Last Show of 2005

Phew! One more year gone! Well here's the best of 2005 from Bollywood. Not everything seems rosy, but there's musical talent and certainly some hope of good work. I consider Sonu Nigam, and Shreya Ghoshal among the best this year when it comes to playback singing. They have done exceptional variety of work and seemed to have put their heart to it too.

Other artists who are have shown promising work this year are Sukhwinder Singh, Shaan, Kunal Ganjawala, and Sunidhi Chauhan. On the horizon are Mohit Chauhan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, gradually making inroads with some fine work. And of course the veterans like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Subha Mudgal, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Hariharan and Daler Mehndi know what they are doing. Good to have Manna Dey back- not certain for how long though.

So here's tonight's playlist:

1. Adaa:: Sonu Nigam:: Garam Masala
2. Aham Brahmasmi:: Alka Yagnik, Sukhwinder Singh:: Kisna
3. Virha Theme 1:: Instrumental:: Devaki
4. Akdam Bakdam:: Shravan:: Hanuman
5. Baawra Man:: Shubha Mudgal:: Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi
6. Kisna Theme 2:: Instrumental - A.R.Rahman:: Kisna
7. Bangri Marori:: Music-A R Rahman:: Water
8. Dheere Jalna:: Sonu Nigam:: Paheli
9. Duniyawalon ko Nahi Kuch Bhi Khabar:: Sonu Nigam, Manna Dey, Kavita K, Shabab Sabari:: Umar
10. Melancholy:: Instrumental- Violin Brothers:: Viruddh
11. Guncha (unplugged):: Mohit Chauhan:: Main Meri Patni Aur Woh
12. Huzoor E Ala:: Asha Bhosle:: Page 3
13. My Dil Goes Mmmm:: Instrumental Music: Vishal-Shekhar, (Remixed by) DJ Aqeel:: Salaam Namaste
14. Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaaye:: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan:: Kalyug
15. Just Chill:: Amrita Kak, Jayesh Gandhi, Sonu Nigam:: MainePyarKyonKiya
16. Kajra Re:: :: Bunty Aur Bubli
17. Salaam Namaste (dhol mix):: Kunal Ganjawala, Vasundhara Das:: Salaam Namaste
18. Khelenge Khelenge:: Sukhwinder Singh:: Iqbal
19. The Execution:: Instrumental- L.Subramaniam:: Kama Sutra - Orig. Motion Pic. Soundtrack
20. Mangal Panday (Agni):: Kailash Kher:: Mangal Pandey- The Rising
21. Mehsoos Kar Mujhe Mehsoos Kar:: Music- Nazakat-Shujat; Lyrics: Farogh Siddiqui:: Revati
22. Piyu Bole:: Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam:: Parineeta
23. Naam Adaa Likhna:: Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal:: Yahaan
24. Soniye Sun Zara:: Sonu Nigam:: Lucky

Alright then ... thanks for giving company for the year ... looking forward to much more wonderful times over the air. Here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year and for me ... I am looking forward to yet another radioactive year. Won't it be wonderful to begin 2006 on a Sunday!

One year has passed ...

... since Mother Nature showed her wrath. Tragedy did not distinguish between race, color and age. Nor should we ever, in happiness or sorrow ...

One year since the tsunami wiped out millions of lives. One year since the world came together as one family to alleviate the misery. Millions have since tried to build their lives back, many have been reunited with their families, many have re-built their families, after losing all their children.

Pray for all those lives and let's make this planet a better place to live, by taking care of Mother Nature. We cannot replace the intriguing ways of the ecosystem with man made structures. No one can replace the knowledge of the natives, not even when armed with money, politics or science. So let's not even try!

Let's remember those that have suffered and pray for those who are trying to put their lives together.

Merry Christmas!!

CHRISTMAS IN INDIA by Rudyard Kipling

DIM dawn behind the tamerisks—the sky is saffron-yellow—
As the women in the village grind the corn,
And the parrots seek the riverside, each calling to his fellow
That the Day, the staring Easter Day is born.
Oh the white dust on the highway! Oh the stenches in the byway!
Oh the clammy fog that hovers
And at Home they’re making merry ’neath the white and scarlet berry—
What part have India’s exiles in their mirth?

Full day begind the tamarisks—the sky is blue and staring—
As the cattle crawl afield beneath the yoke,
And they bear One o’er the field-path, who is past all hope or caring,
To the ghat below the curling wreaths of smoke.
Call on Rama, going slowly, as ye bear a brother lowly—
Call on Rama—he may hear, perhaps, your voice!
With our hymn-books and our psalters we appeal to other altars,
And to-day we bid “good Christian men rejoice!”

High noon behind the tamarisks—the sun is hot above us—
As at Home the Christmas Day is breaking wan.
They will drink our healths at dinner—those who tell us how they love us,
And forget us till another year be gone!
Oh the toil that knows no breaking! Oh the Heimweh, ceaseless, aching!
Oh the black dividing Sea and alien Plain!
Youth was cheap—wherefore we sold it.
Gold was good—we hoped to hold it,
And to-day we know the fulness of our gain.

Grey dusk behind the tamarisks—the parrots fly together—
As the sun is sinking slowly over Home;
And his last ray seems to mock us shackled in a lifelong tether.
That drags us back how’er so far we roam.
Hard her service, poor her payment—she is ancient, tattered raiment—
India, she the grim Stepmother of our kind.
If a year of life be lent her, if her temple’s shrine we enter,
The door is hut—we may not look behind.

Black night behind the tamarisks—the owls begin their chorus —
As the conches from the temple scream and bray.
With the fruitless years behind us, and the hopeless years before us,
Let us honor, O my brother, Christmas Day!
Call a truce, then, to our labors—let us feast with friends and neighbors,
And be merry as the custom of our caste;
For if “faint and forced the laughter,” and if sadness follow after,
We are richer by one mocking Christmas past.

Night of the Scorpion

I remember the night my mother
was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.
Parting with his poison -- flash
of diabolic tail in the dark room --
he risked the rain again.

The peasants came like swarms of flies
and buzzed the Name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One.
With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the sun-baked walls
they searched for him; he was not found.

They clicked their tongues.
With every movement the scorpion made
his poison moved in Mother's blood, they said.
May he sit still, they said.
May the sum of evil balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.

More candles, more lanterns,
more neighbours, more insects and the endless rain.
My mother twisted through and through groaning on a mat.
My father, sceptic, rationalist,
trying every curse and blessing,
powder, mixture, herb, and hybrid.
He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toes and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites
to tame the poison with incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.

My mother only said:
Thank God the scorpion picked on me
and spared my children.

-- Nissim Ezekiel, poet and scholar, born December 24 1924; died January 9 2004.

Nissim Ezekiel (1924 - 2004) was born in India to an Indian Jewish family. He studied in Bombay and London.

He wrote eight collections of poetry and won the Akademi Award for a volume called 'Latter Day Psalms'. He was also a renowned playwright, art critic, lecturer and editor.

He is credited with beginning the modernist movement in India and was one of India's best known poets.

Read about 'Night of the Scorpion ... here.
Discussions on his style of poetry ... here.

Taraana Playlist: Dec 21st, 2005

Playlist from tonight. Thanks for joining me.

Indian Blue:: Ali Akbar Khan:: Garden of Dreams
Chak De:: Sonu Nigam:: Hum Tum
Rafta Rafta:: Udit Narayan:: Hulchul
Man Yeh Baanwra:: Ajay Jhingran, Swanand Kirkirc:: Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi
----------
Ladakh, The Ice Desert:: Zakir Hussain:: Music of the Desserts
Adaa:: Sonu Nigam:: Garam Masaala
Bure Bure:: DJ Yasee:: Bluffmaster
Sabse Bada Rupaiyaa:: DJ Yasee:: Bluffmaster
----------
Duniyawalon ko Nahi Kuch Bhi Khabar:: Sonu Nigam, Manna Dey, Kavita K, Shabab Sabari:: Umar
Khumari Chad Ke Utar Gayi:: Jagajit Singh:: Umar
All Pure Spirit:: Mychael Danna:: Kama Sutra
----------
Zinda Hoon Main (Club Mix):: Shibani Kashyap:: Zinda
Maula (Lounge Mix):: Vinod Rathod:: Zinda
------------
Guncha:: Mohit Chauhan:: Main Meri Patni Aur Woh (MMPAW)
Doob Jaana Re:: Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam:: MMPAW
Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai:: Kavita Krishnamurthy:: MMPAW
------------
Raga Bhairavi:: Hariprasad Chaurasia:: Pure Joy (played in the background)
Recitation of Nissim Ezekiel's 'Night of the Scorpion'
------------
Yeh Pal:: Nazam Sheraz:: Kalyug
Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaaye:: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan:: Kalyug
------------
Rang De Basanti:: Chitra, Daler Mehndi:: Rang De Basanti (2006)
---------------------------------
Wishing you all Happy Holidays! And Merry Christmas! See you back next week ...

Poet of the Heart: Nissim Ezekiel

Family

All of us are sick, Sir,
not just the eldest daughter,
no, nor the younger one.
It's not the son, not the son,
It's all of us who need you, Sir
Psy-- chi--a--trist!

Should we take to meditation,
transcendental, any other?
Should we take to Zen?
We cannot find our roots here,
don't know where to go, Sir,
don't know what to do, Sir,
need a Guru, need a God.
All of us are sick, Sir.

Time is ripe for Sai Baba.
Time is ripe for Muktananda.
Let father go to Rajneesh Ashram.
Let mother go to Gita classes.
What we need is meditation.
Need to find our roots, Sir.
All of us are sick, Sir.

Nissim Ezekiel, poet and scholar, born December 24 1924; died January 9 2004.

Taraana podcasts beginning soon!

An update: 200mb server space has temporarily been made available to our radio show by a former A&M graduate and a KEOS wellwisher currently settled in Austin.

Thank you for your donation! Podcasts to begin soon.
--------------------------------------

What is a Podcast?

--------------------------------------
Now, can you donate upto 500mb of space on a local server? Pl contact me.

Taraana: Brings to you music from the Indian Sub-continent every Wednesday at 7pm.
KEOS 89.1 FM is an all volunteer commercial-free community radio. Donate in other ways ...

It's a Pro Bono case ...

Talking about Pro Bono ... isn't it a rare commodity in a material world?

But there's always hope ...
U2 anchor Bono has had one of his busiest years in recent times both on and off the music circuits:organizing Live 8, being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, wooing the World Bank, induction into the Rock Hall of Fame, rocking the Grammys, ... he has been through it all on the center stage of the world.

But that's not all- the U2 band members were also awarded Amnesty International's highest human rights accolade -- the "Ambassador of Conscience" Award for 2005.

And now Bono's on the cover of the Time, swanked on both sides by Bill and Melinda.

The How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb singer shared cover space with the Gates, who Time praised for building the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest philanthropic organization. The foundation has a $29 billion endowment and, according to the magazine, has spent 2005 "giving more money away faster than anyone ever has." Courtesy e-online.

Bill and Melinda Gates were in India recently when they showered their generosity upon the young and the talented, while taking care of the usual business. Gates and his wife, Melinda, have created a $24 billion world wide fund whose main purpose is to bridge the disparity in health care between poor and rich countries. The complete details of their recent visit to India can be found here.

But right now, ... Bono is the man on a Mission. And I'm sure he is the man to look out for in the coming years as the world undergoes a massive transformation- politically, geographically, spiritually and of course electronically. Salon.com quotes "Over two decades, U2's leader has evolved from heart-on-his-sleeve idealist to irony-drenched rock 'n' roll Liberace to hopeful pragmatist."

Meanwhile talking about wealth, have you heard this ...

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Ingvar Kamprad, the Swede who founded furniture retail chain IKEA, has overtaken Microsoft's Bill Gates as the world's richest man, Swedish TV news reported on Sunday.

Citing next week's edition of the Swedish business weekly Veckans Affarer, public service SVT2 television said Kamprad, 77, has a personal fortune of 400 billion crowns ($53 billion).

Gates's fortune is put at $47 billion, according to the latest list of the world's rich in U.S. Forbes magazine, SVT2 said.

Kamprad, known for frugal habits such as flying economy class, lives in Switzerland and no longer takes part in the daily running of IKEA, but has kept ownership of the company with more than 180 stores in over 30 countries in the family.

SVT2 said the dollar's slide against other currencies is the main reason why Kamprad has now overtaken Gates.

But more on furniture, home decor and IKEA some other time ...

Movie review and preview

Main Meri Patni aur Woh: A common man's tale

A welcome change after a string of glossy and raunchy movies that had plagued the Bollywood film industry this year ... a simple, down to earth storyline with a couple of non-biggies from the industry. But this is such a beautiful movie because it tells the tale of a common man- his day to day life, his insecurities and about the dynamics between him, his family and society.

Rajpal Yadav and Rituparna Sengupta playing the lead roles portray their situations with such make-believe abilities that it is often diffcult to tell that we are watching a ficticious tale.

Although the story is dominated by the sombre mood reflected off the complexities haunting Mithilesh's (Rajpal) life, it is generously sprinkled with humour and wit, achieved mainly due to the boisterous presence of Akash (Kay Kay Menon) and Salim (Varun). The director Chandan Arora has paced the movie so well, that unlike most Hindi movies, you never get a chance to stand up and complain about certain scenes dragging on and on.

What finally does it for the movie are a couple of hummable tunes as well as Mohit Chauhan's (of Silk Route Fame- Dooba Dooba Rahta) ghazal- Guncha which stands out with some awesome lyrics rendered perfectly. Guncha means a flower-bud, a blossom. Here's the complete lyric:

guncha koi, mere naam kar diya -2
saaqi ne phir se mera, jaam bhar diya -2
guncha koi……

tum jaisa koi nahi, is jahan mein -2
subeh ko teri zulf ne, shaam kar diya -2
saaqi ne phir se mera, jaam bhar diya
guncha koi……

mehfil mein baar baar idhar, dekha kiye -2
aankhon ke zazeeron ko mere, naam kar diya -2
saaqi ne phir se mera, jaam bhar diya
guncha koi……

hosh Bekhabar se hue, un ke bagair
hosh Bekhabar se hue, un ke bagair -2
wo jo humse keh na sake, dil ne keh diya -2

saaqi ne phir se mera, jaam bhar diya
guncha koi……

guncha koi, mere naam kar diya
saaqi ne phir se mera, jaam bhar diya -2

(Credits to Google and Nilesh for pointing to the lyrics)

Definitely a movie to add to your Christmas holiday list!

Watch out ...
Coming soon is Rakesh Mehra, Ronnie Screwvala's Rang De Basanti!

Look out for Mohit Chauhan's Khoon Chala for the upcoming movie. Rang de Basanti would itself be a movie to look out for early next year, starring Aamir Khan and music by the seasoned AR Rahman.

Aamir recites the famous lines for a piece in the sound track album:

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai
dekhna hai zor kitna bazuen qatil mein hai...
[I have the zeal of valour in my heart. Let us see how strong the rival is!]

Early previews include ...

Rang De Basanti tells the story of an English girl (Alice Payton), who comes to India to make a documentary based on her late grandfather's diary, based on the sacrifices he and other people made for the Indian independence movement...
(Courtesy - in.movies.yahoo.com)

Aamir sports a clean-shaven look in the film, completely different from the handlebar moustache and cascading tresses that defined his personality in "Mangal Pandey"...
(Courtesy - indiaglitz.com)

Dec 14, Taraana Playlist

Update: 200mb server space has been donated by a former A&M graduate currently settled in Austin. Thank you for your donation! Podcast to begin soon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you again for joining me on tonight's edition of Taraana! This show is looking for someone to temporarily sponsor 200mb webspace for starting our first ever podcast for KEOS. Please spread the word around. Thanks a lot!

Here's this week's playlist:

1. The Execution:: L Subramanium:: Kamasutra: Motion Picture Soundtrack (Intrumental)
2. Durga:: Zakir Hussain with Adnan Sami:: The One and Only (Intrumental- tabla and key board)
3. Zara Zara::KUnal Ganjawala:: Channa Vey
4. Bhaage Re Mann:: Sunidhi Chauhan:: Chameli
5. Jazz Piece:: Zakir Hussain and Adnan Sami:: The One and Only (Instrumental)

6. Roop Tera Mastana:: Kishore Kumar:: Aradhana
7. Jis Gali Mein Tera:: Mukesh::
8. Dus Bahaane:: KK, Shaan:: Dus
9. Dil Samander:: Kay Kay, Sunidhi Chauhan:: Garam Masaala
10. Bolo Ta Ra Ra:: Daler Mehndi::

11. Akdam Bakdam:: Shravan:: Hanuman (story based on the epic 'Ramayana')
12. Baawra Mann:: Subha Mudgal:: Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi
13. Rafta Rafta::Sujatha, Udit Narayan :: Hulchul
14. Bhool Gaya Sab Kuch::Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar :: Julie (1975)

15. Chilman Uthegi Nahin:: Alka Yagnik, Ayesha, Hariharan, Ismail Darbar:: Kisna
16. Aham Brahmasmi:: Alka Yagnik, Sukhwinder Singh:: Kisna
Beautiful lyrics here: "Mujhme Shiv Hai, Mujhme Brahma, Mujhme Vishnu, Mujhme Krishna ... phir main kahe mandir jaoon?"
In me resides Shiva-the destroyer, in me is Brahma-the creator, in me is Vishnu- the protector, and Krishna- the beautiful ... why then, do I need to go to the temple? Explore the divine in yourself! See last song for more ...

17. Soniye Sun Zara:: Sonu Nigam:: Lucky
18. Main Vari Vari:: Kavita Krishnamurthy, Reena Bhardwaj:: Mangal Pandey (The Rising)
19. Salaam Namaste (title song):: Kunal Ganjawala, Vasundhara Das ::Salaam Namaste
Salaam Namaste is not just a customary salutation that literally translates to Hello and Hi. These words respectively in Urdu and Hindi mean more than the literal- they convey the respect for one person towards the other and almost mean to express the follwing words-' I salute the divine in you!'

See you all next week ... till then Happy Holidays!

Benda Kaal Ooru: Investors- Solpa Adjust Maadi

Recently I heard a town in the US being renamed to 'Dish' for a year in exchange for 10 years of free dish network for the whole town! How queer is that! Well there was another town few years back during the dot com hype, which renamed itself Half.com for sometime.

And of course not so long ago in India, Madras became Chennai, Bombay became Mumbai, Trivandrum to Thiruvananthapuram and Calcutta became Kolkata! And now to top them all, Bangalore is to be restored to its former glory- Bengaluru!

Unlike in the US, where city officials hold several meetings with their residents before taking such an extreme step; in India the politicians do not doubt the fact that they just own these cities! Have they ever done the math behind the change? Oh yes! They probably did consider how many more votes they might bag in the next election with this stunt!

Bangalore is a brand name! It is the Silicon Valley of India. History is great but changing a name at this point is the dumb thing to do! Mr Dharam Singh, if only you could repair the numerous pot holes, ease the traffic system and think for the future- you could write yourself a name in history too. But changing the brand name would not only cost millions of dollars in tax money but will ruin the hard work of millions who have neon-lit that name on the world map.

PS:If any reader is aware of an online petition to 'Stop Renaming Bangalore', please forward it to me.

Grammy beckons

Over the years, several Indian musicians have been nominated for the Grammys. Last time I remember, it was in 1994, when Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was on everyone's lips. He won the Grammy (along with guitarist Ry Cooder) for his album "A Meeting by the River".

This year we have two nominations in the same category-
Best Contemporary World Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental)

Asha Bhosle-
You've Stolen My Heart - Songs From R.D. Burman's Bollywood
Kronos Quartet & Asha Bhosle

Anoushka Shankar- for the album Rise ... featured in our very first post ...

And Anoushka's step sister Norah Jones is also in the contention for a few Grammys this year, in the categories-
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, Best Country Collaboration With Vocals.

It was rumoured that ... Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's latest album ‘Moksha’ has been nominated for a Grammy in the ‘traditional world’ category. But that doesn't seem to be the case from the list featured on Grammy.com

And the world will live as one ...

Hard to 'Imagine' it's been 25 years since John Lennon walked this earth!

Yes, the Beatles guy who wrote:
'Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...' died 25 years ago. See the complete Lyrics here ...

Unfortunately, it was hate and violence to which Lennon was destined to lose his life on the streets of the city he loved- New York. On this very day Dec 8th, 1980. He was just 40!

Lennon wrote some of the most famous songs of the anti-war movement: "Give Peace A Chance", "Imagine" and "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)". 25 years later we are still yearning for that peaceful world ...

No, we never thought you were a dreamer John! But, the rest of us are still dreaming ...

Taraana Playlist: Wed Dec 07, 2005

Thus ends our 2 weeks of special programming on Kishore Kumar. What started off as a gentle hello between us, became a generous effort on part of our fellow Aggie- Rahul, who shared his taste of music and his knowledge on Kishore with us. Thanks Rahul! I am sure more people will be encouraged by your action to come out and share their passion and love for music with the community.

Here's the general plan of songs we played and things we talked about on this show tonight:

1. Wada Karo- Aa Gale Lag Ja
2. Tu Tu Hai Wahi - Yeh Wada Raha
Recording of Lata and Kishore talking about their first acquaintance on the way to the recording with Khemchand Prkashji...

(Films *ing Dev Anand)
3. Ye Kaun Aaya Re - Ziddi 1948
4. Gata Rahe Mera Dil -Guide 1965
5. Maana Janab Ne Pukara Nahin -Paying Guest 1957
6. Jeevan Ke Safar Mein Rahi - Munimji 1955

(*ing Rajesh Khanna)
7. Yeh Sham Mastaani - Kati Patang 1970
8. Mere Naina Sawan Bhado - Mehbooba 1976
9. Chingari Koi Bhadke- Amar Prem 1971
10. Nadiya Se Dariya - Namak Haram 1973

Amitabh talks about Kishore Kumar ...
(*ing Amitabh Bachchan)
11. Pag Ghungroo Baandh - Namak Halaal 1982
12. Khaike Pan Bana Raswala- Don 1978
13. Badi Sooni Sooni Hai - Mili 1975

(*ing Sanjeev Kumar)
14. Meri Bheegi Bheegi Si - Anamika

(*ing Rishi Kapoor)
15. O Hansini - Zahreela Aasmaan
16. Om Shanti Om - Karz 1980

Live Show: Wimbly, London with Lata Mangeshkar
17. Tere Mere Milan Ki Ye Raina- Abhimaan
18. Kora Kaagaz - Kora Kaagaz

Triplet: Kishore, Amit Kumar, Asha Bhonsle
19. Aati Rahengi Bahren - Kasme Vaade

Regional Language Songs ...
20. Garam Masaaledar- Gijarati
21. Tuzi Mazi Jodi Jamali - Marathi
22. Aadu Ata Adu - Kannada
23. Aaj Milan Tithir Purnima - Bengali (Film: Pratishod)

Tribute to Kishore Kumar:
Kishore says his last wish in life-
24.Tribute to Kishore - Amit Kumar & Sumit Kumar (Dui Kishore in Bengali)

Answers to the quiz questions:
Winner: Abhishek- Congratulations!! Two tickets to Moody Gardens.
1. How many FF nominations for Kishore: 27
2. First duest with Asha: Aati Hai Yaad Humko (Muqaddar 1950)
3. Kishore Kumar Award for: Direction, Acting, Script Writing, Lyrics
4. Model and year of the car in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi: 1928 Ford

Music and gifts this week on Taraana!

ENTERTAINMENT:
Did you know that Kishore Kumar sang in over 9 Indian languages? Have you heard him sing in Kannada? Do you want to?
That's right- listen to some rare songs by Kishore Kumar in several different languages this week on Taraana.

Who were the different actors for whom Kishore lent his voice? Did you know that even Amitabh hit a 'lean patch' in his career as soon as Kishore stopped singing for him ... Find out more this week ...

And for a fitting tribute to this musical genius, we would extend our show to about 3 hours this week. Join us again this evening (Wednesday 7pm) as Kishore Kumar fan Rahul Joshi drops in at the studios to tell us why a thesis in KKlogy would be far entertaining than one in Physiology!

PARTICIPATION:
Call us with your requests and questions. And for correct answers to OUR questions, there are two surprise giveaways!

Call us at 979-779-KEOS. Taraana on Wednesday 7pm onwards on KEOS 89.1FM, Bryan/ CS.

'W' also stands for William

"Bill Gates needs India more than India needs Bill Gates. But we don't seem to want to see that."- quoted on The Hindu in 2002. Have we learnt the reality 3 years later?

The Hindu also wrote- "The AIDS mission apart, why was Bill Gates here? Blinded by his fame and wealth, we failed to see the pure commercial motive of advancing the interests of Microsoft. With our uncritical adulation, we may have ended up selling our software market, our software talents and perhaps even our soul to the world's biggest software company. Hook, line and sinker."

Hope this time around our politicians do not compromise their roots, and understand that it does not need money to hold one's backbone straight in front of another human being . Remember, how Mahatma Gandhi met the Queen of England in his simple cotton garb?
Give William Henry Gates the deal, in fact give all the 'W's of this world all their deals- but a deal is only a deal when both sides make a fortune- otherwise it seems like a case of pimping.

'W'alking over your soul ...

The Leader by anonymous

Patient and steady with all he must bear,
Ready to meet every challenge with care,
Easy in manner, yet solid as steel,
Strong in his faith, refreshingly real.
Isn't afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn't conform to the usual mould,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won't do,
Never backs down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight, and means it all too.
Going forward and knowing he's right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight,
Over and over he makes his case clear,
Reaching to touch the ones who won't hear.
Growing in strength he won't be unnerved,
Ever assuring he'll stand by his word.
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease,
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.


BBC reports today-
Pakistan's government is to remove a poem from a school textbook after it emerged the first letters of each line spelt out "President George W Bush".

So have we kicked Shakespear, Bronte, Browning, Milton and Keats out of our text books and literature to make way for anonymous political propagandists?

Do you think children growing out of such dishonest and devious environment will ever grow up to make great leaders? What an irony? How serious are educationists, leaders and governments about the future of their people? These days everything is on sale- including one's soul. But these people have no business auctioning off the hearts and souls of their children.

Sarkar Rules!

If all the news media in the world cannot ignore him, how can we?

Yes, I am sure you couldn't have ignored the news items on superstar Amitabh Bachchan on BBC, Times of India, Yahoo News, Hindustan Times and so on ... and even a fan in Israel as recorded on Mid Day, which records Mumbai on the web!

Amazing how one man has chugged along for over 3 and half decades in tinsel town and has rivalled any artist in the world in terms of popularity.

| Amitabh is recovering from a simple surgery at a Mumbai hospital and has been advised some rest for a while. He himself said: "I am fine!"

Drawing Parallels in Civil Rights Movement

Rosa Parks and Mahatma Ghandhi: Voices against injustice

Dec 1st 2005: 50th Anniversary of Montgomery Bus Boycott
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was arrested December 1st, 1955, for violating segregation laws when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man. The move sparked a one-year boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.

She was actively involved in the civil rights movement since the early 40's. The bus incident was not the starting point for Rosa, but it stands out as the most remarkable anecdote that qualified her as an icon of the civil rights movement in America and today her name stands proudly beside Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. She passed away recently on October 24th, 2005, and her body was placed in honour in the Capitol Rotunda.

Pietermaritzburg: The Beginning of Gandhi's Odyssey
Mahatma Gandhi was seated in the first-class compartment of the train that was to carry him from Pietermaritzburg to Pretoria in S. Africe. He had the required first-class ticket. A European who entered the compartment at that moment hastened to summon railway officials, who then ordered Gandhi to leave the compartment, since 'coolies' and non-whites were apparently not permitted in first-class compartments. Gandhi protested and produced his ticket, but was warned that he would be forcibly removed if he did not make a gracious exit. As Gandhi refused to comply with the order, he was pushed out of the train, and his luggage was tossed out on to the platform. The train steamed away, leaving Gandhi on the platform ...

"It was winter," Gandhi wrote later in his autobiography, and "the cold was extremely bitter. My over-coat was in my luggage, but I did not dare to ask for it lest I should be insulted again, so I sat and shivered". He says he began to think of his "duty": ought he to stay back and fight for his "rights", or should he return to India? His own "hardship was superficial", "only a symptom of the deep disease of colour prejudice."

Gandhi stayed on and fought for justice ... and thus was born his non-violent civil disobedience.

The humble man, Father of our Nation once said:
"I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and nonviolence are as old as the hills."

Material borrowed in part from Manas and Wikipedia- the free enclyopedia.

Dec 1: World AIDS Day

25 years since this day was designated as the World AIDS Day. Still a long way to go, but the key is to spread the awareness, and educate the less fortunate mortals who are still in the dark about this epimedic.

Over 5 years, with Global Fund resources:

• 1.8 million people are projected to receive antiretroviral treatment
• 62 million persons will be reached with voluntary counseling and testing services for HIV prevention
• More than one million orphans will be supported through medical services, education and community care (Rounds One through Three)

Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India issued a special message on this day. Read more ...

The National AIDS Control Organization in India is doing it's bit.

Watch their awareness video:
http://www.nacoonline.org/video/naco-montage.wmv

Google has designs on Riya?

Google rumoured to be eyeing Indian Techie's Riya.

It's been doing the circles in the tech-world ... Riya founder Munjal Shah is all set to get bowled by the Googly ... whether this is a rumour or not needs to be seen as the mystery unravels itself.

Munjal who has a master's in science from Stanford University, also co-founded Andale, an eBay seller auction management service. Riya, formerly known by the name Ojos, sorts and classifies photos using tags and labels. This is believed, would be a great complement to Google's Picasa- no wonder the rumour is that Google is ready to cough up as much as $40 million for this deal.

Will Google be able to obliterate Yahoo's constant Flickr-ing?