Magic Times in Chennai

Ya! Ya! We have heard it before. Too many concerts, Too little artists! Music season has become commercial! There is not enough young people watching! Way too many Sabhas! And the list of whines can go on. This blog is not one more to that list.

The time I spent in Chennai is that of celebration. I think the music season is unique to this city and has survived nay sayers for so long. Looking at the crowds (albeit the graying generation), I think there are enough people to have this going on for sometime. One needs to be there to experience the magic created by amazingly talented artists interacting on a daily basis with the crowds. I think this is where it is great to have the population we have in India. Because, there are people everywhere! In the concert, in the sabha cafeteria, in the music exhibition, on the roads, in the buses, in the surrounding restaurants after the concert and even in the Sabha restrooms! Every activity gets supported with its diligent followers.

I attended four concerts and had great company to hear some wonderful music. The bane of going alone to a concert is that you don't have anyone to look at to confirm that they are as ignorant as you are in identifying the ragas. It may get lonely at the top, but you don't want to get caught lonely at the bottom. Always find someone to share the misery.

I heard Kadri on the Saxophone, and three vocal concerts of Aruna Sairam, Sanjay Subramaniam and Sudha Raghunathan. Each was different.

The day we heard Kadri, he was awesome. This was in Bharat Kalachar which has converted its school stage into an auditorium. I saw this after 21 years and it was exactly as it was 21 years ago but with the seats etc. In this concert, while Kadri on the saxophone was the show piece, it would would unfair not to comment on Kanyakumari as well. In my opinion both deserve equal mention. It was a great experience listening to them enjoy their music and in the process transmitting the enjoyment to ignoramus like me. There was so much zest in their music and the playing. I was thankful that this was one of the concerts that I went to.

The next concert in they day was that of Aruna Sairam. Through a well wisher I managed to beat the lines and get the tickets. This lady is the super-star of the music scene right now...NUMERO UNO...no competition if the number of people waiting for a canceled tickets is any measure. The concert lived up to its billing. When I told a few people (clearly the erudite kind) that I was going to this concert they gave me the look (if you have received it you will know it!). Their opinion was that she is too popular and may not be the quality singer that I should go after. Here I was questioning myself...am I a good fan? Do I know how to be a connoisseur of Carnatic Music. After standing in the Q for 30 minutes to get into grab a reserved seat, listening to 2:50 hrs of amazing music and looking around at the merriment around listening to Carnatic Music, the visible joy when she sang a Vittoba song or her Ashtaraga RTP or the Thillana or the audience response when she playfully asked whether she can take leave, connoisseur be damned! I am happy I am a lesser mortal who was completely taken for a glorious ride. I never knew Carnatic music can be toe-tapping, head shaking and hand clapping experience. Her concert was the best!

May be on par was the Sanjay concert. Began at 6:15 and went on till 9:30. It was just bliss. Not on the style of Aruna, but just the same in terms of joy. A Kodak Moment if you may was when Sanjay did an amazing Alapana and the audience gave a resounding applause. Then there was this man who could not control his excitement and asked almost pleadingly, "What Raga was that?". Sanjay, with a wonderful smile, replied Bageyshree. To me that summed up what makes this a great season. The liberty of the audience to interact with a performer during the performance is incredible. And Sanjay sang tamil songs on Shiva, probably composed by the Tamil Moovar. The main thing was again the ability of Sanjay to transmit his excitement and joy of singing to the audience. Everyone including the Ghatam Mama enjoyed this. Paisa Vasool!

The fourth was on Christmas day listening to Sudha Raghunathan. It was a good concert, great presentation but somehow, I felt that it did not transcend to a great concert. If you ask a person with my understanding of the nuances in Carnatic Music, I cannot give you a better answer that this. It just did not feel the same. It was like a mannequin dressed in a beautiful dress than a real person with the same dress. No life! Having said that I am sure some well respected art critic is going to say that this was the concert of the millennium!

I hope they do change a few things in the years to come...no! no! not the usual whine list.

1. Have clean restrooms. The one in Narada Gana Sabha was appalling and stinking to high heavens. S0me one sponsor them 5 gallons of "Phenaail"?

2. Can some of our esteemed artists find it in themselves to share some of the names of the Ragas they sing? Undeserving rasikas like me also need lifeboats once in a while.

3. Can they begin ticket booking on the net so that out of town folks like me have a chance to plan and come for a concert?

Many wise people will have wiser things to say on the Season 2007, but to me this is something that has to be cherished and I am thankful that I could be a rasika and listen to some divine music, albeit without a clue!