Lately I've been listening to a lot of Hindustani (North Indian) Classical Vocal music. Till now, I've been largely ignorant of this genre. I preferred instrumentals, especially in the fusion style, the acrobatics in playing the instrument, generally fast pace, and a strong basis in percussion.
However, after trying out a few CDs by renowned singers such as Vasantrao Deshpande, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj, and newer singers such as Sanjeev Abhyankar and Ustad Rashid Khan, I've begun to like it. In attempting to learn a bit about the historical tradition and the musical aspects, I came across Musical Nirvana.
Musical Nirvana seems a very good resource at this stage. It gives a detailed historical account of the origins and development of Indian Classical music. The website traces the roots of Indian Classical music in the temple tradition, to the Persian influences on it, the Gharana tradition, and the change in the form and structure of the raga performance. It also has very detailed and simplified information on a number of raagas, their history, and musical structure in terms of swaras. The technical background seems useful in learning to distinguish the finer nuances of the ragas.
The site is pretty comprehensive - it contains information about the most renowned and popular artists and composers, their albums, their Gharana traditions and so on. Certainly a very valuable resource.
December 02, 2004
November 17, 2004
Four Colors Suffice
A well-narrated story of the path to the solution of the "Four Color Theorem". Robin Wilson explains the theorem and the various attempts to solve it in a clear, lucid manner. The mathematics is simple, and aided by nice maps or map-like illustrations. In between the mathematics, the author weaves in interesting facts and anecdotes about the mathematicians who concerned themselves with the problem.
The path to the solution is intriguing, winding over and around the various hills of different branches of mathematics. I haven't gotten to the end yet. Can't wait to get my hands on the book again :)
The path to the solution is intriguing, winding over and around the various hills of different branches of mathematics. I haven't gotten to the end yet. Can't wait to get my hands on the book again :)
November 08, 2004
नागरी भारत : अंधश्रद्धा आणि वास्तव
[ Urban India: Myths and Reality ]
An article by my mother, addressing some myths about Urban India. It is available only in Marathi. Published in the "Urbanization" special issue of Aajachaa Sudhaarak (roughly translated "Progressive thought today")
An article by my mother, addressing some myths about Urban India. It is available only in Marathi. Published in the "Urbanization" special issue of Aajachaa Sudhaarak (roughly translated "Progressive thought today")
November 07, 2004
The Motorcycle Diaries
A fascinating film, reliving Ernesto "Che" Guevara's motorcycle trip across South America in 1952. I was most impressed by Gael Garcia Barnal's portrayal of Ernesto, his compassion, and his rage building up throughout the journey.
Fabulous locales in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, including the Machu-Picchu site make a superb background the tale of a young man out to travel - to discover the world. Very much a must-watch film.
Fabulous locales in Argentina, Chile, and Peru, including the Machu-Picchu site make a superb background the tale of a young man out to travel - to discover the world. Very much a must-watch film.
September 14, 2004
Ultimate (a.k.a. Ultimate Frisbee)
This summer, I started playing Ultimate regularly for the first time. I had tried my hand at Ultimate back in 2000 and 2001, but never made the effort to play regularly. I played three days a week over this summer. It is a great sport, with a lot of emphasis on running, throwing and catching, and overall athleticism. The best part is the spirit of the game, where there is no referee and players themselves make calls, even at the highest level of competition.
There have been several welcome additions to my vocabulary - the forehand, the backhand, the hammer, the blade, and several others (of course, these are some of the different types of throws one can employ to send the disc flying towards a teammate - and are some throws I have learned over the summer). Plus, all the running and catching has been a ton of fun. The season is close to getting over (as it starts to get cold here in Ann Arbor), and I am looking forward to going back to some indoor sports.
There have been several welcome additions to my vocabulary - the forehand, the backhand, the hammer, the blade, and several others (of course, these are some of the different types of throws one can employ to send the disc flying towards a teammate - and are some throws I have learned over the summer). Plus, all the running and catching has been a ton of fun. The season is close to getting over (as it starts to get cold here in Ann Arbor), and I am looking forward to going back to some indoor sports.
August 25, 2004
Weekend movie marathon
This past weekend I saw 3 films, very different from each other.
Everybody Says I'm Fine | imdb
This is one of the recent (though made almost two years ago) Indian English films that I wanted to see. I first got wind of the film when I listened to the soundtrack composed by Ustad Zakir Hussain. The soundtrack is a very interesting, and entertaining mix of Blues, Qawwali, and Indian film music (and has Carlos Santana playing on the title song). The film itself is a mix of a variety of influences - most importantly, the fact that its set in moden day Mumbai means its a very cosmopolitan film. Thus, the set of characters - Bombay socialites, college kids, young romantics, a struggling actor and a powerful businessman. The small idea - a hairdresser who can read his client's thoughts as he cuts their hair - is unusual and leaves a lot of scope for creative interpretations.
I thought that the film on the whole was pretty good. The cast was fabulous, especially Rehan Engineer and Koel Purie in their so-called lead roles. The build-up of the story was gradual, building up to a climax; it was more subtle, a bit too understated rather than powerful. All the characters were decidedly one-dimensional - except for Koel's - possibly explaining why Xen couldn't read her mind.
This was a good start to what turned out to be a fabulous movie-watching weekend.
Old Boy | review
An awesome, twisted, funny, cruel, one-of-a-kind movie. This Korean movie won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2004. Its a fabulous film, period. The soundtrack, which uses Beethoven, techno and compositions in the western classical style is absolutely amazing - and perfectly suited for the film. The film can be very emotionally disturbing, and has been known to cause sleepless nights.
The Dreamers | imdb
Everybody Says I'm Fine | imdb
This is one of the recent (though made almost two years ago) Indian English films that I wanted to see. I first got wind of the film when I listened to the soundtrack composed by Ustad Zakir Hussain. The soundtrack is a very interesting, and entertaining mix of Blues, Qawwali, and Indian film music (and has Carlos Santana playing on the title song). The film itself is a mix of a variety of influences - most importantly, the fact that its set in moden day Mumbai means its a very cosmopolitan film. Thus, the set of characters - Bombay socialites, college kids, young romantics, a struggling actor and a powerful businessman. The small idea - a hairdresser who can read his client's thoughts as he cuts their hair - is unusual and leaves a lot of scope for creative interpretations.
I thought that the film on the whole was pretty good. The cast was fabulous, especially Rehan Engineer and Koel Purie in their so-called lead roles. The build-up of the story was gradual, building up to a climax; it was more subtle, a bit too understated rather than powerful. All the characters were decidedly one-dimensional - except for Koel's - possibly explaining why Xen couldn't read her mind.
This was a good start to what turned out to be a fabulous movie-watching weekend.
Old Boy | review
An awesome, twisted, funny, cruel, one-of-a-kind movie. This Korean movie won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2004. Its a fabulous film, period. The soundtrack, which uses Beethoven, techno and compositions in the western classical style is absolutely amazing - and perfectly suited for the film. The film can be very emotionally disturbing, and has been known to cause sleepless nights.
The Dreamers | imdb
August 09, 2004
Andre beats Andy!
It was a great match, and I was there!
Agassi was precise and used his minimalistic style (short backswing, quick hands, close to the baseline play) to great effect. Roddick was powerful, and accurate in general, but on court I could see that he didn't have Agassi's variety. Agassi seemed to know just where every serve and every shot from Roddick was going to land. He played the angles very well, and kept Roddick off balance. Of course, almost the entire crowd was cheering for the old man, and that must've helped!
Will post some pictures soon!
Agassi was precise and used his minimalistic style (short backswing, quick hands, close to the baseline play) to great effect. Roddick was powerful, and accurate in general, but on court I could see that he didn't have Agassi's variety. Agassi seemed to know just where every serve and every shot from Roddick was going to land. He played the angles very well, and kept Roddick off balance. Of course, almost the entire crowd was cheering for the old man, and that must've helped!
Will post some pictures soon!
August 05, 2004
July 22, 2004
July 09, 2004
Copenhagen (DVD)
A few weeks back, I wrote a post about the play "Copenhagen" by Michael Frayn. Yesterday, I got my hands on the DVD.
This is a BBC/ PBS production of the play, shot as a movie. I felt that filmmakers did a great job preserving the original dialogue while simultaneously using cinema techniques to enhance the impact of the play. The acting was fabulous.
Most importantly, the movie conveyed to me what the text of the play could not. The acting, pacing of the narrative, movement of characters and camera, and the locations used really elevated the play beyond its text.
I now want to see a stage production!
This is a BBC/ PBS production of the play, shot as a movie. I felt that filmmakers did a great job preserving the original dialogue while simultaneously using cinema techniques to enhance the impact of the play. The acting was fabulous.
Most importantly, the movie conveyed to me what the text of the play could not. The acting, pacing of the narrative, movement of characters and camera, and the locations used really elevated the play beyond its text.
I now want to see a stage production!
June 29, 2004
The Moon and Sixpence
A truly remarkable book. The novel, based on the painter Paul Gauguin's life, is fascinating in the portrayal of the central character Charles Strickland, all the other characters, and especially the various places Strickland lives in - London, Paris, Marseilles, and Tahiti. W. Somerset Maugham questions conventional definitions, understanding and interpretation of art while portraying the great passion of creation that drives the artist. I really liked the book - its completely different from my usual selections.
Online version: Many formats or try the Project Gutenberg version
In Search of Schrodinger's Cat
Looking for a book to read after Copenhagen, I became acutely aware of how much of Copenhagen I didn't really understand because of a lack of background on the fundamentals, and history of quantum physics. And then picked up this book that had been lying unread on my bookshelf for a few months at least.
It is a nicely written, non-mathematical introduction to the strange world of the quantum. John Gribbin starts from the very basic laws classical physics, and slowly builds up the tale of the quantum. He makes it an intriguing story by giving some historical background on each new idea introduced. We meet several distinguished physicists such as de Broglie, Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Dirac, Schrodinger (and "may be" his cat!), Feynman and Wheeler. Gribbin introduces them as bright young scientists riding a tidal wave of change in the fundamental ideas. He briefly mentions their struggles with the philosophical, and practical implications of their discoveries (the philosophical ideas of "choice", "determinism" etc. and the practical implications such as nuclear and hydrogen bombs).
The pace of the book is comfortable for someone not familiar with the topics. It is a notoriously difficult subject to explain, especially since there are really no parallels to the quantum in our everyday experiences. Gribbin's book is really good, considering the limitations of explaining such a topic without going into the mathematics, and without the aid of simple visual representations.
I am now itching to read what seems to be a followup book - Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality.
It is a nicely written, non-mathematical introduction to the strange world of the quantum. John Gribbin starts from the very basic laws classical physics, and slowly builds up the tale of the quantum. He makes it an intriguing story by giving some historical background on each new idea introduced. We meet several distinguished physicists such as de Broglie, Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Dirac, Schrodinger (and "may be" his cat!), Feynman and Wheeler. Gribbin introduces them as bright young scientists riding a tidal wave of change in the fundamental ideas. He briefly mentions their struggles with the philosophical, and practical implications of their discoveries (the philosophical ideas of "choice", "determinism" etc. and the practical implications such as nuclear and hydrogen bombs).
The pace of the book is comfortable for someone not familiar with the topics. It is a notoriously difficult subject to explain, especially since there are really no parallels to the quantum in our everyday experiences. Gribbin's book is really good, considering the limitations of explaining such a topic without going into the mathematics, and without the aid of simple visual representations.
I am now itching to read what seems to be a followup book - Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality.
June 24, 2004
The Adventures of Dennis
As a kid, I read this book in Marathi, and later in English. Absolutely amazing to find it online! Especially all the wonderful illustrations!
See A little page of Russian Resources for more!
Now only if I could find all the other wonderful books from Mir Publishers, Moscow. Especially the science books! Ya Perelman's books on Physics and Mathematics.. and the wonderful stories of the discovery of each element in the Chemistry texts!
This is another reason why Free Culture is so important. Amidst the massive changes around the globe, little treasures like these books are easy to lose. Relaxing copyright control, and allowing digital archives might help save these.
See A little page of Russian Resources for more!
Now only if I could find all the other wonderful books from Mir Publishers, Moscow. Especially the science books! Ya Perelman's books on Physics and Mathematics.. and the wonderful stories of the discovery of each element in the Chemistry texts!
This is another reason why Free Culture is so important. Amidst the massive changes around the globe, little treasures like these books are easy to lose. Relaxing copyright control, and allowing digital archives might help save these.
June 23, 2004
मायबोली मराठी
बरहाच्या कृपेने आता इंटरनेटवर मराठीतून लिहिण्याची चांगली सोय उपलब्ध झाली आहे! त्यामुळे आता मराठीतून काहीतरी लिहीनच!
(For clueless, english-only readers of my blog - this entry is my first attempt at blogging in Maraathi, my mothertongue. Going forward, I expect to write several Marathi posts)
(For clueless, english-only readers of my blog - this entry is my first attempt at blogging in Maraathi, my mothertongue. Going forward, I expect to write several Marathi posts)
Copenhagen
Just read this wonderful play by Michael Frayn. The play features only three characters, the legendary physicists Niels Bohr and Heisenberg, and Bohr's wife, Margrethe.
It is centered around the philosophical and moral questions raised by the atomic bomb, and each individual's response to them. It would be fabulous to see a performance of this play!
It is centered around the philosophical and moral questions raised by the atomic bomb, and each individual's response to them. It would be fabulous to see a performance of this play!
Affirmative Action in Higher Education
An issue that has intrigued me for quite a while now.
Prof. Tom Weisskopf from the University of Michigan presents his conclusions from a comparative review of the Affirmative Action policies in the US and the "reservation policies" in India.
A really important issue. His book "Affirmative Action in the United States and India: A Comparative Perspective" (Routledge, London, 2004) contains more details.
Prof. Tom Weisskopf from the University of Michigan presents his conclusions from a comparative review of the Affirmative Action policies in the US and the "reservation policies" in India.
A really important issue. His book "Affirmative Action in the United States and India: A Comparative Perspective" (Routledge, London, 2004) contains more details.
February 12, 2004
Night Song
A collaboration between Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook. An absolutely fabulous album.
January 04, 2004
Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb
Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, and Peter Sellers' wonderful performances - he plays 3 different characters! Irony and satire in every frame of the movie, and yet, the same debates, and the same words are still being used to justify terrible war.
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