Phenomenon from Pannaipuram and the Lost Violinist

My recent pseudo-single life has made me turn back to my favorite recourse in times of solitude - music. As I gouged through my huge collection for songs that I had less listened to in the past couple of years, I stumbled upon the theme song from Raja Paarvai, and it had that familiar effect that vintage Illayaraja always has on me - a feeling of high without a stimulant, banned ones at least. His compositions have this magical element that makes you forget everything but the dulcet tune and this one is no exception. In this era of techno thuds and the hodgepodge that is euphemistically referred to as remix, it was refreshing to listen to creative music at its zenith, albeit from 1981. It is sad that such originality, apart from an infrequently inspired Rahman, is too rare to find these days.

The piece is a gem as far as fusion goes, starting off as a carnatic duet comprising of violin and veena (ragam: pantuvaraali - Google can make even me look like a virtuoso) leading to a pulsating violin solo and then meandering into western classical (with drums) before culminating into a fusion crescendo that leaves you suddenly waking up from a trance. It has to be said that the ending crescendo is just as hair-raising as the beginning one in Poongathave from Nizhalgal. The format of the composition is very similar to the ones from How to name it?, particularly Mad Mod Mood Fugue. That being said, it is the violin, played by V.S. Narasimhan of the Madras String Quartet (who had played the instrument in How to Name It? as well), that elevates the piece to dizzying heights.

One of my greatest peeves with Illayaraja has been the recognition (or the lack thereof) that the performers in his orchestra have received. Musicians like VSN and Sivamani had played for him for years but it wasn't until Rahman changed this trend in the 90's that some, like Sivamani, got their deserved due.

Though I am well diversified when it comes to music (Rock to Rahman, Rap to Raaja, Bach to Burman - anything goes), if there was one music that I am allowed to carry with me to my grave it will have to be Illayaraja's compositions from the stone age - Raja Paarvai, Payanangal Mudivadhillai, Nizhalgal, Sindhu Bhairavi, Mouna Ragam, Johny and the likes.

P.S: Listen to this piece by VSN and the Madras String Quartet - absolutely transcendental!

Right to Click

Rock star Mick Jagger once signed his autograph with an expletive, aggrieved that one day the recipient might make a profit from auctioning it without paying him a royalty. Years later he concluded that it was only fair if others made money from his name; after all, he had made millions out of it himself.

Maybe cricket administrators need to think the same way.

The latest move by the Australian Cricket Board to demand a fee from news agencies to cover the games and publish photographs is a classic case of "if-you-make-money-because-of-me-I-need-a-share". While a commission based system might work for TV broadcasting rights, it will not do so for news media. An analogy would be the NYSE charging the Wall Street Journal for publishing stock quotes or market updates. Royalty in the media is most definitely a No.

While such mercenary ideas usually originate from the BCCI and its bean-counting coterie, the Aussies have proven that they are not far behind in this regard. Unfortunately, while every such move by the BCCI has been widely criticized by the cricket pundits, the current crisis in Australia has hardly evoked a response from the pen-wielding experts, especially since it concerns the media. Surprising yet understandable, since all things Aussie are usually revered in Cricket.

Marketing is the key to any event and sport is no exception. By alienating the media the game might be deprived of its primary vehicle to reach to the masses. Sport and media share a symbiotic relationship where one cannot survive without the other and the administrators must realize that they are already the recipient of free marketing through newspaper coverage and the media is paying them through increased ticket sales. Hence charging them for coverage is definitely double-dipping.

Also, if newspapers start paying for the sporting event that they are covering they might want to play a role in influencing its outcome too, much like in Irving Wallace's The Almighty. After all they will then have become investing stakeholders and might rightfully want games to end the way that their returns are maximized. This will be a clear throwback to the doldrums that the game found itself in with the match-fixing allegations in the late 90s.

Sports and its organizations need to make money but they might be better off doing so with better quality of games and increased market share rather than resort to such ludicrousness. On the lighter side, they could at least be creative and subtle about their motives, like Shaq, who once said - "I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi and wear Reebok"

Azhagiya Tamizh Magan - music review

Arrite, I am trying my hand at music review now. Why not? Isn't being a critic easier than receiving criticism.

Reviewing a Rahman album is a difficult thing to do because you don't want to make the mistake of doing it too soon. It is a well known fact that his music grows on you; 20-30 hearings is about an optimal period to start thinking about dissecting the notes. Having gone past that threshold, let us see how the Mozart from Madras fares with his latest offering, keeping in mind that it is for a mass hero.

Lets start with Ella pugazhum. You can't miss the striking resemblance to 6.5 kodi pergalin oruvan from A Aa; Rahman's vocals only strengthens the feeling of deja vu. Needless to say, it is Vijay's intro song. Nothing much to write about the lyrics - as usual glorifying the protagonist and advising the youth (as if they haven't heard it before). Nothing creative.

Kelamal Kaiyilae: This song is full of techno beats and resembles those songs that usually feature in side B as a remix of the most popular song of the album (For e.g., Chaiyya Chaiyya - Thaiyya Thaiiya from Dil se); only this time this is all you get. That being said, it is a very nice melody with soft beats in the background. If you choose to ignore the strong resemblance to "Then merku paravu katru" especially in the second interlude, it is a very nice song. Sung by Sriram Parthasarathy and Saindhavi - two new singers.

Maduraikku Pogathadi: This is currently my favorite. Classic folk beat that we have heard a million times, it is Rahman's throwback to his Kilakku Cheemayilae days. Sung by Benny Dayal, Archith, and Dharshana, it is a very peppy number that keeps you excited throughout the time and tempts you to shake a leg or two despite a touch of doli saja ke rakhna a.k.a. Jodi.

Nee Marilyn Monroe sung by Benny Dayal and Ujjayinee is a romantic song along the lines of shaka laka baby or hey hey enna achu unakku that seems to be growing on me. This song has a very fresh and catchy start, especially the "boom shaka lak" piece. The beat, techno sounds and the metallic guitar are very mellowed giving the vocals deserved prominence and the effect is mind blowing. Soft and peppy, this song is like vanilla ice cream over hot fudge brownies. Forget the calories and enjoy it!

Ponmagal Vandaal The song starts out with a strong statement - slow strong beats and Aslam's retro vocals transitioning to rap. The mixing is absolutely spot on. One of the best remixes that falls slightly short of Thee pidikka from Arindhum Ariyamalum (the best Tamil remix I have heard so far)

Valayapatti: Clear resemblance to Avalukku enna ambasamudram iyer hotel from Jillunnu oru kadhal, be it the thavil or the pitch of the male voice. Where the song stands out is the interludes where it transitions into serious Hindustani and Carnatic, a sort of ragamalika. The singers Naresh Iyer, Ujjayinee and Madhumitha have done a good job at a fast paced classical song. Lovable.

Overall, Rahman has tried to be creative within the realms of satisfying the masses. Personally, I think he achieved the perfect mix with Sivaji, but falls short of those high levels this time. While the songs, will definitely become chart busters, but for a couple of songs, it will be hard to listen to them beyond the initial freshness - definitely not a Pudhiya Mugam or Bombay. With plenty of resemblances to older Rahman tunes, I will have to say Azhagiya Tamizh Magan has too many twins to stand out in a crowd of Rahman classics.

GPA: 3/5

P.S: To download/listen to these songs go here.

Cricket Bloopers

How to name it?

Naming cricketing trophies after two greats from the respective countries has become a fad over the last few years. Australia plays India for the Border-Gavaskar trophy and their trans-Tasman rivals for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy (Don't ask me which Chappell and Hadlee, as I can remember at least 3 of each kind donning their national colors). Sri Lanka and Australia recently realized that they didn't know what they were playing for and decided to name their trophy after their two most popular (controversial?) cricketers. A little northwest of there, bitter rivals battle it out for an anonymous trophy, while one of them faces an emergency in their country. Some battles are definitely more interesting and important than a constitutional emergency. (Will the cricketers end up spending a month in the Mumbai Airport a la Tom Hanks in The Terminal?).

Isn't it high time that the rivalry that arouses the most extreme of emotions in the game got a name for its battles. Even the most one sided of them all has one. Yeah, I meant The Ashes.

Let's think through the various combinations of names that could rightfully adorn a trophy of this stature.

1. Imran - Kapil: two of the greatest all rounders ever and world cup winning captains.
2. Qadir - Kumble: two great tweakers, one who kept the art alive amidst towering fast bowlers in the 80s and the other who took all 10 pins down in a bowl.
3. I could be tongue in cheek and call it Manmohan - Musharraf trophy; after all what is cricket in these countries without politics. But then you will have to rechristen it every now and then to reflect the volatility of the governments.
4. Talking of politics, a political way of settling it could be calling it the Kashmir trophy - didn't Imran Khan once openly suggest that the Kashmir issue should be settled over a game of cricket, knowing fully well that for the best past of the 80's and 90's Pakistan had a much superior team.
5. A dark horse could be Khushwant Singh- Zia ul Haq for their contribution to numerous "sardarji" jokes in their respective countries.

I could think of numerous such pairs, for cricketing or humorous reasons, but if there was one moment that turned India-Pakistan cricket by its head- it wasn't Kumble's perfect 10, wasn't Imran or Kapil's exploits with the red cherry, wasn't Sachin's towering six over point off Shoaib Akhtar or the latter's twin strikes at Kolkatta - it has to be Miandad's last ball six off ChetanSharma at Sharjah . That moment marked the dominance of Pakistan in Indo-Pak encounters for nearly a decade and a half until India became more competent - India just couldn't recover from that momentary lapse of reason. More importantly, the two sides graduated from playing out dull draws to dishing out edge of the seat nail biters - a trend that has continued on till the recent 20/20 WC final. For the sheer impact of the moment on the rest of the games between the countries, the trophy should be named the Chetan - Miandad trophy.

Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that at least in the near future, the trophy will continue to be named after Pepsi or Samsung or whoever the sponsor is since neither board cares beyond what the sponsors bring to the game - money.

Government sponsored Genocide in Gujarat - says Tehelka

Tarun Tejpal and his pack are at it again. Tehelka has implicated the Gujarat government in the 2002 communal riots, publishing gory first hand details of the massacre that is very disturbing. Their claims could have an impact on the higher echelons of the government including the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

The veracity of the claims and whether the implicated get punished is a different question altogether.

Profit and Philosophy

I was compelled to name this post as I did since I thought it will be an appropriate follow up to my earlier one on profit and philanthropy - after all they are phonetically very similar and on a lighter note, when I was young and ignorant I thought philosophy and philanthropy were one and the same, neither of which I really understood.

I recently re-read Sun Tzu's The Art of War, a book I had read in grad school but never really appreciated its relevance then since I had neither worked in a corporate setting nor fought a war, and it triggered me to find out more about the impact of philosophy on modern business. After all, The Art of War, though originally a military treatise, has been revered and has found more relevance in the business world (sports & politics to some extent) than war in recent times. It is broadly read within the business world as the basic primer for competitive strategy and is widely regarded as the oldest and most definitive text on the topic.

Zen, which has been embraced by business leaders as a "way of life", probably comes a close second to the Art of War. Zen's emphasis on daily practice, teamwork and self improvement is a perfect recipe for success in the corporate world and leadership seminars often propose Zen concepts like the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the five precepts, the five aggregates, and the three marks of existence as a means to solving to day today business problems.

Though Stephen Covey and Deepak Chopra's works are popular amongst business leaders, my personal thought is that their concepts are nothing more than simplified versions of ancient Chinese or Indian philosophies - nothing original. (Refer to this article for an illustration of my argument)

As I read more about the influence of ancient Chinese doctrines on business, I began to wonder if the business leaders and personality development gurus were oblivious to what the Indian counterparts of Sun Tzu had to say on this matter. After all, Lord Krishna's counsel to Arjuna was not too dissimilar to Sun Tzu's and it is not a small matter of coincidence that both the Bhagwad Gita and the Art of War are set in the backdrop of war! Just as in other spheres of business like manufacturing, outsourcing and technology, in philosophical influence too, if China is the first stop, India is the next, as this article from Business Week indicates.

While India has had a big impact on global economy in the last 15 years or so, its biggest impact yet might just be around the corner and the day saffron-clad swamis ring the opening bell at Nasdaq may not be far away!

An Eye for an Eye and Lunchtime Logistics

In my ongoing tryst with innovation, I was fascinated by the companies that are repeatedly cited for being innovative, especially in the last 25 years - Apple, Toyota, 3M, Intel, IKEA, Disney, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Sony and Dell, to name a few from core industries and of course, Google, Amazon, EBay, MySpace (NewsCorp) and UTube from the times post-Internet invasion.

While the stories of these American/European companies have been well documented and their innovations well imitated by their competitors to become BAU, I was wondering if any Indian companies could be part of this elite group.

Though companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS and myriad other start-ups are the first ones to cross my mind, I wonder if their success was just a natural by-product of pre-existing economic conditions and HR abundance in India that resulted in cost-effective product/services development rather than through truly innovative products like those developed by some of the companies that are mentioned above. Since that would be a debate that I would like to take up on a different day, I have decided to focus on non-tech companies in India that have developed truly path-breaking products/services/operations.

The two organizations that I chose to be the most innovative - one from health care and the other from an industry it created out of its product - have both developed their systems out of the economic and cultural scenario in India, rather than use it as an excuse for stymied growth.

Aravind Eye Care System in Madurai, India: Founded in 1976, by the charismatic Govindappa Venkataswamy, M.D (or Dr. V as he was fondly addressed), grew out of the need for an eye care system that would be appropriate to and supported by the economic conditions in India. Dr. V's vision of providing quality cataract care to the masses of his country resulted in his brainchild that has evolved into a world leader in eye care, ophthalmic education, and the development of appropriate technology for cost-effective surgery. Its model has proven to be one of the most effective programs for addressing the enormous backlog of blindness in India. Designed to be self-sustaining while providing high-quality care to an underserved population, the fledgling hospital relied on fees paid by about 30% of patients to subsidize free care for the remainder, plus a formula based on low costs and high volume. The success of the system is also due to the non-regulatory nature of health care in India and the limited legal intrusion into health care as evident in countries like the US. The system has been widely acknowledged by many management gurus as one of the truly innovative services, none more so than C.K Prahalad in his book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid.

Dabbawallas of Mumbai: This is innovative services at its best. Born out of the cultural preference of home cooked food over cafeteria cuisine, the dabbawalla system overcame the logistic hurdles posed by a growing Mumbai in the 70s, and is widely recognized as one of the most innovative logistics systems by management gurus.

So what makes the dabbawallas so unique? And how do they work? I stumbled upon this Deck that explains the organization, their system and even their P&L.

As India continues to churn out innovations in IT, these two organizations have stealthily set the bar so high for services and operations innovation that it will be tough to reach, let alone beat. But hold your thought there; after all Wal-Mart is coming to India, and that can only be the beginning of a new era of innovation in India that could break new ground.

Fictitious Facts about Rajnikanth

This was forwarded to me by an American friend who read my post on Sivaji and Rajnikanth. Thought I will share it with you. It is hilarious. Enjoy.

Top Rajnikant Facts known to man:

• There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Rajnikant has allowed to live
• Outer space exists because it’s afraid to be on the same planet with Rajnikant
• Rajnikant counted to infinity – twice
• When Rajnikant does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down
• Rajnikant is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head
• Rajnikant’s hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush in Poker
• Rajnikant doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is
• Rajnikant gave Mona Lisa that smile
• Rajnikant can slam a revolving door
• Rajnikant does not get frostbite. Rajnikant bites frost
• Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a Padayappa on Satellite TV
• There are no races, only countries of people Rajnikant has beaten to different shades of black and blue
• Rajnikant’s house has no doors, only walls that he walks through
• Rajnikant doesn’t actually write books, the words assemble themselves out of fear
• Rajnikant can divide by zero
• Newton’s Third Law is wrong: Although it states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, there is no force equal in reaction to a Rajnikant turnaround kick
• For some, the left testicle is larger than the right one. For Rajnikant, each testicle is larger than the other one
• When taking the GRE, write “Rajnikant” for every answer. You will score over 1600
• Rajnikant invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink
• In the beginning there was nothing…then Rajnikant kicked that nothing in the face and said “Get a job”. That is the story of the universe
• Rajnikant has 12 moons. One of those moons is the Earth
• Rajnikant grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage
• Archeologists unearthed an old English dictionary dating back to the year 1236. It defined “victim” as “one who has encountered Rajnikant”
• Rajnikant ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one
• If you Google search “Rajnikant getting his ass kicked” you will generate zero results. It just doesn’t happen.
• Rajnikant can drink an entire gallon of milk in thirty-seven seconds
• Rajnikant doesn’t bowl strikes, he just knocks down one pin and the other nine faint
• It takes Rajnikant 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes – no, he doesn’t have a TIVO
• The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until Rajnikant kicked one of the corners off
• There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Rajnikant lives in Chennai
• Rajnikant once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink
• Thousands of years ago Rajnikant came across a bear. It was so terrified that it fled north into the arctic. It was also so terrified that all of its decedents now have white hair.

Man from New Jersey

I was at a training session today about innovations in the credit card industry and one of the speakers started with an anecdote about an innovative businessman, which I found to be very interesting. Thought I will share it with you.

They say in Manhattan, that you can identify a Man from New Jersey by his looks. One such man walked into one of the leading banks in Manhattan and asked for an immediate loan of $10,000. The banker, dressed in one of his finest of suits was skeptical; as would any New Yorker be of a Man from Jersey, and thought that it was an obvious set up for swindling money. His suspicions got confirmed when the Man from Jersey said that he wanted the money in an hour's time since he was catching a plane to go out of the country for 2 weeks. But, being a true banker, he still wanted to earn the business and make some money.

(I have deliberately tried to make the beginning narration sound like lines from Quentin Tarantino movies; remember David Carradine's narration in the chapter "The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei" in Kill Bill?)

"I can't just give you a loan of $10,000 without any type of collateral" the banker replies politely.

"Will my car do?" the Man from Jersey asks.

"Depends on the car" the banker replies

"What if it is a brand new Mercedes?"

"I should think so..." the banker replies, who promptly has the car driven into the bank's underground parking for safe keeping, and then gives the Man from Jersey $10,000. The Man form Jersey fills the paperwork at 7.99% APR and leaves.

Two weeks later, the Man from Jersey walks into the bank to settle up his loan and get his car back.

"That will be $10,000 principal, and $16.64 in interest" said the Banker.

The Man from Jersey promptly writes a check, gives it to the Banker, gathers his keys, and starts to walk away.

"Wait, sir!" Banker says. I've just got one question. Obviously you are wealthy. Why did you want to borrow $10,000?"

The Man from Jersey smiled "Well, when I got here I noticed the congested traffic and the obviously high parking rates of $20/hr and decided it was too much of a risk to park my car around town because it might get scratched up. Where else could I find a safer place to park my Mercedes in Manhattan for two weeks and still pay only $16.64?"

Now, that's what I call innovation!