May be the winged creature spotted me buying tickets on Dec 28th after Parasala Ponnammal’s concert at Academy? I didn’t notice him, but seemed to have noticed me from the high balconys’ of Music Academy. I ran into him a day later at Mylapore Fine Arts while I was waiting to hear Trichur Brothers. So I asked him, “what’s up and who are you pooping on at Music Academy?” He was annoyed with my questions and flew from the canteen towards the green room area at MFA. I thought he must gathering gossip at the Green room and I chased him there. He again flew back to the canteen.
“What’s wrong Mr. Pigeon? Why you are you avoiding me?” I am not avoiding you, I am annoyed when you ask my pooping targets”. He folded his wings and said, “I don’t target people, I praise good music and express my concerns music and musicians go wrong. Well, I am a pigeon, symbol of peace, but you turn me into a symbol of poop and controversy.
After hear him play defensive, I had no choice but to go easy on him and put out an invite for a snack and coffee, but he immediately declined!
I asked him, “So how was Sudha’s and Saketharaman’s concert at Music Academy?” I had no clue that this guy saw me at Academy that evening. He retorted quickly, “I saw you at their concerts, so why are you asking me?” “Well I want to exchange notes with you and moreover you are a Music Academy pigeon, and you are trained listener while I am just a nomad rasika.” Finally I sang Maithree Bhajata and made peace with my feathered friend.
“Sudha’s Reethigowlai and Shankarabharanam were lackluster and she tried to load the kalapanaswarams upfront on that Shankarabaranam krithi, Sarojadalanetri just to show off her vidwat rather than gradually ascend and descend. There was a slight lag (1/2 edam) in the speed of the krithi and reviewer from The Hindu gave her full marks for her mistakes. The pallavi she sang was very difficult exercise and she needs appreciation for that, but she was constantly looking at the notebook in front of her”. Why are reviewers afraid to point out mistakes? Or is it that they are not qualified to pick up such mistakes and write about it?”
After an unbiased review I had to get him one of those delicious Badhushahs at MFA canteen. The Badhushah was fully cooked and sugar syrup had made it through the layers of maida, like Saketharaman’s Music Academy concert.
Then I asked his frank opinion about Saketharaman’s concert at MA. He batted his eyelids and there was an excitement in his voice. “Saketharaman’s singing is methodical and melodic, but could have avoided singing too many composition of Thyagaraja and brought in more variety in his concert. He also needs to slow down the pace of his singing, there is so much of sowkyam when the pace is slowed down, may be that will come with age. Infact he had done a lot of homework on the RTP, kudos to Saketh. Today’s youth knows how to manage both profession and passion.”
I thought he was done with the comments, but he started after a pause, “Sabhas and musicians need to learn from Saketharaman’s concert”. I got curious and I jumped in before he could complete the sentence. I asked him what should they learn?”
“Wait, you were there at his concert, tell me how many times did Sangita Kalanidhi Umayalpuram Sivaraman let ghatam play along with the violin? Usually mridhangist plays along with the singer and the ghatam plays along with the violinist. But that day Umayalpuram Sivaraman dominated the show and kept the ghatam idle most part of the concert.
As a Sangita Kalanidhi, he has had his share of fame, reward and recognition and shouldn’t he guide youngsters in his sunset years rather than steal their time and show? Is this how a Sangita Kalanindhi must behave on stage? Sabhas must think twice next time they have a senior accompanist play for a junior musician.”
I had to agree with Mr. Pigeon, it was Tiruvarur Bakthavatsalam who played a similar trick while accompanying Saketharaman at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. Can the musician do something about it or should the Sabha do something about it?
He had no answer to my question and said he was rushing to hear Sikkil Gurucharan at Brahma Gana Sabha. We will catch him somewhere very soon. This seemed like a very wise pigeon!
The pigeon also has some fantastic ideas on how to notch up Carnatic Music concerts and Markazhi Festival.Come back for more between the pea brain and pigeon brain.
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