Avial's much awaited album released

It is officially out, the much awaited album has been released. Get it from Music Yogi. I have ordered mine online and I cannot wait to receive it. Get to Avial's site and click on "buy album" on the home page.

http://www.phat-phish.com/avial/

Asianet's Idea Star Singer

What began as American Idol has had its ramifications far and wide on this earth with all kinds of versions and variations of the show being conducted in many countries and one of them being Idea Star Singer 2007 (they had a lack lustre one in 2006) on the Asianet channel in India. After months the singing contest program has now reached its Quarter final stage. I really want to know if the so called 2007 contest is going to be over before the middle of 2008. The program is being dragged meaninglessly with more stupid rounds such as Performing with friends and family, Performing with property (can't they say props) and stuff. Some of the events including friends and family were obnoxious making me cringe. One even wonders if a singer needs to know dancing, creativity in designing sets and the studio, dressing, interaction with audience, dancing/acting skills of friends and family to win the "Singer" award of the show.

The "when-is-this-show-going-to-end-thing" also means there are still many more weeks of putting up with the host of the show. It has become a torture session to watch her and conduct the show. I only wish viewers also had an option to SMS negative messages and have her removed from the show for another host. 8 out of 10 viewers want her thrown out of the show. Just check out for comments on YouTube. One of the contestants Meera who incidently was picked to play the role of co-host of the show. The girl had to leave the show when she was offered a movie role. Why couldn't they pick a host from one of the candidates who was disqualified. There were one too many participants who I am sure could do a much better job than the current one who can neither speak Malayalam nor English right.

In spite of all this viewership for this show is high and I can't help watching it myself although most of them these days I hear more than watch. There have been some great performances and some even stunning. Here are, in my opinion two of the most stunning performances that literally gave me the goose-bumps. The first is when Durga Vishwanath (in my opinion the best female singer of the competition) turned the competition around by singing this song from the Rajnikanth Tamil movie "Padaiyappa". Chekc it out. A one-of-a kind performance where she sings both male and female parts. Check out the way she passes a sweet smile at the judges as she glances at them and that too just before doing a difficult portion of the song. Very cool and confident singing.



Check out the comments from the judges at the end of her performance in the video that follows.


And then check out the performance of Najim Arshad, my choice for the Idea Star Singer, 2007 Award. This was a performance that stunned viewers and the judges and a performance that netted Najim the highest score ever on the contest. The only flaw I could detect was the Hindi lines that he spoke bfore beginning the actual Ghazal but it was tolerable. It is difficult to belive a young Malayali sing a Ghulam Ali ghazal so cool, confident and relaxed.



One of the judges Sharath was chocking (he is usually the best critic of each performance) and had hardly words to speak. Veteran singer M G Sreekumaran even admitted that it would be impossible for even him to sing a Ghazal as this.



There were some other great performances and some from singers who were eliminated from the show but I'll save them for another post.

Made in Japan, this product is just unbeatable

Do you laught out loud? Like laugh till you are rolling on the floor. When was the last time you did that? When we are younger these moments are a plenty but as we grow older laughter seems less in our lives (may not be the case in yours) but that was generally speaking. As for me I do laugh out really loud and I love a good rip roaring laugh. Laughter afterall is a very good medicine for one's well being.

But I was hardly prepared for what I was going to see on YouTube on Wednesday the 9'th of January. I have been addicted to YouTube for sometime now (a post is pending on the same) but what happened that Wednesday night will be a day to remember because I have never laughed so much in probably my entire life. I laughed so much that my stomach and head were aching bad, maybe reiterating the statement that too much of anything isn't good. I was laughing so loudly and was alone in my room. It was late at night too and I was wondering if security would come knocking on my door. So the first thing I decided was to spread the news. I had a rocking time at Suji's place when I showed her the videos and then with Sathish and Sneha at my place a few days later. Mother saw it a few days ago.

Before I display the links let me actually set up the stage. Sometimes my writing could could also make you expect a lot but if you have been watching programs like Candid Camera (which I later began to dislike) and Just for Laughs, Gags on the Pogo TV Channel you are going to see something similar. I repeat only "something" similar. You have no idea what these videos are going to show you. So let's watch them, Japanese style. Honestly I don't think anyone else could do it better and I never knew the Japanese had such a taste for humour too. Even though the language is Japanese you will understand every bit of the fun and pun. Watch them in the order that I have presented below and enjoy.

This first, called Taxi Drivere is similar to the a People's Choice video on Just for Gags but there is absolutely no comparision. In fact I actually wanted to close the browser but I am more than glad I didn't.



Fun at the Ski resorts



and to top them all, The Amazing toilets



There is a sequel to the Taxi Driver, Taxi Driver 2 and here it is.

Another Uncle passes away.

This time my father's elder brother and once again when Saarang is going on at I.I.T, Madras. I read in "The Hindu" that Lucky Ali and Karthik stole the show with the biggest crowd ever to assemble for a Pro-show. Feel like I missed a good show but I have my doubts particularly about the Audio. But who knows, the sound could have been made better afterall. But my prayers go out for my uncle and his relatives in Orissa, particularly my cousins. I have met him only on few ocassions with him in all his 75 years of life and now he is gone, after his role on this earth. How far am I from this event? Only God knows. These days "The Obituary" in "The Hindu" speaks more things to me than ever before.

Did I miss the Black Eyed Peas too?

Before The Scorpions, the Black Eyed Peas had rocked Bangalore. Though I have heard a couple of their hits before there was this one video on T.V that caught my eye. That was several months ago but I couldn't forget the song. Last Friday when the seniors danced to "Bebot" at my son's school's annual day I instantly recognized the number and was simply taken away by the performance. For the past two days I might have watched the video countless times on YouTube. I am not surprised it has already been watched more than Two Million times by viewers.



I should have gone for their concert in Bangalore at least for this one song. It is always a nice thing to watch a current top band even though their music may not be the kind of thing you might not always like. Not that veteran bands don't rock. Uriah Heep is a good example but isn't watching Uriah Heep in their prime time a better thing.

And there was Jamelia's Superstar (we checked that song on YouTube too) for which my son, Chaithanya had danced. It was cute watching him perform on stage. But "Bebot" was the real killer that day.

Happy New Year 2008, I miss the Scorpions

First of all, here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year 2008. 2008 is almost 9 days old.

I just couldn't afford to miss my friend Sridhar's wedding reception. If only I had been to his marriage I could have skipped the reception and I would have made it to the concert for which another friend also had a couple of premium passes. What a miss! And that too for a second time. It was fun though to see old Vizual staff at the wedding reception though. I compensate for this with a trip to Kerala and Vega Land with my brother and sister's families and our parents. A short and sweet trip just before the New Year. Just before the trip I lose my "Bolle" sunglasses at an Internet Cafe. I am quite sure who took it (it happened in a matter of minutes) but didn't tell the person so because I didn't see the person taking it or rather stealing it. I really miss the glasses.

This is also one of the first years where I did not send new year greetings via e-mail. I only responded to those who had greeted me via e-mail and via SMS. Work is dull as it is during this time of the year but it should pick up. With the hope and expectations and promises the New Year brings, let us move on...