Desh maane maati

Maati mane manuh

Aaru manuh mane

Simantor kaxot

Gotei raati ujagore thoka

Eti mailor khuti

- Kaushik Gogoi

Mohor soite mor prem

Mor tej tair dehot

- Forgot the name of the border

1990 to 1992. One of the best period of my life. Fresh out of school, from a small town and thrown into the hostel of Cotton College, Guwahati. DS oh sorry MNDP hostel. I still remember the first day. Some of the seniors were playing carom on the corridor as we entered the hostel. My parents and Benu mama accompanied me. Bahut kotha, gotona aaru lifor first..........in MNDP. Mood bonai bhaalke likhim edin. Kintu aajir arombhoni is dedicated to Melu (Kaushik Gogoi), Goheen (Arindam) and Baah (Pranab)

Tsunami

TV't tsunami dekhi mon xemeki gol. Japani attitudok namaskar kori moi likhilu

Poisoned soul of nature

Feel too little

Making us think too much

Living by the misery and haplessness

There is no room

For which was once free & beautiful

Devastating waters and funeral pyres

Abundance leaves the humanity in want

The knowledge has made us cynical

Our cleverness hard and unkind

The media brought us closer together

The soul within cried out for the goodness in men

Cried out for universal brotherhood

How many more Tsunamis we need

For the unity of us all

Millions of despairing men, women and little children

Victims of wrath of Mother Nature

Here me out

Hope is still alive

The misery upon you will pass

With the bitterness of men who fought for other’s life

Cause so long as we hope

Human spirit never dies

So the soldiers of fortune

Don’t give yourselves to the brute

You have the love of humanity in your hearts

With the power to create happiness

It’s God’s own way

Of making life a wonderful adventure

Look up! The clouds are lifting

The sun is breaking through

You are coming into a new world.

I am sure that the Tsunami has given the Japanese the wings of hope and soon they will be beginning to fly. Let us reassure them that we would be with them as they fly into the rainbow – the rainbow of light of a glorious future. This one belongs to all of us.

Smokey and the college days

Listening to Smokey after a long long time really made me very nostalgic. I still remember the 90’s college days, when I got introduced to smokey. Living next door to alice, Mexican girl, wild wild one – they were so special. Listening to them on tape recorder cassettes was really so much fun. Those were the days when unprecedented assertion of independence by the young mind was expressed thru loud music (in battered cassette players), cheap booze and smoke filled nights in dimly lit hostel rooms. I still have all the collection but alas tape recorders are a passé. Technology sometimes takes away the raw fun. Those were the times when many answers to questions were answered with another question! Not to mention the self-confrontation with a new found sexual awakening leading to volcanic eruption of fantasies. Music seemed to be a precondition for attaining all our aspirations. The beauty of the lyrical poetry always challenged the intelligence of our high energy private debates (adda!!!!). Those were the time when wit and courage used to takeover wisdom and learning. The compassion and devotion that we demonstrated to all the music greats of 70s were equivalent to our current obsession with say the health of our children or quality of their education.

Now that I am all alone with my memories and nothing else – I need is a smoke(y)

India Got Talent

I was watching India got talen part 2. Normally the program showcases raw talent and some of them are really original. Especially I like the fact that Assam is very nicely represented. While watching the program, I got swept away by a group called Bolepur Bluez and then by some sand artists from Orissa.

The above two caught my attention and I know such tastes are highly subjective. Even then, the point is that there is abundance of talent in India. At times we get awestruck by some well groomed western talents and fail to appreciate the fact that India is a vast country and has huge talent pool. I think the show is doing well to the society and definitely much better than some other stupid, soulless reality shows.

Some of the other very touching performance by Vinod and a group called ability unlimited need quoted mention. Even the sense of humour of Sajid Khan, grace & elegance of Kiran Kher and sensuality of Sonali Bendre is much better than the judges of other talent shows (Anu Malik and Farah Khan, if you are reading this, please go back to your original professions) currently running on TV.

Birthday wish

1st Oct 2010

Today is a special day. The routine pauses. The grind makes way for freshness. Celebrations with family, catching up with old friends and reliving the magic of nostalgia (It was indeed a fateful day 6 years back in Bangalore). We wished this day to be filled with meaningful lessons and so went to an underprivileged school. Differently abled boys & girls sang happy birth day to you. What a joy – sharing what we can with those who can’t. How we wish, this will make you humble and more understanding towards fellow human. The day your kid’s birthday is celebrated by you in similar fashion, will be our day of reckoning.

We pray for a year enriched with learning, good health and peace.

Happy Birthday Poree. We love you and Iss ladki mein meri jaan hein

Bolia Botahor Baa

Went to Assam after 2 years. Every time I land/reach, the first thing that excites me is Mahabahu Brahmaputra. Every time the mighty river washes away all my arrogance and materialistic feelings and embrace me with an all encompassing vastness. The revitalisation is better than anything else in the world. No wonder Bhupenda has written so many emotional songs around Brahmaputra. The only male river in the world is attached to every emotion of an average Assamese.

In the last 2 years, a lot of things changed. Billboards, road construction works, huge flats, less greenery and traffic jam – these are some of my take ways.
Our family celebrates Durga puja in the ancestral Jayanti temple in Jayantipur. On my way to home from airport, this time, I saw a puja pandal every 2 kms. Amazing!!!!!.

Mone mone
Paani hoi sumaalu luitor bukut
Chor kori loi jaam buli amuthi baali
Luite hate lote dhora pelai dile
Sudhile kiyo laage mor nisani

Luitok kolu moi sajab khojo
Eti smitir bhaskarjya ei baalire
Luite hahi hahi kole
Monote garha premor bhaskarjay

Maar gall bludder operation, momo feast, aru theatre – sums up my trip. Travelling theatre are a marvel of Assam. Kohinoor, Abahon are some of the famous and old ones. As a child, I used to wait for Raas festival in place as all the big theatres used to perform during the same. What pure entertainment. Back then, when hindi movies used to reach our hemlet of a town after 2/3 years, theatre offered unadulterated fun. Isme drama hein, action hein, comedy hein, emotion hein – all rolled into one mixture of fun. I was missing the action for last 10 years. This time, I made it a point to see one. A rather low key group called Rajashree theatre performed “Bolia Botahor Baa” (Wild wind) in a village close to my town. It was mediocre but seeing it after so many years was worth the fun. Fultoo poisa usool.

Now I am back but still miss the fun. Work and family kept me engaged and away from blogging. I am back now.

The future is uncertain and the end is always near

Listening to the lizard king after gulping down 2 pegs of glanlivet is always like yesterday once more. I am drunk and lazy to switch on the music system. So nearest you can go to is the you tube (the blooding laptop was switched, BTW how? Oh shit I am really drunk). The sound quality is poor nevertheless, hits it on your face. While going thru the comments for the roadhouse blues song in youtube, i came across a comment from one Mr. Kevin652010 that goes like “This was my first rock experience. I heard this song on Armed Forces Radio in Greece late one nite in 1976. Changed my world forever.”
How fortunate is Mr. Kevin who was alive and kicking in an era when rock music was at its pick. If i ever come across a time machine, the first thing to do would be to go to the all the live concerts of the 70s.
As I go down the comment section one says that ” It's a shame but there was bad music in the 60s too... there'll always be bad music... you just have to have a little culture to choose”. I felt like Jesus. God forgive him for he not know what he is saying. Interestingly the next guy immediately commented “Relax, sport, your generation is truly fucked, so shut up, and enjoy the geezer music”. Yeah maan!
In came the lizard king riding on a storm and the comments. Rob99rst says “he doors blow the stones away”. Yeah I do agree. I am kinda coming back to normalcy. Need another drink. Don’t go away will come back soon..................................................I am back
Nestleon goes bersek and comments “I AM THE LIZARD KING......I CAN DO ANYTHING”. You can’t imagine people connects to him at what levels! Sample this comment from one Mr. Medickorea “I am not as musician, but Ray Manzerek, when he would use his left hand on the organ.......fantastic. I never saw The Doors in concert. Wish I could have....I was traveling under duress with my Uncle Sam in Southeast asia. We listened to the Doors music on small ....transistor radios. Yeah...I am as old as dirt.. But, I still love The Doors.” Soooo sweet!! Some of the comments are nasty. They are not worth my attention.
Curiosity led me to Amrican Prayer. Gosh I was missing action. The real fans are here. Sample the following
i listen to this every night cuz it helps me go to sleep it works!!
· anyone know where American Prayer is downloadable poem by poem?
· Let's Celebrate a New Religion - Let's celebrate a glimpse of inspiration!
· "we live, we die and death not ends it"....very true RIP Mr. Mojo Risin
· Gran poema, aunque la musica mas bien recuerda el soundtrack para cualquier pelicula porno de los 70s
· look at 3:03 ....... is that a dancing woman??
· Perfeitooooooo!!!!!!
· some are born to the endless night!!!

We live, we die and death not ends it - Should I say more. Even though Morrison did not actually created the album “American Prayer”, it is one of the best poetic expression of absurdity. When the doors of perception opens, everything appears in its true state – infinity.