the spice trail

I am on my Christmas break these days. This year, I am cooking (last year I re-did a couple rooms in my house). It is something about time of from work, this time of the year, I always find myself new projects.
Anyhow, this year I decided I would cook. I love cooking; my audience has dwindled over the years. Uma and me aren't big eaters, or for that matter much interested in eating. But both of us agree that cooking is a lot of fun. My kid brother ( not such a kid anymore ) was my best audience ever. He would eat most anything I made and tell me it was wonderful :). Ah those days ...
Anyhow, back to cooking. I was shopping online ( at Amazon) for a couple friends of mine when I came upon this book, actually the website thought that I might like the book( how thoughtful). I hadn't bought a cook book in a while and this looked interesting ( From Curries to Kabab's, recipes from the Indian spice trail). So I got it. It is a lot of fun. It is full of tiny little history bits about spices and origins of recipes. Madhur Jaffery, the author, has traveled quite extensively to Africa, Caribbean, Europe, south-east-asia. And she traces the recipes from these places and retails stories about how the immigrant Indian population modified the recipes to work with the available spices or sometime add Indian spices to local recipes to give them Indian flavor.
The recipes are not for the amateur, she misses out important processing steps sometimes and unless you know how to cook, you'd be a little lost with what to do with the celery tops and scallions. It is fun reading the book, and cooking from the recipes in it, I guess I am a little old-fashioned, I like books and CDs even in the digital age.
The book is by no means complete. Madhur, being from the western part of India, seems to know more about that area and since these recipes are culled from friends and acquaintances, have extensive coverage from Kenya, South Africa, Trinidad. They cover Thai, Indonesian, Malay and Chinese food too. Eastern Indian isn't and Kashmir food is completely missing. There are some attempts to go south but most of them are tentative (limited to seafood and some hyderabadi recipes). It is a pretty ambitious undertaking, to trace the cuisine of the second most prolific people in the world. And the attempt is very good.
She writes with love for food like a patient aunty teaching me to cook. And then she throws in some wicked comments, which make me look at her in surprise before I burst out laughing. I have tried a bunch of stuff, but this is one thing I tried just because I loved the way she described it.

South-African Chicken Biryani While a moghlai biriyani is mild, pale, elegant and delicately savory. Designed to be eaten with equally delicate yoghurt preparations, the South-African one is vibrant, spicy and piquant; definitely the hot chick at the dance.

Rang De Basanti

I have to say, I take umbrage to the loose translation 'color me yellow'. I guess Hindi is a hard language to translate to English, but color me yellow is horrible ( esp. if you think about the connotations that ' yellow' carries in English!!). Anyhow, my humble translation, Basanti has more to do with Basant( ie spring) and so basanti carries with it a notion of spring. Color me the colors of spring? it does go better with tag line of the movie ' a generation awakens'.

The music.
It is by A R Rahman. I was quite in love with the mangal pandey music, but with this album the ARR I used to love is sooo back :). The album is strange, almost weird, but boy, do the songs grow on you! It conveys the unrest and indecision of a young generation And he is doing what I love, picking out the right voices to support his songs steering clear of the popular.



Ik Onkar : sung by Harshdeep Kaur, it the authentic rendition from Japji Sahib, reminds of the sunday morning guru-bani in the ye olde days of doordarshan when we did not have ten thousand channels on the Indian TV. ARR didn't mess with it, left it as is. Good.

Rang De Basanti: The title track, sung by, hold your breath, Daler Mehndi (and a cameo by Chitra). It is lovely. None of the brit-panjabi-pop, tunnu-tunnu's. When reined in, the guy can sing! The lyrics are part-patriotic and ARR uses the traditional bhangra instruments, the single strand ektara, plucked with the finger and the dunnalli( the double barrel flute) and the dhol ( the drum). Very dancable, and Daler Mehndi does an amazing job, esp the end, which is a couple, unadorned by music, lines. Chitra's shrill couple lines are note perfect ( with a teensy south-indian accent) and provide a nice dimension. This is my favorite in the album so far.

Paathshalla- This track features twice in the album. Very hip, pop-rock number. A little bizarre with its asymmetric three beat cycle. Sung by Naresh Iyer, Mohd Aslam, ( second version has Blaaze). I could almost see a hiked up car with the immense tires on a dirt track.
Love the lyrics: talli hokar girne se/samjhi hamne gravity,
ishq ka practical kiya/thaab aiye kilarity;
Even uses words like alpha, theta and H2SO4, college kid anthem:D. Hilarious. Uma loves it. My whole car was reverberating with the beats in the song. It was fun!

Tu Bin Bataye: the only romantic song in the album, much different from the 'kho gayi meri gathariaya' song from Swades, thank goodness! Uses some of the same ebb and flow of orchestra tricks. Sung by Madhushree and Naresh Iyer. Background is very subdued, the focus in on the vocals, the full orchestra of violins and some nice subtle touches like ghungaro, church bells and echo effects. The song is nice and mellow with a dreamlike quality to it. very nice.

Khalbali: This is middle-east inspired song, full with arabic lyrics ( Nacim) and the vocal gyrations ( which echo a belly dancers movements). ARR sings, but he is good in this song. The two other voices are Nacim and Aslam. This is one of the places the ARR stamp shows, interweaving themes (including a ‘khaalid’ strain ) give complexity to the song, which saves it from a horrible monotonous death. Not bad.

Khoon challa- Mohit Chauhan, a lead singer from one of the hip new pop bands, apparently. Nice voice, an untrained voice, can't manage complex tunes but does wonderfully well with this very simple tune with minimal music. The voice is reminiscent of Shailendra kumar, the same freshness. This guy loves singing, he puts his soul in the song; and it shows. It is a fragile song and ambient noise is going to distract from it. It shows has the unfinished touch. But it is not unfinished, the attention to the small details surface if you listen to it carefully. Low on layering and orchestration, mainstays are guitar which complements without distracting. Well done.

Luka chupi- It is a funny song, not literally. The words suggest a song sung by mom to call out to her kid, lullaby like… however, and here comes the twist, it plays out more like an amateur jam session. The music is minimalistic, there’s guitar, table and flute and jal-tarang simulation on a synthesizer(weird combo, I know). Lata’s voice is lovely ( and I usually don’t find her voice lovely anymore). ARR sings.
The guys’ been learning classical and practicing, but there are a few things he should leave to others, like singing.
It seems people want to be known for things that they are not very good at, while they take for granted the things they excel at. I have a hypothesis that folks let ARR sing so that he will direct music for their movies, just like folks let MM Kreem direct music just so he’ll sing for the score. ARR should really think twice before singing. Really.

Lalkaar: Aamir Khan recites in guttural tone ( it would sound so much nicer with a baritone like Amitab, but, Aamir does a decent job). Love the words…
Sarfaroshi ki tammana ab hamare dil mein hai …
Good job by the lyricist, Prasoon Joshi. The war backdrop is well done, chorus echoing the voice and the plaintive but subdued taan. Nice!

Roobaroo: Naresh Iyer and ARR. Reminds me of that ‘purani jeans aur guitar ' song, which was the archtypical college-dorm-dreaming-of-your-future-song. Naresh Iyer fits well, not a very well trained voice, but seems to possess raw talent and obviously loves singing. His voice fits in very well with the strumming-guitar-and-singing-along-popular-college-hero that rule the inter-college festivals persona, we all know and love. Minimalistic music, very in keeping with the mood of the song. Like the ‘aye saala’ bit. Nice touch!
It is small touches like this ( and the scatting) which belie the impression of the simple- almost rough edges in the album. It may seem unfinished, raw, but its lack of finish is like the frayed edge tweed coat by Channel. It is intentional and very much a statement.

All in all- love it.
Verdict? typical ARR fare, will not do well… Also, can’t wait to watch the movie… with this much attitude in the music, the movie looks promising.
Another Aamir Khan flick?
I am happy :)

.. cold...

.. I was so cold yesterday, that I actually ate a piece of chocolate to feel warm....
and I never eat chocolate....
brrr...

Tis the season to be ...

Everywhere I look there is world weary cynicism, loves lost, pangs of being misplaced, within and without.
I was introduced to the glitzy(!) new world of blogging thru my younger siblings. Most of the blogs I visit when I go blog hopping are similar. I start from a twenny blog, the incestuous cycle may turn into a spiral but it does not stray far... the back patting, the handholding and the inane commenting. Till it dawned on me that whatever the age, it is just a bunch of lonely people reaching out. Even though most of the blog-facades seem egoistical exaggerations or single faceted views into people.. they are revealing. And this new-fangled ( hardly) media called web does make world a smaller place.
Most of the blog-spheres consist of people who have never seen each other, but they mean more to each other thru their words than the folks they meet in their daily life. Sometimes it seems like escapism, but who am I to say anything, whatever makes one get thru a difficult period and friends with masks are much better than drugs and alcohol :)
It amazes me to see the world weariness I see in these younglings, the attitudes and the coping mechanisms.. it is an insight into a generation, or is it? I wish there were more of my generation ( yeah, I know I sound like I have a foot in the grave ).. I'd like to see if there was a difference or if it is more about personality types and not age groups.
I am reading the latest Vikram Seth book. I am not done reading it, it is a slow read. Vikram Seth is much older now than he was when he wrote 'heaven lake ..'. And the pace of the book and the subject, full of filial ties and the long drawn out relationship descriptions is tedious... As I read, I wonder if it is an age thing? do these things become more important as we get older, Suitable boy was completely fictional but the plots and subplots and descriptions were far more engrossing. I found the same thing in my recent visit to India. All of the people I used to find fascinating ... had become somewhat unrecognizable in their conversation... surely it was not so before?
Or as my favorite therapist, Bernie ( who also styles my hair to perfection) said, maybe it is you who have changed, sweetheart.
Change is a good thing I guess, but what do you do when you change so, and the world you knew becomes a foreign land? I guess, you start discovering things again, with your new self.

Hanuman: the music

I am back once more, with a music review of an album where the music is not done by any of my favorites :)
I must say, I bought the CD purely on the cuteness of the little hanuman. And I have not been disappointed.
Let’s start then ...
Mahabali Maharudra: So many of my favorite voices, Kailash Kher, KK, Shaan, Palash Sen, Madhushree, Sneha Pant and alas Sonu Nigam. It starts with khadal and manjera and the chants from hanuman chalissa. The thunder and lightning as the music picks up and ebbs. The mix of voices is magical. The words, Mahabali maharudra shauravaan .. hanuman. The track does justice to each of the voices, it is grand and magnificent, my favorite track so far.

Jay Hanuman: Two voices I never thought I'd hear together, Kailash Kher and Shankar Mahadevan. So different and yet they go so well together. The hunger in Kailash Kher’s voice fits the supplicatatory note required for this song. It is a spin on the hanuman chalissa- Jay hanuman gyan goon sagar, Jay kapish theun lok ujaagar. The song has repetitive meter, the four lines cycle back over and over, it could have been monotonous, but the richness, interplay of vocal contrast from the two singers and the semi-classical taan's in the background, which add a dimension to the song, lift it from the ordinary to memorable.
Akdam Bakdam: The exploits of little hanuman, as he flies thru the sky and creates all kinds of mischief. Sung by shravan. Reminiscent of the jungle book song ' chaadi pahen ke phool khila hai'. The hyper active song with nonsensical lyrics ( akdam bakdam) is so far uma's favorite song and I can see why :).

Jay Bajrangbali: Baby hanuman's exploits continued. Sung by Palash Sen and Kinshuk Sen. The lyrics stray a little bit from the traditional in this... Sabse solid gada kiski../ yeh magic poonch bhi hai uski ... sing it kid! Lovely mix of classical/ pop. Very euphoria and very Palash Sen( even has 'dhoom pichuk dhoom' in it ). Very nice and utterly danceable.

Hanuman theme: it does a great job of mixing the tranquil bits with the crazy high energy bits. Chorus and taan's in the background with jaal tarang and trumpet, mostly synthesized music, but blends in the transitions and seemingly opposing elements well.

Hanuman Chalissa:( Vijay Prakash, Nandini, Rashmi) The only piece that could qualify as the old school devotional music. The verse of Hanuman Chalissa is very well adapted. The rendition is lovely, with clear enunciation and the background theme (mostly taans by the female half of the vocals and some chants) add a nice dimension to the number.

Destroying Ashok Vatika: very nice, I can almost see Hanumna jumping around destroying the places, uprooting the tree... bam bam bajrang bali :)
Bridge across the Ocean: slightly serious and somber tone with chants of jai shri ram. Nice.
The war begins: somber to signify a marching army perhaps.
Kumbkaran: interesting, with the resounding drum beat to mirror foot steps?
Ravan goes to war: Very tantric, with the invocations to the Mahadev Shambhu, Lord shiva. Suitably ominous and the lone conch shell at the end. Very nice.

The music is by Tapas Relia. Impressive. The music is not very complex or subtle, most of the number have a couple themes which are laid out with simplicity. The numbers are short enough to not become tedious and repetitive. The voices are well used. The music is energetic and well arranged. He definitely has used the best vocal talent around. I am not sure I am ready to add the guy to my favorites list yet, He has potential, I was impressed but not quite blown away. I am buying his next album. The jury is out still :)
The lyrics by Satish Mutatkar are mostly amalgamation of Hanuman chalissa and Hanuman astak, which take me back to my childhood (I could recite in entirety by the time I was 6-7 years old). He has held true to the words, and any additions and manipulations sound suitably supplicatory, joyous or ominous as the mood demands. Very nicely done.

Hello December

And it is snowing out :D

It is December today. My favorite month of the year. For many a reason. It is the end of a year for many, but for me it is the beginning of the next year. It is also the beginning of the cold season, and I love cold. The extent of this love came crashing down on me during my recent visit to the tropics. I hate the heat; I bore it somehow earlier, but now my body and mind revolt vociferously. My skin was stretched thin over my(now) bony frame and looked extremely splotchy. I got mysterious cuts and bruises all over my arms and legs ( bil and sis think it is a case of voodoo magic). My brain refused to function, surrounded by the yummiest food ever, my appetite deserted me and I felt anything but me. I was greeted by below freezing temperatures on my arrival. Today it is snowing, suddenly all is well :)

Back to December; most people are off for most of the month, which means I can get a lot more work done at work. It is an efficient month... somehow days seem to be unhurried and a lot longer. I like that. And I get to not talk a lot. I love that. It is my month of re-charging.

It holds some important days too. I get officially older in this month( even though I insist on rounding of to the next number after six months have passed). December also holds the day I came to live, in this city I call home, many many years ago. That to me, is perhaps, one of the most important days in my life (next to the day my child was born).

December is also the holiday month. I have a brightly decked Christmas tree (which I have been setting up on the thanksgiving weekend for quite a few years now). Holiday season also means gift giving season, means I get to shop. I love that, mostly because I am shopping for people I love. Packing the gifts and putting them under the tree as I imagine the look of surprise (and hopefully joy) when they see them.
I love the smells of this month, the fire in the fireplace, the warm spices and soups, ginger and nutmeg, the smell of cookies and pies and meat curries... hot chocolate doesn't taste this good any other time of the year.

Despite the cold, it is a warm month. My home is warm and welcomimg each time I come back.
Maybe it is the cold outside that puts warmth in perspective or I just love the frost and the dreamy white look of the lanscape... either way

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!