Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) » Jazz Yuppies Double Bill

One Small Love – C K Meena on Love

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:06:04 +0000

Free speech is music to our ears, indeed. Speaking at ‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore‘ on February 14, Bangalore-based journalist, teacher and author C K Meena got under the skin of Love.

This is a poem about love.

Just listen to me – a poem, she says. Bravely.

Poem, or song? Call it pong, if it stinks.

Better call it comic verse, call it my funny Valentine – my funny Valentine’s Day message to you.

Valentine’s Day, a day for love, we are told.

Only one day? That’s stingy. Really mean. Love should fill all our days.

Trapping it in a 24-hour cage is the enterprise of those who sell the idea of love, the sellers of love who put love in a shiny box and gives it a barcode.

Buy your love perfume, buy her diamonds, rubies and pearls.

Treat your love to a special-offer-fitness-package at a gym so that he or she will lose weight. Ooh, how romantic, how utterly romantic.

On Valentine’s Day, take your love to a film called – you’ll never guess the title – a film called – “Valentine’s Day”.

But don’t take me for a cynic. Don’t mistake me, as we say in this city. All I’m saying is – Love, which is immense, can occupy the tiniest space. A leaf picked up from the ground beneath a certain tree. A piece of coloured paper. A broken string. A doodle. Any little thing that has meaning for two people in love.

No need to hyper-spend in a hypermarket

No need to hype love or fake love or turn it into a slushy mushy cliché.

But today’s Valentine’s Day, right? Oh, go ahead, buy your lover a furry toy monkey, listen to the Carpenters, for god’s sake, without blushing. “It’s the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around…” Listen to James Blunt without cringing. “You’re beautiful…”

But seriously, what is this notion, this emotion called love? This passion, this obsession, this confusion called love? This attraction? Creation? Collaboration? Communication? You know, people, you can take almost any noun with a shin sound and make it an aspect of love.

But seriously, what is this emotion called love?

All right, stretch your legs, spread out your mattresses, because if I try to answer that question I’ll keep you up all night.

Staying up all night might not be such a bad thing, if you’re two people in love.

You’ll spend half the night fighting and the other half trying to make up and when you finally do, you’re too tired to make love.

Love is about sex. Although it is not only about sex.

Love is being angry or moody or jealous. And knowing you’re being angry or moody or jealous for no logical reason whatsoever.

Love is a look, a gesture, a shout. A waterfall of laughter. A nice, warm bowl of s-s-s-silence.

Love is selfish. Love, as our autodrivers will tell you – love – is slow poison.

Love is sweetness and forgiveness, and being willing to give up everything you ever own.

And being nasty, and thinking of revenge, and destruction – of yourself and the other.

And feeling such unblemished happiness you think it will last forever.

Which it might. Or might not. Depending.

But let’s get away from the subject of two people in love. Man and woman, woman and woman, man and man, whatever. Millions of books and songs have spoken of it. Poets have tried to grasp its full body and only managed a nibble, a tiny pinch. So let me not try to go there.

There are other kinds of love.

Blood love. Father-mother-sister-brother, let me not go there, either. Simple, yet complicated.

Divine love? Nah, you lot are too young for that. Save the spiritual for the sunset of your life.

There is the love of inanimate objects. No, I’m not being kinky. You love a book, a film, a song. You don’t want to have sex with it but you want to devour it, possess it whole, because it speaks to you, it tells you who you are.

Then there is the love of a fellow human being. A love that comes from knowing that he or she shares your fate, your world. You are sitting side by side in the same boat, the same train, the same seat on the Giant Ferris Wheel of life. You reach out your hand and help a stranger when she is in pain, when she is distressed, because you share the same universe, you are sitting beside her on the Giant Wheel of life.

****

But there is another kind of “love”, my children, another kind of “love” which sounds like an excuse for hate. Loving your country means hating another. Loving your culture means hating another. Loving your language means hating another.

Strange kind of “love”, which is really hate in disguise.

What does it mean to love a language or a country? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. You belong to your country because you were born in it, born to it. Your language you acquired after birth but it is part of your muscle, blood and bone. What’s to love about them? They are mere facts. A country is a fact of life. Your mother tongue is a fact of life. What’s to love? Would you say, oh, how I love two-plus-two-equals-four, oh, I am so proud of two-plus-two-equals-four?

Naan yaav bhashe nalli mathaaadbeku antha, yaaaru nan-hattara hel beda, hel baaradu. Samaj mein aaya? Purinjitha? Manasilaayo, maashey? And if I could learn to speak all 22 scheduled languages and all its glorious hundreds of dialects I would speak them all, I would sing them all to you.

My culture is made up of many colours, many faces, many tongues. It has no room for hate of the “other”.

But some crazy people, some lunatics who give the moon a bad name, have been trying to dictate to me what my culture is, what it should be. They have been saying, speak this tongue, wear this colour, hate this face.

How dare they? Nobody can tell me what to speak and whom to love.

The loonies have been saying, we forbid you to love one who belongs to a different colour, who speaks a different tongue. How dare they?

Nobody can tell me what to speak

and whom

to love.

C K Meena, well known to Bangaloreans for her tart, witty columns on life in their ever-changing cityscape, has written two books of fiction — the semi-autobiographical Black Lentil Doughnuts and the crime thriller Dreams for the Dying.

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Vote's the fuss?

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:02:41 +0000

The taste of sour grapes is everywhere. Ever since Bangalore registered a low voter turnout last week, tongues have been wagging about the failure of the Jaago Re campaign, et cetera. Of course, we have a bone to pick there.

Bruce was quoted in DNA today. Excerpts:

On the low turnout:

If you think about the way our country has been run, in the last few years at least, there are far more spectacular ‘failures’ that deserve mention. We believe that the campaign is a success that is still in the making.

On the comments of certain leaders that the campaign was a failure:

The assignment of blame is perhaps our nation’s most absorbing pastime; there’s always someone else responsible for your problems.

On voting for the first time:

It felt good to use the finger. I can’t say it was the best candidate who got my vote, but in the context of the ‘big picture’ maybe it was the right choice!

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Shut Up Roundup – the big thank you

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:47:32 +0000

Shut Up and Vote tour – Thank you!

Five cities. One band. One message: Shut Up and Vote.

Through Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, we spread the word. We played the music. We sang the songs. Shut Up and Vote, Humpty Dumpty, Chameleon, Look at Me, Jupiter Café, Simply Be… wry anthems and strident protest songs from thirteen years of TAAQ.

Thank you for being there. For singing along. For cheering us on. We hope you will make a difference by rocking. The vote, that is.

Big thank-yous to the team that that put together this amazing tour – Vinay, Milan, Umesh, Niranjan, Arif, Prashanth, Rishi, Sharat, Vijay, Suman, Vandana, Abhinand, Velu, Rani and all the Janaagraha/ Jaago Re volunteers in Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore.

Thank you also Anushya Badrinath, Gaurav Vaz, Shrenik Sadalgi, Srinath Shankaran, Gurudarshan Somayaji, Vinay Kewalramani and Rani Jeyaraj for your amazing photo-finishes of the tour.

You are the *real* rock stars!

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Thank you! Now go vote!

admin — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:50:14 +0000

The Shut Up and Vote tour was fabulous right through the five cities. Thank you for attending the finale at Bangalore, and thank you for staying and cheering through every song, and singing along to every last word of every chorus. We love you. But now, please go and vote.

We’ll leave you with some fabulous pictures taken by Shrenik Sadalgi.

Bruce Lee Mani

Rzhude

Rajeev Rajagopal

Thanks, Shrenik!

There are more fabulous pictures taken by one (and only) Mr. Gaurav Vaz. Facebook people: you’ll find them here.

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Mumbai rocked, and Bangalore will

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:06:22 +0000

We’re all a little red-eyed from playing Mumbai last evening and gearing up for this evening’s gig at St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore.

7 PM. Entry free.

Anushya Badrinath has shot some amazing pics of our gig in Mumbai.

TAAQ – Shut Up and Vote – Mumbai – © Anushya Badrinath

Dig in for more…

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The Shut Up And Vote Tour Diary – 3

Bruce — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:50:24 +0000

TAAQ brings the Shut Up and Vote tour to the capital

The capital. Power center with no power cuts. Karims. Gulatis. Great gigs. TAAQ quite infested this joint between 2006 – 2007, playing some super shows in the colleges, pubs, etc. Delhi’s always been good to us!

Bruce at the Shut Up and Vote tour, Delhi

Staying at the Tata Tea guest house, while crew (who, btw, are beginning to look more like the rockstars than us) stay at a place called (see? see?) ‘Rockland’. Manage to catch up with old pal Hebbani Raghu Rao Venkatesh (of CNN IBN Anchor fame) and his lovely wife Anu at their home in Noida. Thanks for that great dinner!

Rzhude in full flow at the Shut Up and Vote tour, Delhi

Pragati Maidan is such an amazing place; last we played here must’ve been for GIR, way back in the late 90s, at the Hamsadhwani theater. Lal Chowk is also a striking location – the pics will speak for themselves. Sachin’s sound and lights were spot on, and everything came together just right. Changed the set list a bit; threw out the medley and put in Jupiter Cafe and Sanity instead. The jams were cooking! And there was a bunch of folks in front who seemed to know all the licks and lyrics… nice!

Rajeev skins 'em at the Shut Up and Vote tour, Delhi

Post gig Colonel’s (overpriced) Kebabs and Swagath Pomfrets later, we’re ready to move on.

Must be quite a trip to do this kind of thing 200 days a year.

Tonight, be there in Mumbai. We have a huge stage, full power sound and the works in terms of lighting and multimedia. And it won’t cost you anything except the train fare.

If you miss this one, you’ll rue it. We know Nerul isn’t exactly Near-ul, but it ain’t Far Out either. Please note the correct address of the venue:

Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology (RAIT) grounds (D Y Patil Academy campus), Nerul, Navi Mumbai.

Location details and map

See you there tonight!

Happy Ugadi to all of you in Bangalore. We’re coming at ya live on Saturday evening at St Joseph’s College of Commerce Grounds. 7 pm onwards. Entry free.

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March 27 – Mumbai, shut up and vote!

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:25:12 +0000

The Shut Up and Vote tour has come to Mumbai after a scintillating gig in the capital.

So all you Mumbaikars and Bombayites, whichever side of the nomatophobic divide you may subscribe to, get yourselves over to Navi Mumbai.

Mark your calendars – 7 PM on Friday, March 27

Venue:

Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology (RAIT) grounds, D Y Patil Academy, Nerul, Navi Mumbai

Entry free.

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The Shut Up and Vote Tour Diary – 2

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:43:26 +0000

Sob kuch theek taaq

Calcutta (er, Kolkata) felt like we went back in time by around 40 years. Everything’s old and has a quaint feel about it. On the other side of its quaintness, even the traffic, honking and road rage is played out so realistically in true barbaric form, unlike Bangalore where the same scenes are enacted by formally dressed yuppies driving their mid-sized luxury cars (my great self shamefully included).

Rajeev at Shut Up and Vote, Kolkata

Been to Cal a few times before but this was the first time at college street and its many narrow gullies. What an amazing place! You know, I’ve never got it when people speak about their favorite cities and how they are absorbed and soaked in the character of these cities, etc. (pretty much like how I don’t understand auto buffs who speak of how their vehicles handle and hug and kiss the road so well, etc… what the!!! ).

Bruce at Shut Up and Vote, Kolkata

Anyways, I think Calcutta did it for me this time. It drizzled a bit as we were rushing back from Bhojohori Manna to Presidency College for sound check. It was a mad drive back.

Calcutta may not save me, but together we can cry

It’s the closest to my idea of the real real reality of an Indian city. To me, in the end everything boils down to being some shade of grey and Calcutta has the most shades to choose from.

So as Calcutta handles amazingly well, and gently hugs and caresses the road, we move to the next big city on our tour – Ny Dhilly.

adios
Rajeeb

About the gig: Suffice to say it happened!

TAAQ takes the Shut Up and Vote tour to Kolkata

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The Shut Up and Vote Tour Diary – 1

Bruce — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:29:30 +0000

TAAQ kicks off the Shut Up And Vote Tour at IIT-Madras, Chennai

The heat. The dust. The burden of the beast… Chennai is a true ‘Look At Me’ situation. Love it!

IIT OAT – the last time we played here was at least eight on nine years ago – when the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior was docked in Chennai’s port, sounding a clarion call for ‘No More Bhopals’. Was a great gig then (will always remember this one moment: everyone in the crowd was given a candle and asked to light it at the same time… never seen so many stars in the audience like that before – it was stunning); and last night was no less.

Rzhude on bass at IIT-Madras, Chennai

Soundcheck doesn’t quite go according to plan; there’s some conference going on and the Dean keeps ringing us to say ‘Oldein’ (travelers on B’lore buses will know that distinctive sound). But it’s all looking good… the backdrop, the lights, the stage.

Chennai band Greyshack open the gig and get the crowd going with a high-energy medley. We get on after a quick AV and intro; start with Shut Up And Vote and crowd is already roaring. Nice!

Rajeev on drums at IIT-Madras, Chennai

Saw a few Walkie-Taaqies in front singing along to Paper Puli, Look At Me, etc. One Small Love was one of the highlights; used good friend Angshuman’s Taylor acoustic (need more work on getting it to sound right, though) and played the video on the AV screen. Happy lads, kudos! Every pair of hands in the audience spontaneously came together when Rzhude drew that smile on… It was a great moment.

Bruce on guitars and vocals at IIT-Madras, Chennai

Wrap up with Humpty Dumpty, Chameleon and finally, Motorbyckle, complete with sound effects.

Good Gig! Hope we got folks to at least start thinking about the message. Make a date with us – the tour is coming to your city, or at least close!

On to Kolkata now.

Ciao!

TAAQ performs at the Shut Up and Vote tour at IIT-Madras, Chennai

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The Shut Up and Vote Tour

admin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:35:24 +0000

The Shut Up and Vote Tour

You have already previewed ‘Shut Up and Vote’ on YouTube. Now, coming soon to your city, or a city near you, is the ‘Shut Up and Vote’ tour, part of the Jaago Re One Billion Votes campaign. This is an initiative of Janaagraha and Tata Tea.

We will play in five cities to get the youth together to stand up, shut up and… vote!

It’s interesting how some good folks in the blogosphere are already dishing out their cynicism and quasi-intellectual gibber about the campaign and its effectiveness. They yap about India and China, about the economy and their parsimony, about the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, about Padma Shrees and Padma Laxmi. But hey, just for a minute, get off that high horse and do something, people.

And well, about our song.

Some of the comments on the music video made a big deal about language: some viewers thought the song ought to have been sung in Hindi. Heh, we’ve heard that one even before most of you started to Rock On! Our piece of advice: Try that in Chennai, my friend, and you’ll spend the rest of your years picking splinters out of your rear.

But seriously, language is a non-issue. If you have English newspapers and magazines, English TV news channels, and English theatre, if you can fill your bank application form in English, and sign your name in English, why Bollywood-ise our world?

Go to the neglected Northeast (we have) – English works there better than the officialese of Hindi. And then, we have always maintained that English – thought, written and spoken our way – is an Indian language, and that stays.

For those who haven’t heard us before, we urge you to listen to our songs a little more carefully. Potatoe Junkie, Humpty Dumpty, Cynical World, Galactiqua, Sevenish, The Steal, Chameleon… scratch the surface of these songs and you’ll get to the heart of the messages we have been spreading for the last 13 years. To that list, Shut Up and Vote is one more addition.

So, come and watch the concert. It’s the first step you can take before you use your index finger to make a difference.

And while you’re at it, we’ll practice what we preach.

Here’s the schedule:

MARCH 20: Open Air Theatre, IIT Madras, Chennai

MARCH 23: Presidency College, Kolkata

MARCH 25: Pragati Maidan, Lal Chowk, Delhi

MARCH 27: D.Y. Patil College, Mumbai

MARCH 28: St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore

Be there!

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