Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland ● Photo Showcase

Hundreds gathered at the the Hornbill Festival 2012, a week long celebration that showcases Nagaland's rich tribal culture. Launched in the year 2000, this visually extravagant festival is celebrated during the first week of December every year to celebrate Nagaland's socio-cultural heritage.

Named after the bird, Hornbill Festival is one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior tribes of Nagaland and therefore re-enactment of battles is a core part of the performances. Every session at this festival is kicked off with the traditional war cry from the hundreds of performers in their traditional attire. The dance performances have different stories to tell - from harvesting to legends, as spectators sit in open-air ampi-theaters and relish their eyes on the kaleidoscopic view of art and culture.

This annual fete with an orgy of music, dance, traditional games and skills, food, films, beauty pageants and peace rallies forms a meeting ground for the age old traditions and the progressive artists of the state.

Sudeepta Barua shares some of the variegated moments of the Hornbill Festival that he captured though his lens.

- Edited by Parmita Borah

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo - Sudeepta Barua)

Psychedelic evening with Deep Forest at Deep India concert

Electronica may be the flavor of the hour, but certainly not my first choice. Therefore a day before The Deep India Concert at Vivanta by Taj on December 13, 2012, I decided to chat up with Eric Mouquet, the front man of Grammy Award winning Deep Forest, and learn a thing or two about his music. (Click here to read Eric Moquet's interview). He clarified my doubt that although elctronica has become synonymous with mash-ups, club and dance music for my generation, his music has a wider scope to it. Deep Forest strives to create a synergy between technologies like sampling with deep rooted folk elements and even organic sound effects. Deep India is a spin off of that very concept.

Deep India Concert at Vivanta by Taj

For those who didn't know 'The Deep India concert' is a brief musical tour to promote the project 'Deep India', a collaboration between Deep Forest and Indian santoor player Rahul Sharma. The event was on the breezy evening of December 13, at Vivanta by Taj. Our moods pretty much in sync with psychedelic lights emitted by busy traffic, we reached an hour early for the concert and binged on yummy tidbits, standing next to an open bar.

I may still not be a trance/elctronica fan, but in all honesty, it was one hell of a show. Deep Forest kicked off the evening with some unhurried dreamy tracks, with David Fall on the drums, Alune Wade on the bass, Olyza Zamati - the vocalist, and the master himself Eric Mouquet on the keys (both on the keyboard and the laptop).

The highlight of the show has got to be composition 'Viva Madikere,' an ode to the enchanting hill station town Madikere. There's an interesting story behind this song. It so happened that Indian santoor player had recorded some drum beats, vocals and natural sound effects during his stay at Madikere and send them to Eric to get a flavor of the land. Inspired by the flavors of the place, Deep Forest worked on the song and named it 'Viva Madikere', which later paved way for the complete musical collaboration - Deep India. The audience were equally thrilled to groove to a Bihu song (traditional folk song of Assam) that Eric had fused with techno beats!

- by Parmita Borah                5HUE2USGAHPQ

Eric Mouquet of Deep Forest at Deep India Concert (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Olyza Zamati at Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Alune Wade of Deep Forest at Deep India Concert, Bangalore, India  (photo - Parmita Borah)

Olyza Zamati at Deep India Concert, Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

David Fall at Deep India Concert, Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Eric Mouquet of Deep Forest at Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Olyza Zamati of Deep Forest at Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Eric Mouquet at Deep India Concert, Vivanta by Taj, India (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Sitar Maestro who put Indian music on international map took his final bow

Pt. Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)

I can't claim to know much about Pandit Ravi Shankar's music, nor much about music for that matter; but it is safe to say that with his demise, the world of music has suffered another massive blow, and not just in the Indian scene but on a whole global front.

In the 1960's when India was still struggling to segregate and discover it's own identity from that of the leftover influence of Brits, a musician from orthodox classical music background emerged as a music icon of the western hippie culture. Was it dumb luck that shot him to fame? Not Likely. Dumb luck is for Gangam Style, not the likes of people who understood and fused genres with polar differences and created a blend that could be grasped and loved by many.

The multi talented Maestro wrote the Oscar-nominated score for 1982 film "Gandhi," several books, and mounted theatrical productions. His popularity exploded in the west for his multiple collaborations with western musicians, George Harrison being the most enduring one. Amongst his numerous performances in the west the most notable ones include the Woodstock Music Festival, Monterey Pop Festival and one at the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Gardens in New York City (of which he was a co-organiser along with Harrison). Pandit Ravi Shankar’s influence in classical music, including on composer Philip Glass, is equally noteworthy. His work with Menuhin on their "West Meets East" albums in the 1960s and 1970s earned them a Grammy, and he wrote concertos for sitar and orchestra for both the London Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

Pandit Ravi Shankar has been the recipient of many prestigious awards and recognition. Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at the 1957 Berlin International Film Festival, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award; the three highest national civil honours of India: Padma Bhushan, in 1967, Padma Vibhushan, in 1981, and Bharat Ratna, in 1999, just to name a few. He was made an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II for his "services to music". He will also receive lifetime achievement Grammy award posthumously, making him the first Indian recipient of the award. The 55th annual Grammy Awards show will be held in Los Angeles on February 10, 2013.

Pt. Shankar’s contribution to Indian music is equally substantial – from composing music for Apu Triology to working as the music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956. His legacy however, is not limited to being a brilliant sitar virtuoso; rather, the fact that he helped assimilate traditional Indian Raagas into the ever progressing world of rock and roll, thus opening the flood gates of fusion. He helped to craft and develop a genre of music that the whole world could understand, relate to and enjoy. While fusion experiments may not always be successful, but with the sitar going global and forming a core part of rock ballads, jazz and world music, Shankar threw light on centuries-old traditions of Indian music which would have otherwise remained unknown. Niklas Stålvind, lead guitarist of the Swedish heavy metal band ‘Wolf’ himself played the sitar on the track “Electric Raga. A synergy like that is feasible today, thanks to the vision that Pandit Ravi Shankar had many decades back.

There’s little wonder why George Harrison of Beatles labelled him as the ‘godfather of world music’.

- by Parmita Borah

Candid conversation with Eric Mouquet - frontman of Grammy Award winning Deep Forest

French duo Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez from the Grammy Award winning ‘Deep Forest’ are all set to perform in Bangalore. World music and Electronica enthusiasts can watch them live at The Deep India Concert on December 13, 2012 at Vivanta by Taj (6.30 PM onwards). Deep Forest is celebrated in the world music scene for fusing ethnic music with dance and chill-out beats. Their albums have sold over 10 million copies and they are also the recipients of the World Music Awards - French group with the highest 1995 world sales.

Eric Mouquet and Parmita Borah (© Jim Ankan Deka)

We managed to catch hold of the charming Eric Mouquet, a day before his performance at Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore, and spoke about his two decades long musical journey and his collaboration with Indian musician Rahul Sharma; and dig this – made him sing a Hindi song! Here’s an excerpt of our brief yet fun filled conversation –

Parmita Borah: It’s been twenty years that you’ve been associated with the music industry. How has your journey been?

Eric Mouquet: It’s been fantastic and adventerous. I didn’t imagine when we began, that we would come this far. I consider myself very lucky because I continue to travel, meet musicians, do shows and concerts. The beauty of this whole journey is that you get to meet new people and always have the inspiration to make new projects. So it’s been an amazing adventure.

Eric Mouquet of Deep Forest (© Jim Ankan Deka)

PB: When we say ‘electronica’, mostly trance and mash ups come to mind; and there’s ‘ethnic eletronica’ which seems to have folk elements.

EM: It’s hard to say. When I was a teenager, electronica was preferred, it wasn’t dance at all, it was ambient music. Today it’s all about club and dance. I think every generation has it’s own taste (laughs). For me electronica is a way to use the synthesizer, and the sequencer and a way to compose music using technical things like sampling, analog and digital sounds. Ofcourse, trance is a part of it, and we will play trance at our performace tomorrow, but the scope of electronica is much wider than that.

PB: Of all your global collaborations, you’ve have recently collaborated with Indian musician Rahul Sharma. Tel us something about that.

EM: To be honest, I didn’t know Rahul Sharma before this project. Sony Music asked me to listen to Rahul Sharma’s Santoor works, it’s a very beautiful instrument and Rahul’s a very good musician. It’s always easy to work with a good musician because we speak the same language. Our project is supported by Vivanta by Taj, and therefore we will be performing in Bangalore and Coorg.

Eric Mouquet and Parmita Borah (© Jim Ankan)

PB: About your association with Vivanta by Taj, would you like to tell us something about that?

EM: Actually Rahul was in Vivanta by Taj, Madikere. There he recorded some nature sound effects, drum beats and vocals and sent them for me to get a feel of the place. Later we worked on the sounds, wrote a song and now we have a song called Viva Madikere, inspired by the beauty of the land.

PB: Did he teach you any Hindi song?

EM: None as yet.

I broke into the song ‘Pyaar Huwa Ikraar Huwa’ from Shree 420, and Eric Mouquet pretty much got it right at his second attempt, making me his first Hindi Teacher! Deep Forest will be performing on December 13, 2012 at Vivanta by Taj, 6.30 PM onwards. Catch them live at The Deep India Concert if you want to kick start your weekend in a cool way.

- by Parmita Borah

Grammy award winning Deep Forest to perform at ‘Deep India’ concert

Eric Mouquet (Deep Forest)

Deep Forest, the Grammy Award winning band from France will be performing for the first time in India at 'Deep India' concert on Thursday, December 13. The venue Vivanta by Taj at MG Road, Bangalore in collaboration with Sony Music will showcase this musical evening.

Deep Forest, comprising of  Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet, was nominated for a Grammy Award for the first time in 1994 and won the award for the album 'Boheme' in 1995. The band is known for their unique music, also known as 'ethnic electronica'.

The band will be performing in the city to celebrate the “one with nature” rainforest retreat 'Vivanta Madikeri Coorg'. Their collaboration with Santoor maestro Rahul Sharma will be available in an upcoming album ‘Deep India’. One of the tracks from the album is a tribute to Vivanta by Taj - Madikeri, Coorg, a visually stunning rainforest retreat spread across 180 acres.

Tickets of the event are priced at Rs.2000 and one can contact 080-6660-4444 for advance booking.

Vivanta by Taj Currently comprises of 25 hotels and resorts in India and the Indian Ocean region. Vivanta by Taj is represented across key metropolitan capitals as well as popular holiday destinations like Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

- EFNI

Life of Pi - a fascinating story | movie review

I cannot emphasize enough on the word 'beautiful' when I begin to describe Life of Pi. The fascinating story of juvenile Piscine Molitor, the lone survivor of a shipwreck as he travels across the Pacific ocean on a life boat, a makeshift raft and a ferocious Bengal tiger 'Richard Parker' for a companion. The big question - will he make it?

Life Of Pi - a film by Ang Lee

Irfan Khan as an adult Pi does justice to his role. Tabu, Adil Hussain, Vibish Sivakumar as Pi's mother, father and brother too have delivered brief but memorable performances. (Being an Assamese it was a proud moment to watch Adil Hussain be part of something so coveted and well crafted). But, it's the teen actor Suraj Sharma who shoulders the mighty task of carrying the story forward, and does so skilfully by infusing the necessary maturity and innocence to Pi's character.

The most impressive part about the narrative is that although it's an adult Pi telling his story to a reporter (which means Pi actually lives), not once does the plot feels predictable. There are surprises, pleasant and shocking throughout the 127 minutes of exhilarating cinematic experience. Yann Martel's book leaves readers pondering at the end whether Pi's story is an allegory of another set of parallel events or vice versa, and questions the need for rationalizing faith. This was well achieved with Irfan Khan's narration juxtaposed with that of Suraj Sharma's.

Suraj Sharma, Tabu and Ang Lee

Ang Lee avoids the common Indian stereotypes and paints a pretty picture of Pondicherry, especially during the initial few minutes of name casting. With the 3D glasses on, everything appears at an arm's length. The background score is subtle and soothing but you wouldn't find yourself paying much attention to it. The visual effects transcends reality and merges the surreal. There is this one scene in particular where the entire ocean is covered with jelly fishes which makes you feel like 'this is what heaven must look like'.

Director Ang Lee's fascination towards picturesque, visually appealing cinema is no news to anyone, but with Life of Pi he achieved what James Cameron paved way for when he directed Avatar. 

- by Parmita Borah

Harley Rock Riders Season 3, Bangalore ● Photo Showcase

Harley Rock Riders Season III turned out to be a godfather of all events with an assemblage of thousands of music and motorbike aficionados in Bangalore at the Clarks Exotica bringing the best of both worlds - Harley-Davidson’s classic bikes and rock music. The event marked the unveiling of Harley Davidson’s newest progeny FAT BOB. Priced at Rs 12.8 lac, Fat Bob is a wide, blacked-out Dyna with Twin Cam 96 engine, 'Tommy Gun' 2-1-2 exhaust and helical-cut fifth gear.

The historic association of Harley-Davidson with rock music and its legends gave birth to the annual music property - Harley Rock Riders in India in 2012. The focus of this initiative is to revolutionize the rock music culture in India by encouraging promising indigenous rock bands and providing them a unique platform to showcase their talent.

This mega carnival in association with Rolling Stone, offered a myriad of national and international rocks bands to mark with ‘Budweiser Band Hunt’ winners kicking off a prelude to an evening of roar of V- engines and overdriven guitars. The Indian repertoire of powerhouse performances included Albatros, Light Years, Solder, The News, Frank Got The Funk, Galeej Gurus , Boomerang,, Kryptos, and Soulmate. The finale had the folks of Bengaluru head banging to the Swedish metal band ‘Wolf’. Harley Davidson India managing director Anoop Prakash was also seen giving away one of the models for free!

Kryptos at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore, India (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Soulmate from Shillong, Meghalaya at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Wolf from Sweden at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Niklas Stålvind of Wolf at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Nolan Lewis of Kryptos at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Joshua of Boomerang from Mizoram at Harley Rock Riders (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Boomerang at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore, India (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Boomerang rock band from Mizoram at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Boomerang, band from Mizoram at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Wolf, Swedish metal band at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore, India (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Tipriti K Bangar of Soulmate at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Atea of Boomerang at Harley Rock Riders, Bangalore (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

Harley Rock Riders Season 3, Bangalore, India (photo - Parmita Borah)

- by Parmita Borah & Jim Ankan Deka

Antara Nandy at Alive India in Concert in Bangalore ● Photo Showcase

Alive India in Concert, a musical evening to celebrate the lingering spirit of Diwali and Children's day, presented a myriad of juvenile talent. Amongst the known faces, we saw Bangalore's own chote ustaad Aditya Vittal and folk queen Dipannita Acharya. 

The highlighted of the evening, however, must be credited to an uninhibited, power-packed performance by 'Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' prodigy Antara Nandy with a diverse repertoire of songs including Rolling in the Deep and Waka Waka. Antara's cover of a Bihu song featuring fusion musician Jim Ankan got the audiences grooving the most.

The event was organized by Bangalore-based band Aurko at the Phoenix Market City on November 17, 2012.

Jim Ankan Deka and Antara Nandy - Alive India in Concert (Photo - Parmita Borah)

Antara Nandy - Alive India in Concert (Photo - Parmita Borah)

Aditya Vittal - Alive India in Concert, Bangalore (Photo - Parmita Borah)

Alive India in Concert, Bangalore

Antara Nandy, Alive India in Concert, Bangalore (Photo - Parmita Borah)

Aurko, band from Bangalore, Alive India in Concert

Jim Ankan Deka and Antara Nandy, Alive India in Concert, Bangalore (Photo - Parmita Borah)

Antara Nandy with children, Alive India in Concert, Bangalore (Photo - Parmita Borah)

Jim Ankan, Antara Nandy and Aurko - Alive India in Concert, Bangalore, India (Photo - Parmita Borah)

 - by Parmita Borah

Lucky Ali and Joi Barua in Bangalore ● Photo Showcase

Thousands of Bangaloreans flocked at the Audogodi Police ground on November 04, 2012 as a myriad of celebrated musicians came together for the harmony concert “Sadbhavna Bangalore 2012”. Known face from the Indian musical realm, Lucky Ali wowed the 30000 plus audience with his sensational performance. Amongst the others who graced the breezy autumn evening of November 4 with their musical genius included upcoming singers like Joi Baruah and Janki Parekh.

The mega peace and “Sadbhavna Bangalore 2012” was organized by the Assam Society of Bangalore (ASoB) under the aegis of Northeast Welfare Association of Karnataka (NEWAK). Jointly organized by NEWAK and Bangalore City Police, the event was an endeavor to assuage the fears of the Assamese and Northeast community people residing in Bangalore. 

Lucky Ali (Photo - Pankaj Rajkhowa)

Lucky Ali (Photo - Pankaj Rajkhowa)

Joi Barua (Photo - Pankaj Rajkhowa)

Joi Barua (Photo - Pankaj Rajkhowa)

Lucky Ali (Photo - Pankaj Rajkhowa)

- by Parmita Borah and Pankaj Rajkhowa