The Score Magazine August 2010

Vol 03 Issue 03 August 2010

For Private Circulation Only ISSN 0974 – 9128

LUCKY ALI gets candid on Prince, Chennai summers and Xsuie.

GUTHRIE GOVAN Rockstar royalty with a wit that SPARES NONE

ENRIQUE IGELESIAS ESCAPADES OF the moleless wonder

the edit PAD

i nside

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lavors are forever. Chennai, in essence, couldn’t get any better...or so you thought. Beyond filter coffee, jasmines, the Central station, December music season, Super Singer, Kalakshetra, Marina and Bessi, there’s also a quaint music scene that ebbs and flows with all of Chennai’s multicultural brilliance. For almost three years now, we’ve been capturing that essence of namma Chennai, with dashes of many things western and, well, Indian. For the ardent music lover, Chennai is a place with no room for complaints.

The Score magazine brings a snapshot of the whiff of the city’s seasonal flavor, with every issue. With talent in abundance, Navin Iyer (whose grace extended beyond the flute and to our hour-long photo-shoot), Edward Maya (who exemplifies the flavor of social media – time to give up, cynics!) and visitors like Guthrie Govan, Chennai always delivers. Here’s a shout out to Lucky Ali for being a great cover star!

BIONICALLY YOURS 10

A bit of all the world’s on Chennai’s music stage, every year. Did I mention there are no complaints, already? But what’s Chennai without its local bands’ flavors?

Do write. We’re listening. And waiting.

A whirlwind of alter egos, a marriage and a kid.

Here’s to all things incredible, Chennai, and incredibly Chennai!

Bedazzling Maya Nikila Srinivasan has been a columnist and contributor for several reputed national publications and has authored three books. She has had the honour of being one of India’s Olympic Nikila Srinivasan torchbearers at the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay

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team score Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan Asscociate Editor Shirin Albert Creatives Director George Vedamanickam Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Production Fayaz Mohammed Design Vaishali Shah , Paul George Content Co-ordinator Bhavana Rao Content Advisor Alan Hadle, Solomon Porres, Siddharth Vipin Photography S Srirama Santhosh, Ravikiran Vissa, Pretika Menon Illustrations and Creatives Francis Xavier Operations and Marketing Pragash VM DISCLAIMER: Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

This snake-charmer knows how to enchant us every time!

PIED PIPER 34

“The Score Magazine” is wholly owned and published by Registered Office: 38/23, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004.

“World, is a genre by itself. An intricate amalgamation of ethnic music forms, from around the world.”

For Advertisements and Feedback marketing@thescoremag.com

+91 9500012975

BUZZ AWAY

http://www.motherteresafoundation.org.in The Score Magazine is proud to support the Mother Teresa Foundation and urge our readers to join us in giving back a fraction of what we have been given.

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FIFA fever is on!

Find out who strikes gold.

Just Buy Cycles and drive yourself into a cleaner, healthier tomorrow.

i nside FEELIN’ LUCKY? 6

Lucky gets candid on Prince, Chennai summers and Xsuie.

Love Ties 13

“I Hate Luv Storys,” Karan proves how he never gets his chemistry wrong.

PONGAL SPECIAL 28

T ake a look at this summer’s breakfast delicacy.

BAND PIRACY

brand partners

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Five bands, countless number of hits and the same four people.

Think we’re losing talent?

http://www.highonscore.com

August 2010

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MEENAKSHI IYER | meenakshi@highonscore.com

An instants notice and a Kamikaze auto ride are what it took to reach the Gates of Amir Mahal, only to find we had plenty of time to go. We waited as the whole place came to life to catch glimpses of a...

HAPPY GO LUCKY ALI W

hen I missed the writer’s meeting for the issue, I resigned myself to expect a left-over article for the month, and so when I got a call to ask if I could do a Lucky Ali interview for a cover feature, I had to quite forcefully hold myself back from shrieking out loud. Instead I expressed my modest and controlled excitement.

The call ends.

The Excitement

The Encounter

Sporting a white cotton tee and cargos I guessed he had been well informed about the climate and how gruelling it could get over here in Chennai. He was speaking over the phone to who I assume should’ve been his daughter. A warm smile followed by “You look quite familiar. Have we met before?” I was taken aback! He continued, ”I’ve met someone who looks exactly like you, during a shoot.” Was that supposed to be good? I respond with an “Oh! really?” expression.

“We’re getting some really good photographers this time. Interview will happen at the Palace grounds, while he rehearses.” Was I to be blamed for eagerly awaiting the fourth of June? No! But, sigh when I was about to leave my den, “The Boss” calls up to inform that Mr. Ali had missed the flight and was arriving only by late evening which meant we had to postpone the interview and the shoot. It did leave me disappointed but I was assured the interview was still happening.

A slight interruption ensued, and we were all given our appetizing water-melon juice. Absolute silence while we all slurped away, trying to overcome our beloved Chennai heat. In the meanwhile, Lucky Ali, picked up and started flipping through our current issue. “I live in a farm, and I am quite disconnected from the outside world. I don’t even read newspapers! Don’t mind my ignorance”, he proclaimed.

“Brilliant stuff! Very impressive.” You should have seen my boss’ face. “Beaming” would be an understatement.

The Anticipation

We finally settled down for the interview. “Ask me whatever questions you want. For me, they are new, so I’ll answer straight from my heart.” What followed was an interview with one of the most down-to-earth and unassuming celebrities I’ve come across yet. I guess I’m definitely one of the lucky few. If you’re one of his fans who did not make it to the concert, let me inform you that you’ve missed a brilliant one here. It was definitely a night to remember for the man and his music.

We reached Amir Mahal at ten the following day. Two hours of nothingness, random talks and car-viewing passed by before we could catch a glimpse of the “Lucky Man.” Thanks to Prince Asif Ali, (part of the Arcot Welfare Trust; main organizers of the “Lucky Ali Live” concert) we were summoned in to have a rendezvous with the singer I’d had grown up watching videos of.

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August 2010

Q&A with MR Lucky

The man, his music, his album, his action and his connections. Thats all we had time for!

I am not a pop artist Mine are not pop albums. I do an expression of music which is very Indian influenced by what I grew up watching and experiencing. I’m an artist. As long as I’m able to express what I wish to, I’ll be happy doing that. The day that’s not happening, I’d know.

Like father, like son Humour comes naturally to me thanks to dad. Being with him was like studying in a university! He’s taught to me to live life according to the spirit of my will. He was a motivating being. his association with The Prince and Chennai Prince Asif Ali is my cousin. It’s family business. I’m glad to come here at a time close to my album’s release. This concert aims to help the “Home for Poor Boys” and I would want to be a part of anything done for a noble cause. It’s beyond borders now. It’s one world. And charity begins at home!

Xsuie: the journey called life Xsuie is a compilation of my five years’ work that I didn’t release. It happened when the music industry started closing its horizons for genuine work. They blamed us artists for making money and getting famous. Corporations are eating into our revenues. I’m happy that I have a brand name. There are loads of people who listen to my music and appreciate it. Xsuie is for them.

http://www.highonscore.com

“People steal my music” I’ve seen quite a few times that my songs are available for free download. I’m not gonna stop you. If that makes you happy, go ahead and download a virus with it! This does not stop me from making music. We’ve worked a solution where people could log into my site, listen to the music, and buy it if they like it.

Did you know?!

Lucky Ali indulges in horse breeding; something that he learnt from his father who was very passionate about them. He lives in a farm and has a strong opinion on organic methods of farming. He has also worked in an oil rig near Pondicherry.

Cover Photography

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All pictures taken with Lucky Ali were conceptualized and shot by RAMESH

BAND BEHIND THE LUCK

The band yet unnamed that followed Lucky Ali to Chennai

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Butto

Mercedes Bhatia

Was gifted his first bamboo flute at the age of four by his mother. Specialized in Indian Classical ragas under the tutorage of the legendary Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and is a visiting Professor to the University Of Colorado.

Now to see a lady rock the stage was just mind-blowing. Something like a fantasy come true for me. This nineteen-year old makes her the youngest in the group. Her enthusiastic and energy-packed performance was well applauded. She also teaches guitar in Bangalore.

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JOE ANTONY

Muthu Kumar

Joe has collaborated with many prominent bands and has also recorded for a Kannada feature film titled “E- Preethi.” Joe’s repertoire spans a wide spectrum of genres form Rock, Slow Rock, Pop to Country, Blues, Reggae, and Ballroom Dancing.

Trained under legends like Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain. Owns a huge collection of percussion instruments from his travels around the world including his favourite setup - a cajon, darbuka, bongo drums, tables and kanjeera.

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07

MANOJ GEORGE

MISHKO M’BA

Manoj has worked on many films and ads including the score for the Malayalam film “Kharaksharangal” which won the National Award for the best children’s film in 2001 and has just completed his first solo violin World Music album called ‘LOST FOR WORDS’.

04 ALWYN FERNANDES Getting to hear this guy perform was definitely a treat! Alwyn was voted by Rolling Stones magazine as one of India’s Top Ten Guitarists. Composer and arranger, Alwyn is an endorsee of Gibson guitars, Sennheiser, D’Addario strings and Ernie Ball strings.

Lucky’s French bassist sports rugged dreadlocks as his cool signature style and has collaborated with greats like Ray Charles. He is considered to be the very heartbeat of his band ‘Emergence.’

08 AMAN MAHAJAN Panist, music teacher and sound engineer - Aman covers styles like rock, electronica, Balinese gamelan and world music. Aman is also a classically trained pianist and is widely influenced by folk music styles from Africa, India, Turkey and the American continents.

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August 2010

http://www.highonscore.com

She may have gone back to the basics but is not one to be left behind.

Frivolous, foxy, even a lil’ FREAKY. Now she’s back, better and stronger with her fourth studio album “BIONIC!”

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Sandhya Ramachandran | sandhya@highonscore.com

THE GENIE’S BACK !!

T

he queen of re-invention herself - Christina Aguilera is in the house once again! After a four year long hiatus, the blue-eyed belle of pop’s back with her latest offering – “Bionic.” We’re still getting over the breathtaking voice that we sorely missed and her publicity appearances have never been better – the MTV Movie Awards, American Idol and the NBA finals to name a few.

This year looks big for the “Sexy Mama” as production in her first acting venture “Burlesque,” has just wrapped up which co-stars Cher, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet and Kristen Bell.

An idol of the nineties, eighteen-year old Christina, fresh off her Mickey Mouse Club repertoire, made inroads into the music business, heralding the pop princess movement with contemporaries like Britney Spears & Mandy Moore. Behind the scenes, however, it was a different story. Creative differences and a case of breach of contract ultimately led to a fall out with her manager.

Enter Christina, Version 2 – she’d had just about enough. This time, she was stronger and...louder. “Stripped” was definitely an album that made people sit up and take notice. The revelations did not just stop at vocal prowess but Christina was now the angst-ridden brunette with the hair-raising wardrobe; a far cry from the babe in 1999. (In retrospect, it was all probably part of the act; Stage 1: The Tease...). She gathered flak for her raunchy image and explicit videos and was thoroughly criticized for pushing the line from hot to erm... ho’. But that couldn’t really hold this woman down for long.

Eventually, Christina scooped up a number of nominations and awards. She won her third Grammy for the commercial super hit Beautiful!

“Back to Basics” - the 2006 double disc album with a vibe of the 20s, 30s and 40s, was something no artist had done in a while. Christina’s soul-jazz-pop route turned out to be a smooth one; she struck gold with her look too – the Hollywood Glam image with Monroe-esque photo shoots were all part of a well thought out publicity strategy for Christina’s third entry. Concurrently, Jordan Bratman, music marketing executive, and Christina Aguilera became man and wife in 2005 and little Max Liron Bratman (his name roughly translates to “My Greatest Song.” Awwww!) was welcomed to the world in 2007.

Despite the relatively positive reception of her work, more than once Aguilera has been regarded as going over the top with vocals. Her “oversinging” seems to be have progressively isolated her audience to musical literates alone. In today’s age of Auto Tune, calculative music and straightforward loops, there seems to be no place for lengthy, complicated runs and “unhummable” songs (not that “Sexy Chick” or “Boom Boom Pow” have particularly singable choruses; oh yes, we’ve tried).

2010 seemed to be the opportune time to stage a comeback for Ms. Aguilera. And she is not one to be out of place. “Bionic” is everything that’s hot right now YET distinctly Christina. Even with its heavy dosage of club, the vocals, though sufficiently toned, do not take a backseat. Aguilera describes the album as a unique mix of many genres and styles of music, “I was able to explore and create a fresh, sexy feel using both electronic and organic elements with subject matter ranging from playful to introspective. I am so excited for my fans to hear the new sound. It is something I don’t think anyone will expect.”

And the avatar frenzy continues...

Christina Aguilera sometimes goes the extra mile to hit a fashion road-kill. But hey, we simply can’t get enough.

BIONIC

AVATARS

DIRRTY GIRL

BUBBLE GUM POP

ROARING 20’s

Pix: SONY MUSIC

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August 2010

the bio-licious 5 Here’s a sneak at 5 singles from Bionic to give you an idea of what she means when she says she’s not herself tonight!

Not Myself Tonight

It’s hard to like this one in the first listen. It grows on to you – like any decent club song!

The tribal beats are arresting but stand out only towards the end. The infamous video sets eyes popping with some bisexual lovin’, bondage and some black oil. It’s exactly this very blatant sexuality that has welcomed the Gaga attack.

My Girls feat. Peaches

Merrill Beth Nisker a.k.a. “Peaches” is a bisexual Canadian electronic artist whose tracks have earlier featured on various soundtracks and shows.

My Girls with its racy bass line and dead pan rendition is something out of her comfort zone. The track has all the makings of a club anthem.

WooHoo feat Nicki Minaj

“All the boys think it’s cake / When they taste my (woohoo) You don’t even need a plate / Just your face, ha (woohoo) Licky, licky, yum yum (woohoo) / What a great guy (woohoo).”

If you think this is a teaser for her cookery book, THINK AGAIN. Once you get past the graphic lyrics, you’ll notice Aguilera raps for a good part of the song and she does not disappoint!

glam

Christina’s plus one!

So Womanizer! The synthesizers and electro popish vocals will have you wondering on those lines but once it hits the chorus – it’s Christina all the way! Incidentally, this track is a throwback at Madonna’s “Vogue.”

Pros: Marks the comfortable transition to lighter, beat driven sounds.

Cons: Chorus gets a little annoying.

- Ricky Martin – Nobody Wants To Be Lonely - Lil Kim – Can’t Hold Us Down - Nelly – Tilt Ya Head Back - P. Diddy – Tell Me - Missy Elliott - Carwash

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Elastic Love

Its got a groovy, grinding vibe and although all the tracks are all about re-invention and being “different” but THIS collaboration with M.I.A is really something! Slated as one of the most thrilling tracks in the album, “Elastic Love” is another electro offering that has you wondering if its really Aguilera’s CD. Noteworthy for it’s (truly) elastic sounds and new age feel.

Photograph by Rohit Saxena

August 2010

Ashwath Nair | ashwath@highonscore.com

The Govan Invasion

“

Totally freakin’ awesome! This CD put a mile wide grin on my face..

- Joe Satriani

http://www.highonscore.com

Guthrie Govan is not one to be defined or subjugated to convention. Call him eccentric or plain crazy, the man is exceptional. The riffs, the energy, the wisdom - ‘The Gig’ that left me completely captivated.

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http://www.flic.kr/riru/

usic is an outburst of the soul...Ner Ner!!! This is the last thing you would expect to come to your mind when you enter Shruthi Musicals on Harley’s Road in Kilpauk. What started out as a small trading unit in 1985 is now the largest manufacturer and exporter of quality Indian musical instruments. Okay. But why should I be interested in buying anything from them? They sell branded Western musical instruments and not just ANY brand. They sell the BEST in guitars, both electric and acoustic. They are one of the few stores in the city that has brought down brands like Schecter, Godin, ESP, Gibson and Fender. Shruthi Musicals also boasts a number of celebrity customers like world renowned bassy, Keith Peters and South Indian playback singer, Ranjith.

M

Recently, Shruthi Musicals brought down shredmeister, Guthrie Govan, to conduct a special workshop for guitar enthusiasts alike.

Govan is known for his virtuoso command of the electric guitar, due to both his technical ability and proficiency in various styles. Govan’s MySpace profile lists quotes from various guitarists. Even fellow guitar virtuosos, Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert, have praised Govan’s playing.

On entering the auditorium, a small video about Rotosound Strings was being played. The crowd grew quite impatient, waiting for “THE MAN” to grace the stage. It was then that the screen suddenly lit up and started playing a video of Guthrie jamming with an amateur guitarist. Once the video finished playing, Guthrie came on to the stage and introduced himself. He then took out an iPod Touch from his pocket and jacked it into the console below. He picked up his Signature Guthrie Govan Suhr guitar and started playing “Erotic Cakes” from his debut album “Erotic Cakes” (cool name I know). The crowd was ecstatic!

Not only was he an excellent guitarist but a gifted instructor as well. He jumped into a Q&A session with the audience with people asking the USUAL of course; like for example, which form of guitar picking’s better or which style of playing the guitar suited him best and what were his inspirations and influences. Guthrie did a great job answering them proving his impressive teaching skills.

The answer to the last one really intrigued me because he cited many influences with his earliest being Jimi Hendrix (DUH!) and Cream’s Eric Clapton. He said that he is “wary” of 1980’s technique of driven guitar music (“Shred”). He cites the imagination of Steve Vai, Frank Zappa and the passion of Yngwie Malmsteen as influences. Jazz and fusion elements are an important part of his style with Joe Pass as a pivotal influence in this respect. Yet another asked him about his guitar of choice. He cheekily lifted up the one that he was using which amused the audience a great deal.

He moved on to talk about his family of music lovers, joking about the time he was gifted a guitar on his fifth birthday and how every year he would be able to play a new note and chord. As Govan says, “Music is a language and it needs to be spoken and not taught.” He went on to play three more songs - “Waves”, “Fives” and “Sevens.” The crowd demanded an encore screaming out “NER NER!” He picked up his guitar and started playing his final song for the evening. And why the odd name “Ner Ner” you may ask? “Because the main riff simply sounds like a child tauntingly singing ‘NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH!’” The man’s truly a genius!

The Stopover Govan made a stopover at the Shruthi Musicals Store in Kilpauk.

Avid fans of all ages thronged the place for autographs and pictures.

The Gathering The mini-workshop was held at the Russian Cultural Centre Auditorium which was rather dimly lit but was packed. The crowd could not wait to see the man himself.

The Session Guthrie handled all the questions like a pro. He answered many relevent and irrelevant questions and kept the audience amused with his witty sense of humour.

The ovation After a brilliant performance, the crowd delivered a standing ovation. I went home wishing more events like this could happen here!

Pix: Shruthi Musicals

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August 2010

The whole (well, almost) Tamil TV viewing populace across continents kept their eyes glued to their idiot (well, again almost) boxes between 9 & 10 every night. Given a chance they wouldn’t want to miss, even for the world in exchange, to be swept by

http://www.highonscore.com

The Junior Sensation

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Alka Ajith

Shravan

Srikanth

Nithyasree

Rohan

For a child to excel while performing intricate and mature numbers is a feat in itself.

She was a winner all the way.

This fourteenyear old struggles to find time to accommodate his two passions singing and school but has absolutely no regrets.

His age isn’t the only thing that make people gasp.

This seven-year old broke hearts when he was eliminated. SSJ IV might prove him lucky.

Have you ever come across a young child who seemed to have an “old soul?”

Her talent and grace charmed us all.

A brilliant performer. He has improved a great deal throughout the entire competition and his humility and confidence make people sit up and listen.

P.S PRABHAKAR | prabhakar@highonscore.com

A

s I was walking down the South Mada Street in busy Mylapore the evening after finals, the local vegetable vendors huddled together animatedly discussing the Airtel Super Singer. “Antha Singara velane pattu thanpa turning point – Alka kalakidichi,” was an involved comment by one. The other vendors had their favourites as well – Roshan, Shravan, Nithyasree, Srikanth, Sreenisha, Priyanka. Alka and the other kids had become instant celebrities.

“Singara Velane” was indeed the turning point as Malgudi Subha later confirmed to us. She said that the public support was so overwhelming for Alka Ajith, that messages poured in almost instantly. In Subha’s words, Alka sang that song from a “divine space”. Her mesmerising voice and the picture-perfect singing in any given genre determined Alka as the comprehensive winner of the show.

Posters and TV spots aplenty As the finals were nearing, posters sprang up all across the city pleading for SMS and online voting. Offers were pouring in for contestants which involved T V spot ads. For a T V reality show contest, these were rather new and despite its “novelty” many did not find the aggression very amusing.

Shravan defended saying that there was nothing wrong for die-hard viewers to go that extra mile of pushing a few buttons in their mobile phones!

A close second was Shravan, the fourteen-year old lad who amazingly turned from a pure classical-based singer, into a completely versatile genius.

And then there was this little “thief” Srikanth who stole thousands of hearts by his charm, exuberance and limitless talents. After getting eliminated towards the end of the season, he came back with a bang in the wild card round much to Mano’s delight.

Nithyasree was a comprehensive performer and every time she came on stage people didn’t expect her to just sing.

Who can forget her amazing ability to dance gracefully while singing with ease and precision.

Roshan, the suave and composed looking boy who had his voice laced with velvet and honey had many hearts melting. The verve and feel with which he sang “Udaya Udaya” was simply enthralling.

Mano, one of the three mainstay judges in an exclusive interview with SCORE; pointed out that the phenomenal success of the programme is predominantly due to the extraordinary singing talents of the participating children.

Malgudi Subha and Mano focused on how they could improve further and made a conscious effort to avoid upsetting or discouraging the children with unpleasant remarks. As a result, it brought out the best in them. None of them deserved anything but praises anyway! Chitra’s comments were eminently educative. Being an observant judge, she never once missed out on tiny glitches throughout the performances.

Mano talked eloquently on his journey in SSJ and said he would equate his 25 years stint in entertainment industry to the one year journey of SSJ and heaped praises on Vijay TV which took care to attend to even small details and was concerned about the sensitivities of the children and their parents.

A write-up on SSJ will be grossly incomplete without a reference to the sprightly and most ebullient compere, Divya. For a person who had little or no experience in compering, with no clue whatsoever on Tamil anchoring and no idea of the do’s and don’ts, Divya did hugely well.

She is completely rapturous about her experience in SSJ which she said has made an immense difference to her life and career. “It is a rediscovery of myself”, she coyly admitted!

SSJ was really an extraordinary show and one that left a taste for us to savour for a long, long time to come!

320 out of 150 Fifteen people including playback singers Unni Menon, Srinivas, Mahathi, Anitha Kuppuswamy, Shree.

MSV and Shree. SPB were asked to evaluate the singers and songs. A post-final episode revealed the marks and opinions of those fifteen. And acccording to them, if they had their way of not restricting to the ‘ten out of ten’ parameter, Alka would have scored about 320 out of 150 for her version of “Singara Velane.”

Airports, Temples or Malls – it’s SSJ everywhere Chitra commented that it was SSJ that made people come upto her in airports and other public places to convey their awe and appreciation for the show. Malgudi Subha admitted that she felt slightly embarrassed when the Archakas of the temples she used to visit never hid their glee seeing a judge of SSJ in close quarters! Mano’s experience was even more exhilarating.

During a visit to Musthafa’s in Singapore, he was literally “mobbed” by scores of families who wanted to speak to him about SSJ. Mall managers had to whisk him away to the main console room from where he had to “teleshop” his items!

Pix: Vijay TV

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August 2010

preeti krishnakumar | preeti@highonscore.com

One fabulous night at Opus in Bangalore there was a magician from Romania.

He performed a peculiar kind of magic. Kids and adults alike watched in awe.

Welcome to...

THE MAYAN MAGIC y

ouTube entertains us (We love our funny cats). It saves us millions of dollars and hours of “Reality TV,” but somehow gives us artists of the same calibre as those that are put through these “reality shows” (American Idol is, however, worth it.)

Artist name Edward Maya Birth name Eduard Adrian Ilie Age 23 Profession Musician/Student Talented Yes Method of discovery: YouTube! (2009 - Beibermania) What he did to be featured in ‘The Score Magazine’ Rose to fame in 8 months, with 40 million hits on his YouTube video for “Stereo Love.”

http://www.highonscore.com

How did he do it? At the age of 19 he composed a song with Eduard Carcota for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which went to fourth place in the competition and has been famous ever since working with artists all over Europe. His first single “Stereo Love” in the summer of 2009 took the world by storm. It was placed at No.2 on the Romanian singles charts, followed at No.3 by his other track “This is my life”. Various versions of “Stereo Love” featuring other artists were soon created and almost every version of it became famous at clubs worldwide (My personal favourite being the one featuring Alicia!).

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India’s been put on the world map. Artists have realised how much music we consume, and how much we love us some good music. He was here part of the Bacardi tour, performing in Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore. If you saw the show, then you’d know what I’m talking about.

If you didn’t, then be sad.

When I listened to “Stereo love” for the first time, I liked it. But just like any good track, it grows on you. And once it’s grown on you, you cannot remember times when you simply didn’t love it.

He has a very interesting sound, very techno but also instrumental. He gives techno an earthy, more natural feel. Anybody who listens to music at all, be it an occasional song on the radio, or an iPod addict, will know a good track when they hear it. As for Edward Maya, this is just the beginning.

The show in Bangalore can be described using one word - Awesome/Mind-Blowing/Fun. He played for 90 minutes straight. He played various versions of his tracks using his fancy pianoguitar/guitar-piano and the crowd went crazy.

It was a good night at Opus Creek, Bangalore.

I wasn’t there. But from everything I’ve heard, I’m going to spend a long long time wishing I was.

Vika Jigulina is the mystery women featured on the video of ”Stereo Love.”

Not many people know, but she also happens to be the producer/DJ/artist as well. Grapevine has it that Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina will be collaborating more in the days to come.

N

While Maya knows to play the flute, the accordian, the piano, the basson and the douk; the accordian refrain in “Stereo love� was actually composed by the Azerbaijan musician Eldar Mansurov.

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August 2010

MADHUMITHA MADHAVAN | madhu@highonscore.com

Taking it global F

rance has given the world many things, some of which we shall be forever grateful for. It did give us mass anorexia, ridiculously overpriced wine and the metric system.

However, it has also given us two things that serve as a reminder of all things that are good about life – Astérix and the Fête de la Musique! After all we are a race obsessed with special days, so much so that we have more of those than normal ones. So it is only natural that something as profound and inspirational as music should have its own day of celebration.

http://www.highonscore.com

“Fête de la Musique” or the “World Music Day” was born in France over 27 years ago, when Joel Cohen, an American working for a French radio station came up with the idea of street performances to encourage amateur musicians.

Since then, this has evolved from a simple idea into a global phenomenon extending through 110 countries across all seven continents. Every year on the 21st of June, the day of the summer solstice, countries across the world gear up to celebrate the day in their own unique way.

In India, the day isn’t much about street performances. But this year the Alliance Française organised plenty of shows across the country by both Indian as well as international artists. Although relatively new to the country, this idea seems popular with many artists who have no clue as to what the loosely defined “World Music” genre is; and some who almost do, playing at shows everywhere.

So we at Score decided to bring to you events happening across the country and beyond for the “World Music Day” and hope next year will bring with it a no holds barred revel, almost France-like!

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Pix Alliance Francaise, Shashank J

Walk down the streets in France and you find street musicians galore!

Moon Arra, a fusion band from Bangalore, whose unique mixture of hindustani and jazz has made them quite popular with the international jazz community. They went on a three city tour performing at Chennai, Ahemedabad and Bangalore to celebrate.

In France, thousands of musicians take to the streets every year with events happening from bars to churches and even alleys! If you are in France on the 21st of June don’t count on sleeping much unless you are as deaf as a post.

21st of June saw a rock concert organised by the Alliance Française of Madras, Nungambakkam with over 20 bands. Bands included Panatella, Off the Record, Fall of Reason, Skrat, Zero Gravity, Soundscape, Maelstorm, Batallions, Adam and the Fish eyed Poets, Public Issue, Blind Image, Armour of God, Null Friction, Sixth Element, Catalyst, Vishwarooba, 5am, Pipers and Madrigals, Darkest Red and Rampazzee.

In the United States, many musicians from across the world performed at parks and hotels. The popular Central Park made famous in movies and TV shows had performances by many world musicians from various countries including Mali and Haiti.

The Grand Finale for the entire festival in Chennai took place at the Taj Connemara on the 24th of June with a gypsy-jazz concert by Sam Smala, a French band that plays a fusion of jazz and gypsy jazz.

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August 2010

the 5Elected ones I like it ft. Pitbull Definitely the first song you should listen to. The pumping beat of this dance anthem is enough to send your adrenaline through the roof. Oh yes; and another thing – PITBULL! Point made.

Dirty Dancer ft. Usher This track is excellent from every aspect. The mood, the lyrics, the fast-paced, pounding beat. Everything you need to get you on your feet. Can’t wait to see the video for this one.

No me Diagas que no (SOLO) Laidback and soothing. Best for an easy listen. Enrique has outdone himself here. The most exciting part is the male chorus in the middle making it ideal for a football anthem.

Cuando me Enamoro ft. Juan Luis Guerra Special mention to Juan who sounds amazing here.

This song will defintely put you in the mood for a weekend getaway to Cuba filled with sandy beaches and candlelight dinners.

Everything’s gonna be alright Enrique meets Daft Punk. Very techno and definitely a feel good dance track. One you must include in your ipod.

Special mentions for ‘Dil Que’ and ‘Tu Y Yo’ for it’s very 80’s influenced vibe.

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T X E N S ’ E U Q I e ENR ad Escap 24

Shirin Albert | shirin@highonscore.com

He might not be the reigning ‘Prince of Pop’ but this Casanova sure knows how to charm us. With the release of his eleventh album ‘Euphoria’ Enrique is all ready to sweep us off our feet! o any music outsider, the search results would astound you. He’s got it all – a multitude of hits with album sales through the roof, Megasuperstardom, the looks, the body, the millions of fans around the globe, Anna Kournikova, a plethora of awards and the fame!

The turn of the millenia saw mostly American pop artists and bands dominationg the airwaves like Britney, Westlife, Celine Dion and Backstreet Boys. Heck, even Eminem was making it huge as the new kid on the block with his bleached hair and huge attitude. But no one could miss noticing the sudden rise of Spanish singers like Ricky Martin, Shakira (“Whenever, Wherever” appearing several times in a day for almost a year on MTV and on most Tamil Shows) and our man Enrique Iglesias. What made him so huge? What was his story?

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Enrique was quite the blacksheep of the family. With his father being one of the biggest idols in the Spanish music industry, it was most likely believed that Enrique’s attempt at music would fail. Under the false surname “Martinez”, he set out to prove his mettle. Enrique had established himself as a rising superstar and sex symbol. His fans couldn’t get enough of him and boy did he make the girls swoon! Enrique was also chosen as one of People Magazine’s ‘Sexiest Men Alive’ in 2007. His videos topped the charts and also included some of the most desired women in the industry. Some call it over the top, even raunchy (flashback to Anna Kournikova in “Escape”). But as he says,”The one thing about music is that there are no rules.”

Enrique was talented and this showed through his album sales. His first self-titled album in 1995 managed to sell half a million copies in its first week. In his very short and young tenure he spurned eleven albums - 55 million of them sold in both English and Spanish. Now at this time, he was predominantly unkown to the English music market but his hits were taking the world by storm putting him on par with the biggest English acts. Iglesias went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance that year.

Enrique believed in the power of crossing borders with his music and made an ardent attempt to release his albums in different languages. He accepts it is one of his biggest challenges till date. Admiration for his mothertongue never fails to diminish. “The power of music in Spanish is so strong, that I couldn’t stay away from it any longer.” Enrique continued working on major Spanish albums encouraging artists like Juanes and Ricky Martin to take suit.

His latest offering, Euphoria, is the singers most eclectic collection till date with songs in Spanish and English. And that’s not all. The array of collaborations with Usher, Nicole Sherzinger, Pitbull, Wisin and Yandel and Juanes Guerra would entice anybody to give it a listen.”It is like nothing I’ve ever done before. It taps into so many different styles of music - it’s been really exciting for me to experiment and explore new territory”. His lucky mole might be missing but Enrique is here to stay. Now “Bailamos” (Let’s dance)!

Enrique and his pipes Enrique had promised football fans that he would water ski naked in Biscayne Bay, Miami if Spain won the final match. Sadly, he is embarrassed at the moment by his “chicken legs” to do so.

Enrique has guest starred in many T V comedies including “Two and a Half Men” as a carpenter/ handyman and as ‘Gael,’ an Argentinean guitar playing/surfer/massage therapist/love interest, in “How I Met Your Mother.”

Iglesias also played the part of an evil Roman emperor in Pepsi’s commercial alongside Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Pink, who turn the tables on him in the commercial.

Enrique has gone over a million and a half miles flying. Thats like 60 rountrips around the world in all!

In 2003, Enrique created quite a stir when he had his signature mole removed for fear of it being cancerous. It was a heartbreaking moment for millions of women everywhere.

Enrique once commented he had a normal childhood and that there were women he was involved with. “It wasn’t like Hefner’s Playboy Mansion. If it was, I’d still be living at home!”

The Junior and Senior iglesias “I always want to be better than my father as a singer.” - Enrique Relations between Enrique and his father have always been hostile. A good example is the American Music Awards in 1997 when both father and son were nominated for ‘Favorite Latin Artist’.

Julio Iglesias threatened to leave the event if he lost. However, he eventually did win. Enrique did not lose heart inspite of losing out to his father and even performed one of his numbers later on for the same event. Enrique went on to write a song titled “Quizás” about his fractured relationship with his father.

ENRIQUE and his fetish Three videos to view the next time you are on YouTube.

Could I have this kiss forever feat. Whitney houston She needs no introduction!

Escape feat. Anna Kournikova Russian Tennis player and model I love to see you cry feat. Elsa Benitez Mexican Supermodel

Pix Universal Music

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August 2010

E L B E U K O A D T

http://www.highonscore.com

We could not help putting in the cute little cat who leapt into our frames and then our hearts and finally into our designs. We infact, thought of retitling our article ‘Triple Take’!

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Pix: RAVIKIRAN VISSA

Gayatri kalyanaraman | gayatri@highonscore.com It takes some effort to meet the “Craig & Pooja” couple. After an hour long wait at the SS music office, listening to countless songs that were being aired on SS music, one thing was clear. Between 12 - 2 p.m. is not the best time to listen to SS Music! Once they arrived it was quite obvious why they are the most talked about small screen couple.

Falling in love, Getting married and Tea!

Bloopers!

HIM: We met for the first time during her VJ auditions and once she joined us we started dating which eventually led to marriage. But she still never makes me tea without me asking for it! (Sighs deeply)

HIM: There have been quite a few of those. But the most memorable one was during the tremor that occurred long ago. I was actually shooting at that time and when the tremor hit, everybody ran out leaving me inside and I was frantically trying to get the wires off me and tripping at that. Unfortunately the camera was on for the whole episode and this was aired later as part of the blooper episode.

HER: (Tries to counter the tea argument in vain) Did you know that my mother met Craig some 5 years before I did and dedicated a song to me on virtual request! If the relationship has ended in a wedding it is mainly because of his efforts.

HER: My biggest blooper…. (Craig pipes in) ....Everytime she talks in Tamil!

Of stalkers among other things!

On Films!

HIM: We have both had pretty serious fans. There was this girl from Hyderabad who almost ended her life before her exams because her parents declined her request to meet me. They finally brought her to the office and I had to counsel her for a bit!

HIM: I just completed a film. I play a metrosexual rowdy named “Baby Face.” The film is currently in post-production.

HER: I had one fan who used to constantly send me handwritten letters. After a point he got very serious and the letters started getting quite personal. At one point he started asking me why people were talking about me and Craig and asked me to steer clear of Craig.

HER: I am willing to accept offers only from the likes of Mani Ratnam! (Craig grins, I grin and we look at Pooja expecting one.

We got nothing. Raavan part two next maybe?)

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August 2010

http://www.highonscore.com

True to their name, “La Pongal� is a band who tickle the Tamilian bone in us by bringing us back to our undeniable folk music roots and jazzing it up along the way in a style only they can manage!

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GAYATHRI KALYANARAMAN I @highonscore.com

A mid-summer day Tête à Tête with

La Pongal-o-Pongal his is one band, I am certain, that I am never going to forget. Everything about that interview day was unforgettable. Following the classic Murphy’s law - “If something can go wrong, it will;” everything possible went wrong that day. It started with the photographer and me waiting for more than an hour for the band’s arrival in the terrace of the famous Valuvar Kottam on a very hot Monday afternoon.

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And when they did arrive, we were pleasantly informed by the authorities of the place that we did not have permission to do the photo shoot which was going to happen along with the interview. As that was in the process of being resolved, I got to know the band members a little more.

Except the Darbuga, the rest were the usual instruments but the band’s USP comes from the type of music they decide to recreate and the way they do it. It sounds easy when a person says add a little “techno” and “electro-fusion” to classic folk; but it sure is hard to do. These guys nailed it. There is something fresh about their music that’s makes you want to sit up and take notice. I noticed how Shiva seemed quite the performer, keeping the band constantly motivated. I seem to look to him for musical and linguistic guidance.

By the end of this year they hope to come out with a record but till then live gigs will be their focus. Having performed quite a few gigs including Chennai Sangamam, they are quite popular and in demand. Bloopers on stage seem to be routine for their kind of music but the band is cheerful about it and they make peace by making the mistake a part of the performance. “ The audience wont know the difference anyway, so even if we make mistakes we can incorporate them into the show.”

Chennai is lucky to have such bands!

Apart from the band, each member seems to be involved with the entertainment industry. Shiva, as we all know, was an RJ with Radio Mirchi and along with fellow band member Prashanth, he has done a number of jingles for ad films. The female lead is well versed in Carnatic music and gives solo performances during the Margazhi Carnatic music marathons.

Once the photo shoot started, the photographer wanted some candid shots and urged them to perform one of their compositions. Clad in bright coloured clothes which I assume were styled to give a folk flavour (then again, their current female lead singer was wearing Ray Ban!); they started performing. Though simple, the lyrics were striking and well suited for their genre of music. They were missing their male lead singer but the rest of the band pulled off a good performance and provided the people visiting Valuvar Kottam some much needed entertainment.

“If people like avial they name themselves “Avial”. We like pongal, so “La Pongal.” It’s the typical Chennai dish!”

The Secret SEVEN DARBUKA SIVA - DRUMMER & PERCUSSION Darbuka Siva is a force of innovative craziness. Shuffling between simple rhythms that hit your body, to complicated transcultural patterns; his music combines influences from various world percussion.

PRADEEP - SINGER & GUITARIST Pradeep is the powerhouse behind the folk contemporary connection.

His revelation to carnatic and multiple genres of music makes him the voice of mordern expression.

SANTOSH - ELECTRONICA Santosh holds up the new age flavour of the music with his funky loops and patterns. Playing DJ with his keyboard and Mac, Santy keeps the La Pongal pulse cruising through the veins of the musicians and the audience.

NAVEEN - BASSIST Naveen is the solid support stand for La Pongal. He is their silent sail. Big on spontaneity and a natural at jumping several genres at once, Naveen cracks the contemporary, while carrying the folk.

KEBA - GUITARIST Keba is a one-stop shop for La Pongal, playing catchy folk riffs to spaced out improvisations, cracking on-stage sideliners, to rapping in Arabic! Once on stage, Keba is on the Pongal trip through and through.

ANTHONY - LEAD SINGER Anthony is the perfect definition of La Pongal; all fun, force and music.

He pools traditional folk songs with fresh scores, slotting in, assortments of folk instruments and dances in his acts.

SUSHA - LEAD SINGER Susha is the element of bridge between traditional and contemporary.

Enjoying different styles of music, she is constantly being inspired by all the music and art she knows and creates.

Pix S. Srirama Santhosh

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August 2010

His 8 MILESTONES You can love him, you can hate him but you cannot avoid him. A quick wrap up of Eminems most proud moments Becoming the most successful white rapper EVER. (Does Vanilla Ice really count?)

He has 11 Grammys to his name. A pioneer in many regards; he is the only successful white male rapper around and is a force to reckon with.

Messing around with Mariah and declaring it loud and proud.

Eminem does not hesitate being scathing every now and then. Eventhough Ms. Carey still denies it, the rapper claims he allegedly used some of her voice messages in one of his latest tracks and claims to have merchandise. Eminem has managed to rub many celebrities the wrong way – be it Fred Durst, Kim Kardashian, Christina Aguilera or even Sir Elton John.

Making a blockbuster movie and pioneering hip hop in mainstream Hollywood 8 Mile, a biopic on the life of yours truly, catapulted Eminem to new heights. ‘Lose Yourself‘ was the first rap/hip hop song to win an Academy Award!

Marrying, divorcing, trashing, re-marrying and re - divorcing childhood sweetheart Kim. This one’s a love-hate that’s been doing the rounds for a while now. Kim & Eminem hooked up as high school sweethearts and got hitched at a private ceremony in 1999. Since then they’ve divorced twice; in 2001 and again in 2006 after a brief remarriage. The songs “Kim” & “97 Bonnie & Clyde” are amongst many tracks that have been targeted at Ms. Kim.

Bringing out his autobiography in the year 2008 – The Way I Am A page autobiography, Eminem attempted at setting records straight and shared his experiences with poverty, drug abuse and depression.

Signing D12 onto his label, Shady Records.

For a short while, Eminem was with the “dirty dozen” or as they liked to called it D12. D12 released their first studio album, “Devil’s Night”, in 2001.

Big business ventures

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Shady Limited, Eight Mile Style (clothing line), Shady Records (record label), Shade 45 and Sirius (his uncensored hip hop urban contemporary channels) and Shady Games are some of Eminem’s very lucrative other projects.

Sweet vendetta by getting the Bailey lawsuit thrown out.

D’Angelo Bailey was a ghost of Eminem’s past. A school bully who terrorized the daylights out of a much younger Eminem to the extent where at one point he went into coma and recovered only after eleven days. His mother tried suing the school but it was dismissed. Years later, Bailey filed a lawsuit claiming his defamation in Eminem’s track “Brain Damage”.

The judge dismissed the claim. In rap. Karma catches up huh?

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ES, Eminem’s back in the game with his seventh studio album. Recovery from what you may ask. And to that the answer will be “Relapse”. The 2009 release, although not a total washout (who can forget Jessica Simpson on “We Made You” or the what-seems-like the millionth Mariah bashin’ “Bagpipes From Baghdad”), turned out to be slightly glorified rant – angst ridden with his trademark wit buried. A noteworthy attempt by Mr. Mathers at reclaiming his glory years after his four year battle with drug addiction (Incidentally, Eminem himself trashes “Relapse” in his new LP). “Relapse” however went on to bag the Grammy for ‘Best Rap/ Hip Hop Album’ in 2010. “Recovery” features Eminem at his best right from the strong lyrics to the inventive collaborations. Quoting Jimmy Lovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen Aftermath Records, “This is a real watershed moment in his career. With this album Eminem’s impact on popular culture, and as a lyricist and writer, puts him on course to be mentioned in the same sentence as Dylan, Springsteen, and Bono.”

DOWN MEMORY LANE Marshall Bruce Mathers II barely living the ideal life. Having been deserted by his Dad, he led a poverty stricken existence with his mother, Deborah Mathers. Inspired by the likes of The Beastie Boys, he joined a rap act “Bassmint Productions” under the pseudonym “M&M” at the age of fourteen. He was a regular at freestyles and gained approval in the underground hip hop scene. Mathers at the time was going steady with Kim Scott and they welcomed their daughter Hailie Jade Scotton on the 25th of Decemer, 1995. It was in the year 1996 that his 1st LP Infinite came out. This work focused on themes of getting rich fast and the doubts and worries he faced bringing up his baby girl. Mathers continued his passion and shortly afterward, he got a chance to go on air and wowed none other than hip hop mogul, Dr. Dre. He was impressed and the two started work on his first actual studio album – The Slim Shady LP. Eminem went on to produce three more albums making Eminem a household name.

Between 2005 & 2008, Eminem embarked on a hiatus from the music scene, to sort out personal issues and his drug addiction. 2005 saw the release of “Curtain Call: The Hits”, a greatest hits collection.

Rumours were afloat that this could be the end of Slim Shady’s stint as a rapper. He surprised everyone with albums “Relapse” and “Recovery.” “Recovery” set records, with a sale of 741,000 copies in its first week. Rolling Stone has given it a four star review calling it “his fiercest and most focused work in a long time…a strong return to the form that made him a star in the first place.”

Despite being one of the legends of American rap and having one of the most phenomenal success stories, Eminem has had a turbulent personal life right from dealing with abandonment by his father, deaths in the family to a tumultuous relationship with partner Kim Scott. He has also defamed his money-hungry mother, Debbie Mathers, defaming her in most of his songs. His daughter Hailie is the only person he considers as true family.

Wha

Hellish

Sandhya Ramachandran | sandhya@highonscore.com

, E M T U WITHO ? be rap ould eventh What w of rap gets s

ite boy h w e h T . e r or su y” hly boring f lucky with “Recover time

This 17 track treat is any Eminem fan’s delight.

But as far as arresting goes….

Cinderella Man It’s not hardcore rap and come to think of it, it does seem a little out of place in the album but makes for some good easy-listening.

Not Afraid Creating quite an impact already, it’s powerful stride makes you sit up and take notice.

Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna It’s so unexpectedly good! Radio friendly yet poignant and very human. Rihanna and Eminem - who’d’ve thought!

Talkin’ to Myself ft. Kobe For it’s confessional tone. He admits to having been jealous of Kanye West’s and Lil’ Wayne’s quick climb up the celebrity ladder.

Space Bound Is more Timbaland territory but Eminem puts on a good show!

The TatToo Tales

Eminem’s gotten inked a total of seven times.

On his right upper arm which is a portrait of daughter Hailie. Underneath it says, “Bonnie & Clyde”.

On his left upper arm is a tattoo in memory of his Uncle Ronnie who allegedly committed suicide in 1991.

On his right lower arm that says Hailie Jade.

He has a tattoo on both of his arms – one which says D & the other 12. They represent rap group D12.

On the bottom of his right wrist, one says “Slit Me”.

A tattoo on his stomach that says “Rot In Pieces”.

Pix: Universal Music

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August 2010

Ashwath Nair | ashwath@highonscore.com

Too much of anything could be disastrous or could it just be the best decision you ever made?

YOU’Re THE SH*T AND I’M KNEE DEEP iN IT magine this. You step into a crowded auditorium that’s going wild over a band that’s playing. You enjoy the music as well. Now that the band has finished playing, the compere comes up the stage to announce the next band. Once he’s done, you notice that some of the band members are still on stage. Two new musicians come in and introduce themselves as another band and the previous band’s members are still there on stage. It’s only when this motley crew finishes playing that you realise that this is in fact another band altogether. But then this band’s using the same members! You might think that the band is downright stealing from another band but that is not the case. The other band acknowledges and even encourages the usage of their band members for another band. And when you sit there looking like an absolute buffoon wondering if this is some sort of trick, a fan of the band confirms that it is indeed another band.

http://www.highonscore.com

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Pix Preetika Menon

So what is this new trend of “borrowing” band members from other bands?

Chennai-based band “Skrat” has now achieved a near famous status for changing their line-up thrice. The band attributes their new, darker sound to their latest addition to the line-up Abhinav Krishnaswamy aka “Booby.” This talented guitarist joined the band after he broke up with his previous band but that story’s been told many a time on this magazine.

Like Skrat, there are three other bands in the city that borrow members - them being: “Blacklisted”, “Off the Record” and “Frank’s Got the Funk.” The bands aren’t bad, in fact, they are brilliant. Both the bands use members from “Skrat” as well.

So why does this trend exist? Well the answer’s quite obvious according to most local bands. The band’s sound undergoes a drastic change. The band even starts feeling different on

stage. But then, there IS a downside to all this and that is - opportunities for new talent stay stymied. This is a serious issue and could well be the nemesis of band culture in the country. What scope does an up-andcoming musician have when he/she sees the same band performing for three consecutive slots? Almost zilch. international sightings

There are some wise-guys who will even go to great lengths of telling you that international bands are doing the same thing. Research DOES show a rise in the number of line-up changes per band and since I’m a metalhead, I looked up existing bands that borrow members from other bands and here’s what I came up; “Blood Has Been Shed” and “Killswitch Engage (KSE).”

When the vocalist of KSE absconded they brought in Howard Jones, who in turn brought in his drummer from “Blood Has Been Shed.” What the wise-guys don’t realise is that all these bands give opportunities to musicians both young and old. Take the “White Stripes” for example. The “White Stripes” are a duo consisting of Jack White and his wife Meg White. In “The Raconteurs”, Jack White brings in solo guitarist Brendan Benson and two members of “The Greenhornes.” The Greenhornes have never played a show with “The Raconteurs.” The “Dead Weather” is a band where Jack White takes the back seat, drumming, while Alison Mosshart screams into the mic. He also uses Dean Fertita of “Queens of the Stone Age” as his guitarist. I don’t want to sound like a preacher who keeps talking about the values that a man should imbibe and neither do I want to sound like a rock music know-it-all (I may BE one but I definitely don’t want to sound like one). Feels like a broken record if you ask me. All I’m saying is, there’s enough talent to go around. Use it to the fullest. There’s no harm in not borrowing members from other bands. In a way, it’s an elitist form of thinking; “My kind of music demands THIS particular musician who has THIS instrument with THAT effects pedal and THAT amplifier.” Nonsense! It is the dream of many a band out there struggling to craft that truly great record that cements them as legends.

It is the dream of established bands who, after an astounding masterpiece, gave up all hopes of ever having another one.

Jam on : One thing that a handful of bands have in common today - SKRAT! With, Tapass (Drums), Satish (Bass), T.T. (Lead Vocal) and Abhinav (Lead guitar); this dynamic bunch never fail to back down on new opportunities as far as music is concerned.

Mix much??

A quick look at the top ‘Library’ band hits.

The Dead Weather – Die By The Drop A hearty combination featuring Alison Mosshart (Placebo), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), Jack White (The Raconteurs) and Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes).

Roadrunner United – The End Trivium, Fear Factory, Ex-Machine HEAD, Front Line Assembly, Amebix, Coal Chamber... Need I say more?

Velvet Revolver – Fall To Pieces A G’n’R classic with Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) on Lead Vocals and Dave Kushner (Wasted Youth) on Rhythm Guitar.

Slash – By The Sword The latest from the guitar legend’s debut solo album featuring Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction), Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) and Lenny Castro (Maroon 5)!

Band fever : Tired of seeing the same guys on stage? You’re not alone. Many still feel opportunities stay limited for struggling artists more capable of introducing a new ‘sound’ or ‘feel’ to a band.

Pix G Venkata Krishnan

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August 2010

Sonali Shenoy I sonali@highonscore.com It was my mother’s desire to get me to learn music especially the flute.

I idolize international flautist Pedro Eustache.

I own about 150 flutes and the one that is closest to my heart is my key flute.

You’ve watched him perform at Earth Sync in Chennai and heard his musical talent in films like “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Veyil”, “Rang De Basanti” and “Om Shanti Om.” Have you also heard the World Space theme? He is indeed everywhere and his versatility is invigorating.

Navin Iyer picked up his first flute at the age of 4 and it’s been quite a ride - from “Best Instrumentalist” at Saarang to ad jingles, films and concerts around the globe. And I think the best part is that unlike most musicians he doesn’t keep a track of his albums or where they come from. He says, “Music is a dimension of thought. And thoughts happen without our control.” So I draw from that “go with the flow” that the melody will arrive when the time is right.

A lot of people think that “World Music” originated in the West but I believe that true to the sense of its name, it is “Music of the World.”

When my mother came across Ms. N. Kesi, my first guru, at the temple; she requested that she teach me the flute. I was only two years old!

I make it a point to procure the native flute of whichever country I travel to.

Since my educational background lies in engineering, I spend my free time sitting in my studio, learning sound engineering techniques, doing some homework on the internet before buying equipments for my composing needs.

I have been involved in several World Music projects with the label “Earth Sync.”

Ironically one thing that I do not do is maintain a discography of my work.

those

things

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I once went to record for a composer and gave his song a listen. I personally felt that the song did not require a flute bit and advised the composer on the same.

The composer valued my advice and even remunerated me!

His album, “Three...4 The Music,” a collaboration with virtuosos, percussionist D.A Srinivas and violinist Raghavendra Rao, is set to hit the stands soon.

“

Exploring and living with the myriad colours of music is indeed liberating.

Just like how music transcends all boundaries, I aspire to continually expand my horizons and be recognized for my versatility.

http://www.highonscore.com

- Navin Iyer

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Pix Preetika Menon

August 2010

A Guitar legend, Garage Rock Band and Goody Surfer Dude make the first half of 2010 a good year for music. Here’s a take on the artists, albums and more…

Let’s Get Rocked 1 SLASH hard rock Critically acclaimed guitarist, Slash released his debut solo album in April 2010 after a lot of fanfare. This release was awaited by fans since 2007, when he had first mentioned in his autobiography his intention to collaborate with other artists and release a solo album. The album titled “Slash” debuted at #3 in Billboard 200 charts and topped the charts worldwide. It features a multitude of artists from classic to contemporary; including Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Lemmy Kilmister, Chris Cornell, Dave Grohl and Adam Levine. Miles Kennedy is featured on a couple of tracks and is the lead vocalist for the world tour.

The eclectic mix of artists has worked well and the axe-man, with his signature sound and mesmerizing riffs, has produced an album which is music to any hard rock fan’s ears. Well, for the most part at least. You soft-rockers and pop fans beware. The only collaboration that is objectionable is Fergie. Slash and Fergie? It is blasphemy for any staunch rocker.

Cons:- The guitar solo in “Promise” is promising but misplaced! Featuring Chris Cornell, this track ends up in an unnecessarily smashing guitar riff. The only ballad “Gotten” featuring Adam Levine is a rather boring song with annoying vocals. Adam and Slash do not go well together!

PICKS

Crucify the Dead

feat. Ozzy Osbourne Brings a flavour of Guns & Roses and Black Sabbath together. Slash & Ozzy’s music have blended well without compromising the signature sound of either.

Back from Cali http://www.highonscore.com

feat. Myles Kennedy “Back from Cali” and “Starlight” feat Myles Kennedy are both very good tracks. It makes you think of Axl just a little bit. Slash has chosen well to sign Kennedy on for the world tour.

We’re All Gonna Die feat. Iggy Pop For a perfect finale, this track packs in top-notch vocals, guitar riffs worthy of adulation, a punk rock feel and well-set rhythm.

Watch This

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feat. Duff McKagan and Dave Grohl Special mention needs to be made of this one which takes you on a sensational guitar warpath. It features Slash on lead, Duff on bass and Dave on drums. This one is mind-blowing and immediately urges you to queue it up for an encore.

ketaki chandrasekar | ketaki@highonscore.com

2

BLACK REBEL

MOTORCYCLE CLUB garage rock Like getting high on music? “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo” is definitely your piece of cake.

The sixth BRMC album released in March 2010 and is the 2nd full length album on their indie label “Abstract Dragon.” For the uninitiated, BRMC is an American Rock Band that was formed in 1998 and is influenced by artists like “The Verve”, “The Rolling Stones”, “John Lennon”, “Velvet Underground” etc. It currently includes Peter Hayes - vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer, Robert Levon Been – vocals, bass, guitar, piano and Leah Shapiro – drums, percussion.

The latest album showcases the band in an evolved stage and in a less experimental sound. “Bad Blood” and “War Machine” are signature BRMC tracks. Other tracks in the album include “Evol”, “Mama Taught Me Better”, “River Styx”, “Aya”, “Shadow’s Keeper” and “Half-State”, each of which have something different to offer and border on some bit of grunge.

PICKS

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo

An opening number which won’t get out of your head, rest assured!

Sweet Feeling Sets a different tone with its slow, and gentle flow.

Conscience Killer Has a distinct groove to it.

Long Way Down Showcases the band’s potential in the ballad segment.

3JACK JOHNSON soft rock/acoustic The surfer dude has done it again! Jack Johnson’s fifth studio album, “To The Sea” released on June 1st 2010 (US), debuted at #1 in the US Billboard 200, selling 243,000 copies in its first week! With his feel good, easy listening music and memorable lyrics, Jack Johnson has wowed his listeners yet again. This album has the slightest suspicion of inclining towards rock. He is quoted to have said on MTV regarding the title, “I guess it’s a reference to a father leading his son to the sea, with the water representing the subconscious. So it’s about trying to go beneath the surface and understanding yourself.”

The album’s lyrics and vocals are sometimes in a narrative style; meaningful lyrics and groovy music make for an easy way to escape to another peaceful world. It is an honest album, a pleasure to listen to and what’s more, he is happy doing it. The proceeds from the album tour are going to charities that help the environment. What a fun album!

PICKS

From the Clouds A real catchy number!

No Good with faces Put’s a smile on your face the minute it get’s going.

At or With me Another feel-good song.

Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology Starts off with a very gypsy tune and makes for one of the delightful little surprises that this album has to offer.

Pix: Universal Music

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August 2010

shirin ALBERT| shirin@highonscore.com

This magic masala girl is one of the spiciest dishes to hit the Bollwood scene off-late with her brand new album release, “Show it off” fetching her the coveted “Best Female Act” at the UK Asian music awards. And that’s not all. How about teaming up with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Shakira and Katy Perry?

Sheer Indo-urban indulgence I say! Let’s see Amar Dhanjan’s take on all matters random…

QUIRKS

& QUERIES

What is your cheapest indulgence?

Maybe Britney Spears’ “Fantasy.” (I being a little confused ask her again,“Cheap?”) Well that is one of the cheaper ones right? I mean nobody wants to smell like her these days right?

(I laugh again. How very true.)

Your ultimate concert/party destination?

Miami – for the sun, beach and beautiful people. And I’d love to attend a Prince concert. I love him!

If you could take one person with you to an island for a weekend who would it be and why?

I think it would be Robert Pattinson. I’d absolutely love that!

Your dream video....the video of all videos, would be shot where and which male celebrity would you star yourself with?

Miami of course. And Robert Pattinson. But he would look awkward for a Hindi music video I guess. Then in that case maybe Shahid Kapoor. He’s cute. http://www.highonscore.com

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

With a big collection of my albums. But I’m taking things one thing at a time. I’m pretty sure I’ll dominate the world by then. (All the best!)

An embarrassing event which you still remember.

The first time I went on stage I was probably 16 or 17 years old and this was for my Dad’s show. I dropped the mic stand on one audience member in the front row and then hit the keyboard stand as well. I ran offstage crying. My Dad was like, “Never again.”

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The sleeziest pick-up line a guy has ever tried on you.

“Go tell your Mum that you’re not coming home tonight.”

Yuck! No thanks!

If you could paint your life so far in one colour what would it be and why?

Yellow for sunshine and summer. I’m a positive person always looking at the glass half full rather than half empty.

Fifa fever – which team are you supporting and why? Which footballer do you fancy?

Definitely England. Hope they go far. And David Beckham who is such a good-looking guy.

Top three numbers on your ipod?

Massive Attack – Protection Prince – When doves cry Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake – Carry out What is the best advice your father ever gave you?

“Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Just concentrate on yourself.”

Who is your musical inspiration and who would you love to collaborate with?

I idolized Asha Bhosle when growing up. She set things in stone for me. I’d love to collaborate with Will.i.am or even Justin Timberlake.

Are you a big fan of lingerie? If so, what are your favourite brands?

Definitely! Anne Summers. I love it. Most girls love lingerie.

Makes you feel special.

August 2010

advertorial feature

G o t a b a n d ? Yo u ’ r e b e i n g

HUNTED!

Chennai Live presents Band Hunt – the city’s first reality show on Radio!

C

hennai Live is all set to create a buzz in our city! If you have the talent or have a little music band or dream of starting up one, here’s your opportunity to make it big. Chennai Live is launching a city-wide band hunt. Individuals and teams from both colleges as well as corporates are invited to participate in Chennai’s first ever reality show on radio. The winners can walk away with a grand prize of Rs. 6,00,000 plus cut a music album in association with Chennai Live!

The event will kick off in the third week of July with auditions. The auditions will take place in a mobile canter at various venues including city colleges and IT Parks. Shortlisted entrants will then perform before a panel of eminent judges. If individual aspirants clear the auditions, Chennai Live will help them form their band. On-air promotions will keep the listeners updated.

Five teams will be chosen to perform in the finals. The selected finalists will then give live performances on radio so that listeners can familiarize themselves with them. The grand finale to be held on the 10th of September will be a mega event that will be covered on the radio. Live SMS voting by listeners will help decide the winners.

Registrations can be done via SMS, online, at malls/pubs and in person at the Studio apart from the canter & activation kiosks at colleges & corporate houses. Groups can also register with their tracks on a CD. The closing date for registrations is August 25th.

The event will be covered on air for two hours everyday until the grand finale.

Each of these episodes will cover the journey of various individuals and bands until they reach the finals. Listeners can also interact with the participants and get to know them better.

http://www.highonscore.com

For more details, listeners can tune into Chennai Live or call 9962009890.

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August 2010

Prashant ipe | prashant@highonscore.com

Illustration: Francis

world cup Koothu

ws vie n t h is e d t o e t h ed i nd pt ss t in t e e xc e e r e x p re no me n t s he ti ft ea ic l y se n e rs o t r a t an or t ish p hur sup Engl team ll t ba o o f

A few things were made evident at this years World Cup - Spain is indeed the beast team in the world. England is terrible. “Paul the Octopus” is just an octopus. We at Score decided to make a list of all the sounds of this year’s World Cup, filtering out the noise to tell you what we thought of them. We would also like to express our deep and sincere gratitude to Google, Youtube and Wikipedia, for without it - we are nothing.

VUVUZELA

FREE HIT

http://www.highonscore.com

If you are amongst privileged ones who stay near the Cooum (a narrow, placid, slow and meandering river that bisects our city), towards the end of our rainy season you would surely have heard a sound that you will find uncannily similar with the sound of the FIFA World Cup. It is with this familiarity we are sure you have learnt the new buzz word in the world of music/cacophony - Vuvuzela. Whilst the Europeans wanted to ban it, and ‘paati’ looked around for her odomos tube, this indeed was the most defining sound of the world cup

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Illustration: Francis

KE Naako

GOAL

“Ke Naako” meaning “It is time” in Sotho is the official phrase of the World Cup. It is also a song by J Pre, Wyclef Jean, Jazmine Sullivan, B. Howard and was part of “Listen Up!”, The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album. It is a remake of a song called “Sekunjalo Ke Nako”

by John Pretorius, a famous South African teacher/singer/activist. It was first performed at the Grand Parade Rally in Cape Town, hours after Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years in prison. We think that this is probably the best song in the album and worth a listen.

Waka Waka This so-called official number spread like chikungunya in Mambalam canal. “Sonic Vomit” is what somebody described the song to be but lets be fair.

The “waka waka” bit is the only thing that has caught on which in fact is a copy of a song named “Zangalewa,” a 1986 hit for a Cameroonian group ‘Golden Sounds’. Had Shakira not done her skipping namaste dance step in the video, this song would probably have ranked as the worst-ever for the worlds greatest sporting event.

LAKA LAKA

just like a waving Flag

GOAL

However, the winner is definitely a song composed by Abdulkhader Kakkanad, sung by Liji Fransis and called “Laka Laka” in Malayalam. Liji “chechi” pops in front of your screen in a brown shimmering dress, gesturing in a typically Mallu enthusiastic fashion. For all those who do not know God’s own language, the song expresses the joy experienced by a Malayalee while watching football especially represented by flex banners of football stars put up along the roads in Kerala. The song hails Lionel Messi as the “Prince of Football” and ends urging us to support out own Indian football team in the hope that we might qualify one day. Liji chechi then does an edited version of Shakira’s namaste move and fades out with ‘Support our Indian team’ looping in the background.

This sounded like a Vijay special koothu song sung in a weird sounding accent like someone drunk at Ten D on Karoke Night.

The song slowly grows on you till it ferments just like dosa maavu.

K’naan is a Somali-Canadian who wrote this song much before the World Cup. K’naan recounts his experience when he and some childhood friends were shot at by gunmen in Mogadishu while playing when he was a kid. K’naan was not injured but his three friends were shot dead. We, however, think that he would have grown up to be like “Captain Jack Sparrow” of the Somalian Pirates of Africa. Pardon our insensitivity, but thanks to Coca Cola playing it a billion times for us we convinced ourselves not to mute it everytime it played, especially, when England lost.

BROTHER ACT

Disaster

FREE HIT

The opening concert also featured Salim and Sulaiman brothers who performed ‘Africa you are the star’. They somehow possess this ability to fill you up with this empty hollow feeling and as they say, the more empty you are, the more noise you make.

Their live performance was actually pretty good because the back-up vocals were some very talented Africans. Definitely worth a listen.

STAGE-FAIL

BLUNDERRING BAPPI

Watching the Black Eyed Peas at the World Cup opening concert was almost like a kid discovering that Santa Claus does not exist.

They sure showed the world - that without their Auto-tune or other pitch correction technology, they really cannot exist.

India’s golden man with a not so golden voice, Bappi Lahiri, made a special song which sounded like the one he composed for the World Cup in Germany four years ago. According to him, the initial ‘Ole Ole’ is now ‘Bole Bole’ therefore making it an entirely different track. The entire song primarily has four words “balle”, “bole”, “football” and “fever” repeated in different permutations and at different pitches. Sample lyric from song -”Germany ho ya France, Football se hai romance!”

Here’s a tip B.E.P: Lip-sync!

THE COSTLY CHORUS Shakira infused the chorus of the super hit african song “Zangalewa” into her Fifa Opus “Waka Waka”. When Golden Sounds threatened to sue, Sony Music allegedly paid them millions after prolonged out-of-court negotiations. The group is coming out of retirement and will enjoy their second coming thanks to FIFA 2010.

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August 2010

the next generation johar couple SONALI SHENOY | sonali@highonscore.com

They got the spelling of ‘Storys’ wrong. They got the spelling of ‘Luv’ wrong. Karan Johar was upto one of his old tricks again and this was something something I could not miss.

Sonam’s Climb Sonam Kapoor has definitely taken the limelight with this movie. The media attention on her not withstanding, she was recently bumped up to the ninth place in the ‘Film Fare’ power list. For being relatively new on the scene, the entry was pretty quick, and we certainly won’t give all the credit to papa, Anil Kapoor.

S

o I entered the theatre and my expectations were not too high.

I was willing to be entertained but based on hearsay, I wouldn’t have been be disappointed if the movie fell short. Honestly, I have to say that the first half of the movie did catch my attention. More than the leads in the movie (Imran and Sonam), Samir Soni was a joy to watch. He created a character that had depth, was funny and more often than not, unpredictable.

Sonam Kapoor is gorgeous as the leading lady with the most beautiful, unpretentious smile you have ever seen. Unfortunately, she has no depth of character in her role, which is more or less obvious. From the first ten minutes you will learn that Simran (Sonam), is a “planner”. What she is trying to figure out is whether she does the planning or life does it for her, and this is her big internal debate. Her co-star Imran Khan swings to the opposite extreme. I like the fact that I actually know guys in real life like Jay and that makes his character more enjoyable. He’s your really cute boy next door; loads of fun to hang out with, a little spoilt perhaps but has has a heart of gold. And he would NEVER commit himself to anybody! Oh and did I mention that he likes to get high?

http://www.highonscore.com

So boy and girl meet, they don’t get along at first and after a while you know what things are leading to. Being poles apart, you start wondering whether they will ever get together. There are a lot of great lines in the movie that get you to laugh out loud, and the stream of spoofed romantic scenes from “the best of Karan Johar” will no doubt tickle your funny bone.

The Vishal-Shekhar duo have proven themselves once again in the music department. “Jab Mila Tu” has got to be my favourite song; it just keeps you happy throughout the movie and much after. Director Punit Malhothra can be credited with a commendable effort for his debut, although he could have pruned the dragging second half by a large margin.

In retrospect, maybe it wasn’t about being a well-timed entertainer. You know how when you are at liberty to skip the boring parts, you don’t feel the same when you watch the end?

Interestingly the backdrop of this love story is the making of a movie. It’s raining clichés but this time, I think I am going to take out my pink umbrella and jump in the puddles.

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Pix: Dharma Production

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