Behind the Curtain examines the musicians who were composers, arrangers, assistants and studio performers in the Bollywood studios from the 1930s until the present. It offers a musical, technological, industrial, and social history of India's hegemonic popular music industry from the perspectives of the musicians and others who experienced it. It is one of the few oral histories in ethnomusicology, and offers the first ground level view of this globally important music industry.

-An intimate look at a period of modern Indian history that has shaped the music of the subcontinent today -Features detailed sections on several important Indian and American jazz musicians, including Chic Chocolate, 'the Louis Armstrong of India'; and Teddy Weatherford In 1935, a violinist from Minnesota named Leon Abbey brought the first 'all negro' jazz band to Bombay, leaving behind a legacy that would last three decades. In a decade, swing found its way onto the streets of India. It influenced Hindi film music: the very soundtrack of Indian life. The optimism of jazz became an important element in the tunes that echoed the hopes of newly independent India. This book tells a story of India, especially of the city of Bombay, through the lives of a menagerie of geniuses, strivers, and eccentrics, both Indian and American, who helped jazz find a home in the sweaty subcontinent. They include the burly African-American pianist Teddy Weatherford; the Goan trumpet player Frank Fernand, whose epiphanic encounter with Mahatma Gandhi drove him to try to give jazz an Indian voice; Chic Chocolate, who was known as' the Louis Armstrong of India'; Anthony Gonsalves, who lent his name to one of the most popular Bollywood tunes ever; and many more. Taj Mahal Foxtrot, at its heart, is a history of Bombay in swing time.

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From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Good War: A masterpiece of modern journalism and “a huge anthem in praise of the American spirit” (Saturday Review). In this “invaluable record” of one of the most dramatic periods in modern American history, Studs Terkel recaptures the Great Depression of the 1930s in all its complexity. Featuring a mosaic of memories from politicians, businessmen, artists, striking workers, and Okies, from those who were just kids to those who remember losing a fortune, Hard Times is not only a gold mine of information but a fascinating interplay of memory and fact, revealing how the 1929 stock market crash and its repercussions radically changed the lives of a generation. The voices that speak from the pages of this unique book are as timeless as the lessons they impart (The New York Times). “Hard Times doesn’t ‘render’ the time of the depression—it is that time, its lingo, mood, its tragic and hilarious stories.” —Arthur Miller “Wonderful! The American memory, the American way, the American voice. It will resurrect your faith in all of us to read this book.” —Newsweek “Open Studs Terkel’s book to almost any page and rich memories spill out . . . Read a page, any page. Then try to stop.” —The National Observer

A powerful depiction of racial tensions arising over the death of a Cajun farmer at the hands of a black man--set on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation in the 1970s. The Village Voice called A Gathering of Old Men “the best-written novel on Southern race relations in over a decade.”

The cauliflower. An answer to the prayers of every person on the planet who wants to lose weight, cut down on sugar and stay healthy, while not being hungry all the time. Sounds like a pipe dream? It’s not. The cauliflower is one of the best-kept secrets in the dieting community. It is among the most adaptable and versatile veggies that can blend into any kind of cuisine in the world and is an almost-perfect substitute for several types of starch—flour, cereal, pasta, rice and even the potato—for a fraction of the carb count. Besides being low in carbs, the cauliflower is gluten-free and high in nutrients. In The Cauliflower Diet, learn how the amazingly adaptable cauliflower can be used in the preparation of all the things you love: rice, upma, cookies and even pizza! Perfect for all types of weight loss, this humble vegetable will help you shed the kilos in no time.