Today I was sitting under a huge Ashoka Tree, basking in the sun and savouring it as winter is slowly spreading a chill here. Ragesri came wafting from inside. I could ask for no more. I shut my eyes and was listening to the music. Life could not get any better. All of a sudden I remembered my plane of existence and my immediate reality was secure, however Mumbai is just trying to find its way out of a catastrophe. Over the years what has grown in me is only numbness. I feel blank and emotionless when such news on terrorism, violence and gory death reach me. In general after years of shedding tears and an anger raging from within at seeing how the world is, I told myself like a realist that things happen, people live, people die. Society is so twisted that there can't be any other way things can head. Although vouching this opinion, I have decided to not be any of those. There is violence, there is greed in everybody to own everything. Even today I tried and tried to kindle some reaction to all of this. But being comfortably far and untouched, I could not stretch my imagination far enough to bring tears to my eyes.
Voices raise against atrocities, but then do they stop? Will they ever stop? The system all over the world in each country is so contrived that these things occur but naturally. This is no justification, yet a fact. Utopia is a myth and will remain so.
I am not numb by choice, I am numb helplessly.
My peace is not my own anymore. I feel angry that I should not be able to enjoy my quiet life without feeling guilty that I am not crying over 100s that get killed in violence of small and large scale man-made calamities.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
raags and when they are to be sung
This is one of the sessions I had with Baba when I clarified my doubts on raags.
Me - Baba, I hear that in this system, raags are seasonal and also have a specified time in a day when they should ideally be sung. Why is it so?
Baba ponders over it. Trying to see how best this could be explained.
Baba- Do you like it when you are woken up from your deep sleep in the middle of the night?
Me- Not at all.
Baba- Raags are also like us. They have life in them. They also have their own specific nature. They do not like to be disturbed outside their routine. They are at their best when sung at the right time.
He then went on to explain how the raags get divided around the the time of the day in a very simple manner.
The day gets divided into 8 parts.
at dawn Re1 and Ma1 work best.
then pre noon Re2 and Ma1
afternoon till dusk Re2 and Ma2 combination
after sunset - Re1 and Ma2
Early night Re2 and Ma2
Late night slowly Komal gandhar starts coming into the picture with Re2 and Ma2
Then Komal gandhar with Re2 and Ma1
As it starts coming close to dawn again the Re will change from 2 to 1 with Komal Gandhar.
Its amazing how he could just tackle this question so simply while I kept searching books and net to understand how to differentiate and know when a particular raag is to be sung.
the is a generic classification Apart from this there are many other factors that influence the nature of a raag and exceptions are always there.
Me - Baba, I hear that in this system, raags are seasonal and also have a specified time in a day when they should ideally be sung. Why is it so?
Baba ponders over it. Trying to see how best this could be explained.
Baba- Do you like it when you are woken up from your deep sleep in the middle of the night?
Me- Not at all.
Baba- Raags are also like us. They have life in them. They also have their own specific nature. They do not like to be disturbed outside their routine. They are at their best when sung at the right time.
He then went on to explain how the raags get divided around the the time of the day in a very simple manner.
The day gets divided into 8 parts.
at dawn Re1 and Ma1 work best.
then pre noon Re2 and Ma1
afternoon till dusk Re2 and Ma2 combination
after sunset - Re1 and Ma2
Early night Re2 and Ma2
Late night slowly Komal gandhar starts coming into the picture with Re2 and Ma2
Then Komal gandhar with Re2 and Ma1
As it starts coming close to dawn again the Re will change from 2 to 1 with Komal Gandhar.
Its amazing how he could just tackle this question so simply while I kept searching books and net to understand how to differentiate and know when a particular raag is to be sung.
the is a generic classification Apart from this there are many other factors that influence the nature of a raag and exceptions are always there.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tanpura
The Tanpura’s Sound- pure and resonating.
It begins and ends the breath. It fills all that which seems unfulfilled. Any music created is a further enhancement of this core sound emanating from the tanpura.
Putting eye drops for Baba (that is how we call guruji just like all the other students), massaging his head until he falls asleep. Nothing seems odd, out of place or a burden. Here we have to keep patiently trying and just wait for the music to sink in. That is what ‘Time’ is for. All these days, Time seemed to enslave me. I could never over power it, I could not come to terms with it. Here there is no ‘Time’ but the movement of music and the rhythm of the beats. It is “here”. I feel very much part of the “now”. I do not feel a hurry. I do not feel like I am late. The truth of what exists is strong and it just moves.’
It begins and ends the breath. It fills all that which seems unfulfilled. Any music created is a further enhancement of this core sound emanating from the tanpura.
Putting eye drops for Baba (that is how we call guruji just like all the other students), massaging his head until he falls asleep. Nothing seems odd, out of place or a burden. Here we have to keep patiently trying and just wait for the music to sink in. That is what ‘Time’ is for. All these days, Time seemed to enslave me. I could never over power it, I could not come to terms with it. Here there is no ‘Time’ but the movement of music and the rhythm of the beats. It is “here”. I feel very much part of the “now”. I do not feel a hurry. I do not feel like I am late. The truth of what exists is strong and it just moves.’
Perfection
... As I walked a dismal place…ahem..thank you Wordsworth. I heard a music which immediately connected my soul to eternity. I went in search of this source of music. An old man, as old as time itself sat there casually caressing and yet having a serious dialogue with music. It moved me so much that I ran to him to fall at his feet only to realize there were only two stump like legs. A bit jolted I bowed down hoping his hands would bless me. Two arms, palms and stubbed incomplete hands rested on my head. All extremities eaten up. I looked up seeking his vision to fall upon me, and to my utter dismay they were almost visionless. Stunned, speechless, I looked at this serene being, thoughts halted as it is in bewilderment. He could feel and hear my presence. His sound, pure and wholesome drawing away from all his other senses. I could not comprehend whether there could be a boon hidden in his seemingly cursed state. He looked more complete than I. All measures of comparison rendered obsolete.
A shot in the dark
This heart of mine never rested. I always felt I am not where I am supposed to be. But to add to the trouble, I did not know where I am supposed to be. Then by some quirk I saw this email in my inbox from SPICMACAY which listed some legendary artists in various fields. You get to spend a month with one of them of your choice. I knew this would be the experience of a life time. I wanted to learn Hindustani Music for a long time and also only from a good teacher. This mail spelt it out for me. I wasted no time and energy in making sure I got this chance. And what do you know, I am smitten. I now am actually in a place where I exactly want to be and would always want to be.
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