Two Black Goals

I just watched on istream.com in the replay highlights the two wonderful goals that Balotelli scored last night in the Euro semifinal against Germany (Italy 2 Germany 1). Even as he scored twice and celebrated the second goal, throwing a favourite Germany out of the championship, catapulting Italy into the final against Spain, I wondered how the white Europeans would deal with his colour.


 And now I am reading this article in the Guardian.

 I quote parts:

As is well known by now, Mario Balotelli was born in Palermo to Ghanaian parents in 1990, who then gave him up for adoption to an Italian family in the north of Italy when he was just two. Under Italian law, however, he was not able to obtain Italian citizenship until he reached the age of 18, despite having been born in Italy and having always lived there.

...... He is black and extremely good at football, and he is a winner. He has played less than 100 league games for his two major clubs (Inter and Manchester City) and won four championships in that time (and four other trophies). Not a bad record for a 21-year-old.

....... Reactions to Balotelli's recent success with the national team have also been illuminating. After the England game, La Gazzetta dello Sport published a bizarre cartoon depicting Mario as King Kong. 

....... This morning, Tuttosport did it again. Their headline was a play on words. "Li abbiamo fatti neri" (we made them all black). This phrase literally means "We smashed them", "we humiliated them". But the pun, was linked the word "neri" – blacks. 

Jogiya, thy Prayer

Oh Jogiya with thy sonorous chants
Filling the deep precincts of our hearts!
Your tanpuras lend voice to these pillars,
Woken from their chiselled yogic slumbers.
Is prayer voice, or silence?
Is prayer a plea, or surrender?




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From a Camel's Back to the Carnatic - Raga Maand

Today's piece by Charulata Mani in the Hindu, A Raga's Journey- Maand beautifully describes this tantalising movement of a raga. I imagine it must have been inspired in a musician's mind as he was riding a camel in the deserts of Rajasthan. This same musician landed up in the Carnatic and gave the raga Maand to us delighted listeners.

Talking of a camel ride, there cannot be anything more unimaginable. But you can get some inkling when you listen to Maand.This raga's movement, or chalan as they say in HIndustani, is like the locus of a Rajasthani turban as it rides a camel. An elliptical translatory meandering to match the camel's wandering as it seeks a chew of cactus stubble in the sands.

Listen to this piece, to understand it better. Just as a final confirmation that the camel ascended into the royal durbar, this piece is a Sanskrit composition by Mysore Vasudevachar!

I also give you the You Tube Clip of the song Orunal Poduma by Balamuralikrishna:

Thyagaraja - the original movie

An inspiring start to my Sunday! I read in Wikipedia:

Tyagayya (Telugu: త్యాగయ్య) is a 1946 film considered as masterpiece produced and directed by Chittor V. Nagaiah It is a soul stirring film about the truly extraordinary life of Saint Thyagaraja.

The movie achieves the magic by having Nagayya sing for himself the 28 selected songs composed by Tyagaraja. The movie is a solid proof for the importance of screenplay and acting in a movie. The film is also a big credit to the skills of Nagayya - as a director, actor, singer and producer! Nagayya sang the Thyagaraja Kruthis with the devotion and clarity that is way beyond those of the more well-known Carnatic singers. Thyagaraja's music is very famous for the blend of rAgam-thAlam-pallavi and the sheer devotion for Lord Rama.

The captures the societal norms in the late 18th century. While many musicians used to seek the patronage of the kings, Tyagaraja was seeking the patronage of only Lord Rama. It depicts Tyagayya as not only a devotee of Lord Rama but also as a husband, brother, student and teacher.

Upanishad Ganga - the extraordinary story of Satyakaam

If you're not aware, since a few weeks ago, DD is broadcasting a brilliant serial called Upanishad Ganga. It has been directed and produced under the guidance of Chinmaya Mission.

Stories in the serial are episodes from the scriptures and Indian history, highlighting the eternal values that the Hindu way of life represents. The acting, storyline, direction, music, everything has simply been going a few notches in every episode. It is broadcast between 10:00 and 10:30 every Sunday on DD National.

The episode last week was the story of Satyakaama Jaabaali, a keen aspirant who is denied admission into any gurukul because of his low birth and unnamed ancestry. His mother is courageous enough to admit that she has been a daasi in the service of many masters and does not know who has fathered him. But aptly is he named Satyakaama, for his earnestness in the search for truth at last impresses a true master and he is accepted.

Watch the entire episode here:


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Stones that delight in Dance - Nrityagram

Yesterday we made a yatra to Nrityagram. It is in Hesaraghatta, a 90 minute drive from Indiranagar.

Nrityagram is the dance village and school created by the late Protima Gauri 25 years ago and blessed by the all-time greats like Kelucharan Mohapatra.

It has now a very active dance ensemble led by Surupa Sen and Bijoyini Satpati. We never miss their performances, as their performances are the epitome of beauty, grace, musicality and movement that Odissi exemplifies. Nrityagram is simply the best dance ensemble in India.

We made the pilgrimage and we were not denied.  We got to see the top dancers rehearse some major pieces. We walked around the campus and took in the artistic air that bathes the stone and green village. We wish to go back often if possible.

Here are some photos. And to give you a glimpse of their dance, there is an embedded You Tube video also:

Picasaweb Photos

Domestic Art

For better resolution, click here

Lakshmi is our part-time domestic help. She has been working at our home for nearly 20 years.

Her life is somewhat predictable: many children and grandchildren, poverty, displacement from a neighbourhood hutment to temporary addresses in far-flung suburbs as Bangalore climbs the real estate boom graphs. Disease. Death. Vagrant males forcing the women to work grindingly long hours as domestics in many homes, with long commutes, irregular meals, and no certainties whatever.

She brought along one of her grandchildren the other day. The girl was very attentive, doing chores with interest. I heard she is good at her studies.
Lakshmi took a loan of Rs. 2000 yesterday as she had to pay her grandchildren's school fees for the new year. I am going to write it off.

Lakshmi does rangoli, especially on Fridays, like the one here. About a metre in size, it covers the stone slab outside the gate. It is done with the white and coloured rangoli sand she buys from the corner shop. It is easily smudged.
I often stop and see the elemental beauty of the rangoli. Its sight is sheer joy.

The worry that it will be soon smudged is offset by the surety that a new one will take its place. The rangoli reflects the way life renews itself, like the splendid flowers on street-lining trees.

I am simply fascinated. How does Lakshmi balance all life's woes and despair with a sense of beauty and creativity? What is that spark, that hidden hope in life? Can there be anything more welcome at life's proverbial doorstep? Can any self-help book be better inspiration?

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