Rewind 2016

We're on the last day of the year... And possibly the best time to look back at the year that's been... 2016.

The year started with the wish - Happy New Year - and a truly happy one it has been.... on the family front, on the professional one and even with the hobbies. 

On the family front first - completed 15 years of marriage just yesterday - celebrating Crystal Anniv with Kristel.... 10 more to Silver. My son is a teenager this year and making the most of every opportunity that he gets - at school, in sport and with music - Into The Teens. My younger son as well at 7 is stepping into a new phase of confidence and taking the lead in stepping forward with initiative. Annual Days and Fun Fairs - Keeping the Music Alive.

On the professional front I settled into a new role at the restructured Publicis Media in the current role as part of the Digital Ad Operations and the Trading Desk at the agency. Made further forays into education having delivered courses and industry interaction sessions to Full-time, Part-time and Executive MBA students at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) and Vivekanand Education Society's Institute of Management and Research (VESIM) in CRM and Digital Marketing. My role as a educator was helped to a large extent by the Forum for Marketing Education that saw the light of day this year and conducted four workshops to help Marketing Educators like myself grow in the role.
Thanks to this Forum, I got the opportunity to reconnect with one of my first bosses in the world of communication - Dr. Ambi Parameswaran - and enjoyed reading his book, Nawabs, Nudes and Noodles, that reignited wonderful advertising memories from childhood to recent times.

I've had a good run through the year entertaining as Sunil Pinto Entertains having compered a host of Weddings and Silver Weddings this year... Also did a couple of Dance Concerts and some interesting events showcasing the talent of children and youth even down to our parish. 

My Facebook Page - Sunil Pinto Entertains - has hosted videos, pics and comments from the various events I've been part of. The page has also been a single point to share my love of music with wonderful readers from around the world. Also a great digital tool has been this blog - A Musical Twist To Life - that's near to 13000 pageviews with this being the 185th post (130th for the year - with more than 2 posts a week).

Thanks to your support, the following posts on as diverse topics as Dance styles, Animals and Travel topped the views this year...

TWIST

Woof, Meoow, Neigh.... Talk To The Animals

Around The World In 14 Songs

A couple of days ago, I was having a conversation with my seven-year old son, who asked me... "Dad, you wrote posts on your blog to count down to Christmas...5 days, 4 days, 3 days and 2 days... but no post on one day and on Christmas day itself... Why? The two boys were sitting at the PC earlier today and bookmarked this video to share on this post.

In a couple of hours from now, we as a family head to Church to thank the Lord for the blessings of 2016 and to seek continued favour into the New Year... Yes, I need the grace of the Almighty to Light It Up in 2017... And wish each of my relatives, friends and acquaintances, LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE in the NEW YEAR. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017

P.S. This post would be incomplete without this...

Crystal Anniv with Kristel.... 10 more to Silver

Completed 15 years of married life with my lovely wife Kristel... Did you know that the 15th Anniv is called Crystal...

As we attended Mass with the family this evening, it was a wonderful feeling to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family... a target that we need to try to emulate...

Also a reminder of that special tribute... and how true the first song holds even after these fifteen years...

And while it's been Crystal for us... we see Silver all around... The entire past week has been full of Silver Weddings... including some of them to compere... Hosted the celebrations of a Kennedy namesake couple (John and Jacqui) earlier this week... While another couple - close friends as well - celebrated their Silver Wedding at another hall at the same venue. 

Recalled another day from this week (27th December actually), 25 years ago... when I had to skip playing music with the family choir for a wedding in the extended family to play at and attend the wedding of my choir leads - Roney and Mylene (they're quite active on the Mumbai duo circuits).

Facebook reminded me of a whole host of other friends from the parish also celebrating their Silver Weddings over the past couple of days. Possibly why the Silver Weddings are on top of mind possibly has to do with my own eldest sister celebrating her Silver Wedding in a few days from now right in the New Year...

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams was the first dance at my sister's wedding... and many many other weddings of that year... In fact the song was by far the best performing single of the year and even won a Grammy for the Best Song written specifically for a Motion Picture or Television category. Another hit song from 1991 that made it to Bridal Specials was the Percy Sledge cover by Michael Bolton - When A Man Loves A Woman.

Another song that I loved from the year 1991 was this one that I worked out accompaniment and harmony on a duet with my brother, More Than Words - Extreme.

Not really a year of ballads, the year saw a couple of big hits on the dancefloor - C+C Music Factory's  Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) features on most dance anthem collections.

While on 1991 Dance music... this one too makes a mark... Londonbeat - I've Been Thinking About You...

I could go on and on with music of the year 1991... the main reason being that this was a big year for music broadcasting especially in India. 1991 was the year that satellite TV started beaming into the country with CNN covering the Gulf War, STAR TV introducing us to soaps like The Bold and The Beautiful and Santa Barbara. Music found its way to our frontrooms via MTV and Channel V. And as the year drew to a close, another big hit rocked the world into the new year... with the King of Pop... Michael Jackson of course... Black or White... 

Also the year 1991 will be remembered for the demise of another great showman... Apro Freddie Mercury bidding farewell to the world with The Show Must Go On...

Well, its past midnight in Mumbai... and less than 24 hours left in this year 2016... What will this year be remembered for in 25 years from now?

Food For Thought...

Was Christmas Party time in most offices today being a Friday, and besides Secret Santa and singing of Christmas Songs, there would have been some goodies passing around including cakes and other savouries. As colleagues greeted each other for Christmas there was an expectation from the Christians to carry cakes and sweets to the office on Monday or whenever they chose to come next - maybe some chesnuts as well. The Christmas Song. 

My blogpost on This Day in Facebook reminded me that it is Indian Farmers Day and that the US observes Roots Day today. So I'd thought I'll cover this post on the flowers, plants, and fruits that are included in Christmas songs. Can you think of any?

After Chesnuts, the plants I can think of are the ones that we use for decorations - though we don't get much of the real ones in India - The Holly and The Ivy.

Also going with the holly are mistletoe - Mistletoe and Holly.

More mistletoe around the trees and the houses - or wherever you can steal a kiss...

Back in Mumbai, the Victory Chorus Line under the baton of Karen D'Lima Vaswani worked out this Christmas Song last year as a spoof on the beef ban that was applicable in Mumbai -  A Vegetarian Christmas...

Christmas is really close. At this time tomorrow, we'll be at Midnight Mass (Midnight Mass at my parish is at 10.30pm). All the best with the last minute preparations. Have a wonderful Christmas.  

Are You Home Yet?

Christmas is very near... and there are so many things to get done... Sweets to be made... Clothes to be bought... gifts to be got... colleagues in office have been baking cakes late into the night... so much more to get done....

Many people who are possibly travelling back to their families have a song playing in their head... I'll Be Home For Christmas.

When that song started, you were possibly wondering why you haven't heard it before. It's a song from just two years ago... and the singer was honored with the Chart Topper Award earlier this month at the 2016 Billboard Women in Music Awards... 

Surprise...surprise... Her biggest #1 has been All About the Bass... and top tracks for this year have been Me Too and No... She's MEGHAN TRAINOR  and it's her birthday today... And like most others in the Americas and Canada (who've already got the snow) she's dreaming of a White Christmas.

Another singer in her 20's with a #MusicalBirthday today is American Idol 2007 - one of the seasons that I watched closely - Jordin Sparks. Found this Christmas tune on the soundtrack of the 2013 motion picture 'The Best Man Holiday' - Christmas Time To Me.

Jordin seems to be quite a religious type - just yesterday she invited her fans to her church for Christmas Eve services. She's also got an acting role in a faith based film titled 'The Grace of Jake' scheduled for a February release. I really liked this song that carries forward the true spirit of Christmas - This Is My Wish.

As we come a day closer to Christmas, let's keep that thought close to our heart and pray for Peace... Let There Be Peace On Earth.

Noel... Noelle...

Have you come across the name Noel? If you have a friend named Noel (or Noelle), go on check out their birthday. In 9 times out of 10, it probably December, very close to Christmas Day. That's because Noel is French for Christmas. How do I know? Thanks to The First Noel...

I have a whole lot of friends called Noel and at least two with birthdays today. And coincidently they both have the same surname - D'Souza.

I'm still in contact with the classmate from school who we were fortunate to celebrate Christmas with a few years ago in Sharjah.

I've lost contact with the lead guitarist Noel - a senior of mine from Podar college, who used to be part of the same choir (I'd like to call it a Pop Choir - since we used to sing hymns and songs in Popular formats, mainly for weddings. Christmas time was a favorite since it would have us singing at interesting venues including Bandra Gym and the Oberoi Hotel to bring in the Christmas cheer and help people remember the Silent Night.

Another Noel I know whom I met during my trip to Canada used to live in the building across me. His birthday is on 24th December. He possibly had to sacrifice his birthday parties to attend the Midnight Mass on that O Holy Night.

There's this other Noel I met at the radio station - All India Radio Mumbai. A fellow RJ one of his favorite shows was the Country and Western show on AIR FM now AIR FM Rainbow. among his very versatile ventures, Noel Keymer conducts a course for wannabe RJs. While his birthday is in the month before Christmas, he's definitely played this song on his show closer to Christmas... sung by Country legend - Kenny Rogers - When A Child Is Born.

I know many other Noel's and I'm sure I'll meet many many more during my life... A good friend of mine has a son born on the 25th December. She thought Noel was too common, so decided to flip it around... and called him LEON. Now is that where Mumbai's (and Chembur's) famous pianist and music producer/director - Leon deSouza - got his name... I'll have to ask him the next time I meet him. 

Just 4 days more for Christmas. 

Wishing you all in advance... 

JOYEUX NOEL

Ring My Bell

Only 5 more days to go for Christmas... 

and there's an absolute buzz of Christmas in the air...

The Carollers covered our zone last week... There was the Christmas Carol Festival on Saturday in the parish... Also a Christmas Carnival organised by Zeus Entertainment at Chembur's St. Anthony's Co-op. Soc.... Was in Bandra on Saturday and the shop windows were full of decorations... The buzz has even caught up in offices, with Christmas Trees and decorations everywhere... People checking out their wardrobes for outfils in red and green... And the most popular song of the season is on everyone's lips as well as on every loud speaker... Jingle Bells

Yes, there's a hustle and the bustle everywhere in town. Even the demonetization cannot dampen the spirits out here... All getting set to celebrate Christmas... and ring out the Silver Bells.

The Festival of Festive Music presented by the Stop-Gaps Cultural Academy was held over the last weekend. The last few weeks have had many more Christmas gatherings at various venues.. I'm sure many of the choirs would have performed the Carol Of The Bells.

While the sound of bells ringing are strongly associated with Christmas... this post was inspired by a non-Christmas bell-song... or rather by a #MusicalBirthday - the 59 year old
singer Anita Ward with the 1979 hit - Ring My Bell.

The bells I'm waiting for though are the Christmas bells announcing the Mass on Christmas Eve... As they announce the birth of a child who would change all things... the most important change is the one that makes us a better person... 

9 Days To Christmas

Was at Mass as usual this morning... and got a reminder that there are only 9 days left for Christmas.

16th December has been a day of special significance to my family. It was a day earmarked for the annual get-together with my dad's siblings and their families - to celebrate my grandma's birthday (Nana - as we affectionately called her). And two (maybe three) generations of Pinto's got together for a thoroughly musical evening. Besides the traditional birthday and popular songs, we'd have a first round of the family Christmas Carols including all four voices with impromptu variations... moving into medleys. And talking about Christmas medleys... remember, the Gunter Kallman choir...

As we move into the last weekend before Christmas, there seem to be events in every nook and corner of town. My parish is hosting the Deanery Sunday School - Christmas Carol Festival where young children will be presenting some interesting skits and carols. And on a far more professional scale is The Festival of Festive Music hosted every year by the Stop-Gaps Cultural Academy. Covered both these events in the blogpost last year: World Choral Day - Music Makes the World Go Round

Another event happening on home turf in Chembur, is the Christmas Carnival 2016... and includes a live performance by the Vindaloos (now I'm getting hungry).

Planning to be there at the Christmas Carnival 2016 with the family on Saturday evening... maybe we can meet there...

What Christmas activity will you indulge in this weekend... Share more details with us...

Whatever activity you may be planning and whatever your events may be, just remember the reason for the season is Mary's Boy Child.