Lonestar - by Norah Jones (lyrics)

Lonestar

where are you out tonight?

This feeling

I'm trying to fight

It's dark and I think that I would

Give anything

For you to shine down on me


 How far you are

I just don't know

The distance

I'm willing to go

I pick up a stone that I cast to the sky

Hoping for some kind of sign


Lonestar

where are you out tonight?

This feeling

I'm trying to fight

It's dark and I think that I would

Give anything

For you to shine down on me

For you to shine down on me

Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)

The great sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away on Dec.11th at the age of 92. His name is synonymous with the Indian classical instrument sitar. It was Ravi Shankar who put Indian classical music in the world map. He was the first Indian musician to regularly perform at the world stage. His collaborations with other great musicians are legendary - esp.  association with The Beatles and his friendship with George Harrison. He also have won three Grammy awards.

Apart from being a great sitar solo performer, Ravi Shankar was also a reputed composer. His famous works include Satyajit Ray's debut film Pather Panchali(1955) and Richard Attenborough'sGandhi(1982). His daughter Anoushka Shankar also achieved fame as a sitar player. Another daughter (by American wife) is none other than the renowned jazz singer Nora Jones (of Come away with me fame.) Like many famous artists and musicians of  India, Pandit Ravi Shankar also belongs to the land rich in arts & culture - Bengal.

Shreya Ghoshal - tribute to Salilda : ni sa ga ma pa ni sa re ga ..

ga ga re pakhi ga..[2006 Bengali]
(sing sing o' bird sing...)
singer : Shreya Ghoshal 
music  : Salil Chowdhury 
lyrics   : Salil Chowdhury
 

This is the kind of song only a classicaly trained singer can sing correctly. The prodigy-turned-diva Shreya Ghoshal sings it with ease and perfection - even better than the original! If only Salilda was alive to hear this brilliant tribute !  

I am a big fan the cute & talented Shreya but I've not been a big fan of cover-versions. Yet after listening to Shreya's cover of various old-hits, I've changed my mind. Indeed, if the singers and musicians can do full justice to the original, then cover-versions are delight to hear.

Just imagine Shreya Ghoshal covering all those Golden-hits of yesteryears - mostly sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt and others - I'm sure they will sell like hot-cakes ! Alas, nothing much can be expected from the current crop of music-makers to fully utilize the talent of Shreya. So she often had to content with songs like Oh la la...You are my fantasy !

In this time of 'mass production' of singers & musicians (due to the onslaught of Realty music-shows) there are still a few precious gems in the vast sea of mediocrity. Certainly, Shreya Ghoshal is currently one of the best female singers in the world ! While listening to her divine, God-gifted talent, you feel as if ever since she's born, she did nothing else but sing, sing and sing !

Happy Birthday Salil-da ! (Nov. 19th )

 Raju Bharatan, well-known music & sports critic meets the versatile genius Salil Chowdhury : 

Salil Chowdhury :  composer  extraordinaire

For Salil, humility was never a mask he wore to underscore his talent. 

"The game of football has its set rules, yet along comes a player who, even while performing within those rules, is not quite bound by them. His is the touch of genius. I'm speaking of Pele. And I, Salil Chowdhury, am the Pele of music !"

Salil always came up with the unexpected in the notes he struck.Harmony was the keynote of his music, yet it was a problem pinning him down, such was his erudition, extending from art to literature to music. His imagination took wing even while we were focussed on what, for me , was a crucial musical point.Remarkably ordered in the music room, he was amazingly disorganised in real life. An appointment with him meant nothing. You had to track him down. Once you did so, you were rewarded with musical insights that made you discern that no one, even from Bengal, had brought to the art of scoring the creative impulses this little wizard did. " If you were the first symphonic composer in our music, why in heaven's name," I asked, " didn't  you take your art to the West for evaluation ?"

"But who are they to judge us ?" riposted Salil characteristically. "It may be true I have been inspired by the best of the West. By the best of the West - where other music-makers of your Bombay are driven by the worst of the West. But no one, just no one , in the East or West, do I grant the liberty of judging my creativity. I, as total musician, have a total comprehension of the true intrinsic value of my own work."

As the son of a forest officer based in Assam, Salil Chowdhury was privileged to be exposed to the Western masters, ranging from Beethoven to Bach to Brecht, in his impressionable years. "My father," observed Salil, " was a connoisseur of the finest in Western music. He was playing it all the time and I was listening." 

Salil proved to be a listener with a photographic mind. "My father's being stationed in the forests of Assam" revealed Salil, "resulted in my being exposed early to the verdant vibrancy of the music of that region. It was here I developed my passion for delving into our folk forms and norms. When Bimal Roy, therefore, invited me to score the music for Madhumati(1958 ) ,I knew the theme to be right up my alley." 

courtesy : Frontline Magazine (issue: Nov.3,1995)

Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012)

One of the eminent European music-composers of the 20th century, Hans Werner Henze passed away on Oct.27 at the age of 86. He was certainly the most important and well-known German composer since Karlheinz Stockhausen. Apart from German classical music, Henze is also influenced by Italian music, Arabic music, rock and jazz. His varied style (serialism) and political leanings , Henze can be aptly called Salil Chowdhury of Europe.

Nobel for Literature/ Booker Prize

The renowned Chinese author Mo Yan wins the 2012 Nobel Prize for literature. The author is best known for his novel Red Sorgham which was adapted to film by renowned director Zhang Yimou. The 1987 film was debut for director Zhang Yimou as well as for well-known actress Gong Li. [photo- Asia Society.org]

Another author of historical novels, Hilary Mantel wins the 2012 Man Booker Prize for her book Bringing Up The Bodies. This book is a sequel of her 2009 work Wolf Hall based on the life and times of Thomas Cromwell. (Oliver Cromwell, the great English revolutionary hero is his descendant.) Thus Hilary Mental becomes the first woman to win the Booker Prize twice. [photo-The Guardian.co.uk]

Whether book or movies, I love historicals, so I look forward to reading these books someday. 

Hemanta Mukherjee : the Golden Voice

ami jhorer kache rekhe gelam [1961 Bengali]
(I left my whereabouts in the storm...)
Singer- Hemanta Mukherjee
Lyrics- Salil Chowdhury
Music- Salil Chowdhury

Hemanta Mukherjee (also known as Hemant Kumar in Hindi film/music scene) is well-known for his brilliant compositions in Hindi-films like Bees Saal Baad(1962) Kohra(1964) and Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam(1962). As a composer, he was not very prolific, but each one of them were a gem. Hemant-da clearly had a talent for composing music with an ethereal quality. Perhaps that's why he composed  mostly in noir/thriller/horror

movies. His music can be at best enjoyed in the chilly weather of the rainy season or at a hill-station.(And if   you catches a cold, you may even imitate his brooding baritone voice!)

Hemant-da was more prolific as a singer, his baritone voice and singing style perfectly suits romantic and sentimental numbers. Almost every  Hindi/Bengali composer of  yesteryears have used his renditions. In Bengal, he also renowned for his extensive work in Rabindra Sangeet(Tagore-music). He also teamed up with another legend Salil Chowdhury to create many evergreen hits - such as this song ami jharer kache. 
  

 Hemant-da was apolitical (like me) but not Salil-da. Besides being a great composer, Salil-da was an ardent communist. Through his music, poems and lyrics, Salil-da always aligned himself with the oppressed and down-trodden of that time. He was also influenced by 'socialist realism' of the erstwhile Soviet Union and Eastern bloc countries. Apart from Bengal, Salil-da was very prolific in Kerala where he created many hits and revered as an iconic figure. And from his stable came another legend - the genius of Ilaiyaraja !

Salil-da composes folk and (Indian) classical music aided by western orchestration. He frequently used counter-point technique (including this song). Certainly, if there is any musician after Tagore who gave Bengal its own music-idiom, it is Salil Chowdhury. 

Gitanjali ( Song Offerings)

Excerpts from Tagore's Gitanjali (Song Offerings)

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads! Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee!

He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the pathmaker is breaking stones. He is with them in sun and in shower, and his garment is covered with dust. Put of thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil!

Deliverance? Where is this deliverance to be found? Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation; he is bound with us all for ever.

Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense! What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained? Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.


Gitanjali (1912) written by Rabindranath Tagore - originally in Bengali, translated to English by the author himself.

Tagore : essay on Nationalism

Excerpts from Rabindranath Tagore's book Nationalism (1917)

What is dangerous for Japan is, not the imitation of the outer features of the West, but the acceptance of the motive force of the Western nationalism as her own. Her social ideals are already showing signs of defeat at the hands of politics. I can see her motto, taken from science, 'Survival of the Fittest,' writ large at the entrance of her present-day history - the motto whose meaning is, 'Help yourself, and never heed what it costs to others'; the motto of the blind man who only believes in what he can touch, because he cannot see. But those who can see, know that men are so closely knit, that when you strike others the blow comes back to yourself. The moral law, which is the greatest discovery of man, is the discovery of this wonderful truth, that man becomes all the truer, the more he realizes himself in others.This truth has not only a subjective value, but is manifested in every department of our life. And nations, who sedulously cultivate moral blindness as the cult of patriotism, will end their existence in a sudden and violent death.

In past ages we had foreign invasions, but they never touched the soul of the people deeply. They were merely the outcome of individual ambitions. The people themselves, being free from the responsibilities of the baser and more heinous side of those adventures, had all the advantage of the heroic and the human disciplines derived from them. This developed their unflinching loyalty, their single-minded devotion to the obligations of honour, their power of complete self-surrender and fearless acceptance of death and danger. Therefore the ideals, whose seats were in the hearts of the people, would not undergo any serious change owing to the policies adopted by the kings or generals.

But now, where the spirit of the Western nationalism prevails, the whole people is being taught from boyhood to foster hatreds and ambitions by all kinds of means, - by the manufacture of half-truths and untruths in history, by persistent misrepresentation of other races and the culture of unfavourable sentiments towards them, by setting up memorials of events, very often false, which for the sake of humanity should be speedily forgotten, thus continually brewing evil menace towards neighbours and nations other than their own. This is poisoning the very fountainhead of humanity. It is discrediting the ideals, which were born of the lives of men, who were our greatest and best. It is holding up gigantic selfishness as the one universal religion for all nations of the world. We can take anything else from the hands of science, but not this elixir of moral death. Never think for a moment, that the hurts you inflict upon other races will not infect you, and the enmities you sow around your homes will be a wall of protection to you for all time to come. To imbue the minds of a whole people with an abnormal vanity of its own superiority, to teach it to take pride in its moral callousness and ill-begotten wealth, to perpetuate humiliation of defeated nations by exhibiting trophies won from war, and using these in schools in order to breed in children's minds contempt for others, is imitating the West where she has a festering sore, whose swelling is a swelling of disease eating into its vitality. 

source :// tagoreweb.in/

the Way of Tao

The Gallop of Life
Do not cramp or constrain your will , as that would cause you to depart from the Way. Do not strive for consistency in your actions, as that would cause you to lose sight of the Way. Be firm with yourself, never making excuses for your shortcomings. Be gentle with yourself, never demanding of yourself more than you can give. Let your mind be as open to the ideas of others, as a field without hedges is open to the four winds.

All living beings are born and die; you cannot depend upon them. All events start and finish; you cannot depend upon them. The years cannot be held back; time cannot be stopped. Growth and decay, fullness and emptiness, birth and death - the rythm of change cannot be halted. Life passes at a gallop; it is like a headlong dash toward death. With moment and every movement your body ages. What should you do and not do to prevent aging ? Nothing.

Yet if you follow the Way, and thence acquire perfect virtue, fire will not be able to burn you, water will not be able to drown you, cold and heat will not be able to discomfort you, and wild beasts will not be able to injure you. This is because you will be indifferent to fortune and misfortune, good and bad.

(teachings attributed to the Taoist scholar Zhuangzi)
 from the book 366 Readings from Taoism & Confucianism.

Jet Li vs Mongol Princess : Hi-NR'Chi' Action !

movie : Evil Cult (a ka Kung Fu Cult Master-1993)
starring : Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Sharla Cheung, Chingmy Yau

Any kung-fu movie aficionado can easily figure out the choreographer of this brilliant, Hi-NRG action sequence. It has 'Sammo Hung' written all over it! In those days,only Sammo Hung can be so spectacular & innovative ! Equally brilliant was his most recent work in Ip Man 2 (2010) which proves that Sammo's creative powers are still intact.

The movie Evil Cult didn't cause much flutter when it was released. But later, esp. after 'neo-wuxia' movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon became a rage, Evil Cult also gained a cult following.  Besides Sammo, an array of talents have worked in this movie who are now icons in their own right. They are - Louis Cha (wuxia-novelist),Wong Jing(screen-writer/director),Joseph Koo(musician) and of course Jet  Li(actor/producer). Cinematography and editing are equally brilliant.

The musical instrument involved in this action sequence is Guzheng - the ancient Chinese instrument. I have never seen it or played it (though I have an audio-CD of  which I bought from Singapore). From my long experience in guitar and other similar string instruments, I can certainly say,  Guzheng with its long strings

can have a great resonating effect with the slightest of touch. As for the maneuver by Yuan Princess(Sharla Cheung) with the strings - its only a wuxia-movie , so don't try this at home !

3 Kung Fu Classics

Gordon Liu  in - The 36th  Chamber  of  Shaolin (1978) produced by Shaw Brothers

Blast from the past !  Boxer Rebellion(1975) Another  Shaw Brothers classic. Starring  Alexander Fu Sheng and  Chi Kuan Chun !

Macho man takes on  eunuch !  The hot Don Wang Tao stars - in the kungfu flick  Eunuch of the Western Palace (1979) 

London Olympics : medal tally

BeeGees - Alone (lyrics)

 Alone  by BeeGees
I was a midnight rider on a cloud of smoke
I could make a woman hang on every single stroke
I was an iron man
I had a master plan
But I was alone

I could hear you breathing
With a sigh of the wind
I remember how your body started trembling
Oh, what's a night it's been
And for the state I m in
I m still alone

And all the wonders made for the earth
And all the hearts in all creation
Somehow I always end up alone
Always end up alone

So I play, I'll wait
Cause you know that love takes time
We came so far
Just the beat of a lonely heart
And it's mine
I don't want to be alone

Well, since I got no message on your answer phone
And since you're busy every minute.
I just stay at home
I make believe you care
I feel you everywhere
But Im still alone

I m on a wheel of fortune with a twist of fate
Cause I know it isn't heaven, is it love or hate
Am I the subject of the pain
An I the stranger in the rain
I am alone

And if there glory there to behold
Maybe it's my imagination
Another story there to be told

So I play, I'll wait
And I pray it's not too late
We came so far
Just a beat of a lonely heart
And it's mine
I don't want to be alone


(Gone, but not out of sight
I m caught in the rain and there's no one home
Face the heat of the night
The one that you loves got a heart that's made of stone

Shine and search for the light
And sooner or later you'll be cruising on your ocean

And clean out of sight
I m caught in the rain and there's no one home)

R.I.P Robin Gibb (Bee Gees)

HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE  -  chords & lyrics
I saw your[C] eyes in the [Em]morning [Dm]sun
[A]I feel you[Dm] touch me in the[E] pouring[G] rain
And the [C]moment that you wander [Em]far from[Am] me
I wanna [Dm]feel you in my arms [G]again

And you [F]come to me on a [Em]summer breeze
Keep me [F]warm in your love and then [Dm]softly leave
And it's[Em] me you need to show [-F]
How [G] deep is your love?
Chorus:
How [C]deep is your love
How deep is your love
[Am]I really need to [Dm]learn
Cause were [C]living in a world of [Em]fools
Breaking us [A]down
When they all should let us[Dm] be
We [F]belong to you and [C]me

I [Em]believe in [Dm]you
You [A]know the [Dm]door to my[E] very [G]soul
Youre the[C] light in my deepest [Em]darkest [Am]night
Youre my [Dm]saviour when I [G]fall
And you [F]may not think
I [Em]care for you
When you [F]know down inside
That I [Dm]really do
And it's [Em]me you need to show [-F]
How [G] deep is your love ? …
Chorus
(Repeat and fade)

Donna Summer : album covers

Hot Donna Summer

The disco/pop music-world have lost two prominent figures this month - Disco Queen Donna Summer and Robin Gibb of the BeeGees. Their music is well familiar to me and I grew up listening to them. So let's set aside our celebtration of 'Disco King' Bappi-da's music and remember the departed disco legends, starting with Donna Summer. 

Like her songs, her name itself had a feel-good effect. Besides her great singing abilities, she was a great performer, who also looked hot and sexy. Donna Summer proved that you don't have to look at picture,figure or movie to feel sensual - songs like Love to love you,baby and I feel love  can have the same effect!

Her name was part and parcel of the 80s hit-charts consistently. Among her many hits, the song 'I don't wanna get hurt'(1989) is special for me, because I discovered Donna Summer through this song. Since then there was no looking back. By and by, I discovered her earlier hits too (esp. in her collaboration with Giorgio Moroder- the pioneer of Italo-disco).Certainly she is one of my favourite singers of all time.

After dominating the hit-charts consistently for a decade and a half, Donna Summer and her brand of feel-good dance music became out-of-fashion.The next decade (90s) saw the emergence of new artists (Whitney Houston,Tracy Chapman, Mariah Carey- to name the few) and  music-forms ( such as rap, reggae,r&b,bhangra,rock-metal etc.)  Later that decade saw the re-emergence of the disco-sound with ABBA,Beegees,Boney M,Modern Talking, (Bappi-da and  Biddu in this part of the world) all gaining iconic status. So does the Disco Queen Donna Summer.

NB : Bappi-da's earliest disco-hit 'Ramba Ho'(1981) was inspired by Donna Summer (and Giorgio Moroder) super-hit 'I feel love'. As this year marks the 30-th anniversary of Bappi-da's colossal hit album Disco Dancer (1982) which made Bappi Lahiri a household name in the Indian sub-continent, if not in Asia and the whole developing world,  I'll be focusing more on Bappi-da and disco-music through out the year.

Rema & Bappi Lahiri

 

song : chandamama

singer : Rema Lahiri

composer : Bappi Lahiri

lyrics : Shailey Shailendra

album  : Dance Songs For Children (1986 -Hindi pop)

Trivia : Chandamama is a Hindi/Bengali word used for children to describe moon (literaly means 'moon-uncle'). Chandamama is also the name of a renowned children's publication.

Rema is very much a daddy's girl- in 'size' and in voice. Infact she is a female version of Bappi-da (sans jewelleries and sunglass). Like Bappi-da, she is blessed with a good voice. She sings with a constant warmth & smile (like Bappi-da) that suits perfectly for any dance number.

I am surprised that Rema didn't make it big on her own. Perhaps she started early and burned out early. Or perhaps Bappi-da never sticked to one singer for too long, and Rema was no exception. Anyway, like her daddy, the love and passion for music is unmistakable in her singing style. 

Check out Rema's songs (as adult) in albums include  Super Rema (1995) Bappiwood(2003) which can be heard in the website - www.bappilahiri.com/albums.asp

Artist of the month & the season : Bappi Lahiri ! Celebrate holidays with Bappi Da !

 

Alisha Chinai/Bappi Lahiri

song : yaar mera khogaya,pyaar mera khogaya(my friend's gone, my love's gone!)
singer : Alisha Chinai
music : Bappi Lahiri
lyrics : Anjaan
album : Dance Dance [1987 Hindi movie]
produced & directed by : B.Subhash

Trivia : Bappi-da has always worked with new artists and talents. Alisha Chinai whom he introduced in the mid-80s became a big star in the 90s.

Bappi-da may not be in the same league as maestros like R.D Burman or Ilaiyaraaja, nor has he created many authentic classics. But Bappi-da is the first Indian musician to project an image and life-style through his music. With his lively disco beats as well as his flamboyant appearence, Bappi-da gives this message : be merry & enjoy life !

Bappi Lahiri & Shreya Ghoshal - the' Golden' connection

Disco-king Bappi Lahiri and Shreya Ghoshal came together recently to promote the music of 'The Dirty Picture' in which they sang the hit track 'Ooh La La - tu hai meri fantasy'(you are my fantasy).

What does Bappi Lahiri and Shreya Ghoshal have in common ? Ofcourse, they are successfull musicians and they are Bengalis. And they have many hits to their credit that has turned 'Gold'.And further more they have the 'Golden connection' - literally !

Bappi-da (as Bappi Lahiri is affectionately known -which means 'Brother Bappi' in Bengali) is synonymous with gold - whether his lively disco-music or his sparkling, flamboyant attires.Infact, Bappi-da's habit of wearing flashy clothes and gold chains is inspired by his childhood hero - Elvis Presley.

Shreya Ghoshal is the most talented and cuttest of new female-singers. Is she fond of wearing jewelleries like Bappi-da - we don't know. But certainly she is often seen now-a-days in TV-ad and billboards,being the brand ambassador of a renowned jewellery group. As the saying goes -like master,like disciple !

Willie Nelson classics

Blue Skies by Willie Nelson - chords & lyrics

verse 1:

[Em]Blue skies,[Em/Eb] smilin' at me[Em7/C#]

Nothin' but [G] blue skies [D7]do I see[G-B7]

[Em]Bluebirds [Em/Eb]singin' a song [Em/C#]

Nothin' but [G]blue skies [D7]from now on[G]


[G]Never saw the sun [Cm7]shinin' so [G]bright

[Cm7]Never saw [G]things [D7]goin' so [G]right

[G]Noticing the days [Cm7]hurrying by[G]

[Cm7]When you're in [G]love,[D7]my how they[G-B7]fly by

verse 2:

[Em]Blue days, [Em/Eb]all of them gone[Em7-Em7/C#]

Nothin' but [G]blue skies [D7]from now on[G]

repeat:

(Blue ski-es smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see)

Blue da-ys, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on
Nothin' but blue skies from now o-n.

Oscar 2012 - winners

Iranian film-maker Asghar Farhadi received the Best Foreign Language film Oscar for his family-drama Jodai-e-Nader az Simin (‘A Separation of Nader and Simin’).He also got nomination in the Best Original Screenplay category. photo:www.hindustantimes.com

Best Picture

War Horse
The Artist *WINNER
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist *WINNER
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist *WINNER
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady *WINNER
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris *WINNER
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants *WINNER
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners *WINNER
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help *WINNER

Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie *WINNER
"Real in Rio" from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Music (Original Score)
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist *WINNER
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse

Film Editing
Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kevin Tent, The Descendants
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo *WINNER
Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist *WINNER
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo *WINNER
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo *WINNER
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

Best Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango *WINNER

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated *WINNER

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore *WINNER
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Documentary Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face *WINNER
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore *WINNER
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Best Foreign Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation *WINNER

Courtesy : www.hollywoodreporter.com

Whitney Houston :we greatly love you & miss you..

song : one moment in time (1988)

artist : Whitney Houston

music written by : Albert Hammond, John Bettis

produced by : Narada Michael Walden

album : Grammy 89 - Featuring Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Tracy Chapman, Rod Stewart,U2,Sting,INXS, Bobby McFerrin,Anita Baker,Brenda Russell, Pat Benatar, Steve Winwood

Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius)

A scene from the movie Confucius (2010) starring Chow Yun-Fat as the great sage.

Thus spake Confucius :

- Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

- Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

- Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

- Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.

- He who will not economize will have to agonize.

- I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

- Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.

- It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

- Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.

- Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.

- Respect yourself and others will respect you.

- Study the past if you would define the future.

- The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly,he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

- To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.

from the book : 366 Readings From Taoism & Confucianism

The Spring Festival