Hello,

Don't miss this last Sangam program for 2007. As promised there will be some desi rap and a track from the Pakistani film "Khuda ke Liye". I'll play the title track which has considerable relevance to the current politically disturbed situation in Pakistan following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. I have also put together some other politically relevant songs and dedicate that set to the abstraction that is Pakistan and to those of its people who suffer from the self-centered and self-destructive behavior of some of their countrymen.

Of course, there will also be some Asian Underground stuff.

Note, Sangam has moved to Saturday from 5:00-7:00 pm US Central Time (22:00-24:00 UTC).

You can listen to the live audiostream here: http://kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram

The archived audiostream will be available for two weeks after 7:00 pm US Central Time (24:00 UTC), 29 December, 2007, at this link:
http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/%20Sangam/Sangam(2007-12-29).rm

Call me during the show on the studio line at 612-341-0980. My next program will be on 12 January, 2008.

Best

Track Title	Artist	Album
Nisar mein teri galiyoun pe	Muneer Husain	Faiz Ahmed Faiz, volume 4
Des ki khushboo	Abbas Ali Khan	Sun Re
Tauba hai	Faakhir	Mantra
Aaja sohniya	Shazia Manzoor	Chan Makhna
Jatt	Abrarul Haq	20071228 Compilation
Sun tun Sohniye	Faakhir	Mantra
Jogia		20071228 Compilation
Sanvaria (Club Mix)	Abbas Ali Khan	Sun Re
Mehndi ki raat	Junaid Jamshed	The Best of Junaid Jamshed
Blakstone	Blakstone	20071019 Compilation
Evury day	Bohemia	Compilation
Camel Clutch	Jihad featuring Chop Black	Compilation
The "Trouble in Pakistan" Set
Khuda kay liye		Khuda Kay Liye
Zameen	OD2	20071228 Compilation
Yeh hum naheen	Various artists	20071228 Compilation
Pakistani National Anthem		20071019 Compilation
Anthem	DNA	20071228 Compilation
Dil dil Pakistan	Junaid Jamshed	The Best of Junaid Jamshed
Lab pe aati hai dua	Shaykh Abaadi	20071019 Compilation
Bazeecha-e-atfal	Jagjit Singh	Kalam: Mirza Ghalib
Peera ho	Khalid Anam	Supreme Ishq
End Set
2GenUzi	Uzi	20071228 Compilation
Debris	Asian Dub Foundation	Rough Guide to the Asian Underground
Meher Ali (Bollywood Burning Mix)	Ustad Sultan Khan	Rare Elements
Garden of perfume	Temple of Sound & Rizwan Muazzam Qawwal	People's Colony No. 1
Lament remix	Earthtribe	Star Rise

Munni Begum Profile

Listen to Todd Melby's profile of Munni Begum, here:
http://www.theworld.org/audio/10292007.mp3

Musicians not Governments to the Aid

While the response of Muslims countries to the miserable situation in Darfur has been lukewarm or non-existent (a situation that has elicited criticism from both non-Muslims and Muslims) at least some in the Muslim community are taking publicly visible measure to raise awareness and aid for the region.

A charity concert to benefit Darfur, categorized as the Muslim Live8, was organized at the Wembley Arena in the UK and drew about 10,000 Muslims. A good time appears to have been had by all and at least $60,000 were raised in five minutes according to a report by Riazat Butt of Islamophonic fame. Riazat also provides brief notes about some of the musicians. I have sampled the music of three of the five she mentions. Of these three, I incline towards the music of Outlandish which has a little edge to to it.

Sangam playlist for 20 October, 2007,

Sangam: Music from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora

Hello,

Here is the draft playlist for the 20 October, 2007, Sangam program. There may be some minor changes during broadcast ude to the presence of a guest.

Note the tracks Biotech and Tree of Rhythm which feature Zakir Husain.

Also a song to celebrate Eid, celebrated last Saturday.

Note: Sangam has moved to Saturday from 5:00-7:00 pm US Central Time (22:00-24:00 UTC).

You can listen to the live audiostream here: http://kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram

The archived audiostream will be available for two weeks after 7:00 pm US Central Time (24:00 UTC), 22 September, here: http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/Sangam/Sangam(2007-10-20).rm

Call me during the show on the studio line at 612-341-0980.

My next program will be on November 17.

Cheers!

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.
Tujh jaisa daghabaz	Roona Laila	Best of Roona Laila	8
Dildar meda sohna	Naghmana Jaffry	Goli Mar De	2
Deewani	Annie	Princess	4
Huqa pani	Ali Zafar	Huqa Pani	2
Chum chum	Rahim Shah	Channa	4
Eid song	Sami Yusuf	Compilation	1
Jhoomo gao	Najma Akhtar	Pukar	3
Botal khuli hai	Munni Begum	Botal Khuli Hai, Album 2	1
Yeh hai maikada	Munni Begum	Aag Lage Maikhane Ko, Album 7	4
Waiz-e-mohataram	Munni Begum	Botal Khuli Hai, Album 2	5
Teri surat nigahon main	Munni Begum	Ek Baar Muskarado	1
Teri surat nigahon main	Aziz Mian	Main Sharabi Sharabi	1
Az dair mughan ayam	Manzoor Niazi Qawwal	Kalam-e-Iqbal	5
The hunt	Azam Ali	Niyaz	4
Naina	The Ali Khan Band	Taswir	8
Biotech	Tabla Beat Science	Tala Matrix	9
The tree of rhythm	Zakir Husain, Allahrakha, Taufiq Fazal	Rhydun	1
We need your vote	Joi	We Are Three	9

Karachi Uncovered

Atta Yaqub returns to the old country and finds something quite unexpected.

This is a BBC documentary uploaded to YouTube by someone.

Karachi Uncovered, Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67IlH4zhj9Q


Karachi Uncovered, Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmwLMLKaQNY


Karachi Uncovered, Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeYtN2oNZoM

Engineer, Lawyer, and Singer!!

Kareem Salama - Chemical Engineer, Lawyer, and Country & Western singer, Wow!

He has a couple of CDs out. Check out his music here:

http://www.kareemsalama.com/

Munni Begum Concert, 20 October, 2007, Minneapolis

Jashn-e-Milan featuring Munni Begum
Host: Pakistani Students Association

Time and Place Date: Saturday, October 20, 2007

Time: 7:30pm - 11:00pm

Location: Great Hall (Coffman Memorial Union), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Campus (East Bank)
Street: 300 Washington Avenue SE
City/Town: Minneapolis, MN

Come join us for a night of amazing ghazals performed by the world-renowned Munni Begum!
There will also be student performances, great food, and much more!

Non-Student Adults: $20
Students and Kids under 12: Free!!!

Sehwan (Lal Shabaz Qalandar) Festival

Have a look At Declan Walsh's audio slideshow:

Must Qalandar Festival: the greatest party on Earth?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/slideshow/page/0,,2176124,00.html


And listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali's rendition of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGR1_TzHFb8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCajBT0d9kY

Also:

Runa Laila
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIyrlTwEuYY

Shazia Khushk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggEFjGKCgbA

Junoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDVANiWTN4w

Abida Parveen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6aI1gdmy2U

Sabri Bros.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t33bcjL8F8

Nice Sehwan slides here as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxabpNk83x8

And a few qawwali lyrics in English - "It is tarue" (-:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuByCo7uRp4

Second Life meets MySpace

I assume you know what are Second Life, MySpace, and Facebook. Well there is new site that provides social networking in a virtual world environment. It is called Kaneva. Basically, you create a network of friends, as in a social network, and then meet them in a virtual world. Of course you also can make friends directly in the virtual world.

The Kaneva virtual world looks similar to the one in Second Life but I found that it ran a little bit more smoothly on the machine that I am using; though it seemed to take forever to load.

The reason I compared Kaneva to MySpace rather than Facebook is that its social environment seems closer to the one found in MySpace than the one found in Facebook i.e. a little more broadly distributed. Not too long ago I had read a piece about social research that compared the environments of these two sites and suggested that the sites had some partitioning along social and economic class lines. (Sadly, I cannot locate that piece right now). However, why not go and see it for yourself?

In both Second Life and Kaneva conversations can be quite dull and there is little to do till you make some friends. You can watch the videos and listen to the songs posted by other people but you can do that on YouTube and other similar sites too. However doing those things in a virtual world may add a certain pizzaz to it. I do find that the visual element added to conversations by the use of avatars increases the social feel of the interactions.

So visit Kaneva (or Second Life) and look around. If you post your user name here (or send it to me in an email) I'll look you up.

Cheers!


(Also cross-posted to QiyasII)

Broken Saints

Just finished watching a DVD set featuring what is essentially a graphical novel set to music using Flash technology. The story is called Broken Saints and came out several years ago. Initially it was just Internet-based; circa 2002, after it developed a considerable following, it was put on DVD with a voiceover. It won the Audience Award at the 2003 Sundance Online Film Festival.

It's an interesting story with a strongly political and spiritual outlook. It so happens that its developers are Canadian ... Anyway, given what has transpired since the beginning of this century it makes very interesting watching, especially in view of the ethnicity and beliefs of one of the four main protagonists.

The Internet version of Broken Saints is still available. It can also be downloaded to the iPod and the Sony PSP. These versions are free though the developers would probably appreciate a donation. (Donations are what enabled them to pay for the data streams on the website during the early days.) This is quite generous as the story is several hours long. The DVD is available for sale.

You can visit the home of Broken Saints here.

Enjoy the story. It is told at a very stately pace so it is best to watch it when you have time to do so in a relaxed manner. Brook Burgess, the writer and director, says the episodes function almost like meditations.

BQP Plays Indo/Pak Independence Parades

Brooklyn Qawwali Party is excited to announce that they will be performing on a float (on wheels!) in the:

India Independence Day Parade, New York City:
Sunday, August 19th, 2007
Madison Ave from 41st St to 25th. 1 pm - 2:30 pm

and in the:

Pakistan Independence Day Parade, New York City:
Sunday, August 26th, 2007
Madison Ave from 41st St to 25th. 1 pm - 2:30 pm


If you'd like to enjoy two great parades plus the sounds of BQP in transit... Come on out!

Movies

I have been meaning to bring a particular movie to your attention for some time but have been too busy. In the meantime a couple of other interesting movies have also popped up.

Those of you liked "The Namesake" should watch "Second Generation". It is written by Neil Biswas and directed by Jon Sen. The cast includes Parminder Nagra (Bend It Like Beckham, ER) , Om Puri, and Anupam Kher. And, for everyone who swooned over Kal Penn - check out Christopher Simpson. As in the Namesake, the music is by Nitin Sawhney.

Personally, I preferred Second Generation to The Namesake. I thought it was more authentic and more reflective of the types of issues encountered by second generation South Asian immigrants living in the UK (and US).

And now on to a couple of Pakistani productions. I haven't watched these movies yet but they have been getting some press lately.

The serious-minded one is "Khuda kay Liye". Directed by Shoaib Mansoor it deals with the radicalization of young Muslims and the conflict between conservative and liberal interpretations of Islam. The transformation of one of the characters is a tip of the hat to the transformation of Junaid Jamshed, of Vital Signs fame, from a rocker to a religious conservative. You can get more information about the film here:
http://www.inthenameofgod.com/


Then, do you wanna see "the first Muslim zombies"? "A burqa-clad, mace-swinging serial killer" - the Burqa Man?

Watch the Paki horror/slasher film "Zibahkhana". Also know as "Hell's Ground".
http://www.zibahkhana.com/

"And it seems like everyone wants to see what Muslim zombies look like. "Zibahkhana" has been invited to submit to Sundance, with entry fees waived." Variety

'Nuff said.

Sangam Playlist, Independence Day Edition

Welcome to the Independence Day edition of Sangam.

To commemerate the 60th anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan (on 15th and 14th August respectively) I play the national anthems of the two countries and a couple of related qaumi naghmas (national songs). Listen and refresh your memories of the subcontinent.

The archived audiostream will be available for two weeks after 7:00 pm US Central Time (24:00 UTC), 18 August, here:
http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/Sangam/Sangam(2007-08-18).rm

Here is the playlist for Saturday, 18 August, 2007:

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.
Distance	Karsh Kale (Banco De Gaia Remix)	Asian Travels 2	1
Saiyan anaadi say	Roona Laila	Best of Roona Laila	1
Sawan aaye	Akhlaq Ahmed	Best of Akhlaq Ahmed	3
Diyar yar geya	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	The Golden Collection	7
Fire in my heart (Excerpt)	Ghazal	Moon Rise Over the Silk Road	1
Dhaara	Naseebo Lai	ARY OST Hits	13
Need koyi	Najma Akhtar	Qareeb	1
Neend ati nahin	Junoon	Doctor Finds Universal Cure	3
Hounton mein esi baat	Najma Akhtar	Forbidden Kiss	8
Jana Gana Mana	Indian National Anthem	Anthems Plus Compilation	8
Pakistani National Anthem	Junoon	Inquilaab	12
Pakistani National Anthem	Pakistani National Anthem	Anthems Plus Compilation	4
Vande mataram	A.R. Rahman	Anthems Plus Compilation	9
Azadi	Junoon	The Millenium Edition 1990-2000	1
Zameen	OD2	Anthems Plus Compilation	7
Yeh hum naheem	Collective	Pak Underground Rock 1	17
Anthem	DNA	Anthems Plus Compilation	6
Jilawatan	Call	Jilawatan	7
Electro-G	Fun Da Mental	All	2
Who runs this place	Asian Dub Foundation	Tank	7
Too Kareemi (Excerpt)	Brooklyn Qawwali Party	BQP-FunDaMental Compilation	2
Slow Devotion	Govinda	Asian Travels 2	3

Sangam Playlist for 28 July, 2007

Sangam: Music from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora

Hi,

Sangam has moved to Saturday from 5:00-7:00 pm US Central Time (22:00-24:00 UTC). Here is the playlist for this Saturday (28 July).

You can listen to the live audiostream here: http://kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram

The archived audiostream will be available for two weeks after 7:00 pm US Central Time (24:00 UTC), 28 July, here: http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/Sangam/Sangam(2007-07-28).rm

Call me during the show on the studio line at 612-341-0980.

Note particularly the ear-stretching set beginning with Carl Bley (ok, ok, the piece is South Asia-based) and ending with Overload. This is not your dad's desi music. (-:

Enjoy!

My next program will be on August 18 (which is a change from the originally scheduled August 25 date).

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.
Mere dil ki anjuman	Saleem Raza	Best of Saleeem Raza	3
Agar tum piyar se dekho	Mala	Best of Mala	17
Tere bheegay badan ki khushboo	Khalid Waheed	Tribute to Mehdi Hasan	4
Lamha, Lamha	Tina Sani	Koi Baat Karo	6
Sharab la, sharab la	Munni Begum	Best of Munni Begum, vol. 7, Aag Lage Maikhane Ko	2
Aankhon	Junaid	Personal Compilation	1
Bin tere kiya hai jeena	Jawad Ahmad	Bol Tujhe Kya Chahiyeh	11
Diyar yar geya	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	The Golden Collection	7
Malhar	Fuzon	Saager	6
Fasley	Nadia Ali	Pak Underground Rock 1	6
Jogan bani main ishq mein	Naghmana Jaffry	Goli Mar De	12
Buri baat hai	Shehzad Roy	Buri Baat Hai	4
A.I.R. (All India Radio)	Carla Bley, Palu Haines	Personal Compilation	1
Mojon may	Evolution	Shake Your Body	5
Aag	Mizraab	Maazi, Haal, Mustaqbil	7
Hamein aazma	Entity Paradigm	Irtiqa	2
Zameen	OD2	Various Artists, 01 March, 2007	19
Inteqaam	Rushk	Sawal	12
Cursed	Overload	Overload	2
Saga	Ustad Fate Ali Khan	Fusion Music	1
	& Jan Garbarek
Freezing	Najma Akhtar	Personal Compilation	4
Classico	Najma Akhtar	Vivid	11
Ab ke baras	Midival Punditz	Asian Massive	3
OHM Shanti	Bill Laswell	OHM Shanti	6

Sangam Playlist, 25 June, 2007

Here is the playlist for today's (Monday, 25 June, 2007) Sangam program. 19:30-21:30 Central Time (00:30-02:30 UTC, 26 June, 2007).
KFAI - 90.3 FM Minneapolis, 106.7 FM St. Paul

If you would like to call, the studio phone number is 612-341-0980

The live audiostream will be available here:
http://kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram

The archived audiostream will be available at the link below after the broadcast:
http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/Sangam/Sangam(2007-06-25).rm

From July, Sangam will move to a new day and time: Saturdays, 17:00-19:00 Central Time (22:00-24:00 UTC)


Thanks.

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.	Minutes	Seconds
Laab pe tera naam	Ahmed Rushdie	Yaaden	11	3	15
Jab piyar kis se hota hai	Shiraz Uppal	Jhuki Jhuki	1	5	5
Aah ko chahiye	Shakila	Shakila Shakila, Ghazal Spell	11	5	22
Deewani	Annie	Princess	4	3	51
Mukhra	Shehzad Roy	Rab Janey	13	4	0
Milte hi ankhein	Rabi Pirzada	Mujhay Ishq Hai	7	3	47
Kali aankhein	Jawad Ahmad	Bol Tujhe Kya Chahiyeh	9	4	39
Aankh mein kajal hai	Naghmana Jaffry	Goli Mar De	5	4	25
Jee kay dekha	Haroon	Haroon Ki Awaz	6	4	20
Aisay ho gye	Evolution	Shake Your Body	7	4	15
Shehnai song	Sheila Chandra	Moonsung	3	2	5
Diyar yar geya	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	The Golden Collection	7	6	14
Madvanti	Fuzon	Saager	3	6	3
Juda	Surkh	Compilation	15	4	21
Miskatonic	Najma Akhtar	Vivid	2	2	56
Joy	Ravi Shankar John Mclaughlin	Fusion Music	6	17	15
Rai's horsemeat dub	Black Star Liner	Yemen Cutta Collection	10	2	59
Sutrix	Talvin Singh	OK	3	5	55
Memory war	Asian Dub Foundation	Community Music	2	3	35
Temple gates	James Asher Kamel Nitrate	Tigers of the Remix	2	6	34
The jewelled heart	Rizwan-Muazzam Temple of Sound	People's Colony No. 1	1	6	32

Sangam Playlist for 28 May, 2007

Here is the Sangam playlist for this Memorial weekend show.

From mortal love to divine love, listen to a musical celebration - Supreme Ishq. Also, the Asian Dub Foundation and FunDaMental raise a ruckus.

The archived audiostream for this show will be available here after 21:30 CDT (02:30 UTC on 29 May, 2007):
http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/Sangam/Sangam(2007-05-28).rm

You can call me during the show at 1-612-341-0980 i.e between 19:30-21:30 CDT (00:30-02:30 UTC).

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.
Yaaro mujhe mualf karo	Saleem Raza	Jaan-E-Baharan	18
Jab piyar kis se hota hai	Roona Laila	Best of Roona Laila	12
Ulfat ki nai manzil ko chala	Iqbal Bano	An Evening with Iqbal Bano, vol. 1	3
Ab ke hum bichhre	Mehdi Hasa	Mehdi Hassan, Album 2	7
Karoon na yaad magar	Najma Akhtar	Qareeb	6
Atish Fishan	Najma Akhtar	Atish	1
Chal rein de	Sajjad Ali	Chal Rein De	1
Paniyon me	Sajjad Ali	Cinderella	2
Supreme ishq	Anarkali video	Various Artists, 01 March, 2007	3
Supreme ishq	Riyaz Ali Qadri	Supreme Ishq	1
Yar ko hum ne ja ba ja dekha	Abida Parveen	Raqs-e-Bismil	1
Peera ho	Khalid Anam	Supreme Ishq	5
Spiritual Master Key	Talvin Singh	Anokha	10
Talash	Just In Case	Best of Indus Music, Laila Majnoo	5
Goli mar de	Naghmana Jaffry	Goli Mar De	1
Mein Ranjha	Waseem Niyaz	Best of Indus Music, Laila Majnoo	7
Bhangra Knight vs Husan	Husan	Asian Vibes, CD-1, Body	4
Change A Gonna Come	Asian Dub Foundation	Frontline 1993-1997	2
Godevil	FunDaMental	Erotic Terrorism	3
Assam	James Asher	Tigers of the Raj	5
One ness	FunDaMental	Erotic Terrorism	11
			Sum
			Total Mins

Sangam Playlist for 30 April, 2007

Here is the playlist for today's (Monday, 30 April, 2007) Sangam program.

Of particular note is a commemoration of Asad Amanat Ali Khan via a set of music; he died of heart failure earlier this month. Also, note the three-piece set centered on percussion; and near the end of the program, FunDaMental with Electro G followed by some electro-qawwali.

The archived audiostream for the program will be available shortly after the program at this link:
http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/Sangam/Sangam(2007-04-30).rm

Of course, you can also listen live, on the air (90.3 FM Minneapolis, 106.7 FM St. Paul) or via the live audiostream (http://kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram) from 00:30-02:30 UTC, 01 May, 2007. Call me on the studio line at 612-341-0980 during this time.

(Edited, 01 May, 2007)

Track Title	Artist	Album
Jaan-e-baharan	Saleem Raza	Jaan-E-Baharan
Mera babu chail chabila	Roona Laila	Best of Roona Laila
Tujhe adam nahin milta	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	Gems of Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Abhi kaliion mein chatak	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	The Golden Collection, Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Chhupaye dil mein	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	Gems of Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Doob gai sab yaaden	Asad Amanat Ali Khan	The Golden Collection, Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Kabhi hum bhi khoobsoorat	Nayyara Noor	Best of Best of Ghazals
*Bad track* Dhaara	Naseebo Lai	OST Hits
Tere bin	Shehzad Roy	Buri Baat Hai
Dil hara	Faakhir	Sub Tun Sohniyeh
Thora thora pyar	Fariha Pervez	Passion
Dil ruba hoon	Naghmana Jaffry	Personal Compilation, 10 October
Dil ruba	Faakhir	Sub Tun Sohniyeh
Jhoom barabar jhoom	Munni Begum	Best of Best of Ghazals
A quality of seven	Zakir Husain	Masters of Percussion
Only	Overload	Overload
One of our dholaks is missing	Transglobal Underground	Yes Boss Food Corner
*Not played* Scully	Transglobal Underground	Psychic Karaoke
Electro G	FunDaMental
Sweet Pain Remix	Joi	Star Rise
Beloved	Temple of Sound & Rizwan Muazzam Qawwal	People's Colony No. 1
Mustt mustt	Brooklyn Qawwali Party	Brooklyn Qawwali Party

Asad Amanat Ali Passes Away

Asad Amanat Ali died of heart failure in London earlier this week; he was 55 years old. He had gone to London for treatment of his heart condition after suffering a heart attack two weeks earlier in Lahore. His body was flown to Lahore where the namaz-e-janazaa was held at his home in Karim Park on Ravi Road The burial took place in the Mominpura graveyard.

Asad Amanat Ali, a classical musician of the Patiala gharana, was the son of the late Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and the elder brother of Shafqat Amanat Ali – lead singer for the band Fuzon.
Asad Amanat Ali belonged to a family of several generations of musicians. His great-grandfather Ali Bux Khan started the Patiala gharana and his grandfather Akhtar Hussain was also a prominent musician. His father and uncle, Amanat Ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan were renowned musicians and used to perform together. The duo performances were sadly ended by Amanat Ali’s demise in 1974. Asad Amanat Ali himself also performed in partnership with his other uncle Hamid Ali Khan.

Asad Amanat Ali had received the President’s award for Pride for Performance just a couple of weeks before his death.

I have played pieces by Asad Amanat Ali on my Sangam programs and will do so again on my next show on April 30th. One of his songs “Diyar-e-yaar gaya” which I played on the show last year has deep emotional significance for me. I find it heartbreaking to listen to that piece and don’t feel that I could play it again any time soon but I’ll play some of Asad Amanat Ali’s other music. May he rest in peace.

Listen to Asad Amanat Ali perform a classical music piece, taan and tarana in malkauns, here.

And a recording from his younger days, a ghazal: “Kal chaudhveen ki raat thi”.

Here Asad talks a little bit about his musical heritage before performing “Piyaar nahin hey sur sey jis ko”.

The real, not-quite Namesake

Why do we seem to be stuck on The Namesake? This must end. :-P

However, it seems like some elements of the novel may have a loose autobiographical connection. The Gogol/Nikhil character is similar to someone that Lahiri knew in real life. I will let you read ennis' post (complete with picture!) about this at Sepia Mutiny. I gotta move on.

Music in The Namesake

I had mentioned in an earlier post and on my Sangam program that Nitin Sawhney composed the music for "The Namesake". Well, I went to the theatre this evening and saw that movie. I must say that the music did not live up to my expectations.

It was all right but not as good as I was expecting from Sawhney. In part, my disappointment is a consequence of his recycling of existing pieces. I recognized three previously published tracks, one of which is not even his own! That piece is Flight IC 408 by the State of Bengal. The two other pieces are Sawhney compositions. One is, I think, Falling and I can't place the name of the other one (I'd have to listen to the soundtrack again) but I have definitely heard both pieces before. I wouldn't be surprised if the song by the boatman in the scene about scattering ashes in the Ganges is an earlier composition too - it sounded a bit like a segment from The Immigrant but I could be wrong.

Oh, well. The man does produce terrific music, don't know if the film had a limited budget which precluded original composition.

Sangam playlist and audio file for the 02 April, 2007 program

Here is the playlist for the 02 April, 2007, Sangam program.

And, hurrah! Audio archives are back at KFAI. So you can listen to the archived audio file (Real media) for this program right here (till 16 April, 2007).

Get your heart pumping with the dance section and analyze artistic interpretation by listening to two versions each of "Yaar di Gharoli" and "Bulla Ki Jana".

The latter pair occasioned quite some discussion in the blogistan comparing the merits of Junoon and Rabbi Shergill in their renditions. Junoon actually have at least two slightly differing versions of that piece (Bulleya) ; I am not sure which version was being discussed by the critics. I prefer their somewhat slower-paced version and that is the one I played; personally I think they did a good job.

Enjoy the show!


By the way, I played an Abrar track and Sabizak has a post on Abrar's music and latest album that you may find worthwhile to read.

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.
Kya hua dil pe sitam	Zubaida Khanum	Best of Zubaida Khanum	1
Is des main phir na aaoon ga	Masood Rana	Mer Dil Ki Hai Awaz Best of the Best of Masood Rana	1
Tujhe apne dil se main	Ahmed Rushdi	Yaaden	3
Aksar shab-e-tanhai main	Reshman	The Legend Reshman	13
Meri daastaan-e-hasrat	Ustad Amanat Ali	Whispering Memories Ustad Amanat Ali Khan	5
Jaane kis tarha	Najman Akhtar	Qareeb	2
Dil us sanam ko	Fariha Pervaiz	Umrao Jan Ada	5
Dum Pida	Joshila	Bombay Bhangra Club	15
Chak de phattey	Kailash Kher	UK Bhangra, Volume #7	1
Kuriyan	Abrar-ul Haq	Main Gaddi Aap Chalawan Ga	4
Goriay	Haroon	Lagan	2
Nachna	Rabi Pirzada	Mujhay Ishq Hai	3
Lagian	Shabaz	Shabaz	10
Maula (Bhangra-Hydrate Vocal Mix)	Ustand Sultan Khan Ralphi Rosario	Rare Elements	6
Mahi Yaar di ghadoli	Abida Parveen	Mahi Yaar Di Ghadoli Bhardi	1
Gharoli	Aaroh	Personal Compilation	1
Bulla ki jana	Rabbi Shergill	Bulla Ki Jana	1
Bulleya	Junoon	Parvaaz	10
Let the music play	Shamur	Shamur	1
Evury day	Bohemia	Personal Compilation	2
Rapture	Nadia Ali	Personal Compilation	7
The river	Nitin Sawhney	Human	1
Janay aur	Streben	Personal Compilation	11
Shake ur body	Evolution	Shake Your Body	1

Speaking of The Namesake

Must read by Anna at Sepia Mutiny.

Saga of the Giants

Watch this video.

Then go read Elatia Harris' post (long) at 3quarksdaily.

Tee-M on CityFM89

I had posted a list of desi radiostations a few days ago and also mentioned some days prior to that that Tee-M had left for a tour of Pakistan. Well, as it so happens he will be interviewed on one of the stations that I had listed - CityFM89. Read about it in the note from Tee-M below.

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Ladies & Gentlemen...

I'm in the swing of things in Karachi now. "YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOUR" of Pakistan has started and here's what's happening: LIVE ON CITYFM89's "Breakfast Show" with Sohail Hashmi, Tuesday March 27th '07, 8:20 am Pakistan time, 8:20pm (on Monday, March 26) L.A. (Pacific Time). Rest of the world, please figure out your local time.The show goes all over Pakistan on the radio dial but in the rest of the world u can log onto http://www.cityfm89.com. We'll be playing tracks from EARTHIOTIC... andI'll be taking my guitar for some live acoustic songs. We'll also debut the Aao Aao Aao dance remix by GeoffTyson...The call-in # (in Pakistan) at FM89 is 111-089-089, the lines will be open, so let's chitter, chatter and request in your favorite song from EARTHIOTIC...

As a lot of you in Pakistan know that after 3 yearsand over 800 episodes of the Breakfast Show on CityFM89 Sohail Hashmi will be leaving the station at the end of this month. My sincere thanks to him for his appreciation and support of TEE-M music ever since I was on his show for the first time back in Jan of '06. I had a great time with Sohail and Wes Malik then and hope to rock n roll with him come Tuesday Mar 27th, so everybody please log and tune in!

TEE-M BEST MALE ARTIST: Yes! ROCKWIRED out of Los Angeles has nominatedTEE-M in the "Best Male Artist" category. Please let them know how much u agree with their thinking and cast your vote and feelings at: http://www.rockwired.com/vote.html


Cherrios for now...TEE-M (Tariq)
http://www.tee-m.com


Watch Aao Aao Aao video on YouTube: A and O level students in Lahore are putting it on their phones and iPods. I say rock n roll Lahore...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0gpDCfeLkQ4

READ INTERVIEW WITH KEN HAMLETT OF UNSIGNED MAG OUT OF ATLANTA, REPUBLISHED BY SOUTHBOUNDBEAT.
http://southboundbeat.com/issue_12/interviews/TEE-M.php3

Nitin Sawhney

Nitin Sawhney’s talent is amazing. He combines jazz, Indian music, electronica, and other genres to produce musical pieces that are delightful and stimulating to listen to. Sawhney was born and raised in the UK. He learned classical (Western) piano, classical and flamenco guitar, and also sitar and tabla. However his interests range much more widely. In addition to musicians he has collaborated with filmmakers, choreographers, and visual artists. You can listen to his music if you go to see The Namesake based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri and directed by Mira Nair.

The Guardian published a column about Sawhney last year which you can read here. Listen to a portion of the score he did for the movie Prapancha Pash and to a brief interview with him.

I’ll play something by Nitin Sawhney on my next Sangam program on April 2nd. Be sure to join me.

Desi Radiostations on the 'Net

I have been looking for desi music on the ‘Net and found some radio streams. They are listed below. These are commercial stations so you will hear advertisements as well – sorry!

Hardly any of these stations offer audio archives so you are limited to the live audiostream. Sunrise Radio AM does offer an archive with a week’s span.

So don’t forget to listen to Sangam and other fine programs on KFAI (www.kfai.org) – commercial free and with audio archives (2-week span) categorized by program. The archives will be available again beginning in April.

Different stations use different players. You have to have one of the following (freely downloaded) players: WinAmp, Real Player, or Windows Media Player. WinAmp will generally play most stations but don’t be surprised if you end up needing all three.


Mast FM103
http://www.mastfm103.com/index.asp

Offers four channels:
Karachi
Lahore
Faisalabad
Multan


FM100 Pakistan
http://www.fm100pakistan.com/

Offers three channels:
Islamabad
Karachi
Lahore


CityFM89
http://www.cityfm89.com/cityfm89web/home.aspx

Out of Karachi; plays quite a lot of English/Western music.


Radioactive 96 FM
http://radioactive96.fm/

This is also out of Karachi and may play mostly Western music. I haven’t listened to it enough to figure out the station’s format.


BBC Asian Network (UK)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/

Radio TeenTaal (Paris)
http://www.radiomasala.net/

Sunrise Radio AM (UK)
http://www.sunriseradio.com/

Sunrise Radio FM (UK)
http://www.sunriseradio.fm/index1.php

JoSH in concert in Minneapolis, Saturday, March 31

You may have heard the song "Aaye mauasma rangeele, suhane" by JoSH on my last Sangam program (originally from the movie 'Saat Lakh' and sung by Zubaid Khanum many, many years ago). Well, JoSH is going to be performing in the Twin Cities on Saturday, March 31, on the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus. The concert is part of the Pakistani Students Association's annual function. Those of you living in or visiting the Twin Cities, do come to the concert for a good time and some desi food. Thanks.

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Pakistani Student Association will be hosting its annual show/concert on March 31st (Saturday), 2007, in the Great Hall of the Coffman Memorial Union on the Minneapolis campus (East Bank) of the University of Minnesota.

http://www.coffman.umn.edu/about/directions.php

Event Time: 7:30pm to 10:30pm, (Saturday, March 31)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

This Year PSA Night will be Featuring International Mega-Hit JoSH, winner of "Best New Talent" at MTV's "IMMIES"

visit them at http://www.planetjosh.com

Also featuring Live Dhol performance, student performances and much much more
____________________________

TICKETS: V.I.P - $45; General - $20; Students with student ID - $10
Tickets are available at South Asian Food, Patel Groceries (on Central Avenue, Minneapolis)

For more info:

Shahzad Ali at - alix0108 [at] umn.edu
OR
Mohammad Ali - alixx103 [at] umn.edu

Nadia Ali - Sensational

Entrancing! I came across Nadia Ali’s singing recently and was delighted. She writes her own songs and sings beautifully. Her voice has a slight throatiness which is a pleasure to listen to and her modulation is expressive.

Nadia Ali was born in Libya to Pakistani parents and grew up in Queens, NY. She sings mostly in English but also in Urdu (with clear diction and without a Western accent). Listen to her interview (about 9 minutes long) conducted by Imran Siddiqui for the Voice of America. Towards the end of the interview segment (approximately 2 minutes before the end) Nadia makes some interesting remarks about her identity as a Pakistani woman getting into the Western music scene.

On my last Sangam program I had intended to play her song ‘Rapture’ but miscued the CD and played ‘Fasley’ instead, which is also a beautiful song. So listen for ‘Rapture’ next time (on April 02); it is a big hit. Nadia recorded this song with the band ‘Iio’ (the name derived from Sony’s Vaio computer which she used for writing). Now she is working on developing herself as a solo artist. Best wishes, Nadia!

Here is Nadia Ali performing ‘Who is Watching’. Enjoy.

Sangam Playlist for Monday, 05 March, 2007

Hey folks,

Here is the playlist for today's (Monday, 05 March, 2007) Sangam show. I'll be debuting Tee-M's dance remix of Aao, Aao, Aao and also playing his tribute to James Brown. Additionally there are pieces by several new bands and singers, and desi rap!!

Because KFAI's audio archiving won't be available until the beginning of April you can only listen to this show live; 7:30-9:30 pm US Central Time [01:30-03:30 UT (GMT), 05 March, 2007].

Listen on air at 90.3 FM Minneapolis, 106.7 St. Paul

or on the 'Net at http://www.kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram

During the show you can call me on KFAI's studio line 612-341-0980.

TrackTitle	Artist	Album
Aao, Aao, Aao	Tee-M	Special CD
Mausam	Josh	Personal Compilation
Hazaron khwahishen aisi	Jagjit Singh	Kalaam, Mirza Ghalib
Chuke chupke raat din	Ghulam Ali	Best of Best Ghazals, vol. 2
Karoon na yaad magar	Najma Akhtar	Qareeb
Zindagi shart hai	Tina Sani	Teri Yaad
Yeh hum naheen	Artists' Collective	Personal Compilation
Anthem	DNA	Personal Compilation
Ka ga ja	Zaavia	Personal Compilation
Rabba	Najam Sheraz	Mainu Teray Naal
G.T. Road	Abrar-ul Haq	Mein Gaddi Aap Chalawan Ga
Tere sar te chunni kali	Shazia Manzoor	Chan Makhna
Piya re, piya re	Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan	Salaam
Piya re, piya re	Kailash Kher	Personal Compilation
Piya	Fariha Pervaiz	Piya
Thinking about James Brown	Tee-M	Special CD
Rapture	Nadia Ali	Personal Compilation
Let's dance	David Bowie	Asian Vibes, CD-2, Soul
Mundian to bach ke	Punjabi MC	Asian Vibes, CD-1, Body
Mundian to bach ke	Bohemia	Personal Compilation
Nitin Sawhney Exclusive Mix	Nitin Sawhney	All Mixed Up CD-2

Protest Music

Several South Asian bands and artists have put out music that protests social and political injustice. Almost the entire output of bands such as the Asian Dub Foundation or Fun-Da-Mental is comprised of this type of music. Additionally, individual artists such as Karsh Kale and Haroon have put out songs that are critical of the ills in society. Ghazal singers have also recorded similar pieces, notable Iqbal Bano's rendering of Faiz Ahmad Faiz's "Hum daikhain gey".

I'd like to build a list of protest music from South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. If you know of this type of music, please post a comment. If you can supply full discographic information, that would be great.

Thanks for your help.

Brook is back

Brook Martinez of the Brooklyn Qawwali Party (originally Brook’s Qawwali Party) is back with the band and they will be performing this Saturday (Feb 17) at Barbes in Brooklyn. An announcement about the event and BQP happenings is given below.

"Yeh jo halka halka suroor hai" is a really nice piece. Maybe I’ll play the version by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on my next Sangam program on March 05, 2007. Tune in for that show (www.kfai.org). I’ll post the playlist when we get closer to the show date.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brooklyn Qawwali Party will be celebrating Brooklyn, Qawwali, and the Party this Saturday night (2/17) at Barbes(http://barbesbrooklyn.com) at 9 pm (two sets). We've got two new songs to present from our Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan transcription archives: Yeh Jo Halka Halka and Sochan Dongian. Don't miss it!

The Party will include -
Jesse Neuman - trumpet
Loren Stillman - alto saxophone
Ryan Keberle - trombone
Michael Gamble - guitar
Michael Bellar - harmonium
Noah Jarrett - bass
Brook Martinez - percussion
Liam Hurley - percussion
Shawn Trail - percussion
Conor Elmes - percussion
Special Guest Vocalist - Samita Sinha

Hope to see you there!

Brook (Yes, I'm back in the party)


Don't miss these upcoming events:
Wednesday, February 21st, 2007Soundcheck---LIVE on wnyc (NPR) radio! - http://www.WNYC.org - 2 pm
Check us out at 93.9, or www.WNYC.org
also: itunes--->radio--->public--->WNYC

Saturday, February 24th, 2007, Joe's Pub - CD RELEASE PARTY!
BQP is thrilled to be releasing their debut, self-titled compact disc at Joe's Pub!
Please come out and see us and pick up a disc!
http://www.joespub.com/caltool/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&performanceID=2762

Shazia Manzoor song

Here is a song by Shazia Manzoor. What do you think of the amazingly energetic dancer? (She is not Shazia, btw). I don't think I would be able to keep up that pace for more than a couple of minutes, let alone six.

Sangam Playlist for Monday, 05 February, 2007

This is the tentative playlist for my Sangam program on Monday, 05 February, 2007.

You can listen to the program live at http://www.kfai.org/smil/kfailive.ram from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm US Central Standard Time (01:30-3:30 UT).

It will be broadcast on the air at KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul.

The playlist includes the piece 136 by the Midival Punditz that I mentioned in my last post. Also check out the video for Haroon's song Yara; it plays out an interesting story.

Track Title	Artist	Album	Track No.
Mere dil ki hai awaz	Masood Rana	Best of the Best Massod Rana	2
Bhooli huwi hoon dastan	Mala	Best of Mala	1
Dil hi to hai	Jagjit Singh	Kalam: Mirza Ghalib	9
Kaise guzar gaee hai jawani	Ustan Amanat Ali	Raag Se Ghazal Tak	6
Piya baaj pyala	Malika Pukhraj	Mother and Daughter	10
Dil laga ya tha	Najma Akhtar	Qareeb	3
Aashiqi dil lagi nahin hoti	Aziz Mian	Aashiqi Dil Lagi Nahin Hoti	2
Balay Balay ni tore	Farida Khanum	Farida Khanum: The Golden Collection	3
Punjabi touch	Abrar-ul Haq	Asan Jana Mal-o-Mal	2
Lako Wadeya	Achanak	What is Bhangra	8
Bar bar dekho	Saleem Jawed	A Tribute to Muhammad Rafi	8
Yara	Haroon	Haroon Ki Awaz	2
Dewane	Fuzon	Saagar	7
Dosti	Junoon	Inquilaab	10
Pentagonal	Meekal Hasan	Square One	2
Equation	Equal 1	Anokha-Soundz of the Asian Underground	9
Captive	Najma Akhtar	Vivid	1
Bulla ki jana	Rabbi Shergill	Bulla Ki Jana	1
Kithe Meher Ali	Abida Parveen	Abida Parveen Sings Songs of the Mystics, vol. 2	8
Meher Ali (Bollywood Burning Remix)	Ustad Sultan Khan & Radar One	Rare Elements	8
136	Midival Punditz	Midival Times	4
Ram Balram	Ursula 1000	Bombay 2: Electric Vindaloo	1

Another City Ride

Continuing to ride through cities, let's try Delhi this time. The accompanying music is by the Midival Punditz (136 from their album Midival Times) and the singing is by Vishal Vaid.

Unfortunately the sound level on this video is so low that you will have to max out the volume controls on both the player and your computer and even then I would suggest using headphones.

Night Ride

Enjoy a rickshaw ride through Karachi at night.

Thanks to Turab for posting the link.

Sat. 27 January, 2007, TEE-M's "UNsigned" # 28 on WPMD

Received the email below from Tee-M

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TEE-M's "UNsigned Music Show"on WPMD's "Rock 50" w/Mike Stark. A genre busting show, where the UNsigned Revolution is on...

Sat. Jan 27th11am to 1pm (pacific)

Net-Live onhttp://www.wpmd.org goin' worldwide...

Show replays 3 times daily 7am, 3pm, 11pm (pst)

On the alternative stream http://www.wpmd.org/unsigned

11am-12noon: Mike and TEE-M spin cd cuts from cutting edge indie artists and bands.

12noon-1pm: Live acoustic performances plus more recorded tracks.

Live Performance By:MONA FOR NOW http://www.monafornow.com

MORAGA http://www.vicmoraga.com

TEE-M-BUZZ-O-RAMA:Read TEE-M's interview with DJ LUSH of ROCKWIRED http://rockwired.com/earthiotic.html

TEE-M's "Aao Aao Aao" video ON YOUTUBE is seeing a big surge in views. You can watch it 24/7. Please pass and share the halwa with everyone around the globe. http://youtube.com/watch?v=0gpDCfeLkQ4

ROCK & RAP GOES INTERNET FREE...A publication that I've been subscribing for the longest time is now free.Rock & Rap Confidential, the only publicationever recommended by Rage Against The Machineis now free of charge via email. To subscribe just send the email address you wish to receive it at to rockrap@aol.com The debut email issue should be out soon. Let them know that TEE-Mrecommended that to you."The best thing to hit my mailbox"---Cameron Crowe"This is what we need, more of this"---Joe Strummer

SOUTHBOUND BEAT MAGAZINE FROM LOS ANGELES HAS REPUBLISHED, TEE-M'S INTERVIEW GIVEN TO KEN HAMLETT OF UNSIGNED MAGAZINE ATLANTA. http://southboundbeat.com/issue_12/interviews/TEE-M.php3

WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOT, WAS A SHOT! A few weeks back on a sunny Southern California day,while driving on a fairly busy Fairfax Ave on the wayto Hollywood, I heard what sounded like a gun shot hitting my car, my immediate reaction was to duck, which I did, looked around and kept going, thinking that maybe somebody threw a rock or something. After about a couple of hours when I got back into the car and looked right to make a turn, my back window was all shattered, I stopped, checked it out, and there it was...a real gun shot had done it's damage.Cheerios! from the entertainment Capital of the world!!

_______ __________ __________ __________

EARTHIOTIC...IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADS AT EMUSIC from anywhere on the globe. http://www.emusic.com/album/10923/10923557.html?fref=700329http://itunes.com

Also at CDBaby for cds.http://www.cdbaby.com/teem

Also in Karachi at: CAFE BARBERA

6th Zamzama Ln (Next to Copper Kettle). V-sel Music19-c Stadium Ln, Khada Market.

TEE-M (Tariq) Santa Monica, CA http://www.tee-m.com

Sangam Playlist, 22 January, 2007

Track Title, Artist, Album, Track No.

Aai mausam rangele, Zubaida Khanum, Best of Zubaida Khanum, 2
Bhooli huwi hoon dastan, Ahmed Rushdi, Yaaden, 1
Tujh jaisa daghabaz, Roona Laila, Best of Roona Laila, 8
Jhoom barabar jhoom, Munni Begum, Best of Best of Ghazals, vol. 2, 6
Ulfat ki nai manzil ko, Iqbal Bano, An Evening with Iqbal Bano, vol. 1, 3
Honton pe kabhi, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Best of Best of Ghazals, vol. 2, 5
Bin tere kya hai jeena, Jawad Ahmed, Bol tujhe kya chahiyeh, 11
Dil pukare, Najma Akhtar, Forbidden Kiss, 9
Mujhe ishq hai, Rabi Pirzada, Mujhe Ishq Hai, 1
Buri baat hai, Shehzad Roy, Buri Baat Hai, 4
Aankh main kajal hai, Naghmana Jaffry, Goli Maar De, 5
Chaaye chaaye, Strings, Dhaani, 6
Main Kabhi, Junoon, The Millennium Edition, 3
Aankhon, Junaid, Personal Compilation ,1
Only, Overload, Overload, 1
Behti naar, Rushk, Sawal, 2
Maal gari, Rage, Deewana, 3
Disappeared, Tee-M, Earthiotic, 3
Debris, Asian Dub Foundation, Rough Guide to the Asian Underground, 9
Tu kareemi, Brooklyn Qawwali Party, Personal Compilation, 2
Devotional, Tabla Beat Science, Tala Matrix, 6

Aziz Mian Sings Qawwali -Teri Surat Nigahon

Aziz Mian Sings the popular Qawwali 'Teri Surat' Live. An English translation of the lyrics appears on screen.

Karsh Kale music videos

Here are a couple of video clips featuring Karsh Kale. You may recall my playing some of his music on Sangam.

GK2 is a sort of sci-fi/fantasy music video.

Epic Live Video (Blue) features Kale with his band, Realize, and Vishal Vaid doing the vocals.

BQP plays Manhattan/Brooklyn Jan 18/19, 2007

Jesse Neuman of the Brooklyn Qawwali Party emailied me to say that they play a Manhattan/Brooklyn double header this week. Details below:

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THURSDAY jan 18th@ Makor ..........9pm

(35 W 67th St, near 1/9, Broadway)$15 adv/$18 day of for the WHOLE NIGHT!
---doors open at 8 for GlobeSonic Entertainment's "Tribute to NusratFateh Ali Khan." Also performing, Vishal Vaid (singer with KarshKale) and Globesonic Sound System (DJ trio).

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FRIDAY jan 19th@ Zebulon..............10pm

(258 Wythe in Williamsburg---take L to Bedford, walk back towardsmanhattan on N. 6th and turn left onto Wythe)free!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BQP is comprised of:
tony barba_tenor/jesse neuman_trumpet/loren stillman_alto/ryankeberle_trombone/rob jost_french horn/michael bellar/harmonium/mikegamble_guitar/noah jarrett_bass/conor elmes_drumset/shawntrail_percussion/sunny jain_percussion/samita sinha_vocals

Vishal Vaid is a fantastic singer. He has a rich and mellow voice, modulates it beautifully, and his singing is very soulful.

Go listen to BQP and Vishal Vaid if you can. The latter can also be heard on many tracks he has recorded with Karsh Kale.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jesse also include a link to a 2-minute Globesonic infomercial that is quite interesting. Here it is:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KP7nFSK1DEI

I had a look at that clip and at the end up popped some links to qawwali recordings on YouTube posted by various people (maybe this was an outcome of the upgrade that YouTube did to their site). I cruised through those and found that there are a ton of qawwali and song clips on YouTube. Many are of poor video quality and seem to have been recorded of the air from Pakistan Television broadcasts. Does anyone wonder what sort of copyright violations are taking place in uploading these clips? There isn’t a straightforward answer to this question. For viewers it is great to have this stuff available and it promotes both the arts and the artists, which is a valuable service. Many people who would not have otherwise heard of these musicians will now be aware of them. I hope that results in people buying CDs put out by these artists and thus return some benefit to the performers. If so, the intent of copyright regulations would have been preserved even if the letter has been violated.

More Little Mosque

The Guardian has a post about Little Mosque on the Prairie on its news blog. It also has a link to a full video of one of the episodes provided courtesy of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Enjoy.

Tee-M's Music

I have played several pieces by Tee-M on Sangam from his CD Earthiotic. I contacted Tee-M after hearing about him from a friend and he kindly sent me a copy of his CD. One of the pieces that I played on the air is titled Aao, Aao, Aao and can also be viewed as a video here.

Tee-M has been featured in a short film, “The ultimate Song”, which also includes Springsteen, Ice T, and other artists. He also co-hosts “Tee-M’s Unsigned Music Show” on WPMD. You can listen to that show here.

Little Mosque on the Prairie?

It looks as if Canadians are forging ahead with their multiculturalism. Shabana mentions the launch of a new sitcom on Canadian Television (CBC) centered around a community of Muslims living in a small town. Way to go Canada!

Urdu Talk Radio

A group of young Pakistanis have started a talk radio show on a Chicago radiostation (1590 AM). The show is also available as a live audiostream on the 'Net. Archived programs can be downloaded as MP3 files. The website of this collective known as the Asian Broadcasting Network is available here: http://www.abnchicago.org/

Miss(es) Pakistan

There seems to a little ripple of excitement in the Pakistani blogosphere about Mariyah Moten, Miss Pakistan 2006 or rather Miss Bikini Pakistan 2006 - since Sehr Mahmood seems to be Miss Pakistan World 2006.

Apparently Mariyah’s appearance in a bikini is what is causing the micro-controversy. I am not exactly sure why since Naomi Zaman, Miss Pakistan Earth 2005, has also appeared in a bikini. Perhaps I missed that round of fulmination. Separately, Neelam Noorani was removed from a beauty pageant in Tokyo upon the objection of Pakistani officials.

Get over it already, folks! These women can make their own decisions about whether and how to participate in beauty pageants.

For those who are interested in participating in the Miss Pakistan 2007 competition, you can apply to the organizers, Miss Pakistan Canada, Inc.

Sliding (Conflicting?) Standards?

PakManzil presents a lot of videos and music-related information and I visited it today to see what was new. They have a clip from a Pakistani drama and an accompanying note essentially bemoaning the slide in "decency" in those dramas. It turns out that the clip shows a couple and the man embraces the woman from behind and kisses her neck. This seems to be what is generating the shock (it should be awe instead, (-: ) . Viewers' comments seemed to deprecate this behavior as well.

Interestingly, the same site also has clip of a dance performance by girls at what appears to be a school show. The descriptor for that clip seems to be rather appreciative as are many of the comments left about it.

After watching both clips I am not clear as to why the behavior in the drama is viewed so distressingly while the dancing seems to be more acceptable. Is physical contact between a man and a woman considered more lewd than provocative movements by dancers? Is that because the dancers are all of one gender (or, as a separate case, all female), or that no deliberate touching is involved? Does the age of the protagonists make a difference (adolescent girls vs. an adult man and woman)? Or is it the age of the commentators (mostly young adults, I suspect)? Or are adults in Pakistan expected to behave in a sexless fashion in their normal lives (the dramas are closer to daily life than are Lollywood movies)? Or could it be that for Pakistanis watching a drama in the company of their families and seeing people like themselves touch each other in a loving fashion is so disconsonant with usually observed behavior in Pakistani society, that the viewing becomes profoundly uncomfortable? Would Indians react the same way? Which Indians? How is it that both Pakistanis and Indians watch Bollywood movies, frequently with all family members sitting together, and no one seems to become uncomfortable?

You can watch the video clips at the links below and then please enlighten me as to why these clips drew the reactions that they did. Thanks.

Kissing drama clip:
http://www.youtube.com/v/QfLSPqRgqMs

Dancing girls clip:
http://www.youtube.com/v/zjc8-wCzs8s

The Beloved Najma

Another piece on Monday's Sangam show is by Najma Akhtar, "Dil Jalane Ki Baat Karte Ho", from her allbum Pukar. She sings it in the qawwali style and listen for the traces of Nusrat Fateh Ali and the Sabri Borthers. She uses signature elements of their styles and incorporate those beautifully into this piece.

Najma is one of my favorite singers. She has released five CDs so far: Qareeb, Aaatish, Pukar, Vivid, and Forbidden Kiss (a tribute to S.D. Burman made in collaboration with American and European musicians). Najma is highly versatile, singing in both Urdu and English, and in classical as well as pop styles. She has also sung modern opera and "experimental" music. Her diction is clear and on ghazals and other Urdu pieces she beautifully modulates her voice in the traditional style. The album Vivid consists mostly of songs in English or a mix of English and Urdu. Both the singing and music on that album are distinctive; I liked it very much. I was sitting in Chipotle one day and heard these very familiar strains in the background music that plays in those stores. It took me a second to realize that it was Najma's piece "Miskatonic" from Vivid that was being piped through the system. That is certainly commercial success of one kind. (-: But Najma is superb; I recommend her albums to you.

Brooklyn Qawwali Party

One of the qawwali pieces that I will play on Monday's Sangam show is by the Brooklyn Qawwali Party (formerly known as Brook's Qawwali Party). I came across them on the All Things Pakistan blog. There is an interesting discussion there about their music. Some of the people have commented that BQP's sound is like a shaadi-vala band.

BQP is essentially a group of jazz musicians who have been influenced by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's music and are producing music that combines elements of jazz and qawwali. I love their sound. They haven't released a CD yet but I contacted them and Jesse Neuman generously sent me a couple of tracks, one of which I'll play on Monday and the second one on another show. BQP performs around the New York area and would probably be willing to travel if invited. You can read more about them here:
http://www.myspace.com/bqp
http://www.brooklynqawwaliparty.com/