Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Aaj ki taaza khabar

A railway porter checks out the day's news outside Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Kurla.

Vetting music

(From left) Ayaan Ali Bangash, Amjad Ali Khan, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr and Amaan

Joe Walsh is a legendary guitarist who's played for acts like The Eagles, and Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. He organised a virtual concert series over the weekend called VetsAid, which raised money for homeless war veterans. The line-up was a star-studded affair that included the likes of global stars such as Eddie Vedder and Sheryl Crow. Sarod legend Amjad Ali Khan, and his sons Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash, were the sole Indian representatives. Amaan shared that he played one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite songs, Vaishnav Janato. "He was a man far ahead of his time, a man with a vision and a man who was spiritually uplifted," Amaan shared about Gandhi.

Safety first

The Archbishop at Christmas Eve service

Last Friday, while addressing the small congregation in the quadrangle of Holy Name Cathedral in Colaba, His Eminence Archbishop of Bombay, Oswald Cardinal Gracias's message of thanks at the end of Christmas Eve service, reiterated the times that we live in. The Cardinal - whose birthday falls on the same day - extended his wishes and said that he would not be able to personally bless those present in the congregation as he used to in pre-pandemic times in light of the maintaining safety guidelines. He stressed that everyone should continue to stay cautious and follow protocols. Having returned from Europe sometime back, he recalled how the rising caseload with the new strain had made nations anxious. He advised people to get double-vaccinated, and to take the booster dose whenever the government announces it.

Breaking past boundaries

The Paris Olympics in 2024 will have a new sport that might seem unusual - breakdancing, or ‘breaking' as its practitioners call it. It's a part of hip-hop subculture that has taken roots in India in the recent past, and now, a new contest is aiming to nurture talent to represent the country at the sporting spectacle. Titled The Essence, the first edition was held at a Lower Parel venue over the weekend. It was organised by local B-boys like Wildchild (in pic) and Flying Machine. The event witnessed DJs like Blunt and G-Glock who spun tracks that the participants danced to. "Breaking in India has always lived in hiding. It is unknown to many that India has a thriving breaking scene, but having been recognised as a medal event at the Olympics has proven to be a boost for the discipline that has stayed away from the limelight despite its massive popularity amongst the Indian youth," shared Nikhil Udupa, one of the organisers.

Designs on literature

The Oxford Bookstore has announced the longlist for the seventh edition of Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize. The award recognises the importance of the balance of graphics and narrative, especially in today's increasingly visual age. "In contemporary publishing, the cover is subjected to the same intense scrutiny as any consumer product. It must satisfy the demands of publisher, author, and designer - not to mention the book buyer, a tall order indeed," author, jury member and director of Apeejay Surrendra Group, Priti Paul told us. The longlist includes Perumal Murugan's (in pic) Estuary (designer Gavin Morris), Raziuddin Aquil's Days in the Life of a Sufi (designer Misha Oberoi), and Chaiwaad or The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzov (designer Sanjukta Roy).

Mumbai matters

The city of Mumbai is the central character in a book of collected plays that author Anju Makhija has penned. It will release next month. There are a total of six plays in the book. It's called Mumbai Traps (Dhauli Books), Makhija told this diarist, "The title sort of shows itself because when I saw all the plays together, I realised that they are all set in Mumbai," she shared, adding that the first play deals with how difficult it is to get a place to live in ths city.