tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33613232024-03-12T19:45:26.819-04:00DESIBLOGA South Asian-American Weblogsajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.comBlogger553125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-42579606173728669282012-04-01T22:09:00.014-04:002012-04-01T23:22:50.992-04:00Late to the Opening. Late to the FarewellI was the sixth mutineer. Kind of like the fifth Beatle, except no one really cares about the sixth mutineer. I showed up late to the opening party, and late to the farewell. The bunker has shut. So, I’m taking this opportunity to dust off desiblog and posting this <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com">SM</a> farewell here. <br /><br />I never said goodbye, I kind of just faded away from Sepia Mutiny, and from blogging. With the site’s shutting down, I began to think back to how writing started for me. Like so many of our stories on the blog, it was the aftermath of the September 11 attacks that brought me to the e-page. I started off as a self-proclaimed editorialist at the short lived website the Satya Circle, pontificating as a barely 20-something on issues that resonated with me, and I thought would resonate with the desi diaspora during that time: foreign policy towards South Asia, immigration, the diaspora and our music/culture. <br /><br />And then I learned about blogs and started my own. If it related to brown, I blogged about it. Panjabi MC, Check. Hip-Hop with Bollywood samples. Check. Some brown face on a commercial, in a music video, on a tv show or in the movies. Check. Bad (and sometimes good) desi writing. Check. Progressive brown political issues. Check. <br /><br />Then in August 2004, after the DNC, Abhi left a comment on my blog and asked if I’d join the group blog he was starting with a few others. I was a regular reader of Manish’s blog, and knew Anna, and Abhi’s brother from my GW days, and said sure. I’m glad I did. <br /><br />The best part, people were reading what we were writing, and commenting. We had started what would become an 8 year conversation. Now those conversations are happening, and most importantly, they are happening everywhere. In the beginning, I spent day and night scouring the web for content and trying to put my own spin on it. We all did. My work life sometimes clashed with topics I would have loved to write about, so I focused mostly on arts, music and culture. It didn't matter, I loved it. And then for me, life happened. I got engaged, married. work. I had a kid. I no longer made time to blog or write, sadly. I hope I can make that time again.<br /><br />I can’t remember my first post or my last one. I do have some favorites, but what I remember most was the excitement of that time. The newness of all that was happening. When we started, there were very few prominent South Asians on television or in music, or working on Capitol Hill or the White House. We remained in the background, and every time something desi peaked through the curtain, I or Manish, or Abhi, or any of the mutineers clamored to include it on the blog. <br /><br />If a commercial had a desi-angle, who could be the first to post it up? Was that a Panjabi MC song on an ER episode? Is Dr. Dre getting sued by Bappi Lahiri? Is Aishwarya Rai, aka <a href="http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/?s=TMBWITW&submit=Search">TMBWITW,</a> going to show Oprah how to wear a Sari? When we first started SM, these instances seemed few and far between. Today, I have no idea how anyone could cover them all. <br /><br />Fast Forward to 2008 and the present. I can’t think of a television network that doesn’t air shows that include South Asians or a newspaper that doesn’t feature South Asian names on bylines. It’s still cool, but no longer as out-of-the-ordinary to see desi wedding announcements in the NYT. Two South Asian-Americans are being thrown around as <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romneys-veepstakes-begin/2012/03/30/gIQATWo8lS_story_1.html">possible Republican VP candidates</a>, and <a href="http://sfist.com/2012/02/15/obamas_next_supreme_court_pick_kama.php">one as a potential Supreme Court Justice. <br /></a><br />When we started blogging, SM was one of the few prominent spaces that existed to make sure our diverse voices were heard. We are no longer quiet. We are no longer up-and-coming. We have arrived. And, in it’s own little way, Sepia Mutiny was one of those vehicles helping us get here. <br /><br />Thanks Abhi, Manish, Ennis, Anna, and Vinod for having me. It was a blast. <br /><br />-30-sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-81790653885945135972009-04-12T19:12:00.002-04:002009-04-12T19:20:10.612-04:00In My Gully, Rupees Beat the Dollar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zg5Nw9zCf18/SeJ1zD4inHI/AAAAAAAAANk/iJXoENfiwSA/s1600-h/Hello.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zg5Nw9zCf18/SeJ1zD4inHI/AAAAAAAAANk/iJXoENfiwSA/s320/Hello.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323947229581581426" border="0" /></a>
<br /><title></title><p>In the ten plus years since Asian influenced electronica started making the musical rounds, the sound has gone in various directions. From the pulsating Indian classical-oriented tabla and bass to bollywood dub step, the music has evolved and morphed with other styles of contemporary and popular music. A prime example of this evolution can be found in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hello-MIDIval-PunditZ/dp/B001TH37RQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239548076&sr=8-1">Hello Hello</a>, </em>the most recent studio album put out by the New Delhi-based duo of Tapan Raj and Gaurav Raina, collectively known as the <a href="http://www.midivalpunditz.com/">Midival Punditz</a>. <em>Hello, </em>released on Six Degrees Records,<em> </em>sees the evolution of Punditz’s engaging electro-desi sound into new directions I haven’t see the Punditz delve into in past albums. Don’t worry though, it’s mostly a good thing!</p> <p>The album’s opener, <em>Electric Universe</em>, is a strong tune, that marries a bansuri based melody with the now very-trendy vocoder lyrics and an up-tempo western dance groove. <em>Universe </em>is a good start to a very good album, and serves as a nice introduction of the diverging sounds to come. The last track is an acoustic version of <em>Universe</em>, except with unadulterated vocals and acoustic guitar by fellow Asian-massivist Karsh Kale. In fact, Kale’s influence on the album is heavily felt, with credits on more than five of the album’s 11 tracks. </p> <p>With <em>Hello, </em>it’s clear that the Punditz haven’t forgotten where they came from, or the type of music that has led them to be called “the sound of 21<span style="vertical-align: super;font-size:xx-small;" >st</span> century India.” The album has the raga and folk influence I have come to expect and love from the Punditz, but also a classic rock and pop influence that one might hear in the nightclubs of Delhi, Bangalore, or Bombay. </p> <hr style="border: 2px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153); height: 2px;" rp_cms_extended_entry="1"> <p>With songs like <em>Atomizer, </em>and <em>Har Ek Baat</em>, which combines the poetry of the Urdu Poet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghalib">Ghalib</a> with the Punditz’s tabla and bass beat, the range of the album becomes very clear. For me though, it’s tracks like <em>Sun Mere Sanam, Naina Laagey </em>(my favorite on the album), and <em>Drifting</em>, that keep me listening over and over again. All three feature a skillful layering of traditional Indian sounds and instrumentation, and seamless incorporation of vocals (in the first two) and modern electronic production. (Six Degrees is offering Desiblog readers a free download of <em>Drifting</em> <a href="http://sixdegreesrecords.com/downloads/Drifting.mp3">here</a>). And for the classic-rock fans, the Punditz have included their hommage to Led Zeppelin’s “Four Sticks,” which builds, quite nicely I think, on the Indian sounds of the original. </p> <p>While I liked most of the album, I thought some things were off. On <em>Tonic</em>, the folk-influenced vocal sounded disjointed with the beat, and the only redeeming thing about the amateurish rap was the line I chose for the title of the posting. But, one or two tracks aside, the Punditz come through with a solid album, which I’ve had playing on repeat for the better part of the last two weeks. Check it out (the album is available on <a href="http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=Midival+Punditz">itunes</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hello-MIDIval-PunditZ/dp/B001TH37RQ/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1239575175&sr=8-1">amazon</a>), and let us know what you think. For those of you on the left coast, the Punditz will be appearing this Thursday (4/16) at the <a href="http://www.mighty119.com/">Mighty</a> in San Francisco, with <a href="http://www.karshkale.com/">Karsh Kale</a>. Nothing beats seeing these guys live. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-66811208717650570202008-08-20T21:56:00.003-04:002008-08-20T22:12:39.042-04:00Right to Bear Arms?It's been far too long since I've been able to write, but some events of the past few weeks have really started to motivate me to start writing again. So this is my modest effort to try and start it up again.<br /><br />I was pretty horrified to read this <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080820/ap_on_re_us/sc_party_shooting">Associated Press</a> article detailing some events surrounding a shooting at party at a Lakehouse, just west of Columbia, South Carolina. Yes, I know shootings happen throughout the country, but this instance is weird, and truly points to the need for additional gun controls.<br /><blockquote>A <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1219191773_0">South Carolina man</span> shot an unarmed teenager to death after a scuffle at a weekend party thrown by his children, then shot two teens involved in a retaliatory shooting at his home, authorities said Tuesday.</blockquote>The party throwers claim the deceased teenager, 17-year-old <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1219191773_1">Deshaun</span> Rashad Clark, stole their cell phone. Reeves' son went to the family's other nearby home to get his father, Francis Marion Reeves III, 62, who brought a loaded pistol and unloaded shotgun back to the lakehouse. Reeves was told that his daughter had been attacked at the party and watched as his son was attacked by three people. So what happens next? According to the article:<br /><p></p><blockquote>After Clark returned with friends, Reeves shot him, prosecutors said. Partygoers scattered and friends took the injured teen to a fire station. He died at a hospital.</blockquote><p></p>The unfortunate part is, this didn't end here.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>Reeves returned to his home afterward and was <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1219191773_2">sitting on the front porch</span> when one of the slain teen's friends drove by and shot at his home in retaliation, police said. Reeves fired back with a shotgun, police said, striking two teens who were in the car. They were not seriously injured.</blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>I wonder what might have happened if Reeves had not been an owner of firearms?sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-9359666069100590102007-04-07T13:19:00.001-04:002007-04-07T13:21:18.322-04:00I'm Bringing Desi Back<p>No, I am not referring to Sanjaya Malakar, because I wouldn’t want American Idol commentators to think that desi-Americans are monolithic in their support of him (we’re not), and I am not referring to me because well, desi never left my life. What I am getting at is the attempted resurgence of desi influences in mainstream American popular music, and surprisingly (or not so surprisingly depending on how you look at it) the current effort by producer extraordinaire Timbaland to bring desi back by featuring two desi-ish tracks on his latest release, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Timbaland-Presents-Shock-Value/dp/B000NA26ZE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3102226-0880168?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1175961887&sr=8-1">Timbaland Presents Shock Value</a>. The first of the two is <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=176900802&MyToken=334715e4-24b9-4c5f-876f-cd96f96fe255">“Bombay</a>” featuring British-Asian songstress Amar, and the other “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VcJMgRJors">Come Around</a>”with our girl M.I.A., which for some strange reason is only available in the U.S. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shock-Value-Parental-Advisory-Timbaland/dp/B000NVL91A/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-6283757-3752604?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1175962198&sr=8-1">as an import</a>.</p> <p>Like muc<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zg5Nw9zCf18/RhfS2T5DnMI/AAAAAAAAAAc/TKm0QlAsJ1w/s1600-h/timbo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zg5Nw9zCf18/RhfS2T5DnMI/AAAAAAAAAAc/TKm0QlAsJ1w/s320/timbo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050737337613655234" border="0" /></a>h of the album, both tracks are solid. <em>Bombay </em>is a straight up Hindi track, it features Amar’s vocal (rather than simply using it as a hook), its addicitve, and makes good use of the “Bollywood of Yore” effect. The track has additional production by long-time Timbaland collaborator <a href="http://www.jimbeanz.com/">Jim Beanz</a>, who recently released a couple of sanctioned remixes of two Nelly Furtado Tracks featuring Amar, Promiscuous Girl and Maneater, both of which are available for free download on <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=176900802&MyToken=334715e4-24b9-4c5f-876f-cd96f96fe255">Amar’s myspace page</a>. Many of you might remember Amar for her hauntingly awesome vocal on the opening track <em>Jaan </em>of Talvin Singh’s groundbreaking compilation <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Talvin-Presents-Anokha-Soundz-Underground/dp/B000001EAS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3102226-0880168?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1175963022&sr=8-1">Anokha</a>. On the heals of Anokha, she released a solo album, <a href="http://www.ethnotechno.com/amar_outside.php">Outside</a>, produced by <a href="http://www.nitinsawhney.com/intro.html">Nitin Sawhney</a>, but then seemingly fell off, until Beanz’s remix of Promiscuous started to make the rounds. For now anyway, it seems Amar may be the new <a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2004/03/raje-shwari.html">Raje Shwari</a>, the singer Timbaland and many others used for their Indian hooks a few years ago (Indian Flute, Bounce, Disco etc.), but hasn’t really been heard from since. I hope things work out better for Amar then it did for Raje. </p> <p>As for the M.I.A. track, I don’t know, I can’t get enough. It’s got M.I.A.’s grimey rapping style, Timbaland’s typically solid production, and desi beats, incorporating and flipping the hook from a recent indi-pop hit “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Music-Play-Shamur/dp/B000E6UL4K/ref=sr_1_1/102-3102226-0880168?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1175965057&sr=8-1">Let the Music Play</a>.” The only thing wrong with this track is it isn’t on the American release. </p> <p>Do I think Timbaland can bring desi back? I hope so. He’s gonna need help though, and by the lack of really good records from the desi diaspora over the past couple of years, it is going to be tough. For too long the desi music scene has relied upon British-Asian talent to bring the heat. I love British-Asian music, but its sound has gotten stagnant and it is time for desis on this side of the Atlantic to step up. From the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/asiannetworkmusic/2007/02/the_usa_is_on_its_way_but_just.shtml">word on the street</a> and from what I’ve been hearing, I’m hopeful. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-70801353860383625692007-03-17T13:57:00.000-04:002007-03-17T14:01:42.751-04:00The Tabu of the Namesake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/images/The%20Taj.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/images/The%20Taj.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p designtimesp="11331">It is a picture that I imagine many who read this blog have a variation of in one form or another. You know, that image of the the nuclear desi-America family, returned to the sub-Continent for a long (summer) vacation, of mom, dad, brother, sister posing in front of the Taj Majal. The group is huddled close on that bench hoping for the perfect portrait. And really, how can the picture be bad? That grand marble monument towering in the background, its skewed reflection glimmering in the rectangular pond. Observing that familiar image reflected on the movie screen and understanding that feeling of closeness and comfort of being together in a foreign place, put a big smile on my face, as did most of Mira Nair’s latest film <em designtimesp="11332"><a href="http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thenamesake/">The Namesake</a>.</em> </p> <p designtimesp="11333">I have to admit, this was a very personal book for me, I think for most of us. I even made my mom, who doesn’t usually read “English novels” read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Namesake-Novel-Jhumpa-Lahiri/dp/0395927218">the book</a>, and she loved it.<br /></p> <p designtimesp="11334">I find it hard to have high expectations for movies based on books. I have been burned too many times. With that in mind, my expectations for the movie were upward leaning, but not over reaching. I didn’t know how Nair could add visuals to a novel that was for me already so vivid. As the stunning opening credits blurred between Bengali and English, I immediately knew Lahiri’s story was in good hands. Nair and her longtime collaborator <a href="http://www.harvardmagazine.com/2007/03/godmothers-of-the-namesa.html">Sooni Taraporevala’s</a> treatment stayed true to the novel while also providing an original point of view. Their take does a fine job of including the highlights of the book, but in their attempt to hit all the major points, the movie misses some of the extras that made the story so poignant. (Warning: Spoiler Alert, especially if you haven’t read the book)</p> <p designtimesp="11335">The inclusion of the Ashima and Ashoke’s early years was good, but I wanted to see more of their early married life, more of Ashima’s struggle adjusting to life in America. To life without her family. To life without the familiar. I wanted to see her overcome that struggle, and grow into her life in America, as we saw in the novel. I think that is an important part of the story, and not spending enough time on some of these nuances took away from the story’s gravitas. The significance of the late night/early morning phone call for example, how was the audience supposed to know that odd-timed phone calls only meant significant news from India, usually bad? </p> <hr style="border: 2px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153); height: 2px;" rp_cms_extended_entry="1"> <p>I also wanted to see more of Sonia (<a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0619775/">Sahira Nair</a>) and Gogol (<a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0671980/">Kal Penn</a>). As my sister pointed, the book gives Sonia the shaft, so it was wrong for me to expect more of her in the film. Fine. But on their trip to India , I wanted to see more background, the disappointment from the kids in having to leave for their whole summer vacation, more awkward interaction between the American cousins and their family in Calcutta. I wanted the audience to understand and the movie to show that feeling of having all this family so far away, whom the ability with which to connect to is handicapped by distance. As cliche as it sounds, I wanted the film to show more of the duality of hyphenated-American life. But in the end, this is a minor quibble. </p> <p designtimesp="11337">In the novel, Gogol’s character kept the story moving, he was the protagonist. What I found suprising was that in the film, it was Ashima, to the credit of Bollywood actress <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0007102/">Tabu</a>, who pushed the story forward. Tabu’s take on Ashima was simply brilliant. Her performance was flawless and natural, and she really made the character come to life. For me, Tabu stole the show, completely overshadowing the perfomance of every other actor in the film. If I was to identify with any character in the book, it would have been with that of Gogol, but in the film, it was Ashima, who made me feel at home. In her, I saw our mothers, and their struggle. I can’t say it enough, Tabu’s performance struck me, and is reason enough to go back and see the movie again and again. </p> <p designtimesp="11338">I must also give credit to <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0451234/">Irfan Khan</a>, whose subtle, guarded portryal of Ashoke, represented perfectly the hands-off desi style of hands-on parenting. He stayed far enough away to not be outwardly emotionally involved, but close enough for us to know he really cared. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0733196/">Zuleikha Robinson’s</a> Moushimi, I didn’t like her character, but Robinson played it greatly. Moushimi is sultry and trashy at the same time, and Robinson brought this ibe to the movie in the short on-screen time she was alloted. I know many a reviewer disagree with me and have genuinely liked Penn’s performance, given that this role was his first major dramatic one, but I wasn’t too impressed. After his appearances on 24 and Law and Order (and to be fair, Penn <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/004112.html">should take any role</a> he gets, terrorist, 7-11 clerk, or otherwise—he <a href="http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2007-03-08T064121Z_01_N07281615_RTRIDST_0_ENTERTAINMENT-PENN-COL.XML&archived=False">will be soon</a> starring in an upcoming comedy pilot on ABC about paramedics) my expectations were low, and to that end he didn’t disappoint. Just comparing his reaction to Ashoke’s death with Tabu’s, Penn’s seemed force. The dramatic didn’t seem natural to him. I think Nair must be given credit for her ability to draw out whatever drama she could from him, but my wife and I both felt he used that same dumbfounded expression (the one we saw in American Desi, Harold and Kumar, Where’s the Party Yaar?) throughout the film. This may come across as hate, but clearly Nair saw something in him, and I think he can do better. To give him the benefit of the doubt, this was his first major dramatic role.</p> <p>In the end, Nair’s big-screen translation didn’t disappoint. The visuals were more subtle than Monsoon wedding, but striking nonetheless. The transitions between countries were seemless, the blending of Calcutta’s massive bridges and streets into New York’s was natural, and symbolic at the same time. She did it, Nair successfully added color to an already amazing story. I mentioned earlier that I smiled almost the whole film, until the last seen anyway. It was the final party held at the Ganguli home dramatized on screen that got me in the end. Ashima is saying goodbye to the family she and her husband had created in America (from the novel): </p> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"> <p>“For 33 years she missed her life in India. Now she will miss her job in the library, the women with whom she’s worked. She will miss throwing parties. She will missing living with her daughter, the surprising companionship they have formed, going into cambridge together to see old movies at the Capital Brattle, teaching her to cook the food Sonia had complained of eating as a child. She will miss the opportunity to drive, as she sometimes does on her way home from the library, to the university, past the engineering building where her husband once worked. She will miss the country in which she had grown to know and love her husband. Though his ashes have been scattered into the Ganges, it is here in this house and in this town, that he will continue to dwell into her mind....”</p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Great film. Go see it!</p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-26381673360627270322007-03-17T13:50:00.002-04:002007-03-17T13:56:44.802-04:00I'll take the Calphalon Indian-Wok<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/images/Indian%20Wok.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/images/Indian%20Wok.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p>When my wife and I were trying to decide on new pots and pans last year, it was kind of hard to pick the right set. Not only were we confused by the all-clad versus the myriad types of calphalon sets, we wanted to get some nice “crockery” that would be good for cooking Indian food. Outside of the handy prestige pressure-cooker that I am slowly learning how to use, we couldn’t find any real options for fancy-shmancy cooking pots-and-pans specifically for Indian food. So imagine my surprise when I was perusing the most recent <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/index.cfm">Williams-Sonoma</a> catalog and found a whole section dedicated to Indian spices, Indian food-specific pots and pans, and Williams-Sonoma Kitchen <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tipTechniqueView.cfm?objectid=31241D98-ACA2-27CB-F65D90D6CF2DCDE3">recipes for a variety of different indian</a> food items, including, <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=0DA34361-C7B3-2E44-2B518C13103CC9E6">samosas</a>, <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=2CF15658%2D9F4A%2D04BF%2D9A3F0BA7E5E7FDB6">chapatis</a>, and even <em><a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=442BA6D5-BD83-4DC7-852FBF583BA7A13C">kheer</a></em> (Indian rice pudding). Sure, my mom would kill me if she knew I entertained the notion of buying a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku7666076/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C15%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cnirmala&cm%5Fsrc=SCH">9 ounce, $39 set of spices</a>, or a $13 dollar simmer sauce, but I appreciate that <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku8481723/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C15%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Ctava&cm%5Fsrc=SCH">Le Creuset</a> is selling a tava griddle, and that <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku8283145/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C15%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cpressure%20cooker&cm%5Fsrc=SCH">Cuisinart</a> is uping the ante in the pressure cooker game. I must admit though, I am a bit confused by the Calphalon One Indian Wok (Wok, India?). My initial thought was that maybe it would be perfect for cooking tasty Indian-Chinese food like my favorite gobi manchurian, but the description in the catalog cleared it up:</p> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"> <p><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;" >“Based on the <i>karahi</i>, the traditional Indian wok commonly used for simmering curries and stews, stir-frying and deep-frying, this infused-anodized wok is ideal for recreating the favorite dishes you enjoy at Indian restaurants. Its interior sears and browns perfectly and develops the rich caramelized flavor essential for creating delicious pan sauces. Adapted from the karahi's customary round bottom, this wok's flat bottom makes it easy to use on Western stoves. Two beautifully shaped loop handles – inspired by graceful scrollwork on Indian architecture – allow you to carry the oven-safe pan to the table for serving in authentic Indian style.” <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku7590664/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C15%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cindian%20wok&cm%5Fsrc=SCH">(link)</a> </span></p> </blockquote> <center><a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku7590664/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1%7C15%7C%7C%7C0%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7Cindian%20wok&cm%5Fsrc=SCH"><br /></a></center> <div align="left">Look at those loop handles, clearly inspired by the graceful scrollwork on Indian architecture. I can hardly control myself. And who among us knew that serving <em>desi khana </em>in a Calphalon-One branded Indian-Wok at the table was authentic Indian style? I for one had no idea. Sarcasm aside, I do think it is pretty cool that some of the high-end cookware companies are starting to make Indian items, although I doubt desi-America is the target audience. As appealing as the Williams-Sonoma catalog offerings are, I don’t know that I will be purchasing this cookware anytime soon, but I would love to know what those of you who have some of these products think of them. I do however plan on trying the samosa recipe soon and will definitely report back. If any of you happen to try any of the recipes, please relay your experiences in the comments section. </div>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-67917999216421385922007-01-09T22:25:00.001-05:002007-01-09T22:25:39.261-05:00Burger Raja<p>While growing up my mom would do <em>ravivar</em>, which translates into Sunday in Gujarati. This was a tradition passed down to her from her mother, and basically every Sunday m<img class="picture" src="c:%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5Csjg%5CDesktop%5CBKTaj.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="132" hspace="20" vspace="10" width="297" />y mom would only eat once during the day. When I was a kid, it sucked for Sunday lunch because it meant eating a full-on Gujarati feast, when all I really want to eat was a grilled cheese and some bugles. Things looked up for dinner though, when my sister and I were allowed to choose our poisons. This often led to a visit to Burger King for a Veggie Whopper and onion rings. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whopper">The Veggie Whopper</a>, for those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of having it is different than the BK Veggie which was only recently added to the menu, and is essentially Burger King’s signature Whopper without the meat patty. As ridiculous as it may sound, it was one of my favorite foods order. I know that for most vegetarians, a fast food burger joint doesn’t quite fit the bill as an ideal place to grab a bite, but my sister and I loved Burger King. And that Burger King presented some semblance of a vegetarian option set it apart from its competition. While I was always on the fence about allying myself strictly to Burger King or McDonalds - you never know when you will crave a McFlurry - when the <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0308-02.htm">news came out a few year’s back</a> that McDonalds had been deceiving its vegetarian customers by incorporating that unnecessary beef tallow ingredient into its french fries, I moved completely into the Burger King camp. </p> <p>So I was glad when I saw <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Cons_Products/Food/Burger_King_on_your_menu_soon/articleshow/1055092.cms">the news</a> that fast food eaters in India would soon be getting a choice in where they can hang out and munch on American style burgers and fries. From <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Cons_Products/Food/Burger_King_on_your_menu_soon/articleshow/1055092.cms">this story in the <em>Economic Times</em></a>, it seems Burger King will soon be joining the burger wars in India as it begins to scout out locations and business partners with which to start its joint burger venture in India. And with its opening, </p> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"> <p>Burger King is likely to shake McDonald’s monopoly in India by launching its own brand of burger restaurants. The company, best known for its price war with Big Mac in the US, has mandated <a href="http://www.kotak.com/Kotak_GroupSite/groupcos/international.htm">Kotak Mahindra</a> to scout for a partner in what is a growth market for global fast food companies. Industry sources feel that even though McDonald’s is firmly established in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, Burger King’s entry is likely to start a burger war of sorts. Innovation in product offerings and location of outlets would play a crucial role in drawing customers in the long run. In the short term, McDonald’s would lose some customers to Burger King out of the sheer curiosity factor. However, this would happen only if both are located in the same catchment area,” said an industry source. </p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Now while I refuse to eat at McDonalds in the States, one of my favorite ways to check out local color when I travel is to visit McDonalds and similar style fast food joints to see what they sell often unique to each individual country. I actually like the food items at the McDonalds in India since they offer vegetarian items are usually pretty good. When I was in Delhi in September, I became somewhat addicted to the <a href="http://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/ourfood/veg/veg_mccurrypan.html">Veg McCurry Pan</a>, which at that time consisted of a pretty tasty shahi paneer dish on a pan-pizza like crust, which apparently has been replaced by a broccoli and mushroom dish (you can see the McDonalds India menu <a href="http://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/ourfood/index.html">here</a>). I am really curious to see what Burger King will come up with in India to comptete with that. In addition to a chili version of the Veggie Whopper (maybe with a splash of <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/004083.html">Haldi</a>?), I would love to see a six pack of paneer tikka nuggets with various chutney dipping sauces on the menu. <br /></p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-84584593803424828132007-01-06T19:02:00.001-05:002007-01-06T19:02:41.299-05:00DesiDeals.net<p>Like many desis, I love me some deals. I know I am playing into stereotypes here, especially because I am Gujarati, but come on EVERYONE likes good deals. The enjoyment for me isn’t just finding a good deal, but the whole process: it is the hunt, the chase, and the glory in opening the mail and finding that rebate check that you thought might not ever come. Suffice it to say, I spend a good percentage of my time on the internets perusing <a href="http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/categories.php?catid=18">some</a> <a href="http://www.bensbargains.net/">favorite</a> <a href="http://dealspl.us/">deal</a> <a href="http://bargainist.com/">sites</a>. </p> <p>But while I like finding good deals, one of my pet peeves is really poor customer service and the feeling that I have been taken advantage of. So when I was visiting one of my new favorite deal/consumer rights blogs, <a href="http://consumerist.com/">The Consumerist</a>, (part of the <a href="www.gawker.com">Gawker</a> family of blogs) I was a bit dismayed to hear the tale of our desi brethren, Manesh, who reported on his parent’s really poor experience on <a href="http://www.united.com/">United Airlines</a>.</p> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"> <p>Manesh's parents flew from Omaha, Nebraska to Colombo,Sri Lanka, but at LAX, United Airlines (UAL) refused to honor their tickets, saying that they had not "been approved, authorized and authenticated." The family ended having to pay $2860 extra to complete their journey. Apparently, Sri Lankan Air Lines, a United code-share partner, could not find the reservation Manesh's parents made. Manesh wrote three letters of complaint to UAL and so far his parents have only received two $300 coupons in return. When Manesh scoffed at the sum, United wrote, "our policy does not permit us to respond with the generosity you had anticipated. (<a href="http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/complaints/united-airlines-flub-costs-parents-3000-refunds-only-600-225932.php">link</a>)</p></blockquote> <p>It seems that instead of writing letters, which I am a big fan of, now when desis are wronged, we blog. So as a good South Asian, Manesh has started his own blog detailing his battle with United Airlines’ Customer service at <a href="http://evilunitedairlines.blogspot.com/index.html">evilunitedairlines.blogspot.com</a>. His story is really messed up and I hope the airlines eventually do the right thing and refund the extra three grand his recently operated-on parents had to hand over to get home. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-6900301715259830512007-01-06T01:53:00.000-05:002007-01-06T01:57:16.486-05:00Big Brother Watches Bollywood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zg5Nw9zCf18/RZ9IRd1b93I/AAAAAAAAAAM/HvNOhk28JR8/s1600-h/shilpa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zg5Nw9zCf18/RZ9IRd1b93I/AAAAAAAAAAM/HvNOhk28JR8/s320/shilpa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016807974817757042" border="0" /></a><br /><p>If anyone in Bollywood needs a big brother to watch over her, one of my first guesses would be item-number girl extraordinaire, <a href="http://www.shilpa-shetty.com/">Shilpa Shetty</a>. And lucky for her (and for us too), Big Brother will be watching her, and by Big Brother, I am referring to the <a href="http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/index.jsp">UK television show's</a> ongoing celebrity version (thanks Jai).</p> <p>The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6226239.stm">BBC reports yesterday</a> that Ms. Shetty (31) was the sixth of eleven stars to enter the Big Brother house, wearing a pink sari. Because Shetty, who has appeared in over 30 Bollywood films, is an unmarried Indian female, attractive, and over the age of 30, it appears that they are going to focus on her love-life (you know, being single, desi, and over 30, the horror, the horror). </p><blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 0px;"> <p>The film icon will reportedly have a dinner date with another housemate, in which she will be encouraged to flirt and reports say Ms Shetty - often the subject of marriage speculation - will dine at a later stage in the show with the housemate she finds the most attractive. Inevitably, Indian coverage of the show will focus on romance in Shilpa Shetty's life." </p></blockquote> <p>But it isn’t likely that any shaadi will result from the show. When responding to a love-life related query from one newspaper in the run-up to the show, Shetty kept it fashionably coy saying, "I shall marry but after three years. There is no-one in my life as of today. And, I am very happy living single, at present." (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6226239.stm">link</a>)</p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Correspondents, like always, are saying that Shetty’s appearance on Big Brother is bound to be hugely controversial in India where many would question its standards of morality. Maybe so, but these correspondents must then have missed some of her more <a href="http://movies.bizhat.com/actress/img/shilpa_shetty_1.jpg">risque</a>-<a href="http://www.brns.com/bollywood/pictsperson/shilpa5.jpg">scantily</a> <a href="http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/Aeon/News/2006/12/23/images/200612221431151.jpg">clad</a>-and-in-the-<a href="http://www.bollywoodpremiere.com/movies/pics/movies/04/garv_review.jpg">rain</a> dance numbers that Shilpa has participated. Morality, Shmorality, it is Big Brother, and by the look of things already, this season sounds like it is going to be interesting. I know I will be watching, and with Shilpa on, I bet many of the two million plus British Asians will be too. You can see videos of the show <a href="http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/live/index.jsp">here</a>, Shilpa's page <a href="http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/gallery/detail.jsp?id=32&housemateId=9">here</a>, and Shilpa <a href="http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/housemates/housemate_news.jsp?id=9">big brother news here</a>. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-48009096589640602202006-11-25T00:15:00.001-05:002006-11-25T00:16:38.730-05:00It's TMBWITW Time...Again<p>It has been some time since we've mutinied over <a href="http://www.aishwaryaworld.com/">Ms. Aishwarya Rai,</a> the Bollywood bombshell who in her past couple of film ventures hasn't had too much luck conquering the western film market. Rai, who made her Hollywood debut in the somewhat successful English ode to Bollywood, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Prejudice-Naveen-Andrews/dp/B00094AS9U/sr=8-1/qid=1164423099/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9339593-9412715?ie=UTF8&s=dvd">Bride and Prejudice</a> and flopped in the poorly executed (yet visually exciting) <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001219944">Mistress of Spices</a>, may have scored a nice role and hopefully a better foray into the west with her role as Mira, a sword-wielding warriorete, in Doug Lefler's, <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462396/">The Last Legion</a></em>. The film, which stars Sir Ben Kingsley and Colin Firth --Rai impressively receives third billing -- is the story of twelve-year-old emperor Romulus Augustus, who in the midst of the fall of the Roman Empire, escapes to join up with a small band of survivors who make their way to Britain in search of the <em>chotu</em> ruler's ultimate legion, one of which I take is Miss Rai. </p><br /><center><br /><table id="rp_picture_table" style="border: 0px none ; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0pt;"><br /><tbody><tr style="padding: 0px;"><br /><td style="padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.aishwaryaworld.com/images/llwp.html"><img class="picture" src="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/images/LastLegion1_new.jpg" border="0" height="225" hspace="0" width="300" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr style="padding: 0px;"><br /><td class="caption" style="padding: 0px; width: 300px;"><br /><p class="caption-text" style="margin: 3px 5px; font-size: 80%; line-height: 110%;" align="center"><a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/003789.html">"Dare to Be Daring"</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><br /><p align="left">I have to say after seeing the trailer (I know, it is just the trailer) Aishwarya's performance looks quite good (<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4032127146231211331&q=The+Last+Legion">link</a>). The role is completely different than anything she has been in before, the cast is stellar (Ben Kingsley was Gandhi!), and Ash as an ass-kicking, sword handling fighter is a nice contrast to the usual, happy-go-lucky, Bhangra-circle dancing Ms. World that we are used to seeing. It can only be a good thing that she is moving away from doing the strictly desi themed film and towards playing a non-ethnic role. A well-received performance here, in an actual mainstream film, has the potential to really catapult her to the Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz levels, and on top of all that, Rai has extra incentive for this film to be successful, <a href="http://www.aishwarya-forever.com/news/archives/jan2006/jan-8.html">she bought</a> the Indian rights. <em><a href="http://www.firth.com/lastleg.html">The Last Legion</a></em> rated PG 13 is being distributed by MGM and the Weinsteins, and is set to release sometime in 2007 (I've seen both January 19 and April 27 as potential release dates). </p><br /><p></p></center>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1146949701467302922006-05-06T17:07:00.000-04:002006-05-06T17:08:21.470-04:00Satyajit Ray's Haunting Poetry<p>If you find yourself a connoisseur of good cinema or have a thing for really good art-house Indie (as in Indian) films, and are in the Washington D.C. area, make sure you try and stop off to see the <a title="" href="http://www.nga.gov/programs/flmevent.shtm#may07" target=_blank>National Gallery of Art's </a>screening tomorrow (May 7) of the 1955 Satyajit Ray classic, <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0048473/" target=_blank>Pather </a><a title="" href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0048473/" target=_blank>Panchali</a>, a story of an impoverished family in a Bengali village circa 1919, and the movie that many would say placed Satyajit ray on the international film map. In celebration of the film's <a title="" href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/000283.html" target=_blank>fiftieth</a> anniversary (which would have actually been in 2005), <a title=http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ArtArchitecture/History/NonWestern/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5Mjg0MjIxMw== href="http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ArtArchitecture/History/NonWestern/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5Mjg0MjIxMw==" target=_blank>Partha Mitter</a>, research professor at the University of Sussex, will discuss the work of his friend Satyajit Ray. The lecture will be followed by a screening of a 35 mm archival print of Pather Panchali from the collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This event is free, open to the public, begins at 4 PM, and should last around 2 hours and 15 minutes. <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000C9JFR/qid=1146948249/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4676728-1599131?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130" target=_blank>Amazon.com </a>calls this film an "essential video" in its editorial review, and goes on to say, </p><br /><blockquote>"this truly remarkable feat of storytelling is a must-see kind of movie. Ray reveals a gift for presenting stories that unfold gently, one engaging scene at time. This film delivers an amazing emotional punch that will linger in your consciousness for some time, not in spite of, but because of its simplicity."</blockquote><br /><p style="margin-right: 0px"> </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1146949642628007532006-05-06T17:06:00.000-04:002006-05-06T17:07:22.643-04:00That Silver isn't vegetarian<p style="margin-right: 0px">While I was sitting in the mandap during my wedding a couple of weeks ago now, I was a bit concerned about all of the Indian sweets I was consuming. It seemed that every two minutes another mithai was being prodded in my direction, and the thought of all the ghee, the sugar, the gor (molasses) etc that I must have inhaled was a bit frightening. It wasn't until last week when I read these articles in India-West (<a title="" href="http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?subaction=showfull&id=1146158303&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&" target=_blank>Link 1</a> and <a title="" href="http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?subaction=showfull&id=1146157804&archive=&start_from=&ucat=10&" target=_blank>Link 2</a>), I realized that as a vegetarian, I should have been concerned with something else. According to the story, </p><br /><blockquote style="margin-right: 0px"><br /><p style="margin-right: 0px">Varak, that gossamer-thin silver sheet that covers Indian mitthai, is made by placing thin metal strips of silver between the steaming intestines of a slaughtered animal or its hide and hammered into a thin foil. A substantial number of cattle, sheep and goat are killed specifically for the industry, according to animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi. </blockquote><br /><p>I used to think it was <a title="" href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002458.html" target=_blank>real silver that was just wittled down</a>, perhaps by a machine? Apparently, there is no such thing as machine-made varak, so chances are, if you are vegetarian and you eat mithai or anything else with that silver gossamer on it, you are unwittingly eating an animal by-product. It pains me to think that many unknowing vegetarians, who perhaps think Indian sweets are vegetarian-friendly, have been consuming an animal by-product all these years. What's worse is followers of the <a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism" target=_blank>Jain religion</a>, a religion that holds the notion of ahimsa or nonviolence in high regard, and the strictest of whom will wear a face-mask so as to not kill any living thing by breathing, have been using varak to decorate their "religious idols and the <a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirthankaras" target=_blank>tirthankaras</a> in their temples." </p><br /><p>I was enraged following the McDonalds controversey a few years back in which it was found that McDonalds was wrongfully telling customers their french fries were vegetarian, when in reality, the fries were frozen with a beef tallow additive, and the news in this article doesn't make me much happier. While we all know that gelatin is found in marshmallows and gummy bears, I was surprised to see that certain cereals like Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats, actually contain gelatin, as does a now-former favorite of mine Lucky Charms. With the increasing popularity of vegetarianism, one would think a vegetarian friendly substitute for gelatin would have been created by now. </p><br /><br /><p>And while certain members of the food industry allege that it is impossible to synthesize gelatin, like John Magnifico, the technical service manager of Kraft Foods Atlantic Gelatin, others suggest the prohibitive cost of these substitutes make them unpopular choices for food manufacturers. Unbeknownst to me was that the substance agar-agar, which is derived from seaweed, is an existing alternative to gelatin, but is not regularly used vice gelatin because it costs about four times what gelatin costs. As a vegetarian consumer, I would pay the extra amount for gelatin-free favorites, as many consumers do to have the option of buying organic. </p><br /><p>Sure, if you are dining out, part of the vegetarian's risk is that some kind of meat might end up in your food. But knowing before hand what items are safe to eat, and what items aren't is a big help. One of the stories I often heard was that Pizza Hut used a cheese which had beef in it. This could have been true, since rennet (an ingredient in many cheeses) can be derived from either animal sources or from fungal or bacterial sources. The usual source of rennet, according to the India-West story "is the fourth stomach of slaughtered, newborn calves." Fortunately, "95 percent of the cheeses currently made in the U.S. is made with non-animal based rennet," including the cheese used by Pizza Hut, Domino's, Round Table, and Little Caesar's. <p>I wonder now, like I wondered when the McDonald's controversy erupted why the FDA does not require companies to label vegetarian foods as such. Just like Kosher items are required to have the K in a circle, it would do companies well to have a green leaf, or a big V in a circle for items deemed to be suitable for vegetarians. Perhaps this is something companies should do anyway, as a courtesy to its vegetarian clientele. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1144295755582626002006-04-05T23:50:00.000-04:002006-04-05T23:55:55.593-04:00DJ Rekha to Play the Black CatJust wanted to give a little teaser on <a href="http://www.sangament.com/">DJ Rekha's</a> upcoming April 28 show at the <a href="http://www.blackcatdc.com">Black Cat</a>, here in DC. The Show presented by the <a href="http://www.firstladiesdc.com/wordpress/">First Ladies DJ Collective</a> will be on the mainstage, is ten dollars, and begins at 9:30. <br /><br />The Black Cat is located at 1811 14th Street NW.sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1143005493958522292006-03-22T00:30:00.000-05:002006-03-22T00:36:27.323-05:00Language Barriers<p>According to <a title="" href="http://www.karshkale.com/" target=_blank>Karsh Kale</a>, the London born and New York raised producer/dj/musician, the title of his third studio release (and most recent album) entitled <em><a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B000EF5MYK/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank><em>Broken English</em></a></em>, was based on the concept of trying to </p><br /><blockquote style="margin-right: 0px"><br /><p style="margin-right: 0px">"create songs in English, but to give them a sentiment and a sense of universality, so it works in places where English is not their first language. But at the same time, you still understand the sentiment of the songs. That was the original idea of Broken English (<a title="" href="http://www.ethnotechno.com/ints/int_kk_1.27.06.php" target=_blank>link</a>)."</blockquote><br /><p>I must admit, I was really looking forward to this third album. To this day Kale's debut <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005MK4N/qid=1143001567/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-4676728-1599131?s=music&v=glance&n=5174" target=_blank><em>Realize </em></a>continues to be one of my favorites, and I love<a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B000EF5MYK/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank><img class=picture height=240 hspace=20 src="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/images/Broken%20English.jpg" width=240 align=left vspace=10 border=0></a> its remixed incarnation <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006AGG2/ref=pd_sim_m_2/104-4676728-1599131?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=5174" target=_blank><em>Redesign.</em></a> I was however slightly disappointed with <em><a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000099T17/ref=pd_bxgy_img_a/104-4676728-1599131?%5Fencoding=UTF8" target=_blank><em>Liberation</em></a></em>, the follow-up to <em>Realize</em>. For me, <em>Realize </em>had set the bar so high that no follow-up could have topped it. Don't get me wrong, Liberation was good, just not great. Perhaps it was Kale's departure from the familiar drum and bass and dance vibe that I was used to, or maybe it was that I thought the cinematic feel of the album was a reach. </p><br /><p>In any case, I approached <em><a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B000EF5MYK/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank><em>Broken English</em> </a></em>anxiously, mainly because I had found many recent diasporic desi releases to be trite and mechanical. I was hoping <em>Broken English</em> would be different, and different it was. Wait, is that innovation and musicanship I hear? When I first started listening, I heard hints of Nitin Sawhney through the innovative and non-overtly desi touches in the production, vocals, and instrumentation. Yes the album has Bollywood and Bhangra, as well as the tablatronica that Kale is known for, but it also incorporates hip-hop and rock. All of which work surprisingly brilliant together. While overall, the album presents an eclectic and lush soundscape, Kale stayed true to his roots and kept a few tracks purely South Asian, including among others, the nicely paced "Drive," and the beautiful duet "Some Things are O.K," featuring vocals by Sabiha Khan and longtime Kale collaboratorVishal Vaid.</p><br /><p>This album is clearly no East meets West hybrid, and there is no American curry or other Indian food adjectives available to describe the sound. It is what it is: purely American in every complex way that makes an American, an American. You get that sense immediately with the opening track, Manifest (click <a title="" href="https://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=BASK&Store_Code=SDR&Action=ADPR&Product_Code=US6DR0500891&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1" target=_blank>here</a> for free official download): where MC Napoleon raps alongside Vaid's vocal, while a dhol loop echoes in the background. This is followed by one of my favorite record's on the album, "Dancing at Sunset," featuring Todd Michaelsen's English vocals alongside Carnatic strings and an eloquently placed tabla break and Hindi vocal. <br /><p>And it doesn't stop there. Sunset is followed by another amazing track, "Beautiful, " which is followed by another and another. Like any solid album, <em>Broken English</em> isn't a couple of good tracks followed by some mediocre fillers. It is instead a solid line-up of thoughtful and diverse music, and will undoubtedly join <em>Realize </em>as part of my life's soundtrack. You can sample the entire album by clicking <a title="" href="http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=657036-11242-1" target=_blank>here</a>.<br /><p> <br /><p></p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1142474843039877552006-03-15T21:03:00.000-05:002006-03-15T21:07:23.053-05:00A Mutiny through Sound<p>For those of you into ethnic drum and bass, british-asian hip hop, or good live music in general, and if you are in New York this Friday night (3/17), I highly recommend attending the upcoming New York <a title="" href="http://subswara.com/" target=_blank>Sub Swara</a> show featuring some of the top south asian musicians/producers around, including <a title="" href="http://www.stateofbengal.com/" target=_blank>State of Bengal </a>(best known for that Flight IC 408 track from <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B000001EAS/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank>Talvin Singh's Anokha </a>record), Navdeep of <a title="" href="http://www.mutinysounds.com/theclub/navdeep.php3" target=_blank>Mutiny fame</a>, DK aka Bollygirl (<a title="" href="http://www.avaaznyc.com/" target=_blank>Avaaz</a>/<a title="" href="http://kollektivmusic.com/" target=_blank>Kollektiv</a>), and DJs Bobby Friction and Nihal (<a title="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bobbyandnihal/index.shtml" target=_blank>BBC Radio 1</a>), among others of course. Click on the image for more information, but rumor has it that pre-release copies of State of Bengal's upcoming album, along with some of the most innovative in diasporic desi sounds will be available at the show. </p><br /><a href="http://www.subswara.com"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4573/64/1600/subswara.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4573/64/320/subswara.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></a><br /><div align=left>The show starts at 10 p.m., is $15 <a title="" href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3340" target=_blank>in advance</a>, or $20 at the door, and is @ Downtime, 251 W 30th Street (Between 7th and 8th). 21 and over.</div>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1141623658879112132006-03-06T00:39:00.000-05:002006-03-06T00:44:01.343-05:00The Third Element<p><span class=related-posts>Sitting in the Hirshhorn museum's Ring Auditorium after waiting for over an hour on Saturday, I really wanted to like <a title="" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240200/" target=_blank>Water</a>, Deepa Mehta's last in her trilogy of films based on the elements. I wanted to write a glowing review of it for you all, but after sitting through it (and the really, really long introductory conversation between Mehta and the Smithsonian's Manjula Kumar) I came away simply underwhelmed. It wasn't that the movie was horrible, it wasn't. It was just unimpressive. I think back to Mehta's <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/1567302246/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank>Fire</a>, it was unique for the time of its release and blessed with the presence of <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0000818/" target=_blank>Shabana Azmi </a>and <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0201903/" target=_blank>Nandita Das</a>; I found <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B00008R9KP/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank>Earth</a>, the second installment of the trilogy phenomenal, visually stunning, musically evocative, and well directed. Contrastingly in <a title="" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240200/" target=_blank>Water</a>, I saw a cast of mostly uninspired acting, drab sets, and music that just faded into the background (perhaps by design?). </span></p><br /><p><span class=related-posts>The film was shot in Sri Lanka, and while watching the movie, Sri Lanka's lush landscapes easily gives the non-India locale away. I can't say for sure that in 1938 there were no palm trees in Varanasi, but I am not buying that the city's ghats were surrounded by them. I found <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0084443/" target=_blank>Seema Biswas </a>(Shakuntala) of <a title="" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B0002ZDPXW/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20" target=_blank>Bandit Queen </a>fame and the relative newcomer <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/name/nm1084553/" target=_blank>Sarala</a> (Chuyia) playing the young widow excellent, but the beautiful <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0712908/bio" target=_blank>Lisa Ray </a>(Kalyani) was mediocre at best. Shakuntala's dutiful strength and </span><span class=related-posts>Chuyia's naïve intelligence were indeed stark contrasts to the rather forgettable Kalyani (spoiler warning: one of my favorite scenes shows Chuyia sitting amongst the praying widows, fearlessly blurting a question to the pundit asking, "what happenned to male widows?").</span></p><br /><p><span class=related-posts>I wanted to be moved by the climactic scenes featuring MK Gandhi, but I found them artificial and contrived, which only added to the hokey vibe of the movie. The film, it's not bad, but I didn't find it great. For the curious however, it's a decent timepass.</span></p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1141492632389966762006-03-04T12:16:00.000-05:002006-03-04T12:17:12.406-05:00Doing Your Homework Can Get You Arrested<p>Only Indian kids would go to such lengths to finish a class assignment.</p><br /><p>The University of Maryland's student paper, <a title="" href="http://www.diamondbackonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/02/4406da4ad341e" target=_blank>the Diamondback </a>is reporting that three graduate students from India (two men and a woman) were detained and questioned for nearly four hours by <a title="" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030101173.html" target=_blank>Montgomery County police </a>early Tuesday morning for using a device to track wireless communication signals for a class assignment (thanks masked tipster). Neighbors reported the three to the police for suspicious activity because they had been driving through Silver Spring, Md (a suburb of Washington DC) at about 15 miles per hour with elaborate equipment in their rental vehicle. </p><br /><p>Yeah, it sounds shady. If a car was constantly roaming around my neighborhood from about 10 pm to 2 in the morning, I too would probably be a little suspicious, especially at that hour. Well, so were the police. </p><br /><blockquote>At about 2 a.m. early Tuesday morning while driving through a residential Silver Spring neighborhood, the students noticed a police car following them and flashing its lights. The students were stopped and answered questions about their identities, equipment and assignment, and were then escorted by police back to I-495 and sent home. </blockquote><br /><p>You would think it would have ended at that. It is kind of funny, a trio of Indian students geekily get pulled over, not for partying or do something illegal, but for doing their homework. The crappy thing is, it didn't end there. </p><br /><blockquote>Police from Montgomery and Prince George's counties rejoined the students at their Berwyn House Road apartments, where after more questioning, an officer copied down the equipment's serial numbers and informed one of the male students his laptop appeared on a list of stolen electronics.Officers detained them there for nearly two hours, questioned them, photographed them, recorded detailed descriptions of their physical appearances and inspected their visas, passports, university identifications and international driving permits.</blockquote><br /><p>Now I am a bit confused. Why would the police need to follow them home? The students showed the police their ids, equipment, and explained to the police the class assignment. What was the point in following them home and recording all of their personal data? And the bit about taking the laptop I am not too clear on. <br /><blockquote>"Everyone was shocked, dumbfounded, speechless," the female student said. "This has never happened before in our lives. I was very angry. I didn't appreciate the harassment." The students were released by officers about 5 a.m. Tuesday and later informed their professor and department. </blockquote><br /><p>And yet, it all could have probably went away had they called their professor earlier. The good Indian students that they are, they didn't want to bother him. <br /><blockquote>They said they didn't want to call us in the middle of the night and wake us up," said Steve Tretter, director of the program. "I told them they were crazy and should have called us immediately." Tretter said he and administrators were upset for the students.</blockquote>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1140671477717466842006-02-23T00:05:00.000-05:002006-02-23T00:12:04.806-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4573/64/1600/water.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4573/64/320/water.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The Smithsonian Institution is hosting a screening of <a title="" href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0240200/" target=_blank>Deepa Mehta's Water </a>on March 4 at the <a title="" href="http://hirshhorn.si.edu/" target=_blank>Hirshhorn Museum's Ring theater</a>. The screening will begin at 3 pm with a conversation with Ms. Mehta and will be followed by a Q and A session with her. The conversation, screening, and Q and A are all free and open to the public, and is on a first come first serve basis. From my experience with free screenings at the Smithsonians, your interests are best served by getting there really, really early. <br /><p><span class=related-posts-heading>Related posts:</span> <span class=related-posts><a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2005/05/can-water-bring-deepa-mehta-back.html">Can Water Bring Deepa Mehta Back</a>; <a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2004/07/deepa-mehtas-water.html">Deepa Mehta's Water;</a><a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2005/10/water-has-finally-arrived.html">Water Has Finally Arrived</a><br /><br />The movie is somewhat controversial, even the famed Indian dairy Amul has capitalized on it. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4573/64/1600/amulwater.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4573/64/320/amulwater.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1138685536924130582006-01-31T00:32:00.000-05:002006-02-21T23:17:25.043-05:00Bollywood Passions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Passions/bonuses/bollywood/images/header.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Passions/bonuses/bollywood/images/header.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Growing up in what was initially a one-TV household, I was often forced to watch what my mom and sister were watching. From the 3-4 slot, this usually meant a heavy dose of Luke and Laura, Edward and Lila, Frisco and Felicia, and Tony and Bobby. For those of you that I know what I am talking about, we were General Hospital addicts. I hate to admit it, but I knew I had a problem when I started referring to it as GH, and would have conversations, that to anyone not familiar with the soap, would seem like jibber-jabber. I finally kicked my soap habit my sophomore year after studying abroad and now of course, work thankfully gets in the way. But when tipster Noelle (and all the other SM tipsters) informed us awhile back that television’s newest soap opera Passions was going Bollywood, I thought why couldn’t GH do that? Anyway, we over here at SM headquarters apologize for not mentioning this earlier, but most of the mutineers aren’t usually home to watch the show during the day, and for that reason we also wanted to wait for a video clip of the Bollywood item to be available before posting. So, now that the clip is available, you can find the video <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Passions/bonuses/bollywood/video">here</a>. More information on the shoot, the clothes, the song, the choreography, and the video is available <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Passions/bonuses/bollywood/">here</a>. (The video only opens up in MS Explorer.) From what I gather from my five minute perusal of the show clips, the Bollywood triangle involves three characters: Ethan, Gwen, and Theresa. Gwen is scared of Theresa’s attempts to lure Ethan away from her, and convinces Ethan to travel with her to India so they could renew their vows. This is where the dance number begins and then turns into full on Bollywood melodrama. Featuring an <a href="http://www.ndmdance.com">ensemble cast</a> of desi background dancers, Gwen and Ethan’s impending infinite bliss, and romp around the tree of life (I have no idea what that is about) is interrupted by the appearence of temptress Theresa in a ‘minimalist’ version of a sari and a black veil. From there it becomes full Bollywood dance dhamaka. The song, Love is Ecstasy comes off less like Bollywood Propah, and more like Bombay Dreams on Broadway. It is catchy though, and the hooks, oh my. Does it get any better than, “Bye Bye, Who Says Bye Bye, Who Gets the Guy?” repeated in a breathy refrain. You can hear the full song <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Passions/bonuses/bollywood/Love_Is_Ecstasy.mp3">here.</a> I got admit, Theresa has some moves, and she pulls off the Bollywood temptress bit quite nicely. She reminds me a bit of Marisa Tomei in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B000092OME/ref=nosim/sepiamutiny-20">The Guru</a>. Ethan on the other hand, could use a couple of lessons from <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002899.html">this guy</a>. Ethan’s bhangra skills near the end of the number (5:30), looked more like armless chest pounding than any kind of dance. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the clip, and I think overall the cast did a good job. I think it also speaks to how far towards the mainstream bhangra and Bollywood has actually come in the U.S. I know we discuss this a lot on the site, but a soap opera’s target audience is housewives in middle America, not persons from cities already familiar with the genre. On the other hand, whats more inherently Bollywood, than the fantasy of an American soap opera? Anyway, the Bollywood-themed Passions episode originally aired on Friday January 27.<br /><br />In other desi-on-tv news, tipster <a href="http://www.pomegranita.com">Priya</a> informs us that VH-1 will air MC Vikram and Ludakrishna’s Curry and Rice Girl on the third installment of their show <a href="http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/webjunk_20/99583/episode_about.jhtml">WebJunk</a>, which is scheduled to air at 1AM on Tuesday January 31. WebJunk20 describes the video’s inclusion thusly: “Also, another installment of our ever-so-brief tradition of international amateur music videos, this one from India sends up Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl." </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1134537651894891412005-12-14T00:20:00.000-05:002005-12-14T00:21:15.713-05:00Desi Fly Chicks at the Grammy's<p>Even though the award is probably one of the ones announced at an event held prior to the televised <a href="http://www.grammy.com">Grammy Awards</a>, I am still excited to see both Anoushka Shankar's <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AV2G6A/ref=pd_kar/104-0458977-6055964">Rise</a></em> </em>and Asha Bhosle's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009X1PAM/qid=1134362647/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-0458977-6055964?v=glance&s=music&n=507846"><em>You've Stolen My Heart- Songs From R D Burman's Bollywood</em></a> up for one of the prestigious awards. It is just too bad they are up for the same one. Announced this past Thursday, it turns out both Bhosle, sister of the illustrious Lata Mangeshkar, and Shankar, whose half-sister Norah Jones is also up for a Grammy, have each been nominated in the category of "<a href="http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/48Awards.aspx#16">best contemporary world music album</a>." While the Grammy category groups these albums together, I don't think the albums could be more different. </p><br /><p>From what I have heard of these two records, both are great, just in very different ways. Shankar's <em>Rise</em> is an interesting effort: traditional Indian classical meets contemporary that is sometimes touched by electronic via the <a href="http://www.punditz.com">Midival Punditz's Gaurav Raina</a>. Bhosle's <em>You've Stolen My Heart</em> , which was done with the <a href="http://kronosquartet.org/info/bio.html">Kronos Quartet,</a> is pure filmy, but a nice musical reworking of classic Bollywood. <br /><p>Also nominated in the same category are Amadou & Mariam for Dimanche A Bamako, Gilberto Gil for Eletracústico, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo & The Strings Of The English Chamber Orchestra for No Boundaries. The Grammy's air on CBS on Wednesday February 8. Let's hope for a mutinous outcome, after all, there is a two out of five chance. <br /><p>Anyway, here is a <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0549,gehr,70688,22.html">link to a piece</a> the Village Voice did last week on <em>You've Stolen My Heart, </em>and some other Bollywood music. I don't really like the article because I can't take it when critics who cover South Asian music always make food metaphors. <br /><blockquote>The music is an electric curry of sweeping overdubbed strings playing a blend of devotional music and action film motifs. </blockquote>Can someone tell me what exactly an electric curry of sweeping overdubbed strings is? <br /><p></p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1132288868570812042005-11-17T23:39:00.000-05:002005-11-17T23:45:45.366-05:00Lolita Was a Man Eatah..and other music news<table style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-top: 10px; float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 20px; border-bottom: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0"><br /><tr style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><br /><td style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4664/1841/1600/UR132_cover.jpg"><img class=picture height=148 src="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/MIAcover_new.jpg" width=150 border=0></a></td></tr><br /><tr style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><br /><td class=caption style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; width: 150px; padding-top: 0px"><br /><p class=caption-text style="font-size: 80%; margin: 3px 5px; line-height: 110%; text-align: left">URB Artist of the Year- - Mathangi</p></td></tr></table><br /><p>Its been awhile since I have posted on <a href="http://miauk.com/">MIA</a>, and since I know you all have been waiting with baited breath, here goes. <a href="http://www.urb.com/">URB Magazine</a> contributor <a href="http://readmezzanine.blogspot.com/2005/11/best-of-05-mia-bloc-party.html">Scott Sterling</a> informed us late last month that Miss MIA, aka Mathangi 'Maya' Arulpragasam has been named URB magazine's artist of the year. I am not really surprised, are you? No, it isn't that she is desi, I just can't think of one other artist that has been as innovative and influential this year. MIA's music has been everywhere, from <a href="http://2005.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/20215.html">SXSW</a> and <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/001974.html">Central Park</a> to a Honda commercial and the O.C., and her influence is easily seen in the resurgence of electro-pop in the mainstream: drum machines and synthetic beats all intertwined with elements of various international flavors and hip-hop. Its not that hip-hop his dead, but it is almost as if MIA has added to this new genre of post Hip-Hop. Music with a message, but with danceable, stranger, hip-hop like beats . This sound has been kickinng around the indy hipster scene for awhile--look at bands like <a href="http://www.myspace.com/supersystem">Supersystem</a> on <a href="http://www.tgrec.com/bands/album.php?id=357">Touch and Go</a>, and <a href="http://www.lcdsoundsystem.com/music.php">LCD Soundsystem</a>. This trend seems to now be making its way slowly towards the mainstream. One of the first indicators, Madonna's latest release, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000B8QEZG/qid=1132275602/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-6223439-8164169?v=glance&s=music&n=507846">Confessions on a Dance Floor</a>. Scott has promised us he would be posting the full cover story soon. Here is a link to my first post on her <a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2004/07/maya-arulpragasam-next-big-thing.html">here</a>. </p>me the the scoop on how DJ Quik found the sample of Kaliyon Ka Chaman, for the first big hip hop record featuring a desi sample. Yeah, I am talking about Truth Hurts featuring Rakim's--Addictive [<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/clipserve/B000068TKW001002/1/102-6223439-8164169">click here for a sample</a>] from 2002.<br /></p><br /><p><img class=picture height=159 hspace=20 src="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/truth.jpg" width=160 align=right vspace=10 border=0>Now I had heard the beginning, that DJ Quik was watching tv, and all of a sudden he found himself watching Zee TV and heard this rhythm and had to tape it. Anyway, here is DJ Quik's take on it (from the forthcoming <a href="http://www.urb.com/">URB</a> article) <br /><blockquote>"Some Indian people are still mad at me for that song, because they thought that it bastardized their culture. I've had Pakistani people interview me that are so standoffish it's almost disrespectful. They are authentically pissed off about that record. I was watching this Bollywood channel that popped up on our cable service called <a href="http://www.zeetelevision.com/">Zee TV</a> and I saw some dope shit going on. I recorded it onto my VCR, dubbed it down to a mini disc, put it into a drum machine and (BT Express') "Do It 'Til You're Satisfied" just went right through it --they both had that Panjabi rhythm. I put it on tape and gave the track to Dre. He thought it was some innovative shit and had Truth do her vocals and mixed it. So who was the real producer? I wasn't even in the studio when Dre produced the song. He didn't have to throw me a bone and give me full production credit, but he did. It started a little trend. I heard Tim doing it, Erick Sermon. Even the people <a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2002/09/dr.html">that sued us</a> had to admit the shit was hot." </blockquote>First things first, what is DJ Quik doing subscribing to Zee TV? Not that non-South Asians shouldn't watch desi channels, but I thought the only way you can get Zee is by subscribing to it off of the Dish Network. I wonder if he is down with Bollywood. I bet he is down with TMBWITW. Secondly, if Dr. Dre was going to be so generous and give Quik a production credit, why not throw Bappi Lahiri a bone and give him some credit as well. And lastly, I don't know that people are mad that Quik and Dre took the beat, because, I have to admit, it was hot, but I do know there are some out there who are angry that they let Truth sing on the track. Her vocals ruined it. Ouch, my ears just started to hurt, thinking about the end of Addictive, you know the part where she tries to do that Qawwali type thing, trying to match Lata's range. Truth is Truth Hurts is just never going to come out a winner against Lata Mangeshkar. <br /><p></p><br /><p>And in the last bit of desi music news, New York's Finest, <a href="http://www.jaydabhi.com">Jay Dabhi</a>, (yeah, formerly known as Lil Jay), his remix of Hisham Abbas' "Nari Narien" will be featured in <a href="http://www.konami-usa.com/production/ddr_ultramix3/index.html">Xbox's Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 video game by Konami</a>. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1131928394694904512005-11-13T19:30:00.000-05:002005-11-13T19:37:42.246-05:00A South Asian BessI can hear what you are saying, "South Asians and Opera," or, "We know Bollywood, but Opera, real singing?" All I can say is Yes, South Asians and Opera, it exists. Soprano <a href="http://www.janicemayer.com/mahajan/">Indira Mahajan</a> is making her debut with the <a href="http://www.dc-opera.org/index.asp">Washington National Opera</a>, in its production of Gershwin's <a href="http://www.dc-opera.org/seasoncalendar/opera05_porgy.asp?perf=827">Porgy and Bess</a>, playing the lead female, Bess. This is the final week of the show which is playing at the <a href="http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEvent&event=RGWOA">Kennedy Center</a>, and has been receiving reviews, which seem to be mostly positive [<a href="http://www.dcist.com/archives/2005/11/04/dcist_goes_to_the_opera.php">link via DCist</a>] thus far. For those of you that don't know, here is a bit more about Porgy and Bess...<blockquote>"Welcome to Catfish Row. In this poignant tale of love found and lost, the disabled beggar Porgy wins the beautiful but troubled Bess from her macho thug boyfriend Crown only to lose her to "happy dust" and the bright lights of New York."</blockquote> </p><br /><p>This isn't even close to Mahajan's first big-time performance, and I am a little surprised we hadn't heard too much of her until now, although I guess opera circles are a bit different than ones many of us belong to. Here is some more on Mahajan from<a href="http://www.janicemayer.com/mahajan/mahajan_indira.doc"> her bio</a>...<blockquote>Acclaimed for her portrayal of Musetta, she appeared in the Opera Omaha production of La bohème conducted Hal France and returned to Dallas Opera in the Garnett Bruce production which was conducted by Claus Peter Flor. Recognizing her command of the role, the soprano was invited to perform "Quando me'n vo" in the prestigious Richard Tucker Gala at Lincoln Center. Having performed Mimi for the first time in the Dayton Opera production, Miss Mahajan was invited to repeat the role at Royal Albert Hall marking her opera debut in the United Kingdom. The production was directed by three-time Olivier award-winning director Francesca Zambello and conducted by David Parry. Following her debut, Miss Mahajan was recognized for her "substantial voice" in The London Sunday Times. She will reprise the role at Royal Albert Hall in spring 2006. </blockquote> To hear an mp3 of what the South Asian Soprano sounds like, <a href="http://www.janicemayer.com/mahajan/mahajan_indira.mp3">click here</a>. Sadly, for those of you wanting to see one of the remaining shows of Porgy and Bess, it seems three nights have already sold out (11/15, 11/18, 11/19), so if you are interested, <a href="http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEvent&event=RGWOA">grab your tickets quickly</a>. </p>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1131731530861172362005-11-11T12:51:00.000-05:002005-11-11T13:02:43.836-05:00Fire, Fire Pa<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/story/364207p-310128c.html">The New York Daily News</a> reports today of one Karnail Singh, a Queens, NY resident who is currently recovering in Weill Cornell Medical Center's burn unit since being seriously burned on October 28. How was he burned, you ask? Well, he hasn't been convicted or anything, but it turns out Singh, 48 apparently set himself on fire while trying to set a deathtrap for his daughter-in-law by torching her basement apartment. The cause of his anger (according to fire officials): Singh claimed his daughter-in-law wasn't sending money to his son in India. Oh, and he also also accused her of seeing other men. Thankfully Singh's daughter-in-law Gurpreet Kaur, was rescued unharmed by firefighters who had to cut through metal bars on a basement window to get her out. In a weird twist of fate, as Singh was fleeing, he mistakenly set himself on fire. What goes around, perhaps really does come around.sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1131591985105419012005-11-09T22:04:00.000-05:002005-11-09T22:06:25.123-05:00Squat Like a Hindu<ul><br /><table style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-top: 10px; float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 20px; border-bottom: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0"><br /><tr style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><br /><td style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><img class=picture height=201 src="http://www.mattfurey.com/images/hindusquats.jpg" width=150 border=0></td></tr><br /><tr style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><br /><td class=caption style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 80%; padding-bottom: 0px; width: 150px; line-height: 110%; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left"><br /><center>Hindu Squatting</center></td></tr></table>When I was younger, I would inadvertently get into trouble for a many number of things, teasing my younger cousin, not coming home when my mom would call for me (picture an Indian aunty in suburban central Pennsylvania standing outside the front door of her house, screaming for me (in my embarrassing nickname) to come home like she was still in Ahmedabad), or for jacking that extra blow-pop. Like all kids, I knew I would get in trouble, but I did it anyway because it was fun. What wasn't fun was the punishment. We called them "<em>Ootbes</em>", which translates into stand (oot) sit (bes) and as an added incentive, we had to hold our ears while we did it, thereby looking like a robotic monkeys, doing weird squats. Thanks to tipster, Nalina, I learned that I was not alone in having to do these. While some in the West have found yoga to be great excercise, others have discovered the Ootbes or Bethak, and renamed it the "<em>Hindu squat</em>." It seems "Politically Incorrect Fitness & Fighting" instructor <a href="http://www.mattfurey.com/hindu_squats.html">Matt Furey</a> is using the Hindu Squat, and even the Hindu push-up (also known as downward facing dog in yoga circles) as conditioning exercises for weight loss and as a technique for building muscle. From Furey's website.. <blockquote> Hindu squats (bethaks) are an exercise, like Hindu pushups (dands), that have been used by Indian wrestlers for centuries to build explosive lower body strength, power, speed and endurance. Can you get stronger doing this so-called "free hand" leg exercise while also staying away from barbell and dumbbell squats? Absolutely. Can you develop greater muscle mass with this bodyweight exercise? Again, absolutely. The Great Gama of India was 5'7" and 260 pounds of streaming steal, with thighs so heavily muscled they resemble the proverbial "tree stumps." Legend has it that Gama of India, who never lost once in 5000 matches, did 4,000 bethaks or Hindu squats each day. These numbers are grossly inflated - but the fact of the matter is that Gama did do this exercise daily and he was unstoppable. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Hindu+Squat&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official">Google search results for Hindu Squat</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Hindu+pushup&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official">Google search results for Hindu Pushup</a></ul>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3361323.post-1130717970583371422005-10-30T19:19:00.000-05:002005-10-30T19:34:51.010-05:00Diwali Updates<p>Over a month ago, <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002252.html">Sepia Mutiny reported</a> that New York City was considering issuing a <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/scrintro.html">parking holiday</a> in deference to the Diwali holiday on November 1. While New York's Committee on Transportation unanimously approved the motion, it was rumored that New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg would veto the legislation. On October 28, as the 30 day time-limit for the veto was set to expire, Mayor Bloomberg vetoed it. From one of the organizer's emails: Because the mayor vetoed the bill so late, <blockquote>"there is not enough time remaining before Diwali (Nov 1 is the date the city was planning to observe it) to override him and observe the holiday this year. <a href="http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/member_details.cfm?con_id=28">Council Member Brewer</a> is confident that the council will override the Mayor, but it will probably happen at one of the two Stated Council meetings in November (I believe 11/17 and 11/31). So the city will officially observe Diwali next year. This year November 1 falls on All Saints day, on which alternate side of the street parking is suspended anyway."</blockquote> According to the same email, the Mayor is rumored to be planning a Diwali party at Gracie Mansion, a bit puzzling since he vetoed a bill which would highlight the holiday. Even if Bloomberg doesn't have the party, the City Council is having one on Wednesday, November 2, at 5:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers at city hall. RSVP by 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 <a href="mailto:events@council.nyc.ny.us">here.</a></p><br /><p>We were also informed that back in February of 2005, <a href="http://crowley.house.gov/homepage.asp">Representative Joseph Crowley</a> of the seventh district of New York introduced a mostly symbolic resolution recognizing the Diwali holiday. The resolution's purpose is simply to "express the sentiments of one of the houses," and will not make Diwali a public holiday. Still it is nice to see some effort to recognize. See the text of the "simple resolution" <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=main&bill=hr109-58">here</a>. <br /><br /><p>Lastly, Washington Post reporter S. Mitra Kalita <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002375.html">continues</a> her series of India-centric blog posts, entitled "India 2.0," with her most recent discussing her Diwali partying. Click here to peruse <a href="http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/india2point0/2005/10/life_goes_on.html">her latest</a>, and click here to see the <a href="http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/india2point0/archives.html">archives</a>. </p><br /><br />Still no word on the <a href="http://desiblogs.blogspot.com/2004/01/issuance-of-us-postal-service-stamp-on.html">stamp.</a>sajithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13539426382339667492noreply@blogger.com0