Taraana Playlist: May 31st, 2006

1. Ik Onkar:: Harshdeep Kaur:: Rang De Basanti
2. Namah Shivaya:: Krishna Das:: Pilgrim Heart
3. Suprabhatam (club mix):: unknown
4. Kozhi Kunju:: SP Balasubramanium:: Kadhalan

5. Sochan Dungian:: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan:: The Last Prophet
6. Dol Dol:: Rap & Lyrics by Blaaze:: Aayitha Ezhuthu
7. Musafir:: AR Rahman:: Vande Mataram
8. Warriors in Peace:: AR Rahman:: Warriors of Heaven & Earth
9. Tanhayee:: Sonu Nigam

10. Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni:: Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey
11. Dil Ka Bhanwar:: Mohd. Rafi
12. Sur Na Saje:: Manna Dey:: Basant Bahar
13. Satrangi Re:: Sonu Nigam:: Dil Se

14. Dhoom Pichuk Dhoom:: Euphoria
15. Punjab:: Kuranesh:: The Long Safari
16. Zara Zara:: Bombay Jayshree:: Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein

17. Pari Hoon Main:: Sunita Rao
18. Humrahi Jab Ho Mustana:: Udit Narayan:: Pukar
19. Mundiya Tu Bach Ke Rahi:: Punjabi MC

Next week ... a review of 'Fanaa'- which was released last week. My earlier music review is here.

Taraana playlist: May 24, 2006

1. Earth Kisses Sky:: Prem Joshua

Tonight we dedicate the evening to Naushad Ali, one of the greatest Bollywood composers, who passsed away recently at the age of 84. Read more about him.[Link] These songs tonight are all his compositions:

2. Awaz De Kahan Hai:: Noor Jehan, Surendra:: Anmol
3. Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon:: Uma Devi:: Dard
4. Main Bhanwra Tu Hai:: Mukesh, Shamshad Begum:: Mela

5. Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki:: Mohd. Rafi:: Dulari
6. Ae Dil Tujhe Kasam:: Lata Mangeshkar:: Dulari
7. Ankhinyan Milake:: Zohra Bai:: Rattan

8. Tu Kahe Agar:: Mukesh:: Andaz
9. Jhoom Jhoom Ke:: Mukesh:: Andaz
10. Uthaye Je Unke Sitam:: Lata Mangeshkar:: Andaz

11. Ae Dil E Beqarar:: K L Saigal:: Shahjehan
12. Tu Mera Chand:: Suraiya, Shyam:: Dillagi
13. O Door Ke Musafir:: Mohd. Rafi:: Uran Khatola

14. Madhuban Mein Radhika Nache Re:: Mohd. Rafi:: Kohinoor
15. Naina Lad Jaihen:: Mohd. Rafi:: Ganga Jamuna
16. Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat:: Mohd. Rafi:: Mere Mehboob

We play more recent songs from Bollywood now:

17. Dheere Jalna:: Instrumental:: Paheli
18. Laaga Re Jal Laaga:: Sonu Nigam:: Kisna
19. Bangri Marori:: Water
20. Raga Bhairavi:: Hariprasad Chaurasia:: Pure Joy
21. Main Vari:: Kavita Krishnamurthy, Reena Bharadwaraj:: Mangal Pandey

Vivaldi goes East, Tyagaraja to the West

Susheela Raman won the BBC Newcomer Radio 3 Award for World Music in 2002 with her debut album- Salt Rain. Susheela attempts several things with her music, apart from exploring her own musical boundaries. She attempts to uplift her listeners, and bring out their emotions as she weaves stories through her music.

But in the end, what do you think is happening? While Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven have captured the imaginations of contemporary Eastern composers; Tyagaraja [Link] and Dikshitar [Link] have quitely travelled to the West. Western musicians experimenting with fusion music have found inspiration and direction in Indian Classical music. Susheela is one such artist. She continues to explore and evolve with new sounds that celebrate multiplicity. She has successfully collaborated with musicians across Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa to re-capture compositions in a new light or give birth to new ones.

Susheela talks about her background ...

I was born in London in 1973 to South Indian parents. My family moved to Australia when I was very young and were eager to keep our Tamil culture alive. I grew up singing South Indian classical music and began giving recitals at an early age. As a teenager I branched out into more blues-based music, which demanded quite different voice techniques. The question then was how to bring these streams together. In 1995 I went to India to study with Shruti Sadolikar, one of the greatest living Hindustani vocalists. This was a challenging experience as I had to let go of what I thought I knew and find a new, more insightful approach to my craft.

Returning to England in 1997, I started to work with Sam Mills who had made a record called Real Sugar with a Bengali singer named Paban Das Baul. This record inspired me because it bridged a gap and found common ground for Indian music to be expressed to a new audience. Sam’s work with West African group Tama also opened a whole set of musical contact points.

A little about one of her debut album- Salt Rain:

Salt Rain marks the debut of an extraordinary new talent on the world music scene. A singer born in the U.K. to South Indian parents, Susheela Raman's bold and sensuous voice weaves the music of India with sounds from her Western upbringing, celebrating the collision of European, African, and Asian musical cultures. Empowered by her Indian classical training but not limited by it, Susheela maps out a new musical landscape of intense beauty and invention.

Salt Rain is the culmination of a three-year collaboration between Susheela Raman and Real World producer/guitarist Sam Mills.

Explore more about Susheela on her webpage. [Link]
Also, don't forget to check out our links to many other artists from around the world at the bottom of the left menu. This list keeps growing because there is no dearth of talent in the world!

Guru of Fusion- Prem Joshua

Almost 2 years back, I came upon an album called 'Sky Kisses Earth' through a friend of a friend. The music from that album still sticks close to my heart as I have played it over and over. Sky Kisses Earth as well as 13 other such albums represent another amazing example of what happens when the (traditional) folk-culture of the East merges with the techno-culture of the West.

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Prem Joshua is a pioneer in the field of World Music, exploring and creating a new synthesis in sound which takes us beyond the borders of both East and West. He is a wonderful German born wind player who has successfully taken elements of his own jazz and rock based music and fused it with Indian tribal music while retaining the more traditional elements of both without the a-cursed dominating rock drum kit and bass format.

All of his CDs are master works of performance and studio mixing. Haunting melodies on the sitar, bamboo flute and soprano sax soar over driving tabla rhythms - ancient Sanskrit and Sufi poems are re-awakened by captivating songs and chants.

Prem Joshua has been hailed as the 'Guru of Fusion' by the The Times of India and in 2003, the BBC nominated him for its prestigious “World Music Listeners Award”.

Check out Prem Joshua's music and more about him here [Link].

Taraana Playlist: May 10, 2006

This week's playlist is being skipped. Owing to an unforeseen event, we didn't have much of a show except the interview with Pieces of East. Please come listen to the band live this Saturday at the Revolution Cafe and Bar at 9pm on May 13th. More info call 979-779-KEOS.

Also playing this weekend will be 'The Last Minute'- local Jazz band.

Please be informed that next week we'll have a special- dedicated to Naushad Ali- the veteran Bollywood composer who passed away recently. Don't miss this special!

Thanks!
Radioactive Ray

Naushad passes away

Bollywood's most famous composer Naushad Ali is no more. He breathed his last this morning in Mumbai. He was 86.

Suhani raat dhal chukee ...

Born on December 25th 1919, Naushad has wooed several generations of Bollywood music lovers since the 1940s, when he tasted his first success as a movie director. His music training was under Ustad Ghurbat Ali, Ustad Yusuf Ali and Ustad Babban Saheb. Trained in Hindustani music Naushad tastefully adapted it to Hindi films. Many of his compositions were inspired by Ragas and he even used distinguished classical artistes like Amir Khan and D.V. Pulaskar in Baiju Bawra (1952) and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) to achieve his objective.

Jo kahi gayi na mujhse, woh zamana keh raha hai ...

Naushad has probably left very little unsaid with his beautiful compositions, and its true for generations to come he will remain immortalized in our hearts. He was awarded one of India's highest civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan, in 1992. In 1982 he also received the Dadasaheb Phalke award - named after the father of Indian cinema - for his "lifetime contribution to Indian cinema".

Naushad played a big role in the careers of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi. The combination of Shakeel Badayuni, Naushad, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi spelt instant success and will remain unparalleled for a long time.

We will miss you dearly Naushad sahab.
Gaye jaa geet milan ke, tu apani lagan ke ...
Kahe chalke naino ki gagri ... kahe barse jal ...
Tujh bin sooni sajan ki nagri .... jaate hain deep gagan ke .. tere darshan ke...

Read more about Naushad on Upperstall [Link]. His filmography on IMDB [Link]

Grassroots music strikes a note

Pieces of East
Folk, World genre - based in Austin, TX

Pieces of East draws inspiration from Indian classical music and American folk music. This band brings together a very creative mix of Eastern and Western instruments and vocal styles. As Laura points out, Pieces of East has listened to the 'voice within' and can be an inspiration to many who see a future without boundaries.

Lead Vocalist and Songwriter Laura Giammona's voice is soft, surreal and haunting, at times reminiscent of Enya. Not surprising that she was picked among several applicants for the Old No. 9 Songwriting Scholarship winning a weekend workshop with Grammy Award nominated songwriter Eliza Gilkyson.

Gutarist and vocalist Anuj Timblo has long revered Eric Johnson, ever since he was a kid growing up in Bombay. And Bass guitarist Pat Cieply's 'One Hand Clapping' group used to regularly open for Eric's Electromagnets in the 70s. How funny this world of ours is- in 2004, Pieces of East opened for Eric Johnson at the First UU Church in Austin.

They have performed with diverse acts such as grammy nominated virtuoso guitarist Eric Johnson, Terry Bozzio from Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, billboard-charting singer/songwriter Patrice Pike as well as the Tosca String Quartet from David Byrne's 2004-05 tour.

Invited to several national music conferences and festivals that include South Park Music Festival (Fairplay, CO), Nemo Music Festival (Boston, MA), Northgate Music Festival (College Station, TX), Go Girls Music Showcase (Houston, TX), Ladyfest, TX (Austin, TX), Midwest Entertainment Conference (Lexington, KY) and Pecan Street Festival (Austin, TX).

Pieces of East [Web Link]

Laura Giammona - Vocals, Piano
Anuj Timblo - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboard
Abhinit Bhatt - Tabla, Percussion, Beat Vocals
Pat Cieply- Bass
Will Kidd- Drums & Percussion

Coming here near you ... May 13, Revolution Cafe & Bar, Bryan at 9pm. Opening music by The Last Minute. Email me for details.

Taraana Playlist: May 3, 2006

Here's tonight's playlist. Playlist arranged in this order Song Title:: Artists:: Film/ Album

Vande Maataram:: various artists:: Naman 2
Vande Maatram (Hail to the Mother) is one of the most famous national songs of India. It was composed by Bamkin Chandra Chattopadhyay with an immense amount of passion to honour India. This version played today is a very unique one and not so commonly heard.

Songs from Bollywood-
Guncha:: Mohit Chauhan:: Main Meri Patni Aur Woh
Maula:: Amartya Rahut & others:: Iqbal
Ladki Kyon:: Alka Yagnik, Shaan:: Hum Tum

Pieces of East is an Austin based band, that's currently touring the US. They will be here in Bryan, TX at the Revolution Cafe and Bar on May 13th, 2006. More info at www.piecesofeast.com
Brothers in War:: Pieces of East:: Shadow Box
Glass Menagerie:: Pieces of East:: Shadow Box

Jana Gana Mana:: A R Rahman, Karthik:: Aayitha Ezhuthu
Surya Namaskar:: Various artists:: Naman 2 [Is this Yoga?]

Mira Nair is the director of Monsoon Wedding and her next film is called The Namesake. Read more in our previous article- A tale of two women.
Aaj Mera Jee Karda:: Sukhwinder Singh:: Monsoon Wedding - Listener Request

Garden of Dreams:: Ali Akbar Khan:: Garden of Dreams (Instrumental)

Bollywood music again-
Dilnashin Dilnashin:: Aashiq Banaya Aapne
Yeh Lamha:: Sunidhi Chauhan:: Chameli

More about Krishna Das can be found at krishnadas.com We will feature more on him soon. Sultan Khan is probably one of greatest Sarangi players alive.
Devotion:: Sultan Khan, Krishna Das:: A Drop in the Ocean

We played a wide variety of music capturing various stories and information as we went along. Taraana is not just about playing music- its about exploring the stories and histories behind what our ears like to hear. And this not just about history either- its about giving everyone an equal opportunity- be it old or young. Taraana likes to introduce new talents and support their music with this effort.

A tale of two women

Jhumpa Lahiri

Year 2000 Pulitzer prize winner for The Interpreter of Maladies, and author of The Namesake. Her writing style is crisp, simple and full of anecdotes. It is amazing to note how she has captured all those small details in life that we so enjoy but tend to forget eventually. Her stories have as much beauty and softness about them as you might have felt when you watched the film Amélie [Link]. No Bengali worth his salt would forego her stories!

Jhumpa Lahiri was born 1967 in London, England, and raised in Rhode Island. She is a graduate of Barnard College, where she received a B.A. in English literature, and of Boston University, where she received an M.A. in English, M.A. in Creative Writing and M.A. in Comparative Studies in Literature and the Arts, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies.

She has taught creative writing at Boston University and the Rhode Island School of Design. Her debut collection, Interpreter of Maladies was translated into twenty-nine languages and became a bestseller both in the United States and abroad. In addition to the Pulitzer, it received the PEN/Hemingway Award, the New Yorker Debut of the Year award, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Addison Metcalf Award, and a nomination for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Lahiri was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002. The Namesake is Jhumpa Lahiri's first novel. She lives in New York with her husband and son.

Mira Nair

It will be worthwhile to expect Mira Nair to do a truly wonderful job when she turns The Namesake [Link] into a film this year. She's known to have captured the essence of the stories with her screen play. Be it Monsoon Wedding or Missippi Masaala, Mira has treated her subject with due understanding and sensitivity. It will be a demanding role for lead role Kal Penn after the tongue and cheek, American style humour in Harold and Kumar. Here's Mira Nair reading an excerpt from The Blessed House (short story from The Interpreter of Maladies) on WBEZ's This American Life [Audio Link].

Accomplished Film Director/Writer/Producer Mira Nair was born in Bhubaneswar, India in 1957. Educated at both Delhi University and Harvard University, Nair began her artistic career as an actor before turning her attention to film. She found incipient success as a documentary filmmaker, winning awards for So Far From India and India Cabaret. In 1988, Nair’s debut feature, Salaam Bombay!, was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won the Camera D'Or (for best first feature) and the Prix du Publique (for most popular entry) at the Cannes Film Festival as well as 25 other international awards. Read more ...

Artists' List Updated

Did you notice the new feature at the bottom of the left menu on this page?
Hariprasad, U Shrinivas, Nusrat, Prasanna, Sangeeta, Abhijit ...

Check out these listed artists and many others under the section 'Featured Artists'. This section will take you to the homepages of many established artists in the Indian music circle (or closely related).

Help me build on the list. Thank you!

May Day

Today is May Day.

As a kid every May Day I always wondered why we didn't have the festivities that were associated with most other national holidays in India. Maybe there were celebrations; my small head somehow could not seem to comprehend the reasons behind the importance of May 1st back then.

Today I do, and I think it is a day that marks yet another instance in the history of mankind when the humans evolved.

The day is an official government holiday in most countries with mass demonstrations, rallies and marches being held to express labor solidarity and celebrate worker's rights. Here in the United States May Day is not a government-sanctioned holiday.

Why we work 8 hours a day?
But do you know where May Day began? The commemoration originated in 1886 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. May Day or International Worker's Day is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. This is where the eight-hour work culture that checked the rampant exploitation of workers, has its roots. It wasn't an easy process because people were evolving and making mistakes in the process. Lives were lost, opinions and beliefs clashed, but in the end truth was upheld, and mankind became wiser.

Over the years, those against the basic belief behind this movement have attempted to paint this Day in alternative subvertive colors, but obviously it did not work. Although, this includes a much accepted 'Labour Day' celebration of the first Monday in September in the US.

A day without the Immigrants
This year, immigrant groups around the US have chosen this day to stage a work strike and take part in a one-day economic boycott to protest anti-immigrant legislation being considered by Congress. Hundreds of thousands are expected to participate in the boycott and various other events taking place throughout the country. Today is probably going to be another big turn in the history of the Western world- sit up, and take notice!

More resources available here. Juan Gonzalez on Immigrant protests in NY Times. [Link]