Tag: music

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Homeward Bound, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and World Music

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I was very fortunate to grow up in a home that introduced me to all genres of music and develop an appreciation of international sounds.

One of my favourites to listen on on the 8 track player (I know I am dating myself), was Simon and Garfunkel. They were the perfect duo – the songwriter and the voice. Their melodies were captivating and their lyrics were thought provoking. However, I am typically, first and foremost a melody person. The lyrics are generally secondary for me. But Homeward Bound, was the perfect combination of the 2. I would listen to the live version a lot, and lyrics such as the below stayed with me:

Tonight I’ll sing my songs again
I’ll play the game and pretend
But all my words come back to me
In shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony
I need someone to comfort me

Shades of mediocrity…….the perfection of the phrase still resonates with me more than 40 years later from when I first heard it.

But what is equally as drawing to me is the melody and harmony. I love it and recently watched Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon do their own rendition of Homeward Bound, which was original in its own right. The harmonizing was great.

Again, for me, the melody, harmonizing and instrumentation have always been really compelling for me and I believe that originates from a love of South Asian music. I grew up listening to classical singers riffing off of the scales and creating beautiful ragas without any words. We sang as a family – my Dad’s influence and we sang English, and Bengali songs. I sang my first solo of a Bengali song when I was five, with my Dad accompanying me on the harmonium.

When I was older, I started listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a popular Pakistani singer, known for  qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Again, I do not understand what he is saying and yet, the music has always been deeply moving for me. I imagine being able to play the harmonium, while someone of his caliber is singing. It would be a dream come true.

Jagjit and Chitra Singh also continue to provide me comfort, with their beautiful ghazals.

And now, isn’t it great the range of music we can hear from all type of backgrounds and countries? One of my favourite tracks this past year was APT, a song about a Koren drinking game featuring Rose (from Korean super group Black Pink – LOVE!!) and Bruno Mars. Calm Down by Rema and Selena Gomez remains on rotation for my playlist and I adore all of the AfroBeats I hear. Bad Bunny is perfection and again, I don’t understand what he is singing, but I love it.

At my kids’ school, they listened to French Pop Music and had to vote for their favourite tracks with songs battling each other until the winner was chosen. The kids would play their favourite songs and we provided our picks as a family. And again, the French tracks were a mix of African influences, reggae, dance, rap, traditional; it was eclectic.

In a world where there is a lot of divide, I am glad that we have music, to allow us unity and joy, no matter its origins.

But that’s just one Diva’s view!

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Pump up the volume

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Pump up the volume by MARRS was a popular song in the late 80s, specifically, 1987. I heard it this morning on my drive into work and I had not heard this song in forever. It was a 1 hit wonder for MARRS and for me, it was a pretty memorable song.

Now you have to contextualize the time period. During that time, music in North America was pretty Western and did not have any international influences. Growing up, because of my South Asian and Caribbean heritage, we always had music playing from India and Trinidad. South Asian music was a mix of Indian, Calypso, Arabic, Russian; influences from around the world and this shaped my musical palette. There was a song that my Dad used to song, which was a Russian melody with Hindi or Bengali lyrics. Growing up, I learned that Hindi movies were popular worldwide, and especially in Arabic countries and Russia. It was not until this century, that South Asian music became more universally accepted in North America.

However, in the 80, there was Pump up the Volume. It was a dance song, which definitely attracted the ear of this middle schooler. But on top of this, it had this really cool break with an Arabic singer, which was innovative. Although kids at my school could not tell the difference between cultures and often asked me to translate what was being said, I honestly did not take offence; I was just happy to hear something different, yet familiar, in a song.

Now we take for granted the fusion we hear in music, but in the late 80s, this track stood out. On top of that, it was a well produced song, with a strong drum rhythm and listening to it this morning, I was still moving and grooving.

I love that today, our music has become more global. I love all of the influences and particularly enjoy the Afro Beats and Latin influences. To the embarrassment of my kids, I love K Pop and my fave song during the Holiday break was APT, about a Korean drinking game.

I hope that acceptance of global music can transcend in other ways…..

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

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This Life of Mine

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I am new to the podcast world. However, I have fallen for the James Corden podcast, This Life of Mine. Even when I do not know the guest, such as some of the athletes, I am always inspired by their stories, their drive and their insights. The show comprises of each guest choosing their favourite person, place, memory, song and movie. For athletes, they are asked to choose their favourite sporting memory.

So in no particular order, I decided to tackle these questions. Often the guests comment on how difficult it is to narrow the answer down to one and agree – it is challenging. But I think that it would be interesting to determine if 10 years down the road, whether the guests still agree with their answers.

Favourite memory

I have a lot, but one that sticks with me a lot is a memory I had with my Dad. My Dad and I were very close and although we had our disagreements, we had a lot of common traits and likes. Because he was my primary caretaker when I was a toddler, he left an indelible mark on me regarding music, movies and structure. And so my memory takes me to when I was 12 or 13 years of age. We had a time share where the primary location was in Thornbury on the Georgian Bay.

We were there for a couple of weeks in the summer and I have such great memories of that time. My parents allowed my brother and I to rent Dirty Dancing, and we watched it back to back one night, after my parents went to sleep. But the memory that sticks out for me is that my Dad and I planned one morning to get up super early to jump from the docks into Georgian Bay. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I hate cold water and that it takes me 1200 minutes to get into a pool, or body of water.

That morning, the air was crisp. We got changed quickly, so that we would not wake my Mom and brother. The sun had just risen, and it was a beautiful morning. No one else was out. My Dad jumped in first and after a brief moment of hesitation, I jumped as well. It was bone chilling but then glorious. And we swam for a while, in Georgian Bay, with the sun starting to rise over us. It was peaceful and bonding and that moment gives me a lot of comfort. It taught me that I could overcome my fears and that the reward was greater than anything that I could have imagined. And I learned that shared moments, often make for the best ones.

Favourite song

This was very challenging for me. I love music and to narrow it down to one song is very difficult. However, I wanted to choose something happy, inspiring and long lasting for me. I went with “As”, by Stevie Wonder and closely following by the interpretation by George Michel and Mary J Blige. The chorus is what always uplifts me, no matter what:

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Always
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
Always
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea
Always
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream

That last line in the chorus is just pure beauty.

And for me, even before the lyrics, the dynamic melody is essential for me. My kids will tell you that I am horrible with remembering lyrics, but I can hum the melody of any song perfectly, and place me in front of a keyboard and I can bang out the melody fairly quickly.

We played the song at our wedding. I still remember hearing the song for the first time, and the pure joy I felt. I remember watching it became a big part of the movie, The Best Man, which I love and loved the symbiosis.

When I was in law school, my classmate, Michael, who was also a George Michael fan, told me that George had re-done the song with Mary J, but it had only been released in the UK and never in North America. I searched to find a copy and when I did, I was not disappointed. And if it is playing in the car, I am not changing the station and you will see me singing along as if I were on stage with the greats!

Favourite Movie

This was a quick answer – Gandhi. As has been previously chronicled, I saw the movie when it first came out and was only 7. And again, I know that many friends take issue with the historical accuracy and the depiction of events, which I respect.

For me, it was the first time that I saw visualized, what my parents had taught me about India’s Independence and Gandhi. The majestic manner in which this movie was produced, just filled me with awe.

From the opening where Gandhi is assassinated and his funeral procession with an inspiring soundtrack by legendary Ravi Shankar, I was lost. The emotions that this movie stirred in me and still ring true.

When the men attend the March at the Salt Mines, and row after row of men are struck down without fighting back, espousing the Non Violence beliefs of Gandhi, my heart breaks every time at the injustice but I am stirred with their commitment. The indelible mark this movie left on me remains and I cannot wait to share this movie with my kids. I have it both on VHS, DVD, digital – you name it, I have a copy of it. And to contextualize the movie, I was a child of the 70’s where in Canada, India was associated with extreme poverty and slums. And there really was no representation of the South Asian experience in any media forum outside of what was being generated by India. So for this movie to be a mainstream movie, on such a large scale with bold, memorable and respectful performances, was very important for me.

Possession

The possession that is my most important treasure, is my wedding ring. So funny story – the engagement ring my husband bought to propose to me, was something he picked up while he was out at sea, so that he would have a ring. But he asked me to return it (that’s a story for another day) and he and I chose my engagement ring and wedding bands together.

At the time, it was a very unique design. What gives me joy is that it foresaw our life together. It is 3 bands, which for me, represent each of our children. In the centre, there is a round diamond, with a round circle of diamonds surrounding it. I look at the centre to represent our entire family, and the round circle encapsulating it, to be representative of my husband and I, holding our family together.

The circle represents, no end and no beginning; just the constant that we as a family are. We did not think about the symbolism when we chose it, but we must have manifested our family as a result. My husband has asked a few times, if I wanted to upgrade it and my response is always a vehement NO. The meaning that this ring holds for me on a daily basis, reinforces that the best thing in my life ever to happen, is the life I have with my husband and kids, and it truly was a dream come for me.

Favourite place

My favourite place is not one specific place, but anywhere by the water. I find water, its smell, its presence, its sound, its feel, all very soothing for my soul. When I was a kid, my Dad would always take me for walks along Lake Ontario. I would find worn down pieces of bottles, and imagine they were jewels. He would take me to the Forks of the Credit River and we would cross the River, hopping from rock to rock and feeling the water rush past.

When I was older and visited the ocean for the first time, I thought – I am home.

My first place on my own, was a condo down by the Lake. I loved going for walks along the Lake, and later when I met my husband and then had my girls, our walks and adventures there always filled all of us with such joy and happiness.

On my birthday in 2008, we were in Dubai, and I remember dipping my feet in the Perian Gulf.

Now- with my kids, whenever the weather is nice and my husband is away, the kids and I end up at the Lake, throwing rocks and skipping stones, walking along the dock and getting an ice cream. The kids love our Caribbean get aways, and we have countless photos of them on the beach, playing in the sand and enjoying the sun.

Whenever I retire, whenever that might be, being close to the water is important for me. The water gives me peace and contentment. It is my happy spot for always. And not to be morbid, but a body of water is where I would like my ashes to be spread, when I have transitioned.

Favourite Person

My favourite person was a teacher of mine – Marg-Rheta Wright. She passed away many years ago (15), but she was my favourite person and had an amazing influence on my life. When I started high school, it was her first year teaching music. She was maybe 10 years older than us. She had elfin hair, a uniquely creative wardrobe, and a heart of gold. She fascinated me. She did not see me as a South Asian girl, struggling to find her fit in the predominantly white school I attended, but she saw me as a person. Someone with musical talent. Someone who came from a challenging home life and escaped in music and doing well in all aspects of school. She saw me as someone who read voraciously, and loved all things romance and historical. She gave me opportunities to shine and to push myself out of my comfort zone. When we had to choose a new instrument, she nudged me to choose the bassoon, which was the same size as me and yet, I loved the uniqueness of accomplishing a new instrument. She gave me opportunities to work in the summer in the music room, teaching music, re-organizing the music room -whatever she could do to help. It made a difference. She would bring giant shopping bags of books for me, to read. And she made an audition tape for me and application and sent it to a performing Arts school in New York, where I was accepted. And she came to my home and spoke to my Dad, knowing our family dynamics and advocated for me, even though we both knew the opportunity was not going to happen. And later, when I was in university, and she decided to go back and get her Masters in Arizona and assist Lorna Luft, Judy Garland’s half sister, she became a friend and spoke to me as if I were an equal. She never spoke down to me. She always believed in me. She was there at my wedding and I was there at her funeral.

It was the first time I opened up about what my home life was like to anyone and she never judged me or defined me by it. She consoled me and would always give my Mom a big hug when she saw her and was strong, but respectful when dealing with my Dad. She made me feel safe and that really helped me become me. Because she made me believe in me, my gifts, my talents and my future. She was such an important teacher for so many of us and she truly made her gift her vocation; being a true teacher.

So those are my choices. A lot of reflection and selection. It was definitely challenging but was a fascinating exercise, one which I encourage you to take.

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

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My fascination with the Arts

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One of my favourite memories growing up was listening to my parents share stories about growing up in India and Trinidad. There was something so fulfilling to learn about our history and ancestry and it definitely shaped who I am. My Mom shared stores of her fearlessness, climbing mango trees to the very top and roaming around in the countryside- they were inspiring.

However, one of the stories I was fascinated with growing up, was from my Dad. He was born in Calcutta and was a young boy during Partition in India. Calcutta was one of the cities which experienced a lot of strife and division and the State of Bengal was divided with half remaining in India and the other half, to form East Pakistan, later known as Bangladesh. My grandfather owned one of the first Bata shoe companies in India, and had gone to the Czech Republic, for training, before opening the store. However, as a result of Partition, the store was burned down. There was no insurance and the family was struggling as a result.

The folklore is that my Dad was on the verandah singing, when a movie director was walking by and heard him. He was looking to cast a young boy in a movie and my Dad was chosen. It was the answer to the family’s financial problems. My Dad was pulled out of school and made this film. The money was used to rebuild the family business. My Dad’s love of movies, was born and then passed down to me. However, my Dad did not get to enjoy the earnings, and he was asked to leave the school he was attending at the time, because he missed so much school to do the movie. The experience really fostered in my Dad a reliance on self education and constant learning, but I digress.

My Dad’s cousin brother, lived in the family compound. He went onto become a huge Bollywood star and growing up, we used to watch him in both Hindi and Bengali movies. Hindi movies were iconic for us, growing up and to know that we had a relative who was a movie star was “mind blasting”. We learned one of his songs, which we would perform and became one of my favourites – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kru9g_K5IPo

And from there and this legacy, my fascination for movies and the Arts was born. As previously described, I love movies. I love the process of making movies and learning about the origins of the movies, the production process, the direction of the movie by the Director and the actors. I love to hear the stories about the process about making the movie – the trials and tribulations and then I devour the promotion of the movie, the opening etc.. I love music and I don’t think a single day has gone by without music in my life. I love singing and enjoying great performances – it is soul fuelling.

It is curious because I was bit by the performing bug early on. My Dad would have me performing at cultural shows from the time that I was 4 before an audience of 200 plus people. My dance performances left much to be desired, by my singing and acting performances, really allowed my inner creativity to shine! I participated in school musicals and plays and was very active with our school’s music program- both singing and instrument wise. My Music teacher actually made an application for me to a New York Performing Arts school and I was accepted. But I knew that as much as my Dad loved this world, my parents would not support me pursuing this as a vocation. I had to be sensible and choose an occupation which would give me a steadier path and so I chose the career I have now, with no regrets.

But my choice in vocation did not temper my fascination for the Arts. I find the Arts and the creative process so fascinating. I find for me, music, movies and the history to be meditative, because I can immerse myself in it so fully, that my mind actually shuts down and enjoys the beauty. It is my escape. I have tried to learn to knit, sew or garden as beautifully as my Mom did, but it must have skipped a generation. It definitely did because my Son is right now focused on growing his Cherry Tomato plant. But I am so lucky that I have my passion for music and movies. It really allows me to keep my creativity going and given the chaos in the world, isn’t it nice to have an escape?

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

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Kelly Clarkson – thank you!

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So one of the best parts of my day, is my drive to and from work. To place it in context, for many years (more than 20 years), my commute consisted of public transportation, which can be limiting. Trains, subways, buses, streetcars – you name it, I have taken it. The positive about public transportation was my ability to read each day, which allowed me to explore so many books and genres and I miss that! My degree of reading has lessened drastically. PSA – Reading transformed my life and I cannot imagine a world without books! #READ!!

However, when I got my car, it included satellite radio and I decided to maintain the subscription. A few months afterwards, Kelly Clarkson introduced a new station on satellite radio and I have to say, that has been a game changer for me. She shares the same eclectic taste in music that I do, which has been amazing.

Most people don’t like my musical playlists, because I like so many genres of music and I like to listen to all of the various genres, without rhyme and reason. And surprise, surprise – so does Kelly Clarkson. She goes from pop, to country, to jazz standards, to R&B and alternative music and it has been fantastic.

Many times, when she is playing a song by an artist, she provides a commentary on why she likes the music and her memories associated with the songs, and I love that experience. Music really allows you to be transported back in time, to a certain memory or feeling, which is powerful. And I love that she highlights lesser known artists, and has expanded my musical likes.

I have always like Kelly’s vibe and have been a fan from the onset. My brother and I watched the inaugural season of American Idol and were so happy when Kelly won. I have always loved her music and her contributions to various soundtracks.

When she returned to American Idol years later, pregnant, singing, Piece by Piece, I cried more than Keith Urban. The rendition was truly poignant and powerful, and still today, when I watch her, I tear up. If you have not watched it – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmMzv9Fen_s, please do so.

Throughout her career, what has stood out has been her realness, her joy, her talent and her ability to connect through her music. Now discovering that we have many similar musical influences and likes, has strengthened my appreciation of her.

And honestly, isn’t it great to find a connection with someone?

And so, if you happen to pass by me on my commute, you will likely see me singing along to my favourite music, care of Kelly Clarkson!

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

#KellyClarksonConnection

Memories

John Denver

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I know – not a subject that anyone would expect me to write about. However, John Denver has been a constant in my life - a reassuring constant.

My parents watched a lot of variety shows while I was growing up. Although I was too young, I know that my parents watched the John Denver show during my infancy, and his soothing voice must have made an impact, because I have always loved his voice.

For kids my age, our version of a variety show was the “Muppet Show”. John Denver is one of the guests that I remember fondly from that show. He had a very unassuming way, but very likeable. He looked like the type of person that if you needed help, he would assist. For a kid – that makes an impact.

And when he sang, the songs were always memorable and pure. They left a memory for you. As I have a milestone birthday coming up, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my influences. 

As you know, music has always been a huge influence for me. My birth year, John Denver released one of my favourites which he co-wrote – Sunshine on my Shoulders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diwuu_r6GJE:

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could give you
I’d give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I’d sing a song to make you feel this way

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a tale that I could tell you
I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I’d make a wish for sunshine all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine almost always

What amazing lyrics and such a pleasing melody. It is the perfect song for me because honestly, I am a person very impacted by the sun and sunshine. It perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the sun and how our family has always had amazing memories during the summer or somewhere hot! The sun always makes me feel happy and at my best. 

And ofcourse, in school, we learned Country Roads, which to me is almost like an anthem. It is honestly one of my favourite songs to sing and it is surprisingly, how many people know all of the lyrics to this song. Again, written by John Denver, for me, it reminds me of my Mom. She grew up in the country side, although not in the USA and the feeling of this song, seems to capture “country living” which I always associate with my Mom.

When John Denver passed away, I was in Law School and my roommates and I were throwing a birthday party for a friend at our place. Many friends showed up with other friends, and no joke – this guy showed up and he looked exactly like John Denver. It was a bit eerie, but all throughout the evening, we kept coming up to him, asking him to sing our favourite John Denver songs. For all of us that evening, we always remember it is as our John Denver party. 

And so for me, John Denver has been a constant in my life. And as I reflect, I am so happy that I have been influenced by such an amazing story teller, both in lyrics and in song.

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

#JohnDenver #milestone