Signal to Noise

Finally! Found a video on YouTube of the rare performance of Peter Gabriel and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on VH1, doing "In Your Eyes". This is the performance, where Nusrat Saab did the "Teri Aankhon Mein" solo (around 2:12 of the video), which I used in Penn Masala's rendition of the song. Its funny that I was recreating what I "thought" the interlude sounded like. Now that I hear it (nearly 8 years later), it sounds very, very different. Love the ending confluence.

Trademark "Sanjay Leela Bhansali"

The Saawariya promo screams "Devdas", doesn't it? Eye-caressing visuals though. The man is phenomenal at creating an image; an aura. Would love to get into his head and see if he really visualizes it the same way, prior to construction of the set and the shot. Film-making is that one rare experience where you get to bring your visions to visual reality. True dream-makers, no?

Touted to be the first Bollywood movie produced by a Hollywood house (Sony). Major reservations about Ranbir Kapoor, though, but time will tell. Sonam Kapoor should hopefully do wonders for the AK clan, considering the last scion to come out of that household was Mr. "Aati Nahin" Sanjay. Blegh! Scary.

Also, the movie is based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story, White Nights - a really sweet piece which I read back in college. Check it out here. You'll see the potential desification.

The photographer returns....

Taken earlier this month. The first one is a view of downtown Manhattan from Liberty State Park, and the second is at Wave Hill.

Click to enlarge.

Lounge Fanatics

Used to see Putumayo CDs in random global knick-knack stores, but they are soon turning into a force to reckon with. Proudly own two of their compilations - Turkish Groove and Latin Lounge, and they are highly addictive selections. They seem to have picked the best of global lounge music over the last few years. Check out their Euro and Sahara Lounge samples - especially the Thievery Corporation track that opens up the Euro Lounge album.

In other news, if you're planning a getaway from Manhattan, I highly recommend Wave Hill up in Riverdale. A 25-minute ride from the hustling-bustling city through a scenic train route parallel to the Hudson, this place is a garden-conservatory picnic spot, in the hilly city of Riverdale, which almost makes you feel like you're deep in the country.
Plus its known for its hush-hush art exhibitions (like the one I saw, Thoreau Reconsidered), and Tai Chi classes. Great for a picnic, but its GYOG (get your own grub).

Also, the water lounge at the Great Jones Spa - complimentary with any of their treatments. Ahhh relaxation!

Sufferin' Succotash!

They're back!

Suck on this, Sub-prime!

My marketplace watch screen on Aug 16th...



and then came, Aug 17th, 9 AM.




Welcome back, bulls. The street missed you! :-) Smiles all around.

Go green!

Hale Heineken!

I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW it! A centuries-old myth rebutted! Disproved! Now if only they will leave us ale-lovers to our ale-ments, and find something else to attributed the pounds to for the next 100 years.


In other news, why the h*** are television production companies names so wierd? (you know, the ones that show up at the end of sitcoms). "Where's Lunch", "Worldwide Pants", "Busboy". Somebody, get those creative namers off their prescriptions.

Raah pe kaante bikhre agar,
In pe to phir bhi chalna hi hai,
Laakh manaa le suraj magar,
Raat ko ik din dhalna hi hai

Some lines come back and hit you like a ton of bricks.

Epic.

This can either be incredibly amazing.......

.... or incredibly awful.

Psyched, nevertheless.

August 31st

*Update* Title of the flick was changed to "Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag" because of copyright infringement lawsuit by Sasha Sippy.

Burn baby burn!

Switched at birth

Roger Federer and Arbaaz Khan.

Double fault?

The people one meets...

So I'm sitting home listening to some classic Indian soundtracks (Taal and Aashiqui - they never get old), waiting for Dominos to deliver. The doorbell rings, and the guy in the blue-and-red shirt is desi, early 50s. While I'm paying him, he comments on the song playing (Nahin Saamne), and starts to hum. I compliment him on his attention to detail. He tells me that he used to play keyboards for R. D. Burman. He played the piano for one of RD's greatest songs, "Chingaari Koi Bhadke". The passion with which he spoke about it, made me invite him in to throw a few notes on my Yamaha. Couldn't help but notice that he did the whole prayer and respectful touch to the musical instrument, before he started playing - something so simple, yet so rare in today's world. He played with finesse and comfort, really well.

Thanking me for the short, but sweet opportunity, he drove on back to deliver the rest of his cloggers.

Oblivion is a painful thing, is it not?

Can "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge"...

.. run out of its grab bag of ways to delay the decision making process? Earlier they had judges raising a red flag .. now they have traffic signals which blink around while the ominous, Hitchcockian supports the many constipated faces of the audience members and nervous participants?

Of course, some of them are given solace by Bappi da's "Daun't worry! Iam there with you".

Something tells me that this is precisely their source of worry.

If there ever was a postcard to define the Snazzy Seventies.....