Simply sufi.

His singing has a Sufiyana touch that goes beyond the ears and touches the soul. It is Sufi singing with just the undertone of the electric guitar, and bass-propelled western beats – that's Kailash Kher's inimitable signature style.

The singer, in a heart-to-heart talk with Hyderabad Times, explains his penchant for Sufi music, his musical journey so far and why Hyderabad is so special to him. 

And the world is square! Come-on people! It's the height of insecurity feeling amongst priests who claim to be serving mankind. Just came across this news article and thought to pass it along. Folks who ban music and yoga need to step out of their caves and smell some fresh and pure air! Jesus! 

Here is the story by Luke Salkeld from Dailymail, UK. 

"It is meant to have a calming effect, as well as working wonders on flexibility. But yoga has actually become the source of tension for one community - because two church priests refuse to bend. The pair have banned yoga instructor Louise Woodcock from using their church halls for her children's classes.

Smoke machine, strobe lights and ... sitar? That was the combination at the Highline Ballroom on Wednesday night. Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar’s daughter and musical disciple, and Karsh Kale, a tabla drummer who is also an electronica producer and programmer, have collaborated on an album, “Breathing Underwater” (Manhattan), and their band headlined a triple bill of world-music fusions to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Global Rhythm magazine. The transcontinental bill also included the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and the Guadeloupean New York saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart.

Shilpa Shetty is adding on responsibilities, or shall we say, is diversifying her portfolio. She will launch her own production house, 'S2 Productions' to make DVD video on Yoga this month. We think it to be a nice move. Given her international appeal, it could very well turn out to be a profitable endeavour.

The 2 hour Yoga production shall be shot in Kerala backwaters and will be directed by Manish Jha, who has given us flicks such as Matrabhoomi and Anwar. 

 
In my 15th of August note, I mentioned how serious of an issue India is facing when it comes to uplifting rural farmers at large.  To that end, please make sure to check out a heart wrenching documentary titled "The Dying Fields" on Wide Angle segment on PBS tonight. The documentary focuses on Vidharba region which used to be known as cotton belt. Now, it has turned into a suicide belt. If 2006 records are to go by, Vidharba saw 1044 suicides in total, which if you do the math - is one suicide every eight hours. "This is human rights violation", says a social activist Kishore Tiwari. 

Hariharan released a new album named 'Waqt Par Bolna' in a star studded launch on August 22nd. Music maestro A.R. Rahman launched the album with Hariharan. Obviously, Hariharan delighted all present with an exhilarating performance from his new album. 'Waqt Par Bolna' is a synthesis of rhythm & blues fused with Indian gayaki in contemporary style. Hariharan calls it 'Urdu Blues'. Tune in here at mastradio.com to check out the tracks. Those familiar with Hariharan's previous work with Leslie Lewis on 'Colonial Cousins' are in for a treat. It is really a well done album with all ten tracks enfused with different scores. 

“This album contains emotions, harmony and music that I believe every individual will cherish. The album has been created by musicians from various backgrounds. It is creative, different and a mix of East and West,” says Hariharan.