to find my feet in the music industry, I did the thing that I am supposed to be doing in life.

I wrote a song for the victims of the tragedy. Now the thing is that there is a group of benevolent people who are compiling a number of songs and intending to sell it as a CD. The funds collected from these sales shall be donated for the cause. So I have put in "The Land of the Rising Sun" for consideration. My fingers are crossed, hopefully it gets selected and is put to good use.

Now I have been using a number of social websites to put my music across for the listeners, and I am using facebook as my major helper, and www.reverbnation.com as the medium for listening to and distributing the songs. Now the song is up for free download. All you have to do is copy this here link onto your address bar( I couldn't find out how to hyperlink it :(, Sorry), http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_7802903, and click on the big download button. There will be options like join the mailing list and join the street team. I will quickly explain what that is.

The mailing list is basically a list of contacts that I can contact to inform about future songs, shows etc. through reverbnation itself. Rest assured you shall not get any spam from the site, all mails will be from me.
The street team is for those who want to help me out with small tasks such as publicity and so on. The advantage of being in a street team is that if you are the best guy doing the task (there are stats that show everything to me) then you will be eligible for prizes which I shall give. For example, if you work and get 20 people to join my page, I could give out a free CD to you. :)

You could say that you already have our e-mail ids on gmail and so on, why do you need it here?? Well this is the most important thing for you'll to know. When my songs will be ready and I will be looking for shows, I can do that through reverbnation as well. So when a big venue looks at my profile and sees a lot of people on the mailing list, then immediately that boosts my chances of getting booked by that venue. And then I can actually go and play in the cities where you'll are staying, which is the grand plan anyway.

Very honestly, this is a very very tough business to stay afloat in, and all your help is welcome. Every single download, share and so on goes a long way to ensure that I can live out my dreams. And believe me, the people who help out the most shall not go without my appreciation. I will make sure that you'll receive for all that you have given for me.

As always, looking forward to your support. This journey would be very very short if it weren't for you'll.

God bless all of you.
Surjo

Poribyapto.. the meaning behind the song!

2011-03-14T17:05:00.002+05:30

Hi all,
Hope everyone is doing good. This post is solely dedicated to a very important purpose. _RoCKBAaJ_ has released it's first single and thanks to all of you, "Poribyapto" now stands tall at #3 on the Alternative Rock Charts for Kolkata.
All of you'll have shown your love by listening to the song, but there are a lot of you who will not understand the meaning of the words, since it is written in Bengali. I have therefore, tried to explain the song in English. I have no qualms in admitting that I am no expert in Bengali but since the song was written in front of my eyes, I have a fair idea as to what it means.

I'll just start with the general theme of the song. The song is written about a woman, who decided to become a prostitute willingly. The song takes place at a time in her life, when she meets an old friend from her school days, after a span of many years, and even though the choices she made were hers, and not forced upon her, she looks at the things she has gained and lost as a result, while gazing upon her friend, and seeing the station in life where he is.

And the next thing I have done is like a paragraph translation for the song. I have not kept it in rhyme like the original bangla version is, but I hope you get a clear picture for the flow of the lyrics.

The words were written by Kaustav, our lead singer. It was only a matter of time before he addressed this, because this particular issue was in his head for quite the amount of time. Like I had mentioned in a previous post, Kaustav possesses a uniquely twisted mind and as such his lyrics portray that. The music is made by yours truly (thank you, thank you). Hope you enjoy the meaning of the song as much as you have enjoyed the feeling of it.

P.S. There is more stuff coming out soon, so be on the lookout for further lame-ass translations!! :P

Tara gulo cheye dekhi, drishyo aakorshito,
Shomoy theme jaay, shopne aami roto...
Aajker aabohaowa thik shei raater mato,
Jeno kichhu bole jaay, chhoto kono golpo...

I look at the stars, it's a fantastic sight..
The passage of time has stopped as I'm engrossed in a dream
The air tonight is just like it was then,
And it seems to tell me a story of that time

Aajo shei jhulo guli, mone pTore jaay,
Dule dule bohu kaal, shomoy kaat-to...
Shondhe te lukochuri, shopne harano,
Chhelebela aamader roilo okrito...

I still remember those swings from our childhood,
Where we spent so much of our time
The hide-n-seek in the evening, getting lost in dreams
The friendship of our childhood remained incomplete

CHORUS:
Gobhir raate kono haat sporsho,
Ojana kono daak kaane baajto,
Neon-er aalo jeno chokhe bheshe jaay,
Bhalobaasha pore thaak poribyapto...

The unknown touch in the depths of the night,
An unknown voice ringing in my ears,
Blinded by the neon lights,
My love always unfulfilled.

Oi obujh kaale aami fer giye darai,
Bhalobasha obhimaan nimeshe harai...
Roye jaay pichhutaan, aaj thomke je darai,
Bhalobashar chahidaay aami aajo haat barai...

I go back to those years of innocence,
Love, pride, all stripped away in a second,
All that is there has held me back, as I stay rooted to my spot
I still reach out my hand looking for love

Kichhu khuchror binimoy aamar shorir bikri hoy,
Chhottobelar prem, se toh aaj o aamar noy...
Dekhechhi tomake aaj bochhor dosh pore,
Ek chotto rajkumar tomar haat dhore chole...

For the price of a few pennies is my body sold,
The love of my childhood, that is still not mine,
I'm looking at you after 10 long years,
And there's a small prince holding on to your hand and walking

And the chorus comes in again till we finish! :)

Thank you so much guys for reading,
Spare a thought for the people in Japan,
Take care all
Surjo

WinZilla \m/ Lick entry ( New Chappers Competition) by Surjo

2011-02-03T20:05:00.001+05:30

Hi guys,
This post is being written with me in an exceptionally happy mood. REASON?? Well, this post is about the first time that I have been able to achieve something on an international level for guitar!! There was this competition online on youtube asking for the best lick. I will explain what a lick is later on in the post. Anyway, the guys were giving out an undisclosed prize, the person organizing this contest is a big shot guitar god from England, regularly plays with Malmsteen and so on, so it's a biggish deal. Anyway, there were more than 200 entries worldwide, and I made the top 10. I didn't win it, so not going to be offered mysterious undisclosed goods, but I did make the top 10.. Feels damn good to see your name( youtube user id) on the final list. Thanks to Girish Ramesh for the news. :)

Next thing I guess is, what is a lick man?? Well, this is not the same lick as use tongue and gross people out, although it can have it's uses in the bedroom. Whoa, major digression.
A lick in guitar terminology is like a phrase. Just like you use phrases to make sentences, we use licks to make complete solos. As a matter of fact, positioning of licks in a solo is called phrasing!! So licks are short sweet things, as you can see in this video that it is only 13 seconds long. This lick has a more bluesy approach to it, which is an approach I favour a whole deal.

http://forum.monkeylord.co.uk/threads/vote-on-the-winzilla-runners-up.10968/page-3

This is the page where you can see my name amongst those of the top 10.
Thank you so much for taking the time out to read this. I am really happy so I'm going to go a step ahead and say a small prayer for all of you'll who take the interest to read my stuff. :)
Cheers!

The journey so far!

2010-11-12T15:20:00.003+05:30

Hi all,
Here's hoping everyone is doing good, or atleast trying to (please note, Good is not the name of a person, not anyone I know at the very least)!!

Well, I just got back from Kolkata, after playing a couple of shows there. I feel extremely grateful for all the support that is extended to me by my family and friends, and I feel it is only fair that they should have an idea as to what is going on.

For those who don't know, I was asked by Kolkata based band _RoCKBAaJ_ to join them as their guitarist. Now normally I am very reluctant to leave the comforts of my home for anything, but somehow I managed to convince myself to go see what it is all about. Another major reason that persuaded me was that they had a very prestigious show in the offing: A chance to open for MOTHERJANE. Now my knowledge of the Kolkata music scene was extremely limited, so I really didn't know what I was getting into. In terms of pure facts, _RoCKBAaJ_ have played 16 shows in the last 2 months, to the extent that I am able to live off of my own money, and that wasn't about to happen anytime soon, since I decided not to join Infosys. The stage experience is invaluable, and I'm pretty sure that if my bandmates from previous bands were to play live with me, they'd find a major difference.

These are amongst the upsides, and the magnitude of this is extremely significant, especially in the knowledge that I am working my way to being a professional musician. I am getting paid for my services, and getting paid to an extent where I can provide for myself and survive without turning to family coffers. The thing about being a professional musician is, that I could be sitting at home and making great music, but I'd just be a musician then, you can only become a professional musician if you get paid for what you do.

The reason why we get so many gigs?? To put it bluntly, we are a good band with good musicians. There is another major reason however. We play commercial music. Quite simply, we play the songs that people want to hear. The scene in Kolkata is such that the most famous bands there aren't their metal or jazz gods, but the bands singing in bengali and making money by the truckloads by playing live shows with hefty performance fees. So we exploit that and play the famous songs that they want to hear, and they don't have to shell out 1.5 lakh per band to listen to songs, since our fees are considerably lesser. We're playing Hindi, Bengali, English songs each set depending on what the crowds ask for. The percentages are such that Bangla tops, followed by Hindi and English.

My friends might ask me, why do you need to do this? You never played such things in school or college. To them I say, guilty as charged. As a matter of fact, I haven't heard half the songs _RoCKBAaJ_ play on stage, I just asked my bandmates what the structures are, in terms of chords and stuff, and I play my own solos. So why do I do it?? Well it is quite simple really, this business is one of endless struggle, where one has to balance one's hunger with one's dreams. I am simply trying to find that balance. I am not ok with living off my parent's money and making the music I want. I want to be self sufficient, so I shall continue playing this music, so I can earn and eat, and hopefully have enough to fund my own music, and all on my own, without having to beg. The next phase of course is when _RoCKBAaJ_ makes original music, we hope to make music that is relevant and shall find the same popularity that the top bands enjoy.

So this is how it stands as of now, we are playing shows and earning a living, and the small amount of goodwill and fame that comes with it. The time for pretensions is over and hard decisions have been made, believe me, I spent days pondering whether this was something that I wanted to do or could do with conviction. Anyway, the decision has been made and I am sticking to it for now.

Thanks to all of those who have taken the time out to read this, and to those who always take time out for me. It means a lot. \m/

Why are the stray dogs of Kolkata so fat?

2010-10-21T18:59:00.003+05:30

Hi all (Please tell me there are people reading this other than me! :P)
Long hiatus(nothing new there), and a lot of new stories to tell, if only I had the patience to type all of them out. A lot of my time in the past 2 months has been spent in Kolkata playing music. A total of 12 shows in 1.5 months, including opening for MOTHERJANE. Good times, but that is not what this is about. As almost all of you know, I hail from Jamshedpur, nice clean and green. And there are stray dogs, but the time spent in Kolkata makes them look like chipmunks. I mean, these Kolkata dogs are like massive beasts, and it seems everyone in the city takes great joy in feeding them.
On account of my curiosity returning after an extended hibernation (Thanks NIT), I decided to delve deeper into this mystery. Why would people take profound joy in feeding creatures that are essentially non-loyal and exceedingly loud, and rationale suggests that the stronger they are the worse their bark and bite?? Well, I got at least one version of my answer, and the person to solve this mystery for me was none other than the vocalist of my band, Kaustav. Now, I could call him a slew of other names, but that requires a certain knowledge of the bengali lexicon, so that stays for another day.
Anyway, Kaustav has a uniquely twisted mind, and his answer was also singularly gifted in the sense that once you hear it, you wouldn't want any other answer!
So here goes.
The reason why the dogs of Kolkata are well-to-do are because of the massive numbers of extra-marital affairs in the city. ??!!?? How'd you figure that one genius?? Well, this is the reasoning for it. I'll try and tackle it step-wise.

Step 1: Man has extra-marital affair.

Step 2: As collateral damage for banging another chick, he has to take care of her fooding and clothing and so on to show that he cares for the fact that he is doing her. So in this noble endeavour, he spends more and more time out of home, eating at restaurants. This leads him to develop a taste for food cooked with a whole lot of oil and spices. Life is good. :)

Step 3: Man returns home. :(
The one predominant feature of being a housewife is that she will always think for the benefit of her family. With all the new cholesterol related diseases that abound these days, to diabetes to what not, she takes great care in choosing the oil that she cooks her food in, manages to keep the fat content really low, and everything, so that she does not get nagged by her mother-in-law if her husband is suddenly fatter than Yokozuna or has suffered from some or the other heart-condition. Normally this would lead to certain appreciation by the family members, who are willing to make the small sacrifice in taste for a longer life.
But in the case where the man of the house is not exactly the man of just his house, then this same caring nature just leads to him feeling that the food at home is not upto the quality which he is normally used to. So a feeling of discontentment creeps in.

Step 4: Enter stray dog (or cat or pigeon or whatever man)
At the very opportune moment that the husband is feeling blue and doesn't want to eat his lunch, there is a dog outside the house, his savior for all things culinary. All he needs to do is simply toss his lunch to the canine when the missus is not looking so he can make another plan to eat somewhere else, which involves taking the mistress out.

Step 5: There are a lot of extra marital affairs in Kolkata. You do the math.

Step 6: What!!?? I proved it already.

Since I have already seen entire lunches been thrown out to these strays with increasing regularity during my time spent there, I won't dispute Kaustav's claim. Man's most faithful friend gets to eat when man is not faithful. :P

If you guys have any thoughts after reading this. Please let me know.
Till next time

Entry for Bluez Noise Guitar Contest.

2010-08-31T16:24:00.000+05:30

This was a really good learning experience for me.. The amount of thought that needs to be put in to record something meaningful over somebody else's music is quite a lot. My fingers were black and calloused after all of this. :)

2010-07-27T19:12:00.000+05:30

The Army Experience!

2010-07-25T22:40:00.003+05:30

Hey, for those of you who don't know about it, I love playing music. In fact I love playing it enough to not join my job and want to play forever. Well, in the aforementioned noble quest, we (Neville and I) were given the most unique opportunity, to play for the country's elite, the army.
They got in touch with us via RJ Rajiv (that story is for another day), and we were told that we were to play country songs for a very special gathering. We agreed, as always, and went off to the army cantonment to see what it was all about.
First impression, professionalism. They don't just let any tom, dick and harry enter the place. You park your vehicle outside, state your business at the gate and they check to see whether it is authentic and then you are given permission to enter their gates. The way they walk, it's like keeping your chest out and stomach in is the way everybody on the planet should walk. Their uniforms, their shoes, their discipline is all a model to behold. A lot of my friends in college were from the Sainik School background and far more used to it than myself, who has never had any such experience.
They had a couple of howitzers kept there, just lying around, and I was like "Oh Shit!". Nevertheless, we were shown to the second-in-command of this particular troop, his name is Capt. Joshi. and he is one impressive guy. What I mean to say is that this is how an officer should be, whether he is of the Indian Army or of any software firm or whatever. It is so often that I see a guy who's an officer in his company but is a total lout and who never makes any impression whatsoever, it's depressing. Here was this guy, who could rip you apart with his bare hands (trust me) and still was talking in the most courteous polite tones ever, giving us the respect for being musicians!! We were served water, tea and coffee within 2 minutes of stepping into his office. The discipline is astounding, any junior officer salutes and asks for permission to enter the room before stepping in, in contrast to my college years when we walked out of class without as much as a look at who is teaching.
The Captain explained the basic gist of the gig to us, told us we would be paid, asked us to not charge exorbitant amounts as they were a non-profit organization, all of which was super-cool with us. The best thing he said was, once this gig happens, you guys can come here anytime, we have Nike, Adidas and such brands available here, all at 1/4th price!! And the booze prices are unbelievable. That aside, it would always be fun to just chat with them.
We then proceeded to the commanding officer's chambers. I couldn't get the guy's rank for some reason, but he was higher than a major, and had previously been a pilot. Huge hunk of a man, even though he spoke to us in the most jovial of tones, it was obvious that this is not a guy anybody would want to cross. I am guaranteeing that any of those guys give a slap, then that will have the victim in some discomfort for some time. He told us how he got the venue, he spoke to the venue's manager who was like, we don't give this to even the high ranking Tata Steel officials, this guy said, I'm not a high ranking Tata Steel official. We are out there killing people with our bare hands for you'll and you say you can't give us a room?? Needless to say the room was theirs, such a compelling argument never fails to strike home. He was talking about being an RJ if he were to resign from the army!!

We were there the next day too, for the soundcheck and so on. Coolest thing, we got to ride in their jeeps, with guys with guns as our protection!!! Speaking to Capt. Joshi, he told me that he had completed his MCA and was running a web designing firm with his friend when he decided to join the army. The last posting they had before Jamshedpur was at the Chinese border, 800 metres from the border. They have a policy of rotating their war zone-peace zone shifts so that their family lives don't take a massive beating. 4 years in Jamshedpur and they are leaving for Rajouri in J$K on the 4th on August. On asking Capt. Joshi about the experience, the guy was literally rubbing his hands with glee, he was like, this is why we are here, this is what we do, we don't like sitting in peace zones for too long. I was like wow! They are something else. This particular troop will be manning the LOC there, and Capt. Joshi says that once he sends his men up there, he aint asking them to come down for the next 2-3 months, since they need to get completely acquainted with the terrain and everything about the land. What a difficult life, but they seem to hunger for it.
Onto the show day then, it was an amazing experience, Army guys look smart even without the uniform! We had 2 generals in attendance as well, very small restricted show. Lieutenants and above only I think. Some of the wives were in attendance as well, a very well set-up room, good food and drinks in supply and the guys had a blast. To watch them completely unwind is brilliant, to have a discussion on Bob Dylan lyrics with a general is something out of this world.
This experience is definitely something I shall forever remember. God Bless them. We are in very safe and capable hands. Jai Hind.

Albums that changed my life! Michael Jackson- Thriller!

2010-06-25T17:19:00.004+05:30

It's been a year to the day the King of Pop passed away. I don't know the exact reasons for his demise, quite frankly I never bothered digging it up. He was hounded by people throughout his life for his talent, by people who wanted to be in the presence of something much larger than themselves, and I feel there is no use soiling his memory by speculating over his death. He should be remembered with grace and dignity and for the magic he created and the uniting force he was throughout the world. People who remember him in the vein of the scandals that dogged him in his latter life should really test their psyche checked. That's my opinion of it anyway, I found it very hard to concentrate on anything other than his music in the first place.
The album in discussion today is the most widely sold album of all time. with estimated sales somewhere between 75 million and 110 million albums worldwide, this single album has sold more than most artistes sell in a lifetime. It was path breaking, rejuvenating and still probably the most influential record till date. Recorded after the success of "Off the Wall", the team of producer Quincy Jones and Jackson struck gold with Jackson's sixth studio album. MTV made large profits off the album and especially with the video of the title track. It was the first instance of an African-American artist getting on MTV and it paved the way for all future superstars who have used MTV as a launch vehicle for their careers. The hip-hop that most youth swing to today wouldn't have been even nearly as popular if it weren't for "Thriller".
Onto the songs then, the album starts with "Wanna be Starting Something", a groove heavy drum and bass intro leads into a track which deals with the excessive media attention that dogged Jackson since he was a child. An often unnoticed aspect of his music is the fact that he is an exceptionally gifted singer. Unlike our present day pop-stars, Michael Jackson never followed the lip-sync routine on stage and managed to dance and sing with elan. Even when he was 50 years old a few weeks shy of his death. The documentary "This Is It" is ample proof of that fact. "Thriller" as an album was very dance oriented and when these songs were being performed live was the true testimonial to Jackson's genius.
There is not enough that can be said about the songs. "Thriller", with the fifteen minute theme video that changed the face of MTV and the music video forever. "Beat It", which showcased Jackson's leanings towards rock by having the mighty Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather play on the song, blitzkrieg solo and all. "Billie Jean"", which introduced the moonwalk to unsuspecting mortals and remained the signature dance song in his live set. The song was about a fan and how she alleged that Jackson was the father to her child. "The Girl is Mine", a collaboration with Sir Paul McCartney, this was before the relationship soured between the two of them. Sir Paul ha suggested that Jackson buy publishing rights to songs so that he could have more control of the way his songs were used. He said this because The Beatles had run into similar trouble and Sir Paul was trying his best to regain the publishing rights to the songs he and John Lennon wrote. Jackson took the advice to heart and went on to outbid Sir Paul for the publishing rights to the music of The Beatles, paying $750 million for the collection and souring his relationship with Sir Paul in the process. The song is about two friends fighting over a girl and showcases the mellow sides to Jackson's voice. "Human Nature" is probably the most introspective song on the track with lyrics that are very tender compared to the content in "Beat It" or "Thriller". A beautiful melody and lovely singing on top makes for one killer ballad. "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)" another classic track talking about, well pretty young things, very R&B in approach and continuing in the dance tradition that he set in all his albums.
The standout feature of the album from a producer's or mixer's point of view is the brilliant layering, the use of innovative instruments and the strong edginess to almost all songs in the record. Even if you were to hear "Thriller" now, you would be surprised at the number of small melodies playing in the background, unnoticed by the common ear but adding to the greater overall product that is so necessary when making a killer pop song, something I think the Bollywood music industry sorely lacks. Nonetheless, the album is one of the greatest of all time and is a must have for any music fan, irrespective of genre. Oh wait, it probably is already owned by every music fan in the world. If you don't have it, get it and be a part of history.

May your soul Rest in Peace

Albums that changed my life! Iron Maiden: The Best of the Beast!

2010-06-20T10:29:00.007+05:30

At a time in my life when my friends and I had formed a band and the time had come to play a gig, we had to audition for a slot at a musical gathering held at XLRI (Tata Auditorium). All those who are from Jamshedpur must surely be knowing about this place but for the uninitiated, these are the specs. It's a 1400 seat indoor auditorium and pretty much the best place to play in Jamshedpur. Anyway, we were playing Bon Jovi and Eagles at the time and just learning what distortion meant and the various possibilities that presented itself with overdriven sound. We were told that the person who would listen to us play was a major fan of all things metal and we should play something a bit heavier to further our chances of getting the gig. So my bandmate told me about Iron Maiden (Yes I needed the telling) and how they are an amazing heavy metal band and he had a couple of their albums and wanted me to listen and try to pick up some of the songs.

Enter "The Best of the Beast". The first thing about the album is that you don't even have to turn it on to be drawn in. The artwork on the sleeve of the album is just fascinating. I was told that the zombie with the evil grin had a name, "EDDIE" and that there were different versions of "EDDIE" for every song and that this particular album sleeve had the Eddies of all the songs in it. It was as metal as could be and the forerunner of so much that defines the genre in terms of visual imagery. Obviously the fact that my friends were positively gaga about the band drew me in, their endless discussions on who the better guitarist was. Most of my friends leaned towards Janick Gers because of his amazing show antics. I however chose Adrian Smith for his amazing riffing and tightly constructed solos as opposed to the blues flash of Dave Murray or the undefinable of Gers.

This much without even turning on the CD. To the first song then, and the concept of riffing would never be the same. "The Number of the Beast", with the intro of words that did send a chill up my spine and that riff. There is little wonder as to why Maiden fill arenas like it were nothing more than a drink at the bar. The scream of Bruce Dickinson filled my ears as I was taken to the sacrificial pit of metal, yet another lamb slaughtered. No points for guessing which song I am listening to. \m/

Another key aspect of all Maiden songs are of course the solos. I don't think that enough can ever be said about the twin axe ( now triple axe) attack that Maiden unleash on their audience. The sheer melody brought across by the different guitar players are an aural treat. It helps that they have different personalities and look for different things in their music so their solos are instantly recognizable in terms of tone and note choice. Go listen to the song in audio or watch them live. It's different to what your mom told you about the good things in life.

"Can I Play with Madness" up next and the song title drew me in and the unusual cowbell playing almost through the song doesn't take anything away from the lyrics and the progressive feeling of the track. Despite being metal guitarists, all guitarists and Steve Harris on bass use Fender guitars and basses. Steve Harris has been playing the same bass for the last 25 years or so.. Some Fender that is. The only guitarist who does change it a bit is Adrian Smith who plays the occasional Les Paul or SG and now plays Jackson strats. No Ibanez metal chugging here I'm very happy to say, since I am a strat player myself.

"Fear of the Dark". I don't think I need to say anything more. If you haven't heard the song yet then you are reading the wrong article. Put your life on hold. Take out 8 minutes and change yourself forever.

"Run to the Hills", the staple song at the end of the set which sees Maiden sending the heathens back to the holes they crawled out of to watch the beast. One of the standout features of Maiden's music is in fact the lyrics. Simple and effective, they put the point across despite the many interpretations. Very rarely would you able to interpret their lyrics as pro-religious or pro-anything for that matter. Perfect for all teenagers coming to grips with the various issues that surround them.

"Bring you Daughter to the Slaughter" is the only UK #1 that Maiden have enjoyed till date. It also enjoys the dubious distinction of being the only track to be #1 one week and out of the top 100 the next. The lyrics are positively evil and suggestive of all things that good innocent girls might want to stay out of, or have guys stay out of!!

Well pretty much all the Maiden anthems make it to this CD but the notable ones of course are, "The Trooper", "Hallowed be thy Name", "Wasted Years", "Aces High" and "2 Minutes to Midnight". Concert necessities, these songs have changed the way of life for 3 generations and shall continue to do so for some time. The "NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL" could not have a better pioneer and frontman than Maiden and Bruce Dickinson, singer/Olympic fencer/pilot/god knows what else. A true legend who can single-handedly bring together crowds at a gig, no matter what the size of the arena. The typical Maiden "Gallop" is on display with songs like "The Trooper" and "Evil that Men Do".

This album led me to be a lifelong fan of the band. It also led me to be a better guitar player. I remember the nights spent trying to understand what was being played in the "Hallowed be Thy Name" solo before I accidentally stumbled upon the technique of legato. They are one of the true powerhouses of metal with a rigorous touring schedule that defies their advancing years. They are revered in the metal world and are alongside the likes of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath for the respect they garner everywhere they set foot.

UP THE IRONS!!!

Why aren't we a major sporting nation?

2010-06-14T16:02:00.005+05:30

This post comes at the time of the FIFA World Cup and therefore I guess the issue is tugging at my heartstrings. South Africa 2010 has begun and the world awaits it's Champion with eager anticipation. I have certain loyalties as well(Portugal), but that's not what this post is about. Although I shall use this event as an example. South Africa has almost the same population as Gujarat, it was banned from all international competitions till 1992 as it was under apartheid. 1992 onwards, with the release of Nelson Mandela and the abolition of apartheid, they have hosted the Rugby World Cup 1995, the Cricket World Cup 2003 and now the FIFA World Cup 2010. This makes them very eligible to stake a claim to host the Olympics in 20 years.
Hosting events like this requires massive development work in the country which shall only benefit it in terms of foreign investments, tourism revenues etc. South Africa has made full use of this and the results are there for all to see.. Brilliant stadiums for the matches to be held, fantastic lodging services for the fans to stay and convenient travel for those who want to follow a certain team( country specific fans). These require planning and investment for sure but they also have massive returns. The image of the country changes in the eyes of the citizens as well as the world.
Coming back to India, yes we have hosted the Cricket World Cup on numerous occasions and the results are for all to see. BCCI is the richest sporting body in the world, ahead of all football clubs and what not. They are the cash cow for the ICC and with the DLF IPL being the massive success it is there is no stopping cricket in our country. That is however only one sport. Our nation doesn't even begin to have the same kind of enthusiasm for other sports. Our national sport, hockey, neglected, treated like a step-child by the authorities has a team which has been performing poorly at all major tournaments for some time now. A great hue and cry is raised each time they underperform, the spirit of Dhyan Chand is invoked and the coach is sacked. No funding for improvement at grassroots, or for better infrastructure or anything of the sort though. At the very least, India is still in the top 10 of the world when it comes to hockey. One mention of world rankings and the Indian football fans let out a collective groan. The beautiful game never caught on commercially like the gentleman's game did in our country. We do hope that football catches the imagination of the common Indian the way cricket has.

I wonder why India don't host anything substantial. The last time they did it was the Commonwealth Games in 1982 in New Delhi. South Delhi still looks better than other Delhi areas as a result, 25 years on. Just goes to show the pace of development in our country. New Delhi is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and East Delhi has been revamped to match the occasion. So if hosting such showpiece events results in a better image of the city and country then why aren't we going ahead with this??

One of the reasons that comes to my brain is our elected officials, those shining lights who lead our country. Everybody knows that a politician is corrupt, not only in India but everywhere. Power corrupts everywhere, not just in India. Then why is it that other nations are able to do so much more than we despite us having greater manpower than all of them combined. Beijing hosted the Olympics with aplomb and their political machine is as slow as ours!! There was this paper written by a Harris White where he explained that a country with a semi-regulated economy(like ours) is better off being corrupt than clean.
So there you go, better dirty than clean. I'm OK with that. I have a simple analogy here. If a politician has 10 projects worth 10 lakh each and he takes in all the money from all the projects then he has 1 crore and no work is done. If the same guy has 1 100 crore project and he takes 1% then he has 1 crore and all the work is almost done, a simple sanction asking for extra funds would finish the work. He'd have the same amount of money and work would be done too. It is common knowledge(IPL again) that when people decide to go for something big there is a lot of money at stake. I somehow feel that the politicians should just aim bigger, eat a smaller percentage and land up with the same amount of money and we'd be better as a nation. However that's a very very basic analogy. There must be a 100 factors involved and some which I won't even be able to imagine.
Anyway, maybe this is the rambling of an unsatisfied citizen who is also a sports fan and doesn't like to see his country lagging behind. Nonetheless, I thought that something had to be said so I did. Hopefully things shall change for our nation and we shall be viewed as slick and swanky, not as a cowshed. Cheers!

One of the letters in the alphabet and it's social significance.

2010-06-10T14:50:00.007+05:30

This is different from the usual fare on music but it strikes me as something I should atleast say something about. Like it says in the title, one of the letters in the alphabet, and apparently a very important one. The letter K has been defining the modern Indian housewife's consciousness for the past few years. Of course I am referring to those mind-numbing serials that parade on television every single day, probably every single hour for those who can stand it. Now the few questions that might crop up might be..
1> When exactly are you watching all these television series?
2> This thing has been going on for some time. Why dig it up now?

In reply to first I say, my mom( and regrettably my dad) is an ardent fan and her day is incomplete without a sumptuous helping of over dramatization.
The second answer is, for the past four years I have been more in college than home, so I never cared when I came home to find the TV on Saas-Bahu mode. Now that college is over, the magnitude of the situation hits me. They have repeats in the afternoons if the evenings weren't bad enough. The situation is so bad that I wait for my parents to finish dinner with the final soap of their choice before I dare venture into the kitchen for my own dinner!!

Anyway, on to this thing then. What is the K-serial??
As always, it is possible to have differing opinions but I shall try and give a basic summary. It is an alternate universe wherein there is background music( bad background scores man, like all the dholaks in the world for hired for this only), overtly sanctimonious people( whether their character is good or bad), lack of middle ground, common sense, and even the most honest people are dishonest like you wouldn't believe it. If they were students in my school they would be having a lot of things for their parents to sign in their school diaries! Plus, irrespective of how wealthy or not they are, all women are bedecked in the most obscene gold jewelery. Like I said, it's an alternate universe( any ideas of the bullion on Earth would have them ducking for cover). Additionally, they wear the most expensive sarees and jewelery to bed! Granted I might be harping too much on the women here but that's the entire point of these serials. It is to deliver the Indian middle class female from the drudgery of their daily lives into the drudgery of someone else's life on TV, especially since they are well dressed and seem to be rich.

That's just a basic picture, I could go on but I could be accused of standing in the way of female empowerment, and I have always wanted to champion the cause of females.
Onto the social significance of this then, I have often asked my mom whether she realizes this is as far away from real life is as the Sun is from the Earth. She always says yes, but whenever she is watching a particularly gripping scene with a lot of background music( thunder, lightning, drums, high sitars and the camera takes a still of every person in the shot thrice), she bursts out saying something to the effect of this is what happens everywhere today. I ask her where she has seen something like that and she looks at me like I was the biggest dunce on the planet. Honestly man, I didn't know that my family knew people who were that rich that they'd be fighting over tonnes of money.
What intrigues me is not the fact that they have all the females in the country watching, irrespective of social standing, profession or anything. They have hit upon the magic formula and they are exploiting it to the fullest. Even my household help sits with my mom, watches the serials before she goes about her work. I'm sure she has other houses to go for work but she'd rather watch and screw with her job. Incredible. But this doesn't intrigue me because there are many things that I don't understand. Like why do people in our country spend hours and hours watching cricket. Anyway, that's for another day and I think Sachin Tendulkar is God so I might be a little harsh there. What has me going is that now the settings have been changed yet the people watch this the same way they watched everything else before this.

Earlier there was Saas-Bahu from the ultra-rich, ultra-chic, elitist families with more money than they could count. The funny thing would be that if someone lost their memory in one serial, very shortly all of the other serials would have a major protagonist lose their memories. Amnesia is only an example, it stretches to everything, like deaths, rebirths, affairs, the whole shebang. It's like they have a master script and they are tweaking all serials accordingly.
Now the deal is that all the serials have a rural setting, yet they wear awesome jewelery. So OK they might be rich village folk or something. Technically the K at the start of the serials has been replaced by anything that has a rural twist in the title. And it's not just one or two, all of them are like this now. It's just the funniest thing. The background music does not change, neither does the camera panning on everyone thrice when in a climax scene, the extra emotional doses are very much there and they all have a similar subplot. In the series now, there is a matriarch who more often than not is a dominatrix who is not in touch with the present days and times and therefore makes life a living hell for everybody in the surrounding area.
The standout feature of all of these soaps is... MISERY. The amount of glycerin used here could keep entire factories running on overtime. That's the major attraction of it. It refers to the sacrifices that women have to make in the course of living and how they can bounce back from everything, and I mean everything, every female protagonist dies at least thrice in each serial only to be either miraculously saved or to be reborn with the same vengeance in her heart. It's almost like if weren't true..O wait a minute.. it isn't. But who's to tell my mom, or the other millions.There is a better chance for a stable government in Jharkhand.

In concluding, hats off to Balaji Telefilms and their driving pioneer, Ekta Kapoor( are there more K's in her name?? I could have missed out on some). I sometimes think whether this is some kind of plan to take over the world and she is in reality a rebirth if Adolf Hitler, carrying forward his message of torture and conquest, she has definitely achieved both. Nonetheless, a very astute businesswoman, she has single-handedly revolutionized the way TV is viewed in our country and abroad( where these networks are aired). So, all credit to her for that, brilliant market research and an even better business plan later, she's the undisputed mogul of Indian Television. If there was one thing I had to tell her, turn the volume down, get better background score, and for God's sake, introduce some characters with shades of gray, watching only black and white on a colour TV is sad.

Albums that changed my life! G3- Live in Concert!

2010-06-05T12:02:00.006+05:30

A long hiatus.. and the world has changed. Fine, not exactly, but my station in life has. I managed to land a job and managed to get a few avenues from which to launch myself as a musician. The deal is now that I have decided to not take up the job and I haven't yet launched myself as a musician. So maybe my station in life hasn't changed. Nonetheless, at least I'm done with college( Yes, I passed). So after the long break, I am finally posting again.
This is the third installation of albums which changed my life. Like the previous albums discussed, I heard this when I was around 11 years old and was getting acquainted with the acoustic that my brother had. The album is nothing short of groundbreaking in all possibilities of the word. This single album revived guitar rock like nothing before it, and even though the 80s had gone by and glam metal was passe, suddenly guitar gods were back in fashion. The beauty of the album is that the concept survives till date, a testimony to it's longevity, both as an idea and for the songs in it.
The album I first heard was the audio format of it, not the more popular video that has spawned the G3 culture. Being a novice at the guitar, I couldn't understand much of what was going on then. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and sweeps were included in my vocabulary years later but the sheer force of the album was evident even then. When I watched the video years later and Satch begins the show with "Cool #9", the bass line started running through my head even before Stu Hamm had touched his instrument. The songs, the musicians, the musicianship, all of them are quintessential Instrumental rock, covering various genres from rock and blues( Eric Johnson), to space age experimental( Satch and Vai). Of course future editions have included other genres like neo-classical( Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci) and that pop-loving guitar maniac Paul Gilbert( he is a genre unto himself).
The various sets then, beginning with Joe Satriani. What can one say about the man who single-handedly created an empire for where guitar geeks like me can take refuge at a billion notes per second. His musical CV and heritage is undoubted, combine that with his technical aptitude for the instrument and his desire to impart knowledge through lessons or clinics makes him a perfect role model for guitar players worldwide. The set begins with "Cool #9", aptly named, for the hypnotic entry into the song has cool written all over it. A testimony to the fact that Mr. Satriani never launches into mindless self indulgence, the tune is as memorable as it is difficult to execute. He never makes songs that would be rocket science for the common man and that perhaps lends him greater credibility as a songwriter than some of his peers in the same category. The next song is "Flying in a blue dream" starts with almost a "Foxey Lady"esque hold on a single note harmonic before the lilting chords kick in. One of the most standout features about Joe Sat's playing which is illustrated in this song is his sudden burning of the fretboard using single handed legato. The tones and control are exemplary, song construction phenomenal, just has every quality to draw you in. The last song in the set is "Summer Song", that harmonic freak-out start that scores high on the cool and technical quotients. The chord progressions just flow and the musicians hold it together very tight. Just an amazing set, a sure set sign for all the good things that followed.
Next up, Mr. Eric "Note-Choice" Johnson. Of melodic licks and impeccable tone, this versatile guitarist was never the shredder but has the chops to die for. Blues and rock based in his approach, Eric Johnson has been playing in a band since he was 14 and the experience shows. When I first heard the album, Joe Sat was my all-out favourite, when I first saw it, Steve Vai twisted my insides with his pyrotechnic 2 handed tapping before "For the Love of God". But ever since I have learnt how to play the guitar properly, my firm favourite has been Eric Johnson and his unique brand of Blues Rock guitar music. The expressions conveyed, the phrasing, the sheer beauty of his playing is more a treat to me than 22 notes per second hyperspeed( although I love that as well). The first song in his set was "Zap", starts off with trademark pentatonic runs that leave most guitarists scratching their heads and lends itself towards clean jazz runs( at this point the dandruff on the head is gone on account of the scratching) before going into the most amazing melodic 70s prog riff to have you firmly in grasp. Mr. Johnson prefers using a Fender Stratocaster as opposed to the Ibanez totting gunslingers in Satch and Vai, and the warmth in the tone is evident. A self confessed gadget freak since his very early days, he was one of the first people to use amp-switchers in an effort to have more control of his tone. The next song was "Manhattan", where he uses his Wes Montgomery thumb picking style to great effect. A stellar tune, with amazing tone and note choice, this surely ranks amongst the best compositions of the Grammy winning guitar player. The song to finish out the set was "Camel's night out" though I preferred "SRV", the dedication to Stevie Ray he played to close out his set in the video version. Perhaps the only disappointment is that he didn't play his signature tune, "Cliffs of Dover". Nonetheless, the most musically compelling set amongst the three.
Last and never least, Steve Vai. Of 80s hair and alien guitar technique, Vai is like the Bruce Lee of guitar, a pioneer and an innovator. Casual in demeanor, uncompromising in his composition and zen-like in his goal to be a better guitar player and musician, Mr. Vai has no peers. Even though 98% of those who hear his music won't understand most of what's going on in there in terms of melodic content, let alone technique, it doesn't change his approach to songwriting, truly holier than thou. The first song in the list is "Answers", the song with one of the funkiest riffs from the Vai catalog. The movements through the song are deliberate, even though it is a fast song. It makes for a very compelling listen. Followed by "For the Love of God". What can I say about this song, emotional, technical and of pure worship, one of the masterpieces of modern day guitar. Words can never completely describe it's majesty, give it a listen( any version). Closing the set is "The Attitude Song", the true meaning of the song can be seen only in the live where the band members go wild onstage. A hard hitting riff and some very fancy legato work later, the set is completed. Vai fans get what they want, massive dive bombing on the floyd rose, two handed tapping of the highest order, crazy antics onstage to match and their favourite songs, one of the last remaining showmen around.
Now to the G3 Jam, this thing has become a thing of legend. Three guitarists side-by-side, ripping endlessly on their fretboards, bags of tricks and never ending cadenzas of shredding. It's just fun for guitar players around the world to watch and to emulate(and fall flat on their asses trying). The songs in the jam were "Going down" which Joe Sat killed with his plectrum tapping away at hyperspeed, "My guitar wants to kill your mama" where Eric Johnson had Steve Vai staring with his note choice, and "Red House" where Eric Johnson's vocals led the way for the perfect ending with all three guitarists ripping it to good effect.
All in all, a fabulous album, and a must for every guitar enthusiast. Hear it, see it and get addicted. The guitar world changed for the better with this album, if not anything else this is a history lesson in guitar!! Cheers!

Albums that changed my life! The Bridge: Ace of Base

2009-12-08T19:42:00.004+05:30

Greetings to all the readers. The second installment of my favourite albums is here. Although I would like to mention a few external factors here. I am extremely hard pressed for time as my end-semester examinations are underway and as I found out to my dismay today( today being the first day), there is absolutely no scope of cheating!! Curses! If that weren't enough I have a pressing engagement in which I am supposed to record and mail a song to a friend. So this shall be shorter and definitely sweeter than the other posts that shall follow in this segment! Sweeter?? Well today I shall chronicle a pop band. Ace of Base!!
This is another album that I heard in my infancy as a musician and a person. Having heard "The Bridge" in the same month as "Appetite for Destruction", the two very contrasting styles was quite the spectrum for me then. What stands out that this album was heard during a very distressing time for the world in general, and to a lesser extent, me. I heard this album during the time of the death of Princess Diana. I still remember reading the newspapers for every article about her life and death while this album was playing on the discman. The haunting quality of some of the songs made it a very profound experience. It's like tripping, only a very miniature version.
Before I jump into the evaluation of the album I would like to take some time to talk about the band. Ace of Base are natives of Sweden and comprise of four members. Sisters Jenny and Malin "Linn" Berggren, brother Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg. Often compared to Swedish powerhouse ABBA, Ace of Base personify a lot of the good and bad qualities to be found in popular music culture today. They have excellent vocals, catchy tunes, well produced, and the songs were the right songs at the right time in the music scene. The album preceding "The Bridge", called "The Sign" was listed in the TOP 100 bestselling albums of all time by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA). It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, this band had their moment under the sun. The factors that probably contribute Ace of Base to being a very minor act now are that they were pushed for media airplay by managers who only wanted record sales, not quality or longevity. Once their sound was decided upon, the managers never let them explore new territory, so once the music audience were tired of their brand of pop, they were pushed to the sidelines. This might have even contributed to Linn being gradually more disillusioned which ultimately resulted in her departure from the band. However I can only guess that, what is sure is that Jenny's voice does not have the same quality as Linn's whose powerful vocals were one of the features of the band's sound.
Onto the album then, "The Bridge" is different from the band's traditional sound. Ace of Base made their reputation mixing their unique mix of reggae, electronica, europop and funk that catapulted them to the top of charts in various countries. This album however has songs that are more ballad and chorus oriented in their nature than their earlier offerings. Linn's vocals are outstanding as always and she is definitely one of my favourite female singers(that is a very short list). The orchestration and song arrangements are slightly different than what one might expect but the songs are definitely listener friendly. The album starts with "Beautiful Life", and with most songs on this album there is a beautiful pull in the songs that captivates the listener. Although I have grown out of Ace of Base I was listening to these songs last night and I still found them cool, unlike most other pop songs that I hear. My personal favourite on the album however was and is the acoustic mix of the song "Lucky Love". This single was also the highest selling single of this album. Now my reason for liking the acoustic mix is the absolutely lovely guitar rhythm that accompanies the track. I mean when I heard this all I wanted to do was to play my guitar in that particular rhythm, and that helped me a lot in my fledgling stage as a guitar player. Although I must say that I would be hard pressed to play that guitar part even now, 12 years later, there is just such a beautiful feel in the chord structure. Even though the progression is simple there is an ebb and flow in the rhythm that makes this song enchanting.
Short post has turned into medium length post! Anyway, if you ever get the chance, please do hear the album. Also check out other Ace of Base songs like "Happy Nation", "All That She Wants" and "The Sign". If not anything else, you shall find that a lot of bollywood songs have been made off them!! Cheers!

Albums that changed my life! Appetite for Destruction: Guns n' Roses

2009-12-06T02:43:00.003+05:30

Since this is supposed to be a music forum( at least that's what the name says), it is about time that I started discussing music on a more frequent basis. My last post was about Indian rock powerhouse Motherjane but I am going to go for something a bit different. I am going to make a series of posts on my influences as a musician and they shall be wide ranging, from musicians to songs to albums! Well this month I have decided to talk about all the albums that influenced me. And I am trying to keep them in a chronological manner so if someone were to deduce a progression in my tastes they probably could try.

Anyway, to the post then. Well I hail from a family which had very humble beginnings and there was absolutely no English music happening in my house. My parents loved music and I was exposed to all the old Bollywood classics and Bengali classics as well. I didn't know that a separate world existed, but my reverie was to be broken. I remember my elder brother(God bless him) bringing home a cassette from one of his friends. This was when I was ten and my brother had just gotten a guitar as a gift from dad for doing exceptionally well in his board exams. The guitar later came to me but that story is for a different day. Anyway my brother heard the thing for quite a few times and I was firmly asked to stay away. But such is the nature of the bored mind that I sneaked the cassette and gave it a listen anyway.
What makes Appetite an excellent album to listen to is that it can give you the same euphoria every time you hear it. The starting riff of "Welcome to the Jungle" can give you goosebumps every single time. You might have heard the song live too right?.... ("Do you know where the fuck you are??? You're in the jungle baby,wake up...it's time to dieeeee.....") and Axl Rose's howl transports you to a darker, almost sinisterly romantic place. That one line and riff captures the basic essence of metal! The feeling that you can never deny.. it creeps up on you and makes you submit. And for a ten year old kid who had never heard a distorted guitar before that thing was almost scary.. like forbidden fruit. It ends after four and a half minutes of gut wrenching music.. of riff and solo.. of bass line and drums.. of Axl crooning midway to the song as Slash's harmonics cut through the mix. Metal had pervaded my universe.. and although the next time I heard the album was after an interval of 8 years I recognized all the songs instantaneously.
To the other songs.. "It's so Easy".. lyrics that twisted my head( made me look up fuck in the dictionary..ha ha) and the same power of rock that was a feature in all of their songs. As Slash had said about Appetite.. "Appetite was the best record we made.. cuz it wasn't dictated by industry pressures or producers.. It was just us doing our thing".
The lyrics of the songs still make for interesting listening. "My Michelle" was about( as Axl put it).. " this crazy girl i knew.. doing drugs and shit". "Night Train" was about a bottle of whiskey by the same name. One has to love the cowbell intro to Night Train, and the twin guitar parts in the solos..first time i had heard that too.
"Mr. Brownstone", definitely one of the funkiest and probably most understated rock riffs ever. It's kinda like Aerosmith's "Walk this Way".. not just quite up there but pretty good in it's own right. I mean I could ramble on about how good each of the songs are.. but you should give it a listen if you haven't yet.
The thing about GnR is that they introduced cool to the mainstream rock audience. They were more public than most other bands who were flaunting their act at the time. Motley Crue and the entire glam rock movement were pretty flashy, but none of them sold as well as GnR. Well, Axl had proclaimed that Appetite for Destruction was going to be the largest selling debut album by a rock band. And he was right.. At 15 million record sales.
But truth be told.. these songs are good but not worth 15 million in record sales.. that was accomplished by the two songs that really kicked the album to the sky.. "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine". Radio friendly in the last true period of mainstream rock, these two songs were the reason for the notoriety that followed during GnR's reign at the top. They spent their advance money for Appetite on clothes!!! And they still lived in a hovel somewhere near Sunset Strip!The intro to "Sweet Child o' Mine" is like a guitarist's "First ten licks to learn" kinda thing. The solo is still difficult to pull off. There hasn't been a guitar god since the Les Paul straddling, cigarette and hair dangling, Slash. Even though he plies his trade with "Velvet Revolver" now, it's not the same thing. Nonetheless, they were( were.. not are, the money spent on recording Chinese Democracy could have erased a few nation's hunger issues) one of the best rock bands that ever were.. erased from meaningful existence by MTV and their 90's flagship Nirvana, but they gave us some really good songs that will last for a really long time.
Summary, well it's a great album. Guitars, bass, drums, riffs, solos, vocals, lyrics.. the complete hard rock package. Lessons in sex, drugs and rock n' roll by the best in the business. Cheers!

Tansen who? Baiju's here!! The painted face of Indian Rock: Motherjane

2009-12-01T23:18:00.009+05:30

I have been part of a band for the past 6 years. But a long time before I had formed my band I was listening to a variety of music. From the normal fare dished out on MTv and Channel [V] like boybands and Britney( yes Britney! Dude she's hot and I was 15!) to mellow rockers like Eagles and Bon Jovi. However, being a part of a band means exposure to a whole new world of music(read : METAL). Enter Metallica, GnR, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Over the years, the list has grown quite long but what was missing from the list was an Indian presence. Well, smashing through the ranks, I give to you, Motherjane.
Although I am a very recent addition to their ever-expanding fan-base, my respect for them borders on reverence. As a guitar player whose sole ambition in life is to be a professional musician, these guys are living my dream and kicking some major ass while they are at it. The pre-defining element of Motherjane is India. Their innate "Desipan"(serious lack of a better term) sets them apart from the crowd of deep-throating, mosh-pitting metal messiahs. From kathakali faces to carnatic guitar solos, they move across diverse genres of music with such seamless ease that one can't help but marvel at the skill that is involved. It is fusion, but unmistakably rock. Anthemic choruses, progressive riffs, funk drumming and the cherry on top of this formidable cake, Baiju's solos.
On to the different members of the band. Firstly, the voice, the frontman, the poet, Suraj. As tight and classy in the studio as he is live, here is one performer who will never let you down. Plus he writes the words, and the lyrics are as progressive as the music. People tell me he doesn't sound international enough. Hello, he is the voice of the band that has just won the AVIMA Best Rock Band award, and they are opening for DreamTheater in Indonesia. Ask all of the guys who sound international whether their musical CV can mirror his. I would think not.
Next up, Clyde on bass, one half of a very formidable rhythm section. The 5 string Fender he tots turns into a groove box once he gets going. Aside from the normal bass playing which he carries out with elan, a stand-out feature are his runs that accompany most of the acoustic sections of their songs. My personal favourite however, are the unison lines played by the bass and guitar when they launch into their progressive riffs. Very reminiscent of Geddy Lee- Alex Lifeson, or more recently Myung- Petrucci. A true stalwart in his own right.
We move to John, drummer, percussionist par excellence. It is so easy for the drummer of a metal band to just let loose a flurry of double bass mania, and John is technically capable, but he refrains from that temptation and switches on a groove instead. His drumming style is most similar to Chad Smith of RHCP. The funk he plays in response to the prog riffs of the guitars makes for a most delicious combination.
On rhythm guitar we have Deepu. Always running the risk of being overshadowed by the brilliant Baiju, Deepu bring a lot to the plate. Super tight rhythms, handling the riffs live when Baiju is playing solos or fills and putting in a tight shift as the back-up vocalist, no one should underestimate the value of this musician. Baiju's solos might be the icing on the cake but Deepu is the cake.
And finally, Baiju. What can I say!! Being a solo guitar player myself it is hard to not write a full post about him alone. With looks like Hendrix and a playing style somewhere between Dr. L. Balasubramanium and Eddie Van Halen, Baiju has redefined the way that rock and carnatic music can be fused. His solos are unlike anything that anyone has ever played. His technique is exceptional, all my time spent shredding seems wasted once i hear his two handed tapping( you know he might break the sound barrier with the speed of his legato). Those carnatic fills that he puts in the middle of his solos are so sharp that they immediately yank a listener's ear to attention. What sheer genius, for me he is one of the greatest guitar players because he is stretching the boundaries of the instrument. Those classical runs are executed by slides and not bends, and from personal experience I can say that it is both difficult to execute and control. Plus he is an exceptionally gentle and humble human being. I do not have enough words to describe the man.
To sum it up, they are the thing. They are not some fad, nor the result of a marketing strategy, they are the heart and soul of where music should be. Of lyrics and melody and that infinite sense of pride that one feels that these are our countrymen. Hats off to Motherjane.

An appeal!

2009-11-30T16:38:00.004+05:30

This is an appeal to all the students of NIT Jamshedpur. The efforts to organize OJASS '10 have begun in earnest, and all intentions are to make this year's fest bigger,better and smoother than any of it's previous editions.
Even though we have received very good responses for participation in the various committees, I would like to bring to notice certain acts of vandalism that have been seen throughout the campus. The leaflets of OJASS '10 have been defaced with individuals making explicit diagrams and/or changing certain words so that they now read like abuses.
It is my sincere appeal to these individuals to discontinue these actions as it does not reflect the correct spirit that an NIT or its annual techno-management fest should portray, and nor does it have any positive outcome whatsoever. A lot of effort is being made from all quarters to ensure that we have a better tech-fest than ever. Please do not disrespect the efforts of others to get cheap thrills.
I understand that our college hasn't exactly provided us with the best infrastructure in terms of academics, sports or extra-curricular activities, but it is my strong belief that whatever this college is a result of the abilities and spirit of the students. We are no lesser than any student from any other colleges and that has been proven time and again at fests in various colleges.
My appeal therefore is this. If you aren't in compliance with what is happening for organizing OJASS '10, please find other ways to express your displeasure. All the committee members are available for suggestions and so forth. Us students need to be in the right spirit for this. "Our Fest, Our College, Our Life".

Indians: Our Pride and Prejudice

2009-11-26T16:48:00.004+05:30

It's a year to the great tragedy that struck our nation. 26/11 should be remembered forever by India, primarily as a day of heinous attack and mindless "retribution". Besides the tragedy however, the day is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. A year on from the tragedy, we wear white to show our solidarity for the victims of the attacks. But that is us, what about the victims of the attacks?
The stories have been picked up where they were left off. The examples are abundant, from the manager of the Taj Hotel to the guard at the Cama Hospital, they have all picked up the pieces of their lives and continued with the same dignity and strength of character that they showed on that shameful day. Indians hold your head high for we have such persons amongst our number. Persons who have not let their selfishness or desire for self preservation come in the way for duty towards their country. To you brave Sirs and Ladies, I bow forever.
However, I would also like to draw attention to something else today. When there are countless examples of citizens who personify "India Shining", there are a few who are apparently not entirely happy with the concept of India at all.
Enter Mr. Raj Thackeray, the founder of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. A year ago he led a charge that North Indians were usurping the rightful jobs of Maharashtrians as they work in Maharashtra. The public vitriol that was spewed was on display in print. television and the internet. Incidents of not just political manipulation but also physical misbehaviour with North Indians led to a large uproar throughout the nation but the common man is sometimes helpless against such atrocities. After the attacks however his attack on North Indians stopped. Thankfully the people who have made their homes in Mumbai did not desert their fellow human beings just because they were born in another state, something Mr. Thackeray would want us do.
A year later and yet another Thackeray to the fore. This time it's the original Thackeray. Even though his name means child, Mr. Bal Thackeray has never had any agendas that would come even close to the meaning of his name. The target of his most recent attacks, Mr. Sachin Tendulkar. What can one say about Sachin, global sports icon, ambassador, demi-god? Yet a simple statement by the Little Master about him being an Indian before a Maharashtrian was misconstrued and used as political leverage by the Shiv Sena chief. What can you say about a man whose party newspaper is called "Saamna"(face-off). One of my dearest friends asked me whether i hated him. She said that since I loved Sachin I should hate Mr. Thackeray on principle for tarnishing Sachin's name. Well, I told her i don't hate him, that it is impossible for Sachin to be treated with anything other than reverence in India.
Cut to the chase, look at what we have. The same country, state and city, yet such differences. I would like to say something. Bal Thackeray wouldn't be who he is if he didn't have the support of the public at some point of time or another, and it is by twisting this support does he get publicity for such shameful accusations. People in India, in the middle class, are struggling to break the shackles of money for good, they work hard at probably unsatisfying jobs just to earn that rupee. If a figurehead( read Mr. Thackeray) comes along who incites them to their ancestral rights or some such, then it is highly likely that those misguided souls might follow in the footsteps of their messiah. And Mr. Thackeray knows that, so he utilizes it. It is shameful, but it is the truth.
I am confident that the spirit shown by Indians on 26/11 can drown out the voices of such power crazed maniacs. If there is a way forward, then they must fall to the wayside