Archive for the 'Music' Category
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
Playing Classical Cricket?
This article on cricinfo actually does a good job of summarising my discussion with Atomsmasher on the decline of traditional disciplines in the arts. The following paragraph is particularly insightful in drawing out the similarities between classical training in music and cricket.
People frequently say of Indian playback singers that this singer or that was classically trained. It is generally meant as a compliment. Lata Mangeshkar’s virtuosity and longevity were attributed to her classical training. But over time it has become clear that classical training is an optional extra for the successful playback singer because there have been so many who never had any, starting with Kishore Kumar. In the same way, Twenty20 tournaments like the World Cup and the IPL have thrown up players like Yusuf Pathan who have achieved great success and recognition via this upstart form of the game without any sort of track record at the Test level.
What do you guys think about the qualities of say opera. Is a lot of it pretentious and elitist or should I not blind my classist sentiments from appreciating the beauty of the art? I’m inclined to think that its somewhere in between. That while a lot of people are part of the ’scene’ or are patrons of the arts in order to gain social status, i shouldn’t let that cloud my judgement in trying to appreciate art in all its forms.
Friday, May 9th, 2008
ScarJo’s special friend
Miss Johannson’s debut album is shaping up to be the most polarising album of the year. Mainly because its made up of a bunch of Tom Waits covers. I actually like the few songs I’ve heard. I say kudos for trying to interpret a critically acclaimed albeit not that popular artist rather than doing some terrible, self-indulgent trash. Anyways, 3 questions.
1) Can you guess who does the backing vocals
2) Who produced the album (difficult but Al might get it) and finally
3) Spot ScarJo’s special friend who fleetingly pops up in the video.
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Atom visits Toumani, is smashed
Bouffes du nord’s slightly decrypt, but intimate surroundings are the perfect venue for a Toumani solo. And boy was it mesmerising – although, I have to admit, for some reason I found myself fighting to stay awake… its funny, im certain it wasn’t boredom. After the first standing ovation, he hobbled back on stage to jam with a chappie on electric guitar – somewhat reminiscent of the famous collaboration with Ali Farka. The koura, unlike many ethnic instruments lends itself to a guitar jugalbandi very well, and this showing didn’t disappoint.
I was truly yanked out of my dips into semi-counciousness, however, by the eight minute standing ovation Toumani received. The Parisians really like their koura!
*the show was interspersed with Toumani’s thoughts on life, world music and other eclectica – and whilst my command of French is pretty much non-existent, so the obvious wit was lost on me, I did come away with the impression that he is an impressive showman.
I think WOMAD is on order!
Sunday, April 13th, 2008
Tere ishq nachayya
I really liked Jawad’s vocal athletics on Meekal Hassan Band’s work; regrettably he no longer sings for them apparently, which is a shame - Jawad doesnt get half of the publicity he deserves i think.
Its also amusing to see the thinly disguised irriation both the singers seem to have for each other. Ironic, considering what they are singing..
Monday, April 7th, 2008
oh, khuda ke liye!
Apparently this is in chaste urdu, and apparently, its doing rather well too in India.
Though, obviously, it can’t touch this:
Friday, April 4th, 2008
Inequality, Inequality, Inequality
Three excellent posts on income inequality by Kathy G, on her excellent new blog, The G Spot.
(Actually there are four posts, but the extra inequality wouldn’t have made for such a good title)
—-
I read ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ by Mohsin Hamid. Its actually very short and only took me a couple of days to finish. Its worth reading if only because the author comes from a very similar background to us and the story is largely auto-biographical.
My main reason for bringing this up though is that I think the author might be added to list of Pakistani men who think they are a gift to the women of this world. Having said that, maybe I’m being a bit unfair as the love story is a tragic one, especially if its true.
—-
I found a link for the John Lee Hooker and Friends gig! Seriously, why did no one introduce me to the blues before?? In a very short period of time its probably become my favourite genre of music.
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
I tripped over your paranda
Yeh. Though I think abrar is a whole different paradigm of lyrical bizarrity; and if you can understand Punjabi, some of his songs are fiendishly comical (it helps that they are in Punjabi ofcourse - a language which makes unfunny comedy non-existent)
If I have to own up to an infatuation with an Abrar song, then it has to be nachan main oday naal; which starts with, “I always wanted a laal paranda”. I did indeed. And, unsurprisingly, this proved to be one of my principal failings in life.
Something in a similar vein is making it rounds on the interwebnets (it seems most of those giving out haughty soundbytes remain single, shocking…):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/books/review/Donadio-t.html
Monday, March 31st, 2008
watch it and weep
i think bad lyrics can make a song worse. i particularly despise crappy, mush songs superimposed on generic production, complete with soaring strings and the like. i think the unusual production was one of the reasons why i liked umbrella (there, i admitted it :p). (can’t figure out how to get the link in colour - i am a luddite)
on the other hand great or even good lyrics aren’t really necessary for a song to be great. sometimes the quality of a song is improved just by how the voice is used as an instrument. its almost irrelevant what the lyrics are. isn’t this one of the reasons we enjoy music in a foreign language which we don’t understand?
————
oh and this is absolutely incredible. i need to get this album. soon.
Sunday, March 30th, 2008
the sound of music.
"Why Records DO All Sound The Same", in the March 2008 issue of The Word [best music mag around], which i was thumbing through today at a Barnes & Noble.
Thursday, March 27th, 2008
zeitgeist, insight or both?
I’ve never really tried to get into Dylan (although I did love ‘things have changed’ from wonderboys, which was also a very good film.)
However I came across a cover version of ’senor’ by Calexico and Willy Nelson which I really liked and I thought I’d throw this question out there.
Does it really matter if culture is timeless or not? For instance if Bob Dylan doesn’t really have that much relevance for me (although I know Atomsmasher is a big fan), surely it doesn’t diminish the value of his work and the immense contribution it had on the cultural life of America. Similarly, I doubt people will really understand the Simpsons twenty years from now but do we really care? Read the rest of this entry »