Ooh Lalala...

I love the show “Ooh Lalala” on Sun TV!! This is probably the first initiative by anyone to showcase a band’s ability in a competition on Indian TV. Most of the existing shows display an individual’s talent in such competitions however this show features bands flaunting own compositions as well as remixes of past numbers. Well, remixes here are not remixes in the normal sense as in adding a rhythm track to a slow number etc, but the ability of the band to innovate, adapt and make the number completely indistinguishable from the original…and this adds to the fun. First off, for a band, it’s extremely difficult to get any avenues to exhibit their prowess and it’s even more of a struggle to get a record label to listen to them. This opportunity is golden for bands and individuals willing to make a mark (and a career) in the music scene. From what I hear, this was the brainchild of the music label Saregama and Pepsico which then joined hands with India’s famous composer A.R.Rahman to bring this to fruition. Winners of this contest will get a chance to record an album in Rahman’s state-of-art music studio which itself would make any emerging artist swoon with its capabilities. This is a huge feather on Rahman’s cap for associating with this venture and attempting to unearth talent. Kudos to him.

Some of the bands that have showed up have real talent and have displayed tremendous ability in terms of composition, execution and flair. There have also been some that have not lived up to the standards put on by others. However, it does tell me that the organizers have a very good recruiting system and only quality performers have been able to step forward to compete. I have been very impressed with the music, the harmony lines and musical concepts demonstrated by some bands. With more exposure, I’m sure, many of these performers will learn to exhibit more panache and stage presence which is one thing I found lacking with many. It is understandable though since at this stage, these bands have landed here only on strength of their musical ability with no coach or retinue to teach them showmanship. I have also been astounded by some of the compositions in the remix segment. Usually, I’m very wary of remixes because I feel they dilute the essence of the original song and can never compare. But here, bands have been striving to give a different take on the originals and are succeeding at that. For example, I loved the remix of “Kadhal Sadugudu” from Alai Payuthe, which in itself is an awesome song by Rahman.

There are also some things I don’t like about the show. For starters, the show is too short at half hour. This show deserves at least an hour to go through all the contestants without sounding rushed. The short time also ensures that the editing team is really busy in post production which makes this show heavily clipped…and that’s a shame. We never get to hear fully what the judges want to say. I would have also been happier to see the comperes behave like normal people instead of practicing various exercise routines during introductions and indulging in hyperbole during the show. It almost makes me want A.V.Ramanan back to host this show (which tells you what I think about the existing comperes). I personally like two of the judges because I think they have real talent, though I would prefer them to be more loquacious. I have personally interacted with Paul Jacob when he used to perform in Pilani during his Anna University days and he is a humble, talented individual. Shivamani needs no introduction and it’s a pleasure to see him perform and judge. I don’t really know why Vasundhara Das needs to be here. Her resume might look impressive to some, but I find that she is not a great judge and doesn’t have the talent or accomplishments to sit on this panel. I remember on one of the days when she waxed eloquent about a band because they were employing a four part harmony which she said she was hearing for the first time in tamil music. This has been done previously several times by the giants of tamil music like MSV, Ilaiyaraja and Rahman. Obviously, she has a lot of music to catch up with. The garish set and production values could also have been much better.

Anyways, the niggles are few and far less important than the music on display. What’s important is the talent that’s being paraded for music buffs like us who are starved of original concept shows and have to make do with knock-offs from other countries.

You can watch previous episodes of the show at http://oohlalala.in/tamilnadu/tamilnadu_home1.php and keep track of the happenings here.

Go ahead, enjoy some good music, for a change!!

2007 India VS England Test match series

India won the test series in England after 21 long years. This is a terrific achievement for the Indian team which has faced a lot of criticism, rightly so, since the early World Cup exit. I can imagine the pressure faced by the team members as they set out on this tour against the No: 2 ranked nation in test cricket. For their part, I suspect the English also underestimated this Indian side. The Fab Four would have been an integral part of their plans however they perhaps did not account for the relatively inexperienced bowling arsenal as well as the gritty openers. The Indians did perform as a team which is very evident in the high scores game after game without a single top order batsman going on to hit a century. The fact is that this successful series has a serious chance to figure as a trivia question in the future on account of Anil Kumble’s solitary hundred. Dinesh Karthik had a very good tour, surprising many skeptics, though he would do better to concentrate more on the field and not drop dollies. Rahul Dravid had a surprisingly poor series while Sachin Tendulkar played his recent new role of a bulwark to perfection. Laxman, as usual, didn’t inspire much confidence, though he sparkled sporadically and is still in the periphery of the test team. The most fluent run scorer had to be Sourav Ganguly who was delightful as well as effective in the series. It’s a testament to his tenacity and perseverance to see him come back so strongly after he was completely banished from the cricket scene by the powers-that-be. The bowlers, especially Zaheer Khan, did surprise the English with their variety and skill. It was a joy to see them firing in unison and with so much passion and ability. Sreesanth would also do better if he used his fire towards improving his concentration and bowling skills rather than mouthing off as though he was a Dennis Lillee (which clearly he is not!!). Dhoni’s keeping was below par and I don’t buy the argument that the Duke ball was swinging a lot in those conditions. The more I see him, he reminds me of a soccer goal keeper rather than a test wicketkeeper, in terms of his technique. However, he played two crucial innings and has to be commended for that.

The English side had its moments too. Kevin Pietersen, Ryan Sidebottom and Michael Vaughan performed creditably and if a few things had gone their way, this series could have ended with a different result. It didn’t help that they got shocking contributions or lack thereof, from Matt Prior, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood etc. The bowlers too shone only in patches and it was this lack of team effort which got in the England’s way. But that’s what test cricket is all about; it’s about taking your chances and making the best out of it, being gritty and unrelenting till the end.

One other aspect needs mentioning and it’s the umpiring. The general standard of umpiring was abysmal with appalling decisions handed out to both sides, more so to the Indians. Both Simon Taufel and Ian Howell had a bad series and gave some absolute shockers. The present situation is such that everybody including the spectators, commentators and TV viewers has access to technology to judge decisions, except the umpires. So, when an umpire makes a bad decision, it gets really magnified almost immediately. I do agree that all decisions cannot be referred to the third umpire since that would dilute the on-field umpire’s authority as well make their jobs redundant. There is an idea which can be borrowed from NFL and which has presently found its way into tennis too. One possible solution to this would be to have a concept of say maximum 3 challenges for each team for a test match. They could use them either when they are fielding or batting. So, when the umpire gives an incorrect decision, the captain of the affected team has a right to challenge the decision which will be reviewed by the third umpire. The team loses the challenge if the umpire was correct in his decision and vice versa. However, since it a maximum of 3 challenges, teams will be wise to only challenge those decisions that might be crucial to the game or involves one of their top players etc. This is an idea worth pursuing and implementing which gives the teams involved a chance to redress wrong decisions.

The next battle is the one day series which begins in a week and it promises to be a heady affair…

PS: All photos © Getty Images

Bitz 'n Pieces

Let me start out by congratulating Baradwaj Rangan, friend and classmate from BITS Pilani, who was awarded the “Best Critic” National Award in India recently. Baddy, as I recall, was always a jovial and good natured person. Yet, his journey to writer’s world is as stupendous as his writing. I’m sure, back then; this profession was the last thing on his mind. However he did answer his true calling and today he has been recognized as one of the best. This is truly a great honor and I congratulate him warmly along with the enormous number of his growing fans. His reviews can also be found at http://desipundit.com/baradwajrangan/

On one hand, it is heartening to see deserving people being rewarded for their efforts by recognition and appreciation. On the other, it is shocking to see certain legends being repeatedly shunned by the powers-that-be for greater honors. The other day I was casually browsing the list of people who have been honored by the Indian government. I have nothing against any of the winners and I’m sure most of them deserved some sort of recognition. It’s interesting to see that the list of people who were awarded the Padma Shri (the last in the hierarchy of civilian awards) includes Mohan Babu, Balachandra Menon, Sania Mirza, Kavita krishnamurthi, Shahrukh Khan, Bharathiraja, Shekhar Kapur etc. One name conspicuously absent from this and any other government honors list is Ilaiyaraja. One of the greatest original composers from India continues to be eschewed from these lists and treated with utter disdain. Raaja’s achievements and contributions need no recounting to anyone even slightly knowledgeable about Indian music. This is surely a blight on India and its honor system.

On another note, it is also depressing to see Subramanian Badrinath being repeatedly snubbed by the Indian cricket selectors. He has been one of the most consistent batsmen the past two seasons and has often scored in big matches too proving he has the right temperament to go with the talent. In the ongoing Kenya trip by India A, he has already scored two centuries in two games but has been left out of the senior Indian squads. This could quickly turn out to be another familiar episode in the “falling by the wayside” soap opera of Indian cricket brought upon by politicized, shortsighted management.

Well, what can we do…other than wail?