The Aerogram’s Quick Picks of the Week: Actor & Writer Kesav Wable

I have to honor where it all started for me — Classical Indian music. Specifically, it was training as a Carnatic (South Indian classical) vocalist that planted the initial seed of love for the arts. Because the two styles share common ancestry and overlapping ‘ragas’, I naturally admire Hindustani (North Indian classical) music as well. When I was younger, and before the internets made music so readily available, I would buy a stack of cassettes/CDs of classical music every time I visited my hometown in India, Bangalore. One CD which left a profound impact on me was a recording of a “jugalbandi” between Pandit Jasraj (Hindustani style) and Dr. M Balamurali Krishna (Carnatic). A jugalbandi literally translates to “entwined twins” and, in Indian music, means a duet between two solo artists, vocal or otherwise, who are equally matched in skill and artistry. Listening to them unpack a raga is like taking a transcontinental railroad through your soul. I still go back and listen to this recording when I feel like I’m spinning away from my center.

I can’t profess to be an expert on Jai Paul’s music. In fact, I just discovered him because Riz Ahmed (@RizMC) listed him as one of his picks for best albums of the year. I googled him and listened to the track “Jasmine” and absolutely loved it. Maybe it’s my background in classical music, but I’m into artists who create ambient soundscapes that transport the listener to another place so I’m a fan of a few EDM artists like Klute and MachineDrum, and folks like Frank Ocean, Lorde, and yes, Kanye (his madcap musings aside). I can’t wait to hear more of Jai Paul’s work.

 In 2 minutes and 10 seconds, Madiha Tahir’s short, Wounds of Waziristan, communicates so much about what’s wrong with how the west conducts its war on terrorism. Drones, extraordinary renditions, torture — a lot of ink has been spilled about these topics but putting faces to the facts makes it tangible for us sheltered civilians. And when the faces look like you, it’s chilling. It spurs me forward to try and give a voice to those distant faces, and not waste the opportunities and talent I’ve been blessed with on this side of the globe.

I met artist Christophe Roberts at a local watering hole in Brooklyn and we quickly became good friends. He currently has a sculpture on display at WallPlay‘s space on Delancey and Orchard that’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of Wu-Tang and the art that its music inspired. Here’s a snap of his sculpture from Instagram — it’s an eagle landing on an arm that’s sculpted from one piece of wood titled “The Legend of GFK.” The eagle is made entirely from…wait for it…strips of shoe-box cardboard set on a wooden frame! We’ve begun collaborating on a graphic novel because…New York City.