NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Spotlight
Cover Story
Collaboration Reigns Supreme
The sway of storytelling Delving into the unparalleled charm of Kathak in the Subcontinent
Salt Arts is an entertainment agency that aims to build artistically sensitive audiences in Pakistan
17
22
Travel
The art of travel A trip to the beautiful city of Venice to take in the Biennale
28
Travel
In the shadow of the past
Home to beautiful beaches, Goa’s colonial history weighs heavily on its ethos
32
Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about 38
with beautiful people 36 Reviews: Music Positive Pakistani: For the love of books
Magazine Incharge: Dilaira Dubash. Senior Subeditors: Sanam Maher and Ali Haider Habib. Subeditors: Komal Anwar and Aesha Munaf Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Eesha Azam and Sanober Ahmed Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk 4 Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES Supreet Atkar, Sylvana Jadir and Nadya Tahir
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS
Riwayat organises Pakistan Fashion Week in London
Hajira Ahmad, Nadia Malik and Hajra Laljee
Fouzia Aman and Rana Noman
6 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Erum Khan
Chris East, Adnan Ansari and Sahiba
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Sukeshi Pabari and Pabari
Maham Malik and Shazee Malik
Shivani Ahluwalia and Rabia Malik
8 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Uzma Ramzan, Sahar Farid and Nadya Faisal
Sofia Qayyum and Ilmaas
Sara Khan
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Rima Farid
Ammara Iqbal and Sana Saqlain
Huma and Uzma Pervez
10 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Hipster launches its flagship store in Lahore
Roshnay Mirza
Sabina Ali
Amber Liaqat
PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR
Anaum Hammad
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Mahnoor Mobeen and Rabia Nehal
Aden and Rehan
Ahmed Kardar and Maham
12 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Dr Saima
Kanwal Ilyas
Aliha
PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR
Noor, Sumera and Falak Amir
PEOPLE & PARTIES Faiza Malik organises a trunk show at Ensemble Dubai for Diwali
Rehaab and Roha Daud
Samia Shahnawaz, Mahvish Gul Aikal and Aleena Shah
14 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Kashish Hemnani
Nina Khan and Sanam Chaudhri
Sadia Butt
Mehreen Malik
Sabah Zaman, Zainab Chottani and Afrah Sami
Alicia
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS
Mehwish Usman
Sadiq Saleem and Zarmineh
Sarah Sharief, Sarah Tariq Khan and Faiza Malik
Mehreen Noorani
Samra Khan
15 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
COLLABORATION
SUPREME
Salt Arts is an entertainment agency that aims to build artistically sensitive audiences in Pakistan
BY RAANIA AZAM KHAN DURRANI DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM
Natasha Beyg, member of musical ensemble Sounds of Kolachi. PHOTO CREDIT: SITWAT RIZVI
Sounds of Kolachi performing at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi. PHOTO CREDIT: AHMER QURESHI
S
alt Arts is a music, art and entertainment agency, specialising in the creative production of events, artist management, audience development, and intercultural exchange. It is committed to enriching artists and subcultures in South Asia, and beyond. Trusting the power of inter-disciplinary movement, and collective spirit, Salt Arts believes in collaboration at every level. In August 2015, after years of working as an artist, and manager of the arts, I found myself looking for new directions. Salt Arts was co-founded by me and Junaid Iqbal in September 2015. Schoolmates and friends, we are both driven by our work, are multi-taskers and find great satisfaction in problem-solving. Salt Arts came from Junaid’s entrepreneurial aspirations and risk-taking abilities, and my identity and experience as a cultural practitioner. Junaid is currently the Managing Director for Careem in Pakistan. The first few discussions happened in my kitchen where we both realised it was time to dive in and invest our skills into something that would allow boundless possibilities. We quickly became one of those people who work around the clock from kitchen tables and cafés. Hasan Waliany came on as the design consultant and helped with the conceptual development for Salt Arts and its projects. He is now one of the core team members, and works directly with me on creative strategy and execution. Sitwat Rizvi came on board as a photographer with a deep interest in storytelling, portraiture 18 and experimentation, and was immediately interested in NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
For start-ups, the most terrifying thought is little or no public support. People are often resistant to new ideas and question your enthusiasm and vision the idea of building identities and strengthening the image of the artist. Hamna Haqqi, a young spark, came on as a junior creative producer. Mary Therese Kurkalang, an arts manager and friend in Delhi, joined the team as an advisor for international projects. Within a month, Salt Arts was born, and content was released to the public on September 20, 2015. Salt Arts intends on enriching and uplifting cultural landscapes by developing audiences — converting intenders to attendees — via quality programming, and design. It promises to handle the curation, management and production of events, leaving performers and artists to focus on delivering their content. It provides creative direction not only to artists, but also to corporations and organisations that want to integrate the arts into their regular activities.
For start-ups, the most terrifying thought is little or no public support. People are often resistant to new ideas and question your enthusiasm and vision. However, it is for us to cling to our values so that the audience and collaborators offer trust and support in due time. We work with everyone who is committed to quality. We are open to ideas. We lead but we also listen. At Salt Arts, collaboration reigns supreme.
Salt Arts functions on variables and revenue-sharing models, which focus on the collective win. More than just a middle man, Salt Arts enables conceptual development, visual management, and strategic planning to ensure quality creative productions for the benefit of the performers and the audience. The last thing we want is for the drummer to leave the stage mid-performance to resolve issues, or for a singer to take time off from rehearsal to negotiate. Hence, we formed the Salt Arts Collective which is a group of individuals and organisations who work together for a common goal. Salt Arts’ first public production was held on October 10, 2015, where it reintroduced the Sounds of Kolachi — a 12-person ensemble — with a new look and a refreshed musical style. The project was a true collaboration since band members were open to creative direction, and together we produced ‘The Salt Shaker — Series 01’ — a series of events curated and produced by Salt Arts. The event was held at an integral part of the Salts Arts Collective, the Alliance Francaise de Karachi — a multi-faceted space boasting beautiful gardens, a library and café, led by Jean Francoise Chenin. So far, our greatest win has been the validation that comes from witnessing a deeply invested and diverse audience. It was even more satisfying when audience members began tweeting in disbelief that the event began on time. We are now planning to hold a series of concerts this season, along with a major online release, and inter-city and international projects. The kitchen table office is very current and hip, and sounds cool but eventually things get tough. A start-up has no down-time and an office of workaholics which never closes. Keeping this in mind, Salt Arts will be moving into an office space at the Alliance Francaise de Karachi in a month. Besides having a physical space for administrative use, we will also be collaborating with the AFK as a venue and vision partner for regular programming. One of our main goals is nurturing a new generation of listeners and attendees — hence, children’s programming is high on our priority list. We want to add value to the experience of festivals, performances and exhibitions so that children and adults get pulled away from the hypnotic screens they are hooked onto.
Raania Azam Khan Durrani is the Co-Founder/Artistic Director at Salt Arts.
Co-founder of Salt Arts, Junaid Iqbal.PHOTO CREDIT: JUNAID IQBAL’S COLLECTION
Co-founder of Salt Arts, Raania Azam Khan Durrani. PHOTO CREDIT: MARIAM ISMAIL
COVER STORY
The
Of
Storytelling
Delving into the unparalleled charm of Kathak in the subcontinent TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ALLY ADNAN DESIGN BY HIRA FAREED
‘Tells a story hence called the storyteller’ is one of the most popular forms of dance in India and Pakistan. It evolved from the tradition of storytelling that was established in South Asia when the Aryans migrated to the region in the 15th Century BC. The simple art of storytelling developed into a mature dance in the 25 centuries that followed, and was an established and important form of dance by the 10th Century AD. The word kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word for storyteller, kathaka, and is used to represent both the dancer and the dance form. Song, music, dance, mime, acting, and narration are all used in kathak to tell sensitive, elaborate stories that engage the audience. Originally, kathak was deeply rooted in Hinduism, being performed in temples for centuries. Nomadic performers also practiced kathak in the region. The arrival of Muslims from Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey in the 8th Century influenced the culture of the region, and as they continued migrating, Kathak absorbed Muslim elements of music, dance, dress and aesthetics. The fundamentally simple dance started moving from the temples and streets to the courts and palaces of the Rajput, and subsequently the Mughals, in the 11th Century. This introduced greater refinement, elaborate etiquette, complex technique, and elegant dress to kathak. In Muslim courts, the focus of kathak shifted from telling stories about Hindu mythology to technique, skill, rhythmic virtuosity, and speed. The resulting dance was truly secular, neither Hindu nor Muslim, but highly sophisticated, refined and distinct. There are two primary aspects of kathak: nritta, the technical aspect, and nritiya, the 23 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
COVER STORY expressional aspect. Nritta is pure dance that focuses on taal, the rhythmic cycle, and laya, the tempo. The expressional aspect of kathak, the nritiya, focuses on abhinaya or the art of histrionics, and employs the body, sounds, visuals, and emotions. Nritta is performed to a specific taal, typically in one of three layas: vilambit (slow), madh (medium), or drut (fast). The first beat of the taal is known as sam. A recurring musical refrain, known as the lehra, is played throughout the dance on the sarangi, harmonium, flute or sitar, and it is accompanied by a percussionist on the tabla or the pakahwaj. One complete cycle, the aavardi, begins and culminates in the sam and encompasses a single complete phrase of the lehra. A large set of items is available to kathaks for the performance of nritta. The performance usually begins with a combination of one or more of four items — vandana, aamad, thaath and salami. Vandana is a prayer offered to one of the deities, aamad is the entry of the dancer on the stage, thaath is the graceful style of standing, and salami refers to the salutation made to the audience in a distinctly Muslim style. After the introductory elements, the dancer performs composed pieces that consist of bols (mnemonic syllables), which are of five types. These are the alphabets of tabla, pakhawaj and kathak, numbers, and the sargam. A dancer usually recites the composed pieces before their execution. The skillful recitation of bols is known as parhant. Short composed pieces are known as tukras whereas the long ones are called toras. These pieces are played on the tabla while the dancer performs them on stage. There are many types of the composed pieces such as the ginti, natwari, parmalu, saada, and sangeet varieties. Composed pieces that are played on the pakhawaj are known as parans. A tihaii is a rhythmic pattern that is executed three times in succession and is often used to end toras and parans. A kavit is a short poem fixed in a specific taal. The style of walking is known as gat. Tatkar refers to footwork which 24 is performed throughout the recital but at NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
greater length, and with more complexity, towards the end of a performance. A lari is a composition of footwork that ends in a tihaii. A tihaii that is repeated three times is known as chakardar. Nritiya is usually performed to the musical genres of thumri, dadra, kajri, kafi, bhajan, or ghazal, typically in madh laya. The dancer uses the lyrical, emotional and spiritual content of the song as the foundation of nritiya and communicates with the audience using variations of movements, gestures and expressions. Nritiya requires creativity, imagination and ingenuity in addition to knowledge, expertise and virtuosity. The success of a performance of nritiya depends almost entirely on the dancer’s emotional resourcefulness, interpretive ability and creative brilliance; a command over taal and laya is necessary but far from sufficient to perform nritiya expertly. A kathak employs four abhinayas, with varying levels of emphasis, in the performance of nritiya. Angika abhinaya refers to the use of the movement of the various parts of the body to narrate a story. The movements of the hands, or hastak, and facial expressions, or mukhaj abhinaya, fall under the category of angika abhinaya. Vachika abhinaya involve the use of speech and song. Ahariya abhinaya employ costumes, jewelry, make-up, stage design, props, and decorative items. Sattvika abhinaya deals with the expression and communication of spiritual, emotional, transcendent, and numinous states. Nine primary types of ras, emotional essence, are communicated through kathak — compassion, disgust, fury, heroism, horror, laughter, love, peace and wonder. Eight of these were defined by Bharat Mani in
Nine primary types of ras, emotional essence, are communicated through kathak — compassion, disgust, fury, heroism, horror, laughter, love, peace and wonder
The simple art of storytelling developed into a mature dance by the 10th Century AD.
The fundamentally simple dance started moving from the temples and streets to the courts and palaces of the Rajput, and subsequently the Mughals, in the 11th Century
the Natya Shastra, an ancient treatise on the performing arts, written between 200 BCE and 200 CE. A ninth rasa — peace — was added later. Each ras has an associated deity and colour.
Gharanas There are five major gharanas or schools of kathak. These are the Benares, Jaipur, Lahore, Lucknow, and Raigarh gharanas. The Benaras gharana was established by Pandit Janakiprasad who was a kathak from the village of Mailsur in Bikaner, India. Moving to Benares at a very young age, he made the holy city his home. This school of kathak strongly retains elements of the dance’s Hindu origin and adopts very little of the Muslim influences on it. The dance bols used in this gharana belong purely to kathak and are known as natwari bols. Dancers of the gharana execute chakkars or spins both clockwise and
anti-clockwise, strike their heels frequently, employ bhajans — Hindu devotional songs — extensively, and cover greater expanses of the dance floor. The Jaipur gharana is one of the two major schools of kathak. It developed in the courts of Kachwaha rulers of Jaipur in Rajasthan who supported kathak and other performing arts with great enthusiasm and developed the school under their patronage. The gharana is known for complex tatkaar, intricate compositions, technical brilliance, and great rhythmic virtuosity. Dancers of the gharana use the pakhawaj more than the tabla since they prefer to perform long and complicated parans. The Lucknow gharana developed during the reigns of Nawab Asif Ud Daula and Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Oudh. The foundation of the gharana was laid by Ishwari Prasajdi, who hailed from the village of Handiya in Allahabad. His grandson, Prakashji,
Kathak involves song, music, dance, mime, acting, and narration.
Kathak tells sensitive, elaborate stories that engage the audience.
became the court dancer for Nawab Asif Ud Daula and his son Thakur Prasad Maharaj was the teacher of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and the principal dancer in his court. Thakur Prasad Maharaj is said to be the true founder of the gharana. Dancers of the gharana are known for grace, elegance and poise and for placing an equal emphasis on nritiya and nritta. A direct descendant of Ishwari Prasadji, Birju Maharaj is the chief representative of the gharana and considered by many to be the greatest kathak alive today. The Lahore gharana is an offshoot of the Lucknow gharana and was founded by Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak who was a student of Achhan Kathak is one of the most beautiful representations Maharaj of of the soul of India and Pakistan. the Lucknow g h a r a n a . M a h a r a j moved to Pakistan after Partition and developed a more stylised form of kathak that focused primarily on aesthetic b e a u t y , sophistication and poise. Developed in virtual isolation from the global world of kathak, this form came to be known as the Lahore gharana. The students of Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak continue to represent this gharana. The confluence and convergence of different styles, ideas, theories, and philosophies resulted in the formation of the
Raigarh gharana. It was founded by Maharaja Chakardhar Singh in the princely state of Raigarh in the beginning of the 20th Century. The prince was a patron of the arts, a skilled tabla player, a scholar of kathak and the author of more than 15 books on music and dance. He would invite a large number of percussionists and dancers to his court so that they could learn from each other and work to advance the art of kathak. The luminaries of this gharana included Pandits Jagannath Prasad and Jailal of the Jaipur gharana and Kalka Prasadji, Achhan Maharaj, Lachhan Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj of the Lucknow gharana. Male kathaks traditionally dance wearing just a dhoti — a rectangular piece of cloth tied around the waist — and no shirt. Muslim influence added two costumes, the angrakha and the simple kurta worn with a pajama. Female kathaks traditionally performed in saris but Muslim influence added more options like the lehnga and choli worn with a dupatta. A lehnga made of sheer cloth, worn with a churidaar pajama is the most appropriate costume for female kathaks because it allows viewers to see the dancer’s legs through the translucency. It also flares in a dramatic fashion during the chakkars which are an integral part of kathak. Over a period of more than 35 centuries, kathak has continued to grow in form, content, technique, and repertoire and has become an increasingly secular art form. Twenty-first Century kathak incorporates elements of the opulent splendor of Mughal courts, the ethos of Hindu temples, and the aesthetics of Persian art forms, along with the literature, poetry, music, and dance of not just the Subcontinent but the entire world. It is one of the most beautiful representations of the soul of India and Pakistan.
Ally Adnan is a visiting professor at the Department of Musicology at Punjab University. He tweets @allyadnan NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
27
T
The art of
ravel
Sweet serenade: a gondolier steering his gondola along one of the azure canals of the fantasy-like city. PHOTO COURTESY: WIKIMEDIA
A trip to the beautiful city of Venice to take in the Biennale BY SHANZAY SUBZWARI DESIGN BY MARYAM RASHID
For someone who lives and breathes art, a trip to Europe this year entailed an obligatory visit to Venice to attend the 2015 Venice Biennale. Founded in 1895, the bi-annual exhibition is one of the oldest and most important international contemporary art shows in the world. This year, the number of participating countries jumped to 89, but it was two particular countries that piqued my interest: for the first time this year, India and Pakistan collaborated on an exhibit, entitled ‘My East is your West’. India exhibited at the Biennale for the first time four years ago, while Pakistan last participated in the international show in 1956.
The journey begins Venice is a city built on more than 100 small islands. Interestingly, there are no cars or roadways here — just canals, bridges and boats, which builds the illusion of a doll-like, make-believe city. As we walked towards the main square, Piazza San Marco, and admired St Mark’s Basilica — a marvel of Italo-Byzantine architecture with its exquisite mosaics — we spotted posters and notices reminding us that the art biennale awaited us. Titled ‘All The World’s Futures’, the expansive 56th Venice Biennale is curated by Okwui Enwezor, the first African curator of the show, and runs from May to November this year. The Biennale showcases the works of 136 artists representing 89 nationalities and exhibits are scattered across the city, from the Giardini — which is home to ‘pavilions’ or dedicated exhibit spaces curated by artists from each participating country — to the Arsenale (a former shipyard and naval depot) and outlying areas. The first show we looked at was at the Palazzo delle Prigoini, a historical building and former prison, where we were introduced to the work of Taiwanese artist Wu Tien-Chang titled ‘Never Say Goodbye’. As we entered the space, a curtain was raised and
Which face will you put on?: A delightful array of beautiful masks at a typical mask vendor’s shop in Venice. PHOTO COURTESY:THEBRIDALGUIDE.CA
amid flashy light bulbs, a video installation came to life. It displayed a masked sailor, robotically walking to Taiwanese music. Around the room, a light-box installation displayed eerily illuminated faces in various Renaissance garbs against a modern cityscape. Tien-Chang’s pieces awed and irked us, as they melodramatically spoke of the tension between the human ‘soul’ and ‘physique’, as well as the various roles man has to play. Walking on ahead, a little fatigued, we spotted a little inviting garden, and proceeded to rest for a while on its benches. Here, we noticed something strange — a ‘choppedoff’ tree we stood next to had a little sign next to it, which read, ‘Ursula Von Rydingsvard — USA’. A closer look at the space around us made us realise we were in Yorkshire Sculpture Park, with meticulously engineered cedar sculptures that merged with the surroundings so well that they were hard to discern. Rydingsvard’s other sculptures in stone and glass made us contemplate the passage of time — an effect heightened by the historical neighborhood surrounding the park. Heading out, we spotted a faint red square (the emblem of the Biennale) on a poster far ahead. Following the red sign, we arrived at the Central Pavilion of Giardini — the original historical spot for the Biennale, where 30 national pavilions can be found. For the next three to four hours, we wandered amongst the artworks, many of which contained strong references to history and capitalist ideas. The Russian Pavilion, with work by Irina Nakhova, turned out to be my favourite at the Giardini. As we entered the space, we found a huge gas mask sculpture fixed to the floor, with its respiratory tube disappearing into a wall. Behind the giant mask were a pair of life-like eyes. What shocked us was that the eyes moved, nervously looking here and there, often in a desperate plea towards the viewer. How was this piece even created? What could it mean? In history, the gas mask has been a symbol for nuclear fallout. But today, it means something else: humanity’s inability to safeguard its environment and keep it’s air clean enough to breathe. Another work that resonated with me was 30 Pamela Rosenkranz’s pool of pink-tinged water at the Swiss NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
India exhibited at the Biennale for the first time four years ago, while Pakistan last participated in the international show in 1956 Pavilion. As I tiptoed close to the 6-foot high wall to see the liquid, I thought of harmful chemical treatments and floods and their devastating effects. In the brightly painted, custard-yellow British pavilion, twisted, phallic sculptures screamed out ‘Sarah Lucas’ — any art aficionado could recognise the former YBA’s (Young British Artists) signature style. Lucas’ aim was, as her statement suggested, to have having the “appearance of a dessert” in her work and to “flood the pavilion with sunlight and put everyone in a good mood”. Lucas successfully achieved these two goals, but the work left one questioning why, after more than two decades, this YBA prodigy has not moved beyond the humdrum of provocative art and titillating imagery.
My East is your West The Biennale showcases the works of 136 artists representing 89 nationalities and exhibits are scattered across the city, from the central pavilion at Giardini to the Arsenale, and outlying areas
Visitors admire one of the three mobiles trees, part of “Revolutions” by French artist Celeste BoursierMougenot at the French pavilion on May 5 in Venice. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
A number of prominent Pakistani artists such as Imran Qureshi, Khalil Chishtee, Bani Abidi, and Huma Mulji were represented at the Biennale either in pavilions, such as Azerbaijan (the oil-rich nation could afford to host two national pavilions) and Iran, or in independent displays. These works were housed in historical buildings or at the Arsenale (a former military complex for the Italian navy). Pakistani artist Rashid Rana and Mumbai-based artist Shilpa Gupta were represented together in the Palazzo Benzon, in the centre of Venice on the Grand Canal. Their joint presentation, My East is Your West, was funded by an Indian philanthropic organisation, The Gujral Foundation. “Whilst we share a common history, we have a divided present,” explained Director and Founder Feroze Gujral of The Gujral Foundation. “We are now working together for a more collaborative future.” Presented in collaboration with the Lahore Biennale, Rana’s piece ‘Shuhuud-o-shaahid — mashhuud’ created a virtual connection between Venice and a mirrored room in Lahore. In both spaces, visitors viewed and interacted with each other via a livestream, thus, blurring the boundaries between the viewer and the viewed, and, according to Rana, “drawing a reflection of the ‘self’ in an image of the ‘other’”. Rana felt, with artists from two historically tense countries coming to converse under one umbrella, his and Gupta’s works subvert “nation state representation” as is traditional at Venice, while also addressing this very problem. This made us question, did Pakistan not need its own pavilion? Or in this globalised world where international galleries represent many local artists, would that have been pointless? A great part of our Venetian adventure consisted of visits to mask vendors, postcard retailers and cafes to gorge on pizzas and hot chocolate. At every corner, gelato shops served a unique variety of flavours, and immigrants sold fake branded bags to wide-eyed tourists, ever ready to fold up the displays at the slightest hint of policemen. After two intense days of absorbing the sights and sounds of the bustling little city, we sat across a canal on our last night and watched the water softly lap beside the dimly lit homes. In the background, a singer crooned in a language we knew little of, but her voice was enough to soothe us. In that moment, I realised that the art Venice had to offer was not limited to the Biennale or its ageless buildings — it lay all around us. Shanzay Subzwari is an artist and art writer based in Karachi. She tweets @ShanzaySubzwari
31 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
TRAVEL
In the shadow of the past
Home to beautiful beaches, Goa’s colonial history weighs heavily on its ethos BY NAEEM SAHOUTARA PHOTOS BY ATHAR KHAN DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED
A view of the Casa Severina Hotel.
Maria Helena Souza and her son Lloyd Souza sit in their 400-year-old house (left) in Goa’s heart, Panaji.
DJ Lui Fernandes, 45, playing music at Baga Beach, one of the world’s most beautiful places for beach parties. Joseph Sequeira is the deputy punch of Calangut’s Village Panchayat and the owner of Casa Severina Hotel.
Lloyd Souza and Nadia Souza hold each other’s hands as they move their bodies to the beat of traditional Cuban music. The young couple step forward and backward in unison and in excitement, amid applause. “Everyone in India knows about Goa’s craze for parties,” explains Lloyd, a 40-year-old Catholic Christian. “Dance is an integral part of life in Goa.” Dances such as this one are almost a daily feature in Goa, home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. This culture of celebration and dance is part the legacy of the Portuguese empire that ruled this part of the world for more than five centuries. Lloyd and his wife Nadia are doctors by profession and they live in the Calangute area of the provincial capital of Panjim. These days, the couple is working hard to earn a name as good dancers. “We rehearse every day at home when we get done with our work,” Lloyd explains. “We are participating in the international ballroom dance competition starting next week in India.”
Goa remained one of the colonies of the Empire of Portugal for 500 years, resulting in the conversion of the many indigenous Hindus to Christianity. Marriages between the Portuguese and locals further cemented the coloniser’s deep cultural influence in the coastal region On a humid monsoon evening, Souza’s mother, Maria Helene Souza, welcomes us into her traditionally decorated home. “This house is 400-years-old and is built in traditional Portuguese style,” Helene explains. Black and white portraits of her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents hang on the walls. Five generations have lived under this roof, surrounded by well-maintained green lawns and fortified by small boundary walls. “My grandson is the sixth generation living in this house,” the 86-year-old professor, who retired two years ago, proudly says. And even at her age, Helene shares her son’s love for dance.
Goa remained one of the colonies of the Empire of Portugal for 500 years, resulting in the conversion of the many indigenous Hindus to Christianity. Marriages between the Portuguese and locals further cemented the coloniser’s deep cultural influence in the coastal region. This cultural mix is visible even today in almost every house. “Portuguese culture is so ingrained in our society that we live the way they used to,” Maria says. “Today, Goa is part of India, but culturally it still remains Portuguese.” The evenings in Goa are pleasant, as the cool sea breeze passes tall coconut and sprawling cashew trees. Buildings here are painted bright colours and 33 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
TRAVEL young men and women wearing shorts and loose T-shirts stand next to gleaming motorbikes that are rented out to tourists. “Goa is very peaceful, with hardly any crime,” Helene says, explaining that the region has a 100% literacy rate. Panjim became Goa’s provincial capital after an epidemic killed thousands in Old Goa in the 17th Century. It has since become the busiest tourist place here, with attractions including the 16th Century St. Xavier Francis Church, the Spices Garden and so on. Christians, who largely adopted Portuguese culture and religion, form up to 29% of Goa’s population of 1.817 million, according to the 2012 statistics. Joseph Sequeira, the deputy panch of the Calangute Village Panchayat, is one of many Christian hotel-owners here. “Life had never been so easy on this land,” he says, sipping coffee in Casa Severina, a hotel named after his grandmother. “I used to go to school barefoot and my sisters were maids for a Parsi family.” The 50-year-old hotel-owner began his career in the services industry as a trainee waiter soon after he obtained a senior
secondary school certificate 30 years ago. Today, his assets are worth INR40 million. His only son is a manager at one of the country’s best hotels — the Taj Mahal. Under the Portuguese occupation, hundreds of thousands of Goans migrated worldwide in search of greener pastures, as the coastal province largely remained underdeveloped. A small community of Goans made their home in Karachi — another colony under the British Empire. However, long after the days of empires, the Goans of Pakistan and India don’t have much in common, as visa restrictions remain strict between the two countries. “My father used to visit Africa and he would always try to dock at Karachi because he liked it so much,” Helene recalls. “We have never been to Pakistan because none of our relatives live there. But, we have never tried either because of the visa restrictions.”
The writer is a staff correspondent who visited India as part of a journalism exchange program organised by the East West Center. He tweets @NaeemSahoutara
Today, Goa is part of India, but culturally it still remains Portuguese Maria Helene Souza
A mobile tea stall on a bicycle at Baga Beach.
MUSIC
36
Rocking with the dead NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
Star-studded supergroup Hollywood Vampires resurrects timeless rock and roll classics BY ALI HAIDER HABIB
There are supergroups and then there is Alice Cooper’s Hollywood Vampires. Named after celebrity drinking club ‘Godfather of Shock Rock’ formed in the 70s, the band was formed this year to honour the music of rock stars who died of excess in the same decade. Comprising Cooper, actor/guitarist Johnny Depp and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, the band’s first record features the who’s who of rock and roll. Paul McCartney, Slash, Joe Walsh — the list of featured musicians is really a star-studded affair. As a record with all these veteran musicians should, it sounds like vintage classic rock, albeit slickly produced. The album has three two-song medleys and a number of covers of classic rock acts such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Pink Floyd, T-Rex and Jimi Hendrix. It kicks off with a spoken intro paying ode to the departed rock stars. Narrated by the late Sir Christopher Lee, it sets the tone for what is to come: a greasy platter of groovy riffs, pounding rhythm and throaty vocals. The album’s second track, Raise the Dead, is one of the originals on the album. Written by Cooper and Depp with Bob Ezrin, it’s typical Cooper, who still seems to be in his element even after years of debauchery. He bears testament to the fact that if you’re a talented musician and not dead at 27, you’ll probably live as long as Keith Richards. A driving cover of The Who’s My Generation comes next. Bruce Witkin’s bass tone is pretty close to John Entwistle’s low end rumble and the thick, creamy guitars make for a cleaned up, suited version of the 1965 classic. Look elsewhere if you’re one of the stiff necked ones who cling to the grit of the original. But if modern tones and close miking make your boat float, this cover is definitely not going to put you down. Whole Lotta Love, on the other hand, is a whole different story. Starting with an ambient staccato synth riff, the iconic
distorted guitar riff makes an entry after the first verse. AC/DC’s Brian Johnson belts out the lyrics with Cooper, lending the song his frantic bellow. Spirit’s I Got a Line on You gets a rocking makeover in Hollywood Vampires, while The Doors’ medley of Five to One/Break on Through features the man Robby Krieger himself. There’s something about listening to Kreiger on this record that makes one want to punch the air. With the music over for half of the band already, Kreiger refuses to turn off the lights. And it’s still incredibly beautiful. The medley of Three Dog Night’s One and Harry Nilsson’s Jump into the Fire features Perry Farrel, Kreiger and Dave Grohl among others, but even so, is one of the flatter tracks in the record. Perhaps, a case of too many cooks spoiling the rocket sauce. Hollywood Vampires’ version of The Beatles’ Come and Get it features Sir Paul McCartney on piano, bass and vocals. Needless to say, McCartney’s still got it. So, when he sings “But you better hurry ‘cause it’s going fast”, you know it’s not his mojo that he’s talking about. Hendrix’s Manic Depression gets a nod by Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, while other standout tracks include T-Rex’s Jeepster and the closing original track, My Dead Drunk Friends, a fitting close to a record dedicated to a booze-soaked era of excess. The medley of School’s Out and Another Brick in the Wall is a strange though fun marriage — the kind that takes place on a weekend in Las Vegas after a night of binge drinking and ends on a Monday. Hollywood Vampires’ self-titled debut record takes no prisoners; either you’ll love the covers and the few originals or you’ll miss the point. It won’t change your life, but it will make you remember the songs that did. T
Alice Cooper bears testament to the fact that if you’re a talented musician and not dead at 27, you’ll probably live as long as Keith Richards
Ali Haider Habib is a senior subeditor on the magazine desk. He tweets @haiderhabib
37 NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
POSITIVE
PAKISTANIS
For the love of books Arzaan Chacha is a quaint blessing in disguise for students struggling financially BY SABIR SHAH HOTI DESIGN BY ESSA MALIK PHOTO COURTESY SAEED BACHA
Saeed Bacha, affectionately known as Arzaan Chacha.
A
rzaan Chacha or ‘economical uncle’ is the affectionate name given to Saeed Bacha, a janitor at Islamia College Peshawar. In the age of predatory commercialism, Arzaan Chacha has devoted his life to the well-being of poor students, opening up a bookshop where he sells books and other stationery items without any retail profit. You even get two free ballpoints free when you buy a book. Chacha has devoted his time to facilitate children who are mostly orphans or from low-income backgrounds. He hopes to help them overcome the hurdle of poverty in their road to education. He is sensitive to the pains of deprivation as he himself could not go to school because of financial considerations. Belonging to a poor family, he barely went to school for three days when he had to start earning to support his family. Arzaan Chacha was born in the village of Dallo Khan in Lakki Marwat and since there was no custom of recording birth dates in those days, he is not sure about his age. According to his parents, however, he was born in 1947, after the birth of Pakistan. Always a bright child with an avid interest in things around him, it was unfortunate that he did not get to study in a school. He joined the Pakistan Army as a constable and took part in the 1965 and 1971 wars. In 1982, he retired from the army. The 1987 appointment letter from the Islamia College for the post of a watchman is what marked his journey to fulfill his one wish in life — to work for the promotion of education. While performing his watchman duties, Chacha observed 38 that many students from less affluent backgrounds were NOVEMBER 8-14 2015
unable to buy books and pens. This was the trigger which led to him opening his own bookshop. He invests the amount of both his pensions into buying books at concessional prices and helping students who have no other way. The practice of giving free ballpoints with the purchase of every book has earned him a lot of respect from the Islamia University staff as well as students. Other book sellers are, however, unhappy with Arzaan Chacha’s ways of selling stationery because their own businesses get affected and they usually complain about him. They even threaten him but he goes on, unflinchingly serving humanity. “Education has become a flourishing business and a source of making money, which is not a good sign for the already deprived younger generation of the country,” he says. During his employment at Islamia College, he has encountered a lot of extraordinary students who were unable to continue their education because of lack of resources. “It is true that people cannot be educated without financial help, but using the education system to make money is unethical and inappropriate,” he says. Expressing his dismay, he says the system of education in Pakistan is rotten to the core. “Although the number of educational institutions is increasing day by day, it is horrifying to see that these institutions do not aim to educate, but to generate funds and popularise their own brand,” laments Chacha.“My only wish is to see an educated, prosperous Pakistan.”T
Sabir Shah Hoti is a coordinator at the Peshawar Bureau of Express News.