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METROSCAPE
Sing Like An Egyptian
Pop singer Hisham Abbas, 37, in Delhi to promote
his new album Habibi Daah (Virgin) makes his music sound almost dull in
comparison to his speech. "You can't sing unless you've been in love,"
he confides. Romance is high on the Egyptian's list of priorities. But
since he married it's not quite as thinly spread. "I used to fall
in love with many girls," says the father of two whose tunes-suited
to a rousing dance than melancholia-are made for his infectious personality.
Abbas' fascination for India is reflected in
the song Nari nari, in which, with singer Jayshree, he mixes pop lyrics
with alaaps and taans. Its music video has been shot in Kerala and Agra.
 Abbas'
plans include the production of an Indo-Egyptian film, acting and working
with music director Raju Singh on his next album. And just when you thought
all he cared for were the bright lights of the big cities, here's a thought:
he's the celebrity chairman of AFNCI, an organisation that helps children
suffering from cancer. So nice guys do finish first.
-S. Sahaya
Ranjit
Bad Sign
 Recently,
Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukh-erjee and some priggish councillors went on
the rampage against what they called "obscene billboards" and
ordered them to be torn down. The targets: a Rupa men's briefs ad featuring
a semi-nude model with lipstick all over his body, and a Lux billboard
with a clavicle-revealing Aishwarya Rai, among others. "Not all are
vulgar," admits Mala Roy, mayor-in-council, Conservancy, the lady
behind the tirade. "But our jehad is against the one per cent that
is." Billboard licensees jumped to Roy's command and 15 hoardings
were removed.
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| SPARED: This Raima Sen ad was overlooked
by the tirading Roy; the Durex ad, so far only in magazines, is what
the councillor objects to |
Although on paper the mayor can order obscene
visuals out-the 1980 Corporation Act says he can refuse a licence to an
ad that affects traffic, public safety and the aesthetics of a heritage
building-in reality, nothing can be done once the board is up. To remedy
this, Roy has called a meeting of Kolkata's 66 licencees next week where
she'll hand them a set of stern dos and don'ts. "What if this suddenly
becomes a hoarding?" she asks, waving a Durex promo showing a couple
getting intimate on a diving board. "What are we going to tell our
children?" What indeed.
-Labonita
Ghosh
Music On The Rocks
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ENCORE: Cactus
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The atmosphere was of a party with dance and
exotic song at the Fete de la Musique in Delhi recently. The event which
started in France 20 years ago is now celebrated in over 100 countries.
Delhi's Fete saw a band with no name open the
show with Latino and swing jazz in Spanish and Portuguese. French followed,
and finally a song in English on love Out of tune. Tarang were next. The
band led by a veena has strong guitar, saxophone and tabla sounds too,
and its music is an original fusion of Indian and western classical.
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| YOU WHO? The band without a name |
Language was no barrier for Cactus from Kolkata.
They like to call their sound "Cosmo Bangla"; it's everything
from hard rock to blues merged and fused with the folk music of Bengal.
So, for example, when they got called back for an encore they did a Baul
rock number, Kokhon tomar aashbe telephone.
Singing straightforward English rock after that
must have been like dishing out bread and butter after murighonto. Envison
found themselves in that unenviable situation. "Increase the bass,"
they said. "Increase the treble." Everything was increased but
the crowd's enthusiasm; there's no knob for that one.
-Samrat Choudhury
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