Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
About Subodh Gupta for The National Abu Dhabi
The NGMA Delhi has this retrospective. Would be great to visit if you are in Delhi. Arts & Culture Art Subodh Gupta the Damien Hirst of New Delhi Shoba Narayan February 1, 2014 Updated: February 2, 2014 11:46:00 Famously dubbed the “Damien Hirst of New Delhi” by The Guardian, Subodh Gupta is arguably the subcontinent’s most celebrated contemporary artist. The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi opened a retrospective of Subodh Gupta’s works this month, curated by Germano Celant. It is Gupta’s most comprehensive exhibition in India to date and the biggest exhibition the NGMA has ever [...]
For British Airways magazine on Chennai
Chennai's culture, beaches, food, museums, temples. A survey
Singing Carnatic Music
Even if practice doesn’t make perfect, I will keep singing Music and dance are the keys to success, writes Shoba Narayan. Shoba Narayan Jan 26, 2014 Listen In English Listen in Arabic Powered by automated translation There has been much chatter recently linking success with performance art: music and dance. The logic is that working with creative teams, be it in an orchestra or dance troupe, is great for your development. In her talks and articles, author Joanne Lipman, author of Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations, suggests that music is the “key to [...]
Drama Therapy
FIRST PUBLISHED: SAT, JAN 25 2014. 12 57 AM ISTHOME» LEISURE» THE GOOD LIFE Experiencing the power of theatre as therapy A drama therapy workshop which lets the author dip her feet into the field of psychology without having her family write her off as a nutcase E-mailPrint Shoba Narayan Mail Me Therapy as the road to self-improvement? Photo: Thinkstock We are sitting in a circle on the floor: 10 women and two men. It is the morning of the second day of the two-day drama therapy workshop I am attending. By now, we are all quite comfortable with each [...]
Carnatic Music vs. Harry Potter
Like jazz, Carnatic music allows for a lot of improvisation. Most concerts begin with improvisation. We call it alapana. And like jazz riffs, you can traverse the musical universe with your imaginative singing and then return to the base, in time with the beat, of course. It is this bit that I cannot do. I can learn and render countless straightforward compositions, but I don’t have the imagination and confidence for improvisation.
Song from the navel
Song from the navel One of the tough things about writing is that the piece that you think is great will not resonate with readers and the piece that you think is so-so will elicit unusual responses. FIRST PUBLISHED: SAT, JAN 11 2014. 12 50 AM ISTHOME» LEISURE» THE GOOD LIFE Music should begin at the ‘nabi’ or navel, move to the ‘hrud’ or heart, then ‘kanta’ or throat, and give the ‘rasa’ or emotion Shoba Narayan A song from the navel Narayan’s teacher prefers that she practise before dawn. Photo: Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint My music practice always begins with [...]
For The National Abu Dhabi on business class
Funny what you remember. Travelling with kids: what to do with babies in business class? January 9, 2014 Updated: January 9, 2014 17:17:00 I show my passport to the security agent and, as the proverbial phrase goes, turn left. I am sure that there are many things better than flying business class on Etihad Airways but at this particular moment, just as the stewardess hands me a hot towel, I cannot think of any. The seat is warm and hot scented vapours waft around my face. I kick off my high heels, lean back and inhale deeply. No nagging kids, [...]
Immerse yourself in another culture for Mint Lounge
Mint Lounge's New Year issue is based on a great premise: new experiences. Lots of great stories: adopting a stray, rainwater harvesting, grieving your parents, being a mentor, taking trips, finding yourself.
For The National Abu Dhabi on Bangalore
So many new restaurants in Bangalore. Even since this writing. My Kind of Place: Bangalore bustling with activities Shoba Narayan January 2, 2014 Updated: January 2, 2014 14:23:00 Why Bangalore? This capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore recently lost its king. The Mysore Maharaja died in early December, depriving the city of its last royal – the king had no sons. In recent years, however, Bangalore has become known not so much for its royal trappings (Rajasthan does that better) or for its software industry – which gave the world the phrase “being Bangalored” to indicate jobs in [...]
For The National Abu Dhabi on Shanghai
How do you create a story about "travelling with kids," the section that I am writing for? You amplify the drama; you choose transformative moments; and you downplay the humdrum of everyday life. Realize from careful reader, Vinay's comments, that I am doing my kids a disservice with this portrayal. Maybe I should amplify "my" dissonances and flaws. Travelling with Kids: Teen tourists tap into tai chi Shoba Narayan January 2, 2014 Updated: January 2, 2014 14:13:00 It is 6am in Shanghai. Jet-lagged yet drowsy, my kids are up. They are peevish and bored. My elder daughter, 16-year-old Ranju, inserts [...]