People I never met - 1

Well, it looks like I don't meet people too often. Not that I don't love to but, somehow, brand new people don't fall on my way on regular basis which reminds me of the fact that this series I started named 'People I met' won't be a never ending one.

So, I thought people who I have never met but would love to should be given a fair chance :P

And, hence comes the idea of new series - People I never Met.

To be honest, I've no idea how it is going to take shape in future; whether I'd start drawing random people from social networking sites or, would go after my favorite hollywood celebrities. But, just for now, I've decided to kick off with some known faces that I've been following for a while on internet.

Since following someone on internet usually comes with a rationale, you'd find most of these people extremely talented in their own fields.

So, here goes the episode-1 of People I never met.

Her name is Anushree Gupta. I sketched this one to wish on her last birthday.

She is a poet, composer and singer based in Kolkata. Three years ago, I stumbled on her youtube channel and got blown away by one of her song called Ghuri Pakhi. The lyric and tune - both were equally beautiful and touchy. It left me wondering why is she or this song not a massive hit yet when people happily root for many other contemporary musicians of less capability.

Back then, she had a band of three - an acoustic trio called Ashmaan. After one guitarist left, they renovated themselves to 'Sukanti & Anushree'- electro acoustic duo.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of their electronic sound. I think her powerful voice, insightful lyric and intriguing composition somewhat contradict with electronic backdrop that Sukanti maneuvers. That said, I still don't miss any of her appearance on TV (which is very rare though) and any new uploads on YouTube. I still have the physical copy of their debut album collected from Kolkata, shining at one corner of my desk.

Rojer Khoj, Ishita, Du Paa, Shada Pakha Pata are some of my mostly listened tracks of her.
                                                                              ---

People I met - 4

[Disclaimer]

This is Roy, also known as Amit Datta Roy - a friend from my university days.

Despite being an engineer-turned-consultant, he is a hard-core music connoisseur. Rare are the ragas or any eastern classical pieces that he left unheard of.

At some point in my life, I had a firm belief that Indian Classical Music is a specialized genre only sung by a gorgeous singer named Kaushiki Chakrabarty. It was not until I met Amit that I came to realize how much ignorant (and yet happy) I used to be.

People I met - 3

[A quick recap for the the curious minds]

This is Mishu, ex-colleague and a very good friend of mine. We went to the same engineering and business school at one time. But, our on-premise interactions were very rare...nil to be precise. Rather, we'd love to hang out at restaurants, malls, hostel, residence or at any place that doesn't come with an academia. We share the same aspiration for guitar playing which he never took seriously though. But one thing for sure - he is the best drinking buddy I have ever had in my life.    

This time, could not capture the face to the extent of identifiable details, however sharing this with you makes me happy :)

  

সমূহ দ্বিধার পাশে

মগ্ন দ্বিধার পাশে

এই যে চিরকালের গণিত ভুলে উড়ে যাচ্ছ তুমি; 

উড়ে যাচ্ছ প্রাচীন তারা চিত্রের দিকে, 

আধ-খোলা কবিতার বইয়ে 

তার সময় লেগে আছে।  

এই যে নির্জন ট্রাপিজিয়াম, 

ফুটে উঠছে আমার মগ্ন দ্বিধার পাশে, 
তুমুল বেটোফেন তাকে আত্মহত্যার কথা বলে।

তবে কি যথার্থই বিষণ্ণ এইসব দুপুর? 

এইসব আর্বান বিচ্ছিন্নতা,
এই পলকা ক্যাফে, 
এইসব
এইসব
সুবর্ণ রোদের গ্রাম। 

           
           ###   

People I met - 2

Before moving forward, here goes a lil intro for the curious minds. (Optional)

'The Carpenters' I came across

This post features a pair of siblings both of whom can sing equally beautiful. It made me come up with the idea of dubbing them the Carpenters*, my most favorite musical duo. 

The brother's name is Ritwik (code name: Charlie). Once upon a time, we used to go to the same art school before we happened to lose connection for a good number of years. It was early 2011, I guess, we got reunited through some common friends. I'm particularly a big fan of his singing. We share same appetite for french rom-coms, Tagore's songs, Bibhuti-bhushan's and the 'old' Shahrukh Khan (not the aged one but the one belonging to the past....to the '90s). He is a collector, so to speak. He collects anything and everything that comes in digital format.   

Photo Caption: Ritwik

The sister's name is Bini. She is a fabulous singer with a sweet, gifted voice which I believe she got from her mother's side. Click here to hear one of my favorite tracks of her covering Lata Mangeshkhar impromptu. 

Photo Caption: Bini

* To the uninitiated, The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Together, they produced a distinctively soft musical style, later becoming one of the best-selling music artists of all time. 

People I met - 1 (or, Friends I have)

(This is one of the those posts that always merit a disclaimer in the first place: I'm not an artist by profession. Neither have any academic background in this field. However, since early childhood, I always loved to draw and paint. I went to a local art-school sometime during my early teenage years but that too for a very short timespan. Otherwise, I'd have been able to spot on where I lack precision in my novice (erroneous to be specific) strokes and, eventually would have ended up with enough reasons why I should not share this post in public.) 

I've always been creative. I just didn't really draw much until recently I came up with an idea of sketching portraits of my close friends. The intention was pretty clear - nothing but to impress them. It did not work out in most cases though.

However, while going through the process - sharpening HB-2B pencils, discerning multiple layers of graphite with regards to softness, shaping out nibs for various shades, mislaying erasers constantly and then finding it again to much ecstasy - I discovered one thing. That it relaxes and recharges me like nothing else (Ok, may be couple of whiskies do that too). So I planned to stick with it for as long as it seems interesting to me. Also, thought that sharing those works here on a timely basis would help me keep myself accountable.

So, here goes the first episode of People I met.

The guy with the french-cut beard in the below picture, posing an Al-Pacino gesture from Godfather-II is none other than Jony A. Hoque, one beloved friend of mine from university days. He is generally known as Jony Bhai among his fan-followers.

One may wonder what's not to love about Jony A. Hoque. He is a fabulous singer, guitar player, tea drinker, philosopher, engineer and, above all, a good soul.

I happened to be amid the audience of his many mind-blowing performances which usually encompasses a wide range of genre starting from old folk, bengali classic to modern day band-songs (especially those of Nagar Baul James). On any of his days, whatever the occasion is, he is meant to be the show-stealer.

His effortless, impromptu singing often leaves one wondering what that level of his awesomeness would be had he cared a little bit more about rehearsing or practicing like many Jodu, Modhu, Raam, Shyams of current Bangladeshi music scene do.

On that note, here goes a brief SW analysis of Jony Bhai, followed by his portrait:

Strength:
1. Gifted Voice
2. A big heart capable of winning anyone's heart
3. Elite ancestry (Rumor says connected with Mughal   dynasty)
4. A true paragon of virtue
5. Muslim, a progressive one
6. Kindness (especially for minorities of the state)

Weakness: 
1. Vulnerable to love 
2. Vulnerable to beautiful women


                    Photo Caption: Engineer turned Singer 

(Pardon image quality)

One day in ATM

One day in ATM

I remember it was a hot summer day. And, I was going to someplace that I can't exactly remember right now. But, what I do remember is I needed some cash on my way there. So I rushed into an ATM, submitted my card, entered my password that I usually struggle to remember outside any ATM booth. (Please don't halt or diverge. Trust me! This is going to be something more than just remembering or not remembering stuff.)

Being amnesiac (of numbers especially) is right up my alley sometimes. I even had my own number saved in the contact list as ‘Sudip-Myself’ just in case it helps avoid any unforeseen embarrassments.

As I was waiting for the ATM to cash-out on completion of those orchestral noises made out of processing notes, I chanced upon him – a gorgeous calm, little creature lying down on the most unlikely place for him to be.

A grasshopper on the ATM!

Photo Caption: Grasshopper who does not hop on grasses

So tiny he was that would have gone easily unnoticed, had he not rested on the top of the teller machine almost at my eye-level.

I was a little taken aback by the contrast, so to speak; couldn’t exactly remember when was the last time I saw a grasshopper. (Ok, This is the last time I’m using the word ‘remember’. Okay?)

Me: “Dude, what makes you hoping here on the teller machine?”

Grasshopper on the ATM: (utter silence)

Me: “You are supposed to be on the grasses. Aren’t you? I mean that’s why you are a GRASSHOPPER – who hops on grasses.”

Grasshopper on the ATM: (utter silence)

I gave him a closer look this time. He seemed least bothered followed by no intention to move or fly away. Must be the bravest of his kind.   

“You know what? If you keep hoping like this on ATM, perhaps one day you’d be named ATMhopper or something similar to that. That’d be so uncool, Man!” I uttered much to his annoyance.

Grasshopper on the ATM: (utter silence)

Me: “Moreover, we already have one very popular actor named after ATM*. I’m sure he’d mind if such thing happens in real.”

Grasshopper on the ATM: (quietude prevailed)

Meanwhile, my money stopped making noise inside the ATM for the second time in a row and got shelled out. I collected it along with my card. Bored with the one-sided conversation I was about to leave until this prompt reasoning came across my mind.   

Me: “Oh my Gosh!! Don’t you say - it is the ‘Grasshopper Effect’** that brought you here!”

I ran into this cool terminology lately, that stands for making bad things like organic pollutants get transported from warmer to colder region. Perhaps, it was named after a particular characteristic of grasshopper. Perhaps, they love to be in colder atmosphere. Given the temperature outside in this mid June, it is quite natural for a straying grasshopper to look for shelter in an air-conditioned room of ATM booth. Wow! Being proud of my analytical skills I turned back to give my stranger a second look.  

“I’m sorry, dude. We are responsible for all these...killing greens, destroying water bodies, polluting air that collectively led to an extreme weather condition” I sighed.

No reaction as I expected.

“But there are good folks too” I tried to end on a somewhat happy note. 

“You know - one of the greatest poets*** of humankind, who died at the age of only 25 had composed some extremely beautiful lines for you:

The Poetry of earth is never dead:    

When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,    

And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run    

From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;    

That is the Grasshopper’s - he takes the lead      

In summer luxury,- he has never done    

With his delights; for when tired out with fun    

He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.

...”

It was just then - the so-far-peaceful, seemingly silent stranger screamed out, vented his spleen on me (I should have been strict with my personal policy with regards to poetry that says ‘Never try poetry with a stranger or anyone who is not a poet’)

“YOU UNPRACTICAL, FOOLISHLY ROMANTIC, HYPOCRITE, LOSER CITY DWELLER!!" the annoyance in his voice was evident. 

"THOSE FLUORESCENT TUBE-LIGHTS HAD GOT ME HERE LAST NIGHT BEFORE I GOT BADLY INJURED BY ELECTRIC SHOCKS FROM THAT STUPID WIRED BOX (insect killer of a sort)!!” .

Me (in an attempt to cease the meeting ASAP): “My apology over your misfortune. I should have gave it a thought in the first place. Nevertheless, mind if I take a selfie with you?

Grasshopper on the ATM (more vexed): “WHY NOT? THAT’S THE ONE SINGLE THING YOU GUYS ARE GOOD AT!”

Photo Caption: "Mind if I take a selfie with you?"

To the uninitiated, 

* The name of the actor is ATM Shamshuzzaman

** Grasshopper Effect is the geochemical process by which certain chemicals, most notably Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), are transported from warmer to colder regions of the Earth, particularly the Poles and mountain-tops. It explains why relatively high concentrations of POPs have been found in the Arctic environment and in the bodies of animals and people who live there, even though most of the chemicals have not been used in the region in appreciable amounts.

*** The name of the poet is John Keats.