Yes, Daniel Pearl was a gem of a person. A real gentleman and probably the sweetest soul on earth. I met Daniel for the first time at 'Soul Fry' a restaurant in Mumbai where i played with my jazz ensemble. This lone gentleman seated on a barstool stood out from the crowd in the house that evening. Daniel was listening to us with childlike awe. I knew he was a musician. I spoke to him in the break and found out he played violin and composed music in the little spare time he had with his busy work schedule as bureau chief with the Wall Street Journal.( bureau chief? wow!! 'aww, no big deal, i'm bureau chief because i'm the only one in the bureau')And modest too. Daniel was thrilled to discover live jazz happening so far away from home in the US. That night he was heading back to Paris, his base at that time, he told me he enjoyed our music and would be back for more very soon. We stayed in touch via email and one fine day a Mumbai musician was the first Indian to know of Daniel Pearl's Indian posting. I met Daniel again in Goa where i'm based between October and May every year. Daniel and his wife Marianne came over to Goa to hear me play twice! Once at the Marriott resort and the next time at the saturday night bazaar in Baga. Marianne who worked along with Daniel, was equally passionate about music and wanted to be a percussionist someday. They invited me over to their place in Mumbai to checkout their huge collection of music from all over the world. It didn't take long, Daniel was on stage with my jazz band enthralling audiences with some brilliant solos on his specially designed electric violin. I went over to Daniels place to celebrate Marianne's birthday. Amoung his high profile guests were local vendors and people Daniel had met on the street! Here was a friend I made for life. A cruelly short life. I'm sure the string section in heaven sounds a lot sweeter now. I pray that God gives Marianne the strenth to bear her unbearable loss. Daniel my friend, you are missed.
COLIN D'CRUZ www.hullocheck.com
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