KroaKnights

KroaKING Season 4 - Week 1

2009-04-07T06:08:00.000-07:00

Vaaaaaaaaaaaaav!
Week one at KroaKING 4: Very nice!
Week two at KroaKING 4: Very nice!
Week three at KroaKING 4: Very nice!
Now we can move to what I really want to talk about. Which is… err…

Oh shut it men. Can’t string 2 sentences together! We’re supposed to write ABOUT KroaKING for the past three weeks. Not say very nice, very nice like it’s your 5 year old’s drawing.

Fine then! You write something instead of shouting at me. Lets see how well developed your linguistic skills are.

Hah! I am known in my circles, as a very cunning linguist! Soooooooooooooo…. Week one: Rather a dull weekend but forgivable since it was the first. Bunch of good singers. One of my favourites, Puttu, didn’t get through and im quite sad about that.

Of course he wouldn’t! He sang like a twat! Tell him to choose a proper song next time.

Moving on, the 3 who got through were… ummm… hang on… I have the list somewhere. Priyanka! Where’s the bleddy list? Ah here it is… Shilpa, who sang wonderfully beautifully…

You just want to get into... rooowwwrrrrrr!

No I do not! She sang really well! Though I must say, singing those slow, soft, dirge like numbers is nice, but boring in the long run. No hard feelings.

Huh. No hard feelings he says. Except for the feeling in his pants, im sure!

Oh shush. The next guy in was called Akshay Hari. Who played Samson to his pretty Delilah. And played a fine role. And third and last name on that night was none other than an old face at Opus. Mr. Abhijeet Sudhakar. We understand that tolls of a career take some people out of the circuit for a while.

Though Carlton manages to stay put right where he is… Oh waitaminit. You said career. Right. Sorry.

Yes, thank you very much. As I was saying, It was nice to have him back after 2 years and Abhijeet got off on Freddie (Nice choice of words eh?) and got through to the semis of KroaKING 4.
Each of these lucky folks got a gift voucher from Flying Machine for a grand each. Can you still buy ANYTHING for a grand these days?

You cant. You don’t even have a grand. Never had and never will… Loser!

Oh shut it Vivek. Im going to kick your ass now.

Oooooh im terrified. Don’t mind him folks. See you guys next week. And oh I have to write about the other 2 Wednesdays as well.

Yeah he’s a lazy sonofabitch.

Dude. Really. Adios folks. Next para, it’s all me!

-Vivek and Vivek

Mull-tipple-city-KroaKING-starts-tomorrow!

2009-03-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve heard the joke that goes ‘When God said Go forth and multiply!; someone came fifth and won a toaster…’

Well we’re going Fourth and we’re multiplying and Morphy Richards isn’t any richer for it.

KroaKING Season 4 starts this Wednesday.

Begun 3 years ago, Opus’ annual Karaoke contest has resonated louder and louder with each passing year and has witnessed the discovery and growth of some phenomenal talent. From a humble start at the restaurant in the first year to a booming event at the Palace Ground for 1500 people last year, KroaKING is serious business for some and a whole lot of fun for others.

For an in depth history and pictures, videos and winners and prizes of KroaKING Seasons 1, 2 and 3, access www.kroaknights.blogspot.com. I would love to tell you all about it here but I’m reserving the space for much more important news.

As I said, we’re multiplying… This year, we’re KroaKING out of Bangalore as well! So Bangaloreans, you Frogs in the Well, beware. More competition from people outside of your adda. But on the other hand, more opportunity to meet people like you from other cities. Who knows what might come of such a melting pot of talent.

And for everyone who’s out of Bangalore, watch this space for more cause that’s how you’re going to find out when we’re there, to select the one or two of the best from your city and bring them down to the finals in Bangalore.

This is big. And it’s only going to get bigger. See y’all Wednesday and tune those voices. No more Bacardi bottles to give out. Just a ticket to the Semis of KroaKING 4. And maybe the dubious honour of being the Freak of the Week on www.myopusradio.com.

the big 'O'

2009-02-10T22:56:00.000-08:00

Announcing: Freak of the Week

2009-02-03T23:51:00.000-08:00

10 things I learnt at Karaoke night last week

- Don’t Not Drink. It’s easier to bear the Kroaking. Hence my new found abstinence will be broken on Wednesdays to maintain my sanity.

- Banned songs like ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ and ‘Hotel California’ are like other illegal substances. The more you ban them, the more in demand they are.

- Most people do not know how to hold a mike. It is not an ice cream stick, not a toy and most of all, not a penis. Although it has certain resemblances like a sensitive head; stop holding it there.

- My ding a ling is long (chuckle)

- People who want to sing ‘Rockstar’ rarely are.

- December-December (Or May-May, I’m not sure which is which) love affairs are best left off stage and off the mike. I mean, they’re like your parents.

- Air guitaring can be hazardous to the singer on stage (Again, Neville, my apologies.)

- Air guitaring is best left to songs with a prominent guitar part.

- Air guitaring is best left to people who are not on speed. And finally…

- Bottles of Bacardi are to be handled carefully. They break just like normal bottles.(I plead guilty)

Quite an interesting day eh? You should’ve been there. Anyway, the Air guitaring chappie, Siddarth Abraham aka Puttu, is on air with me on www.myopusradio.com on Thursday the 5^th. Tune in between 11 and 2. We talk about his name, his love, his school (Cottons vs Josephs plays a big role) and his Malyaliness as also serious issues like his Kickboxing and musical careers. Good fun!

And see you guys at Opus on Wednesday, where I will pick my new Freak of the Week to co host the show, next week. Ta!

School Song Sagas

2009-01-21T02:03:00.000-08:00

So the madness is back. And I mean that quite literally, since ‘madness’ is now a nickname for me, unimaginatively derived from my surname by… well, unimaginative people.

To quote the wise old owl from yesteryear, “Wednesdays are not going to be the same again”. And last Wednesday certainly wasn’t anything I’d seen in a while. There was a batch of Alumni from the batch of 1992, Lovedale; a batch of 2002 Cottonians and some random others from various institutions… And they all vied for School Song dominance.

The Love-days hadn’t seen each other for about 15 years and judging by the kind of madness at their table, they might not want to for another 15.

And being a Josephite, the less said about Cottonians the better else the blogsite might be blocked or dismissed or something…whatever they do to blogs that have been bad for badness’ sake.

But what this piece is supposed to do is announce a new scheme. You all know we’ve started our online radio station. If you didn’t know, then you’re a twat. If you do know and you don’t listen, then you’re an (beep) twat. They beep out expletives on the radio as well, so put it down to habit.

So anyway, every Wednesday, the whackiest, most-likely-to-be-diagnosed-with-MPD-soon person will get to host a show with Vivek vs Vivek.

If you’re thinking its not a big deal, then listen in tomorrow.

Last week, Rajiv Sasha, aka ‘The Sash’ was mad enough and he had a blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast. So did I, if truth be told. And he now has an open invitation to host a show on myopusradio.com anytime he wants. So talk about being a platform for talent, we promote madness and schizophrenia as well. Oh and music.

Rajiv, thanks buddy (Spastic picture, by the way & you've lost a looot of weight since some of those others).

And whoever’s next, bring it onnnnnnnnnn!

See you guys tonight. Raghava KK, celebrated artist and cartoonist and an old friend is leaving for greener and meaner pastures; on second thought, darker and meaner pastures -he’s off to the States with wife and baby son in tow and we all know who’s President now - and so he’s throwing a farewell bash. There will probably be a whole lot of people there just to make sure he’s really leaving. Just kidding Raghava! ;-) Ciao!

the verdict

2008-05-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

There is karaoke and then there is kroaknight.
There are singers and then is a KROAKING.
I am still speechless.
What i thought would be an extension of sunday nights at opus turned out to be a jaw dropping outstanding night of talent.
Not just that, but the ambience was amazing too.
I felt truly privileged to be part of it all.

- ANUSHKA MANCHANDA

comments shamelessly lifted from Sandeep Chowta's judging sheets.

ROUND 1 - DISCO

Aditya Menon : Innovative Rendition, Decent performance. Can’t judge his ability to sing from this song. He sounded ok.

Alexis D’Souza: Pitching is all over the continent. Not her genre that’s for sure. Nothing in her voice for this song.

Arti Desikan: Too much dominance by backing vocals. Good Throw. Pitching issues. Decent performance.

Anaitha Nair: Pitching issues. Good song selection. Well supported by backing voices.

Andy. V: Knowing his forte, he was superb. Great adaptation to disco. Great Performance.

Judy Das: Benefit of doubt. No Throw. First contestant. Sound system.

Megha Girish: Pitching issues. She didn’t sound comfortable. Maybe a semitone down would have worked. Decent performance.

Neville De Nazareth: Opened song on one key and then started song on another. Pitching issues. Doesn’t sound like his genre. Good effort.

Roohshad Garda: Kept the nostalgia alive. He kept getting better towards the end.

Roopika Muthanna: Pitching. good to hear someone’s voice dominating the backing vocals for a change. Not her genre. Pitching faultered towards the end. Too much shouting

Sendil kumar : Too much reverb when singing. No Throw. Voice sound stronger when backing track joins him. Maybe its not his genre.

Sharon Chang: Pitching issues. Decent performance

Venkat Subramanyam: He doesn’t sound very comfortable. But He is a good singer. Adapted it well for his voice.

ROUND 2: R&B/ SOUL

Aditya Menon: Not audible. No clarity. Maybe he is just a good rock singer.

Andy V: Great Control. Well adapted, awesome timbre considering it’s a female song . brilliant .

Megha Girish: Great voice texture. Missed a few of the notes at the bottom. Loses her power in between. totally her genre . Great Effort.

Roohshad Garda: Didn’t pitch right in the beginning. Not audible with some of the low notes . nice voice texture .

Roopika Muthanna: Good in parts. Pitching issues. She didn't feel comfortable.

Venkat Subramanyam: This guy is so good. one of my favorites . Not one of his best performances though

- SANDEEP CHOWTA

The First Round – Disco

13 people march up to the guillotine – 13 very nervous people

Why do you put yourselves through this torture? Why?

No I’m serious, why?

I think everyone was under par, confidence seemed to be at an all time low. From 13 one selects 6 that go through to the second and final round. This is based on their overall performances on that night. Anything that has happened up to that moment, good or bad, is of no consequence and for those that are hell bent on getting through to the second round, it’s really a make or break moment and absolutely anything can happen. It all comes down to those 3 or 4 minutes you have on stage. What a nightmare.

For those about to sing – I salute you

Round 1 – Disco

Anaitha – If You Could Read my Mind

Your subtle ease and command on stage were your biggest plus points. You have a great voice too but maybe haven’t realized that yet and hence don’t use it to its full potential. I was sad to see you not get into the second round as I think you gave a good honest performance. If one could go back in time I would suggest re-working the song to make it showcase the voice you have. You need those one or two moments to show off and wow the audience.

Sendil - Another One Bites the Dust

I’ve heard you in Opus and I’ve heard you on the CD and I think you have a great voice. On the night this didn’t come through though. Probably down to a bad song choice. I don’t think it suited you and I know you could have done much better with something a little less glam and more your style.

Judy – Turn the Beat Around

I met her some time before the show. Good lord was she nervous. For some people nerves turn into adrenaline and someone high on a sudden surge of adrenaline can make for a great performance. I don’t think this happened with Judy. I love this girl’s voice and I think she has huge potential, unfortunately one isn’t scored on potential. I’m not gonna criticize her performance or her singing, I’m just gonna say this: Judy, you need to read Asterix and the Normans to understand how you can turn it upside down and make it work for you and not against you – fear can give you wings (it’s a fun read anyway).

Aditya – Super Freak

I really liked what you did with the song, you are a good performer and seem to understand what it’s all about. I think a song like this doesn’t come naturally to you but you took it on as a challenge and it worked. It’s a great thing to move in and out of your comfort zone so effectively. Good stuff.

Alexis - Murder on the Dance Floor

I’m at a loss for words here because you are one of my favorite voices on the CD and I saw little of that on stage. Firstly I think it came down to your song choice. With a huge variety of “singer” songs to choose from in the disco category this was not one of them. Probably everything else stems from there. You really needed something where you could have shown off that amazing voice you have and also something that you could have grooved to and had fun with on stage. DO NOT beat yourself up about this and do not beat me up for saying it either, it’s a lesson to be learned, learn it and move on, you have a great voice, now what’s it gonna take to make you loosen up on stage?

Venkat - Miss You

It was good to finally see you do something like this. You didn’t do it badly at all, in fact I thought it was quite good. You definitely should do more stuff outside of Sinatra and Bennett though, roll with it.

Nevil - Staying alive

You picked a song that is sung in falsetto. My question to you is this: Is that your real singing voice? I’m guessing here but I think the answer is no. You did it well though, I do give you that, but it came across as a novelty song as opposed to a “singing” song and novelty is not gonna get you far in a singing contest. It’s maybe difficult to find a disco song that would suit your voice but definitely not impossible. As mentioned before, I think you have a great tone and feel and you can get very far with that. Work on your stage presence – get comfortable – and do your thing.

Aarti - Lady Marmalade

Why Aarti why? Why would you go for a song that is almost ALL about attitude? It’s a singer’s song too, but… I see you more so as a traditional kind of singer, traditional diva stuff you know? But then of course I could be wrong. Anyway, it was nice to see you diversify like that. I liked what you were wearing, specially the shiny hair!

Sharon – I Wanna Dance with Somebody

What a super song for you to sing. I think it was a great song choice, I think you did well and I know you could have done better. I could not believe it – you were nervous? But… but… anyway, nervousness aside, you sang well and you looked like you had a great time. I look forward to hearing you sing in Opus again.

Megha - Hot Stuff

Pretty good but not up to your usual self. Was it nerves? I didn’t think you had it in you to be nervous. Again I think I am wrong. Vocals were not bad, performance was not bad but it was not mega (forgive that).

Roohshad – My First, My Last, My Everything

The Biscuit’s theme song (Ally McBeal), that’s at least how I know it. One of the better performances of the evening. No snazzy dance moves, no pyrotechnics but a good sense of stage and presence. Reasonably strong vocally, nice little touches here and there. Overall – good stuff.

Roopika - Don’t Leave Me this Way

A great voice and a decent performer but you did not shine as you can. I don’t want to keep repeating myself but this is a singing contest not sex – there’s a time and place to be safe. You did however get into the second round and by comparison I think you deserved it. But seriously, you need to let go, roll about with the punches, get knocked out a few times, get up and say “Ah, so that’s how it feels”. You learn your lines well but I don’t really want to hear lines.

…You trade in your reality for a role. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask – JM

I’m not a huge fan of his words, but he did make some sense…

Andy – You Sexy Thing

You sang well, your performance could have been better. It’s often the subtle things that count. Those glasses for instance, yup, the ones covering your whole face, maybe not a good idea. Much has been said about eye contact, so I shall not go there. Overall though – a neat job

Round 2 – Soul/RnB

Down to the final 6, nerves conquered, they line up against the wall.

Ready! …Aim!

Megha – Listen

What a performer. You put yourself out there, you sing your heart out, and everyone loves you for it, thank you.

Aditya - Hard to handle

This went very wrong for you. It was just a really bad song choice, from 10 seconds into the song it seemed evident that you felt the same way about it, the Black Crows version would have been great and a welcome change. Sure you would have nailed it.

Roohshad – Smoke Gets in your Eyes

I think you tried your best and it worked for you. Good show, these sort of songs suit you (I find them boring and cheesy) and you have a great tone for them as well as the attitude. I would suggest doing more stuff like this but having a modern edge to it. Re-work the vocals a bit etc. Nice.

Roopika – Vision of Love

What was up with that? You were good but why were you so holding back? You had it in the palm of your hands and you just let it slip away like you didn’t really want it. I don’t know what to say.

Musicality – Good (should have been excellent)

Stage presence – Okay (could have been excellent)

Venkat – Try a Little Tenderness

Really good. You’re quite fun to watch on stage, a side of you I haven’t noticed before. RnB or soul or whatever that was seems to be out of your comfort zone but you did really well with it, good for you. It’s great to see people doing something which is a challenge for them. I’m yet to see you do Baby Got back though, maybe you should do it as a duet with Roopika sometime, should be fun.

Andy – Without You

What were you thinking? Why on earth would you want to attempt a song like that? To win the contest??? Hmmm… well you did do that. It was a gamble and it paid off, congratulations (I mean it)… you were one of my favorites, but here’s what I think of your final performance:

It lacked feel, was far too watered down and your stage presence left much to be desired. It was a very brave choice of song and I think you over stepped your limits.

The End

It was very difficult writing that stuff up there. I do believe all 13 singers are in fact really good without exception and I’m not just saying that. But contests are difficult and they really do boil down to those few moments you have on stage. For those that are unhappy or disappointed with what they did, all I can say is, don’t take it too seriously, maybe there are lessons to be learnt, maybe you just had a bad day, only you can be the judge of that.

Mayank, Barry and his merry troop of ghouls – great, great stuff, excellent.

A super after party, great atmosphere, everyone having a really good time.

Gina, Shonali, Carlton and everyone else who organized this – really, really super show. It was great fun for me to be a part of this and I hope everyone else had a great time too.

Ciao.

- SHARMON IBRAHIM

kroaking season 3 CD

2008-05-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

CD Review by Sharmon Ibrahim

Alexis – TURN ME ON – NORAH JONES
Home after a hard day? Kick up, pour yourself a shot of something smooth, and turn her on.
Alexis, you are a breath of sweet, fresh air

Rooshad – SPIDERMAN THEME – MICHAEL BUBLE
Ha! You’re a funny guy… As quoted recently in the Daily Bugle – “…but I never thought he had it in him!”
I think you nailed it

Sendil – SHE’S ALWAYS A WOMAN TO ME – BILLY JOEL
Silky, mature, honest and heartfelt. Super stuff

Judy – WHAT HURTS THE MOST – RASCAL FLATTS
Sitting in the studio, from the first note, the sound of your voice is distracting. What a beautiful tone

Venkat – I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO – TONY BENNETT
I heard you last year and I heard you this year. What you do, you do well, and then you do it better. I’d love to hear you sing Sir Mixalot–Baby Got Back

Arthi – WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME – DIANA ROSS
Soaring effortlessly through valleys and peaks. Visions of cozy fireplaces and ski lodges. Marshmallows and mittens… (I have no idea, don’t ask) Really nicely done

Megha – NO ONE – ALICIA KEYS
What a different song for you to do. One of the most distinct voices – angelic, sweet, serene, spank-me-I’ve-been-a-bad-girl tone – great to hear you move away from the usual power-diva songs and do something like this ever so well

Neville – HOME - DAUGHTRY
Classic neo/pop rock singer. It’s all about the sound and you have it

Roopika – JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL – CARRIE UNDERWOOD
An aural exhibition of control and phrasing – it sounds really great too

Anaitha – UNFAITHFUL - RIHANNA
In the studio you mentioned that you were not really a singer (or something to that effect). Well… you sound great. An interestingly lovely tone and a great feel, you really seem to mean the song

Aditya – SUCK MY KISS – RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
That rocked, really. From your performance in the semi finals to this. What to say… well… I’m very interested to see what you have up your sleeve for the disco and RnB rounds

Sharon – I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
Wow! I was quite concerned when I heard you were doing this song. Y‘see, I had a huge crush on Joan Jett… uh… and Suzi Quatro… and Agnetha Faltskog, Debbie Harry too but… this is about you, sorry… Super stuff woman! Ow!!!

Andy – NO WAY – ANDY
Tight leather, headbands, wristbands and big blond hair – no, this is not S&M Fortnightly. 80s hair metal is what they call it. You go for those notes and you get them.

Megha & Roopika – WHEN YOU BELIEVE – CAREY/HOUSTON
What a vocally glam song to attempt. It could have gone wrong, very wrong. You both sound stunning in places and in others you just sound really good. I was looking forward to a cat-fight in the studio actually, that was the only disappointment. Ha!

Mark – ONE LOVE – HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
Another voice to be heard. Super tone and feel. Quite distinguishable – Mark as only Mark can be

Carlton – WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS – QUEEN
Oh… My… God… This is truly special, what a voice and what delivery. Most courageous, a lesson to be learnt: do your thing, and do it fully. Una voce dolce e potente. Bravo! Bravo! Encore!

Results: Pre Finals 3 ( 7th May)

2008-05-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

THERE’S KROAKING, AND THERE’S KONTEST KROAKING

By Stanley Pinto

Dear Carlton,

Last evening, your friendly contretemps with Mark about whether what was going on onstage was ‘Fun’ or ‘Hard Work’, got me thinking. And here’s what I concluded:

Kroaking is fun. It’s about standing up, usually pissed, and singing to a sound track that happens to be there, to a bunch of equally inebriated friends, even if you cannot carry a tune and haven't ever sung, not even in the bath. It’s about being silly, and making a fool of yourself, and all that really matters is that you joined in the fun of being silly. Fun.

Kontest Kroaking is different. It’s about singing for glory. It’s about being fundamentally a good singer, and selecting a song that’s appropriate to one’s voice, and working the accompanying sound track for the express purpose of demonstrating one’s talent. It can be Fun to the confident singer – but it is Hard Work too. The singer must work hard to be effective and to be the best on show.

To my mind, Carlton, last night may have been Fun for the audience, and of course it was, but contestants who didn’t recognise that they had to put in some Hard Work would inevitably pay the price of losing.

Most of the singers last evening were primarily good singers. I expect they had to be, to get to the semi-finals. To that extent, it was all most entertaining and enjoyable. But … and there’s always a ‘but’ when I write a critique, isn’t there!

There’s more to just being a good singer if one is to compete in a Kroaking Kontest.

There is, for instance, one key pre-requisite: selecting a song that makes the most of one’s particular voice skills. And then there’s another: Individuality. Innovation. I would explain that best by saying that a good singer who chooses an appropriate song and then puts his own spin on it will always, to my mind, be a winner over a singer who is great, and chooses an appropriate song, and delivers it as a perfect copy of the international singer who made it a hit.

So.

Andy has the most perfect, pure voice. He never hits a bad note. His pitching is exemplary. His ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’ was terrific. But he’s a Me-Too, too. I want to hear Michael Bolton, I will listen to Michael Bolton. There wasn’t a Michael Bolton before Michael Bolton came along – and that’s why he was successful. There was a newness to him, and he could sing, so he made it to everyone’s music collection. Will Andy? I’d have to be his friend, or his bitch, to buy his Me-Too recording of Michael Bolton’s original. But he is a grand little man and a truly gifted voice. I hope he takes it to the next level soon.

In that sense, Aarti’s attempt to re-work ‘Let It Be’ was most creditable. It helped that she’s a fine singer too. I’d buy her recording of it, along with several other singers’ recordings of that song, and stack it on my shelf alongside the original McCartney (it was McCartney, wasn’t it?) version. In fact I do have a few versions of that song already.

But Kroaking Kontests are also about putting on a show… and what a show Sharon Chang put up with her “You Just Keep Me Hanging On”. That girl is a star! I’d marry her just to have her perform regularly for me. And you don’t have to wash your mind out with soap, Carlton, because she’s sexy too!

There were several other high spots, of course. And a few that were just a little better than Fun. And that’s OK. We came to have a good time – and that’s what we got. Except when some fool stood up at the end and sang some Music To Leave and Go Home Too. Who was he, fer Chrissakes!

SHARMON IBRAHIM comments...

Enter Wembley Arena to the united chorus of seventy-five thousand people screaming their heads off as Axl Rose steps up to the microphone to the intro of Welcome to the Jungle…

Hang on… that's not Axl… that's Venkat! So why does he have a cigarette in his hand? Uh-oh…

Having said that, onto the contestants…..

Anuj

Your first song, Can't take my eyes off you, was not a bad song as far as the song choice goes but did it suit you? I think not. Needs much more emotion than that, is a tough song for the most seasoned singer and performer, apart from it being a lil out of your range I think. However, Piano Man I do believe was a different story. I liked it. It was pitchy yes, but at times you really had it. Billy Joel is really tough and you did it justice in your own way.

Kevin

CCR – bad choice for a singing contest (I'm gonna be saying that a lot). What you did wasn't bad, your tone is different and that's a good thing. The second song I liked very much actually, you distinctly reminded me of Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) for some reason. I think you felt the song and did really well with it. Your act on stage is strong and confident if lacking in charisma but you did good and I liked it. Both the songs wouldn't showcase singing talent however and that's where I think you lost out.

Saurabh

Pretty Woman? Not only Pretty Woman but then it goes into the Shankar Eshan Loy Pretty Woman. I think that was quite a gamble, you would have really needed to work it with the crowd, some amazing dance steps, a few costume changes, back up belly dancers, pyrotechnics and maybe Aishwarya Rai on one arm to distract from a song that has little to do with singing talent in the first place – it didn't pay off. Again, bad song choice (very bad). The Bon Jovi song was a better choice (since it's Bon Jovi) but still it didn't go far and was not memorable.

Swetha

White Rabbit – I'm gonna say it straight off – bad song choice. You didn't do it badly, but seriously, how much acid have you dropped? Rule #1 – sing about stuff you know. The Dido song was much more suited to you, and was not bad at all. You need to work on being at ease on stage – you own it for those few minutes – so own it! It makes ALL the difference, and that's what true performance is about, not breaking a few moves here and there, command!

Aarti

Let it be – one of the two good song choices of the evening. It started well, went on well, but didn't go anywhere near where it could have gone. You are a good singer and perhaps this biased me in a way (I expected more). It's a jam, and there's ample freedom to DO YOUR THING. Even a cp would have done wonders for the whole deal (crowd participation). You look good on stage, if a bit hesitant, loosen up woman! Your second song was nice, I liked it. You seem much more suited to a song that is more structured and set. Move out of your mould, do something different, do something more challenging to yourself.

Adarsh

The first contestant on stage – a tough thing. You seemed a bit nervous, nobody can blame you for that. Did you feel the adrenaline pumping? The pressure to perform? This is your one chance, screw it up and you'll never see her again… however, you can use all this to really bring it on! The song Happy Together – all together now – BAD – SONG – CHOICE –

Nirvana, not bad, not bad at all, in fact I think you did it really well, a good song, but a bad song for a singing contest. It IS a singing contest – Kurt Cobain – a most influential name in modern rock today, a singing virtuoso, NO!

Aditya

Your first song – quite interesting to see you sing stuff like that. Not bad, but why? Your second song however, I think it was the highest peak in the evening. Singing, command, attitude, prescence, performance – you did your thing – this is what it's all about. Song choice was not great actually, ample room to bugger it up, but you pulled it off… superbly.

Sharon

I liked your voice, and you entertained me on stage. You are uninhibited, and a pleasure to watch and this can take you very far. Both not great song choices but not too bad either. Again, I think it's cos you pulled it off that it worked. Good job over all, am looking forward to hearing you with more vocally challenging songs.

Andy

Am not sure what to say. You almost won last years contest. I really can't wait to see what happens this year at the finals. Your first song (personally I hate it) – the best song choice of the evening. I expected you to nail it and you didn't disappoint. The Queen song was equally good, or perhaps better. You are no doubt a good singer with a wide range of songs that you would make your own and you are not scared to experiment. I do believe you would do justice to anything from Ella to Slayer.

All about Song Choice:

#1 – Choose a song you like

#2 – Choose a song you think you are good at

#3 – Choose a song that suits your vocal range

#4 – Choose a song that will showcase your vocal talent

#5 – Choose a song that you think will entertain the listener

#6 – Do not be safe, safe will get you no where

#7 – Do not be over adventurous, unless you can pull it off

#8 – Do not be uncomfortable vocally with the song you choose or the lyrics

#9 – Do not try to be what you cannot relate to

#10 – Do not try to copy, do not try to make it your own, do not try – just do your thing and do it fully

The Finals:

You are gonna be nervous, use that to your advantage

Warm up

Get lots of alone time during the day, make it a point

Talk as little as possible throughout the day

Drink LOTS of water (room temperature) throughout the day

Avoid dairy products (milk etc)

Avoid much sweetness (I mean sugar etc)

Have nothing cold to drink, no cool drinks, even at room temperature

Sleep a LOT the previous night

Either think of nothing the whole day or think of your performance

Drink no alcohol, not even a drop

If you smoke, try to cut down a tad on the day, if it's difficult, don't cut down at all, but don't increase or don't cut down drastically

If you feel great, you are gonna be great

All the very best to each of you, have a great time!

Results: pre final 2 (30th april)

2008-05-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

Kroaking Semifinals Week 2

This week, to re-coin a phrase: "The EYES have it". Those who knew their words communicated best, as they are using their eyes to connect with the audience. Constantly looking to the left to read the words is as distracting as if you had a baby's dummy in your mouth. Simple rule to all contestants: every time you lose eye contact with your audience, you lose a vote.

Nevertheless, very high standard this week, and I am intrigued to find out who got through as quality was very equal.

Judy - Good voice which would work better if you warmed up. It's hard going first, and you had a little problem with pitching. Second song was much more confident. But never assume everyone knows the words - I lost a lot through lazy consonants. I just wanted you to let yourself go and...USE YOUR EYES!

Suraj - Great voice, great communication. You chose two contrasting songs that really suited your voice. When you smile. it's magic. So don't frown (practice in front of a mirror - you'll find out what I mean!) You really believed what you were singing and communicated that. Maybe your wardrobe, hair, make-up etc. needs a re-think (look in the mirror!)

Alexis - powerful voice for a little lady (sorry - hope that doesn't sound patronising!). Great songs. But your eyes let you down: the audience is in front of you, not the word-screen to the left. Practice using the mike in your hand off the stand so you can move around more.

Roohshad - terrific, loved the crooning. Brilliant fill with the dance on L-O-V-E. My advice is to find songs that say "this is Roohshad" not "I can do Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra etc." and... know your song. End of first song was a bit of a mess.

Venky - very brave choice "Ol' Man River" and you pulled it off. Great voice: your vibrato tickles the listener! You purr like Chewbacca...and what were you chewing? Not nice!

Neha - it took a while for you to warm up into your first song. Second song was much more energetic and came across as more confident. You have a very low range, but pitching was better on the higher notes. Explore your higher register more.

Roopika - you really choose interesting songs that show off your voice, which is magnificent. However, please warm up: it took a little while to settle into your first song. Pearl of wisdom: this is not T.V. where you need to draw an audience in. Here, you are on stage and need to give out to the audience. The answer is to keep your eyes open at all times and use them to connect to the audience. Closed eyes tend to make you look self-indulgent (and you lose that vital connection).

Mark - Sorry, your first song just did not "come together" because you didn't know your words. And the repetitive refrain at the end just got boring because you didn't do anything with it. "I live my life for you" was a vast improvement because you knew the words and it showed off your voice much better. Great potential but you need to work on your technique, and know how to warm up to get there.

Good luck to everyone - sadly I shall not be able to make week 3 or the finals as I shall be in UK. I'll be thinking of you next Wednesday when I shall be a school in South London training a boys' choir for two epic pieces I have written about the Tsunami for a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on May 12th. For me, this is the big time!

performa . in . voice

2008-04-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Ok I know I should’ve written this a while ago because I don’t remember who-sang-what anymore. And I don’t have a little red writing book. And even if I did, it wouldn’t be red.

In any case, the ball is back in my court. The score is hardly love all but still, facts are facts.

So first, there’s something about the first semifinal that always lends itself to an anticlimax. I remember how I felt that first year and the feeling is somewhat similar, if not as pronounced. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, http://kroaknights.blogspot.com/2006/05/showdown.html <%22>

Anyway, let us leave the sick-friend’s-bedside-manner aside and move on to the evening itself.

No doubt you will all know who made the cut and who didn’t and you all have opinions on who should have and who was doing a fix. And no doubt you will also know what Chris Williams thinks of who-sang-what and what everyone must do to become ‘better performers’. (Read with pronounced British accent)

I am not a critic, not a singer, not a ‘voice’ to be reckoned with so I will stick to some general, larger picture comments. On performance. Anyone who knows what happened on March 8th at Opus will not contest my authority on the matter.

Point #1: (Pet peeve)
Learn your bloody words. Put our pointless education system to some use. They taught us to mug and regurgitate what we’d read. Why is it so difficult? Because you have a voice, you forget you have a brain?

Point #2: (Also Pet peeve)
Never, EVER, show us when you’ve made a mistake. We don’t know what you’ve planned. There are enough singers at Opus who do not sing songs the way they were originally recorded (%^$#*&^%$). Let us believe you’re one of them. Do your thing. We have no expectations. But if you’re going to tell us you’ve FFFffrogged up, we’re going to think you’ve FFFffrogged up and we’ll hoopla another FFFffrogging frog.

Point #3:
Entertain your audience but not at the cost of your performance. If the audience isn’t responding, asking them again won’t help. Try singing.

Point #4:
I know its Opus and I know liquor is available. And I also know I’m the last person to advocate sobriety. But there are times, I have to admit, when it is required. Drink enough to lose inhibitions. Not to lose the plot.

Point #5:
Finally and most important. This is slightly philosophical but it’s a mantra. Be honest. Don’t try and be something or someone you’re not. We can spot it from a mile away. The practical way to put it is to play to your strengths. Experiment, by all means, but not on us.

Will wait for the cascade of comments before I decide whether to leave town or not.
Getting on stage is the easy part. What you do once you’re up there is the hardest thing ever, no matter how good you are and no matter how often you’ve been there. Congratulations to all 8 semifinalists and we’ll see you tomorrow!

Vivek Madan

Results- prefinal 1 ( 23rd april)

2008-04-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

Right guys, so you wanna win?

Rule No. 1: Know your words - reading the words off the screen to the left means you have no eye contact with the audience. You haven't a chance. Nota bene (N.B. to you illiterates): this is no longer karaoke, it is performance.

Rule No. 2: Don't close your eyes - as soon as you close your eyes you lose contact with the audience. It immediately becomes self-indulgent. All it does it makes you look as if you have a bad case of constipation. It's not pleasant to watch. You've lost. Myopic sufferers: lose your glasses and pray you don't collide with the palm tree or fall off the stage.

Rule No. 3: Communicate! If you want votes, then you need to communicate what you are singing. Use your audience> Look at them> Make eye contact>Make them want to love you> Get them in the palm of your hand>Make them want to be you> Make them want to go to bed with you (if you are that desperate)!

Those are my general notes. Here are my individual reports for the evening (try to spot when my whisky glass was refilled):

SONGS FROM THE '60's:

1. Neville - great song, great presentation but just not warmed up. As a result, a little flat in pitch. Has potential, I thought.

2. Sendil - great voice but please read my general notes. Walentine? (Bite your "V"'s!) (Sorry - I used to do British Accent and Culture training).

3. Anaitha - tremendous performer and stage presence - you understand all of my 3 rules. However, singing voice needs work - technique to get breath and pitch.

4. Megha - a natural star! Corny song for karaoke but you pulled it off (and most gentlemen's in the audience!)

5. John - fun performance but voice needs work.

6. Ravi - the song didn't do much to show off what seems to be a terrific voice. Struggled to get the audience to join in, so song choice really let you down.

7. Aishwarya (apologies - I know I haven't spelt that correctly) - energy under par. You have a major diction problem - I hardly understood a word. Good voice but it doesn't mean much if the words do not come across. Practice sucking, chewing, anything, to get those facial muscles working!

8. Nitin - this was a great song for your voice but you failed on rules 2 and 3 particularly. Practise in front of the mirror, especially to lose that frown.

9. Mark - brave song choice. But to pull it off you need to obey rules 1 and 3 particularly. Great tone but out of synch with the backing track and need to work at your breathing.

SONGS OF YOUR OWN CHOICE:

1. Mark - please read Rule No. 1. But questionable song choice as most of the song was on one note. You enjoyed yourself, but did we?

2. Nitin - frankly, I got bored. Far too much instrumental (huge mistake if you haven't got a physical guitar to manhandle). I just wanted to give you a dose of syrup of figs to relieve your constipatory agony. Nevertheless, I think you have great potential if you stopped being so self-indulgent. Pearl of wisdom: leave your audience wanting more (not less!)

3. Aishwarya - again, diction was a problem and you kept closing your eyes. However, the oohs at the end were beautiful.

4. Ravi - "Lightning crashes" is such a powerful song but you really need to know it to perform it. I couldn't make out any of the words when you were singing low. It just didn't communicate to me.

5. John - this song did nothing to show off your voice. This is a pity as I thought your eye work and audience communication was great.

6. Megha - mesmerising! Now you know how to work your pelvic region with the audience, find a song that really shows off your voice and brings tears to our eyes through wonder rather than we having to cross our legs.

7. Anahita- have an electric stage presence but you need to to work at your vocal technique for your voice to match it.

8. Sendil - wonderful voice. When you know your words, you will be a star... but only then.

9. Neville - the microphone is not an ice-cream. When you got it right, it was terrific and a great performance. (Get some advice about microphone technique).

Finished - 2 am - now I can go and watch American Idol...oh, my God! it's Andrew Lloyd Webber night! Aaaah! (There's one for you, Carlton!)

Chris Williams

Andy is dandy

2008-04-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

You know that irritating thing about television that makes us think our lives are not good enough? Perfect moments, perfect timing, perfect teeth, perfect brea…kfasts. You get the drift. But when that sort of thing happens before your very eyes, and you haven’t even had a delusion-friendly amount to drink, you realize that art indeed imitates life.

My little red writing book is chock-a-block with underlines and circles and flowers and- for the first time, like some smitten teenager- hearts. We’ll come to that later.

First off, our old friend Verghese came back after ages, and reminded us of that James Dio-esque persona he pulls off so well. He was quickly followed by Kevin with a stunning performance of Megalomaniac. It is important to note that under Kevin’s name I have written the word ‘uzhoo’. Judy, breaking a jinx that took place week after shocking week, finally got her due. With a characteristically coy rendition of I Never Really Loved You Anyway, Judy broke into that now-complete list of finalists. Abhijit Sudhakar, another ghost from KroaKing past, came back with more tweezers and oranges, and successfully yowled his way through Living On A Prayer. Nitin- one of my hot favourites from Week 3- returned, and made the cut with panache, with Born To Be Wild.

And then came one of my unabashed beaming moments. It’s positively hideous to watch me when I get like this; I look like Little Lotta would if she swallowed a lightbulb. When Vijay sang My Way, I watched proudly as all the women turn to each other and said, “Why don’t they make them like this anymore?” It was a warm fuzzy safety-in-numbers moment, albeit without an answer. We didn’t have much time to care; Dino Morea was on stage shortly after, and aforementioned complaining women would’ve eaten some words except for the minor fact that they weren’t breathing.

What happened next goes directly into my special section.

Chickie in my pen

Megha Girish
A little bit of history first. Megha was with me at KroaKing 1. You know, back when karaoke was only about fun? There were enough lethal voices in Season 1 to make one feel like they didn’t stand a chance in hell. But when Megha performed Lady Marmalade, the rest of us may as well have just packed up and left. It is important to point out that we didn’t. We couldn’t; she glued us to our spots with her voice. Megha won that season hands down.

And now, she’s back in town, taking part again. The competition is insane, and it’s impossible to pick any favourites. But watch out for Megha.

Mamma’s most beloved boy wonder!

Andy
You know that thing about drawing hearts that I mentioned earlier? Andy was responsible. Eight hearts and one big flower, Andy. What have you done to me? After last week’s nonsensical repeat trick with the cell phone, Andy came back. This time, there was a sheet of paper pinned to a tree. Andy looked at me mockingly and began to sing. The rest, as they don’t say, is in the present continuous. Andy sang Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow and everyone just shut up and listened. I was telling someone the other day, that there are very few voices that astound me, every single time they begin to sing. Andy is the only voice on that list who is not an international star. Yet.

Andy, I’ll call you when you’re on stage at the finals, okay?! Wink.

That brings us to the end of the qualifying rounds. Five people made it last Wednesday, since a couple of people from previous weeks have had to drop out. Judy, Andy, Megha, Nitin and Kevin.

That also brings me to the end of a fairly long relationship that I’ve shared with this blog. I first wrote here right at the end of Season 1, and haven’t stopped since. It’s going to be strange not to be here for the rest of this season. But I will try and survive on news I’m sure I’ll get from friends. It’s been an honour and a pleasure to spend week after week getting badgered by Carlton to write now, write now!

Have a great season, all the best and may the crown belong to the most passionate.

Week 7: Andy, get a landline

2008-04-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

I’ve been sitting in front of this computer for an hour and a half. I have nothing. Let me assure you. If I didn’t absolutely have to write, this week’s post would have been a visual interpretation of a stunned silence.

And please don’t assume that the dumbstruck disposition is a positive reaction to last week. Not by a long shot.

Last week was the penultimate qualifying week at KroaKing Season 3, and also the penultimate week for me in Bangalore. (Pen. Ultimate. Smirk.) I have another week to go with this blog before I head off to a clement, balmy, pleasant Secunderabad. And I’m hoping and praying that I’ll have a lot more to say next week.

It’s besides the fact that the same people came back with the same songs. I can’t imagine why, although I’ve been doing it for years as well. I don’t care; I’ve had a tough week, and I’m allowing myself the luxury hypocrisy. Shilpa with Bubbly, Tania with Punk Rocker, JJ with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Selwyn with Angel. Seriously guys. I’m planning a blog embargo for next week if you don’t sing us a new song. And I deserve a better farewell than that! So come on!

Through the entire evening, I remember smiling thrice:

1. For Russ who did Twist and Shout. I like Russ. He keeps thinks fresh and interesting, and I never tire of seeing him on stage.

2. For Stanley Pinto and Fly Me To The Moon. Stanley is a judge and not a participant; we all know that. But I found myself circling his name in my book anyway. Endearing as always, Mr. Pinto.

3. Actually, this was a beam. For Aishwarya, who sang one of my least favourite songs of all-time. But goosebumps are not bigots; they don’t have differences of opinion on genre, neither are they averse to alarming levels of smarminess. Aishwarya, you were my one shining moment from last week. What a magical voice you have.

Which brings us to my failed shining moment:

The Continuing Story of Bungling Andy

For those of you who were not present at the Kroak finals last year, congratulations! You were saved the trouble of cringing when Andy- easily one of the best voices in the house- pulled out his cell phone and proceeded to read the lyrics to his song- the ENTIRE song- from his phone. So there was a magnificent voice on stage, but the body that was producing that sound, seemed to be checking his SMS.

Cut to Kroak 3 qualifiers, week 7.
Paste.

Anyway. (Like, so whatever.) Three more have made it to that all-important list. Neha, Suraj and Aishwarya. Congratulations, you three, we’re looking forward to seeing more of your talent at the semis. I’m headed to Opus early tomorrow, in the hope that I can catch Andy at the entrance and confiscate his cell phone. Also, my Little Red Writing Book and I will say goodbye to you tomorrow, our last kroak-evening. So be there! And if you don’t know who the hell I am, be there still!

your last chance to get in

2008-04-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

maestro will produce a track for one of the top 12 :)

2008-04-09T01:16:00.000-07:00

Week 6: Little Miss Sunshine Says Boys Do Cry

2008-04-08T03:33:00.000-07:00

If confirmed cynics like me allowed déjà vu to get to them, I might have sighed last Wednesday.

It felt like a Kroaking competition from at least a year back. Shyju was singing Uriah Heep, Roopika was back in town, Arfaaz was wearing his heart on his knees and Saurabh Dubey was performing a very 80s public display of angst again. Damn. I should’ve sighed.

But last week wasn’t just all about nostalgia: these guys were all back on stage to get back in the game again. The fact that only a couple of them made it goes to show just how competitive this has become. Shyju’s Stealin’ reminded me of a semi-finals from two years back as did Arfaaz who, no matter what he sang, would’ve sailed through back then.

There were the usual suspects as well. JJ, Selwyn and Martin. The latter two seem to have settled into a depressing genre of music. Better Man, Real Love, Bed of Roses, Angels, Iris…all these songs involve young men bereft of something, usually love, and is punctuated with their inability to sing something happy. This is a terrifying male version of a syndrome that Bette Midler went through, as did Shania Twain, God bless her annoying soul.
Martin and Selwyn, you boys should sing happy songs. Does it really matter if you get into the semi-finals or not? Sing happy songs! Come on. If Del Amitri could do it, so can you. And JJ, although you have (thankfully) broken off that gloomy relationship you had with Iris, I fear that this rebound with Breakfast At Tiffany’s is going to be a long one. Quick! Find another song!

Anyway, moving on from the rebuking. Many special mentions this week. The Talented Mr. Menzel pulled off a very sincere Romeo and Juliet. Sharon who has already made it to the semis, came back with that feminist anthem I Will Survive. My knees weren't as weak as the last time she sang, but she’s got something special all right. There was Russ Peterson featuring Aashith Shetty in a screeching interpretation of Pretty Fly. Just in case Martin and Mayank thought no one else could perform this song. Come on, boys! Let’s have a little fist out, shall we? Russ and Aashith walked away with last week’s Radio One Fatafat prize.

Priyanka Blah was Hella Good. She got an Underline in my book, and I’m hoping she’ll come back. Thing with Priyanka is, she does stuff not too many people do on the Opus stage, and that’s always refreshing.

The return of Roopika was akin to headline material in Opus circles, and for all the right reasons. Roopika's performance is flawless. As for her singing, read back issues. She’s one of the best we’ll ever have. I personally dislike the song she sang. Jesus Take The Wheel, besides conjuring an irksome mental picture of Jesus driving a pickup truck (oh no. now there’s a pink carnation.), does nothing for me. Roopika, I would love to see you do something completely different. Some bad-girl rock, perhaps?

Then there was my flavour of the season, Ravi Bhat, with Plush. Ravi, in my World XI, you will be captain, okay?

Moving on to Mamma’s sections.

Chickies In My Pen

Shwetha Jairam
Finally finally finally. Shwetha Jairam, who I’ve been rooting for unabashedly and whose name I spelt right for the first time today, has got her due. Success is sweet, you deserve it, I love your voice and all that jazz. It's a tough song to pull off, and harder still without the backing. You did a very decent job notwithstanding. Woo. Hoo!

Mamma’s Boys

Arfaaz Kaagalwala
Arfaaz was a personal pick, mostly because he sang one of my favorite Aerosmith songs. I was just lapping up all the nostalgia last week!

Saurabh Dubey
One of our shining moments from KroaKing 1, I was thoroughly pleased when I saw Saurabh in the crowd. And even more pleased when he made the top three. Another victim of the Mr. Bette Middler Syndrome, I am hoping Saurabh will happy up in a hurry as well. Welcome back, Saurabh.

So that’s another week down and three more names on that board in Opus, which someone needs to update regularly, no? Saurabh, Roopika and Shwetha, congratulations and get ready for the mad bad world of KroaKing. Err, again, in most cases.

See you all tomorrow. This time, the cynic will try and bring her rose-tinted glasses. But I’m not promising.

For those of you who didn't make it, and for those who want a shortcut to success, here's how you go about it. Radio One, the radio partner for KroaKing 3, has a special on the menu. Call the numbers listed below, and leave a message. Of course, your message has to be a song. The powers-that-be will pick three of the best voices, and those three will make it to the semi-finals of Kroak, purely on the basis of that one phone call. BSNL users can dial 1255594, and other landline and mobile service users can dial 505101094.

Weak 5: Anhoni ko Dhoni kar de

2008-04-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

The long arm of justice often gives us the short shrift, eh?

It wasn’t one of those weeks where there are so many fantastic singers that a great voice must be sacrificed in favour of another great voice. For once, I could actually count off the fingers of one hand, the number of people who stood out. And it was something of a shocker that Shweta Jayaram didn’t make it. But there you go. That’s the orange coloured, purple striped pretty green polka dotted arm of justice for you.

Okay, enough whining.

Last Wednesday, it rained many many huge monkeys. (Sue me.) Good thing we were singing and not playing cricket, for instance. No loss for me, though; I’m mistaking singers for cricketers all the time.

First to impress was my main man, Venki, with yet another hit by The Doors, Back Door Man. While a part of me worries that perhaps Venki is not exploring his full potential, range-wise, I am quickly reminded of I Left My Heart In San Francisco. And that part quickly shuts up.

Mr. Mayank Tiwary, with his belly-shaking bouncy baby take on Tubthumpin’ was the Radio One Fatafat Man of the Week. Mayank has no illusions about his voice, neither has he any doubt of his stage presence. And that is a refreshing find. Our faithful friend Mrs. JJ came back with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a song which will henceforth be called Better Than Iris. JJ sounded far more at ease and self-assured this time. Look what happens when you find another song, JJ? Come, let’s go rounding in your car!

Speaking of old friends, we also had the immense pleasure of Abhijit Sudhakar’s company. Abhijit was one of the stars of last year’s competition, and few have managed to get over his terrific green costume. Last Wednesday, Abhijit squeezed some oranges with his rendition of What’s Up.

Remya was back with her beautiful voice, but had a very unfortunate choice of song. Hero has got to be the most annoying song ever written. And it really doesn’t help that it is in the scale of Mariah Carey. Every time I hear it, I have a mental picture of nails against a blackboard. Remya, on the other hand, has grace, nonchalance and a quite control over the crowd. Even strong attributes like those pale before a song of such preposterous proportions as Hero.

Senthil warmed the cockles of my Tamilian heart with an unpretentious rendition of Every Breath You Take. Senthil was the second person to make the list last week. And then there was Anuj- from Hyderabad- who sang Angels. He was the third. I’m coming to the first.

In my special section this week, I have one gush and one lament.

Mamma’s Boy

Dhoni

Okay, fine, Ravi Bhat. This young man has created a huge fan following for himself over the past few weeks. Thanks to my unabashed and constant gushing, the announcement of his name on the mic is followed by gregarious chants of Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!, most of which I start in my quiet corner. But all that chanting finally paid off. Ravi promised a different genre and delivered with a flourish. His performance of Kissing A Fool was easily among the best last week. With Ravi Bhat qualifying, I feel like my work here is done.

Chickie In My Pen

Shweta Jayaram
Absolutely confounding and ridiculous that this girl didn’t make it. Nobody but nobody I know can pull off Patsy Cline’s Crazy and Son Of A Preacher Man like this girl. It’s not just about the songs she picks. There is something in her voice that sets her apart, and I can’t believe that she didn’t make it last Wednesday. You know, I try to keep this blog as light-hearted as possible, but I have to admit that this truly bothers me. Anyway. The cookie crumbled. Your voice makes me misty-eyed, Shweta, and you should know it.

So three more frogs have been kissed by fools, into princes- Ravi, Senthil and Anuj. More mayhem at the Octopus’s Garden tomorrow evening. I have many butterflies in my stomach about tomorrow- I have a feeling it’s going to be insane. My little red writing book and I will be there. And this time, I think I’m going to give the beer a miss.
I intend to maintain the sobriety of…judges.

Week 4: Books in running brooks, sermons in stones and a Mark in every season

2008-03-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

Life at Opus, although very far from being exempt from public haunt, teaches us a lot of things. Why, after being a part of three KroaKing seasons, I feel positively wise. One can only imagine the effect all this has on Carlton, especially in light of the fact that he’s just had another birthday. Giggle. Anyway, the point I’m trying to make rather inarticulately, is about one of the biggest Kroak lessons we’ve learnt: There can be no contest if there isn’t a Mark to spice things up considerably.

Season 1 had our dear friend and local jester Mark Swaroop, Season 2 had Mark Lazaro of the (please note) erstwhile Marry Me! fame, and Season 3 seems to have found it’s share of Marks as well. We decided to go wild and get two this season. The first is Mr. Mark Rego of the Booze and Brains fame, to say nothing of the getting-friendly-with-the-microphone infamy. And the second one is him on the left in the picture, except I have to admit sheepishly that I have no idea what his surname is. We’ll know soon enough. Last Wednesday had its fair share of good singers, but when this boy came up on stage, everybody shut up. Not so much because he’s built like a bouncer, but because his voice looks like it’s going to kick some ass as well.

Adarsh came back with Alice this time. No, the song. The one with the expletive in the refrain. I don’t know if it was the song itself or the lack of whiskey, but I didn’t feel the usual pink bubbles I do when this boy sings. Bring back the bubbles, Adarsh!

Then there was Nina, who always manages to pick songs that really suit her low gravelly voice. Sheryl Crow’s If It Makes You Happy is one of those songs. Anaita was another fresh discovery with ‘Unfaithful’. She’s has that small-person-big-voice thing that I’ve said with regard to Andy, and it’s absolutely fantastic.

And now, because everyone else I have to talk about is also on my Special List, we’ll move right along.

Chickies In My Pen

Shweta Jayaram
First of all, anyone who can sing Son Of A Preacher Man, has my attention. And you have a beautiful voice that you sing it in. I drew a big flower next to your name, in my Little Red Writing Book. I’ll show you!

Mamma’s Boys

Mark Insert-Surname-Here
Where did you buy that voice, and can I have the address? OutSTANDING. And you’re such a performer, too. I can’t wait to see you in the next round.

Dhoni
Ravi Bhat, actually, but who’s objecting. I know you’re throwing a tantrum about coming back for Week 5. I highly recommend that you stop this with immediate effect. I will be lying in wait tomorrow, in the hope of ‘embarrassing’ you further. Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!

Venky!!!
What a song to sing, when you want to show the rest of the competitors what is what. What?
Yay. Venky. Yay!
You make me babble.

Three more in the Big List, then. Anaita, Mark III and Venky. Adarsh, Dhoni and Shweta, I still want to see you guys back tomorrow. And now I will go away. See you on the morrow.

P.S.- All apologies for the extended Will Shakespeare reference. These things happen to me on windy days and Tuesdays. Even Karen Carpenter won’t understand.

I see dead people. Walking around like regular people. And they all sound like Jim Morrison.

2008-03-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

I’m really tired of gushing every week. See, in real life, I’m not so nice. Ask anyone. But this competition is bringing out a really irksome pleasant mushy side of me. I don’t even know myself anymore. But I sure as hell know a lot of people with a lot of talent.

The past couple of weeks have seen a very remarkable Jim Morrison revival and I can’t ignore it anymore. Between Ravi (God bless you!), Venky and Russ we cover various The-Best-Of-The-Doors collections each week. Carlton, you might want to change the name of this contest to LizardKing! Although I am still not writing about Venky, he did a deadly LA Woman. And if you read that sentence like I did, go stand in the corner and think about what a dirty mind you have. Russ outdid himself with Roadhouse Blues. I must say I love the spirit of guys like Russ and Mrs. JJ who come back every week and kick some lily ass.

But Ravi. Judges please note. Although Ravi sang an Audio Slave number on Wednesday, I am actually cheating and writing about his performance on Sunday. Because I can. Its called artistic licentiousness. First of all Ravi did one of my favourite Doors numbers. Touch Me is so euphoric and unabashedly maudlin; it just lifts the spirits of a crowd, if the spirits they’re drinking hasn’t already succeeded in that area. Beautiful, beautiful.

But enough about the many little Jims.

There were many many other fabulous singers that evening, some not even singing Doors songs. Adarsh came back with Collective Soul and more whiskey. He’s got something. Our lovely little friend from Season 2, Jude Lazaro, came back and left behind puddles of audience drool. What a charming voice he has. Another man worthy of mention is Nitin. Nitin sang a fairly common karaoke song, but there is nothing common about his voice. Every Wednesday at Opus, I make notes in a little red book, to help me with my write-up. Under Nitin’s name, I wrote, “Wooohoooooooo”.

Now that I’m done with the boys, here’s the thing that really happened last Wednesday. Many many magnificent female voices. Crawling out of the woodworks. And they all go into my special corner!

Chickies In My Pen

Shilpa
I love it when people who haven’t sung at Opus before appear out of the blue and wipe the floor nice and clean with every one else. So…hygienic. Shilpa was one of those voices. She sang Bubbly and had every one hushed like puppies, eating out of her palm.

Judy Das
Judy has a lovely quiet uncomplicated way of saying, 'I’m here, now back off'. Her rendition of Love Song was such a refreshing change from some of these Big Mamma types who try and sing at Opus sometimes. Wink. I personally think Judy should have made the list. Come back, Judy. Bring your brother with you.

Arti Desikan
Arti is by no means a new Opus voice. She’s probably one of the most experienced singers who made it that night; she’s done plenty of singing in the past. And you’ll know why when you listen to her voice.

Meghana Das
Extremely young, extremely talented and with alarming control and maturity in her voice, Meghana sang Before He Cheats, and made it straight to the top of last week’s qualifying list. Ladies and gentleitems. Watch out for this one.

Mamma’s Boys

Ravi Bhat
Ravi, on Wednesday when I was taking notes about the contestants, I put a curly line under your name. Girls like me, we don’t use curly lines. You have a voice that makes my lines curly and my vision blurred. AND you look like a lovely little Dhoni. It’s not fair.

So that’s that. The three who made it on Week 3 are Meghana Das, Shilpa and Arti Desikan. Since we’re on the topic of Jim Morrison today, I’d like to mention that many singers from last week have unfinished business. Judy, Nitin, Adarsh and Ravi deserved to qualify and didn’t, because we can only have three per night. Guys, come back.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go prepare a face to meet the faces that we meet tonight at Opus KroaKing Season 3, Week 4.

Be there. Jim’s coming!

Week 2: In which the writer's maternal instincts surface, and a new Venky is born

2008-03-07T04:49:00.000-08:00

Remember I said something seemingly premature and presumptuous about how this competition isn’t going to be pretty? You thought I was kidding, didn’t you? If you weren’t there, you should’ve been.

No, I’m not writing about Venky, so you’re not going to hear a long-winded syrupy discourse on the wonders of Venky; especially not about how he makes such a beautiful little Jim Morrison. He and his cigarette politely spurned my musically-inclined advances on Wednesday, when I begged him to take part, so not a word about him. Pattooee. I spit on you.

I am not going to speak about Venky, because the times have changed. This season, ladies and gentlemen, Neville is the new Venky! I tell you. All these young boys come and sing with these big old fluffy voices. You’ve got to understand you can’t repeatedly do this to us. Women my age not only find it immensely disturbing that we are, indeed, old and past our prime, we also begin to see thousands of hitherto concealed advantages to being The Older Woman.

Then there was Adarsh who drifted on to the stage in all his skinny glory, whiskey and cigarette in hand, proving that men can, in fact, multi-task. What’s more, he sang a song that, in the vast ocean of alleged love songs, actually does something in that area. Adarsh did a decent job of Romeo and Juliet, and I clapped loudly and his whiskey smiled at me.

There was Barry with one of his mad magic mixes, which was probably the highlight of the evening. Barry alone is a stageful, but when little Jordan Menzel decided to join him on stage it was a little too much to handle. I think my womb sort of leapt on to my lap and did a little jig to remind me of my dormant maternal instincts. Mrs. JJ came back with another ironed shirt and a far better performance. Don’t Look Back In Anger suited him just fine, although he didn’t make the cut. Come back JJ! We’ll all go rounding in your car!

Then there was an overload of deadly voices, at the end of which my soul was writhing on the floor begging for mercy. Ravi with a classic rendition of Roadhouse Blues was another Jim Morrison heart-stopper. I personally think it was a little shocking that he was shown the doors. Ravi, please come back next Wednesday. I think you like, totally deserved to make it, y’know, and the fact that you didn’t, is, to quote Avril Lavigne, like so whatever.

While we’re on the topic, I think another person who should have sailed through, was Remya. Remya, you sang absolutely fantastically, and I will eat my non-existent hat if you don’t make it next week. So come back.

There was Rooshad next, and Mark Rego, who both did songs they’ve done before. There’s an obvious reason why they picked the same songs. Rooshad does a brilliant Save The Last Dance For Me. Almost makes you want to do as he tells you, if you’re the dancing kind. Mark, besides doing absolute justice to Billy Joel’s You May Be Right, also pulled off some questionable moves with a very terrified microphone. What a man. He’s got booze, brains, Billy and a belly dance.

The three who made it this week, are Neville, Mark Rego and Rooshad Garda. From what they pulled off on stage, I can’t wait to see these three in the rounds to come. But I just want to mention again, that I can’t wait to see Ravi and Remya back either. And that I’m still not talking about Venky.

Mamma’s Boys

Yay! I have so many!

Barry
I just want to say that men may come and men may go, but Tam Brahm Software Engineers will go on forever. Especially this one, with its strange mutation that hadn’t surfaced in our Tam Brahm till he came by: talent AND sex appeal. I don’t care what people say, you CAN touch this.

Jordan Menzel
The only non-singer from Wednesday to make it to this list. Jordan, I hope someday your parents show you this. I have a very weak heart, and if adorable little babies like you keep being adorable, I might just not make it through the season. You are lovely. And, err, alarmingly young for someone with so much talent.

Ravi
I’ve already said everything I want to say. Come back.

Neville
Ditto. You will, of course, be back.

Chickies In My Pen

Remya
You’re the only chickie in my pen this week. You sounded absolutely lovely. I can’t think of one reason why you didn’t make it, except, perhaps, three. The ones that made it. Still. Waiting with bated breath for you to prove my point next week.

Week One: Love us two times, Venky

2008-02-28T04:57:00.000-08:00

I’m not terribly good with first impressions and even less adept at predictions, but this has to be said. I’m all for believing that Week 1 is going to prove to be very accurately indicative of what we’re in for, throughout Season 3. On stage there was character, freshness, a sign or two of great performances, the whiff of originality, and more than a smattering of some truly stunning vocal ability.

In order of appearance, Mayank, Mrs. JJ, Martin and Tania bridged the gap between Season 2 and Season 3. They were there to remind us of how, in some cases, appearance matters (Tania offered to let us stand under her umbrella baby, uh-huh, uh-huh) and how some things never change. I truly enjoyed the nostalgia. Mayank was entertaining as always, with his teddy bear take on Steven Tyler, Martin was a sentimental gentleman with Robbie Williams’s Feel and JJ looked like a brand new bride, although he sounded exactly like himself, in an ironed-shirt version of Iris.

There were two other throwbacks to Season 2 who I enjoyed listening to. Nina sounded beautiful even as she, quite fittingly, insisted that Big Girls Don’t Cry. I’ve always loved Nina’s voice, you know. One sound out of her and I yell, “Timber”! The other noteworthy sound came out of the bespectacled Mr. Shyju Varkey. Shyju has, shockingly, mellowed with age, and now insists on talking to Delilah.

But just when we think that’s all there is, these are all the singers that Bangalore has, yes, we’ve done it, we’ve discovered them all, someone gets up there and throws more dirt on our delusions. Renu was the first of the lot to do that, with The Sign, by Ace of Base. Not a song that’s very popular on the karaoke circuit, but one wonders why. Come back, Renu. More noteworthy singers took the mic; Roonie with Getting’ Jiggy With It briefly showed us that there can be at least the shadow of another Barry. Jarred did a good imitation of Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved, but the band itself never inspired me to do more than turn off the radio, so please come back with a rendition that doesn’t involve that colour and that number. Adarsh was quite smashing with Hootie’s ‘I Only Wanna Be With You’, but it lacked that original touch, which is probably why Adarsh didn’t make the cut.

Russ Peterson provided comic relief and paragraph break with a song called, naturally, Pissing The Night Away, which I am certain only he can pull off with aplomb. A word I use very loosely in Russ’s context. Hit that note, Russ! Hit it!

And then, in very very quick succession came three people who blew my mind. And who are, by default, my picks of the day. This section is no longer called Marry Me!, so breathe easy. After having discovered the many splendours of polygamy, albeit from afar, I’m steering clear of matrimonial advances this season. Unless M. Lazaro and Andy come back, in which case this promise will be revoked with immediate effect.

Chickies In My Pen

Alexis

God knows where you came from, but you kicked Some People right out of the competition. I am eagerly looking forward to the next time you sing.

Sharon Chang!

You’re the woman I’ve been looking for since last Kroak! And I get the feeling I’m never gonna hate myself for loving you.

Mamma’s Boys

Aditya

You’re already hot Bangalore property vocally, I hear. But you’re my sole male pick from last evening. You were absolutely in control with RHCP. I’m hoping you’ll try a different genre for next round. If I know Carlton, there will be a huge mix of styles he’ll throw in as qualifying requirements, so show us what you’ve got now!

I want to make a special mention of Otis before I move on to the title of this piece. I can’t call him a Mamma’s Boy, because of… age constraints; he might not take too kindly to a kid pulling a Mrs. Robinson on him. With a voice and presence like that, I don’t care if he claims to be a one song wonder. I am looking at my toes and coyly twirling my freshly straightened hair. Come back and sing for us again, please?

And finally.

Please, Venky, please. I am asking you twice: one for tomorrow, one just for today. Please take part again. I can’t be more unabashed than this. Love us two times.

Season Three, KroaKing: There Will Be Blood

2008-02-28T00:04:00.000-08:00

Thawwww...
Hello!
Summers’s back and, naturally, so are the frogs. And naturally, so am I. We’re back with Season 3 of KroaKing. And if last year was anything to go by, this is not going to be a pretty little frilly stage where there will be pink bubbles and soft lighting and, God forbid, mirth.

No sirreee.

Microphones will be snatched, glares exchanged, fists will be shook in the faces of voices that will quiver with apprehension.
This summer, there is a thin line between vibrato and terror. A lean shriek between falsetto and fear. And a big fat writer, between now and then.

And there
will
be
blood.

- Anoopa Anand

When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won

2007-05-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know.
I should have written many days ago. I’ve had the time and I’ve had the intention. I just don’t know where to start. This gig started off as an innocent karaoke competition. I don’t know what it has become. Twelve people, all of who sing as if Kate Moss is headed towards the exit, and only their singing can bring her back. (Hi, Chris? How’re you doing?) Twelve people who are singers and performers and divas and…are men called divas too? They should be.

See? I have no idea what I’m saying. I told Carlton this would be the worst farewell piece I’ve ever had to write. Here it is, nevertheless. I couldn’t have hoped to end on a higher note. God knows, I can’t hit too many.

It has truly been an honour and a pleasure to write about all of you.

Abhijit
Your first song was very good. You have great range. And I don’t know if it was because it was your birthday and you had to make it special, but you pushed yourself and completely raised the stakes. And I loved the costume on the second one! You are already a star. I hope you find many platforms where you can show the world how true that is.

Andy
When you started to read your lyrics off the phone, my instinct was to run to you and cry on your shoulder. Loudly. I wanted to bawl. Why did you do that, Andy, why why? Yours was an unmatched performance. You had everything going for you: your voice is, of course, unmatched. You have this shaking writhing fist-clenching performance that has everyone on the edge of their seats. We Are The Champions was the pick of that round, without exception. As was everything else about round 2. Except for that gimmick with the phone. But enough about that. You talent is unparalleled and you need to actively do something about it.

Goo
It doesn’t matter that you didn’t make it to round 2. You should really know that. What matters is you have a very endearing voice and a very endearing personality. I could listen to you sing any old time. I guess you lost out because you were singing in a language you didn’t know, and it’s hard to emote when you don’t know what you’re saying. It takes a lot of guts to do what you did. And you pulled it off with more class and élan that I could have. And I speak the language. Hats off to you. You have my complete respect. And Mr. Braganza’s.

Jacob
Jacobeeeee! You made the Kroakstars of season 1 very proud. You are leaps and bounds ahead of where you were last year. What a performer you are. I thought your second song was far better than your first one. I am guessing love does things like this. In which case, I hope you stay in love and continue to be the superlative singer and performer you are. Kissy poo!

Jerusha
You have an effortless voice and a winning personality. The Mamma Song was simply the best! Which reminds me, Simply The Best was an awesome song as well. When I grow up, I want to sing like you. And oh. You should wear skirts more often. As ZZ Top once said, “She’s got legs; she knows how to use them”. Grin.

Keerthana
Song choice. Kiki. Something To Talk About is a great song. But I would never sing it if my vocal prowess was being judged. Why? Because too many people have sung it. And the most disturbingly abiding memory of that song is that nightmarish rendition by Sanjaya. I swear, I still wake up screaming some nights. You have a powerful voice and a natural ability to hold your audience’s attention. Do some voice training, lady. Awesome stuff.

Malliga
Malligaaaaa! You completely outdid yourself. Talk about being able to push yourself and raise the bar! Initially, I thought Somebody To Love was a very brave choice. I honestly think as few people as possible should pick Freddie Mercury’s vocals. Turns out, at least three people from this competition are more than capable. What a performance! And Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend was brilliant. You have a killer voice, but I love the little tweaks you give each performance of yours, to make it special. Brilliant, brilliant.

Mark
I stick by my initial reaction to and opinion of your song choice in round 1. You completely rocked I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, but you are capable of so much more than that song can offer. Never mind. Your song in round 2 completely made up for the faux pas! And I counted 832 men and women who were drooling over your performance, so no harm done! You know you’re a star. But that will never stop me from telling you over and over again. For my dowry, I want your brother’s photography skills.

Pragnya
Pragnya, ours has been a long trip to the finals. And you know I rooted for you from the start. With good reason, apparently. Never mind that you didn’t make it to the final round. You still did a fantastic job with Aretha Franklin. I hope you keep coming back and singing for us.

Pratik
Pratik, I’ve always only had one complaint about you. It’s that you don’t sing in your own voice. It’s true that whatever you do, it’s making you sound great. But spend some quality time in the shower and find your own voice. I heard it for a couple of seconds in your recording on the CD. You should find that superb voice and give it some love and affection. You rock!

Roopika
What can I say? You deserve all the praise, the awards, the title, the crown and the adulation. With whipped cream on top. Both your songs were outstanding, and both performances, stellar. May you have many many more shows, accolades and admirers. And may Barbara Streisand kiss the ground you tread.

Venkat
Venky. You are my other hero. Great performance on Born To Run. I was going to get up and run after you, but realized I’d be out of breath. Sure enough, it happened to you. Small glitch there. Luck Be A Lady was okay, though. Your pitch wasn’t bang on at quite a few places, and it would have done you good to learn the words. Nothing more distracting in a performance, than the constant fear that you’ll forget your words. But you are still a star. And there are great things in store for you.

THROUGH THE BURGEONING FRAUDULENCE, SOME SHINING LIGHTS

2007-05-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

By Stanley Pinto
There’s a lot about Bangalore that’s hyperbole-ridden, if not downright fraudulent. Restaurants described as world-class by writers who one is often tempted to believe haven't ventured too far beyond Chikmagalur. Fashionistas who we are regularly told are putting Bangalore (India?) on the world map, and who then disappear into well-earned oblivion shortly thereafter. A new international airport that is tom-tommed as arguably the most futuristic in the region, before it is slammed as also being, well, boring.

And so on.

So when Carlton Braganza tells me the finalists at this year’s Opus Idol are as good as anything we saw on the recently concluded America Idol, I ask him who (did I mean What?) he’s been smoking lately. But I turn out dutifully at the Chowdaiah Hall to judge the finals nevertheless, much concerned that my reputation, already verging on the flaky, is going to take a hit from which it may never recover. I mean what do I know about songs that shriek and scream and hippety-hop all over the place? I have shoes older than some of those singers, for heaven’s sake.

But Carlton was right.

The first thing I hear on entering the hall is a cover version of John Lennon’s pithy song Oh Darlin’ playing over the sound system. It’s totally wonderful and before I can ask who the singer is, CeeBee tells me it’s one of the evening’s finalists.

I’m blown away.

And I never really recover as, in the course of the next three hours, I discover that Opus and the redoubtable Carlton & Gina team have unearthed gems as deeply concealed, and every bit as precious, as blood diamonds in a Sierra Leonian mudslide.

There will be reams written about that evening, so suffice it for me to say that there hasn’t been an evening of such unquestioned local talent on display in Bangalore since I don’t know when.

Where on earth did Roopika come from? (Mysore, I was told. And even her husband and father had no idea she could sing, let alone recreate Broadway roles as electrifyingly as she did.)

Who is Andy? How can such a compact body contain the bellows he calls lungs?

Did Jerusha secretly train with Tina Turner?

Was Marilyn Monroe as gauche, and delicious, as Malliga, when she first touted Diamonds as a Girl’s Best Friend a hundred years ago?

And what could possibly account for Bharat’s virtuosity at writing songs in four languages and twenty time signatures, then mixing the sound track himself to perform the whole melange in a hysterical, uncontrolled burst of gloriously demented schizophrenia?

The questions came popping up in my mind with each performance as this passing parade of home-grown kids made that stage their own mesmerising playground. I don’t care what the moronic moral police of Fraud City have to say, Carlton and Gina have gifted the young people of Bangalore with an invaluable forum for putting their take on clean contemporary living front and centre.

As I left the Chowdaiah Hall after the show, a thought occurred: If only someone could get the Chief Minister to spend a night at Opus one of these days. He is likely to discover an endangered species just waiting to open his eyes to a future right under his nose.

chris' notes:

1. ABHIJIT
Great versatile voice. Very “new Romantic” (I’d like to hear you sing “Vienna”). Good control on high notes. First song was much better than the second. Too much running around the stage, which lost contact with the audience. It’s the eyes that primarily connect. The still moments were terrific! Frequently lost clarity of words due to pushing too hard, and running around. Your “Rocky Horror” outfit was fun, if a bit tame - you needed fish-net stockings, or something more daring!

2. ANDY
This is a voice in a million. Tenors would kill for the facility to reach the high notes like that!
I thought “We are the champions” was going to be a bit cheesy, but you made it your own and it was brilliant. “Maybe this time” was the bravest and most ambitious choice of song of the evening. I have taught this to girls to develop their lower and belt registers. You started probably an octave above how most guys would sing. And then you just kept going up and up. It was thrilling.
If I were to hear your voice on the radio, I would know it was you (that is more than I can say for any of the American Idol finalists). It is this quality and character that makes you outstanding. It is a voice that could sing all kinds of music: western classical, opera, mediaeval/renaissance European music, as I think it has great potential versatility. I think the reason you didn’t come first is because you didn’t know your words. The Nokia gag was a clever ruse, but you’ll never pull that off again!
You have a very special gift. Please develop your voice, get singing lessons, learn to look after it. You are not butch or camp enough to be Freddie Mercury, but your voice is in that league, and you have the potential to be something original.

3. GOO
You have a powerful rich low/middle register (what is called a “belt” voice) which is rather unexpected, given your slim, sexy, oriental appearance. That’s your great appeal. I was sorry you didn’t make the second round, as I heard you rehearsing “Somewhere over the rainbow”, which the audience would have loved. Your rendition of “I love rock and roll” was highly entertaining. I know you have problems with the English language, but your diction (although not perfect!) was better than some of the other contestants, as you didn’t overpush your voice. Good voice control.

4. JACOB
You have progressed leaps and bounds since last year. You ooze confidence and vocally you are much stronger. I would like to think it was all those exercises I put you through, but it’s probably “love”! Great, entertaining first number, beautifully contrasted with stillness and power in “Impossible Dream”. You have great versatility. Work at your low notes in the shower!

5. JERUSHA
You chose a difficult first number, in that it takes a while to get to the chorus. The chorus was terrific, but the verse is low and difficult to sustain the energy. And it was during the verses that you lost your audience, as your focus was on the screen rather than them. Entertaining performance of “When you’re good to Mama”, given it was a family audience.
But to really pull that song off, you have to exploit every innuendo to the fullest. Try it at Opus sometime and be very daring!

6. KEERTHANA
I think you could have found a raunchier song - or have made that song more raunchy! It was unfortunate that Sanjaya sung this so recently on American Idol - he made it his own. I hasten to say I think you sang it better, but it didn’t quite have the charisma that Sanjaya gave it! You have a Tina Turner/ Janis Joplin quality, and the song wasn’t strong enough for you to really show that off. Practise long held low notes in the shower to develop your lower range!

7. MALLIGA
Your first song was too long, and having whammed it at the beginning there was nowhere to go. Your lower notes got a bit lost. Your voice is terrific, but it only shone through when the backing track backed off. Great choice though for your second song, “Diamonds...” which you made your own. Slightly refined for the family audience - fair enough - but try it Opus with a bit more of Marilyn Monroe about it. You will bring the house down. I would love to hear you sing something more ballady to show off the qualities in your voice.

8. MARK
You showed your voice off to the full with two very different songs. You know how to command a stage by keeping still, and feeling those still moments. You have a rich baritone and “Music of the night” was a brave but brilliant choice for you. When are we going to see you in a show?

9. PRAGNYA
You have a lovely voice and gave a great performance. What was missing was diction - it was difficult to make out the words. For an audience in this situation, we stopped looking at you and read the words on the screen. Don’t be afraid of hitting and spitting the consonants. Your vowels are fine - it’s the consonants, though, that give definition. I was sorry you didn’t get through to the next round: I would have liked to hear you sing sing something contrasting.

10. PRATIK
Great character voice. It has a terrific “ashtray” quality, which is why I compared you to Mark Swaroop. Listen to some Tom Waits. You lost your audience by not knowing your words well enough, and your focus kept going to the screen in front of you.

11. ROOPIKA
10 of of 10 all round - wonderful voice, perfect songs and tremendous stage performances. I was so pleased you got the words for “A piece of sky” - this is a really difficult number, and to pull it off to a karaoke track was stunning. My only note for this was “Eat your heart out, Barbra”! I feel that music theatre is your calling. Get some training: the stage is your oyster!

12. VENKAT
“Born to run”: you certainly made this song come alive with your performance. Tremendous energy. You lost clarity in your words at high volume. ”Luck be a lady”: you did the best you could with an awful backing track. Swing numbers tend to fall flat if the the horns aren’t real! A bit more stillness would have helped you, especially after the running around of your first number.

season finale

2007-05-20T04:24:00.000-07:00

Orange colored purple striped pretty green polka dotted pink bubbled Pre-final 3!!

2007-05-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Increasingly, I’ve been feeling that I try to sing with soul to remind myself that I still have one. Wednesday taught me to breathe easy, sit back and listen to those who never seem to have seen a single difficult day, in that area. Eight people who seem to have all the soul that the devil bought off a thousand needy fools and wise men. I’ll say this: he redistributed wisely.

And this is why I am not going to talk about specific people, this time around. This is not writers’ block. I just don’t know how capable I am of doing any justice, although I’m really tempted to try. So, no singling out people. Like Roopika, who had the entire crowd on its feet and knees, alternately. Or Jerusha, who got the most shouting, yelling and cheering that I’ve seen in a long time. Or Jude who won about 89 hearts in the first minute of his performance. Or Keerthana, who blew the socks off the crowd with her power and confidence. Or Jacob. I do believe he had the crowd in tears and in complete awe-struck silence. Like little puppeteers, wrapping strings of worshipping crowds around their fingers.

Did I mention I wasn’t going to talk about specific people? Good. So I guess I should mention that I’m not proposing either. I’m done asking people to

Marry Me!

I’m not asking Bharath to marry me, for instance. He didn’t make it to the top four, but he does win a prize for being one of the few people in my surroundings who can pull of Dave Matthews.

And I sure as hell can’t ask Jude, irrespective of his charming performance. Besides being mildly incestuous, we all know how many times I’ve unabashedly asked his brother and how many times I’ve been rejected. We can safely assume that this sort of thing runs in the family.

But I’ll say this. Till I find my soul without having to look for it so desperately, I’ll keep the faith by recalling the Wednesday that just went by. I’m convinced that there’s enough soul out there to go around.

Pre-final 2- Chick, Korea

2007-05-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

Music makes the world go ‘round. Music is not bound by language, geography or generation. Music is the food of love. Et cetera.

Really. Some sayings are so boring. If I were you, I’d have stopped reading at “bound by language”. I guess this is because we’ve heard some things said so often, but we’ve never experienced them first-hand. Watching a cliché come alive, more than being a mere reality check, is a refresher course for old jaded cynics.

On an operational level, last night saw four more people heading for the finals. But on that intangible level that writers love so dearly, it served as a refresher course for this jaded cynic I know. Turns out, music isn’t bound by language after all. Ask anyone who heard Goo sing. Some truth is cooler than fiction.

More about that later. Let’s start from the bottom and move up.

DJ: I’ve heard you sing a hundred times, but I’ve never seen you nervous. You have the voice and the presence, but the sad thing about nerves is that it paralyzes you. Getting discouraged is the worst thing one can do. Get some practise (loos are the best venue for this) and come right back.

Lindsay: Real pity you didn’t make it. But I have two words for you: song choice. You were great on Proud Mary, but Janis’s version of Summertime is a tough one. The charm lies entirely in the octave she sings in, and by taking it down, I do believe you lost out on voice quality, performance and about 50 votes. I still voted for you because your first song was outstanding.

Russ: You’re a wild one alright, gimmick boy! Your performances were really entertaining, and it looked like you were having a great time. That is easily one of the things that will set some people apart from others in this competition. That, and a superlative voice. You have one of them. :)

Sulekha: Song choice, half-hearted performances and finally, an alarming incident where you seemed to be checking your pitch- repeatedly- on the microphone. Girl, get off the mic when you want to check your pitch! Please! You actually sounded quite nice on Say A Little Prayer For You. But Black Velvet didn’t work out at all. And too many people do that song for it to continue to be fresh. Come back, and sing more. It always helps.

Now for those who made it.

Goo: The greatest sorrow is that you’re not going to be reading this article, Goo. Because while I’ve been gushing over various voices these past few weeks, what you pulled off gets all my R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Ladies and other weird creatures, this is where that bit about music not being restricted by language becomes relevant. Goo topped last night’s poll.
No. of brilliant performances: 2
No. of votes received: 139
No. of words she understood in both songs put together: Word has it, closer to 2 than to 139.
I cannot wait to listen to you at the finals.

As always, fools tread where wise men fear to venture. Here goes.

Marry Me!

Andy: Here’s the thing. You sing like a dream AND you’re approximately my height! Imagine! We can see eye to eye on everything! On a more serious note, I was really afraid after your stalwart performance of Love Hurts. I was almost sure you wouldn’t have been able to match that with song 2. But when I watched your performance of Show Must Go On, I think a piece of my heart fell into my beer. You are my pick from last evening. Without doubt. There’s a ring with your name on it.

Pratik: You have a great voice, and everything else that it takes to win this contest. No doubt about it. You even seem to have this stout Rock n’ Roll background, and a general ability to pick the right songs. Which is why I can’t for the life of me figure out why you picked Kiss From A Rose. You are great, I love your voice, marry me. But please be careful about what you pick for the finals.

Pragnya: Honestly, when you sang Somebody to Love, I had written you off. It didn't do you justice, you didn't do it justice. But then your Chain of Fools came to the rescue. What a brilliant choice that was! Your voice did everything right for that song, and it's not at all an easy number to pull off. Last evening was the best you’ve ever sounded and you deserved every single one of your 105 votes.

And that brings us to the end of a Wednesday with an alarming number of bad song choices, but a heartening number of great voices. And that sentence would have sounded far less cheesy if it hadn’t happened to rhyme.

Till next week, then. Practise your scales, gargle and…run your song choices by me!

Pre-final 1: Mark says he won’t do that and Thos days are over

2007-05-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

Last evening at Opus, we had a glimpse of exactly what we’re in for, over the next few weeks. Clearly, this is far more than a karaoke competition. I have no idea what’s happening around here anymore, but I do know that the people who run this city (yes, run it) need to stand in a corner and think about what they’re doing. The amount of talent I’ve seen at Opus in the recent past, I haven’t seen anywhere else. No surprise there, this is the result of a city choking under the sway of various small-minded scepters. I guess it really helps to stand up and shout, instead of sit around and stare.

Speaking of which, there was a fair amount of shouting going on last night, mostly in tune but some…not quite.

Remya. I really liked your voice on Fever. But I think Woman’s Worth was just a bad song to pick. It lacks character, and it does nothing for anyone’s voice. Not even for Ms. Keys. I empathize. Bad songs have haunted me forever now. Nevertheless, good job.

Shwetha. I really really wish you would let go and sing out. Orange Coloured Sky was average at best, but when you sang KT, I thought it was a pity you weren’t giving it everything. Try it next time. Get a couple of drinks, if you need outside help. But let go.

Thomas. I have no explanation for this. But I voted for you. There’s something about you. I guess when you screamed and jumped and gyrated, I kind of scared myself into circling your name. But you know I’m just being mean and Cowellish! I did vote for you, but I did it because you promised to prove something to me, and you did.

Tania. Well, I guess I don’t have to say anything. You seem to know where you stand as far as your vocal abilities are concerned. You’re a good sport. Cheers! And oh. Please don’t ever sing Celine Dion again. I will take my own life by swallowing the ring that Mark, Malliga and Venky refuse.

And now for the guys who made it. And also, presently, my Marry Me! section.

Abhjit topped the list with 173 votes. Abhijit, your Break On Through was excellent, although it did give me the feeling there was something of Mr. Morrison’s spirit inside you. That was about 60% his voice. Sure enough, you came back with You Know My Name and we got to listen to you sing. Now we sure as hell know your name! 173 votes, my man! Every single one of them, well-deserved.

Marry Me!

Mark came in a close second with 170 votes. Mark, first off, if I had your voice (besides being over the moon in a horribly showy extravagant brash way), I’d have picked another song for the pre-1975 round. Something with more drama, you know? Not that it really mattered; you kicked Jailhouse Rock’s posterior right through the shiny new roof. And then you go and sing I Will Do Anything For Love. This is approximately the moment when you steal the hearts of unassuming women in their mid-twenties. Damn you and that big fluffy voice of yours. Marry me? I childishly circled your name 8 times.

Venky qualified next, with 163 votes. Venky, since we’re on the topic of marriage, will you? Marry me, that is. And if you’re unimaginably young and thoroughly disgusted with my middle-aged advances, forgive me, but it’s entirely your fault. You were one of only two people last evening, who nailed it on song choice, both times. The Way You Look Tonight was easily one of the best performances and Roadhouse Blues stamped your ticket to the finals. In keeping with the childish trend, I circled your name about 6 times.

Malliga tied with Venky with 163 votes, to secure the last entry to the finals. Malliga, see, this proposals thing is very...open-minded. You have to understand, it’s a gesture. You are the second of two people who were bang-on with song choices, both times. Everlasting Love had me screaming and cheering like a drunk groupie. And Sweet Child of Mine- for an overplayed, oversung number- sounded great. So, feel free to accept this ring. It’s very old and suspiciously rusted, but I’m an impoverished writer.

For more about last evening, including pictures and videos and other fancy things that Mr. Braganza does, go to http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com
Is wonderful!

Everything you need to know about the pre-finals

2007-04-30T01:53:00.000-07:00

And whatever we know about the finals

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or mail us or sms us or just start shouting out our names in random public.

Ladies and gentleitems, here are your pre-final dates:

Pre-final 1: 2nd may
1. Abhijit
2. Mark
3. Malliga
4. Remya
5. Shwetha
6. Tania
7. Thomas
8. Venkat

Pre-final 2: 9th may
1. Andy
2. Divya
3. Goo
4. Keerthana
5. Lindsay
6. Prateek
7. Russ
8. Sulekha

Pre-final 3: 16th may
1. Aishwarya
2. Bharath
3. Jacob
4. Jerusha
5. Jude
6. Pragnya
7. Roopika
8. Gulshan

Dos:
Category 1- any song originally recorded in or before 1975
Category 2- any song you want
Don’ts:
You can’t sing a song you’ve sung before at Opus. Pretty please. No one deserves to be disqualified.

the pre finals will be judged by the audience. entry cards for the semis will also double up as voting cards .. for you to have your say and circle your 4 favorites of the night. The voting will be done at the end of the evening. The results will be up on this blog the day after the contest. (Promise.)

Recording for the CD
Between the 3rd and 19th of May, the Kroaking CD will be recorded with sharmon ibrahim. The song that you will record will be one that best showcases your voice.
The roster for the recording sessions will be sent out to the top 12, post the semis. All communication for rules, regulations, roster etc will be communicated by email and sms. And blog.

The Finals
1. There will be 12 participants at the finals.
2. Finals will be held on 25th May 2007 (Friday) at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall. The hall is booked for the whole day. Participants are advised to come in during the day for practice.
3. Participants cannot sing songs that they have performed before at Kroaknights (both Wednesday and Sunday) or at the semis.
4. There will be 2 rounds of competition. The criteria for each round will be announced shortly after the semis
5. Only top 6 from the 12 will move to Round 2. All 12 participants are strongly advised to have two songs ready. Why underestimate yourself when… you don’t have to?
6. Judging for the finals is by a panel of judges. List of judges will be communicated shortly. The decision of the judges will be final.

That should about cover it
If you disagree, let us know.

Week 8: In which Carlton found what he was looking for

2007-04-30T00:53:00.000-07:00

Give the dog a bone; this chap man came rolling home!

We all have our agenda with what we do. Some of us sing to be heard, some to be seen and some to help Carlton along the road to his Sanjaya. After many months of anticipation and preparation, eight weeks of qualifying rounds and innumerable trials and errors, we’ve come down to 24 people who are singing to win.

Last Wednesday brought us some more new talent- something that we’ve begun to cheerfully look forward to. Suman deserves a special mention for her rendition of Misty by Sarah Vaughn. Suman, it’s a real pity you didn’t make it. You were a little shaky on that song, and I don’t blame you- Ms. Vaughn is fairly inimitable. But I hope you’ll come back every Wednesday anyway. And ideally with more jazz for us. Some of us are turning many shades of blue, for lack of good jazz.

There were other colourful moments- Sanjay, with his lyric-less belting out of Can You Feel The Love Tonight, and Sushma who gave us her startling and mildly disturbing version of Shaggy’s Angel. And of course, Mr. Mark Lazaro, about whom I’ve written more than an advisable amount on this blog. Well, try and stop me. Mark, how about a new song for us? Before too much love kills us, you know? Fi fie fo fum!

Getting back to business, four people qualified, bringing us to our desired tally of 24:

Roopika- You sang one of my least favourite songs of all-time (Hero- Mariah Carey). Which means, I’ve heard that song two weeks in a row in Opus. Which means, I should be really really unhappy at this point. But if you’ve heard yourself sing, you’ll know that’s not true. Hats off!

Swetha- Congratulations on making it. And thank you ever so much for not attempting Alanis’s yodel on One Hand In My Pocket. Hopefully, people will now realize that it’s possible to sing Alanis without subjecting an unassuming drunk audience to a split-voiced shriek at irregular intervals.

Sulekha- Turns out Orange Coloured Sky is the unofficial heart-winner of this season. Nina put magic into that song before bursting our collective pink bubbles by opting out of the contest. And now, you. Congratulations, girl.

Thomas- Well, well, well! Who would’ve thought it possible?! To be honest, not I. But no matter; the judges voted and you made it and all the best to you. Carlton is showing all of his shiny white(ish) teeth on having found his Sanjaya. But a word of caution: if you pick Something to Talk About, I might attempt murder. Please, please don’t ever do something like that to me, bonnie lad.

I want to also quickly mention Anand who sang Love Story. On my little piece of paper, I had a big exclamation mark next to your name. That usually means, had I been a judge, you’d have been given a place. You didn’t attempt to imitate anyone or sing is someone else’s voice, and I thank you for that rare experience.

No marriage proposals this week. But I’ll carry a ring with me to Opus next Wednesday, to make up for it. And hopefully Carlton will be giving us something to talk about as well. So. Here are our final 24!

1) Jacob
2) Tania
3) Keerthana
4) Mark Lazaro
5) Jude Lazaro
6) Pratik
7) Jerusha
8) Andy
9) Venkatesh
10) Divya Joseph
11) Remya
12) Abhijit
13) Pragnya
14) Lindsay
15) Bharath
16) Russ
17) Malliga
18) Gulshan
19) Goo
20) Aishwarya
21) Roopika
22) Swetha
23) Sulekha
24) Thomas

Hang in there for my next post, which will be wearing a tie and being very business-like. It’s all about the rules, regulations, dos, don’ts and or-elses.

Week 7: Lookin’ for fun and feeling Gooey

2007-04-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

No. I don’t know what to say. And that’s exactly what I say moments before I launch into a tirade. In this case, a happy tirade because I tell you, this contest is gamboling and frolicking about the place like Kate Moss on acid!

Last evening was another revelation to close-minded idiots like me, about the amount of talent there is in this city. There was some outstanding singing going on, and it’s refreshing to have so many new voices. (Nakul, you were really really good. Very trained, mature voice. I hope we get to see you back next week. Suman, that was a very decent rendition of Moondance. Come back, come back!)

The weather god, having absolutely no sense of timing, chucked a couple of buckets of water at us, somewhere in the middle of all this. But seeing how it didn't stop people from going right ahead with the business of having fun, he packed his pails and went home. People actually continued to sit out in the open, holding up umbrellas. Now, that’s spirit.

I have to make a couple of special mentions.
Kim- I’m always taken by women who pick male vocal pieces. You did the opposite and, for once, I was impressed. Or at least entertained. Your priceless falsetto had you squeezing many oranges, and many people screaming for you. Bravo!
Bharath- I have a soft corner for that song. And the fact that you know how to rock it, made it so worthwhile. (Bharath sang Hard To Handle.)
Goo- I must say ‘Hero’ is one of my least favourite songs of all-time. These wimpy songs that put up various objects-of-affection on a pedestal don’t impress me much. But you saved the experience for me, and listening to your voice made up for the nauseating lyrics.

So, moving along rapidly to my favourite part…

Marry Me!

Andy
I must admit I was skeptical when I first heard you sing. Sweet Child Of Mine is one of those songs that so many people have mastered, it’s stopped becoming a song by which you can judge someone’s prowess. But your version of Oh Darling (The Beatles) removed any doubt that I might have had about you. Outstanding!

Gulshan
My man, this is love that I’m feeling! You started off a little self-consciously, but somewhere in the middle of your performance, you threw caution to the winds, which is exactly where it belongs. You were my pick for the night. Gush!

Aishwarya
You have an effortless voice and style. A few seconds into your song, and I knew you’d make it. Don’t Know Why I Didn’t Come is, again, not a hot favourite. (I guess I can understand Norah Jones’s angst; a lot of us don’t know why we didn’t. But must she sing about it?) I can’t wait to hear you do another song. Something sassy and with a little more attitude, perhaps? To compliment your voice.

The evening ended with our little boy wonder, Jacob Ninan. You are a beauty, Jakes. And for the record, I’ve asked Jacob to marry me as well. But he’s loving angels instead.

So.
Three more have made it. Gulshan (gush!), Goo and Aishwarya. Here’s the list so far:
1) Jacob
2) Tania
3) Keerthana
4) Mark Lazaro
5) Jude
6) Pratik
7) Jerusha
8) Andy
9) Venkatesh
10) Divya Joseph
11) Nina Mathew
12) Remya
13) Abhijit
14) Pragnya
15) Lindsay
16) Bharath
17) Russ
18) Malliga
19) Gulshan
20) Goo
21) Aishwarya

Turns out Nina Mathew (Kroak Idol No. 11) will not be competing, since she won’t be in the country. That sure is a pity, Nina, you have the voice of an angel. This means next week, the last week for qualifying, will see not 3 but 4 people through to the finals. So if you thought you didn’t stand a chance or you didn’t have the time, think again.

Whee. Things are hotting up! See you next week?
Good!

... of creeps and men who feel like women !!

2007-04-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

we're almost at the business end of our search ... 2 more wednesdays and we will have our final list of 24 singers .. and errr .. performers.
ok a couple of things
THE FINALS ARE AT THE CHOWDIAH AT 7PM ON THE 25TH OF MAY 2007 .. tickets go on sale shortly
unlike last year, we are gonna have 3 semi finals (cant really call it that.. it should be the one third finals, i guess) .. they are 3rd, 10th and 17th may. 8 singers will perform and we will have 2 designated rounds (which will be announced once all 24 have been decided) and it will be an audience vote to pick the 4 singers that go through. entry coupons for the semis will also double up as voting cards ... the top 4 will be announced on the site the next day and at the following sundays' KroaKnight. if any of the performers have any problems with a particular date pls let us know asap.
one more time just to reiterate here are the PRIZES
a cash prize of Rs 10,000 for kroaKING

Nokia phones for the finalists

weekly prizes from levitate and native resorts...

and free entry to wed and sun kroaknights for the year for all the top 24 (thats 104 nights in the year @ Rs 110/- a night ... u do the math)

the top 12 get into a studio to record the season 2 special CD with sharmon ibrahim

... still some prizes are coming in :) who are we to complain

and now about the 3 that made it last week.
malliga breezed through and gave herself a b'day present with man i feel like a woman, bharath nailed born to be wild and mr. peterson being true to himself and the song was the 3rd to scrape through with radioheads 'i'm a creep, i'm a weirdo' ....

1. jacob 2. tania 3. keerthana 4. Mark Lazaro 5. Jude 6. Pratik 7. Jerusha 8. andy 9. venkatesh 10) divya joseph 11) nina mathew 12) remya 13) abhijit 14) pragnya 15) lindsay 16) bharath 17) russ 18) malliga

idle worship

2007-04-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

(click on image to enlarge)

somebodys gotta do this and since 'baby got back' problem and 'the cat' is going through menopaws its landed on my laptop.
ok i have to say this .. since i dont know if and when i'll get to say anything here ... i wanna go on record and say that apart from melinda (who needs to doolittle to prove that shes octaves above the rest) we have, in our little backyard on palace cross road, at least 6 in the KroaKING final 15 already who could demolish the other 'idols'.
really, i'm gonna compare man for man, if u dont mind ...
1. phil stacey ... jacob ninan could and would have him for breakfast
2. chris richardson ... i think mark lazaro can more than take the pants off him
3. haley scarnato ... sorry tania, but you're my pick for this one .. we both know singing is not your forte
4. lakisha jones ... jerusha, i think u have what it takes
5. blake lewis ... barry would tear him to shreds and leave his carcass to de'compose' ... (barry still doesnt know his travel plans so he hasnt yet qualified)
6. sanjaya malakar ... now thats someone i cant match .. problem is that all in our version of the competetion can sing ... which is sad cos i'd love to have a 'sanjaya' in the final 12 . last year the kroaking finals had characters ... V had vinoj and vivek (and of course barry) .. but there are still 3 weeks and im still hopeful (russ peterson or young thos is who i have my crosshairs on)

anyways im supposed to report on last wednesdays action and keeping with the theme here goes
the marry me section ... (im proposing on behalf of ms. anand, just in case theres any confusion)
1. a very very inebriated lindsay erdman, a candian jazz blues rocker proved that one whisky one scotch and one beer are her secret ingredients, and wang dang doodled her way into the semis
2. abhijit with a rather ambitious song choice (doing sting always is) ... but he handled it decently enough to make it through
3. pragnya ... finally!! phew!! hats of to this girl though for perseverance ... she braved through that busted flat in baton rouge and is now one of the 24

ok and check it out yo! (happy anoopa?)
there were 2 other girls that stood out ... shweta with a nice vocal of sheryl crows sweet child of mine ... girl, all u need to do is loosen up and enjoy yourself ... really!! i think lindsays secrets should be shared
but the one i really felt really sorry for though, was yamini, a girl from hyderabad, who did a near flawless rendition of didos white flag. pragnyas total was 61 and yamini got 60, and when asked, she said if she were in the semis, she would be here whenever she needed to come down from hyderabad ... siggghh .. come back soon girl

thats about it for this week .... i really hope i find my sanjaya!

carlton

TB or not TB

2007-04-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve studied a bit of literature in my life, and I found it strangely romantic and picturesque that an alarmingly large number of writers and artists in the Victorian era died of consumption. But I’m weird like that. When I first fell in love with literature and thought I might want to start writing, I always imagined that after many years of being an unsuccessful impoverished writer, I would eventually contract consumption and be asked to spend a lot of time by the sea, being weak and disillusioned.

Sadly, science came in the way of my ambition. We have so many ‘cooler’ ailments now. Stress-related vertigo and posture-related backaches are my personal picks for Generation Vexed. And neither has resulted in the doctor advising me a decade’s rest by a calm grey sea.

What I am trying to say in this rambling comatose-inducing manner, is one of the two have kept me from being of any use to this blog, over the past week. And if you’ve followed this blog, you’ll know which it is. For now, I promise to try and get someone else to fill you in on last night’s happenings. And for the large large number of you who are no doubt feeling faint with worry regarding my health, here are some smelling salts. I have bought a hot water bag and some new reading material to see me through countless hours of lying around in bed.

I will be back soon.

Baby got bad back: Weak 4, KroaKing

2007-03-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

Due to a sudden and inexplicable pain in my back, I am incapable of writing a long review of last night. (Stop counting your blessings, please, that is just so insulting.)

Here’s the short version.

Twenty-odd people sang. There were some highlights. Barry, you never cease to amaze me. Come into these arms of mine. Ramya, you were brilliant with that Alicia Keys song. Divya, I loved your rendition of Long Train Running. Laryngitis or no laryngitis, your voice stands out. In sickness and in health. Kurien, Mustang Sally was…interesting. I just didn’t get the feeling that you were singing it in your own voice. This happens to a lot of us a lot of the time. The trick is getting over it. Sing a song and make it your own. Will look forward to seeing you back. Saurabh, it was great to have you back and singing after so long. We hope we’ll be seeing more of you in these parts. Nina, Orange Coloured Sky was, as usual, outstanding. The matrimonial offer is still open. Thomas, that version of Gimme One Reason had a lot of…gusto. Can we have you back and competing next week, please? We had fun.

Here are the three who qualified yesterday:
Ramya
Divya Joseph (DJ)
Nina

Twelve spots, filled:
1. Jacob Ninan
2. Tania Jones
3. Keerthana Mohan
4. Mark Lazaro
5. Pratik
6. Jude Lazaro
7. Andy
8. Jerusha
9. Venkat
10. Ramya
11. DJ
12. Nina

And twelve more to go. If you think you can’t sing, think again. Or find out for sure.
KroaKing, Season 2, every Wednesday night, Opus.

I’ll be, err, back.

Rock n' roll dreams come through

2007-03-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

There is, in my opinion, only one thing that remains constant about karaoke. Variety. On an average, there will be about 20 singers each evening, and at the end of it all, you'll always find that every genre you can think of has been covered. Almost always. Which brings me directly (aren’t you grateful?) to last evening at the KroaKing qualifiers.

If I didn’t know better, I would’ve assumed that yesterday’s Kroak had a rock theme that I wasn’t informed about. It started with Andy handing out a perfectly rendered version of Sweet Child of Mine. Axl (bless his torn throat) himself would have assumed that it was his own voice emanating for another body. Somewhere in the tail-end of the applause, Pragnya burst into her very brave attempt at Led Zep’s ‘Rock n’ Roll’, and from then on, it was one yowling distortion after the other.

Pragnya, I have to say this. It’s just unfortunate- again- that you didn’t make it. You have a good voice, and gauging from yesterday, I’d say you have more than your fair share of spunk. A piece of advice? Bathroom singing, for one entire week. I’ll wait for you next Wednesday. As the Beatles once said, “don’t let me down”. *Smiles, but refuses to use annoying emoticon*

The rock fest continued with Neville (Wherever You May Go), Venkat (Light My Fire), Siddharth (Roll Over Beethoven), Manu (Jeremy), Kannan (Plush) and a whole bunch of others. Mark Lazaro, one of my favourite gents, ended the magnificent over-indulgence with a song that I do believe only he can pull off- Too Much Love Will Kill You.

Evenings like this never end with a whimper. Stanley Pinto brought the tempo down to a wistful sway, with The Shadow Of Your Smile. His vibrato had all the women screaming for him. It always helps to have a judge who has a twinkle in his eye, and wine in his voice.

They say it ain’t over till the fat lady sings, and apparently there’s some truth to that. A fat lady sang, and she is I, so enough about her. Shall we move on to my favourite section, then?!

Marry Me!

This week’s Marry Me! features two people.

Jerusha
You know what is most endearing about you? Your ability to get people to love you almost immediately. It may be the big dimples at the end of each line, but I’m not so sure it’s just that. You have this effortless voice, and very good control. Learn up a whole bunch of songs, girl. You’re going to be in this competition for a really long time.

Barry
I love your voice, your presence on stage, your carefully constructed genre and your ability to move to the music, rather than against it. Some of us have no idea what that feels like. But more than loving your talent, there’s another reaction that stems from your perseverance and hard work. I think the scientific term for that is ‘respect’. I’ll check with Aretha Franklin and get back to you on that, but till then, just know that you are the undisputed King of Original.

Three more people qualified, which means there are now nine names on that list, which means there are fifteen spots left. This also means that I am finally equipped to take my ICSE Maths exam. Here are the guys who’ve made it:

1. Jacob Ninan
2. Tania Jones
3. Keerthana Mohan
4. Mark Lazaro
5. Pratik
6. Jude Lazaro
7. Andy
8. Jerusha
9. Venkat

And here are the guys who haven’t:

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

And they haven’t made it because YOU haven’t sung yet. So be there next Wednesday. Till then, it’s over and out from me. Terminology that Team India is getting alarmingly fond of, I’m afraid.

Our very own ‘Tap-Some-Bong by Night’

2007-03-22T00:28:00.000-07:00

There are all kinds of singers and performers. And then there are those who do something to warrant an entire write-up about themselves. This man has been doing that something for a while now at Opus- and with such elan! Vivek Madan applauds Opus's very own superstar-mixer-dancer-rapper boy. Read on.

No doubt most of us have heard/seen/heard of the famous Russel Peters line on Chinese Superheroes.

Well, we have our own Superhero, right here at Opus.

First time you see him, you see what everybody else does; a quiet, bespectacled boy with floppy hair and knapsack and you think, “Ok. Geek.” Well he is. Bharat Krishna is a software engineer by profession and an IIT Chennai graduate to boot. He works at the Bank of America and finishes work by about 7 PM or so and if it happens to be a Wednesday, he finds his way to Opus for the Kroaknight.

And that’s when you see the transformation occur.

‘Bharat Krishna by day and BARRY by night’.

“Typical Chennai attitude”, you think. “Bharat calling himself Barry to make people think he’s cool.”

But when he gets on stage and picks up that mike, “Barry” is not cool enough. The man is a musical genius; not only can he sing, he also mixes his own tracks. Most of which are remixes of Tamil, Arabic and English songs. The permutations and combinations he achieves with his mixes are just something else. I mean, who would even think that ‘Aicha’, ‘Pettai Rap’ and ‘Summertime’ would make a mixable mix? Pick up the KroaKING Season I CD to find out. (I’m on it too… Track 5)

And it’s not just like, you know, he sings in one corner with a music stand in front of him. He knows the mix so well, he sings it off the hard disks in his brain and when you have 4 different mixing back and forth like the Indian population, it’s got to be hard. And of course, Barry is a consummate dancer. Whether he’s jumping around like a maniac with his version of ‘Jam’ (which is, by the way approximately an 8 minute mix of some 5 songs) or standing still in a pose of hard concentration while singing his ‘Desert Rose’ mix, Barry proves to the world in general that he is a born performer.

Blows my mind every time I watch him. You should come and see him in action sometime. He may not have Kryptonite or a strange rubber suit or the ability to throw fridges around but man, he is truly something else.

Barry my friend, what can I say except that I’m proud to be sharing a CD with you.

- VIVEK MADAN

Week 2- Lazaro Khwaishein Aisi

2007-03-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

I missed the opening week of KroaKing 2, but I heard there were some teething problems. Not too many forthcoming singers, low audience participation, et cetera. Ad infinitum, even. So I went to Opus yesterday prepared for a few cavities at least; best to lower your expectations. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

There were sixteen singers last night, and I'd love to write about all of them. But this is blog not a novel. So I’m going to use every writer’s favourite tool: prerogative. My prerogative section is called…

Marry Me!

Marry Me! each Wednesday, will feature people who stood out. Today’s Marry Me! features four people and one highlight- a phenomenon that is not likely to repeat itself. I’m henceforth going to try and restrict myself to three. But for now, forgive me, I’m weak.

Pragnya
Pragnya picked two songs that most karaoke singers love to sing- Black Velvet, which helped her to Round 2, and I Will Survive. But the thing about songs like this is, a truly exceptional singer will be applauded for picking them. And she was. Come back next Wednesday, Pragnya. Something tells me this contest hasn’t seen the end of you.

The Freddies Mercury
My favourite section of last evening was the impromptu back-to-back Freddie Mercury special. Mark Lazaro- bless his wonderful voice- with Too Much Love Will Kill You and Vivek Menzel- my hero- with Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Queen is never easy to sing, but then with these two voices, there’s never any doubt that they can pull it off. Warm-fuzzies are few and far between, boys, but that was definitely one!

Jude Lazaro
What a pretty voice you have, Jude! ‘Home’ was okay for me, but ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ awakened my dormant goose bumps. I think it was your round 2 song that gave you that nudge. Great choice of song- a thing that, I assure you, will help in future rounds. Ask Ms. Kate Moss from last season, she'll tell you.

Mark Lazaro
Yes. I’m writing about him twice. Got a problem? If you do, then come and listen to this man sing next Wednesday. No, not just listen. You have to watch this one. Jumps around like a livewire, yells and screams and throws his arms around. And has a voice that makes the tears jump out of my face. (Ask anyone who knows me. The best performers always make me cry. The glistening eyes aren’t just a finton of your imagination.) Too Much Love Will Kill You and Bed Of Roses allowed this man to trample his way to the top three. Fee-fie-fo-fum.

Nina
Nina, Nina, Nina. Sigh. I didn’t think too much of Can’t Fight The Moonlight, but that’s probably because I don’t think too highly of that song. But Orange Coloured Sky. What did you do with that song?! You were simply magnificent with that one. It was just pure bad luck that you didn’t make the top three. Come back next Wednesday. You can make it to the finals. And then what say you and I run away together? And how many people are going to believe that I’m straight after this? Who cares?

So anyway. Those of you who were there, Wasn’t it great?! And those of you who weren’t, What’s up with that? Six spots are filled up already, but you have a bunch of Wednesdays left. So come and sing.

Here are the six, so far:
1. Jacob Ninan
2. Tania Jones
3. Keerthana Mohan
4. Mark Lazaro
5. Pratik
6. Jude Lazaro

More later. Bye bye for now. Turns out I have to get back to a job. And all the endless ways in which we rob ourselves of ourselves and each other. Sigh.

2007-03-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

Something to talk about

2007-03-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

We’re excited because the World Cup is upon us like a ton of Cola wars.
Bangalore roads are ghastly- just like the traffic, the weather, the infrastructure and the BPO belts.
It’s the middle of the week and we are all at work.
Cottons are in.
Brangelina is (are?) out.

The point I’m trying to make, rather inarticulately, is that we need to have something new to talk about. Desperately. Before we all die of...Nothing To Talk About.

Under the dire circumstances, I am pleased, proud and almost childishly excited to announce- rather belatedly- that Opus is back with KroaKing 2. The contest that made waves and news, sealed friendships, allowed for our fair share of gossip, but most of all showcased some of the best voices this city has.

And this time the New could be You. All you have to do is show up on any Wednesday evening, grab a drink or ten, grab the mike from Mr. Mark Swaroop and sing your heart out. From then on, you could either make it to that list of 24 finalists or not. Either way, you’re in for a big fat happy time. I should know. I’ve been there. And I often put the ‘big fat’ in it!

In the presence of the million dangling conversations we have everyday, let at least one be truly exciting. So what if you have to sing it.
Come on, kroakers, let’s give them something to talk about!

P.S.- I will be taking over writing on this blog- at least for a while- from Vivek Madan. But I've always preferred a conversation to a monologue. So please leave me comments, requests, bouquets or their opposites. Or you can write to me at thewriterbites@gmail.com

Frogs are passe. Its the reign of the frogesse!

2007-03-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

Right! Let me try and explain that.

I'm not in a mental state fit enough to continue with this blog. As all the 3 and half readers will testify, the quality has gone down a bit. And all 3 and a half of you deserve better reports of what actually goes on at KroaKnights, especially now that KroaKING II is upon us with it's rather deafening, and sometimes off-key, crescendo.

So, without further ado, allow me to present to you, my dear readers, the Frogesse (Portmanteau of frog and largesse/duchess, if you get my drift)!!!

Anoopa Anand, published writer, self deprecating (but a very good) singer and now the proud owner of 2 cats (which you will no doubt be hearing about) will take you through the murky depths of Karaoke at Opus, the backstabbing, the bitching, the tears, the fears and oh yes, the singing too.

And one she has improved the ratings on my blog, I will gently nudge her aside and take all the credit. :-)

Take a bow, Frogesse Noops!

Kroaking Season 2 - Rules and Prizes!!!!!

2007-03-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

KROAKING SEASON 2

RULES
for 8 wednesdays, starting today, we pick 3 people out of the entire lot that sings, to get into the final stages ... (which means if u are not picked on a particular wednesday u have the opportunity of 7 more weeks to get in, tho im guessing it will get tougher as the weeks roll by) ... every week an updated list will be sent to all and hosted on the site... when we reach 24 people we'll have a semifinal to pick 12 .. and then a final at the cowdiah auditorium on the 25th of may ... wherein one would be crowned Opus KroaKING... aaah, and one more thing ... the judges decisions are final and binding

ELIGIBILITY
anybody and everybody can take part (even those who competed last year) ... the only one who gets a wild card into the semifinal (thats entirely up to him if he wants to take it) is mark swaroop who will be hosting the first leg of the competetion ... and yes, if u are picked you have to be around in May for the final stages

PRIZES
a cash prize of Rs 10,000
Nokia phones for the finalists (model nos. will be announced shortly)
weekly prizes from levitate and native resorts
... and free entry to wed and sun kroaknights for the year for all the top 24 (thats 104 nights in the year @ Rs 110/- a night ... u do the math)

the top 12 get into a studio to record the season 2 special CD with sharmon ibrahim
we are still working on more prizes and record deals and judges ... by next week we'll have a final list of goodies, as more and more people are coming in as partners) ..

for more competition hype go to www.kroaknights.blogspot.com

Knock Knock...?

2007-02-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

Ok so i'm not The Bangalore Torpedo. I didn't expect a few hundred comments exclaiming how good it was to have me writing again but at least a few?????

Bleddy cows. Just reading and running off. Say something. Even if its about the melting of the polar ice caps or about good looking balding men who sing their way.

(If this fails, I'll go off and become a housekeeper in Trivandrum)

Guess who’s back????

2007-02-27T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was a very strange night at Opus for me. It was like a semi reunion of the Kroakers of last year’s competition. All the more weird because it brought home the fact that while some of us are still around, so many of the others have moved on, made babies, found different jobs, different lives. Hell, some of them have even found different wives in the short time since the finals last year.

But for those of us that were still there, the losers, there were many pleasantly nostalgic moments. Vinoj with his Eminem act, the Kuttukarn sisters Serah and Eleyah with their trademark songs ‘We are’ and ‘Black Velvet’ respectively, Mark, Jacob and Barry who are now like pieces of furniture at Opus and of course Namrata’s fussing.

All these casual incidents were legacies of a time not so far gone but man, they seem like eons ago. All those decisions on which song to sing, all the bitching about who should have actually gotten third place and the excitement of the Kroaking CD and the recording sessions; all of it came back slowly.

I’m quite glad that Carlton has decided that the participants of last year can take part again this year. Would have been a shame to deny those great voices a second chance - now that Megha has left the country.

I'm not taking part this year, for reasons that I will explain in future editions. But I must admit to feeling a small pang of envy for those contestants who make it to the top 24. They are in for a roller coaster ride over the next 10 weeks and I hope their journey is as magical (a word I have used in only one other context in my life) and meaningful as mine was 8 months ago.

If you want to know what to do to win that prize, which I’m told will be something I would kill for, keep reading this blog.

PS – The title of this piece refers to the contest and to me. NOT to Vinoj. No offense Vinoj, you sure can sing that one - only. ;-)

kroaKing Live Concert

2006-09-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

Well well well. Who would’ve thought it!

Last Wednesday was a complete treat for those who witnessed the sort of birthing of a generation of performers at Opus.

The line up of singers boasted some who had been on stage before but there were quite a few who had never entertained the possibility (the wish or the hope, maybe) of performing as part of a concert in front of a live, paying audience.

When they started out on the project about a month ago, they were given the responsibility of organizing themselves into a respectable evening of entertainment. They stressed themselves and each other about rehearsal schedules, people not coming on time, song choices, the weather, sore throats, dogs on airplanes and everything else under the sun.

With the persistent training of Chris Williams who rehearsed the group songs and tons of initiative from each of them, they metamorphosed into a cohesive, dedicated group who between themselves, sorted out their costumes, their props, their song lists and even their entries and exits on and off stage.

Boys went shopping for white clothes and brown slippers, girls for feather boas, paper money was printed, and someone got his ear pierced. The level of enthusiasm and commitment made them extremely hard to recognize as the same group of people who started off at Opus as Karaoke Singers.

Cut to show day: What a night!!! Everyone performed with such élan; you would think they’d been born on that stage.

I’m not going to put down a complete song list because they’re going to perform again in a couple of weeks so for those who missed it this time, make sure you mark off that date well in advance.

It’s not only in fairy tales that frogs can become Kings and Queens.
And our boys and girls proved it. Implicitly. And we’re damn proud of them! (Sniff!)

Kudos! Great show!

Vivek Madan

The weekend that was...

2006-06-14T02:24:00.000-07:00

Since its inception, Opus has been regarded as a versatile space. It’s a space for music; it’s a space for theatre, for dance, for art. We’ve had karaoke, Taboo and Pictionary, exhibitions and stand up comedies. We’ve seen engagements, proposals, wedding receptions, kiddie parties, kitty parties, corporate presentations, wine tasting and right now, I think the only thing we haven’t seen so far is a wedding. (And please don’t look my way...)

With all the various activities we’ve been associated with, its hardly surprising that we would also pay homage to what is widely accepted as the worlds most popular sporting event - the FIFA World Cup 2006 at Germany.

Never having been a sports fan, I was rather skeptical about this foray into the field. Of course, we were a handful of people earlier in the evening. We witnessed the opening ceremony and once that was over, I looked around and the bloody restaurant was packed! And everyone was there to watch the match. DJ Arjun did his thing and got a nice build up to the start. And the match started.

It was a very different evening then on. The walls that usually heard the thumping of a bass drum and the whistles and cheers of music loving fans were now treated to a different tune. About a 150 people staring intently at the screen, like they could will their favourite team into scoring. It was a revelation. What energy! Noiseless and non-intrusive but almost palpable in its intensity.

Saturday of course was outstanding. Winner of KroaKing Season 1, Megha Girish and Goan rockstar Oliver Sean were in full form. Their performances were quite different and I’m not very sure if the mix and match worked but it was a thing that had to be done. While Megha’s range is far more impressive, Oliver’s guitar was quite simply mesmerizing. His choice of songs was also more manicured but that’s nothing that experience can’t teach Megha. I had my ‘Vivek look’, as Carlton now refers to it, through most of the night. (For those who are now confused, try and imagine me with my jaw open and nestled somewhere next to my shoes.)

Sunday night was a bit of a soft spot for many of us. It was the first karaoke night since the end of the contest, which remained embroiled in much controversy and cross-fire. (I love it!!!) But more importantly, it was a sort of a send off for Megha (And Amrutha who is also leaving short'l'y), who is now back home in Dubai, having completed her studies here. All of us dedicated our songs to her. It’s a measure of the influence Carlton and Opus has had on the singers that nobody sang ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’. Needless to say, the night was one of the best KroaKnights I’ve ever seen (Roopika where’ve you been all my life?) and it ended with fond farewells and much camaraderie and some tears as well.

It was great weekend; the closing of one era and the ushering in of another. And the spillover is the most exciting part. I hope we see many singers watching matches and as many football fans take up the mike. If the space can be this versatile, why not us?

Vivek Madan

The champions, my friends

2006-06-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

Anoopa Anand lives in India and loves to write. One day, she will be thin, write for a living, sing for love and truly live up to her name. Till then, she will write blank verse and plump poetry.

Well, the hurly-burly’s done. And as much as some of us didn’t want the fun to end, we’ve come to the somewhat gloomy realisation that it has. So we’ll listen to our CDs, think back on the past gazillion Wednesday nights and feel magnificently sorry about the fact that we have to go back to our ordinary-joe-lives.
Okay, I will. Those who agree can…please stand up.

Everyone who is capable of remembering anything about 7th June besides the alcohol-inspired haze, has an opinion. Everyone has something to say about specific things, people and incidents. Carlton’s cornrows, Vivek’s whisky, Mark’s minions, Megha’s magic, the judges’, err, judgements, and my thirty nine left feet, are just the beginnings of endless discussions and debates. And, emotional fool that I am, I’m going to make an attempt at mentioning not one or two, but pretty much all the things I can think of. Certainly, all the performers, since no one’s done that yet. Without further rattlings-on, here’s my two cents’ worth.

The evening began with everyone doing double takes at Carlton’s lovely lady locks. You looked really pretty, Carlton. But I think I’m going to leave me hat and everything else on.

Hotty and Shorty- It took me a while to figure out who was who. And when I heard their real names, I’d wish they’d stuck to them. Mayank and Martin- thank you for opening the night and shaking your behinds to what could only have been the utter delight of the audience.

Mark- You were a star in the first round. You could have picked a more suitable song for the second round, but this pot is going to stop calling other kettles black on that point. You have a fantastic voice, and a personality that has already taken you places. I love your sandpapery voice. You most certainly deserved a place in the top three, and I am willing to share my booze, in a bit to tell you that I’d gladly give you my third place.

Amrutha- Girl, you sounded great on the CD. Your performance of the ABBA medley was endearing, but didn’t do as much for your voice. You have nothing to worry about, though. You have a way of getting people to smile.

Arfaaz- You were my pick from the start of the show, you know. But you were a shadow of your old self, at the finals. Maybe it was the song? If I had to pick a song for you, it would have been something with more character than I Want to Break Free. You rock, though.

Namrata- Love that song. And you have a deep voice that you could do a lot with. Here’s a tip- learn to enunciate when you sing. You and your audience will enjoy a performance far far more, if the words are clear, and you sing it with meaning.

Vivek- You’ve been your own biggest critic, so here’s all I’m going to say. I know you lost your pitch, and sometimes with so many people cheering and screaming, it’s hard to find it again. But every time you think your performance was lacking, go listen to your recording. You two-dimensional cat, you!

Serena- Loved your choice of song, in the first round. My Way is a sure-fire attention grabber. One thing, though- don’t start off a high note with being afraid that you may not hit it. You were softest when I most wanted to hear your voice soar.

Vinoj- I’m going to shamelessly paraphrase Vivek on this one. Don’t listen to what everyone has to say about you. You were there just like everyone else, to perform. I think people are complaining about the decision, more than you. However, I do have something to say. For both Jailhouse Rock and Slim Shady, I couldn’t stop thinking that you were over-performing. Concentrate on your voice more. Really. I do believe that ultimately, that’s what we were all there for.

Santosh- The one thing that’s helped me is all the singing I do in the shower. Best acoustics, and you don’t have to merely imagine a naked audience! Concentrate on your voice more, you’ve already got one. And you could have chosen a better song, too. Cheers!

Barry- Over all, you’re a star! And you should know that. Your pitching on Desert Rose was a little off, but boy, do you know how to get your audience to scream for you. And you have an endearing stage personality too. In my opinion you deserved the prize you won.

Jacob- My friend, if I and many other people I know had a hand in the decision-making, you would have been in Round 2, as sure as my profile is NOT on shaadi.com! But that’s the way this cookie crumbled. Your voice is one of my favourites.

Megha- I’ve saved you for the last, because you ARE the last word on great performances. Where did you buy that voice, and can I have the address? I think, without a doubt, you were everybody’s star of the show. I simply loved Lady Marmalade. One thing- when you get carried away, the mike seems to get farther and farther away from you. Rein that mike in girl!

I will abstain from mentioning my own performances, except to say that performing Respect, was the most fun thing I ever did. To keep things objective, I will quote someone I don’t know, who had this to say about me: “Anoopa: I was watching you on the big screen and it was your feet that let you down. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, like Kate Moss on acid (am I allowed to say that?). But bravo for going for a big Broadway number, “Mama” from “Chicago”, which was brave, but the song was bigger than you, I’m afraid.”

Lastly, I’d like to take my hat off to Carlton, Shonali, Gina and everyone at Opus. I don’t know any other place that can pull off a show like that. I know there have been many things said about many things done. But like I told Carlton, it’s not like any of those people ever tried pulling off week after week of a kroakin’ good time, topped off by what is now popularly know as the Megha Finals, after the deserving winner of this contest. You know what you’ve done, and you should be proud.

And this is where I will stop. I have given myself permission not to talk about the judging. Writer’s prerogative. And, let’s be honest, anything I say can and will be used against me. However, we should all join in thanking the judges for being there and sharing in the fun.

Hope you had as exceptional a time as I did. I’m a writer, and I haven’t written a word for the past month. I’d like to thank Opus and all the performers that night, for having inspired me enough.

Anoopa Anand

Weirdness

2006-06-08T03:09:00.000-07:00

Well its finally over. 10 weeks of mad excitement, frantic song searching, even more soul searching and poof! Its gone in one night.

Speaking for myself, im feeling very, very nostalgic about the whole journey. I mean, to me, it was like doing a play, being a part of this massive production that had a 1000 extras. All of us as contestants, especially in the last 2 weeks have hung out together so much; at Opus, at the studio, over coffee, over beer, over msn. And now im left wondering as to how life will move on from here. I know, I know it's temporary, its the whisky talking etc etc. And I know it will pass but for me, the most inexplicable thing is how this stupid singing contest has come to mean so much to most of us. I mean it's making Sharmon Ibrahim feel sentimental. And now its starting to have that same effect on me!

I find that truly astonishing. I've been called many things in my life (Mark wipe that evil grin off your face!) but sentimental is not a word i've heard often.

Anyway, the good thing is, we've all gone through something together, all of us, and we're all taking something back with us. At least I hope everyone is. And I'm not talking about the CD or the booze or the cargoes or anything like that. I'm talking about friends, feelings, learnings, experiences and most importantly with me, a sense of accomplishment. The feeling that I've been a part of something truly wonderful and the feeling that i've done something!

Its crazy and sentimental and its completely mushy drivel but there it is. Weirdness.

Vivek Madan

A reveiw of the KroaKing finals

2006-06-08T00:47:00.000-07:00

As requested by Vivek Madan, here is a review of the Kraoking finals at Opus. It is my penance as I ended up not getting a bill at the end of the evening. I was presented with a bill, but it had lots of food on and I had eaten before I arrived, so there was some confusion. However, I had several beers, that seemed to get cooler and cooler as the night wore on, which made me drink more and more (Is this an Opus ploy?), as the night got hotter and hotter. And what a night! Not privy to any of the previous rounds, it was an amazing evening, and so, mea culpa, here is a review (so you don’t have to write one!)

Thank heavens, the judges got it right. The deserved winner was Megha, and, in my opinion, for her outstanding performance of “Lady Marmalade”. Orangey in all the right places, and which received the most spontaneous standing ovation of the evening. One cannot fail to draw comparisons with American Idol, when the choice of song really matters. Her second song was not in the same category - try a Bette Midler song next time (not that she needs a next time now!) I was disappointed Mark didn’t get a higher placing: his Joe Cocker Song in the first round was truly great, a real character voice, full of swallowed ashtrays (a la Tom Waits). Again, his second round choice didn’t connect in the same way.

It was interesting that it was the real performers who got through to the final six: those who didn’t use the song sheet, thereby not presenting the audience (absolutely packed) with their backs. That is a real loser. The performer of the night was Barry, who truly connected with the audience. His first round number was really wacky and mesmerising. For all my catholic knowledge of music, I hadn’t got a clue what the song was, but it was very entertaining. His final number started brilliantly, but he probably lost out as his energy drained in the middle of the very long rap. Perhaps there should be a time limit in the finals. But I take my hat off to his energy and bravado. Anoopa: I was watching you on the big screen and it was your feet that let you down. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, like Kate Moss on acid (am I allowed to say that?). But bravo for going for a big Broadway number, “Mama” from “Chicago”, which was brave, but the song was bigger than you, I’m afraid. And a general note to all, even when squeezing every ounce out of your body to get the high notes, if you close your eyes, you will not communicate to your audience. Eyes say it all. Vivek Madan, bless him, knows he hasn’t got the greatest voice in the world, but he communicated by directing his performance, even with eyes hidden by glasses and hazed by a mist of rum, straight out to the audience. And congratulations to him (another hat he wears is as the lighting man) for getting the lighting right, so everyone, even right at the back, could see the performers.

A very memorable evening by all finalists - congratulations to all, and enhanced by guest performances from the panel of judges: Avril Quadros, Stanley Pinto, Mark Rego, Samira and of course, the host of the evening, Carlton Braganza, who sang “Bad Day” as if it was, and probably was, one of the best days of his life. He and his wife, Gina, have made Opus into something Bangalore should be very proud of. The tension of the evening was heightened by the fact that we were all wondering if we would ever get to the end before the police arrived and close the place down at the ridiculous curfew time directed by Karnatakan law. (Wake up, this is a cosmopolitan city!) Fortunately, we got there without incident.I hope Opus have made enough profit out of the evening (yes, please send me my bill, I will pay it!) to invest in a better sound system. They did the best with what they had, but I hope there is a wonderful philanthropist out there willing to sponsor them with a wonderful system (and sound engineer) so that such evenings can reach the stars!

Chris Williams

Chris Williams is an international music director, songwriter and music theatre entreprenuer. You can agree, disagree or comment on this blog.

Showdown...

2006-05-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

And so we arrived at the finals stages of the KroaKing thing. The place was packed, people were rocking and every contestant had a goodly fan following and a tag-along crowd. The solidarity each group showed towards their mascot was unbelievable. But then, as Carlton said early in the evening, we were a music loving crowd. We just cheered everyone on, some more than others but what the hell...

The beginning saw a strange reversal of the order of arrivals. People began trooping in at 7:45 PM while 2 of the contestants strolled in at 9:45!! Interesting strategy I thought. Maybe they thought the prize was a watch or something...

Anyway, once all the slots were filled, the night was kicked off by none other than Hottie and Shortie. Their ‘Pretty Fly for a White Guy’ gave people, contestants and audience alike, what they needed - blessed release from the nameless but yet tangible tension that gripped the air.

You know, for all the accomplishments of the singers yesterday and for all that they have sung on that stage to very similar audiences before, I don’t think there was even one singer who wasn’t holding something back. I’ve had the privilege of watching and listening to all of those 12 singers at times prior to this and to me, not even one of them hit the mark. Not even close. Sure they might not have done anything wrong (well, most of them didn’t anyway) but...

I’m not sure what the reason for this might be, although I have a voice in my head telling me to shut up and that I’ll find out soon enough. I’ve touched upon this topic before and I’ll say it again - The contest seemed to have leached away the fun from the evening. Not for the audience. We enjoyed it thoroughly. I’m talking about the contestants. It was very weird.

On the whole, a nice evening, a decent ‘beginning of the end’, an eclectic range of songs and voices. But a minor anticlimax.

Vivek Madan

ramble

2006-05-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

You know I’ve always wondered about how people keep saying “Bangalore is overtaking Mumbai and Delhi as the entertainment capital of India” and “Bangalore - the Pub city” and Bangalore this and Bangalore that and the rest of the story.

Never really gave credence to those theories because I feel that every city has its own pace, its own rhythm, its own modus operandi. Friends of mine from Mumbai come here and are scandalized by the fact that we have places where we can both drink beer and eat steak.

At the end of the day, it’s the people who make the city what it is. And it’s the same with a space like Opus. I’m truly amazed by the variety of people who walk in there; especially for Karaoke Nights. At first I used to wonder, what’s the big deal in coming to some place to watch strangers makes fools of themselves on the mike?

And then it hit me... It’s Vaudeville all over again; Variety entertainment. At KroaKnights, you get all kinds.

You get good singers, good singers who’re having a bad day, decent singers, terrible singers, funny singers, non-singers who are born entertainers, singers who’ll look at you while they sing, singers who’ll just stare at the wall, singers who’ll dance with the mike, singers who’ll stand rooted to the spot like they’re controlling a bad case of susu, singers who shout, singers who whisper, groups who just break out into laughter at every line, couples trying romantic duets holding each others’ hands, I mean the list just goes on and on and on... Boyfriends dedicating songs to girlfriends and vice versa, bad singers who know they’re bad, bad singers who think they’re great, singers who bow in humility for the claps, singers who arrogantly wave their hands and walk off with their drink, singers who go red in the face while hitting the high notes, singers who don’t move a muscle even if it sounds like they’re being pinched in the balls...

Phew... I’ve run out of breath now. You should try and say that whole paragraph in one breath, might improve your singing abilities. So, in just one night, you can experience a wholesome evening (Like cornflakes and toast for breakfast???) of first class entertainment.

And last night was a prime example. All kinds of people, all kinds of singers, one completely rocking evening.

It’s the people who make the city and the people who make Opus.

Elementary my dear Watson...

Vivek Madan

Sing...err!!????

2006-05-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

You know it’s funny... There’s only one more week left for the Kroaking contest to reach its final stages and for the first time in probably my entire life, I’m shit scared of going on stage.

I think it must be just me though. When Carlton says something about me claiming or not claiming to be a singer - I must confess I’m not sure which one is true myself - I keep asking myself, do I consider myself a singer? If I am, then I shouldn’t be nervous, and I’m not, what the hell am I doing belting out Robbie Williams for anyway?

And then my superbly logical mind cuts through the fog and says, first define a singer. Then you can decide whether you are one or not. ‘Hmm.... good idea’ I say to my mind. So, what or who rather, is a singer?

Deep in search of the truth, I went to the most logical place to find out the answer to that one.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=singer.

After getting thoroughly confused by some reference to a Polish-born American Yiddish writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature (I mean, one would think they would at least put the sewing machine guy first but he comes after!!! The cheek I tell you...), I finally read with bated breath the definition of ‘Singer’.

‘One who sings’. Well that’s a bit fucking vague isn’t it? Annu Malik sings. What hare-brained idiot would call him a singer?

Then it says, ‘... especially a trained or professional vocalist’. That didn’t help either. Because if that were true, then half the people who sing at Opus aren’t really singers, they’re just mike waggling interns.

So I’m back to square one, asking myself, ‘What is a singer’? I somehow don’t think that logic will help me here. I am forced to realize that anybody can be a singer, I mean, it’s like being an actor or being a dancer or even a cricketer for that matter.

I think the question I want to ask is - ‘Am I a GOOD singer?’ I don’t think I’ll ever be able to ask that. I’m too scared of the answer.

Anyway, one more week and then the action hots up for the semis and then the finals!!!!
Maybe I’ll find my answer then.
Maybe I’ll like it, maybe I won’t.
What the hell.
It’s still great fun!!!
See you Wednesday for the last of the Kroaking Qualifiers! Cheers!!!!

Vivek Madan

These are all 'Shiny Opus People'

2006-05-07T02:05:00.000-07:00

This was a piece I wrote about a year ago for an e-newsletter we were thinking of starting then. The idea never took off but my thoughts did… as you will see. Most of what I’ve said applies even to date but there are some factual anachronisms which I hope you will forgive me for. I don’t feel like modifying them. Just look at it as ‘A look at Opus one year ago’.

Shiva ‘Sweaty’ Subramanian: Called Shiva by some but ‘beast-man’ by most, these two names should give you a picture of the man. Most often found at Opus in Sweat pants or his Kaftaan; he calls it his Martial Arts outfit but I don’t believe it - I think he like to cross dress once in a while. And oh, since he’s going to kill me when he reads this, you’re all invited for my funeral.

Shonali ‘Sashay’ Mathias: Yup yup yup!!! You got it. The sway on the lady as she walks around trying to get the Karaoke system to work…or trying to remember a table no…!! Whooooo boy! And the SMS’s she’s been known to send; guys watch out if she has your number!!! Most often seen around in Opus with a Camera and a frown… This is one bit I just had to add – Shonali is our Resident Hottie. Excellent at public relations!!!

Neil ‘Neat as a Pin’ Campos: Nothing fits Neil better than that phrase. Never a hair out of place, shoes to rival Jayalalithaaa’s wardrobe… Neil, if he was taller, would be excellent model material. But having fallen short, he can be found at Opus in Casuals, which in contrast to mine…are smart!!! If you think I’m being nice to him, I have my reasons…

Gina ‘General’ Braganza: Ooooooh boy, run for cover. Not called general for nothing, Gina’s alarming and extraordinary behaviour has also earned her the nick name of ‘Hitler’… The woman responsible for many things including tying down her husband’s considerably vast bulk to land and so on and so forth, Gina’s trademark is the beret she wears on her head. A word of warning, she may look French but don’t try and slap her…?

Carlton ‘Uh…uh…uh’ Braganza: The man responsible for the frown on Shonali’s face and the one of the vast bulk, Carlton is what youngsters call a ‘dude’ and what oldies call ‘strange’. Found at Opus in any item of clothing you can think of and a lot you can’t or wouldn’t want to, Carlton’s dress sense is best left to the experts. Incidentally the ‘Uh…uh…uh’ is something he grunts on the mike to any song when he doesn’t know the lyrics. It has now been enhanced by a startling ‘Wooooooaaah’ in the middle of a performance.

And now for the fun part; the next few are new. Think of it along the lines of Star Wars: The prequel and the sequel. The sequel focuses on the people at Kroaknight. The various weirdos and their idiosyncrasies.

Mark ‘Midnight Special’ Swaroop: He’s been around for as long as we can remember and has even handled some of our kroaknights when Carlton and I have been out of town. He is forever thankful for the blackboard we have at Opus cause that’s his favourite hiding place. At Opus, with its dim lighting and all, Mark somehow reminds me of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. I’m not sure why… But all jokes aside, Marks falsetto version of ‘Barbie Girl’ is possibly one of the best I’ve ever heard. But only when he sings it with me.

Namrata ‘Not now ya…’ Sudhindra: probably the most well known dentist at Opus; maybe the only dentist at Opus, Namrata is another die hard but she just loves playing hard to get. With her two friends, Squeaky and Nins, she could be the next generation of Itchy and Scratchy. They even sound like a cartoon strip – Squeaky, Nins and Nam-Nam.

Kartik ‘KarpeKundi’ Iyer: Only his wife Preetha can testify as to the veracity of my nickname for him but I like it. Kartik or Higher Iyer as he likes to be called is one of the ‘Stars’ at Opus. The quintessential funny man with a few Stand up comedies to his credit, Kartik, unfortunately is like one of those really old scooters – Lambrettas I think they’re called – needs to be kickstarted at least 20 times before he can rev into action. Preetha, tweak his ‘g’ears a little will you?

Pramod ‘Passionate’ Nanjappa: I have never met a more passionate man in my life. He is passionate about everything - mainly beer and Zombie – but there is not one thing you can talk about that will not incite Pramod into a bewildering flurry of action and dialogue. And when you’re well over 6 ft tall, with a bald head and a Superman T-shirt, people tend to listen or get out of the way really quickly.

The views and opinions in this piece are solely those of the Restaurant and do not in any way reflect upon the authors’ sentiments.

Vivek Madan

The Prima Donna Syndrome

2006-05-02T02:02:00.000-07:00

I remember one Kroaknight at Opus when someone began singing Pink Floyd. The gentleman had asked for help and as I was there and it happened to be one of my favourite songs, I started to sing with him.
Being musically challenged to the point of deafness, I wasn’t singing seconds or thirds or any part of those, I was singing in what I believe is called the melody of the song. Unfortunately, the gentleman singing was also singing the melody (as is his right).
We had barely gotten past the first 3 lines when my friends, the cheering squad I mentioned in my earlier piece, began cursing me and calling me a Thunder Stealer. I was instantly reminded of Silk Smitha and her thunder thighs and failed to see what they were referring to. Then the wiser of the two said, “Get off the mike, he’s singing well!!!” He actually said something like “Get of the &*$#ing mike you ch*&th, let the dude sing!!” but we must maintain niceties on the internet.
That was when I realized that I had succumbed to what I now refer to as ‘The Prima Donna Syndrome’.
People sing songs badly or they sing songs well. The point is that they’re singing it. Not you. As a people, we need to learn to respect another’s time on the mike. If you think you can enhance the song, do it, if you can’t, keep your mouth shut.
If the whole group is out to have fun and just make fools of themselves as is often the case with some people, then it’s fine. But here’s a guy who wants to sing this song and is good at it. You don’t even know the guy, but you just have to join in. So sing it verse by verse. Don’t all 3 of you holler in the mike at the same time... Spread the glory... Share the mike... Or don’t share it at all. You can sing it next week.
If some people are lost, there were 3 songs sung last Sunday night that led me to write this article. ‘All for Love’, ‘Here I go Again’ and ‘Its Raining Men’. While the first two were absolute disasters thanks to the Prima Donna Syndrome, the third was a perfect example of how beautifully 2 singers can meld their talents and their energies into a gestalt performance.
I’m not mentioning names not because it’s impolite to do so but because I’ve heard it said that reading this tells you exactly what happens at Opus on Kroaknights. Not true. If you really want to know what’s happening, you have to be there!!! I’m not all that good!

See you Wednesday!!!

Vivek Madan

PS – I missed it but apparently, Serena, a girl who sang ‘Black Velvet’ was stunning. Kudos Serena!!! Hope to see you on a Wednesday soon.

let it flow

2006-04-28T04:03:00.000-07:00

Ok then I’m sorry for the delay but life has been insanely full of parties and meetings, both of which I enjoyed thoroughly. Now I’ve been given 15 minutes to finish this off by the Powers that bee and so here goes…

Kroaking last Wednesday was a bit of a disappointment to me reasons that I will try and elucidate without being too caustic. (This is the gentle side of my nature.)

Firstly, I got the feeling that we’d stagnated, as an audience and as a singing population. 9 of the people on that list of 12 (including myself) were there and while all of us sang, I don’t think any of us actually sang a song we haven’t sung before. While I understand that most people in the crowd might not have heard them before, I still feel that getting into the list has affected our sense of … um…adventure maybe? “No need to try new songs…we’re there anyway…we know we sing these 2 or 3 or 4 songs well so lets stick to it” seems to be the thought. And I know for a fact that some of those singers can sing any damn song they wish to. Maybe they just want to sing that song again and again; I know I do sometimes. But sometimes, I think its time to move on, try different stuff, practice. There’s no harm in that. I mean look at what a little practice did to Karn Malhotra!! (That wasn’t too caustic was it?)

And the other thing is, and I may be wrong, but there aren’t too many new singers at Opus lately. Hold on Carlton, don’t bite my head off. This is just my thought. I think this whole contest thing should not be taken so seriously. Opus is doing the right thing. It’s a great concept. I’m talking about us, the crowd.
Get out of it people. Just come up and sing!!! Not a big deal. You sing, you enjoy it; the crowd enjoys it, that’s it. The competition is completely incidental. The basic idea is to have a complete blast.
I mean, it’s like you put your name in a lucky draw and if some idiot decides that he likes the way you tear your coupon, you win 5 g of gold. What’s the difference? It’s a risk. Its fun, it costs you nothing and it’s a damn sight more fun than filling out a form asking you to ‘Write in ten words why you think Sania Mirza is the best thing to happen to women’s sports in India’ or some other nonsensical thing like that.

So next time you’re listening to your favourite song, drop by at Opus on a Wednesday or a Sunday and sing it for us. We’ll listen.

Vivek Madan

let it R.I.P.

2006-04-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Last night at opus was a complete blast. There were some incredible singers there and the range of songs was quite eclectic. From Neil Diamond (Oscar Menezes) and Frank Sinatra (Mark Rego) to Jim Morrison (Shaunak) and Wet Wet Wet (Mark Swaroop)...

So with such great music, it just beats the hell out of me to figure out why people still want to sing Hotel California. Don’t get me wrong, I like it as much as the next person but forgive me guys, isn’t it time to lay that song to rest? After the 14 year $#*@ing vacation they go on about ceaselessly, this one song of theirs also plays ceaselessly. I mean, it’s not even a very easy song. So if you truly like the song, do everyone a favour and don’t sing it. Let the memory of Don Henley and his eyrie glide pleasantly in everyones heads as just a memory.

Moving on to another of my pet peeves: Mark Swaroop is a prime example of how some people cant get the lyrics straight even when they’re staring at them in the face. In bright red and at approximately 80 point size no less. “Weepin your weepin eyes”? What the hell does that mean anyway? For those who came in late, watch Mark sing ‘Mustang Sally’ next week. And don’t worry that you might have missed it; he sings it every week.

Right! Now on to the truly spectacular moments of the evening. If you leave out the 2 Marks, who performed with their usual élan, (notwithstanding the flubbed line), there are 3 others I would like to mention.

First comes Samira Mohammed, popular singer/performer, front woman to first Clockwork Orange and now Hook who rocked the crowd with ‘I the myself for Loving You’ and ‘Its raining men’... funny but there seems to be a pattern to her choice of songs. But the point I’m trying to make here is, when you truly enjoy a song, it shows. Samira positively glows when she takes the mike and that takes her already superb performance into the league of the fabulous.

Next is an old friend of mine, the cantankerous, crabby Sharmon Ibrahim who has been rechristened ‘Red Hot Sharmon’ for the way he sang ‘Under the Bridge’. Its not a song that we see often at Opus and after last night, I wonder why. It’s an awesome song and if Sharmon can sing it, well it cant be all that difficult now can it?

But the cake, the bakery and all the womens hearts were ripped away in 2 shining moments. If you haven’t heard Oscar Menezes sing, you have surely missed something truly beautiful. ‘Sweet Caroline’ and then ‘Unchained Melody’ sung to perfection by this pony-tailed gentlemen (incongruously referred to as Uncle Oscar by some people) just kept guys and girls alike shrieking the lyrics out with him. Not that he needed any help I can tell you. If he comes in on Wednesdays, God help those contenders.

Vivek Madan

‘Stars, Cheering Squads and Competition’ at Opus Kroaking!!!

2006-04-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Kroaknights are back in full swing at opus. We miss the usual crowd, Namrata, Pramod, Kartik Iyer and some others, but enough of the old lot are still around. Megha, Amrutha, Divya and Hottie and Shortie are always on hand to cheer anyone on to greater heights and higher notes. And Mark Swaroop was of course, in his usual form.

Surprise guests dropped by that evening. Barry with his ‘Boom-bastic’ set the crowd rocking with his impersonations and impromptu gyrations and Meghana Dhawan did a super rendition of Elton Johns ‘Your Song’.

But the star of the evening was, undoubtedly, Mr. Karn Malhotra. Those who know him will have been subjected to the “You wait, I’m practicing...” and might have laughed it off politely or just in his face (No points for guessing which route I took!), but he rocked!!! On last week’s blog, he said he’d be on that list, and sure enough, he is now.

So its not surprising that Karn and Barry are two of the new entrants on the Kroaking Semifinalists but who’s the third? You’ve probably seen her around all the time, she’s an integral part of the cheering squad I mentioned earlier but you might never have noticed Amrutha. She has finally got on that list with her friends Divya and Megha and for singing Alanis the way she did that night, she deserved it 100%.

For all those who don’t get in on the first try (and I remember one girl called Mami, who swept the crowd away with ‘Here I Go Again’ and ‘I’m Alive’, the same night I got on that list), there’s still 4 more weeks and you have to keep on trying! That’s what it’s all about I think.

A wise old owl once told me that we need to look at how there’s the fun in the contest and not how the contest can destroy the fun.

So to get back to the Cheering Squad: Hottie and Shortie are all that’s left of that gang to get on the much sought after Kroaking Contest list and if they get their act together, the rest of the restaurant will have to cheer them on... just to return a favour!!!

Until Monday then... Happy Kroaking!!

Vivek Madan

2006-04-21T04:16:00.000-07:00