In year 2000, I made a futile attempt to form a musical group, a band; had named it ZingSting Band. We were three of us in the Band, one on Guitar, who was a pro, other was on key boards, who was not a pro but had a good sense of rhythm, while I was on percussions, the weak link. A few months later the band was disbanded; reason was my suspicion that either I was rhythm-deaf or I was a genius and was looking for a new genre of music (but the later was not true). After almost a decade, I am on my way to conquer this self proclaimed problem - I have signed up for percussion classes! I have challenged myself, armed with the passion to learn percussions and shortly I will win over the belief that I have rhythm-beat-deafness (if at all). I am all charged-up with the motivational blah - blah. Just wait and watch – ZingSting Band will once again Jazz-up the town. I can see my wife and both the kids laughing at me on this new ‘bout’. I believe, instead if laughing, they must spend some time praying, as I will be practicing at home! I don’t know if they can approach human rights commission against my ‘out of sync’ practice sessions!!!
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| CD cover of our 1st (and only) album |
The day started with getting up early to get ready for the first music class. To my utter surprise there were 8 of us – ready to conquer the world of music. Our music teacher seemed baffled. There was a mixed expression on his face – in a way he was happy as he had 8 new students (means more fees) but the moment we laid our hands on the individual instruments and attempted to play (some thing), his face was pale. He realized the uphill task he had undertaken of teaching music to not one but eight Aurangzhebs! I am sure he will have nightmares from now on.
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| Music class in progress |
The Sunday morning was jam packed with activities, after the music lessons, some of us had to rush to the APY-2. We all started off by about 10.45 am. Three groups were formed; I was in the group documenting Delli Darwaja and Dariyapur Darwaja. We reached there only to find out that we were too early, there was hardly any sign of activity. We decided to check out the other groups and took a route thru the old city. This was 1st time in my life and probably the last time too that I would drive thru the old city. I was not aware of the road and traffic conditions as we maneuvered the (giant) SUV thru the old city roads – the experience can be best compared with angioplasty procedure and the feeling the balloon would be going thru. The road width was almost the size of the SUV, it was a two-way traffic and you can imagine the commotion, the traffic from the opposite direction had to retrieve or park on the footpath (if it existed) or get in the side lanes. There was a huge jam behind us. I got the choicest of the curses, though I had expected that some one would pull me out of the car and bash me up. Ahmedavadi ki jai ho – not only we were out of the jam but myself (with 5 others) and the SUV were unscratched!
We did move around near Daripur Darwaja, which appeared to be okay from the front (main road) side but the rear was pathetic. We checked the inside of the gate and we were shocked to see the state of the historic monument. I find it difficult to imagine that Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is proposing Ahmedabad as a World Heritage Site. What we saw was similar to the plight of Common Wealth Games preparations. It’s a sorry state and a big let down, the less we talk about it better it would be.
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| Rear of Dariyapur Gate, grilled door lead to the room inside the gate structure |
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| Inside of the room - full of filth, just like our politicians! |
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| One of the few doors left in the gate is ruined by the pictures of god-goddesses; while there were 14 temples within 70 ft from the gate. |
At such times, I wonder, should the people responsible for CWG sham or similar (AMC heritage wing) be given capital punishment? Should we shout or should we accept the way things are going on?
The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference. What is your take on this?
Samir i really m impressed with the way u write and now i eagerly wait for your blog as every sunday is my time to read your blog..its gonna be sad as to will have to skip a week for reading your blog... :-( :-(
ReplyDeleteAs u have asked for ppl's take on CWG and all such shame..den i would like to say that yes the people involved in this shoud be given capital punishment.But its not jus thier fault..it is also our fault as citizen.And more important the media who is constantly flashing all negative stuff about the event and printing them on the front page..constantly flashing it in the news and this makes a negative impact on people's mind even if there r good things going on people wont get it in mind..in this refrence i hope u have read the letter by DR APJ on negativity..if not then let me know i will put up a link here for everyone to read it and i am sure it will answere your question to great extent!!! :-)
Dear Anonymous, thanks for your comments. Your point is noted. What I can think of doing is to post 3 blogs a month, one every 10 days. A compro ...please.
ReplyDeleteCWG disaster is not the only thing, look at the distribution of 2G spectrum for instance or take any GOI department and look in to it closely and you will find wide spread corruption at every level. Trust me, what needs to be done is to hang a few guys and the remaining bunch of crooks will fall in place. Media itself is corrupt so I agree with you that they are over doing it. But what is happening is not only negative publicity, it is a fact. And aam junta is to be blamed for it too...
Sam, we seem to love your “bouts” and many of us are followers not only of the blog but also the various "bouts" we do together... You are fast becoming a cult in this city.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a pity that your zing sting band came out with only one album, (I liked the cover design of the album, Shreepal must be young at the time of this drawing)
Before you jam up with Zing Stingers, you will have to continue your deaf rhythmic efforts with the 40-41 band which has just banded. BTW the music teacher had commented that you look like an Italiano and should pick up the violin ... imagine the drone at your house.. LOL!
Its a shame that this APY you did not find anything worthwhile to photograph, but we certainly enjoyed the “Gopi Dining Hall – lunch”
PS: We will miss your weekly blogs, now that you are going to blog every fortnight!
I don’t know much about you mama. I read your blogs because I find honesty. You write whatever you feel in very down to earth manner.[ not in terms of fabricated language] Second it seems very rational and practical. more than that your blogs reflect your enjoyments for every thing. I do enjoy lot when I read your blog so 15 days are much to wait.
ReplyDeleteDear Bubmaska,
ReplyDeleteThanks for you comments. I don't know about the cult figure but for any thing I do, I like carrying along people. I am a people's person. Seriously looking forward for the 40-41 band. We will do try to cover the APY during the week days - evening. And if you go thru the previous comment, I have already amended that I will blog every 10 days, that way it will be an average.
Dear Dhawnik,
Thanks for going thru the blog. I really appreciate. Will be writing now every 10 days not 7 or 15. I am making conscious efforts to write as simple as possible and appreciate that you like it that way.
i am addicted to read your blog every week.i wishyou & your banded team a success.hope to see the revival of zingsting band soon.
ReplyDeleteDear Sam,
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I am writing on a blog and hence pardon me if I am little nervous. But I need to reveal the real episode behind the Zingsting Band.
This is for all readers,
all these gentlemen are more than 50 yrs of age. Have had tried enough ways of traditional methods of earning through architecture, engineering, finance, trading or "commissions". At last these people have realized that if you want to be popular the only way is to turn to music. Let's hope music does not turn its back to us. At first instance I felt zingstingers will have their hands shivering when they will take instruments in their hands. But it was other way round, when Nayan and Basant touched Tabla, those poor couple (dayu & bayu) where literally shying and shivering away. Mandolin just refused to get into the hands of Niketan and Drums ….. they were so upfront they told Sam to get its own new drum set and not to touch it. There were six guitars and each one of them eying each other and pushing each other to get into my hands and as I was checking each one of them, each one had same thing to say to me “the other guitar is better then me and will suit your personality, pl. pardon me”. As muskabun’s hands landed (or I should say invaded) on keyboard, it made a hoarse noise which made neighbours rush to the ground zero and tell all of us, if not us, atleast be sympathetic to this innocent musical instruments. “Inhone app ka kya bigada hai !!!”
Any way, we have taught instruments that when “Life ho out of control, drum/tabla/keyboard/guitar/mandolin baja ke bol, all iz well !!!”
See you zingstingers on Sunday morning … sharp at 8.00 pm, musical instruments have no choice but to bear with us till they teach us how to play with them till then …… ALL IZ WELL …. ALL IZ WELL …. ALL IZ WELL
Prakash