Watching Whitney Houston's funeral, and sad to see her go! When I first came to America, she was at the peak of her career. Though not familiar or interested in western music, the "niraval" or modulation in her "I will always love you" rendering immediately caught my attention, wanting to know who this singer was. That kind of pull happens with only great musicians, and Whitney Houston was truly one of them.
I also noticed the controversy behind honoring her by flying the flag half-mast, due to her addiction with drugs. Just to provide a perspective, great musicians with the greatest possible honors in India have also had issues with things like alcohol, pre-marital sex etc, which are taboo in the Indian cultural setting, but quietly ignored. I think that is the right thing to do, though not perfect.
I also noticed the controversy behind honoring her by flying the flag half-mast, due to her addiction with drugs. Just to provide a perspective, great musicians with the greatest possible honors in India have also had issues with things like alcohol, pre-marital sex etc, which are taboo in the Indian cultural setting, but quietly ignored. I think that is the right thing to do, though not perfect.
