TAAQing

Thermal And A Quarter is a Bangalore-based rock band with delusions of world domination since 1999. We read Inder Sidhu’s outcry against “the media’s hysterical coverage of Indian rock bands” with familiar feelings of resigned amusement and piquant regret. While Sidhu makes some pleasant noises and points available fingers at the usual suspects, he disappoints us by stating the obvious and therefore fails to offer us any fresh insight into what actually ails the rock scene. What ails the media we already know.

Every once in a way, a newspaper sub-editor gets bored of the thunder thighs of the hotties spread-eagled across his 16 pages of page three and decides to pay lip service to the “Indian rock movement”. It was the Deccan Chronicle’s turn to add their whiff to that gigantic puff of effluvium.

Free speech is music to our ears, indeed. Speaking at ‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore’ on February 14, Bangalore-based journalist, teacher and author C K Meena gets under the skin of Love.

C K Meena, well known to Bangaloreans for her tart, witty columns on life in their ever-changing cityscape, has written two books of fiction — the semi-autobiographical Black Lentil Doughnuts and the crime thriller Dreams for the Dying.

When we played in Pune last year we decided we weren’t going back without cake and cookies from the famous German Bakery. Enjoying them in Bangalore the next day, we didn’t foresee having to reflect on that simple pleasure like this.

Terror could have struck then as it did on the night of February 13, 2010. But we lived to write this. And we shall make the most of the life and joy granted to us.

It is somewhat edifying that we were able to reach out to Pune on February 14. Opus Pune webcast the One Small Love concert live to its patrons.

Thank you for turning up (and turning down your other Valentine’s Day engagements) and for your support and encouragement right through this initiative.

Driving directions to OPUS IN THE CREEK from Bangalore
Address:
#2, Doddenakkundi Industrial Area, Opp. Shell Petrol Station, Brookefields Main Road, Off ITPL Road, Bangalore
Phone: 9844030198 / 080-40943031
From MG Road via Old Madras Rd and Whitefield Rd

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From MG Road via Old Airport Road

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From Marathahalli Bridge
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From Koramangala via Inner Ring Road and [...]

Last year, Bruce wrote the lyrics of ‘One Small Love’ and put it to music with his band, Thermal And A Quarter. Join him and Thermal And A Quarter with other artists, speakers and thinkers on the song’s first anniversary.

‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore’, an assertion of liberty, love and happiness, celebrates the birthday of love.

Flautist Ravichandra Kulur has come a long way from his hometown in Udupi, about an hour’s drive north of Mangalore. Brought up in a family of musicians, Ravi learned quickly that music can unite people irrespective of culture or nationality. Join Ravi as he performs with Thermal And A Quarter and other musicians at ‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore’, a convention of peace-loving citizens, at Opus in the Creek in Bangalore on February 14. Entry is free.

Draw the line. Spread the love.

Writer and cartoonist Bijoy Venugopal believes that anger makes protests look ugly and diverts attention from their core cause. People often feel that to protest, they must shout slogans, burn effigies or blacken the faces of suspected villains. As artists and writers, we must find unique expression for our protest. We must stretch our imagination to channel righteous anger into thought-provoking and enduring art that adds meaning and lends perspective to protest.

It’s easy to say cheese, but what does it take to get people to smile at each other?

“People smile for the camera, but I wish they would just smile otherwise,” says Zubair, a Bangalore-based photographer.

Join him and other concerned Bangaloreans at ‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore’, a celebration of diversity and freedom with performances by Thermal And A Quarter, Swarathma, Gerard Machado, Konarak Reddy, Alwyn Fernandes, Karan Joseph, Ravi Kulur and other artists and opinion leaders on February 14 at Opus in the Creek, Whitefield Road, Bangalore.

Draw the line. Spread the love.

Musician Alwyn Fernandes was raised in Mangalore, where he went to college. Today, he is saddened by the social changes that have cast a cloud over his hometowns vibrant multicultural people.

Swarathma, Indias hottest new band (they swept the JD Rock Awards), is also a multicultural ensemble with members who hail from across the country.

Vasu Dixit and Varun Murali invoke Sant Kabir in one of their songs to explain that nothing has changed in the last five hundred years when it comes to womens empowerment. On the one hand we tout the power of freedom and yet, on the other, the same people misuse freedom for their own interests.

Join them and other artists, musicians and concerned citizens at ‘One Small Love Bangalore for Mangalore’ on Feb 14 in Bangalore to celebrate the spirit of freedom.

Draw the line. Spread the love.

Advertising honcho Rajeev Ravindranathan, most recently seen as a not-so-good guy in the Bollywood hit Three Idiots, has a point to make when he takes on the whole notion of culture being sequestered in cities.

Martin D’Souza, a clubber and performer who has called Bangalore home for 24 years, feels that moral policing threatens not just artists, musicians and performers but audiences as well, as it robs them of their right to be informed and entertained in accordance with their choice.

Join Martin and other concerned Bangaloreans as they come together for ‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore’, a celebration of the spirit of freedom and tolerance with music, food and free speech.

Musician Konarak Reddy and actor-filmmaker Kirtana Kumar interpret the relationship between freedom and politics, and politics and art. Join them at One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore, a celebration of the spirit of freedom and tolerance with music, food and free speech on February 14, 2010 at Opus in the Creek, Whitefield Road, Bangalore. Draw the line. Spread the love.

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for the Facebook profile image, so here it is. Just follow the instructions to download and use it.

The Facebook page for One Small Love has over 335 fans within 24 hours of its launch. Thanks for the love!

Download the One Small Love MP3 track straight from the Thermal And A Quarter website

Behind the smiley is Happy. Now, that may not make much sense in English but read the story and it might.

Divya Joseph, advertising professional, singer and ardent Bangalorean, reminds us that the freedom to choose is a fundamental right for men and women alike. Join Divya and other concerned citizens at ‘One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore’, a celebration with music, food and free speech at Opus in the Creek, Whitefield Road, Bangalore on February 14, 2010. Show your support by becoming a fan of One Small Love on Facebook. Draw the line. Spread the love.

What does it take to draw the line? Gaurav Vaz, bass guitar player for the Raghu Dixit Project and a Bangalorean whose heart beats for Mangalore, tells us. Watch the video.

“One Small Love – Bangalore for Mangalore” – a celebration with music, food and free speech with performances by Konarak Reddy, Allwyn Fernandes, Gaurav Vaz, Karan Joseph, Ravi Kulur, Gerard Machado, Swarathma and Thermal And A Quarter. 7 PM, Feb 14
Special thanks to Merwyn Rodrigues for the poster. And, eternally, to the incredible folks at Happy for dreaming up the music video that started it all.