| Mirror
Magazine |
||||
|
A
journey back to the past Carlo originally
started the song index www.commsoft.lk/oldsongs.html towards the
end of 1998, which listed all the old songs he had. He had painstakingly
typed in the lyrics over several years. Gradually, the web page
got indexed in some major search engines and the number of visitors
increased. They e-mailed him and requested lyrics of songs that
were listed in the index. Come '99, a
visitor requested a song that was not listed in the index and was
desperate to find the lyrics. This was the beginning of the Do You
Know Lyrics? page. "I was
thinking hard to find a way to help this visitor, when it occurred
to me that I could start a new page for this kind of requests (if
any), and invite those who knew the requested lyrics, to e-mail
me the lyrics," he said. The response had been unprecedented
and it started growing rapidly, so much so, that the page became
too big and took a long time to download. In the meantime,
Carlo noticed that there were a few visitors who sent in lyrics
regularly, and in 2001, he invited them to become Virtual Web Partners
of the web site. In May 2001, Katy Malcolm of New Zealand joined
up as the first Web Partner. Web partners of the site come from
all parts of the world, including USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
They share their thoughts on the site with us. "I enjoy
our site tremendously," said one. Not only did a web partner
help him get the lyrics to a song he was looking for, but he has
also enjoyed getting to know some of the other web partners. It's
interesting seeing the kind of esoteric things people are looking
for and he enjoys the challenge of trying to find them. That we
are truly an international group reflects the international language
of music, he says. Cafene Kohler,
another partner says that many of the old songs that his father
sang were just snatches of tunes, a single line or two. In looking
for the words to these old songs sometimes he would search for hours
without success, simply because he couldn't remember the key words
of the song. "This site is a blessing because it allows us
to connect with old people who can still remember the songs that
our parents sang to us as children," he says. Most of the
visitors who benefit from this web site are those who love to sing
oldies their parents and grandparents have sung to them when they
were small, but cannot remember all the words. If you go through
the website you will see how they send requests giving the little
they remember. "Please find the lyrics to a song that goes...
Two little playmates, a boy and a girl, were playing one day on
the sand, they built them a house of pretty sea shells no tools
but their little, white hands... I don't know the rest. My Mama,
who died a number of years ago, used to sing this to me," was
one of the requests made for a song. Most cannot
remember the title, singer or composer etc., but the web partners
make a valiant attempt to find these lyrics and keep their visitors
happy. If they don't know the words, they look it up in songbooks
or the web itself and send the lyrics. Katy Malcolm,
also a partner had found Carlo's site whilst searching for some
hard-to-find lyrics a few years back and managed to find some that
others were requesting. Eventually Carlo started e-mailing requests
directly to her and they have enjoyed a friendship that continues
today. "I believe that this site fills a need, as the majority
of sites consist of current music lyrics rather than specialising
in oldies. "While a few of my fellow web partners are musicians,
I myself am not. We share a common love of music and that's what
has bought us together. Great company to be in!" she says emphatically. Carlo has also
started sending out a monthly newsletter to the partners. Now on
his tenth letter, it mainly contains contributions from the web
partners themselves. Usually, it introduces new partners and lists
special events or features, web partner's personalised writing,
a chuckle for today and cute pictures. Yet another
reason why Peggy Barry, a partner enjoys working for this site is
for the satisfaction in finding a song that holds a special and
tender meaning for someone, she says. "Therefore by finding
specific lyrics for someone, we've helped someone, somewhere in
the world, find a special kind of happiness," she adds. "I have
also very much enjoyed hearing about the other web partners through
Carlo's newsletter. Some of us have shared pictures, stories and
jokes, which puts a 'face' to the otherwise faceless partners! So,
all in all, being a web partner has been very fulfilling and I am
so very grateful to be part of this group," she says. "I enjoy sharing my knowledge of old music with newcomers to the web and I also like to get the words to songs I can't quite remember," says Alfred French, a partner. Carlo has also started a chat room (http://groups.msn.com/GoldenOldiesWebPartners), exclusively for the use of the web partners and others recommended by the partners. Any others who want access to this room have to first get his approval. Carlo wants to ensure that it is not just another chat room, but a clean and decent one where people generally over 50 can enter without the fear of encountering offensive material, he says. As for bringing the world closer and uniting continents to work towards one common goal, this website could be seen as quite the success story. So the next time you want the lyrics to one of your old favourites, visit this site! For more details contact Carlo at commsoft@slt.lk
DJ Andrew is the technics champion in Singapore. This world championship receives more than 10,000 applications, but only 25 get into the preliminary rounds. DJ Andrew made it into the finals representing Singapore. To become a DMC Champ is not an easy task, considering that only 1% of the world DJs get a chance to enter the event. Party in the
Park will thus be a great opportunity for young, up and coming DJs
to increase their knowledge of the art of turntable mixing. Here's what
DJ Andrew Chow had to say about Party in the Park. "Hi Sri
Lanka, I'm looking forward to jam with you guys at the Party in
the Park on August 23. So make sure you are there!" Adds DJ
William Goh, All Sri Lankan hip hop lovers make sure you are there
to see turntables on fire! Guest performances
will include Iraj 'n da ill noize with urban sounds. "We'll
be jamming live on da 23rd, so make sure u be there to catch us
live," says Iraj. DJ Tariq, former DJ from kiss fm Australia will also be there to thrill the crowds Among the other
attractions awaiting party-goers is a Modified Car Show, where you
can get into a fast and furious mood and witness the best modified
cars. The latest
hip hop fashions will also be modelled by some of Sri Lanka's trendiest
models. All clothes are provided by Limited Edition. There will also be a spectacular sound and light display by master of sounds. So get ready to party. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
