To the citizens of the world!

Varied attires, zillions of languages and trillion dialects, beaches with the golden sun on one hand and snow treated mountain ranges on the other, brown skins and blonde locks, recital of the Holy Quran, or the Bible, SareGaMa or DoReMiFa, Persian Poetry on the one hand, and Roman richness in the literature on the other...
But wait a second…means of expression, of communion with God, through prayers and Music, and through
the mighty word…
Well, if you are wondering why I have back-packed my article through the world, and spent quarter of a page trying to make sense, then it’s because, I have been just wondering about the myriad ways in which all of creation differs from one another, but wondering all the more about the obvious ways in which all of it
is one and the same!!
Since this edition of our newsletter has been dedicated to marvel at the multi cultural diversity that exists all around us, I would also like to take this opportunity to revel at how this diversity has been witnessed by all of us at junctures of all sorts (especially, since we have had the opportunity to work in such an environment here), and how it has always been a culturally stimulating and enriching experience.
If a vibrant ‘Hola!’ from a Spanish damsel can make your day, then it’s equally heartening to hear a ‘ohayoou gozaimasu’ in the land of the rising sun. And, while ‘Marhaban’ might sound like
the next farah-khan-choreographedkatrina-kaif-starring masquerade, it is also used to ‘hello’ each other in the Arab parts of the world!
Similarly, another aspect that inevitably comes to mind while talking about cultures is art, which spans the entire history of humankind, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century. From Michel Angelo’s magnum opus ‘Sistine Chapel’ and Picasso’s masterpieces, to Waris Shah’s ‘Heer’ and Shakespeare’s
Macbeth, and to Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ and even the crudest version of ‘Ramleela’ staged by the street children in your locality, have all been uncountable means of fulfilling, drenched in their unique cultural colours, the most innate desire, to express and communicate.
And of course while pondering about all of this, how can we not gorge on juicy bytes of our favourite fetish called food! The truth of the matter is, that with every geographical boundary you cross in this (round) world, the distance between your taste buds and a truly gratifying meal can only get smaller (confusing..eh?). From pizzas and parathas to macaroons and macaroni, our love for a delicious meal surely goes a long way in helping us bridge the sometimes-a-tough cultural barrier.
And then, one thing that all this discussion would surely be incomplete without is the ultimate wonder, God. It is indeed fascinating to me (all of us, I believe) that irrespective of our coordinates on earth, the human race, out of the love of Him, has interpreted the Almighty in countless ways, through prayers, music, religion, hymns, and religious scriptures. But what remains absolutely wonderful is the oneness of God is then ultimately reflected in the inherent essence of all these different attempts to comprehend Him. Doesn’t
matter if you express it through the Gita, or through a Sufi whirl, through the Torah or through meditative sessions, God is one, incomprehensible, eternal, omni-present and a part of Him resides in all of us, no matter where we belong!
So, easy to conclude we guess, that no matter how much the diversity, the essence of all humanity has been
centred towards a common objective, and we being the different people we are, are a part of the same whole. So then, if you find yourself stranded one fine morning on a beautiful beach, with no language to speak, and no gestures to greet with, then just let a big genuine smile do all the talking :)
P.S. And while I was also wondering about how to make this article more interesting, a friend pointed this amazing fact out to me: our favourite happy birthday song is crooned in the same notes across all (almost) the languages and cultures! (Go you-tube it for yourself)

To C or not to C?

There are often a lot of junctures where you find yourself standing apart from your contemporaries, during your journey of self-discovery, during many facets of being human. And it is the questions that you ask yourself during these times which define you, shape you, lead to your evolution, take you deeper within yourselves. In my attempt to explore myself as an artist and a connosieur, I have been intrigued by many such questions. And I wish to visit one of these in this article of mine.

“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values”. The quality of being able to entertain a new thought without having to accept it, is a quality I really admire, and one that I am trying to entertain myself. I have often been quite rigid at the thought of having to let new ideas into my life, at the mere prospect of an exposition of them, not realising that the 2 things are completely different, until recently. And hence, a casual discussion during a coffee break with 2 of my colleagues turns into my 300 word blog entry!

The trigger for this thought was, when one of my ‘youngish-normal-guy-next-door’ colleagues made a wow remark about one of the latest bollywood item dance numbers. You know, the shallow-mono-syllabics-lyrcs-turn-me-off kind of song. Firstly as an artst, I would not let any singer who deviates from the 220-scale sit on my ipod. As a person who has worked hard to get her scales right, and for whom an untuned note fallen on the ear would literally create an unrest in the mind, this mindset comes quite naturally to me. And hence, the instinctive flinchy reaction, which sits on my nose ready to be provoked at the mention of any such abuse of music.

But there was something I had not considered earlier on. His reaction to my reaction. Is the primary objective of any piece of art not entertainment? As long as it gets my feet tapping, would I or should I bother about anything else? And it is important the music reflects and represents the prevailing culture, trend of the society, voice of the youth, which implicitly means the usage of slang, abuse… After all, art is the portrayal of reality….

I think these 2 perspectives and takes have been around ever since man began to use art as a means to communicate, only in varying degrees and intensities. And I really do not think there can be an end to an argument of such a circular nature. All we can do is try to find our personal balance in between the 2 polarities, and see where our sensibility fits the graph most appropriately, and then try to convince others of this viewpoint through an article!

So it got me thinking, this argument. Every art form has an intricate science which forms its foundation. And every artist masters this science to a certain level, either formally or otherwise, before they begin their personal jouney of self exploration by using this science for self expression. And deviating slighly from the point at hand, at times an artist also does get too engrossed in displaying his technical prowess, rather than understanding the essence of art.  This applies to any kind of fine art or performing Art imaginable, be it painting, theatre, pottery, music, whatever would come to mind. The extent of this mastery depends on various factors, including the artist’s inclination towards a given form of art, their influences from the 

world outside, their aptitude and appetite for knowledge etc.

And the argument here is how important is this technical dexterity before one calls out to the world. Without trying to start with a viewpoint which sounds too partial or biased, wouldn’t one instinctively say ofcourse it is very crucial!  Firstly, it is but natural for the human race to find excellence, and consistently bypass boundaries of it. It is the journey of strife for excellence which leads to profound experiences of contentment, something which the human spirit so craves for. And why should this realm be not a part of the same experience? To add to this, it is much easier to pick and choose from a wider palette of colours, and much more appropriate to select precisely the colour and stroke which is required to paint one’s imagination. But it is essential to gain access to it first. Even if a painting would use the coarsest of brush strokes, and the most limited of colors, it is important for an artist to know precisely that it will, and apply these colours after having reviewed and discarding the finer possibilities, and not because of the lack of choice of the same. This is what technical finesse achieves.

As a musician, it is sddening to see the deterioration of quality of music being produced, because of the ease of production and ignorance of many popular artists. One could argue that the quality being produced is the one which is desired by the masses, and that the music is simply a reflection of the trend of its society. But, I think the opposite could also be true. It may be true that the audience simply chooses from what it gets. If there is awareness about fineesse, and an access to it, one would certainly rev up his/her conenosieur-al standards.

So, while it is true that even or rudimentary or elementary or no technical knowledge could also lead to creation of gems, this kind of phenomenon, without trying to sound cynical, would be rare. At the same time, it is equally important to always keep in mind that the foremost intent of equipping yourself with the tools is to form bedrock on which your creation will rest. Although this will form a very vital part, it is not the all of your creation. What will make it complete and beautiful is giving the unqiuest part of yourself to it, following your instinct and imparting it your exclusivity, a piece of your persona which has imbibed innumerable influences since its birth, and is ready to add its own bit to create something for generations to relish.  This, is what I would call a masterpiece.