Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Beak hourIts fishing time for this median egret at Girgaum ChowpattyA sound ideaIndian classical singer sound designer and acoustician Gaurav Chopra feels that all artistes should understand the technology that goes into their performances while all sound designers should work closely with artistes This enables perfect sync between them In a Facebook live workshop aptly titled The Artiste on Both Sides of the Mic that the National Centre for Performing Arts NCPA is hosting on January 16 Chopra will elaborate how artistes can use technology to augment online performances Amid the pandemic we are entirely dependent on technology Ill be more demonstrative than theoretical Ill be talking about how we can improve the live streaming experience and home production A bad visual can still pass but lowquality sound pulls you down he told this diarist Tune in for a few tipsWith a little help from the Dalai LamaIts going to take us a long time to get over the losses of 2020 To make 2021 a little more inspiring if not easier His Holiness the Dalai Lama has penned a new title The Little Book of Encouragement Penguin India The Nobel Peace Prize winner in a foreword wrote that the book in which he shared 130 encouraging quotes comes from his commitment to promoting human happiness The pandemic has changed our lives forever Weve often found ourselves at crossroads as if we have nothing to fall back upon These words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrapped in love compassion and encouragement have the power to infuse fresh energy in the diseasestricken world shared Premanka Goswami editor Penguin PressReady for a Middle Eastern soireeThe year seems to have started on a busy note for the citys FampB industry with a slew of new openings The latest entry is by the Capitals modern Middle Eastern restaurant Diablo which is filling in the void left by the nowshuttered Tamasha Restaurateur Priyank Sukhija who runs both brands told this diarist that Diablo in Lower Parel will be dishing out modern adaptations of Middle Eastern fare Weve done a complete overhaul of the space as Tamasha had been around for three to four years and was also competing with our other brand Lord of the Drinks next door Diablo is a Middle EasternMediterranean restaurant that has influences from Afghanistan and Turkey and a lot of dishes that India hasnt seen he said adding that another outlet of Plum By Bent Chair is opening in Bandra next week Like we said its good to see the industry abuzz againTo Kitab Khana with loveThe damning blaze at Forts Kitab Khana has moved Mumbais bibliophiles While some like author Murzban Shroff posted an online appeal to buy more titles from the plucky bookstore writer Sanjay P Shetye wrote to them about his fond memories there In the moving letter that T Jagath its COO shared with this diarist Shetye said he was nearly in tears when he heard of the fire We sometimes develop an emotional bond with some placesKitab Khana is one such place he wrote reminiscing how his books were launched there in pic The bliss one gets going through the pages of a book at your own leisure time searching flawlessly for the desired references while sipping coffee in the cafeteria is the experience beyond words It is a destination to the answer to the eternal question What is happiness he wrote Dont you agreeRaftaars French connectionRapper composer and producer Raftaars music label Kalamkaar which nurtures local talent has earned the attention of music companies in France Believe a Parisbased independent music firm has tied up with Kalamkaar to extend its digital music distribution services to the label About the collaboration Raftaar shared with this diarist I am super stoked that Kalamkaar has partnered with Believe India to distribute and promote our independent music digitally Were just getting started theres a lot more coming up on the global front The rapper added that he will be releasing a new EP by the end of this month and that a few global tieups are on the cards too Sounds neat