'Music is power. Music is universal. Music is to offer. Music is for everyone'

‘Pure house beats meet haunting Eastern electro-soul violin melodies’ read their gig at blue frog.
Naz is a DJ while Moon, who plays varied instruments including the electric violin, likes to refer to himself as a percussionist. Having known each other for the last seven years or so, the duo came together three years ago when their first gig was received tremendously well by audiences recurring them to work together again.
Naz who has been collecting different styles of music for many years says, “I never liked mainstream music. It is devoid of a soul. Music should always have a worldly sound”. Naz believes that to become a good DJ you must have a vision. “There is no point just playing tunes for the sake of it. You must have a structured message that you want to send out. I want to give people a sonic experience and help them learn about other cultures and sounds of the world. Nice melodies are the core. It's a kind of tribal theme since I listened to African and Indian music growing up. My favourite Indian singer is Lata Mangeshkar." Their first time in India but it’s been a long time coming, they both agree. “The country has always been inspirational not only in terms of music but culturally for us as well. I’ve been playing with a lot of Asian artists in the UK like Vikram Ghosh who’s from Kolkata. We played together at the Darbar where eight of us of different nationals played our own country’s music and blended it which amalgamated to quite a unique sound. The country provides so much influential visuals that I can to translate to my music,” says Moon, real name Mounir Baziz, who was born in Morocco.
While both the artist believes in blending music, they like to leave traditional, classical music on its own because they would rather not tamper with its heritage and brilliance. “I also mix in Asian melodies such as Lata and Asha Bosle with house music, but I would not mess with Indian classical music for its sheer brilliance. However, I believe that fusion is the perfect introduction to global music. Take for instance somebody from the UK might not understand qawwalli or Rajasthani folk music at all. Just like 16-17 year olds wouldn’t really listen to jazz. You need to get the audience used to it. That’s when the music sets in and you start to trace its roots,” says Naz.
His house music and fusion of Arabic and Western is explosive, yet puts it all together in a way that is accessible and familiar. How does moon fit into all of these? For someone who’s been playing andalousian music, Moon has an intriguing ability of blending into any style of music. “When I play with Naz, I build in a new sound that is different from his. He can be clever with his music and that’s when I know I have to step up or down co-relating to his busy sounds. Sometimes it can get overloaded with sounds or gaps, and that’s when I over ride it to create that distinct sound. Whenever I am on stage I put myself as a listener and not just the artist,” he says.
“Music is power. Music is universal. Music is to offer. Music is for everyone,” he adds. Having stunned audiences with their skills and enthralled them with their music, Naz and Moon leave behind quite a tribe reveling in their trail of sounds.

For more information on the artistes:http://bluefrog.cmail1.com/l/408409/vjtjd4rj/www.myspace.com/deejaynaz http://bluefrog.cmail1.com/l/408409/vjtjd4rj/www.myspace.com/violinmoon

Get on!

One word for backpacking: adventure. Backpacking essentially means a form of travelling which is low cost, independent with no fixed itinerary and 'sight-seeing' is definitely not something that is top on the priority list. And right now things couldn't look better for backpackers. A trend that seems to be growing tremendously among the young just as well as the old, backpacking with its flexibility has many takers with the kind of freedom that it allows. What is even more, companies have taken to providing backpacking trips around the globe. Bet you think that that would completely take away from the whole essence of the idea, Yogesh shah who owns India’s first back packing company, The Backpacker Co says, “We are not escorts by any means. And we definitely do not provide guided trips. What we do provide backpackers is a better planning of their trips – whether it be the best times to visit a place, or providing the best of events that happens. Some people would go backpacking to Germany in October thinking that the October beer festival happens then! That’s where we come in and provide consultation to backpackers with individualised trips.”
The company has a team of experienced backpackers that guides you and answer all your queries and see to it that stepping into the world of backpacking goes off without a hitch. “Passion for Travel is the sole cause for setting up this adventurous venture for their friends and like-minded people to enjoy, whether traveling solo or in groups. If you’re only looking at budget travel, rest assured there are lovely hotels as good as a 3 star hotel in India that comes for just 20 Euros!” adds Yogesh. All the trips are based on what is called the ‘Go-Go model’ where the bus networks are ‘Hop On Hop Off’. You can get off anywhere on the drop off points and get on whenever you want to move on. You can even change the plan whilst on your trip with no additional costs. The food and accommodation are not restricted to a pre-decided itinerary.
With budget independent travel on the rise, companies like Lee Cooper have actually launched the first official Lee Cooper Backpacking Expedition whereby you can backpack and discover the sights and sounds of Europe. “We have always had a long-standing association with sports and adventure. This is the first-of-its kind activity that will finally culminate into the formation of the Lee Cooper Backpackers Club – A Clan of Lee Cooper loyalists and backpacking enthusiasts,” says Ameet Paschal, CEO Lee Cooper (India) Pvt. Ltd. This is in tandem with the celebration of their Centenary year. The trip will be spread across 2 weeks, starting with Nice and ending in London. The itinerary includes London and Paris, running with bulls in Pamplona, the Bread and Butter festival in Barcelona, the San Sebastian beaches, and Cannes. “This experience will take the backpackers and their clan, who form an integral part of the Lee Cooper audience, closer to the roots of the brand. We are focused at creating key “Passion Groups” around 3 basic tenets: Music, Sports & Fashion. These “Passion Groups” will be instrumental in creating the clan,” Ameet adds.
The thrill one experiences while travelling is unparalleled. And with backpacking you can actually experience the ‘real’ thing – see the local sights, taste the local cuisine, make use of the local transport, in short experience the place as the locals do. Vaishali, an IT Programme Manager for Bharti who is an avid backpacker and has recently backpacked in Europe through the company says,“ Backpacking gives you the kind of experience that kind of satiates your need for freedom. I don’t mind living in a tent as long as I get to experience the wonderful trips that I’ve been. I’m on my own; my timetable is flexible according to my whims. Earlier when I backpacked it was a tad worrisome but with the backpacker’s co, it’s a good way to travel. They co-ordinate your travel, they’re trained, packed with information and yet you are essentially still on your own. It’s not like they baby-sit you.”
Currently most systemised backpacking trips are outbound owing to the lack of infrastructure to provide security in the country. The places you can visit include Europe during May to October and Australia and New Zealand post October. If backpacking is not for you, then try the experience trip. From a cooking trail in Tuscany, cycling in the south of France to following a single malt trail. You could even just rent out a small villa, which is nothing opulent, and experience living with locals.
Young or old, as long as you’re in search of adventure, experience and a community of like minded travellers who want to see beyond the usual and experience the 'real' thing, grab that backpack and get on.

Another one bites the dust!

“25-year-old Yale graduate gives up his career as a hot-shot investment banker on Wall Street to embark on a journey to India in search of his roots”. Sound familiar? Quite a road embarked on by writers, and filmmakers to say the least, this could well be another one of those ivy league ramblings or an IIT, IIM grad story. But just not quite yet. “Aren’t all IIM or IIT graduates writing now? It’s the cult of the overpaid, under-worked manager,” Karan Bajaj, author of “Keep off the grass”, says with a grin.
So how much farther along are we on his new book? The first time writer’s debut novel has already been creating quite a ruckus in the literary circles; it was a semi-Finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, 2007. Some readers have even touted the book as “The most eagerly anticipated book of the year”. That should somewhat be enough to send the nerves into a frenzy to which the author says, “It is both exciting and intimidating. Excited because hopefully this means that many folks will read my book other than having just your mother read it! intimidated because it could end up becoming the ‘Tashan’ of this year’s books — lots of pre-release hype; high on style; low on substance; result- box-office turkey.”
A management consultant for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Washington D.C., asked if the book is an amalgamation of all that he’s achieved, he says, “Hardly; lots more to be written on the epitaph!” The book is about a young American investment banker on Wall Street whose life is all set to follow a defined, predictable trajectory—a Harvard MBA, marriage, kids, luxurious European vacations, the works; instead he gets sucked into an India of drugs, prisons, surreal encounters, and crazy but believable characters. It is an unlikely journey of a reasonably ordinary man who finds himself thrust into some pretty extraordinary circumstances. “His Indian experiences — a dangerous drug addiction, meditating in the Himalayas, spending time in a prison cell etc. — seem particularly bizarre given the contrast with his protected and staid life before,” the author adds.
“Like any first time novelist, lots of my own funky experiences are in the book. Some of my confusions and fantasies of escape find their way in the protagonist.” At the risk of sounding like a Bollywood music director he says, “I have been inspired by a lot of writers- Jhumpa Lahiri, Chetan Bhagat, Gregory Roberts, Ruskin Bond, Upamanyu Chatterjee, Mohsin Hamid, even Winston Groom (Forrest Gump) but the end product is reasonably original. I probably wouldn’t waste a year or so of my life writing and editing the book if I didn’t have something new to say.”
Can we expect anything different when the protagonist ‘can’t keep off the grass’? “It’s all rooted in reality. India is a fascinating country and it’s not completely incredible for someone to end-up meeting Aghorees in Benares, meditate in the Himalayas, get stoned atop camels in Rajasthan, or be drawn to recreational. The protagonist’s journey is unusual, but not unbelievable,” he says, further adding, “I am writing commercial fiction with not too many pretensions for literary genius; so yes, I hope for some commercial success. To be honest, I would love for the book to be a best-seller, but I would also be really kicked if some of my philosophical/spiritual reflections (executed in a regular, non-pretentious and humorous style in the book) have a meaningful impact on just a few folks.”
Having spent a month at a monastery in Dharamshala, his philosophical inclination and experience find a unique albeit fictionalized place in the book. “Personally, it was a rich yet unfulfilling experience; kind of like dipping your toe in the ocean for a nano-second versus fully immersing yourself in the water. What I do recall most about those days though is a sense of absolute peace and contentment caused by the simple yet rigorously spiritual lifestyle in the place. Unfortunately, I was probably too materialistic to continue beyond a point and dived back into the rat race again,” the author says.

Karan Bajaj is all geared up with his book scheduled for release in India on May 30. Looks like it will be another course so often run well.

For My Mama

(http://hewsan.deviantart.com/art/Seeker-56196914)

Happy Mother’s Day Ala. I’ve gotten so big…wish you were here to see me.
So much I need to say. So much I need to do. So much I need to be. But not yet….not yet..Wherever you are, I love you. You are missed. R.I.P

Sing a song of six pence

Kenny Gorelick, better known as Kenny G has been quite a phenomenon with his curly locks and long notes on the saxophone. The butt of many a joke, the man has nontheless made his light music reach tremendous proportions in terms of sales. He holds the record for the highest-selling Christmas album, as well as a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone.
Armed with his sax, the ‘G’ man is here for his first ever India visit with his latest album Rhythm and Romance released earlier this year. He has parted with his old label Arista and released the album with Concord/Starbucks Entertainment. “Arista was not interested in my Latin concept and I really wanted to do it so I had to leave,” Kenny explains.
While listeners have been accustomed to his ballads and his recent covers, the album comes equipped with completely original material. “I think that artistes go through phases of original and cover tunes. There aren’t any rules as to what to record. I wanted to do original music for this album,” he says.
“Just feeling the rhythm of Latin music was all I needed,” he says on inspiration for doing a Latin album. And of course he totally leaves it to his fans to receive his new work.
Composing a Latin album of original material was an amazing project, he says. Could his music have a little bit more rhythm and a little less ballad? “I write what I write. I’m not thinking about anything else. There’s a lot of really up-tempo songs and much more improvisation this time around. There’s more rhythm here than anything I’ve ever done but yet it’s still romantic. You’ve got to continually try to reinvent yourself,” he says.“I’m sure that I’m going to take home a great feeling from my first visit,” he adds. Well, we’ll be hearing Kenny G live for once rather than in an elevator. He performs in Mumbai on Sunday, May 11.

Didjeridoo

Dave J is a one man Didgeridoo orchestra showcasing the unique sounds from the Didjeribone, a recent innovation based on the traditional instrument. What does that mean? For one, Didgeridoo is the indigenous Australian wind instrument. Pronounced dij-uh-ree-doo, it is said quite exactly the way it’s spelt.

For another, real-time sampling and looping technology allows the artist to create rich multi-layered soundscapes live on stage. Hence the one-man orchestra, bringing together acoustic sounds with cutting edge audio technology.

The Didjeribone is a slide Didjeridoo that can be used to play rhythms, riffs and melodies in up to 10 keys. Amazing? Not quite yet. The sounds from the Didjeribone are amplified by the 'Face Bass', a piece of technology that sits inside the mouth and uses an earthquake sensor to pick up the vibrations from the Didjeribone, face & vocal chords and record it at the end where the music comes out. Now that’s amazing. He uses sound on sound recording- from live recordings on stage adding it onto the bass line, vocals, acoustics, and incorporates it into other instruments. Sound like fusion? “Depends on how you define fusion,” the artist says.

'Tribal Techno', 'Electro Acoustic' or 'Didjeridoo Disco'. He finally settles on ‘Didjeridoo techno funk’. “Because of the instrument it is quite a new genre of sound,” he adds.

DaveJ has released his debut EP Organic Electric that showcases his distinct, eclectic sound all created live with no pre – recorded sounds or drum machines. “I have it in mind that the music will make you move ” he says about his album.
Besides the Didjeribone, he also dabbles with drums, bass, guitar, keyboard and “a little bit of piano and the saxophone.”

He discovered electronic and dance music in his travels to Europe where he spent four years listening to some of the greatest musicians like Carl Cox and Sasha among others. He first came to India three years ago on his honeymoon. On audiences reaction to his music so far, he says, “I’ve had really positive vibes, quite similar to the audiences back home. What I do is unusual and when people listen to me, they try to work out the music that flows. Just listening to the sounds that come out of the instrument, the music and the sounds that are created and the visuals it compounds.”

He enjoys both open-air and playing at clubs saying, “They’re both different. While a club is more intimate, the dynamism of interacting with a lot of people is also exhilarating.”

Dave once had an Australian guitarist from a rock band come up to him and say it was amazing that from a 16 year old to a 60 year old were seen enjoying his music at a concert. “They enjoy it for different music or perhaps by the end of it for all the same reasons. It’s music. It’s rhythmic,” he adds.

Gold Coast Tourism Corporation brings you DaveJ at Prive on May 2 and Zenzi on May 3.

300 movies you must see before you die

Maxim's list of 300 movies to watch before you die. List includes: Comedy & Buddy; Action, War & Westerns; Rebels, Cops & Criminals; Horror, Sci-fi, Art house & Mindbenders; Classics, Nudity & Train wrecks. http://www.maxim.com/The300moviesyoumustseebeforeyoudie