High on enticing mix of delicious cocktails and groovy dance music, Mumbai saw yet another high-spirited party by Bacardi with DJ Richard Murray from London’s Ministry of Sound.

Following DJ Rae’s hit tour last month; this event was much awaited by Mumbai’s music lovers DJ Richard Murray’s foot tapping music and funky dance tracks gave yet another vibrant experience for party lovers in Mumbai.

Mesmerizing the party lovers with brilliant discography, DJ Richard Murray commented, “I am very excited to play music for Mumbaites. Their energy and response to club music is immense. I am thankful to Bacardi to have given me a chance to play music for such high spirited audiences who know how to live the music.”

The party saw one of the best mixes in music with MOS London resident DJ Richard Murray playing with India’s DJ Ivan.

Bacardi brings in the International legends of club music- the Ministry of Sound, London, featuring the best of their resident DJs along with India’s own mix maestro, DJ Ivan. The tour kicked off in Delhi with DJ Richard Murray on 21st October 2009, to be followed by Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore over the next four days.

Bacardi and MOS will be back again next month to create the same magical mix in the same cities, with a new resident DJ.

The album comprises of seven songs and the music video for the same is directed by Navin Batra.

“I am very excited about the music album, more so as I have written and composed for it,”

says an excited Shaili. She further adds,

“It’s my first album and contains 7 songs. All songs are love songs, and are full of feelings of love. The tunes are so catchy that one will feel the music in their heart directly.”

Devoted to music ever since the age of twelve, Shaili was trained in music by the Late Sh. Kailash Pawar and she explored her passion for music further by performing live.

Shaili is not new to showbiz.

“I am a dancer too,”

expounds this versatile singer,

“I have performed in various stage shows and videos that were aired on channels like Zee Music, Mh1, etc.”

“The album comprises of nine songs which are not the typical bhajans, in fact we have kept the music contemporary. It is different from what has been sung so far for baba, so I am sure people will like it,”

informs Bhavdeep Jaipurwala.

The album will be releasing in November in Puttaparthi, Bengaluru.

“We are releasing it in Puttaparthi as 15 years back we had released an album called Sai Darshan, which went on to become one of the bestsellers so far among the devotional music,”

he shares.

Hopefully this time too Sai makes their belief stronger with the success of yet another devotional stint.

–Deepa Mishra

The songs from Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani are already on their way to topping the charts. The official PLANET M records state that ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani‘ is on the number 9 position in spite of just entering the charts a week ago.

Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor

A source from the label confirms

“Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani CD’s have not yet reached all zones in India as they were released just a week ago on the 9th October. This is very good news that the film’s music is doing so well even when it has entered the charts just recently. The album has a mix of fun songs, dance numbers and romantic melodies.”

Producer Ramesh Taurani along with Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Director Rajkumar Santoshi unveiled the Music CD’s of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani on the World Smile Day.

Pritam has done the music of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani which is a romantic comedy. Pritam has roped in some of the biggest singers for the album which include Atif Aslam, Kailash Kher, KK, Sunidhi Chauhan, Alisha Chinoy, Hard Kaur. Songs like the romantic “Tera Hone Laga Hoon“, the very hip “Main Tera Dhadkan Teri” and the fun and upbeat “Prem Ki Naiyya” have already become audience favorites.

The much awaited romantic comedy Rajkumar Santoshi’s Akab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani starring Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor will release on 6th November, 2009.

Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka conducted an orchestra by playing a composition of her father’s, and also performed her own set with a unique blend of Indian and Western musicians.

Hailed as the best performer of the evening by many, and confirmed by the LA Times in a review,

The Anoushka Shankar Project presented the evening’s most genuinely progressive music. The program showcased her virtuosic sitar skills in pieces that incorporated such western elements as cello and piano and slightly over amplified kit drums alongside the standard tabla drums, the shehnai reed instrument and droning tanpura.

Anoushka is among a very few Indian Artists who have performed at the Bowl and probably only the second Indian to have conducted there, other than Maestro Zubin Mehta.

Anoushka has just come back home after attending a dinner in New York hosted by her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Wendi Murdoch and Indra Nooyi, along with several heads of state to discuss how one can lower the mortality rate for pregnant and delivering women around the world.

Kapoor’s only son, Rohan Kapoor, lit the funeral pyre at the Santacruz crematorium, about five kilometers away from his Bandra residence. As the funeral pyre lit up in flames, the scene at the cremation site became surcharged with emotion, more so because a fan stared singing the late singer’s popular numbers with tears rolling down his cheeks, making the memories of the departed soul more poignant.

Though Bollywood’s big names were conspicuous by their absence, it was a well-attended funeral ceremony. Kapoor’s son Rohan, who had started his career as an actor in the 80s and acted in movies like “Faasle” (1985), “Love 86″ (1986) and “Imaandar” (1987), personally received the mourners.

Though Mahendra Kapoor had not been singing in movies lately, he had been a popular figure in Bollywood mainly due to his unassuming nature. “He had always kept in touch with the latest happenings in the film industry and appreciated improvement of the music quality of Bollywood movies of late,” said Rohan.

The yesteryears actor Manoj Kumar echoed what Raj Kapoor had said when singer Mukesh passed away as he told IANS “I have lost my voice.” Kapoor had sung the most popular number in Kumar’s “Upkar”(1967), “mere desh ki dharti.”

“Though I had not been in touch with him on a regular basis in recent times, we were good friends. I am still finding it hard to believe that he is no more,” Kumar said. Kapoor, who got the singing break in Bollywood with director Raja Nawathe’s “Sohni Mahiwal” in 1958, came into prominence only after he rendered the “Aadha hai chandrama raat aadhi” number in V. Shantaram’s 1959 movie “Navrang” under the baton of composer C. Ramchandra.

With B.R. Chopra’s “Dhool Ka Phool,” directed by Yash Chopra, he consolidated his career in Bollywood. Later, he became a permanent fixture of B.R. Films and sang some memorable songs for the banner, including “Gumrah,” “Humraaz” and “Waqt.”

It was music director Ravi who utilised his high-pitched voice more suitably. “It is my personal feeling that the industry allowed Kapoor to disappear from its music scene rather too quickly. It is also a fact that music directors hired his services sparingly, assigning him too few songs to sing in movies though he deserved more,” said a producer friend of the late singer.

Did the new generation which took over Bollywood forget Kapoor too quickly? “How could we have forgotten him? After all, we grew up listening to his songs and learning from the way he sang.” Said singer Udit Narayan.

Since 1980, Kapoor started singing for regional movies, mainly in Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Marathi. He was a permanent singer for successful Marathi filmmaker, Dada Kondke. Besides, playback singing, Kapoor had gone on tours to various countries to give musical concert along with his troupe, which also included his son.

Though Kapoor had sung a number of non-film bhajans, it is because of his rendition of the most chanted one, “Om Jai Jagdish…” that helped it travel beyond north India and attain a country-wide popularity.

Born in Amrisar in Punjab, Kapoor first came into prominence after he won a singing contest at the All India Youth Festival in the late 1950s. A fan of singer Mohammad Rafi, he had dreams of making a career as a playback singer in Bollywood movies. Thanks to filmmaker B.R. Chopra, he got a foothold in the film industry ad came into prominence singing the “Tere pyar ka asra” number in “Dhool Ka Phool”.

Penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, the song was composed by Dutta Narwekar, known as N. Dutta. He also sang some popular numbers in Chopra’s “Gumrah,” “Humraaz” and “Waqt,” which were composed by music director Ravi and picturised on Sunil Dutt during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Kapoor also rendered the most popular number, “Mere desh ki dharti sona ugle” in Manoj Kumar’s “Upkar” as also “Bharat Ka rahnewala hoon” in “Purab Aur Paschim” and “Ab Ke baras” in “Kranti.” He also sang the title song of Chopra’s popular TV serial, “Mahabharat”, in the late 1980s.

He received the the Filmfare Award for his song “Chalo ek baar phir se” in Chopra’s “Gumrah” in 1963 and also for “Neele gagan ke tale” from “Humraz”. In 1967 and again in 1974 for rendering the song “Nahin nahin bus aur nahin” in Manoj Kumar’s “Roti Kapda Aur Makaan”.

- Name: Lata Mangeshkar
- Birth Name: Hema (late renamed Lata after a female character Latika in one of her father’s plays “Bhaaw Bandhan”)
- Nick Name: Lata di, Lata tai
- Born: Sep 28, 1929
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Birth Place: Sikh Mohalla, Indore

Family

- Father: Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar (classical singer and theatre actor)
- Mother: Shudhhamati (second wife of Deenanath Mangeshkar)
- Brother: Hridayanath Mangeshkar (singer)
- Sisters: Asha Bhonsle, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar
- Original surname: Hardikar (Deenanath changed it to Mangeshkar in order to identify his family with his native town, Mangeshi in Goa)

Education

- Limited to only one day in school. Started teaching songs to other children on first day in school, becomes angry when stopped by the teacher – stops going to school.
-First Music teacher – Her father
-Lessons in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Amanat Ali Khan Bhendibazaarwale
-Classical music under Amanat Khan Devaswale
-Pandit Tulsidas Sharma, a pupil of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan also trained her in music
-Also took lessons in Hindustani from a maulavi, Shafi after actor Dilip Kumar made a mildly disapproving remark about her Maharashtrian accent while singing Hindi/Hindustani songs

Favourite singer and Idol: K.L. Saigal

Star of playback singing career

-1942, First song: “Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari” for Marathi film “Kiti Hasaal” at the age of 13 (song was dropped from the final cut)
-1942, Second song: “Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai” for Marathi film “Pahili Mangalaa-gaur”
-1943, First Hindi song: “Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for Marathi film “Gajaabhaau”
-1945 – moved to Mumbai, sang “Maata Tere Charnon Mein” in “Badi Maa”
-1946 – sang “Paa Lagoon Kar Jori” for “Aap Ki Seva Mein”
-1948 – First major break with “Dil Mera Toda” in “Majboor”
-1949 – Turning point in career with “Aayega Aanewaala” for “Mahal”

Landmark Songs

-1958 -”Aaja Re Pardesi” from “Madhumati”
-1960 – “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya” from “Mughal-E-Azam”
-1960 – “Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh” from “Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai”
-1962 – “Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil” from “Bees Saal Baad”
-1962 – “Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha” from “Anpadh”
-1963 – “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon” after the India-China war
-1964 – “Lag Ja Gale” and “Naina Barse Rim Jhim” from “Woh Kaun Thi?”
-1965 – “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai” and “Piya Tose” from “Guide”
-1966 – “Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega” from “Mera Saaya”
-1970 – “Rangeela Re” from “Prem Pujari”
-1971 – “Khilte Hain Gul Yahaan” from “Sharmeelee”
-1972 – “Chalte Chalte” and “Inhi Logon Ne” from “Pakeezah”
-1973 – “Piya Bina” from “Abhimaan”
-1973 – “Beeti Na Bitai” from “Parichay”
-1975 – “Roothe Roothe Piya” from “Kora Kagaz”
-1990 – “Yaara Sili Sili” from “Lekin”
-1998 – “Jiya Jale” from “Dil Se”
-2001 – “Khamoshiyan Gungunane Lagin” from “One Two Ka Four”
-2001 – “O Paalanhaare” from “Lagaan”

National Honours

-1969 – Padma Bhushan
-1972 – National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Parichay”
-1975 – National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Kora Kagaz”
-1989 – Dada Saheb Phalke Award
-1990 – National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Lekin”
-1997 – Rajiv Gandhi Award
-1999 – Padma Vibhushan
-2001 – Bharat Ratna (second vocalist to receive the award after classical singer M.S. Subbulakshmi)
-2008 – “One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement” honour to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India’s independence

International Honours

-1980 – Presented key of the city of Georgetown, Guyana, South America
-1980 – Honorary Citizenship of The Republic of Surinam, South America
-1985 – June 9, declared as Asia Day in honour of her arrival in Toronto, Canada
-1987 – Honorary Citizenship of USA in Houston, Texas
-2004 – Her song “Wada Na Tod” was selected as a part of the soundtrack for Hollywood movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
-2007 – Legion of Honour (highest French civilian award)

Other Milestones

-1974 – The Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist in the history, stating that she had reportedly recorded “not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages” between 1948-1974
-1974 – First concert overseas at the Royal Albert Hall, London
-1984 – The Guinness Book of Records stated Lata Mangeshkar’s name for the “Most Recordings” (later editions of Guinness Book stated that Lata Mangeshkar had sung no fewer than 30,000 songs between 1948 and 1987)
-1999 – a perfume brand named after her “Lata Eau De Parfum” was launched
-1999 – nominated as a member of Rajya Sabha
-2001 – she established the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, managed by the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation (founded by the Mangeshkar family in October 1989)

This time she may attend a function at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital that she built in Pune in memory of her father. From her first super hit “Aayega aanewaala” to “Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya” and “Noorie” to her recent bests like “Yeh hum aa gaye hain kahaan” and “Luka chuppi”, Lata has managed to thrill music lovers of every generation with her soulful singing over her 66-year-long career and continues to do so.

From light classical music to film songs and from ghazals to bhajans and pop, she has sung a variety of numbers. Having worked with almost all top music composers and singers in the industry, Lata has sung more than 30,000 songs in over 20 Indian languages.

The singer featured in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world. “That 60 years down the line and having rendered over 25,000 songs, she has been able to maintain the same position is why she is called the Bollywood living legend,” composer Anu Malik told IANS.

According to him, every song of hers is a musical gem as much for her singing quality as for its pure composition. Born Sep 28, 1929, to a family of musicians settled in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Lata’s life wasn’t easy. After her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor, died of heart ailment in 1942, his five children – Lata, Hridayanath, Asha, Usha, and Meena – and wife Shudhhamati had to struggle for survival.

Being the eldest of them, 13-year-old Lata had to see the family through the rough patch. And she did it single-handedly until her siblings grew up, each gifted with musical talent of varying degrees.

Till the time she voluntarily cut down her singing assignments in the late 1980s, Lata faced no competition from any of the female singers, barring her sister Asha Bhosle. Though Asha’s career ran parallel with hers, it was on a different note and scale musically.

Lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar said Lata’s greatness lay in her complete devotion to music.
“Singing for her is not merely a profession, it is akin to worship,” he said. Alka Yagnik, who grew up listening to Lata songs and idolised her before she became a playback singer herself, referred to the queen of melody as “a pure soul.”

Anuradha Paudwal said: “Lata Mangeshkar is a perfect example of a playback singer who can modulate her voice according to various song situations and suit characters as per their age and social status.”

Late maestro Naushad had once told this correspondent that when on a rainy day in 1943, she had come to meet him at the now-defunct Kardar Studios in Mumbai, he was busy in his music room and told her to wait.

“When I called her over and told her to sing, she chose one of Noor Jehan’s numbers. She sang it with such perfection that my heart went out to her because she was drenched completely as she had waited under the rain. You rarely see such dedication,” said the composer, for whom Lata sang many memorable songs later.

Lata pioneered many constructive changes in Bollywood, which proved to be beneficial for singers in the long run. She was the one who introduced the royalty system for singers in the industry. She also insisted that the singer’s name be published with the songs instead of actors.

Music director Shamir Tandon described Lata as “a genuine human being”. “The reason why she has ruled the industry and is still around is that she has always paid attention to the art of singing, always kept on upgrading herself, besides adopting herself to the changing times,” Tandon told IANS.

– By Jivraj Burman

“I have no complaints against anyone. I’m out of the film industry because I did my job and went home – I didn’t indulge in any other things that would have kept me going,” 69-year-old Amaldev told IANS.

He, however, refused to open up about the controversy over which he was kept out.

“I may have been misunderstood by some musical personalities and despite a patch-up, the patch was still there,” he said.

Music was Amaldev’s first love, but he also wanted to be a priest in his young days. So in 1955, he joined the Catholic Missionary in central India. After spending a decade studying the Bible, he decided it to call it a day.

“I didn’t like the idea of celibacy and music was my first love. From there I went to Naushad, the foremost music director of Bollywood. I worked with him for five years and in 1969 left to do my Bachelors in Music at the Xavier’s University of Louisiana,” said Amaldev.

In 1975, he finished his Master’s degree in music from Cornell University in the US. He taught music at a few places there before returning to India.

In 1980, Amaldev entered the Malayalam film industry as a music director with “Manjil Virinja Pookal” – a movie that catapulted Mohanlal to stardom and won accolades for its beautiful songs. After almost three decades, the songs still pull the heartstrings of music lovers.

After the stupendous success of this film, Amaldev became one of the most sought after composers and went on to give many hits like “Nokkethaa Doorathu Kannum Nattu”, “Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal” and “Ente Mamaattikkuttiyammakku”. The last Malayalam film he gave the music for was the Mammootty-starrer “No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North” in 1995.

Today, Amaldev has his own band, Rock of Ages, and does stage shows, besides teaching music at a leading private school here.

“I head the troupe, which consists of 24 people and we are into rock music and I enjoy it,” Amaldev said.

And will he ever return to the Malayalam film industry?

“Why not, but will it happen? In case it happens, I will be selective and will do it for films that have a human-interest element. Blessy is one director I would like to work with,” he said.

Echoing the same, Mammootty, who featured in the “No.1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North”, Amaldev’s last film as composer, said: “Certainly his songs were good. May be Fazil, who was the director who introduced him to films, can give him a second homecoming to Malayalam films. It would be good.”

– By Sanu George

Film: DRONA
Music Director: Dhruv Ghanekar
Lyrics: Vaibhav Modi
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Dhruv Ghanekar, Roop Kumar Rathod, Sadhna Sargam, Shaan
Rating: 2.5/5

The title track is interesting and has an international touch to it. Composed and rendered by Ghanekar, “Drona” fits in completely as a theme song – its lyrics cater to the theme and it comprises a lot of effects. The track is belted out for the second time as “Drona Redux” where Sunidhi Chauhan joins in for the rendition. Apart from the addition of club sounds, this piece is also fairly situational.

“Oop Cha” is a number that is already doing the rounds on the small screen. A peppy and fun dance track, this number is sure to get many people on the dance floor. Sunidhi Chauhan, who excels in songs of this genre, renders this piece along with Nandini Shrikar. The lyrics are quite average. The “Oop Cha (Fare Play Mix)” is not a bad deal either.

A decent track comes in the form of “Bandagi“, a ghazal-like number by Roop Kumar Rathod and Sunidhi Chauhan. Though an unlikely pair, the duo support each other well with their vocals. A soft, romantic piece written by Vaibhav Modi, “Bandagi” may not end up being a chartbuster but will surely find quite a few takers.

A typical lullaby by Sadhna Sargam comes next. “Nanhe Nanhe” revolves around a mother-son relationship, but the addition of a number of sounds doesn’t go well with the lullaby. While the rendition is good, the music could have been a little mellowed down.

A jazz number by Shaan follows. It isn’t overtly musical but could be worth looking forward to in the movie. Shaan, one can say, sounds better singing typical Bollywood hits – something he is great at. Not much can be said about the track as an audio piece and one would have to look at how well it blends with the movie.

“Drona” offers music rarely heard in Bollywood. At a time where every movie tries to be different with its music, “Drona” also succeeds in its endeavour. But it may not be an out-and-out chartbuster as the tracks are mostly situational and would sound better as part of the film.

– By Meghna Menon

“The music of ‘Rock On’ is catching on very well. This is the first time an Indian album has reached so high on iTunes,” Kulmeet Makkar, CEO, Big Music and Home Entertainment, told IANS.

The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)-promoted Big Music is behind the launch of the film’s music.

The film, released Aug 29, has been widely lauded for its robust rock soundtrack created by composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. It’s songs “Pichhle saat dino mein”, “Rock on”, “Socha hai” and “Sindbad the sailor” are being hummed by youngsters galore.

The fact that it is now among the top 15 albums on iTunes indicates the popularity of the film’s music beyond Indian shores. “The music of ‘Rock On’ is not typically Indian. It is rock, which is a world genre and it also has a big youth connect,” Makkar said.

“iTunes is the number one site for music download abroad and we are very proud that ‘Rock On’ has made it till there. The fact that the music has been accepted abroad and is doing well is a major boost for us,” he added.

Makkar clarified that the earning from the music download from iTunes is not monetarily very profitable, but it proves beneficial in the long run as the platform provides international visibility.

“According to our distribution structure, we distributed the music to 370 online stores across 45 countries. But we still don’t consider it a profitable revenue stream. The main revenue streams for the music are ringtones and audio CDs,” he added.

Makkar explained that since people in India prefer to download music illegally from Internet sites free rather than paying for it, it is difficult for them to penetrate the Indian online music market.

The sales of the audio CDs have however “become very encouraging”, he said.

The music album of “Rock On” has nine soundtracks out of which six have been crooned by filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who has made his acting debut with the film as well. Apart from Farhan, the film has introduced director Abhishek Kapoor and actresses Prachi Desai and Shahana Goswami.

“Farhan’s voice is exceptional and added a lot of authenticity to the songs as he plays a singer in the film. It also makes people feel that even though you may not be a professional singer, you can also sing. Farhan has added honesty to the songs,” Makkar said.

Makkar said that the film’s DVD will be released by the end of October but for those who want to enjoy the rock concerts in the film, a DVD of the songs will be released very soon.

Big 92.7 FM, also a part of Reliance ADAG-promoted Reliance Entertainment, has been arranging major on-ground activities to promote the film. One of the highlights is the “Rock On” concert that has already been held in Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi and left the audience wanting more.

Set in Mumbai, “Rock On” has an urban feel and revolves around a group of four aspiring musicians who form a hippie rock band called “Magic”.

It is led by singer Aditya (Farhan) and also has temperamental guitarist Joe Mascarenhas (Rampal), talented keyboard player Rob (Kenny) and drummer Kedar Zaveri (Kohli).

– By Radhika Bhirani

The exhibitions simultaneously launched at the Sandton Art Gallery are ‘Satyagraha’, an exhibition of works by young artists showing their interpretations of the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi; ‘The Indigo Story’, an exhibition of textiles highlighting India’s role in textiles and crafts as the East was being discovered by the West; and ‘Inner Voices’, award-winning photographs by former street children.

Indian High Commissioner Rajiv Bhatia explained that the exhibitions and the Shared Histories Festival as a whole was the “missing third pillar” in the special relationship between India and South Africa after they began questioning themselves about whether there was not too much emphasis on politics and business only.

“This is a rare opportunity to showcase the hidden gems from India, giving opportunities to upcoming artists, and the Shared Histories Festival has a long and bright future as long as South Africans do not tire of it,” Bhatia added.

“In discussion with curators Dr Alka Pande and Anjana Somani, we came up with the idea of commemorating the events in South Africa with a visual arts exhibition on Gandhi’s legacy of Satyagraha,” Festival Director Sanjoy Roy explained.

“The exhibitions are a reflection of young India’s perception of Satyagraha and the world we inhabit, while the Indigo Story reflects the very best in the textiles and crafts tradition as it emerged through the darkness of slavery and exploitation.

“Inner Voices is a celebration of joy by two former street children from Delhi who have been internationally recognised and are successful in their chosen careers.”

Speaking at the launch, photographer Haran Kumar, who ran away from home at 11 before being spotted and trained to become an award-winning photographer with international fame, had some advice for young South Africans: “If you have a dream, just keep hammering away at it without giving up and it will be realised in the end”.

Mani Suri, wife of the Indian Consul-General in Johannesburg, Navdeep Suri, also exhibited a painting in the Satyagraha Exhibition, titled ‘Seeking Harmony’.

“My canvas depicts Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic spinning wheel as the symbol of harmony, spinning around to reflect the constant search for this, while the static red clay pieces of the wheel above it refect the disorder and bloodshed in the world today,” Suri told IANS.

The musical ‘Bollywood Love Story’, running for a fortnight here as part of the Johannesburg Arts Alive Festival, met with mixed reaction after its premiere show.

Although the expatriate audience lapped it up, locals expressed concern that non-Indian communities were being shown only Bollywood-style Indian dances put together by French-Vietnamese choreographer Giles Chuen as being totally representative of Indian dance forms.

“Quite bluntly, we have local dance groups such as those of Smitha Singh, Jayesperi Moopen, Dr Vinod Hassel and Dr Ranjeet Lalloo that are far better,” said one leading dance enthusiast who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation of not being invited again.

“The only good thing is that we got to see a lot of good male Indian dancers on stage, which we lack here in South Africa.”

Other comments included that the costume designer was “stuck in the seventies while using songs from the 80’s and 90’s”; and “the producer seems to have had a Shah Rukh Khan fixation, as almost all the songs featured were from his films”.

Jazz group ‘Indian Ocean’ joined several local groups Sunday to entertain more than 10,000 fans who flocked to the outdoor Zoo Lake here for the annual Jazz Festival that is part of the Arts Alive programme.

– By Fakir Hassen

Then there was an equal crowd ratio that could not resist the “Rock On” charm and managed to mark their attendance by occupying every nook and corner available to fit in. The show began with a “Ganesh Vandana” by music composers trio Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. While Shankar recited the vandana, Ehsaan was on lead guitar and Loy was on keyboard.

“Delhi, are you ready?” screamed Mahadevan and crooned to the lyrics of their earlier movies like “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Lakshya” and “Don – The Chase Begins”, all directed by Farhan Akhtar, to warm up the mood of the people. The trio has also given the music for “Rock On”, the first Hindi movie on rock music.

The concert took an echoing start with the title track of “Dil Chahta Hai”. New singer Raman joined Mahadevan on the vocals with “Main Aisa Kyun Hu” from “Lakshya” followed by the title track of “Don…” and another song “Aaj ki Raat” from the same movie. The audiences clapped their hands high in the air in sync with the songs as they played the numbers.

Farhan, who was unwell before the concert as he had difficulty breathing due to the change of weather in the city, also performed at the show. The show picked on the tempo with audiences jamming to the beats of “Pichle Saat Dino Me” as he took on the vocals with Arjun Rampal on the guitar.

Farhan, who is hugely enjoying his popularity in his latest avatar as an actor, has sung six of the nine songs in the film. Co-stars Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny preferred encouraging the audiences without taking on the instruments unlike in the movie. Also present on-stage were newcomer Shahna Goswami and producer Ritesh Sidhwani for the movie with director Abhishek Kapoor.

Kapoor was elated at the electrifying crowd and their reaction. He shared: “I am loving every moment of the evening. When I was making the movie, I was told ‘Rock On’ won’t work out but you all have made it work.” A last-minute surprise for the people was co-star Koel Puri’s presence and Purab Kohli’s English jig from the movie.

Though the concert melodiously ended with the film’s song “Sindbad the Sailor”, the audiences chanted for “more” and the cast had to take to the mike again wrapping up the hour long concert finally with the title number “Rock On”. Anshul Ojha, a freelance photographer could not stop singing the songs even after the event and said: “‘Rock On’ rocks. I drove all the way from Bikaner for the concert with my friends and the drive was worth it.”

Another fan Pallavi Singh, a student of Lady Shri Ram College who was here with a group of her college mates said: “This is the best concert I’ve ever attended. This movie made us groove to our own (Indian) songs for the first time or else we would have been jamming to only western songs.”

The rock concert, organised by Big 92.7 FM, is the cast’s third after they performed in Mumbai and Pune last month. Set in Mumbai, “Rock On” has an urban feel and revolves around a group of four aspiring musicians who form a hippie rock band called “Magic”.

It is led by singer Aditya (Farhan) and also has temperamental guitarist Joe Mascarenhas (Rampal), talented keyboard player Rob (Kenny) and drummer Kedar Zaveri (Kohli).

“I too am a musician and I can understand the pain of a performer when he is denied to express himself through his art,” added the director, who made his debut as an actor and singer with ‘Rock On’ that has taken audiences by storm. Farhan, son of script writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar, is a self-taught singer and guitarist and has been a musician for last 12 years.

Echoing Farhan’s sentiments, model turned actor Arjun Rampal, who according to the critics has given his career best performance in the film, said that music was no crime and the ban should be revoked soon. Bangalore police imposed the ban in August. The order bans live performances at any place where liquor is served. However, the police has now come up with a set of new guidelines for pubs and discos to get a license for live performances.

Farhan, Rampal, Luke Kenny and Purab Kohli, the other two stars of the film spent an hour interacting, singing and jiving with their fans at Fun Cinemas as a part of the post-release promotion of their film. The young crowd at the multiplex almost went berserk when Akhtar, along with his co-stars, performed some of the hits numbers from the film, including “Dil Yeah Kya Kehta.”.

“I love you all. Bangalore simply rocks,” Rampal said as he was mobbed with autograph hunters. “I have watched the film thrice. And every time I have loved the movie more. Rock On is about today’s youth, their dreams and aspirations. All the four actors have done a great job in the film,” said an excited Medha Shah, a college-goer, who bunked her classes to have a glimpse of her favourite actors.

‘Rock On’ by debutant director Abhishek Kapoor is the story of four musician friends, who put up a great rock band together. Unfortunately the band fails to make it big and disintegrates. Years later, as fate would have it, they come back together to fulfill their unfinished dreams.

“We’ve tried to make an honest film with a simple story. We’re glad that the audiences have appreciated our effort,” said Farhan, the director of box-office hits like “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Don”. Farhan has sung five of the nine tracks in the film, the music of which has been composed by music director trio Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.

“I have always wanted to be an actor, but was waiting for the right script,” said Farhan, who is hugely enjoying his popularity in his latest avatar as an actor. Asked if after the box-office success of Rock On, he has plans to concentrate only on acting, the actor-director said he would like to maintain a balance between both.

“I love both acting and directing and would like to continue doing both,” said Farhan who will be seen as an actor once again in his sister’s Zoya Akhtar’s directorial venture “Lucky by Chance”.

Ishmeet, 19, died mysteriously in a swimming pool at a beach resort in Maldives July 29. He was there for an event. Kamal Singh revealed that ADK hospital in Maldives where Ishmeet was taken from the resort said in its report that “drowning seems to be a secondary cause of death” in Ishmeet’s case.

“If drowning was supposedly a secondary cause, then we would like to know the primary cause of his death,” Kamal Singh told IANS. The late singer’s family has been urging the central and the Punjab governments to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into his death. They are now heading to the Maldives on their own Wednesday to find the facts.

His family says the post-mortem and forensic laboratory reports state the reason of his death was drowning, but his body had severe injury marks on the forehead and temple. “We want a proper enquiry from CBI. We are not against anyone nor are we pinpointing someone. Our visit to Maldives is in the knowledge of the Punjab chief minister, the prime minister and the Maldives government. We just want to know the reason for the injuries on Ishmeet’s head,” said Gurpinder Singh.

“If the investigation results are able to convince us about the injury, we will quit the matter then and there but till then we are not sitting quietly,” added a bleary-eyed Gurpinder Singh. Explaining the severity of injuries suffered by Ishmeet, Kamal Singh said: “The injuries on his head are being downplayed. Ishmeet suffered a hematoma that is a blood-filled cavity on the temple and a linear cut on the forehead. We are ready to believe that he died due to drowning as per the lab reports, but we just want to know the reason behind the injuries.”

Kamal Singh also informed that Ishmeet suffered a blood flow out of his nose and mouth during drowning, which is not normal in drowning cases. “When I contacted the pathologist, who conducted the post mortem in Ludhiana to find out about the same, we were told that the air sacs in his lungs burst so there was a blood flow out of the two possible outlets – nose and mouth.

“According to medical science, when a person drowns, his alveoi (air sacs or cavities) in the lungs get filled with water and expand and burst but do not allow any outlet for blood from either the nose or the mouth as the person dies of suffocation,” he explained.

Bhangra pop king Daler Mehndi expressed confidence that had Ishmeet stayed on he would have definitely carved a niche for himself in the competitive Bollywood industry.

“It was very difficult to overcome the sadness of Ishmeet’s death. At such a young age, he earned so much name and fame. He became a singing sensation. Despite his Punjabi background, he used to sing any song easily without the Punjabi accent,” Mehndi told IANS.

Remembered as a “wonderful”, “down-to-earth” and “sincere” person by the Indian music industry, Ishmeet not only went on to be become a beacon of light for the Sikh community when he won the contest, he was also a source of inspiration for a horde of young and aspiring singers.

The news of his demise brought sorrow not only to his family, but the entire state of Punjab, his native state. The nation also mourned his death. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal even presented a cheque of Rs.1.1 million, a citation and a shawl to Ishmeet’s parents as a mark of honour at a state-level function to mark the country’s 62nd Independence Day.

Badal has announced the opening of an international level music academy in Ludhiana in his memory. Ishmeet’s only attempt at playback singing of forthcoming Punjabi movie “Sat Sri Akal” was released in Chandigarh recently.

Expressing grief that he could not attend the cremation ceremony, Mehndi added: “He was a very down-to-earth and simple person. He died very young. I am sure that had he not passed away so early, he would have built a strong foothold in Bollywood as he had a different voice and a versatile style of singing.”

Ishmeet’s good friend and co-contestant Sumitra Iyer became nostalgic when asked to share her experience with Ishmeet. She said: “If he had been around, I am sure there would have been a grand celebration at his home because he was not at his home to celebrate his 19th birthday. I try not to think too much about the tragedy. It is traumatic. I always want to remember him for his smiling face.

“I hope his parents get the courage and the strength to overcome the loss of their son. I believe he is still with us and that we should continue to feel his presence in our hearts,” she added. She said all the contestants of the show had got together and celebrated Ishmeet’s 19th birthday last year.

“Ishmeet used to take time to mix up with people. I remember we were together on his last birthday. After cutting the cake, he was cutting one slice each for both his parents. ‘This one is for my mother’, ‘This for my father’, he said. We had captured it all on camera. He was very excited but used to miss his mother a lot,” Sumitra said.

Toshi Sabri, another contestant on the show, is planning to go to Ludhiana to meet Ishmeet’s parents. “I wanted things to settle down a bit after his death and then meet them. He was a very nice singer and an equally good person,” Toshi said. After being crowned the “Voice of India”, Ishmeet also participated in another music reality show “Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar”. However, he was eliminated from the show.

Prajakta Shukre, his co-participant from the contest, found herself at a loss of words on being told it was Ishmeet’s birthday Sep 2. “I just wish that wherever he is, he should be happy. I hope god gives his family the strength to come to terms with his death. I sincerely hope that Ishmeet comes back to them in some form or the other,” Prajakta said.

Film: 1920
Music Director: Adnan Sami
Lyricist: Sameer
Singers: Pandit Jasraj, Asha Bhosle, Kailash Kher, Parveen Sultana and Shubha Mudgal
Rating: 2/5

The album starts with classical singer Pandit Jasraj’s song titled “Vaada tumse hai vaada“. The splendid rendition by the maestro stands out in this track more than anything else. While Adnan also demonstrates great talent in mixing Indian music with Western, it is Panditji’s performance that catapults its popularity.

Shubha Mudgal sings next. Titled “Bichua“, it is an item number and has a huge rustic feel to it. But Mudgal, who created waves with “Ab ke Saawan”, sounds raw in this piece. In addition, Sameer’s lyrics are quite drab.

“Aise jalta hai jiya” marks the return of a voice, not heard for long. Asha Bhosle, who is heard rarely these days, renders this solo piece and as usual, makes it sound like a fairly easy job. Though her rendition is melodious to the core, the track doesn’t have much of a life.

“Tujhe main pyar karu” may initially sound like a wonderful piece but disappoints once it progresses. Kailash Kher, known for his splendid renditions, fails to create the same magic in the song. Coincidently, even the composer and the lyricist don’t deliver as well. In short, it is a below average piece.

The best track of the album has been kept for the last. “1920 – theme” is a beautiful amalgamation of the piano with the violin creating an exciting and mysterious mood. Adnan proves his talent with this instrumental piece.

The music of “1920″ caters to the periodic era of the movie. Except for tracks like “Bichua“, most of the songs have that eternal appeal. While the songs would do fabulously on the big screen, their popularity as individual pieces seems doubtful.

Rojas, who features in the Columbian show “Second Chance” that comes on Firangi channel in India, was in Mumbai last week. This, she said, was her first visit to India and she heard a few Bollywood songs while she was in the financial capital.

“I heard a few Bollywood songs and they are very rhythmic and they have a very contagious style of singing,” Rojas told IANS and added that her visits to the Gateway of India and Marine Drive in Mumbai had been “magical”.

“I also went to the market and bought myself a small elephant, a pashmina shawl and a bag,” Rojas, who sings for television shows and has also started writing lyrics, mentioned in an excited tone.

Though Rojas was looking forward to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, it was not possible due to her tight schedule.

“The principal reason I am here is for work. I have just one day free now. I am considering taking a three-hour train to the Taj Mahal, but it might just be too hectic. I still have to discuss it with my mother,” she had explained while she was in Delhi Tuesday.

Though she left India Thursday, she hopes to come back soon for a vacation.

Rojas was here to promote “Second Chance”, in which she plays the role of an ambitious and conniving woman Isabella. She has been acting since 1989.

Right now the actress is stationed in Miami and says she had to move from her hometown in Mexico for the shooting of the show.

“The character’s personality has two faces. I have done roles with some negative points before, but not totally villainous ones like I’m doing in this show. Although I have done roles involving the melodrama of good wins over evil, I think it’s more fun being a villain,” said Rojas.

Rojas said that people in her country are still unfamiliar with Hindi film stars.

“Just like people here in India don’t know much about Mexican actors, we don’t know about Bollywood. We know a bit about Hollywood though.”

She gave a fine example of her statement when she could not recognise superstar Shah Rukh Khan on being shown his picture on a DVD cover of Farah Khan’s “Om Shanti Om”.

– By Radhika Bhirani

Jackie Shroff,Swini Khara,Zain Khan, Aadesh Shrivastav at Harry Puttar music launch in Bandra on 29th August 2008