Bridging Hemispheres

From Hovering Hues at Sunset, August 3, 2009, West LA

Monday evening. August 3rd. I had just placed my taco order at Benitos when I was caught off-guard by the brilliant hues of pink across the street. While the eye of my phone camera could not fully capture my excitement, it inspired me to try to capture that moment in the life of my beloved neighborhood. At the far left is the contemporary En Sushi, where my neighbor tends bar. Then there is our favorite place to rent movies on the cheap, A Video Store Named Desire, sandwiched in between Peruvian delights at Qusqo and yet another Japanese spot, California Roll Factory. Jump into a time capsule, travel back more than a half century, drink an All-American milkshake, and still access the internet via free wifi at the Cafe 50’s. Finally, there’s Juquila on the far right, which serves up the cuisine of Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico.

Later that week, I began to write this bilingual tune with English verses and a chorus in Hindi, attempting to capture my encounter with those hovering hues. Yet, writing a song about this particular subject was not my intention from the outset. A melody, a moment, a mellow groove – each of these emerged independently. Together, they inspired me to write the first version of the lyrics, embracing my playful side. I revised it once more a couple of days ago and now I am ready to share it with you. I’d like to thank my parents and the mad scientist for their feedback and support as I walked the path from inspiration to realization.

Chances are that you will hear me debut this song tonight, Friday, August 21, 2009 at Cinespace in Hollywood. My set is at 10:00pm in the Acoustic Room. For details, please visit my website calendar.

Sunset AyegA
(sunset will come)
Words & Music by Manisha Shahane
August 19, 2009

CHORUS:
घुमते-घुमते अाकाशी रंग, अायेगा
फिरते-फिरते मोती जैसा चाँद, अायेगा
चंद्रमाँसे अाया प्रकाश, अायेगा
अायेगा, अायेगा, अायेगा

CHORUS (transliteration):
Ghumte-ghumte AkAshee rang, AyegA
Phirte-phirte moti jaisA chAnd, AyegA
Chandra-mA se AyA prakAsh, AyegA
AyegA, AyegA, AyegA

VERSE 1
Twilight tingles down my spine
A rising moon, a smile divine
Between the lashes of my eye
A palette splashes in the sky

VERSE 2
Swirling, twirling, purple, pink
My effervescence on the brink
Succumbing soon to night’s delight
The sun now slumbers out of sight

VERSE 3
Moonlight streaming to the beat
Shadows dance beneath my feet
I hear the whispers of my soul
Now it’s time to rock and roll

From Piano Night #2 at Home Silverlake, August 10, 2009

Several of you will recall that there were two sonorous Steinway grand pianos for our performing (and listening!) pleasure at the Bridging Hemispheres House Concert that I directed and produced this past Mother’s Day. However, the truth is that there aren’t many spots in Los Angeles where performing songwriters get to tickle the ivories of a real piano, much less a grand piano. Often, when we do find one, our ears and fingers wish that we had left those ivories untickled. I realize how spoiled I was during my years in Boston when I regularly played the Kawai Grand at what is known today as the LilyPad in Cambridge’s Inman Square.

So, when fellow musician Edward “Tex” Miller (of Layabout Band) discovered a baby grand piano in fairly good condition at a venue called “HOME” in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silverlake, he thought it was time to change the landscape. After the success of the inaugural event in July, Tex decided to host Piano Night #2 on Monday, August 10, 2009, for the patrons of this neighborhood bar & restaurant. On this occasion, Tex invited Gilli Moon and me to join him on the bill. We each performed a short set and the relaxed atmosphere gave everyone plenty of time to chat in between sets. The response from the audience was warm & friendly.

Good music. No cover charge. Comfy booths and chairs. Yummy food for all ages. And one ginormous chandelier. According to Layabout’s MySpace calendar, it looks like September 7 will be the next night devoted to piano-playing songwriters in Los Angeles! Check with Tex for details. Home Silverlake is located at 2500 Riverside Drive. Los Angeles, CA 90039. Please enjoy this slideshow of a few snaps from Piano Night #2.