Ready reckoner to your maestros

Amaan and Ayaan Ali's 50 Maestros, 50 Recordings is a guide to the masters of Indian music, and comes with a superb CD compilation of their music

Twins Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan's smartly packaged book about Indian musicians showers adulation on their famous father Amjad Ali Khan while remaining respectful about his most formidable peer Ali Akbar Khan.

50 Maestros 50 Recordings looks so good that music lovers will find it difficult not to pick it up. But don't worry, at Rs 350, it's a worthy buy, if only for the music CD that comes glued to the last page. The book isn't bad either. It gives you a quick overview of the deities in the Indian classical music pantheon, and is sprinkled with some refreshingly candid personal observations.

Insiders and music lovers curious about artistic rivalries are likely to quickly flip to the pages about Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, two of the most celebrated sarod maestros of our times, to see how the authors (also sarod players) have managed the comparison.

"What can you say about an icon whose very name means music to you? What do you write about a man for whom the world is music and music is the world?" they say of Amjad Ali Khan, while they mostly list out the occasions when they met Ali Akbar Khan, and finally balance it all out with "He (Ali Akbar Khan) left behind a legacy that is priceless. His teachings, his musical genius and his calibre are unparalleled."

But then, if they don't gush about Ali Akbar as they do about dad, they aren't always afraid to express their opinions either. They refer to Sharan Rani's claim that the sarod existed since 500 BC as "baseless" and having no historical or musical evidence. The sarod, they say, evolved from the Afghani rabab, and was modified in India by one of their forefathers. They praise the role of the guru, and say only a guru, and no formal institution, can produce a great performer.

Happily, Carnatic music is well represented in the book. No one will dispute the inclusion of Semmangudi, D K Pattammal, M S Subbulakshmi and Balamurali, but the exclusion of such giants as G N Balasubramanyam and K V Narayanaswamy will be noticed. Also, among violinists, the choice of L Subramaniam over Lalgudi Jayaraman is likely to evoke scepticism. But then, to be fair, it is never easy for musicians to write about musicians and make lists, and Amaan and Ayaan have pulled off a small miracle by compiling music of such sweep. Their writing is clearly aimed at the non-specialist, and can sometimes look sketchy. The introduction to Indian classical music shows journalistic ease. The choice of pieces is well thought-out (for example, Bhimsen Joshi's 1968 recording is intensely beautiful).

The book dedicates two to four pages to each musician, giving biographical details, and placing them in the context of the authors' own musical discovery. This is a representative way of introducing young people to the wonderful world of Indian classical music, and publishers Harper Collins combine marketing pizazz with a genuine desire to spread the art. An additional attraction is the photographs the book brings together. Getting copyright permissions from multiple record labels couldn't have been easy. Amaan and Ayaan write a brief note on each of the tracks in the albums they have culled their gems from, helpfully pointing in the direction of further listening and exploration.

With its colourful, classy cover, 50 Maestros 50 Recordings will definitely adorn your bookshelf. You'll enjoy the music, and hopefully, so will your kids.

Zany new proverbs on Twitter

The trending topic 'modern proverbs' is inspiring tweeters to tweak age-old aphorisms to sound funny and contemporary

For two days, Twitter was awash with gems of urban wisdom. The trending topic "modern proverbs" inspired tweeters to attempt variations on old proverbs and create zany new ones.

An example of the first variety is "History repeats itself" becoming "History retweets itself."

Many proberbs borrow from the vocabulary of tech, and social networking. "Give hashtag where hastag is due" takes off on "Give credit where credit is due," replacing 'credit' with the hash sign used by tweeters to recognise and promote an exciting topic. "What's in a user-name?" is a variation on Shakespeare's ubiquitous line "What's in a name?"

Television and popular culture are other big influences, as in @jhunjhunwala's witty proverb "Actions speak louder than Words but Arnab Goswami speaks louder than actions and words."

Thousands of 'modern proverbs' had appeared on the micro networking site before the tide started ebbing on Wednesday. Many tweeters were Indian, but they were not a majority as they were when the Nithyananda scandal broke.

Here are some I liked:

@mansigrover History retweets itself

@avinash_y Every day is a monday except saturday and sunday

@creatitwitty: Accents speak louder than words

@krishashok: The leopard cannot change his spots, unless Photoshop is involved

@vinod_raman: Tweet to live, but don't live to tweet

@eJeremy: Give hashtag where hashtag is due…

@Jhunjhunwala: Don't judge a book by its cover ,download the free PDF and then judge it

@jhunjhunwala Actions speak louder than Words but Arnab Goswami speaks louder than actions and words

@darshanp82: Love thy neighbour's Wifi connection.

@sujayendra: For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program

@The_Prachi: i m in a good shape. round is a shape.

@vinod_raman: Too many hooks spoil the blog

@boredtech: He who hath smelt it, surely must have dealt it

@sandsekh: make love, not mms

@c_aashish: One man's meat is another man's jail term under Section 377.

@shahstruck: "Man proposes, and woman disposes of his income".

@dharmeshg: If at first you don't succeed, go to the 'Help' menu

@OMGhumor: Tweet others the way you want to be tweeted.

@telljeeves: Roaming was not billed in a day

@teatattler: Google helps those who can't help themselves

@johnnypixel: Life will give you many challenges. Much of which can be outsourced to India

Cerebral music on violins and cello

The Madras String Quartet played Thyagraja and Vyasaraya, setting off the beauty of South Indian music against Western harmonies

The Madras String Quartet presented some fine, cerebral music at a three-day festival that concluded in Bangalore on Sunday, February 28.

Led by violinist V S Narasimhan, the group played 45 minutes of Western classical music, and followed it with half a dozen Karnatak compositions, adapted to the quartet style. Understandably, the southern Bangalore audience was more tuned to the second part of the concert, and responded with respectful applause after each composition.

If you are familiar with film music in the southern languages, there’s no way you could have missed hearing Narasimhan, even if you have never heard of him. He has played the lead violin in hundreds of films. His work with Ilaiyaraja, especially, ihas won him a following among more informed music lovers.Besides Narasimhan, the Madras String Quartet comprises V R Sekhar, B J Chandran, and Hemantraj Muliyil.

The quartet was formed in 1993, and has performed across India. If younger music lovers in Bangalore haven’t heard about them, it could be because the Madras String Quartet is no youth band, and they don’t play rock... Their music calls for serious listenership, and is a sure delight for anyone with even a passing familiarity with Indian and Western classical traditions.

At Sunday’s concert, they alternated slow compositions with brisk ones in the first part of their concert. They specialise in the music of the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, and it would have helped if they had announced the names of the compositions they played.

The first composition they played in the Indian section was the simple Raaravenugopabala in raga Bilahari. With its happy, major-scale appeal, it energised listeners, and many started humming along (not such a good thing, since some were off-key!). The quartet then went on to play complex compositions of Muttuswamy Dikshitar and Thyagaraja, and concluded with the Vyasaraja composition Krishna nee begane baaro in raga Yaman Kalyani.

For most of their work, they kept the grammar of the raga intact, but in some passages, like in Evari bodha in raga Abhogi, they introduced harmonies using notes outside the raga. That sounded a bit too radical for ears tuned to the tonal restraint of Karnatak music. Overall, the performance was acoustically satisfying, showcasing genuine, sensitive musicianship. It sounded lovely most of the time, even if one detected a couple of uninspired moments.

The quartet’s music is niche, definitely not something less rigorous musicians can pull off. Narasimhan played most of the leads, and the others played shorter solos. Everything was notated, which means that it didn't have the improvisational expansiveness of a conventional Karnatak concert.

Sekhar’s cello had a seasoned, mellow feel, and his touch was exquisitely delicate. (Incidentally, he is the son of the Carnatic violin wizard Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan). Together, the four musicians played authentic, grace-oriented Carnatic music, setting off its beauty against the harmonic richness of the Western classical idiom. It was beautiful.

Unique tabla school enters 25th year

Kallur Mahalakshmi Tabla Vidyalaya is producing some of Bangalore's brightest young percussionists

Kallur Mahalakshmi Tabla Vidyalaya, one of Bangalore's most respected music institutions, begins its 25th year celebrations this Sunday.

Founded and run by well-known tabla player Rajgopal Kallurkar, it is the only school in Karnataka dedicated to the tabla. “The focus helps,” says Kallurkar. “Students here can go all the way up to a Ph D in tabla playing.” Most students train for exams conducted by the state board, or academies such as the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.

The school’s 150 students come from all corners of Bangalore. It gets overseas students as well. Kallurkar founded the school in Dharwad in 1985. He migrated to Bangalore in 1997, and brought the school with him. “Bangalore was a bigger city with more opportunities, and my friends, especially the famous tabla player Ravindra Yavagal, advised me to move out of Dharwad,” recalls Kallurkar.

Wah Taj effect
Like him, several Hindustani musicians moved from Dharwad to Bangalore, looking to survive by performing and teaching. The cultural curiosity of the Old Bangalorean ensured that they had a steady stream of students. Many families switched from Carnatic to Hindustani music. Around the time the school came to Bangalore, tabla playing had become glamorous, thanks to Ustad Zakir Husain's TV appearances.

“Young people are crazy about the tabla,” says Kallurkar, whose youngest student is four. He gets enquiries from parents who want their children to hang out at the school even if they don’t take lessons. But six, he says, is a good age to start learning.

Kallurkar slowly built up the school, conducting classes inside his ground floor house initially, and then adding the first floor. He gives free lessons to about 20 needy students.

With a master vocalist
In Dharwad, celebrated vocalist Basavaraj Rajguru used to drop by at Kallurkar’s school during his morning walks. He would watch Kallurkar teaching his young disciples. And then, there were long practice sessions and concerts with him.

“It was such an awesome experience playing with him,” says Kallurkar, who believes he learnt a lot about complex rhythmic patterns and saat sangat (accompaniment) from that master. Kallurkar has fond memories of Gangubai Hanagal, who graced the 10th anniversary of the school. His photo album shows him with some of the greatest musicians of our times. In one, Kallurkar, then just a teenager, is standing shyly next to a regal-looking Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

Kallurkar holds an MA in Sanskrit, and could have become a lecturer, or, if he had followed his father’s vocation, a priest. But his heart was in tabla playing. As a boy, he moved from his native Kallur to Dharwad to learn under Pandit Girish Avate. He then trained under Ustad Sheikh Dawood in Hyderabad.

Life’s roopak taal
“Teen taal, with 16 beats, is the king of taals. Take two beats off, you get deepchandi, four off, it’s ek taal, nine off, and you have roopak,” Kallurkar remembers the ustad telling him.

Incidentally, Kallurkar has named his son after the seven-beat taal Roopak. The 12-year-old is among the more accomplished students of the school. Adarsh Shenoy, another of Kallurkar's students, has already won the acclaim of hard-to-please musicians. And when disciples put together a memorial concert for Ustad Sheikh Dawood, Kallurkar met another tabla legend, Ustad Alla Rakha.

“He was short-tempered, and a chain smoker,” Kallurkar recalls. "He scared the others away, but let me sit with him and have a picture taken."

Thanks to his crisp, imaginative style, Kallurkar is a much sought-after accompanist on the concert stage. He is also active on several academic boards and committees.

As his school enters its 25th year, Kallurkar looks forward to offering scholarships, instituting a national award, and doing lots more for tabla studies.

Silver event
The school's 25th celebrations begin at 9 am on Sunday, February 21, with a concert featuring Prasanna Gudi (vocal), and a tabla solo by Pandit Vijay Ghate. The venue is J S S Auditorium, 8th Block, Jayanagar. For details call 98452 05803 or 94806 12234.

Life: A documentary you'll love

Life - A preview of the series. from Documentally on Vimeo.

Just thought I'd share a link to this wonderful documentary that the BBC is making.

Magic Mouse scores big



Apple’s new Bluetooth mouse looks smart and pulls off impressive tricks, but it doesn’t come cheap

Magic Mouse, Apple's new offering, looks a bit like Dove soap. The attractive contouring is the first thing you notice when you open the box. But beyond aesthetics, the USP of this wireless mouse is its touch technology, adapted from the company's more iconic products such as the iPhone and the MacBook.

Many believe the Magic Mouse is a huge improvement on the Mighty Mouse, Apple's earlier Bluetooth tracking device. I tried out the Magic Mouse on the iMac 24 inch, Apple's top-end home desktop till recently. (They now have a faster 27-inch model).

The installation wasn't easy. To make the iMac Magic Mouse-ready, I installed Snow Leopard, Apple's latest software upgrade (also called OS 10.6), but the mouse just continued doing basic things, and wouldn't reveal any of the great tracking features it was being praised for.

The Magic Mouse comes bundled with the new iMac series, but I had heard that it would be compatible with the previous generations of Macs as long as they were running on Snow Leopard. It was puzzling why the mouse wasn't coming alive fully even after I had installed Snow Leopard. I googled again and found on a user forum that Apple had put out a patch to make the mouse work. I downloaded that as well.

That didn't help either. I then went online and got software updates for the OS that came with the nine-month-old iMac, which took overnight to download. All this took me approximately two working days to accomplish (since I was busy with other tasks as well). But once I had restarted the system, and activated the Bluetooth mouse option in Systems Preferences, the mouse worked perfectly. A little demo pops up the moment you configure the Magic Mouse, and that is a thoughtful touch, since many users would be new to wireless mice.

The scrolling is very smooth on the Magic Mouse, and is much better than on the brand new Apple button mouse I had been using, which tended to scroll inconsistently. If you want slower scrolling, like when you are reading an e-book or a PDF, just uncheck the momentum option in mouse settings. It also gives you a circular scroll option. Using the Control button, you can also zoom in and out.



The mouse understands left and right clicks without actually demarcating spaces for them, but the right click needs to be activated first. The double-finger left and right swipes are a nice surprise: on Firefox, for instance, you could use them to navigate to sites you have visited previously.



The Magic Mouse isn’t designed to work with Windows, but as always, there’s the friendly online hacker who can help you find a way around the problem. It runs on two AA batteries, said to last about four months, and some users are upset it can’t be charged from a USB.

Overall, this is a mouse that looks good, and works well. But at Rs 3,890, it can’t be your idea of an economy accessory (when you can pick up a decent mouse for Rs 200). But then, if you’re looking to indulge in a luxury mouse, this is the one for you.

Jackets smother sweaters in fashion war

Have you noticed sweaters fading away from the Bangalore landscape? This city’s sweater culture seems to be on the way out, along with all the other things old Bangalore was once famous for. The reason could be that it is a much warmer city that it was some years ago. And the ones who need protection from the cold would rather wear jackets or coats.

So is wearing woollens one of those lost, forgotten pleasures? Maybe in Bangalore, but Delhi hasn’t given up its love for knitted wool yet. On the Metro, which makes commutes within the sprawling capital a breeze, almost everyone wears a sweater. Many shops at Connaught Place start promoting winterwear, especially sweaters, in October-November.

Some years ago, Bangalore used to have a big annual sale of woollen knitwear, but you won’t find too many sweater ads these days. When was the last you saw someone hand-knitting a sweater?

Jackets are probably seen as more macho (even by women who wear them) and contemporary, but they can’t beat the romance of the sweaters. But, on the other hand, jackets are water-proof, which sweaters can’t be.

Sweaters are crafted in colours, textures and designs that are a feast to see, touch and feel. Pure wool doesn’t come cheap, and acrylic is taking its place, but sweaters of whatever material still have a delicate charm that jackets just can’t match. Hundreds of colour and pattern possibilities present themselves before a sweater designer. Can you say the same of jackets, mostly made in manly, sober colours? I would imagine jackets wouldn’t inspire a designer as much as sweaters would.

In Bangalore, the first challenge to sweaters came from ‘windcheaters’, jackets made from thin nylon-like material, and designed like the stuff that motorbike racers sport. These are meant to protect you from the wind, and were a huge hit among two-wheeler riders in the 1980s. Where have they disappeared?

Bangalore’s motorcycle riders now wear thicker jackets. And thanks to easy loans and rising incomes, many of them have graduated to air-conditioned cars, in which the atmosphere can be controlled, and they don’t much feel the need for warm clothing. Shawls are still in vogue, but they seem to be preferred by the elderly and the art fraternity.

Many moviemakers now use sweaters are a class marker: only the less affluent or lovers of retro styles wear them. But do check out the stores in Bangalore. They have on offer a winter collection of sweaters that could, if nothing else, delight the art lover in you. Shawls may be dignified, and jackets functional, but sweaters are beautiful.