Lady Chatterjee

Lady Chatterjee

"I'm Lady Chatterjee .... and I chat online all night .. all morning" - the debut video of Sawan Dutta's album 'Lady Chatterjee' in Bengali.

Sawan is a special friend and an extremely talented person. In my Delhi college days in the late 80s, she played in our rock band 'Architypes' as a keyboardist . We took on a few challenging numbers of the intricate British rock band 'Deep Purple', songs such as "Highway Star" or "Pictures of home". For her it was all a cake walk playing difficult captivating keyboard solos all too smoothly. She's a natural composer, gifted instrument player, intelligent architect .. sweet yet sharp witted like a sword. She does everything in her songs scratch to finish. Perhaps only such talent in India today...

Her husband Arun has done this amazing video animation.

Check out another video of hers: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1225724516

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=2812845

A woman's love

My favorite song. Classic words, unparallel melody and the ethereal voice. Watch her eyes, her expressions, grace and the unadulterated love ...

The power of worldly love wins over the austerities of an ascetic world and the ascetic woman breaks into a love song ...

Ah, his body fragrance like the soft sandalwood
And his restless character
Coupled with a gentle smile
World o world ! Blame me not
If my heart loses self-control ..

The Rainy Month - Sawan Ka Mahina

This was the first film of my life. I saw it with my parents. Must have been 5 years of age then. Characters moving in the screen looked so real, colorful and animated... I was awed !! Couldn't get my little sparkling eyes off the screen. Watching a movie in a small town theater was a rare practice, perhaps once in 6 months for my family. Dad was a busy man ...

Vividly remember this particular melody. The guy here is teaching the young woman a folk song from his village. The film told a story of lovers seperating and uniting lifetime after lifetime only to seperate again in death .. love between a rustic fisherman and this young soulful woman from a conservative aristocratic family. They face immense social barriers. Even as a child, the story left deep impressions on me. The song has the beautiful dialect and tone of my home province Bihar (where "shor" is spoken as "sor"). The meaning goes..

Ah, the month of rains is here,
The swift wind is making a that unique noise.
And my heart is dancing in joy just as a peacock dances in the jungle.

(I'll translate and put complete lyrics later. Good night ..)

Simple dream

I have had this one simple dream so many times - Ek hee Khwab, kai baar dekha hai maine ...

I was in love with this song in my 9th grade. First exposure to the magic of an acoustic guitar. I was enchanted. Great lyrics, great voice, romantic and simple ... The calmness in the song brings out the restlessness or the longing to have some ..

Tony Award Winners 2007 - what's common?

Ten dollar question - What's common between the prestigious Tony award winnersof this year Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater and me the commoner.
Answer: Not doubting your intelligence, but I bet you couldn't have guessed. Well, we each chant NMRK and have the same life-mentor. Sorry, I get to keep the buck.

Isn't it a great title for their musical on youth - "Spring Awakening". I have to go see it on Broadway. Besides it's easy for me since I live on Broadway. Keeeep walking .... in the direction of your nose ...
Duncan Sheik's heart was with youth for a long time since his own. Remember the foreward he wrote for The Ways of Youth?

Tony award website:
http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/shows/200705141179150676307.html

"A Mighty Heart"

... straight from the heart.

Remember the brave, touching, and inspiring life experience of Mariane Pearl? Amidst her personal tragedy, she personified strength and composure and carried the message of human dignity even towards the perpetrators. I met Mariane briefly at an SGI discussion meeting in Woodstock, NY. By her side was the little Daniel Jr. busy playing and hugging his mom. She came across like an ordinary woman with extra-ordinary conviction, more than many. And now this movie with mega-stars ... Nichiren says," "The heart alone is what really matters."

'My Happiness is True Revenge' Q & A with Mariane Pearl - Newsweek
Interview with "Real" Mariane Pearl
Angelina Jolie talks about playing Mariane Pearl, and her off-screen role — as mom to an ever-expanding family: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18833893/
'A Mighty Heart' is the story of Mariane Pearl's unquenchable spirit.

What's on my mind today?

I'm a spontaneous kinda guy. No planning, never self-disciplined, no roaming around with a to-do list. But now I feel different. "SELF-DISCIPLINE".Give me tips, how do I switch ...

Pure spirit!

How pure a human and community spirit underlies this song !! Rain, dance, romance, teasing, celebrating others, spirit of coexistance.... you name it. Seeing and hearing this song fills my heart with joy, I reminisce and long for the rural India of my childhood with tears of appreciation rolling down. We have to revive this spirit in modern living ..make it a reality snatching it from the hands of mere ideas.

P.S. If you're not Hindi speaking, I can send you the meaning of the lyrics. Meanwhile rejoice the music !!

Me and Soka

Classic romance Indian style

This scene from an old Indian movie (in the 50s) says a lot about the power of romance over erotic passion largely devoid of substance. We find love, desire, benevolent participative nature, purpose, philosophy, and vision --- all in this short clip. Half clad women or muscular men with chiseled faces these days are not 10% as attractive as the couple in this song. The woman demonstrates true beauty of emotions and the guy is gentle, respectful and deeply caring. There is much we can dialogue on the value of the modern cinema beyond momentary entertainment ..