இரவின் பரிதவிப்பு - Song of the week

இரவின் பரிதவிப்பு (Angst of the night) - my newest music track is now out on Soundcloud. The song has been composed and arranged in my Yamaha MO6 in the likes of contemporary Tamil filmy music. Check it out and tell me if you like it!

 Iravin Parithavippu by shivsu

Elements I adore in my song myself: the upbeat piano intro that races to the top, stops, turns around and gracefully descends down to the start, the rich tapestry of bass which sits at the backdrop and melts life into the song, the minimalistic percussion that fits into the mood of the song, the ‘josh’ of the steel guitar strumming away, and finally, the orchestral twist in the end.

The Lyrics

When my friend Krithi, listened to me jamming the leads on the piano, she felt that the song was itching to narrate a story to the world. Soon, the scene was set – a couple stealthily spending the night together under the moonlight – and we began to pen the lyrics as sung by the girl. She supplied the words and the transitions, and I refined, metered and fit them into the song. For more stories, check out Krithi's blog.

இரவின் பரிதவிப்பு 

என்னவென்று சொல்வதடா இந்த பரிதவிப்பை,

உன் கரம் என்னை அணைக்க...

பொங்கி வரும் காதல் வெள்ளம் பெண்ணின் நாணம் மறைக்க

உன்னில் நான் என்னை இழக்க...

என்னவென்று சொல்வதடா இந்த பரிதவிப்பை,

உன் கரம் என்னை அணைக்க...

பொங்கி வரும் காதல் வெள்ளம் பெண்ணின் நாணம் மறைக்க

உன்னில் நான் என்னை இழக்க...

தீண்டும் உந்தன் விரல் நுனி,

தீயில் விழும் மலர்க்கொடி,

விரும்பினேன்... விலகினேன்...

விலகிய மறு கணம்,

வருந்தியதென் மனம்,

சீண்டினேன்... உனை தீண்டினேன்...


...

... and a couple more stanzas for the section 0:54 to 1:05 in the song. 


I'd love if you guys too contribute to the song and the lyrics!
And stay tuned for the female vocal version of the song coming out soon!!

Just You Wait

Today, while chilling out at the coffee machine in my office (enjoying my 'screen-saver moments" as Russell Peters elegantly puts it), a mellow voice floated in the air and brushed my ears. As I searched the corridor to find the young woman whose singing had caught my attention, I was disappointed. There was nobody on either sides of the corridor, except a janitor mopping the floor.

Before I'd dismissed it as a figment of my imagination (perhaps one of those "audio-enabled-screensavers"?), a closer inspection revealed the true owner of the voice.

The janitor herself.

There she was -- making deft strokes on the floor -- each stroke meticulously dampening every square inch of the floor -- each stroke meticulously following the rhythm of the song.

I couldn't help but witness the office floor be transformed into a Leicester Square stage (complete with strobe lights and live musicians), showcasing the musical of a discreet broom-wielding star.

I soon landed back on the office floor and decided to get close to hear her better. Keeping in mind of her discreetness, I walked towards the lift on the corridor, pressed the button to summon the lift and waited, unaware. Moments before the lift had arrived, I turned to her and said:

"You sing well, akka!"

"Sir?" she cried, with alarm reeking from her eyes.

"I said, you sing very well!"

"Me? What was I... Was I singing?"

"I was having my cup of coffee and I heard you sing. You sing well, seriously."

She blushed. Profusely. And I began to wonder, if there is any jewel in this world which can embellish a woman more than her unfaked blush.

"I head our company's music troupe. Would you like to sing on stage?"

"If I sing, the audience will run away!", she quipped, blushing all the more.

"I think the audience would love to hear you. May I ask your name?"

"Malath..." she stopped, bit her tongue and said, "Usha".

I smiled and took the stairs, knowing for certain that hiding her name can't possibly hide her talent.

I doubt if Henry Higgins has set foot on this world in my shoes, but I sure do look forward to have her singing on stage; only this time, wielding a microphone for a change.


UPDATE (March 03, '11, 17:40 hrs):

Spoke to Usha today. Learned that she has become the laughing stock amongst all of her fellow workers, after one of my colleagues (?!?) inquired my company's facilities team of her whereabouts and if she sings well. All of Usha's coworkers, she laments, now believe that the idea of her singing on stage is a joke!

I spoke to the clearly upset Usha (who now confesses that she can't sing more than two lines of a song), assured her that her coworkers deserve a mighty revenge, and that she must practice hard, get on stage, grab a mic and steal the show!

Hail Higgins!!!

Discourse on SaaS

I take this opportunity to explain a model that has clearly begun to revolutionize the world we live in.

SaaS stands for Spouse as a Service (not to be confused with Sex as a Service).


What is SaaS?

When a spouse (and all the benefits which come with the spouse):

1. are always available in the desired ways and means
2. come with no up-front costs, i.e., you only get to pay for what you use
3. provide you with the ability to easily ramp-up and ramp-down the amount of services that you can receive at any specified time (based on your moods and temperamental levels)

then the spouse is said to be offered as a service.


Why SaaS?

The disadvantages of an on-premise spouse, as offered by conventional matrimony, include:

High CapEx -- CapEx or Capital Expenditure (net expenditure necessary up-front in order to begin enjoying the services of the spouse, e.g., restaurant bills during initial dates, wedding expenses) is high.

High OpEx -- OpEx or Operational Expenditure (recurring costs necessary to maintain the spouse within your premise, e.g., clothes and jewellery) is staggering.

Vendor lock-in -- Owing to [1] you have complete ownership of the spouse (and all the flaws that come with it) and [2] you have already invested considerable time, money and effort in getting used to the spouse, a lock-in is created, removing all possibilities of you trying out another spouse.

Lack of scalability -- You may NOT need all of the services offered by your spouse (and) at all times.

Untapped SMB market --  Most SMBs or Small to Medium-waged Bachelors can never afford to acquire and maintain a full-blown on-premise spouse.

SaaS addresses and eliminates all of the above disadvantages of an on-premise spouse.


Features of interest to a consumer of SaaS

Security -- All of your confidential data (such as bank balances, investments, property) shall be kept secure and highly confidential.

Enhancement -- If you are dissatisfied with a particular service offered by your spouse, this model offers a convenient way of tending to them (faults or change-requests).

Customization -- You would have the ability to customize / tailor your spouse to fit your needs.

Availability -- Your spouse shall now be always available -- especially in those times of hightened emotional / physical need.

Termination -- If you are completely unhappy with the spouse, you have the liberty to terminate the services and find a more fitting spouse.

Integration -- It will now be possible to seamlessly integrate your spouse with your internal systems, such as family and friends.

(Note: All the above come with strict SLAs or Service Level Agreements)

SaaS-y isn't it?!?