Cyrus and Martin to perform at Billboard 39Music Awards THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 This photo shows sewage water which has been dumped into the Arabian Gulf near Shuwaikh in Kuwait. National Geographic website published this image to illustrate environmental damage. — Photo by Sherif Ismail Ramesh Narayan records Arabic song in Kuwait for his new film By Sajeev K Peter female character, played by Lena, submits to because of the power of music. It gives me the Almighty Allah. The other song in ‘Alif’ is inexplicable experiences and feelings,” enowned Indian music director Pandit sung by Narayan’s daughter Madhushree. Ramesh Narayan arrived in Kuwait on Chasing the monsoon RTuesday to record an Arabic song for the Evolution Reminiscing about one of his favorite new movie ‘Alif’ that tells the story of three Today, Ramesh Narayan is a resounding ragas-the ‘Malhar’-Narayan said he could nar- generations of Muslim women in India. In the name in the Hindustani music circle. Although rate several exciting experiences of rendering film Narayan renders ‘Bismillahi Innana, Narju born into a family of Carnatic musicians, it was the raga. In Kochi, people organized a concert Luthfa Rabbana’, a song composed by the in Hindustani music that Narayan found his some ten years ago titled, ‘Chasing the maestro himself in Arabic style and purity. passion, and his foray into Hindustani music Monsoon’ in order to ‘invoke the rain gods’. “This song may be a good example of Indo- began under the tutelage of maestro Pandit “When organizers approached me I told them Arab musical harmony. No doubt, there are a Jasraj of the ‘Mewati Gharana’. that I would sing a raga of rain although I was- lot of similarities between Indian and Arabic Equally dexterous with the sitar, he was the n’t sure it would really rain. I rendered a song music and some subtle nuances of Hindustani fond disciple of Satchidananda Phadke - him- in ‘Dhulia malhar,’ one of the fifty varieties of ragas are present in Arabic music as well,” said self a well-known disciple of the maestro malhars. And unbelievably it started pouring Pandit Ramesh Narayan in an interview with Pandit Ravi Shankar. After having completed down heavily,” he recalled. Kuwait Times. his ‘Visharad’ course in Hindustani vocal from He also recollected how it rained when he “Though the song is based on a popular the renowned Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva rendered the ‘miya malhar’ raga during a con- Hindustani raga ‘Mishra Bhairava,’ I chose to Mahavidyalaya, his deep passion for the style cert in Abu Dhabi. “It was an open air theatre record it in Kuwait to give the song an original led him to the doyen Padma Bhushan Pt Jasraj. and it started raining after 15-20 minutes of Arabic flavor. “‘Bhairava’ is an international “I learned music under several gurus until I singing.” scale and it is present even in the Arab tradi- came across Pandit Jasraj in 1983. It was a Ramesh Narayan is currently active with tion. A few Kuwaiti artists are collaborating milestone in my life. When I became his disci- Musician Pandit Ramesh Narayan during the interview. — Photo by Sajeev K Peter live concerts and musical shows. He is also with me; my voice recording and final mix ple, my only intention was to know more ately poignant ‘bhajan’. gharana, Narayan secured a place for himself busy with some movies. Post-production work were done in a Kuwait studio to ensure the about music, not to become a Hindustani “Music is not to be taught nor learnt, rather in the Guinness Book of World Records. In is currently progressing for films correct slang and Arab flavor”, Narayan said. singer,” he said. It was under Pandit Jasraj that it is to be imbibed and acquired from the another feat, he sang for 36 hours ceaselessly ‘Ottamandaram’, ‘White Boys,’ and ‘Ennum The Arabic influence on Indian music has Narayan learnt the subtleties and the finer guru,” he said quoting the examples of great and found an entry in the Limca Book of World Ninte Moytheen’. Another film ‘Paattukaaran,’ been quite evident ever since the Mughal era nuances of the riveting ‘Mewati Gharana’ tradi- masters such as Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Records. (The Singer), narrates the life story of musical although the structure and ragas always tion. Powerfully evocative, his ‘bandishes’ Mian Tansen, Thyagaraja Bagavathar, and Explaining the rationale behind the non- legend Kozhikod Abdulkhader. remained quintessentially Indian. (songs) are creatively charged explorations of Dakhinamoorthy Swamy. stop concert, Narayan said: “It was not to set Ramesh Narayan will present a ‘jugalband- ‘Alif’, directed by N K Muhammed Koya fea- the fine aesthetics of classical music. Drawing Recently with a momentous 30-hour con- records. It was a dedication to my guru. The hi’ of vocal and flute (fusion music) as part of a tures Kalabhavan Mani and Lena in the lead rich from the tradition of his guru, Pandit cert, sung without a break-given as a tribute to attempt is to complete a cycle of different Gulf tour in partnership with well-known roles. The song sequence depicts the penulti- Narayan can effortlessly meander through the his late father Narayana Bhagavathar and to time spheres representing different ragas. flautist Ronu Majumdar in Bahrain and Kuwait mate scene in the movie in which the central nuances of a lofty ‘khayal’ or render a passion- Pandit Motiram - an exponent of the Mewati When I render a raga, I derive vital energy on September 26 and 27 respectively. Circus acrobat willing to do hair-hanging again ne of eight circus acrobats who plunged about 20 feet happy.” Pitard said it had been a normal performance Sunday. heard her say that she couldn’t feel her legs.” The paramedics to the ground during a hair-hanging act witnessed by The curtain dropped to reveal the eight women suspended in instructed her to lie down. Othousands says she’ll perform the stunt again. “For me, the air, but it went wrong when they did their third leg posi- Pitard described her injuries, including fractures on her you gotta get back up and do it again,” Samantha Pitard told tion. “We heard a huge crack, huge noise, and then we were spine, a cut on her head that required three stitches and a The Associated Press after being released from a hospital just plummeting to the ground,” she said. “It was very fast. I badly bitten tongue, as minor. Local investigators are turning Tuesday. Pitard and seven other acrobats were in an act remember everything.” over the broken clip and other material to federal workplace described as a “human chandelier,” hanging from an apparatus The 350-pound chandelier landed on them. She said res- safety authorities. Fire investigator Paul Doughty said they by their hair. They were injured during a Sunday performance cue crews got to them quickly to free them from the appara- have narrowed down the cause of the broken clip to two pos- of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus when a clip at tus, then gave them medical attention. “I was sitting up, and sibilities: a manufacturing defect or improper use. the top of the chandelier-like apparatus snapped, dropping once I caught my breath, I was looking at all the girls,” she said. them to the ground. “I wanted to know that everybody was OK. I saw my troupe Right hair, weight and muscle The other women are still hospitalized and Pitard said she leader (Viktoriya Medeiros), she was right next to me, and I The circus inspected its equipment Monday night when it plans to stay in Providence to support her friends as they work loaded up in Providence and planned another inspection to regain their health. Then she’d like to return to the circus. when it unloaded in Hartford, Connecticut, where it performs “I’m hoping to join back up with the tour and show the world next, said Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld that I’m OK, and I’m hoping some of the other girls will do the Entertainment, Ringling’s parent company. The hair act won’t same,” she said. Pitard, 23, a native of Champaign, Illinois, said be performed there, the company said. Pitard said she she’s the only one of the troupe who can walk on her own. The became interested in being in the circus as a child during a others need assistance or haven’t tried to walk because camp that offered a circus program. She later attended the they’re undergoing operations. But she said the others are New England Center for Circus Arts and learned aerial acrobat expected to fully recover and are in good spirits after receiv- skills. She joined Ringling Bros as a clown in November 2012 ing an outpouring of support, including get well cards from and later was invited to join the highly specialized hair-hang- children who witnessed the accident. About 3,900 people ing act. were in the audience. “You have to have the right hair and the right weight and the right muscle,” she said. She trained for months to develop Big accident the act being performed Sunday, which has the acrobats “Every single one of us in the troupe, every single circus doing spins and other moves while hanging from their hair. performer, knows that they are risking their lives every time Her favorite part is holding two other performers up with her Photo shows Samantha Pitard performs a heel hang they go out there to perform or practice,” she said. “We hope it hair. “It’s an amazing feeling to know I’m holding two girls, two from the lyra (aerial hoop) during the Ringling Bros and doesn’t happen, but we know that we are taking that risk, and In this undated family photo, Samantha Pitard, left, grown women, by my hair,” she said.