The Power of Music !

The day started out as normal as any usual day. Though it was my family (me, mom and dad) re-union time after many days, my previous day work pressures did not allow me to taste that joy. Bed was the most compelling exigency for me that time. The pillow seemed to be more softer my mother's hands and the cushion, more supporting than my father's presence. All that morning schedule was swallowed by the idiot box, and the afternoon went with the sun music vj's. Though it was very soporific to see them blabber with style, I knew no other go else that.

So in the evening we thought of smelling some outside air. After a day long dwell inside the small room, my mom suggested a classical music concert would change our mood. After a weeks long tormented mind, I also felt it to be the apt way to appease it. I gave a quick run to all the sabhas in Chennai on the news daily and to my disappointment, I found many of my favourite singers like Sudha Raghunathan, Unnikrishnan, Nithyasree and instrumentalists like Kadri Gopalnath and Mandolin Srinivas have already rendered their part for the day. Cursing the sluggish day I had, I once again gave a fast browse on the paper, expecting a name least known to me. I got a name which abated all my regrets. Not obviously its the vocalists name, but the place where the concert took part.

The Music Academy

The place was not too far from my home, just only at a walkable distance. I was waiting for some programme to happen there, so that I could have a visit inside it.
Whenever I cross the bridge near it, an urge to go in it will billow in my heart and that was the day that had to happen. A dream come true for me. With my parents I went there on a fine Sunday evening for a kutchery by Ms. Gayathri Girish. But I went there for a different story. For me the place is equal to a temple. Because this is where M.S.Subbulakshmi amma started her professional career and eventually it also got a physical end here. So I wanted to feel an ambience, with which I would be a to make a transcendental rapport with the queen of classical music. I had a video of her performance (Thanks to Doordharshan Archives) at the Music Academy, which I see daily in absence of which my day, I feel is not completed.

As soon as we opened the balcony entrance, the chill of air and warmth of the swara gave a good feel. I was exited and we were very anxious about the concert as that was my first ever kutchery. Though we had some open air classical performances by U.Srinivas and Sudha Ragunathan in Coimbatore, this I feel was the first nascent one. The image I had about that place gave me an illusion like that, you can say...

We went there an hour in advance to find another performer (Sorry, I didn't knew her name !), showing her talent in front of the few audience present there. It was a large amphitheatre, which had a right climate for a good music. We sat at the back and I could clearly see the happenings on the stage. The theatre was not crowded with many people and we had a place in solitude to enjoy music, the way we knew. My mind was full of M.S and her songs and virtually I was seeing her perform in that theatre. What a feeling that was...!

No words could explain that feeling of hearing M.S ammas songs in person. Her graceful face and her bhakti embodied songs came to my mind often and made me feel her presence. I could feel the power of music working on my mind and making it understand a new strata.

After I came back to this world after that awesome virtual concert, I could hear the song from the theatre. Thanks to the BOSE speakers which gave a high clarity without the change of feel. We were in that theatre for 4 hours and though we could not understand many of their swaraprastharas and aalaapanaas, though there were a lot of Thadharinas and thomdhanamthoms for long times, we felt them to be good and they were very soothing to the heart. The impact of the music was so new and fresh eventhough we didn't understand the theory of ragas and its other domains. Ms. Gayathri Girish had a nice bold voice and intricate nuances of ragas very beautiful. We were all thrilled to have a peg of the past glory.

At the end, I bowed to the stage as pranams to M.S. amma to my heartfull and came out of the temple with a very satisfied heart and rejuvenated mind...!