Paradox

I had always wanted to see Zakir Hussain perform, and yesterday I had my chance.
Two weeks ago when the tickets opened up the general public, I pounced and bought 2, now knowing who my accomplice would be - it turned out to be this nutty fun friend from Spanish class.
We made our way to Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion East, Mumbai - I had heard a lot about the auditorium and yes, it lived up to the grandeur I expected.

Here is what I went for: (Courtesy: Bookmyshow.com)

When geniuses come together, magic is the only outcome!

Hello classical fans, You won’t believe what we have in store for you. A unique combination-a first time ever - Pandit Birju Maharaj (Kathak) in session with the magical Tabla beats of the great table master Ustad Zakir Hussain. If that was not enough, the vocal renditions of the legendary maestro Pandit Ajoy Chakravarty will merge their brilliance into a crescendo. Dr. Trichy Sankaran, the world famous master on the Mridangam with his co-artists will also join in, in celebrating Pandit Birju Maharaj’s 75 glorious years. Date : Dec 13, 2012 Time: 6.30 PM Venue : Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai I am a music lover. I love most kinds of music and no, house and club don't qualify as music (yet). I can listen to Indian classical music for hours; the thing about Indian classical music is that if one gives it its due attention it can be quite strenuous on the brain, in a pleasant way. Dr. Trichy occupied the stage for a good hour and it was phenomenal. Zakir came on after the 15 minute interval and Brijmohan Mishra (Birju Maharaj) made a grand entrance - and this was after a wonderful introductory speech by one of the organising dudes. Birju will celebrate his 76th birthday in February! And he was a sight for weary minds. Was amazing to see someone dance this way - I think dance ought to be this, rather than the shaky swivelly nonsense from the West. More blues. Zakir impressed me - I think it's because I could see why he is a maestro. I don't understand Indian classical music but I appreciate its nuances and the ingenuity that seldom tags along. It's in his eyes. I didn't like Pandit Ajoy even though I did like his voice. There is a difference you see... It is what one had once said: There is good casting, there are no bad actors. He didn't belong on the stage last night according to me. But I am a lowly commoner and know not what all that music 'meant'. The evening was cut short because it was past 10pm and Ajoy's singing is not what me and my friend signed up for. May be we were weary. The thing about Art is that it is all around us and with this note I will move on to the next phase of this post: I found it hilarious that people were bumbling in like drunk minstrels at 730 pm when the performance had started at 640 pm. And by hilarious I mean that I wanted to punch them in their punani region. I also found it hilarious that one of the ushers had his cell phone ringing to a bhojpuri/ bollywood type song. I made my way to a bar where my friend was drinking for me and I saw a conglomeration (yes, a conglomeration) of people pretending to have a merry time by jiving to techno/ house. They looked like pigs and the smell of smoke hid their foul stench. And the following is the reason why I may be writing this post... I dropped my friend home and made my way through a lane I have been driving through for the last 2 years. A couple of families had made their quaint shanty home there, away from the populace and usually playing with their dogs. Last night, I found their homes torn down and shrouded in rubble. Imagine that, you are living your life and one fine evening a vindictive tsunami decides to rid you of your iota of belonging. Yes, that is capitalism where the strong survive and the weak are washed away into the gutters; it is what a lot of city dwellers secretly desire and socially ridicule. I stood there looking at the canvas. And someone opened the trapdoor beneath my feet. I knew not how to swim. But did I ever exist? To the music inside us all.

Nick Drake

This is my second post about Nick Drake, the first one is here. I had to write about this (as I always do :P).
There is a song called 'Milk and Honey'. Nick sung this song which was originally by Jackson C. Frank in a 1965 album. Before he starts strumming his guitar and singing, Nick mumbles something so beautiful :D
"What could I do? What would be interesting?" But he says it more like... "Whattt-uh could-iii dooo-uh?" and when he says this, he is adorable or as my friend described it - orgasmic.
It is sad that he is no more.

The Raghu Dixit Project

I read about this band in the newspaper some days ago, I then moved to youtube to see them perform their song on a BBC show and instantly fell in love with them.
They had an odd South Indian/ Western fusion attire with fusion music; there was an electric violin along with acoustic and electric guitars backed by percussion and tablas; I saw a weird joy in Raghu's singing.
Luckily my friend told me that they were going to perform at Hard Rock Cafe in Mumbai (the gig was yesterday). I had to go.
I was so happy with the performance - they seemed like intelligent guys (Raghu is some sort of engineer I believe) and their sound was magnificent. They jumped, swayed and Raghu's voice captured me. Resounding, effortless and full of heart.

There is also a filmy story involved where Raghu had been turned down by production houses because his music wasn't "Bollywood" enough. Vishal and Shekhar heard them perform at Zenzi (Bandra) and decided to launch this guy as the first produce of their new label. The 'Project' has been touring the US, UK and Australia.
I will not be surprised if these guys make it big. Their sound is just so full of joy.

Drake

Finally, I've decided to write about this artist - Nick Drake. He's dead now, wish he was still creating his art :)
There is a raw emotion in his voice, which by the way is not really sweet or melodious. But it's so truthful. I can see him crying while he was singing his songs. The sad part about this is that I cannot describe the psychological superiority that he may have had.
His words are so simple and yet, amazingly powerful.
The music is just original and can make one cry.
I am disgusted at how poorly I am writing this post because this guy deserves some real words.

"So I leave the ways that are making me what I really don't want to be."