The Score Magazine : Indias First Pan-Genre Music Magazine by The Score Magazine

Vol 03 Issue 04 October 2010

For Private Circulation Only ISSN 0974 – 9128 INR 50/-

INDIAN OCEAN ON THEIR BRAND NEW 16/330, PEEPLI LIVE AND JAMMING WITH AAMIR KHAN!

JOHNNY MARR THE craftsmith of inception

AMIT TRIVEDI THE REALIST TUNING INTO FAME

Express Avenue # 61/2/3, Ground Floor, Express avenue Mall, Whites road, Royapettah, Chennai-600014044-28464861

Vittal Mallya Road #10, Ananda Bhavan, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore - 560001, Ph 080 - 42110173

W Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan Asscociate Editor Shirin Albert Creatives Director George Vedamanickam Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Operations and Marketing Pragash VM Production Fayaz Mohammed Design Paul George Vedanayagam Content Co-ordinator Sujata Shanmugam Content Advisor Solomon Porres Siddharth Vipin Photography S Srirama Santhosh Ravikiran Vissa Pretika Menon Suhasini Jayaram

the edit PAD

e’ve been overwhelmed while weathering many storms in the past three years. Apart from the gratifying reader responses, here’s a special shout out to Bangalore, a destination most engineering students on NH-4 were tempted to escape to from Alcatraz! It is a city to reckon with and trapping it’s vibrant music scene was a challenge. That’s exactly why we get to gloat now. The Score Magazine opened to amazing responses from the Bangalore audience, with a 97% approval, as our survey revealed. Yes, we’re out to capture the remaining 3% and our quest involved producing an issue so exclusive, we’ve already ordered celebratory confectionary! This issue marks a milestone for us – we celebrate conquering new ground, aspire to step up and bring to you interviews that are almost all done first-hand. The spread this time resonates with diversity and we will continue to showcase independent music and promote upcoming bands, as we always promised to. If you are an aspiring musician, a talented writer, a potential resident cynic, an air guitarist with a tone-deaf ear but an eye for detail, or just plain curious, tune in to our virtual world. We hear there’s this social network in town (ever heard of Facebook anyone?) Friend, follow, like or love us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thescoremag). The Twitter bug spares none; we’re also @highonscore. Then there’s the faithful www.highonscore.com. Whether it’s a biting criticism or words that will help us gloat some more, do write to us at getintouch@highonscore.com. We’re excited to be gearing up for an amazing Score Night (October 13th, details online!) and dwelling in our dreams. Or maybe that totem just won’t stop spinning. Maybe it’s just Johnny Marr, the grounded legend who brought us the haunting Inception score. We interviewed him first-hand and couldn’t possibly be more thrilled. No rabbit holes, no slow-mo free car falls, no spinning totems, but there’s just enough in our world for you to get lost in. This is the inception of many exciting things to come!

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 torchbearers at the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay

Nikila Srinivasan

Paul George Vedanayagam Illustrations and Creatives Francis Xavier Marketing and PR

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.

Tara Rachel Thomas

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i nside 8

Indian Ocean

On their brand new “16/330,” “Peepli Live” Oscar nomination and jamming with Aamir Khan! 14

14 Alien Chutney “Papa you’re the dude if you got the man-boobs…” Inquisitive? Turn those pages! 20 Greek Goddess Watch Orianthi and Steve Vai battle it out in her latest video. 26 Spanish Rendezvous The duo that made the tango and bossa nova oh-so-cool. Catch this goofy pair in action!

34 Jazz Cat “Most people who write about music these days don’t know what they are talking about.” 38 Mercury Rising

Capture the memories with JFK in their third retro tribute to Queen. 46 Score Tube We at Score propose to you the top videos of the season. Enjoy! 56 Kollywood Calling Quirks and Queries with Vijay Yesudas!

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October 2010

Waves from Khajoor Road 8

Pix: Santhosh

JALAJA RAMANUNNI | jalaja@highonscore.com

A spiritual release can mean many things in a time when yoga, power crystals and tantric shops are considered “in.” It’s a relief to see that music which gives spirituality its true meaning still exists around us, though parts of it fade away to an unknown space.

e were disappointed when we heard the announcement, “We are sorry to inform you the show is being cancelled…” And then we heard the rest, “because you’re not making enough noise!” That’s “Indian Ocean” for you. They performed at the Hard Rock Café in Bangalore last month and we got an opportunity to speak to them while they juggled with the media right before their concert. While waiting for our turn, we patiently watched a TV reporter interview the band. Rahul Ram (bass guitarist & vocalist) and Amit Kilam (drummer & percussionist) did what they’re second best at – clowning around in an attempt to distract the reporter, while an amused Sushmit Sen (guitarist) smiled and watched them from a distance. What they do best came soon after our conversation.

Indian Ocean made a huge wave by experimenting with different rhythms and styles of music – sufi, jazz, chants, Hindustani classical and rock, infused with mythology and environmentalism. Their new album “16/330 Khajoor Road” incorporates all these styles with some new influence; Rahul on alto-sax and Amit on the clarinet.

Where It All Began I couldn’t help but ask them about their unusual album name. “It’s the space where our albums ‘Kandisa,’ ‘Jhini,’ ‘Black Friday’ and, of course, 16/330 Khajoor Road were born,” answers Rahul. Since 1997, they have been practicing in a bungalow that’s over a hundred years old where they hung out with friends, had chai, played cricket, sang, partied and contributed to the spirit of the house and music. The house almost reflects what Indian Ocean is made of. “A lot has happened here. The house has witnessed our ups and downs. It’s our way of saying thank you to an almost spiritual entity that has nurtured us,” Sushmit says with a hint of nostalgia. It’s no surprise that the band has dedicated an entire album to their Alma mater, which they have to leave in a few months. “We have no idea where we’ll move our practice sessions to!” Rahul exclaimed.

The Show Must Go On The search for a new practice place has not begun but they are already familiar with change. “Things haven’t been the same since we lost Asheem,” Rahul admits. Asheem Chakravarty was famed for contributing to Indian Ocean’s unique rhythm structure, apart from playing tabla, percussions, and adding a soulful magic with his enchanting voice. He passed away last October after suffering a cardiac arrest. However, the rest of the band decided to put aside this pain, filling their new-found vacuum with hope and believe the show must go

on. “People have been very supportive. We have been performing with Tuhin Chakraborty and Himanshu Joshi and we have been prepared for a change,” says Rahul. “Each musician adds to the palette and the personality of the music alters. Only, we aren’t sure if the change is good or bad!” We got back to talking about the album “16/330.” It has seven songs but the band refused to elaborate and instead mentioned casually, “You can download our music for free from our website.” I thought I heard it wrong. “Free downloads?” I asked. “Why not? We are reaching out to our fans directly,” Sushmit happily explains. “We know youngsters download more than they buy. Moreover, record companies take a huge share of the money, so we decided to cut them off completely.” They are releasing one song each month on their website www.indianoceanmusic. com. At the end of seven months, they’ll start selling their album in CDs.

The Treat Once we got done talking, we moved to the venue of the show. It was no big deal – normal crowd, everyone spread around. We clearly didn’t know what to expect. As soon as the band stepped on stage, we realized there was barely any space to stand. The band introduced Tuhin and Himanshu with their Bollywood hit “Bandeh” from Black Friday. The last time they played in Bangalore was for the Oktoberfest last year. Then and now, “Bandeh” seems to be what Bangaloreans enjoyed most – so much that they had to repeat the song on public demand. We also got a peek into 16/330 with “Jogiya” and “Bondhu,” besides popular hits like “Ma Rewa”, “Jhini,” “Hille Re,” and of course, “Kandisa.” They also played the two songs “Darte ho” and “Des Mera” from Peepli Live. What we loved most was a spontaneous Jugalbandi that erupted while they performed “Ma Rewa.” That’s when we saw the soul of Indian Ocean. The music was laidback, fun, and if you know your music, even intricate. It was a great show for the band. Jam-packed and one of those rare events that will remind the Hard Rock Café of its capacity.

A long way from Khajoor Road They are now gearing up for their performances in various places in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, China and Indonesia. The band has lasted twenty years. They promise us there’ll be music. We wish for decades more!

ON PEEPLI LIVE’S NOMINATION: As Rahul says, “I like the movie a lot. A good selection for the Oscars. It has a global appeal and it isn’t a

commercial movie.I am hoping it gets shortlisted to the final five!”

October 2010

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: In December 2009, Asheem Chakravarty, percussionist and tabla player, passed away unexpectedly due to a cardiac arrest. His absence will always be a constant reminder for the band.

CLOSE AND INTIMATE WITH INDIAN OCEAN There’s more than music We asked the band what they do when they get time. “I’m into wildlife photography and I take off on trips to get my pictures,” says Amit. Sushmit also involves himself in wildlife photography and enjoys sketching. Amit adds, “He’s good at cooking too! Rahul is the official party-person and also loves bird watching.” Now we understand where they get inspired from when they sing about world and nature. What makes them ‘Indian Ocean’ “Rahul has played for rock bands earlier and he loves jazz,” says Sushmit. “Amit does what he shouldn’t – listen to Bollywood,” he jokes.“He likes rock too, and I’m more into Indian classical music. That’s what makes us Indian Ocean.”

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Down South We asked them what they loved about Chennai. “We drove down to Mahabalipuram and we loved the place,” Amit tells us. Sushmit says, “We love the variety of vegetarian food available in Tamil Nadu. And I enjoyed the rabbit delicacies in Anjappar.” Amit can’t agree more. Sushmit adds “We performed at a festival once and it was an odd sight to see a whole lot of the audience counting beads.” Family men All the three are happily married and Sushmit has a pair of 15-year-old twins. “Taan is my son and Atia is my daughter,” he says. Amit has two daughters Megha (3 years) and Kaira (8 years).

POLITICAL INACTION: Peepli Live, the band’s latest Bollywood offering for the masses. A twist on media, politics and farmer suicides. A must-watch!

JAMMING WITH THE KHAN “What else can we look forward to?” I ask. Indian Ocean has recorded two songs for Aamir Khan’s next production Peepli Live. “Anusha Rizvi (director) had approached us five years back regarding the same but she had no funding then,” Amit says. “Aamir decided to produce the film and he spoke to us a year later. We agreed as we don’t play typical Bollywood music and Aamir didn’t ask us to change our style,” he adds. Peepli Live is a satire on media and politics and doesn’t have much to do with music. At the music launch, Amit invited Aamir to play the drums. “He was reluctant and it took some convincing to get him up. But the man does know a thing or two about music!” Rahul tells us.

October 2010

the 5elected ones Not in His Garden feat. Donovan Frankenreiter

The Folkta

This song is such a HAPPY song! And to think it’s about the futility of war. The mouth organ and the knee slappin’ are bound to make you feel like you have a straw hat on with hay stickin’ outta yer mouth!

More Than You Know This track starts off like yet another languid country croon but takes on a whole jazzy detour from the bridge; a pleasure to sit back and see the transition just blend so well! And Sales’ vocals deserve a special mention on this one.

Someplace Nowhere By the end of the track, that’s where you’ll be – a place so beautiful and pure that it has to be a dream. Might be a little too tranquil for livewires used to “cookie cutter” music.

Lullaby feat. G Love A more commercial offering. And it works. It’s kind of... very cool! And it is one of the faster songs in the album. A mouth organ replaces parts that would have traditionally been done with an electric guitar.

First Flight Home

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No trace of the country vibe that is so stark in the rest of the album; it stands out from the album for this reason.

12 Pix: Universal Music (Canada)

Sandhya R | sandhya@highonscore.com

ale of Miss HAYLEY SALES

Twenty three-year old Canadian crooner Hayley Sales gets candid about her musical journey, her influences and her Indian connections. And babysitting Jack Johnson’s kids!

t’s 9.25 pm and I’m tensely giggling about Pamela – that’s the name of this software that lets you record your conversations on Skype. I’ve signed in and any minute now I shall make the call to Ms. Hayley Sales’ phone, a 23-year-old upcoming singer/songwriter from Canada. I’ve done my research but still feel a tad bit unprepared. Something’s up with the server and I cannot dial! I call my Editor and complain about the troublesome twosome and am told to try again after a few minutes. I’m way into panic zone when at around 9.50 pm, I’m greeted with a very pleasant hello. Yay! Within two minutes into the conversation, I realize my fears were baseless. Hayley’s a doll and sets me at ease with her reassuring giggles and blatant enthusiasm. She happens to live in a cottage on a blueberry farm with a recording studio! Paints quite a picture, doesn’t it? As a child she was a bit of a drama queen. “When I wasn’t in the studio I’d be running around dressed up in costumes, pretending I was in some tragic love story or something!” Having a recording studio in the backyard meant music 24/7. She cites music from the 40s & loves Judy Garland. She also listens to The Dave Mathews Band, John Coltrane and Australian band, Angus & Julius Stone, who are “really cool!” She mentions how Steve Herman, best friend of the President of Universal then, liked one of her shows in Vancouver and got her signed on to the label the next day. Sunseed, her debut CD in the year 2004 was followed by her second album, “When the Bird Became a Book,” which is doing well in her native Canada and also Japan where she has an independent label SurfRock. Her latest is laidback folk pop at its best with guest appearances by G. Love, Donovan Frankenreiter and even her 3-year-old niece. And how did she come up with that title? “When I said the name out to myself, it had so many different meanings and I think that’s why I chose it; like you could actually see it as an image – a bird in flight does look like an open book. And it made me think of it as a story... I felt the album was very much like a naked representation of me.” The pop scene today brings to mind more of electro, dance-driven numbers. Is there really a place for singer songwriters with a folksy twist? “I think it’s so much easier to just have commercial success; just create music that sounds like everybody else and then you’re an overnight success. It’s really important that the music be honest and that it be really a representation. Otherwise it’s just acting, so I never want to compromise that to sing like ‘cookie cutter music.’” The future looks bright for Hayley as she plans to spread her music far and wide, India being just one of the stopovers. “I’m going to find a cool Indian label and release it probably over the next year.” Hopefully if the music does well, a next album could be in line very soon! I wish her all the luck and ask her if there’s any advice she would like to give new artists. “Besides patience, just be really true to yourself.” The genuine hope and passion that emanates from this statement have me believing that here is a trouper who has surely been on this road.

HAYLEY HARPS ABOUT... Meeting the Dalai Lama

My question was ‘how do you manage to forgive?’ He was like ‘you learn to forgive, not forget and realize everybody still deserves love.’ He was chewing candy the whole time and then said ‘excuse me I’ve got candy stuck in my mouth!’

Surfing

I live on an island near Vancouver so it’s actually pretty warm. Along the other side of the island there are beach breaks; it’s the only place in Canada where you can surf which is kinda cool.”

Her no-fuss-hot-beach-girl look (that I am very openly admiring)

I try and make a lot of my own accessories. I’m really into beading and making jewelry and stuff. I think its fun to have something that no one else has. (I did a pretty good job convincing her that splurging in Chennai’s very own Bessy Beach merchandise would funk-ify her wardrobe even further.)

Babysitting Jack Johnson’s kids

It wasn’t like officially ‘babysat’ but what happened is I went backstage when he was doing a show. I knew his piano player pretty well and so I was hanging out with him, as well as trying to keep Jack’s kids off from jumping on things and running on stage.

Her most disgusting act

I put a slug in my mouth once as a kid as a dare and it numbed my tongue and it was absolutely disgusting! I didn’t bite so that’s good!

Favourite superhero

I think Yoda is pretty amazing; he’s not a superhero but he’s pretty cool. A ‘Star Wars’ buff? Who would’ve thought? She quickly adds, ‘I wouldn’t say I’m a ‘Star Wars’ fan but I’m definitely a fan of Yoda. He’s cool!’

THE INDIAN CONNECTION “When I was about 7, my parents met a saint from India and we spent nearly half of every month in the temple in Napa, California. It was my job to serve rice pudding to people, run the bookstore and do the Arati. They’d always make me get up and sing after the chants. I even got to be a Kumari just before I turned 8 and I blessed 400 people who worshipped me!” She later tells me she’s tried the sitar. “Actually it’s really hard! If I had some time I’d love to learn it. It’s a beautiful instrument.”

October 2010

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The D

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that men are more equipped for comedy than women. I think women are much more intelligent. So we have our own stupidity to write about.

SONALI SHENOY | sonali@highonscore.com

Das experiment Introducing Alien Chutney, a rock band that puts the focus on their lyrics with some whacky songs that will have you in splits. This Indian comic experiment seems to be just the right dose of comedy and melody.

have this friend who has a really quirky sense of humour. For his birthday recently, he was asked what he wanted as a present. Now you have to imagine this in a lighter vein. He thought for a moment and then said, “Hmmm... I would like world peace.” A couple of days later, he received a cake which read “WORLD” in big bold letters. He cut himself a slice and guess what he got? “Observational comedy” is exactly what you need to remedy a long grinding week of work. If you’ve seen it already there’s a good chance that you will relate to it and it will leave you wanting for more. What happens when the element of song is added to the equation? A brand new kind of comic experiment and that’s where I introduce you to “Alien Chutney.” “I’ve been writing funny songs and sort of picking around with the guitar for years. My band in college was really awful though.” says Vir Das, stand –up comedian and lead vocalist of a band called Alien Chutney. From the early years in school and college, Vir went through a number of musical phases and a few bands as well, none of which were really any good he claims. “I’ve surrounded myself with people who are a little more talented than I am in the hope of masking my immaturity,” he says with a laugh.

Stand-up comedy is a common term and most people have had a taste of it. But what Alien Chutney has to offer is a comic experience in a song; a new brand of rock ‘n’ roll if you may. In terms of genre, Alien Chutney is largely a blues quartet, some rock ‘n’ roll of course and a few ballads as well. Music and lyrics that people can relate to and laugh about seem to be a winning combination for this group who will be releasing an album soon. Also Das’ theatrical antics are holding him in good stead with Bollywood offers knocking on his door. “The Badmaash Company” was released earlier this year with him playing one of the main leads and also an Aamir Khan production will soon be released named “Delhi Belly.” So being an all male act, here is a question. Are men the superior sex when it comes to comedy? And pat comes the reply from Vir. “I think that men are more equipped for comedy than women. I think women are much more intelligent. So we have our own stupidity to write about.”

Masala Beats! A few snippets that will tickle your funnybone! “My favourite song is this one called “Manboobs.” Papa you’re the dude if you got the man-boobs…” A lyrical inspiration from checking out big-chested Punjabi men! Their choice of lyrics range from comparing Delhi girls to Bombay girls and even the occasional omelette recipe. Unfortunately, not a single song has been written about chutney per se. That would be fun. I can just picture little green Martians with tall white chef hats sounding nasal and croaky making “Popeye’s delight.” “The crowd favourite is usually this song about making love to your sabziwali. It’s called ‘I’m your Tadkha.’” Check out their official website www.weirdasscomedy.com. Entertainment guaranteed! The band started of as a part of “Walking on Broken Das,” a comic act in theatrical form that has traveled across most metros in India. The band comprises of Vir Das on vocals and lead guitar, co-vocalist Kaizad Gherda on the keyboard and Surjit Singh.

October 2010

The Axe Effect The world now has to bow down to a blonde-haired guitar goddess by the name of Orianthi Panagaris. She’s hot, shreds like there’s no tomorrow, and even sports a bushy tail in the video of her new single “Highly Strung” featuring Steve Vai! Wardrobe Equipment Rock ‘n’ roll t-shirts, tight jeans, and glittery leather boots. Now that’s hot! She however is paranoid of tripping over wires or cords while playing. The most important part of Steve Vai’s gear is his face fan. He needs it to make his hair fly while he’s playing on stage.

Gear Orianthi’s choice of guitar - Paul Reed Smith. She’s probably the youngest guitarist in the world to have her very own signature PRS gui-

tar. For all you tone fanatics there, she uses PRS guitars, Engl amps, Boss delay pedals, TC Electronics chorus and a Morley Bad Horsie Wah. Steve Vai uses his signature 7-string Ibanez Uni-

verse Custom electric guitar in this video. Its one

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“

of a kind and isn’t available to the public, unlike

It’s not cute any more.

his Ibanez JEM models.

It’s seriously

Trivia

*ss-whooping. If I was going

She is of Greek descent and says that her guitar

to pass the baton to somebody, she would be my first choice. - Carlos Santana 20

comes before men! Early in his career, guitar virtuoso, Joe Satriani was a guitar teacher. One of his students was Steve Vai.

vikram vivekanand | vikram@highonscore.com

he’s 24, Australian, blonde, sexy and jammed with Steve Vai, Prince, ZZ Top and the legendary Carlos Santana. She was also Michael Jackson’s choice of guitarist for the “This Is It” tour which never did happen, but having been chosen by MJ, she joined the ranks of Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Steve Stevens, Greg Howe and Larry Carlton. Okay, I’ll stop with the name dropping now. Let me introduce you to Orianthi Panagaris. I’ve always believed that there’s something extremely hot about a girl shredding on an electric guitar. I mean... that’s not something you see everyday! I came across this video when I was looking around for Steve Vai videos and when I saw Orianthi’s “Highly Strung” feat. Steve Vai, I went “Whoa!” Because, well, we are talking about Steve Vai here! I had heard Orianthi’s singles like “According to you” and “Shut up and kiss me” and while they were great rock tracks, they still had a very bubble-gum punk feel to it. The only consolations were the fiery guitar solos in them. Honestly, I prefer her guitar to do the singing but the song was raw, powerful, energetic and was a complete shred-fest. And to quote Mr. Vai, the basic concept of the song was to “Play your ass off !” Personally, I think this video screams “Up yours!” to everyone who thinks that women can never be as good as male guitarists. She keeps up with Steve Vai and I’d go as far as to say that she really gives him a run for his money. There are quite a few scale changes and all the solos are based off modes. My personal favorite section in the song is when they slow down at 3.05 mins and play just a couple of chords and a few Vai-esque licks, which makes a very interesting bridge section and brings about a nice dynamic change in the song. Orianthi’s guitar sound is very smooth, clear and ringy, while Vai’s signature tone shines with his edgy guitar sound with loads of “mojo” (yes, it’s a word) and distortion. Another brilliant part is where they both play harmonized twin guitar solos and you can see the two styles blending perfectly. The video does justice to the song because they’ve paid more importance to the song rather than the visual appeal of the video as such. Its not like a Katy Perry or Lady Gaga video where naked visual appeal is paid more attention but let’s not go down that road now! They’ve gone minimalist and all you see is two guitarists, two huge stacks of amplifiers and a white room. This works for this video because you see Orianthi and Vai really having fun, playing fiercely, going wild and having their own little guitar duels, and according to me, this is what really brings out the feel of the song. Its aggressive, it’s like a kick in the nuts and once the song is over, you feel like you can finally breathe again.

October 2010

The hands of young children nudging through the crowd for an autograph from Carnatic singer, Hari priya.

Shashank Subrahmanyam, the child prodigy who started performing at a young age had the spectators mesmerised with his flute.

A melange of colors on display! Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan students deck up themselves as the divine idols for the fest!

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Hari Priya and Shanmugha Priya, the renowned duo popularly known as The Priya Sisters, created impressive waves in the sphere of Carnatic music.

An interactive chat by Unni Krishnan and actor Karthik Kumar of Evam who spoke about the nuances of an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life.

An exquisite dance fusion by Alarmel Valli and Madhvi Mudgal, Bharatanatyam and Oddisi dancers respectively, who left the crowd spellbound.

sujata Shanmugam | sujata@highonscore.com

Performance by the theatre group of Tamil Nadu arts.

From epic art to cult fringe pieces, the festival of performing arts hit the spot! Opening with a splash as the monsoon favored, surprises poured in at this year’s edition of Svanubhava. Sights and Sounds

S.P. Balasubramaniam, the legendary vocalist and musician, gave the students an insight on the Film industry music by rendering popular numbers.

Young women with eyes that speak volumes! The languages of their eyes speaks the promises they wrote with kohl. The men in fabrics that hold ethnicity and élan! This is the elegance and beauty of the students of Kalakshetra and various other public schools who gathered for the festival of performing arts Svanubhava. T.M. Krishna, the celebrated classical singer from a family of music connoisseurs and Bombay Jayashree, the charismatic performer of Carnatic music, together through their organization Matrka and YACM (Youth Association for Classical Music), brought about Svanubhava which literally translates into “one’s own experience.” Apart from The Music Academy, Chennai, the fest also took place at various public schools with performers of classical art from all over the country flown in. Kalakshetra, reckoned to be India’s best cultural academy, played a key role in Svanubhava and Leela Samson, its Director, has been the pillar of support. The event, which saw more than 1500 students from across Chennai, was the successful coming together of creative minds and cultural enthusiasts. It made its foray into contemporary arts this year including forms of art like Hindustani, classical, folk theatre, Tamizh avant-garde theatre, Bhajana sampradayam, Bharathanatyam Odissi and Tamizh Cinema. The simple yet elegant fest had an even simpler course of meals that sent the scent of ghee and sambar far beyond the reaches of The Music Academy. T.M. Krishna and Bombay Jayashree were the cynosure of all eyes throughout the event. Their passion for Indian art and culture were reflected in the choice of performances and the power of indulgence they had over the children of public schools like Vidya Mandir, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Chettinad Harishree Vidyalayam, Upaveda etc.

Curd-rice Moments! The charming T.M. Krishna with a gleam in his eyes spoke about his favourite moments at the event. His lips twitched into a notorious grin when asked about his cherished moment. He calls it the “curd-rice moment with S.P.B.” He could not contain his awe when he spoke about the legendary singer, Dr. S.P. Balasubramaniam, who once again proved to be the epitome of humility. He recalls S.P.B. eating curd-rice (all that was left of the lunch) with the team, without the least upheaval of a prodigal. We certainly look forward to more of such chronicles! T.M. Krishna, the man and mind behind the success of Svanubhava, whose organisation Matrka (alongside Bombay Jayashree) created this dais to showcase young and aspiring talents.

October 2010

Star Guitarist Johnny Marr talks about

THE MUSIC BEHIND The captivating super-hit and the musical inspiration behind it. Catching up with Johnny Marr and how he came up with the background score for the extravagant Inception. And yes, we actually did get to speak to him!

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I would like to perform an inception on the Chinese president that Tibet is a free state.

Rhia bhattacharya | rhia@highonscore.com

EHIND THE DREAM i

nception. People are still talking about it. In all probability, almost everyone is still dreaming about it (no pun intended). But a movie like that has got to get you thinking. I remember coming out of the theater totally mindblown. What a movie! It keeps you hanging onto the edge of your seat – literally. And with a plot so intricately woven and complex, you can forget about closing your eyes for even a second throughout the movie! Christopher Nolan, the directorial genius, has outdone himself. In fact, I’m beginning to think that it’s almost impossible for him to make a bad film. After watching The Dark Knight and going back the next day to watch it again, I thought to myself that he couldn’t get better than this. And then kaboom! He drops the inception bomb and makes me eat my words. I’ll admit, it was a little confusing in the beginning and it got me thinking whether my pea-sized mind is going to be enough for me to understand what’s going on. But it wraps up so well, and so neatly, that everything fits together at the end. The special effects and concept of levels of dreams is totally insane! Kudos to Nolan! It makes us all wish that the concept of inception was real or atleast makes us think more about our dreams.

The first thing you think after watching Inception is how did they make a movie like that? It seemed way too complicated and awesome for a single human mind to think of something like that. Well, who knows? Maybe he dreamt of the idea? Sitting in that dark theater with a tub of popcorn and my thinking cap switched on to overload, one thing that caught my attention was the music! We can’t have an awesome movie, without awesome music, now can we? Christopher Nolan’s got everything covered, right from the dream team cast lead by Leonardo DiCaprio till the background score for every scene. The heavy melancholic tunes set the perfect atmosphere for the dark and serious dream scenes and the orchestrated parts just blend together so well to set the right mood for the movie. Composer Hans Zimmer also used a twelve string guitar to get just the right effect. It makes you think about how much thought is put into each and every scene of the film. Here’s hoping for more movies to make me dream. Composer Hans Zimmer has done a great job, using a 12-string guitar to produce the super cool film score.

THE MUSICAL CONCEPTION OF INCEPTION from the man himself! We at Score had the pleasure of catching up with the one and only, Johnny Marr – English singer/songwriter/ guitarist and a man with a multitude of other talents.

ON WORKING WITH PREVIOUS BANDS My contribution is different for every band depending on what is required. Since 1982, I’ve been in The Smiths, The Electronic and The Cribs as a proper band member. There have been collaborations without me really joining the band. I’m a musician and I like to play all the time. But my main contribution has always been playing the guitar and helping to write some songs.

JAMMING WITH AN ORCHESTRA Oh in the premiere as well as the composition, there were around 20 pieces of brass, the top musicians in Los Angeles, a string player, a cello player and a violin player. There were about thirty musicians in total. I played the electric guitar and I like to play it because when you play it against the orchestra, it sounds really good.

WORKING WITH HANS ZIMMER I was very pleased to be speaking to Hans because he’s somebody I admire and I must admit it was a little strange because I had seen the trailer for the movie that same night and then I get a phone call! He told me that when he first spoke to me he had been writing these tunes and they were inspired by the way I play! Later on, I found out how true that was after listening to the tracks.

INSPIRATION The music had the tension and the sense of unrest particularly Leonardo Di Caprio’s - his emotions are all churned up and he has no peace. I tried to be completely in the moment. The music is very dream-like and meditational.. Sometimes, when I was gonna play it, I had this constant reminder that I just flew 7000 miles from London to L.A. because of the jet-lag I had. So that can really feel like you’re in a dream. It was easy to go into trance like *Sings his guitar riff.* I went into a trance on more than one occasion.

AUDIENCE LIKEABILITY That’s a good question. I’d say foremost, it’s a modern entertainment. Chris Nolan has made a film that is commercial but it is equally intellectual and inquisitive for the intelligent audience. Nolan hasn’t underestimated the common man who wants to see a good but intriguing film. .

ON PERFORMING INCEPTION “I would like to perform an inception on the Chinese president or leader. I’d like to plant the idea that Tibet is a free state!” Personally, if I knew the secret of inception, I’d probably use it on someone like my brother, or my Math teacher! This movie ia a must-watch (more than once for sure). And for those who’ve seen it, love it and can’t get enough of it – indulge yourself in the awesomeness of the soundtrack!

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October 2010

26 Pix: Ravikiran Vissa

Shirin Albert | shirin@highonscore.com

Thought classical music was dead in the city? Think again. This lively twosome revealed how appearances are deceptive and maybe greying is not a bad thing after all. The Duo that enchanted audiences that starry night at the Museum...

Piazola’s Nova

his was by far the most surprisingly pleasant interview I have ever conducted. Shyamant Behar and Yohann Egret, popularly known as the “Summer Duo,” had been on tour the past one and a half weeks playing at Coimbatore, Bangalore, Kottagiri, Mysore, Delhi, Bombay and Pune. In fact, they were going back home that very night! Shyamanth who is presently teaching at the Delhi School Of Music studied under his mentor, Genevieve Chanut, at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. Yohann, a flutist, has won several Gold Medals including one for flute at the National Conservatory of Toulouse. Both are currently professors and have collaborated with their students; some of them now professional musicians as well. Their latest tour delves into the popular South American Classical music of the early twentieth century; a precursor for genres like the Tango and Bossa Nova. Many memorable events happen at the Alliance - gigs, rehearsals, classes, and might I add, some very vivid love affairs. Apart from that, their penchant for promoting real “artists” from every genre is admirable. I remember when International orchestras, Ensembles and even city chorales used to be the annual highlights. Even the Kodaikanal International School would come down and perform with a live orchestra which included a little bit of tap dancing and singing as well! The pair met at Delhi in 2008 while playing for a children’s choir and have been touring ever since. Since they always catch each other during summertime they came up with their name and told me about their amusing experiences here. “It is very disorganized here and the traffic is crazy eh! There are not many rules here and I love it since I am very disorganized. Even today the airport security wouldn’t let us go through. They needed to inspect my flute from both ends!” says Yohann animatedly. So many bizarre things happen here on a daily basis, you just stop questioning things,” adds Shyamanth. Before I started the photshoot, Shyamnth had some parting advice for struggling youngsters. “I grew up listening to everything from The Beatles, The Who to Ella Fitzgerald and Rock ‘n’ Roll. But I love classical music. I worked hard towards performing. India is opening up. Play well and don’t do it for the money. It will definitely be a viable career option in the future. So don’t lose hope!”

Duo Quips These guys have quite an imagination. Rib-tingling inspiration anyone? Weirdest compliment received SB – A lot of people think we look similar! But today, the only thing I was excited about was that this morning, I found two greyish hairs on his beard. It just made my day. Dream Date SB – I wouldn’t say no to Monica Belluci. YE – Monica Belluci? Shes nice. Good choice. Maybe you can take her out on Monday and Tuesday for me? I would also love to date Julia Benoche! Wildest Expedition SB – One foggy night, me and my friends drove our battered motorcycles from Leh to Delhi till three in the morning. We only covered 50 kms and almost died many times rather than just camping out till morning. YE – I went mountaineering with some friends in the Pyrenees. We survived a lot of accidents and overcame some serious obstacles but still managed to make it!

Concert Review Some of the beautiful pieces performed were the Buenos Aires Suites of Maximo Diego Pujol, “Circulo magico” of Sergio Assad, Traditional pieces from the Andes Mountains and the popular Brazilian Music of Machado. The blend of French, Spanish and Nordic influences were clearly visibly as the duo made their way through the entire journey of music. The music was absolutely delightful and the solos seemed effortless. The “History of Tango” by Astor Piazzola was riveting with a superb build-up which makes you think it definitely takes two to Tango!

October 2010

One-on-One with

AMIT TRIVEDI

The heir apparent to “ I never aspired to be anything. I just went with the flow. I was a carefree youth who would give anything to be with friends. Music found me.”

f you’ve not heard of him, you’ve heard him for sure. Raise the curtain and train the spotlight on Bollywood’s youngest new music sensation. Barely into his thirties, five films down and there is hush hush talk that he might be the next heir to the throne. With back to back releases (Udaan and Aisha) Amit Trivedi is making waves, rather Trivedi’s waves are making the waves. Whilst critics call him a whiff of fresh breath in Bollywood, he claims that he has been able to escape the curse of the stereotype by deriving his inspiration from the plot and script of the movie. Honestly speaking, if you don’t usually listen to Hindi film music you would tend to classify it as a sort of New World Bollywood rock music.The music in Udaan sounds relatively sadder and attempts to be deep and moving while Aisha has a very bubble-gummy, itsy-bitsy pop feel to it. His music does have a lot of unexpected twists. He does this through the use of a few patterns that strike you when listening to his music a few times. A distinct non-adherence to lyrics and rhyme patterns which is quite unlike Bollywood music which has always been very lyric, rhyme and meter driven. He also makes use of fun lyrics that might seemed hacked together (eg “Motumaster” from Udaan & “By the way” from Aisha) but it works beautifully and we are still not quite done tripping on his “Emosanal atyachaar” (Dev D). The unexpected: Just when you think you can predict the tune or the next instrument, he surprises you (“Sham” from Aisha). But his songs are also fun to watch because he composes his music based on the plot and scenario. He does a fair bit of mix and match especially when he experiments with Sufi (“Naav hai teri” from Udaan) or Punjabi pop (“Behke Behke”from Aisha) but his talent lies in knowing how much to add and where.

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OK, so lets be honest and ask ourselves. Can he be India’s Hans Zimmer? Ans: No, nobody can be like Hans Zimmer. Can he be the next A. R . Rahman? Ans: No not really. Let’s be honest, Rahman is in another league altogether. No artists can be compared. Each has his own experience and is a genius in his own right. So what can he be? He can be the talented guy who thinks differently and experiments and is not afraid to do so. He might never compose a concerto or a sonata or even uncover a Hindustani raag the way our great Ustaads and Pandits have. Instead he can compose fun and unconventional music and he will be loved for that.

Prashant IPE| prashant@highonscore.com

o b-town throne Dhinchak Dilli Tunes Soft Indian Rock

UDAAN VS AICHA Kahaani Khatam hai ya Shuru - Udaan You could call this soft Indian rock. The lyrics of this song are far from poetic and have no particular definition floating about in the mood of the song.

Quick takes The Realist To err is human. I am a normal human being who cannot be perfect all the time. All my songs cannot be a hit. But I look forward for people to accept my flaws and respect me for what I am. I want them to stand by me if I have a fallout. I live a satisfied life. I’m content with what I am. On reality talent singing shows It is purely commercial and though viewers are entertained and participants find a chance to showcase their talent, it does have its downside. Winners of these competitions have a short-lived fame unless they know how to stabilize that with hardwork and shrewdness.

Naav hai teri Naav - Udaan You might confuse the beginning of this song with an Indian Ocean composition. This seems to be the best composed song with the singer (Mohan) adding all the raw and rustic touches. Suno Aisha - Aisha It starts of at a technobeat followed by a trumpet and somewhat discordant notes and slightly off -key singing. Overall with its elementary lyrics you can call it the perfect Dilli “dhin-chak” song. Gal Meethi Meeth bol - Aisha With its infectious Punjabi beats this song has become quite the favourite for DJs! The complex rhythmic structures make you realize you’ve been listening to “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky. Actually, no. I made that up, ha ha ha ha.

Pix: Yuvaraj Vivek

October 2010

TARA RACHEL THOMAS | tara@highonscore.com

No longer On Vibrator Mo Simply, Subje From their prior dubious-sounding persona, On Vibrator Mode, to the current, Subject to Change, we step into the lives of five musicians and experience the eccentric transformation for ourselves.

nce you get talking to this band, its hard to keep a straight face. They are perennially high on energy, from comical accents to blatant puns, there’s something for every audience. Between crazy touring schedules, night shifts, studio work hours and work, you wonder how they manage to pull it off. For our interview, we had to squeeze in a photo-shoot, promo recording and an interview all in the span of three hours. Starting from the wee hours of the morning, the band braved a sudden spate of torrential rain to come meet us. “Toby does lots of the co-ordinating for events, but when it comes to unpleasant stuff like money and negotiation – the job is suddenly mine!” quips Anjana. It’s hard to name just one thing that makes their music special. Their genre (Acoustic, Acapella) and their “Deadly Medleys” automatically generate waves of nostalgia in an audience. Their original compositions like the infamous “Cindy Chechi” drip with fun and naughtiness. Fortunately, there’s no “lead” singer or guitarist. Everyone does what they’re good at and it sounds pretty damn good! Infact, many people come and hear them practise. The result? “They realize that 70% of our sessions are just pure madness, 25% is actual practice and a tiny 5% goes to screaming at each other. Our sense of humour is one of a kind and not too many get it. It leaves them quite flabbergasted.” The sixth missing member of the band, Abraham Varghese, is currently studying in the U.K. Another extended member of the Subject to Change family is their Manager, Ashley, who they describe as their “All in All” guy. “He is one of the people that motivates and inspires us to be better musicians amongst taking care of so many other things. As a band that dislikes ‘fake people’ and hypocrisy, finding someone who’s genuinely ready to help is a real blessing!”

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A moment they all cherish is their performance outdoors at the Lady Andal Auditorium during the Hindu Metroplus Theatre Fest. “People actually sat on the ground to hear us perform unplugged after patiently waiting for many sound glitches to be sorted out. Two songs before the concert ended, it started pouring and the crowd just wouldn’t budge! We were amazed.” When asked about how they feel about the city, the band seems to explode with excitement. You can tell that they are proud to be a Chennai band. Although they personally wish it was still called Madras. They immediately broke into an impromptu Acapella version of the old Tamil classic, “Madrasa Sutthi Pakka Poren,” and we were positively glowing by the time they faded out in unison. That’s Subject to Change for you. A little crazy, a little more quirky, truckloads of fun, and altogether, an experience that leaves you shamelessly asking for more!

Pix: Yuvaraj Vivek

ode. ect to Change Scandals and the City Any observer of the music scenario will tell you it isn’t rare to come across misunderstandings and politics. Although it is obvious why the crowd keeps coming back for more, many may wonder what keeps STC’s organizers so happy. “We’re a very no-nonsense band,” says Anjana. “I think that’s one of the main reasons we get so much respect. We’ve always been open to collaborating with other artists. It pays to be on good terms with other musicians in the city. We cater to a niche audience which includes kids, teens and even our own parents. Therefore, we’re more mindful of the way we conduct ourselves.”

Busted!

Fruity Quirks Aakash Jacob Vetti! Kidding. He works as an “Associate Client Manager” at an Undisclosed Office/Location. Makes weird Donald Duck noises. If given a choice to be a fruit, he opted for mixed fruits. Hmmm...

Benny Dayal Professional singer Perpetual late-comer with his signature line “On the way” and owns seventy hats. “I want to be orange... more like orange juice,” he smirks naughtily.

Anisha Sarah Verghese Artist, painter, theatre performer and teacher The shy and modest one; “singing miss” Mysteriously says, “Mangosteen?”

Toby Joseph Dedicated sound engineer Professional guitar tuner and song writer “I think I’ll go for chiku.” (Akash immediately pipes in saying,“Ey, this isn’t a juice shop da!”)

Anjana Raghavan Research scholar at IIT Colourful mama of the band who thinks an out-of-tune guitar is like “nails scratching a blackboard.” Would like to be grapes in a French Vineyard because “they become fine wine!”

October 2010

“ Pix: Ravikiran Vissa

All this fusion business… There should be a “con” before the fusion. Because it is either pure confusion or it is a con game. Some of these people are just not aesthetically honest.

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Madhav and all that Jazz Getting the chance to meet him was tempting. He was deliciously controversial and overtly explicit. My main intention – to get his side of the story. An exclusive interview with India’s Leading Jazz man. 34

Shirin Albert | shirin@highonscore.com

knew meeting that Madhav Chari was something I definitely could not miss. Madhav is not one to be messed with when it comes to his domain – Jazz. And boy does he love his jazz! It took quite some time for him to calm down. Once he touched those piano keys at MuseeMusicals, one dared not interrupt him. My first question; what did he have to say about commercial sellouts? “They don’t want it badly enough. It’s a radical proposition. You need to be singleminded. It is a 24/7 job with no holidays.”

Apart from being classically trained since the age of five his father’s love for jazz got the better of him. He loved listening to the greats like Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Charlie Herbie and David Gillespie. Growing up he had to choose between his two greatest talents – math and music. “Music is what moves me. Remove it on an emotional level and I am dead. Now I am a full-time musician with absolutely no regrets.” He told me about the time when he got play with Max Roach. “His right cymbal was three feet away from my left ear but it was so intense, it knocked me off of my chair. It is emotional intensity which can move an entire audience. Not loudness.” He even got to work with Grammy winners Bryan Lynch and Carlos Gomez, Ed Thigpen and David Murray and has an ongoing relationship with multiple Grammy-winning jazz composer, Wynton Marsalis. “We talk music. He advises me as we share the same philosophy.” When not performing he conducts corporate workshops with his friend George Kuriyan who is a martial artist, using learning modules which teach leadership, creativity, crisis management and effective performances. “Music is very interdisciplinary! I look at processes a martial artist uses and using the same, try to increase my technique as well.” His latest concert included Chennai musicians Jeoraj George (drums) and Naveen Kumar (bass) who he trained. “They were technically good but lacked good energy. Energy communicates but the form of music carries the energy. They can’t come upto my level for the simple fact I have almost a decade’s experience and performance hours.” It took six weeks to practise and let me tell you, they really outdid themselves and got things bang on! One of the main things we did talk about were double standards. I couldn’t help but ask why he kept dissing musicians in Mumbai and Kolkata during his show – “Most of the people who write on music or perform are complete idiots who are tone deaf and have no idea about the details and can’t really get into things too deeply.” His remedy - “Please surrender yourself to the right music. Listen to the greats like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughn. This music doesn’t come from the family of ragas, so don’t even compare or go too deep into it.”

In Conversation BEST ADVICE GIVEN Not to be complacent. I’m a person who loves taking the shortcut for things. I wouldn’t sort out all the math problems in the book. Just enough to get through but it did not consume me like music. With music, I had to get this out of my system. MUSIC EXAMS There is not enough protocol set up here for Western Classical Music. Exams work for a particular type pf personality. Can a student give me a presentation or workshop at the end of the day? Creativity is when one creates challenges for oneself. An inspiring teacher is one who encourages a student to just play because he finds it infectious. GREATEST FEAR I fear a lot of things! But it is fear of sickness and bad health that I don’t like. I had chronic asthma and allergy problems since I was a child. I would like to be well mentally, emotionally and physically. ONSTAGE MISHAPS It maybe a funny mishap to you but when something like that happens it actually means the performance is a train wreck. It is traumatic. Videotapes exist but fortunately not on YouTube. ON ALL THINGS CHENNAI In Chennai, there is more audience acceptance. It is more balanced. You have the Nehruvian mode of classical music, Bollwood thing in the Tamil industry, the artists, writers and painters. There is the tech consciousness and manufacturing too. Chennai is a micro-cosmo of India to me.

Misconceptions about jazz UNSTRUCTURED MUSIC FORM It is the most structured protocol. The level of complexity it is quite staggering. It is like filtering all the noises you hear on a busy street yet still able to have a conversation with a person without getting hit or run over. BEING “UNHUMMABLE” Most of the Broadway show tunes dabble with Jazz. The Tango is hummable. You do get an idea of the main tune. You can enjoy the music without being a jazz person. Atleast, if jazz is not played like most Indians, Germans or French brought down here to perform. ELEMENTS & RHTHMIC PROJECTIONS There are four different rhythmic projections - The AfricanAmerican forms without the European sensibility are swing ( foot tapping, American sensibility and high energy), Afro-Hispanic rhythms ( Tango from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and even New Orleans which has the history of slave trade influencing their music), Blues (lyricism is different from the European harmonic framework) and the romantic ballad (strong ties with the JudeoChristian background and is European and ‘hummable!’).

Pix: Suhasini Jayaraam

Shakthisree Gopalan Vivacious and vibrant is our first featured upcoming female artist - Shakthisree Gopalan. A trained Carnatic and Hindustani singer, she sings for one of Chennaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youngest leading bands, Off The Record. She has sung for several movies and won the Best Female Debut Award in 2010 at the Kalaignar TV Film Awards and in 2009 at the Jaya TV Awards. Shakthi is an architect by profession.

WHY SCORE LOVES HER 1. She is a caricaturist and is quite good at it! Who knew? 2. Determined, passionate, strong, bubbly and approachable. 3. On a lighter note, her frequent case of verbal diarrhoea makes her most endearing to us. 4. The girl is talented.

FACETS OF A DIVA

ROCK REBEL? No way am I a rebel. Not anti-establishment at all. But if I want something I will go for it. I wish I was a part of Woodstock. It was so peaceful. No riots. Their demands were minimal. People can take away so much from that. HER EXPERIMENTS WITH MUSIC Sometimes when I sing Carnatic, I get lost. It is almost meditational. I used to be super shy and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dance or move on stage. Just sing like a tree. Now I am super comfy. I go crazy and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind doing anything.

Pix: Suhasini Jayaram

THE RAHMAN FAN I did the backing vocals for Ghajini. It was a dream come true to meet him literally. When in college, I would dream of meeting him every night and when it finally happened it was AWESOME!

October 2010

Just for THE BAND Sujan Daniels – Fish farming by day and a Rock ‘n’ Roll musician by night. Lead Vocalist for Live Martini and Rusty Moe. Richard Nathan – Music Professional and lead singer of Splash and Another Page. Tim Elliot – IT Professional and Lead Metal Guitarist/Backing Vocals for Rusty Moe. Juda Mario Rogers – Guitars and Backing Vocals for Just For Kicks and various special shows with a passion for Pop.

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Gerard Joseph – Music professional, Programmer, Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals for The Revelations and Live Martini. Shayne Fernandez – IT Professional and classically trained pianist. Keyboardist/backing vocals for Just For Kicks, Live Martini, Nerverek and No Idea. Immanuel Theophles – Advertising and Marketing Professional and drummer of Rare Junk, Allegiance and Octane.

Ashwath Nair | ashwath@highonscore.com

Kicker Queen Definitely, one of the best cover bands in the city. Who could forget their amazing Eagles tribute show last year! And now they are all set to recapture the spirit of the Killer Queenbee himself! Meet JFK...

s this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide. No escape from reality.” These four lines according to me, were passed down by Olympian Gods through the ages in the form of one of the most influential ballads of the late twentieth century “Bohemian Rhapsody” by a band that deserves Olympian divinity QUEEN! Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor were one of the few at the time to blend a lot of genres, ranging from Hard Rock through Vaudeville to Elec Funk, into one explosive amalgam. They set the standard for Avant-garde rock and neo-classical metal, especially for bands scattered throughout Europe. Queen was the first band to have a homosexual vocalist. I know that it’s about the music not the man. But no one could’ve composed a song like “I Want to Break Free” otherwise. Queen was the next band of the British Invasion because they started exactly a year (and two months) after The Beatles disbanded. The band continued unrivalled success in the mainstream charts, beating their competition with non-inheritable technicality and finesse for twenty solid years. Then in 1991 came the untimely departure of band frontman, Mercury (aka Farrokh Bulsara) due to bronchial pneumonia after suffering from AIDS. Since then, 24th November has been celebrated as Queen Day by fans worldwide. So, imagine my excitement when I heard about a Queen Tribute Show being organised in the city by Just for Kicks and the Unwind Centre for Music! The band was formed by Gerard and Immanuel as their tastes in music were quite similar. They used to play with a band during their days at the Loyola College of Arts and Science. The group disbanded but the two got back together again. Gerard freelanced and brought a lot of the city’s veterans into this band. They didn’t look for big names but sought musicians who could play their kind of music and match their tastes in music.

Surprisingly, they are all singers and inspirations range from Toto, Deep Purple, Dave Matthews to Black Sabbath and Harris Jeyaraj! After many a laughs about how Sujan Daniels is the resident Mercury of the band (I’m sure you know what that means), I Ask them my final question. “So why Queen?” “Queen is challenging. Their music still lives on today especially in our city. I hear them everywhere, be it parties or other gigs with the youngsters and oldies! That’s the kind of legacy Queen’s got in this city. We want people to go back happy, recapturing the memories.” There were two additional members for this show Keith Antao on the saxophone/backing vocals and Prashanth Gasper on backing vocals. Let me tell you, they outdid themselves. They tell me that plans are in the making for a tour to Kochi and Bangalore as well. Before I decided to step out and leave them to their soundcheck, I asked them what their ultimate kick was during a show. They told me that it was the audience’s roaring applause. That’s why they called themselves Just for Kicks (EUREKA!). Queen was given the perfect tribute that night by a band who played from the bottom of their hearts.

INSPIRATION POINT International Bands that have been inspired by Queen: Nirvana Def Leppard Guns N’ Roses Metallica Styx

Top Queen Songs covered by International Bands: Bohemian Rhapsody – The Muppets, The Flaming Lips, Glee, Queen + Elton John and Guns N’ Roses. We Are The Champions – Gavin DeGraw Killer Queen – Sum 41 Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Josh Kelley Who Wants to Live Forever – Breaking Benjamin

Pix: Paul George Vedanayagam

October 2010

balloons or any or s er ow fl h it w ay D s t celebrate Valentine’ n’ do ey s, a fine compleTh . te le si up po co op r la of e gu nc re la ur ba yo t t ec They are no i Upadhya are a perf ur ay M d an e’s fire, she’s water. it H ix . D lm hu ca s ag R e’ f. sh , uf ic st y m rn na co of that she’s a dancer. He’s dy n, ia ic us m a s e’ H r. he ment to each ot

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LE B U DO TAKE

Jalaja Ramanunni | jalaja@highonscore.com

On how they met

“

aid s e h s d n a ll e w I wasn’t e for r e h t e b ld u o w she ed k s a I . r e t t e b t o me till I g ou y t n a w I if t a h her, “W ll my a e m r o f e r e h t to be life?”

l friend, ed to be a mutua en pp ha ho w , . Of meet my friend posed for a film Him: I went to to listen to the songs I had com ere being photom i’s troop w and I wanted hi with me! Mayur me except her! r ita gu y m ok spoke to course I to e and all of them graphed at the tim r, I lost my r. Two weeks late ll. Later ita gu s hi off ow m a ca came to sh had it and gave hi m. hu Her : I felt he ag R d re be ked hi I remem friend’s number. ith contacts from Raghu so I as w lp he ed ed on, I ne It’s such a sidey it was obvious! d an ll ca to se otherwise? st an excu Him: It was ju n. Why else would she call me io nt te at t way to ge

The drift

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What we loved

about them

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Pix: Rahul Samuel and Souvik Chakraborty

October 2010

“ DJENt ” SYNDROME Sridhar asks me to wait for a while till he comes on Skype (psst... that’s how we do our interviews here at the Score!). It turned out that his microphone wasn’t working. Said Sridharan, “What a joke! Pro recording studio and I don’t have a microphone that works!”

ridharan Ramachandran is a guitarist extraordinaire, sound engineer, music producer, bio-engineering graduate and... wait for it... working class executive in a gaming company. Hailing from our very own Gandhi Nagar area in the Adyar locality, he moved to Singapore where he studied at the National University of Singapore and then took his music to a higher level. He’s already produced two albums on his own – one rock and one metal named “Transcend” and “Melakartha” respectively. It was around his twelvth grade that his sister introduced him to Nirvana. Cool sis huh? Elder sisters rock. My sister was the one who told me to start playing the guitar as well! Anyway, getting back to Sridharan, he said, “One day, I stumbled upon a video of Kurt Cobain on YouTube, and it was pure noise. He was playing all kinds of dissonant chords and crazy intervals, probably stoned out of his head, and it was just mind blowing! It was something new and different from all the seven years of my “mridungam training.” It just made me want to pick up an electric guitar and plug into an amplifier that was bigger than me, and make some noise. I managed to convince my mom to get me a Givson acoustic guitar (ah, the famous Givson!) and I guess that’s how it all started.”

Moving on to the focus of this interview, I asked Sridharan about “Folked,” his single from his new album “Afterward.” I’ve listened to all his numbers and have even played live with Sridharan. In my opinion, I think “Folked” is an absolute masterpiece because it connects with you immediately, especially if you’re from the southern parts of India. I must say that the opening riff in the song did throw me off completely. It sounded like this prog rock riff which breaks into his really sweet melody that reminds you of an easy, laidback village. What I like most is that it sounds really modern at the same time, with the lead instrument being an overdriven guitar, and the gentle acoustic guitars in the back. It has this really dense soundscape and sounds full and rich. There are so many interesting parts in this song - the acoustic guitar break and the end section where you can hear vocal choruses that sound like people celebrating. “I wanted to take this song in a completely new direction and pay respect to the origin of the song, rather than just make it a rock song.” He’s from Singapore and I found out that the music scene there and here are pretty much the same. In fact, I’d go out on a limb and say that the scene here definitely is evolving. He says that the musicians there are amazing but they still prefer to play covers. He’s still lucky to be there though. He got to watch Slash, Tommy Emmanuel and Orianthi live in concert. DNA networks... are you reading this? Apart from that, on a lighter note, he says that it’s never difficult to find the right set of strings in Singapore.

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The guitar is one element of his music, and its not meant to appear as if the guitar dominates in his music. To him, its all about balance and space. Apart from knowing when to play, it’s more important to know when not to play. He cites Kurt Cobain, Andy Timmons, Devin Townsend and even Lady Gaga as his influences. Lady Gaga? What he said made perfect sense to me. Though she sings pop and stuff, she’s quite the metalhead inside, because she has a “don’t - give - a - damn”

attitude. He’s also a big fan of A.R.Rehman’s arrangement and production quality. He loves how he goes from a soothing, mellow track, to a hip hop-meets-rap-meets-Chennai koothu gangster-like track.

Pix: Paul George Vedanayagam

vikram vivekanand | vikram@highonscore.com

Byte me! He is a one man band and he does it with style. Read on, read on... Electric and acoustic guitars, vocals, drums, mixing, mastering. Its all him! For the bass guitar, he gets by “with a little help from his friend.” He has a website called Freq 2.0, which is an online forum for musicians, gear heads, recording engineers and people who are looking to start learning about recording. His gear – Schecter Blackjack C7 7-string guitar, Blackstar HT 5 amp and his only pedal is the MXR Zakk Wylde Overdrive. He really loves his guitar. He says, “Its totally ‘djent!’” (FYI - “Djent” is the sound of the guitar pick landing on the strings of a heavily distorted guitar and you rule the world. And if you were wondering, the “D” is silent and it sounds like “gent.” Djent!) His wildest gig was when he played with his band in Singapore, and around 800 to 900 people came on stage and went absolutely berserk. They played their entire set without being able to look at each other.

October 2010

SONALI SHENOY | sonali@highonscore.com

First stop Trichy A plane ride to New York Finally... Chennai

I chose the name Chennai.

Vijay Balakrishan used to be another easy-to-describe NRI living in a city halfway across the globe yet still breathing our culture. For instance, going to the temple everyday, bonding with the Indian community and watching our films. He finally came to Chennai four years ago and was finally home. Recently, I listened to Krish singing “Manjal Veyil” on YouTube, during a live show; no effects, no dancing, no strings attached. What took me by surprise was his voice, the enjoyment on his face as he performed and his in-your-face confidence. He claims he is arrogant but I think when you are so right for what you do, precision for the art tips the scale. With a film due to release shortly and a soon to be released album of his own slated 2011, this is Krish unplugged and chilling out…

“Krish” with G.V. Prakash. There are too many Bala’s in

Not to sound arrogant, but I can sing 5000 ting the lyrics dating back to 1939. Growing up, I lived in Queens,

Tamil songs without forget-

New York. .

Elvis Presley is my mentor. Don’t ask me why. He is the King! I love playing basketball. . My third day in India I got a call from Harris jal Veyil” happened. Sangeetha and I met at the Star time.

Jeyaraj and that’s how “Man-

Vijay Awards after-party for the first

http://www.highonscore.com

Four days later, she called me on the phone to invite me for her “friend’s” birthday party. I didn’t go for the party but I did store her number. I came to Chennai from New York to pursue an acting The two greatest and my wife.

career.

things that have ever happened to me: Harris Jeyaraj

those

things

October 2010

iPuncharaLingam

Hello reader, We’re glad that you flipped through and found this page, a place to express our views and ask pertinent questions on the various sounds and sights in the world of music. The intent of this space is not to hurt any sentiments or artists. It is our humble attempt to offer an alternate extremely pragmatic view. Baby - Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris

He’s very young, he’s extremely talented and he’s on a roll. Pardon the WWE style announcement but he deserves every bit of the attention. However, I have a few pertinent doubts. Why exactly is he dancing about in a bowling alley? How will other people bowl if he and his buddies do most of their dancing in the lane? Why is he hitting on chicks twice his height and who also look much older than him? Why does he say “baby, baby, baby” so many times? Nevertheless, respect! He’s got the maximum number of views on YouTube and is definitely more bearable than the Twilight series!

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

You need to watch the video a few times to figure out exactly what the whole video is about. Why does everybody look straight out of Star Wars and Star Trek and yet look Russian at the same time? Is it actually some futuristic slave market? Why exactly does Lady Gaga sing “I want your ugly, I want your disease” (seriously... disease?) Inspite of being so famous and so rich, she does not have money to buy pants? The coolest part of the video is however the last few seconds where we see sparks shooting out of Gaga’s ummm... anterior and next to her in the bed are the charred remains of the slavelord.

California Gurls - Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg http://www.highonscore.com

Snoop Dogg is a candylord of some sort playing an even weirder chess game and Katy Perry resembles a female backup dancer liberator in candy-land! Our main and primary questions are What exactly is this video and the lyrics of the song about? “Sun kissed skin, we’ll melt your popsicle.” (Eh?) Is Snoop Dogg a candy pimp? Why exactly does she squirt out cream from her ummm... anteriors?

What is the big deal about California girls? We really don’t know! They’re sweeter and tastier; atleast that’s what the song says. We give up. If you’ve got even the slightest clue, please mail us.

Prashant IPE| prashant@highonscore.com Love the Way You Lie - Eminem ft. Rihanna

We will admit that this is one of the best videos from all the above and apparently recorded more than a million hits within a single day on YouTube. It stars Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan as a couple trapped in an extremely volatile, passionate and abusive relationship. Everyone in the video look super attractive yet are dealing with violence and abuse. Also things on fire look so much more beautiful and there is plenty of fire in the video. What really fries your brain is the fact that even though the song condemns violence, the characters in the video are so much more passionate about their love because of the violence. They condemn infidelity but somehow, him being an infidel makes her love him more. Was the video inspired from the tumultuous personal lives of Eminem and Rihanna? I Like It - Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull

Grab a newspaper or better roll this magazine itself. Hold the smaller end to your mouth and with your other hand, close your nostrils. Now sing something. Bravo! You sound exactly like Enrique Iglesias. There are a lot of girls jumping up and down asynchronously which contrasts with Enrique doing some very low gravity sort of moves. While Enrique only sings about wanting to get lucky and cheat with a chick, Pitbull with his “wannabe cool” expression, seems to be rapping about something else altogether. Sample -“Let’s party on the White House Lawn, Tiger woods tired of Jesse James, here goes Pitbull all night long, pick up Barack and Michelle and let ’em know that’s it’s on!”

Quips from DesiTube Love marriage - Wilbur SArgunaraj

You’ve not heard of him? You’ve got to be kidding! Read this taken from his website. “Dance King, Performer, Drummer and Tamilian, Wilbur Sargunaraj is one of the most original musicians to grace the industry. His super hit song “LOVE MARRIAGE” is just one of the killer dance tunes that is having people across the globe begging for more music. His motto is to “Make the Common Extra Ordinary!” Watch out for Wilbur as he takes on the world by storm from Chennai to L.A. and from Tamil Nadu to Tokyo!” Yeah that pretty much sums up the guy. He also has made songs like “Chicken 65,” “Cobra Cobra” and “Cricket.” Watch his dozens of helpful tutorials like “How to use Eastern and Western Latrines.” Amazing. Silsila hai silsila

It would be a great injustice on our part if we describe what this video is about. You just have to watch it! The effect that this video has had on the Malayalee population is clearly expressed in the comments section below the video. Though most of the comments are in the chastest of Malayalam, Rajjik says “Guys stop swearing at him. Why don’t you go find him and kill him?” It features one long haired guy who only shakes his head throughout the video, the main dancer who dances as if it were a PT drill, the cool hat guy and let us not forget, two phirang women who have absolutely no clue what’s happening. Abstain from divulging I will, lest I spoil the plot. Please go watch. Don’t say goodbye - Bappi Lahiri

India’s golden man has released his tribute to the King of Pop on his first death anniversary. The video opens with a picture of Michael Jackson and then fades into a visual of kids in green and red blazers waving their hands in the air. A sparkling Bappi appears with a millions of moving stars on a screen behind him and croons, ”Dont say goodbye, We love you, We remember you.” The background screen then fades into the green and red blazer hand-waving kids who now look as if they’ve been punished and are waving their hands extremely reluctantly. The video ends with a Bengali Aunty giving a farewell speech to Michael Jackson re-emphasizing her eternal love for Jackson. Please watch the video and tell us if you really think the song is “powerful” and “melodious.” Illustration: PurpleCarousel.in

October 2010

LET’S GET POPPIN,’ HOPPIN’ & BOPPIN!’ Work up a healthy appetite for music with a sumptuous serving of pop, dance & hip hop! Before you reach for your wallet and grab these summer must-haves, here’s some foretaste!

KYLIE MINOGUE POP/ELECTRONIC

Breathy vocals? Check. Infectious beats? Check. Synthesizers? Check. Yes, this is vintage Kylie Minogue! Her 11th studio album, Aphrodite is not a conquest into the unknown but only a deeper delve into her brand of dance pop; one that has been skillfully mastered over the decades. The sounds are a smattering of early 90s Dance and Euro pop with some of today’s signature vibes. Fittingly enough, the first word of the first song on the album is a throaty “Dance” (Track 1: All the Lovers) - pretty much sums up the call of this album. Kylie’s determined to get us boogeying and this 12 track CD certainly has its catchy moments.

Aphrodite “Can you feel me on the stereo?” she asks. Yup, we sure do! It has a wicked brass band beat and a thumping structure, making it the catchiest tune in the album!

Everything Is Beautiful T HE only “slow” song in the album. Kylie’s caressing vocals and the groovy vibe is bound to help you get the grind on.

Better Than Today A strong melody and more acoustic than the rest, Kylie’s vocal abilities are striking on this track (at a point where you’ve nearly forgotten all that even matters due to the high energy dancing).

Katy Perry

POP/ELECTRONIC

Katy Perry knows what makes her audience tick and is certainly milking it. Her calculative second studio album, Teenage Dream, is energetic, fun and quite a tease – peppered with lyrical naughtiness and carefree melodies. If you haven’t already heard the peppy first single “California Girls” with Snoop Dogg, you’re probably living under a rock. The video’s been received positively too, with little notice given to Perry’s innuendos (read: strategic placement of “popsicles” and “whipped cream”). The rest of the album is filled with primarily uptempo songs about first times, heartbreaks & of course, wildness.

Teenage Dream http://www.highonscore.com

Radio friendly and perfect to sing along too with fiercely mouth ‘em lyrics. A smart follow up to the cheeky “California Girls!”

Circle The Drain The sounds are loud and very in-your-face! It is an innovative, tasteful gimmickry track. Perry could be a pioneer in a genre where you rather dance than take it seriously!

Not Like The Movies

This soulful track is the closest thing to a ballad we’ve heard from her. The vocals are brilliant with a muffled beat making sure the spotlight is on Perry’s pipes. Pix: EMI

Sandhya R | sandhya@highonscore.com

HANSON POP/ROCK

For a pop rock band (more stress on the pop), Hanson in Shout it out is quite loud and heavily orchestrated - lots of piano, horn, electric guitar, and beats so tight they almost sound like a metronome. The trio from Tulsa, Oklahoma - Isaac, Taylor & Zac Hanson, released their debut Boomerang in the year 1995. This was followed by “MMMBop,” one of their biggest hit singles and they’ve been doing their thing ever since. Unlike most of their contemporaries (primarily boy bands) they had a distinct, high energy sound. They are also one of the few artists who’ve had number one singles in both the UK & the US.

Carry You There The track starts off alternative and edges into gospel territory towards the end. Strong vocal arrangement serves as the main highlight.

Kiss Me When You Come Home A real pick-me-up track for it’ll have your spirits soaring. The keys are mindblowing on this one.

Thinkin’ Bout Somethin’ In one word, Infectious! Tight arrangement with attitude that would fit a rebellious punk song! The smashing video has a high energy, old-school street dance that features 300 local fans and a cameo by a tambourine playing “Weird Al” Yankovic.

NEW RELEASES -

Here’s what’s going to be boomin’ on ‘em speakers one month from now. P. Diddy Hip-Hop/R&B P. Diddy will release Last Train To Paris which has the hit singles “Love Come Down” and “Angels.” The album will include collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown & a whole host of other hip-hop moguls.

Zac Brown Band Country/Southern rock The Grammy-winning country band has churned out its second album You Get What You Give, a mix of country, bluegrass and reggae. Look out for “As She’s Walking Away” feat. Alan Jackson.

KT Tunstall Alternative Rock/Blues Many songs from KT’s latest offering, Tigersuit, were born during her recent globetrotting. Stopovers included Machu Picchu and Rajasthan (where she jammed with the local musicians). “Anticipate organic sounds, some electronic, and nature techno,” says KT!

October 2010

Let’s Get Rocked Feeling high and pumped for this month’s fun? You’re not done quite yet. Check out these albums - a glimpse into this month’s metal must-have album itinerary list!

KORN NU METAL

http://www.highonscore.com

Korn III - Remember Who You Are leaves no room for doubt that the band is now no more than a child throwing tantrums, refusing to go to bed. The destruction of the band began when Head quit. Korn III’s lyrics and the overall music prove why Davis’ vocals make the album sound like it has been put through a metal grinder. His insane obsession to associate all of his lyrics with his childhood abuse is starting to sound whiny and frankly very annoying. On the bright side, Ray Luzier has been made a permanent member of the band and he seems brilliant compared to the rest of the band. Some of the guitar riffs are quite good but the album is missing the heavy studio effects. All in all, the band seems to have forgotten who they really are.

Oildale (Leave Me Alone) The best in the album. The video of this track is reminiscent of the old Korn and almost pulls it off.

Lead The Parade One of the few songs in the album with a good guitar riff that is so short to go unnoticed. The intro sounds a little bit like COF yet it is fleeting and the beat is unique.

Move On Great intro. Heavy, that fizzes out after a few seconds Davis’ edited voice and screaming almost sounds good. Almost.

Madhumitha madhavan | madhu@highonscore.com

The rumour mills had it quite wrong when they cited their latest album, The Final Frontier to be their last album. This album is absolutely delightful for the progressive next-gen fans. The album is something you can enjoy only if you are not suffering from ADD. They grow on you the more you listen to them. Interestingly enough, Iron maiden is one of the few bands to have achieved platinum sales in India making it one of the most popular and loved metal bands in our country. Hear, hear!

When The Wild Wind Blows Beautifully arranged intro that sounds ominous and Dickinson’s narrative style is pretty catchy. Despite being the longest (10.59 minutes, it is Maiden’s third longest ever), it sounds spirited and has some great solos.

The Talisman It has a clean sounding acoustic intro and creates a magical effect. This gives away to a heavy sounding part with lots of catchy and intense sounding riffs.

IRON MAIDEN

hard rock

FUTURE RELEASES: Maroon 5

A lternati v e / Funk Rock

Isle of Avalon Arabic sounding intro and tons of guitar riffs and bass that sound spooky. The drums are great, adding a twist to the familiar.

The much-anticipated album, Hands All Over, is out next month. Be prepared to be wowed with a whole lot of pop, rock, R&B and funk because this album is going to be a killer hybrid of them all! Check out their first single, “Misery.”

Kid Rock

Country Rock

GOO GOO DOLLS Punk/rock

With the release of Something for the Rest of Us, Goo Goo Dolls’ career has spanned over four multimillion dollar earning decades. Their secret is very simple. This is a band that has remained true to its sounds that made them popular to begin with. According to lead singer John Rzeznik, this album is meant to help people through the difficult times including wars and economic meltdown. The numbers are easy, upbeat and lively.

Sweetest lie This is the first track of the album and sets a great mood for what is to follow. The type of song that gets into your head and refuses to die. Something you should listen to on a drive.

Home This is a solid single making it much loved for new fans and good enough for the old ones too!

Not Broken This beautifully arranged song is about a soldier who is away from home and its lyrics make it one of the strongest tracks.

Born Free, the latest album is slated to be out on the seventh of next month. The album has a star studded line-up including Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, Bob Seger, Zac Brown and others. Check it out yo!

Linkin Park Rock

They speak about issues like recession & clashes in the Middle East in their latest album, A Thousand Suns. Linkin Park Featuring You is a contest where you get to re-record your own version of “The Catalyst” too!

October 2010

GONE TOO SOON “I never had a mother. He never had a childhood. But when you never get to have something you become obsessed by it. How does one recreate his childhood?”

- Madonna

Michael’s Corner His crushes were Diana Ross and Brooke Shields. Not a lot of people know this but MJ was quite the prankster. Notorious for his cheeky humour; pranks, balloon fights, pushing people into the pool and throwing cakes and pies at people where a common pasttime of his.

http://www.highonscore.com

Having missed the chance of a carefree childhood, he created his own piece of heaven on his ranch “Neverland” and built parks, a theatre, an amusement park, zoo and even had slumber parties with family and friends. The “Giving tree” is the tree which inspired him to write “Heal the World,” “Black or White,” “Childhood,” and “Will you be there?” Michael’s favorite Beatle song is “Come Together.” He even owned the catalogue of their numbers which led to a huge fallout between him and Paul McCartney. The catalogue was eventually sold to Sony. He can beatbox, sing and dance at the same time. He has also written rap lyrics for a number of prominent rappers in the business. Check out his interview with Oprah in 1993. His mother found out he was talented when she heard him sing while he was making his bed at the age of five.

Pix: Universal

Shirin Albert | shirin@highonscore.com

hat is there that hasn’t been said about him already? Not much. We’ve seen it all - the good, the bad and the ugly.

My boss casually mentioned to me the other day about a tribute by Madonna to MJ at the American Music Awards. I immediately rushed to view it online. It was too bizarre to imagine the connection between him and her. Fact: Madonna was supposed to appear with Michael Jackson in the video “In the closet” but it did not work out since Madonna wanted it to be more sensual which Michael did not approve of. Madonna and Michael were poles apart.. What struck me was how deeply connected she felt to him. The tribute was subtle and straight from the heart and I was pleasantly surprised. She mentions how deprivation of one’s childhood, of a normal life (which everybody has a right to), of true friends and family could rip a person apart. Having been an avid fan since the age of three, I remember how “Black or White” and “The way you make me feel” sent a jolt through my system and made me think I could zoom around my hall with immeasurable strength and happiness. His ability to make us think that anything is possible when we listen to his music; that we could fly or try to stand on our toes and defy gravity was what made him a hero to me. Well, isn’t that what superheroes do? The man was a genius. He was legendary. I don’t think one can remember him without thinking of his electrifying tactics and dance moves; his sequined glove, sparkling white socks, shiny shoes and ankle length pants, the spins, the steps that lit up with every step he took, his “heheeees,” the single spotlight (not to forget the crotch-grabbing too), the videos - the MUSIC. That will always be his legacy and there will never be another like him.

Happy Quotes! My mother’s wonderful. To me she’s perfection. I love E.T. cos it reminds me of me. Someone who is 800 years from another world, coming down and he can teach you to fly. That whole fantasy thing is what I think is great. I mean, who doesn’t wanna fly? If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in-between can be dealt with.

MJ was one thing that connected a kid in Indonesia to a teen in Czechoslovakia to the people living in the slums of Mumbai. They all knew and loved him. Something that even Elvis or The Beatles could not achieve. He was an icon of freedom of expression. It were his songs that people used to voice their opinions and they broke barriers. He was a hero, flawed, but it were those flaws that made him loved by all, however unorthodox his life may have been. It has been a year since his death. His second post-humous birthday just passed by on August 29th. How would have his birthday been celebrated were he alive? Probably more tabloid junk, creepy news bytes and pictures of a corroding face? I know there is more than enough information out there to take his case. But that is not what I intend to do here. On a parting note, I leave you with a quote from Madonna’s tribute. “He was so unique, so original, so rare, and there will never be anyone like him again. He was a King. Yes, at the end Michael Jackson was a human being. But damn it he was a King. Long live the KING!”

October 2010

Mickey is the new ace in town and no we aren’t talking about any ressurgence of the Walt Disneys brand ambassador. Mickey J Meyer is the most qualified Music Director in the town today and when he recently tied up with Director Prakash Raj for the tamil remake for his Telugu block buster, he knew the

Happy days Are

here to stay...

have to admit, the prospect of interviewing someone I’d never heard of till a few hours before, was a bit scary. Not to mention that there was precious little information to be found about Mickey. J. Meyer. All I could find was that he was from Hyderabad, studied at Trinity College of Music, London and shot to fame with Happy Days. What struck me first was Mickeys down-to-earth nature. It was like talking to someone I’ve known for ages. Mickey talks about how he hates having his photo taken, not only by the media, but in general. Does that mean acting is out of the question? “Of course! It would be the worst kind of ordeal for me!” he says laughing. I ask him how his experience was playing music since age six with Trinity, “The theory part was quite boring at times, but it laid the foundation for the music I play today. I dropped out after just one grade.” There’s the reason he’s creating music in Kollywood and Tollywood. The big break with Sekar Kammula changed his life, he says. The director and he share a great rapport and hopes that there will be another Harris Jeyaraj-Gautam Menon type combo in production soon.

http://www.highonscore.com

Although he’s trained in violin, his first love is the piano. All his composing is done on the piano, and he plays the keyboard as well. Does Mickey jam with his friends? “No. I do not like talking about my music when I’m with them. We just watch many movies to-

gether. Pretty much everything.” I find it disappointing that he has no nicknames besides “Micks.” Apparently, he was a very quiet child. Mickey has been flooded with offers for Tamil movies. However, he is patiently waiting for the release of Inidhu Inidhu. “I’m open to projects once the verdict on my music for this film is through.” Meanwhile, I’ll continue pestering everyone around me by squealing every time I see a movie poster with his name on it; mostly by yelling, “I spoke to Mickey Meyer, I spoke to Mickey Meyer!” The chilled out young musician, who prefers playing the piano in his room to raucous nights out on the town, is taking the southern cinema industry by storm. Here’s hoping we get to listen to a lot more of his songs and maybe even see him occasionally!

SUSANNA LAZARUS | susanna@highonscore.com Knowing Mickey Playing the music of Beethoven and Bach is different than composing. Creating something of your own which people enjoy is a blessing. He is a vegetarian and tells me he has eaten a beef burger unknowingly and found it quite tasty too. He detests karela and describes the “experience of tasting it” as “shocking”. He confesses a sweet tooth, especially for Ferrero Rocher. Mickey is obsessed with are cars. He finally did buy the latest C-class Mercedes Benz claiming he gets his best ideas coming to him while going on long drives. Mentally, he does the final mixing of any soundtrack in his car. Micket loves his watches too. “Mont Blanc, Cherubi, and what’s that brand Shah Rukh Khan endorses?” “Omega? umm… Tag Heuer?” I ask. “Yes that’s the one! These are the most expensive watches I own.

He said, She said The happy-go-lucky bunch that made a debut in this hit is going up the commercial ladder with lauds and acclaim. Adith Eswaran The chocolate boy of the gang, the chirpy Adith, who plays the lovestruck-teen with a boy-next-door looks has been stealing hearts off the cinema hall. So what does he have to say about Inidhu Inidhu? The apple of Mickey’s eyes is his silver Merc! Nonetheless, he’s humble abode. The movie seemed to appeal the urban crowd but proved us wrong with the overwhelming response from all over! The movie-shooting was a T20 match! It was sprightly and we relived our college days.

Reshmi Menon The ravishing Reshmi Menon enacted the role Tamannah played in Happy Days which catapulted her career in the movie industry and is now lucky with offers pouring in.

“The music is the highlight of the movie. We have a feeling of oneness and are connected by that. The songs on-screen make a spectacular visual and make them magical. Mickey reminded me of A.R. Rahman when I first met him and I bet he’s going to be the next big thing!

October 2010

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!

hennai Live 104.8 FM’s BAND HUNT is now in the semi-final stages. 15 bands have now been chosen, and are battling it out for the coveted 5 places for the final of this nail-biting competition. These 5 lucky bands will battle it out for a grand prize of over Rs.10 Lakhs along with the opportunity to cut an album and launch themselves in association with Chennai Live. “Band Hunt” is a chance to identify and promote new talent in Chennai city. Opportunities for aspiring western music bands are few and far between and Chennai Live 104.8FM wants to give back to those up and coming musicians. The preliminaries, showcased 50 bands from all over Chennai and even drew in bands from Pune and Bangalore. Choosing the 15 bands proved to be particularly hard as there was an incredible gamut of talent in Chennai. The 15 chosen bands are as follows Neurotia, Frank’s Got The Funk, Blues Conscience, Blacklisted, Wolf ’s Lair, Soul Sistaz, Bass-in Bridge, Ghost Note, Nailed, E-Flat, Escher’s Knot, No Safe Word, Off the Record, Groove No.3 and Break for Beer. For the semi-finals, the bands were given special assignments for the competition. They were asked to sing their own creative versions of songs such as “Spin Me Round” by Flo Rida, “Fireflies” by Owl City, “I got a feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas, “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls and ‘’Sexyback” by Justin Timberlake. It was interesting to see how hardcore heavy metal and rock and roll bands took to making these Pop and R’n’B hits their own. Decisions are still underway to pick out the top 5 bands. Chennai Live 104.8FM is broadcasting a 2-hour Band Hunt reality show every week day between 6 & 8 p.m. to get to know the bands that you have to vote for in the finals.

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Currently on the Band Hunt reality show, the top 15 bands are coming in-studio for an upclose and personal interview along with acoustic set performance from the bands. So tune in to Chennai Live 104.8FM to witness the transformation of these delicate caterpillars to musical sensations!!

SONALI SHENOY | sonali@highonscore.com

October 2010

QUIRKS QUERIES Vijay Yesudas is a year over thirty. He has a phenomenal voice and beautiful wife. Not to forget their baby girl, Ammeya. This man is hot property – he just made his film debut with Avan directed by debutant Nandan Kavil and on the music front has had some big hits like “Nizhalinai Nijamum” from Raam, to “Dhavani Potta Deepavali” from Sandakozhi, to the more recent “Sahara” in Sivaji. Self-professed, his voice is his biggest asset, but that we already know… music that helps you unwind? I relax with different kinds of music like film songs, western classics, Yanni, Andrea Bocelli and sometimes the radio. Chennai, likes and dislike? I like the fact that people are friendly and nice to one another. I think the one thing I dislike about Chennai is “anger on the road.” favourite colour? I would say black. But I like white as well, so black and white. favourite Food place? My favourite place in Chennai is The Kabab Factory. My wife’s favourite is Lotus Thai. Inspiration and guidance? Inspiration and guidance obviously come from my father. But then there’s the other side as well, encouragement, which my dad doesn’t reveal too easily. My mother pushes me to practice and is the life support for all of us in the family. My dad analyses music more because he is in the same profession. Favourite animated series? I remember I used to watch “He-man and the Masters of the Universe” on TV when I was younger on Doordashan. One of my favourite animated movies was Wall-E. I really enjoyed it.

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culinary capabilities? I make a good breakfast, good omelettes and sandwiches. I have cooked for my wife a few times. I make brownies as well. I want to learn a few dishes. Maybe chicken curry? What did you enjoy collecting anything when you were a kid? I was a big fan of the Chicago Bulls when I lived in the U.S. and Michael Jordan. My birthday and his jersey number were the same, number 23, so that is my lucky number as well. I had a bunch of autographed Michael Jordan shoes then. Right now, I am collecting Blue Ray DVDs. Name one thing that you feel strongly about and tell us why. I spend a lot of time in traffic and I love driving. I keep trying to figure out a way to solve the problem. I look at these things and I really wish that the people of Chennai would give their ideas and opinions to leading newspapers so that the right people can take them forward. Flyovers have helped to a certain extent; although I think it’s about time that Mount Road got a highway to ease traffic, maybe all the way from Gymkhana to the airport.

Pix: Pretika Menon

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