Namaste! Dear Music Lovers,

Queens are keen…

The idea of royalty is quite ancient. Recently I wrote about mothers as objects of our admiration. The much-promoted and press-covered British Royal wedding of Harry & Meghan

gives us pause to consider the implications and considerations applicable to Queendom (from antiquity to present).

Because there is no universal agreement about the origin(s) of humanity, I won’t set out to recite my own (or really, any) version of how the notion of royalty became such an important one for humans.

I will nonetheless list some types of queens, because there are definitely several of them:

• bee queen
• Queen B./Bae/Bey[once]
• Queen Mother
• Queen (rock band)
• queen-size
• drag queen
• thespian (theatrical) queen
• academic queen
• beauty queen
• dancing queen
• singing queen
• disco queen
• African queen
• Bengal queen
• British queen
• Carib queen
• …(etc.)
• Indian queen
• Soul queen

While not all situations/families have intimate experience/interactions with a queen regnant, the sense of a queen can be aptly applied to people who tend to embody such characteristics (of a top dame royal). I assure you: my own pretensions are far more modest.

Honestly, I love to perform, yet adoration of self will not subsume my actual religion: Hinduism. My family also keeps me too humble to fancy myself queen of much more than my own spicy kitchen and household, lol. I’m good, as they say.

For a description of queen-like countenance or behaviours, we may select from the following much-abridged list of adjectives (please feel free to add your own):

queenish, queeny, queen-like, queentastic, queeneriffic, queenly, queen-o-matic, queenified, queenitized, queen-o-licious, regal, grand, magnificent, imperial, majestic, bangly (টিজিং), bedecked, resplendent, alluring…

Just so everybody knows: Bengal queens are like tigresses

and we’re the BEST ONES, lol. Period, end of recitation. Again, sort of kidding (so my servant says sort of not fooling). He’s my personal fool.

So… would a majority of commentators proclaim that the essence of a queen is a detached despotism, a certain savoir faire that only extreme privilege can inform? A particular grace or graciousness?

Or… could it be a more or less humorless mindset? A knowing that one is pre-eminent in the household much as the man of the House reigns supreme… so thoroughly that one needn’t remind “the help” of their inferior status more than about twice daily—when they begin and end their assigned duties/shifts?

Can we even dare to generalize about lady monarchs? Is present-day experience skewed by the fact that England has not had a king for more than half of a decade? Is the notion of queendom itself more or more poorly understood given this fact?

So… beyond sitting majestically on a throne issuing orders to her large staff, what does a queen regnant do all day?

All right, not having my own inside track in order to report the detailed answer, I’ll haplessly launch into a moment of wild speculation. Whether it’s endemic to a ‘typical’ feminine monarch’s conventional schedule (pron. “SHEDGE-yool”) or not, I’d like to think that she is keenly aware of the state of affairs with respect to her far-flung subjects’ schooling & education toward their most productive roles in small-s society).

I’ll admit that this is a realm of Public v. Private civic debate that’s been considered even in my family over coffee or chai, as education has played a very prominent role in my parents’ families and in our immediate lives from students to teachers (and my dear Baba still teaches—while I may dabble in impromptu voice coaching/music tutelage, as teaching is for me an avocation for which my calendar is seldom marked).

India’s education system could serve as discussion topic for an entire blog. We on this blog hop around to many topics and the main one is movie music. We dish about performing arts and being involved in all aspects of music and film/video projects, the travel, glamour, and such (I could write books about Bollywood, which is maybe 5% glam).

I’ve met so many brilliantly talented Indians and am blessed to work in film & TV entertainment with and to see these geniuses (male or not) at work to now know that it’s my passion—must I name one.

Random jots above… I thought I’d share with our splendid visitors, queens included and welcome here as are those of us ranking a bit lower on the totem pole. One never knows when I’ll wax philosophical or expound upon another topic kindling my ken.

While my alleged station in life edges its winding way to something like ‘major Indian movie music celeb’ status a decade in, I want you, my family and my web team and dear fans to know that my ego remains in check, and save an occasional insider like my trusty protective footman/dresser, I have no lingering pretensions to imperial royalty.

When ya gotcha mojo woikin’, keep dat bucket bubblin’!—Anomalous Chef/DJ FJ

I wish to stir no controversy over issues like faith and affairs of state or gender prejudice, however one fair warning: even the nicest queen can have a rough day during which her crown tilts askance.

Speaking only for myself (for truly no one else does nor can), if you approach my way with some selfish or careless agenda, don’t be surprised to find yourself ‘speaking to a hand’ like one of Durga‘s. Goddesses rock too.

Namaste,

AM