Music Diaries: My Journey with Ebony & Ivory by Avik Ganguly

As we almost near the end of World Music Day 2020, I couldn't have left without one blog post. This one goes out to Avik Ganguly for "My Journey with Ebony & Ivory." The name sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Well, I thought the same at first and thus had to listen to it the moment it got released on Spotify. I can proudly call myself a follower of Avik's works since a long time now and this has to be one of his most soulful works till date. 

My Journey with Ebony & Ivory can also be termed as Bengal's first-ever solo album of a pianist. The eight instrumental tracks in the album, well, speak what the heart wants to say. Released today itself, each of these tracks caught my attention right when I heard them and it goes without saying, I needed to get a quick chat with Avik before the day ended. So, here's to you and here's to Avik's journey...

Why is the album titled "Ebony and Ivory"?

Avik Ganguly- Piano is the main instrument I play and all the compositions are based on that. So ebony and ivory means black and white, and in this case, the Black and White Keys of my piano. So it's called "MY JOURNEY WITH EBONY & IVORY"

What made you think of this album during such testing times?

Avik Ganguly- Yes, it is a tough time, especially for those in the entertainment industry. Still, people who know me they know that most of the time I am thinking ahead and not living in the present. In this case, there is no exception. I planned this album in October 2019 and here it is. 

During this time, however, I'm spending time with family, practising, learning, and planning my next moves.

Which is your favourite track off the album? Is there a special mood or tone that you want to leave off this album? 

Avik Ganguly- That's very tough for me to say. I created them and each one of them is very very close to my heart and has a story behind. Still, if I have to choose one, I'll go for Doubt Hunt. It has many dynamic colours and changes, it's about killing the fears and doubts inside. 

A few days back we saw a collaboration with you and so many other keyboardists. How was that experience? 

Avik Ganguly- I still can't believe that this kind of jam never happened before in the state, might be the first in India, and even when I searched YouTube, there was not a single one, so might be the first-ever. 

When I planned this jam, I just called up or messaged them about this and all of them showed so much enthusiasm and positivity, I can't explain. I am so happy to take the initiative and take the entire responsibility to put the videos and audios together. Finally, the response we got from everyone was unbelievable. Hopefully, there will be more Keyboard Jams with or without me. The jam is on my Facebook timeline or you can simply YouTube "HOW WE C IT"

What next,  then?

Avik Ganguly- Some financial support, some work, shows which will pay my bills. Every musician is struggling to manage and so am I. Just eagerly waiting for the things to be normal.

 But in December 2020, there will an album/ep. It will be just Me, Moonlight and My Piano.

Avik Ganguly's project VEDATRONICS, in the year 2019, also got honored by the Dada Saheb Falke Jury Award. He can also be seen in various solo, duo, and bands which has only made him sharpen his skills over the years. In the meantime, let us give it for this expressive and soulful album My Journey with Ebony & Ivory. 

You can listen to it on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/0jYC7EqVYPulYcPz3SyGbk?si=AzND8jXrRaejKVp_mmM4Zw

Irrationally Passionate by Jason Kothari: a review

What happens when you, in the midst of a pandemic, get notified about a book titled, "Irrationally Passionate?" Well, you end up reading it. That is precisely what I did when I got to know about Jason Kothari's book. I would be wrong if I say that the book didn't match up to what I thought. This book is so much and so much more at the same time and you would not be able to determine the extent this book can get into your head till the time you read it yourself. So, what are you waiting for?

About the book: While a college student at Wharton, Jason Kothari scraped together money from family and friends to save his childhood favourite comic book company, Valiant Entertainment, from bankruptcy and bring it back to life. A few years later, he transformed Valiant into the third-largest superhero entertainment company in the world after Marvel and DC Comics and sold it for $100 million. Jason then became a professional turnaround leader and went on to transform distressed Indian Internet icons Housing.com, FreeCharge and Snapdeal, helping save billions of dollars in value, and advise giants like technology investor Softbank and real estate developer Emaar, who have invested billions of dollars in India. Irrationally Passionate reveals the inside story of how a rebel, train-wreck kid transformed himself into a successful young entrepreneur and business leader who became one of the top ten paid executives in India while only in his 30s. From getting his first job as an assistant to Jackie Chan in Hong Kong, to learning strategy from champion Muay Thai fighters in Thailand, to tackling huge personal setbacks, to becoming a CEO in 60 seconds, among many other stories - Jason's inspiring journey across countries, industries and companies has something for everyone, right from students to entrepreneurs to corporate CEOs to even parents of students and entrepreneurs. Irrationally Passionate is a highly personal, authentic, open and complete account of a young entrepreneur's life. Brimming with practical advice and philosophical insights, it will force readers to reflect on how they perceive life, work, family and spirituality by giving them a fresh perspective.

In these testing times when you yearn for a little bit of fiction to get you going, I picked up this non-fiction because of the title, to be honest. What surprised me is the way this book holds together feelings and success moulded into this fine narration by the author. Not only does the story attract you, but it gives you moral life lessons which are pretty useful in today's time.

I took a lot of time reading it because I wanted to grasp every chapter by its soul and so I did. The journey of the writer from the start till the finish kept me hooked to the story. The writing style of the writer is one where you feel like he is narrating the entire story to you, face to face, and I believe that is one of the top-points of the book. You would be able to literally imagine what it felt to be in the author's shoes when you read the same and that is something I loved about this particular book.

You would be drawn to the book no matter what you are doing in life because this is much more than just writing about business or life goals. The chronological order that the book goes through lets you live the journey in your own way. Once you are done with the book, you would feel as if you are a part of the author's life, which is very unlikely seen in the other non-fiction books being published these days. The book is written in such a way where you would be able to relate some or the other incidents with one in your life, making it all the more worthwhile.

One of the minus points for me in the book is that the book drags long. Yes, while someone would live to read more and more about the author, there are a few sections of people who would have wanted more details about his life and its ups and downs, rather than sticking on one situation and focusing on that for a long time. Apart from those places where it felt like the author could've used lesser words to describe the incidents, I do not have to say much negative about the book. Starting from the scratch to being what he is, the author has given it his all to make something this credible and I would love to read and know more about him. To me, Irrationally Passionate gets 4.5 out of 5 and loads of luck for the future endeavors.

Lockdown 'e' Dil-Down by PS Creation

Ever seen a comedy short film in less than 12 minutes that has three twists in it? No, right? Well, brace yourself for the laughter riot in the form of Lockdown 'e' Dil-Down.

This short film, shot within the confines of each characters' houses, by their own family members, presented by PS Creation and directed by Antaheen Partha is right what you needed in these chaotic times.

The stellar cast of the short included a few known and unknown faces in the form of Debraj Mukherjee, Tanusree Goswami, Ridhish Chowdhury, Boni Mukherjee, Sovan Roy, and Labani Mandal.

The synopsis states,

There is a worldwide lockdown. 

But,  what about love? 

Well,  love is like a flowing river,  a flying bird. You can't put it in quarantine! 

Let's embark upon this journey and see what will happen to this love and whether it would find its destination or not

This short's musical genius is a collaborative act. The music and playback is done by the very talented Dolaan Mainnakk. The re-arrangement of the tracks sung in the movie is done by Prithwish Kumar Basu. The aforesaid songs are beautifully sung by cast member Labani Mandal and Prithwish Kumar Basu himself.

The fact that makes this short, directed and written by Antaheen Partha so special, is that it has been colour-corrected as well. The editing and colour-correction have been done by Subha Bhattacharjee. The director credits all the family members without whom this film wouldn't have been possible by giving them their due in the end credits. 

 I remember when I watched this short, I couldn't stop laughing for a whole hour, such is the infectious effect of it. You would have to watch this carefully written and crafted piece to know what I am talking about.

Lockdown 'e' Dil-Down is the result of passion and love for the art even in the midst of calamities such as COVID-19 and the Amphan cyclone. 3 days and 600+ views, this debut work by the director has already made its mark. Now it is your turn to give it what it deserves. Watch this movie and get entertained...