Q 1. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates...
a. dropped out of a mathematics course at Harvard University.
b. mastered in computer sciences.
c. went back to university to complete his degree.

Q 2. Congress President Sonia Gandhi ...
a. has an English degree from Cambridge University.
b. has a diploma in English from a college in Cambridge.
c. Graduated from Turin University.

Q 3. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ...
a. is a law graduate.
b. is a school dropout.
c. was a student party leader.

Answers:1(a). 2(b), 3(a)

FUSION MUSIC

Mori performs at Safar's Chennai show

Tuning into Differences

What do you call an Indian vocalist, an American percussionist, a Japanese Koto player and an Italian guitarist creating music for an equally heterogenous group of dancers to perform? Fusion? Not if you have met Akhra, a kaleidoscopic group of versatile artistes, now on their "Safar" across India. Led by Nandlal Nayak (Nandu) of Jharkhand, Akhra has proved that apparently diverse performing art forms can make original music. Their show began when Wendy Jelhen, an American dancer, came to work with Nandu's father, a musician from a Nagpuri tribe. Now man and wife, Nandu and Jelhen are on a sojourn breaking boundaries of music. Others in the group include Chieko Mori, a Japanese who plays the Koto and Jushchigen and percussionist Rich Stein. Jehlen leads the dancers selected locally. Says Denver Anthony Nicholas, a dancer from Chennai: "It's something more than dancing." Artistes from Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are also part of the group which will travel to Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderadad this month before reaching Ranchi for a grand finale on Jharkhand Day.

-Arun Ram

LITERARY FEST

Indian Chapter

PARIS BOUND: Tharoor, Chatterjee are among the invitees

France is getting ready for an overdose of Indian literature and litterateurs. The Annual Festival of Belles Estrangeres is dedicated to India this year. Writers whose works are available in French will spend a fortnight travelling all over France and interacting with the public. The festival, aimed at promoting literature in foreign languages in France, generally picks a representative sample of writings.

The Indian invasion has an eclectic mix of 20 authors. With some notable exceptions. There's no Arundhati Roy or Khushwant Singh. Instead there are Shashi Tharoor, Shauna Singh Baldwin and Akhil Sharma, all based in the US, while the India-based lot include Upamanyu Chatterjee whose English, August was shown on French television, Mukul Kesavan, Malayalam writer M. Mukundan, Hindi author Nirmal Verma, illustrator Pulak Biswas, Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi and others. The authors will congregate in Paris before branching off in groups of two or three across the country discussing, presumably, the influence of Baudelaire and Bordeaux.

MUSIC REVIEW

An Entrancing Web

MAKDEE (Time Music; Rs 45)

Writing the score for a children's film is no child's play. But Vishal Bharadwaj, who has hits like Maachis, has lived up to expectations in Makdee, which is also his directorial debut.

Makdee is the tale of an evil witch who turns children into animals. Bharadwaj's music adds to the tense atmosphere. "I wanted to fascinate children, not scare them," he says.

Gulzar's lyrics add just the right touch. The fun song Chhuti hai by Upagna Pandya, is a feet-tapping number, while Mai is a more evocative appeal to the mother for protection. The use of sounds like the cock crowing or a rickety door opening gives a realistic tone. Simple tunes that children can relate to. Bharadwaj scores again.

-S. Sahaya Ranjit