Rock’s Head Vivek Bhasin (Lefroy 1961-1970)
2009 will be the 150th Birthday of our great Alma Mater..
My Brother Sharat related to me. one late evening…early morning as we drove back from a vino tasting session at the Chileno Ambassador’s residence, how BCS has its unique standards….we are a very elite unit….it was definitely British Royalty and most definitely Indian Royalty..Us..Yes us Cottonians, who were the chosen few to enter those lofty gates….it was definitely not the merlot or the pinot grigio that was playing tricks with him or me…..we both just knew what a great bunch of monsters we all are…..Jeev..Arjun, Benjamin, Dulat, Sujan, Elisabeth Hurley’s dad-in-law, Raja Vir Bhadra, DC, Tarsem, Marshall, Popi, Lord Slim at the House of Lords, Gay, Krit, Krishna, The Sly Gang….Peter, Ken, Father, Harry, Texan…you, me…WE ALL.
The rest of all those other alma maters were shaped to be like us…Es un veradero mis amigos.(It’s the truth my Friends)
The other day I received a call from a young musician..his emphasis was on Rock….how does one draw the fine line between patriotism, progress, bollywood, holly wood, Radio Mirchi, Barista, Pizza express, Burger King , MacDonald’s (what a great add…..from Burger king…’Eat like a King, not like a Clown…’…the airwaves are splattered with good desi stuff…like bumper to bumper…..the next will probably be ‘ Log jam, spend the night in the car and send a flying kiss to your wife and kids at home….’ There will be no movement….
John Whitmarsh Knight will have to help me out on this one….I do not seem to be getting there..between the straight and narrow. A bollywood actor I met one evening in London was wearing the most ill fitting trousers…worn out heels really ghussoed’…but his one liner…’India Rocks’ was the only sensible thing he said…
2009 is also the 40th anniversary of the biggest jam that was ever held at Yasger’s Farm….Woodstock….in upstate New York (now I just love the name of that school but no I do not think I could hike to Mussorie…)…IT IS TIME THAT WE OPENED THE DOOR and created an exclusive niche…played Classic Rock….xcuse me while I kiss the sky…..but it is time a small transmitter be fixed on the roof of a dilapidated spire and the coaxing voice of a Disc Jockey whispered into the ear of every single soul here at home. If we are what we are, we have to beat the West and ‘High Energise all’. I am not trying to market Plant, Page, Bonham or Jones, or for that matter Townsend, Daltry, Moon or the Ox, or Grace Slick or Steely Dan, Grand Funk, Cooper, Clapton, Metallica, Alterbridge, Purple, Soundgarden, Killswitch Engage, Manson, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Micheal Schenker, The Verve, Smashing Pumpkins, Mastadon, Heroes de silencio, Soda Stereo, Rata Blanca, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Simple Minds, Bowie (ooph…all in one breath)…for only then we can be heroes….HFT.
India Rocks….India shines…..along with our greatest identity of being Indian lets beat the others at their own game. Because when you combine Bolly and Holly and Zakir Hussain, John Maclaughlin with the likes of King Crimson, Janis Joplin and Freddie Bulsara….the finally curry is going to be deadly.
Rock Hard-Stay Straight.