Maya Swell Press

Actually when I’d heard that Pongal was on its way to Tamil Nadu, my first thought was that it was that someone was having me on. Just go down to Marine (pronounced ‘marriner’) beach … pongal is always here (Marine beach is a favourite place for folks living rough to have a morning crap … […]

Only about 70km from the chaotic new India bustle of Chennai is the Mamallapuram world heritage site. The primary attraction here is a wealth of 10th century temples and stone carvings … and the beach … and the European restaurants …. and the street hustlers selling you as many crappy bead necklaces they think you […]

Music season is drawing to a close here, and I’m settling in to a fairly hefty practise schedule on the sax. However, many gems have been cropping up in the musical calendar out of the blue. Last night saw what I’d regard as one of the two best vocal concerts I’ve seen here so far. […]

There has been a deluge of musical happenings events and connections over the past few weeks, but the most important and most challenging one began today. I’m here in India for several reasons, perhaps some of which I’m not even aware of yet. But my focus here in has been twofold. First, to see as […]

A lot of people come to India to find god, or spiritual illumination, perhaps a guru, or anyway some kind of peaceful meditative place somewhere beyond this planet. But perhaps the most out of this world out of body and out of your mind experience is the traffic: I dont think anything can prepare you […]

The music festival here in Chennai has been wonderful, simply divine, and totally inspiring. But in truth, the whole of India is a festival of sound in various stages of organization and disorganization. Foremost in Chennai is the carnatic music, the Southern Indian Classical tradition. That is not to say that Carnatic music is the […]

I still haven’t found the Tamil word for rubbish bin. In some parts of the town it seems to be the same word as street. But the streets are eventually cleaned up as people go to bed, and clean up their bedroom floor. A lot of public parks have these bins shaped like rabbits in […]

A few gaps, still catching up, no pix yet a I’m running from dodgy cafe to dodgy cafe putting up words, and I don’t think a picture even begins to capture new years eve in Chennai. One day there will be such a thing as mayhem vision that will capture the jangled mash of sensations […]

I’ve arrived safe and sound in Chennai … bit of a struggle to find cheap hotels … seems to be a bit of a peak season. First arrived Chennai airport christmas night, nearly 11:30 by the time the baggage arrived. Can honestly say that Chennai airport does not look like a shopping mall. More like […]

Changi airport after a 8 hours in the air, will be 2 hours in transit here, then flying out to Chennai. Walking in the wrong direction for half a lap looking for this lounge, and then back around again. Was a thoroughly entertaining and chatty flight that covered conversational ground from the future of music […]