For The Love of Music (What can We do with Indian Music - 1)

Reading sometimes need time, which is nowadays at premium, but listening music requires little effort and is doable even in busy times. If there was anything to inspire me to be active on the blog again it had to be music. For long I had thought of posting a series of clips, in audio or video format, of music and musicians who enchant me greatly. 

Since I couldn't find a better title, I title this latest endeavor of mine as 'For the Love of Music'. I start this with a series of 6 posts showcasing the brilliance of music when our Indian music is amalgamated with music from other parts of the world or musical forms that are not intrinsic to it. From suggestions by friends to accidental discoveries to recommendations on web, the posts that form the part of this series showcase music that I find highly enjoyable and inspires me to further explore the beautiful world of music. I hope that readers too will find the music presented enjoyable and inspiring enough to embark on their own musical journey; and if you do come across some fascinating music during this journey of yours, don't forget to return the favor by mentioning the same in the comments :)

Tinariwen with Kiran Ahluwalia

Mast Mast 

I discovered Tinariwen accidentally about five years ago while listening to Ali Farka Toure on Youtube. Youtube's sidebar having list of suggested videos had a Tinariwen song as one of the suggestions,  dont remember which one perhaps Cler Achel. Since then Tinariwen has remained my favorite band from Africa, inspiring me further explore the great wealth of African music and leading me to great african acts such as Toumani Diabate and several others. Having admired and listened to Tinariwen, it filled me with great excitement when in 2011 they recorded 'Mast Mast' with the impressive Indo-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia. Many of us have listened several versions of 'Dam mast mast' and yet this Tuareg-Indian fusion stands out for its unique experimentation and registers the magical impact this great sufi sing is capable of. This song has looped on a repeat for a long time on my music player and high chances that it will end up the same way on yours. Enjoy :)

There's a longer version of this song available of youtube as well that shouldn't be difficult to find the same :)

NEWs - 1

NEW MUSIC

Of late I have been listening quite a bit of classical stuff, both Western and Hindustani classical. It seemingly started with a list of greatest classical composers of all times published in some magazine of repute (I forgot the name but I think it was NY Times), that ranked top ten western classical greats, including the likes of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and others. What intrigued me was the presence of certain artists who I had no idea about. Barring the usual suspects like Mozart, Bach etc, there were fewer names that I knew. Guys like Wagner, Schubert, Handel and others, who are very well renowned but are not so famous amongst average Indian fellows like me whose knowledge about Western Classical is limited to that gained through high school textbooks which often limit themselves to Mozart and Beethoven.
Aided by Grooveshark I have so far embarked on my little journey towards understanding and appreciating the work of these great masters. Needless to say that my enthusiasm and excitement is purely that of a listener seeking musical euphoria and ecstasy through these masterpieces and not of someone who is trying to build his knowledge in western classical. I guess so far I have been able to develop a bit of taste for this kind of music and I am glad for taking this small positive step.
Similar is my journey to the Indian Classical. Indian classical music reminds me of few things; Doordarshan's Shastriya Sangeet ka Karyakram, which sounded so bore during childhood and 'Call of the Valley' a Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shivkumar Sharma cassette that my father had bought. My father was never a keen music lover, I wonder why he ended up buying that partiular album but I remember him being very enthusiastic. It was perhaps the only album he ever bought. Sadly though, I ended up dubbing some regular bollywood stuff on top it, cos nobody used to listen to it anyway. Little did I know at that time that this is one legendary album. My father never scolded me for that but as I look at it now, I feel bad about it. The only saving grace is that I still have that cassette, of course sans the songs that were originally recorded on it.
My taste in Indian Classical is limited mostly to flute and santoor but I often enjoy other instruments like shahnai and saarangi as well. My favorite though, remian the thumris. Not classical in the true sense, more of semi-classical but there are times when Shobha Gurtu or Girija Devi is what constantly plays on my music player.
This recent activity has also resulted me in reading MUSIC, a monthly magazine published by BBC dedicated to classical music. What I like about this magazine is that even though I dont understand a whole lot about Western classical, the magazine is still quite an enjoyable experience :)

Music Review - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

Went through the whole APKGK (that's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani in a supposedly hep way), till the last song 'Tu Jaane Na' which was perhaps the only decent song of the album. They have four versions of the song, main one being sung by Atif 'There's-something-struck-in-my-throat' Aslam, who kinda spoils the otherwise awesome start to the song. There are quite a few one hit wonders, more I listen to Atif 'See-previous-line-for-this-space' Aslam, more I feel he qualifies as one.
Kailash Kher sings the unplugged version of the same song, does a decent job but somehow the song never attains the heights of ecstasy which you otherwise feel with most Kailash Kher songs. Perhaps, Pritam 'Chor' Da helming the music arrangements has something to do with that.
Other versions of this song and other songs of the album are not worth wasting time, space and effort.

Another ordinary album that will perhaps do well to remain in heart of listeners for a month or so, thanks to constant airplay on radio/TV (as a part of advertising and marketing campaign), before fading into obscurity.

PS. Please, let me know why 'Gajab' is spelt as 'Ghazab'? Were they trying not to make the listener remember that gem of a movie that had Tusssshar (Sorry if missed a few S'es there) Kapoor movie.

Pic Courtesy: http://www.pitaara.in/wp-content/uploads/Ajab-Prem-Ki-Gajab-Kahani.jpg

EDITED :) Just figured that Tussssshar starred in 'Gayab' not 'Gajab', so apologies to readers of this entry, who thought I am crazy (which I am anyways, but still).

Nightful of Songs

Some nights are like this, when you have nothing else to do, or lets say that even if you have plenty to do, nothing beats passing it listening to sweet and soulful songs. Here's how I passed this night of mine.

Quick Review (or say Opinions)

As I sat waiting for one more night to start, I listened to three new Hindi albums; Wanted, Toss and Fox. Amazingly, all three of them had English titles :)

This isn't a review, mere opinion based on one quick listening.

Fox is a drab album with nothing working for it (at least for me). Wonder how Monty Sharma was able to give that fabulous music in Saawariya (the only good thing about that otherwise forgetful movie). Looks like MS is Uttam Singh of current times; in fact Uttam Singh gave quite decent music in a few other movies apart from Dil To Pagal Hai; Gadar and Dushman being the ones I recall instantly.

Toss has music by Sandesh Shadnilya and some new bloke Siddharth Suhaas whom I have never heard before. I will skip the remixes as they are seldom good and often fillers. Sandesh Shandilya has come up with great music every once in a while. His 'Suraj hua Madhyam' was as per me the only good thing about the drab K3G; I still recall the beautiful melodies of Rules: Pyar ka Superhit Formula; Socha Na Tha had some decent tracks and 'Aaoge jab tum' from Jab We Met was not bad either.
Toss starts with two good chill out lounge tracks composed by Sandesh and then three crappy numbers by the other guy. The punjabi number is crap or say there's nothing worth remembering about it. Then there are two numbers with pop-rock sound to it, which is something that has no novelty in it anymore. Lyrics are forgetful, making sure that there's nothing hummable in the album :)

Wanted has music by Sajid-Wajid, another bunch of those not so talented guys who have been flocking the Bollywood music scene off late (Amar Mohile, Pritam Chor, Monty Sharma, Salim Sulaiman and so on and so forth). Anyways, Wanted is one album where one knows what to expect, given Sajid-Wajid's past record. The album has a few dance numbers (Love Me, Ishq Vishq, Jalwa) (that is songs with some beats and lots of oh oh oh, ooh ooh ooh kinda sound and then some dholak sholak and punjabi thrown in between). It also has typical Sajid-Wajid puppy-pop number which tries to be too sugary, too rhythmic, too romantic, too much lovey-dovey, except that it fails on all account as these kinda Sajid-Wajid numbers often do ('Mitwa Re' from Hello, 'Rab Kare' and Duppatta song from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, etc etc etc). Then there is a song with arabic sound to it, lesser said (or heard) of it the better. BTW, Jalwa song is pathetic (although there's no real need to state that). There's a Wanted theme song, which is again nothing new (except that you get to hear Salman delivering some lines meant for front benchers and some other chaman singer singing something) and the album ends with a desi sounding song with jabardasti ki tweeter beats to it. This song tries too hard to come across as a no tension vension, full of fun song, but it achieves only this much. I guess a bit less of beats/electronica and 'ooh aah, hai hai, chom chom, hurrrrrr' would have probably resulted in a better song with listeners (some of them) perhaps finding the lyrics fancy.

Of the three albums, I would say the only song that I remember and will probably listen again is 'Ishq Vishq'; nothing great about it, just that one still needs to survive mediocrity.

Moral: Nights can be wasted in a better manner :)

Songs for the day

Rains, Monsoon and a heart with sweet melancholy. You dont get to hear Koyal's song here in Denmark, but then imagining doesn't cost you anything :) One shouldn't be surprised if one feels like singing of love.

Here's to a beautiful rainy day and the divine feeling of love. I have included my fav Mithun Da's song which captures the essence even though its not a monsoon song :)

Verse and a Song (Krishna Navmi Ashaad, Vikram Samvat 2066)

In today's entry, the first in this hopefully regular series, I quote a verse from Kamayani, the epic poem by great Jaishankar Prasad. These are the opening lines from part 1 of 'Asha'.

ऊषा सुनहले तीर बरसती

जयलक्ष्मी-सी उदित हुई,

उधर पराजित काल रात्रि भी

जल में अतंर्निहित हुई।

As for the song, today I have picked the studio version of Khamaj, illustrating the vocal brilliance of Shafqat Amanat Ali.

Trippin (My Favourite Songs)

Lets restrict this to five recent ones with sufiana flavour to them.

• Ha Raham Farma-e-Khuda (Mehfooz) - AAMIR

Aani jaani hai kahani
Bulbule si Zindagani
Banti kabhi bigadti
Tez hawa se ladti bhidti

Armaan kare kaaya yeh ujali
Mitti mein mil jaayegi
Chahe jitni shamayein roshan kar le
Dhoop to dhal jaayegi, jaayegi

Kya mazaal teri marzi ke aage
Bando ki chal jaayegi
Thaame ungli jo tu katputli bhi
Chaal badal jaayegi, jaayegi

Ha raham, ha raham farm-e-Khuda
Mefooz har kadam karna e-khuda

Beyond words :)

• Tose Naina Lage (Jaaveda Zindagi) - ANWAR

Two muslim characters playing Lord Krishna and Radha, what better way to celebrate the great feeling of love that goes beyond religion, region, caste or creed :)

• Meharbaan - ADA

Tu hai nihaa (Secret), main hoon ayaan (visible),
Tu hatheli (Palm), main hoon heena (Decoration).

AR Rahman vocals, AR Rahman music, beautiful Urdu laden poetry; brings smile to one's face, peace to one's mind and makes one feel good about oneself and everything around.

• Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaye - KALYUG

Simple yet mersmerizing, magical.

• Teri Deewani - KAILASA (Kailash Kher)

Off late we have been blessed with some great composers and singers, Amit Trivedi (Aamir music director) is one and Kailash Kher is another. Beautiful composition, even better video; showing various shades of love, each as endearing as other. Add the subtle spirituality that flows underneath and here's music fulfilling its very purpose :)

Amazing songs, nothing more can be said, just listen and experience it for yourself.

A Love I'll Never Loose (To The Divine Gift of Music)

Love, obsession, liking; it must have all started long back, perhaps in those days when music and Vividh Bharti were synonymous. My journey with music has been long, from those nights of ‘Pryajoit Karyakram’ on Vividh Bharti to this vast ocean of musical riches Internet. I progressed through the times of a single speaker tape recorder as a kid to a those of a two-in-one in my early teens. The Videocon walkman that I possessed as a college teenager consolidated this association and though I didn’t have that sort of a personal relationship with the big Kenwood music system back home, I share fond memories of preparing for GATE while listening to it. Those were the building blocks of my musical journey that blossomed with me finally getting a comp. And here I am now, sitting in States, far from the sounds of my country.

I don’t have any great liking for America, nor do I have any dislikes. I think for most times, my times in America have passed though the motions. However, immersed between studies and a up-and-down personal life, one aspect of me that progressed was my likeness for music. I say likeness and not understanding, because honestly I cant claim to know music. But I do know how to like it, how to feel it. It was not a conscious effort to widen my musical sensibilities, but it did happen. Faster internet connection, access to a vast resource of music at the public library, interaction with music enthusiasts sharing similar tastes; in those aspects America did more for me than I expected.

Often, my friends have dismissed certain music on grounds that it is from a certain region, in a certain language or created/sung by a certain individual; and often I have wondered, is music of a country, for a particular set of people or classified as so-and-so.

On many of my experiences with music, I have realized that I am crying, tears running down my cheeks, and I wonder why is that. In Sufism, the great masters talk about the heightened divine experience achieved on the magical powers of the music. Divine is a subjective term, loosely defined. I wonder what is divine, but isn’t it divine that while listening to ‘My Sweet Lord’ by George Harrison, I feel elevated, I feel connected to the ones I love and I feel happy about the fact that I have experienced the feeling of love. Isn’t it magic that I listen to Tinariwen or Boubacar Traore and my tears start to roll even though I have no clue what meaning the words carry. A certain Korean song, I don’t even know what it is called, makes me excited and nostalgic about the childhood that’s now left only in the old photographs. I listen to Celtic folks and I feel the Violin strings cutting my heart like a knife, a pain that only music is able to create. I see Goddess Saraswati blessing Abida Parveen as she sings of eternal love of god and I visualize Mirabai singing to Lord Krishna as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sings “Sanson ki mala mein simaroon main pee ka naam”. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s the Swedish band Opeth singing melodic death metal or Moody Blues crooning one of their poetry soaked silken ballad, for they all stir my soul by the sheer brilliance of their music.

In times such as these, I realize that music transcends all boundaries, all limits; no religion, no language can lay claim to it, its for all and its omnipresent just like god is. Music is a blessing for the humanity to cherish and its marvels are for all to reap and its sin to dismiss based on these attributes the divine blessing that’s music.

Loreena McKennitt

Thought I should share some good music with those who read my blog (if there are any readers). Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian singer, songwriter whose brilliantly interwoven Celtic and Middle Eastern folk songs are a treat to listen to. She takes you to faraway lands in faraway times on a mystic and soulful journey which you'll enjoy thoroughly.

Here's a sampler of the marvellous music she creates, enjoy !

The two songs are Marco Polo and Kecheritomene (with the ever beautiful moon in the background, the pic was taken just before sunrise on the Jacksonville Beach, Florida).

For more information on her check
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loreena_McKennitt

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Opeth - Black Rose Immortal (The Greatest Song Ever)

This 20 minute masterpiece is an epitome of brilliant lyrics decorated by equally mesmerizing musical arrangement. A song that covers the whole range of musical genres inclusive and not restricted to : jazz, rock, blues, amazing guitar play, vivid imagery, depth of emotions and awesome wordplay just like any classical piece of poetry. Led Zep, Beatles, Floyd; great they all are but no song comes close to the absolute marvel of 'Black Rose Immortal'.

Here are the lyrics of this beautiful song.

--------------------X--------------------

In the name of desperation
I call your name
A lamentation I sigh
Again and again

Spiritual eclipse
The gateways are closed for me to seek

The night...
A veil of stars, watching
My shadow is born from light
The light of the eye, in darkness

Over troubled waters memories soar
Endlessly, searching night and day
The moonlight caresses a lonely hill
With the calmness of a whisper

I wear a naked soul
A blank face in the streaming water
It is cold in here
Frost scar my coat with dust

Eyes attach to your mute portrait
We spoke only through thoughts
Together we gazed, awaited
Hours brought thirst and the rising sun

Sunbirds leave their dark recesses
Shadows glid the archways

Do not turn your face towards me
Confronting me with my lonliness
You are in a forest unknown
The secret orchard
And your voice is vast and achromatic
But still so precious

Lullaby of the crescent moon took you
Mesmerized, its kaleidoscopic face
Granted you a hollow stare
Another soul within the divine herd

I have kept it
The amaranth symbol
Hiddin inside the golden shrine
Until we rejoice in the meadow
Of the end
When we both walk the shadows
It will set ablaze and vanish
Black rose immortal

It is getting dark again
Dusk shuffle across the fields
The evening trees moan as if they knew
At night I always dream of you

--------------------X--------------------

You can listen to 'Black Rose Immortal' on soundpedia for free, just that you'll have to have an account (which is also free).

http://soundpedia.com/music/YWxidW1fNDExMDE=/Morningrise-Opeth/index.html

Tujhe Kya Sunaoon Main Dilruba

My Sweet Lord

My sweet lord
Hm, my lord
Hm, my lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you lord
But it takes so long, my lord

My sweet lord
Hm, my lord
Hm, my lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you lord
That it won't take long, my lord (hallelujah)

My sweet lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My sweet lord (hallelujah)

I really want to see you
Really want to see you
Really want to see you, lord
Really want to see you, lord
But it takes so long, my lord (hallelujah)

My sweet lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my lord (hallelujah)

I really want to know you (hallelujah)
Really want to go with you (hallelujah)
Really want to show you lord (aaah)
That it won't take long, my lord (hallelujah)

Hmm (hallelujah)
My sweet lord (hallelujah)
My, my, lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my lord (hare krishna)
My, my, my lord (hare krishna)
Oh hm, my sweet lord (krishna, krishna)
Oh-uuh-uh (hare hare)

Now, I really want to see you (hare rama)
Really want to be with you (hare rama)
Really want to see you lord (aaah)
But it takes so long, my lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (krishna krishna)
My lord (hare hare)
Hm, hm (Gurur Brahma)
Hm, hm (Gurur Vishnu)
Hm, hm (Gurur Devo)
Hm, hm (Maheshwara)
My sweet lord (Gurur Sakshaat)
My sweet lord (Parabrahma)
My, my, my lord (Tasmayi Shree)
My, my, my, my lord (Guruve Namah)
My sweet lord (Hare Rama)

[fade:]

(hare krishna)
My sweet lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (krishna krishna)
My lord (hare hare)

Hail The Words - continues

With Trees - Korpiklaani

A gem from the Finnish Folk Metal band "Korpiklaani",

Far, far away and where the wind freezes your face
There you won't be alone
I would rather be with trees, than in the middle of noisy streets

And many of us will keep dreaming of being with the Trees, sitting inside our nests in these jungles of concrete.

Hail the words

and Hail the music.

For a long time I wanted to write a bit about my favourite songs or to put it more appropriately my favourite lines (from a song). I even created a separate blog for that just that after adding the brilliant "I feel just like a child" by Devendra Banhart, I never updated it.
Today I added the second to that list, the dark and gloomy "Peace, Love and Understanding" by A Perfect Circle. Nice emoish song, to sit and enjoy the melancholic times.

The lyrics can be accessed anywhere on the web or through my entry at Blueguitar's Music Zone.

I will try to update this more regularily and also put my thought about why i liked it. Of course with the permission of Time.

Khayalon mein kisi ke

Some songs just grow on you, some just gain in meaning with passage of time. Old is no wonder gold. Days after searching for this one, now that I finally have it, its two days and yet there's no end to this lovely hangover.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(khayaalon mein kisi ke, is tarah aaya nahi karte

kisi ko bewafaa aa aa ke tadpaaya nahi karte )-2

dilon ko raund kar dil apana bahalaaya nahi karte

jo thukaraae gae hon unko thukaraaya nahi karte,dilon ko raund kar

(hansi phoolon ki do din chaandni bhi chaar din ki hai

chaandni chaar din ki hai )-2

mili ho chaand si surat to itraaya nahi karte

kisi ko bewafaa aa aa ke tadpaaya nahi karte,khayaalon mein kisi ke

(jinhen mitna ho vo mitne se dar jaaya nahi karte

vo dar jaaya nahi karte )-2

mohabbat karne wale gam se ghabaraaya nahi karte

kisi ko bewafaa aa aa ke tadapaaya nahi karte, khayaalon mein kisi ke

(mohabbat ka sabak siikho, ye jaakar jalanewalon se

ye jaakar jalanewalon se )-2

ke dil ki baat bhi lab tak kabhi laaya nahi karte

jo thukaraae gae hon unko thukaraaya nahi karte

khayaalon mein kisi ke, is tarah aaya nahi karte

kisi ko bewafaa aa aa ke tadapaaya nahi karte, khayaalon mein kisi ke
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Geeta Dutt and Mukesh from Baawre Nain
Listen to this song at
http://gayaki.com/songs-of-Baawre-Nain.html

Forget Michael, will India learn to rock?

Sumit Bhattacharya

September 30, 2005

Michael goes to Bed, declares Alec Smart in a tabloid headline about the Danish rock band visiting a Mumbai lounge bar. India is finally rocking, is the general feeling, with everybody from Eric Clapton to Megadeath rumoured to be India-bound soon.

Please give me a break. Somebody.

I have nothing against the mush factory's, or greats', discovery of India, but it makes my blood boil to see the marketing and media juggernaut put its weight behind anything that comes from the West, no matter how dated or clichéd it might be.

And that when we have killed some great rock music from India by our ignorance.

Like Lou Majaw, the grand old man from Shillong whose life reads better than any bestseller. He fronted a band, Great Society, that was as good as any the West has ever produced.

When he sang his Sea of sorrow, you could feel the pain of a man who had even worked as a labourer in Calcutta to survive.

I've known hunger since I was ten
Loneliness is my good friend
I've learnt to laugh when I feel sad
When I see good times turnin' bad

And when he asked you to Paint a picture, you heard, mesmerised.

Tell a man to paint a picture
To paint in sorrow, paint in pain
I will look through the eyes
Of a world driven insane

To this day, the 50-plus Majaw organises a Bob Dylan festival in Shillong every year during the Tambourine Man's birthday. But he seldom sings his own songs, songs that will give you gooseflesh with their sheer starkness. Songs like Shadow of the sun, songs like Little man.

Then there was High from Calcutta. With singer-songwriter Dilip Balakrishnan and bass man Lew Hilt at the helm, till Dilip passed away. For those of you who haven't heard Monkey's song, with its out-of-the-world chorus of Sing, sing, sing for a bottle of wine, you have missed some great music:

And he knew that his days had come and gone
But in his heart there was this burning, raging storm
To be free…

Stuck in past, I am, you think? Think again, my friend. Lew Hilt now plays in a band called HFT (High F**king Time) in Delhi. The trio – with Hilt on bass, Arjun Sen on guitar and Adhiraj Mustafi on drums – plays some sublime instrumental rock music.

Then there's 40-plus Amyt Dutta, guitar god, who just teaches students in his Calcutta house on Wednesdays and Sundays. Though he plays in a band called Skinny Alley, the mastery and emotional appeal of his guitar sound goes beyond the band's mostly alternative songs. Catch Skinny Alley live – where they shed their strictly-songs skin -- to know what I mean.

Regional bias, you accuse me of? Go catch Thermal And A Quarter (The name derived from three Mallus and a quarter Mallu who make up the band) in Bangalore with their funk-driven Phish-esque sound.

And come back to Calcutta to watch Orient Express, a ten-piece, authentic Latin rock band with five percussion players playing Latin instruments the way they should be played.

Don't miss Cassini's Division, a punk rock band with stunningly original songs, while you are there.

I am just talking about rock bands and musicians I know about. There are many I haven't heard and don't know about.

In Bob Dylan's words, 'I could forever talk to you, but soon my words would turn into a meaningless ring, 'cause deep in my heart I know there's no help I can bring.'

No record company will touch an Indian rock band -- that sings in English -- with a barge pole. They will push for sick remixes instead, and suffer plummeting sales.

No one will organise enough concerts so that musicians like Ranjit Barot, Dhruv Ghanekar, Sanjay Divecha can free themselves from studio and sessions prisons.

You will just want Pink Floyd covers from an Indian band that manages to stage a show.

And you will still go watch any old trash that comes from the West.

And we, the media, will trip over each other to catch you gushing about it.

My Sweet Lord

"Music touches you deep", dont know who said that but the there cannot be anything more true. Often I hear a few tunes and they just leave me spellbound. When George Harrison sung "My Sweet Lord", dont know who was the lord he was refering to. Was it the almighty or was it the lover. To me if there's ever a westernized version of sufiana music, the only song that can lay the claim is perhaps "My sweet lord". While listening to this song, many a times I felt connected, to the almighty, to the mother nature, to the ones I love. And yes true to the every word,

"I really want to see you lord,

but it takes so long, my lord"

Who is my lord, whom am I craving for, I dont know. May be I do but thats not important, important is the fact that music creates magic, a wave of positive vibrations gently swaying, making you aware of how good the life is, how good it is to be in love and to be loved.

Not surprising that I remember the feeling of love this day, somebody just whispered 'Happy Valentine's Day', well not to me though. So what am I left with, perhaps

My sweet lord

Hm, my lord

Hm, my lord

I really want to know you

Really want to go with you

Really want to show you lord

But it takes so long, my lord