This is how we survive.

We live in a world with absolutely no boundaries. The idea of freedom has crossed over to a landscape of abuse.

It's a world where once the term 'living on the edge' was considered a luxury, is now a matter of survival. This is how we survive. Balancing on a ledge, that's slowly crumbling. It's a free fall.

Can the word 'live' continue to be applicable in these times? Or are we just the victims of survival?

Life is not a paragraph, and death has no parenthesis. These words by E.E. Cummings come to mind when humanity has failed yet again.

Your search never stops...

Over a year ago I came across an article in the New York Times titled "In Berlin You Never Have to Stop."

I highly recommend you read it.

The article resonated with me because I was at a point in my life where I was looking elsewhere for inspiration. Truth is I wanted to run away and find solace in unknown experiences, people, cities. I thought that may be that would be revealing in some way.

People without a fail (no matter what their calling in life is) find themselves in dire straits at some given point of time. No assurance can bail them out. That's when they want to run away. Take their precious souls, go to another land to get a new perspective.

This will certainly help in clearing your palette but the truth is that at the end of the day what is in yourself is there for you to find. That's the beauty we all fail to see.

I urge you to read this article because it throws light on exactly that fact, which is that you don't need to run away in order to find yourself. You have the power to inspire and be inspired. Only you can find it. 

Rough Around the Edges

As I near the beginning of my fourth decade in this world, I take a few steps back to re-evaluate. 

I have never in the past thought that I could ever feel what I will term a 'momentous occasion,' for lack of a better word, creeping upon me. 

Ever since my conscience came into being, I developed this romantic notion of the idea of the process

of human growth and development. And every year of my life since, I remember having sincerely felt like I had "grown" in some way. They were small changes and they mostly took place overnight, but they were nevertheless an improvement. Be it having finally finished that book i had bought 4 years ago, giving a piece of sound advice to a good friend, not reacting to something i felt strongly about to solving a math problem. And they made my happy. 

However, for some time now I have felt slightly differently. Rather than have my dose of growth creep up on me on a full moon, I thought I would make a conscious effort to find it. Life is about improving oneself to the point where you're somewhat satisfied with the result. It can be done with the guidance of people close to you or it can come from within. We'll all still be rough around the edges as there is never a "right" way of doing anything. But, that's the beauty of life. 

Here's my list of things to do while you're re-evaluating. It's not conclusive and I'll keep adding to it as I keep discovering. 

  1. Getting Fit - Yoga, Gym, Pilates, Cross Fit, anything that pumps up your adrenaline.

  2. Noticing the green of the leaves on the trees. Try it, it's rejuvenating to the senses.

  3. Taking a class in something you've never tried before. 

  4. Quitting a job.

  5. Swallowing that big ego.

  6. Learning to look at the light-hearted side of life.

  7. Hanging out with children/babies. Their innocence reinstills faith. 

  8. Reconnecting with old friends.

  9. Helping someone you don't know from adam. 

10. Colouring.

11. Dancing in front of the mirror.

12. Meditating. Even if it's for 5 minutes. It helps.

13. Wearing an outfit that's not usual to your style.

14. Conversing with a close elder - parent, grandmother etc. Profound insights guaranteed.

15. Saying 'I love You' or 'I care about you' to a close someone you've never said it to before.

16. Reading non-fiction.

17. Cooking up a challenging recipe.

18. Saying no. 

Music Trivia #1: Land of a 1000 Dances

Music Trivia is increasingly becoming a hobby. Though by chance discovery because digging info is a task. So here is the space where I will chronicle my chances.

I heard Wilson Pickett's Land of a 1000 Dances (1966) today whilst listening to Al Green Radio on Last.fm for the first time. Of course I'd heard the famous hook before in Ini Kamoze's 1995 hit single Hotstepper. Note though that Kamoze's version was a derivative.

The song was first written and recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962 sans the famous hook, which was the contribution of Cannibal & the Head Hunters in their 1965 version.

In chronological order :::

1962 Original: Chris Kenner

1965 Hook added: Cannibal & The Head Hunters

1966 Best Know version: Wilson Pickett

1995 I grew up listening to : Ini Kamoze

Imogen Heap

Yet another Grammy Award winning artist. What's so special?

Her music (on studio albums) is heavily electronic ridden, which leaves you wondering how it will translate on the live stage. Can't be any different from the loads of artists ( some Grammy Award winners) who get away with Dj Sets? Or so you would think.

What sets Imogen apart from all her contemporaries is the fact that she doesn't cheat on her performance.

Known to embrace technology, her latest gadget is a pair Magic Gloves. Very similar to a (modern) fairy's wand that creates musical spells with gestures.

As she lays vocals on an inbuilt loop machine through a headset mic, she creates beats with hand waves - waves high for a hi-hat sound, low for a bass sound etc.

Thus, creating music (read magic).

You have to see it to believe this 6 feet something cutting edge one woman orchestra.

Currently Listening To...

This is my new status quo. In the past year I have come to realise that having easy access to music does not warrant effortless discovery. It requires patience, Cherry-picking. Or a good friend.

I've tried the many varied ways of serious music listening and discovery techniques; full albums, artist + discography, hit singles, recommendation sites, blogs, podcasts etc.

But, it's still good old-fashioned word-of-mouth all the way. Spread the word...read music.

Copyright : The debate Continues

Over the last couple of years I’ve developed an interest in Copyright. The Indian Copyright Act 1957 may well be amended very soon.

Here are my two cents on the issues around it:

As the Copyright debate continues the Indian Music Industry’s warped nature comes to light.

Let’s take the instance of the IPRS – the Indian Performing Rights Society that is supposed to collect royalties on behalf of copyright holders. Formed in 1969, the IPRS has ‘tried’ to collect royalties on behalf of authors and composers. Ahem…which authors and composers again? The ones that were denied any rights?

In 1977 the East Indian Motion Pictures Association filed a case against the IPRS and barred them from paying copyright to the composers and authors since the Producers were the rightful owners of Copyright.

In1993, after seventeen years, the IPRS and the Indian Music Industry(the “real owners” of copyright) sign an MOU with the Music Industry (the real owners of copyright) and it is decided that as a step towards ‘corporate social responsibility’, 50% of royalties earned will be shared with the authors and composers.

[So, what was the IPRS doing in the interim 17 years?]

The problem in India arises because the same entities represent both the sound recording as well as publishing. One of the proposed amendments includes the joint Authorship of producers and composers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this as Achille Forler, founder of Deep Emotions points out in a recent article published in Soundbuzz. He says “Worldwide, the ‘best practice’ leaders in the music industry exploit the publishing rights and the sound recording rights through separate entities. The superiority of a separate exploitation versus the exploitation of the bundled rights by a singe entity has been established beyond doubt.”

This is very unfortunate because all over the world, artists are surviving on income from Publishing and Touring. If we agree to disagree on a matter that can potentially be lucrative for the industry as a whole, we will inevitably be adopting an attitude much like the majors in the west – resisting change by pretending to live in the 90s in 360° view offices on Madison Avenue.

Like Vietnam. We will win the battle, but lose the war.