Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Walk of life

Dressed in chic plaid attire, a specially abled girl takes confident strides at Bandstand over the weekend

Return of the church organ

Meeta Moses plays the organ on Christmas Eve (right) Anthony Gomes

For years, Christmas for this diarist meant the majestic sound of a church organ reverberating in the chambers of St Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata. So, we were thrilled to hear that those familiar notes were played closer home, at St Stephen's Church in Cumbala Hill on Christmas Eve. Anthony Gomes, a parishioner and the director of Furtados Music, shared that the state-of-the-art digital church organ is of Italian origin, and the model is used at several churches in the Vatican. It was purchased in 2007, from Viscount. The instrument has anchored many a recital and performance at St Peter's Church in Bandra, too. "My intention was to revive the dying art of playing the church organ in our city. Although electronic keyboards contribute immensely to enlivening worship in our churches nowadays, the tradition of organ-playing is diminishing. We installed it to facilitate teaching lessons for aspiring learners. It fell into disrepair before the pandemic," Gomes recalled. After three years of repair, the instrument was restored. To keep a closer eye on his original mission, he requested Fr Warner D'Souza if it could be housed at St Stephen's. Christmas Eve marked its renaissance, with organist Meeta Moses performing Christmas carols and classical organ music. "Already two members of the church choir have signed up to learn the instrument. We hope that more people will come forward to learn the organ," he added.

Blues for a cause

American blues guitarist Buddy Guy will be among the performers at the fest

Blues bands, it's time to pick up the bass. The Mahindra Blues Festival has put out a call inviting bands from across the country for its annual talent hunt. "The Mahindra Blues Band Hunt seeks to discover those garage bands that deserve a larger platform," said Jay Shah, vice president, cultural outreach, for the group. VG Jairam (inset), the festival director, added that at its core, the fest seeks to inspire and build interest for the blues from the ground up. "Apart from the blues band hunt, there's also the Mahindra Blues In Schools initiative that enables kids from lesser privileged backgrounds to experience and explore the blues." Bands might do well to fill in the forms before January 5, 2023; head to @mahindrablues for details.

Girls who dare to dream and set goals

Cover illustration of Goal by Alaya Hasan and Pyro Draws

Every Sunday, Heena from Mumbra finishes her homework and then helps her mother in the kitchen; until one Sunday, when she is surprised to see girls of her age playing football in the field near her house. After some initial hesitation, she's absolutely kicked; she wants to join them. But girls running and kicking a ball around - would her amma and abba allow? Goal, a new story by Neha Singh and Sabah Khan, on Pratham Books' StoryWeaver is not just Heena's tale. It is a reflection of the trials, perseverance and courage of Muslim and non-Muslim girls from Mumbra who dare to dream. Under NGO Parcham's programme, these women footballers have set new goals for girls. "I have known Khan, co-founder of the NGO, for two years. I met the girls [virtually] and got to know their life stories. For them, playing football is about much more than the game; it's a life-changing journey," Singh told us. The story will also be released offline, as a book. "I hope that the one thing young readers take away from this story is that they must keep dreaming."

Celebrating the streets of Mumbai

Come January, and the streets of the city will come alive in celebration of all things Mumbai. Jashn e Dastaan e Mumbai, an initiative by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, will be back with its third edition - this time on the streets. The festival will take place over the last two weeks of January, shared vice-president Dr Shehernaz Nalwalla. "We are celebrating the street scenes of Mumbai. We will hold textile markets, a talk by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari on two iconic monuments on the streets, khau galli walks, a session on [and with] the street dogs of Mumbai, and engagement on the trees on our streets, as well as street music. We'll also have a Jashn e Azadi for students," she elaborated.

Also read: Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Fishy calendar girls

Matsyakanya 2023 by Indrajit Khambe

What are fisherwomen if not mermaids? Their lives are tied intimately to the sea; they draw sustenance from the waters, and in return, offer love, reverence and a way of life that doesn't harm the sea. Fisherwomen have turned calendar girls in photographer Indrajit Khambe's desktop calendar, Matsyakanya 2023. Khambe has been documenting practices of fishing communities that hold on to traditional techniques. "In a lot of places, traditional fishing practices are being replaced. I've photo-graphed communities in parts of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra," he said. The limited-edition calendar can be found on @indrajitkhambe.