Z-Blogs

When a musician receives an award, it's a recognition for his or her contribution to the art form. Cultural organizations across the world institute awards to recognize outstanding talents in the field. I've listed a few below that are considered top awards in the music world.  Sangita Kalanidhi award is the most prestigious award given to a Carnatic musician every year by the Music Academy in Chennai. The award consists of a gold medal and a birudu (badge resembling a medal). This year's recipient is vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam Here is a snippet from a concert of Sanjay Subrahmanyam at Cleveland,…

Bellandur Buzz… Issue # 38 Date: 18th June 2015 This newsletter is brought to you by the citizen group bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com Local SWM champions feature in News 9 Mass illegal burning of garbage near Prakriya and Primus concerned some parents who then visited the area with a BBMP official only to discover to their shock that burnt garbage was being packaged as KCDC branded compost. Here is the coverage by News 9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=espPDCwvve0   Happenings at Saul Kere: Clean up by the volunteers Kids enjoy activities by the lake World environment day was celebrated at Saul Kere on June 6 with…

June 8th 30 million people. It boggles the mind to think that so many could live in a single metropolitan area. But the Jakarta city region is just that - the second largest concentration of people anywhere in the world. The city itself (which is itself actually 5 municipalities) is of Bangalore proportions - 10 million, 700 sq km - but the metro area which includes many other cities is thrice the size. In 25 years, a few Indian cities could look like this - vast, a little more wealthy than today, and juxtapositions of order and chaos, rich and…

One of the definitions of an entertainer is someone who holds the attention of the audience by doing something amusing or diverting. Lets look at some popular musicians whose unique stage acts  entertained their audiences yet never detracted the listeners from enjoying the music. Madurai Somasundaram or Madurai Somu as he was referred to was a Carnatic musician. When he presented Tamil compositions during a concert he brought tears to the listeners eyes. While singing a song he would suddenly chant the word "Gurunatha" or "Muruga", his favourite God. Moved by the lyrics of the songs, he would sometimes break…

One of the simplest ways to identify and appreciate a classical raga is by listening to multiple songs in the raga by different artistes. Raga Darbari Kanada is an offshoot of the Kanada family (Carnatic). It is believed to have been imported from the Carnatic genre into the Hindustani style of music by legendary musician Tansen. The raga creates a deep emotional impact on the soul and is often taught to students at a later stage in their training. This raga is presented in the latter half of Carnatic concerts through light classical pieces. Hindustani musicians sing this raga late…

Bellandur Buzz… Issue # 37 Date: 5th June 2015 This newsletter is brought to you by the citizen group bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com   Eventful Green weekend   Protest against Mantri and Coremind Projects Venue: Footpath next to Ayyappa temple on Sarjapur Road, opposite Agara lake Date: June 7th, Sunday Time: 9:30am – 11:30 am Please turn up in large numbers and show that you care about the biggest lake and the lifeline of Bengaluru. Sign the petition and read the history of the project at https://www.change.org/p/karnataka-govt-please-stop-agara-sez. Please bring your own water and hats. Parking next to Agara lake service road on ORR. Please take…

An article in the New York Times says having a working mom leads to economic, educational and social benefits for her children. The children of such mothers tended to "complete more years of education, were more likely to be employed, and in supervisory roles and earned higher incomes", the article says quoting a Harvard Business School study which looked at working moms and their children in the US. I happen to agree that it is good for moms to work--for self-worth, self confidence and economic independence. But I also believe the quality (and quantity) of work is very important. And…

Almost before one knows it, the face of the city changes, and many things belong to the past, and then to history. Here are a few facts that I remember from the late 80s and early 90s; it was still pre-IT Bangalore, a sleepy town, rather than a city (in fact, two towns, the "English" Cantonment and the "Kannada" areas like Basavanagudi, Malleswaram and Jayanagar)... the quality of life was excellent. In Langford Town, there used to be an auction house, it was run by a Mr Pacheco. It closed down by 1988 or 1989... probably because the owner emigrated…

Some start their own enterprises because they want to be independent. Some have dreams of making it big. But some end up being change-makers, because they wish to see some problem solved, the kind nobody else was trying to fix! To be honest, I hadn’t planned to become an entrepreneur. Post 2000, I started noticing the growth pangs of Bangalore. The once-nice town was indeed becoming messy, garbage-ridden and traffic-laden. And I wanted to understand why. Why did the darn flyovers take years to build? Why did the garbage collection break down? Why did we have to depend on water…

Bellandur Buzz... Issue # 36 Date: 22 May 2015 This fortnightly newsletter is brought to you by the residents group bellandur-forum@googlegroups.com   Protest against Bellandur – Agara SEZ   Peaceful protest Date: 7th June 2015 Venue: Next to Agara lake and the temple Time: 9:30am – 11:30am Protest is organized by Koramangala and Bellandur residents. Why we are opposed: Blatant encroachment on ~100 acres of Bellandur wetlands. Threatening the survival of Bellandur Lake, the largest in Bangalore. A serious threat to underground water levels and sources Mega project requires water currently being supplied to 3 big wards. Supply zero sum…