The Origins of Vegetarianism and Cremation?

Recent events have exposed America's, and the World's, unpreparedness for disastrous events .
As a consequence, second-guessing the Next Big Bang is a major preoccupation for certain cells of the government. The next big thing could be a disastrous avian 'flu pandemic.

The last pandemic proved to be more harmful than the World War itself, and certainly deadlier than all the quakes, storms, and bombs of recent history PUT TOGETHER. Read more about that mostly-forgotten episode here:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/virus/uda/

There is little doubt that the easiest way to contract a "crossover" disease is eating a carrier animal or bird. The most obvious counter-measure is burning infected livestock and poultry. The next logical steps would be 1) cremating bodies that die from such diseases and 2) stopping the consumption of non-vegetarian food. These two measures will possibly restrict the spread of avian flu dramatically.

Excavations show that the Harappa civilisation simply ceased to exist one day as did early Indus Valley civilisations, with no sign of violence or invasion (the so-called "Aryan Invasion"). It could have been caused by a combination of circumstances (like the drying up and shifting of the Saraswati river) or even a deadly viral outbreak - that fits the evidence.

These early indian cultures (the Indus Valley civlisation too) probably found the connection that is so evident now, made the change to vegetarianism and took to cremating bodies after death. Layer upon layer upon layer of this practice, and it is now inextricable from "Hinduism" itself. Of course, these practices are now seen with the "benefit" of much latter-day embellishment and justification, but maybe it started as a survival measure.

Soundtrack of my life

It is a truism in the music industry that Rahman is a "master arranger". What is this "arrangement" I speak of and how does it complement composition?

De-Composing

From my amateur perspective, "composition" is the melodic structure..the series of notes that make a tune, stripped of details like "what words will this be sung to" and "who will sing it" or "how many instruments will play this line". Since the composition is independent of these things, it can be recognised instantly by any one in any part of the world even if represented by different agents. This is how we recognise "Dil Mera Churaya Kyun" from the baton of RipMaster Anu Malik as a rip of "Last Christmas I Gave U My Heart..." by Wham!, even though the singer, language and instruments are all different. Capeesh ?

The arrangement then refers to the choice of instrument and effects that become the vehicle of the composition. Musical arrangement contributes a subtle but very profound effect because it is a complex gestalt - there are cultural shades, personal inflections, and the unique timbre of the instruments themselves that paint an emotional landscape. Rahman's compositions are therefore so evocative and unforgettable. His craft marries inspiring melodies with powerful musical arrangements.

Influences...

I'm a big fan of Joseph Campbell - specifically his "Power Of Myth" that airs on PBS regularly - his persuasive work has altered the way I think about Life, the Universe and Everything. Myths explain why we like what we like and dislike what we dislike. I mean "Myth" in a larger sense, not just classical myths, but rather the underlying principle of a *myth*.

Denouement

My thesis (finally) is that Rahman uses arrangements that evoke our "aural mythology". This ability raises the songs from being "pop" to exuding immense anthemic proportions. A caveat here is that the arrangements do not meet with resonance in all listeners. A certain well-roundedness is required to better appreciate what he is driving at, because he draws on aural myths from all cultures. Those who do not revel in this aspect however still benefit from the melodic beauty. I am also not implying that he's the first to do so, but he's the best and most effective.

Here are a few examples - feel free to post more.

• Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera: The other day I was listening to "Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera" for the umpteenth time on my train commute...drifting in and out of sleep induced by the seductive swaying of the train; a very potent state for subtle realisations, that. The percussive "line" (taal) of the song has a rowdy bunch yelling "Hoy!" at regular intervals, along with a vaguely evocative "shik shik" sound. If I had been wide awake and operating purely in analytical mode, I would have (correctly) said that the "shik shik"s are created by a bead-filled gourd, a common enough orchestra piece. In my semi-conscious state I had a subtler understanding of the sound - it reminded me of the old way in which the ladies at home winnowed the wheat from the chaff, using a handheld winnowing pan. When this realisation is subtle and "mythic" in nature it creates a nostagic longing that goes with the message of the song. The shehnai solo playing at the end also has immediate cultural resonance for indians...it conjures "auspicacity" - marriages, festivals, celebration and nostalgia. The same passage could have been played on a violin, but would not have this meaning Audio
  
• Dhakka Laga Bhukka: This song from "Yuva" is RICH in arrangement. The percussive bass-line, the sound of a reloading-gun-melded-with-smashing-glass, and the whistled interlude..those reek of energy, youth, cool and testosterone...ie. "yuva".. Audio