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The Hindu : y>Chill by the Nasimi Beach and listen to happening music

Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, has come up with a vibrant sundown experience and soulful sessions with DJ Schooly, every Saturday at Nasimi Beach.

“Play” at Nasimi Beach will be on every Saturday till June. With golden sands and stunning views of the Dubai skyline and the azure waters of The Palm Jumeirah, Nasimi Beach is a great venue for a beachfront party.

Guests can indulge in a personalised cabana service, enjoy a meal under Dubai’s blue sky or get active in the volleyball tournaments. You could also tuck into barbeque fare through the day, including succulent steaks, marinated lamb chops, grilled vegetable skewers and fresh salads.

DJs play live from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., an eclectic sound mix of old school funk, disco, soul and rare groove. Happy hours are between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., while women can partake of complimentary champagne between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

At 7 p.m., there will be an exclusive live radio broadcast by Radio One’s DJ Schooly and his ‘Soulful Sessions’. Other local DJs will also play a mix of music. Nasimi Beach offers the perfect venue for guests to unwind and soak up the sun, enjoy a swim or just relax. Guests can also enjoy a variety of culinary delights from sushi and sashimi, to Asian cuisine and Mediterranean favourites, perfectly paired with a great selection of new world wines, contemporary cocktails and beers. As day turns into night, with the backdrop of the impressive Dubai skyline lighting up, this luxurious shoreline retreat transforms into an intimate haven..

For details, mail dxb-nasimi@atlantisthepalm.com. or visit atlantisthepalm.com

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The Hindu :

HFT’s jazz fusion is inspired by a whole lot of influences. The band, which loves strong melodies, will play tonight

IMPULSIVEIs the way to go, believe HFT members Arjun Sen, Lew Hilt and Sam Shullai

Come Monday and the city’s music lovers can experience a rush of some spectacular jazz music as Olive Beach in association with Dewar’s presents Monday Night Jazz, with HFT, one of the finest jazz fusion bands in the country.

With Arjun Sen on the lead guitar, Lew Hilt plucking the bass guitar and Sam Shullai beating away on the drums, HFT draws from almost every contemporary and traditional style, ranging from Indian and western, playing a brand of music that is easier termed jazz fusion.

Arjun Sen strongly believes in the desire to go beyond boundaries, and exploring as many forms of music as possible. “We incorporate everything we have ever heard into our music because our influences are that vast. Just listing them down will take another phone conversation (laughs). But it comes close to being called ‘jazz fusion’ since it’s an open word,” he says.

Playing together since the summer of 2004, HFT has come a long way from its first gig at a friend’s house to playing at some of the world’s biggest music extravaganzas such as the World Music Festival, Jazz Utsav, Congo Square Jazz Fest and Hornbill Fest, among several others.

“Playing for the World Music Festival in Ladakh was a thrilling and enriching experience. It was our first major concert and a big milestone in our lives. As a band we experience so many things in each of our concerts and learn a lot through it all,” he adds.

HFT launched their debut album titled “Acquired Senses” on October 15, 2009 with seven stimulating tracks. Some of their own compositions include “Oblique”, “I rest my case”, “The camel’s hump” and “Kitty’s kettle”, among others.

Talking on the…More

The Hindu :

Whispering foam, stars spilling across the sky, the inky sea and parties galore. Live the high life on the Super Star Virgo cruise ship

living it up On the Super Star Virgo

I had forgotten how bright the moon can be. The ceaseless allure of starlight. The satisfyingly intimidating inkiness of the sea.

Admittedly, I didn’t spend all evening gazing at the stars like some lovelorn Pomeranian. Aboard the Super Star Virgo cruise ship, that would have been plain embarrassing. Poetic reflection is clearly for grubby sailors without access to sparkly stilettos, karaoke and tequila. I staggered into my cabin, on the Super Star Virgo, at a respectable 2 a.m. All partied out.

It was our first night at sea. We had clambered onto the ship in Singapore, wedged between crowds of cheerful families in determinedly vivid shirts, and a clutch of honeymooners, dreamily attached at their bling-laden hips. We sashayed through the champagne welcome in the ship’s flamboyant lobby (a sort of ancient Rome collides with Bollywood affair, complete with glittering horse sculptures, faux-Caesar statues and the inevitable red carpets.)

While Virgo daintily spun out of her Singapore harbour, (her dashing Captain showed us how she’s steered with what looks like a joystick) our group of 10 hyper-active journalists then worked out how to adequately cover everything she offers, including two shore excursions to Penang and Phuket, over a mere three days.

One thing was clear. Sleeping, lounging and self-indulgent horizon-gazing would just be a waste of time. Relax on a holiday? Good heavens, wait till you’re 90 for that.

We did, however, grudgingly agree to pause to watch the sunsets, when a glorious mess of colour entwined land and sea, like a paint spill on a child’s glistening watercolour.

Number crunching

The Virgo is 268 metres long and 32 metres wide, with a gross tonnage of 76,800 and a passenger capacity of almost 2,000, in addition…More

The Hindu :

Plastic is a scourge that is polluting cities in alarming proportions

NOT BIODEGRADABLEA discarded plastic bottle can remain in a landfill for millions of years

As you open the gate of your home to go out, you will probably step over used plastic bags, empty biscuit wrappers or even empty pan masala pouches, strewn everywhere from the the street. All over the street, in the drains and on the pavements there are discarded plastic packets and bottles, used packaging and numerous packets with wasted food from the surrounding eateries. Plastic is a scourge that seems to have grown to alarming proportions.

The reason why plastic is an environmental hazard is because it is one of the few modern chemical materials that is not biodegradable. Polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene are the composition base in the manufacture of plastics. These synthetic polymers are easily moulded into complex shapes and have high chemical resistance. Because of these properties they are used to manufacture several durable or disposable goods and for packaging materials.

However, plastic is resistant to biodegradation. A discarded plastic bottle can remain in a land fill for millions of years, so just consider the thousands of plastic bottles we discard on a daily basis. Bangalore alone generates roughly 40 tons of plastic waste per day, so is the city headed for environmental disaster?

Greedy consumption

Shalini of KKPKP (Kagad Kach Patra Kashtaka Panchayat), Pune, says: “The average human in India uses three kg of plastic per person per year. That’s far lower than the European who consumes 60 kg per year, and the American who consumes 80 kg. Because we are so populous, the amount of plastic consumed is mindboggling and our disposal habits make it a health hazard. As long as our homes are clean, we are fine; throw all the plastic waste on the road for the corporation sweeper to clean. If they do…More

The Hindu : MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

R. Madhavan tells MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER he likes to do edgy roles as it gives him a chance to push the envelope within the safety net of cinema

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.Hero with a heart Madhavan: ‘I would like to do an action film in Hindi. But I am only offered romantic leads’

The toughest part about shooting simultaneously for Rajkumar Hirani’s “3 Idiots” and Leena Yadav’s “Teen Patti” for R. Madhavan was not the acting, which incidentally called for heavy-duty mind games considering he plays a student in the former and a professor in the latter.

“Managing the different looks was the tough part,” he says with grin. In town to promote “Teen Patti”, the actor who plays a maths professor in the film admits to “despising maths in school. I was in love with my maths teacher when I was in fourth standard, that’s about the closest I got to the subject. I am excited about maths now because there is no pressure to deliver.”

The actor rues the fact today you are judged by “your ability to compute or to regurgitate your text books. There is something wrong with this kind of evaluation as a person who does not have bookish knowledge is not unintelligent. It was after the Industrial Revolution that the sciences became paramount. Earlier there was no hierarchy in learning. You could go to the university and study whatever you wished — arts or philosophy.”

Ever the fond papa, Madhavan insists he will not force his son to excel in maths. “Things are changing however. Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal, is putting many reforms in place.”

In “Teen Patti”, Madhavan plays Shantanu, “an ambitious professor who believes in instant gratification. He wants the perks and is not too worried about consequences. This is obviously not a good dictum to live by and ‘Teen Patti’ follows Shantanu’s journey.”

Talking about what…More

The Hindu : y>

In its latest directive, the HRD ministry has proposed to have a common curriculum for science and maths subjects at the 10+2 level, across all boards of education, across the country. This proposal aims at providing the students a “level playing ground”.

MetroPlusasked city residents about their take on this issue. Most people felt that the proposal was praiseworthy and would help students from smaller towns to compete for seats at institutes such as the IITs, with students from the CBSE/ICSE board.

Some felt that often students from the state schools found it difficult to cope with the very high standards that many engineering colleges demand and this move would help bridge the gap.

Some people felt that the though the proposal was good, safeguards must be put in place to ensure a smooth transitionfor the students. Some felt that more time must be given to the schools and colleges to adapt to this system.

They felt that any hasty move would result in more problems for students and the schools alike. We sample some responses

It is a good proposal that will change the way higher education at the school level is perceived in the country. They must include all other subjects into this system soon so that they also get a level playing field. All colleges should have entrance exams.

AjeeshManager

It is a good move to ensure all students have a level playing ground and are not forced to lose out on account of some state boards being more liberal with marks than others. Entrance exams should be made the norm for college admissions.

SiddharthStudent

The new proposal is broadly good, but I feel that the government must take steps to ensure a smooth transition, so that students and teachers are not put to any inconvenience. Entrance exams must be introduced for all colleges

Hari Govt. official

It is a very good proposal that will create…More

The Hindu :

Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery: Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo

Verve/ Universal; CD; Rs. 295

J immy Smith (1925-2005) switched from the piano to the Hammond B-3 electric organ, a staple of black churches, gospel music and then the blues, in the early 1950s.

By 1955 he had made the instrument a legitimate vehicle for jazz improvisation, indeed, in his hands, a supremely important one.

In this recording from 1966 the king of the Hammond B-3 shares stellar credit with Wes Montgomery, a great jazz guitarist who died in his forties. They’re joined by Grady Tate on drums. Ray Barretto on congas/ jingle bells also appears on four of the six tracks, while on one of the these four and the two without Barretto they’re backed by a 14-strong big band. The big band, with many big names, mostly adds atmosphere to the music, neither succeeding in nor indeed trying to distract attention from the “Dynamic Duo” of the album’s title. But the ensemble does play the main theme on the tracks on which it figures, and in “Down by the Riverside” it takes part in a call-and-response interaction with Montgomery during his solo, while on “Death March” a duo of bass and flute render the theme beautifully before the whole ensemble repeats it. The rest of the action is dominated from start to finish by Smith and Montgomery, their brilliant solos dovetailing with each other nicely.

All the tracks are brisk (even “Death March”!) or fast, keeping up an irresistible rhythm. “James and Wes”, a fast piece composed by Smith, packs in, after the guitar and organ solos, a duo improvisation between Smith and Montgomery. All the tracks are terrific, but “Down by the Riverside” and “James and Wes” might be the pick.

Jimmy Smith at Club Baby Grand Vol. 2

Blue Note/Virgin Records; CD; Rs. 295

R ecorded live in a small town in Delaware…More

The Hindu : y>Catch it next weekend

Indian Ensemble Presents the play “Treadmill” a play in Hindi.

Written by Sandeep Shikhar and directed by Abhishek Majumdar, the play will be staged on February 27 at K.H. Kalasoudha Auditorium (next to Ram Anjeneya temple) Hanumanthanagar, at 7.30 p.m.

The play looks at relationships between husband and wife, mother and child , travellers in a train , teacher and student etc.

Tickets, priced at Rs. 100, will be available at the venue. For tele-bookings contact 9742097296.

For online bookings log on to www.indianstage.in. Late entries will not be allowed, say the organisers.

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The Hindu :

Lisa Ray is a bundle of strength and is raring to go

Photo: Murali Kumar k.UPBEAT Connecting with people is celebration, says Lisa

“I have a smart answer. I drink milk,” jokes Lisa Ray, when asked where she draws her strengths from. The actor who has been fighting multiple myeloma says with conviction that she is well on the road to recovery. Flashing her disarming smile, she continues: “I do drink milk, a lot of it. On a serious note, it’s a beautiful question and to me it has been a combination of things. Most importantly, the amount of support from people, in Canada and from India. It has been overwhelming,” adds the doe-eyed beauty.

Lisa flew from Canada to inaugurate Rado Boutique at UB City mall, in Bangalore. “My recovery is on the upswing and life is full of celebration.”

Coming back and reconnecting with people, she says is a symbol of celebration. “It’s been a real journey. I am improving and it is helping my healing process,” the actor says.

Zoom back to the music video and the picture of Lisa in her long flowing satin blue dress, gliding on the sand dunes, takes over your senses. She makes a magical entry into the hearts of the audience with the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s soulful song, “Aafreen Aafreen”.

Vikram Bhat’s “Kasoor” marked her entry in films. Looking stunning and full of verve and enthusiasm, Lisa says she wants to keep her time occupied with work and more work. “I am looking forward to the release of Deepa Mehta’s ‘Cooking with Stella’ in India. It was released in Canada to a good response.” The film, a light comedy revolves around the family of a Canadian diplomat Maya (played by Lisa Ray), her husband Michael (Don McKellar) in Delhi and their cook Stella (Seema Biswas). Deepa Mehta cast Ray in the controversial “Water”. The film explores…More

The Hindu :

Are those of us who curl up with a book for the evening living half a life?

Serious readers take many factors into account when packing books into a suitcase. After all, we are not always checking into a plush holiday resort.

More often we trundle into a tier-six town and check into a starless hotel room lit with one CFL bulb, featuring a scratchy grey towel and a scratchier, greyer TV.

It would be intolerable without one’s most portable comfort, a book. Preferably a tested favourite that will draw us out of the dim present and into a distant and brighter universe.

Heft is one consideration for me. If it weighs more than a few ounces I don’t pack it.

My cloth-bound “Pride and Prejudice”, gilt-edged, delicately illustrated, always stays at home. My paperback “Persuasion” gets tossed into a backpack any time. I never pack a borrowed book. If I were to lose it, how could I face its owner?

If I’m writing about my journey, I don’t carry a book that keeps me from absorbing impressions on the way. But if I’m just going somewhere, a book in hand shields me from a co-passenger’s inquisition. I travel either with an open book and a closed face or with an open face and a closed book.

I talked to a friend recently about travel reading. He said books in a rucksack never work. But then he was talking about trekking in the Carpathian Mountains and spending evenings around a campfire in a rocky niche, a mug of hot tea in hand and the stars wheeling overhead.

He walks around the streets all evening and eats his dinner bite by bite sometimes in three different restaurants or pubs.

So that is what a real traveller does — dive into a foreign darkness, find lights streaming through windows, and join the night music of clinking glass and multilingual laughter.

Are those of…More