Chennai | Cochin | Hyderabad | Bangalore

‘The

the Edit pad

Sco
re M
aga
zine
’ is
wh
ol y
ow It’s not easy to break millions of hearts across hundreds of countries.
ned Then again, it never was easy to be Michael Jackson. With the King
and
pub
00 .com k

of Pop finally resting, the mourning period goes on. It’ll never be the
950 core feedbac

lish same for the ardent music enthusiast or the indifferent cynic. Music,
ed
+91 highonsisements and

b y as many of us know it, has changed. What remains intact is the eter-
277

nal fascination for the tortured and complicated, yet simple soul of
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a wasted genius. Stunned silence has now given way to gushing out-
us@ For adver

,2 nd
Ave pours of emotion and we’ve opened our floodgates too. As a legend’s
nue life ends, we keep the spirit alive.
,Ann
t
tac

aN This issue is groundbreaking for our team in so many ways. We’ve ex-
aga
con

r ,C panded our frontiers and pages. The Score will now be available in
hen three more cities - Cochin, Bangalore and Hyderabad, apart from our
nai- homeground, Chennai. I will be a practitioner of the art of brevity here
40 and let our pages do all the talking. You’ll find we have a lot more to
say this time - about every kind of musician, every genre of music.
Catering to four states will not be an easy job, but we’ve never shied
Brand Partners away from trying! Cochin, Bangalore and Hyderabad - we hope you’ll
send as much love our way as Chennai did!

Our team now spans two continents and works on two entirely differ-
ent time zones with my move to the United States for higher studies.
There will be long distance yells and a lot more online meetings, but
we go on!

Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations

without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The
publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts,
photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are Nikhila Srinivasan
not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is
assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are Editor-in-chief
the sole responsibility of the advertisers.
CONTENTS
39
Britains got POTTS
The reality show sensa-
tion looks like the next
big thing in opera sing-
ing. Read all about his
journey from shower
rooms to the stage

24
Andrea’s Siren Song
The musical trip of the
young singer turned
actress laid bare with
intimate details and the
wierdest anecdotes

55
Vaidhya’s Vocation
Carnatic veena virtuoso
gets candid about per-
formance, his music and
reveals rare details about
his upcoming album
 r
The Score Magazine | Toward Neverland

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live while ir So ruth o em tha y alive e whi it’s fa ’t no t how th a stay ave w it’s f ’t no t how th anna tt
The Score Magazine | Snide Memoriam

You love the guy

You hate the guy
Whatever!
The vicious world of entertainment
is notorious for their double-takes.
Our pick of the best verbal turn-
arounds for the moonwalker

“Michael’s life is in serious decline ..

My criticism of Michael is his self-
absorption; the whole celebrity
thing where he needs to feel like he’s
worshipped.”

- RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH, CNN -

2004.

“Now that his muse has forsaken him

to the point where relative disap-
pointments like ‘Bad’ and ‘Dangerous’
sound like half successes, he’s become
more of a fairytale figure than he ever
imagined: He’s pop’s Lost Boy.”

- ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S DAVID

BROWNE

“I became very ill and emotionally ex-

hausted in my quest to save him from
self-destructive behavior and from the
awful vampires and leeches he would
always manage to magnetize around
him”

– LISA MARIE PRESLEY, MICHAEL’S EX-

WIFE
Back Then

www.highonscore.com | 14
Here &Now
“I miss Michael, I miss him very
much... there was a gentility and nobil-
ity of spirit that I found humbling and
inspiring in a man so accomplished”

– RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH

“..the oft-dubbed King of Pop’s influ-

ence on the musical realm is unargu-
able”

– ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“I am so very sad and confused with

every emotion possible. This is such a
massive loss on so many levels , words
fail me”

– LISA MARIE PRESLEY

I feel privileged to have hung out and

worked with Michael.. my memories of
our time together will be happy ones..
I’ve lost my little brother today and
part of my soul has gone with him”

– PAUL McCARTNEY

This from the same ex-Beatle who

stopped talking to Michael Jackson
after he beat him in an auction and
bought the rights to The Beatles cata-
log ue way back in 1985.
A
The Score Magazine | Lettered Legacy
nother Part of Me
He sang for change, the earth, children and peace, yet
it was always the other parts of him that came up for
fire. The Bad parts just kept cropping up.
K
So you figured you knew
everything about HIStory?
Well maybe you do and
maybe you don’t.
Plunge right ahead into the
the most random, bizarre,
unheard of, disconnected yet
intriguing elements of
Michael Jackson’s life, laid
bare.
And quite as simple as run-
ning through from A to Z.
www.highonscore.com | 16
B
urn Centre
After pyrotechnics at a Pepsi shoot
set his hair ablaze, the Brotman
Medical Centre where he was treat-
ed was renamed after him. Perhaps
C
the $ 1.5m donation helped.
aptain EO
Directed by Francis Ford
Coppola, the movie featured
a 3-d MJ and was one of the
most expensive of the time.
It was only screened at Dis-
ney Parks.
G one Too Soon
Though he last-
ed for five decades, this was
the last song that a bevy of
stars paid tribute to him
at a public memorial; the
highest global television
viewer ship in a while.
L
ing Sani
Crowned by a tribal chief
in the Ivory Coast, Jackson
went as far as to sign official
documents, sat on a golden unar Crater
throne and presided over
rituals as King! After his passing, The Lunar
Republic Society has named a
22 km stretch of crater on the
moon after him. Right next
door to his 1200 acre Lake of
Dreams lunar property!
 E
. T.

Rumours that he was an alien apart, Someone in the

Dark for the Spielberg movie fetched him a Grammy
for Best Album for… you guessed it - kids.

D F
angerous ortress Investments

It might have sold 32 million copies worldwide, but it The refinancing firm that
was still the word that purists branded him with after helped the heavily-in-debt

H
the controversial release of the Black or White video. star hold on to his property
while salvaging some leeway

I
from Sony who held his fran-
nvincible chise rights.
eal The World Foun-
Amidst dropped sales and heightened controversy,
dation
when Invincible unveiled in 2001 it silenced critics be-
ing his first studio album in six years.
Inspired by the

J
song, Jackson
ehovah’s Witness
founded the trust
in 1992 to mobilize The sect vigorously followed
funds for famine by his mother, they were

O
stricken children. the lot who protested en
It also arranged for masse to the visuals and
kiddie sleep-overs themes used in his uncut Thriller video.
at Neverland.

N
orthern Songs

The catalogue containing

the original sheet music of
McCartney and Lennon was taken by
Jackson outbidding the former Beatle;
this sparked off much ill will between
them.
xygen

M
Though
otown Calling the ru-
mours of
A 9-year old Jackson his oxygen
toured with 4 siblings bed were
with the legendary squashed as
label producing their “ridiculous”, it
records; they opened was at London’s O2
before stripteases at third rate bar joints, Arena that his comeback
initially. 50 concert tour was set to
kick off.
P Q
The Score Magazine | Lettered Legacy

ueued up & SOLD!

eter Pan Syndrome
With insane sales
He considered himself for the London
“Peter Pan in my heart” and concerts which
was thus rumoured to have ought to have
the syndrome of a similar happened
name; used for socially about now,
immature adults. the concerts
till March 2010
were sold out

R
in a blinding four
The operation that the hours after counters
King first had in 1979 to opened.

T
replace his broken nose.
He went ahead and had
four subsequent opera- Released in 1982, the album hriller
tions altering parts each has till date held the Guinness

S
hinoplasty
time. record for the largest selling
music album of all time. Con-
carecrow servative estimates peg the
global tally at 140 m copies.
The role Jackson played in

U
the 1978 musical The Wiz,
based on Dorothy’s adven- nited Negro College Fund
tures. His affinity to chil-
dren cropped up first at this point in time. One of the more controversial donations
made by the King was to this organization;

V
$ 500,000 straight off in his debt period. Perhaps
his lack of collegiate education was a driving factor.

W
e Are the World
itiligo
They say he wanted to go
Co-written with Lionel Ritchie,
white. What did he say? Vitiligo.
the 1985 single sold 20 million
The pigmentation disorder was Jack-
copies and not only became one
son’s explanation for the extensive
of the highest sold singles but also
skin re-engineering.

Z
the largest charity fund raiser single
ever written.

X
X VII The number of the Superbowl during which half-time saw one
of the most energetic performances ever; his military attire was
unveiled for the first time then.

Y
oo Tales

One of the attractions at Michael’s Never- A duet with sister Janet,

land Ranch. The pet simian though was not the song holds a Guinness
part of it being much closer to the king “in spirit Record for debuting at #1 on
and self” whatever that meant. the Billboard Hot 100 Listing; an ou are not
unprecedented event. alone

www.highonscore.com | 18
The Score Magazine | Demystifying Classics

TURN OFF BEAT

Vannakkam, to all my eager younger generation friends.
I always tell the following quote “Once a rasika, always a rasika”. And thus it
is my attempt via the medium of this column to make each and every one of
you a true rasika. We will contine in the same vein where we left off in my
last column wherein we make an appropriate selection of a western song
and then proceed to understand it within our own sacred traditional musical
framework. This will enable us to broaden our knowledge base especially
with respect to viewing the big picture and also, let us not forget, under-
stand in depth the manodharmam aspect of the performer.
The song we have selected for our analysis today is a song titled “Who let

Rasikas
the dogs out”
Composers
This song is much like our very own traditional compositions which have
been originally composed by a composer and then have been re-interpreted
and re-rendered by generations of performers. Similarly, within our selected
composition, the song was inspirationally composed by Anslem Douglas,
and then re-rendered by the Baha Men.
 I PuncheraLingam Deity and Meaning of the lyrics
After a careful analysis I have reached the conclusion that the prime deity
in our composition unlike my earlier assumption, does not belong to any
category of Gods or Goddesses. Rather, it has been written in the honour
of something which is as sacred as the divine- “Work”. It is an expression of
the composer about the existing lack of respect for the proper procedures
and systems and the chaos that has resulted because of undocumented and
irregular methods adopted by the modern generation. The sahitya of the
song repeatedly asks the same question as to “Who let the dogs out”. This
clearly implies that the dogs were let out without the proper procedure be-
ing followed. In other words, no proper application was filed for the release
of the dogs, the respective authorized person was not notified about the
release of the dogs and also the process was not documented within the
concerned department. Who is the responsible person for allowing this ir-
regularity? . This is the lament of the composer. Though the composition
only talks within the purview of dogs, we can apply this lesson to every walk
of life.
Technicalities
The mastery of this composition is expressed through the repeated use of
the “woof” to showcase the jati aspect of the tala. Let me break it down for
you, rather, let me adopt the “divide and rule” policy wherein we isolate in-
dependent structures within the composition to identify the relevant struc-
tures and appropriate it. You might say that how can the jati be the same
“woof”? The answer in fact is that each “woof” of the charanam is different.
Also to complicate the affairs, each “woof” has its own independent exter-
nal visual representation or “Kriya”. The differentiation between “woofs” to
mark the aksharams of the tala are thus operating on the levels of
a) changing the gamakam on the “woof”
b) using of a different hand, mouth or finger representation while saying
the “woof”
c) expressing of the bhava of the “woof” by modulating of the pitch and
volume, and lastly
d) saying the “woof” at half count or introducing “karvai”(sustain) after a
particular “woof”.
This, my young friends is true representation of the manodharmam aspect
or the improvising within rhythm and taanam of the performer. A truly bril-
liant rendering of a well crafted masterpiece.
Concluding Remarks
Given the complicated level of creativity within this composition, this song
might not be the ideal song to start the beginning of your journey to be-
come a true rasika but it can function as a benchmark for upcoming talent
to look and improvise, see and learn and apply and appropriate within their
knowledge base. You might not also understand in entirety the subtleties of
the “woof” on first glance or the lament on the lack of structured processes
missing in the modern generation, but watch again, hear again, pay atten-
tion once again and you will truly uncover the pearls of wisdom.

www.highonscore.com | 20
The Score Magazine | Desi Digs

N S f
E E
O T
K D
E

Idiosynracies about the members

Their take on each other
Shashank - maintained the filthiest room in campus, co-
inhabited by birds and a few other species. Used to sing
with a hand over one of his ears during his early days -
thankfully his hands are too full for that these days!

Aveer - He is a blue teddy bear. Very cool and sweet.

When he sings, we always think he is going to faint be-
cause his eyeballs get lost in the eye and he looks up

Bharath - the only bachelor in the band, he is the envy

of the rest of us. But the poor guy strongly believes that
maintaining a wife is as easy as maintaining our band web
site
Mahesh - Manages around 50 people in office, comes
back and takes it all out on the drums. In our first show
together, he got 3 pairs of drumsticks just to be on the
safer side, and ended up breaking all of them. People in
Bangalore are blaming him for all the deforestation
Prashant Ipe
One upon a time, deep in the land known for pretty women, Dukra Maas and
the Ram Sena, in a college, that every Mangalorean mother wants her future
son-in-law to have passed out from, two guys met. Both versatile musicians,
infused with a passion, ‘to set out together on a journey, to spread their ideas
to the masses through music’. Fate however didn’t present them the best of
opportunities and they had to content themselves with playing covers. Years
later, Shashank and Aveer of N.I.T Suratkal, our story’s chief protagonists, land-
ed up in the same city. A land renown for horrendous traffic, air-conditioned
Volvo buses and a new generation of burgeoning musical talent bursting from

www.highonscore.com | 22
 g f

f its seams. Further, almost all the genres of music and noise had its own
significant following in the city. And it was in Bangalore that Ek the Band
took its first step.
Amongst all the clamour and din, Ek decided to keep its genre simple. A
genre that “was really very connected to Indian culture, tradition and her-
itage and a music that came from the soul rather than any
instrument.”(to quote Bharath, the keyboardist and back-
ground vocalist). Music taxonomists, for the benefit of the
masses call this ‘Indian fusion’, though music lexicogra-
phers have come up with sub-genres such as Indian colloi-
dal fusion, Indian emulsion fusion, Western-Indian fusion
gel, each component exerting its own Van der Waal’s force
in the dipolarized mixture, we shall desist from any further
deeper physical speculation. In a spur-of-the-moment act,
that always exudes an air of profundity when viewed in
hindsight, the band was christened “Ek” at a Sunday jam.
They embarked on their odyssey to create ‘an eclectic mix
of original Hindi lyrics sung with a tinge of Indian classical
music with the right blend of energetic riffs and rhythms.’
It was with this that Ek was adjudged third best band in the
Radio City 91.1 FM Best Hindi Band.
Ask them what makes them “Ek” ? Aveer, lead guitarist of
the band answers, “‘A deep desire to create music we be-
lieve in has united us”. “Ek means we are THE one, there
can be no other” says Mahesh, the drummer of the band.
“The neighbours with whom we share our jam room think
Ek is spelt Ache thanks to the noise we manage to gener-
ate.” he says. Though the band is yet to secure a recording
contract, their songs uploaded on www.myband.co.in and
on their website have received an unprecedented number
of plays and Darbari Jam (a song based on the Hindustani
raga Darbari orchestrated in a minor scale) is currently
contending for the top spot on the most frequently lis-
tened to songs on the myband site.”I eat Ek, I drink Ek, I
sleep Ek, I breathe Ek and dream Ek . My wife says she is
my ‘second’ wife as my first wife is Ek,” says Shashank.
The mast has been hoisted and the sails have been set but
the tireless wind of time is sure to test Ek and it asks them
a few questions. Can they truly create an acculturated oeu-
vre that sounds at once familiar and yet is something en-
tirely new? Can the lyrics of their songs be not hackneyed
versions of film songs containing the usual metaphors of
wind, water, rain, moon, traveller etc. but something en-
tirely unique borne out of a search, a need and a personal
experience? Can people who hear them for the first time
not say that they sound like Euphoria or Indian Ocean?
And lastly, Do they really and truly have the talent and all
that it takes in them to discover a new land? Bharath, the
keyboardist of the band answers, “I don’t think. I know
that we will make it big. We have what it takes!”
 The Score Magazine | Siren on Song
OBSESSIVE CHOCOLATE DISORDER
She’s a chocoholic (Hallelujah!) and would
love to do a chocolate ad.
ANDREA’S MUSIC AND LYRICS
 Shirin Albert
We’ve all seen her in Pachaikili Muthucharam and have definitely
heard her songs Kannum Kannum Nokia and Karka Karka. An actress,
model and singer, Andrea is pretty popular these days, appearing in
most papers, as the city awaits her latest - Aayirathil Oruvan. But
that’s not what we’re focusing on now. I attempted to discover Andrea
the musician - the girl who’s quite well known for her husky voice and
www.highonscore.com | 24
HOUNDS OF SILENCE
She sings to her dogs and stomps around
them in private.
reticent nature. Not many know just how much she loves and enjoys
her music. ”When I’m singing, it’s like coming home. Nothing else mat-
ters.”
Amusingly, her story started with a little musical contraption “When my
little sister had jaundice, my parents bought her a doll to feel better. I
guess they didn’t want me to feel unloved, so they bought me this little
red Casio which turned into my pet obsession.” She soon joined many
music groups like the Young Stars and Young Nation as a child, taking
part in many musicals. Piano lessons and training slowly helped her
graduate to onstage performances. “I was a nerd right through school,
so everyone expected me to be a doctor. I made up my mind to be a

DREAM MUSICAL DATE
She would love to work with A.R.Rahman and
absolutely adores Sting.
psychiatrist. But then, in high school, I was terribly unhappy, and kept
to myself mostly, and music just saved me somehow.” When faced with
objections, she joined law but dropped out and ultimately settled for
WCC, studying Psychology.
After establishing herself as a crooner, Andrea’s dreams were set high
as she sought to fulfill her dream of studying in Berklee; another failed
plan which was for the better. Andrea soon got offers to sing in films
and this transition did not deter her. The singer admitted that if the op-
portunity presented itself, she wouldn’t mind singing in Hindi too. “If I
get good enough work, I’ll go anywhere.”
She even started her own production company ‘The Show Must Go
On’ with her partner Sundar; a short-lived dream which she hopes to
revive again. “It’s never too late.” And acting? “To be honest, I was
absolutely against doing films, partly because of my family and also my
education. I refused offers through college. Then I had nothing to do for
three months. That’s the only reason I took up my first film offer. It took
more than 8 months to complete, and I couldn’t go to Berklee.” After its
Photo Courtesy: Sunder Photography
moderately successful run, she got an offer to act in Aayirathil Oruvan.
Her accepted re-application to Berklee had to be relinquished again!
From what she wrote to me, I admit I was a little surprised. Unlike most
stars these days who enjoy the limelight, Andrea admits to being a very
boring person! “The one thing I love to do when no one is watching is to
play the piano. It’s amazing. The notes just become my own. Apart from
that, I read a lot, sit alone on my terrace or write. I wouldn’t do them if
people were around.” Pretty normal isn’t she?
Oh but wait! She’s done quite a few hysterical things in the past.
“They’re strictly confidential! One of them though, is getting myself lost
in Kyoto. I walked around in circles till midnight, having missed all the
buses and refusing to call a cab, and it was one of the nicest things to
have happened to me ever.”
Another thing which struck me as weirdly pleasant – “If I were stranded
on an island, I wouldn’t want to call anyone. All this time, I’ve been sit-
ting at home and wishing I could get away to Ladakh where no one can
get to me. An island would be even better, I think.”
The Score Magazine | Siren on Song

Once she fell into a 14 foot

long pit. I guess you could call
that a BIG mistake! Oops! “I
wasn’t supposed to fall in it, so
I didn’t have a safety harness or
anything. The camera was rolling,
so they still have the footage. At
the time, it was a bit of a scare
for everyone, but now, it’s just
a joke, with them threatening
to release the footage just to
embarrass me.”

There’s more! “I’ve also gone to a recording with a drip in my hand. Photo Courtesy: Selvakumar T
I’d been hospitalized because I was throwing up constantly, but I was
determined to go for the recording, so my mom force-fed me a couple
of Marie biscuits, and I made it.” Talk about will power!
This Introvert admits that as far as her romantic life is concerned, she
hasn’t experienced any cheesy lines simply because she comes off as
a little bit intimidating. Not that she intends to! (So buck up guys!)
And as far as boyfriend material is concerned, this closeted romantic
seems pretty idealistic. “INTEGRITY- not just in a potential boyfriend,
but in any person who is a part of my life.”
There is a long way to go and as far as future plans are concerned
there is no reason to worry. An ultimate believer in destiny, she might Follow her at
not be counting the stars but feels there is no point in anticipating
too much. She loves Jazz – “In Jazz there is such immense, intricate www.andreajeremiah.blogspot.com
structure holding all that freedom together; like a cobweb holding its
own. I’d love to release an album of my own songs. I’ve written and
recorded about 8 already. I’ve written about love, loss, flirty songs,
nightmarish ones, songs that border on philosophy. I’d like to think my
take on things is very different. And I would title the album ‘Insoma-
nia’, the spelling is deliberate, I assure you.” Sounds a little crazy but
she’s forgiven!
And who does she owe all her success to? Her parents. Sweet, simple
and honest.
Here’s hoping that this destiny’s child gets what she deserves.
www.highonscore.com | 26
The Score Magazine | Waving Starward

Look who’s
talkin!

www.highonscore.com | 28

If celebs are used to making waves every time they made
an appearance, July 8 this year saw them handling a com-
pletely different type of wave. Marking one year of exis-
tence for Chennai’s ‘only English radio station’, Chennai
Live 104.8 FM had an interesting line up for the day. New
shows? Lots of quotes? Extra enthusiasm? Guess on. They
had all that and more except the regular presenters were
given a day in the sun. Filling in for a day were celebrities
from various walks of life who had a distinct Chennai con-
nection.
If the US Consul and Palash Sen shared space during the
breakfast beat, it was the lady with many a haunt in the
city who gave listeners quirky insights into what it takes
to catch her attention; Priya Mani all the way. Vasund-
hara Das and Andrea Jeremiah followed suit hosting the
afternoon slots and put their voices to good use. Now
that’s LIVE on the drive, believe me! Anu Menon stole
the air waves and overloaded it with her regular overdose
of west(u)-coast(u) humour. The last slot for the night,
prime-time was handled by the up and happening father-
daughter duo of actor Sarath Kumar and Varalaxmi Sarath
Kumar. Talking about themselves and their life in the city,
prime-time flew at the rate of knots.
Looks like the stars have found another way to really set
the waves ablaze, live and in person! Courtesy of 104.8 FM.
Tuning a Tribute
Remembering
Leroi Moore
 Sonali Shenoy
What is the loss of someone dear?
Is it a vacuum that you feel
Miles and miles to endure
Or could it be a sudden intake of breath
A wake up call.
You see, you’re small. A speck in the universe.Yet you show the world, as you
know it, that you’re fine. You’re okay. You take a deep breath. Swallow. And try
and ignore the wave of pain that consumes you for one long, intense moment
till it ebbs away. And you start your day.
That is how I think the Dave Mathews Band felt last August when they lost
their saxophonist and founding band member, LeRoi Moore. The band had a
show scheduled that night, and ‘the show,’ as any worthy player in showbiz
would say ‘must go on.’ It did of course, go on. Torches held high. Thousands
of fans sang along in tribute to a member of DMB never to be forgotten, or
replaced.
Certainly not as known as frontman Dave Mathews, Moore added a certain
depth to the band’s sound and feel. In fact, it was his distinctive sax that
formed the base of some of the band’s most iconic tunes, like Ants Marching
and Too Much.
In an interview he said,”But at this stage I don’t really consider myself a jazz
musician,” Playing with the Dave Matthews Band was “almost better than a
jazz gig,” he said. “I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas.” LeRoi
Moore passed away from injuries suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident.
He was 46.
A year later they are back with their first album since 2005. Enter Big Whiskey
and the Groogrux King. And this one’s definitely for LeRoi. From the bluesy
sax solo that opens the album to their lead single, Funny the way it is, it’s the
coming together of a group of musicians on Grey Street.
Dave Matthews reflected “It’s a pretty song and it talks about a lot of things...
death and love and all those things... but it also talks about the world of op-
posites that we are in. That’s the idea behind the song — that we will spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars to save a kid’s life and then we will drop
bombs out of the sky on each other and blow a whole school of them to pieces
without a thought. And that’s a funny world.”
Is it? Or do we choose to perceive our surroundings differently when the light
is dim. When the world moves without you on board.
The pain will come and it will ebb away, but take hope with tomorrow may
come a brighter day. Sing with me:
Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must’ve been much harder when there was no bridge, just water
Now the world is small. Remember how it used to be,
with mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars?
 the shoshan redemption Hebrew, Urdu, Qawwali, Poetry - Shye Ben-Tsur is quite the juggler and it shows in
his music. And what say the people? Bring it on!

 Daniel Thimmayya
The Great Indian Wedding is one thing that has never ceased to in-

Ain’t No
trigue me. Launching discussions on silk and gold laden relatives rush-
ing about with not much reason will not do us much good here. What
then is an instant giveaway that a wedding is afoot in any corner of
the country? Illumentary, my dear Wattson. Lights! Those bright yel-
low orbs suspended by the hundred from trees to dark lamp-posts.

Shye Guy
“Indian weddings are astounding,” agrees Shye “But the lights are
something else!”
Perplexed? Perhaps your attendance at EarthSync’s annual festival
might have thrown some light on the matter. Such as it is, I ask of you,
bear with me and envision this. Poised at various instruments stood
men who would have looked more at place before a groom on horse-
back. In walked this lithe, long-haired man in a black sherwani; my
first encounter with Shye Ben-Tzur. The lavishly spacious Lady Andal
The Score Magazine | Indian Connection
Auditorium was decked with said wedding lights shaped like an ornate
Photo Courtesy: G Venkata Krishnan
red rose. “Shoshan means rose,” he says of the soon to be released
album with EarthSync.
Shye’s journey to Indian shores had less to do with the Taj Mahal and
more with another Indian wonder; a concert by maestros’ Ustad Zakir
Hussain and Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia in his native Israel. Deter-
mined to add to his existing Hebrew musical training, Shye began an
exploration of classical Indian music in Rajasthan. His first muse though
was Qawwali music. Trust him to do it with a twist, though. “I use a Sufi
music base but with lyrics in Hebrew,” he reveals, “Probably why they
call me the Hebrew Sufi!”
One more in the fusion brigade, I thought. So what’s so different be-
yond the Hebrew connection, I ventured. “Not getting carried away ev-
ery time you hear an impressive sound is the key,” he cautions, “There
is a distinct connection between music of most cultures. Indian music is
closer to Israeli than you’d believe at first sight.” Something most fusion
artists say by principle; to the extent of making it a moderate cliché.
But not Shye; comprehension is all for him. “It’s like a pizza,” my ears
perked up, hunger is perennial after all “Imagine adding greens and
vegetables and finally no meat” Clearly not a vegetarian sympathizer!
“Or no cheese, for that matter, would it be complete?” The questioner
became the questioned – I disagreed. Satisfied, he concluded with an
air of great knowing “That’s EXACTLY how it is with fusion; my kind of
fusion. Whatever musical element you use, it’s got to be delectable…for
all the senses!” Made it sound like the judgment call of one person to
me “It actually depends on anyone from the sound engineer to people
around-what they think makes an instant impression. But, yes the artist
does have the choice.” Well, now you know whom to blame!
After his debut album ‘Heeyam’ raised expectations, the hint of
‘Shoshan’ is certainly doing much more. A self-taught flutist, what in-
terested me more than the styles he uses were the shapes and sizes of
the flutes he favours. From large pied-piper sorts to the more diminu-
tive variety Shye’s flutes are the stuff that make for weird humour. “I
play the flute for very few, selected songs,” he says “And it’s completely
by choice!”
If a dreamy voice that sways women effortlessly, is what you figured,
Shye and his media frenzy was all about, guess again. With a compi-
lation of love poems (Souls Expressions) already published, the soft-
spoken romantic is looking toward his second publication.
With an ability to move an audience who know not a word of what
he is singing, Shye has been one of the few examples of music being a
Universal language; one with lyrics anyway! I suppose the Indian props
and folk musicians do help too.
And his Indian connection hasn’t ended with the music and the culture
and the labels and the festivals. Oh no, India might not be Shye’s moth-
erland but it certainly is where he found his match; matrimonially “My
wife is from Ajmer, where we now live,” he reveals of his personal life.
Come what may, it looks like Shye and his Indian connection have a lot
in store for us. Indians love the rose, after all!

 SHUFFLE
Dancing
Tawhid
Liberated

www.myspace.com/heeyam

www.highonscore.com | 32
The pioneer, the visionary
the late Padma Vibushan

D. K. Pattammal
(1919-2009)
The Score Magazine | Rage of the Machines
Transformers
New Divide
 Mrinal Rajaram
The second installment of the Transformers
franchise makes for ordinary viewing. Typical of
a Hollywood action/sci-fi flick, the soundtrack
fuses the larger genres of Alternative Rock, Al-
ternative Metal, Hard Rock and Post-grunge to
it. Through most of the film, you get the vague
feeling of not remembering too much music in
the background – apart from the made-to-order
tunes from the score.
The official single (and theme song) from,
‘Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen’, is a track
called, ‘New Divide’ by Linkin Park. The song is
rather catchy, and is almost as good as ‘What
I’ve Done’, from the first film. But, if you’re look-
ing for anything new in their music, you’re in for
a disappointment – ‘New Divide’ is your usual
Linkin Park track. Strangely enough, the song
never makes its presence felt during crucial
moments of the plot. It finally appears as the
end-credits begin roll. Not a great idea, if you
ask me!
Among the 13 tracks that comprise the OST, only
8 made it to the final cut. Green Day’s ’21 Guns’
is one, and is played in minor rushes from the
first half. The song’s okay – not much to write
home about. It succeeds in being remembered
due to a longer duration of screen time. Other
impressive tracks are, ‘Never Say Never’ (The
Fray) and ‘Burning Down The House’ by The
Used.
It is ironic that the tracks left out from the final
cut of the film, prove to be better than the ones
www.highonscore.com | 34
that made it. Wonder what the film-makers
were thinking? Music from ‘Theory Of A Dead-
man’ (Not Meant To Be), ‘I Don’t Think I Love
You’ (Hoobastank) and ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ (Al-
most Easy) didn’t entirely deserve to be left out.
The music played by Bumblebee succeeds in be-
ing a comic relief – belting out tracks as famous
as, ‘I’m So Excited’ and ‘My Girl’ was worth a few
laughs. None of the songs have made it to the
album though.
The original score of the film was composed by
Steve Jablonsky who reunited with with director
Michael Bay to record his score, with a 71-piece
ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at
the Sony Scoring Stage. As far as the relevance
of the music (to each scene) is concerned, the
score does a far superior job to the soundtrack.
Most films don’t feature entire songs in them.
On account of miniature screen times, the tracks
featured in Transformers 2, are very hard to rec-
ollect. Further more, many of the film’s scenes
weren’t backed up by the right songs. The track
list on the OST is good, but is wasted on bad tim-
ing. Maybe it would have helped had the view-
ing been enhanced– who knows!
 TRANSFORMERS:
REVENGE OF THE FALLEN -
SOUNDTRACK LISTING

1. New Divide by Linkin Park

2. 21 Guns by Green Day

3. Let It Go by Cavo

4. Capital M-E by Taking Back Sunday

5. Never Say Never by The Fray

6. Burn It To The Ground by Nickelback

7. Burning Down The House by The

Used

8. Not Meant To Be by Theory Of A

Deadman *

9. Real World by The All-American Re-

jects *

10. I Don’t Think I Love You by Hoobas-

tank *

11. This Is It by Staind

12. Almost Easy by Avenged Sevenfold *

13. Transformers (The Fallen Remix) by

Cheap Trick *

*Not used in film

3 ups
Linkin Park’s single, ‘New Divide’, proved to be a worthy theme song. It is as good (if not
better) as their previous song, ‘What I’ve Done’ (that appears in the first Transformers
film).

Bumblebee is the film’s short comic relief. His random airing of famous hits like, ‘I’m So
Excited’ by The Pointer Sisters and ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations, is indeed funny!

Steve Jablonsky deserves full credit for composing a good score.

3 downs
There wasn’t much sense in playing the theme song (‘New Divide’) right at the end, during
the credits. Why call it the theme when it fails to appear in the film?

All in all, it is your typical, run-of-the-mill action/sci-fi movie soundtrack

It was baffling to see the best tracks on the list not make the final cut. Songs from Theory
Of A Dead Man, Hoobastank and Avenged Sevenfold deserved better consideration.
The Score Magazine | Reel Life Heroes

Rise of the H.E.R.O.

So almost every superhero series has had its share
of screen time; from the comics into animated se-
ries on television and a few million figurines later,
Hollywood comes calling. One series waited close
to three decades to make that transition. Con-
fused? I wager that the phrase “Real American
Hero” will make an impact!
That’s right, ‘G.I Joe is there’. With the large
screen adaptation of the G.I. Joe – Cobra conflict,
the makers have had a tough time packaging char-
acters and underlying sub-plots while sticking to
a reasonably coherent story-line; in other words
not too realistic to be possible while still not too
far-fetched to be fairy-tale like.
The movie not only unites the most popular line-
up of G.I. Joe characters from Duke and Ripcord
to Scarlett and Snake Eyes but also sheds light on
the reason for the Cobra Commanders face being
scarred, his vengeance against the Joes’ and also
his ‘world domination’ focus stemming from an
ancestral urge toward Weapons of Mass Destruc-
tion.
Following on the successful production of the
Transformers franchise, Paramount Pictures, Spy-
glass Entertainment and the original trademark
holders of the action toy, Hasbro are jointly pro-
ducing this new age action thriller. The old-school
principles of good vs. evil with the latter invari-
ably taking a fall are in place much like the ‘much-
adored’ American soldier stereotype portrayed by
Duke and his gung-ho superior Gen. Hawk.
Rest assured, though the original plot lines and
series clichés remain firmly in place, this is far
from one of those children’s movies with parental
guidance tags. Plenty of action, slick stylish tech-
nology and death defying stunts packaged with
a hint of patriotism and ‘good always triumphs’
will make for a good watch. The title though run-
ning with a tag of ‘G.I. Joe – The Rise Of Cobra’ is
a bit of a dampener because every kid who ever
bought a Striker Jet, a Battle Tank or a host of
four-inch toys and spoke to them, wouldn’t quite
like the idea of Cobra Rising in anything.
Time to get out those old action figures, perhaps?

www.highonscore.com | 36
G.I. JOE

Dennis Quaid - General Clayton Abernathy / Hawk:

Quaid plays the team’s leader here. His son convinced him to take on the part,
and the filmmakers enjoyed working with him so much that Stuart Beattie wrote
“ten to fifteen more scenes” for the character.

Channing Tatum - Conrad Hauser / Duke:

Tatum had earlier played a soldier in Stop-Loss, an anti-war film, and originally
wanted no part in G.I. Joe, which he felt was pro-war. Once he read the script
though, he realized it was a fantasy trip.

Rachel Nichols - Shana M. O’Hara / Scarlett:

According to he story, she graduated college at twelve and became the team’s
intelligence expert. Possibly why she never understood the laws of attraction. She
burnt herself filming an action sequence.

Ray Park - Snake Eyes:

A ninja commando with a vow of silence, Park plays a martial arts expert and
specifically practiced wushu for the role, as well as studying the character’s comic
book poses. Nervous about wearing the mask, he requested to practice wearing
it at home.

Marlon Wayans - Wallace Weems / Ripcord:

Wayans was cast on the strength of his performance in Requiem for a Dream.He’s
the one with the bad humour as he invites Duke to join the Air Force with him. He
also told Scarlett that he can fly almost any aircraft.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - Hershel Dalton / Heavy Duty:

He serves as the teams ordnance expert and was actually called up to play the
role of his series-wise cousin Road Block, but his character in real life seemed a
better fit for this character, or so the producer thought.

Saïd Taghmaoui - Abel Shaz / Breaker:

Serving duty as the team’s communications specialist and hacker, In the film, he
is Moroccan rather than an American but retains his characteristic love for bubble
gum.

Brendan Fraser - Sergeant Stone:

At first, it was reported he was going to play Gung-Ho, but it was later revealed he
plays Sergeant Stone. Fraser is quoted as saying he’d like to think his character is a
descendant of Rick O’Connell, Fraser’s character in The Mummy series.

COBRA

Christopher Eccleston - James McCullen / Destro:

A weapons designer and founder of the Military Armament Research Syndicate
(MARS) and the main villain of the film, David Murray was cast as Destro, but was
forced to drop it when he had problems with his visa.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Rex Lewis / Doctor / Cobra Commander:

The Baroness’s brother, a former U.S. Soldier who was thought to be killed during
an operation - instead, he became the disfigured Cobra head scientist. Levitt wore
a mask – which was redesigned from the comics because the crew found it too
reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan

Sienna Miller - Ana Lewis / Anastacia DeCobray / The Baroness:

The Baroness was going to marry Duke, but he left her at the altar, due to his guilt
over the apparent death of her brother Rex Lewis. Miller auditioned for the part
because it did not involve “having a breakdown or addicted to heroin or dying at
the end”

Lee Byung-hun - Thomas Arashikage / Storm Shadow:

Lee said he did not know G.I. Joe because it is an unknown series in Korea. Lee
was attracted to Storm Shadow’s “dual personality”, which he stated has “huge
pride and honor”

Arnold Vosloo - Zartan:

An expert in make-up and disguises serving Destro, Zartan several times whistles
“For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” early in the film; Zartan is revealed to be imper-
sonating the President of the United States when he again whistles it at the film’s
conclusion.
Britain’s got POTTS
the phantom of the opera Not quite a wisp, Potts is one of those few reality
show winners to have made it in a BIG way. The jokes haven’t eased up though!
 Aparna Ghosh
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great,
some achieve greatness, and some have great-
ness thrust upon ‘em.” says William Shakespeare.
But there was a fourth,and it was clearly the life
of Paul Potts.
Born around Bristol,UK on October 13,1970 of a
supermarket cashier, Yvonne and a bus driver, Ro-
land, Paul Potts is still remembered as “One of the
four kids in the family who was singing from the
time he could talk.” Paul says “My mother recalls
me listening to the theme from ET and conduct-
ing an imaginary orchestra with sticks”. So as he
moved through time, the only passion that grew
stronger and stronger with every passing day was
singing. He took a very obvious liking for opera,
and till date his favourite remains La Boheme.
A fan wrote “A humble bloke
who’s not even aware of his
amazing gift – Paul Potts is a
true star”
During his amateur singing days, the only thought
that restricted him to bath operas was his lack of
self esteem and fear of rejection. But all these
dreams never prevented Paul from leading a nor-
mal life. He had a day job of stacking stores in
supermarkets and later he moved on to selling
mobile phones.
In 2000, he used all the money he had, to attend
a three-month summer school in Italy, where he
learned the language and got to indulge his pas-
sion further. He even got to sing in a masterclass
for his idol, Pavarotti. In 2003, God put forth his
acid test to Paul. He suffered a burst appendix.
While undergoing treatment for this, doctors dis-
covered a benign tumour in his adrenal gland. It
was successfully removed but while he was recov-
ering, he was knocked off his bike and broke his
collarbone. Paul recollects that dreadful phase “
I got very, very low and for once, singing was the
last thing on my mind.”

The Score Magazine | Reality Revelry
And he might have given up forever, had it not been
for Britain’s Got Talent - the talent show for today’s
generation, created by Simon Cowell and co-pro-
duced by his Entertainment company Syco TV, which
last week was celebrating a double whammy. In a
first for a reality TV format, on both sides of the At-
lantic - Britain and America - it was at number one,
with more than 13 million viewers tuning in to see
Paul win the final of the British version.
The audition, that was held a week before the final
only saw Paul Potts very apologetically walking into
the Cardiff stage and stating in his £35 Tesco suit to
his judges Simon, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan
that he was going to sing opera. Little did they know
that they were looking at their winner.
And on D-Day, Paul only remembered himself shak-
ing like a jelly not knowing what happened after he
started singing. “When I stopped singing, there were
a few seconds when my heart was racing because I
had absolutely no idea what the judges were going
to say.” says Paul. They were moved.
Humble as we see know him to be, all he wants to
do is start a family and take his wife Julie-Ann, 27, on
a safari. He also adds “I hope to get my teeth done.I
don’t think I’d suit one of those dazzling Hollywood
smiles, but I’d like to get the cap sorted as I’m very
conscious about it when I sing”.
His feet have barely touched the ground since his vic-
tory and he’s got a host of engagements to prepare
for. He will be back to the UK to start work on his first
album. And, of course, there is also the VIP perfor-
mance for which he was competing in Britain’s Got
Talent - appearing in front of Her Majesty the Queen
at the Royal Variety Performance in early December.
All is well that ends well. “All of this is like a fairy tale
and I’m terrified I’m going to wake up soon and find
I’ve dreamt it all,” says Paul.
Tune4
Tune4 is an organization that aims at pro-
moting talented musicians globally and
establishes itself as a music production
and sales house to provide all sorts of
Music Solutions both online and offline.
Tune4 Talent Bank
They have a talent bank of musicians,
who are capable of producing music of
any style. They are targeting talents who
are at present not in the industry, capable
of delivering high quality music once they
get the chance.
Online Music Shop
In their Online Music Shop, both profes-
sional and aspiring musicians can sell
their original compositions in the form of
albums or singles. It is a platform for the
aspiring musicians to show their talents
to the world, which ultimately benefits
them.
www.highonscore.com | 40
0
 Preeti Krishnakumar
45 years ago
We Love The Beatles – The Carefrees.
Released in 1964, The Carefrees sang of their love for The Beatles.
The song was placed at No. 39 on the Billboard Top 100 , the only
Beatles novelty song to make it into the Top 40. They loved The
Beatles so much, that the verses have “We love you (Name of the
‘Beatle’) followed by why they love him! And added some Woo’s, as
on the Beatles’ world famous track “She Loves You (Ya! Ya! Ya!)”
35 years ago
Annie’s song - John Denver
One faithful day, around 35 years ago, John Denver was going to
the top of Bell Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. And all around him he
saw such breathtaking beauty, that he remembered the one other
thing whose beauty he thought was unmatched, his then wife Annie
Denver. And there on the ski lift, in about ten minutes, he wrote her
this song.
25 years ago
I just called to say I love you- Stevie wonder
Stevie Wonders’ claim to fame, after he dropped the “Little” (From
being “Little” Stevie Wonder). Everybody knows this song! You’ve
either heard it ‘somewhere’, or someone a generation or so before
you loves this track. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the Mother of all
love songs (At least in the 60’s) and thus, a classic. What not too
many people know is that he re-wrote the song in 2009, changing
the words to “I am here because he loves you.”, By “he” he meant
his father who was in the hospital with brain cancer at the time and
whose dying wish was to get Ty Pennington to rebuild his house for
his wife and children.
15 years ago
Zombie-The Cranberries
A popular karaoke track, it is actually a protest song by the Irish band
The Cranberries from their 1994 album ‘No Need to Argue’. The song
speaks of the troubles in Northern Ireland. The Cranberries wanted
so much to have their opinions expressed that they used a heavy
guitar riff which was the sound that was popular at the time, very dif-
ferent from their usual alternative style. A risk they’re probably very
glad they took.
5 years ago
She will be loved- Maroon 5
Released in 2004, from their album ‘Songs about Jane’…
Who is Jane, you ask? Adam Levine’s ex girlfriend. He wrote this song
days before they (Adam and Jane) broke up and she moved away.
He has openly admitted that his girlfriends have been his greatest
inspiration and his best songs were inspired by them. He’s supposedly
dating Cameron Diaz now, and is all set to write us another chart top-
per about the blonde beauty.

 Gayatri Kalyanaraman
Supernaturally natural – That’s how Bob Fitts and the
people who love him choose to catalog his songs. Hav-
ing grown up around men of god, his awakening came
quite early. This awakening manifested itself in the form
of country infused gospel music. The country tinge to his
music has its roots in Texas, since both his parents grew
up there, and the gospel side of it looks to be inspired
from his education. After a bachelors degree in Theol-
Healing
that
FITTS
ogy, he went on to head the DTS (Discipleship Training
Schools) but his passion for songwriting never wavered
and it was just a matter of time before he was contacted
by Integrity Music to release his first solo album Take
My Healing To The Nations in 1988 . An intriguing fact is
that Bob has not written very many songs other than the
ones recorded and he claims to have lived every one of
the song situations and not composed them for the sake
The Score Magazine | Gospel Outflow

10
of record sales.
His ideals and goals are shared and supported by his
wife Cathy who is also a believer in every sense of the THOSE
THINGS
word. For almost 20 years he has been in the public
eye and other than the technicalities, the fundamen-
tal tenor of his music remains unchanged. According
to him, the country and folkish flavor of his songs has
made it possible for his music to reach the common
man since it is the most preferred genre in existence
(that’s a fact!). He reckons that a good voice is a bless-
ing and music is the only tool that can transcend cul-
tures, traditions, race and color.
So can men of God hold their place in the world of
music amidst the likes of Cannibal Corpse and Marilyn
Manson? Bob for one feels that the changing trends
and next generation of music will not affect his kind
of music and irrespective of day and age, believers
will continue to be believers and music from the heart
about the love of God will continue to thrive. Stand-
ing testament to this is the fact that some of his songs

 SHUFFLE
Take My Healing to the Nation
Highest Place
The Lord Reigns

Ranjith
As We Pray
You are so Faithful

still continue to be in popular demand and are often

requested in radio stations – even in Chennai! Talking
about which, this is his second visit to the city and
fourth visit to the country in general. Going by his pre-
dictions, India and China are next in line to witness a
revolution in gospel music.
His long career has seen its share of ups and downs.
In fact there was a short period (2004-2006) when his
belief was challenged and for a while he gave up and
started cleaning carpets, as a profession! His faithful
wife branched out as well and took to photography.
Needless to say they found their way back shortly.
Thank God for that! Their aim right through has been
to use their music to help people around the world on
an emotional level. As a matter of fact he encourages
people to write songs, songs which you can hold on
to during tricky times. He even adds that people like
him are more like pastors than musicians and is quick
to admit with a grin that somebody is bound to argue
that point.
His latest album Restore (2008) is all about getting
back to nature or in other words – going green. Be it
his first or last album, he has a select audience who
remain faithful. Kudos to him for standing tall among
hypocrites and nay sayers in the music world and con-
tinuing to be a believer, in thought and music, for the
last two decades and hopefully for more to come.
 Compiled By Sonali Shenoy
Talented, humble and versatile are the adjectives that come to mind while
in conversation with Ranjith. With hits like Dol Dol and Jalsa this crooner
has made his presence felt in the South Indian music industry. Score found
ten things about the personality behind the music. And here is it, direct and
uncut from the man himself.
- If music didn’t keep my life full I would love to review gadgets.
- I’m a complete shopaholic. Fashion is important because when I look
good, I feel good. I enjoy an occasional shopping splurge.
- I don’t believe in stereotyping people but bad vibes turn me off.
- My musical career turned around the day I met Mani Sharma.
- My favourite show was the Unity of Light World tour with AR Rahman. It
was an experience to see a foreign audience enjoying Indian music.
- I don’t believe reality shows give you the kind of break that a lot of people
expect.
- Once I messed up the tune while singing at a temple concert. My most
embarrassing moment ever!
- I definitely say a prayer before every show i do.

- Singing is 40% from the heart, 40% from the head & 20% from the throat.
Get your heart in the right place.

- My favourite person in the world is my dad. I can only wish that one day I
could be as good a father!

www.highonscore.com | 44
The Score Magazine | Rewinding Rock

TAAQ - This is it

Mals in the wilderness Behold the Pastmasters partying at Primetime. Wonder what happened to that
quarter pint of ethnicity from Gode’s Own Country. Hail the WILD WEST!

www.highonscore.com | 46
 Krithika Sukumar

For Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ) the year has been sunny side
up. They bottled a collection of songs recorded the same time
as Plan B, and some from ‘pre-date Jupiter Café’ into This Is It,
their latest release that premiered at the Jakarta Java Jazz fes-
tival, and voila! Distinctive and original, ‘their sound’ seems to
have evolved again, and the album’s name says it all: both fans
and TAAQ agree. The band has also played harbinger, recording
Shut Up And Vote in 36 hours for the Jaago Re campaign that
urged citizens to vote in the general elections gone by in May.
The campaign organised by Janaagraha, a Bangalore-based NGO,
gave TAAQ the perfect chance to perform for a meaningful socio-
political cause. But this is not a first on either count: Humpty
Dumpty from their first album has not-very-scathing references
to ‘now banished politicians’, and their music has stood out since
their debut eponymous ‘frayed shoestring budget’ album. Their
initial releases were rare original sounds at a time when Indian
rock bands were beginning to defy the clichés of being ‘rock’
and ‘Indian’. Their music infuses jazz, Carnatic, rock and blues
without sounding predominantly like one genre. ‘Defying cat-
egorisation,’ they call it. A term that might fit their perception of
themselves after Jaago Re – “we are careful about the causes we
support. For us, the heard mentality wins over the herd mental-
ity. Besides, voting is the next big thing. Everybody and his uncle
are trying to cash in on the voting theme – and imitation is the
best form of flattery.”
The band’s story begins the way most bands’ do – an idea borne
out of idleness, and to have a good time, doing what they love
doing – making music, in the dorms of a college hostel, way back
in 1996. They started off as the Christ College Band (with Bruce
Lee Mani, Rajeev Rajagopal, and Sunil Chandy), and renamed
themselves TAAQ (the name was Chandy’s brainwave). Their first
album was recorded in 2000 for a “princely sum of Rs 1000” in
a modest studio in Banaswadi, Bangalore and mastered in Auro-
ville. Their CDs and cassettes perked interest among anyone will-
ing enough to shell out cash for a first-time listen to a fledgling
band. But their music sounded a lot like it hadn’t been heard
before, their compositions sounded original. They were begin-
ning to sound less like Indian rock and breaking its copycat cli-
chés at a time when Parikrama (the other big wig rock band in
India at that time – formed in 1991) was trying to sound more
universal. Indian rock was evolving and TAAQ was on the cue,
The Score Magazine | Rewinding Rock

www.highonscore.com | 48
 TURN OFF BEAT

their timing was perfect. Both Parikrama and TAAQ were quick
to realise that they were standing on the edge of what would
5ive Songs that you
be the era of downloadable music on the worldwide web. Both
bands soon began putting up their compositions on their website
for downloads. And Potatoe Junkie, a number from TAAQ’s first
didn’t know meant
album, became an “anthem of a not-yet-Bangalored Bangalore,
reeking of the influence of cable television; the mass communi-
cation junkie.” Fans still sing along to songs from TAAQ, almost
THAT
a decade after its release. The band thoughtfully includes those
You know when I was five I used to sing a nursery rhyme about
songs in their concerts.
two kids who climbed a hill to fetch a pail of water. But it oc-
Written from the sixth floor of Barton Centre on MG road (Ban-
curred to me recently that if Jack and Jill were 5 then they never
galore), Jupiter Café, their second album (released 2002), took
would have been allowed up a hill in the first place.
another wry look at Bangaloreans. Their music ran beyond the
Most natural sources of water come from the ground unless we
confines of the city and the country, and so did their themes,
are talking about Mount Everest or a peak of that range. And if
with their third studio album – Plan B (released online in 2005),
Jack fell down, what made Jill come tumbling after?
that included hits like Paper Puli, Chainese Item and Motorbyckle.
Crown you say he broke? Maybe Jill had something to do with
RSJ’s prediction a year earlier, that TAAQ was the second biggest it…
band in India was pretty close to being a bulls-eye remark, as the 5 or 15. There are some songs that never get off your playlist.
band became the first Indian band to be featured on the National But do they really mean what you THINK they do? Time for a
Public Radio, USA the same year they released their third album. closer look:
They opened for Jethro Tull the next year. “We never thought
that we’d have breakfast with Dave Weckl, a drink with Simon
Hard Day’s Night
Phillips or share pizza with Ian Anderson, but it’s all happening
The Beatles
now,” says TAAQ, whose fourth release, This Is It was mixed by
So you thought that this was just another classic Beatles num-
Grammy winner Jeff Peters in AR Rahman’s studio in Chennai,
ber with some sappy loving huh?
and mastered at Joe Gastwirt’s in California. “There is a line in
It’s been a hard day’s night, I should be sleeping like a log
Getting There that goes half the joy is half the way. That pretty
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
much explains it. The journey is the best part, and because we’re
Will make me feel alright
only halfway there, there’s double fun left to come,” they say.
In fact, look at the title. And you’ve got yourself a pun right
Coming to studio album number 5, what can we expect? Slated there…
for release in a few months’ time, the album will contain “juicier
work” is all they promise. In case you want more, the band has
Summer of 69
been working overtime, and they have enough material for three
or four more studio albums.
Bryan Adams
In the Summer of ‘69, Adams was all of 9 years old. The “69”
refers to, well, not the year but …uh you know. Now you think
about that.

Get Down
Backstreet Boys
Yeah them Boys weren’t talking about no dance floor in this
song, although….that would have been a fun way to start off the
evening’s events. Hey you don’t warm up just to strain a muscle.

Rock You like a Hurricane

Scorpions
We all love this number. The Scorpions reign in all their glory.
But have you ever listened to the lyrics apart from the chorus?
Get to know the band better on their official website
It’s early morning
www.thermalandaquarter.com The sun comes out
Last night was shaking
And pretty loud

And that happens to be just the beginning. The video paints

quite a wild night as well. Handcuffs anybody?

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nirvana
The only scent that one can reflect upon on this track is sweat.
Innuendos all the way.
The Score Magazine | Turnaround Tunes
LIVE and loving it
 Daniel Thimmayya
www.highonscore.com | 50
“Playing live is like a drug,” claims Paul “Addictive.” For an industry that
almost entirely relied on live recording once, mainstream music in Tamil
films is almost completely electronic these days. From being eclectic
conductors, the current breed of music directors have evolved into ac-
complished electronic compilers. And that’s where Paul Jacob is fighting
to make a difference.
But first things first; who is Paul Jacob? To people acquainted with the
city, he’s the guy behind the folk artists at the Chennai Sangamam. To
those well acquainted with music circles, he’s the founder of Bodhi
Muzzik (Remember the Other Festival?) To people immersed in Tamil
film trivia, he was the music director of Kizhakku Kadarkarai Salai and
 Hungary for more folk? Paul Jacob’s fetish for folk music hasn’t ended with unknown South Indian towns. Seen along
with Abhishek, the director of Kathai, the jolly old gypsies in the picture helped with recording parts of the score

Kathikappal. To those who only speak music and bands, he’s one hell of
a bass guitarist. And if none of the above makes much sense, then he’s
the guy in the brightly coloured kurta-shirt at the Alliance Francaise, the
next time there’s an interesting concert!
Paul is one of those select few people who still believe in the power of
the musician as much as the music “Just as the music has its own life,
the guy creating it also has his unique touch,” he reasons “Why take it
away from him?”
He has also thrown much into the promotion of folk artists from un-
heard of parts of South India. He recognizes that as time goes by, so will
a valuable music form pass into ashes and dust. “Its crazy that though
they’ve passed on their music from generation to generation, the lure
of city life is pulling the kids away and killing the knowledge” he says
sadly “I was sampling some stuff in this remote village and the bunch of
chaps begun playing a watered down version of some film song when I
asked them to play their music.” clear distress signals “And THAT is what
cinema has done” he ends.
So what’s a man with his disposition dabbling in films for, I wondered
aloud. “It all began with Allari in 2003. The director was an ad-maker
friend of mine and we did the entire composing in a hotel room in Hy-
derabad for tax cuts!” he chuckles “I am careful about the story first, the
director next and the amount of freedom I’m given,” That explains his
The Score Magazine | Turnaround Tunes

g The Hungarian Heritage House is run by

the Hungarian Tourism Ministry.

g It is open for all musicians alike as long as

they learn sheet music

g It has a top-of-the-line studio and perfor-

mance hall where concerts are staged

choice of films, which haven’t quite made… waves, one may delicately

14
say.
“Kathai is going to be a different story altogether,” he says of his latest
movie. Anything special, I routinely ventured. “Two of the songs were
recorded completely live” The live trip again, I thought. Next. Any inter-
esting singers? ““Well…,” he trailed off smirking ever-so-slightly “There Number of dogs that Paul and his wife
is this one song sung by Shankar Mahadevan” Nice. “and there’s also have taken in and raise at their place
Naka Muka Chinnaponnu and…,” Ah, and? “Balamurali Krishna” I was in Pallavaram. Mostly strays, they work
impressed but not swayed. Not until he said “All in one song” I shot
upright. He put my apprehensions to rest when he explained that the with a network of couples across town
entire song was shot live and appears in the movie as a concert. And no who are into rehabilitating dogs
they do NOT sing together; just one after the other. Hallelujah. Some-

42
thing to watch for.
But wait, there’s more. Borrowing elements from global music types is
one thing, but with Paul it’s on a whole new level. Listening and copying
isn’t his thing. So what did he do? Packed his Macintosh PC, collected
the Director and flew off to Hungary. Enter the Hungarian Heritage Songs in English that Paul has composed
House. A repository of unique European Gypsy performers, the centre over the years but never recorded. Even
also serves as a training and performance space rolled into one. Lapping
up as much as he could Paul promises some “exciting new stuff” from if a bunch of them have been recorded,
Hungary with a lot of verve and a shot of whiskey! releasing them is another game altogeth-
He then decided to treat me to a sampling of the tracks composed for er. Soon perhaps!
Kathai and his next, Katradhu Kalavu. The conversation then meandered
to random topics from general genres to Germany, dogs as pets and
literary interests from Kurals to the Kama Sutra.
As it were, Paul is trying to revive the practice of playing, recording and
promoting live music in films. Here’s hoping he makes a difference. After
all, in his own words, “It’s what we live for!”

www.highonscore.com | 52
Vaidhya’s
Vocation
 Vanipriya Jayaraman
The Score Magazine | Classic Connection
Tradition is often confused with something that’s archaic, com-
plex, old fashioned, beyond comprehension of the ‘present’, and
definitely something that can be in sync with anything that is
modern. Music is no exception. On the one hand, Classical music
is often not associated with the masses, making it appear more
complex than it actually is. And on the other, music has also un-
leashed itself from this thought, transcending traditions and re-
incarnating itself through various new forms. It would not have
been possible but for that breed of musicians who have thought
beyond the conventional.
Rajhesh Vaidhya is one such musician, who has treaded this path,
boldly and successfully. And his instrument is the Veena; unar-
guably, one of the ancient and divine musical instruments that
approximates most to the human voice. Rajhesh, has taken this
pristine instrument to international music and has become a bea-
con for future veena aspirants.
Rajhesh Vaidhya on his music, performances and his participation
in the international project ‘Playing for Change’

Victim of the Veena

Music was a household member in our family. So performing mu-
sic came naturally. When the time came for to me get initiated
into music formally, the choice was between the Veena and the
Mridangam. My mother decided the former was better for me.
Under the tutelage of Sri Chitti Babu, I felt much closer to the
Veena and the journey started.

Performance Ponderings
First, to make my audience enjoy my music, I’ve to enjoy it myself.
Then it’s just a question of translating and transforming that feel-
ing to every rasika in the audience. Once I get the pulse of the
audience, I plan the rest of the concert accordingly. Starting with
Carnatic compositions I move onto devotional music, a few of my
own compositions and then wrap it up with film music.

Musings of a Musician
I’ve always strived to take the Veena to the next level and create
a niche for myself. It is considered an instrument which requires
a lot of patience, skill and hard work to master, which is why not
many youngsters take it up. Also, there is this misconception that
this music is predominantly at a slow tempo. S.Balachandar once
performed the Raghvamsa Sudha (4.30 minutes in its base tem-
po) during a recording and just when he realised there was about
a minute and a half he played the same song in totality within the
same time, without compromising on the quality or the length.
I’ve tried defining a wholly different tone for myself. I’ve experi-
mented with a lot of gadgets to bring out that tone. The credit
also goes to the team of people who perform with me on stage
and my acoustics team, who work on this and travel with me. My
team is like my family.

Tirade of the Traditionalists

There were people who totally dismissed the usage of technol-
ogy while playing the Veena. Tradition is something that was
brought about by people like us, which has been followed for the
fact that the idea has withstood time. I hope, down the ages, our
ideas could also be termed traditional.

Commercial Calling
I have performed for a lot of movie songs for various music direc-
tors. I’ve also scored the track for various tele-serials. The experi-
ence with Iyakkunar Sigaram K.Balachandar was an amazing one.

Global Soundscape
I once performed with Sir Elton John in Paris for a French ballet.
Staying, rehearsing, and performing with him was an unforget-
table experience. I’m also part of Bikram Ghosh’s band ‘Rhythms-
cape’, where I play with top musicians. The latest experience was
my participation in the international project ‘Playing for change’,

www.highonscore.com | 56
which is an international music project, where musicians from all
over the world, are recorded in their own country. These tracks
are then put together to make them into songs.

Playing for Change

I’ve done a lot of recordings in Kosmic Studios where my friend
Enzo Buono, suggested I record a track for Playing for Change.
I’d had no idea about the magnitude of this project or the inter-
national reach that it was going to have, when I recorded it. I’ve
been featured in two tracks in the album – ‘Dont Worry’ and ‘One
Love’; a cover version of Bob Marley’s track.

Coming up
After a gap of two and half years, I’m recording a fusion album for
the Amutham label, which is owned by Smt Sudha Raghunathan.
A lot of top musicians have collaborated with me on this and I
hope this receives acclaim if not more.

Looking Forward
I run a music school called ‘Dhwani’, where I teach anybody who
has the thirst to learn music. My musical goal as far as my per-
formances are concerned is to make my audiences happy, when
they leave the concert hall after my concert.
R.Dis No 339/09