Carnatic Instrumentalism
The future of Carnatic instrumental music requires both a stroke of genius and a paradigm shift. How do you end the supremacy of lyrics in what is being performed today? As a listener, even I know and love the lyrics. Why then would l listen to only instruments? For that, several things need to happen. A genius composer needs to write for instruments—either a concerto format with multiple instruments or a song with a long instrumental riff like in Hotel California, where the guitar becomes the melody at the end.
At work, women don’t need to play by the same rules as men: for The National Abu Dhabi
At work, women don’t need to play by the same rules as men Indian politician and novelist Shashi Tharoor. (David Levenson / Getty Images) At work, women don’t need to play by the same rules as men Shoba Narayan December [...]
Why your girl should go to a women’s college: for Mint Lounge
My view—from personal experience and from watching other adolescent girls—is that women have many voices in their heads that tell them how to behave. They have a mortal fear of being judged. They hate confrontation. A good teacher can drown these voices. A good college can alleviate the desire for approval that women have; the self-correction that they engage in all the time. Through role play and encouragement, faculty and staff teach young women to be assertive, to speak up; to stop second-guessing their thoughts and opinions.
An all-women’s college changed my life: for The National Abu Dhabi
Inspired by the visit of Sonya Stephens of Mount Holyoke, I began thinking about women's colleges. An all-women’s college changed my life Shoba Narayan November 29, 2014 Updated: November 29, 2014 05:48 PM Those involved in higher education – [...]
Raga Connection show
I will be doing a workshop "The Raga Connection" along with a friend and fabulous singer, Chitra Srikrishna, at the Times of India literary festival this Sunday on the 7th of December (details below) If you have kids who would [...]
Year in Review
It is the time for "Year in Review." Spoke to Bryan Crump at Radio New Zealand here.
Bonda Soup, where the bowl matters: for Mint Lounge
Still bummed that I didn't go to Ayodhya in Mangalore for typical Mangalorean food. The bowl matters as much as the soup I grew up in a home where we ate on stainless-steel plates. My grandmother’s idea of a festive [...]
In search of the perfect wine glass
Anyone who has stayed in a hostel has a resource-constrained mindset towards food. I don’t care which college you went to. Standing in line and waiting for a finite amount of food does something to your psyche. It makes you think of food, not as a pleasure to be had, but as a resource to be grabbed. It has taken me several decades to get out of this mindset.
Identity and Culture: for The National Abu Dhabi
One more ode to my favorite garment: the sari. How a simple, draped cloth defines a national aesthetic Shoba Narayan November 19, 2014 Updated: November 19, 2014 07:07 PM There are many ways to come at the concept called identity. [...]
Heritage Conservation
What Mumbai has that Bengaluru doesn’t There is an anecdote that is the stuff of legend. When queen Victoria took over the administration of India from the British East India Company in the 1860s, she gathered a group of cultural [...]
For The National Abu Dhabi on Bombay
Why does Mumbai inspire so much activism, writing, and imagination? Urbs Primus in Indus: the enduring appeal of Mumbai, India Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai. Trains play an important part of daily social life in the Indian city, [...]
Bangalore Club
A simple email I got some time ago. On Oct 13, 2014, at 10:22 PM, Vikram Rajaram wrote: Dear Shobha, We have, in the past, been in touch re the possibility of getting you to speak at the Bangalore Club. [...]