Music India OnLine - In sync with Sivamani's rhythm
...
Sivamani’s percussion involves tablas, ring drums, bongos, cymbals, gongs, dhols, even buckets. He has worked with AR Rehman and Anu Malik, though he rues never getting a chance to work with RD Burman. “There’ll never be anybody who understands rhythm as well as Panchamda,” he concludes.
...

The Real Rahul (Rajiv Vijaykar, Screen)

January 4 was the 10th death anniversary of R.D. Burman. Here’s taking a look at his classical-based compositions...

Ten years will have elapsed, come January 4, since Rahul Dev Burman cast away the shell of his mortal body and turned into an immortal soul. Today, sadly, his memory is restricted largely to the remixes that a whole generation of not-so creative men and women are churning out of his work, with alarming regularity and mediocrity. These remix specialists claim to pay obeisance to an icon of rhythm, and give a contemporary sound to his magical numbers. But can someone, whose music was as advanced as tomorrow be made any more modern at all today?

{Complete article text}

Sandeep Kulkarni reports about the 4th Jan show at Pune (from Pancham Yahoo! Group)
...
"Sachin also narrated how Pancham would make a party at home which used to run till five am… adding, since the name was PANCH--AM, it had to go till 5 am..!!! a real foodie that he was, lot of good cooked food, drinks used to flow and Ashabai used to serve sometimes even at 4 am."
...

Pancham pizzazz (By Narendra Kusnur, Mid-Day):

"This is what Bhupinder has to say about RD:

Pancham was one of the few music directors who appreciated everybody’s ideas. If one of the musicians thought of something interesting, he would acknowledge it. He would know our strengths, and give us specific parts to work on. At the same time, he would have fun while working with the musicians.

There was a certain understanding that he shared with the other team-members, whether it was me or Manohari Singh or Marutirao Keer or Basu Chakraborty or Kersi Lord or anybody else. In the studio, we all knew what was at the back of his mind while doing a song. He would have four or five or six rehearsals, and then begin recording."
...