Rolling Stone India Feb 2010 article

Shor Bazaar and our Savita Bhabhi was commented on by (guess who?) Palash Krishna Mehrotra in this month's edition of Rolling Stone India. We were a little late to catch up on it - that too, thanks to Anuj Gupta (OML, E-18) who showed me the article when I was getting tipsy on wine at SulaFest 2010.

Here's the article as an image.

We would like to thank Palash for being kind to us and our song. We would like to thank Rolling Stone India who have been wanting to write about Savita Bhabhi for quite some time - ever since our June release! We'd like to excuse ourselves for being so tardy in letting you know about this.

KK

Shor Bazaar's Savita Bhabhi quoted in Hindustan Times

It’s been about 6 months ago that we let loose “Savita Bhabhi” on the Internet. We are still astonished by the amount of interest it has generated, and should we say, is still generating.

Our take on the immensely popular Savita Bhabhi comic trip was commented on by Palash Krishna Mehrotra in yesterday’s (Jan 23rd, 2010) Hindustan Times. Here’s the excerpt about us from the article that describes the emergence of Indian artists who dare take on the more edgy subjects in our society.

While the mainstream remains where it was sixty-three years ago, there is, however, for the first time, a new rumbling in the Indian underground. Young bands are putting out songs on the Internet that take on everything from our squeamishness about sex to joint families and religious tradition. Shor Bazaar's 'Savita Bhabhi' goes, ‘Yehan ka tu native/ Society conservative! Aise in halaat mein/...Best to go online/Leke apne haath mein.’

We thank Palash for his generous comments!

You can read the entire article at the link that is attached.

http://dailyme.com/story/2010012300003845/hindustan-times-delhi-palash-krishna-mehrotra.html

Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College: Fahrenheit ’10 – Jan 23rd, 2010 – our experience

During our trip to the venue, through heavy traffic on a warm Saturday afternoon, our drummer Sidd Coutto (ex-Zero/HFC, ToT) was reminiscing about the fact that he had won his first competition at DY Patil College a few years back. Apparently, once he had had to play drums without drumsticks (yes, with bare hands). He went on to mention various anecdotes from the numerous times he had performed there. It was encouraging for the rest of us because it was the first time that all of us apart from Sidd were about to perform at DY Patil, and more generally in Navi Mumbai.

We were taken care of very well by our hosts (special thanks to Shruti Shanbhag and the team) after our arrival. The entire process of soundchecking was marred by some technical snags related primarily to the monitoring situation. But the sound consultant Carl Alfonso (Elektra events) and our friend Geo (sound engineer) did their best to provide use with decent stage sound.

We started out with “Jaisalmer Express” as an experiment; usually, it what we end the show with. Despite a low turn out, the crowd seemed to enjoy the first half of the show – especially, the appreciation that we got for “Chandramukhi” and “Savita Bhabhi” was remarkable! The second half was rather lukewarm as the audience seemed to looking forward to the “Battle of the DJs” event which was scheduled immediately afterward.

It’s ironic that a few uncivilized (drunk) members in the audience assaulted one of the DJs and halted the “battle” almost before it started. Police and security had to intervene to restore sanity to the proceedings, which unfortunately ended on a rather dull note.

However, we enjoyed ourselves on stage – for the first time in humane temperatures – with our new line-up that includes Sidd (drums) and Rohan (Utpat) on percussions/tabla. We would like to thank the entire team of Fahrenheit ’10 for their excellent co-operation and care. We also would like to thank Aditya Jha and Kaniskha (our manager) for the necessary communications which made this gig happen! Also, thanks to Carl and Geo for the sound!

All in all, a wonderful experience. We look forward to performing there again. Here are some band photos that we took before and after the gig!

Our set-list for the night

1. Jaisalmer Express
2. Mumbhai (Bombay Boys cover)
3. Nahin Accha
4. Yeh Hasin Vaadiyan (Roja/AR Rahman cover)
5. Chandramukhi
6. Savita Bhabhi
7. Pehla Nasha – Pal (QSQT cover/KK cover)
8. Rasili
9. Yaar Bina (Junoon Cover)
10. School
11. Madhushaala
12. Sayonee (Junoon cover)
13. Apsara

Deccan Chronicle story on the upcoming 'Savita Bhabhi' video

Today, Deccan Chronicle published a story about our single "Savita Bhabhi" and its upcoming music video directed by Varun Agarwal from Last Minute Films. You might want to read this. Plus, it's got that fantastic photo of us posing in marching band costume. Aren't we all excited about this now?

Read on, here, if you are lazy!

Tribute video for Savita Bhabhi

September 1st, 2009
By Our Correspondent

Remember Savita Bhabhi? Yes, she’s the same bhabhi who was India’s first online toon porn figure who was recently banned by the Indian Government. The desi cartoon porn series is now an inspiration for a tribute video made by Bengaluru boy and filmmaker Varun Agarwal and Mumbai-based music band Shor Bazaar. Says Varun, “When I was in Mumbai, I saw the whole Savita Bhabhi mania. The office boys would watch it and she was a cult figure there. Jayajit Dash (front man of Shor Bazaar) and I met up. I proposed the idea of creating a song about Savita Bhabhi and we decided to make a one-off video.” While the government has banned the porn series, Varun insists that their video does not promote the porn figure. “We have not used even a single image of Savita Bhabhi. The video is just a fun take on something popular,” he says.

After Shor Bazaar created a song dedicated to Savita Bhabhi, they found out that the website would be banned by the government. There were protests by bloggers and by people on Facebook and Twitter, says Varun, adding, “It’s amusing how the government decided to ban this one site when there are tons of other porn sites that are easily accessible.”

So would they have used Savita Bhabhi’s images in the video if she wasn’t banned? “No, we still wouldn’t have used it ‘coz we aren’t promoting porn or her,” says Varun, referring to the video which shows a guy who can’t find a job during recession and also has a tough time finding a girlfriend. “He suddenly comes across Savita Bhabhi and his life becomes rosy as he gets whatever he wants from her,” reveals Varun.

While the unique video will be out by the end of this week, Varun says that they won’t be able to get it on air ‘coz of the ban on Savita Bhabhi. “But we will release it on the Internet where we will surely get a lot of responses,” says the young filmmaker who feels that there’s more to Savita Bhabhi than just being a porn figure.

Here’s to some ‘clean’ fun!

(Courtesy Deccan Chronicle)

Mumbai Mirror online article on topical/conceptual song-writing

Mumbai Mirror's Ashwini Gangal* has written an article about the conceptual song-writing among Mumbai-based rock bands. Shor Bazaar (and the Doc) have been quoted along with a couple of dozen other bands (including Coshish, Tough on Tobacco, Demonic Resurrection, Zygnema, Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family etc.).

Find the article here. It's an interesting read!

Musical Tales

By Ashwini Gangal

Storytelling through music is not alien to rock music but there of late seems to be a positive surge in the kind of song themes and story concepts. We nose around and explore what Mumbai's rock bands are singing about nowadays

Come in dear sir,
Let me show you around.
I serve the master,
Who lives in this house,
The guests are arriving,
Dont look so pensive,
Dinner will be served shortly,
A treat for the senses...'


Not the likes of David Bowie, Jim Morrison or Roger Waters; the lines above represent the kind of lyrics city-based rock bands are penning these days. With more and more bands mushrooming constantly, lyrical and musical narratives are hitting some bold notes.

Mangesh Gandhi, songwriter, Coshish, explains, "There are scores of new bands and hence newer ideas and issues to write about. Many progressive bands are releasing concept albums where one single story is woven through all the songs .The effort is also to create 'musical films' where the audience hears not only the words but also visualises the story being narrated. These are great new developments."

Krishna Venkitachalam, bass guitarist for Shor Bazaar, observes, "People don't think of bands as sources of stories and interesting concepts – a huge misconception, because the point of being a musician is not to perform but also to convey a message.”

Gandhi points out that although a recent trend in Mumbai, this has been happening in the West for a while now. Riju Dasgupta, songwriter for Albatross, agrees with him. “Internationally, musical storytelling is common; in fact there's an entire genre in the west that's LOTR-based, called 'Tolkien Metal',” he informs.

He further adds, “In Mumbai, concept albums are picking up though – Demonic Resurrection for example has a fantasy-based one. Also, bands are now expressing unique things; Bangalore-based band Slain sings about Christ, for instance."

Spreading the word

Singing about socially relevant issues and spreading preachy messages almost seems ironic given the bratty image most bands portray, but surprisingly enough, this is true. As songwriter Sidd Coutto (Tough on Tobacco) puts it, "We send out socially relevant messages like 'don't drink and drive' and 'don't start smoking'. I know it's a strange message coming from a pop-rock-reggae band, but it's more like 'like look at us we're all addicted, so learn from our mistakes and don't start smoking!'"

Along the same lines, Krishna calls Shor Bazaar an ‘educated band of radical thinkers’. “We write about serious issues like ragging/school bullying, the notoriety of Savita Bhabhi and use a lot of Indian mythological analogies," he says.

Similarly, apart from penning songs inspired by Lord Voldemort, Spiked Crib writes about all the issues that society loves to deny. Lyricist Gareth Mankoo reveals, "We sing about abortion, suicide and infidelity. Our song 'The Butcher's Prayer' is about the mindset of a rapist."

A lot of these songs on prevalent issues stem from personal experiences. Siddharth Basrur, songwriter for Dog Ate Disco,confides, "I used to be in a drug rehabilitation centre, so I write about my journey. I also write about current themes like item girls, the saas-bahu TV culture and the need to vote for the right politician."

Art imitates life

It comes as no surprise that the 26/11 terror attacks have become a common topic for bands to be vocal about. Mayank Sharma, drummer, Zygnema, shares, "We have a song called '59' which tells the story of those 59 gruelling hours faced by hostages at the Taj during the 26/11 attack. The song addresses the way the goverment reacted, how politicians resigned and how it became a political issue instead of a national one." Zygnema also sings about the North Indian-Maharashtrian divide, the Indian economy and encourages national unity.

Coshish has songs like 'Rehne Do' about the Godhra riots, 'Woh Kho Gaye' which addresses alcohol and rehabilitation and 'Raaste' strives to encourage secularism, religious tolerance and humanity. Meanwhile, Urdu band The Ghalat Family also sings about terrorism, 26/11, materialism, government manipulation and blind faith in country and religion.

Attributing his own creativity to today's unsteady times, songwriter Ankur Tewari, The Ghalat Family, says, "The country is full of crises today and there's a lot of meaningful stuff to write about. It's no longer about rhyming random words; lyrics are crucial."

Clearly, rock bands today are emerging as an excellent medium for one to gauge the ethos of the prevailing era.

Thanks to Mumbai Mirror and Ashwini!

(Article courtesy Mumbai Mirror.com)

(* Apologies for the typo which is now corrected)

Savita Bhabhi video preview!

It's here! The "Savita Bhabhi" video directed by Varun Agarwal (from Last Minute films) has just been uploaded on FaceBook. We don't yet know how to upload it on YouTube. Until then, here's the link.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=234123750370

We love it! What do you think?

The Kyra Theatre experience

Yesterday was the first time ever that Shor Bazaar played down in the South. Bangalore, Kyra theatre, and the amazing crowd that had gathered made us feel really special. It was the first time in a long long time that we played our entire set. The occasion was made extra-special by the mercurial Jai Row Kavi on the drums.

As always, we had a blast performing and going berserk on stage. "The electric set was the loudest that Kyra had heard" said Shimrei (the sound engineer) at the end of our performance and we don't think he was kidding. That kinda explains why our first-ever five-piece 'unplugged' set got an overwhelming response from the crowd. That included a new version of "La Ilaj" and a mellower version of "Pagli Ladki." We also debuted a couple of new songs - "Chandramukhi" and a version of "Rehen De."

The most endearing memory of our performance was the standing ovation and applause after the rendition of "Pagli Ladki". Quite honestly, we were astounded to see so many people standing up and giving kind smiles and the applause of our lives! There have already been getting quite a few requests for the song and we are thinking of recording it!

The sound was excellent - probably the best that we have played in an indoor setup. It is incredible to realize that Kyra is just 3 months old and already has a fantastic list of artists/bands who have had a blast playing there. We applaud the managment at Kyra for providing another brilliant destination for performing and enjoying live music.

Apart from the performance, we had a great time in Bangalore, away from the grind of a busy city like Mumbai. The folks at Kyra took wonderful care of us and put us up in this wonderful guest house which made us feel like staying back for a couple of weeks more at the least. Barring a couple of cab-related coordination problems, we couldn't have asked for anything better.

We also managed to catch up with Namita Malhotra who's making a documentary film on internet censorship. We are being featured in the documentary. More details later. Lastly, we would also like to thank our friends who turned up and gave us wonderful support!

Kyra Theatre - Aug 8th, 2009 - Shor Bazaar set list

• Electric Set (I): Rasli, School, Chuppi, Savita Bhabhi, Nahin Accha, Mumbhai (cover), Jaisalmer Express
• Acoustic Set: Chandramukhi, La Ilaj, Pagli Ladki, Rehn De (cover), Laal
• Electric Set (II): Madhushaala, Yaar Bina (cover), Wada Shikan, Savita Barbie, Apsara
• Encore: Rasili, Pagli Ladki
  

Bangalore, here we come!

In under a day's time, we'll be performing at Kyra Theatre, Bangalore. It's our first extended performance with Jai Row Kavi on drums. We're excited!

Those of you in and around Bangalore - we'll be expecting you. The gates open at 7 pm and we'll be on stage a little after 8 pm. Entry - Rs. 250/-

We have a few copies of our Savita Bhabhi single left and those will be available for you to pick up.

Come on, let's bring Kyra down!

Collaboration, citations etc.

Shor Bazaar, as a band, has always wanted to pursue something new. We usually like off-beat, whacky stuff that tickles your senses in just the right way and we are pretty darned certain that there are others who feel likewise. Yes, we want to meet people from different niches of the art world - people with vibrant, tangential ideas so we can work with them to create something interesting and worthwhile.

Since posting about this on FaceBook and Twitter, we've already received a number of responses from across the nation. We are thrilled! Honestly. That's the reason I'm writing about this on our blog. So, if you think that you would like to work with us, or if you know someone who might fit the bill, please let us know. We'd be more than happy to hear from you.

Apart from that, we still continue to be amazed by the fantastic coverage we are getting. These are the new pieces. The rest of the stories can be viewed here.

• The Telgraph (Calcutta - 1st of August, 2009)
• Buzz 18 - Tribute to India's first toon porn
  
• Hindustan Times (Chandigarh - 31st July, 2009

We have also stumbled on a YouTube video of our CNN-IBN interview. Thanks to baboonlogic.


If you stumble on any such stories, please let us know - as a comment, e-mail, or the various social networking options.

Lastly - for only those in Mumbai - you can catch us performing live (with Tough on Tobacco) tomorrow (Sunday) at the Ce'st la Vie Swimsong Sundays brunch. 12 pm onwards. Cover is 1200 Rs./- per person. We have at least one surprise for you!!

Here's the FB event listing.

:)

Gracias, albeit with a disclaimer

We are astounded by the response to our single! Almost every single reaction has been positive. We are absolutely honored!

Here are a couple of extremely amorous, kind responses. We'd like to say 'Thank you!'

"... Savita Bhabhi is one hell of a song. Shor Bazaar's Savita Bhabhi does not not sound like any of that synthesized shit we started to hear post-90s. They sound like one of them - the elite league. The music from the era when dope was cheap and the sex was free. And THAT alone is enough for me." - Athiran

"The musical maestros of Shor Bazar, have given the followers of Savita Bhabhi, their very own anthem. The lyrics are cheeky and chock-full of sexual innuendos, coupled with some great guitar play and arrangements."

We've been covered in almost every form of media.

• CNN-IBN - Entertainment Tonight (30th of July, 2009 - 10.30 pm)
  
• Asian Age (Mumbai Edition - 30th July, 2009)
• Hindustan Times (Mumbai; HT Cafe - 30th July, 2009)
• Red 93.5 FM (Jigar's show, Mumbai - 29th of July, 2009)
  
• Times Of India (Mumbai Edition - 29th of July, 2009)
• Hindustan Times (Delhi; HT City - 29th of July, 2009)
• Radio City 94.3 FM (Malini's show, Mumbai - 28th July, 2009)
• Indian Express (Mumbai edition - 27th of July, 2009)
• DNA Sunday (Mumbai - 26th of July, 2009)

We, and our song, have been doing the rounds on various platform of internet discussion (Twitter, FaceBook etc.). We have had people like Pritish Nandy offering support, albeit vicariously, on such forums. We thank all of them too.

However, we are acutely aware of the possibility of misinterpretation of the song and its message. Especially, vis-a-vis newspaper articles, where our words, after extensive pruning, could transform into vicious political statements.

We would like to clarify one thing - we are not here to promote pornography. Instead, we believe in letting the masses decide what's appropriate for them - freedom in art and various ways of expression.

Please support us in this honest, humble venture.

(Our disclaimer is put up on our blog (*right-sided bar) and FB pages. We do COME in peace!)

The Launch Gig...that almost never was...

Well...well...well...it almost was the perfect anti-climax. The cops came in when K*N*A*P were midway through their set....and it was announced that the party was over... We were terribly disappointed, and started giving away our cd's...played the song over the PA...and were ready to scoot out...when...when....Sameer appeared out of nowhere....looked at us and said - "Fuck it - lets do this.." 

7 minutes of chaos followed....3 minutes of which weere spent looking for Robin who had left to see off his friends. The rest of the 4 were the maniacal rendition of our debut number...as usual we could not hear ourselves on stage...Aggie was super on drums....and JD...well....he even screamed at the Sound Guy in the middle of the song... :)

It was a fun gig! 

A million thanks to Sameer for making this happen!!

And an extra special thank you to all those who came to support us....

See ya'll next time!!

- Joy

We thank you!

We sincerely thank EVERYONE who have helped us promote our own "Savita Bhabhi"! We can't be indebted for the wonderful articles/coverage our friends in the media have come up with. And freedom for all!

• Times Of India (Mumbai Edition - 29th of July, 2009)
• Hindustan Times (Delhi; HT City - 29th of July, 2009)
• Radio City 94.3 FM (Malini's show, Mumbai - 28th July, 2009)
• Indian Express (Mumbai edition - 27th of July, 2009)
• DNA Sunday (Mumbai - 26th of July, 2009)

Let's just not stop here. If you like us and our luscious "Savita Bhabhi," do spread the message around?

(PS: Don't forget to check us out live. For a start, tonight at 'Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays' - gig dates are posted RIGHT here -->)
(PS2: Don't forget to send in your reviews/comments/amor/criticism. We love to be appreciated!)

Shor Bazaar - Savita Bhabhi released

The wait is over! Shor Bazaar's new single "Savita Bhabhi" is released online. If you have speakers on your computer, you would probably have started 'hearing' by now.

The song is also available at the following links.

• GimmeSound.com
• ReverbNation
• MySpace
• MyBand.co.in
• Chordvine (to be up soon)
• SoundClick.com

Once again, remember that if you want to watch us perform this live in our launch gig at Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays at il terrazzo, del italia tonight, this is all you need to do.

Become a member of Shor Bazaar communities (FB, MySpace, Twitter etc.) Review the song. Send/post it online and send us an e-mail at kk(at)shorbazaar(dot)in. We will let you know if you win the contest! The lyrics can be read here.

Shor Bazaar Live @ Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays - 'Savita Bhabhi' launch performance

Shor Bazaar is back - this time with a brand new single! We are extremely overjoyed to announce the release of "Savita Bhabhi," our first single, on the 29th July, 2009 (Wednesday). The song will be available for free download and streaming all over the web on the 29th.

Even cooler is to drop by at il Terrazzo, del Italia during our first ever performance of the song. We will be closing to Nikhil D'Souza and the K*N*A*P.

What's the big deal? We will be distributing copies of the 'limited edition' Savita single! Now, you wouldn't want to miss out on that. Especially because it's FREE!

Well, we can't reveal everything... but we can assure you that we will be springing some surprises. Maybe you will see something that you would never ever see! So get yourself off your couches and come down to Juhu!

To make things more interesting - here's an offer. We'll be putting "Savita Bhabhi" up for you to listen on Wednesday early morning. If you like it and would like to review the song for us, we'd love hear from you.

First add us as your friend on FaceBook/MySpace/Blogger/Twitter. Then send your review along with your name etc to kk[at]shorbazaar[dot]in. You can also post the review online too at these places (the wall here OR Shor Bazaar fan page on FB OR our blog OR even Myspace). We'll select a chosen few amongs the first few (whose names will be announced) and they will get FREE ENTRY to the gig!

ARE YOU READY?

~SHOR~

Entry: Rs. 500/-

(Why Savita Bhabhi? Why not? We think it's fun to write a song about such a cool website. It's a shame such web-niceties are banned. We have our right to freedom of expression, don't we?)

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135806976350

"Don't Ban the Bhabhi" - Indian Express, Mumbai 27th July, 2009

Our friend Georgina Maddox at Indian Express did a wonderful job with this article. We heartily thank her and Indian Express for covering us!

"Savita Bhabhi finds a voice" - DNA Mumbai, 26th July, 2009

DNA Mumbai ran a story on us on the 26th of July, 2009. We would like to thank DNA for the publicity and, especially, Suparna Thombare for her excellently written article... and Tanveer Khan for the exuberant photograph.

KK (Ze Doc)

(Article courtesy DNAindia.com)

"Savita Bhabhi" lyrics

Straight forward si baat,
Jab bhi laundon ki jamaat
Sharam aur sperm ki baatein,
Saari saari raat
Ladka ek dum ordinary,
Simply looking for a naari
But sorry! And yeh bas
Opinion hai meri… ke yeh

Ke ye koshish bekaar!
Bekaar bina car!
Hai jo car and money,
They help get honey beta
Dhan-dhan Gopal,
Nehin galni teri daal
Yehan ka tu native –
Society conservative!

Aise in halaat mein
Majboori ke saath mein
Best to go online...
Leke apne haath mein

Jismani pyaar ki chhabi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!
Tere dimaag pe haavi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!

Isko kaun padhta?
Padhke kiska chadhta?
Chadhke jo ragadta hai -
Jab uska jhadta!
Woh pal guldasta.
Happiness sasta.
Recession ke mausam mein
Koi to hansta!!

Isko kaun padhta?
Padhke kiska chadhta?
Chadhke jo ragadta hai -
Jab uska jhadta!
Woh pal guldasta.
Happiness sasta.
Recession ke mausam mein
Koi to hansta!!

Aise maamlaat mein
Computer ke saamne
Don't be all night
Dard hoga baad mein!!!

Jismani pyaar ki chhabi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!
Tere dimaag pe haavi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!

"Savita Bhabhi" single to be released on Wednesday

We hereby announce the release of "Savita Bhabhi," our first single, on the 29th (Wednesday) of this month. The song will be available for free download and streaming at most music-related websites on the 29th. For those who don't believe in downloading, we are coming up with a limited edition "Savita Bhabhi" single CD. We will be distributing copies of it during our upcoming live performances (for FREE!).

On the same night, in what we would like to call our official "launch" function, we will be performing the song (along with a few others) at Daddy's Windsong Wednesdays at il Terrazzo del Italia near Mocha at Juhu Chowpatty. If you turn up at the gig, not only would you catch us performing the song live for the first time, you can win all-expenses-paid membership passes to maternity clinics in shady government hospitals in Bhubaneshwar, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, and Kolkata* (along with non-refundable one-way bus tickets).

Why Savita Bhabhi? Why not? We think it's fun to write a song about such a cool website. It's a shame such web-niceties are banned. We have our right to freedom of expression, don't we? There are more surprises on the road leading up to the 29th and we can't wait to announce them. But I know you guys CAN wait. Besides, it will be a wonderful exercise for you to keep track of what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc.

(*These are the amazing cities where the band members were born.)