Landscape

Chill out on Omani beaches

The landscape in Muscat is a fascinating mix of mountains, desert and oceans – brown mountains, that millions of years ago were part of the Earth’s sea-bed. That is why , geologists keeps finding fossils of sea creatures and plants on mountain trails. Silvery beaches, clean and uncrowded and vast expanse of rolling ocean in varying shades of aquamarine.

At anytime of the day (or night, particularly just after sundown) and anytime of the year a walk along the beach can be a beautiful experience, whether you’re all by yourself or along with someone else / others. If you’re keen about photography you can take some great shots. The lighting out here is completely different to any other place. Artists will tell you the same thing. That’s why they like to keep coming back over and over again to recapture the colours of Oman’s landscape on their canvases.

MagicCarpet

Colours of Oman at BSM

THE British School Muscat (BSM) was agog with fun, excitement and colour as Primary section students took off on a magic carpet ride to enjoy a fascinating Arabian experience and enter the world of Oman’s rich culture and heritage, resplendent with its customs and traditions, music, arts and crafts, food, games and other leisure activities.

This was part of BSM’s initiative to give students a real-life feel and taste of Oman’s cultural heritage and traditions by celebrating Omani Cultural Day during school hours on Monday, November 24.

Even if it were a scaled down version of the real thing, it was absolutely enchanting to see little kids all dressed up like that. The boys wore dishdashas and looked positively dashing with other ceremonial robes, chequered turbans, Omani caps, scarves and hennaed motifs on their wrists. The girls looked even more colourful in their sequined, flowing skirts, abayas and head scarves, bedecked with traditional Omani jewellery and plenty of henna decoration on their hands and faces. As they moved around they looked and lived the part of Omani princes and princesses. What is more, even the teachers and masters were all dressed to the boot in Omani attire. It was easy to blink and rub your eyes and wonder if all this was real or whether it was some kind of magic that had transported everyone into a world of Arabian Nights fantasy and enchantment.

Adding to the fun were an Omani bagpiper and drummer entertaining children, squatting on a large mat on the floor, listening with rapt attention. In other such open air corners, there are Omani artisans demonstrating rug-making and weaving of baskets and mats with palm leaves. At other spots, Omani students of SQU showed the kids how to tie the Omani turban or turmah and allow them to have the feel of holding or posing with an Omani Khanjar. A little distance away, the ‘Omani’ kids were being taught how to play Omani hopscotch and in another corner there were the henna decorators, ready to paint the kids with whatever they wanted. Close by Omani women were making Omani preparations, both sweet and savoury.

Soorya Concert

 A mesmerizing concert featuring Kathak and Bharatnatyam dances and an exposition of hypnotic rhythms played by an ensemble of percussionists, formed part of the Soorya India Festival at the Al Falaj Hotel auditorium in Muscat on Sunday, November 23.

The concert, presented by Soorya and brought here to Muscat by Al Falaj Hotel and the Oman UAE Exchange, had HE Anil Wadhwa, India’s Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, as the chief guest.

 

In the first part of the concert, Laya Shakti, three renowned Indian percussionists with an equally distinguished musical lineage, Rashid Mustafa Thirakwa (tabla), Arunachalam Premkumar (mridangam) and Fateh Singh Gangani (pakhawaj) together with Ustad Nazir Khan (sarangi) played individually and together, interpreting different rhythmic patterns and stirred up a percussive storm of sound and passion.

The artistes excelled in not just their solo pieces but also in their jugalbandhis, where they vied with one another to present percussion phrases, known as bols, strung together in different patterns, to bring out amazing configurations of sound and rhythms that drew repeated applause from the audience, time after time.

In the Indian context of performing arts, jugalbandhi is when two or more artistes, vocal or instrumentalists engage in a kind of dialogue, where each one tries to interpret the music, sound, rhythm and movement in their own particular way. In this way the performers try to excel in their presentation each time and for the audience, the whole process is very enriching indeed.

The dance performances were equally spell-binding. Taking the stage first, Kirti Ramgopal gave a scintillating performance of Bharatnatyam, one of the oldest Indian classical dance form, having its roots in South India, Tamil Nadu especially. Known for it grace and tenderness, Bharatnatyam combines the three elements of bhava (expression), raga (music) and tala (rhythm).

Starting off her performance with the traditional invocation to Mother Earth, Kirti went on to portray an episode from the Indian epic, the Mahabharata depicting the outrage of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. Kirtis execution of hand and body movements were graceful and flowing and her statuesque poses were immaculate.

But the highlight of the evening’s performance was a flawless presentation of Kathak dances by Hari and Chethana from the famous Noopur Performing arts Centre, Bangalore. Kathak possesses a different kind language and grammar and with a vigour and rhythm that sets it apart from all other genres of classical Indian dance.

The dance duo exhibited both aspects of Kathak. The gentler and milder form of devotional kathak and its later form that emerged from 16^th century onwards as a court dance with its strong Persian influence. This genre reached its zenith under the patronage of the Nawabs of Avadh, with the seat of power at Lucknow, the most well-known among them being the last nawab of Avadh, Wajid Ali Shah, an accomplished poet, singer and dancer himself.

Bringing back all the opulence and grandeur of that Nawabi era,  Hari and Chethana performed their second set to the accompaniment to some of the finest poetry or ghazals of Mirza Ghalib.

 

Japanese-Books

Japanese books for Dar Al Atta


A special ceremony was held at the residence of HE Seiji Morimoto, Ambassador of Japan to the Sultanate of Oman, Madam Yoshiko Morimoto, his wife, donated 100 books to charitable organization Dar Al Atta’s Let’s Read literacy campaign, in Muscat on Sunday, November 22.

Dar Al Atta’s Let’s Read committer members Jane Jaffer, Cathy Dalton, Rana Dabbous, Mary-Ann Spiteri and Jan Wooten, together with members of the Women’s Guild in Oman, were present on the occasion to receive the books from Madam Morimoto.

Addressing the gathering, Madam Morimoto said funds raised through a charity event on November 1 had been utilised to purchase the books mostly of Japanese folk and fairy tales, from a Japanese bookstore in Dubai..

Appreciating the stirling work being done under Dar Al Atta’s Let’s Read campaign, Madam Morimoto said in Japan it was customary for parents and grand-parents to read stories to children at bedtime.

Speaking on behalf of Dar Al Atta, Janet Jaffer said: “This generous donation of books provides us with a wonderful opportunity to further our Let’s Read campaign to promote the enjoyment of reading for children in Oman, while learning more about Japan’s fascinating culture, heritage and cuisine”. She also thanked Anne Parker, the president of the Women’s Guild in Oman and its members for their help and support.

Delightful Washoku Evening


Earlier on November 16, an exciting culinary event with a colourful variety of exotic Japanese foods was hosted by HE Seiji Morimoto, the Ambassador of Japan, and his wife Madame Morimoto at their residence in Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat on Monday, November 16.

Among the distinguished gathering were a number of senior diplomats, representatives from the hotel and hospitality industry as well as catering and food importing companies.

Addressing the distinguished gathering, the ambassador said: “Washoku or try good food” as this evening’s event is called is not about Japanese dishes but the materials that go into the making of these dishes, namely Japanese fruits, vegetables and seasonings”.

He added that at the special culinary event, there was a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and ingredients laid out for the guests that had been brought to Muscat by air cargo because of the close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

Making a point the Ambassador said: “I believe we Japanese are omnivorous, which mean we tend to eat all kinds of edible things”. He however went on to stress that “when we talk about our own cuisine, we do attach a lot of importance to the material to be used for every dish. First the seasonality of the material is important and secondly, the taste of the material itself played an important role

He stressed the in Japanese cooking the emphasis was more on preserving the natural or original taste of the food item without using or adding too much seasoning. He cited as a typical example, the case of ‘sushi’ with was basically a piece of raw fish with a tiny amount of rice dipped in soy sauce.

The Ambassador said that because of the minimum use of seasoning, this had to be used in a very subtle way “so that it is like a work of art; it’s there but you hardly notice it. But when your palate begins to feel it then it is really something”.

According to the Ambassador, Oman was the number importer one of musk melons from Japan.

Among the fruits and vegetable laid out for sampling were persimmons (Fuyu-Kaki), sweet mandarin orange (Arida-Mikan), sour mandarin orange (Yuzu), apples (San-Fuji), pears (Nansui) as well as sweet potatoes, pumpkins (Ebisu) and green soybeans (Edamame). There was also a fine array of other culinary delights like Fish and Teriyaki.

Sound Wizard

Resul Pookutty likes to make Sound sound natural

MAKING sense out of sound. That’s what Resul Pookutty likes to do most of the time. Or to put it across more simply he makes Sound sound sensible. But what he’d like to say is that he likes to make Sound sound natural. Hold on folks, if you’re not getting it right. Perhaps things will fall into place if you’re told that this is Resul Pookutty, who won the Oscar for sound mixing at the US Academy Awards about 10 months ago for British Director Danny Boyle’s riveting and moving film Slumdog Millionaire about life in a Mumbai slum, back in India. Cinemagoers in India and film industry biggies in Bollywood in India had earlier begun to get glimpses of his talent and what he could do with sound in films like Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Black’ or Aamir Khan’s ‘Ghajni’, two films that Resul particularly likes to talk about. But it was the Oscar award that catapulted him to the pinnacle of dazzling success, accolades and global recognition. Eventually, Slumdog went on to win two Oscars, with the other award being bagged by another Indian, music director AR Rahman. Now everything has changed completely for this young man from Kerala, who is a graduate from Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Maharashtra, India.

I got an opportunity to do an exclusive interview with the wizard of sound while he was here last week to attend the launch of the International Film Fraternity of Oman (IIFO) along with noted Marathi film-maker Dr Jabbar Patel as guests of honour. Later they lectured in an IIFO-organised workshop the next day.

Talking to Resul was easy, despite the fact that the interview was an impromptu one done without any prior intimation. It was gracious of him to comply in the first place. People with little or no achievement to their credit are known to put on airs and create a fuss. But success has not gone to his head at all. He still has his feet firmly on the ground, with that friendly, boy-next-door kind of charm and warmth. All this at the end of a long and tiring day around 11pm.

The first thing to get to know from him was what he felt like when they made the announcement on Oscar night. As Resul recalls the moment his face lights up, suddenly all his fatigue seems to vanish as he slips into that time and says: “You know even after 10 months when people ask me this question, I get goose pimples; the excitement of that night hasn’t left me, I relive that moment time after time. But yes, I must admit I was completely overwhelmed and it took quite a while for the reality to sink in”.

But what is this ‘natural sound’ that he’s talking about with such passion, something that’s he been into ever since he graduated from the FTII in 1995? Resul says in an earlier time, the quality of sound in Indian cinema was not good enough in comparison to films being produced in the West, particularly Hollywood. “Because of better technology, people out there were able to mix the sound in a near-perfect way. This gave their sound, a natural sound, very much like what it sounds like in real life. The difference in sound quality between their films and our films would bother me no end. I felt something has to be done about it”.

To the question of the difficulties he faced when he decided to strike out into uncharted and unknown territory, Resul admits it was a tough and lonely road. “But I persevered and kept at it, knowing that ‘natural sound’ would make a big difference”.

According to him, once India got the technology of the West it was not too difficult to move ahead and draw level with the rest of the world. “Today our films have gained global acceptance in terms of technical finesse, quality and marketability”.

Talking about his various projects, Resul says that he is at present in the process of taking the sound work of two Bollywood projects. A recently released Malayalam film which has his ‘sound touch’ has been running to a full house for the last three months. “Next year I’ll be taking up around two or three Hollywood films”.

So with so much happening, there can be no doubt that Resul will keep moving on a sound track. He only smiles as if to say ‘Naturally”!

Omani Theatre

There can be no doubt that the Omani theatre movement has now come of age and emerged with an identity of its own. This was very much in evidence at the recently concluded eight-day Arabian theatre festival, attracting the presence of renowned theatre groups and artists from Egypt, Syria and Jordan as well as participation of eight theatre groups from the Sultanate.

Ezzra Khusabiah, an eminent theatre personality and drama critic from Egypt, says: “Omani theatre is now at an interesting stage of evolution and that the theatre movement in Oman is poised to take a great leap forward. It has progressed far beyond the stage of theatre schools or an amateur club.

Ezzra says the theatre movement out here has been able to break out of its rudimentary shell and take its rightful place on centre stage and play a proactive role in making the powerful voice of the people, especially the youth heard. “Drama is a powerful communication tool and through it young people can mirror their hopes and dreams, their doubts and fears. Now Omani theatre can follow its own individual path and produce and stage plays that reflect their own character and identity”.

Khusabiah avers that all this has become possible because of the keen interest shown by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture following a recent government directive. As a result of this initiative, the theatre movement in the Sultanate has received a big boost. “There are now as many as 17 local theatre groups who are producing plays on a regular basis, reflecting the art and culture of Oman”.

She went on to add that several long-term plans are in the process of being implemented by the sponsors, both private and government bodies. Discussions with experts on various related issues have also been successful. “One positive aspect of this has been the government’s willingness to put into place some sort of a funding mechanism for the promotion and development of theatre in Oman”.

She says this will certainly have a positive impact on Omani theatre. But there are challenges that have to be met. “There is this problem of cultural dilution that is taking place all over due to the burgeoning impact of globalisation. On account of this, Arabian culture is being eroded of its character, colour, and individuality. As an emerging movement, Omani theatre has a large responsibility to fulfil and to preserve the art form so that it remains closer to our dreams, a true reflection of Omani theatre in every sense of the word; a true reflection of our common heritage and culture”.

Ismahan Taufiq, a government employee and a theatre lover says: “theatre has been an inseparable part of cultures and civilisations down the ages from the time people started beating drums and dancing around the fire, as an expression of their artistic energies, as an expression of their feelings of happiness and joy or as a catharsis”.

She went on to add: “Theatre and drama are an intrinsic part of human nature. It is therefore very important to promote and develop this art form and encourage our youth to give it more life and potency”.

She stresses, however, that drama artists and enthusiasts “must not become mere followers and imitators as this will lead to a dilution or dissipation of our own rich cultural values and heritage. They must become innovators and carve their own paths of glory and distinction, so that Omani theatre can shine with its own light and lustre”.

BSM’s Blue and Silver Masked Ball makes a splash

The Blue and Silver Masquerade Ball at the British School Muscat (BSM) Thursday, Nov 12, turned out to be quite a regular bash - loads of fun, wonderful setting and ambience out in the open air in splendid isolation at the residence of HE Noel Guckian, British Ambassador to the Sultanate, on top a hill, overlooking the Marina Bandar Al Rowdha. Everything else was in line with the setting: Perfect weather, great food, beautiful people, and music for that in-the-mood feeling. What else could anybody ask for?Oh yes, the masks added to the magic and mystery of the black tie affair. It definitely loosened up everyone. That’s what masks do. See what Oscar Wilde has said on the subject: “Give a man a mask and he becomes himself”. So there it you are: Everybody just shed their inhibitions and became themselves. But as the evening wore on there were quite a few who were not themselves.The men with their black masks looked decidedly debonair and swashbuckling, while the ladies with their long-handled silvery masks with a touch of fancy feathers were creating a flutter themselves.
The mask did wonders for Georgia.. She immediately burst into a piece from Phantom of the Opera with much gusto. Met up with Vanessa and she was playing the harp just like an angel.
This is the second Masquerade ball put up by the British School Muscat. The success of the previous year’s do at the Crowne Plaza Hotel prompted principal Steve Howland to repeat the event on a bigger and grander scale this time around.British School’s spokesperson Roshan Nowrojee said this year’s event like the last one was a fund-raising event to raise money for school infrastructure. On behalf of the BSM she extended a word of special thanks to the British Ambassador and his wife, Lorna Guckian for their gracious presence and the use of their premises for the ball.
Students of BSM and their parents provided plenty of wonderful music both for listening and dancing. Later DJ music made sure everybody was on the dance floor till the end of the evening, which was around 1am.

Reflections

Reflections an exhibition of paintings by artists Antje Manser and Dr Fakhriya Yahyaiyah was inaugurated at the Bait Al Baranda Museum here on Saturday.

The exhibition was inaugurated by HE Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Chairman of the State Audit Institution in the presence of VIPs, distinguished guests, other artists and art lovers.

Talking to the media, the chief guest said it was how artists have the ability to reflect upon everyday and commonplace incidents and make the image stand out as something extraordinary by giving it an altogether new perspective and meaning.

Dr Fakhriya in this particular project she had made an attempt to express the meaning of ‘Reflection’ through reflection of ideas, meanings and life’s emotions.

Elaborating further the artist said: “We reflect ourselves through our thoughts, our ideologies and hopes through the steps we decide to take. Our steps reflect our ideas … our ideas reflect our dreams… our dreams reflect our hopes …our hopes reflect our future”.

Talking about how she creates her paintings, Dr Fakhriya, an Assisstant Professor of Drawing and Painting at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), says her creations are based on video images. “I first made a video film of people walking … the focus is on their feet.. footsteps. I then took these video images and manipulated them digitally and then I applied colour at some places and then covered this image with a plastic cover that gives an effect of frosted glass, which in turn heightens the perception of reflections and of footsteps in motion in the rain.

In all her compositions which seem to posses a kind of kinetic energy and movement, Dr Fakhriya shows a predisposition for different shades of blue, though at times her canvas also has touches of white, black and flesh pink. But ever and always, the predominant colour is blue, which makes her images look cool and soothing. At the same time blue captures admirably the sensation of reflection.

German artist Antje Manser’s reflections on the other hand different. Through her reflections she captures the magic of Nature - flowers, trees, landscape, still waters, birds in flight, silent mountains and whispering winds. All her paintings that are minimalist, and the silence, stillness and tranquillity that emanates from her creations gives them a meditative quality.

Manser Magic

ANTJE MANSER is at it again, painting mysterious, dream-like worlds of sublime beauty and enchantment, so compelling that they seem to beckon you to step inside and become a part of this dream. Flowers, trees, the wind, the sea, clouds and birds in flight seem to float and glide over her canvas with lyrical harmony, in soft, diffused colours, as though they are veiled in some kind of an ethereal mist. And when you step out again, you are completely revitalised by the refreshing insight you gain about Nature. This is Manser magic at its very best. The magic goes far beyond her canvas. It also infuses her with this remarkable capacity to reinvent herself in a new avatar, or reincarnation as apainter, and come up with something new, something refreshingly different, something exciting.

She says: “In my dreams … I live in beautiful gardens, listen to the sound of birds, fountains give me peace and relaxation. I travel to foreign countries …. When I wake up … I create my sanctuary on canvas, inspired by Moorish culture, Japanese gardens and beautiful landscapes”.

Antje is a German artist who has for long made Oman her home, fascinated and completely enamoured by the natural beauty and landscape of this wonderful country, its affectionate and hospitable people and the soothing, tranquil pace at which life flow out here. She spends equal time between here from October end to mid-May and the remaining months of the year in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the United States, where she lives, works and creates new magic in an artists’ village out there.

An active participant of Muscat’s lively art scenario she has participated in several solo and group art exhibitions here. She is at present in the process of staging another art exhibition entitled “Reflections” along with an eminent Omani artist Dr. Fakhriyah Al Yahyai, who hold a doctorate in fine arts from the Sultan Qaboos University. The exhibition opens at the Bait Al Baranda on November 7.

As always, the moon is ever-present in her paintings, adding to the mystery and enchantment, sometimes as a silvery crescent and sometimes full. Antje says with a gentle smile that it has its own magic: “The moon goes with me wherever I go. It is very soothing; it is a kind of a signature”.

Viewed from another perspective, the moon in many Eastern cultures stands as a powerful metaphor for Life itself signifying a beginning, an end, a cycle of change, of permanence and continuity, of nothingness and everything, of illusion and reality, a circle where the beginning and end merge into an infinite whole.

But Antje says she has always been deeply influenced by the Zen Buddhist philosophy of the Japanese and the writings of 13th century Sufi poet Rumi, from Iran. Perhaps this may explain to some extent her passion for the moon. The minimalist approach again reflects a strong Japanaese influence on her paintings – very simple and yet very profound. But always with this all-pervasive air of soothing stillness and tranquillity.

This element in her paintings may lead you to wonder if the artist had sojourned for long in Japan. But she shakes her head and says no. “I barely stayed there for a month. But the beauty of the place has left a lasting impact on my psyche and that somehow spills out on to my canvases”.

Talking about her approach to painting and her love for Nature, Antje says: “I don’t want to paint what is in front of me. I rely instead on photographs and transform these into my world, finding my own language to express my love for flowers, trees and landscape. I switch from one extreme to the other, from decorative Moorish style elements to the simplicity of Japanese gardens”.

She goes on to add: “I admire the influence of Arab poets on artists and I’m grateful that my artwork is influencing poets like Sama Issah in Oman”.

Speaking about her love for flowers Antje recalls: “Many paintings I have done are stylized flowers. I always seem to return to the quiet, organic harmony of floral forms ….. I used to go into greenhouses to draw. I did flower paintings which devolved into abstractions. Now, some of the discipline of oriental ornamentation has taken hold of my work; I enjoy the rhythmic patterns. I suppose my present work is a further development of my floral paintings using new techniques like digital collages and giving expression to my own imagination of nature”.

In summing up, Antje says there is more to being an artist than just being able to paint and draw. What is equally important from her point of view is your attitude to life and living and how receptive and open you are to the world around you. Her formula on how to be an artist recommends that you “stay loose, plant impossible gardens, hug trees, look forward to dreams, cultivate moods, believe in magic, laugh a lot, celebrate every gorgeous moment, draw on the wall, read every day, entertain your inner child. Open up ! Be free”.

Now isn’t that just awesome. You never know what might happen. Perhaps it may not make an artist out of everyone. But a little bit of magic and some dreams can open up your world in a way you never imagined it could be. No wonder Antje is the way she is – sunny smiles, infectious laughter and a joie de vivre that is like a tonic for all who come in contact with her, even if it is for a few fleeting moments.

Nabs reaches out to Omani youth

An exhibition of photographs of Bahraini-based, British-born Omani adventurer Nabil Al Busaidi’s trip to the magnetic North Pole in April this year, opened for public viewing at the Seeb City Centre here on Sunday, October 11.

The 30 photographs on display were from a collection of 6000 pictures taken by JP Downes and Dave Ward during the course of the North Pole expedition.

On April 29 this year, the 39-year-old, Al Busaidi, more popularly known by his nickname ‘Nabs’, became the first Omani and the first Arab to walk to the magnetic North Pole; a journey of 650 kms through blinding blizzards, in temperatures that were almost always around minus 80 degrees Celsius.

The adventurer, a former British Army officer, says the purpose of the exhibition, which lasted two weeks, was to spread the word among Arabic-speaking Omani people and youth about his trip to the North Pole. “By and large what has been written about my North Pole expedition in most countries so far has been in the English press mainly. I would like to share my experiences with all my Omani brothers and sisters in the farthest corner of Oman”.

Nabs hopes the wider dispersion of his achievement among fellow Omanis, would inspire and enthuse them to set their sights on bigger goals, greater heights, wider horizons. “The message I wish to pass on through this initiative is that each one of us is capable of doing anything and everything if we work hard with perseverance and courage and keep going until we reach our goal”.

Nabs is engaged in a number of peripheral activities in the shape of motivational talks and presentations among corporates and school children. Besides this he is also training hard in preparation either for the Winter Olmpics in Vancouver, Canada or the Asian Games in Kazakhstan.