Natasha Bedingfield - an Artist, Inspiration and Way of Life

She was nominated for Grammy, Brit and MTV awards with her first album itself for the hit single 'These Words". Though my favorite from her first remains 'I bruise easily'. So while she was an instant hit with her first solo album, its interesting to know she has been into music for years with her two siblings. Daniel Bedingfield was already successful when she launched her solo career.
Back then around 2008 when she launched her second album 'Pocket Full of Sunshine' I though to myself, most of her songs or rather her hit numbers are typical commercial american pop kinds, targeting teenagers, beaming with life, positiveness and up paced beats. They were some great tracks like 'Love like this' and the title track 'Pocket full of shine' that got me interested in her music.

And the reason I am writing about her is her latest album 'Strip Me'. And its shockingly amazing, all the tracks and the title song and above all - to see this huge transformation in her both as an artist and individual. I fell  i love with 'Strip me' instantly, its one of the rare songs that hit the soul and make you question the ways of the world versus who you are and what you should be. The lyrics are powerful and captivating, as though she has figured it all out and its time to share it with the world through her music. The video is simple yet beautifully correlated to the meaning behind the song. And I love how she is constantly changing her look from nude (no make Up) to 10 different looks (with all the glamorous make up) and she looks fabulous in each frame.

Post this song, I you tubed her other latest songs 'Run run run', 'Touch', 'Who knows' (this I discovered while watching the movie 27 dresses), 'Soulmate'. Though 'Strip me' tops the charts for me, I am as much in love with 'Run run run' and 'Who knows'! Lets just say I listen to each of these songs atleast 3 times a day.

Soon I started tracking her latest interviews, blogs and site; searching for what ever information I could get my hands on. And I am glad I did.
Her journey was just like any struggling British Pop singer trying to make it big in America at the young age of 23. She was a workaholic and her passion for music kept her going. Apparently although she is know for her positive vibrant songs; she has written more sad slow songs only that they were never produced. And when success finally came her way with the second & third albums; she knows she has finally found her path in life to travel the world and collaborate with artists and cultures in diverse countries; only to expand her horizon in music and offer more insightful tracks to her fans.

Natasha Bedingfield is unlike your regular R&B or Hip hop artist who create/duplicate music that is one track with baseless lyrics. Her lyrics are what one would feel in their inmost desires and thoughts, only that she manages to put it correctly add to that excellent tunes.

I hope someday to meet and thank her for givings us such brilliant all inspiring songs, daring and different from most pop music which is a commercial hit in the west. Artists like her, Corine Bay Railey, Leona Lewis (I figure most British artists) have a depth to their songs which keeps the other half of the world listening.
Also just seeing her transform and finally discover her self, her music and path for life; boosts a certain confidence in me that there are people who are achieving what I aimed to do... living your dreams, life to the fullest.


Must watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnhDIGTldho&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwwLLT120vk

Apple Cinnamon cake - mostly my own creation

This is a tried and tested recipe, and on request of a few friends I am sharing it with you guys :)

This recipe infact is a combination for a few others with my modifications

The below is for a half kg cake -

Ingredients:

- 1 cup flour finely sieved 

- 3/4th cup super fine sugar

- 2 Table Spoon honey

- half an apple thinly sliced soaked in rum for couple of hours

- cinnamon powder 1/2 cup

- 2 eggs

- fresh cream

- 1 pinch salt

- 1 tea spoon baking powder

- pinch of cooking soda

- Olive oil (for the heath conscious guys) or Butter or Margirin (3/4th to 1 cup)

Method: 

1) sieve the flour, baking powder, soda and half of the cinnamon powder and mix

2) Beat the sugar and butter/oil with an electric mixer for 5 - 7 mins till the batter is smooth fluffy and light in weight

3) Add only the egg yellow (make sure the egg whites are separately removed) and honey to this sugar mix and continue beating till a liquid consistency is obtained. Then add the fresh cream to this batter

4) Now bit by bit start adding the flour mixture to this liquid batter... making sure no lumps are there. This should be mixed by hand for 10 mins

5) Simultaneously pre heat oven for ten mins @ 150 C .. (u can also use microwave for this cake)

6) Now to the Egg whites add 1 pinch of salt and start beating it with electric mixer to obtain a fluffy white batter

7) Once the flour and cream batter is smooth  add this fluffy egg whites and gently stir it in for few mins only

For the decorative icing first rub in butter/oil on the base of the metal pan, then dust the entire inner lining with flour. place the apple pieces in round twirling design. now dust Cinnamon powder all over this design and along the inner lining of the Pan

Add the cake batter on this apple cinnamon pan, i suggest cover the pan with foil so ur cake does not burn.

Put in oven for 40 mins @ 130 degree C .. check towards the end if the cake has risen, if not put it in oven for another 10 mins...

Incase ur using a microwave put this cake batter in a glass pan for 6 mins only.

After removing it from oven, let the cake cool for half hour then turn it upside down onto a plate to have the apple side as the top icing ....

serve with Vanilla Ice cream and viola!!! Its Yummy all the way :) :)

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Guest Lectures - A Stepping Stone

I have always loved talking, narrating or describing incidents - sometimes my own version sometimes exaggerated stories ;)  but on a serious note, this passion for expression evokes in me an interest to teach.

Teaching; in any form, nature, subject or to anyone in any way - is in my view the most powerful of acts. Ofcourse to teach the right, factual concept is of uttermost importance. Beyond that, its the ability to influence the youth, friends, colleagues or family that requires substance of character. Above all it requires knowledge, experience and an open mind. In the last week or so; I finally managed to reconnect with this passion. I was invited to speak on two occasions - one at my B-School as an Alumni for the in coming batch of MBAs and the second at my Graduate college as an alumni and ex-member of our events club.
Thankfully on both accounts I knew exactly what I had to share - they were purely motivational sessions on how the youth should go around their tenure in their respective organizations/schools, what should be their short term goal, how to develop it, their aspirations and what they can achieve from the organizations and lastly correcting their attitude towards the course and life in general. The reason I can say 'correcting' with confidence is because there were many students who came back to clarify many of the doubts and misconceptions.

These 2 sessions I would categories as purely motivational, providing guidance or generic (catching up with an Alumni in their case perhaps). But for me; personally this was a stepping stone towards ONE of my many long term goals. For it bestowed in me many things, for starters I managed to grasp the attention of the audience, could easily curb their raising voices, figured that most of them had attentive and interested faces whilst I spoke to them and lastly a lot of them came back with doubts. A successful session I say.

This only motivates further to develop myself, have as many varying experiences professionally and personally simply because I would much rather inspire people on the grounds of 'Who' over and above 'What' I am.