GiftsBy Nandita Sengupta
The Times of India, November 29, 2009
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NEW DELHI: American alternative rock singer-songwriter Terra Naomi will be crooning for climate change in Delhi on December 3 and 5. Naomi, whose urgent, crusading track 'Say it's possible' became a YouTube sensation, has packed more into her life and music than many a contemporary.
She's at the forefront of a direct artist-to-fan model, having left Island Universal Records last year. Naomi connects with her fans via every conceivable social networking vehicle. She muses in her blogs, uploads songs and homemade videos on the internet and her tweets are bite-size edits, giving fan-connect an altogether new paradigm.
Her main concern is that those least responsible for environmental damage will experience the harshest effects. "It's complicated but what I do know is that regardless of causes of climate change, there are simple things everyone can do to help slow the effects. So much of it comes down to becoming aware of our wastefulness and excessive/unnecessary use of natural resources,'' the singer told TOI in an email interview.
Naomi performed in Mumbai to commemorate 26/11, was in Bangalore on November 28 and will perform in Delhi at Hard Rock Cafi and at Kashmere Gate along with Indian Ocean and Menwhopause, both events sponsored by American Center. She rounds off her tour with a performance in Srinagar on December 7.
Her Srinagar concert, hosted by Mercy Corps, will include online videos and appeals from Naomi to support grassroots environmental projects in Kashmir. "We hope to bring awareness to one of the most important geographic locations of climate change. Kashmir's glaciers provide water for a fifth of the world's population. When I first read that, I nearly fell out of my chair! We hope to attract attention from the global community, raise awareness within Kashmir's community.''
In Delhi, Naomi's looking forward to some paranthas, her "all-time favourite breads''. Having worked with a chef in an NYC Indian restaurant, she says she loves Indian food. Read love in capital letters. "I hear Delhi has the best paranthas in India. Can't wait to find out.'' Chaat and bhelpuri are other favourites although she's sure "her stomach's not ready for it (street-food) yet''.
Her music is about emotional connect. "I want to write songs that help people connect to themselves and each other in a deeper way. I like to tell honest stories. I believe the experiences we have might be different, but the feelings we experience are the same. That is the core of my music.''
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