Monday, 1 June 2026
Many of the tourists who take the tour with us love the Indian songs. They have many Bollywood favourites which they have heard while growing up in their own countries. In UK, Israel, Russia, Middle-East, Africa.. Talking about Music will eventually lead us to the favourites of our visitors. They do mention names and hums tunes which unfortunately do not ring any bell for us in the begining. Here is the story of one such often mentioned song, "Killing Me Softly with his song.."
Lori Lieberman, a young lady in her early twenties, went to the Truberdor Bar to listen to this particularly talented young man who played there and was becoming popular with his style. While she was there the young man, who was Don McLean, played his melancholy and heart pulling number "Empty Chairs.." which took young Lori's heart for a ride. She felt his words were straight out of her life, he was reading her letters loud, she felt feverish and embarassed and wished he would finish but kept right on...
The next day Lori discussed her experience with her associates Charles Fox and Norman Gimbley with whom she was discussing the making of a record. Norman took the clues from her talk and wrote the song giving the title "Killing me softly with his song" which was inspired by some Blues singers whom he met earlier who sang songs like "Killing me softly with his Blues". They recorded the song which Lori Lieberman sang in the year 1972.
Roberta Flack, an already established Afro-American singer, was on a flight when she heard this song on the airplane's song collection. She was so struck by the song, she asked the stewardess to replay that song for her repeatedly while her musical mind took down the lyrics and made mental correction and adjustments to the Lori's song.
Immediately after she got off the plane, she called Quincy Jones to contact the writers of the song and request the permission/right to sing the song. She started practicing the song with her band at Jamaica, the way she wanted it to be played but did not record it. While performing on stage for an organiser, after her set encore, they asked her play something new if she had. She said, yes, there is a song we are practicing and gave it a try.
The audience went berserk after listening to the song and their reaction prompted the organizer to comment, " Baby don't you play this song ever again, before recording it".
Within a month the song was recorded and released and rose to the status of the most popular song of the year and one of the few all time hits.
Thus, Lori Lieberman's emotions while listening to a Don McLean performance became the most popular hum of a generation through another singer's voice while Lori's own song was sideline. One can imagine what it would have done to a sweet young lady like Lori, emotionally. She kept on with her writing and composed and song many other songs and albums though she left the space for a long time after the "Killing me softly with his song.." experience.
Lori Lieberman, a young lady in her early twenties, went to the Truberdor Bar to listen to this particularly talented young man who played there and was becoming popular with his style. While she was there the young man, who was Don McLean, played his melancholy and heart pulling number "Empty Chairs.." which took young Lori's heart for a ride. She felt his words were straight out of her life, he was reading her letters loud, she felt feverish and embarassed and wished he would finish but kept right on...
The next day Lori discussed her experience with her associates Charles Fox and Norman Gimbley with whom she was discussing the making of a record. Norman took the clues from her talk and wrote the song giving the title "Killing me softly with his song" which was inspired by some Blues singers whom he met earlier who sang songs like "Killing me softly with his Blues". They recorded the song which Lori Lieberman sang in the year 1972.
Roberta Flack, an already established Afro-American singer, was on a flight when she heard this song on the airplane's song collection. She was so struck by the song, she asked the stewardess to replay that song for her repeatedly while her musical mind took down the lyrics and made mental correction and adjustments to the Lori's song.
Immediately after she got off the plane, she called Quincy Jones to contact the writers of the song and request the permission/right to sing the song. She started practicing the song with her band at Jamaica, the way she wanted it to be played but did not record it. While performing on stage for an organiser, after her set encore, they asked her play something new if she had. She said, yes, there is a song we are practicing and gave it a try.
The audience went berserk after listening to the song and their reaction prompted the organizer to comment, " Baby don't you play this song ever again, before recording it".
Within a month the song was recorded and released and rose to the status of the most popular song of the year and one of the few all time hits.
Thus, Lori Lieberman's emotions while listening to a Don McLean performance became the most popular hum of a generation through another singer's voice while Lori's own song was sideline. One can imagine what it would have done to a sweet young lady like Lori, emotionally. She kept on with her writing and composed and song many other songs and albums though she left the space for a long time after the "Killing me softly with his song.." experience.
An year without Maradona
Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 and her nationally televised cremation ceremony was an event which was watched by our whole nation, it was more or less an introduction of the visual media and TV to our nation. Many of us did not have TV then, we walked miles and went to those houses where they had. Everybody co-operated.
I was in my
school final in 1986 when the world cup came. By then we had a black and white
Keltron TV that came in a case with shutter. It was on that TV our generation
watched and experienced the first global event – The FIFA world cup of 1986.
That was undoubtedly
Maradona’s world cup. With his game, talent and spirit he won us over and made
us a fan of him and his country, Argentina, a country we had not heard about.
Maradona became our hero. Excessive fouling and harsh man marking did not let
him be as successful in 1990 world cup as he was in 1986 and in the one that
followed in 1994 he was disgraced and banned for use of unacceptable drugs.
For the way he
made us feel and experience the peaks of joy and excitement in 1986 he stayed
in our heart as our hero and we went through all the bad news about him with a sad heart and kept only the memories of the game he once played.
It's going to be an year since he is
gone, but the memories will not go away from
our hearts till we die.
Thank you Diego,
for your life and making that fleeting part of our lives in 1986 when the way
you played football ruled our hearts and made it the best times of our lives.
IPL 2026 Final
The 19th edition of the IPL belonged to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
RCB successfully defended the title they had won last year—their long-awaited first after years of being one of the finest yet unluckiest teams in the competition. This victory was not merely another trophy. It was the confirmation of a champion side that has finally learned how to convert promise into silverware.
At the vast Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with nearly one lakh ten thousand spectators filling the stands and millions more watching across television and digital platforms, the stage was set for a memorable final.
RCB won the toss and chose to field first.
Gujarat Titans, so composed and commanding against Rajasthan Royals in the first eliminator, could not find the same rhythm on the grandest evening. The pitch offered a sharp, tennis-ball-like bounce and GT never quite settled. Their innings struggled for momentum as pressure steadily mounted, and they finished with 155 runs from their 20 overs.
The chase began with authority.
Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli gave RCB the kind of powerplay start finals demand. Venki played with intent and confidence before falling in the fifties, leaving the game delicately balanced.
For a brief while, RCB seemed uncertain.
And then experience spoke.
Virat Kohli (75 from 42) did not chase headlines; he guided the innings. With maturity, composure and the calm of a man who has seen every shade of cricketing pressure, he steadied the ship and carried his side through when nerves threatened to take over.
Some titles are won through brilliance.
Others are defended through character.
RCB's second consecutive crown felt like both.
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