Matali Crasset - Milano 2010

Milano 2010 : matali crasset for Pallucco : Foglie
Milan International Furniture Fair 2010 preview

Pallucco will launch at the Salone del Mobile a new lamp collection “Foglie” designed by matali crasset.

The natural elegance of the branches of a tree provides the inspiration for the new family of lights called Foglie (“leaves” in English).

Available into three different versions: in the floor version, the stem of the light becomes the tree trunk and the branches are transformed into unusual minimal leaf-like appendages. In the wall light the branches are grafted onto the walls while the ceiling light has leaves hanging down, creating light and shade effects on the walls and surfaces below.

The inspiration for the Foglie design is a fractal: a geometrical shape which is repeated throughout its structure in different sizes. It reflects the principle of nature which determines growth: from simplicity to complexity

www.pallucco.com
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Milano 2010 : Matali Crasset for Moustache
Moustache,Milano
14-19 April 2010, 10 am – 9 pm
Press preview : tuesday April, 13, 3 pm – 8 pm

For the second collection of Moustache I strived to consider objects matching and protracting the instant chair and table. I’m set on developing with Moustache a series of objects both ingenious and complementary. They contradict existing codes offering free choices to accessorize, conserving an assertive personality, but nevertheless creating a family.

The “Instant” family range is developing with an integrated right or left-sided elbow-rest creating a small bench with two, three … parts.

The elbow-rest is perfectly shaped for placing a glass or a book.
This version is available in wood or covered with natural Pyrenees sheep skin.
Once upon a time ….
there was a coffee table which aspired to being alive:

It’s a 3-legged round table, composed of a central chest cleverly hidden by a removable tray. Each of the 3 legs is topped with a tray of varied size and height.

The trays revolving around the center unfurl in space, outfitting this small console with amazing flaccidity and resembling extended hands inviting you to gather around.

The trays can be folded away to save space.

…an interactive and natural coffee table completely opposed to the typically canonical appearance of living-rooms … it offers bygone times a durable forward-looking presentation.

… a table used for modern needs, becoming a plastron for all electronic devices requiring plugs. Adopting an electrical connector role, a power-strip is concealed for charging all sorts of different apparatus – family computers, games, cellular phones … – any items which could momentarily be placed on the various trays.

An entire birch plywood plastron for storing technology of new household rituals.

The table’s compactness gives numerous possibilities for placing it in the home – as a coffee table in the living-room for placing a newspaper or a drink, in the bed-room as a night table … in a hallway to recharge cell phones or a perfect place to empty your pockets.

The table exists in 2 versions: in silver birch and natural whitened birch.

The trays boast leather or metal tinted patches.

www.moustache.fr
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Milano 2010 : matali crasset for galleria Luisa delle Piane : Volte-face

14 – 19 April 2010
Vernissage Thursday 15 April 2010 : 6:00pm – 10:30pm

Concurrently with the Milan Furniture Show (Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010) the Luisa delle Piane galleria presents a project by matali crasset entitled Vole-face (French for “About-face”).

This project is part of matali’s research on functionality. Faithful to a strict style, matali shows figuratively and literally that when “you drop the mask”, true purpose finally appears. Volte-face thus presents the coexistence of two identities for the same object; by turning it around (in French, faire volte face), you switch from one state to the other, from one function to another.

This duality represents two central and complementary aspects of design objects:

- symbolic: the convex shape, like a mask hung on a kitchen wall, is turned to the outside and represents an invitation to the supernatural. It reveals what may be hidden.

- domestic: turned to the concave side, the shape becomes suitable for everyday use. Physical rather than metaphysical, it is now a container that may hold anything. It may become an offerings cup or an object for “face to face” exchanges. The shape of the object is determined by the use given to it.

The Volte-face exhibit consists of four objects in duplicate: four masks/implements presented simultaneously on the walls and on a large kitchen table.

A series of photographs by Cécil Mathieu accompanies this project, depicting matali’s pieces in scenes inspired by Samurai armor.

Galleria Luisa Delle Piane Via Giuseppe Giusti, 24 20154 Milano – Italy

www.gallerialuisadellepiane.it

Play 'Sara' - Sara Shagufta by Mahesh Dattani.

Sara is a dramatic enactment of the life and times of Sara Shagufta, one of Pakistan's most controversial poets whose life was troubled with personal conflict, which found expression through her creative outpourings. Largely based on her letters to Amrita Pritam, this dramatization takes us through her struggles and victories as it does try to fathom her innermost yearnings.

A world renowned English Playwright, Mahesh has directed various plays in English but 'Sara' is his first attempt with the Hindustani Language.


Sara Shagufta’s is an important voice because it came from a deeply conservative society of the seventies and early eighties. She flouted the rules laid down by her society and yet deep in her heart she yearned for the very things that a civilized society offers an individual. Love, family and life lived with dignity. Did she acquire these in her short time on earth? Yes and no.


Her poetry is searing and deeply personal. It dazzles with metaphor and compels the reader/listener to try and understand her life better through her words.

The play has been written by Delhi based journalist Shahid Anwar and Seema Azmi (NSD) will portray the role of Sara Shagufta.


Directed by Mahesh Dattani, SARA is an attempt to recognize the contributions of Sara Shagufta and for what she stood. The play, a one-person show by Seema Azmi will be staged at various centres in India, especially in the non metros. Part of the proceeds from the play will be donated in support of Dr. Kiran Bedi?s NGO, Navjyoti India Foundation that campaigns for women empowerment.

Invited audience comprising of the various celebrities such as Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Farooque Sheikh, Waheeda Rehman, Manu Rishi, Suchitra Krishnamurti, Suchitra Pillai, Mohan Kapur, Achint Kaur, Sandip Sickand, Divya Dutta, Sanjana Kapoor, Piyush Mishra, Perizaad Zorabian Irani, and many others.

Poet as a Rebel
by Mahesh Dattani
Source Credit;THE WEEK, March 20th 2010

When playwright Shahid Anwar read out the script of Sara to me, I felt compelled to direct it. I must confess my Urdu is not that hot so it took me a while to understand and appreciate the late Sara Shagufta’s poetry. What first struck me was the remarkable life that she led and the challenges she faced as a woman and a poet in a stiflingly male-dominated society of Pakistan in the 1970s. To quote a male poet of her time and place: “A woman with a pen is a nuisance to society.”

Lest we think we are better off in India or in the 21st century, a friend of mine recalls with some amusement that whenever she travels by taxi and instructs the driver to take her on a particular route, he invariably tells her it’s not a good idea and suggests an alternative route. Once when I took a taxi with her, she asked me to give directions. Not a word out of the driver. She paid the fare, but the change was handed over to me.

Why do we think that women do not have a right to use their brains or to express themselves freely?
Sara, the play, is a dramatic enactment of the life and times of one of Pakistan’s most controversial poets whose life was troubled with personal conflict. Largely based on her letters to Amrita Pritam, this dramatisation takes us through her struggles and victories as it does try to fathom her innermost yearnings. Her poetry is searing and deeply personal. It dazzles with metaphor and compels the reader to try and understand her life better through her words. One gem in translation—Does a woman have any territory beyond her body?

Sara Shagufta’s is an important voice because it came from a deeply conservative society. She flouted the rules laid down by society and yet deep in her heart she yearned for the very things that a civilised society offers an individual. Love, family and life lived with dignity. Did she acquire these in her short time on earth? She did have her moments of victory like when she walks out of a marriage riddled with oppression and humiliation. She fought bitterly for the custody of her children. In court, her ex-husband decided to put a slur on her character to win the case and questioned her fidelity. Sara responded to this by telling the judge that he was absolutely right. She was immoral and unfaithful. That the children were not her husband’s and so he had no right over them. She implored the court to hand over possession of her children, as the man had no right over children that were not his. The court ruled in her favour!

Yet, she failed to gain the acceptance and validation as a poet she longed for in spite of becoming a famous “shayara”. Critics and society continued to pull her down, and she was branded as an indiscriminately sexual woman. Finally, she committed suicide unable to bear the guilt of bringing ruin to her family as a result of her poetry and public appearances in “mushairaas”, the bastion of male privilege.

In my production, I am fortunate to have an actor like Seema Azmi essay the role of Sara. The play deals with the suffocation Sara experienced in the hands of her many husbands and in-laws.

Sara was not a feminist writer by any standards. She rarely questioned gender politics, but when she did, her words stung with their acrid tone. Once when she was divorced from a husband who wrongfully suspected her of infidelity, she wrote with sarcastic intent—“On the streets of fidelity, the dog is considered more faithful than the bitch.”

To me, the play speaks of a search for freedom. All of us, no matter how free we consider ourselves to be, are bound by custom, decorum or good grace to censor our true feelings from being expressed. Sometimes, we allow these constraints to kill our inner voice. Sara felt no such compulsion. She chose death over the indignity of submission.

I Pee L - Peeling it all off & Holding the Bull by it's Horns (Fashion)

I Pee L
Peeling it all off

We all love Cricket & We all love Fashion, right!!!, but we have other better things to do as well.

Its time that we 'Peel" off /away the drawbacks, sorry stigma's if any, & loop holes, & come out with a strong professional ethics when we talk about the best of work we have to bring forward, may it be Fashion or any other thing for that matter.

Its time we all stand by & together to bring about a change, & clear all the notions, bring forward the clean n clear aspect of Fashion World.

What is your comment on the IPL getting a Fashion Week this time. How do you see it, perceive it ,happening this time for the first time, along with many other Fashion Shows happening around India, & Abroad. From Lakme, & Wills to be the first, n then Kolkatta, Bangalore, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, & many other states getting it done like Chandigarh, Kerala, and many other.

Well on the international front Miami Fashion Week, Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, Colombo Fashion Week, Bread & Butter and so on.

Finishing up with the Lakme Fashion Week SR 2010, & getting all ready & gearing up for the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week, in March & IPLFW - IPL London Fashion Week in April 2010

Do we need more Fashion Shows, are we(Designer's ,Buyer's & Market) not sufficient enough to have maximum of 2 Seasons (A/W & S/S).

What are the risks involved, why are the sponsors backing off at the end moment, & why are we having loads of Fashion Weeks, with many of the competitors in the market in the Fashion Business or not from the Fashion Business just having know idea about of the Fashion thingi just doing the show for the heck of it.

We see laods of Blog's & bloggers pouring in with laods of Fashion Coverages & there viewpoint.

We understand that everyone need's business , & everyone needs sumthign going on to get sumthing out of it, & reach out to the masses, the world.

"Is it all about minting money that's left"

Why is it such a hype, to participate in a Fashion Show, for Emerging Designers ,despite of the money constrain, & many of the Designer's not even getting selected despite of being the recognized ones.

With loads of organizations & event Management Companies pouring in & having there Fashion Week's one after the other. With all the propaganda ,publicity & sponsorships, & Event by Invite now changed to "Invite by Pay" criteria.

We look forward for an article on the upcoming Fashion Week & Show thingi, and we are sure this would be helpful enough to focus the mainstream agenda's of the people related with the Fashion World.

We would like you to share with us how you feel about the flooded Fashion Week's the Season has for our Indian & International context.

We would be obliged ,to have your comment & feedback on the same. & look forward for your honest reply & a in depth say on the same.

Just let us know what you have to say, what & how you feel about the whole thingi. What Fashion means to you & What Fashion Week to you is all about.


To be honest, it has got nothing to do with Fashion, It's just to up the glamour quotient and get more celebrities like designers on the band wagon. Just adds brand value to IPL and honestly there's nothing wrong in it. If people lap it up - media likes it, its serving a purpose and along the way of something nice happens to the Fashion Industry -- that is the fringe benefit not the ultimate aim

- Atul Wassan (Former Indian Cricketer)


_________________________________________________________________________________
Holding the Bull by its Horn's

Remember the Anju Modi Stint with FDCI in earlier days. Here is what everyone had to speak about the same. Dated back to May 2008


In conversation/chat & email in exchange with- Anju Modi

1.Well after the FDCI Delhi & Mumbai Division, How do you see this division to help anyway or bring about a change? With 18 Veterans & 14 Rebels? With consolidation getting stronger on both sides with relatively bigger names speaking up in support of Anju-Karuna case.

I hope with all this we will achieve total transparency, whereby offering all our designers equal opportunity to participate in all the events national & International. Things were much better during Mrs. Rathi Vinay Jha’s tenure, and I suspect that she was not allowing all these unfair practices, Sumeet Nair was brought in much before she was to retire in 2009. All her powers were given to Mr. Nair. The skirmishes between the 2 are arising only because of this.

2.Rathi Vinay Jha states that there is no war between us, though this made out to be so? What you have to say about the Bipolar Division between the Director General Rathi Vinay Jha & the Executive Director Sumeet Nair?

It should definitely being about a sea change in the workings of the council. Both the secretariat and the board members. They must have realized that its not their private company to manipulate according to their wishes. The designers have definitely woken up to the fact that unless they demand for their rights they can keep waiting forever.

Rathi has really nothing to say when the board members themselves are silent spectators and are allowing all this to happen knowingly.

4.What you have to say about you accusing Sumeet Nair of creating a split between IMG and FDCI?

They must be laughing their guts out in sure. That is my very point. Most of the members are so terrorized by Sumeet Nair that they refuse to confront him, even at the cost of their business and careers.


5.What about the Press Coference held in Mumbai, What's the result, & whats in the pipeline, whats more to come as an end result? The next hearing on July 7, 2008 right?

Mumbai conference was really great, there media is very intelligent and straight forward. Please check Mumbai papers for the report – The Week etc. Hearing on the case is July 7th.

6. Some call it a Double Whammy: Some feel that you held a press conference at your just opened designer boutique to reveal the latest development in the mess & garner publicity for this new venture. What you have to say about it?

It’s very foolish to think that I am promoting my store through this FDCI / amendments talk. Does the press buy the clothes? Have they talked about my clothes range and available at this address to the readers? Have I spoken about my design range? It’s my own place where I can call to say my view point. Why should I go else where or only hotel + spend money for the cause? - Anju Modi


'' I stand by whoever is correct. Democracy is everybody's right and if certain members are feeling that some questions need to be addressed, then it is the duty of the secretariat to reply to the queries. This way, there is no ambiguity and will only help further strengthen their faith in FDCI. Either ways, the best way is to hold the bull by its horns.'' – JJ Valaya


I feel that fashion is getting more and more political with coming times. Its sad that us new comers (dosent matter Delhi or Mumbai) have to see such a controversial and ugly face of Indian Fashion. I dont care who is right and who is wrong but I do care of the fashion industry as a whole. Where are we heading? - Anuj Sharma
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Well to tell you honestly, since I am 'merely' an accessory designer(and I could'nt say this more sarcasticly) I really don't have a voice here. While people are arguing over the board and its functioning and all that jazz.I am yet to be BESTOWED upon with by the council- the basic fascilities and priveleges that I should be getting as an artist, a member of the council, a growing brand, a business entity.

And this is strange since I belong to an industry that is way bigger than the newly initiated fashion industry. and has been in existence since much before the term fashion even touched our Indian shores the gem and jewellery industry and mind you the Gem and jewellery Industry probably adds a thousand times more to the country's GDP and exports than what the entire fashion garment industry does. So my grievances are totally different! But our day will come.

So good luck to everyone fighting. May the honest side win! and honestly dont even bother printing this..wont serve any purpose will it.- Suhani Pittie



According to me, one needs to get down to the details...I am really not aware how much truth is there in spite of being an industry member for the last 2 yrs, I have never been invited for any meeting yet. people in place who have been the decision makers are surely partial in terms of talented designers or industry unless one makes a personal relationship with the committee. I strongly feel you stand no where which is really not fair being a council they should surely look at credentials. Cheers. - Liza Varma


I have my own take on all this. But like I said, we have never known much to ask questions in the past. Have just been going with the flow. Am glad a lot of things are going to get transparent irrespective of whose favor the matter ends up in. You know we were not given a slot at the last Fashion Week. We got the application some 20 odd days later than everyone else and that too after several reminder calls. Then we were told that our collection was not put to the mark. Though being a part of the council for 4 years we don't even roughly know the selection procedure or criteria! Every year we hear a new story. So this year we decided not even to take a booth. What's the point? If someone just off the boat gets a slot and we don't after religious participation at all the Weeks, it totally pointless. And who is this that can judge whether the garment or collection is upto mark or not? All my own 4 stores and the 16 stores I stock at do phenomenal business and I have never had complains on finishing or fitting. I don't mean to compare myself with other designers but honestly, I felt a few collections were quite shoddy. But then who am I to also judge a fellow designers creativity and am sure there is enough business for everyone. But really, always felt its all too grouped up and political. There is absolutely no clarity on why certain things are the way they are. So hopefully all this mess will end up in a clear picture for everyone. – Chintan Shah

yeah i guess so. everyone has there own say ,well there is a politically unjust and not so sweet communication that keeps yopu going, well it might be not for everyone and just by invite event , but fashion people should know who are the right designers , who are the right media industry people and whom to choose rightfully as directors on board, as directors & other respective posts , well there is a bit or may be more of unrealistic approach to it,may be the partial behaviour and technique involved. or just a story for publicity to get the cream settled. there are many designers with good work never getting highlighted and all the top notch brands doing the same fashion show every year whether in Delhi or Mumbai or internationally, there sure is a give and take attitude n behaviourism settled as the creame on the top of FDCI as well. and amongst the jury members, etc. well guess its the branded names and the brande3d designers who have all da say in the fashion circle, irrespective of there sexual preferences and irrespective of there work that might not be commendable at all and may be the same for all the rest of the years and wrongly mixed n matched whether for A/W or S/S season, there is surely a distressfull sight platformed.

Exactly. i mean some of these guys don't even have a Fashion education. But its all very grim the way they have been doing it so far. I heard stories about there being foul play after last year's controversy about Kangana Ranaut.

You are so right about the shows being repetetive. Its sad. The whole thing is so biased towards the brands. Also the new designers are the ones that suck up to them. i have seen them at parties. Somewhat stupid and silly. Like no one cares about the business of fashion and all about the glam only. I had thought of writing a letter to Mrs. Jha about all this but then decided against it as you never know who is in arms with whom. And everything is so favored to a select group of "friends" that its just not worth the risk.

Don't wanna get into anyone's bad books. Will continue applying everywhere like a no body and wait patiently. - Chintan Shah

This is an internal matter of FDCI and is being resolved amicably. – Paras Bairoliya (Geisha Designs)


In conversation with Vinod Kaul on the FDCI working.

What we hear about the recent goings on at the FDCI and the deep schism between two groups of designers are very disturbing. It has the potenital of permanently maiming the FDCI and thereby retarding the fashion movement. Without naming anyone, it is quite clear that individuals are working within very narrow and parochial interests. Senior personalities who should have been sorting out the mess are either aloof or have been foisted by a coterie and so lack credibility. The only way out is for the players to adhere to a higher calling, FDCI's activities made completely transparant and to hand over the reins to those who have the confidence of all. Otherwise I am very pessimistic of the future. – Vinod Kaul


FDCI's periodic auditing on its accounts & presenting the board with comparatives of costs :
There normally is an audit, a presentation as well as a comparison. However, this is only the beginning and no guarantee that all is in shape. The Board Member or for that matter any member is free to question. It is the job of the ED to answer any and all queries to the full satisfaction of the person. It is important to be completely transparant in this and make the information available as frequently as it is requested.

About the top FDCI official being corrupt & embezzling FDCI funds: If any charges are levelled, they should be fully investigated.

FDCI being a non-profit institution, seem to have gaining in personal funds, What you have to comment on that:
FDCI is a non-profit body. However, there is nothing wrong or illegal in accumulating funds for projects or to build up a corpus. In fact, FDCI needs to find new ways of raising funds as it is almost entirely dependent on moneys it raises through sponsorship of India Fashion Week.

There is a complaint from lot of Designers that FDCI websites are never updated, half of the members profile details missing, all mix and match up of the member categories.there is also a complaint of FDCI Pr's sad work? There is no email interaction, phone calls, any communication made about any of the detail minutes of the selection procedure, budget, fashion weeks, meetings, auditions & other details amongst the members of FDCI? There is no feedback from them at no time? what you have to comment on that.

Certainly there is a great need for the FDCI to improve its performance beyond India Fashion Week. However, designer members are also no model of civility, efficiency or cooperation. It is definitely difficult dealing with designers - Vinod Kaul.

Gaurav Kapoor,Publicist,Editor,CEO
Studio Varuag
TFW - The Fashion WeekEND, Publicist & PR,EDM Magazine Publication/Tabloid

Ancient Earth by Chittrovanu Mazumdar in Chennai

Color Me in Song - Aaj Biraj Mein Hori re Rasiya

Holi and Music

A group of boys and girls in ragged clothes, were asking for money and mithai, drenched in colors that would frustrate any environmentalist – red, silver, green, walking through the gali-koocha of dilli nagari’s DDA colonies. While this asking for Phagwa was not exactly Braj Ki Hori, but the dholak and the fairly high pitched ranting along with it was intriguing – I was quite taken aback with what I managed to make out. They were actually singing the trademark Holi song – Aaj Biraj Mein Hori re Rasiya. But to my mind it also brought out the core idea of this festival –it transcends many boundaries in the way it gets celebrated. And a uniting theme in all of this is the music that is so intrinsically linked to Holi – I definitely do not refer only to the Bollywood staple Rang Barse here.

Celebrated throughout northern India by the privileged and the commoner alike, the music around Holi suggests how folk and the classical traditions co-exist, how color and music come together and how traditional festivities can overlook religious convictions. Whether it is the songsters on the streets, the sonorous strains of legends like Thumri singer Shobha Gurtu or the Qawwal Jaffar Hussein Badayuni, there is so much music in Holi and this is just a glimpse into that world.

What is really the connection between color and music? It is actually an unusual one. Color can be seen, is perceivable while music exists on another plane – more abstract, more intangible. Yet the two are closely connected. The strains of Kafi, Pilu, Tilang or Bhairavi, some common Raag in which Holi songs are sung, do elicit moods of love, celebration, belonging, separation and sensuality. These Raag have mostly risen from folk tunes - with their origin in folk music. Although over time they have come to be formalized into Raag in the classical genre, they remain relegated to the domain of “lighter” Raag. In fact the folk element in the semi-classical tradition of Thumri is the most evident in the sub-genre of Hori. And therefore a lot of us grow up with these tunes in our conscious; the familiarity making it all the more enjoyable.

A more obvious connection between color and music is the rich text that comes through Basant, Holi and even Sawan where moods and colors merge into a beautiful tapestry. References to Hari Chudiyan (green bangles), Gori baiyyan (fair skinned arms) Kumkum (vermillion), Kesar (saffron), Gulal (red color), Daph and Shehnai, Rang Rez (the Dyer) and Chunariya (the Stole) come to mind straight away. Even today people relive legends through these songs; celebrate the exasperating, but highly charming ways of Krishna as he drenches the Gopis in color and love; songs associated with Radha and Krishna and with games and pranks that young Krishna played with the Gopis. You can feel the romance in the intent of the lyric, like in this traditional Thumri:

Vanshi wale Se Khelungi mein Holi;

Mohe rang mein kari aur jhakjhori;

(With the Flautist will I play this Holi,

He who drenches me in indefatigable color)

In fact there is a song for every mood in Holi including the Nayika in Viraha – or the heroine distressed by separation in rare Thumris and Dadra’s:

Hori Aaj Jarey Chahe Kaal Jarey, Mora Kunwar Kanhai Mose Aan Mile

Jar Jaye Hori Piya Ghar Naahi, Abir Gulal Mein Aag Lagey

(Referring to the pyre that is lit to signify the triumph of the good over evil, this traditional Dadra is the voice of a lonely heart pining for her lover, Krishna)

But the real mood is having fun and being naughty (haven’t we heard of Natkhat Kanha!) - a time to flirt and let your hair down. These fun songs bring out the risqué in the celebration. Aayi Hurdangon Ki Holi Ayi – here comes the riotous Holi, as a popular Bihari folk song aptly describes it. Barsana where Lathmaar Holi is traditionally celebrated finds mention in a lot of the Phag and Holi text. Women pick up sticks to beat men who do not retaliate – all done playfully! There is also a tradition where women let out Gaari’s (literally meaning abusive words), giving women a slim opportunity to let go just one day in a man’s world! Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar who couldn’t resist joining the fun used Braj Boli to write:

Kyon Mo Pe Rang Ki Maari Pichkaari
Dekho Kunwar Ji Doongi Mein Gaari

(Why drench me with color, now Kunwarji I will let out a Gaari!)

This fanfare and gaiety also entered art music – Khayal and Dhrupad - not something you would see for instance in Diwali. Dhamar, a sub-category of Dhrupad, is specifically related to Holi and thematically has nothing to do with either the ritualistic context or the feudal aristocracy that Dhrupad so represented. A popular Dhamar which infuses both sensuality and spirituality at once:

Khelat Hari Sang Sakal Rang Bhari Hori Sakhi

Kanchan Pichkari Karan, Kesar Rang Bori Aaj

Bheegat Tana Dekhat Jan Atii Laajat Mann Hi Mann

Aise Dhoom Brindavan Machi Hai Nandalal Bhavan

That music in Holi satisfies an emotional bonding with the listener -no use for worldly wisdom here - comes through in the secular aspect of the festival. Major traditions of devotional music in India such as Sufi and Bhakti Sangeet come to mind in this regard. Whether it is the Bhakti poet Surdas’s pada “Tum Chalo Sabahi Mili Jaaye Khelan Horiyan” or the ‘Muslim’ Krishna Bhakt, Ras Khan’s “Aaj Khelen Hori Braj Gori”, the mood, the enthusiasm and the underlying intent of love and devotion is very comparable. The great poet, Amir Khusro has written hundreds of Holi verses addressed to his spiritual mentor Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, whom he compares to Krishna: Mohe suhagan, rang de Khwajaji, Aao, Sufiyon sang Hori khelo.

This music is pure inebriation infused with the magic and power of imagery. Best savored with your Gujia, Gulal and Gaari!

For the Bhil tribals Holi is a celebration where they really let themselves go as traditionally they used to have money to splurge only at this time after the harvest was in. That is why they have a celebration of Holi over a whole week in the weekly haats. And as with the celebration of Holi elsewhere there is a riot of romantic colours. What is life without romance. Society to save itself from chaos tries to restrict romance but romantic hearts defy such barriers and this is expressed eloquently in the music around Holi whether of the folk or classical variety.



Credits/Source; Internet;/Vidya Shah(Arts-Dance & Music)/Rahul Banerjee(Social Activist)/

'Azaad 26/11'

Shot Ok Motion Pictures &
Subhash Ghai's Whistling Woods International Presents'Azaad 26/11'

Starring Chris Bhansali with Isha Koppikar, Gul Panag, Celina Jaitley, Javed Jaffery, Aushima Sawhney, Meenal Jain, etcMusic by Rahul BhattDirected by Manish JainSynopsis;-'Azaad' is a 26/11 tribute music video which portrays the marathon journey of a little kid running across all the 26/11 locations - Taj, Trident, Cama hospital, Nariman House, Cafe Leopold & CST. With an indomitable smile & the red rose held up high, his heart-felt desire is to spread vibrations of Love & Peace. It puts together the undaunted spirit of the city in a blend of a highly emotional song which reflect the sentiments of the mass at this point in time.Let Spirit RiseLet Peace PrevailLet Hope Survive Let Humanity WinLet Mumbai Live.

Acclaim and Appreciation:AZAAD 26/11 was aired on all the prime TV News channels on the anniversary of 26/11... AAJ TAK, STAR NEWS, TIMES NOW, CNN-IBN, HEADLINES TODAY, TV9, LIVE INDIA, STAR MAJHA, etc played the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo9VhZjFBgw

New Hotel YOGA SPA Catering to a GAY CLIENTELE set to open in COSTA RICA

'New York City Gay Men's Yoga' Owner Aaron Star Is Preparing To Open 'Blue Osa'- A Beautiful New Gay-Friendly Beachfront Hotel & Wellness Center in Costa Rica


Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica- January 17, 2010 - There will soon be a new addition to the Osa Peninsula- the 'Crown Jewel' of Costa Rica- when, after three years of careful planning and construction, 'Blue Osa', the Osa's first and only beachfront hotel offering full spa and wellness facilities is opening and welcomes it's first group.

For the past three years, New York business partners Adam Dolle & Aaron Star have been working on and pouring over every last detail, as they work to perfect their vision of Zen in the jungle with refined style and elegance. "Blue Osa is going to be an extension of the work that I am doing in New York City. Our vision is to create a yoga sanctuary and spa for the gay community that will help us to spiritually reconnect to ourselves and each other in an environment that is akin to a paradise," says Star.

Now, their dream is set to become a reality with the opening of Blue Osa, a beautiful new oceanfront "Yoga Sanctuary and Spa" that will offer full hotel, restaurant, spa and wellness facilities, and that represents the fruits of both mens' labors and the culmination of two lifetimes of work.

Offering it's guests "peace and tranquility in an idyllic setting", the eco-friendly Blue Osa will feature full spa facilities, complete with 70 foot lap pool, gym, large open-air yoga studio, oceanfront restaurant and comfortable, beautifully decorated cabinas all surrounded by pristine rainforest and situated on one of the most glorious beaches the Osa Peninsula has to offer.

Officially opening shortly into the New Year, Blue Osa is hosting it's first Yoga Retreat Group on January 31st, followed by Gay Men's groups such as Body Electric and Hot Nude Yoga. Blue Osa is welcoming both individual and group reservations and extends an open and happy invitation to all gay weddings, reunions and all others who would like to come and experience this carefully and lovingly constructed vision of peace in paradise.

Those interested in visiting Blue Osa will find getting to the Osa Peninsula to be both simple and reasonably priced. Flying time is typically no more than 4 - 5 hours from the Continental U.S. Upon your arrival in San Jose, it is nothing more than a quick 50-minute flight to to the town of Puerto Jimenez on Sansa Airlines, Costa Rica's most trusted domestic air carrier. Once in Puerto Jimenez, there are numerous friendly taxi drivers ready, waiting and available to take you the twenty-minute ride out to Blue Osa.

If you would like to know more about Blue Osa, or are interested in either inquiring about or visiting us, please contact Aaron Star at 'aaronstar@Blue Osa.com'. Or, visit the website at 'www.blueosa.com', which features an extensive photo gallery for your viewing pleasure.