Monday, May 29, 2006

the second KroaKing semifinals

(click on image to enlarge)

The Castle KroaKING SHOWDOWN continues.......
31st May - semifinal B:

amrutha, arfaz, eleyah, kartik, mark, megha, saurabh, serah, shruti, shyju, vinoj, vivek.

they have to be songs that they have never sung before at Opus.
the semi finals will be judged by an audience poll. entry coupons for the semis will also double up as voting cards .. you have to circle your 6 favorite frogs of the night. the top 6 on both the nights will be announced on the blog and at the following sundays Castle KroaKnight.
also vote for who u think is gonna win on the opus blog .... we are doing a voters choice thingee as well .. go right to the bottom of the http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/ page and VOTE.

YOU HAVE ONLY ONE VOTE SO CHOOSE CAREFULLY

entry Rs.149/- (with a free pass to the vh1 rock rules concert at palace grounds ...first 200 people.. so get there early)
we are on even if it rains, so come prepared!!

we are trying to have our special edition CD out by the finals as well so betn the 24th may and 4th june all recordings will also be complete with Sharmon Ibrahim.

7th June - FINALS
anoopa, barry, jacob, namrata, santosh, serena ...???
the finals will be of 12 contestants who will compete for
1st place: a Crimson (powered by RCI) 7 day holiday for 2 in Goa
2nd place: a home theatre system from Rontek
3rd place : A hamper of Booze

catch vivek madan ramblings at http://kroaknights.blogspot.com/

Mon & tue: castle rock bottom nights with dj misha
beer pints at Rs 39/-, rock bottom prices on select alcohol, special rates on rocking starters, along with some great classic 70's rock bands, all under the stars!http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_opusbangalore_archive.html
For Reservation Call 080-23442580
artists profiles etc. http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/

Thursday, May 25, 2006

the kroaking semifinal results


26th May: Fri Nite Special

David Binney is one of the biggest (certainly one of the biggest names to play at opus) alto saxophone talents in the USA.
http://www.davidbinney.com/
He will perform in a jam with the gerard machado network and stanley pinto.
Entry Rs 149/-

DownBeat calls Binney ".... a strikingly original composer/leader/conceptualist." and gave his last album a 4-star rating.

this week weve interchanged fri and sat.
27th Sat DJ Dance night with Carlton. singing / playing his favorite party mix of rock n roll, retro and disco

The Castle KroaKING SHOWDOWN.......
24th May - semifinal A:



the votes are in and we say goodbye to 6 frogs

im listing in order of rank


31st May- semifinal B:
amrutha, arfaz, eleyah, kartik, mark, megha, saurab, serah, shruti, shyju, vivek, vinoj

they have to be songs that they have never sung before at Opus.
the semi finals will be judged by an audience poll. entry coupons for the semis will also double up as voting cards .. you have to circle your 6 favorite frogs of the night. the top 6 on both the nights will be announced on the blog and at the following sundays Castle KroaKnight.
also vote for who u think is gonna win on the opus blog .... we are doing a voters choice thingee as well .. go right to the bottom of the http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/ page and VOTE.
YOU HAVE ONLY ONE VOTE SO CHOOSE CAREFULLY

we are trying to have our CD out by the finals as well so betn the 24th may and 4th june all recordings will also be complete with Sharmon Ibrahim.
7th June - FINALS
the finals will be of 12 contestants who will compete for
1st place: a Crimson (powered by RCI) 7 day holiday for 2 in Goa
2nd place: a home theatre system from Rontek

vivek madan opinion on yesterday night http://kroaknights.blogspot.com/

For Reservation Call 080-23442580
artists profiles etc. http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

David Binney live.... and the KroaKing semifinals


( click on image to enlarge)

The Castle KroaKING SHOWDOWN.......
24th May - semifinal A:
anoopa, barry, bijo, divya bajaj, jacob, karn, lakshmi, namrata, samuel, serena, santosh, vinoj.
entry Rs.149/-

they have to be songs that they have never sung before at Opus.
the semi finals will be judged by an audience poll. entry coupons for the semis will also double up as voting cards .. you have to circle your 6 favorite frogs of the night. the top 6 on both the nights will be announced on the blog and at the following sundays Castle KroaKnight.
also vote for who u think is gonna win on the opus blog .... we are doing a voters choice thingee as well .. go right to the bottom of the http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/ page and VOTE.
YOU HAVE ONLY ONE VOTE SO CHOOSE CAREFULLY

31st May- semifinal B:
amrutha, arfaz, eleyah, kartik, mansi, mark, megha, saurab, serah, shruti, shyju, vivek.

we are trying to have our CD out by the finals as well so betn the 24th may and 4th june all recordings will also be complete with Sharmon Ibrahim.
7th June - FINALS
the finals will be of 12 contestants who will compete for
1st place: a Crimson (powered by RCI) 7 day holiday for 2 in Goa
2nd place: a home theatre system from Rontek

vivek madan has an interesting take on "what is a singer" and other ramblings http://kroaknights.blogspot.com/


( click on image to enlarge)

26th May: Fri Nite Special
David Binney is one of the biggest alto saxophone talents in the USA. http://www.davidbinney.com/
He will perform in a jam with the gerard machado network and stanley pinto.
Entry Rs 149/-

DownBeat calls Binney ".... a strikingly original composer/leader/conceptualist." and gave his last album a 4-star rating.

this week we've interchanged fri and sat.
27th Sat DJ Dance night with Carlton. singing / playing his favorite party mix of rock n roll, retro and disco

For Reservation Call 080-23442580
artists profiles etc. http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/

Friday, May 19, 2006

mambo # 8



19th may, fri dj nights:
dance the night away .. with a masala mix of disco, rock-n-roll, dance, hip hop and retro.

9.00 pm, 20th may, sat night live: Carlton and Karan
after over a year, back at Opus
entry Rs 111/-

The Castle KroaKING SHOWDOWN
The Semifinal list if there. After 8 weeks of karaoke, 24 of the best karaoke singers have been selected. on each of the semifinal nights 12 people will sing for 6 places in the final.

24th May - semifinal A
31st May - semifinal B
7th June - FINALS


24th may -semifinal A list:
anoopa anand, barry, bijo cherian, divya bajaj, jacob ninan, karn malhotra, lakshmi, namrata sudhindra, samuel periera, serena punch, santosh, vinoj.

31st May- semifinal B list:
amrutha, arfaz, eleyah john, kartik iyer, mansi, mark swaroop,megha girish, saurab dubey, serah john, shruti, shyju varkey, vivek madan.

we are trying to have our CD out by the finals as well so betn the 24th may and 4th june all recordings will also be complete with Sharmon Ibrahim.

the finals will be of 12 contestants who will compete for
1st place: a Crimson (powered by RCI) 7 day holiday for 2 in Goa
2nd place: a home theatre system from Rontek

for the semifinals, only songs that have never been sung before by that particular contestant at opus (let me be the judge of that) will be entertained.
send me a mail or msg with 3 songs in order of preference and i will see that i organise the tracks for you (if u have ur own tracks thats also fine by me)

the semi finals will be judged by you as well as the judges. entry coupons for the semis will also double up as voting cards .. for you to have your say as to who were your 3 favorites of the night. the top 6 on both the nights will be announced on the blog and at the following sundays Castle KroaKnight.

vivek madan has an interesting take on "what is a singer" ... http://kroaknights.blogspot.com/pls send him some comments as he likes to feel wanted.

also vote for who u think is gonna win on the opus blog .... we'll do a voters choice thingee as well .. got to the bottom of the http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/ page and VOTE.
YOU HAVE ONLY ONE VOTE SO CHOOSE CAREFULLY

Mon & tue: castle rock bottom nights
beer pints at Rs 39/-, rock bottom prices on select alcohol, special rates on rocking starters, along with some great classic 70's rock bands, all under the stars!
http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_opusbangalore_archive.html

Sunshine Sundays
great all-you-can-eat buffet at Rs 275/- under the swaying palms, listening to some happy music

For Reservation Call 080-23442580
artists profiles etc. http://www.blogger.com/

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

... of rains and toads and frogs and kings ...


last wednesday we experienced a really bad case of PreMonsoonSyndrome ... the sky leaked and made everything eeky and yucky and squishy ....
but the 3 that made it through, would have made it on the best of nights anyways. we are now almost at the end of our search .. just one more wednesday to go and then we are into the final stages ...
i am not going to prolong the competition any further.. i have-to-have-to-have-to finish it by the 7th june for the following 2 reasons.. one being the rain .. but most importantly the greatest show on earth kicks off (got the hint??) on the 9th .. and the projector is gonna be fully occupied by the beautiful game at opus for the next month.

24th May - semifinal A
31st May - semifinal B
7th June - FINALS


on each of the semifinal nights 12 people will sing for 6 places in the final.
we are trying to have our CD out by the finals as well so betn the 24th may and 4th june all recordings will also be complete with Sharmon Ibrahim.

the finals will be of 12 contestants who will compete for
1st place: a Crimson (powered by RCI) 7 day holiday for 2 in Goa
2nd place: a home theatre system from Rontek

the final draw will be up after tomorrow's last qualifier.
for the semifinals, only songs that have never been sung before by that particular contestant at opus (let me be the judge of that) will be entertained.
send me a mail or msg with 3 songs in order of preference and i will see that i organise the tracks for you (if u have ur own tracks thats also fine by me)

the semi finals will be judged by you as well as the judges. entry coupons for the semis will also double up as voting cards .. for you to have your say as to who were your 3 favorites of the night. the top 6 on both the nights will be announced on the blog and at the following sundays KroaKnight.

vivek madan has an interesting take on "what is a singer" ... http://kroaknights.blogspot.com/
pls send him some comments as he likes to feel wanted.

also post who u think is gonna win on the opus blog .... we'll do a voters choice thingee as well ..
comment below this post

here are your 21 ... just 3 more to be added on
1. megha 2. vivek 3. divya 4. anoopa 5. arfaaz 6. mark 7. saurabh 8. namrata 9. shruti 10. barry 11. amrita 12. karn 13. serah 14. shyju 15. eleyah 16. samuel 17. mansi 18. kartik 19. jacob 20. santosh 21. bijo

cheers
carlton

Thursday, May 11, 2006

"folk the system"




12th may, fri dj nights: DJ RD
playing his party mix of disco, rock-n-roll, dance, hip hop, bollywood and retro.

9.00 pm, 13th may, sat night live: Indo World Folk Rock: www.raghudixit.com
The Raghu Dixit Project is an open house for musicians, dancers, poets, lyricists and artistes from different genres to come together, collaborate and create a dynamic sound and expression. The Raghu Dixit Project has a constantly evolving sound due to the different musicians collaborating with Raghu Dixit. The Raghu Dixit Project is all geared up for the launch of its album 'Folk the System' to be launched later this year.
Raghu Dixit: Vocals & Acoustic Guitars, Anirban Chakravarthy: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Gaurav Vas: Bass & Backing Vocals, Rahul Pophali: Tabla, Dholak & percussions, Shiva: Darbouka, Djembe, Drums & Latino Percussions, Manjunath: Drums, Percussions & Konakol.
entry Rs 149/-

Castle KroaKING UPDATE ... ONLY 1 more wednesday to go and 3 more places to be filled.
vivek madan is really living dangerously ... http://www.kroaknights.blogspot.com/
its gonna one hell of a final.. i just cant wait ... your last chance to get onto that list or forever wonder whether u were good enuff!
heres the incentive to do so ...
a Crimson 7 day holiday for 2 in GOA, Rontek Hi Fi Amplified Speaker System, Weekly prizes from Levitate
Sharmon is recording a CD with the top 12 finalists and all those top 24 get free entry to Opus on Castle KroaKnights ...
1. megha 2. vivek 3. divya 4. anoopa 5. arfaaz 6. mark 7. saurabh 8. namrata 9. shruti 10. barry 11. amrita 12. karn 13. serah 14. shyju 15. eleyah 16. samuel 17. mansi 18. kartik 19. jacob 20. santosh 21. bijo
entry Rs 111
entry Rs 111+ cover Rs 300/- (sunday night)


Mon & tue: castle rock bottom nights
beer pints at Rs 39/-, rock bottom prices on select alcohol, special rates on rocking starters, along with some great classic 70's rock bands, all under the stars!
http://www.blogger.com/

Sunshine Sundays
great all-you-can-eat buffet at Rs 275/- under the swaying palms, listening to some happy music

For Reservation Call 080-23442580
artists profiles etc. http://www.blogger.com/

Monday, May 08, 2006

Palm trees, feni and very Goan evening in Bangalore


in spite of 'bangalore', this week at opus was super special.
oh yes, they complained about decibel levels, parking issues, they walked in like clockwork at 11.30 every nite (one can set their watches now based on when one sees these so called 'time-keepers of bangalore') ... we now actually consider them regulars. as i keep saying 'opus grows on you' and this is a shining example. theres the one who can utter 2 words of english ... those being 'pliss leeaooo' (at least his mama taught him his p's), then theres the cinestar who will linger a little longer at the tables with the hotties (not mayank, in case there is any confusion here), theres another with some serious verbal diarrhea .. unfortunately or fortunately, all in the queen's kannada...
oh, but as usual, i'm digressing ... this certainly was not the something special i referred to earlier. im talking about the last 4 days, actually 5 if u consider wednesday when my 'nigga brudder from anadder mudder' mr. kartik iyer made to to the final list of KroaKing contenders with his rendition of snoop.
thursday 4th
ooooh waah, ooooh waah, that awesome ditty.. im talking 'bout the boy from new york city... (ms. kavya viswanathanesque i agreee that line was .. thousand apologies to the publisher of this blog). nate gowtham is really a very gifted singer songwriter and i felt sorry that he didnt have a packed opus house to play to, but way sorrier for all those who were not there that evening.
friday 5th
i, for a large portion of that evening, thought that i was at a beach front cafe overlooking the mediteranean, chilling to some of the best jazz ive heard in a long while. those four frenchmen, the mezcal jazz unit took everybody there that evening out of that l'il goan shack on a magic carpet ride and showed them a whole new world. and when suma sudhindra and her band of merry percussionists along with shankarashan kini joined them, the carpet shifted gears, switched to turbo power and rocketed into outer space.
saturday 6th
we dont do techno ... we dont do trance .. we dont do indipop ... we dont do bollywood ... simple, but rather opiniated mantra that ive been following at opus for a while now (and its worked) ... but then there are exceptions to every rule ... and from the time aurko took the stage on sat nite no one screamed louder than yours truly. they ended the night with a goan medley (ahem!) and people were dancing atop tables, in the aisles, on top of other people... everywhere
sunday 7th
sunday nites at opus really do not require any more mayhem than there already is .. really!! we do not!!! but when a certain usha uthup chooses that nite to visit, one can only expect the worst. riots broke out 5 secs from when she got onto stage ... and it required those very men in khaki to quell the screaming boisterous mob .. they were there like clockwork, lathis in hand .... and swiftly, and as they know best, brought order and calm

ok.. ive rambled on enough ..
just a quick reminder that just 2 weeks (6 places) more of qualifying for KroaKing
vivek madan is really living dangerously ... http://www.kroaknights.blogspot.com/
heres what they are singing for
a Crimson 7 day holiday for 2 in GOA, Rontek Hi Fi Amplified Speaker System, Weekly prizes from Levitate
Sharmon is recording a CD with the top 12 finalists and all those top 24 get free entry to Opus on KroaKnights ...
1. megha 2. vivek 3. divya 4. anoopa 5. arfaaz 6. mark 7. saurabh 8. namrata 9. shruti 10. barry 11. amrita 12. karn 13. serah 14. shyju 15. eleyah 16. samuel 17. mansi 18. kartik

i'll leave u with something that appeared in the gomantak times last sunday... thank u sujay



Palm trees, feni and very Goan evening in Bangalore
- Sujay Gupta, Editor, Gomantak Times

The palm trees swayed, offering a magnificent salute to the fading sun and the onset of an inky evening. I stepped back to look over the canopy of trees over yonder. The skyline was dotted with other palms, like soldiers lined up for a grand parade. The evening settled down. The Jazz fusion band begins strumming instruments, -tightening a cord here, doing a quick sound check there, levels were checked, levels of excitement rose. at the backend, Neil quietly saw that all was running smoothly, while chef’s creations soon wafted towards the main sitting arena, the aroma of bacon wrapped in prawn, the fish caldin cooked to perfection, the balcao-fresh and spicy, crab claws fried to perfection on the outside with one bite leading you to the cheesy flesh inside. Slowly the office goers sauntered in with their laptops. There was the very bright IT figure cruncher with black rimmed specs, the event management exec looking for his first pint of the evening, the Infosy’s middle management officer, with a secret desire to be a rock star, a buddy’s buddy who I had not met for years who is now a successful mimic, radio content provider and a part time crusading writer, and other such Jazz types.

In the middle of all this, two characters floated around, mingling into the medley of voices, noises and smells. Carlton Braganza of Mapusa, long haired, with polka dotted pyjamas and slip ons and his wife Gina with roots in Saligaon.Both have created this wonderful oasis of Goa in the heart of bustling Bangalore. All that was missing on this enchanting evening last week was the sound of the sea. But the Goa, in Carlton and Gina ‘s place, OPUS was real. A portion of Carlton’s family moved out of Mapusa to Bombay. That’s where he grew up and then became a shippy. Down the line he met and fell in love with Gina, also a fellow Goan from nearby Saligaon, but who only went there on holidays. Gina then found a job in Bangalore and moved and so did Carlton. A few years ago both decided to chuck their jobs and start an event management company in Bangalore and then 2 years ago set up OPUS - a combination of a lounge bar, a restaurant but in reality just a very very Goan sit out place, a cross between a large tavern and a warm beach side cafĂ©(without the beach of course).

Though Bangalore locals may not see the little Goan touches and nuances, for me, this could have been anywhere from Varca to Arpora. And it has more live music promoting original talent than most places in Goa- where music is supposed to be respected and nurtured. Carlton, Gina and Shonali have wrapped up a music menu that is delectable. A different genre of live music everyday of the week with two days of KroaKnights. Good Karaoke singers are recognised with their names put on the blackboard. Then the best get to sing together and cut a disk, sponsored by one of the regulars.

Last Friday, there was Amit Heri, one of India’s best known guitar players and his motely mix of band members. It was a spell binding performance, mixing jazz, with Hindustani vocals and awesome work on the drums. And hey, there was a huge Goan connection here. Pallavi, - with beautiful wide eyes and long hair- the vocalist of Amit Heri’s band, and also a successful stage and TV actor in Bangalore, trained in hindustani classical music under the tutelage of Pandit Manohar Naik in Margao when she lived there and studied in the Manovikas school.The next day, Saturday, at Opus, saw Karan Joseph, just 18, an untrained pianist but already seen as the next new rage in this part of the country, Arun Andrews a musician of enormous talent and Rajeev, the drummer for one of the country’s most promising bands, Thermal and a Quarter .

Let’s face this. Bangalore is THE home of live music in India, outstripping its emotional contender Goa. But it’s a matter of quiet consolation that such splendid music was being offered at a place run by two of Goa’s children.Opus, is a place with a lot of heart. Informal, easy and unruffled. And yes you do get feni if you are sweet to Gina. And if she takes to you, then you could be the recipient of the bestest (gulp the grammar) feni margarita ever made. Gina ‘s secret ingredient (won’t be a secret anymore) is coconut water that makes the cocktail smoother and sweeter. I got two of those creations, if I may humbly show off.

Dinner was simple. Fish and prawn curry with much much more of thick coconut gravy than the watered down versions in Goa’s shacks.Every evening Opus flares into the transient brightness of music for three hours. And then there is all quiet as everyone leaves. Like rain in mid summer, it evaporates, runs into the cracked earth leaving barely a trace. Till the next day, when the mirth explodes all over again bathing you with music.

Carlton and Gina belong to the ever increasing breed of non resident Goans, who preserve Goa much more than pickled pork or sorpotel. They keep Goa alive in other lands, in other shores, quietly without any undue fuss. But with a belief that you can never take Goa out of a Goan. Goa is far less strange to me now. I am beginning to know faces, names, the first secret skeins of histories twisting together to form the umbilical which will eventually bind us. But meeting Goan folks and coming to Goan places outside Goa, makes you realize that this umbilical stretches beyond geographical boundaries. The great Goa wrap cuddles Goans and Goa lovers from around the country and the globe and sends out one simple lovely message- Goa is just a state of mind. And heart.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

it doesn't get better than this


(click on image to enlarge)

4th may, thursday night unplugged and acoustic
singer songwriter boy from new york city. if u click on this link, i know u'll be there.
http://www.myspace.com/nategowtham
entry Rs 111/-


5th may, friday night special jam
http://www.mezcaljazzunit.com (also at the alliance francaise on 4th may)
conjuring up some magic in a not to miss jam featuring
Dr. Suma Sudhindra (veena), Shankarshan Kini (violin, guitar), Pallavi (vocals) amongst others
entry Rs 149/- (members of the alliance francaise entry free)


6th may, saturday night live in their national launch concert
http://www.aurko.com aurko in a nite of some great indian folk rock and nostalgic hindi retro.
Six years , 193 rocking live concerts, and now going National being signed by Times Music as their exclusive artiste and launching their Debut Music Album on april 06 with two back to back Music Videos – Nadiyaa followed by Puchhe ye Dil Se going on national television Channels from 20th april 06. Aurko loves performing non stop, they leave their audience breathless after each of their live concerts .
aurko is featured all of this month on MTV Super Select * Channel V - Basement * B4u Music - Big Cheese / Artiste of April * Southern Spice ( SS Music ) / NRI connect / Artiste of the month * Zoom - Popcorn * Times Now - Entertainment plus / best picks * Radio City - Mumbai / Bangalore * DNA News paper, Mumbai Mirror, Times Of India, AV Max * Jam magazine
entry Rs 149/-

KroaKING UPDATE ... just 2 more wednesdays to go and 6 more places to be filled.
catch vivek madans take at http://www.kroaknights.blogspot.com/
heres what they are singing for
A holiday in GOA for 7 DAYS for 2, sponsored by CRIMSON, powered by RCI, Rontek SS4 Hi Fi Amplified Speaker System, Weekly prizes from LEVITATE
SHARMON IBRAHIM, has agreed to sponsor an opus special cd featuring the top 12 finalists !!! and finally... all those who figure in the top 24 get free entry to Opus on KroaKnights ...
15 spaces on that list are taken
1. megha girish 2. vivek madan 3. divya bajaj 4. anoopa anand 5. arfaaz kaagalwala 6. mark swaroop 7. saurabh dubey 8. namrata sudhindra
9. shruti 10. barry 11. amrita 12. karn malhotra 13. serah john 14. shyju varkey 15. eleyah john 16. sam pereira 17. mansi multani 18. kartik iyer

entry Rs 111
entry Rs 111+ cover Rs 300/- (sunday night)


Mon & tue: castle rock bottom nights
beer pints at Rs 39/-, rock bottom prices on select alcohol, special rates on rocking starters, along with some great classic 70's rock bands, all under the stars!
http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_opusbangalore_archive.html

Sunshine Sundays
great all-you-can-eat buffet at Rs 275/- under the swaying palms, listening to some happy music

For Reservation Call 080-23442580
artists profiles etc.
http://opusbangalore.blogspot.com/

opus - 8 days a week

opus - 8 days a week