Skip to main content

Featured

2018 in Books #1 : Outliers

My membership at the Evanston Public Library is my best-worst decision. Best, because I now have e-books delivered right into my Kindle without having me trudge in snow to borrow or return a book and the worst, because it is going to make me lazy and unfit.  Cut to the chase, Outliers has been a good start to 2018. At a modest 300 odd pages, Malcolm Gladwell writes a deeply researched and critically analysed account of success stories that we know of.  | The biggest takeaway you can get from Outliers  is the "other side" of stories, which are often ignored for the sake of glorification of the achievement. | It was enjoyable to see how tiny, seemingly inconsequential factors can help a person go a long way. A popular example the book talks about is Bill Gates' rise as a billionaire when he was a college dropout.  Treating his story superficially has led to popularizing the opinion, "hey, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg were college drop outs
1 comment
Read more
Labels

Kaatru Veliyidai

A.R Rahman's Tamizh songs are far better than the ones he makes in Hindi films. It just is so. And now he is back with composing some really great songs with lyricist Vairamuthu in Kaatru Veliyidai (Breezy Expanse), a frustratingly unrealistic movie on a self absorbed man and a woman who continues to love him even so.


Vairamuthu writes some lovely metaphorsfor the ultimate wedding song, Saarattu Vandiyila (In a Chariot). Coupled with a folk tune, I adore this song and it has me grooving about every time I hear it. I am so glad I understand Tamizh to get the innuendos in this one that get lost in translation. Adhu dhaan di Tamizh Naadu baani! (This is Tamil Nadu's style!) I await the video release so I can dance to this.

My second favorite track after Saarattu Vandiyila is Nallai Allai (It is Not Fair) another lyrical masterpiece, it is poetry filled with imagery.

Next up, Azhagiye is one of those cute, catchy songs that refuse to leave your head. Of course this is not a song you would want to sing in public (Azhagiye! Marry me, marry me, azhagiye, flirt with me, get high with me) Damn, this still does not leave my head.

Vaan varuvaan is mellifluous and soulful. It complements the expansive landscapes in the movie as well as the title. I enjoyed watching the song play out in the movie over just listening to it.

Tango Kelaayo and Jugni complete the album as energetic tracks that play well with the situation in the movie. Tango Kelaayo has an '80s touch to it and I simply adore the music in this. Jugni failed to impress me as much.

So that's that, even if you aren't Tamizh, music has no boundaries. You might like a couple of these for their music. And if you are Tamizh, Vairamuthu will touch you with his words :)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts