<h2>Pants on fire</h2>
<p>A man hangs washed denim pants to dry under the scorching sun at Dhobi Ghat in Mahalaxmi</p>
<h2>Tell me about the Kolis</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/apr/Kolis-aa_e.jpg" alt="Prachita Koli presents at the school in Borivli; students interact with Koli after the talk. PICS COURTESY/PRACHITA KOLI" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Prachita Koli presents at the school in Borivli; students interact with Koli after the talk. PICS COURTESY/PRACHITA KOLI</em></strong></p>
<p>You might remember the quintessential tune, &lsquo;Mi hai Koli&rsquo; as your early introduction to the Koli way of life. But the times they are a-changin&rsquo;. To give children a peek into the fisherfolk community, Dharavi Koliwada-resident Prachita Koli conducted a special audio-visual session at the JBCN International School in Borivli earlier this week. &ldquo;I wore my best Koli attire and presented a session on the history of the community, why we fish, how the fishing activities keep Mumbai&rsquo;s ecosystem running, and our age-old folklore. The kids were all ears, and threw many follow-up questions at me,&rdquo; Koli recalled. Rest assured, Koli came prepared (and dressed) for the job.</p>
<h2>Wowed by Valencia</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/apr/Mayur-Spain_e.jpg" alt="Mayur Jumani jams with a saxophonist on the streets of Spain. PIC COURTESY/MAYUR JUMANI ON INSTAGRAM" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Mayur Jumani jams with a saxophonist on the streets of Spain. PIC COURTESY/MAYUR JUMANI ON INSTAGRAM</em></strong></p>
<p>City-based musician Mayur Jumani has returned from his Spain trip bearing saxophones, flamenco guitars and bongos. Oh, and they&rsquo;re all in his portable handheld recorder. Captured from the streets and music halls of Spain, snippets of these instruments have now made their way into Jumani&rsquo;s new track Sounds of Spain. &ldquo;I joined random buskers on streets, or simply recorded musicians on stage at venues. I was surprised by how open they all were to the experiment. When I came back home, I cleaned the recordings and put them all together,&rdquo; Jumani revealed to us. The trip also marked a homecoming of sorts for the popular multi-instrumentalist. &ldquo;Valencia holds a special place in my heart. Years ago, I was a student at the Berklee College of Music&rsquo;s Valencia campus. An invitation from the institute was when the seed of this idea was planted. After wrapping up my duties as a guest speaker, I set out on the musical adventure,&rdquo; he shared. Those keen to tune into this sonic experiment can log on to @mayurjumani on Instagram.</p>
<h2>Carry on gunners</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/apr/Arsenal-match_e.jpg" alt="A moment from the quarterfinals in London. PIC COURTESY/VIVIAN BRITTO" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>A moment from the quarterfinals in London. PIC COURTESY/VIVIAN BRITTO</em></strong></p>
<p>Declan Rice&rsquo;s free-kick against Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last week, had a few Indian voices behind it.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/apr/Vivian-Britto_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;Every second felt like an hour, but when the final whistle went, the stadium roared,&rdquo; shared Vivian Britto who had the rare opportunity to watch the game live in London. With the second leg tomorrow, the Mumbai fans will gather for a special meet up in Andheri.</p>
<h2>Acing the silambam in Dharavi</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/apr/Simbalam_e.jpg" alt="The young artiste performs a Silambam routine in Dharavi. PIC COURTESY/POOJA ASHOKKUMAR" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The young artiste performs a Silambam routine in Dharavi. PIC COURTESY/POOJA ASHOKKUMAR</em></strong></p>
<p>The traditional martial art form of Silambam made a timely appearance at the Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations in Dharavi on Monday. &ldquo;Babasaheb would&rsquo;ve been proud,&rdquo; said researcher Pooja Ashokkumar, who was witness to a young female artiste&rsquo;s brave moves at the celebrations hosted by the Jai Bhim Foundation. &ldquo;The art form shares some characteristics with Kalaripayattu, An artiste usually performs with a stick, and it is a common sight in Tamil Nadu,&rdquo; she told us. The neighbourhood&rsquo;s diverse culture had a role to play in the unusual sight, Ashokkumar added. &ldquo;Living in the heart of the city, and [being] close to his works, the Tamil immigrants in Dharavi share a special bond with Babasaheb&rsquo;s ideologies. The celebration was a melting pot of cultures in the true sense of the term,&rdquo; she revealed to this diarist.</p>
<h2>Giggles, fun and games in Parel</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/apr/Study-on-road_e.jpg" alt="Moments from the afternoon sessions in Parel Village. PICS COURTESY/Robin Hood Army" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Moments from the afternoon sessions in Parel Village. PICS COURTESY/Robin Hood Army</em></strong></p>
<p>Children from the settlements in Parel Village had a hearty time when a group of volunteers from the Robin Hood Army joined their playtime last Sunday. Payal Solanki, one of the volunteers, said, &ldquo;The Robin Hood Army is a volunteer-based, zero-funds organisation. Every Sunday at 3.30 pm, our volunteers gather in Parel to begin the day&rsquo;s session with the children. Last weekend, we played easy games like kabaddi and Number Line with the children.&rdquo; &nbsp;The organisation&rsquo;s journey in Parel began in 2016, when a few volunteers went in search of children to teach. &ldquo;What started as a simple idea has become an initiative where volunteers dedicate their time to teaching and mentoring children from the area. Currently, the Parel Village chapter has a dedicated team of 10 to 12 volunteers, with fluctuating numbers, depending on availability,&rdquo; she added. Since summer holidays are around the corner, the volunteers wanted to give the children a break from their studies. After an afternoon of fun, they parted ways, but not before handing the children a few books to keep them company.</p><p><script type="text/javascript">atOptions={'key':'d0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7','format':'iframe','height':90,'width':728,'params':{}};</script></p><p>
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