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How Cartier scented a symphony

Since I seem to be writing about the evolution of musical traditions these days, didn't plan on this piece coming out today-- when they publish it is the editor's prerogative. But here is one way to evolve centuries-old music. Pick a relatively unknown composer, figure out what he would have wanted to do, stay true to him but use technology to take his work to the next level. Whether it is ghazal, symphony or sadir-aattam (which later became bharatanatyam), gradual evolution is happening in these forms, often by a group of musicians in consensus with each other and respectful of the musical fraternity that they work within. As I say at the end of this piece, although what the SF symphony has done is stunningly modern, you see this composite holistic approach to art in all ancient faiths. Go to the grand mosque of Istanbul and smell the incense there, and see the dizzying beauty of the tiles. Go to the Vatican and observe the stained glass windows, the filtering light, and again, the incense. Go to Palani temple to the tribal god of ancient origin, Murugan (called Murukkan in the Indus Valley) and absorb the music, chants and and again incense. Scent, sound and sight are a composite unit and how lovely for me to experience it in San Francisco.

Can a reactionary create a revolution?

T.M. Krishna fancies himself as a revolutionary, but he is an inconsistent reactionary whose argument is “anti-whatever the norm is” rather than cogently thinking through the evolution of music. He is incongruent in his stance, which is fine for an artist, but not if you want to establish a legacy that changes the status quo. In giving the award to a musician who disdains and insults his musical fraternity and doesn’t respect the gradual evolution from tradition and modernity, the Madras Music Academy has reduced its stature; invited questions about its motives; and, you could argue, made itself a subject of derision amongst those who love carnatic music.

The trouble with Indian cocktails

The problem with creating cocktails in India is that we have too many ingredients available to us. I mean, think about it. For an imaginative mixologist, this throws up a dizzying array of choices and not all of them good. The best cocktails are like a great piece of sculpture: they are all about structure and spirit. They play within boundaries, within a limited palette and allow the spirit to soar with just a shade of storytelling. This is difficult in India because we have too many spices, too many aromatics and too many fruits and flowers, all of which, in theory, would enhance a cocktail.

Being single in Bangalore

Has lack of qualification ever stopped Indians from volunteering opinions? No, right? I say this as preamble since I, a married woman, am talking about the single life in Bangalore.

Has beer overtaken wine in India?

Bangalore has about 85 brewpubs.  It doesn’t have a single wine bar.  Go into The Bier Library on a Friday evening and you’ll have to wait in line for a seat.  Why is this so?

Old favourites that I wrote for Condenast Traveler (US edition)

Goa Grows Up

Once a hippie haven where even India's tightly chaperoned teens could turn on, tune in, and drop out, Goa has lately gone upscale. Living in a trading port for the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans meant that Goans were forced to interact with the outside world far earlier than the average Indian. This has made them friendly but not overly curious about foreigners.

Wild at Heart

Bangalore is home. I didn't always live here—until two years ago I lived in New York. But now this is the city where my kids go to school, where I hail auto rickshaws for bone-rattling yet perversely exciting rides to work and meetings, where I prowl pubs and malls in search of stories and sales, and where I go to Namdharis Fresh supermarket to buy organic grapes, too-hard bagels, and much-too-soft cream cheese in an attempt to replicate the Sunday morning brunches at my Upper West Side apartment.

Travel Stories (my favourite type of writing)

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