Musical End Of An Year

2011 has been mix kind of year. It saw the good, the bad and the ugly of my life (not necessarily in that particular order). But jo hua so hua. Ab to time hai aage ki aur dekhne ka and hoping for the best. And what better way to expect good things in life than to listen to some of the most beautiful music the whole day of 31st Dec. The Dewarists, Agnee and Raghu Dixit - you have made my day today.
Looking forward to an amazing year ahead.

Mind Without Fear

First season of The Dewarists started with this beautiful composition called Mind Without Fear by Vishal Shekhar & Imogen Heap. This show was telecasted sometime in October. For some reason, I just could not catch up on it in spite seeing lots of tweets and fb updates from my friends. And I will always curse myself for this. It was Xmas week that I finally got the chance to see this show and thus started my journey with The Dewarists. 

I am bowled over by the show. Mind Without Fear is right there on the top of my charts (and by that I mean it is the only song in my playlist now). And this is not the only song that has done it. Every episode is an experience in itself. It's not just the music, or the visual treat that the show has provided in the background, or the inspiring stories that artists share with us or the beautiful host. It's the entire experience of seeing something as beautiful as music created, that makes me fall in love with this show. It shows how feeling flow from our hearts & soul to get transformed into reality. It's this purity that inspires. 

Coke Studio has done something similar to me in past. I love Coke Studio not just for the music it offers me but also the way it gave us that music. The artists are not just performing on that stage. They are living their music. They are enjoying every moment they are there and we get to live with them in those moments. The camera is up and close to their face. We can read their eyes, we can cherish their smile [remember Jal Pari by Atif Aslam in Season 2]. It's this closeness that makes us believe in their efforts. The Dewarists does the same thing and takes us even closer where the artists actually talk about what is going through their mind and heart. Amazing camera work and storytelling efforts by the team. I'm on a spree right now and will finish watching all the episodes of this season before this blog posts become visible to the world.

Don't forget to call me when you read this post. My new ringtone is the theme song from Dewarists and it gives me one more reason to worship Raghu Dixit's music.

Pal Do Pal Ka Break

Raja posted this on his fb profile and read to me in mid of a heavy discussion about primary and secondary at the month/year end. Cannot stop myself from sharing it.

Microsoft's Bill Gates decided not to invest further in Punjab after receiving a letter from Mr Banta Singh .

To : Bill Gates, Microsoft
Date : 1 April 2011
Subject : Problems with my new computer

Dear Mr. Bill Gates,

We bought a computer for our home and we have found some problems, which I want to bring to your notice..

1. There is a button 'start' but there is no 'stop' button. We request you to check this.
2. One doubt is whether any 're-scooter' is available in system? I find only 're-cycle', but I own a scooter at my home.
3. There is 'Find' button but it is not working. My wife lost the door key and we tried a lot to trace the key with this ' find 'button, but was unable to trace. Please rectify this problem.
4. My child learnt 'Microsoft word' now he wants to learn 'Microsoft sentence', so when will you provide that?
5. I bought computer, CPU, mouse and keyboard, but there is only one icon which shows 'My Computer': when will you provide the remaining items?
6. It is surprising that windows says 'MY Pictures' but there is not even a single picture of mine. So when will you keep my photo in that.
7. There is 'MICROSOFT OFFICE' what about 'MICROSOFT HOME' since I use the PC only at home.
8. You provide 'My Recent Documents'. When you will provide 'My Past Documents'?
9. You provide 'My Network Places'. For God sake please do not provide 'My Secret Places'. I do not want to let my wife know where I go after office hours.

Regards,

PS: Sir, how is it that your name is Gates but you are selling WINDOWS?

Bitter Sweet Symphony

One of our most loyal companions are our playlists. They grow up with us reflecting every change in our taste and likes. Whatever the mood, they are generally the perfect reflection of it.
And most important of them, they can take us back and fro in time.
I just heard the song Bitter Sweet Symphony from Verve and it took me on a time travel. Bangalore, the hangar, all the gala time we had there and what not - so many memories came flashing.
Add to that list songs from Lucky Ali, Euphoria, Bryan Adams, Floyd, Coldplay, Oliver Shanti & Friends, Karunesh, Jal, Rockstart etc and I've almost prepared myself to write my autobiography.
It's good to be reliving your own life.

Don't know if its appropriate or not, but I feel I am loving these lyrics at this moment.

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,no,no,no,no(fading away)

Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change it

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
Trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

You know I can't change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no

I can't change my mind
no, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
no, no, no

I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
That you've ever been down
That you've ever been down

RT Free Falling

If I wanted to write a blog today, it would have got the exact same soul as this one which I wrote almost 4 and half years back - Free Falling
Only If I could write so well today. Will make do with a RT today.

Buddha is smiling

Buddha is smiling.

This not-so-chilly winter has sprung up some surprises. Good music, good food and some really good time with family. And it makes me firmly believe that all the the efforts are worth it.

Rockstar soundtrack is in a continuous loop in my playlist. I wish I had the videos of all the songs too. If Rahman has done magic with his music, the director has done really fitting justice to Rahman's magic.

A short trip to Indore is all I could afford to arrange in the mid of month end closings and start of a new month. But it was worth every moment. Eating in sarafa, long conversations with my cousins and Gunjan, my time at home with family and all the fun during Arpit's shadi. Oh yea, Arpit is married now. Best wishes to you guys - Arpit & Rajul. Welcome to the club.
So it does not matter, if the Khurana Travels bus was really bad, if they treated the passenger like a cattle herd, if they dropped me in mid of nowhere at 5am in the morning without really helping me out with directions, if the month end was happening while I was going through all this and if I really hated every moment of the struggle to buy just some time with people whom I love. It just did not matter.

Buddha is smiling. And that is what matters.