Was introduced to music and singing very very early in life. I probably "began to sing before I could talk."
This blog puts music into every aspect of life - with a generous dose of nostalgia.
Check out my website at www.sunilpintoentertains.com
HOT CROSS BUNSHOT CROSS BUNSONE A PENNY, TWO A PENNYHOT CROSS BUNS...
Most of us would have said this rhyme Hot Cross Buns as little children... but did you know possibly 99% of Hot Cross Buns are sold on only one weekend of the year.... and that weekend for 2018 is this one.
It's the week of the Easter Tridiuum and the beginning of the festival of Passover... and the Bible and the Torah have many many reference to bread.... from unleavened bread eaten with the Passover meal, manna in the desert.... the bread baked by the widow for Elijah.... and many many more types and varieties of bread.... Have you ever heard of Shortenin' Bread.
How many types of Bread do you know of? Let's see how long a list we can come up with....
Around once every three years, during the liturgical season of Lent, we have Lenten Missions at our parish - OLPS Chembur. I guess the same applies to most parishes around the world - while some would have it more frequently.
And this is the time, we are called to look into our lives and watch where we are walking. Living in Mumbai, one needs to be extra careful about where we place our steps. But this week that passed was more about gaining the inspiration on how to take the Walk of Life - not the Dire Straits type. Actually, was referring to the Footsteps Walking With Me.
There's this beautiful story that I heard about the Footprints in the sand... Got a nice version of this in a Blue Ridge Mountain Gospel album that I haven't managed to find online. Here's a different version of the same story in the voice of Cristy Lane - hers was possibly the first Gospel music cassette I remember us owning for her most famous rendition of One Day At A Time.
Well indeed He carries us all as we move along the journey of life. Here's a more contemporary version of Footprints in the Sand from Leona Lewis.
It doesn't matter whether we are walking on the sands of the beach or on the concrete of the footpaths, or more importantly on the figurative streets on the journeys of life. And talking of walking, my mind races back to this 1954 operatic rendition by Mario Lanza in The Student Prince - I'll Walk With God.
Sometimes the road may seem too long and difficult... but then the only way out is to surrender our lives to the hands of the master contractor... who can construct roadways through the wilderness or rivers through the desert... and as the Bible says - walking ground in the middle of the Red Sea... God Will Make A Way.
That song has a deeper meaning for me.... Everytime that song is sung at our parish, I have a host of people I meet after the service... reminding me that this was one of Dad's favorite songs....
As I sit here penning this post, my mind races back to Palm Sunday, four years ago, doing the finishing touches before relocating back to Mumbai. And what a journey it has been for me and the family over the last four years.... God has been with us, every step of the way.... through all the trials of life, with God making His Way in our lives...
As I sign off on this post... I wish you all the touch of the Almighty in this coming week as we journey with Jesus on the Way of the Cross, in to the tomb and then to the glory of the Resurrection. Have a Blessed Holy Week.
Had a wonderful long weekend... Thanks to the festival of colour Holi falling on a Friday.... A weekend that had its fair share of work and relaxation. Got back to this blog after a long break.... I also managed to find some time to spend time working out some music on my keyboard.... and the first songs that came to mind were religious songs. Flashed back to 2012, when I was invited to help out with the Children's Choir in my then parish - St. Michael's Church Sharjah. I used to spend at least an hour or two, coaching enthusiastic young musicians on the liturgical music to be played the next week... and what a satisfying experience it was. Moving to Mumbai, I almost immediately got involved in the liturgical music of the parish, with further opportunity to be part of the Music Ministry at the parish CCR (Catholic Charismatic Renewal) group.
Also in Mumbai, I encountered a different mood of Christian music.... Christian Rock from India... that's made waves around the world through performances at World Youth Day events over the years. My first encounter with this genre was at a workshop on Praise and Worship Music conducted by Lenny Soares - a singer, composer and worship leader who led the gospel band 'By Grace' to World Youth Day gatherings to Sydney in 2008 and Madrid in 2010
A few months later, at a wedding I was compering, I met a friend that I used to play in the band back in the early 90s - Samir Viegas - who introduced me to Macklin Lacerda, the lead singer of Open Secret. It was interesting to note that we shared a lot in common. Besides having sung and played with the same wedding choir that I was part of during college days, we also shared a common place of work - FCB Ulka Advertising in Mumbai. This Lenten Season - Open Secret have lined up a series of 11 concerts in and around Mumbai - check out for the venue most convenient for you.
On 25th June 2017, I along with my kids were among the thousands of people who assembled at Shanmukananda Hall to celebrate 25 years of a Christian Youth Movement - Jesus Youth. I encountered the movement during my stint in the UAE, but had little or no idea about the calling of this movement. While Jesus Youth volunteers were always around supporting all the events in Church, only in India did I realise the proportions of faith that this movement drives. After a Celebration Eucharist con-celebrated by the Archbishop of Mumbai, His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias and a host of other Bishops and priests, the gathering broke into a festival of music and song, with the Rexband. Music from the Rexband has regularly featured at our parish Sunday School events with our children performing dances to their songs like this one - Rise Up and Dance.
Members of the Rexband will be in Mumbai this week, sharing inspiring inputs with singers and musicians on how to use musical talent for the Glory of God. I'm planning to be there.... How about YOU?
And just like that.... Two Months of 2018 have raced by... 2018 began on a high note of music.... 7th January 2018 #OLPSchembur celebrated 60 years with a musical extravaganza featuring talented musicians of the like of Ram Sampath, Darren Das and Shankar Mahadevan.
There was absolute nostalgia in the air as alumni and ex-students from school connected after 30, 40, and some even after 50 years... Made a host of new friends just being part of the celebrations. Was great to just connect with old friends - could remember many of them, but some of them just didn't ring a bell.
It was really a wonderful experience for me to be a part of the evening as part of the organising committee, as I spent the last few months of 2017 coming up with ideas for promoting the event on social media.
The day was one of celebration as even the morning was dedicated to celebrating our school in all its splendour. Was wonderful catching up with teachers and batchmates, including some famous ones.
OLPS Batch of 1986
with the famous mythologist - Devdutt Pattanaik
A great way to celebrate the first weekend of the year.
14th January 2018
The music continued on the next weekend... This time it was Country Music at the Neighbourhood Winter Festival organised at the Carter Road Amphitheatre... The artiste, none other than Keith Pereira, a young country star from New Zealand (making his first musical appearance to Mumbai). Was a privileged member of the audience as part of the artiste's family (he's my nephew). Took a trip back memory lane to some of the songs I've enjoyed listening to and singing through the years.... The Eagles, Garth Brooks and more.... but the best was the finale.... Country Roads.
20th January 2018
Another weekend and the musical spree continues... Back to school yet again as a special guest on the Annual Day. And honoured for my contribution to the Alumni celebrations of two week ago.
But the greater joy came as a parent of two wonderful musically talented sons... both of them singing in their respective sections. Still receiving accolades from people I meet for that flawless rap sequence.
Yes indeed.... 2018 has had a great musical start for me... And I hope it brings you lots and lots of music for the rest of the year.... Getting back to this blog after a long time... I do hope to be able to make more time to keep the music alive...
