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New Track by Rohan Solomon – Inspired by Loneliness

Rohan Solomon is well-known for his role as the front-man of the Delhi-based alt-rock band Cyanide. Rohan recently moved back to the country from New York – with a new trio multi-city trio in place and participation in a Grammy Award Winning track – to the  Indian Indie Music Scene and has received a very warm response to his trilogy of track released in 2019 that talk about the growing need to pay heed to the environment, that’s rapidly affecting our living situation.

His latest track  Keep Holding On, is inspired by the sense of loneliness and uncertainty brought on by the global pandemic Covid-19, which has forced people to stay indoors and socially distant. The song  addresses the feelings of exasperation, depression, anxiousness that every one of us is going through, while urging people to to keep holding on… (to hope) There will be tomorrow…

The video features people from 20 different cities, across 9 countries along with artists such as Chezin (Gurgaon, India), Sasha Prendes (New York, USA) and  sensation singing TikTok trio The Heichel Sisters (Ohio, USA) among others. The track is sung, composed, produced and mixed by Rohan Solomon and Mastered by Vinnie Pagano (who has worked on a Grammy winning song).

The song has a very urban pop feel with a hint of electronic sound. True to Rohan’s style, the track carries a pop chorus and vocal harmony, along with a mixture of electronic drums, synth, live guitars and live percussions.

Keep Holding On – Music Video 

Rohan Solomon is a Singer-Songwriter, Composer, Vocal Coach and Audio Engineer, all rolled into one. Well-known in the Indian Indie Circles as the vocalist of Delhi-based Alt-Rock outfit Cyanide, Rohan started exhibiting his musical abilities at a rather early age. In the era of Channel V Launchpad and the Great Indian Rock Concerts, Cyanide was successful in making its presence felt in significant Indie Rock events of the country, in a short span of time.

Rohan moved to New York a few years ago, where he met his soon to be new bandmates – By Chance and the trio of business partners, decided to name themselves after their fortuitous coming together for the love of music.

During his time in New York Rohan also was a part of a Grammy Award winning track called Bubblin by Anderson Paak, in the capacity of an assistant engineer.

By Chance released its debut single titled Blue Sky earlier in 2019. The single — a part of a three-song series — as luck would have it, took shape after Rohan returned home to Delhi, and pangs of nostalgia for the Blue Sky and pollution free capital city that he grew up in. All the tracks were recorded in the analogue domain. The second track, called Hard to Breathe, enunciates the reality of living in the city of Delhi, which is now always in the ‘unfit air quality’ category. The track is Rohan’s takeaway from an unpleasant real life situation. It’s got a Hard Rock/Alternative Rock tonality to it, as also a steady melody with pop chorus harmonies and an aggressive rock feel to it. The significance of this track is to give the listeners a bit of a jolt about the alarming state of air pollution, but the tonality of the pop chorus leaves us with a positive note and an affirmation – there is still hope left.

Time – the final track of the trilogy released worldwide on October 10th, 2019, concluding the set, by reiterating the need to take action, ‘NOW’ – to save the world we live in, the environment that nourishes life and the air that we breathe… and be mindful to the fact that the time is in fact running out.

TV And Bollywood Stars Unite Against Corona With Bharat Ke Liye Rehna Hoga

We are all nearing the end of our lockdown days and these are the times when the patience is running thin. But not for our tinseltown celebrities. While artists worldwide are getting together for digital concerts and musical affairs, our TV and Bolly stars are no different. In yet another heart touching initiative, the stars from our glamour world have come together and released a music video titled Bharat Ke Liye Rehna Hoga. 
 
This unique initiative has been created & sung by Rahul Bhatt and has a beautiful video featuring some of the biggest names of Television and Film industry but before you think the shoots have kickstarter, let us tell you, producer Pankaj Bagrechaa took the initiative and spoke to actors to make the video from home only. “I got a great response from our celebs. They loved this motivational song and said that they too wanted to appeal to people to stay safe and at home and wouldn’t have found a better way to do it,” says Bagrecha.  
The song features topmost TV and Film personalities including the likes of Aishwarya Sakhuja, Ali Asgar, Deepika Singh Goyal, Hussain and Tina Kuwajerwala, Karanvir Bohra, Nishant Malkani, Rohit Raj Goyal, Sharad Malhotra, Terence Lewis and Vipul Roy. 
 
Promoting the cause behind the video, ace Choreographer and reality show judge Terence Lewis says, “I am very happy to be associated with this song. We have very few days of the lockdown left ahead of us and we need to hold on to ourselves and not let loose of the patience with which we have been cooperating with the measures taken by the govt. This song with its beautiful lyrics and rendition motivates you to stand united in our fight against this deadly virus, stay home and stay safe. We are all in this together and the message should be spread loud and clear.”
 
Even comedy superstar Ali Asgar says, “Our country is going through troubled times with the virus where there’s no vaccine across the globe. But despite the fact, we as a country are still doing a much better job in protecting our people compared to the biggest and most advanced nations. I feel proud that I am a citizen of this country and while we common men can only contribute by staying at home, I still feel this is the biggest contribution we can make in this fight against Corona. This song celebrates this and tells us we are all in this together and also salutes the true warriors of our nation, the cops, the doctors and the nurses who are working relentlessly to drive this virus out of our motherland! I am so glad to be a part of this song!”
 
Producer Pankaj Bagrechaa also adds, “We have made this video to support all the people who are working day and night against CoronaVirus. We salute BMC Staff, Doctors, Police Officers, Nurses, Cleaners, Traffic officers and all other members of Government organisations who are working leaving their families behind.” 
 
This music video is supported by Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor Media, Manish Bhatt, Jason Glen (XXL Studio Works Private ltd), Masala Chai Brand & Content Works and Dwapar Promoters.

Jewellery Designer Archana Aggarwal comes up with unique yet timeless collection for Akshaya Tritiya

 Jewellery Designer Archana Aggarwal created magnificent designs to mark the occasion.

HIGHLIGHTS

New collection is a wonderful bridge between traditional style and modern finesse with intricate designs that reflect the traditional roots.

“Just as the word Akshay means ‘the never diminishing’ in Sanskrit, I hope the spirit of this festive season always shines bright” – Archana Aggarwal    

NOTE

 In order to encourage the discerning customers  exclusive prices on select pieces are being offered. A share of the purchases will be contributed to the COVID relief fund.

Available at- Ambawatta One, H5, Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli, New Delhi.

Anurag Chauhan curates a Virtual Literary Festival admist nationwide lockdown

VIRTUAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL
 

The country is locked down due to the pandemic, but some initiatives to keep people engaged & postive are coming up one of which is a two day Virtual Literature Festival being organised on Instagram by Anurag Chauhan who is a known literary & arts impresario. Anurag is the founder of Humans For Humanity & Dehradun Literature Festival. In a bid to ensure that a larger audience get to enjoy the Virtual Literature Festival, the annual event will take place on 25th & 26th April, 2020 live on Instagram – @anuragchauhanofficial 

“To bring the people out of the feelings of fatigue that they are experiencing & psychological strain i though of of organizing this event. I am sure this phase shall pass too & once it passes the feelings of discondency will leave. This is something new for the people who love literature & also for those who do not as we all will leave with a learning experience. I wanted people to avoid a drift into a state of feeling very low & lonely, which why i thought this would be of some help & this was the best way to utilize the time”, said Chauhan. 

The festival will be held between 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Instagram live. The speaker list includes renowned author Shobha De, actress Lisa Ray, singer Padmashri Dr. Soma Ghosh, Art Scholar & Director of JNCC – Moscow Dr. Usha Rk, beauty & wellness expert Vasudha Rai, bollywood choreographer Sandip Soparrkar, eminent musician Brian Silas, acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, India’s first female Dastangoi artist Fouzia Dastango & poet Apurva Bikram Shah. All the speakers will be in conversation with Anurag Chauhan, who is the curator & presenter of this event. There has been a sudden rise in the cases of depression & loneliness, this event could be a treat to all. Link to join the sessions.

JLL to cut carbon emissions by over two-thirds

Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) approves JLL’s ambitious plan

CHICAGO, Apr. 22, 2020 – To mark Earth Day (April 22, 2020) JLL is pleased to announce the approval of its science-based target by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) as aligned to the 1.5C ambition of the Paris Agreement.

The target commits JLL to reduce its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 68% by 2034 from a 2018 base year. The target covers emissions from the more than 400 offices in over 40 countries occupied by JLL globally and JLL’s facilities management and engineering fleet, including company cars. JLL has also committed to reduce scope 3 emissions from the properties that it manages on behalf of clients by 53% per square foot over the same period.

“As the world navigates the corona-virus pandemic, responding to immediate needs and mapping a path to recovery, it is vital we also maintain focus on the long-term global risks posed by climate change. Notwithstanding the current temporary falls in emissions, 2020 remains a critical year for climate action,” said Christian Ulbrich, JLL CEO. “JLL is determined to play its full part, working with our clients in shaping the future of real estate for a better world. Our ambitious science-based target will cut carbon emissions from our own operations by almost 70%, and we are investing in scaling our specialist tools, skills and knowledge to help our clients drive down their emissions to deliver on their sustainability goals.”

The science-based target will be delivered by four main actions across Scope 1 and Scope 2:

Taking on highly efficient office space and driving energy efficiency across JLL’s existing office portfolio
Reducing emissions from vehicle fleets by moving to electric, low emissions and alternative fuel vehicles
Using renewable energy in JLL’s office portfolio
Where renewable energy is unavailable, purchasing renewable energy certificates

JLL will deliver the Scope 3 SBT by partnering with its top 50 clients, focusing on energy efficiency and emissions reduction programs.

Through Building a Better Tomorrow, JLL’s global sustainability program, the company has achieved – or is on track to meet – all existing sustainability targets across the four pillars of the program: Clients, People, Workplaces and Communities.

In 2019, our sustainability professionals worked with over 90% of our 50 largest clients to drive sustainability improvements in their portfolios.

Last year, JLL achieved the world’s first double platinum building standards for its Shanghai office at HKRI Taikoo Hui. This was followed by JLL’s Hong Kong office at One Taikoo Place receiving the highest score for the city in energy and environmental design.

JLL continues to provide employees with healthy, sustainable workplaces, and is globally recognized as a top employer for diversity, particularly leadership in female representation and advancement.

Through Building a Better Tomorrow, JLL encourages employees to support causes that matter most to them, guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the UK, JLL has supported 1,200 homeless people into housing. In partnership with Feeding America, JLL is on track to provide one million meals for those in need in the United States. In India, JLL employees are providing skills training for 16 to 21-year-old women and enabling adolescents in rural communities to access vocational skills. By the end of 2020, JLL employees are on track to volunteer 15,000 days, a record contribution.

“We’ve already achieved much to be proud of through our Building a Better Tomorrow program. But to tackle the worst impacts of climate change, we need to be increasingly bold and ambitious,” said Richard Batten, JLL Global Chief Sustainability Officer. “With the validation of our science-based target by the SBTi, we are committing to far-reaching climate action. The successful delivery of our sustainability strategy will not only positively impact JLL and our clients, but also will bring significant benefits to all our stakeholders.”

250% rise in Indians consulting online for gynecology amidst corona-virus outbreak

The ongoing corona-virus pandemic has triggered the adoption of more-healthful behaviors among the people who have started consulting doctors online for even the smallest of health concerns instead of self-diagnosis and self-medication. While there are a lot of growing apprehensions around various health issues amidst Covid-19, more and more people, especially women are using telemedicine to get their doubts clarified by the experts.

Gynecology is among the topmost consulted specialties on Practo as much routine gynecology and prenatal care appointments have transitioned to virtual visits. Gynecologists who consult online have indicated that a lot of women have been reaching out to them with queries like unanticipated irregularity in periods and how expectant mothers can have a safe pregnancy, among the others.

According to the Practo Health Insights,


·         Online queries for Gynecology on Practo’s telemedicine platform grew by more than 250% since the corona outbreak
·         One in every three consults that came from women since the corona-virus outbreak is for Gynecology-related issues
·         Most of the queries are coming from people in the age group of 21-30, followed by people in the age group of 31 to 40
·         There has been a significant rise in the number of women aged 60 and above consulting Gynecologists online
·         52% of all Gynecology-related consults are from women, while 48% of the queries are from men, possibly for their spouse, women family members
·         Gynecology was the most consulted specialty among women, with 50% of the consults coming from tier 1 and 50% from tier 2+ cities in the last few weeks
·         Top metro cities where most of the queries related to Gynecology came were from Bangalore, followed by Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai
·         Among the Metro cities, Delhi witnessed a growth of 350%
·         In tier 2 cities, most of the queries came from Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneshwar, and Mysore
·         Top queries discussed were period problems, pregnancy complications during Corona-virus, birth control techniques, and miscarriage

 QUOTES

 
Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer, Practo

“Telemedicine is making a very positive contribution to healthcare during the pandemic, and is being used by the people not just for coronavirus related queries but also for other medical conditions. This helps them receive proper medical care from their homes without having to visit hospitals and thereby minimizing their risk of contracting the virus. Telemedicine ensures that doctors are available 24*7 for people so that they receive timely medical attention. We are helping more and more doctors to help consult their patients online, also ensuring there is no disruption in access to quality healthcare for patients.”

Dr Vanita Vaishnav, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Bangalore

 “Telemedicine allows people to reach out to the doctors whenever they are in need of medical opinion or advice while maintaining social distancing. We have been receiving a lot of queries online in the last few days owing to increased awareness on telemedicine amidst the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown. Digital platforms like Practo provide an great opportunity for people, especially women to seek medical assistance from specialized doctors by empowering them with the right information, and easy access to quality healthcare. In difficult times like these, Digital healthcare has played a significant role in improving the overall experience of the patients in terms of accessibility, quality, convenience, and especially trust.”

Mary Poppins is one of Walt Disney’s greatest Achievements

Walt Disney is one of the most influential film producers of all time. With characters like MickeyMouse, DonaldDuck, Pluto, Minnie Mouse and many more being his creative achievements, Walt Disney’s legacy remains unsurpassed even today. Apart from these classic characters, Disney is also credited for producing a lot of iconic live-action films and characters, of which, one of the biggest of his career was none other than the prim and proper, umbrella-wielding British nanny Mary Poppins.

In 1964, a live adaptation of Mary Poppins, from the popular book series was released as a fantasy musical comedy, starring acclaimed actress Julie Andrews donning the ‘practically perfect’ outfit of Mary Poppins. The film was critically acclaimed and was considered as Walt Disney’s crowning live-action achievement, garnering the only Best Picture nomination, Disney witnessed during his lifetime. The film went on to win 5 Academy Awards and was even selected by the United States National Film Registry to be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant“. Besides, simply producing the film, however, Disney was involved, personally and creatively, in the development of the character, costumes, music, and animation of the film- his interactions with the Mary Poppins series writer Pamela Travers is documented in the film ‘Saving Mr. Banks’. The movie has a number of memorable songs like Chimchimmeny, which won an Academy Award for  Best Song and Feed the Birds, which was so close to Disney, it was played at his funeral. All of the above achievements have led Mary Poppins inducted into the ‘list of iconic characters’.

After a long gap, the sequel Mary Poppins Returns was finally released. Beloved actress Emily Blunt picked up the umbrella of the titular character for the sequel.

When asked about what she loved about the character, Emily stated “I do quite like the vanity. I mean the really self-indulgent vanity it just makes me laugh so much and I think she is terribly rude. I like that too, she just doesn’t care. My sister was saying to me last night at the premiere she likes it when I am waiting at the bank and I want to see Michael Banks and this package guy rudely interrupts me. She said your face is so funny. It’s all this stuff that I think that British people find really funny.”

The record-breaking 54-year-old gap between Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins returns is considered to be one of the longest gaps in cinema history. Upon release, the sequel was showered with praise and was dubbed as the reason to dismiss the belief that ‘sequels are never good as the original’.

Collection of Shoes & Packaging Incorporating recycled materials in testament to Eco-friendly practices of early Tokyo

A new line of running and SportStyle shoes that use recycled polyester made from PET bottles in shoe upper material.

 FEATURES

Called the Edo Era Tribute Pack, the new collection underscores ASICS’ sustainability credentials by honoring the eco-friendly practices of Edo (present-day Tokyo) from the 17th to 19th centuries. It was during that period that reusing, and recycling was integral to life in Japan.

The new offerings recall the eco-centric self-sufficiency ethos of bygone times in Tokyo in 2021 in which the eyes of the world turn to that city’s biggest sporting event.

The range is in keeping with ASICS’ commitment to sustainability in various aspects of its business. The uppers of the collection’s six performance running shoe models and four SportStyle offerings employ recycled polyester fibers made from a total of around 300,000 PET bottles. These items represent the first stage of an ASICS drive to switch to 100% recycled polyester fibers in all its uppers by 2030 to help combat climate change.

In the collection,  100% recycled paper shoe boxes are used with approx.10% less material than the standard designs and ASICS switches from oil-based inks to water-based ones have halved ink usage.

These sustainable shoe boxes will expand sequentially from July 2020. The boxes in the scope of these changes will be switched in 2021, thereby cutting ASICS’ annual CO2 emissions by approx. 1,200 metric tons.

Summer Trends 2020 By Interior Designer Punam Kalra creative Director of I’m the Centre for Applied Arts.

The summers of 2020 bring in a fresh, chic, modern and glamorous approach to the interior décor. This season is about a minimal and contemporary aesthetic, with a subtle touch of vintage glamour and easygoing, cheery and boisterous elements. This trend revolves around introducing eclecticism to space, mixing rich textures, colors and nimble detailing with light, airy rooms to create beautiful interiors that are reminiscent of a dreamy, relaxing retreat.

Cotton and Cloud Console

This minimal, dual toned console in white and grey with a subtle play of solid, linear planes and modest voids in acrylic solid surfaces, create a sense of visual lightness, thus bringing in a sense of contemporary playfulness and the gracefulness of simplicity into the room.

Pastel Dreams

This monochromatic, dreamy chaise highlights the warmth of soft curves and tender pastel colors in a contemporary and elegant aesthetic. The luxurious Tame Teal colored fabric is well paired with the complementing detailing of the playful PU finished legs. It is a chic and serene piece of furniture, making for a fresh, cheery and youthful addition to the room.

Interior Designer Punam Kalra is creative Director of I’m the Centre for Applied Arts