VIBES SEP 2010 by Eclectic Publications

SEPTEMBER 2010 Rs 30

JOEY WOCH STRING

WIZARD

FROM NAGALAND

T HEAS NORTBY T HEAR

GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES bringing back the ’80

SEXY SALSA WITH

KAYTEE

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VOLUME- I ISSUE-2

The Bangalore boys on metal, Maiden and more

Chronicling the classic metal of the previous decades, GATC is a band to reckon with

They may sing in Nepali but the appeal is universal. Go native!

29. Weapons of Choice 30. Feat. 33. On Demand 37. FYI 40. Track Record

Vibes listens in on four recent chart toppers

The “classically” sound guitarist from Nagaland prepares to compete with the world’s best

Hail them or hurl them but hookahs are here to stay

Unveiling the dynamics of B-Town’s sibling connections

Thinking of a pet? Look no further…

Sauce up your Salsa gyaan with the man who knows it all The age-old debate gets a Vibes tweak

The where, when and why’s of blogging

07. 44. 45. 48. 49. 49. 50.

Events Jock Talking Campus call Delhi Haat B&B Ministry of Food Bheja Fry

TEAM VIBES managing editor - Tanushree Hazarika tanu@eclectic.co.in

PASSION IS WHAT DRIVES US ALL… umming a tune as you work or tapping your fingers as you listen to your favourite track. Going ‘gaga’ over a muchloved singer or compiling a CD to listen to while you drive — music has always given us more-than-enough reasons to fall in love with it. Remember trying out those amazing foot-steps to that Beyonce number you saw on TV or trying to match Satch with your air-guitaring — all this while you’re totally oblivious to everyone around you. Forgetting ourselves for some time and doing what our inner-self desires is a “larger-than-life” feeling. Isn’t it? The sound of the beats, the swaying of the body, hands on the frets and the feet on the drums provides a rush like nothing else. Keeping this passion alive and becoming a name to reckon with in the European salsa world is Kaytee Namgyal, a Sikkimese by birth. Inspiring, no doubt! A story like his gives us the muchneeded push to persevere for our inner dreams and make them happen. Moving on to the world of music, have you noticed how some music energises you while some moves you to tears or sparks a special memory of a time or place or a certain somebody? Some music helps you relax, while others help you when you are down and out. They touch you somewhere deep down, bringing out a side of yours that you didn’t know existed. Not following the herd and making your own path is commendable and the Bangalore based band, Slain proves it in more than one ways. Not your regular metal band but still getting to open for the Iron Maiden and Mr. Big concerts. Envious, aren’t you? In this second standalone issue, we bring to you the many stories that truly show how the love and passion for one’s talent can grow when you let it come out of the cocoon. Just like the world of movies other facets of music and entertainment can also take you into a world of thrill, fun, madness, craze and so much more than the regular humdrum of life. Go through this month’s Eclectic Vibes, and you’ll definitely feel the same. From reliving yesteryears’ Bollywood music to getting up-close and personal with bands and musicians and discovering the passion and drive behind their work — we have it all for you! So keep that passion meter up… Happy Reading …

(Managing Editor)

executive editor - Koushik Hazarika consulting editor - Loya Agarwala contributing editor - Nazneen Hussain content supervisor - Himakshi Goswami content co-ordinator - Pooja Barkataky layout artist - Himangshu Lahkar director – Bibha Hazarika admin officer - Prasanta Talukdar deputy admin officer - Monjari Mahanta

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CONTACT US head office Vibes Mag • Eclectic House • 34, PB Road Rehabari • Guwahati Assam • India • PIN 781008 landline +91-361-260 68 95 • mobile +91-94355 44836 corporate office Vibes Mag • C/O- Maverick • 10th Floor • A-Wing Mittal Tower • M.G. Road Bangalore • India • PIN 560001 landline +91-80-425 60 000

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Edited, printed and published by Tanushree Hazarika on behalf of Eclectic Media Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, Eclectic House, 34, PB Road, Rehabari, Guwahati - 781 008, Assam Printed at Swapna Printing Works Private Limited Doltala, Doharia, P.O.- Ganga Nagar, Dist- North 24 Paraganas, Kolkata- 700 132 Design ©Tattva Creations Pvt. Ltd. Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders. The publishers apologize for any omissions, which they will be pleased to rectify at the earliest opportunity. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.

July 2010

love the new look of Vibes, it looks much better than several national magazines. I loved the article ‘Educationa practical joke’ and also the living-in story. They were interesting reads. Keep it up!

Kaberi Das, Guwahati

Thanks dude, keep reading! - Team Vibes

A big “thank you”, Kaberi. Watch out for the future issues to catch many more such insightful takes – Team Vibes

LETTER OF THE MONTH Getting to see a whole new edition of Vibes was a delightful surprise. I read every piece from the first to last. The interviews with Parikrama and Lama Tashi were the best of the lot. Keep covering more such celebrities of international repute.

i,Thanks to the entire team of Vibes for making such a fabulous magazine. I love the metal coverage in Vibes and I hope you guys will have more stories on

Amitabh Gupta, Tezpur It feels great to be appreciated and yes, we will definitely try and cover more such celebs in the near future. Keep reading! - Team Vibes

metal music. Hail Vibes! Sorgen’z Taro, KarbiAnglong Thanks buddy! That means a lot. Besides, you’ll always get to read metal stories at Vibes as we love it too! –Team vibes

n interview with the world renowned musician Lama Tashi was definitely a good way to start a brand new innings for Vibes. The other stuff was equally good and the variety you’ve brought in, is commendable. The new Vibes is truly, vivacious. Rafique Siddique, Guwahati It’s your love and support that keeps us going, thank you so much - Team Vibes

would like to congratulate the entire team for bringing out an excellent edition of the new-look Vibes. Vibes now has everything one could ask for, plus the regular dose of music as well. Glad that the music content remains the same despite including other content as well. Sanjay Burman, Jorhat Thanks Sanjay. We are glad to get your feedback and hope you continue to write in to us. Do keep the conversation flowing - Team Vibes

ow! Great looking magazine, guys. And the contents were super cool. The interview of Parikrama was superb and so was the cover picture. Keep rocking! Anjan Dutta, Shillong

he cover story on Parikrama was fantastic, nothing better than this to start a new edition of Vibes. Bheja Fry is a damn cool section – witty and humorous. So is the article on live-in relationship. I loved the fact that you have included such taboo topics in your first edition itself. Way to go, guys! Navaneet Baruah, Guwahati. Thanks dude, we are embarking upon a new journey from now on and we need all your support, keep writing - Team Vibes

ongratulations for the new look Vibes. But since you’ve moved on to covering the entertainment beat it would be great to see a few more entertainment stories. Sanjib Boro, Guwahati

Thanks, mate! You’ll definitely get more entertainment stuff in the upcoming issues. So, keep reading - Team Vibes

WRITE TO US AT: VIBES INBOX, ECLECTIC HOUSE, 34 P.B. ROAD, REHABARI, GUWAHATI - 781008 MAIL US AT: editorial@eclectic.co.in or SMS US AT: + 91 94355 44836

VIBES EVENTS EVENT Unseen Underground Pub Rock Fest VENUE Silver Streak, Guwahati DATE July 23, 2010

nseen Underground, India’s premier pub rock fest had promised a whole new year of head-banging and stiff necks. And they did keep that promise with their stunning Guwahati show on July 23. Initially based in Chennai, this brainchild of dynamic duo Shruti and Nicky, is headed for seven different cities this year with Guwahati and Shillong as the base for the Northeast. This fest serves as a launch pad for numerous bands every year and this time 100 bands will be performing at different venues across the country. The Guwahati show, meanwhile, saw performances by Hammerhead, Lucid Recess, Dwar and Insane Prophecy featuring Milan on vocals. Escher’s Knot cancelled their trip at the last moment due to some inevitability. The gig took place in Silver Streak and all the metal heads gathered there went back, satisfied. Way to go, UU!

Parimita Barooah Bora on how the hookah has traversed through time and become a present day craze ust like the old Dev Anand song, Har fikr ko dhuwe mein urata chala gaya, who wouldn’t want to blow away their worries? But no, we aren’t endorsing cigarettes here. We are simply trying to let you know about a much cooler alternative. Hookahs! Yes, hookahs are back, and in a big way. Haven’t you always been fascinated by this royal habit of blowing smoke? Haven’t you been mesmerised by its sound and by the way it’s consumed? If yes, then you’re in for a treat because hookahs are now considered an integral part of Indian-style dining. Restaurants which serve typical Indian fare have invariably added a Shisha menu as well with various flavours to choose from. This culture which was associated with aristocracy has now become a raving trend among the Gen-Y. Perhaps, it is its exotic nature that has won over the fans. Or probably the claim that the health risks involved are far lesser than normal tobacco consumption. It’s not been proven though. The hookah culture has its origin in India dating back to some 500 years ago. But it was also used in several other countries all over the world. Only the names were different. Narghile is the name most commonly used in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Albania, Bosnia, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Bulgaria and Romania. In Egypt, the Arabian countries of the Persian Gulf including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia and in Morocco, Somalia and Yemen, the term used is Shisha. In Iran, hookah is called Ghalyun while in India and Pakistan, the name is most similar to the English hookah, Huqqa. In India, hookah was only smoked in rural areas but in the last few years, many hookah bars have come up in urban areas. In South Africa, Hubbly Bubbly, as it is colloquially known, is a popular social pastime. In countries like Malaysia and Philippines, it’s very popular among the youth. It’s in fact becoming increasingly popular in Spain, Moscow and other Russian and Ukrainian cities as well. In United Kingdom, Shisha bars exist in most of the major cities and so is the case in USA and Canada. For Guwahatians, Addicted at Zoo Road will answer all your hookah cravings. And if you’re still not too keen on smoking in public, you can very well install a hookah at home. It’s not a big deal. You just have to procure one and simply follow the steps given here.

Put ice in the glass base of your hookah and get the water ice cold before smoking. This makes a smoother, more enjoyable smoking experience.

Try mixing lemon juice, orange juice, or some other flavour with the water in your glass base. This will enhance the taste of your smoking experience.

You can store your Shisha tobacco at room temperature but it must be kept in an air tight container. This will keep your tobacco from drying up and losing its flavour.

When you first start smoking, try placing the charcoal outside of the bowl and working it around the edges of the bowl. The centre of the bowl should be the last place your charcoal is placed.

For a sweeter and perhaps, more flavoured smoke, you can add some wine to the top two inches of the water in the base of your hookah. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a happier smoke, and you can really taste the wine.

Because of its consistency, hookah tends to clump up. Before you pack the bowl, crumble it up in your fingers to spread it out throughout the bowl.

Try putting milk instead of water to make the smoke thicker.

Mixing and matching flavours is a fun thing to do when trying to create the ultimate flavour. Mixing mint with other flavours provide a cool refreshing taste.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always good to blow out the smoke once in a while which gets accumulated in the glass base so that the smoke does not become stale. This helps in getting rid of some of the harsh flavours from the stale smoke.

It is suggested not to run water through the hose. Simply blow air through the hose after / before each use, to blow out the particles inside the hose. Occasionally, use a small amount of water/lemon juice and swish it around your hose.

Never light your cigarette with the coals on your hookah.

Never pass the hookah directly to another person. Always put it down first and let the next person pick it up.

Clean your hookah regularly. This will ensure you with the best quality smoke and an superior smoking experience.

ast summer I had nothing much to do. My girlfriend ditched me and went for a holiday. My best friend mysteriously disappeared, stating her new found interest in Business Studies and Accountancy. And my mother grounded me with strict instructions to study for my board exams. What followed, therefore, were a series of encounters with my mother who would ﬁ nd me practicing sleep instead of mathematics. So, to lure me into the studying zone she came up with a scheme. I was to put in four hours of uninterrupted padhai into my daily schedule and she would then let me use her internet connection. The

deal was on! The next step was to ﬁgure out what to do with this new found tool of mine. Facebook was a total No-No as mother dear considers it to be nothing more than “hooliganism”. Th at’s when it hit me. Th roughout high school, I’d written a sizeable amount of articles which were stored in my hard-disk, ones that I have always wanted to be read and reacted upon. Th is was my chance to accumulate fans and critics, to create a platform for my works. Thus, was born www.kaushikjaibarua. blogspot.com. Th is, however, is not just my story. Blogging as such has become the new buzz

word for many an individual. Blogger.com has helped not just me but several others to communicate with the world and to gain conﬁdence in their writings and beliefs. Blogs have also hit the mainstream now. Most corporate giants are aware of the marketing and business potentials of a good ‘blog’. Newspapers and TV stations are starting blogs to stem the tide of dwindling readers and viewers. What was once a quirky hobby based on sharing intimate details with the world, has morphed into something used by major corporations and media outlets now. While every company has a blog section of its own, it’s also fascinating to note how each company keeps an eye on

what the blogosphere is saying about it. But why do people blog? What makes bloggers diﬀerent from non-bloggers? Considering how easy it is, and how much fun, you might as well turn the question around. “Why do you not blog?” Take it from me – in the online world not having a blog is like not having a face. If everyone is asserting their identity, why aren’t you asserting yours? People blog for various reasons: political, religious or social agenda being the foremost. And then there are some who simply want to stay in touch with loved ones. Blogs are nothing more than a

with self descriptions. Pretense comes naturally and so does make-believe. The particular thrill of online writing is that it’s easy to see these imagined audiences as real. In my mind, the ex-girlfriend hasn’t actually forgotten me; she is still there, secretly reading my every word. And you aren’t actually letting your professor walk all over you, you are standing up to him in your blog, and he too is a reader. You’re not a powerless low-life living in a trailer park. Mamata Bannerjee and Laloo Prasad Yadav – or at least, their advisers – are closely monitoring your assessment of the situation and the state of aﬀ airs.

In our blog we are not limited by our offline endowments and our anonymity makes it easy to play around with self descriptions. Pretense comes naturally and so does make-believe Th is is why people are surprised when they get into trouble for their blogs. They knew there was an audience out there but it was always imagined as real, not really real. The external world intervenes into your fantasy, disrupts it and informs you in no uncertain terms that some kinds of dreams are verboten and some imagined identities out of bounds. The possibilities and the undertakings are endless. I imagine life being centered around blogging. Mine is already! And I’m guessing that I might just be dating this girl called Neha who has subscribed to my blog. I mean, we’re talking and stuﬀ you know… I hope my ex is jealous!

means by which we describe and explain our lives to ourselves. Blogs are means by which we create and narrate our identities. Th is explains why a majority of bloggers insist that they blog mainly for themselves. It is not that they don’t realise that others may be reading, yet this attention is quite coincidental to their online projects. By writing down our thoughts we externalise them, make them into things which exist outside ourselves. As such we can relate to them as we relate to other objects in the world. Putting ourselves into writing, we come to understand ourselves better. All identity-creation requires an audience. We must be recognised by others before we can be someone. Or rather, we make up stories about ourselves which we test on our readers. The internet turbo-charges this logic of recognition and makes it into a fun-ﬁ lled and actionpacked videogame. In our blog, we are not limited by our oﬄ ine endowments and our anonymity makes it easy to play around

ne fine morning as I got up from bed to get ready to go to school, I saw this white snowy ball near the shoe stand, all cuddled up. When it moved I screamed my lungs out. Poor old dad calmed me down and introduced me to my new pet dog, Pompom. I wasn’t too thrilled and I avoided him for days. But Pompom followed me everywhere, much like the pug in the Hutch commercial. He would follow me on my bathroom breaks, he would sit next to me while I did my homework and yes, he would happily chomp off whatever titbits I wanted to avoid – read milk, fruits, veggies! As days went by, he won me over. Few years later, he passed away and his void could only be fi lled by another German Spitz whom we also named Pompom. Right now, though, it’s my hubby’s dog, Miss Moxxxy, a Golden Retriever, who’s the centre of my world. She’s the apple of our eyes and life without her is unthinkable. I know I sound delusional but you have to own one to really understand what I mean. You may not necessarily wish to own a warm and fuzzy dog like the ones I’ve had but there are quite a few breeds to choose from depending on your likes and requirements.

If you’re the cuddly and huggy kind, go for toy dogs like Poodles, Pugs, Bichon Frisé, Yorkshire Terrier, Chinese Crested, Chihuahua, and Pappilon. They are small, adorable and can be dressed up and carried around. Get a chihuahua and you may just become the next Paris Hilton. It needs little exercise and minimum grooming but a lot of love. The Pappilon, meanwhile is a big eared

XXY MISS MOX

sweetheart with an even bigger heart and it’s very much trainable. But it’s rather fragile and needs regular grooming. The Yorkshire Terrier will need barking privileges but it’s a great

watchdog that needs minimal exercise. Then there are the homely yet bigger looking canine pets like the Labrador retriever, the Border collie, the Boxer, the Cocker Spaniel, the Basset Hound or the Tibetan Spaniel. The Labrador is the most popular one. As they are typically very athletic and love to swim and play catch, they’ll be the best company for your kids. Even Boxers are very popular as pets as they retain their puppy like behaviour for life. It does have an intimidating appearance, which makes it an excellent guard dog, but even this one is very good with children as they have very fast reactions. Border collies, meanwhile, are often considered to be the most intelligent dogs and are used in farms as herd dogs. If you’ve seen the pig movie, Babe, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Apart from these fairly meek dogs, there are certain other breeds which are champion guard dogs. So, if you have a huge property or a palatial house to guard, bring home a Rottweiler or a Doberman or a Bull Mastiﬀ or maybe, a German Shepherd. The latter is a nice combination of guard dog and companion. They are gentle with kids but equally ﬁerce when necessary. Considered a one-master dog, the German Shepherd can attack and obey on command.

LE ROTT WEI

BIC HO N FR

ISÉ

CH IN ES E

The Rottweilers, meanwhile, are alert and intelligent dogs. They never bark unnecessarily and wait until they actually sense danger or harm. The lanky Dobermans are also well known for their ﬁerce temperament and that’s why you’ll see many in the military and police force. You may be a dog-lover like me and maybe you’re thinking of adding one

CRESTE D

more to your already growing repertoire. But whichever breed you pick it’s always important to know what type you really want. Remember, your dog’s temperament should match yours. Do not pick an energetic one if you are a couch potato and

DOGGY QUIRKS Never smile at a dog that you feel may be dangerous. To him, you are baring your teeth as a sign of aggression. So, now you know why your girlfriend’s Alsatian chased you all around the park. The Boxer got its name from the way it ﬁghts. It starts a ﬁght with its front paws like a human boxer. What are you waiting for, get one and become the next Mike Tyson. Dalmations are born white. Should have told you that before you drew the spots with a permanent marker. Isn’t it?

BU LL M AS

TI NKERBE O N WITH PARIS HILT R CH IH UAHUA HE

LL ,

Dogs have been mentioned in the Bible 17 times. Whoever said, cows are holy!

TIF F

vice versa. If you live in a small apartment don’t just bring home Scooby Doo’s Great Dane. Also know that big dogs mean big expense. They eat more, they defecate more, and their medicines are costlier. There are some dogs which need more exercise and some which make do with little. Make sure you know which suits you best.

PAPPILON

John Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler – each of them had a German Shepherd. Now, you know how to become an inﬂuential man!

With kids at home, you need to be extra careful. There are dogs which will not mind kids poking or tugging at them and there are those that might just bite back in defence. In that case avoid dogs which have a ﬁerce or dominant streak in them. I know it’s really hard to pick one now, with so many things to consider. But take it from me, once you have zeroed down on the one you want, just get him home and see the diﬀerence it makes.

here has never been a better time to pull on a pair of tight pants, procure a silk shirt and unleash the salsa king within. So, if you want to shake things up with the Latin beats, stop right here as the ‘wizard of salsa’ makes his moves! Shiny little ear studs, a cute mop of short, gelled hair, fashionably faded jeans, a body-hugging tee and trendy leather shoes - yes, that’s the best way to introduce Kaytee Namgyal. Ever ready to turn up the music and take to the dance floor, he is the first and only Asian choreographer who has become a regular name in the European salsa world. Smitten by this Cuban dance from, it is very difficult to catch hold of Kaytee as he’s busy making his ‘moves’ in at least two different countries every month. Just like his swift dance moves, he enjoys the life in fastpaced cities where every day is a challenge. “Though I was born in Sikkim, I was in boarding school all my life and would go back only for my holidays. But my family is still there”, he recollects. Salsa, in Kaytee’s words is, “social and sensual and hence, cool and sexy”. Trained in jazz, contemporary and hip hop, he got into salsa when he was in Japan and since then, he has been practicing this style. “I was interested in art since I was a child, and that’s how I fell in love with salsa. My performances are a fusion and I do a mixture of salsa, jazz, hip-hop, bachata, cha cha and contemporary and they’re mostly in Latin”, says Kaytee. He is a perfectionist who lays great emphasis on technique, attitude and interpretation of the music. Just like any other dancer, Kaytee has his unique style, the ‘K-Style’ which is synonymous with the panache and energy of the man himself.

ON SALSA “Although it has its origins in Cuba, New York is the city that popularised salsa. It’s all about feeling the music and expressing the way you hear it. It’s easy to learn the technicalities by months of practice. But salsa is not just about the movements, it’s basically about expression. And the entire body needs

to express that feeling. Th at’s why you need to know the culture to bring out the right expression. And like I said, it’s a culture, so at any age group it’s ﬁ ne to learn salsa. It’s like learning a new language. I have many 60 and 70-yearolds who are learning this language!”

SALSA AND YOU “I conduct workshops all over the world. I have two companies – Salsa India and The K-School of Performing Arts where we promote not only salsa but jazz, contemporary, hip hop, belly dancing and all such dances. We get top instructors and performers from all over the world to perform and teach the people here because a lot of people cannot travel to salsa congresses across the globe. We want to bring the world to them so that they get the exposure. I personally don’t teach anymore, I only train my company dances and give special workshops.” Kaytee also organises fests like ‘The Bachata Festival’, ‘The Turkey Salsa Congress’, ‘Rome Salsa Festival’, ‘Bologna Salsa Festival’ and couple of other such events in India and Europe. He’s also planning to set up a company in Italy.

TECHNICALITIES OF SALSA “The female moves need to be diﬀerent from the man’s. The technical aspects are about 70 per cent similar for both but the lady needs to dance like a lady and the man needs to dance like a man. If you apply the concept of one technique and one style for both, then either the man would look like a woman or the woman would look like a man (laughs).

MUSIC IN SALSA “I like mixing it up and not sticking to the authentic Latin tunes. I could mix house music with salsa into rock music. My performances are usually four minutes long and in that I mix up whatever music I like.”

THE SALSA ATTIRE “Nothing speciﬁc, actually. It was only in the ’60s and ’70s that you had special kinds of clothes for dancing. But today, you wear whatever makes you look good. People generally want to look like a gentleman, so they dress up in formal attires and wear a coat, a waist coat or a tie and shoes which gives them a classic look.”

SALSA FOR FITNESS “Any form of dance is good for ﬁtness because when you dance, you’re obviously exercising without even knowing it and you’re having fun. While you do aerobics, you dance for about 70-80 bpm (beats per minute) at the max but when you do salsa, you dance for about 250 bpm.”

TIPS FOR ASPIRING CHOREOGRAPHERS “Not everyone can travel abroad. So, You Tube is the best way to watch and learn diﬀerent styles that are ‘in’. They can search and do their research and look at all the international dancers on You Tube. Try to match up with those styles rather than simply following Indian choreographers.”

MUSIC AND YOU “I love music – be it rock, blues, house, R&B or soul. My all time favourite is Pink Floyd and Time is one of my favourite tracks. And I also like Wish you were here. I am basically a ’70s rock fan as I grew up on rock music.”

PERSONALLY SPEAKING “I am a very private person and I like my own space. I don’t like to talk, socialise or go out. I love travelling in auto rickshaws, talking to the security guards and taxi drivers, going to a restaurant and talking to a waiter because these are real people and they’re pure at heart. I hate show-oﬀ s.”

TAKE ON THE NORTHEAST “I know that the Northeast has a lot of talent but that talent just goes down the drain because our people are not bold enough to go out and showcase their talent.

Everyone’s heard of Parikrama and Agnee, but, there are more talented bands in the Northeast. No one’s ever heard of them as they never get invited to the big gigs. Our people should take the eﬀort and go out to pursue their talent and make it a career. Why be a big ﬁ sh in a small pond? Go into a

QUICK FIRE IF NOT SALSA, WHAT ELSE? Hip-hop or maybe, jazz. FAVOURITE SALSERO? Maykel Fonts FAVOURITE BRAND? Zara. Because it’s affordable and the fashion keeps changing every six months. FAVOURITE ATTIRE? Formals. I like the classic look. FAVOURITE FOOD? Thai, Japanese and Italian. WHAT ABOUT NORTHEASTERN FOOD? I don’t get to eat it anymore. WHAT ABOUT PORK? Oh! I love pork. When I’m home, that’s the first thing I eat. OTHER INTERESTS? I love sports, outdoor activities, cycling, photography and listening to music. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL SOMEONE IN LIFE? (Grins) I travel so much, maybe that’s why nobody wants to go out with me. big pond and swim and raise yourself to become a bigger fi sh. And it’s not that you’ll not succeed because you’re a Northeasterner or a minority as they call us “Chinkies”. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you work hard, you’ll be successful.”

BEING CLOSE TO GIRLS WHILE TEACHING “It’s normal for me because when I am teaching, I am in a diﬀerent mental zone. I always maintain a healthy distance from my students. I never date my students or come close enough to them for them to look at me as just another guy. I do like to crack jokes and have fun but if I ﬁ nd people trying to get close to someone during class, I straight away kick them out and that includes movie stars as well.”

ANY SUCH EXPERIENCES “Yeah, but I am not giving you the names (chuckles).”

PLANS FOR THE NORTHEAST “Yes, why not? But I can’t do it on my own. I would need help from the government because, for me, ﬁ nancially it doesn’t make sense. And none of my instructors from Delhi or Bombay would go and stay in the Northeast for a long time. If the govt. is willing to pick up talent and sponsor their trip to Bombay for their trainings, then we can get them trained and send them back to teach there.”

to e b i r c s Sub ANY TOURS IN THE NORTHEAST? There are two shows for October – one in Guwahati and another in Shillong. But

ARUNACHAL

AYA • MEGHAL • MANIPUR • ASSAM PRADESH

• MIZORAM

D • NAGALAN

• TRIPURA • SIKKIM

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VIBES MUSIC

ON THE RECORD

Meaning to Metal

BRYDEN LEWIS

JONATHAN WESLEY

JUDAH SANDHY

ositively themed metal – that’s something we usually associate with drab and boring gospel bands who try to duplicate a rock ‘n’ roll image but fail to catch the mood in their lyrics. But then there’s one Bangalore band, Slain, which defies this general notion. This band of six die-hard metal buffs creates ‘metal music’ with a difference. Formed in 2007, Slain, is a thorough-bred metal band making music out of their experiences – the good, the bad and of course, the ugly. With Judah as the voice, Bryden and Manek on guitars, Naresh on bass, Jared on drums and Jonathan handling the keys, Slain is definitely on its way up the Indian metal scene. With a lot of respect given to guitar solos and intricate rhythm tracks, Slain’s music is highly appreciated by old school aficionados. Their influences are aplenty – ranging from progressive metal gurus like Dream Theater and Symphony X to Eighties’ heroes like Whitesnake and Def Leppard. The band has won accolades all over the country, having won competitions at various fests including awards at the Strawberry Fields and the

JARED SANDHY

October Fest in Bangalore. They’ve played alongside metal giants Iron Maiden and a recently re-united Mr. Big and have been favourably reviewed by Rolling Stone and RSJ. They’ve even picked up individual awards for guitars and bass at the recent Rolling Stone India awards. And after quite a long wait and a couple of wellreceived EPs, the band is finally launching its first full-length album, “Here and Beyond”.

Why the name, Slain? NARESH The band was started by Judah, our vocalist. He came up with the name Slain which is taken from a biblical quote. It’s got a nice sound to it, sounds aggressive and at the same time has a deeper meaning. Your new album’s releasing soon? What’s the promotion plan? MANEK We’ve set up something, still in the planning stages. We are planning a launch show in Bangalore.

NARESH NATHAN

Isn’t it difficult for bands to produce albums? Who took the responsibility of production? MANEK Luckily, Judah runs a studio called Xandrin and we were able to use it. We had the liberty to make everything just the way we wanted. We had the space, the equipment and the time as well. NARESH As for the mixing and mastering, it’s the band basically. Judah with his experience does most of the postproduction work and there is no outside help. Who or what’s the inspiration behind your music and your album? NARESH Our music has an ’80s feel to it from Mr. Big to Whitesnake to Stryper. We are inﬂuenced by metal bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X. MANEK We also look up to Indian bands like Moksha and Indus Creed. Your album cover looks interesting. What’s the idea? MANEK I drew the cover picture as I’m also an artist. It depicts a guy with wings

MANEK D’SILVA

VIBES MUSIC

ON THE RECORD

on a high roof, ready to jump and hoping to fly. Th at’s a representation of Slain – we have put together this album with all that our abilities could muster and all that we could fi nd – a lot of people will say that it might not fly or work but the band has that confidence and faith. It’s all about hope and faith. NARESH It evokes an opinion from the viewer, whether he will fly or not. MANEK There are four more paintings in the album which revolves around the same concept but with a little bit of influence from the lyrics. You guys aren’t really the typical “aggressive” metal band. How does the hardcore crowd take to you? NARESH We were initially criticised for being “in between genre” but now we get great receptions. People appreciate our technicality. We sound powerful without the growls and drop-tune riff s and we also have a sing-a-long feel. MANEK And because of our sound we can play to people of all ages from kids to people in their 30s and even older. So, do you follow any particular process while making your kind of music? NARESH Credit goes to Bryden and Judah because they are musically mature. We come up with our own parts and slowly build it up. They look at the song structure as a whole and compose. Naresh, I recently read somewhere that you had gone through a tough time dealing with addiction. Does that transition have anything to do with your music now? NARESH I cleaned up before I joined Slain. I look back now and realise how much better I am now. We use these personal experiences to write our songs – and send a message to the listener that “There is a tomorrow”. We put that message through in a metal way.

SR 505 Bass, Jonathan uses a Yamaha KB and our drummer Jared has a Pearl. I love hard tailed guitars being a rhythm guitarist as I want that crunch more than a whammy going all over the place. What’s the band chemistry like? The music scene is so unpredictable. How do you guys keep it together? MANEK (Laughs) Yeah everyone is so irritating. What’s good about Slain is that the musicians hang out a lot and that shows on stage. The Brits had their new wave, the Americans had Thrash amongst other things, and the Scandinavians have Black Metal. Will Indian metal have its own sound too? What will the future be like? NARESH A lot of international acts are coming to India, be it Mumbai, Bangalore or Shillong. Th at’s happening because they know there’s a huge market here. MANEK And there are one billion of us, so even if a small percentage listens to rock music it’s a huge number. Besides, there are so many bands coming up now. So there is defi nite potential for metal in India. The Indian metal sound will defi nitely come about as soon as there’re enough good bands to have a community which becomes recognisable to the foreign listener. To what extent will you incorporate local sounds in your music? MANEK and NARESH Zero! MANEK A lot of people think that the only way to be Indian is by using an Indian instrument. There is a little hint of Indian instruments in our songs. But that’s just for fl avour and not out of wanting to be Indian. We use it because we like the sound. There’s no point forcing it. Apparently, you guys were once stopped from going on stage. But you did play and went on to win the contest. True?

What equipments do you use? MANEK Bryden uses an Ibanez RG 370 with Boss pedals and a Greg Bennet, I use a Gibson Epiphone, Naresh uses an Ibanez

NARESH Absolutely. Th at was in IIT, Mumbai in December, 2008. And the song was Spread your Wings. MANEK We were in the ﬁ nals and just

as we were about to get on stage it started raining. The organisers told us that there wasn’t enough time as the Headliners had to play too. After long talks with the organisers we ﬁ nally got to play. We played the song as tight as we could and ended up winning. How was it opening for the Iron Maiden and Mr. Big concerts? NARESH Awesome! It was a huge crowd that we played to and they actually appreciated the music and didn’t ﬁ nger or boo us just because they wanted to see Maiden or Mr. Big. MANEK (Laughs) I used the same loo as Eric Martin. And we messed around with Maiden’s props and used them for photo shoots. Pentagram got a cold reception at the Megadeth/Machinehead show. And Vishal Dadlani, was criticised for his Bollywood forays. What’s your take? MANEK Th at was really unfair. They put up an excellent show. And musicians in India aren’t at a stage where they can have

a metal band and not need to do anything else. We all need day-jobs. Vishal is just using the musical talent that he has to make other kinds of music. Besides Bangalore, any favourite “playing” destinations? NARESH Chennai has always been great for us. Even Hard Rock Café, Hyderabad was pretty good. And we also got awesome reception when we played in Goa…both the times. What about the Northeast? NARESH Yeah we want to, we almost made it to Hornbill Festival last year but some of us were still in college and some had exams to do. MANEK People in Bangalore have suggested that we should play in the Northeast as they love the classic sound. We’ll deﬁ nitely head out this time around.

VIBES MUSIC

BAND OF THE MONTH

t a time when new generation metal fanatics pound their heads to the scorching metal sounds of bands like Lamb of God, Children of Bodom, Cradle of Filth or even our very own Bhayanak Maut, there is only one band, that even in the midst of all this chaos and bewilderment, can take you back and make you even love the classic metal of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, even if you are not really a great admirer of this period. The band I am talking about is Girish And The Chronicles. Ever since GATC have got together, they have created sound waves of such frequencies that every time they perform, the crowd goes wild. Invariably they turn into their die-hard followers.

WHAT’S NEW? At the July, 2010, Suncane Skale international music festival in Montenegro, GATC was adjudged the second best

band. They could compete in this international fest only after winning the Northeast auditions some time back. But the band claims that it’s not too keen on competitions. “It’s not possible to judge a musician’s talent or skill through a few numbers. We participate in competitions only to reach out to our listeners. We don’t care about winning or losing,” insists Girish. “We play for the crowd and if the crowd is satisﬁed with our performance, other things hardly matter” adds Nagen. Formed in the fall of 2009, GATC played their ﬁ rst concert that very year on November 13 at Jorethang, in the Sikkim Ara Convention Narcotics Anonymous III, alongside Lou Majaw. The band soon started playing their regular set in Cafe Live and Loud and became a vital element of the pub rock culture in the hills. “The experience of playing in the pubs around the hills was great and we learnt a lot from that. We are grateful to those pubs for giving us a chance to share our music,” says

Noel. Pub playing, though, is oﬀ now as the band has moved beyond the hills and started playing at several new locations. “We want to grow as a band and that can happen once we get out of our comfort zone,” says Suraz. Their decision has indeed paid oﬀ as GATC has rocked every national competition they participated in. “Ever since we played at IIT, Guwahati, where we came third, we have won all the contests we have competed in!” exclaims Suraz. Their popularity has increased manifold

LISA CHRISTIANE MIKOSCH

and that’s obvious from the fact that GATC now receives invitations to play at various venues across India.

GATC

THEIR MUSIC “It’s classic rock with the blues inﬂuence,” says Girish. Putting together the music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s is what they do best. It’s like providing a new and modern sound to the old times. But what made them choose this genre? “Th is is what we grew up with, this is what we worship and this is why we play this style of music,”

GIRISH PRADHAN - VOCALS / GUITAR SURAZ KARKI - LEAD GUITAR YOGESH PRADHAN - KEYBOARDS/GUITAR NOEL KARTHAK - BASS NAGEN MONGRATI - DRUMS

Noel adds with vigour. However, it does not mean that they dislike the blistering sounds of modern day metal or even other forms of music. As musicians they seem to respect all genres of music and do not limit themselves to any particular category of music. While composing their songs, the band is very particular about being true to the feel. Lyrics matter a lot too but the boys try to keep the words as simple as possible. “Nothing too philosophical or sublime… just simple day-to-day stuﬀ, life and love,

BAND OF THE MONTH

that’s what people understand and relate to,” explains Girish. Some of their favourite bands include AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, UFO, Deep Purple and several others.

BANDSMANSHIP They believe that the soul of a band lies in the respect and appreciation that the members show towards each other. “If you don’t have this critical component in your band, you can’t even think of making music together,” reckons Noel. “We have faith and conﬁdence in each other and this is what has helped us in our journey so far,” believes Nagen. Suraz elucidates “I don’t say that my band mates are the best in the world, but whatever they are, to me they are the ﬁ nest I’ve ever come across.” “They are very dedicated as musicians and that’s what makes them perfect,” Girish adds.

FUTURE PLANS So where do they go from hereon? Well the band believes that music is where they belong to and that’s what they will continue pursuing till their last breath. The band after their stint in Montenegro will leave for a tour of Hong Kong for six months. In addition to this, they are also working

MUSIC TO ME IS… “My life, it is the only thing that liberates my soul.”

GIRISH

“Something which gives me life.” SURAZ

NOEL “Greater

than everything to me. I am ready to sacrifice all I have for it.” NAGEN “Music

defines me, without it I am incomplete.” GATC can be heard at http://www.reverbnation.com/girishpradhan

on their maiden album which they plan to release by the end of this year.

THE OTHER SIDE Girish likes to create sketches, hook up to the net and also do a bit of computer programming. Noel and Nagen on the other hand are sport lovers, especially football, while Suraz likes to party.

OPINIONATED The rock scene in India is not a harmonious one with squabbles among everyone. But GATC doesn’t seem to believe in the ‘politics of music’. They feel that it is just an excuse which most bands give when they can’t achieve what they want. “If you are good enough, nothing can stop you, there is no point blaming the system for your failures,” insists Girish. About the rock scenario in India they surmise that rock as a form of music has taken its shape in India and soon enough there will be a wider acceptance for this genre of music. In the words of Nagen, “Rock and Roll has ﬁ nally arrived!”

THEN AND NOW “After 13 years and 12 bands, I ﬁ nally feel that I can make it big with this band.” Noel exclaims. All the struggles and frustrations of the previous years have given them courage to go on and create a mark for themselves. And it’s only been their love for music that has kept them going. “All of us have only one thing in our craniums and that’s music and I believe we will get through!” Nagen cries out. Suraz joins him, “We have given our life to music and now I believe music will give us the life we want.”

SOUND OF THE SOIL

e was ﬁve when he ﬁ rst picked up a guitar. And he hasn’t put it down since. In fact his romance with the stringed instrument gets deeper with time. Th at’s Joey

Woch for you. Joey hails from the musical hills of Nagaland where every young boy or girl knows to strum a tune. But he’s not a regular ‘rockstar’ guitarist. Joey’s fascination stems from Western classical music. “I’ve never had this rock star image,” he quips. Despite being part of several rock bands like Spindrift, Divine Connection and others, Joey confesses that he doesn’t really enjoy playing rock music. His heart lies in the realms of the classical genre. And this love aﬀ air started pretty early on in his life. Coming from a non-musical family his penchant for music might seem odd but Joey credits this to Dr Ren Merry’s album, Expression. “It is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard!” Joey exclaims. His hero worship led him to Patkai Christian College where he started learning classical guitar under Dr. Merry. During his college days, he even got the chance to be a part

SOUND OF THE SOIL

THE STRING QUARTET

of Merry’s guitar ensemble which toured USA in 1999. And after his graduation, he became a guitar tutor and also directed the guitar ensemble in his alma mater in the year 2000. Joey then went to the Philippines and studied under guitar masters, Boux Roxas (University of Santo Tomas) and Jose Valdez (University of Philippines). Joey’s performances in India and abroad have won him many fans and he is often regarded as a classical guitar prodigy. A tag, he vehemently denies. “I am not a prodigy”, he declares. Prodigy or no prodigy, Joey is well on the road to guitar greatness as he prepares to represent India in the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Artist Guitar Solo Competition to be held in Georgia next year. Joey, incidentally, will be the sole Indian representative at the event. Th is competition will also have guitar greats like Pepe Romero, Ana Vidovic, Marcin Dylla, LAGQ and others performing as well as giving seminars,

workshops, private lessons and master classes. As an appreciation for this rare feat, Joey was recently awarded with a sum of Rs 1,50,000 by Music Task Force (MTF), Nagaland. Th is young man’s sizzling chemistry with stringed instruments is not merely conﬁ ned to the guitar as Joey loves playing the violin too. “I simply love the sound of stringed instruments, be it the guitar or violin. But they are pretty challenging to play,” he admits. No wonder he is the Head of the Department (HOD) of violin and strings at the Hope Center for Excellence in Dimapur, Nagaland. He also teaches music enthusiasts in his private studio. Not to forget that this young man is also an ace photographer. Despite so many acts up his sleeve, Joey still aspires to pick up another instrument up his kitty. And this time it might be the cello or any other Indian stringed instrument. “It’s never too late to learn and never enough to learn in a lifetime,” he

philosophises. But why opt for an Indian instrument this time? “Indian and Western classical music have a lot in common. They both lay stress on ‘sacredness’ and care very little for popular entertainment,” he answers. Having seen success at such a young age, one would assume that Joey has deciphered the secret ingredient for it. But that’s not so. “I don’t have any secret. It’s just a gift and I’ve been using this gift passionately and diligently despite trying circumstances.” Although Joey does admit that Northeast India has tremendous talent but no real formal training grounds. “I’m glad I took up music as a profession and got the appropriate training for it. Every musician should start with some formal musical training, Indian or western, which means one has to be able to read and write music, not just sing or play,” he says. Coming from a classically proﬁcient musician, that’s like a ‘mantra’ to be followed by every aspiring musician.

WOC

Here’s a look at some fancy innovations that’ll help you record your music right at home. So, go ahead, win us a Grammy!

ou already know the art of music making now you can learn the science of it as well. And, trust us, it ain’t that hard! Apple’s Logic Pro simplifies the technical aspect of recording, editing and mixing music. This 32/64 bit digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software application provides software instruments, audio effects, synthesizers and recording facilities for synthesizing music. Created originally by the German software developer, Emagic, Logic Pro is now a part of Apple’s Logic Studio bundle of professional music applications. All you need is a platform with a Mac OS X. With Logic Pro you can have the most powerful tools at your disposal. Pick from a wide variety of instruments, sounds and loops, make complicated edits in record time and mix up projects of any level. A pro studio, no doubt, but not just for professionals!

icrophones nowadays come in all shapes and prices. Budget microphones have, in fact, flooded the market. But if you’re a stickler for quality, then Neumann is the brand to trust. And the Neumann TLM 102 isn’t as expensive as their other ranges. The TLM 102 comprises of all the typical Neumann microphone components in a compact get-up and stylish design. The sound obviously is the clinching deal as the large-diaphragm capsule in the interior has a maximum pressure level off 144 dB, which is effective for recording very loud sound sources like drums, percussion and amps. The transient response of the TLM 102 is also effective in recording sounds that are not very loud. But it’s most effective in recording speech or vocals. It’s ideal for home recordings because of its flexible field of application and its price. So, what are you waiting for, grab a TLM 102 and let your voice be heard.

o you feel there’s something lacking in your band’s music? Do you think you need to rev it up a bit? If so, then go for Drumkit From Hell! Developed by Toontrack, DFH is a sample based drum software synthesizer which will make you rock even harder. Best suited for metal music, DFH can add a dollop of real international sound to your music. And all of this can be done right at home. Major international musicians like Fredrik Thordendal and Tomas Hake of Meshuggah, Owe Lingvall of Nocturnal Rites, Mattias Grahn of Naglfar and Efraim Juntunen of Persuader have come together to create the DFH sound. Toontrack brought together the best musicians and producers in the world and created a drum library for you to choose from. With such illustrious names for company, you can definitely not go wrong in the drumming department.

FEAT.

Hindi film music hit a purple patch during the Flower Power days…here’s why

or most Indians, the term ‘music’ simply connotes Hindi fi lm music. Even in the international circuit, Bollywood merely means “song and dance”. The connection between music and Bollywood is, therefore, undeniable and it goes back to the era when talkies fi rst came to be made in the 1930s. From KL Saigal to AR Rehman, Bollywood music has reinvented itself at every step and has now become the toast of a worldwide audience. But despite this newly found international recognition, music lovers in India still swear by the songs of the ’70s. Th at era redefi ned Bollywood music and gave it an immortal status. Th at was the period when cult movies were produced and hit songs were composed. Th at was also the time when Bollywood was shedding its inhibitions and was making cinema without any hang-ups. The music had become experimental as well – be it the lyrics, the singing styles or even the instruments. The ’70s and the early ’80s saw extensive use of western instruments, fusion and even English words in Hindi lyrics. Film music was getting bolder and better. And this revival can be credited

Despite the huge success that these songs were raking in, the critics were concerned about plagiarism issues. Music directors were apparently lifting tunes from western numbers and creating their own to none other than RD Burman and ‘disco king’ Bappi Lahiri. These two illustrious music men created a rage with their music and composed timeless classics which can still create a flutter in the heart. They brought a new wave of western musical influences into their compositions and the Indian audience took it on gleefully. ‘Retro’ was in and Bollywood music took over the youth’s imagination. Critics did crib about the loss of ‘Indianess’ but music lovers didn’t bother. Pancham da and Bappi da had awakened the Indian masses to this Indo-Western revolution and the public was only too happy to dance to their tunes. Literally! Pancham da’s O Haseena zulfonwali janejahan and Chura liya and Bappi da’s Yaar bina chain kaha re and Raat baaki, baat baaki were just a few of the numbers that won over the crowds. And these songs still linger on in people’s minds. Even cinema had undergone a sea change and bold subjects were being taken up by directors. The concept of ‘item songs’ was also introduced. Remember those raunchy numbers by Helen which was omnipresent in almost every fi lm? Sholay’s Mehbooba oh Mehbooba is without doubt the best item number that Bollywood has produced till date.

FEAT.

The ‘disco era’ witnessed a lot of experimentation and all of a sudden, fast, racy and peppy numbers became the order of the day. Bappi da’s disco beats and Mithun’s gyrating moves were copied all over India. I am a disco dancer became an anthem! Despite the huge success that these songs were raking in, the critics were concerned about plagiarism issues. Music directors were apparently lifting tunes from western numbers and creating their own. The critics claimed that the general public wasn’t clued on to Western songs and hence they couldn’t ﬁ gure it out. Burman and Lahiri were criticised vociferously. Music lovers, though, were enjoying every bit of this Western touch and had no complaints whatsoever.

The ’70s also brought in the Hippie culture into Indian cinema and ‘ﬂowerpower’ and bell-bottoms were the trend. The trend was transferred to the music as well as songs from Hare Rama Hare Krishna belted out all around the country. RD Burman’s music created a new sensation all over again with his catchy guitar rhythms, bold lyrics and new singing style. R.D Burman even introduced singers like Usha Uthup whose husky voice was nothing like what the listeners had heard before. Burman even made a classically perfect singer like Asha Bhosle sing some bold and unconventional songs like Dum Maro Dum. But then the ’70s weren’t only about loud music and unlike the critics’s verdict, melody had not totally vanished from ﬁ lm music. So, even if there were loud and bold tracks and item numbers, there were also soft and soothing numbers like Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa from the movie Aandhi. The balance was indeed maintained. Even the early ’80s wasn’t free of drama. Critics went on crying foul and composers went on giving hits after hits. The ‘disco era’ witnessed a lot of experimentation and all of a sudden, fast, racy and peppy numbers became the order of the day. Bappi da’s disco beats and Mithun Chakraborty’s gyrating moves were copied all over the country. I am a disco dancer became an

anthem! The fi lms, though, didn’t do well at the box office. It’s the music which gave them some life. People thronged the theatres only to catch the popular numbers. Cinema as such went through a bleak period. Even the trend of mixing and matching soft tracks with dancing numbers lost out by the second half of the ’80s decade. Composers became overambitious and started pushing in large number of loud and crass songs into the market. In the race to create catchy numbers, music directors lost the essence and the mid to late ’80s was a disappointing time for Hindi fi lm music. The magic of music continues unabated in Indian fi lms but the charm of the ’70s can never be recreated. The present age has defi nitely brought about several new genres of music into Bollywood and Indian musicians are creating waves all over. Bollywood music has attained a lot of international fame as composers have experimented with a lot of sounds. But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this trend of experimentation, of fusion started way back in the ’70s. Musicians of that era had foreseen the future and even though they lost their focus midway, that baton has been now taken over by today’s musicians. So, we are right on track to create another magical musical era like the ’70s. WORDS: SUSHMITA RAKSHIT

ON DEMAND

HOT ARTISTES TO WATCH OUT FOR BY: KAUSHIK BARUA

n a slowly diminishing scene, Eximous aims to front the problem head-on with their brand of grunge. Never mind the needless and ceaseless comparisons; it ’s the sound and the rather carefree attitude that really turns the tide in their favour. The scene demands new blood and Eximous is one such act in that particular bracket of melody-stricken ‘noizees’. Along with hybrid metal band Melodrama and the very popular OFF; Eximous looks to cement their position as a band that ’ll make a mark in the coming years. In the mean time, bang heads with them on MySpace.

nundated by variable influences, the Omnipresent ‘Paucity’ of shows in Halfong and the horrid lack of exposure, Maestro plays a fascinating, yet mundane blend of Nu-age metal fused with melody, technique and rap. Having been finalised for competitions like CRI and Hornbill, within its very short span of existence, the band is currently saturated

hen I first heard them, for some reason I thought they were a much older band than they actually are. Something about their style or the fuzzy quality of their songs makes them seem not as modern as they are. With their grungy sensibilities, Indie approach and an alternative outlook towards songwriting, Aberdeen Angus, a four piece rock outfit from Guwahati, has been making waves in the circuit for less than a year.

in hyperbolic praise owing to its relentless performances all over the Northeast and beyond! Inexorable intensity, sharp twists, rapid changes and fluid gear variables make their music an essential lesson in Groove metal. Recommended for lovers of Tom Morello shreds and P.O.D garnished vocals.

One gets a sense of passion when listening to the band’s music. These guys wear their hearts on their sleeves and it shows. Signed onto Rocka Rolla Artist Management, the band is presently striving hard to put together an E.P. And we’ll surely be back with a full-length story of Aberdeen Angus’ journey when that happens. For now, go get your songs onto MySpace, guys!

VARIOUS ARTIST

974 AD. No, it’s not about history but the name of a Nepali rock band, making waves in the national and international circuits through their music. It all began when the four band members Adrian Pradhan (vocals and drums), Nirakar Yakthumba (bass and

backing vocals), Manoj Kumar KC (guitar, keyboard and backing vocals) and Sanjay Sreshtha (percussion), got together for the fi rst time to make music. But what started off casually took the shape of a full fledged band in 1994, with the recording of their fi rst album, Time Out, comprising selfcomposed English tracks which became

an instant hit. However, their real turning point came when they released their ﬁ rst Nepali album, Samjhi Bascchu that gave their ﬁ rst professional success. Then a series of albums such as Satabdi, Jugni Nishan, Limited Edition, Pinjada ko Suga and On Air followed; all of which became charttoppers.

They are highly inspired by the music of the ’70s. Their songs have elements of Nepali folk, jazz, blues, rock, raga and funk in them. They think it’s the simplicity of their music which makes them popular. Their songs have simple messages of love, peace and harmony to which people can easily relate to. “Unlike other bands, we do not follow anybody; rather we try and create our own unique style. It is always better to have a signature style of one’s own; else we would

end up sounding like any other band and our music too, would not be able to catch the attention of the audience,” says Adrian. Though people might feel that singing mostly in their native language might limit the band’s reach across the world, but they feel otherwise. They think it is only because they sing in their own language that people appreciate their music more, which is obviously quite evident from the number of their international performances. The band has also toured extensively,

VARIOUS ARTIST

performing in different cities of India, USA, England, Australia, Hong Kong and Doha. Though they have performed in different parts of the world, their most memorable performance till date remains the one in Kathmandu, during the Rock Yatra 2001 at Dashrath Rangsala festival, where they performed in front of a massive crowd of 50,000 people cheering for them. “It felt great as we were performing in front of a huge crowd, with all of them singing along with us. Th at is when we felt that we have been able to connect with the audience,” said Manoj, another band member. The band also has several awards to their credit which includes, Hits FM Music Award in 2000, 2002, 2004, Sanmiguel Music Awards 2000, Image Award for Best Song with National Feelings for ‘Nepali Ho!’. But they feel that more than the awards, what is more important is the love and support of their fans which keeps them going. Speaking about the future of Nepali music, Adrian says that it is growing and over the years it has found many takers, because people are nowadays more open to experimenting with different kind of music. “People don’t mind listening to any kind of music as long as it sounds good, and Nepali music is only in its nascent stage. It has a long way to go,” he adds. The track ‘Nepali Ho!’ created a kind of sensation among people because of its catchy lyrics and music. Their other hit number, ’Sambodhan’ has been a worldwide hit. The song was dedicated to all the Nepalis, scattered all over the world, and it brought back a sense of belongingness in them. “Both the songs had a national feel

to it, the lyrics were simple and melodious at the same time,” says Nirakar, another band member. Apart from these two tracks, the band’s personal favourite is Pare lima, a soft romantic number which they perform in every single concert. “The best part about the song is that you never get bored even after listening to it over and over. You can say it is an evergreen number,” adds Nirakar. The band has also performed in several charity shows. In fact, they have a record of performing in more than 30 charity shows in both national and international platforms. Adrian says, “It is a part of our social commitment and if our music could help those in need, then we could not ask for more.” The band recently performed in the Northeast and described the experience as ‘fantastic’. “It is like performing at home, the crowd just loved it. The best thing about this place was that people have a keen sense of music and most of them are aware of the different genres of music,” says Adrian. To which Nirakar adds, “It is better when you get to perform in front of people who understand your music, and northeasterners being music buff themselves, appreciate your music. It actually feels better when the audience is responding positively to your music; you feel confident and that shows in your performance”. Right now, the band is busy working on their next album and their schedule is choc a bloc with several upcoming concerts. “We are trying to make the best use of the time and our ultimate aim is to establish ourselves in the international platform,” signs off Adrian with a smile. EV FEATURE

R E V I E W S

FYI FINAL FRONTIER

ZOKOVA

IRON MAIDEN Genre: Metal Rating: 4½ /5

RITWIK DE Genre: Metal Rating: 3/5

The six-year-long wait is finally over. Iron Maiden is back with their 15th album, which incidentally is also the longest studio album ever by any band. Titled Final Frontier, it is a 76.34 minute Maiden delight with ten tracks written solely by Steve Harris. The cover design by Melvyn Grant is a testimony of what’s to follow! Though the sound may be a little progressive as compared to previous Maiden albums, it still has that age-old touch. The first track, Satellite 15… the final frontier starts with that progressive tone but later transforms into a typical Maiden metallic sound. Coming home is more melodic both musically and vocally. Other tracks include The alchemist, Isle of Avalon (a personal favourite), Starblind, The talisman, The man who could be king and When the wild wind flows. As Dave Murray said in a BBC interview, the rhythms are quite different from what they’ve done before and there are a lot of melodies in it. Bruce’s vocals are melodious as ever and so are the solos by the three guitar greats Janick Gers, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. Nicko’s drumming is as hard and as heavy as always and Steve Harris is as astounding with his bass and his lyrics as he was with Brave new world To cut to the chase, go grab your own copy, guys! - CHITTARANJAN GOGOI

Zokova is a tightly connected concept album that effortlessly flows throughout by using both contrasting movements and repeating themes. And what holds the entire project together is the musicianship of Ritwik De. His abilities transform mere sounds into impressive music that evoke a wide range of reactions. From uneasy and moody to trippy, eerie, spacey, and other-worldly! And what saves it from flying too far out of reach are the simply constructed songs. Possibly the best track in the album is Who am I with its finale type feel, Satriani-style solo, muffled bass line in the intro, and the spacey drum segments. The only legitimate criticism of Zokova might incidentally become its greatest attribute someday. It’s an album of considerable genius by default, mostly due to the complex nature of the concept. However, Zokova is, without doubt, one of the most creative and progressive metal albums of 2010 - only a tad short of becoming an epic.

- KAUSHIK BARUA

LWIHWR PROJECT VARIOUS ARTISTS Genre: Rock Rating: 3/5 ‘Amazing’ is the word! One more addition to the plethora of local fusion albums that have been popping all over, Lwihwr Project, diffuses with its scathing wit and felicity on lyrics. The words flow sharp and silky as the lyrics lampoon with the theme of the songs. A dark repetitive sphere threads its all-encompassing spell through Fwimal Jeu coloured with the strained scream of guitars and bass ( very Maiden-ish btw!). The band portrays it’s instrumentation in the song effortlessly. Clean and powerful! This is one cool breeze that’ll get you through your summer holidays. Enjoyed best with a glass of cool lemon soda!

- KAUSHIK BARUA

VIBES MUSIC

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Do you know what the world is tuning in to these days? Here’s Kaushik Barua giving you a lowdown on the recent chartbusters in the global music scene

’ve never been an avid Country fan but what Antebellum has done is what I’ve searched for in artists like Luke Brian and Carrie Underwood. I always hoped to see some charm in the genre. But never happened! It’s much like the ﬁ rst conversation with the hot girl from high school. She seems like a dream but once she starts talking it’s a nightmare. Country was the ‘dream’, as I love to call it, when artists like Kenny Rogers and John Denver serenaded it. But when I heard nonsensical renditions like Back to Tennessee by Billie Ray Cyrus, I lost all hope. Th at was just one really

wl city is like my childhood. I never lost euphoria. Neither has this one-man genius, Adam Young, who’s behind Owl City’s extremely naïve power-poppish sound. Young seems to be travelling through the universe in a bubble without bursting out of his fears and his extremely butterscotch-ﬂ avoured take on life. It’s not that easy you know, being a 30-year-old and acting half that age. He’s brought in this amazing element into the normal lala-la-la chart-topper – one which I think Mika totally overdid with his hit Life in Cartoon Motion. I ﬁ rst heard Owl City at Neha’s place and as we read through the lyrics she

couldn’t help but shout out “So cute!” Yes, I agree the songs are cute. For those who like their music epigrammatic and dim-witted-eﬀortless, Fireﬂ ies can be fun. I say this out of personal experience. Unsurprisingly, OC’s best tracks, such as the loud opening track Vanilla Twilight, rumbles past soothing snips iced in with very blatant and tongue-in-cheek song structures. They experiment with a lot of synth and that is one thing I absolutely love about their sound. Theirs is a sound that would have done wonders in the Vengaboys generation. But that’s irrelevant now. By the way, in case you’re wondering who Neha is, I’m not paid to tell you that.

bad song. The melody seemed to be stuck with the same few notes, and the minor key gave the song a real downer of a feel. Putting all that aside, Lady Antebellum’s doing a great job. Their music is very slow paced and tightly structured. I recently watched a few of their live performances on YouTube, and I found that they need to work on their stage acts. But then again, when has country music been about stage acts? It has always been about the feel, and keeping that in mind, I can safely say that we have a winner this time! Recommended listening: Need you now, I run to you.

JUSTIN BEIBER NO KIDDING

f you are a Justin Timberlake fan, you’re sure going to love this new dude, Justin Beiber. What’s with the “Justin-ness”, though? Anyways, this 16-year-old kid is very much like Timberlake of the hey-days. Everything from his song-writing to his stage acts include that “I-wear-my-heart-onmy-sleeve” attitude – one which Timberlake exempliﬁed mostly during the N-Sync era. It’s always about the girls, though. The girl has a beautiful smile. He needs somebody to love. He’s stuck in a moment with her. And he never wants to let her go. Ah! Cut the crap! Don’t get me

wrong – love is a beautiful thing. But it’s not all that cool when a kid who’s not even attained puberty tries to act like he’s dated half the women in the world. What works is his voice. If he wanted to, he could’ve done something much better with it. We already have enough artistes trying to act lover-boy. What we don’t have is an artist who’s got the sentiment to do it. Bieber is a young guy, and yeah, he still has a long way to go. So, no oﬀence Beiber fans, but I think he really misses the ﬁ nesse for now. Or maybe, it’s just my age catching up.

ADAM LAMBERT POP ALL THE WAY

ound wise, Adam Lambert reminds me of Culture Club’s mush and Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s power. He’s not raw and has a very distinct pop sensibility. And while a lot of pop in today’s scene of ‘I kissed a girl’ dominance simply builds upon a catchy chorus and a technology driven hook, Adam Lambert celebrates every moment in his music, making each song feel like it’s a sea wave – slow and pervasive. Adam uses a lot of atmospheric backgrounds, blips, maneuvers, keys and synthesised percussion in his tasteful arrangements that can slowly grow on you. Even though I am not a big fan of that!

But once in a while there’s something weirdly interesting about his music. His voice has this emblematic ﬂ avour, one which reminds me of Adam Levine’s early performances, when Maroon 5 was a not-sodominant band. He can make people sway to the funniest things on the planet and make it look like it’s the smartest thing ever. All the girls dig him. Half of the teenage boys in USA dress, act and talk like him. He’s almost always on the Billboard charts. Plus my sister loves him, so much so that she ripped oﬀ my Metallica poster and pasted this pansy instead. On an unbiased note, though, Adam Lambart is good. So, do check his music out!

TRACK RECORD

Ten best controversial songs of all times 01

Louie Louie by Kingsmen

It was considered a downright ‘dirty song’. The lyrics were considered ‘obscene’ even by the FBI and it had to go through rigorous FBI investigations. They, however, did not ﬁle any charges. It’s still one of the biggest controversial hits.

0 2 Used to love her by Guns and Roses The band’s intentions were not bad. They had composed the song in a lighter vein but it didn’t go down too well with the ladies. The song was about how a man wished to kill the woman he loved. No doubt the female fans were unhappy about it.

TOP 10 ROCK SONGS OF THE MONTH Diamond eyes - DEFTONES Amongst the waves - PEARL JAM Take a load off - STONE TEMPLE PILOTS Hell of a time - HELL YEAH Crossfire - BANDON FLOWERS Bad company - FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Animal - NEON TREES Say you’ll haunt me- STONE SOUR The high road- BROKEN BELLS

0 3 Kim by Eminem Almost all Eminem songs have explicit, hateful messages and this song is particularly oﬀensive, especially to his exwife, Kim. The song depicts his hatred for his two-time exwife and even talks about how he’d kill her. Kim, in return attempted suicide and even ﬁled a defamation case against him.

0 4 Cop Killer by Blood Count

0 8 If you seek Amy by Britney Spears

A song which takes on the law has to get the ﬂak. Basically created to protest against police brutality, it created quite a stir. The protagonist here is a wronged man who takes the law into his own hands and starts killing law-breaking police oﬃcials. Not a good idea to rub the authorities the wrong way as the makers had to eventually release the album without the song.

Much loved by teens all over the globe Britney’s early songs are a rage even now. The older generation, however, wasn’t really fond of her style, her way of dressing and her dance moves. American parents particularly hated this song because of its sexual undertones.

0 5 F***k the Police by N.W.A Another protest song against the police and this one came out even before the Blood Count song. Parts of the song talk about executing police oﬃcers and that miﬀed the FBI and the Secret Service. They banned it in several places.

0 6 God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols It shares its name with the British National Anthem but that’s the only similarity, as the song rips apart the Queen’s image and calls her a fascist. It goes on to declare that England has no real future. Not surprisingly, it was banned by the BBC but it managed to become a hit. Controversially, of course!

0 9 Dear God by XTC This one hurt the religious sentiments of most people. The atheistic song was rendered by a child and that was totally unacceptable. It created quite a hullabaloo.

1 0 Brown Sugar by Rolling Stones The song has many takers despite the underlying message of slave rape, loss of virginity and oral sex. Some of the lyrics had to be changed so that it could be aired on radio.

TOP 10 HIP-HOP / R&B SONGS OF THE MONTH Rude boy - RIHANNA

0 7 Darling Nikki by Prince

Lil Freak - USHER

Not as good as most Prince songs, Darling Nikki, though, did garner a lot of attention in USA. The sexual overtones were a bit too hard to digest for most conservative Americans. So much so, that this song was responsible for introducing the parental advisory sticker on CDs.

Try sleeping with a broken heart - ALICIA KEYS Soldier of love - SADE I am back - T.I Bedrock - YOUNG MONTY (FEAT. LLOYD) Speedin - OMARION You’re the One - DONDRIA Pretty Wings - MAXWELL The Dream - LOVE KING

VIBES MIX

No gossip, no rumours…just plain facts! Here’s VIBES’ update on all things new and newsy AMBY’S NEW AVATAR Car freaks must have already heard the buzz. But for all those who haven’t, here’s the good news! The age-old Ambassador vehicles are up for a major re-design. Hindustan Motors will re-launch the new-look Amby by mid 2011. And this retro styled Amby is aimed at the new-age Indian who can very well afford to go beyond the Maruti 800. Apart from the look, this Amby avatar will be powered by BS IVcomplaint and BS V-ready 1.5 litre and 2 litre diesel as well as petrol engines. While HM will keep the original platform, it will be European auto designers and engineers who will redesign the model. Now you don’t have to be a bhrast neta to drive an Amby! Cheers to that!

INDIA’S ANSWER TO IPAD Are you among the hundreds who wish to own an Apple iPad but the cost freaks you out? Don’t fret! You’ve got the Indian Govt. with you on this. Yes, you’ve heard it right. The Indian govt., indeed! Last July the govt. unveiled plans to produce a tablet computer specially designed for college kids. And surprise, surprise! They have actually delivered on their promise this time. This yet-to-be-named tablet is for real. The HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal himself unveiled it on a recent television show. It runs on Android OS and it offers a resistive touch screen, an SD card slot, a SIM card slot to access internet, and a USB port too. What more, all this comes at a throwaway price of $ 35. Targetted at making the computer available to students across the country the govt. has even planned to bring the price down to $ 10. Whoa! Do the math!

METAL GOES LOCAL Nuwaru Xoijyo Koribo Aru Oityasar roughly translates to ‘Cannot take this pain anymore’ and that is a refrain from the SOR track Bhogoban Kot (Where is God). SOR, which stands for Shades of Retribution, is a metal outfit from Duliajan and what sets it apart from hordes of other acts is that their songs are in Assamese. Two of their songs – Mora Xo (Corpse) and Bhogoban Kot are available on their Reverbnation page (http://www.reverbnation.com/sorshadesofretribution). The band members include Vedant on Vocals, Avi on Guitars, Prashant on Guitars, Naba on Bass and young Debarth on Drums. They plan to release their album by the end of this month, which they are recording in LR studios and are being managed by Rocka-Rolla Artist Management.

HOW OLD ARE T

here were three of us in the elevator – a 10-year-old kid, my 70-year-old uncle and I. How old am I? Let’s just say, I am at that point of human life when you realise that a Mohawk, although really cool, is not meant for you. Anyways, the kid was intrigued by the button panel inside the elevator; especially the button with a bell symbol on it. “What is it?” he asked. I told him it is an emergency button. “What happens when you press it? Have you, ever?” he asked again. Before, I could tell him that it would ring an alarm and take us to ground f loor, he had already pressed it. The alarm was loud. He looked at me laughing. He wasn’t afraid to cause mayhem. I was trying to hide my chuckles. My uncle on the other hand was thoroughly displeased. His “Namah Shivaya” went hysterically louder. No, there is no moral to this story. But, what was evident was that all three of us were witness to the same event, and we will have different accounts; thanks to ‘age’. Age is more like a kaleidoscope, we see a life through. The patterns are seldom similar. The abovementioned event was adventurous for the kid, amusing for me and anti-social for my dear uncle. Can we say who was closer to reality among the three of us? No, because we cannot say which pattern is more beautiful in a kaleidoscope. I read somewhere — “We never grow up. We just learn how to behave in public”. Our interaction with those around us is one of the first things to be affected by age — a long list of don’ts. Don’t scream, don’t

ILLUSTRATION BY KAMAL KALITA

Kundan Misra on growing old and the ‘gyan’ that comes along with it!

YOU jump, don’t talk loud, don’t swing your bag, don’t spit on you classmate’s face. There are three tricks however, by which you can fool the process of aging. By ‘fool the process’, I don’t mean that you can eat fried chicken and make a pass at a girl, simultaneously in your 60s. But using these tricks, you will be able to do so, with less guilt.

NUMBER ONE Don’t read newspapers. They always remind you of your age. As a kid, you tear up the sports page. Then, a few years later, you merely check out the latest models and actresses. And, as you cut a couple of more birthday cakes, you move towards the front page — the terrorist attacks, the economic depression and a headshaved Britney. It is a transition from fun to various forms of monsters, tragedies and complexities of life. And, staying away from the newspaper is an effective way to do that. Or, at least, stick to the supplement with the latest models and actresses, but no further!

“We never grow up. We just learn how to behave in public”. Our interaction with those around us is one of the first things to be affected by age – a long list of don’ts. Don’t scream, don’t jump, don’t talk loud, don’t swing your bag, don’t spit on your classmate’s face

NUMBER TWO Do not watch videos of rock bands. The more you see these videos the stronger you wish to be one, playing the riﬀs and driving girls crazy. Soon enough though, you realise you don’t have it in you. But do listen to rock music. When your rock star dreams are detergentwashed, rock music saves your world.

NUMBER THREE Do not follow any anti-aging tricks! Not even the ones mentioned above. In the end, all of us will be sitting on broken dreams, with bad eyesight, and probably a few extra pounds. There is no foolproof way to live. I just hope I do all the mistakes I can, at my age. And I wish you do yours!

eing single is a good phase to be in. And if you’re the kind who loves to mingle then you’re in for a treat in this bold new world of speed dating, internet passion, social networking and after-work parties. Most of these might invariably lead to a wild night between the satin sheets or a passionate one-night romp in a shady hotel or a friend’s apartment. Surprised? Don’t be. Times have changed beyond our comprehension and relationships are no longer about the emotional bond. The physical needs have taken over. Meeting the opposite sex isn’t a diﬃcult proposition now and hooking up with one is even easier. Cars, cell phones and the anonymity of urban living have facilitated this new found audacity. Convenient birth control methods have emboldened individuals to hit the sack without a moment’s hesitation. Relationships pop up at unlikely quarters and one-night stands are the coolest thing to do. But is this temporary moment of glory

really worth it? Are one-night stands the answer to your emotional requirements? I don’t think so. But who am I to act as the moral police. It’s neither a sin nor a taboo. It’s a basic human urge and who am I to try and control it. But then again it’s very hard to not have an opinion about this new societal fad. So, if you ask me, there’s nothing really wrong with it. But it’s still not the right thing to do. A lot can go wrong. Boy meets girl, sparks ﬂy, hormones go haywire and before they really know it, they have already done it. Now if both parties believe in the ‘no-strings-attached’ mantra, well and good! But things can go horribly wrong if and when either one of them wishes to make a relationship out of this primeval attraction. If the girl is looking to get serious but the boy is already on to his next prey, that’s when the actual drama begins. Remember, a one night stand is invariably a one-night aﬀair. It’ll always be about the physical connect between the individuals. No point expecting something more from it. I’m

not saying that serious relationships may not arise out of it. But that’s as rare as hoping for the India-Pakistan issue to be resolved. Most times, it’s the man who’ll chicken out when things start getting serious. For him the girl he did it with is just another frivolous character who’s not “wife material”, who must have done it with so many others. His own frivolity, however, is a privilege he thinks he owns by virtue of being a man. A one night stand is not pre-meditative in most cases. It’s actually instinctive. Men and women don’t venture out in search of a partner. The demands of modern living, work stress and redundant personal lives make individuals more prone to ﬂattery and indecent proposals. Then there’s this intrinsic human trait to do the damned! We love to transgress territories and anything taboo is exciting and worth doing. Isn’t it? And in that moment of physical bliss, they might overlook the future and the possibility that a cracked rubber has been left unnoticed. But that’s another story for another time.

Vibes goes college hopping! Starting this edition, Vibes’ Campus Call will try to gauge young minds as they speak about issues that jolt us, titillate us or simply make us cringe! So let’s roll the dice with Cotton College…

me up, as more and more co s ub cl t gh ni d an rs ba e As more and mor gradually match up rls gi as , ts in jo ay w gh hi r young guns head out fo e question that comes up th t, en m rt pa de ke ta in l ho to guys in the alco ANTS TO LIVE THE W RL GI A IF AY OK IT IS Y? is—SHOULD GIRLS PART ge students had to say: lle Co on tt Co e m so t ha w ’s HIGH LIFE? Here

ricted re res t “Girls a ways and y in man ong. Why wr ’s t a h t boys ay for is it ok nd not for ty a to par he societ y girls? T change should tlook. u their o ts allow en r a Even p o out but g o t s boy irls. t th e g restric hing is et If som be should th it , d o ba b r ited fo prohib xes.” se EETA - SANG

SHI D E BO R TOK Y BORKO e qual “If we are cts pe in all res n girls e v e n the rink or should d an’t ec W par t y. wings ir e th cut e m up and tie th t they u B ? e at h o m within e b to ne e d . s I think the limit ood g if she’s a know ’ll e h s n perso raw the d where to line.”

HI PALLAVI MED boys bits, for both ha d ba t or oking are ou sm g d in an go ng rls ki gi “Drin harm in no s e’ er th ow s, kn de to and girls. Besi e parents need friends but th ppor tive. If part ying with to be more su ve ha s nt re pa . So, s and still go.” where they go ’ll make excuse ey th nt ge rin st they are ex tra

BINO “ In o D u we re r culture wo m al w contr ays kept u en o n a r e c l b u t thin d e r hang g ing . I s it ’s o k fe go w ay for bot el here h to t h ey But s wi om g o o u e ti m e s g s h . i rls t a nd inde c ently behave they b e ca do us cons n’t know e e t he q u ence p a re n s. th e m t s s h o u l d S o mak awa p r os r e a b o u t e th an d c ons.” e

FARHA N “W should e live in socie n’t und t societ y ermine y so we . We sh t h e no ould liv societ y e in the rms of the an d n o periphe t go b for both boys an eyond it. But t r y of the ha d permits girls. If our co t applies nscienc us t h e n e it ’s fine .”

RIMPY GOGOI “It’s never about girls or boys. If boys can party, girls can too. It’s individual experience that counts. Let the individual decide whether it’s good or bad to party or drink or smoke.”

rom a distance, the stars in the sky look identical: white, shiny and radiant. However, scientists claim that as you get closer, they couldn’t look more diﬀerent. Strangely, the same analogy can be applied to a number of B-Town actors who don’t seem to live up to their respective siblings, who in most cases have seen serious stardom. In very few cases, a pair or trio of kin manage to all become immensely successful and popular. This theory, and indeed it is one, has a number of reasons. For starters, the minute a sibling to any star walks into the big bad world of Bollywood, expectations are set sky rocket high. If and when they do not meet the bar set for them, they aren’t given another chance to redeem or create their own identities. While this may not be fair, it seems to the norm in Bollywood.

THE KAPOOR SISTERS This is one of those rare occasions, when two sisters have managed to come and get some real fame along with critical acclaim. Of course they had their share of roadblocks along the way. Karisma Kapoor found herself signing films which depicted her as a sexy object as opposed to anything else. It was Dharmesh Darshan’s Raja Hindustani which catapulted her to real fame, bagging huge projects commercially and in parallel cinema too. Younger sister Kareena Kapoor was pretty much written off after her debut film Refugee. And while she did go on to become a part of many popular films, it wasn’t until four years into her career when she finally received any real recognition as a versatile actress. Chameli proved to be a film that shot Bebo to starry heights. and brought her a number of other acclaimed movies. When it comes to awards, both sisters pretty much sit equal and while Kareena still reigns, Karisma has found happiness in her domicile.

THE KHAN TRIO No number of hits or ﬂops can take

away the stardom from Salman Khan. Irrespective of his choice of ﬁlms, his role or his characterisation, Salman maintains his stature as one of the most popular actors in the country. However, not the same can be said about his brothers. Arbaaz Khan has repeatedly tried to revive his relatively dead career and despite several attempts ala Pyar

Kiya Toh Darna Kya and one debacle better known as Hello Brother!, he has been unable to do much for himself. Sohail Khan began his career as a director and probably should have remained there. Acting has only led him to take on minuscule roles. Unfortunately, none of Salman’s younger siblings have managed to attain even an ounce of the

Akhtar cast him as the cheesy cute casanova in Dil Chahta Hai. Before that, he was lost in an industry which didn’t have roles for an actor like him. Following DCH, Saif found his niche and overnight, found his bearings. Soha Ali Khan has tried time and again to gain some momentum in her career. She signed on modern ﬁlms, period ﬁlms, kissed on screen and so on, all in the hopes of bringing attention to her talent. But all to no avail. Soha’s career is presently, where it was: nowhere. A quick note to Soha: we know you’re trying but your attempt at a hot photo shoot for a renowned magazine, didn’t work either!

THE HOT AND NOT SHETTY DUO

popularity he has and it doesn’t look like it is going to change.

MUKHERJEE VS. MUKHERJEE It wouldn’t be too ambitious to say that Kajol hit home run in her career from the word go. Even after she decided to take her break and indulge in motherhood, her comeback was awaited with abated breath. And with that she proved that she was clearly an undisputed actress. On the opposite, is her younger and not-as-talented sister Tanisha. While trying to tread in the same path as her older sibling, she only had two ﬁlms that can be spoken about and that too because they were so terrible: Sssshhhh and Neal n Nikki. To be precise, Tanisha’s career was and is a no-show.

One’s career is sizzling and the other’s is as cold as ice. Shilpa Shetty has almost had a fun career if not award-winning. Shamita Shetty on the other hand, hasn’t had any of the two: no fun and definitely, no awards. Of course, Shilpa was at an all time lull before Big Brother happened, but Shamita hasn’t been able to create any buzz about herself or her career. In fact, the actress has had to resort to item numbers in a number of films, just to keep herself in the public eye. And even though Shilpa is seen more on the small screen and in social events nowadays, she still maintains a popularity which is inimitable. Shamita doesn’t even have that. She is rarely seen (or perhaps even invited) to industry events. Maybe, she should consider television to get the recognition, she desperately needs. We could go on and on, but basically you get the gist. If nothing, this entire theory is one of great interest. One can only wonder if this premise has some or any scientific value. And if it doesn’t, it may actually infer a hypothesis, a number of scientists may want to look into.

THE NAWAB AND HIS SISTER Saif Ali Khan found himself when Farhan

elhi dazzles in its contrasting set of milieus — narrow alleys and dingy lanes, posh residences and crowded bastis, roadside markets and departmental stores. And it’s in Delhi that we can see a temple, mosque and gurudwara sharing walls. Being a foodie, I specially love to try out all that the city has to offer in tickling your taste buds. Infact there’s a lot that it offers. Ubiquitous momo stalls and bhuttawalas, fruit vendors and chat-pakori corners, Delhi has it all. In the southern rungs of Delhi, however, is the most popular hub for people who would want to experience ‘the traditional’. It is designed in a way to create an ambience of village bazaars or haats that are a characteristic of the Indian countryside. I personally love to frequent Delhi Haat for the sheer range of choices. And locating a place where I could fi nd Assamese cuisine delighted me. Surfi ng the menu card, the food items spelt Assamese and felt Assamese! It’s an experience on its own to see the names luci bhaji and doi cheera printed on a menu card so far from home. The Assam Stall offers chicken with bamboo shoot, massor tenga as well as coconut balls (laaru) and pitha. There is a Sunday special thali that comes complete with khar, muri ghanta and alu pitika as well. Initially they had Assamese cooks but

not anymore. So the newly hired local cooks had to learn the Assamese way of cooking. It may not be the way our mothers cook but to expect that would be unfair on them. There is a steady ﬂow of visitors all the year round and most of them are non-Assamese. Youngsters, though, hang out here mostly during the college re-opening days when they are more prone to being homesick or rather ‘foodsick’.

ADITYA KIRAN KAKATI

Kwality Walls Parlour- B N B Flavours

creamy chilling sundae serves just right to ward off the sultry summer. At Zoo Road, Guwahati, the best way to quell ice cream cravings is to visit Kwality Walls, just opposite Doordarshan. Drop the ice cream vendors for a change and relish the exciting new flavours available at the parlour. At B N B, they offer sundaes, cremosas, splits, fudges, cakes and brownies in addition to ice creams; all this, at reasonable prices and

hearty helpings. What’s more, dig into their variety of sundaes and combinations - Quickie Cookie, Sincoction, Forbidden Fantasy, French Kiss, Dead by Chocolate and Between the Sheets, Pink Passion and Dumb Blonde – and lose yourself in paradise. You can also make your own sundae or try the ‘Flavour of The Week’. So next time you get a sweet tooth, go berserk on ice creams!

f you’ve always been jealous about the Live Music Café’s in bigger cities, don’t be! Guwahati now has its very own. No kidding! UM Pro Records, Northeast India’s ﬁrst independent record label in association with Brown Bean Café launched the city’s ﬁrst Live Music Café on July 17 at the M.O.F. (Ministry Of Food). Named R.I.P. or Rock In Peace, this weekly event will surely garner quite a few fans.

Tucked in a building basement in front of Gauhati Commerce College, MOF is a sought after destination for the city’s young crowd. With two food counters oﬀering Indo-Chinese and other continental tid-bits (courtesy Brown Bean Café) even your taste buds will not mind a trip down here. So, go grab a bite, or better still, butt in on a Saturday and ‘Rock In Peace’! WORDS: POOJA CHAKRABORTY

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAMAL KALITA

he incident begins with three engineering college friends – SS, RV and I, participating in an open-for-all national quiz completion. After getting eliminated in the 1st round against the Big Boys of quiz, we thought it wise to grab a CCD coffee before heading to our hostel. Then came the wrong idea! RV suggested going to ‘THE GREAT KABAAB FACTORY’ adjacent to the CCD instead. Buying the brilliant idea, we reached the door of the restaurant, when it was invitingly spun open for us by a fine lady, and we were directed to a table where another lady immediately drew the chairs for us. The abundant hospitality did strike us for a moment, but we went on with doubtful faces. After nodding our familiarity with the restaurant’s menu trend (the error), we ordered our ‘nonveg’ meal. The waitress went off… for… quite… a… while! We were almost worried about the time, when seven different types of kebabs were served, with requests for any one that we found special. The pay would be same for any number of kebabs we had. BANG! What the hell’s going to be the bill? We checked our pockets

immediately. I had 4, chanky had 3 and RV also had 3…..hundred rupee notes I mean. We relaxed at the thought that it was quite enough for a good meal. What we didn’t expect was the response when we asked for the bill. “Sir, wouldn’t you have the biryani, the raita and the dessert?” A single meal cost around 500 bucks, we learnt pretty late, which meant 1600 bucks for our trio. We were officially screwed! Among the three of us, only RV had his card which seemingly was low on balance. Being a ‘man’ of course (!), he declined checking his balance and we risked filling up our tummies with an imminent doom hanging over our heads. Our bill came to Rs 1680. RV proudly gave away his Visa debit card while SS and I sat biting our nails, almost ready to tell the waiter “How is that possible? Check it again!” When the waiter came for RV’s signature, we couldn’t believe we had actually “paid”. SS swore never to go to that restaurant again. RV and I didn’t quite do that. I mean, the restaurant was nice, food was brilliant, and hospitality was remarkable! We just had to warp our silly day into a tell-tale adventure… WORDS : ABHISEKH BARBARUA

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nce in a while, as I take an auto to college just to break away from the monotony of travelling by bus, I have never been able to cross a signal at a main junction without having to stop for the RED light. Now, think about this - you know you might be running late, you message your classmate and she says ‘OK, but hurry up, madam Hitler is in college already’ and then the heat is creating the necessary discomfort in terms of sweat and tan, when suddenly out of nowhere you see a

eunuch and the hands touching you and asking for alms. Come on! Utterly cheap and horrendous is what I can say, because I can so make out that the eunuch is actually a GUY and just trying to get into that awful looking sari and make some quick bucks. What the hell is wrong with them? No wonder we tend to develop negative feelings for the real ones. So, this is what the ‘pretending’ eunuchs should do! Buzz off, scoot off.... get a life and if they have to take to begging, do it as a MAN. WORDS: SUMAANA

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