Here to the future

Change itself is the only true constant in life. That phrase rings closer and closer to home with each passing day given the rate at which advancements in technology in almost every field imaginable are being made. Nowadays, with every other person possessing enough skills to be considered half-a-techie, it is becoming increasingly difficult to catch up to where the cyber-world is moving. It makes one wonder that how are we, as people who supposedly benefit from these advancements, going to be affected by it.

The area of technology affecting our lives at home has been debated upon a countless number of times. Intel recently made the first real breakthrough towards having a digital home through by rolling out VIIV technology. Through this, home entertainment and all forms of communication can fit in one box and accessed from various places from around the house. The implications of technology are not limited to the home only and are affecting more and more people in their work lives and skills pertaining to them.

Newer communication methods have made it easier to work from home. High-speed internet coupled with e-mail and web-conferencing does away with the need for a person to be physically present in the workplace. Documents can be e-mailed and web-conferencing can always be employed when a constant presence is essential Services offered by numerous companies like Skype and Net2Phone allow users to make telephone and video calls over the internet. This has made web-conferencing easier and much more convenient for not only the business user but the average home-user as well.

An increase in such technology-related advancements and creations will signal a gradual demise of the traditional brick-and-mortar business along with the birth of what is referred to as ‘hidden economies’. People working from home for companies that are not located in the same country as them earn in local as well as foreign currencies, while spending that income in their home country. Teleworking has also assisted in the recent increase of cafés with high-speed wireless internet and customised corners for coffee-fans to station their laptops on and work. The reasons behind users logging on from coffee shops while having their own reserved corners are due to the environment being less stressful than a workplace and offering less distraction then at home.

Faster and easier communication has also served in flattening the tall hierarchical structures in the workplace. It has become much easier for a person situated near the bottom of the hierarchy to communicate directly to another placed near the top. This serves to hasten up the decision-making process since a person does not rally through numerous individuals to get the point across to the top management anymore. This also creates the need for working individuals to possess greater communication skills and develop faster decision-making since faster and effective communication would require a person to display quick judgement, leadership and initiative (in an ever-changing world, you cant stick to one concept for too long). There will be a greater need for individuals to think far ahead, develop strategies and have the ability to be able to see it through.

There will be a lesser need for manual labour since most of the manual work is expected to be done by robots. That only leaves the task of supervising the robots and ensuring the whole process goes trouble-free. Also, generic skills such as reading, writing, and problem-solving will also be in demand since individuals in almost all fields of work will be expected to deal with little gadgets now and then.

On the social front, with more and more women entering the workplace and things becoming easier for housewives to work as well, we will witness an increase in dual-income families or, in the case of single-parents, single-income families. However, with work potentially spilling into overtime (or time reserved for children at home), there could be an increase in conflicts and crossovers between work and family life.

Technology is not just changing the way we live or work. It is currently in the process of reshaping entire industries. Entrepreneurs with small-scale businesses catering to a certain niche in the market only are now popping up everywhere. Collectively, they pose a significant threat to large-scale corporations serving the same product or service on a wider level.

At this point it wouldn’t be practical to predict whether technology is good or bad, what is important is that it is here to stay. Whether one likes it or not, technology will infiltrate every aspect of a person’s life: at work, home or during play. Sooner or later individuals will have to learn to adapt to it. The way things are going, the sooner done the better.

First Published:
Spider
December 2006

Overboard with Overload


The concept of enjoying music that is purely instrumental is still relatively new in Pakistan. In a country where most of the music listening population relates more to the lyrics of a song then to the music, Overload, primarily a drums and percussion band, decided to host an all instrumental gig in Karachi’s Bahria auditorium. Along with themselves, they featured the ever popular Puppo Sain and his student, Jhoora Sain.

Coming to the performance with only a hazy idea of Puppo Sain’s dhol-swinging stunt, and not knowing what to expect, one was confronted by a dimly lit stage on which separate platforms had been set for each musician to perform on. The arrangement was such that every musician on stage was clearly visible.

The gig started roughly around an hour late, much to the annoyance of the band who waited until the people filled up the auditorium seats. Coming one by one, each band member settled into his desired place with light-works being displayed to accentuate their arrival. With of different seasons and places on earth being projected in the background, Overload, featuring the Sains started off with a relatively mellow and slower number number, Days gone by, which eventually merged into the more upbeat Only to the deafeningly energetic Storm. One must mention here that once the band starts performing, they do not stop after every song and continue playing till the end of the performance. Each song transitions into the next smoothly and without any interruptions.

The light work and the scenes projected would alternate and change according to the beat and the mood of the song that was being played. The sound quality can be described as delightfully-deafening. Every beat could be heard clearly and every chord from each instrument could be deciphered singularly. The coordination between the bandmembers was flawless: Farhad (drums) would nod to Puppo and in turn Puppo would nod and Jhoora, and lastly Farhad would exchange muted looks with Hasan (tumkinari – Egyptian drums) whenever a slight change in the beat being played was needed. Sheraz, who was on keyboards, did not seem bound by any such confirmations.

Overload closed their performance with Dhamaal, which incidentally will also be their next video on television. In this track Puppo swung his dhol around in the middle of the stage and continued playing it while swinging it —a feat he is famous for. After performing Dhamaal, the band left rather abruptly. The audience was left seated in their chairs with several of them demanding an encore. And so the bandmembers reappeared a few minutes later to render their performance of Dhamaal.

At the end of it all, Farhad introduced the band members, at popular request spoke in Punjabi but switched back to Urdu since not all present could understand Punjabi well. At the mention of his name, Puppo got a standing ovation and it was amusing to watch him wave back.

What was notable about the performance other then the lack of a vocalist was the attempt at creating an ambience for those attending. Keeping an audience engaged for an hour is no small feat, and Overload managed to do more then just that —they left an audience hungry for more.

credits: photos taken by Amean J

First Published:
Images
November 26th, 2006

Ali on the edge

Ali Zafar is not just a pretty face. Behind the dreamy, often dazed eyes and dimpled smile that has adorned many billboards (with many more to come) is a person who knows what he wants — and is willing to do just about everything to get things the way he likes them.

For this interview, he came dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a T-shirt, no grooming and no pretensions. What becomes immediately noticeable is that he appears to be extremely dazed and spaced out while conversing. He apologises and tends to say what is at the back of his mind. When we start talking again, his eyes develop a sharp focus and he transforms into a serious, focused person, quite unlike the light-headed, fun-loving guy we are used to watching on screen.

Ali has an uncanny ability to observe little details and has a knack for making insightful observations that appear ironic most of the time. He is also a lot smarter than he lets on.

The second album is always the trickiest, say the sages. More so if the first album has been successful. The second album determines whether the artiste in question is a one-hit wonder or the ‘real deal’. The second album also determines how an artiste has moved on from his/her debut. Questions such as ‘has the artiste experienced growth and if so, was it positive’ arise and it’s no wonder that most artistes complain of being under extraordinary pressure when working on their second set of songs.

For Ali, rising up to the success of his debut album will not be easy. He needs to control every aspect of it — from songwriting to production —leaving no margin for error. It has now been almost three years since Channo came on screen and launched Ali Zafar as the blue-eyed boy of Pakistan’s music industry. A vocal reincarnation of Kishore Kumar, not only can he sing well, he has good looks to spare. And he puts them to good use. While songs off his album scored one hit after another, Ali could be seen smiling down from larger-than-life billboards, endorsing everything from mobile phones to biscuits to telephonic connections. And why not? After all, an artiste has to eat.

After spending almost two years in the studios and running around the globe, Ali’s second album, Masty, is finally ready to be launched in the market. What is this album going to be like? “That’s always been the most difficult question for me to answer. How can you define an entire art form and tell what properties and characteristics make it different? It’s music. It’s something very abstract and difficult to define,” he says. “But the sound is going to be richer than before, there are going to be live instruments, it’s going to be bigger than before.

“I have spent a lot of time in the production. It has taken me about two-and-a-half years from songwriting to developing the melody to recording it to taking the files internationally and mixing the album in different studios around the world with foreign experts.”

So who were these foreigners he worked with? “In London, I went to a guy called Marrow, and in Manchester the studio I went to was The Future Lounge.”

Why not just record the album in Pakistan? “Working here is very difficult. There is a lack of professionalism. If someone gives you a time and a date, he or she can disappear as well.” He breaks off here and then continues, “But it is important for an artiste to go through that whole process in order to grow. I also lost a lot of sleep and suffered a lot of stress. But at the end of the day, after passing through all of that, I have 10 times more knowledge than before. Plus, I’ve learnt to be patient.

“Technically, it was important that the sound of this album be better than the sound of the previous album. For that, there were limitations in Pakistan. Plus, I had a picture in my mind for every song that I made.” He makes his point by sketching box-like compartments in mid-air with his hands. “I also wanted to be involved in each and every process that this album went through and that is why it took me a longer time.”

One feels the need to commend him in wanting to produce a product that would essentially be several notches higher in quality then those available in the market. However, what good would a well-developed CD do in a country where piracy is rampant? The same album will be ripped off and re-recorded on another CD with a definite loss in quality. How many, in the end, would benefit from the better sound quality that Ali is aiming for? More so, from among the masses who have been his ardent followers, how many will really notice the subtle differences that exist between an original and a pirated CD? Perhaps these are questions that can only go unanswered for the time being.

“I initially thought that I’d go to London and mix my album there,” Ali continues. “I stayed there for 15 days just to mix one song. Then I went to Manchester and mixed four songs there. But when I came back and listened to those songs, I didn’t like them. My money went to waste as I had to scrap them. Then I went to India and mixed the rest of the album there. I had to go back and forth just to get the right sound,” he says.

Speaking of the album Masti, what contents should we be looking forward to? “There are at least three songs about a girl. Besides those, most of the songs are related to my personal experiences and feelings. A lot of it has to do with how I want to be driven towards my goals and the energy and the hope that I need. I want to share that with everybody else who wants to achieve something in life.” Apparently, he has attempted to create an upbeat but very inspirational album and the mix, although unusual, should be interesting to hear.

Ali has often been criticised for being too commercial as an artiste. What does he have to say about the accusation? “I don’t believe in the philosophy that we (musicians) work only for ourselves and that we don’t care what the world says.” He says that if this is the approach an artiste wants to take, he shouldn’t be releasing his work for public listening. “Keep on listening to it in your studio and stay happy. How can people not matter?” he says incredulously. “People matter to me a lot. That’s why most of my tracks are easy listening. It’s fun, it’s happy and gives off positive vibes and energy.”

Moving on to his videos, one also wonders why Ali has switched from Tariq Amin to Nabila as his primary stylist? Specially when Tariq’s influence in his initial videos, most notably in Channo, was very apparent. The song was a hit, too, so why the change? “Nabila gave me a makeover for Ek Pal and I think change is good. I don’t believe in groups and lobbies; I like working with everybody and anybody who is talented,” he says. After a moment of reflection, he adds, “I don’t want to portray that I need a stylist to sell my music. A stylist complements you and yes, presentation counts a lot, but depending on them and believing that your music won’t sell without them is what I don’t believe in.”

And what will be the first video off the new album? “It will be called Masti and it’s just like the name. It’s a lot of fun; very hyper and very energetic. It was shot in India and it has been directed by an Indian director. I’ve made two videos in India; the other one has been directed by Ahsan Rahim.” Who else has contributed towards the album? “One song has been composed by Yousaf Salahuddin. A line here and there from one or two songs has been written by Khawaja Parvez. He guided me a lot for the rest of the songs. Otherwise I have composed and written the rest of the songs myself.” Almost as an afterthought, he adds, “I create my own things from scratch to the end. From story boarding to concepts, videos and music, I do everything.”

For Masti, Ali has signed up with Fire Records, a newfound record label. Again, why? “Well, they were paying me the most money” he says candidly, “and I’m comfortable with the marketing and promotion they’ve laid out for me.”

note: the photograph of Ali's album cover came out really screwed.

First Published:
Images
November 19th, 2006

`Video killed the Radio Star’


Music Television — those two words sum it up: a channel dedicated to broadcasting music. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Launched in 1981, ironically with the single, Video killed the Radio Star, by a British band called The Buggles, Music Television (MTV) soon became a household name, both abroad and locally among the desis privileged enough to have access to the wonders of a channel dedicated solely to music (and the perception of ‘cool’ that came with it). That was until cable television became the norm.

All of a sudden, MTV was accessible and known to all and could no longer remain hidden as a legend of sorts. In October 2006, after a year of whispered talks and speculations, ‘cool’ came home: the Indus Television network launched MTV Pakistan in place of Indus Music (IM).

With the latter already a widely recognised television channel, and with MTV coming in its place, there is a general apprehension that MTV Pakistan would be just like another IM under a jazzed up new skin; and why not? Most of the video jockeys (VJs) — the people who give a face to the channel — as well as the management, are the same. In a candid talk, Ghazanfar Ali, the CEO of the Indus TV network, answers the question that seems to be on everyone’s lips: How is MTV Pakistan going to be any different from IM?

“Music can’t be different. It is going to remain the same. I’m not going to be pretentious and tell you that it will change. It’s just programming, and programming has its own look and feel. We would like to take the next step and I feel we have (already). In the last six months, we have just worked on the fact that MTV should not look like IM. And I think we have succeeded, although that’s for people to say in the end.” Elaborating further, he says that they are planning to bring in new shows, new faces and new expertise to further build upon MTV’s brand strength.

Internationally, MTV has built up the value of its brand over a period of 20 or so years by working on their programming content, expanding to other countries and constantly improvising. Compared to that, the Indus TV network, when it took over MTV Pakistan, was still in a state of infancy in the world of television.

And what about meeting international standards in terms of programming and content? “People from Singapore, India and the US have come in to share their experiences with us. I think we’ve learnt a lot from them already,” says Ghazanfar.

After taking a look at most of the local channels that dominate our television screens, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that most of the individuals working both behind and in front of the cameras don’t seem to have a very clear idea of what is required of them as professionals in the field. As a result, the lack of quality programming goes going hand-in-hand with unoriginal ideas and content, inadequate use of software and inadequately skilled manpower. This coupled with an ever-increasing number of channels has resulted in confused and irritated viewers.

With only two schools in Pakistan imparting skills related to film-making and production, and that too with limited faculty members, schools who otherwise have nothing remotely to do with electronic media in their curricula are cashing in on this opportunity and advertise courses and new-found degrees in skills pertinent to the e-media.

In the face of the above mayhem, the idea of real professionals coming in and sharing their trade secrets along with a bit of training and development seems like a godsend. It just might provide local media professionals with the direction they are so desperately seeking and might step up programming quality by a notch or two.

But with currently only one channel benefiting from that period of enlightenment, what will happen to the rest? And more importantly, will they be able to catch up well enough?

IM was still going strong when it was taken off the airwaves to make place for MTV Pakistan. So what is going to happen to it? “It’s going as a block on Indus Vision,” says Ghazanfar. Why not just keep it? “Because there would have been a conflict of interest. If you’re going to do something, take ownership. If you’re going to be wishy-washy about it then don’t do it. MTV Pakistan is MTV Pakistan and IM was the pioneer and the catalyst to bring MTV here, but you have to take ownership.”

About activities other than programming, he says, “In March, we’re having the MTV Awards followed by the MTV Style Awards and then the MTV Video Awards.” But how can a music channel have style awards? “It’s more fashion based. You see, its ‘young fashion’. Basically their philosophy is about ‘youth’ and that’s what we’re targeting.”

With the acquisition of the franchise, does the Indus TV network have access to the MTV database when it comes to music and also a host of other perks including fresh graphics and animations to display on their channel? “Yes, we have access to all their awards and we have access to all their music, but we’re sticking to the Pakistani genre. Otherwise, you can see MTV Europe, MTV India or whatever. We want to stick to our own people. I think that they should learn that they have to be the best and they have to move on. And they have now a brand to go with it,” adds Ghazanfar.

Other channels may not be adequately equipped to respond to the quality one hopes MTV Pakistan, with its added benefits of training and accessible electronic material, will display, but it should certainly pass the message that it’s about time they step up to game and give their programming some serious thought and investment, not to mention, take a long-term perspective of their channel.

As for how well will MTV Pakistan survive and live up to the brand name it has acquired? No doubt, when IM started out, it pioneered in entertainment dedicated solely to music; their VJs became household names in a matter of weeks; they launched the first music-related awards show in Pakistan, after the EMI Awards. However, instead of getting better with time, their awards took a downward spiral and were suspected by many of being somewhat biased. One hopes that that the team heading MTV Pakistan has learnt from the mistakes made earlier and that the MTV Awards, whenever they take place, will be better and more organised.

First Published:
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November 12th, 2006

Hips don’t lie

Nighat Chaudhry recently performed at the Arts Council Theatre in Karachi for a SIUT charity on a stage that was set very simply and a microphone facing the floor so as to project the sound of her ghungroos across the hall.

Very soon into the performance, one could see that Nighat’s Kathak and her tatkaar were very basic and not as complex or as masterful as one would expect it to be. However, she did seem to tailor her dance according to the general taste of the audience present. Her Kathak, although incredibly simple, had more hip-shaking than is usually the norm. That, coupled with her swirling dupatta appeared to be rather well appreciated by the audience.

One has to give Nighat credit for keeping a pleasant face throughout her performance, during which four of her students also joined in. At the end of it all, she came on stage and dramatically declared that she was very proud of being a Pakistani. Later, she elaborated why: “The audience was receptive and respectful. They were feeling me instead of judging me. You can pick up those vibes and that’s why I felt proud of being a Pakistani.”

Post performance, one wondered why she chose this particular charity to work with? “I do a lot for charity. I’ve worked with Imran Khan and for the Shaukat Khanam Hospital and SOS. I did my lot for the earthquake victims and their rehabilitation so much so that I gave up dance for three months. But it’s part of my work as an artiste and a person. I’m close to causes like these because you can make this much of a difference; and the only way I can do that is through my art form. There’s nothing better than that. For me to do something like this is more rewarding and emotionally more satisfying.”

Currently involved with dance-related projects with Prime Television and working on conceptualising dance compositions with other organisations, one of them along the themes of Moenjodaro, Nighat feels very strongly about the channels she’s working with: “We say dance is open but when do you see Naheed Siddiqui on television? Where do you see Fasihur Rehman or Sheema Kirmani on TV? I’m doing conceptual work. That’s why people call me up. But what about my ustaad? Why aren’t we giving more room to good quality performances and artistes of high calibre instead of having thumkas and jhatkas?”

Nighat Chaudhry did not start out learning Kathak. During her childhood, she was in London where her parents set her up to learn ballet and contemporary dance at the Laban Centre. She, however, switched to Kathak after watching Naheed Siddiqui, and became enamoured with Naheed’s style, poise and grace as a dancer. Sadly, despite studying with Naheed for over two years and with other great teachers that followed, she hasn’t acquired the qualities that she had set her heart on in the first place. She is a better speaker than a dancer.

First Published:
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November 12th, 2006

Burning down the house
They come together with a common love: music. Performances by the Munchkins are eagerly awaited by those who know them and this is probably the only gig to which people actually come on time. The Munchkins are a four person band consisting of drummer-extraordinaire Gumby, popular bassist Ali Jafri, lead guitar player Murtaza Jafar aka K.V. whose claim-to-fame is playing on Ali Azmat’s album Social Circus and lastly Aamir Alavie, the vocalist of the band, whose incredibly versatile voice and powerhouse performance leaves the listener wanting for more.

The Munchkins have been doing gigs for roughly around four years. With Gumby and Ali Jafri being the only ones living in the same city, they perform whenever all the band-members get together, making the date of their performances unpredictable. With no posters put-up in popular shopping malls or ads given in newspapers, news of a Munchkins gig travels by word-of-mouth only, all of which adds up to the excitement that Munchkins fans get when informed of a gig taking place in the near future.

Back in 2002, Aamir Alavie, Murteza, Gumby, Ali Mufti and Asif were part of a band they called Euphoria. The departure of Asif and Ali Mufti from the band saw Ali Jafri’s arrival into it. Their first performance was at a popular donut place owned by a friend of the band-members. At a last-minute suggestion made Ali Jafri, they started calling themselves The Munchkins. According to Gumby, “The idea was to have fun and play the kind of music that we like. The fan following that we have generated has only been through word-of-mouth and we’d like to keep it that way” killing any questions of them going commercial.

The Munchkins recently performed at the same donut place and despite the gig being held on the third day of Eid, quite a few people showed up including those who have been faithfully attending every single Munchkins gig since the first. Ali Jafri wore his signature yellow shirt (how many does he have anyway?) and with the ‘eat shit’ written on Gumby’s drum-kit having visibly faded. They performed covers of songs by Maroon 5, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Led Zepplin, The Police and had the crowd singing along to most of the songs including the Kenny Loggins classic Danger Zone and Where the streets have no name by U2.

They performed over twenty songs and each band-member gave it his all with Aamir Alavie getting comfy with the mic-stand and Jafri bobbing his head while playing bass. Gumby who’s always a treat to “watch” during a performance as much as he is to listen didn’t disappoint either and banged his drum-set and swish-swooshed his hair in perfect-rhythm. One felt sorry for those whose view of the band was obstructed by the very large pillars set in the middle of the venue.

With the donut-place completely full with those who had wisely decided to arrive early, what was amusing to note was that not only did those who came late stay, but they stood outside the venue for the entire duration of the gig, having been forced to experience The Munchkins by peeking through the glass walls of the cafe. Followers of The Munchkins seem to be growing in number with every performance and the band should start considering performing in a venue that can accomodate, if not all, most of them.

The band members rocked the way they always do: with heart, soul and a whole lot of fun. However, one sorely missed a performance of Seal's Crazy, a song in which the limelight truly shines on Gumby and Crash by the Dave Mathews Band. Other then that, one cannot wait for the next time someone passes a message along about a potential Munchkins gig taking place in the near future.

Credits: Photos by Fayyaz Ahmed.

First Published:
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November 5th, 2006

An ode to Odissi
They arrived armed with cherubic smiles on heavily done up faces and costumes that aimed to mimic the styles and fashion of ancient South Asia. They took their places on stage and with the light shifting reflections on their faces, they showed different positions employed in Odissi —the most ancient of classical dance forms.

While a multimedia presentation gave the names and explained the concepts and histories behind each position, the little dancers, all of them students of Sadia Khan, alternated their hands, expressions and bodies to conform to the position being explained. For example, during the Khumba Baitha (meditative position), they would sit with knees bent, bakc perfectly straight and hands on either sides of their knees in a perfect ancient meditative position. Sadia Khan, who has been a student and teacher of Odissi for over a decade, recently hosted a complete Odissi performance at the Finance and Trade Centre (FTC). She has previously remained a student of our very own Sheema Kirmani and left for Delhi in 2000 to further her knowledge and skill in this art form under the patronage of Srimati Madhavi Mudgal and graduated from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya with a first division in Odissi. She is currently teaching classical dance and theatre at The National Academy of Performing Arts and The Centre for Advanced Studies.

Following the multimedia performance came a recital titled Mangalacharan, a tradiitonal introductory piece performed in Odissi. Sadia's little students came equipped with flowers paid their respects to the gods, gurus and the audience. The dance was simple but what was amusing to note that the little dancers tried very hard to maintain their balance during one of the more difficult standing positions.

Sadia’s entry on stage as a dancer came with a composition titled Jagannatha Ashtakam. She entered coyly form one of the white screens from the left side of the stage which depicted her silhouette clearly.the lighting became brighter with her appearance from behind the screen and she carried flowers in her hand. The sound of the bells from her ghungro resonated clearly in the auditorium. What followed were a series of dance postures that had previously been explained coupled with expressions depicting the mood of the composition being put together and performed as a dance. This was by far entertaining at first; however, too much of it, as it came in the following compositions made it somewhat monotonous. A composition which did stand out was the Madahave Ma Kuru. It was based on a twelfth century poem titled “The Gita Govinda” by Jayadeva. Translated verses from the poem in English appeared on the screen before it was performed and Sadia came on stage to explain what it was about. using a series of hand movements, no doubt employed while performing an Odissi dance, to explain the story of Radha and Krishna and their little love-tussle regarding Krishna’s unfaithful behaviour towards Radha and how her friend tries to help her overcome her feelings of anger and hurt.

The way Sadia elaborated on the poem by cleverly using her hands to depict the moon, the lotuses and how the friend tries to convince Radha to go back to Krishna was much more interesting to watch then the dance itself. The absence of other dances to fill in the roles of Krishna and Radha’s friend was sorely felt and I had to use my imagination as to what must have been going on around Radha while Sadia pranced about on stage playing the her role. The final dance sequence was about the dancer merding in with the dance. The dance was full of energy, which made it slightly better then the ones preceeding it.

One must keep in mind that Odissi is not exactly a very popular classical dance genre in Pakistan and to understand it better, an understanding of the culture and the mythology behind most of the dances is required. even though the evening started off well and was a welcome change from the regular Kathak or Bharatnatyam dance recitals that are somewhat the norm, one felt the evening had dragged a tad longer then it should have. Hopefully, with time, Odissi will grow on all of us enough for us to appreciate it as much as we do the other classical dance forms.

Credits: Photos by Amean J.

First Published:
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November 5th, 2006