An element of the unknown – good for you and me!

An element of the unknown – good for you and me!

-Bernard Fernandes

It pays to be in the dark - sometimes. It saves us needless heartaches, loose gossip, and promotes peace of mind and freedom to just be! Kasab’s hanging is a case in point. It was (and it needed to be) shrouded in mystery. And if this was not to be, then imagine the time that would have been spent on wishful thinking, mindless grapevine, hours in front of the idiot box listening to scholars, pundits, politicians and the anchors discussing, debating – and screaming themselves hoarse – over hypothetical situations and non-events. Social networking sites too would have been flooded with questionnaires, opinion polls, status updates (with likes and dislikes)...  Newspapers and magazines would have left no stone unturned to outdo one another for mass appeal with screaming headlines– a characteristic ‘blow hot and cold’ attitude of some sections of our media.   What a colossal waste of paper –and time - it would have caused! For now, some more trees can live to fight another day!  Networking sites and news channels can spend some quality time in constructive works and issues that really concern us.

Just the other day, I enjoyed a peaceful and stress free walk in Five gardens oblivious to the fact that Balasaheb Thackeray had passed away.  It was only on my return that I learnt about the news of his death.  Imagine my predicament – and concern – while at my routine of the day.  Worry and anxiety of returning back, endless debates and questions:  Why? How? What if? Now what? Years back, before I could go for my blood test for cholesterol and diabetes, life was quite normal and free of health (and food) anxieties. Now every check up gives me goose bumps! And so it goes on...

‘Forewarned is forearmed’ thus goes an adage.   A detour at times from this predictable mindset is necessary to spice up our life.  If we do not choose it, then nature has a way of balancing the act! That’s life! 

The Ukulele is here to stay

The Ukulele is here to stay

-Bernard Fernandes

The first time I picked up the ukulele, it was not in India, but in a quiet county named Coshocton in Ohio, US.  It was on my trip to the US a couple of years ago, that I was fortunate to chance upon this amazing instrument with its uniqueness – size, rhythm, sound.   It was at the residence of the pastor, Fr. Bill, that I was greeted with an array of musical instruments, vestments, decorations, music systems… and two lively dogs.  It clearly reflected the varied talents and creativity of the young pastor – he could put his hands to anything: music, stitching (hence the vestments), embroidery, cooking (was a master chef), decorations, and sound, besides the extreme fondness for his pet dogs.  Bill trained a choir that not only sang but played every instrument in his collection: Mandolin, American Dulcimer, marimbula, bowed psaltery,ukulele, the hammered dulcimer, ipu eke (a Hawaiin drum), Bodhran (an Irish drum) and the guitars. This ensemble played at the various local functions.  Was it not impressive!  I was reminded of Don Bosco, who as a priest tried his hands at stitching, shoe repairs, acrobatics, carpentry, reading, printing…all because he wanted to be useful to his boys.  Although I stayed at Coshocton for over ten days at the pastor’s residence, I did not get an opportunity to witness the practices nor the festival, since it was vacation time for them.

The ukulele was a mini guitar in my hand – of course I could not play it, since it is a four stringed guitar, and the finger placements for the chords are different from that of a guitar.  However, I got to hear Fr. Bill play the ukulele, and it was sweet music to my ears.  No wonder great singers like Taylor Swift can whip a crowd into a frenzy with their breathtaking music alongside this amazing instrument.

A couple of weeks ago, I got another opportunity to witness a live performance on the ukulele by Joslyn Braganza, a professional music player from Mumbai.  He was performing with the Salvation singers at NCPA in their presentation, ‘Mad about Music’.  Coincidentally Joslyn has modeled for a few television ads like Crabtree, Onida, Eclairs,…and the recent Airtel ‘Jo Tera Hai Who Mera Hai’ campaign, where he can be seen singing and playing the ukulele.  The ethereal music played by him thrilled the audience and struck a chord with the aficionados. I personally wanted more of him and his brand of music – but it was not to be.  However the music had made a deep impression on me, and I had come to love the ukulele. And by the looks of it, the ukulele is here to stay…in India!