Cool Book featuring over 200 pages of Bollywood Posters

Bollywood Posters - Jerry Pinto & Sheena Sippy

read about it here

buy it

Cool Blog featuring Artists, Authors, Cartoonists...from India, Pakistan, etc

Asian Window

PODCAST - December 6 2008 If Music Could Talk

Last week - December 6th, i played a really groovy and soulful reggae set to start out the show. and then eased into the ecclectica for hour 2..some mysterious and melancholy vibes.. and then a transition back into the warmth - with a set of music from brazil (although even this portion starts out with some spooky sounding psych from violeta de outono) then we finish out the evening with a set of arabic (lebanese) music (eid mubarak!!) featuring selections culled from several records brought back - especially for my show - by the sister of a good friend of mine.. a wide range of tempos to keep you motivated and alert... and definitely another good set of music for a cold windy winter evening...or whenever you might end up listening to this after the fact... enjoy the sounds

PODCAST LINK - If music Could Talk - Dec 6, 2008

PODCAST LINK - Nov 19, 2008 - giving thanks.. and other sentiments

giving thanks.. and other sentiments..

This past "holiday" week was a bit of a rollercoaster... i spent most of the week in the mountains.. but the usual myrth and merriment of this holiday (turkey day - thanksgiving..) was overshadowed by the attacks on the city of Mumbai and i was glued to the television in our cabin every evening to see what would happen next and when the killing would stop... a really horrifying thing to see.. and i was filled with sadness seeing the faces of people in the streets looking on as the Taj hotel burned.. it made me angry, it made me sad.. it made me remember what 911 felt like..i considered cancelling my upcoming bollywood night but thought again that it might give people a chance to let off some of the frustration from this past few weeks.. basically, events like this leave us feeling paralyzed and confused.. i dont see any clear message from this action.. its just another shock attack from some gang of psychotic motherless wannabe-revolutionaries..

anyway, i was feeling bummed and a bit numb from this horrible tragedy... so i thought id play some indian classics - and one track by ustad nusrat fateh ali khan - the late legendary pakistani qawaali singer - a really beautiful remix that transcends all this stupidity - people will be quick to judge pakistan.. but pakistani people are not behind this.. "it's a political thing" according to one of my friends from nearby in mumbai... most of this crap goes back to the violent clashes just after independence - britain cut india and pakistan into slices (On 3 June 1947, Viscount Louis Mountbatten, the last British Governor-General of India, announced the partitioning of the British Indian Empire into a secular India and a Muslim Pakistan) and people were forced to leave their homes and their land - lots of bloodshed and many unforgotten wounds from those days... now it's remained a political fued... the people dont all hate each other... according to an anecdote from another friend from india, the cricket team from India went to Pakistan recently for the first time in many many years and they stayed in the Pakistani people's homes... the politicians still hold the grudges though.. and according to some sources, the pakistani government has aided radical groups in the past ... i guess this time their thug buddies went too far because they're not too quick to take credit for it..

anyway... history has all the clues to the violence going on the world today-- the seeds were planted years ago.. mainly by the colonial "empires" that are now finding their economies collapsing -- is it karma maybe?

here are the translated lyrics to the song "Zindegi Ek Safar" from Andaz which I played during this show :
'Zindagi Ek Safar' from movie 'Andaz (1971)'

zindagi ek safar hai suhana
life is a wonderful journey
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
no one knows what will happen in the future
(yodeling)
arey o leiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo
oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo
oleiyo leiyo, oleiyo leiyo
chaand taaron se chalna hai aage
we have to go ahead of the moon and the stars
asmaanon se badna hai aage
we have to reach beyond the skies
pichhe reh jayega yeh zamana
this world will be left behind
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
who knows what the future is
zindagi ek safar hai suhana
life is a wonderful journey
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
no one knows what the future is
haste gate jahan se guzar
tread life joyfully
duniya ki tu parvah na kar
don't wory about the rest of the world
muskuraate hue din bitana
pass the day smilingly
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
no one knows what the future will be
haan zindagi ek safar hai suhana
yes, life is a beauful journey
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
no one knows what the future will be
maut aani hai ayegi ik din
death will befall us one day
jaan jaani hai jayegi ik din
the soul will depart one day
aisi baaton se kya ghabrana
why worry about such things
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
who knows what the future will be
zindagi ek safar hai suhana
life is a wonderful journey
yahan kal kya ho kisne jaana
no one knows what the future will be
(yodeling)
di di di, du du du
oleyo leyo ha haa haa


PODCAST LINK - If music Could Talk - Nov 19, 2008

enjoy the podcast - shamshad begum, asha, lata, mukesh, dj hyacinth d'souza, ustad nusrat fateh ali khan, sun ra, john zorn, husker du, the clash, peter murphy, etc

Miss Pooja Live on BBC

Tribute to Mumbai

Podcast Link - Nov 23 2008 - a chilly evening in richmond

Wong Faye (second track of last night's podcast)
above- album cover for "Restless" - one of two albums co-produced by s. raymonde and cocteau twins-

I just checked iTunes and it's listed under a different title-
(Note: this link will open your iTunes store)
Faye Wong "Impulsive" - Get it! it will make you happy!

from wikipedia:

"1996 saw the release of what many would consider her boldest and most artistically coherent effort to date, Fu Zao (浮躁), usually translated as Restless or Impatience. This was her last album with Cinepoly, and Wong felt she could take more artistic risks. The album contains mainly her own compositions, with an aesthetic inspired by the Cocteau Twins, who penned two original songs for the album, "Fracture" (分裂) and "Repressing Happiness" (掃興). As Wong had covered their work in 1994, she had established a remote working relationship with them—even laying down vocals for a special duet version of "Serpentskirt" on the Asian release of the group's 1996 album, Milk And Kisses.
Although the album was Faye's personal favorite, the response from Hong Kong and Taiwan was less than desirable. Many fans who enjoyed her previous three Mandarin albums turned their back on Restless, which they considered to be too alternative and self-absorbed. There were few ballads which were radio-friendly—had Faye taken her experimentations too far? However, hardcore Faye fans, known as Fayenatics,[10] worshipped the album and it became a cult hit. Wong has not released another fully artistic album since. After the release, Faye became the second Chinese artist (after Gong Li)—and the first Chinese singer—to be featured on the cover of TIME magazine."

I found my copy of this brilliant album on cassette in Chinatown NYC during a particulary cold winter of 2000.... but as i mentioned above.. it's on iTunes now, which is great news for fans of "old school" Faye Wong



music to warm you up, or at least give you a little distraction from the shivers on a chilly (freezing!) november evening
PODCAST LINK

Podcast Link - "If Music Could Talk" Nov 19th 2008- guest DJ set by Lightning's Girl

Last week's show featured a special guest DJ set by Lightning's Girl (one of two djs responsible for the wild monthly dance night at Cous Cous known as " Le Garage" - next one is Dec 11)

During this show you will hear some really cool rare French (and international) yeh-yeh, go go, garage, & psych dance beats...

plus, a mini set by Dj Carlito featuring some very interesting Pancham Rahul Dev Burman tracks.

Pour ecouter le podcast, CLIQUEZ ICI

If Music Could Talk - Nov 9, 2008 Podcast Link - Psychedelic music from Indonesia part 2!!! re-uploaded

featuring Indonesian hit singers (mostly the Divas.. but a few rockin daddys in there too) from the 60s and 70s like Elly Kasim, Ernie Djohan, Irni Yusnita, Lilis Surjani, Inneke Kusumawati, Emilia Contessa, Koes Bersaudara, and many others

PODCAST LINK-Psychedelic music from Indonesia - Part 2!!

please download this podcast and delete the previously uploaded one from yesterday!
I had to cut out a duplicate song (one that i actually played twice- d'oh!) I also subbed a short bonus track for your enjoyment, added a cut beginning of another, upgraded the sound quality on one song, and cut out the part where i mis-stated President Obama's birthplace...of course he was born in Hawaii, but lived in Jakarta, Indonesia in his early youth (after his parents separated, Barack's mother married a geologist named Lolo Soetoro Mangunharjo, and moved with him to Indonesia, where Barack Obama was raised and went to school till age 10 or so) This music was almost certainly "happening" in Indonesia around that same time... (late 60s early 70s)

I've also got MOST of the song titles correct now.. whew.. ok, i admit, i downloaded several of these tracks.. MOST of them are from my personal collection (the actual records) ..some others are thanks to my "friends online".. For the most part, the complete radio show from last Sunday is here.. but basically, cleaned up.

anyway, .. enjoy!

Samba Rico - Brasilian/Boriqueno music at Emilios tonight!

"Every First Thursday
Starting Tomorrow!

November 6th
IPANEMA CAFE
Free. 10pm - 1am

"Samba Rico"
music from Brazil and Puerto Rico
with Rattan DJ and guests

arrive before 11pm to eat a awesome vegetarian meal.

celebrating Obama and Scorpio birthdays. "

If music Could Talk - Nov 2, 2008 - Special Guest: DJ Trim (Leo) and DJ Carlito's roots, dub, dancehall VOTE mix

Special Guest: DJ Trim (Leo)

and Dj Carlito's roots reggae dancehall mix to make you want to go VOTE tomorrow!!!!!!

PODCAST LINK - If music Could Talk - Nov 2, 2008

If Music Could Talk - October 26 2008 - Rainbow Arabia in studio and more

PODCAST LINK

thanks to everyone who came to Bollywood night last month!!

See you on the second Saturday of December!!!!!!!!!

(and every month after that!)

2 cool Pictures

Indian Festival in Richmond VA



Flyer for OBAMA 2008 on a telephone pole downtown, after the Indian Festival (is this a local artist? it's awesome!!)

Update: According to Sean, the poster above is by David Choe! (see comments) wowsers.. he's amazing!

Happy Diwali 2008!!!

(Above: the legendary Bollywood actress, Rekha!) UPDATE: here's a beautiful website dedicated to Rekha-ji! - www.Rekhathediva.com

Diwali Ke Bahut Bahut Shubkamnayen!!

read about Diwali here and here

Amitabh is still recuperating from illness this holiday, as well as the loss of his dear mother this year.. which he spoke about during the concert in NY. - So , best wishes to Big B, Amit-ji, this Diwali!!!

Also, much love and many blessings to all my friends who have shown support for my musical events this past year - you have all made me realize how important making people happy is and i couldn't have made it through my own little struggles without your generosity and encouragement!! i wish you all the best this new year..

Bollywood movies released during Diwali

TV Star Shama SIkander demonstrates how Diwali is celebrated here