Death of the Band

There was a time when a few good kinsmen, would gather around a drumset and a few guitars, maybe even a keyboard, and jam the hell out of their garage. These same people would then go on and form iconic bands, creating a trademark musical identity for themselves for years to come. Of course, there were those who tried on solo careers and even succeeded but I'm talking about general trends here. Be it ABBA or Metallica or The Beatles, most of them have grown from similar patterns. That is how they rolled. That was how they rocked.

There were those who stood on their own on merit of voice and charisma like Eric Clapton or George Micheals or Tori Amos and they stayed that way. Solo Artists as The Grammys would call them.

But now, as I have begun tracking more contemporary music that comes on MTV (I haven't doing so since quite a few years until recently), I see a new trend. There aren't any new bands among the chart toppers. There are only single artists featuring single artists. In fact, 8 out of the top 10 were all 'ABC feat. XYZ' format songs. Various combinations of recipies from among a fixed standard set of spices. And I say standard because each song seemed to be from two or three of the same set of 10 odd artists. This is currently a phenomenon pertaining to the pop rock and club genre but I see it expanding.

I see a couple of key reasons for the same:
The voice still matters, but the instrumentalists have become redundant. There are no more 'only a handful of amazing guitarists or drummers'. Slash and Keith Moon have no place in modern day bands. Pure market dynamics. Blame Guitar Hero or youtube drumming lessons for their abundance, but none are those special few anymore. Videos drive music more than ever and videos seek out the lead singer predominantly.

Musical trends now vary at a much faster pace than in the 80's or 90's. While a band might find it difficult to keep pace and switch genres, an individual finds it much easier to find another kindred soul who can give his/her own touch to the piece. Besides, as there is no need for commitment of any sorts, each song can be a with a 'new band' so to speak. 'And if I don't like you today, I can always find Timbalind to rap with me tomorrow and rehash my song from ten years ago into a new age offering.'

Is this something good? I think it's too soon to say. We'll probably know in a few years. I only wish, for now, that at least the pool of the 'standard set of artists' expands bringing in much more variety from all the possible combinations.

Trade?

I want to sell some memories
That I can live without
So I can buy back
What I used to be.

Middlers

My learnings from the last three months that I have spent in Africa and the feedback from some of my friends from college who are pursuing a career in the west, have established one thing: Indians have no established identity on a global scale. I am not saying that it's a bad thing necessarily, but the facts remain.

Who are we? We're not blacks, nor whites. We do not speak the same language. Face it, for the amount of hoolah that we guys make about 'culture' and 'tradition', we hardly know them, stand for them. We have no single stand on anything for that matter. We aren't communisits nor are we right wingers. We aren't even as neutral as the Swiss. We have no globally important contribution to science. And get over the whole 'we discovered zero', guys! That was centuries ago! We don't even have a patent for it. Pisses me off when someone shows off this trivia.

We have no great atheletes and excell at all the laziest games like snooker, chess and cricket. We go crazy about Pankaj Advani when the rest of the world doesn't give a shit about it. And I'm telling you, wait till some countries pursue snooker seriously and we'll be replaced there too, like we have been in hockey. We are neither the developed world, nor do we need foreign aid.

Ask a chinese guy what he thinks of Indians, and picture the answer he might give. There will be a lot of 'hmmm'.. or 'that depends'. Whereas we would hardly wait before yelping 'COMMIES!' or 'slit eyed' at them.. among other things. Sure, we all know they work real hard too. I'm thinking hard to figure out what is it that the world associates with us, correctly, that is. I'm not talking about snake charmers and call centre guys. Are we really relegated to the role of 'middlers'?

A life ordinary

Living upcountry alone for the first time. After a life spent among several friends or in big cities. Wish me luck!

Indian Soaps are International too!

For those who do not know, Vaidehi is a very popular soap in francophone African countries like Ivory Coast and Senegal and is telecast here in its french dubbed version by the same name. Pallavi Kulkarni, the protagonist is a celebrity here (she has been to both Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire to meet her fans) and teenage ivoirian chicks walk around the streets here wearing her face on their T-shirts as often as wannabe teenagers in Bangalore wear Che Guevera T-shirts.

Sad but true.

First Impressions

Coming from an erstwhile British colony, I can’t help but compare Cote d’Ivoire, a French colony, with India. I’m yet to figure what exactly went wrong but broadly it could be attributed to the lack of strong leadership at the moment the mantle was handed over. The civil war lasted till 2005, but the damage was done. It had stopped short a tremendous surge of growth that the country had never witnessed before.

My last four weeks here have been amazing. Abidjan, as a city, was pleasantly surprising with regards to the infrastructure and development that one wouldn’t have expected from this part of the world. I’ve picked up quite a few French words already and can make my way around the city. The traffic can get heavy during peak hours but the road sense and lane discipline here is brilliant. Cops and the army stop vehicles here regularly in hope of some quick money which makes me, as an Indian, feel at home in IVC (Ivory Coast). The night life is particularly interesting provided you have the right company. On your own, there are temptations galore, for all the vices of life are dead cheap in this country.

The locals are really friendly and particularly with me. Reasons being a) My name, Ali, is much more familiar a name to them than any other Indian name, since almost 50% of the population here is Muslim and b) Those of you who have seen me recently would be able to imagine me blending into this environment with the look and hair crop that I carry (or don’t). Almost everyone is bald here including the women. Hence you can understand when I say that hair salons and the wig markets are big in Africa.

There is a calm among the Ivoirians, and Africans in general, that commands respect. One can’t help but be polite to them and they, in turn, maintain the highest standards of courtesy, which probably has been augmented by the French culture. The sad part of this is that a large part of the local culture and traditions that existed before colonisation have more or less been wiped out of their memories. Hardly does anyone speak the local languages in public anymore except for isolated pockets.

Lebanese form the largest non-native community here as in most francophone countries across West Arica. Indians are found in larger numbers in the Anglophone countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. The Lebanese are reputed to be hard bargainers and sometimes ruthless in their trades. Most stay here for ten to twenty years before moving back with their savings.

Culturally, it is much more open than India. Sex as a topic as well as a trade is commonplace and multiple partners is not something that is looked down upon. Marriage is not as integral to one’s life here as it is in India. Polygamy is rampant and no legal binding on any action that seems like a divorce. The extended family concept is unique. If one member of the family earns well, he is obliged to look after every relative of his who seeks help. Any random cousin can come and stay in your house if you’re earning well, and you must provide for him. At the same time, you are not forced to go out and work by your family and are free to choose when and what you work.

The greenery of the countryside never ceases to amaze me. Dense bush swallows the landscape showing nothing but the colour green around you. As you move further north it starts becoming more of a Savanna-ish landscape.