short documentary: upcoming music scenario in Delhi…

A short documentary on the upcoming music scenario in Delhi. How art and technology are constantly competing with each other with every passing day. The musicians here speak about art,music,technology and the digital culture. Officially releases in mid june. An initiative by Lights on films, New Delhi.

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21st April 2012: World Record Store Day (WRSD)… Vinyl, Vinyl, Vinyl…

The original idea for Record Store Day was conceived by Chris Brown, and was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally.

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on.

Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April.

(Source: 04/2012 - recordstoreday.com)

Related articles

• Record Store Day 2012 – My Picks – #RSD12 (samsandberg.com)
• Record Store Day @ Facebook
• Spotify celebrates Record Store Day – April 21, 2012 (spotify.com)
• 13 Reasons To Visit Your Local Record Store Day On Saturday (wnyc.org)
• Vinyl addicts queue overnight on Northern Quarter streets for Record Store Day (menmedia.co.uk)
• Catch Feist on the flip side on Record Store Day (theglobeandmail.com)

One of the WRSD Ambassadors 2011…

World Record Store Day 2011 – Live session…

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StudioTalk: “Music awareness by Love… from Love to Music” @ radio multicult.fm (Berlin)

The special format “StudioTalk” offers to our listeners some very exclusive themes and talks about the world of Indian Classical Music ! – StudioTalk gives Indian music maestros, music scientists, event organisations and other specialists  the chance to present themselfs in a dialogue directly to an international and European audience.

A StudioTalk isn’t an interview form of 5 to 10 minutes small talk about concert tours, new editorials , CD or DVD projects etc. … Much more by a detailled planning and research work IMC OnAir delivers by StudioTalk a frame for specific themes and aspects to contribute an approach and deep going insight for Indian Classical Music – especially for the Europeans.

date of broadcasting
29th March 2012 – 03:00-04:00 p.m. EST (09:00-10:00 p.m. MEST) @ radio multicult.fm (Berlin)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

StudioTalk “Music awareness by Love… from Love to Music” with
Sarod maestro Ranajit Sengupta “onair”… (100% in English) 

28th January 2012: SARASWATI PUJA 2012 (India)

Saraswati (Sculpture)

In Hinduism Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, Sarasvatī ^?), is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts and science. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti.

The name Saraswati came from “saras” (meaning “flow”) and “wati” (meaning “she who has …”), i.e. “she who has flow” or can mean sara meaning “essence” and swa meaning “self”. So, Saraswati is symbol of knowledge; its flow (or growth) is like a river and knowledge is supremely alluring, like a beautiful woman. She is depicted as beautiful fair Goddess with Four arms, wearing spotless white saree and seated on white lotus. She is also known as “Sharada”, “Vani” and “Vagdevi” (both meaning “speech”).

Saraswati, known as Sraosha in Zoroastrianism is the guardian of earth. Sraosha (“obedience”) is also the wife and messenger of Ahura Mazda, and her role as the “Teacher of Daena”, Daena being the hypostasis of both “Conscience” and “Religion”. She also guides the souls of the deceased to find their way to the afterlife. Her symbolic animal is the peacock, whose crowing calls the pious to their religious duties. She is also called Druga for fighting off Drug (Drug, the name for female demon in ancient Veda, from the Sanskrit root druh “to be hostile”). The name Druga is made of Sanskrit dru or dur “with difficulty” and gā or jā (“come”, “go”). Saraswati is known as a guardian deity in Buddhism who upholds the teachings of Gautama Buddha by offering protection and assistance to practitioners. She is known in Burmese as Thurathadi (သူရဿတီ,pronounced [θùja̰ðədì] or [θùɹa̰ðədì]) or Tipitaka Medaw, Chinese asBiàncáitiān, in Thai as Surasawadee (สุรัสวดี) and in Japanese as Benzaiten. In the East Indian states ofBihar, West Bengal, Orissa: Saraswati is considered to be a daughter of Durga along with her sister Lakshmi and her brothersGanesha and Karthikeya. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

Saraswati Puja 2012…

… in Mumbai

Padma Awards 2012 list

The President of India has approved the conferment of Padma Awards-2012. This year the President has approved 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of Foreigners/ NRIs/ PIOs/ Posthumous. These comprise five Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri Awards. There are 19 women among the awardees.

Padma Awards, the country’s highest civilian awards, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in all disciplines/ fields of activities, viz. art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

The awards will conferred by the President of India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in March/April.

Padma Vibhushan

1. Shri K G Subramanyan – Art-Painting & Sculpture – West Bengal
2. Late Shri Mario De Miranda – Art-Cartoonist – Goa*
3. Late (Dr.)Bhupen Hazarika – Art- Vocal Music – Assam*
4. Dr. Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti – Medicine – Orthopedics – Maharashtra
5. Shri T V Rajeswar – Civil Service – Delhi
Padma Bhushan
1. Smt. Shabana Azmi – Art – Cinema – Maharashtra
2. Shri Khaled Choudhury – Art – Theatre – West Bengal
3. Shri Jatin Das – Art – Painting – Delhi
4. Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta – Art – Instrumental Music – Sarod – West Bengal
5. Shri Dharmendra Singh Deol alias Dharmendra – Art – Cinema – Maharashtra
6. Dr. Trippunithwra Viswanathan Gopalkrishnan – Art – Classical vocal and instrumental music – Tamil Nadu
7. Ms. Mira Nair – Art – Cinema – Delhi
8. Shri M.S. Gopalakrishnan – Art – Instrumental Music-Violin – Tamil Nadu
9. Shri Anish Kapoor – Art – Sculpture – UK*
10. Shri Satya Narayan Goenka – Social Work – Maharashtra
11. Dr. (Judge) Patibandla Chandrasekhar Rao – Public Affairs – Germany*
12. Shri George Yong-Boon Yeo – Public Affairs – Singapore*
13. Prof. Shashikumar Chitre – Science and Engineering – Maharashtra
14. Dr. M S Raghunathan – Science and Engineering – Maharashtra
15. Shri Subbiah Murugappa Vellayan – Trade and Industry – Tamil Nadu
16. Shri Balasubramanian Muthuraman – Trade and Industry – Maharashtra
17. Dr. Suresh H. Advani – Medicine – Oncology – Maharashtra
18. Dr. Noshir H Wadia – Medicine-Neurology – Maharashtra
19. Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty – Medicine-Cardiology – Karnataka
20. Prof. (Dr.) Shantaram Balwant Mujumdar – Literature and Education – Maharashtra
21. Prof. Vidya Dehejia – Literature and Education – USA*
22. Prof. Arvind Panagariya – Literature and Education – USA*
23. Dr. Jose Pereira – Literature and Education – USA*
24. Dr. Homi K. Bhabha – Literature and Education – UK *
25. Shri N Vittal – Civil Service – Kerala
26. Shri Mata Prasad – Civil Service – Uttar Pradesh
27. Shri Ronen Sen – Civil Service – West Bengal

Padma Shri

1. Shri Vanraj Bhatia – Art – Music – Maharashtra
2. Shri Zia Fariduddin Dagar – Art – Music – vocal – Maharashtra
3. Smt. Nameirakpam Ibemni Devi – Art – Music- Khongjom Parba – Manipur
4. Shri Ramachandra Subraya Hegde Chittani – Art – Yakshagana dance drama – Karnataka
5. Shri Moti Lal Kemmu – Art – Playwright – Jammu and Kashmir
6. Shri Shahid Parvez Khan – Art – Instrumental Music-Sitar – Maharashtra
7. Shri Mohan Lal Kumhar – Art – Terracotta – Rajasthan
8. Shri Sakar Khan Manganiar – Art – Rajasthani Folk Music – Rajasthan
9. Smt. Joy Michael – Art – Theatre – Delhi
10. Dr. Minati Mishra – Art – Indian Classical Dance-Odissi. – Orissa
11. Shri Natesan Muthuswamy – Art – Theatre. – Tamil Nadu
12. Smt. R. Nagarathnamma – Art – Theatre – Karnataka
13. Shri Kalamandalm Sivan Nambootiri – Art – Indian Classical Dance- Kutiyattam – Kerala
14. Smt. Yamunabai Waikar – Art – Indian Folk Music-Lavani. – Maharashtra
15. Shri Satish Alekar – Art – Playwright – Maharashtra
16. Pandit Gopal Prasad Dubey – Art – Chhau dance and choreography – Jharkhand
17. Shri Ramakant Gundecha and Shri Umakant Gundecha# – Art – Indian Classical Music- Vocal – Madhya Pradesh
18. Shri Anup Jalota – Art-Indian Classical Music- Vocal – Maharashtra
19. Shri Soman Nair Priyadarsan – Art – Cinema- Direction – Kerala
20. Shri Sunil Janah – Art-Photography – Assam
21. Ms. Laila Tyebji – Art-Handicrafts – Delhi
22. Shri Vijay Sharma – Art-Painting – Himachal Pradesh
23. Smt. Shamshad Begum – Social Work – Chattisgarh
24. Smt. Reeta Devi – Social Work – Delhi
25. Dr. P.K. Gopal – Social Work – Tamil Nadu
26. Smt. Phoolbasan Bai Yadav – Social Work – Chattisgarh
27. Dr. G. Muniratnam – Social Work – Andhra Pradesh
28. Shri Niranjan Pranshankar Pandya – Social Work – Maharashtra
29. Dr. Uma Tuli – Social Work – Delhi
30. Shri Sat Paul Varma – Social Work – Jammu and Kashmir
31. Smt.Binny Yanga – Social Work – Arunachal Pradesh
32. Shri Yezdi Hirji Malegam – Public Affairs – Maharashtra
33. Shri Pravin H. Parekh – Pubic Affairs – Delhi
34. Dr. V. Adimurthy – Science and Engineering – Kerala
35. Dr. Krishna Lal Chadha – Science and Engineering – Agriculture – Delhi
36. Prof. Virander Singh Chauhan – Science and Engineering – Delhi
37. Prof. Rameshwar Nath Koul Bamezai – Science and Engineering – Jammu and Kashmir
38. Dr. Vijaypal Singh – Science and Engineering – Agricultural Research – Uttar Pradesh
39. Dr. Lokesh Kumar Singhal – Science and Engineering – Punjab
40. Dr. Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan – Science and Engineering – Karnataka
41. Prof. Jagadish Shukla – Science and Engineering – USA*
42. Ms. Priya Paul – Trade and Industry – Delhi
43. Shri Shoji Shiba – Trade and Industry – Japan*
44. Shri Gopinath Pillai – Trade and Industry – Singapore*
45. Shri Arun Hastimal Firodia – Trade and Industry – Maharashtra
46. Dr. Swati A. Piramal – Trade and Industry – Maharashtra
47. Prof. Mahdi Hasan – Medicine-Anatomy – Uttar Pradesh
48. Dr. Viswanathan Mohan – Medicine – Diabetology – Tamil Nadu
49. Dr. J. Hareendran Nair – Medicine – Ayurveda – Kerala
50. Dr. Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan – Medicine – Geriatrics – Tamil Nadu
51. Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh – Medicine – Oncology – Bihar
52. Dr. Shrinivas S. Vaishya – Medicine-Healthcare – Daman and Diu
53. Dr. Nitya Anand – Medicine – Drugs Research – Uttar Pradesh
54. Late Dr. Jugal Kishore – Medicine – Homoeopathy – Delhi *
55. Dr. Mukesh Batra – Medicine-Homeopathy – Maharashtra
56. Dr. Eberhard Fischer – Literature and Education – Switzerland*
57. Shri Kedar Gurung – Literature and Education – Sikkim
58. Shri Surjit Singh Patar – Literature and Education – Poetry – Punjab
59. Shri Vijay Dutt Shridhar – Literature and Education – Journalism – Madhya Pradesh
60. Shri Irwin Allan Sealy – Literature and Education – Uttarakhand
61. Ms. Geeta Dharmarajan – Literature and Education – Delhi
62. Prof. Sachchidanand Sahai – Literature and Education – Haryana
63. Smt. Pepita Seth – Literature and Education – Kerala
64. Dr. Ralte L. Thanmawia – Literature and Education – Mizoram
65. Shri Ajeet Bajaj – Sports – Skiing – Delhi
66. Smt. Jhulan Goswami – Sports – Women’s Cricket – West Bengal
67. Shri Zafar Iqbal – Sports-Hockey – Uttar Pradesh
68. Shri Devendra Jhajrija – Sports – Athletics- Paralympics – Rajasthan
69. Shri Limba Ram – Sports – Archery – Rajasthan
70. Shri Syed Mohammed Arif – Sports – Badminton – Andhra Pradesh
71. Prof. Ravi Chaturvedi – Sports- Commentary – Delhi
72. Shri Prabhakar Vaidya – Sports-Physical Education – Maharashtra
73. Shri T. Venkatapathi Reddiar – Others-Horticulture – Puducherry
74. Dr. K. (Kota) Ullas Karanth – Others-Wildlife Conservation and Environment Protection – Karnataka
75. Shri K Paddayya – Others-Archaeology – Maharashtra
76. Shri Swapan Guha – Others-Ceramics – Rajasthan
77. Dr. Kartikeya V. Sarabhai – Others – Environmental Education – Gujarat

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* indicates awardees in the category of Foreigners / NRIs/ PIOs/ Posthumous

(Source: 25 Jan 2012 06:26:09 PM IST – expressbuzz.com)

Odisha: Rajarani Music Festival concludes

Bhubaneswar: The annual national Rajarani Music Festival organised by the tourism and culture department concluded on Friday evening at the Rajarani temple premises here.

The music festival witnessed scintillating performances on Odissi percussion instruments led by eminent Mardala player Guru Dhaneswar Swain and Hindustani vocal by internationally acclaimed Hindustani vocalists Padmabhusan Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra.

     

from left: (1) Odissi vocal recital by the great singer, scholar and a versatile artiste Pandit Dr. Damodar Hota at Rajarani Music Festival ( Photo-Ashok Panda). (2) Pandit Sajan & Rajan Mishra

The concluding evening’s first programme was Brunda Mardala Badana by Guru Dhaneswar Swain and his disciples who played Aditala of 16 beats producing different layakaris punctuated with bols or Ukutas with special use of traditional musical phases like khandi, gadi, arasa, mana, bhaunri mana, chhaka mana, jamana.

In the second phase Guru Swain presented Trital of 16-beats punctuated with typical musical renderings using uthana, elaboration of Dharana, Jati, Chakradar, Biram, Abiram, Lagana mana, Biramana, Kaida, Sabdaswarpata, Rela etc having different layas and chhandas.

This unique ensemble of indigenous musical instruments was well orchestrated with mardal, tabla, tikira, khanjani, khol, nal, jhanja, ghungura, manjira, dhol and jhumka, etc.

The evening’s second programme was a Bandis ‘Kabana Gatvai Mori Piya Na Puchhe Ekaibar’ set to Rag Bageshree, Tal Bilambita Ektali followed by two Bhajans, ‘Sadha Raseo and Ab Krupa Karo Ram Nam Se Dukh Talo’.

The programme was marked with step-by-step elaboration in Bilambita and Drutalaya giving scope to vocal embellishments, simpler and softer movement from one note to other.

(Source: 01/22/2012 – orissadiary.com)

Pongal Music Concert by Guruvayoor Dr. T.V. Manikandan

By Ms. Lakshmi
– January 21, 2012
Posted in: Concert reviews

Grand Pongal Music Concert by Guruvayoor Dr. T.V. Manikandan

The Famed Pongal Festival of South India falls on the 15th of January 2012. Makara Sankranthi marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi* (Capricorn) on its celestial path. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India. Owing to the vast geography and diversity of culture in India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons and in innumerable ways depending on the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background and location. In North India it is celebrated as Lohri. Call it by whatever name – it is the bonhomie spirit of the Indian community for celebrating the life cycles that gives us grain.

In Mayur Vihar, New Delhi, this festival was celebrated with a grand concert of Guruvayoor Dr.T.V.Manikandan who is an Associate Professor, Faculty of Music &Fine Arts, Delhi University.

This concert was hosted jointly by the Subha Sidhivinayak Temple of Mayur Vihar and the Avvai* Tamil Sangam*. This instance was also astutely utilized to host this event as a commemoration concert towards the memory of Madurai Mani Iyer during this Madurai Mani Iyer Centenary year (October 25, 1912 – 1968).

Madurai Mani Iyer was a consummate Carnatic music musician, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated Carnatic vocalists during the first half of the 20th century. He was renowned for his adept skills at singing kalpana* swarams*, neraval*, and raga alapana*. His music continues to be highly regarded even today with warm nostalgia.

Dr.T.V.MANIKANDAN (Source: CarnaticIndia.com)

The surprise element was the brief pre-concert vocal rendering by two outstanding students of Dr. T.V. Manikandan. The session started with Kum. Anaka, a 10 year young school student and an ardent learner of music, took the audience by surprise and made them sit up with her sparkling rendering of Sreemaha Ganapathe in raag Naattai followed by Manavinaala kimcharadate in Nalinakaanthi.

The streak of discovery of young talent was now found in Miss Nisha, a 1st year Undergraduate student Ms. Risha Raamachandran, who sang Siddivinaayakam in Shanmukhapriya, then Saamaja varagamana in Hindolam followed by Teeraatha vilayaattu pillay in a raga malikai*. Both of them evinced serious approach to the study of Carnatic music, a natural gifted voice and received the well-deserved applause.

The much awaited main concert was a hit from the start. Dr. Manikandan justified all the various titles received from various Music Organisations in India and abroad with a very mature and dignified concert which encompassed all that was expected.

Namely being an Avvai Tamil Sangam sponsored concert, justified with a focus on many Tamil Lyrics compositions and also covered other major composers like Thyagaraja and Purandaradasa. But also being the Madurai Mani Iyer centenary concert, stole the heart of the audience with typical kritis* associated with Madurai Mani.

The concert started with the traditional invocation to Lord Ganesha with the Tamil kriti – Gana nathane guna bodhane gaja maa mukh, gathi nee ayya in raag Saranga a composition of Periyasami Thooran. This was followed by a crisp Sobillu Sapthaswara – of Thyagarajar in Raag Jaganmohini.

The following rendering of raag Begada was very soft and well delineated. The alapana* was a fountain of melody and reflected the pedigree and erudition. The kriti rendered was Kadaikkan Vaittennai Alamma Gauri Rajaraeshvari, a kriti by Ramaswamy Shivan.

And in the same spirit the concert meandered on to rare compositions Saranagathi ena nambi vandhen – Raag Shubapanthuvarali; Balakrishnan Padamalar – Composer – Papanasan Sivan.

Then appeared the desert of the evening with an exquisite rendering of the Madurai Mani fame Majanaki – jata battag in Raag Kamboji, a composition of St. Thyagaraja. This sent waves of nostalgia in the hearts and minds of the senior members of the audience who went back in the time machine reminiscing the concert of Madurai Mani Iyer. Again kudos to the well rendered raga alapana and the apt niraval and imaginative swara prastaras.

The thrill was once again attained with the typical Mani Iyer’s western note piece. This was followed by a crisp Thani avartanam* on the mridangam by Mr Jayan Dass.Mr VSK Annadurai gave able support on the violin. The concert concluded with the traditional rendering of the Mangalam*.

Dr. T.V. Manikandan’s traditional approach with purity and classicism with his melodious and clear voice took the listeners to a divine world of peace and sheer enjoyment.

Glossary

* Avvai – also Avvaiyar. Famous and important female poet of the Tamil canon
* Alapana – Alapana is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga (musical scale) in Indian classical music. As a term that is Sanskrit in language, alapana means “to speak, address, discourse, and communicate”. The flavor of the raga is outlined in the alapana by rendering the raga’s permitted notes in structures and phrases unique to the raga
* Kalpana – imaginative, inspired
* Kriti – a composition
* Niraval – Niraval also known as Neraval or Sahitya Vinyasa is considered to be one of the important features in the extempore improvisation aspect (Manodharma Sangita) of Carnatic music. Niraval is essentially the extempore construction, elaboration and improvisation of swaras for a particular line in the kriti,
* Raga malikai – Ragamalika, literally a garland of Ragas, is a very popular form of composition in Carnatic music. These are delightful compositions, where the various segments are set to different Ragas
* Rashi – zodiac star sign
* Sangam – gathering – organization
* swaram – The seven notes of the scale (swaras)

(Source: 01/21/2012 – Worldmusiccentral.org)

Dr. T.V. Manikandan at Mridangam Arangetram of Delhi K. Srinivasan (15th Nov 2008)

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Protest: SOPA/PIPA Blackout….. Wikiedia.org is down for 24 hours…

Make your voice heard: Facebook | Google+ | Twitter

Why is Wikipedia blacked-out?

Wikipedia is protesting against SOPA and PIPA by blacking out the English Wikipedia for 24 hours, beginning at midnight January 18, Eastern Time. Readers who come to English Wikipedia during the blackout will not be able to read the encyclopedia. Instead, you will see messages intended to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA, encouraging you to share your views with your representatives, and with each other on social media.

What are SOPA and PIPA?

SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short for the “Stop Online Piracy Act,” and PIPA is an acronym for the “Protect IP Act.” (“IP” stands for “intellectual property.”) In short, these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites, but, in our opinion, they do so in a way that actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet. Detailed information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia, which are available during the blackout. GovTrack lets you follow both bills through the legislative process: SOPA on this page, and PIPA on this one. The EFF has summarized why these bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure, and free Internet.

Why is the blackout happening?

Wikipedians have chosen to black out the English Wikipedia for the first time ever, because we are concerned that SOPA and PIPA will severely inhibit people’s access to online information. This is not a problem that will solely affect people in the United States: it will affect everyone around the world.

Why? SOPA and PIPA are badly drafted legislation that won’t be effective at their stated goal (to stop copyright infringement), and will cause serious damage to the free and open Internet. They put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small sites won’t have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn’t being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won’t show up in major search engines. And, SOPA and PIPA build a framework for future restrictions and suppression.

Does this mean that Wikipedia itself is violating copyright laws, or hosting pirated content?

No, not at all. Some supporters of SOPA and PIPA characterize everyone who opposes them as cavalier about copyright, but that is not accurate. Wikipedians are knowledgeable about copyright and vigilant in protecting against violations: Wikipedians spend thousands of hours every week reviewing and removing infringing content. We are careful about it because our mission is to share knowledge freely. To that end, all Wikipedians release their contributions under a free license, and all the material we offer is freely licensed. Free licenses are incompatible with copyright infringement, and so infringement is not tolerated.

Isn’t SOPA dead? Wasn’t the bill shelved, and didn’t the White House declare that it won’t sign anything that resembles the current bill?

No, neither SOPA nor PIPA is dead. On January 17th, SOPA’s sponsor said the bill will be discussed in early February. There are signs PIPA may be debated on the Senate floor next week. Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are just indicators of a much broader problem. In many jurisdictions around the world, we’re seeing the development of legislation that prioritizes overly-broad copyright enforcement laws, laws promoted by power players, over the preservation of individual civil liberties.

How could SOPA and PIPA hurt Wikipedia?

SOPA and PIPA are a threat to Wikipedia in many ways. For example, in its current form, SOPA would require Wikipedia to actively monitor every site we link to, to ensure it doesn’t host infringing content. Any link to an infringing site could put us in jeopardy of being forced offline.

I live in the United States. What’s the best way for me to help?

The most effective action you can take is to call your representatives and tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. Type your zipcode in the locator box to find your representatives’ contact information. Text-based communication is okay, but phone calls have the most impact.

I don’t live in the United States. How can I help?

Contact your local State Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or similar branch of government. Tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. SOPA and PIPA will affect sites outside of the United States, and actions to sites inside the United States (like Wikipedia) will also affect non-American readers — like you. Calling your own government will also let them know you don’t want them to create their own bad anti-Internet legislation.

Is it still possible to access Wikipedia in any way?

Yes. During the blackout, Wikipedia is accessible on mobile devices and smart phones. You can also view Wikipedia normally by disabling JavaScript in your browser, as explained on this Technical FAQ page. Our purpose here isn’t to make it completely impossible for people to read Wikipedia, and it’s okay for you to circumvent the blackout. We just want to make sure you see our message.

I keep hearing that this is a fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Is that true?

No. Some people are characterizing it that way, probably in an effort to imply all the participants are motivated by commercial self-interest. But it’s obviously not that simple. The proof of that is Wikipedia’s involvement. Wikipedia has no financial self-interest at play here: we do not benefit from copyright infringement, nor are we trying to monetize traffic or sell ads. We are protesting to raise awareness about SOPA and PIPA solely because we think they will hurt the Internet, and your ability to access information online. We are doing this for you, because we’re on your side.

In carrying out this protest, is Wikipedia abandoning neutrality?

We hope you continue to trust Wikipedia to be a neutral information source. We are staging this blackout because (as Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustee Kat Walsh said recently), although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not. For over a decade, Wikipedians have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Wikipedia is a tremendously useful resource, and its existence depends upon a free, open and uncensored Internet. SOPA and PIPA (and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States) will hurt you, because they will make it impossible for sites you enjoy, and benefit from, to continue to exist. That’s why we’re doing this.

What can I read to get more information?

Try these links:

• Wikipedia’s articles on SOPA and PIPA
• Statement from Wikipedia editors announcing decision to black out
• Wikimedia Foundation press release
• Blog post from Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director Sue Gardner
• Electronic Frontier Foundation blog post on the problems with SOPA/PIPA

As of midnight PT, January 18, Google has 3,740 articles about the blackout. Here are a few:

• Why is Wikipedia staging a blackout and what is SOPA?, from the National Post
• Wikipedia joins blackout protest at US anti-piracy moves, from the British Broadcasting Corporation
• Wikipedia blackout over US anti-piracy bills and FEATURE: Websites blackout over ‘SOPA censorship’, from Al Jazeera
• Wikipedia, Craigslist, other sites go black in SOPA protest, from the Los Angeles Times
• Google Rallies Opposition to Murdoch-Backed Anti-Piracy Bill, from BusinessWeek
• SOPA protest: The Net strikes back, from Politico
• Wikipedia goes dark on piracy bill protest day, from MSNBC
• Wikipedia blackout a ‘gimmick’, MPAA boss claims, from the Guardian
• Wikipedia 24-hour blackout: a reader and Why we’re taking Wikipedia down for a day, from the New Statesman
• Wikipedia, other websites go dark in anti-piracy bill protest, from CNN
• Internet-wide protests against SOPA/PIPA are kicking up a storm, by the Hindustan Times
• SOPA, PIPA: What you need to know, from CBS News

(Source: 18th January 2012 – Wikipedia.org)

The Economic Times: Indian concert goers spoilt for choice with new Western & indie music festivals

Yusuf Begg, ET Bureau Jan 15, 2012, 12.36AM IST

Shakespeare’s Duke Orsino wondered if music was the food of love. Four centuries later, a clutch of Indian impresarios are busy trying to crack the code that would make music, and especially western and indie music festivals, the source of their bread and wine.

Music festivals have been money spinners for decades in the West. Forget Woodstock. Think Bonnaroo, Summerfest, SXSW, (all in the US), Sziget (Hungary), INmusic (Croatia) or Benicassim (Spain). The scene is just beginning to unfold.

“When we started playing in the early ’90s, there were hardly a couple of fests. Today there’s been a mushrooming of these,” says Subir Malik of Delhi-based rock band Parikrama. Music industry watchers say at least 8-10 big music festivals are being organised every year over the past few years.

“Last November, there were 16 non-classical music concerts over one single weekend in Chennai alone. I’ve been in the music business for over 25 years and have never seen anything like this,” says Saroop Oommen, manager (arts), Unwind Centre, an organisation given to the promotion of music.

Different Tunes

So have Indians suddenly become concert goers? Surely, yes. And fest organisers are hoping to ride this music wave. “The aim of course is to make money. But a festival is an investment and you have to be ready to invest for the long term. Over the years our profits have been in the range of 15-25%,” says a Sunburn spokesperson. Sunburn, a five-year old electronic dance music festival, has been at the forefront of the indie music concert revolution in India.

Like the concept itself, the business model of fests is in its initial stages. A bulk of the money comes from sponsors – from liquor and telecom services companies to the government. Most of the fest organisers ET on Sunday spoke to, put a ballpark figure of 60% of the total budget. Ticket sales account for 25% and sale food and beverages on the festival grounds add another 15%.

What most organisers hope for is the day when they could move away from the fickleness of sponsors and depend more on gate receipts. “Over a period of time as the industry matures, we will move away from the 15-25% revenue from tickets to a more healthy 60-70%. It would mean that the fest has established itself as a brand,” says Girish ‘Bobby’ Talwar, co-founder and director, OML Entertainment that organises the NH7 Weekender Music Festival in Pune. Agrees the Sunburn spokesperson: “Historically events have been sponsorship driven in India. Our aim from day 1 was to position Sunburn as a ticketed event and we are succeeding in it.”

Sponsors can pump in anything from lakhs (as in the inaugural International Guwahati Music Festival) to crores (as in the much bigger NH7 Weekender or Sunburn). Budgets have also gone up over the years. A festival in south India that had a budget of `6-8 lakh in the late 1990s, had something close to `40 lakh in mid-2000s.

On the Debit Side

Nearly 50% of the expenses (see graphic) are related to production costs of a festival. This includes the whole caboodle of setting up the stage (multiple stages now) with props, lights and sound system. Artists’ fees take away another 40%. However, with more and more organisers looking to rope in an international act to headline their festivals, little money is left for the home-grown artists. Indian performers say they only charge a fraction of their normal fees.

“For smaller bands festivals are for networking. Maybe to expand the fan base. In most cases organisers pay for the travel and stay. A small honorarium if we are lucky,” says Satish Warrier, formerly of Delhi rockers, Menwhopause.

The remaining 10% of the budget goes to media and publicity, various taxes and miscellaneous expenses.

Will the Tune Hold?

“Absolutely. What we are seeing is just the beginning. And the music consumer will have more choices with more and more cities organising their own festivals,” says Ashvin Mani Sharma of Jalebi Cartel, an electronic dance music quartet.

Musicians and festival organisers have junked the romantic troubadour act. Besides the guitars and synthesizers are spreadsheets and laptops. “Festivals are like any other business. You don’t expect to earns pots of money in your first year. You grow your brand and then hope to break-even after 3-5 years,” says Lavin Uthappa, managing director of Bangalore-based Liquid Space Entertainment, organisers of Storm Festival in Coorg.

The changing face of entertainment in India, greater access to Internet and thus to various cultures, a young demography, willingness to splurge are all growth drivers of the indie music festivals. And the numbers tell the story: Uthappa is expecting nearly 2,500 visitors to his two-day camp-out music jamboree. NH7 Weekenders’ audience count jumped to nearly 10,000 in 2011 from the 3,500 daily in 2010.

These numbers could just swell as the festivals strike the right (commercial) notes.

(Source: 01/2012 - The Economic Times | Media/Entertainment |  Collections)

CH – Raga CDs des Monats (01/12): Eine Legende auf der Sitar…

IMC OnAir präsentiert zu Anfang des Jahres 2012 auf Radio RaSA (Schweiz) das Thema: „Eine Legende auf der Sitar“ (A Legend on the Sitar). – Damit stellen wir Ihnen in einem Portait das grösste Talents Indiens im 20. Jahrundert vor:

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee

… auf dem weltweit bekanntesten der indischen Instrumente, die Sitar. Dieser herausragende Musikmeister ist bis heute für eine Vielzahl von Liebhabern der indisch-klassischen Musik, und in Musikerkreisen Indiens und weit darüber hinaus ein legendäres Vorbild für die Interpretation der indischen Raga-s im Instrumentalspiel.

Nikhil Banerjee (14. Oktober 1931 – 27. Januar 1986) wurde in Kolkatta geboren und stammt aus einer Bramahnenfamilie. In seinem Spiel gelingt es ihm, mit einer brillanten Finger- und Anschlagtechnik, einem Höchstmass an Sicherheit für schwierige Coloraturen, die komplexen Ragaskalen dem Hörer in einer Leichtigkeit und Transparenz näher zu bringen – in einer ausgeprägten Orientierung Nikhil Banerjees auf die traditionelle Form der nordindischen Klassik, der Hindustani-Musik.

Nikhil Banerjee*: “Music is the best form of art. – Music has two different sides. One has to entertain music. The other side is: Through music find out the supreme truth or find out the supreme soal…”

Sendetermin…

9. Januar 2012 – 22:00 Uhr MEZ (04:00 pm EST) @ Radio RaSA (CH)
(Premiere: 6. November 2007 – 21:00 CET @ Tide Radio 96.0 FM (DE))
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Die indischen Ragas werden nach dem s.g. Thaatsystem des indischen Musikwissenschaftlers V.N. Bhakthande klassifiziert und zu bestimmten Tages- und Nachtzeiten gespielt.

Die Sitarlegende Pandit Nikhil Banerjee führt uns mit dem Morgenraga Nat Bhairav aus dem Bhairav-Thaat und weiteren Tondukumenten durch den 24-stündigen Zeitzyklus verschiedener Ragaskalen: Raga Deshi, Chandra Kauns, Bhatiyar und mit Raga Pilu im Thumri-Stil ein Beispiel der leichten indischen Klassik (Indian Light Classic).

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*) … Interview für die Irish Times im Juni 1985 während einer Konzerttournee in Europa am Carysfort College, Blackrock.