Listen Up!

A magical night...with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar

  It's not often that you are presented with the opportunity to be in the presence of a living legend. Hearing Pandit Ravi Shankar in the flesh on Tuesday October 23 at the Roy Thomson Hall will go down in my memory as one of the best evenings of live music - ever! The very talented Anoushka Shankar accompanied her father in a fantastic performance in downtown Toronto.

  The concert started off with Anoushka Shankar, a star in her own right, performing two pieces alongwith tabalchi (artist playing the tabla) Tanmoy Bose and flautist Ravichandra Kulur. Accompanying these three artists on stage were also Kenji Ota and Toronto-based Joy, both on tanpura. The first piece was an evening raga that was soothing and mersmerising. I've had the privelege of hearing Anoushka before and she has developed into a fine exponent of the sitar, showing a sensitivity towards music that evades many artists even in their older years. Apart from displaying her skills and showing that she is indeed a worthy successor to Pandit Ravi Shankar, she also came across as someone who is very comfortable and at ease on stage. Her constant smiling and exchanges with the fellow performers on stage also showcased an artist who is very aware of her surroundings. The dexterity with which she handled the more challenging parts of the recital was truly astounding. It's also very interesting to watch a young artist explore music in front of a live audience and to be truly confident in her ability. She ended her solo performance by admitting that the real star would be on stage shortly and she could appreciate the audience's anticipation to hear the legend play. Evidently, modesty has also been handed down to her from her illustrious father.

  You couldn't possibly imagine the thunderous applause that greeted Pandit Ravi Shankar as he stepped onto the stage, after a brief intermission. A standing ovation greeted him as he made his way to the special seating arrangement set up for him. Many cliches have been exhausted in trying to express the respect that this legendary artist commands from both his peers as well as the younger generation. Nothing I could say would suit him better than being magical. As he spoke to the audience, I noticed an uncanny resemblance between father and daughter in the way they smile and speak in a soft-spoken manner.

   At 86 years of age, Panditji has a sparkle in his eye and a passion that belies his age. In that hour that he performed, everyone paid rapt attention to every motion, every detail, every nuance of the sitar. As he explained the ragas, the beats, the structure of the music, small nods would pass around the hall with the audience soaking up every detail. As he humoured and challenged tabalchi Bose (who was simply magnificent in his display of skill and playing the tabla), the audience saw a glimpse of a teacher, a fellow musician and a friend - all at once. With raising his hand, he managed to quiet a crowd that gushed with applause at an inconvenient time, just to let the tabalchi show his true expertise and talent. The applause that followed was deafening.

  As the evening came to a close, I threw a quick glance around the hall. Tall men in grungy leather jackets, pseudo urban yuppies, sari-clad women, students - everyone came together and listened to some fantastic music that night. I heard someone say they had a new appreciation for the sitar and how it mangled notions of dreary classical music that droned on and on. If that's even one person more inclined to listen to some classical greats, half the battle is already won. LISTEN UP to Ravi and Anoushka Shankar.

'ABSOLUT'ely rocking!

  It's a heady mix when music meets style. The Absolut Bollywood party to celebrate the launch of Anokhi magazine's holiday issue was representative of just that. Great music (courtesy DJ Jiten), a sizzling cover girl (Much Music VJ Hannah Simone) and a fantastic crowd (read "you") made for a great evening. When asked how the gorgeous Hannah found her way to the cover of this issue, Raj Girn, Publisher, Anokhi shared, "We've known each other for over a year and half now and it was so great to hear how connected she is to the South Asian part of her identity. She was on our Sexy and Successful List for our fourth anniversary issue last January. A year later, she's on our cover as someone who is going to go places in a big way!" Designer Dinesh Ramsay, who designed and styled the look for Hannah described his inspiration as being "completely Bollywood while not going the traditional route."

Here are some excerpts from a freewheeling conversation with the lady in question, Much Music VJ, Hannah Simone...

Being a cover girl: "I was on the Anokhi annual list for this year and through our conversation, Raj (Girn) and me realised we had so much in common being strong South Asian women who cared about humanitarian issues and with my profile on Much Music, we thought it would be a great idea to work on the cover and an interview. So it all came together quite well.”

Personal style statement: “I like to be comfortable. It’s nice to be able to dress up and be glamorous and that’s part of the job. At Much Music, I can wear a really cool pair of jeans and a t-shirt that reads something cool and have that freedom of expression. I can wear that with Indian bangles – my style is something that represents where I come from.”

Identity as a South Asian: “The great thing about us having such a large population is that we’re everywhere (laughs) Wherever I’ve lived – Vancouver, Toronto, London  - there’s been a strong community that’s embraced me easily even with being half-Indian. “You eat dal? Fine, come on in!” (laughs) So to meet all these people who come from the same place and are so warm, is just amazing.”

Personal music preferences: “I’m a big fan of M I A who is a strong, South Asian woman. I interviewed her a few months ago in Toronto and she is so stripped of pretensions and is so true to her own personal beliefs. She is inspiring as someone who is true to herself and it reflects in her music. Even her style is completely reflective of her identity as a South Asian woman.”

Promoting new talent: “I host The New Music so constantly all day I get CDs from bands I’ve never heard of, bands that I have heard of. My musical horizon is constantly being stretched and broadened but there isn’t a lot of South Asian music that comes to me. Send them my way because we have someone now in the music field who has a profile that can really get more attention.”

A blast from the past

  What goes around comes around. And music is no different. Hits from the "good old days of Bollywood" have been reinvented with a new sound. Simply stated, they have been remixed. This post is dedicated to all the great mixes that have found favour with audiences the world over...

Chura Liya - Bally Sagoo: This track started off the trend called remixing that has since then earned a rather notorious reputation. Featuring a scantily-clad female model and a rather hunky male model, the immortal number (the original featured Zeenat Aman) paved the way for many to follow. This song also marked a rise in Sagoo's popularity all around the world.

Tu tu hai wohi - DJ Aqeel: A huge hit in Asia and the Middle East this song featured three models supposedly being part of an escort service! Needless to say, the video scandalised some and the models in the video faded into oblivion thereafter. The song however has become a cult classic.

Bin tere sanam - DJ Suketu: By the master himself, Bin tere sanam in its remixed version became a bigger hit than the original itself! Known for his instantly recognisable beats and his club sound, Suketu has been instrumental in creating many club hits for various films, including newer films that use remixed, club versions as a means of promotion and marketing.

Piya Tu - Leslie Lewis and Asha Bhonsle: Proving that she was in sync with the today's generation, Asha Bhonsle decided to create her own interpretations of old classics. After realising that most of the oldies that were being remixed belonged to her, she dove right in and created an album with Leslie "Lezz" Lewis dedicated to R D Burman. The video featuring a svelte Sonali Bendre who was a mannequin by day and real live beauty by night, was an interesting concept and created waves in the industry.

Raat baaki - DJ Akbar Sami: A hot video featuring top models added to this track's popularity at the clubs. Known for his thumping bass lines and smart disc work, Sami soon was called in to rework many film classics.

Flute Fantasy/Hero -DJ Nasha: This remix is one of the best instrumental remixes I've heard to date. An international icon, Nasha's remix found popularity as his signature track with the instantly recognisable flute strain.

Being Skilly

After bursting onto the music scene in 2004, this year marks the return of up and coming hip-hop artist Kidd Skilly with his latest release "Bhangra Chick." Of Mexican-Indian heritage, this versatile artist hails from Michigan, Detroit and has been working his magic in both the UK and US markets.

His new release "Bhangra Chick" (video below) is an interesing experiment and shows an artist who is at ease with his multi-cultural identity. Starting out with a little reminder of his chartbuster Nachna, the new song has a nice laidback groove to it. The lyrics  are in English and Punjabi and the track has the makings of being a club favourite with its addictive hooks. Not shy to try out unusual combinations, you'll notice that he uses the traditional Indian harmonium to great effect. Who said you can't have the best of both worlds?!

His video features the Michigan State University Bhangra Team busting out some moves while his entourage of hip-hop dancers do their thing alongside. Duality seems to be a recurring theme - in sound and presentation. I'm not the biggest fan of Bhangra but it was fun to listen to an artist who is aware of trends and tastes today, instead of being stuck in a formulaic sound with the staple dhol and booming vocals. With all due respect to the masters of bhangra, this new infusion of young blood can only bring mainstream and Asian music closer.

He is scheduled to release a brand new track with popular favourite Akon and if that's anything to go by, you know that this artist is leaving his mark. If you watch and listen to the Bhangra Chick video carefully, towards the end, you'll see a snippet of what's to come with Akon's singing out "Yo Skilly! I'm in your neck of the woods now..." LISTEN UP to Kidd Skilly. Read more on his website: www.MySpace.com\KiddSkillyMusic and www.KiddSkilly.com

Beyond Bollywood

  There was a time where 'desi' music necessarily meant music from films or Bollywood as it's commonly called. Having said that, there's always been an alternative movement that went against popular film music. Whether it was Uday Benegal and Indus Creed (formerly Rock Machine) or Vishal Dadlani and Pentagram (the same guy who also composes music as one half of Vishal-Shekar), there's always been a rock movement back home in India. Pakistan too has its own warriers like Junoon, Jal and Fuzon. This post is dedicated to the latter who although very popular in Pakistan, haven't been heard by too many others here. I will at some point, go into more details about the rather members of this alternative movement.

  The first track I ever heard by Fuzon was called Khamaj (listen to it below) and I fell in love with the band. The scintillating vocals had me enraptured and I couldn't wait to hear more. Incidentally, the lead singer Shafqat Ali Khan also sang the track Mitwa from Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. I dug around and with much difficulty, I found a few albums to fuel my growing passion.

  After the initial fascination wore off, I was mersmerised by their unique sound. It was definitely within the framework of pop but had a distinct sound that really appeals to me. Make no mistake, the lead vocalist is as talented as they come. A quick search on Wiki tells me that he is a trained vocalist from the Patiala gharana and I'm not remotely surprised with all the intricate vocals he belts out. But if you look past the vocals, you'll notice that this band manages to do what not many others have been able to. They blend in modern rock music with traditional Pakistani sounds. And the final effect is breath-taking. Rumours have it that the band is no longer together and are pursuing individual careers. But luckily for me, the music still plays on... (Check out a popular up-tempo Punjabi track Ankhiyan  below by Fuzon). LISTEN UP to Fuzon!

A few people messaged to ask why I left out Aankhon ke Saagar so here it is by popular demand...

A fine act

  His site calls him "the new face of tradition." And that claim is quite true based on his musical journey so far. Born into a family of legendary musicians, Rahul Sharma is carving a niche for himself in the world of music. He somehow manages to maintain a fine balance between the classical and the modern. If you haven't heard too much of him, then this blog is specially meant for you. A sample of his work first...

  An extremely talented young santoor player, Rahul Sharma presents the new face of an Indian classical musician who isn't afraid to tap into sounds beyond the framework of Indian classical music. Like Anoushka Shankar, Ayaan and Amaan Ali Khan, he too has a family legacy grounded in the fine art of music. Yet like the others in this elite group, he has managed to create an identity that transgresses any specific genre. It's quite interesting to note that many second or third generation musicians are attempting to work with a dual identity of sorts.

  For anyone who believes that classical music is drab or dreary, you'd be in for a surprise if you listened to Sharma's albums that are refreshing, contemporary and thoroughly enjoyable. His live shows show his extraordinary understanding of traditional music as he tours all around the world. He has composed film scores and also pursues his passion in creating new age music. New age albums like White, Time Traveler and Maya - The Illusion make for very interesting listening. Check out the video of Maya below:

He is scheduled to perform with Zakir Hussain at an upcoming show on November 14 in Ottawa. LISTEN UP to Rahul Sharma.

 

Setting the tone...

I was suitably impressed with lots of music this summer that didn't necessarily emerge from music concerts or the radio. I'm talking about music that accompanies plays or theatre or other performances - and boy, do we have a lot of choice in our city.

Earlier this summer, I went to the Phantom of the Opera and was simply bowled over by the music of this theatrical production. Apart from the high production value of the play and the histronics on stage, the music made the experience an exhilirating one for me. It is also is quite remarkable that the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber has been running for 21 years now, having premiered in 1986. Despite being composed in the Eighties, the music is exuberant and modern to this day. The music of this play is integral to the plot of the play and I highly recommend that you take in the experience while you can.

I never thought a travelling circus of sorts could be the home of such fantastic music. Cirque de Soleil is known for its impossible stunts and gravity-defying feats, but for me, the real fascination is the music. Watching the performance last weekend, I was bowled over by the impressive soundtrack of music that accompanied all the various acts. Whether it was the contortionists or the jugglers or the other performers, the live music injected energy into the overall ambience. Vivacious and truly global sound, the music is a must-hear for anyone who appreciates and enjoys exploring new sounds.

Another great show (and it's a show in every respect) is the Blue Man Group performance that uses music creatively and to great effect. The music in fact takes centre stage and you can't miss the impact it has on getting the crowd involved. Cheering, chanting or singing along - there's no other way to get your audience involved than through the power of sound. Enabled with fantastic acoustics, the show was a complete winner for me in every way. Do yourself a favour and drop by for a performance as it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The shows that I mentioned above are among several options that are available for you to check out. And given that we live in a city that plays host to so many cultural events, make the most of your weekends and head out to watch a show and experience the music for yourself. LISTEN UP to great music!