This Is It

I saw this film today, with minimal expectations. I just needed some fresh air (well, not so much fresh as different from the air at my house), and impulsively decided to go to the matinee show. There were two of us in the entire theater.

I did a little bit of reading up on the movie before going, but not in-depth. I thought it was a documentary on MJ's life. It turned out to be a documentation of his final show, "This Is It," which would have been touring the world. Efforts were taken to document the making and preparation for the show - very behind the scenes.

I love behind the scenes type of footage (of people with talent, not brainless celebs), because I'm always curious to know what kind of work aesthetic these musicians have, what their approach to rehearsing is, how they interact with the other musicians or dancers. It reveals so much about a person.

I had goosebumps from the first scene, the moment the music started. Even though it was just a rehearsal, the energy was so electric and everybody was so involved with what they were doing. A choreographer in the movie said to the dancers, "The dancers are an extension of Michael." They were - it was like they were all limbs in this huge machine that was MJ.

The production itself was larger than life. Each song was a separate mini-film unto itself. It was so reflective of the consummate performer that MJ was, because he took on the persona required for each of his songs, leaving his super star identity to come only second to that. And he shifted with such ease between such different universes - the eerie grotesqueness of "Thriller" to the innocent, playfulness of "ABC, Easy as 123." As a vocalist, dancer, actor - he gave himself completely to derive the maximum emotion and effect out of each moment he was performing. He was such a master of theatrics and timing - his choice for dramatic pauses, musically and in the narrative, always added a punch that would make the audience go even more crazy. I did not realize this about him until I saw this film, and I was so touched.

He was shown as a perfectionist - demanding and relentless, without being clouded by ego. He encouraged and enjoyed the work of his fellow musicians - who were all in total awe of him.

I'm glad the film didn't go into any biographical background, because all MJ should be remembered for is his massive contribution to pop music. Unfortunately, controversy over his image and his personal life overshadowed all of his other accomplishments in the latter part of his life. It's a loss if that's all you can see in a person of such tremendous talent. This isn't it for MJ, because his legacy will continue to live forever.

Moments of Inspiration

A lovely musical and dance improvsation by Pt Ajoy Chakraborty and Pt Birju Maharaj.

Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore...

I came back from the Punjab this past weekend. And it was a trip that was like stepping into an alternate universe for a weekend. So many times I wonder about the lives of other people - strangers walking on the road, eating in restaurants, taking the bus, and the many in the places that I don't see on a daily basis. What do they do? What are their lives like? I would love to be somebody else for a day. Step into their shoes. Eat the food they eat. Worry about their worries. Enjoy their simple pleasures.

This trip allowed me to do some of these things for a very brief, fleeting moment. But still, it was an eye-opening, intriguing and at times mysterious experience. And very re-affirming about the inherent good nature of all human beings (that I am sometimes skeptical about).

I first attended the Harivallabh Music Festival in Jallandhar. It is one of the cornerstones of the major Hindustani music festivals - it has been held for over a hundred years, and hosts local Punjabi artists as well as the big stalwarts. I was disappointed but not surprised by the total disregard for sticking to a schedule, at least the pretense of being organized. Perhaps it was because it was the last day, but there were so many self-congratulatory speeches by the organizers, who were all misty-eyed and pedantic about the future of Hindustani music. If we are sitting in the biting cold weather at your festival, then we are not the people you should be lecturing (hello!!). Alas, after many such speeches and the presentation of numerous tacky plaques, the requisite shawls, and endless photography, the music finally commenced. I had come to hear Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, who sang raag Abhogi, followed by Darbari Kannada and two lighter items. I'm not going into a musical analysis here because this is more about the overall experience, so I'm going to skip over the concert to the post-concert festivities.

Listeners camped out at the Harivallabh Music Festival

By the time we left the festival it was around 2 am, I think. It was getting colder but not unbearable (my threshold for the cold is better than I thought) - and just when I thought we were off to crash, to be tightly snuggled in the warmth of our stale-smelling hotel blankets, I learn that we are off to have dinner. A full-fledged Punjabi meal at 2 in the morning. We arrive at our hosts' flat, and they tell us about the cow they own that supplies all the milk and milk derived products (which they use in abundance). Still wearing my hat, scarf, sweater (with 2 layers underneath), I devour an amazing home cooked meal with straight-from-the-cow's-udder (well, not quite) ghee, paneer, and thick creamy yogurt. Among the many side dishes include kadi, aloo gobi, dal, mattar paneer. The woman preparing this sumptuous meal is pleasantly smiling at us at this unearthly hour as she single-handedly makes all the food and serves us with the utmost graciousness. We head home at around 3:30 and call it a night.

The next day, we are on to the "headquarters" of the Namdhari community, Bhaini Sahib. The Namdharis are a particularly orthodox sect of Sikhs, who believe that their community's Guruji is the ultimate authority on religious beliefs, not the Guru Granth which is the holy text for Sikhs. They follow an austere lifestyle - they are strict vegetarians, they wear only white, they drink and cook with only water that has been collected through rainfall (in wells).

Bhaini Sahib is a self contained community sustained by their own endeavors (such as farming) and their devotees through the world. Those who live on the premises all have designated responsibilities - some farm, some teach in the school, some are the resident musicians, some take care of their Satguruji. The whole place functions like a well-oiled machine.

Hospitable is an inadeuqate, almost trivial, word to describe the Namdhari temperament. If they could walk, blink, or breathe for you, they would. They are at the complete service of their guests. At their houses, they would have plentiful assortments of freshly prepared delicacies and sweets (even if we had just gorged ourselves with food), which we were not allowed to refuse. After finishing a meal, they would come around to each person with slightly warmed water (the tap water was frigid) for washing hands.

Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty again performed a special and particularly shant concert for the Satguruji. Everything proceeded as per the Satguruji's wishes - if he wanted to the concert to continue, it would be indicated to the artists. (On a total side note, but something that cannot go unmentioned, the Satguruji also had a special person seated next to him with a spittoon to collect his excess mucous and saliva when he was coughing :)

Artists with the Namdhari Satuguruji

The morning we left, there were so many people who came to the train station to escort us. At four in the morning, they arrived at our guest house full of smiles and flasks of hot chai. They drove us through the fog, full of spirited conversation and an innocent and untouched enthusiasm that I rarely see in adults.

At a touristy mock-Punjabi village retaurant in Jallandhar.

The 21st Century Musician

In yersterday's Times, there was this interesting article about a young New York musician named Caleb Burhans. Burhans is a jack-of-all trades artist. He sings professionally in church choirs, he plays multiple instruments (violin, viola, mandolin, percussion) and he composes. As a freelance musician in New York, particularly in the new-music (contemporary western classical, experimental) scene, he has found several niches. As the article relates, he can easily sing Bach on one hand and be part of a techno band on the other. The piece is revealing because it brings up the evolving question of specialization, which has traditionally been heavily emphasized in a musician's training and career. Is it a boon or a handicap? Does the modern day musician have to be multifaceted to sustain him/herself? Is it worth spreading your energies over several different areas of music to increase your likelihood of getting performances, recognition, more work? Or is it like the old addage, "Jack of all trades, master of none"?

Another interesting point made was that a generation that has grown up with so much more musical exposure will therefore have more diverse musical ideas. We like to compartmentalize our styles - rock and classical could never have similarities, and so on. But so much of the new-music repertoire draws from Baroque, jazz, electronica, some types of pop. These boundaries are increasingly porous. We can't pigeon-hole music anymore, and perhaps therefore, we cannot pigeon-hole musicians either?