Great Entertainment

If you are above 60, you'll surely recognise these two brilliant performers. If you are not, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Listen to this fun-filled rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In. Great Entertainment by Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong from the 1959 film The Five Pennies.

Social Media

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For those who do not really comprehend why Facebook exists….   

This spoof cuts so close to the bone that I had to share it - LOL!

 "Presently, I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying  the same principles.
 
 Every day, I go down the street and tell passersby what I have eaten, how I feel, what I have done the night before, what I will be doing and plan to do.

 I freely spout my political and religious thoughts without regard to theirs. 

 I give them pictures of my family, my friends, my dog, my vacations, my gardening and spending time in my favourite spots.

 I also listen to their conversations -  and I keep saying I like them.

 And it works.

 I already have 3 persons following me: 2 police officers and a psychiatrist."

  

Baila, Again

Two months ago, we, a group of seven senior citizens had our first baila dance performance for which we surprised ourselves as much as anybody else, by winning top honours.

This month, on request, we performed again - at a cultural evening of the Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations. 

Scarborough Fair

This morning I happened to come across a brilliant fusion of a favourite, timeless song. Listen to it and you'll know what I mean...



Today is Makar Sankranti. This celestial event marks the transition of  the sun  to the Makara (Capricorn) constellation, signifying a new beginning. It is also Pongal, the Tamil New Year.  Throughout India,  it is celebrated as a very auspicious day. Fine coincidence, methinks!

Baila, a Good Senior Moment

Advancing age and shrinking horizons seem to go together. Memory, muscles, stamina - all go downhill. We often have what are called *senior moments*. With reluctance and regret, one slows down and gives up strenuous activities. But recently, some of us had an opportunity to turn the clock back and reverse the trend for a while.

Three men and four women - all above 60 - participated in a baila dance competition in town. (Baila is a Konkani folk dance, influenced by the Portuguese who colonised small parts of coastal India after Vasco da Gama had landed in Calicut in the 15th century.) Egged on by our expert young choreographer, we worked out at our weekly practice sessions, intending nothing more ambitious than proving to ourselves that we were not afraid to shake a leg onstage.



Well, it turned out that we did more than that. We got a standing ovation from the 700+ audience and walked away with the first prize! What tickled me was that we were able to give the other young competing groups a run for their money.

Also see Baila Again

Flash Mobs and Music Makers

In olden days, there used to be wandering minstrels, something I've only read about. Not so long ago we had street singers whom I watched as a child, with fascination.  Now there are flash mobs. I've never seen one live. But they pop up on my screen ever so often and I love them. The performers are brilliant, the atmosphere gets charged and the audience is spellbound. Here's one Livening up a Mall in South Africa.

Classic Indianisms

We Indians have made the English language our own, adding colourful words and colloquial phrases literally translated from our regional languages. The following (author unknown) describes ten classic Indianisms.

Grammatically insane phrases found in common Indian English

Take greetings for example. A friendly clerk asking me for my name is apt to start a conversation with, What is your good name? As if I hold that sort of information close to my heart and only divulge my evil pseudonym. Bizarre.

 1. 'Passing out'
 When you complete your studies at an educational institution, you graduate from that institution.

 You do not "pass out" from that institution.

 To "pass out" refers to losing consciousness, like after you get too drunk, though I'm not sure how we managed to connect graduating and intoxication. Oh wait of course, poor grades throughout the year could lead to a sudden elation on hearing you've passed all of your exams, which could lead to you actually "passing out," but this is rare at best.

 2. 'Kindly revert'
 One common mistake we make is using the word revert to mean reply or respond.

 Revert means "to return to a former state."

 I can't help thinking of a sarcastic answer every time this comes up: Please revert at the earliest.

 Sure, I'll set my biological clock to regress evolutionarily to my original primitive hydrocarbon state at 1 p.m. today."

 3. 'Years back'
 If it happened in the past, it happened years ago, not "years back."

 Given how common this phrase is, I'm guessing the first person who  switched "ago" for "back" probably did it years back. See what I mean?

 And speaking of "back," asking someone to use the backside entrance sounds so wrong.

 So when did you buy this car?

 Oh, years back.

 Cool, can you open the backside? I'd like to get a load in.

 4. 'Doing the needful'
 Try to avoid using the phrase "do the needful." It went out of style decades ago, about the time the British    left. Using it today indicates you are a dinosaur, a dinosaur with bad grammar.

 You may use the phrase humorously, to poke fun at such archaic speech or other dinosaurs.

 Will you do the needful?

 Of course, and I'll send you a telegram to let you know it's done too.

 5. 'Discuss about'
 What shall we discuss about today?

 Let's discuss about politics. We need a fault-ridden topic to mirror our bad grammar.

 You don't "discuss about" something; you just discuss things.

 The word "discuss" means to "talk about". There is no reason to insert the word "about" after "discuss."

 That would be like saying "talk about about." Which "brings about" me to my next peeve.

 6. 'Order for' 
 "Hey, let's order for a pizza." "Sure, and why not raid a library while we're about it.

 When you order something, you "order" it, you do not "order for" it.

 Who knows when or why we began placing random prepositions after verbs? Perhaps, somewhere in our history someone lost a little faith in the "doing" word and added "for" to make sure their order would reach them. They must have been pretty hungry.

 7. 'Do one thing'
 "Do one thing ... take this piece of chalk ..."

 When someone approaches you with a query, and your reply begins with the phrase "do one thing," you're doing it wrong.

 "Do one thing" is a phrase that does not make sense. It is an Indianism. It is only understood in India. It is not proper English. It is irritating.

 There are better ways to begin a reply. And worst of all, any person who starts a sentence with "do one thing" invariably ends up giving you at least five things to do.

 My computer keeps getting hung.

 Do one thing. Clear your history. Delete your cookies. Defrag your hardrive. Run a virus check. Restart your computer...

 8. 'Out of station'
 Sorry I can't talk right now, I'm out of station.

What a coincidence, Vijay, I'm in a station right now.

 Another blast from the past, this one, and also, extremely outdated. What's wrong with "out of town" or "not in Mumbai" or my favorite "I'm not here"?

 9. The big sleep
 "I'm going to bed now, sleep is coming."

 "OK, say hi to it for me."

 While a fan of anthropomorphism, I do have my limits. "Sleep is coming" is taking things a bit too far. Your life isn't a poem. You don't have to give body cycles their own personalities.

 10. 'Prepone'
 Let's prepone the meeting from 11 a.m. to 10 a.m.

 Because the opposite of postpone just has to be prepone, right?

 "Prepone" is probably the most famous Indianism of all time; one that I'm proud of, and that I actually support as a new entry to all English dictionaries. Because it makes sense. Because it fills a gap. Because we need it.We're Indians, damn it. Students of chaos theory.

 We don't have the time to say silly things like "could you please bring the meeting forward." Prepone it is.

 There are many more pure grammatical "gems" in what we call Indian English. Perhaps in time I'll list some more. And perhaps in the near future, we'll get better at English.

 Till then, kindly adjust.

Flash Mob Mumbai

Flash mob, a term coined in 2003, refers to a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes pointless act for a brief time, then disperse. Their purpose is entertainment, satire or artistic expression.

This clip shows a flash mob dancing to the popular Bollywood number from the Aamir Khan film "Rang De Basanti". The location is VT railway station in Mumbai. Total TP :)

Irish Coffee Spill

Erik Johansson, a professional photographer based in Sweden, has a marvellous way with pictures. His mastery of photography combines with his retouching wizardry to produce what he calls "illusions" - visuals that are whimsical, funny, creative and entertaining.

I call this one 

"Irish Coffee Spill"

Acrobatic Dance

The combination of acrobatics and dance is extremely popular in modern shows. This amazing cabaret in a French nightclub features a couple performing on a swinging ladder. Fantastic strength, control and grace.

Ice Skating

About 5000 years ago, in the harsh winter of Finland, a hunter repeatedly failed to catch his quarry because he could not run fast enough across the frozen surface. So he invented primitive skates to propel himself across the ice. He made them from animal bones and tied them to his feet with strips of leather. After a few attempts he must have become the fastest hunter in the community!

Primitive Ice Skates

As time passed, there were improvements. The bone was fitted with a strip of folded copper and then attached to the underside of a leather shoe. Ice skates enabled the Scandinavians to move quickly and to save energy - both vital to survival in icy terrain. I like this description written by a cleric of Thomas Becket, on the use of bone skates in the 12th century in London:

"When the great fenne or moore (which watereth the walles of the citie on the North side) is frozen, many young men play upon the yce, some striding as wide as they may, doe slide swiftly... some tye bones to their feete, and under their heeles, and shoving themselves by a little picked staffe, doe slide as swiftly as birde flyeth in the aire, or an arrow out of a crossbow."

Skating Boots

Modern ice skates are specially manufactured boots with sharp metal blades attached to the bottom. They are worn for ice hockey and figure skating. The latter is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform intricate jumps, spins as they skate on ice.

Ice Dancing

Ice dancing is a combination of skating, music, dance and showbiz. Originating  in the UK in the 'thirties, it soon became popular across Europe. In the 'seventies it was included in the Winter Olympics. Competitions as well as performances of ice dancing are thrilling to watch, like the one below:

If you liked it, watch the same fabulous pair, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, dancing to Mahler's music. Then see Yu Na Kim  the Olympic champion from Korea in a breathtaking performance set to the Moonlight Sonata. Finally, the clip below - a fusion of Indian music and moves combined with typical Western ice dancing.

Davis and White are a champion team since 1997 and the first American ice dancers to win the World title.

Songs with a Message

Artistes often come together to espouse social causes. In this Song with a Message from Hyderabad a choral group vocalises over the condition of public spaces - somewhat like a street performance in cyberspace! 

In these four clips  different styles of music - classical, qawwali and so on - the messages are effectively conveyed in song. Saroj, thanks for sharing!

One comes across other groups too, singing about  the problems of daily life. Its a great idea - songs with a message.

Bhupen Hazarika

Bhupen Hazarika, the Assamese music legend, is no more. See this News Report which comes soon after the death of Jagjit Singh - the man of the golden voice and soulful ghazals. They leave a void in the world of Indian music.

Always popular in the North-East, Bhupen Hazarika achieved national fame and brought Assamese folk music to us through Hindi films.  My personal favourite is Dil Hoom Hoom Kare.

A versatile singer, composer, poet and writer, he called himself a jajabor (wanderer). Now he has wandered out of this life, into the firmament of heavenly musicians of India.

Steve Jobs

A few days ago, I wrote briefly about  Steve Jobs and his powerful message Think Different. The more I read about him, the more I'm impressed. See what his sister said about him: Mona Simpson's Eulogy, the ultimate accolade. Ms Simpson, a professor and author, lives in the US.

Jazz with Paul Beaudry

Paul Beaudry & Pathways is a jazz group based in New York. Yesterday they performed at the Good Shepherd Auditorium in Bangalore. This was their fourth and last concert in India, as part of their tour Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, sponsored by the US Consulate General, Chennai. Before coming to India, they had performed in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Bangladesh.

A representative of the US Consulate in Chennai welcomed the audience. She announced that the event also commemorated a journalist-cum-musician killed by terrrosits. The catch in her voice had me wondering whether she was overcome with emotion. When she announced, with a similar 'smothered sob' in her throat, that Baskin Robbins had chipped in to promote the concert, I knew that I was mistaken!

The quartet filled the auditorium with jazz mingled with the sounds and rhythms of Latin-American countries. We heard a piece by a Haitian composer, followed by a Brazilian number. The Argentinian piece throbbed with the unmistakable beat of the samba. A man in the audience actually stood up and swayed in the aisle!

The Group, who have toured South America, played a lively composition inspired by Beaudry's interaction with musicians in Surinam. Then we heard a composition on world harmony led by Bennett Paster on the keyboard. One heard the ripples that his fingers created harmonising with the deep bass as the sax tenor improvised, soaring and blending. The drums throbbed and pulsated. This piece had an unusual feel - a different kind of jazz!

It was announced that the next number was a new composition inspired by a well-known Indian raga. I could not identify the tune, but the Indian flavour was definitely present. The performance ended with a typical American number. Tony Jefferson left his drums to do the vocals and elicited enthusiastic audience participation.

For the encore, Beaudry offered his own composition, which he said was inspired by his moving to New York some years ago. Primarily a bassist, he performs with jazz groups and also teaches music in the US. Armacost's expertise and improvisations on the sax provided the high notes of the concert. Jefferson was energetic and inventive on the drums. His drumming salvos drew appreciative applause. The Pathways ensemble, rooted in the jazz and blues traditions gave Bangalore an engaging glimpse into the swinging rhythms of contemporary American jazz.

The Haka

The Haka is a  a ceremonial Maori dance that involves chanting, posturing and fierce facial expressions. This war dance has become part of the rugby tradition of New Zealand. 



The All Blacks perform a short version of the Maori war dance before important matches. Below is the most watched one - nine million views worldwide. The English subtitles tell you what they are doing.



Yesterday, New Zealand  won 8-7 to wrest the World Rugby Cup for 2011. Their previous world title was 24 years ago. The country, which was in the throes of rugby fever for the last few months, went wild with celebrations. When the All Blacks performed the Haka before the match, the response of the French team too was worth watching. Unfortunately, the clip which I saw on Youtube is now blocked due to copyright issues.

Instead, let us watch another famous  one - kapa o pango or cut-throat haka. Look out for the throat-slashing move towards the end.

Response of the Opponents
How does the opposite team react to the thirty seconds of aggro by the All Blacks? Excepting the the Pacific Islanders who respond with their own war dances, most opponents simply wait in watchful and restive silence. But not always. At one match in England, the entire stadium roared and sang their guts out to drown the Haka. In another instance, the captain of  the Irish team  led his men menacingly towards the Haka performers.
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More tidbits and  video links  will be uploaded shortly...

Tap Dancing

You know what's really stunning about this video clip of Hope and Cagney? Neither of these guys became famous for dancing. Bob Hope was for a long time America's Comedian. And James Cagney was one of the biggest movie stars of his era. But watch this clip and it's easy to believe that they both could have been just as big as song-and-dance men.

The Circus

It must be at least 20 years since I saw a live circus. I wondered what it is like now. Here are 3 links to the modern circus that I found online.

Behind the Scenes of an Indian Circus

A Circus School in Russia

A Chinese Bicycle Act

When I was a schoolgirl - a million years ago - the circus came to town once a year. We made sure to visit the circus at least once. Some lucky children got to see it twice. The tents were pitched on the biggest maidan in town. Hawkers set up small stalls and handcarts around them. Some squatted at strategic spots and displayed their  wares to catch the attention of the children. My personal favourite was the puggawala (balloon man), with coloured balloons twisted into different shapes and helium balloons that floated upright. 

A kid does not watch a circus without something to munch.  Candy floss, called Buddhi ka Bal (old woman's hair) was a general favourite. A bar of ice candy or dudh candy to lick was almost mandatory. Ice cream at 4 annas (a quarter of a rupee) was a luxury available in perhaps two or three outlets in town . Hot roasted chana was sold in small paper cones. You got one cone for a mukkalu, a 3-paisa bronze coin with a hole in the middle. Sweet vendors sold coconut toffee, lemon drops and striped peppermints. I do not recall seeing popcorn or chocolate bars at such fairs.   

Inside the circus tent, the huge ring  was the center of attraction. And once, there came the Kamala Circus, with not one, but Three Rings! At one end, on a raised platform brightly decorated in red, a live band played. Below this was a colourful velvet or satin curtain, behind which exciting preparations could be heard. Cages and props being trundled, animal noises, men dashing about doing mysterious things with ropes, pulleys, pails and whatnot. We sat around in tiers, our feet resting on the uneven ground partially covered with sawdust, wooden planks and matting. The band played on. The clowns did their slapstick routines. When the ringmaster arrived to the sound of fanfare from the band, the lights came on and the curtains opened. The show had begun.

Tigers, lions, elephants, camels, bears, horses, dogs, birds - in my mind's eye, I see them all. The wonder of it! I guess we were too young and innocent to realise the cruelty to the magnificent beasts of the forest.  But somehow, I felt sorry for the performing bears. Even at that young age, the ignominy of being prodded by a stick to perform ridiculous acts bothered  me. And I waited impatiently for the horses. 

I admired the lithe beauty of  handsome riders in fancy gear, who performed marvellous stunts on horseback to the accompaniment of the band. I can close my eyes at this moment and hear the sounds of galloping horses keeping pace to the rhythm of the drums. The clowns (many of them dwarfs) ran along helter skelter, with shrill cries and laughter. We clapped and cheered, as the animal acts ended with a grand procession. On the back of the biggest elephant rode a queenly lady waving and smiling.

Then one after the other, came the acrobats, knife-throwers, fire-eaters, jugglers and of course, the cyclists. Beneath their flouncy short skirts, shorts and tight tops in bright pinks, blues and whites the cyclists had taut muscular bodies. What amazing tricks and balancing acts they performed! Then there was a noisy motorbike act in a hollow sphere. Specially the boys  loved to watch as one and sometimes two motorbikes, whirled round and round,  faster and faster, inside the sphere.

The grand finale was the trapeze performance . Special safety nets were fastened in place. The artistes, dressed in white bodysuits, clambered up the rope ladders to their allotted corners way above our heads, towards the top of the tent. The lights dimmed and spotlights were trained upwards.  Then to slow, throbbing music, the trapeze swings began to go back and forth. Breathless with excitement, we gazed up. The artistes performed their magic with perfect timing and co-ordination.  An occasional clown pretended  to miss the extended hands of his partner and came tumbling down to the safety net. This gave us a chance to laugh and release tension. Immediately after the climactic trapeze act, the lights came on. The show was over. 

Plane Fascination

Little boys (and some little girls too) are fascinated with planes. My grandson is no exception. In fact, he is attracted to almost anything connected to a motor. The vacuum cleaner at home, the lawnmower in the garden, the weekly garbage truck, the delivery vans - they all get his fullest attention. Motorbikes and cars are his obsession. On the road, he keeps a sharp look-out for diggers (earth-movers) at construction sites, cop-cars on the move, boats on the  waterfront and planes flying overhead. Vardaan, the video clips below are specially for your viewing pleasure.

	...Take off
	... Rare planes
	... Landings
	... Low-altitude flying
	... Fly-past

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Vardaan's 3rd Birthday

Since my grandson is continents away, this is how I wish him for his birthday.



Dear Vardaan


Am I glad that I became a Blogging Grandmom :)

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