Music Malt | culture, festivals and more

— by Parmita Borah | Bangalore Indian folk music goes global, thanks to Bhojpuri singing sensation of Assamese origin, Kalapana Patowary with the launch of her new album The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur . Produced by EMI/Virgin records, the album is a tribute to noted Bhojpuri litterateur Bhikhari Thakur. It was launched in Mauritius on the 4th of June 2012, by the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure Mr. Anil Kumar Bachoo and Mr. Mookhesswur Choonee. The richness of Bhojpuri mores have perhaps been shadowed by the massive popularity of double meaning hip shakers, thanks to the competitive rating points driven entertainment industry. It therefore comes as a surprise when one of the most popular Bhojpuri vocalists decides to stream aside from the rat race and explore the lost works of Bhikhari Thakur, fondly known as Shakespeare of Bhojpuri literature for his contribution to poetry and drama. Assam born singer Kaplana Patowary has carved a mighty ni

— by Parmita Borah | Bangalore After Jagjit Singh another golden voice has departed from the world of Ghazal with Mehdi Hassan 's demise. Mehdi Hassan (July 18, 1927 - June 13, 2012) Born into a family of traditional musicians, Mehdi Hassan was the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant clan of musicians. He started performing at a young age and the first concert of 'dhrupad' and 'kheyal' with his elder brother is reported to have been held in Fazilka Bungla. After the Partition of India, 20-year-old Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships Mehdi started working in Chichawatni, in a bicycle shop. He later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic.Hassan's passion for music however was never deterred by his personal struggles. Hassan's struggles gradually ceased after receiving an the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957, primarily as a 'Thumri' singer, which earned

— by Jim Ankan Deka | Bangalore Ruskin Bond at Landmark (Photo: Jim Ankan Deka ) Ruskin Bond , author of many widely sought after books, was at the Landmark store in Forum Mall, Bangalore, on June 6, 2012, to release his new book of poems "Hip Hop Nature Boy and Other Poems" published by Penguin Books India. The event "Meet Ruskin Bond at Landmark" was organised by Penguin Books and Landmark to celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. With around 200 spectators, the event was grand and aesthetical. After the inauguration ceremony, the author cut a cake along with his favourite audience - children, recited a poem from the new book, answered few questions of his fans and signed autographs. Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh in 1934. His first novel "The Room on the Roof", written when he was seventeen, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial prize in 1957. He received the Sahitya Academy award i

Published: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, By P Sangeetha | Place: Bangalore | Agency: TNN (Times of India) The stage was set and every one gathered was waiting to get a glimpse of one man: Oscar-award winning composer AR Rahman. And the man arrived in style indeed and stayed for around two hours at a music event in the city. It was the first time that the Mozart of Madras had come to the Garden City for an event organized by the Kannada film fraternity and he was quite delighted with the proceedings. Youngsters shook a leg onstage to some peppy numbers, which set the mood for the evening. Later, singers including Vijay Prakash, Shweta Mohan and Naresh Iyer enthralled the audience with their performances. Industry veterans like Muniratna, actorpolitician Ambareesh, actor Dwarkish, composer Hamsalekha and actor Ramesh Aravind took the stage to welcome Rahman and, needless to say, the musician was showered with praises by all. We also spotted actor Upendra with his wife Priyan