Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Just don’t give a fork
Rashmeet Kaur, 28, moved to Mumbai from Punjab seven years ago to pursue playback singing. She has sung for films and web series. She’ll feature on Coke Studio Bharat. But she still calls herself a Punjabi folk singer.
“Folk songs are timeless,” she says.
riyaaz. when age is irrelevant, when same-sex couples are taking their rightful place in public life, and when women are just as accomplished as their spouses, why compare status? Introduce yourself if you must, and make your preferred pronouns understood.
Do RSVP if an invitation requests it, make your allergies and food preferences clear, and show up on time with a gift for the host. At the table, no one will care where your handbag is stowed. But
William Richmond Basaiawmoit, 34, the lead vocalist of the 25-member Shillong Chamber Choir, is working hard to harmonise with the present time. “People come to watch us because they’ve heard about us through word-of-mouth; the organic, oldfashioned way,” he says. “But we’re realising that people will also go online to check us out. The choir is very private, but it has a unique and inspiring story to tell. We have to move with the soundscape without losing our identity.”
The choir will be on Coke Studio Bharat and has upped its social media presence this year.
Online, where a musician’s work and worth is judged by the number of its followers, it’s tricky territory. One video can make you a global sensation. But what next? “Are you creating something sustainable that will help you evolve?” Basaiawmoit wonders. “If you don’t work your way from the ground up, you miss out on that strong foundation. People will consume your content and love you quickly, and move on as quickly.”
The level playing field has solved some long-standing problems. “Apps like Spotify amplify independent work. You can monetise your music on YouTube.”
New challenges are largely about holding on to a person’s attention. The choir is now making 60-second Reels of their acapella songs and is hoping for the best. “On Instagram, the hook of a song goes viral. The rest of the song gets lost,” says Basaiawmoit. The choir also collaborated online with musician Shekhar Ravjiani during the pandemic. “Distance is no longer an issue. It saves time and money. But music is something you sense. When energies match, the music just flows. With digital connections, that magic is missing.” they will notice if you only speak to the people you already know. And it’s rude to disappear into your phone at any public gathering. So put the screens away and converse with everyone. Just don’t comment on anyone’s weight, even if they’re thin.
The food: When in doubt, work your way through the forks and spoons from the outside in. But no one really cares about that. In 2023, it’s not how you eat but what you eat. Respect food preferences – vegans shouldn’t have to defend their choices to carnivores and vice versa. Don’t push a drink, a dish, dessert or second helpings on diners who’ve already refused them.
Across the corporate world, it is no longer acceptable ask a colleague about their caste, antecedents or family history. It is also no longer good form to have work conversations in a language not understood by everyone involved. Neither is texting lyk dis.
Good grammar and precise pronunciation was the hallmark of upper-class upbringing. It no longer is. Publicly correcting someone’s usage is now viewed as a petty put-down. In most social situations, the optics give away the ethics; meaning, how people view you is directly connected to how you view people, all people. The casual slur, the disrespect for service staff, the loud disagreement, the off-colour personal comment, the name-dropping, the one-upmanship – they’ll land you in more soup than the wrong spoon ever will.
How many pop-culture franchises are dedicated to women’s pleasure? How many of them have spawned three movies, a live show at Las Vegas and an active tour? How many of them have had Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer and Donald Glover dancing shirtless? Magic Mike’s Last Dance, out now, is a terrible film. But so easy on the eyes!
Explainer videos, competing listicles, user guides, opinion pieces about the future of technology, search engines, Turing tests, fears that robots will take over, fears that robots won’t take over. Remember all that brouhaha over NFTs a few months ago and how our obsession turned to dust? Let’s give new tech time to settle in before we make up our minds.
You would be too when you hear that in Worli, Mumbai, a single apartment (ok, a 30,000-sqft penthouse) sold for Rs 230 crore last week. Acquired by Oberoi Realty, it isn’t even the most eye-popping sale in the upcoming Three Sixty West. A few days ago, D Mart owner Radhakishan Damani, his family, and close associates purchased 28 units in the same building for ₹1,238 crore. That’s un-real estate.