The Brew April by Sameer Bharat Ram

JANUARY 2012 VOL 02 ISSUE 04 ` 40 www.thebrewmagazine.com

madonna back from hiatus Cinema, Music & Art with the Brew | april 2012 | 1

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CINEMA, MUSIC & ART WITH THE

Creative Director 01 Mihir Ranganathan

Sr. Graphic Designer 02 Ajay Kumar 03 Simran Nichani

Content Co-Ordinator 04 Abhinav Krishnaswamy

EDITOR’S NOTE

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Asst. Editor 06 Amrutha Anandanathan

Dear all,

There’s been a gigantic purge of the system here at The Brew. Many new faces have been added to the roster, We have Abhinav Krishnaswamy who joins us as Content Co-ordinator Simran Nichani has joined us in the Design team. The magazine itself has undergone some changes which will come to the forefront with forthcoming issues.

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Sameer Bharat Ram Editor

Operations 07 Tapass Naresh 08 Jai Kumananthaa Raaja Marketing 09 Sriram T.T

Change is inevitable. It underlies everything that operates in society. Until it eventually eats us alive. Here’s looking forward to positive change and no more cannibalism here, or anywhere else.

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Sub-Editor 05 Poornima Nair

Circulation & Sales 10 Seeman Ezhumalai

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The Brew takes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs or material. All PHOTOGRAPHS, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED ARE USED FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSE ONLY.

Edited and Published by Sameer Bharat Ram, and owned by SM BrandMuni Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Published from No.609, Lakshmi Bhavan, Anna salai, Mount Road, Chennai - 600 002. Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392. Printed by K. Srinivasan at Srikals Graphics pvt. Ltd, No.5, Balaji Nagar, 1st street, Ekkattuthangal, Chennai - 600 032. Editor: Sameer Bharat Ram

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CONTRIBUTORS AND ADVISORY BOARD Lord Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Archer established himself as a literary force with the publication of his first novel, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, in 1975. His third novel, Kane and Abel became a number one best-seller in hardcover and paperback all over the world and has sold over 3.5 million in the UK paperback edition alone. Now, 36 years later, Jeffrey continues to defy his critics and delight his fans. Published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, Jeffrey Archer is firmly established, with international sales passing 250 million copies.

Kavita Baliga The young American Soprano, Kavita Baliga has sung in concerts around the U.S., Switzerland, Italy and India with repertoire ranging from Opera and Oratorio, Musical Theatre to Indian film. In 2008, Ms. Baliga joined A.R Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory as a faculty member and founded the KMMC Chamber Choir. She is presently developing performance programmes in India. Ashok Verghese Is one of the youngest education entrepreneurs who is making a great difference in this field in the country. He is the Director of the Hindustan group of Institutions, again one of the pioneering educational groups in the country. He supports the cause of promoting young talent in art and music.

Veejay Sai An award-winning writer, editor and a culture critic. He has written and published extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art, and loves traveling, researching literary and cultural history. He is an editorial consultant with over 40 brands and designers in and outside India and is on the jury for several prestigious awards in the arts across the country.

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Venket Ram Venket Ram is a leading Indian celebrity & fashion photographer, who has shot principal photography stills for several notable films as well as portfolios. He quit his engineering studies to work with cinematographers for a while, then joined a course in Visual Communication at Loyola College. After that, he worked with photographer Sharad Haksar and in 1993, started his own studio. He recently released the first two editions of his annual calendars in 2011 and 2012 with an overwhelming response. Mallika Sarabhai Educated as an economist and a business manager, Mallika Sarabhai is one of India’s best known Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers. She has taken her work and her company Darpana to not only over 90 countries around the world, but also to the farthest parts of India.

Neeru Nanda A graduate from Delhi University. Passionate about writing, she freelanced as a feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of a collection of short stories titled “IF” (Rupa & Co), Neeru is now working on two novels and a series of books for children.

Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini Internationally acclaimed, award winning Violin Maestros Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini have been widely applauded as the ‘Queens Of Violin’ and have enthralled audiences across the globe. They have been selected as Cultural Ambassadors and dignitaries to the US and UK respectively. They have published books and written numerous articles relating to Music and religion..

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CONTENTS

VOL 02 ISSUE 07

FEATURES

COVER STORY

10 the psychology of

madonna

actors

mdna

-MINI RAO

calvin and hobbes

Of Obnoxious Brats and Stuffed Tigers

brew the change

taking on

thalassaemia

sulk STATION

INTERVIEW

center stage with

the grammys and

the powers that be

mythology of

policing

THEATRE

where class is doled out to the crass

18 the pumpkin patch -mykel kumar

28 JHANU

tour de force

TRIBUTE

WHITNEY

HOUSTON

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CINEMA Suppressing thoughts and feelings can be dangerous and can manifest itself in the form of unwanted and uncalled for behavior. Some actors try to seek spiritual help. They become devotees of spiritual gurus and spend a lot of time in their company. They derive an inner peace from this and this takes them into a completely different world from their acting world. It can have a positive influence on the actor.

creating friction with normal everyday life. An actor’s recognition and stardom does become a responsibility and can even become a burden. There is this pressure to get to the top and the fear of being consumed by the demands of their career. It is definitely not an easy life to lead and so far removed from the glamorous image and life that the media portrays about them. In general one can say that these creative personalities make huge sacrifices, work extremely hard, give up so many things and when they are misunderstood and misquoted by the media sometimes, it can take a huge toll on the actor’s physical and mental health. So the media should take responsibility not to tarnish, ruin, misinterpret or misjudge an actor, for without them we have no cinema and we have no entertainment and life will be extremely boring without both. - MINI RAO

When it comes to family life, it is hard for the actors. Some do get married, while others feel the marriage will distract them from their creativeness and that they won’t be able to do justice to both. Some marry late, while some who do marry find that the marriage ends in divorce as they find it difficult to combine their acting career and their personal life. The actor is always trying to imagine and create and since he puts most of his energy towards that, it ends up

The unfortunate part of the acting profession is that it prevents you from seeking help in the form of counseling or therapy for fear of being labeled by society as mentally sick. Once the press and public get to know of an actor seeking psychological help the actor is scared that they will tarnish his hard earned image and write irresponsibly about him and make his life miserable. But honestly many of them do need someone to talk to.

Upcoming Releases Releases to look forward to this month. Get your torrent clients out!

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17th April- Dross Glop (Battles) (Experimental/Remix) Love is a Four Letter Word (Jason Mraz) (Pop)UPCOMING Sweet Heart Sweet Light (Spiritualized) (Space Rock)

UPCOMING RELEASES

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24th April- Blunderbuss (Jack White) (Garage/Punk/Rock) This Machine (The Dandy Warhols) (Alternative)

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Cinema, Music & Art with the Brew | april 2012 | 11

COMING RELEASES

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everyone, a God like person, and usually ends up becoming delirious when euphoria switches to irritability or vanity and can prevent him from continuing along his chosen path. Dysthmia is another psychological disorder, a less severe form of depression associated with actors in general. Here the actor feels low, goes through periods of isolation and questions his abilities which results in a loss of self confidence. Some actors are aware of what they are going through but some try to escape from these symptoms and try to focus on their career. However in cases of dysthmia, the actor may fall prey to addiction and other complications that can last for awhile and many actors simply believe that this is the everyday life of any actor.

UPCOMING RELEASES

Actors receive a lot more interest from the general public than any other social group, but strangely they have been the subject of very little psychological investigation. They are of psychological interest not just because of the public they excite, but also because their profession has unusual characteristics. There is no shortage of entrants to this profession but it is still a high risk profession.

Despite this risk, actors choose to put themselves into situations that most people ﬁnd anxiety-provoking: the constant scrutiny of large groups of strangers under circumstances they do not entirely control. Actors go through severe mental stress according to various elements in their life such as their work and the pressure involved, being recognized and mobbed, their surroundings and their family and private life. This stress varies from actor to actor depending upon the character and personality of the actor. While some actors are very friendly and forthcoming and have no qualms about their private lives being in the public eye, some actors are a little aloof and wanting to guard their privacy fiercely. Psychological disorders are common in this industry and the actors are not new to them. Hypomania for instance is when the person experiences an advanced state of euphoria which manifests itself as a state of heightened happiness, self confidence, a great ability to perform , optimism and easy communication with others. In this state of mind that person usually achieves considerable strides to reach the intended goal. Then there is Mania which manifests itself when the actor feels himself to be above

UPCOMING RELEASE

s you know, our lives would be really uninteresting and devoid of the sparkle if not for entertainment, of which Cinema is a huge contributor. Cinema has a massive influence on the masses and the actors end up becoming demi-gods and some actors even having temples built after them. These actors are a big source of inspiration to the public and we owe them a great deal for makes us laugh and making us cry and generally enriching our lives with their drama. But actors as normal human beings have never been focused upon. What kind of lives do they lead, what kind of pressures do they face and how do they deal with the consequences of such a huge responsibility of having to be a role model for millions of fans around the world.

UPCOMING RELEASES

The Psychology of Actors

MUSIC ART Watterson, very good- naturedly attacks both sides, making fun of the commercial as well as the refined and sophisticated. What makes this comic so addictive is that it has the perfect combination of illustration and text. The text is often peppered with long complicated words that when you read the comic as a child, you question your own intelligence. After all, if a six-year-old uses this jargon while going about his everyday business, how do you not even know the meaning of these seemingly simplest of words? This is one of the reasons why most of us eventually grew to become fans of Calvin and Hobbes only during our teenage years after we were well past our Archies and Garfields. The comic is full of references and whether you get them or not,

it leaves you in splits. One of the things that make Calvin so lovable is how well everyone identifies with him. He makes you think back to your childhood days where playing in the sand box, hiking through your garden or even the act of having a bath was considered an adventure. When Hobbes is often washed in the washing machine you think of those days when your favourite stuffed toy or blanket was pried from your hands in an attempt to wash some of the grime that had accumulated on it. His very active imagination sees him playing everything from Spaceman Spiff to a pterodactyl. His ability to imagine the entire world around him as an alien planet takes you back to the days when the supermarket was your very own jungle.

Imagination is the very base of this comic- something that most of us have forgotten involuntarily or have chosen to forget. Calvin and Hobbes will always be one of those comics that tickle your funny bone whether it is when you decide to pick it up in a library or see it in your morning newspaper. And to all those who say Calvin and Hobbes is not art but a mere comic, in the words of Calvin, “Genius is never understood in its own time”

Of Obnoxious Brats and Stuffed Tigers “It seems like once people grow up, they have no idea what’s cool”, words of wisdom from the wise Calvin. This ill tempered, obnoxious, often insightful and slightly rude six year old boy has entertained us through most of our lives. So how does a young boy and his stuffed tiger manage to delight people across nations, ages and entire generations? To answer that, let us go through the sensation that is, Calvin and Hobbes. One of our fondest memories growing up has got to be spotting a comic book collection while sitting in the lounge at a hotel or grudgingly visiting a relative whose name repetitively

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eludes the mind. Asterix- will take too long to finish. Phantom- same case. Ah! Calvin and Hobbes- Perfect. Something that has the power to make you laugh your heart out in under a minute is definitely commendable. Bill Watterson, known for his reclusive nature came out with this comic strip which was syndicated in 1985. There are still many stories about how Watterson declined meeting various people from the media but some of the later compilations of Calvin and Hobbes give us a little insight into his mind and how he came up with an entire array of characters that have stayed with us over the years. It is filled with a whole bunch of characters

that are so unquestionably genuine, you cannot help but think Watterson was inspired by people like this in his real life. It is then that the mind pauses to wonder how on earth he ever managed to maintain his composure! The illustration of Calvin and Hobbes, though simpler than other comics is exactly what is needed to portray Watterson’s humor. A lot of art critics may argue that comic books do not come under the category of art at all but Watterson clearly proved them wrong. He even went to the extent of poking fun at what critics consider “art” by creating a number of comic strips where Calvin creates snowmen and term them “avant-garde”.

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MUSIC this was seldom heard in the scene at the time. The demos were mixture of “Kid-A” era Radiohead (at the base of it, atleast) and Portishead, in a sealed room, with a hole in the ceiling. Consumers’ initial reaction to the songs were automatically crudeish, comparing the style to Massive Attack. Can’t really blame them, since everyone with limited access to trip-hop can do little else than use that band as a focal point of reference.

Sulky Smooth The independent scene in India, despite its shortcomings, has begun to churn out records and bands that are finally worth writing home about. Amidst the wave of testosterone-driven hard rock and metal from veterans/ geriatrics, the scene has now started to expand onto lesser heard genres. Genres that are hard to understand due to the level of their new-ness. One of the rising spearheads of the scene are mellowdramatic/downtempo act Sulk Station.

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“You held me by the hand And taught me how to walk. Winter crept in, so did you. Keep me warm.” - Downlift By Abhinav Krishnaswamy

Active from early/mid-2010, the duo of Tanvi Rao(Vocals, Piano) and Rahul Giri(Loops, samples, soundscapes, textures) met at a house-party of a mutual friend. These house-parties were oft-repeated, acting as a miasma that was isolated from the regular comings-and-goings of the scene (credit: The Knife). Though both of them were from Christ College, they only began jamming and discovering ideas at these house parties, and things clicked. Prior to that, Rahul

With constant gigging comes a rep that precedes, and Sulk Station became a veritable force to reckon with. And then came the album. “Till You Appear”, a collection of ten songs “tied together by an overbearing sense of yearning”, made its way out around the beginning of March. Although the influence of one James Blake, from the post-dubstep textures, to Tanvi’s needy croon (thankfully

without the auto-tune), is evident, the overall sound is uniquely their own. Each song crests and breaks with ease, weaving in and out of each other. There are moments on the record, with Tanvi’s vocals stripped bare, and you can almost taste that empty space, that moment solitude, until Rahul stands behind you and shoves you headfirst back, and watches sombrely as you land arse-backwards into the song. Standout tracks include

“I am a pessimist when it comes to consumption of arts and culture in India. The underground is governed more by fads, trends and the cool and other agendas. There are not enough serious listeners. Although 100 people might rant and rave about an album, I think only 30 odd actually listen to the album carefully. We are just too lazy in that sense. Or maybe it’s just an aspect of consumption over the net. Heck at least, people are making albums left, right and center.” -Rahul

was cameoing for indie-giants Lounge Piranha, while touring their first album “Going Nowhere”. Tanvi was in and out of the Christ College scene, which included culturals, Cranberries’ cover bands and whatnot. Right before their first set of gigs in Chennai and Bengaluru, the group put out a set of demos online. These demos caused considerable curiosity, owing to the unique soundscapes created by Rahul and Tanvi’s dreamlike vocal delivery. Stuff like

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“Contentment”, “Wait” and “Piya (I and II). The songwriting process, when elucidated, is very cut and dried, not unlike most rock bands finding their feet. Tanvi makes use of the clips/ noises that Rahul conjures up and sings over them. Sometimes the songs take longer; weeks, months go by. Time never seems to be a factor with these two. Gotta do what you gotta do.

the bleakest of scenarios. That being said, Giri’s loopage is easily just as necessary as everything else, all the while playing tag with the vocals and the metre, generating this delightful back-and-forth. Downlift, Wait, Bindya never sounded better. The nitpicking would point out that Rao may have been “off-key” here and there. Anyone who really gave a shit would and should not bother. It just fit.

Live, the duo is as enigmatic as on record. Sans the histrionics of ‘80s hair-metal. As I witnessed their set at the M.A.D. festival in Ooty earlier this month, I couldn’t help but stare wideeyed at the level of professionalism they brought to the stage. All Tanvi needs is a microphone and radio static and she could breathe life into

The scene needs these two, plain and simple. Even if just to get us off our asses and think differently, give us a new method of conveyance every now and then. Sulk Station is one of a few bands assaulting us with questions, enabling the inflow of new ideas, which may only lead to an empowerment of thought over action, nothing less.

The artists themselves don’t think of the scene as a reason to jump for joy. Rahul finds that “the underground is governed more by fads, trends and the cool and other agendas. There are not enough serious listeners. Although 100 people might rant and rave about an album, I think only 30-odd actually listen to the album carefully”. His pessimism does recede from time to time, but he’s just glad that bands are out there making records regularly enough.

Reign of

CINEMA

Terror

(Sleigh Bells)

cross the world, sprouting up in little sub-sects of the music industry, is the less is more aesthetic. With Treats(2010), Sleigh Bells exploded onto the scene with their brand of lo-fi, cheerleader-friendly aggression. Helmed with frenzied songs like Infinity Guitars, Rill Rill, Riot Rhythm and Tell ‘Em, the duo introduced young people to the idea of loud-sounding music even at low volumes. Heavy, clipping guitar riffs coupled with quiet girly-girl vocals that flattered to deceive in their timidness. They were definitely here to stay. With bands like this, one would expect something tangibly different in their sophomore effort. But this is where Reign of Terror falls short. The riffs have been dumbed down further with almost nothing imaginative being thrown in. No new textures to speak of. The album opens with True Shred Guitar; a positive start. The track exudes this aggression that screams “Arena Rock”. Chanting crowds, a vocalist at the peak of a performance, a guitarist who’s clearly self-indulgent.

ideas: a riff that bores, vocals that drag. Nope. Not for me.

it. Fingers crossed that the rest of the album sounds this freaking awesome!

Crush is a ditty that deserves to belong in the middle of another longer song. It’s not completely excruciating though. If this isn’t the time for handclap percussions, when is? Annoyance with this album is slowly creeping in. I’m just surprised it took this long.

No.

The duo finds nothing wrong in borrowing aspects from their previous effort. End of The Line sounds strikingly similar to the brilliant Rill Rill. In idea, aesthetic, vocal delivery, synths, guitars. Let’s just be glad that they aren’t ripping off other artists. Although that doesn’t look like it’s far from happening. Noticeably, synths have been employed in greater bursts on this record. Still not doing anything to change my mind.

Everything else on the record sounds like each other, with little deviation of thought. Buy the album purely for the artwork. The bloodstained sneakers evoke this feeling of a loss of innocence; the blood is real. The idea, visceral. The funny thing with bands like Sleigh Bells is that they will survive, regardless of competition, because currently there is none. For some reason, the band is a lasting example of the notion that is prevalent in India: If you have a female band member, the enigma surrounding your band increases ten-fold. That, or just, tits. Verdict: C minus

Track #6: Comeback Kid. Finally! Something worth writing about. This song has got to have the most ballsy chorus written all year. What took this so long? “ANTHEM”, written all over

Born to Lose signifies a band that is pretty lousy at coming up with creative

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ART How old are you? Are you speaking chronologically or mentally? Let’s just say 25 for the record. A little background detail about your studio, The Pumpkin Patch. How did you start up?

The

Pumpkin Patch ZAYN MARIE KHAN

Well, the studio is just about a year old and although I’ve been tattooing for about 4 and a half years now, initially it was more of a side business as animation was my mainstream career so to speak. After working at an animation studio for about 2 years, I left that behind and decided to make art on skin mainstream. How do you feel about tattooing as an art and as a profession? Hmmm.. As an art, I would say it›s really cool. In some cases it maybe a fashion statement but most times it›s a nice way to have a story told. I believe most tattoos have brilliant stories within them and to see it represented in art on skin brings a certain sense of magic to the entire thing. Tattooing as a profession is quite challenging but completely worth it. Especially when it›s a customized design- the whole process of sitting with the client and talking to them, figuring out what they want, putting it down on paper, narrowing it down to exactly what they’d want and then finally inking them. Tattoo art and India. It›s really nice to see more and more people in India becoming more open to the idea of body art as opposed to the past. I wouldn›t say it›s reached it›s full potential as it may still be frowned upon by individuals with different belief systems or cultural upbringing. But hey, atleast it›s not considered a taboo like it was in the old days.

ykel Kumar began experimenting with tattooing when his father handed him the tools and told him to contribute to supporting the house. The fact that he had studied for a career in animation came in handy as Mykel learnt the art without any formal training.Today, he is the perfect example of a man who has made a career out of nothing. His art is nothing short of brilliance. Tattoo after tattoo seems to come alive, as each detail has been so beautifully crafted by this creative genius. Whether it is a simple name, an animal or the emblem (crest?) of a favourite football team, each tattoo is unique. Tattooing is as ancient as any other form of art and lives on to this day. Still, in India, it has not gained the respect and status that its contemporary art forms have. Mykel Kumar, believes that change is on the way and he intends on being an active part of it. In conversation with the Brew, he talks about his profession.

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What do you think should be the age barrier for getting a tattoo? 18 and above. Anyone younger would need to provide parental consent. That’s pretty fair wouldn’t you say? Which has been your most challenging tattoo thus far? If I had to say, I›d say portraits because while I really, really like doing them, I would never want to get complacent. All it would take is one

line that›s off to make the face look different. Each portrait is a challenge that requires more than the usual amount of concentration with the right amount of shading. I love it! Best thing about your profession would be… Well for me, personally, I’d have to say that I love art, I love drawing, I get to do that as a profession and better yet on skin and in the process meet a whole variety of people. Each person has their own story that they bring to the table and its really interesting to learn and see different facets of things. Getting a tattoo is like getting married, a life long commitment.

What are Dos and definitely Don’t Dos when getting a tattoo? Firstly, make sure you know where you›re going. Find out if your tattoo artist knows what he›s doing. I mean, its ONLY permanent after all. Secondly, plan your design out. Take the time to figure out what exactly you want. Don’t rush into it. Contact details The Pumpkin Patch No. 409, 1st Floor, 2nd Cross, J.Ramaiah Reddy Layout, Near Bangalore City College, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore - 560 043.

Ph: +91 9886592447 | +91 9886781593

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MUSIC

MDNA After a hiatus following â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hard Candyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Madonna released her twelfth studio album, MDNA in March. Debuting at number one in many countries world wide upon release, the album earned her the distinction of having the most number-one albums as a solo artist.

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aving spent time away from music to work on her Debut motion picture, W.E, Madonna posted a message on her Facebook page in December 2010 exclaiming,: “ Its official! I need to move. I need to sweat. I need to make new music! Music I can dance to. I’m on the lookout for the maddest, sickest, most badass people to collaborate with….” She reunited with producer William Orbit over a decade after their last collaboration. In July 2011, DJ and Producer, Martin Solveig was invited to a writing session in London. Originally Madonna had only acquired Solveig for an idea of one song which eventually turned into three “Give Me All Your Luvin’”, “I Don’t Give A” and “Turn Up the Radio”. In an interview with Billboard Solveig felt the stature of Madonna’s regular producers would be intimidating and so he chose to avoid “thinking about the legend, and do something that just makes sense”. Madonna then enlisted several other producers for the project, including Alle Benassi, Benny Benassi, The Demolition Crew, Michael Malih and Indiigo. She also collaborated with female rappers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. Madonna wished to collaborate with “women who [...] have a strong sense of themselves”, she found the pair were “fun to be around” and were both self-possessed people, referring to M.I.A. Madonna said “I don’t think she’s impressed much by stars and celebrities, so we just got down to business. I loved her.” On December 15, 2011, Madonna announced that the album will be released in the spring of 2012 and it will be her debut release from her 360 deal with Live Nation Entertainment which was signed in 2007. Through this contract, Madonna and Live Nation signed a threealbum deal with Interscope Records, who will market and distribute the album. In the 2011 year-end readers poll by Billboard, it was voted as the most anticipated album of 2012. On July 4, 2011, Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary, announced that Madonna entered the studio to begin the recording sessions for the album. In an interview with Channel V Australia, Martin Solveig commented on Madonna’s involvement in the production of the album: “She is as involved as you can be in the recording process. This was a very good and big surprise for me!

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I was assuming that she would spend only an hour or two in the studio per day and come and see where we were and say, “Ok I like this, I don’t like that. I’ll sing this. Bye!” And absolutely not... I mean we co-produced the track and it’s not just written on the credits “co-produced by Martin Solveig and Madonna”, we literally co-produced the tracks. I mean, at some point she wanted to choose the sound of a snare drum or a synth and that kind of stuff. She was really in the session!” He felt that he and Madonna had time to spend on the record which relieved pressure from the sessions, and he felt the pair enjoyed making music together which was the reason for which they continued past one song which had been the original concept. Solveig and Madonna “got along very well” and found common interests in music, cinema, food and wine. Common interests in the French film Le Samouraï about a solitary killer became a discussion which led to Solveig drafting the song “Beautiful Killer” in reference to the film. When discussing Solveig, Madonna found their common interests were what drove them to have successful collaborations, she liked his way of working saying “He’s very organised and methodical in his thinking” and she found she was able to say “‘No, I don’t like that,’ and you’re not going to hurt [his] feelings”. Madonna also talked about producer William Orbit, she felt her European qualities were well suited to his production style, and with conversation during sessions being “essential” she felt “With William, we always get into discussions about philosophy or quantum physics”. When it came to working with Benny and Alle Benassi she found it difficult to communicate with Benny as he is not fluent in English, during their recording sessions she used his cousin Allessandro as an interpreter and whilst this originally proved frustrating they eventually found a way to communicate. She had not worked with Benny Benassi before and found that the first-time meeting a producer was difficult as she would feel shy and after they had solved the communication troubles Madonna found “I felt like I knew him very well” While some critics believe that Madonna has fallen behind and is “no longer setting the conversation” in pop music, MDNA debuted to generally favourable reviews and commercial success, debuting at number one on

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the Billboard 200 with 359,000 copies sold in the United States, making it her biggest opening week sales since Music (2000). It became Madonna’s eighth chart-topper and her fifth consecutive studio album to debut at number one. MDNA also debuted at number one in Canadian Albums Chart, selling 32,000 copies in its first week. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart and became Madonna’s twelfth album to top the chart, breaking the record previously held by Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most number-one albums ever. Only

The Beatles have more number-one albums in British chart history with fifteen. In Germany, the album was certified gold in its first week by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for shipments of 100,000 copies and debuted at number three on the Media Control albums chart. Considered by many as a return to form of sorts, after a lackluster “Hard Candy”, MDNA will be followed up with Madonna’s biggest world tour yet starting May 29 in Tel Aviv, spanning 90 shows and ending in Australia in early 2013.

“It’s amazing to be back in music. I like the intimacy of a recording studio and songwriting. I’m using a different part of my brain when I work on music versus when I’m directing a film. There are a billion more people on a film and I don’t have that visceral outlet of being able to sing, scream... jump around. It’s very different. I love doing both but it was nice to have the simplicity of songwriting after three years of writing a script and directing and editing and talking about my film, to sit down and play my guitar and sing a song. I almost cried.”

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MUSIC spiel. Although a little convoluted, he highlights that music from the heart and the mind is what’s important; not hitting every note correctly or being pitch-perfect. Salute. The funny bits: Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj. Blights, the both of them. Perry was never known for her live singing ability, and on the night, she wasn’t magically endowed with anything, except her endowments. Nicki Minaj, where do I even begin? This pint-sized rap genius (let’s be honest, she is) tries to pull a Gaga and put on this weird churchconfession centred horror-show; it was exactly what she wanted it to be: A meticulous disembowelment of a performance from start to finish. Even the host, LL Cool J, couldn’t lift people’s spirits after that. All he could coax out of his audience was a tired “woo-hoo” when introducing Album of the Year. Speaking of which, guess who won EVERYTHING. Adele. Serves her boyfriend right. More on that when I

The Grammys and The Powers That Be.

ne does not even begin to understand where to begin when writing about awards like these. Do we deconstruct what bile deserves to win or not? Do we pick apart the performances on the night of the event? Do we knock heads with regards to the constant and unyielding fawning over industry overlords that happens year in and year out? People are wising up to the inanity that is the Grammies. That’s what sentient

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beings would like to think. The reality: no one knows, no one cares. They would rather just sit down, strap in, and wait for things to come to them. No one wants to take that effort anymore. It’s beyond compare, the lengths that a person would NOT go to procure a piece of art that could possibly stay with them for the rest of their lives. Arcade Fire winning “Album of the Year” last year for the master-stroke that was “The Suburbs” brought this to light more than

feel mushy and vulnerable. One joyous moment, even if it’s just one: The reunion of The Beach Boys. Introduced a little awkwardly by Adam Levine and friends, and Foster the People. Which made it even more enjoyable when these adorable little heroes of surf music came on and wrested control from the incompetent. Effortlessly weaving in and out of 3-part harmonies, they left the crowd with this baffled look. They had no idea why to do with themselves. Lady Gaga, with all her funeral-home chic, could only awkwardly bop along. Old is better. Definitely better. But the old die. So do the youngish, sometimes. That’s what cocaine does. Exit Whitney Houston. Callousness aside, she did have some phenomenal pipes!

It’s almost as if the jury has this flame-retardant suit on, impervious to sense, to good judgement, to good TASTE, plain and simple. And then they throw Art these little bones from time to time, with the Arcade Fires and Radioheads (Album of the Year nominee, 2009), almost as if to remind us that there may be a higher power at play here. It’s the people, unfortunately, that pay heed to award ceremonies like this (this or these?). Juries need to inculcate that sense of responsibility, that they are influencing hearts and minds and no one else is. They owe it to us, they owe it to themselves. To quote the late Gil Scott-Heron, who won the Award for Lifetime Achievement this year: The revolution will not be televised. The revolution will be Live.

The Grammies, above all its failings and inconsistencies, are exactly that: failings and inconsistencies.

anything else ever could. People stood up in shock, SHOCK and questioned the system. Who are the Arcade Fire, and HOW DARE THEY burst our little bubble? That being said, this year’s award ceremony was this little cesspool of morbidity mixed with little infusions of talent. Bruce Springsteen kicked things off, and really there is no one more American than The Boss. Bruno Mars, that orange hairspray commercial, surprised me a little with a decent live act. Reminded me of a thinner, more mobile Cee-Lo Green, sans the vocal chops. Chris Brown shows up, doesn’t beat the daylights out of anyone, does a weird epileptic dance, and leaves. Boring. The Foo Fighters win Best Rock Performance, and Dave Grohl signs his speech off with this emphatic little

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MUSIC

Vernacular Tour de Force What can you expect when you are presented with Jhanu? A Tamil rock

band whose exhilarating music aims to transport the audience to the zone of unbridled energy filled sensory pleasures? They’re very clear on one aspect- please be informed that they do not play covers! Join Brew as we find out what makes the band, Jhanu.

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1. How did the idea of forming a rock band come about?

It’s more of a passion to be on stage than an idea. Ideas come about with a lot of thinking. Its not good for Song writers to think too much. 2. How did all the members of the band fall into place?

Lawrence ,Jhanu , Udhay – gang from school. Harkirat Singh Sanga ( its one person ) – picked up from OMR. Pradeep the techy – area boy 3. Have you always made a conscious decision to make Tamil rock music?

I think Tamil is beautiful and more expressive. And when Lawrence told me in pure English “Macha I can sing only in Tamil, Arabic and Chinese“, I just dragged him to the jam room. Infact the band including the sardar have an affinity towards Tamil girls. But then again we had a hooorible English teacher.

4. Has the fact that Jhanu plays music in the regional language got you more attention?

Of course it did. It definitely connects with people more than any other language. You can say Tamil gives the “power factor“ to the band especially when I have an on-screen villain as a front man, My own lil brother on drums and a groovy Punjabi. The stage is on fire, LIKE THAT. 5. What do you think of Chennai's current music scene?

I left Chennai 7 years ago and when I got back l had the biggest smile on my face. The quality of music and musicians have increased. I see Chennai as a global music hub in no time. 6. How do people outside Tamil Nadu react to your music? Do you change it up to suit them?

We’ll soon find it out when we start

performing outside TN. Change? Are you trying to say Hyderabadi biriyanis in Chennai are different from the one in Hyderabad? 7. What are your biggest influences?

Michael Jackson Illayaraja Aerosmith Guy Richie And Batman 8. Do you have some words of advice for upcoming rock band?

One can never advice a rock band. It just never works out. Our best wishes to all the upcoming bands. Keep writing great songs and just let it flow. 10. What are your plans for the future?

Good music, INSANE ENERGY and crowd till the horizon. The band is also working on a musical.

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ART CINEMA film maker to break the monotony and the rest follow up, because film making is all about the audience. Kollywood’s «siruppu police» is definitely a popularized concept which adds the right amount of comedy to the script,carried forward by characters like Telex Pandian,Nai sekar,Anbuchelvan to name a few. It would be crime to forget the police/ cupid of love stationed in the airport who almost always allows the hero into the airport sans passport only and ONLY because he is in love. Shahrukh khan starrer -Chalte Chalte, takes it a step further when a traffic police is seen doing the same and allows not just the hero but his army of family members !yet it is excused by the audience because who cares about realistic when two star crossed lovers are about to finally unite! Police are a mainstay in cinema, they fit into the script with such ease irrespective of whether the character they play is good, bad or just gray. From playing a harmless sidekick to the nucleus of the plot, place them anywhere and you ll still spot the khaki.

ake perpetual stereotypes, glamorized criminal lifestyles, the right amount of science fiction, sex appeal for the key characters ,lots of raw action laced with cutting edge science and technology and you have Cinema’s very own portrayal of policing. Media has always taken realism as a thin skeleton system and caked it with a whole mass of exaggerated myth that its almost hard to differentiate the two. Kids grow up idolising police men and want to work in law enforcement because cops get to ride cool motorcycles, fight the bad guys, hang out in swinging condominium complexes and basically play hero everyday, where was the downside?

MYTHOLOGY OF POLICING

- By Poornima Nair

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When a police steps into the scene post interval then you know what comes next ,film credits. Police portrayal in Indian cinema started off with them stepping in the climax as a fix-all for the 3 hours of drama and to highlight a namesake social message of» justice», second in line after «independence» .Be it the police jeep zooming away with the bad guys as the hero looks on or a family drama right outside the police station or even worse, the commissioner

giving a moral lesson and letting off the second lead, as if he did not just loot a bank! The audience associated the police to honesty which like most other adjectives, went into the hero’s department. Next thing you know ,he is dressed in khaki pants, shiny brown leather, a brand new avatar, the closest you can get to a superhero! Come the 70’s and you have the words «honest police officer « written all over the lead actors face. The trend started with hit films like Zanjeer and Deewar that came with power packed action sequences and dialogues to match that, Who can forget Amitabh Bachchan’s famous dialogue «yeh pulis station hai, tumhare bapp ka ghar nahin».Down south we ve had the character of «Alex Pandian» beautifully played by the Superstar himself! The 90’s saw a complete role reversal with the police playing the negative role highlighting the corruption that had taken over the country. We have more than a handful of movies that include scenes where we have the police man/villain explaining his next evil move, complete with a glass of whiskey and the signature evil laugh that echoes in the station. It takes one

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theatre

Two Timing:

where class is doled out to the crass Abhinav Krishnaswamy turned the venue into a frathouse, with excessive catcalling; fun, on any other occasion, but not when topics of the play(s) venture into serious monologues about teenage, womanhood and such. Basics first: There were 4 “plays”, divided into 2 skits and 2 monologues. “Pub Crawl” was a small story between two one-nightstanders, soliloquizing about what they like in people, and what their friends are like. All this while getting absolutely mashed. Hearsay had it that this skit was a huge hit the last time it had been staged. I’d agree, but only partially.

hennai is a funny place. Even more so with regards to the arts. Anything that isn’t Carnatic is reduced to this horribly compressed settlement that does little/nothing for its patrons and its champions. With music, the performers are artistes, and, more often that not, the crowd comprises almost exclusively of artistes. Judgement is always around the corner, seldom without respite.

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Theatre holds similar stock. Rather than artistes, your audience will comprise of your friends and their friends. Although it does pose as a comfortable atmosphere to exhibit any little talent you may have, it won’t necessarily bode well for you as a performer if everyone knows your name. This isn’t a local bar. With Two-Timing, I noticed a lot of the above, and then some: the audience had

the Stella Players’ The Importance of Being…” which, on the day had put her far above her cast.

ploughed on, wolf-whistling at the mere mention of pg13 material. Your writer was transfixed, though.

Patel spoke heatedly about her life as a kid, teenager, about her mother, boring relationships, about her distaste for children, and ultimately her desire for a child. Aesthetically bumbling from the start, Patel launches into separate temper tantrums, putting her annoyance at the world on a platter. And thanks to the demographic of teeny boppers who were in attendance, “Doggy tonight?” should waste little time in becoming a catchphrase.

It should have ended there. “Cheque Please”, the 2nd skit and final act, showed a lot of promise but failed in execution. Actors trundled through their lines, accents were used and butchered. An individual who went by Biggu made me a little nauseous, with regards to this. The characters ended up shouting over each other, with no one being heard. The skit dragged along and at the end, an already impatient audience had no problem in goose-stepping hurriedly to the exits.

What followed was an awkward marriage between quality theatre and a Soviet tank of an audience. “Ten Tonne Tongue” was the highlight of the evening, a monologue delivered with precision and wit and sadistic melancholy. Shruti Swaminathan was a revelation, plain and simple. Her twisted tale of frenching her date to the point of suffocation and back, would have made a war criminal queasy. The audience was not untimely bothered though, and

It’s good to see young people go through a reasonable amount of stress and duress to put on a show such as this. Bodes well for the future. And I sound like I’m forty(Assurances, I’m not). A word to the wise: the next time you see a bespectacled prat who wastes no time in associating the scenes in the play with his friends, and then yells their names out at random, hurt him.

Manasa and Vaidhya, as two lovers in the liaison were good. That’s all I can articulate on the subject. The inebriation, obviously stilted and heightened judging by the ignoramuses that had arrived for the display, can be forgiven. Script-wise, fantastic writing; additional thanks for keeping it within the Chennai vernacular. “Hurricane Shobha” featured Tanvi Patel in the evening’s first monologue. I had first chanced upon her prowess at Cinema, Music & Art with the Brew | april 2012 | 33

brew the change defective genes and therefore gets thalassaemia major. Thalassaemia minor people’s red blood cells are a little paler and smaller than normal people. But they can continue to live a normal life and the effect is not felt much. Thalassaemia major is a more serious condition when both genes are defective. These children, while seemingly normal at birth, at around 3 months begin exhibiting signs of anaemia and weakness. Sufficient Hb production does not take place in their blood. Their entire growth, energy requirement and health are affected and after a while the person will not survive. Symptoms Patients of thalassaemia are pale and weak, and easily fatigued. They have poor appetite and frequent infections. Their liver and spleen are often enlarged.

he young mother sitting on the park bench watched her 5 year old playing on the swing. His laughter rang out across the playground and reached his mother’s ears bringing a smile to her lips and tears to her eyes. Barely a year ago, she could not have even dreamed of a sight such as this. She used to bring her son to the park even then. But those days, her child would only sit on her lap and watch the other children play. He never had had the energy to join them. Within a few months of his birth, these parents had discovered that their child was afflicted by thalassaemia, a serious condition of the blood. They were fortunate that a Samaritan in the form of a worldly wise neighbor helped them get good medical advice, treatment and supervision. They were fortunate in that they were put in touch with a good blood bank with safe blood and blood transfusion facilities. They were fortunate that they were able to

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Treatment and Management mobilize the funds to go for a Bone Marrow Transplant for their child. Today, he is a healthy and normal boy, able to take his place with the rest of his friends. What is thalassaemia?

Platelets. The bone marrow in the bones is the factory wherein these are made. Red blood Cells have a protein called haemoglobin (Hb). Haemoglobin is crucial to life and growth as it carries the oxygen from the lungs to all parts and organs of the body. Thalasaemia occurs when a person is unable to produce the required amount of haemoglobin needed by the body. How does one get thalassaemia?

Thalassaemia is a genetic condition of the blood. Human blood has 3 components, Red Blood Cells (RBCs) White Blood Cells (WBCs) and

We all inherit many of our characteristics from our parents, through our genes. One of them is our haemoglobin type. We get one haemoglobin gene from our mother and one from our father. When both are normal genes, our blood is normal and we are normal. When we inherit one abnormal Hb gene from one of our parents, we may get thalassaemia minor. When both parents happen to be thalassaemia minors and both of them pass on the defective genes to the child, the child ends up with two

Frequent blood transfusions, at least once in 3-4 weeks. This is to sustain life and to keep the Hb count above 10 gm to allow optimal growth. This has one side effect, iron overload. Iron overload from frequent transfusions may damage the heart and liver and may result in stunted growth and delayed puberty, diabetes, and other complications. Hence drugs need to be administered to control iron build-up. Is there a cure for thalassaemia?

Yes, Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Bone marrow is obtained from an unaffected sibling or close blood relative and transplanted into the patient. This is best done before the age of 7, and has shown very good success rates. Stem Cell transplantation sourced from umbilical cord blood, is also a more recent treatment method.

HOW CAN WE HELP? By Spreading Awareness Gain some basic knowledge about this serious ailment and spread the awareness among the community. Get everyone in your family, relations and friends tested for thalassaemia minor, especially before marriage and when planning a baby. Avoiding marriages within close blood relatives and between two persons with thalaessemia minor will help. Proper ante-natal diagnosis in early pregnancy is also an option. By Donating Blood If you are healthy and fit, you can donate blood to thalassaemic patients. You can attach yourself to one particular child and donate blood for him or her 3 or 4 times a year. By Donating Money It costs anything around Rs.2000 to Rs.6000 per month to take care of a thalassaemia patient. The medication to treat iron build up is expensive. Contribution towards a Fund to cure thalassaemia by bone marrow transplant is also very welcome. This costs at least Rs.10 lakhs per patient, but it is a life giving donation.

THALASSAEMIA WELFARE ASSOCIATION The TWA is a support group formed by parents of children with thalassaemia. They hope to raise awareness about the condition, prevent future births of children with thalassaemia, support affected families, and improve treatment conditions for thalassaemia. They are supported by an excellent, state-of-the-art transfusion and consultation center at the Rotary TTK VHS Blood Bank at VHS, Taramani. But, remember, ‘prevention is any day better than cure’ especially in a genetically carried ailment like thalassaemia. Spreading of information and awareness and taking consistent precautionary measures will help abolish thalassaemia from society altogether. Like the child in the beginning of our story, every child deserves the opportunity to swing with abandon, with normal health and vigour.

For Further Help, Information and Donations CONTACT : VHS THALASSEMIA TRANSFUSION CENTER ROTARY CENTRAL TTK VHS BLOOD BANK TIDEL PARK ROAD TARAMANI CHENNAI 600113 Phone : 044 – 2254 2829 , 2254 1692 E-Mail: vhsbb@yahoo.com Web Site: www.thalassaemiawelfaresociety.com

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MUSIC

“How do we speak to this time, to this day? There’s no away around this: we’ve had a death in our family. So at least for me – for me – it only feels right to begin with a prayer for a woman who we loved, for our fallen sister Whitney Houston. Heavenly Father, thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us.”

To The Voice That Shaped A

Generation

Amrutha Anandanathan

-LL Cool J, Host, Grammys 2012.

here are few songs that we hear in our childhood that stay with us for the rest of our lives. Personally, one of those songs would definitely be «I Wanna Dance With Somebody» - the first single in Whitney Houston’s second studio album, Whitney. This upbeat, musical composition inspired many impromptu vocal sessions and out-of-the-blue dance performances at that early age. So much so that on

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an average February morning when it was blaring on the radio, it filled us with immense nostalgia and happiness and most of us were even obliged to sing along. A majority of us though were blissfully unaware of the fact that one of the world’s most loved singers had passed away that very day. Whitney Houston’s rise to stardom was pretty much foretold when she was born to Cissy Houston, the famed singer. Her musical lineage also included being the cousin of singers

Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick. Houston also had a very promising modelling career which started off with an appearance on the cover of Seventeen magazine, modelling a sweater dress and an adorable head band. Her vivacious spirit was evident even at that young age grinning with an ice cream cone in hand. She later went on to being featured in magazines like Cosmopolitan, Young Miss and Glamour.

By the time Houston was a teenager, she had already begun performing. She was spotted by record producer and founder of Arista Records, Clive Davis during one of her performances at a nightclub and signed on the spot. Clive made Houston his own personal responsibility adding a clause to her contract that ensured that even if he moved on from Arista records, Houston would go with him. He did his best to protect her from the harsher side of the music industry but these efforts later seemed to be futile.

Houston’s first self titled album released in March 1985 produced three consecutive number one singles, “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I Know,” and “The Greatest Love of All”. The album eventually went on to sell over 13 million copies. With her second album, Whitney, she established herself in the music world. In 1990, Houston came back with a third album titled I’m Your Baby Tonight, which did not do very well on the charts as she had begun giving importance to her acting

career. In 1992, she came out with The Bodyguard, her first feature film with Kevin Costner that was a hit in the box office. Houston’s recording of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” wearing a pinstriped suit and crimson lipstick belting those high notes left the audience mesmerized. In the summer of 1992, Houston married singer Bobby Brown with whom she parented a child, Bobbi Kristina. The marriage lasted 15 years but it was highly troubled and

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MUSIC

“Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms Whitney Houston. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.” -Mariah Carey

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downright violent with both of them indulging in hard-core drugs. A source even quoted that Brown would exhibit bizarre behaviour and cut the heads off all of the photographs of Houston. Houston was targeted by various tabloids and magazines when this once flawless beauty was appearing skeletal and thinner than ever which led to rumours of an eating disorder. When Houston was asked about her drug abuse in an interview, she said that her experimentation with marijuana, cocaine and an assortment of pills was merely a bad habit. After 2000, Houston’s life had taken a turn for the worse. From being caught by airport officials in possession of marijuana to calling the cops on Brown, Houston was having more than just friendly run-ins with the police. Though charges were dropped, the singer later admitted to using marijuana and crack and went through rehab. In 2003, Brown reportedly turned himself in to the police when they found Houston in her home with a bruised cheek and a cut lip. The two formally got divorced in 2006, after the airing of the reality show, Being Bobby

Brown which publicly telecast their failing marriage. Later in 2010, Houston tried to put the drug addiction behind her and make a comeback but fans criticized her voice. The audience also noticed that she seemed exhausted and that she lacked vibrancy. Last year, she was still batting with problems related to drug and alcohol abuse and was undergoing treatment for the same. On February 11, 2012, the world heard reports that Houston was found dead, in a bath at her hotel room in Los Angeles. Though prescription drugs were found in her room, reports say that her death was purely accidental. There are still controversies surrounding the singer, with a Target card mocking Houston’s taste in men being pulled off the shelves and numerous people claiming she died of a drug overdose. Houston’s legacy though, will live on. Before her death, Houston was all set to remake the film Sparkle and return to the big screen. Now the directors will go on with the making of the movie which will feature Houston’s final performance.

Answer 2 simple questions and win exciting MDNA merchandise! What religion does Madonna follow? Name the 2 artists that collaborated with Madonna on her new album, MDNA. Mail your entries to tts@brandmuni.com before 15th May 2012 and walk away with amazing MDNA goodies. Conditions Apply* Cinema, Music & Art with the Brew | april 2012 | 39

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