Theatre Review - The Manganiyar Seduction

When I first signed up to watch this, I was expecting a night of feel good Rajasthani folk music with maybe some dancing thrown in.

Nothing prepared me for the moving, seductive, emotional roller coaster that is the performance by 43 Manganiyar musicians into a realm of music that has the ability to build your psyche to a fever pitch.

Starting with a long string instrument, the performance starts with a simple layer of soul-strumming notes that build, layer, upon layer, instrument upon instrument, voice upon voice, to a complete symphony that hypnotised, scincillated and completely consumed my senses.

When describing it to my friends, I compared it to a hurricane, that starts of with a low pressure zone, and then picks up strength, and builds, spirally every upward, pulling everything in its vicinity into its all consuming vortex.
It was the best visual parallel I could think of at the moment, and it hardly does it any justice.

I did not understand the language, did not know what they were singing about, but I do know that for 4 or 5 days afterwards, the refrain kept ringing in my head. If they come back, I already know of a few people I will drag along to watch it with me.

Side note: President Nathan was there!He had apparently come the night before, for the gala, and loved it so much, he came back the next night. It was thrilling to know that I have the same taste in music as our President! Ha ha.

Movie Review - This is it

"Don't worry ma'am, we have plenty of tickets for the 2:00pm show"

I could not hide my shock and disbelief when the girl at the counter said those words to me. Plenty of tickets to "This is it"? 3 days after it opened worldwide? How can this be?

Maybe it was an odd time. People usually have plans at 2pm on a Sunday and movie watching isn't one of them right? Right?

Anyway, H and I had a great time, sitting in the almost empty theatre, grooving, singing along and dancing in our seats with the man himself.

Michael Jackson. From my very first MJ album (Off the Wall on casette tape, tyvm), I have been a fan. Of his music, his style, his dancing, his quirky sense of humour. I think in a another place and time, Michael and I could have been really good friends.

I was blown away by the man's musical genius. The way he knew his music, the way he got the musicians to get to where he needed, and mostly, the humble, direct and straightforward way he put across his ideas was amazing to watch. It was evident from the movie his dancers, musicians, tecnicians et al absolutely loved this guy.

Just watching the way he was around these people, full of life, energy and hope, it is heartbreaking to know he is no more. I had to hold back tears quite a few times, when it hit me that he would never see the dreams he had for this concert come to pass. That none of them did. The guy who was supposed to stand in the back with a flashlight for Michael after "Smooth Criminal" never got his gig.

But I am glad that Michael was allowed to show us all this side of him. His spirit of excellence, the exactness he extracted from performances. Anyone in the stage business needs to learn that from him.

I loved the movie, but mostly I loved Michael. Rest in peace, man. Rest in peace.

Life according to my Ipod

The Rules.
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense.
4. With the answers down, or even comment on it.
5. Tag 5 people.

1) How are you feeling today?
Dil To Pagal Hai
(My Heart is Mad. Yep Yep, sounds about right)

2) Will you get far in life?
Let Your Love Go by Bread
(Hmm, cryptic, but a message there, maybe?)

3) What’s your best friend’s theme song?
Something more than this from Baghdad Cafe, the Musical
(Oh absolutely)

4) What is the story of your life?
Came to the Rescue by Hillsong United
(Woah, thats just so true isnt it? If I wasn't rescued from my cesspit of a life, and found the Lord, goodness now what I will be now)

5) What was school like?
London Bridge by Bread
(Yes, it was indeed falling down all around me, all the time)

6) How can you get ahead with life?
Khabi Khabi Mere Dil Mein from Movie Khabi Khabi
(Sometimes,sometimes, this heart of mine... Quite true this. I tend to follow my heart more than my heart more times than I care to count)

7) Whats the best thing about your friends?
Dismal Day by Bread
(As in they brighten up my...)

8) Describe your grandparents.
Nee Kattum Selai
(Translation: The Sari you wear. Strange. I do remember seeing my grandmother in a sari alot)

9) How’s your life going?
How Much More from You Gave album
(I do feel overly and abundantly blesses at times. Not lately, but at times.)

10) What will be played at my funeral?
Shout to the Lord
(Yes Yes!!! Couldn't have said it better)

11) Will you have a happy life?
If by Bread
(Woah... like..woah )

12) What do your friends really think of you?
Shout your fame by Hillsong
(Please do. I lap up affirmation of this sort)

13) Do people secretly lust after you?
Look what you have done by Bread
(Is that a yes?)

14) How can you make yourself happy?
God is good by Various Artists
(Amen to that)

15) Will you ever have children?
Baghdad Cafe from Musical Baghdad cafe
(Apparently I will eat instead)

16) What song would you strip to?
Psalm 91 from You Gave album
(Ok, that's just wrong)

17) What does your mom think of you?
Yes and Amen Sermon by Pastor Joseph Prince
(She always did say I was her favourite daughter)

18) What is your deep, dark secret?
Fancy Dancer by Bread
(No secret man. Everyone knows I am fabulous on the dance floor)

19) What is your enemy’s theme song?
Above All by Michael W Smith
(Not even. You are going down, buddy)

20) Whats your personality like?
From the Inside Out by Hillsong
(Apt)

21) What will be played at your wedding?
Light by Hillsong United
(It will be a total rocker wedding dude.)


Heh heh, that was fun. Now if you read all the the way through this, consider yourself tagged.

About Planetshakers, Tim Hughes and Life Group

On Thursday night, I went to a rock concert, despite having a pounding headache just that morning. But this was one concert I didn't want to miss. Planetshakers were in town, along with the the delicious Tim Hughes and I really wanted to go. So I slept as much as I could, took a couple of ponstan and took the long bus-ride to the Expo.

(Bus rides - I have forgotten how fun they can be when the final destination is a pleasant one. Lately I have only taken the bus to and from work, which is dull at best and dismal at worst.)

But back to planetshakers. I went with some people from church, the oldest of whom, I realised, was 10 years younger than I was. Gack!

But it was cool, because they music was really awesome. There is nothing like the combination of awesome rock music and Christian lyrics to rock the soul. The singers had amazing synchronicity, but to me the star of the show was the drummer. He was superlatively creative with his hits, breaking away from four-beats just enough to add the umph without the distraction. No prima donnas here, that's for sure.

And Tim, with all his sweetness did not disappoint. Albeit a not so exciting drummer, he managed to pour out his heartfelt worship into all his songs and had us all singing aloing with gusto.

(By the way my guiding principle to singing is, "If you can't sing well, sing loud!")

After the concert, I was still in dreamscape mode and managed to lose every one of the 20 people I went with. Turns out, they thought I was in the ladies' while I blissfully walked to the mrt station, beleiving they were behind me. Oh well.

The next night was life group (aka cell group, bible study group among other Christian circles). It was my very first one in a long time, so I was a bit nervous. You see, I don't do deep well. While I am perfectly ok with shooting the breeze, making stupid jokes and once in a while, maybe sharing an intimate detail or two, I don't really do the whole soul-baring thing that being in a life group calls for.

Hence, I usually don't get much out of it. Straight Up bible study is fine, head knowledge. But matters of the heart, I tend to be a bit more zipped about.

But I am determined this time will be different. For one thing, its a smaller group of people, some of whom I already know rather well. And another, I really need to get better at this intimacy thing. It seems to be quite an important part of building a relationship.

Who knew?

Give it to me

I am so addicted to this song, listening to it 4,5. 6 times a day.

I think its the beat, appeals to the Indian in me.

Anyway, enjoy. I will have more this weekend.

Blast from the past

Ok, how many people feel nostalgic now? I totally forgot about this song until I heard Hanan singing it.