Music and Me

When music engulfs the air ...

I was looking forward to this Sunday (December 12, 2009). With the music season on, I thought I would make it to some sabha or the other. A severe stomach ache, however, left me lying on the bed most of the day. I was half-asleep and half-awake. Even as the morning was slowing slipping into afternoon, I stayed in the bed. As I was ruing my predicament, lovely music wafted into the air and seeped into our flat on the second floor uninvited! We have moved to this flat on T.P. Koil Street, opposite the Lord Narasimhar Sannathi of the famed Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane couple of years ago. The second house to our left is an illustrious place. It is where the famous Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathiyar lived many years ago. After a hiatus of one-year, the Bharathiyar House is seeing music festival this December. Lying in the bed, I could hear the inimitable T.M. Krishna singing the poet’s songs. There was vibrancy in voice. One could sense the energy with which he sang. He was followed by Vijay Shiva and Sangeetha Shivakumar. There’s was followed by a series of short-duration concerts. Feeling better, I thought I would go to the temple. As I was heading to the temple, my legs automatically headed to the Bharthiyar House. Young Sainthavi was all absorbed as she rendered some of the popular numbers of the Poet. "Chinan chiru kiliye…’’, "Assai mugam marandthu poochi…’’ et al were rendered with so much dedication. A sense of commitment was palpable in her face. As Ragam sisters were readying to sing, I proceeded to the temple. When I went round the main pragaram, there was this dance recital. T.M. Krishna-initiated `Kalachaara Marumalarchi Trust’, I was told, is organizing a music festival in the temple, with a series of concerts. I could spot a sizeable number of people watching the dance recital. As I was returning home, I again slipped into Bharathi House, where Mahathi was giving her concert. It was refreshing to see the hall packed, with assorted people. That they have come to hear Carnatic music, casting aside many other distraction-entertainments available aplenty in this fast-phased life, is a happy augury. Who said that we are moving backward culturally? The music festivity in December gives eternal hope to a doubtless optimist like me!