Farewells in 2011

The reel of every passing year brings with a potpourri of joyous and aggrieved moments, convivial births and deaths. This year in particular witnessed some historic deaths; the most shocking ones being that of Osama Bin Laden and Mohammed Gaddafi, but especially of iconic figures whose impact of society and culture have been humungous. Let us take a moment here and remember the fond farewells that we bade in the year 2011.

Steve Jobs

Known for his showmanship in what is otherwise considered a geeky profession, Steve Jobs in his iconic turtle neck, jeans and sneakers took the world of technology by storm with Apple Mac and Lisa. Even when he was dethroned from his own company, Jobs moved to bring about another revolution in the world of animation with Pixar. When Apple roped him back, Jobs pioneered the ipod and the incredible radical consumer product the iPhone which soon evolved into the ipad. This legendary genius breathed his last on October 5, 2011, after battling for long with a rare form of pancreatic cancer.

Bhupen Hazarika

The Bard of Brahmaputra, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika placed Assam on the global cultural radar when he represented India in Berlin at the World Conference of Composers. His efforts towards integrating the Northeast with the rest of India, expressing political views with music, and using the platform of music as a ballista for social change are simply overwhelming. The people of Assam will remain ever grateful to him for carving a niche for Assam as a musically and culturally affluent land. When Dr. Hazarika passed away on 5 November 2011 an estimated half a million mourners arrived to pay their homage to this legend, which surpassed the number of mourners in Michael Jackson’s funeral.

Elizabeth Taylor

Multiple Academy Award winning screen Goddess of yesteryears and known for unforgettable portrayal of characters like Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor will always be remembered as a timeless beauty. Apart from the stardom, the legendary actress fondly known as Liz Taylor is also known for her activism and charitable foundation supporting AIDS and HIV positive victims. After suffering from many years of poor health Taylor died of congestive heart failure on 23 March 2011 at the age of 79.

M F Hussain

A contemporary artist from India, who rose to worldwide fame and controversy, Maqbool Fida Husain is another noted figure in the world of culture to have left this world this year. Often criticized for alleged misinterpretation of Hindu deities, M F Hussain left India in 2006. He also took a shot at Film Making and being the controversy’s child that he was, Hussain received a mixed bag of reviews for his work. His colorful personality and expressed fondness for a myriad of Bollywood actresses occasionally got his name printed on Page 3. M F Husain died, aged 95, on 9 June 2011, following a heart attack.

Dennis Ritche

Another mighty pioneer in the world of computers, Dennis Ritche helped shape the digital era and is was best known as the creator of the C programming language, a key developer of the Unix operating system, and co-author of The C Programming Language. In 1990, both Ritchie along with Ken Thompson received the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), "for the origination of the UNIX operating system and the C programming language". Ritchie was found dead on 12 October, 2011, at the age of 70 at his home in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. 

Computer historian Paul E. Ceruzzi had quoted: "Ritchie was under the radar. His name was not a household name at all, but... if you had a microscope and could look in a computer, you'd see his work everywhere inside".

Amy Winehouse

While most vocalists of her age and time engaged in creating peppy muzak, Amy Winehouse’s foray into fame came from her multifarious mix of RnB, Soul and Jazz, her distinctive style, and her powerful contralto vocals. However like most extremely talented musicians with the passage of time, her controversial battle with drugs, alcohol and various health problems took over her and she became a victim of her own demons. Winehouse died of an overdose on 23 July, 2011. Her musical career might indeed have been brief, but it was a reflection of pure talent, musical knowledge and a captivating personality.

Shammi Kapoor

Known as Elvis Presley of India for his western looks and bouncy dance moves, Shammi Kapoor remained a prominent romantic lead in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s. Not many are aware but Shammi Kapoor was the founder and chairman of Internet Users Community of India (IUCI). He had also played a major role in setting up internet organisations like the Ethical Hackers Association. Kapoor maintained a website dedicated to the 'Kapoor family’. He died on 14 August, 2011, from chronic renal failure. Shammi Kapoor will be fondly remembered for his vitality and charm and for bringing many characters to life and making them memorable.

M. A. K. Pataudi

Fondly known as Tiger Pataudi, ex Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team was as the ninth Nawab of Pataudi until 1971, when India abolished royal entitlements through the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India. He was an Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year in 1962, and a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968. Tiger Pataudi breathed his last on 23 September 2011. His funeral was attended by myraid of film actors, directors and producers, as well as cricketing fraternity.

Jagjit Singh

Revered as one of the finest vocalists and a Ghazal maestro, Jagjit Singh was touted for contemporizing Ghazals with his melodic baritone voice and the infusion of western instruments in the genre. His silky voice ruled during early 80's in films like Prem Geet, Saath Saath and Arth. Singh crooned his last film song for Ashish Ubale's upcoming film Anandache Dohi. 

Jagjit Singh was the recipient of many prestigious awards including the 'Padma Bhushan', one of India's highest civilian honors by the Government of India. Singh’s career touched meticulous heights in the 70s and 80s and he came to be known as ‘The Ghazal King’ among music lovers. His collaboration with better half, ghazal singer Chitra Singh established them as the first ever successful duo-act (husband-wife) in the history of recorded Indian music. He died on October 10, 2011 at the age of 70 in Mumbai at Lilavati hospital, after suffering from a brain hemorrhage.

Kim Jong il

The supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011 Kim Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the fourth-largest standing army in the world. In April 2009, North Korea's constitution was amended to refer to him implicitly as the "supreme leader". Among other titles e was also referred to as the "Dear Leader", "our Father", "the General", and "Generalissimo”. There are many mystical legends attached to his birth and lifetime.

Kim Jong-il died of a suspected heart attack on 17 December 2011.

- by Parmita Borah

Derek Paravicini - Musician or a Superhuman?

Derek Paravicini

There are people we say who are gifted. There are people who are differently abled. And there are people who have triggered their talents to do extraordinary deeds. But what can we say about a person who can listen to a ten minutes piano solo once and deliver a ditto rendition instantly? Can we call that person Superhuman?

Derek Paravicini is a pianist with superhuman talents. He is one of the few gifted people with 'absolute pitch'. He can listen to a song or tune once and can perform it on piano exactly the same. He can identify every note in a chord. While most musicians can pick out only five notes from a chord, Derek can distinguish up to 20. The irony is, Derek is blind and was born with a 'savant syndrome'.

Derek was born to Nicolas Paravicini and Mary Ann Parker Bowles on July 26, 1979. He was a 25 weeks premature baby weighing just a pound and a half and due to the oxygen therapy given during his time in a neonatal intensive care unit, lost his eye sight. He had a twin sister who died at the time of birth. In fact, doctors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital believed that Derek would not survive too, as any baby born 14 weeks prematurely in the hospital never survived. But Derek made it and today he is creating world records.

Derek started playing the piano from the age of two and later learned it thoroughly from Adam Ockelford in London. He showed talent from beginning and gave his first performance in the Tooting Leisure Centre in South London at the age of seven. As Derek was blind, he could not read music or take reference to an external standard of music. Moreover, Derek's emotional capacity is limited with severe learning difficulties and he can't read braille. But that did not stop him from understanding the essence of music. He had his ears to rely upon. And at the very age of nine, Derek gave his first major public performance at a concert at the Barbican Hall in London with the Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra.

After the inception, Derek did not have to look back. He has been playing at numerous concerts with famous musicians. He performed at places like Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and twice at Downing Street for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He was featured on 'Wogan', a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan and 'NOVA's' "Musical Minds" episode, a popular science television series from the U.S. Later he was featured on 'Extraordinary People's' episode titled "The Musical Genius" on Channel 5 and was the main subject of a documentary film called 'Musical Savants'. Derek also became famous in US after appearing twice on the CBS News programme 60 Minutes.

Young Derek Paravicini at a Concert

For his outstanding ability to remember tunes, Derek is also known as 'The human iPod'. He can remember tunes which he had heard decades ago and play them exactly. His memory has a databank of thousands of songs and can play any one of them at will, improvising as he goes. And he prove this many times through his concerts.

Because of his unique ability, he was featured on History Channel's 'Stan Lee's Superhumans'. He has received many awards in the last three decades of his life. Alongside of 'Barnardo's Children's Champion Award' which he received as a ten year old from Princess Diana, there are numorous Performance-assessment certificates from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Despite being a masterful musician with all these achievements, Derek's condition makes him dependant on round-the-clock care and help with even the simplest of tasks - from dressing to washing. Presently he is staying at the residential care home in Redhill, Surrey, run by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, UK. Derek is the great-grandson of the writer William Somerset Maugham.

Professor Adam Ockelford, a music psychologist at Roehampton University and the mentor, coach and the biographer of Derek Paravicini says, “I have never heard anyone play quite like Derek. He can hear a song just once and play it back perfectly, adapting it and improvising along the way. He has thousands of pieces in his repertoire now. It's like he's got libraries of pieces and styles in his head”.

-by Jim Ankan Deka

Ritchie Valens - the Pioneer of Rock and Roll

There are not many musicians who could make it to the list of  'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame', and for someone with a track record of only eight (8) months in the music industry, it could be a mammoth task. Richard Steven Valenzuela or popularly Ritchie Valens was the first Hispanic rock star who could create a record like that.

Born in May 1941, in Pacoima, LA, Ritchie started his career at the age of sixteen with a band named 'The Silhouettes' as a guitarist. He was a left handed, but mastered the art of a right handed guitarist. He was known as one of the pioneers of 'Rock and Roll', 'Chicano rock movement' and 'Latin rock'.

Ritchie received worldwide fame with his version of a Mexican folk song called 'La Bamba' released in 1958. The song, infused the traditional Mexican tune with a rock drive, ranked number 98 in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll and number 345 on Rolling Stone magazine′s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This is the only non-English song to be listed.

Ritchie Valens (1941-1959)

In 1958, Ritchie was introduced to Bob Keane, the owner and President of Del-Fi Records, who recorded few of the famous numbers of Ritchie like 'Donna', 'Framed' and 'Come On, Let's Go' in the Gold Star Studios in Hollywood. Ritchie has three albums all together - Ritchie Valens (1959), Ritchie (1959) and In Concert at Pacoima Jr. High (1960).

Ritchie was still in his teens at the time of his demise caused by a plane crash. He was on a plane on February 2, 1959, after his performance in Clear Lake, Iowa, which crashed shortly after takeoff in a snow storm.

For someone who could have adorned the throne of fame and success in the realm of music, Ritchie's death was tragic and untimely. His contribution to music though limited by his short lifetime, is remarkable and defining. Today we remember his death as 'The Day the Music Died'.

-by Jim Ankan Deka

The Dewarists - Because Some Things Are Simply Worth Doing

Once upon a time, about the time when photography was done in BW and Coco Chanel hadn’t yet inspired women to wear the pants in the house, there was a Scottish Whisky distiller, Thomas Robert "Tommy" Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar. Tommy Dewar with his sibling John Dewar drove his family label Dewar‘s to scale meticulous heights in the souk of breweries. Noted for his remarkable skills in marketing and advertising that placed his company at the apex of international spirit industry, Tommy Dewar is mostly known for fostering the philosophy of ‘Dewarism’.

The urban dictionary defines ‘Dewarism’ as a social, political and economic doctrine, expressing the conviction that the journey of life can be enjoyed without giving up on the achieving of success. It’s a noun by the way, if you haven’t already figured out. Writings of Sir Thomas Dewar seem to affirm this delineation, since he strongly believed and propagated that success in life could be obtained without arduous work.

The concept of Dewarism has off late materialized into a euphonic movement in India, thanks to the collaborative efforts of a breed of musicians who call themselves ‘The Dewarists’. For all those interested, you can watch them every Sunday at 8 PM on Star World India. (There are a couple of reruns too).

Cutting to the chase here - The Dewarists is a new original Television series, a must watch for those with a passion for music. The show’s host Monica Dogra (famed for 'Shair N Funk' and 'Dhobi Ghaat'), takes the responsibility of congregating musicians from diverse and sometimes contrasting genres to collaborate and orchestrate one impromptu original song, while they stopover as exotic locations of India. This confluence of musicians strives and succeeds in pushing the precincts of fusion, muddling the balance of been and done, creating unique masterpieces designed to stand the test of time.

Since 2010, the Dewarists have pioneered an unparalleled musical project that witnesses a magical collaboration between Indian and International musicians. The platform was announced in November 2010, at an exclusive collaborative performance at the Garden of Five Senses, New Delhi, where Ehsaan Noorani, Warren Mendonsa and Sanjay Divecha played together on stage for the first time.

So far, about eight episodes have been showcased, featuring musicians like Imogen Heap, Vishal-Shekhar, Zeb and Haniya, Shantanu Moitra, Swanand Kirkire, Indian Ocean, Mohit Chauhan, Parikrama, Agnee, Shilpa Rao, Shri, Monica Dogra, Rajasthan Roots, Papon (Angaraag Mahanta), Rabbi Shergill, Shubha Mudgal, Swarathma, Midival Punditz, Karsh Kale, Baiju Dharmajan Hari Govind, Raghu Dixit and Rewben Mashangva.

The Theme music of The Dewarists was given by Raghu Dixit. The series is directed by Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, ad-filmmaker and front man of Mumbai Hardcore band, Scribe. The first five episodes also involved UK filmmakers Fred & Nick.

Angaraag Papon Mahanta on The Dewarists

In each episode actor-singer Monica Dogra journeys to an exotic location, arranges a rendezvous of musicians from distinctly different musical backgrounds. Together they compose a track that doesn’t only reflect their musical upbringing, but also rope in the sounds and culture of the places they travel to. The idea is to allow these musicians explore a part of themselves, which had remained undiscovered until then. From the wilderness of Kaziranga to the hubbub of Mumbai, from the lush green hills of Panshet to the relics of Mysore, the Dewarists draw their inspiration which in turn becomes the flavor of their song.

My favorite tracks so far are ‘Khule da Rabb’ by Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta and Rabbi - a song resonateing the spiritual arousing that happens in Kaziragna, ‘Minds without Fear’ by Vishal-Shekhar & Imogen Heap for a trance track that will get you completely stoned and definitely the collaboration between India’s longest standing classic rock icons Praikrama and Agnee. The song is called 'I Believe' and features some crazy guitar leads and also features the lilting voice of playback singer Shilpa Rao.

Hats off to The Dewarists for bringing back much needed deference for Indian Television! This part travelogue part music show is fresh, classy and has brilliant camera work. The show is really good. Watch it, because some things are simply worth doing.

-by Parmita Borah

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s Legacy

(A press release by Tej Hazarika, son of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika)

As the only son of my father the late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, I have called this press conference to issue a statement concerning the extremely important work of preserving the legacy of my father.

But first, on behalf of my family, I wish to thank:

Tej Hazarika with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

The people of Assam and all the North Eastern States for their outpouring of condolence for myself and my family – who continue to hold him as their very own feeling a profound sense of loss and grief due to his passing from our dimension. We are extremely grateful to the huge and peaceful outpouring of citizens and the patience with which so many people endured from upwards of 8 hours standing on the line to see Bhupenda’s body at Judge’s Field Guwahati.

I also wish to thank the following people: 

1. The Honorable President, The Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition of India.

2. Sri. Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister of Assam and all his cabinet colleagues including Smt. Pranoti Phukon, Minister of Cultural Affairs, Sri. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Health and Sri. Robin Bordoloi, MLA of East Guwahati constituency and members of the opposition parties.

3. Prof. Akhil Kumar Medhi, Vice Chancellor and the Students, Staff and Administration of the Gauhati University for donating their land for the cremation.

4. The Governors and Chief Ministers of the Seven Sister States.

5. The Adviser, President, Secretary and all members of the All Assam Students’ Union.

6. Members of the bureaucracy, the Police Department, municipal works, district administration of Guwahati and members of the legal fraternity.

7. Members of Parliament Sri. Murli Manohar Joshi and Sri. Rahul Gandhi.

8. Sri. Bhubaneshwer Kalita, MP and president of APCC and Sri. Sarbananda Sonowal.

9. The doctors and nursing staff of Kokilaben Ambani hospital who held tireless vigil during his long and valiant struggle to regain his health, Jayshree, his long time loving maid, Bahadur, his driver, Bharati, his cook in Tollygunge, and Prabhat, his cook and help at Nijorapar.

10. Members of the Television and print media for their respectful attention and help during this difficult period.

11. Last but not the least, numerous bearers of heartfelt condolences from numerous civic and private organizations as well as individuals, which parties I cannot address all by name here.

There have been many suggestions in the media regarding this important work ahead of us, and in that regard I have heard of a trust, in my father’s name. I am not a part of it and know little about except what I have heard in random sound bytes that seem more intent on holding on to control of my father’s estates than any plans to preserve the legacy of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. I have never had any business dealings with my father’s estate nor have I received any trust deed after my father’s passing. Given the public nature of my father’s work, I think that deed should be public information. Names of a board of trustees has been floated on stationary without any consultation with his significant immediate family members including myself. However, knowing what I know and having listened very closely to many knowledgeable elders and contemporaries of my father who have expressed deep concern to me personally regarding the leadership of that so called board that I have no choice now but to make this public statement in order to protect my father’s legacy so that it may properly benefit future generations without it being mired in controversy and gross representations.

The health of a living body is sustained by the head and if that head is ill, the rest of the body will suffer. In my father’s case, because of the extraordinary connection he has with his fans and followers, the health of any principal organization upholding my father’s legacy into the future is a matter that is of deep importance to all people of Assam and the North East. I wish to stress here that I have refrained from making any critical statements about this matter out of respect for my father when he was alive. Now that my father is no more on this plane I am now making this statement that basically amounts to saying that I have zero trust in the trust announced in my father’s name to ‘preserve his legacy’.

I begin with a warning about misbehavior. Because your feelings for my father run deep, you may find some of what I reveal here to be disturbing. My father had a fiery temperament and would not suffer fools lightly, but deep down, he was through and through a pacifist, a deeply sensitive and compassionate soul who would strongly condemn and indeed be deeply saddened by a single violent act or abusive speech directed personally towards a single person who is part of this trust or connected to it.

We have collectively witnessed a high order of peaceful civil behavior in the throngs that amassed in grieving following his death. Though passions run deep among our people, not one person was hurt and all were and still are united peacefully over my father. The whole world witnessed the truth that our people, educated on not, are sensitive and civilized people at heart. The manner of their collective bereavement alone will please my father and encourage him, I believe, to return to us, in some way, to continue his work among us instead of remaining sequestered in some man projected ‘eternal’ god-realm, to be worshiped and pined for, as an icon alone. He was far more evolved and too much of an activist to settle down in some indolent retirement ashram for gods dishing out blessings and contracts to his worshipers.

Since my father’s brain stroke in 2005 and his subsequent losing struggle, in part due to his compromised health, it has been intimated in statements emanating from that so-called trust, that 95 percent of my father’s present day fame was all due to their management of his career. During this period when my father was becoming increasingly handicapped, talk of the formation of a trust to own and perpetuate his legacy were floated by excluding his former close associates, patrons and family who had helped him build his reputation throughout the 50’s, 60, and 70’s. It is common knowledge that by the end of the 60’s my father had already established himself as a creative giant in the North East, West Bengal and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, these past 6 years, my father, by all accounts of those close to him, was incapable of making crucial executive decisions and delegated them to people around him. I believe that some people may have profited from my father’s physical, mental and psychological disability during this period till his expiration.

Towards the end of his life my father was subjected to a lot of negative criticism from various angles due to the way he was made to act – again, by the people with vested interests. Furthermore, my father Dr. Bhupen Hazarika had to face neglect and humiliation from people near and far to him. Indeed, my father was helpless in the extreme as he was ruthlessly blocked from the loving, healing hands and words of his followers, which forced deprivation, I believe plunged him into intense depression, alienation and a disconnect from reality and hastened him toward his demise. But what he left behind as a legacy, eclipsed all negativity and brought the entire community of Assam and North East India together. Preserving and propagating his legacy is a heavy responsibility only to be shouldered by a group of people who are serious and selfless. In my opinion the current trust in his name does not embody any of these qualities.

What follows is a list of reasons why I believe that in no way or form is this so-called trust fit to represent my father’s legacy anywhere, anytime henceforth.

The most unique characteristic of my father’s genius is that his extraordinary melody, meter and golden voice were only a medium for his vision and words which embody a profound global appeal of the highest order. His music, which he is largely popular for across the board, is in actuality only the exquisite embroidery on the enchanting tapestry of his poetry and lyrics. He was able to embed his words in the hearts of the salt of the earth even if they may not knowledgeably appreciate the relative highness of his prose and message because it appealed to their emotional core. The marrow of his work remained un-translated into other Indian and other major language groups including English, I contend, not because it was ‘difficult’ to translate but because of gross neglect. Only recently, barely three months before his parinirvana, did a major publication with only a small portion of his work, originally in Assamese, appeared in English. Any literati of the highest order would deem his work way above ‘sufficient’ to be nominated for a Nobel Prize in literature. It would have elevated both the North East and the Assamese language in the world. It never happened in his lifetime and millions never found out about Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. Instead, millions of people were deprived of the joy, education and emotional maturation that his work is capable of triggering in the human unconscious, universally.

B. It is common knowledge that the other great heritage of my father is that of peace-maker, social reformer and protector of the weak in this region. In my view every member of a trust upholding his legacy should have a sensitive and sympathetic appreciation for the complex psyche of the people of the North East. My father proved over and over that he embodied those attributes by acting as peacemaker and that that the pen was indeed mightier than the sword.

C. All his life Dr. Bhupen Hazarika has always been a tireless advisor, leader and teacher to numerous cultural, literary and social upliftment groups, guiding them directly and indirectly with sensitivity and compassion. This activity, I believe should also be one of the central aspects of any trust formed around Bhupen Hazarika. In fact, besides maintenance, earnings from the sale of my father’s intellectual properties should be applied to fund various philanthropic objectives near and dear to my father. My father was a man of the people, never turned his back on them and in fact always protected them in practice and in his works. Anyone representing his legacy should safeguard the avenues of opportunity put in place for the poor, downtrodden and the oppressed in order to help them break out of unjust institutions of inequity. Indeed no portion of the trust’s assets should be used to make commercial properties with quick profit but rather to further the true and legitimate objectives of the trust.

On the report that was published on Nov 19th in an Assamese daily, the so-called trust made a statement implying that they have taken upon themselves the responsibility of preserving the purity of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s music and lyrics. From what they have said, it seems that the people of Assam will not have free access and right to even perform, record and enjoy the creations of the man upon whom they showered all their love and devotion for the past many decades. Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s songs themselves celebrate freedom and were created for and by the people. These songs belong to the people of Assam and not any individual or organization.

In the wake of my father’s passing a miraculous window of possibilities lie ahead of us to elevate our collective visions a few notches higher, to our mutual benefit. Deeply concerned by the draconian possessive statements emanating from this trust I see a grave danger of, essentially, a kidnapping of the great body of work that was actually written just to help people free themselves from their fetters. In order to prevent this from happening the family and I have decided to form a legitimate foundation that, besides preserving and spreading the legacy of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, will also use its financial and social capital to promote the true legacy of my Father which would go far beyond the distribution of his songs and writing.

Our Foundation’s advisors and trustees, besides comprising of family members and myself, will consist of personalities from diverse ethnic communities and social organizations and will transcend state borders to include leaders from other Northeast Indian States as well. Our foundation will reach out to all my father's older friends, collaborators and well wishers throughout the 50’s 60’s and 70’s who have been alienated from him all these years. We look forward to the support of all such groups in our humble but noble efforts in carrying the legacy of ‘Xudhakontho’ forward and upwards.

Thank you,

- by Tej Hazarika

Legendary Actor Dev Anand Passes Away

'Evergreen Romantic Superstar' of Indian cinema, actor, director and producer Dev Anand died of a heart attack in London on December 4, 2011. He was 88 years old. Dev Anand is known for his acting in films like Guide (1965), Kala Bazaar (1960), Hum Dono (1961), Funtoosh (1956) and House No. 44 (1955).

Born on Sept 26, 1923, Dharam Dev Anand started his career in film with Hum Ek Hain (1946). He got his big break in Shaheed Latif's film Ziddi in 1948. He acted in more than 100 (hundred) movies in his lifetime.

Dev Anand also produced and directed more than 50 (fifty) films. Through his film production company Navketan International Films, he introduced many new artists and talents to the Indian Film Industry. He had helped film stars like Jackie Shroff through Swami Dada (1982) and actors like Tabu and Richa Sharma to get into the film industry of India.

Dev Anand worked with many noted film stars, music directors and professionals. One of his closest friends was legendary Guru Dutt. While working for the film Hum Ek Hain in Pune, they promised each other that if one of them were to turn filmmaker, he would hire the other as his hero and director. And they kept their promises in films like Baazi (1951) and C.I.D (1956).

Dev Anand achieved numerous awards for his contribution to the film industry of India. He got two Filmfare Awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Padma Bhushan Award in 2001 and Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2002 among many other prestigious awards.

Dev Anand was married to Kalpana Kartik (Mona Singh) and became parents in 1956 when Suneil was born. Suneil Anand is a film actor and he runs the Navketan Films.

- EF News Team

Jennifer Lopez Planning Greatest-Hits Album

Jennifer Lopez certainly has had some huge hits. Since releasing her debut album, On the 6, in 1999, J.Lo has commanded pop radio with tracks like "If You Had My Like," "I'm Real," "Like Don't Cost a Thing" and "Jenny From the Block."

And she hasn't stopped. This year, she released Like?, featuring club bangers like "On the Floor." Now, J.Lo diplomacy to give her fans a proper greatest-hits album.

"I just got the call a week ago that the greatest-hits album for Jennifer Lopez is appearance up," vocal producer Kuk Harrell told MTV News. "Now I'm just waiting for them to place on the schedule [and] let me know what songs we're really cutting and stuff like that."

While he didn't have too many details about what fans should expect on the album, Harrell did share who else Jenny is hitting the studio with. "I reckon [when] I find out what the direction is, I will certainly go in the lab. I will get in the lab with Tough Stewart and The-Dream and see what we can come up with for it."

Harrell has certainly been busy this year. He worked with Rihanna on her Talk That Talk album, Justin Bieber on Under the Mistletoe (and will work with him again on his next album) and now has diplomacy to hook up with Lopez. He's grateful for all the opportunities he's been given.

"I'm so fortunate to be able to work with Rihanna and Justin Bieber ... and Jennifer Lopez for that matter, so anytime a call comes in to work with the three of them, it's always 'yes,' because it's just implicit [it'll be excellent]," he said. "They're superstars, so how are you going to turn them down? Unless we have a scheduling conflict, but it's always a 'yes.' It's always an immediate 'we're gonna kill it.' That's when my competitive edge comes out. It has to be the best. It has to be better than anything we've ever done."

-MTV

Daniel Radcliffe in the List of the Richest

Daniel Radcliffe, the "Harry Potter" star , on Tuesday topped a Heat Magazine list of the richest, young British entertainers, retaining his No. 1 position in the ranking of people under 30-years-old.

Robert Pattinson, lead actor of the rival fantasy film franchise "Twilight," moved up to third from fifth and leapfrogged two of Radcliffe's Potter co-stars, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, according to the celebrity magazine.

Actress Keira Knightley, who starred in several of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, remained second on the chart, while singer Adele was the highest new entry at 16.

Radcliffe, 22, who played the boy wizard in the movie adaptations of J.K. Rowling's bestselling novels, earned 51.8 million pounds ($80 million) over his career, according to Heat estimates. The actor's earnings for 2011 were 6.1 million pounds higher than in 2010.

Knightley's earnings totaled 30.9 million pounds ($47.8 million, ahead of Pattinson on 24.9 million ($38.5 million), Watson on 23.9 million and Grint on 21.7 million.

Adele, whose second album "21" is set to be the biggest selling album in the world this year, entered the list at No. 16 with a fortune of 7.7 million pounds.

Three stars dropped out of this year's list -- opera star Katherine Jenkins and model Kelly Brook both exceeded the 30-year-old threshhold and singer Amy Winehouse, ranked 15th last year, died in July.

-(Agencies)

Film Noir - A Fleeting Walk Through

Toshiro Mifune in 'Stray Dog'

Bathed in shadows, a vague figure walks through a seedy lane, followed by a gun wielding detective, both possibly trying to track down another victim in an isolated house, somewhere in the outskirts of a bustling city. Sensing the hint of a crime fiction? Well, close enough. The scene, rightly perceived as a crime scene, draws its elements from arguably one of the most complex and creatively challenging styles of film making – Film Noir.

Deeply rooted in German Expressionist Photography, Film Noir, French for ‘Black Film’, essentially incurs low key black and white visual style of the 1940s and 50s. The years immediately following the end of World War II witnessed the emergence of Noir, cinematic and literary. Several concurrent developments like a number of downbeat crime movies in Hollywood, an increase in the publication of crime novels in France, paperback novels in America etc.  led to the widespread fabrication and acceptance of Noir.

Film Noir is often recognizable via a key set of visual and plot elements. Visually, one would notice low-key lighting, chiaroscuro effects, deep focus photography, extreme camera angles and expressionist distortion. From a plot perspective, the most common facets are a subjective point of view, shifting roles or the morally ambiguous nature of the protagonist, possibly an ill-fated relationship with the society and ways in which 'noir' itself functions as a socio-political critique. The plot’s female lead usually appears as a femme fatal (an archetype that more or less emerged from this style) or a chased or tormented victim. The stories are set mostly in urban locales. Voice Over and semi-documentary style also form a part of the narrative.

However, it is possibly the fatalistic attitude of Film Noir that gives it its engaging appeal. Contrast to the American happy endings endorsed by movies like ‘Sound of Music’, Film Noir depicted 'crime culture' based on jagged edged storylines. More often it would be about an average citizen making a mistake that snowballs into much greater problems. In Film Noir lingo it is called the spider web of deceit suggesting a an eruption of hysteria and panic.

The Maltese Falcon (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), and The Big Sleep (1946) are probably some of the early Hollywood offerings in the Noir category of films. Humphrey Bogart, biggest name in Film Noir, derives his distinction for exemplifying the hard boiled detective in movies like The Maltese Faction. His iconographic status in the realm of Film Noir however comes from many non investigative Film Noirs such as High Sierra (1941), Dark Passage (1946) and In a Lonely Place (1950). Bogart's roles in these movies suggest the different forms Noir took as it developed during forties. This also led to the surfacing of the pathos of the aging gangster, a falsely accused/wrongly convicted man or even the violence of a psychopath. The core concept was to make people identify with such characters.

The other key iconic figure of Noir is, of course, the fatal woman, who donned provocative outfits on film posters and pulp covers. In her sensuous and aggressive demeanour she posed as the prime distraction for the male protagonist and even the antagonist, often resisting their assertion and playing with their minds. Rita Hayworth’s portrayal of the self –assured sexually irresistible femme fatale made her a known face in Film Noir.

Outside of Hollywood, Noir has been attempted and successfully integrated into film making by many directors, celebrated Japanese director Akihira Kurosavo being one of them. Drunken Angel (1948), Stray Dog (1949), The Bad Sleep Well (1960), and High and Low (1963), easily identifiable as Noir have added the oriental flavour to this style of film making.

In the new millennium, Park Chan-wook of South Korea has been the most prominent director outside of the United States to work regularly in a Noir mode with ultra-violent films such as Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Thirst (2009.

Christopher Nolan, of Inception (2010) fame, has played with Noir elements in all his Batman movies (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), while his previous works like Memento and Insomnia established him as a connoisseur one of Neo Noir. The graphic novels inspired films like ‘Sin City’ and ‘Kill Kill Faster Faster’ encompass Neo Noir reflexivity. Tech Noir and Teen Noir are other styles that have evolved from  Noir.

Whether it is a genre or not is a topic of constant debate, mostly because of the sundry aspects that are a part of it; scholars and film historians have often said that Noir is more of a style and too diverse to be tagged as a genre.

-by Parmita Borah

The King's Speech Star to Auction Himself for Charity

Colin Firth, one of the most sought after British Cine stars will auction himself for Oxfam America, a charity dedicated to ending poverty.

His fans can now bid on a chance to meet him at the Hollywood premiere of his new movie through an auction to raise money for Oxfam.

The winning bidder will receive two passes to the December 6 premiere of the Colin Firth starer ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ based on the best selling novel by John le Carre.

Not just that, the winner and a friend will also get a chauffeured ride to a Chateau Marmont after party.

Fans can bid through Wednesday on the opportunity to shake hands with Firth. Oxfam America has teamed up with eBay for the fundraiser.

Following a successful career as in the UK, Firth has become a known face in Hollywood especially after box office hits like ‘Bridget Jones's Diary’ and ‘Love Actually’.

He is also known for his work in TV miniseries ‘Pride & Prejudice’, and the movies ‘Shakespeare in Love’.

Colin Firth won the Oscar for Best Actor for a sensitive portrayal of King George VI who battles to overcome his stammering , in the 2010 drama ‘The King's Speech’.

-by Parmita Borah

All That Jazz - the London Jazz Festival

It’s all over London - from packed clubs to concert halls, the London Jazz Festival, is 'the hub' for Jazz musicians and fans alike. Produced by the creative company 'Serious' in association with BBC Radio 3, the ten day long jazz extravaganza is not only one of the city’s key music festivals, but is considered a major international jazz event. A number of London’s venues ranging from concert halls such as the Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall, as well as smaller jazz clubs, such as Ronnie Scott's and Vortex host this event.

The Camden Jazz Week of the 1970’s could be considered an ancestor to the London Jazz festival as the later seems to have evolved from it. It all began with the inclusion of a Jazz Week into the long-established Camden Festival by the London Borough of Camden.  The Camden Jazz Week was held at several venues around the borough – the Roundhouse, Shaw Theatre, Logan Hall, Bloomsbury Theatre, the Forum - both as part of the spring Festival, and in some years, adding an Autumn week as well. The early nineties witnessed the dawdling and demise of the Camden Festival, however, the Jazz Week survived and under the initiative of the creative company 'Serious', took a new direction.

Photo Courtesy - Emile Holba

The London Jazz Festival was designed as a forum for a mix of British and International Jazz artists to connect and collaborate  in a city where a trend of rich cultural exchange was beginning to emerge. Soon the week long festival extended to a ten day long international music event, where Jazz musicians from all corners of the world showed up to perform at different venues all over London.

While each year is beguiled in its own way, the London Jazz Festival preserves some landmark moments in its book of reminiscence. Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra performing the first ever concerts at the Hackney Empire, and Michael Garrick, Frank Holder and Coleridge Goode paying tribute to the late Joe Harriott in a trio that collectively was some 250 years old.

Every succeeding year brings new contributions- classic and contemporary, to the world of Jazz. The London Jazz Festival has made a steady transition from north London to London-wide and from May to its present November slot. The festival’s unmatched euphonic appeal has not only established its influence in London’s cultural calendar, but made it an affair that inspires music lovers from across the world to show up and be a part of.

-by Parmita Borah

Jolie to Play the Iconic Gertrude Bell in Ridley Scott's Next

Angelina Jolie will soon be seen stepping into the shoes of iconic woman leader “Gertrude Bell” in her upcoming movie with the same name, to be produced by Ridley Scott’s production company.

Scott is also contemplating directing the biopic, after completion of his Alien’s prequel-of-sorts Prometheus, which hits theatres in June.

The project’s screenplay is being written by Jeffrey Caine, who wrote the script for 2005’s “The Constant Gardner.”

Gertrude Bell, a British woman, pioneered the mapping the Middle East in early 20th century, which became the framework for what would become Jordan and Iraq.

Bell won widespread admiration among Arabs for being instrumental in founding of Iraq during World War I and is often described as the female ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.

The Tomb Raider was roped in by the makers of this film for her history of playing strong female characters. The Oscar winning actor has previously portrayed periodic characters in movies like Alexander and Changeling.

-by Parmita Borah

Bard of Brahmaputra’s Funeral Creates World Record

Legendary composer and singer Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s funeral creates world record with the highest gathering of mourners paying tributes, over two days; though, Michael Jackson memorial service holds record as the most watched funeral on television.

Photo Courtesy - JCCNEWSTV.COM

 

As recorded in Wikipedia, the wiki structured online encyclopaedia, Dr. Hazarika’s funeral was attended by 5 (five) lacs people and watched by 30 (thirty) lacs people on Television.

Born in Sadiya, Assam, on 8th Sept, 1926, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was a noted music director, playwright, actor, journalist, author, lyricist, poet, politician and film-maker of the highest repute. He was known for his crisp baritone voice and flawless diction. He started his music career by writing and singing his first song at the age of 10 and working for the second Assamese film, Indramalati (Dir - Jyoti Prasad Agarwala), in 1939, when he was 12 years old.

Hazarika died on November five in Mumbai and his body lay in state at the historic Judges Field for two days from the night of November 7 for people to pay their homage before cremation on November 9.

Dr. Hazarika’s funeral has made it to Wikipedia’s notable funerals representing historical funerals, based on both the number of attendants and estimated television.

The list includes, among others, the funerals of Elvis Presley, Lady Diana Pope John Paul II, Martin Luther King Jr, Joseph Stalin, Joseph Tito, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Montazeri, Benigno Aquino, C R Annadurai and Aryton Senna.

-by Parmita Borah / Jim Ankan Deka

Other Dr. Bhupen Hazarika articles - Assamese Maestro Turns 86 ; Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, the Legend of Assam ; Dr. Bhupen Hazarika - the Great Ballad Singer of India

Ten Best Music Websites and Applications

We dedicate this read to all those who can eat, sleep and drink music. The EFNI team went surfing, well internet surfing, to find you some of the finest selection of online music. Here’s our pick of Top Ten choices for music websites and applications.

iTunes

Well, iTunes essentially is a media player, that let’s you play, download, and organize digital music and video files on your desktop. No prizes for guessing who introduced it- Apple Inc, ofcourse. There’s little wonder why iTunes provided the same facilities on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The application allows the user to purchase and manage audio and video on a personal computer, acting as a front end for Apple's QuickTime media player. iTunes has got a myriad of features, some of the most sought after ones include-Media Management, File Format Support, File Metadata , playlists, video support and books/pdf support. Now that’s one app to add to your gadget!

Google Music 

Formerly known as Music Beta by Google, this and recently re-launched as Google Music, this music streaming service/online music store might soon be locking horns with iTunes. Google music supports streaming music to desktop browsers, Android phones and tablets, or any other device that can use the Adobe Flash platform. According to the official Google blog- users can use a feature called Instant Mix to create a playlist of songs that go well together. Music imported from iTunes will retain playlists as well.

Music purchasing was absent in the initial launch, however with it’s re-launch on November 16, 2011, Google Music introduced a new version of Music, with a music store, Google+ integration, artist hubs, and purchasing reflected on T-Mobile phone bills. The only hiccup is that as of now, registrations are open to US residents only.

MySpace 

Much before the onslaught of Facebook and Twitter, MySpace founded by Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson was the most visited social networking website in the world. Apart from the regular social media features like moods, blurbs and blogs, comments, profile customization and redesigns, music materialized as its most sought after feature.

Although post 2008, a drastic decline in hits affected MySpace, causing it to be ranked as 103rd by total web traffic, bands and soloists still leverage MySpace to promote their music and connect with their breed. Hence the website had become a huge repository for online music. Keep surfing MySpace, one usually comes across decent material.

Reverb Nation 

Launched in 2006, but no longer an infant, ReverbNation focuses principally on the independent music industry. The purpose of the website is to bring together musicians and producers under one roof to connect and collaborate. Its special feature ‘TuneWidget’ links back to additional content, such as music recommended by the band that created the widget. A year after the website’s launch, 2007, Webs (formerly Freewebs) added a widget service that included TuneWidget as an option for its web site users. The same year the band Rehab headlined the ReverbNation summer tour.

In May, 2008, Judas Priest pre-released a track from its upcoming album on ReverbNation.

Yahoo Music 

Yahoo Music (previously known as ‘Launch’ and ‘Y! Music’) carries an extensive selection of artists, their music and biographical information. In the year 2007, Yahoo Music made it to the numero uno position in the jam-packed space of online music, in terms of audience and total time spent.

A viable range of products makes Yahho Music, an attractive destination for music lovers. Yahoo! Music Jukebox and Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Live sets (exclusive video concerts from A-list starts) and Who’s Next (where listerners vote for emerging artists) are some of the popular offerings.

SoundCloud 

In the same space as ReverbNation, SoundCloud is an online audio platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings. So, do not be flagger basted if you bump into interviews and talks aside from music.

The website was originally founded in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany, in August 2007. The core concept was to allow musicians share recordings with each other, later SoundCloud transformed into a full publishing tool that allowed widespread distribution of audio. Soon after its commencement, the website began challening the dominance of Myspace by allowing artists to distribute music and to interact more closely with their fans.

Unlike MySpace, SoundCloud instead hosting audio in their site, allows users to upload their music with a distinctive URL. SoundCloud can also be combined with Twitter and FaceBook and has a number of apps and widgets compatible with various Operating Systems.

Last.fm 

Last.fm is a UK based music website and is most for its Audioscrobbler feature. The feature builds a detailed profile of each user’s music taste by recording details of the songs the user listens to, either from Internet radio, the user’s PC or many portable music devices and recommends music based on those details.

Its music catalogue supports full length promotional tracks and free downloads; play-on-demand features and removal. Last.fm has also collaborated with Xbox 360, and as of 2009, Last.fm claimed to have 30 million active users.

Metacritic 

Metacritic is a website for people on the lookout for music reviews. Similarities can be drawn with Rotten Tomatoes, but there are drastic variations in the scoring systems. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green, Yellow and Red summarize the critic's recommendation. This gives an idea of the general appeal of the product among reviewers and, to a lesser extent, the public. The scoring games are quite popular, although they have been criticized by many.

Spotify 

Another UK based online music store, although Spotify was originally founded in Sweden. Spotify uses a DRM-based music streaming service offering streaming of selected music from a range of major and independent record labels, including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal.

The system is compatible with many Operating systems and gadgets. Music can be browsed by artist, album, record label, genre or playlist as well as by direct searches. Users can play, download and purchase music using Spotify. Users can register either for free accounts supported by visual and radio-style advertising or for paid subscriptions without ads and with a range of extra features such as higher bitrate streams and offline access to music.

A Facebook account has been made mandatory for all new users since 22 September 2011.

MP3.com 

Named after the music file MP3, this website is probably best known for its original avatar as a legal, free music-sharing service, extremely popular amongst independent musicians. It was shut down on December 2, 2003 by CNET, which, after purchasing the domain name (but not MP3.com's technology or music assets), established the current MP3.com site.

MP3.com provides valuable information on digital music and artists, songs, services, community, trends and technologies. Ubetoo, a site similar to MP3.com is also worth surfing.

-by Parmita Borah

Hornbill Festival - Where the Action is...

Hornbill Festival (Photo Courtesy - Johan Gerrits)

Beat the winter chill with the hottest festival of the year. Not Kingfisher calendar photo shoot, but something way hotter and well, cooler too. Gear up for Hornbill Festival, the annual cultural extravaganza of Nagaland. Named after the Hornbill bird, visible in many traditional symbols and folklore of Nagaland, the weeklong fiesta can be best described as a melange of inter-cultural festivities of the land.

Often referred to as the ‘Switzerland of the East’, for its scenic ascendancy, Nagaland (North-eastern state in India) is the home to a multitude of indigenous tribes. Each of these tribes has sovereign festivals handed down by their ancestors, which they celebrate with a lot of ardour and devotion. 

Phom Naga Girl
(Photo Courtesy - Johan Gerrits)

Some of the important festivals celebrated are: Tsukhenyie by the Chakhesangs in January, Mimkut by the Kukis in January, Bushu by the Kacharis in January, Sekrenyi by the Angamis in February, Aoling by the Konyaks in April, Monyu by the Phoms in April, Moatsu by the Aos in May, Tuluni by the Sumis in July, Nyaknylum by the Changs in July, Tokhu Emong by the Lothas in November and Yemshe by the Pochurys in October.

The Hornbill Festival is a brainchild of the Government of Nagaland, to create an inter-tribal cultural exchange amidst the people of the state. It has also proved to be an apt platform to promote the cultural heritage of Nagaland, and is a bonus from tourism perspective too. Hornbill festival is organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments was introduced for the first time in the year 2000.

Bamboo Morung in Naga Heritage Village
(Photo Courtesy - Vivek V Gupta)

The Naga Heritage Village at Kisama (about 12 KM from Kohima), permanently created for this purpose, hosts this annual gala. The independent festivals of about 16 odd Naga tribes, celebrated over different seasons of the year, are condensed into this seven day long celebration. Hornbill festival unites the people of Nagaland as they amass under one roof to display their indigenous arts and crafts. 

The sought after highlights of the festival include the Traditional Naga Morungs Exhibition and sale of Arts and Crafts, Food Stalls, Herbal Medicine Stalls, Flower shows. The celebration is garnished with a cultural medley of traditional songs and dances, fashion shows, beauty contests, traditional archery, Naga wrestling, indigenous games, and even motor rally.

In 2007, yet another enlivening facet was introduced to this jamboree. The Hornbill National Rock Contest, possibly the only music festival in the entire nation to last for a week’s duration. About a dozen bands vie for this coveted title, judged by a panel of judges that include musicians and personalities from music industry and media of the country. The Consulate General of United States of America and the Meghalaya’s Higher Education and IT Minister RG Lyngdoh (former member of band Mojo where he used play harb) kick started the Hornbill Rock Contest for the first time in 2007.

So all the backpackers and travel freaks brace yourselves, for the celebration commences from the 1st of December. See you there.

-by Parmita Borah