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The Hindu : y>It was all song and dance at the recent Goa Salsa Festival, writes SHONALI MUTHALALY

Get grooving Belly dancers at the Festival

Dance salsa barefoot on the beach. Splash through the samba in the swimming pool. Or get jiggy with it on a bar counter in a rocking nightclub.

Where would you get the chance to do all three? Welcome to the salsa vacation. Though it turned out to be more of a drink-dine-dance vacation.

The recent Goa Salsa Festival 2009, based at the idyllic Sun City Resort set in hippy-chic Baga and organised by the Lourd Vijay’s Dance Studio and Salsa India Productions, brought together more than 200 people. Laidback, uber-cool, ultra hip Goa was the ideal venue. An eclectic mix of salsa enthusiasts, Goa addicts and pure party animals descended on Baga and proceeded to run riot through the weekend.

The concept of a salsa vacation, while new in India, has been around for a while. Lourd Vijay, who travels the world to attend salsa Congresses and festivals, is pegging this as one of the most affordable festivals in the world.The high life

When I finally track down Kaytee Namgyal (co-organiser, Mumbai-based salsa teacher, founder of Salsa India Productions), who’s working on his tan beside Sun City swimming pool, he shows me a glossy leaflet advertising the next salsa vacation, ‘Salsa Cruise Asia’ on a luxurious ship. Clearly, dancers know how to live life to the lees.

Goa is not necessarily more low-key. As the 200 participants from mainly Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore filter in, brandishing designer sun glasses, occasional tattoos and bouncy high spirits, the resort begins to buzz with energy, Latino rhythms and excited squeals. The salsa crowd is distinctive. They’re flamboyantly fashionable in flaming bikinis, swingy skirts and unapologetically loud T-shirts.

They’re fit, feisty and up for anything. And, of course, they love to dance.

The music begins with the inaugural party…More

The Hindu :

Have you ever wondered why you often get bad gifts?

Photo: V. Sreenivasa MurthyGifts galore What you choose should make the receiver happy

“Open it, see what I got for you!” the gifter gushes and your heart sinks. What am I in for this time? Ok, unwrap the gift adjusting your face into a passable smile of thanks. There it is. The odd-shaped china vase/awful looking brass lamp. Not again! But then, you have your own scheme bordering on the diabolical. Isn’t recycling good? We get bad gifts, we give away worse.

It does seem ungrateful. Shouldn’t you see the spirit behind that gift bottle of wine you don’t drink? The sparkle of love in the jewellery that’s perpetually in the locker? “We shouldn’t belittle any gift,” said Michael Mili, cartoonist and Biocon employee. And added with a straight face, “Having said that, I do remember a situation where the gift became more of a ‘pain’. A friend gifted us a “wall-hanging” that didn’t go well with the colour of the hostel room. He would drop in often and the wall-hanging, well, wasn’t hanging. We found ourselves in a situation where we risked offending the giver if we didn’t display the gift, and offending ourselves if we did!”

Considering these gifts? Don’t. “My DIL sent these e-weighing scales for our anniversary,” gasped Mrs. R, 60. “What was she trying to hint at?” Nobody wants the 6 kg weight gain thrown at their face.” Buy exercise equipment only on request.

If you’re recycling, be extra careful. See that the box and gift-wrapping are wrinkle-free. “I had to live down the shame of giving away a set of bowls that had the name of the forum where I spoke,” said an agonised teacher.

Nix appliances like trimmers, mixie/grinders and tool-boxes from the list. They are work, men! Same goes for socks (with or without toes) and handkerchiefs. They…More

The Hindu :

In Oman’s erstwhile capital city, Nizwa, history resides in every nook

Photos: By AuthorSOOTHING vistas A view of Sur

The brief from the locals is lucid. To taste uber modernity adopted by the Sultanate of Oman, hang about its ritzy, car-filled Capital city Muscat. Keen on stealing a peek at the country’s fledgling image of an international port? Then head to Salalah, about eight hours drive from Muscat – often compared to our Malabar Coast for its coconut trees, the seaside and of course, the range of seafood.

In case you are to pick the third option, Oman’s tourist spots – like I do – you should be seen in Nizwa, roughly two hours from Muscat. And also in neighbouring Sur, a quaint town straight out of a picture postcard, now resting by the seaside.Colour code

My first view of Nizwa is no different from my very first view of Muscat city from the airplane. Rows and rows of square houses in immaculate white and beige, the continuity broken only by palm trees spread sporadically. The country, by the way, has a strict colour code for buildings. So, while the place names on the signboards change, the look remains more or less static. Though in Nizwa, you would be happily surprised to discover vestiges of old, traditional houses made of mud and limestone. And of course the historical monuments, the souks, the ageing mosques, the traditional water delivery system add a world of difference to Nizwa.

Nizwa was Oman’s early capital, the seat of the Yaruba dynasty which freed the country of Portuguese occupation and ruled it for more than a century, roughly between 1624 and 1744. During their rule, Oman’s standing as a naval power touched the hilt. And a prosperous Nizwa attracted umpteen religious scholars, poets, scientists, and also foreign travellers like the Moroccan great Ibn Batuta.

My first stop at Nizwa was…More

The Hindu :

The Barbie doll evokes joy among children and derision among pockets of society, but this popular doll turns a ripe 50 today

Iconic Ruth Handler, who created Barbie

Barbie Millicent Roberts is 50. Barbie Millicent Roberts as in Barbie doll. Someone said, “Barbie is just a doll.” No! no! she is not just a doll, she is a movement (to borrow a usage from Malayalam).

Barbie elicits extreme reactions – I know of one mother who, as a child, refused one and steadfastly refuses to let her daughter near one. On the other extreme is the mom who thinks her daughter is an avatar of Coco Chanel and can hone her designing skills dressing up a Barbie doll. That argument continues…

In the meanwhile, Barbie turns 50. In 1959 Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel Toys, designed the doll after seeing her daughter Barbara and her friends’ interest in dressing up dolls. Fifty years down the line, Barbie has been translated into various other nationalities (around 50 on last count).

More than for little girls, Barbie is the pre-teen and teens pal. “My teenaged niece has a huge collection of Barbie(s) and both my daughters too have a Barbie each. The nine-year-old loves to dress her up and doesn’t let anyone near it but the five-year-old couldn’t care too much about it. She prefers cuddly dolls which are substantial to hold,” says Priya who spent quite an amount on her daughter’s Barbie. The bias is clear, it is definitely for the older girls and that is how the maker intended it – the first one was a “Teenage Fashion Model”. With accessories (including a boyfriend – Ken) and hairdos, it was every pre-teen or teen’s dream come true. In fact there are grown up collectors of Barbie dolls too.

The first Barbie was unlike the ones that we are used to, each Barbie reflected the era that…More

The Hindu : y>

GLITTER AND SHINE Prince Jewellery in Jayanagar

Prince Jewellery by Princeson Jose of Kottayam, which specialises in fashionable ornaments and customised jewellery, has opened their first showroom in the city. Spread over 3,500 sq. ft., the showroom is inspired by India’s rich heritage and features a range of gold, diamond, ruby, emerald, silver, platinum and antique jewellery. They offer jewellery from wedding, lightweight, designer to work wear.

The second floor features the Prince Diamond section, which is a premium section for diamond, platinum and antique jewellery. The store has also announced inaugural offers such as Rs. 400 per sovereign off on the purchase of gold jewellery, Rs. 4,000 less per carat on diamond jewellery purchase with authentic certification, five per cent discount on antique and platinum jewellery purchase and the Prince 916 gold purchase plan with a monthly instalment jewellery savings scheme, subjected to a minimum of Rs. 500. Prince Jewellery is on 11th Main Road, 3rd Block, Jayanagar, near Jayanagar Club swimming pool. Call 42649999. Visitwww.princejewellery.com

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The Hindu : y>The world around Shafi Muhammad Faqeer is turbulent. Drawing people towards one’s unyielding faith is the only way to battle these times, he tells DEEPA GANESH

Photo: Murali kumar k.INNER FAITH Shafi Faqeer: “Bringing more people into the fold of love is the only way we can tackle forces propagating hate and violence’

“A tea-seller, making and selling tea night and day, gets addicted to his own brew. Growing up with auliyas and dargahs around me, my mind couldn’t think beyond Sufi music. I have become a mareez of this music,” says the extraordinarily original musician Shafi Muhammad Faqeer from the Sindh province of Pakistan, who recently performed in Bangalore at the Kabir Festival. The musician who sings in a style that is subtle, yet so superlative, says he has steered clear of the question “Why?” but prayerfully appeals to his Lord “to keep him thirsty forever.”

“Music is everything to me. My life, my love, my very being. Take what you want, even my head if you so wish, but you can’t separate music and me,” explains Shafi, demolishing in one stroke conservative Islam’s notion of music as sin. “I met Kabir in music and we are bound to each other strongly — in thought and action.” Conceding that Kabir and all the mystics whom he has seen from up close are his guardian angels, he aspires, “I want to be a shagird (student) all my life and don’t seek to be an Ustad.”

Shafi Faqeer’s ancestors belonged to Rajasthan of undivided India. “They cut Rajasthan into two; and we came to this side of the border with Thar. But I have relatives in Marwar too. Geographically we may have been thrown apart, but culturally we remain unified,” says the musician of refined sensibilities. Shafi Faqeer explains that with Partition and loss of royal patronage, much of their traditional repertoire was also lost….More

The Hindu :

The SignDance Collective failed to live up to its promise

The SignDance Collective from the UK, as part of the Bengaluru Habba was spontaneous and promising at first. Performing a vignette “Travelling/Listen/Here”, the two actor-directors — artistic director David Bower and dance-director Isolte Avila, with an interpreter, were dressed in eye-catching costumes with equally noticeable props of a platform on wheels with numerous things tied on to it.Never-ending

They engaged and amused the audience. Till they went on the never-ending story with no plot or storyline to Neverland. They are said to “use disability as a creative tool to inform the performance work” but this idea never quite seems to surface.

It was promised that they use disability to break myths of physical barriers. The first piece had imagination and logic fighting each other. Isolte embodied the former and David, the latter. But half-way through the piece, things fell apart. A sheet was brought, the couple lay on it, there was a screen projection and interplay of shadows and meaningless positions and expressions. And when it was time to come back for the second half post the interval, there was hardly a handful of the audience left. This time “Listen” has David Bower’s experience of Tinnitus take over.

The actor dressed in black and breeches pinned on his clothes, demonstrated a long drawn out performance of his personal experience of Tinnitus (a condition of the inner ears witnessed by ringing or popping sounds) which overdid itself.

Intending to give the audience “an intense visual and auditory experience”, sound software is used to indicate the levels of this condition.

“Listen” was the most hard-hitting of the four pieces, giving the audience an powerful visual and aural experience. In his enactment, which was too long, David was lost in the sharp sounds.

And “Travelling”, which attempted to “tell the story of how it is to live a…More

The Hindu : y>Offers to make the woman feel special

Celebrate Being a Woman is the “specially designed campaign” launched by @home. The following offers are on till March 15. There will be a welcome gift, special offers, lucky draw prizes and win a summer holiday contest.

Besides these, there will also be discounts and special offers for women customers. There is a flat 15 per cent off and the lucky draw offers a first prize that is sponsored by Portico New York, second prize by Swayam and the third prize by Carmichael House.

The draws will be conducted on the evening of March 15. There will also be a flower arrangement contest.

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The Park is having a special Sunday brunch with DJ Hussein’s music and loads of fun activities for women at Aqua between 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. There would be a Diva Night with DJ Hussein and i-bar with special cosmopolitans for women (complimentary from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m) and a special TDH menu at Monsoon for dinner.

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The ITC Windsor celebrates International Women’s Day with a host of freebies and discounts tomorrow. Call 22269898.

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The Hindu :

Jalwa Returns

Times Music, Rs. 150

After peaking in the earlier half of this decade, remixes seem to have hit a nadir and no longer receive the same levels of adulation that they once received. In an attempt to break the trend, Akbar Sami, whose remixes in “Yeh Hai Jalwa” managed to start the remix era is back with “Jalwa Returns”.

The album includes, among others tracks, his signature ‘Dekho yeh hai jalwa’, evergreen classics such as “Hum kisise kam nahi”, “Paisa yeh paisa”, “Tu kya jaane wafa”, ‘Shaan se’, ‘Gangu taranya’ and ‘Tera to hu main deewana’ etc.

Talking about the remixes, one feels that this time around, Sami has tried hard to ensure that a balance is maintained and the remix version does not ruin the actual song, rather manages to add value to the song.

The first number, “Yeh hai jalwa’ scores because it is a fairly fast track and the beats seem to go well with the track and does not seem out of place. The track has been done quite well and Sami’s finesse in matching the lyrics and the timing of the beats ensures that the beauty of the song is retained.

Peppier tracks in the album such as the eternal favourite “Om shanti om” scores as the older beats are disguised well with the new additions. However, at certain points , the amount of time the actual song takes to play could also prove a tad unpredictable.

It must be pointed out that Sami does not dilute any song completely and does not destroy the original soundtrack, in an attempt to infuse freshness into the music. The old music stays on, which makes his tracks much better than many of the recent remixes.

The intro to the “Paise yeh paisa” number is not only fairly imaginative, but also scores on the music used.

Remixes are a genre of music that suits…More

The Hindu :

Asin talks about her journey in Tamil and Hindi cinema

Scaling new heights Asin feels the different film industries are equally competent

Starring opposite Aamir Khan in “Ghajini”, a box-office hit this year, Asin has outshone a number of her contemporaries. Young, vivacious and radiant, Asin is a refreshing break from the usually trained and packaged actors.Asin speaks of her early days as a model, with her first advertisement shot at the age of 14. And at 15 she made her film debut in the Malayalam movie “Narendra MakanJayakanthan Vaka”.

She explains that coming from a family of academicians she was initially inclined towards the Civil Services. But 50 advertisements and five films later she went ahead with her decision to take up acting as a fulltime profession.

Always a teachers’ pet in school, Asin says that she prides herself for having learnt the nitty-gritty of the film industry. Not having a formal training has actually helped her not limit her vision. She fondly remembers her first shot being with an elephant.

A whole family standing around and reprimanding the pachyderm still remains one of her loveliest memories.

Her second film “Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi” won her the ‘Filmfare Best Telugu Actress Award’ in 2003. But it was the Tamil film “Ghajini” directed by A.R. Murugadoss that marked the beginning of a whole new phase in her film career.

It also fetched her the Filmfare Best Tamil Actress Award. Asin believes that “Majaa”, “Sivakasi”, “Varalaru” and “Pokkiri” were the other Tamil films that confirmed her position as the rising actress in South Indian cinema. In pursuit of perfection and a larger canvas, she moved to Mumbai in 2008.

The year was extremely positive, she says. “Dasavatharam” with Kamal Haasan in Tamil and “Ghajini” with Aamir Khan in Hindi were her most rewarding moments.

She does however admit that Bollywood is a bigger playground and the working style…More