Opinion US-Pak brittle friendship

Pakistan’s perception that India is its enemy is unfortunate. It was reflected in its admonition to Afghanistan to act responsibly in wake of the recent strategic partnership accord concluded between India and Afghanistan. Pakistan is a proud nation and is not likely to accept Obama’s advice. It will probably regard it as an example of the US favouring India. The sad fact is that although the US is the biggest donor of Pakistan,a majority of Pakistanis are anti-American. US-Pakistan friendship is on the verge of collapse. This has disturbing implications. Pakistan needs friends desperately and it will turn more to China which will willingly fill in the vacuum. Additional Chinese troops will be sent to PoK and there will be intensification of China’s aid in building Pakistan’s infrastructure. The days of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai have long been over and we are now likely to witness Pak-Chini bhai bhai phenomenon,a legitimate matter of concern to us.

Micky Correa is no more

Micky Correa,a household name with swing and jazz music lovers,passed away on September 22,a few days before his 98th birthday. Micky had a varied musical career. Born in Kenya he grew up in Karachi and finally made it to Bombay. In 1939,Correa began to lead his own band at the Taj and stayed there until 1961. He played the clarinet and the alto-sax and also performed western classical compositions like Mozart’s clarinet quintet which I heard at the Cawasji Jehangir Hall in Bombay in the forties. Micky’s big break came when he began playing at the Taj Mahal in Teddy Weaterford’s band substituting Rudy Jackson who had played with such greats as Duke Ellington. The Correa’s band popularity for over two decades is because the musicians in his band were instrumentalists who often doubled on strings,brass and woodwind,turning the band into a strings ensemble,a jazz band or a symphonic orchestra.

Micky was present when the Taj served poularde soufflé independence at the Taj Ballroom on August 14,1947. Correa’s band was on the stage to ring in independence,along with a group headed by his trumpeter friend Chic Chocolate. As midnight struck,they gave a rousing rendition of Jana Gana Mana. Micky also gave music lessons to budding musicians who became famous in later years. He will be greatly missed by his fellow musicians,his students and the jazz fraternity.

Parsi puns

Dr Johnson castigated punning as the lowest form of humour. The Doctor’s view was not shared by a bunch of Parsi-dominated media professionals who compiled a list of Parsi films that never made it to the silver screen. There were puns galore on Shakespearean titles that included such classics as Rumi and Juliet,Two Gentlemen of Udwada,Much Bhonu about Nothing and The Taming of Kekashroo. There were also bawa bon mots and zany titles such as How Green was my Salli,Parzan of the Apes,Saving Rayo’s Privates,Kersiblanca,Murder by Dikri,Parsipolis and Cinema Parizado. Apparently Parsi bawas can laugh at themselves without issuing dreaded fatwas,a trait which should continue and may well be emulated by others.