LAYOFFS AND THEREOF

The lay off ghost visited my office last day.
Paint it black, paint it red
my hands were shivering
should i say more

Within striking distance
and it flew past leaving
but relief and hope.

Not too far the in future
the ghost may return for another crop
and there's no telling if I am in or I am out.
For ghosts, by definition, have no discretion.
Havoc is what they sow
and reap with saddism.
So very,what do i call it
but, ghostly

And reap it did,
with neither no remorse
nor sympathy.
Nipping in bud
hopes a dozen,
families in equal measure
and what's left is anybody's guess

Evening prayers
said in ernest:
Our Father in heaven
deliver us from the layoff ghost
and what's more thereout and thereof

Jose... the Crossover Legend

My Interview with legendary guitarist and musician Jose Felician, when he visited Bangalore recently.....



Remember the opening song, ‘Old turkey buzzard’, of the timeless classic Mackenna’s Gold? It was the husky, high-pitched voice of Jose Feliciano that brought the song to life.
After nearly half a century in the world music scene and countless records, the guitar virtuoso continues to enthral people with his evergreen hits.
"I am not tired of playing music because it is not a job that I do, it’s my passion, I enjoy singing. I’ll go were life takes me," says the 62-year old multi-Grammy winner who started his music career in the Latin American market.
Feliciano, the man who made Spanish music truly global, says that his Puerto Rican roots and American upbringing has influenced his music. "I grew up listening to Spanish music till I was about five years and then I was exposed to blues, rock and roll and all that has influenced my music."
Born blind in a family of 11 children, he took to music very early. He learned to play the guitar himself. Early in his career he started playing Latin pop and bolero music. "My first record came out in 1966, I had two albums that year and one next year."
However, his first major break in the English music market came in 1968 with his album ‘Feliciano’, featuring hit single "light my fire", a refashioned version of the song by the same title by the band "The Doors".
Then it was followed by superhit songs in both Spanish and English. On ‘Feliz Navidad’, one of Feliciano’s biggest hits and one of the most popular Christmas song, he said: "My producer asked me to write a Christmas song and I thought about it. I was also sad that I was away from my family at that time. My parents and siblings were in Puerto Rico and I was living at that time in California. The song brought me closer to my family."
He has worked with some of the greatest musicians of the time. "I was a big fan of the Beetles. I played guitar for an album by John Lennon, eventually it never came out.," he said. " I don’t think it is ever going to come out," he added with a smile.
He courted with controversy when he, for the first time ever, played the American national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, differently. " I only tried to play it differently but it became quite an issue," he said without delving much into it.
He has also written and composed songs. "I go to my studio and compose the music and then start working on the lyrics for the song. I started writing in the 1960s but I think your writing improves over time and it is much better now. My writing did not have the depth when I first started," he says.
Talking on his musical prayer for peace, "Killing is not the answer", he said: " I first thought of this song after 9/11 and set to work on it."
Feliciano has done more than music and he has also tried his hand at hosting radio shows, appeared in television specials and even dabbled with acting. " It was good experience," he says, "I am not saying that I am a great actor but I enjoyed acting."
Feliciano has toured across the world. "I have performed across the world. I am doing more tours now than I was doing in my earlier days. In Asia, I have performed in Japan, Hong Kong and The Philippines."
However, Feliciano, keeping up to his reputation of being a goodwill ambassador, voiced his anger against the indiscriminate whaling and poaching of tigers. "I am angry with the Japanese now because of whale hunting. It is sad that they are killing the whales they should stop it. In India the tiger is also getting poached, the Bengal tiger has almost become extinct. It should be prevented," he said.
Feliciano on his first trip to India says that he has got an amazing response from the crowd so far. " The tour has been wonderful. I’ve always wanted to come to India. I’ve read a lot about India. I know there is immense poverty here, but it is there everywhere, this country is so technologically advanced it can overcome all that."
He has also detoured into the spiritual side of India. "I have read books by Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda. I visit the Self-Realisation Centre and I find it great," he said.

FREE BURMA.... Better Late Than Never

THis goes out to all my brothers and sisters in neighbouring Burma. My heart reaches out to you. Having lived in the world's largest democracy all my life I feel democracy is by and far the best form of governance. I can only assume how things are back in Burma but I am sure its really hard.
I join scores of people around the world who think that people should be given the opportunity to choose their government. I appreciate the efforts of all the people who are fighting for installing a people's government in Yangyon. Great work and fight till you win the rights, so
Keep fighting
Let not a splash of blood make you meak
Go forth and pull the junta down
Down the gutters.
The whole world is with you
in their thoughts and prayers.
Keep fighting
Stop not till you reach your goal!

Let me quote Swamy Vivekananda here: " Arise, Awake and stop not ill the goal is reached."
Keep going brethren...

Twitter at las

I Ve added my twitter updates to my b log.. so do flow me thru my micro blog at twitter. There right at the end of the page u ll get to track my latest twitter updates.....

CLash for the river

ATlast the verdict is out. Kaveri flows Tamil Nadu's way. There were three main contendors for its water Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala {Not to miss out Pondicherry, as I prefer to call it (Puducherri as they prefer to call it), whose staus can be ignored ).
I Am a confused soul. With whom do I align, which basket do i keep my eggs. The cause of confusion is because my roots are in Kerala, more precisely I've spent most of my life playing by the banks of Kabani, a tributaty of the holy Kaveri. But my family has moved to Tamil Nadu, and simply love Coimbatore and its people. But what makes it all the more tough is that now my job has brought me to Bangalore the nerve centre of Karnataka. I cant take a stand, I' ve to show my allegiance to all three states.
I Am still not convinced as to how does one stake claim to something that is everybody's. The best discussion in this regard that I came across was not in any of the 24 hour masala TV news channels nor any of the country's leading dailies or mags but at a roadside tea stall. The panel was not elite by any standards but I am sure they made more sense than any of the elite experts on river sharing.
This panel of delegates disccusing the issue over a cup of bytwo chai went into the nitty grittys of the issue in detail and atlast the moderator of the panel, who my watchful and ever observant eyes told me should be a construction worker jus like the others in the panel, with cement and paint forming patterns so intricate that it could inspire the likes of Armani, CK or Donnatella, passed the verdict: The river is neither the Kannadiga's nor the Tamilian's but it's the soul privilage of mother earth. Or rather it is earth's gift to Bay of Bengal and that nobody can stake any claim on it and we should let it flow in all its grace and glory into the bay.
The discussion was so enlightening and engaging that I din realise that i had missed my bus and that i would reach my office late, as usual.
But as I alighted near Brigade road, the bustling buisiness centre of India's Silicon Valley, I was shocked or may be a li'l less than shocked, my vocabulary limits me from expressing it in simple words, the road was empty, shops closed and gun-spotting cops dotted the street. The fear psychosis had sinked in among the residents of the city and they wanted to be home in the safety of the walls they know so well.

SOcialism or death

LOng back on a rainy monsoon night at the queen of Arabia Sea sat a young dreamer who logged into blog. As the name would and suggest and quite like his style he did blog but could not take it past the starting phase. Then destiny played the game of chess with him, he survived the game to be back on track and started off in his life. And he ne'er blogged again.. But now he is back.

WHat pushed me into blogging today is lone gutsy leader- Hugo Chavez. The Venezuelan power hrse has struck again. What impresses me he most is that he as managed to stay commited to his pledge- socialism or death- and that he has not strayed away from his ideolgical self.
OFten in politics- specifically in India- politics is synonymous with changing ideologies and sham idealogues. This man , chavez, even after almost a decade of being in power and has used his petrol dollars to squeeze out maxi mileage for his long drawn plans of 31st century sociaism. Isn't he is hero, and probably the last specimen of a dying breed. I am not a hardcore socialist nor a marxist but I am indeed a strong believer in the virtue of private enterprise. But I would like

Back after a bang

IT was about a month back that i had last blogged, but i do have a valid xcuse. i had met with a bike accident ad was hospitalised for sometime.
I Had a complete fracture of both my left arm bones and nasal bone.. I am much better now. I now have two metal plates in my arm that may never be removed.
NOw I am man of steel quite literally. I have steel in my left arm and also right leg knee. I was wondering as to if it was this that Swami Vivekananda was referring to when he said India needs youth with steel muscles. Youth, I am and the steel plates in my arms will apparently merge with my muscles. So I am indeed youth with steel muscles.
AN interesting aspect of my accident was that I cannot remember anything thathad happened but apparently those whi had seen bang against the auto on that fateful Wednesday morning( 2:30 am) say that after I fell off the bike I got up , walked towards a nearby shop and sat on its steps and called up my frenz. I cannot recollect any of that. However, those good Samaritans who had seen the accident phoned up the police and they saved my life. The accident could have proved fatal had Inpot received medical care in time, touch wood.
ANd more interestingly that wonderful day I had filed my resignation and had bid good bye to my company and was planning to move to a bigger one with a better salary. As destiny would have it was not to be. I have sought an extension for joining the new company, hopefully they ll approve it, fingers crossed.