12 hours, 6 yards and 7 Notes

The previous evening a young voyeuristic musician was showing off his intelligence, while the hall was filled with young pseudo intellects applauding to every vocal fart. And the next morning an Octogenarian musician accompanied by her student on the vocal was singing atma amrita sangeetham sans gimmicks and voyeurism. Not just her, but the accompanist too produced music that was soothing and enhanced the performance. Kindly note the average age in the audience jumped by at least 30 years overnight.

What is so fascinating about Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. R. Vedavalli's concert is her successful attempt in transporting audience on a spiritual trip. She educates both those on the dias and sitting across from here with her unhurried raga exposition, clear diction and chaste rendition. While rendering Dikshithar's first krithi in Mayamalavagowali she made her student do nereval at Madhuryagana Amritapano and also subtlety corrected her when she wrongly split words Gana and Amrtiapano. While the previous evening was about showmanship and wearing ego on their sleeves with no regard to music and composers.

It is not just the six yards saree that Vedavalli drapes around her shoulder respectfully, but also the seven notes with the responsibility of being a custodian of Carnatic music and humbly passing on the tradition to the next generation. Our music is the only one capable of giving mukthi to those performing and listening. Instead, why not sing with devotion and sincerity keeping aside our intellect driven by our ego?

The 12 hours brought out two different musicians on stage and what they had to share with the world. From giving her student, an opportunity to perform alongside her on the alapana, nereval, kalpanaswaram to sharing her knowledge and wisdom with fellow musicians and rasikas she is an open source code in the age of paid Apps.

I noticed a few from last evening performance troop in late. May be they knew this was the place to cleanse their dirt from last evening. Yes, her music is the Ganges equivalent in Carnatic Music. If Only Thyagaraja was around today he would have sung Vedavalli Neesamana Evaru?

Many Aha moments with Pandit

I was late by a minute when I entered the ground floor hall at Music Academy and just as I opened the door I was welcomed by a powerful voice rendering a master piece of Thyagaraja in Jaganmohini. By the time I found a seat TS Pattabhirama Pandit began to render the chittaswarams and I was quickly forced to settle down to enjoy the delectable composition. To lengthen the joy of swatting hands and swaying heads he threw in a quick round of kalpanaswarams. What a bold and beautiful way to begin a concert I thought.

As a next item he presented one of Shyama Sastri Krithi in Reetigowlai Janani Ninnuvina. One could have written down the notation and lyrics, credit goes to the clarity and devotion of his rendition. With two of the Trinity presented the next one was expected to be Mutthuswami Dikshithar. Pattabirama began with Pantuvaralai, the first one to elaborate at Music Academy this season and many more may come, but his rendition will linger in our mind for long. He turned his vocal chords into an wind instrument and traversed the three scales effortlessly, paused and moved between notes making the raga exposition a deva gaanam. Dikshithar's composition on Ramanatha Swamy of Rameshwaram, Ramanathan Bhajeham was rendered in adherence to tradition giving listeners much needed tranquility after Vardah, tropical cyclone.

He quickly outlined Nalinakanthi to delight listeners with the popular and fast paced Krithi Manavyalakin. Who would dare to step out of the hall or fall asleep? While listeners where under his magic spell, he went on to sketch Shanmukhapriya bringing out the hidden beauty and emotions in its contours and presented a Thanam followed by a Pallavi (Aadum Deivam Un Paadham Panivom, Thaka Thakita Thakadhimi Natana) in Tisra Triputa talam. The way he moved from Ragam, Thanam, Pallavi to Kalpanaswarams in Revathi,  Bilahari, Malayamarutham, Desh and came back in reserve order reminded me of a gymnast moving from a bar to bench and back and forth to leaving the audience with many Aha moments without bringing them to the edge of the seat. Though Pandit was given his last name, I felt he has duly earned to make it a prefix to his first name.

He concluded the concert with a beautiful Virutham Ramanarayanam saluting his Guru followed by Kandu Dhanya in Behag on Udipi Krishna. Though there wasn't a memory shortage to take home his raga expositions and renditions, but which one do I takeaway? Should it be Pantuvarali or Shanmukhapriya or Nalinakanthi? I'm sure you will have a similar dilemma if you heard him.

Through practice and hard work Pattabirama has graduated from 11.45 am to 1.30 pm slot at Music Academy. The compositions of Trinity earned him a spot in the hearts of layman, while his scholarly rendition of RTP deserves a double promotion. Will Music Academy move him up by a slot? 

Learn to Enjoy the Show

In the last 72 hours the electronic, print and social media has been seeded with conspiracy theories over Jayalalithaa's death and power capture by Sasikala and Co.
The public has been trapped into participating in these discussions without realizing that succession, power capture and gathering support has been the way of life not just in AIADMK, but in our households, professional lives and in the spiritual world. Don't you agree?

Common Denonimator
In many households it is between the husband and wife, in some it is between the father and son or mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and in a few others it is between co-sisters or between the daughter and sister-in-law, power struggle is the least common divisor. The eldest member of the family is respected by the society and is be seen as the custodian of power, while the junior members often end up taking care of day-to-day affairs with their guidance and patiently waiting for their turn. Isn't that the norm?

During her 28-year association with Jayalalithaa, Sasikala has been managing not just the household, but also picking and choosing of MLAs to negotiating with industrialists and bureaucrats. With the passing away of the matriarch, isn't it logical for Sasikala to take over as the next custodian of power and money? Why is the public led by media making a brouhaha about this natural succession?

Dravidian 3.0 - Snakes and Ladders
Our professional lives mirror the snakes and ladders game; by rolling the right numbers the winner ascends, while others end up meeting their fate in the hands of venomous snakes. How many of us have missed promotions and salary increases or transferred because who've not been his or her masters voice? How many of us have left organizations because of our managers or followed them to other organizations?

Despite being thrown out by Jayalalithaa multiple times, Sasikala pretended like Jayalalithaa to be steadfast and loyal. She sacrificed her personal life to reap bigger gains in her political life. Over a period Jayalalithaa managed to replace her mentor MGR's image with hers and altering the underlying Dravidian beliefs and principles. While Jayalalithaa strategically managed the state through bureaucrats, Sasikala tactically managed selection of ministers and controlling the fortune of the party and its coffers. With Sasikala ascending the throne, we must expect Jayalalithaa's image to the sidelined and Dravidian party moving further away from its founding principles. So, stop whining and accept change as the only constant and get ready for Dravidian 3.0 otherwise you will succumb to Darwinism.

Music and politics
It is December music season in Chennai, an occasion when music aficionados in large numbers from within and outside the city throng halls and sabhas to hear their favorite musicians. Have you ever asked how many of them truly belong the school they claim to be from? How many of them have falsely claimed to be mantle holders for a particular tradition or baani of music after learning just a song from the person? How many of them pay to get performance slots and lobby to get their awards including the most coveted Sangita Kalanidhi?

Jayalalithaa is vey much like Barath Ratna MS Subbulakshmi; she didn't mentor anyone or wanted to have a successor. In Carnatic music, though there is no formal anointing ceremony, there is tradition of giving students who accompanied them on stage and tours due rights to carry forward the mantle. The successful Sangita Kalanidhi Sudha Ragunathan ended up accompanying her guru MLV and her sudden demise, void and musical resemblance of led to her growth. Isn't that what Sasikala did by merely accompanying Jayalalithaa on her tours showcasing her proximity and now duly claiming her position to the throne? Why this media brouhaha? Instead why not let people decide if she is fit to stay in the throne?

In mutts and spiritual centers
The places where we go to worship, seek peace and shed our egos have been an epicenter of power struggle. From self styled God man Nithyananda who pretended to be a devotee of Madurai Adheenam to the two factions in Kanchi Mutt with the pontiffs Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi and their families have all been involved in capturing power and fortune. When those who are supposed to be role models and spiritually lead the society are behind power and money, why are the public reacting adversely to mortals like Sasikala and the Mannargudi Mafia greediness?

A repeat of Dec 24, 1987
30 years ago when MGR passed away, Jayalalithaa stood by head to subtly claim her succession. Though MGR hadn't anointed his successor, but by merely using her proximity to him over the last 22 years, Jayalalithaa captured power and party leadership. The voices that resented her claim and captured slowly joined her. For the first time the leadership of the party moved from a patriarch to a matriarch.

What is happening today is a mere repeat of  Dec 24, 1987. But this time around Sasikala, who was associated with Jayalalithaa for over 28 years was fully prepared. She had made her bargains and prepared the stage for smooth transition of power and leadership. By performing the last rites and accepting the flag, she symbolically communicated her role as the successor without a press conference and taken over the matriarch's mantle. So, instead of reacting adversely to Sasikala ascending the throne, understand the greediness of humans and attraction to power, patiently wait for a better version to take down the present Sasikala.

Remember, in the ecological pyramid there is a role for every creature from a parasite to a scavenger to a predator. Enjoy the show on this Animal Planet!

What we can learn from Jayalalithaa’s life!

One of the reasons for me to stop attending weddings was because people came up with unsolicited advice on the importance of marriage and now that people have began using bereavements and funerals to hound me with the same message; I am thinking of putting an end to attending funerals.

On Tuesday noon I received a call from my former neighbor whom I hadn’t seen her in the last five years, but earlier in the day I recognized her on the television as she paid her tributes to the former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa’s body at Rajaji Hall. After short exchanges about CMs demise, she quickly began advising me on getting married and how it provided a safety net so that I don’t end up like Jayalalithaa. I was tongue-tied as I hadn’t expected this call to take such a turn. Moreover, I wasn’t interested to argue with her or convince her of my choice. Instead, I moved the conversation away from the topic of marriage and disproving parallels drawn from Jayalalithaa’s life and her singlehood.

Apart from this conversation, what I watched on the television and read in the online media got me thinking more about family and singlehood. Does singlehood bring sorrow and does marriage and family provide one with a safety net and peace?

That evening I made my regular check-point call to my maternal grandparents, who are in their 80s. They shared their grief from watching Jayalalithaa’s funeral and their anxiety getting a decent funeral when they die. Feeling their anguish, I assured them that a corpus was available to give them a grand farewell without cutting corners or taking short-cuts and that I will be the back-up in case their son derelicts his duty.

Unfortunately, marriage and family didn’t put their insecurities to rest (my grandmother wants my grandfather to pass away before her, while my grandfather wants to live till her great grandson’s wedding) and their family (son, daughter-in-law and grand children) have been neglecting them for over a decade, while living off their wealth like a leech. I wanted to call back my former neighbor to share this example and prove to her that her theory of marriage and family doesn’t guarantee anything in reality.

A few hours after Jayalalithaa’s burial, the online media was rife with rumors that her 110 crore assets is being usurped by Sasikala and family. If only AIADMK Party Supremo Jayalalithaa had left a Will behind with an executor, there would be no blaming of her kin from a 28-year long association and giving them no room for foul play or media to speculate. Moreover, Jayalalithaa enjoying the goodwill, loyalty and prayers of her cadres, didn’t care about their future in her absence. Did her political advisor Cho also fail to advice on this front? Today, she left the party and state without a succession planning giving rise to infighting and disappointing the cadres and reminding us of this song Ethanayo peyirukku from the movie Vanthale Maharasi and making the lines “Adhigara peyigal irukkudhada adhu sadhikaara gumbalai valarkudhada more relevant.

Though we don’t want any stake in my maternal grandparents’ wealth and I’ve been asking them to make a will so that it solves a lot of blame, heart-burn and legal entanglements after their time.  

Both disease and death come uninvited and unplanned. In the last 75 days before her death, Jayalalithaa was off and on ventilator and finally after suffering a cardiac arrest, going through CPR, having  heart massaged and put on ECMO life support before being pronounced dead 15 hours later. Why did the convent educated Jayalalithaa not think about putting down her living will and informing her physician? That would have saved her dearest friend Sasikala from having to make all those tough medical decisions and getting blamed by the media and public for being secretive, private and hasty. 

Though my grandmother feels anxious about her funeral and looks impractical for not drafting her will, but sounds just the opposite when it comes to her living will. She has verbally told us and her physician that she doesn’t want to suffer or be kept alive especially when she is terminally ill, put on ventilator or declared brain dead.

Increasingly families are becoming nuclear, marriages are breaking down quickly, people staying single for long and longevity improving by a decade, we must make our future decisions today and not depend on others to sort out our mess later. With death being certain, inevitable and unpredictable, you have to be ready with your will and living will so that you don’t leave your family and friends in quandary. 

So, rather than hounding people to get married and start a family, let’s remind them of the importance to get their will and living will in place before we begin our final journey. 

Tokyo: From the Top to its Underbelly

 

With a population of 13.5 million, Tokyo is the most populated of Japan’s 47 prefectures. As result of people’s ambition and rapid economic progress Tokyo’s cityscape changed in the last 50 years. Today, 16 of 25 tallest building in Japan are in Tokyo. The 1500 earth quakes that rattle Japan each year haven’t deterred people from building such tall towers and making them quake resistant.

Though there are a few places for one to enjoy the breathtaking views of the city in Tokyo, I headed to the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Tower in Shinjuku to catch a glimpse of the city. I’ve seen this building in the climax battle between Godzilla and Mecha-Kind Ghidorah in the move Godzilla.

Being an Indian, I didn’t have great expectations given how shabbily we maintain our Government Offices, but Tokyo proved me wrong and set new standards of expectation. The 48-story building has two towers, the North and South and the 45^th floor has a free viewing deck that gives unabated view of the city and its landscape.  

A separate access to the 45^th floor ensures tourists don’t hamper functioning of building and its occupants. It was a cold morning and I picked up at hot chocolate and boarded the separate elevator that took less than 50 seconds to get to the observation deck. Unlike Sear’s and Sean Tower with a see through glass floor on the observatory deck, the Metropolitan Building is less dramatic and more informative and scenic.

Huge glass windows give great views of the city that is home to 13.5 million people and a million trees. Each window has a panel that informs you of the buildings in front from the famous Sky Tower in the East, Tokyo Tower akin to Eiffel Tower in the North to Yoyogi Park in the South. I overheard one the guides talk about the old Olympic Stadium from 1964 and then pointing towards the proposed site for the new one for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

 

The view of Tokyo from above is overwhelming and is a great example of planned urbanization and economic prosperity. After spending 45minutes on each of the towers, I came down with the feeling of visually conquering Tokyo and with a question: do beautiful and populous cities like Tokyo have underbellies?

While some may want to categorize love hotels, red light districts and seedy side as the underbelly, but I choose to hunt down people living in poverty and looking for squatters and those engaging in creative art aka graffiti or street art. I found answer to my question between Shinjuku and Shibuya. As much as economic development added beauty to the skyline of Tokyo, its downturn created underbellies for homeless and hungry. Though squatting is illegal in Japan and squatters have no place to go except parks.

None 300 people were visible when we look at Yoyogi Park from the Metropolitan building, but when I walked by the park I couldn’t ignore those who put to tents and make shift roofs against rain and sun. Shouldn’t developed countries create a safety net to catch those being ejected from the wheel of fortune?

While I went looking for dens of homeless people, I discovered the artistic side of Tokyo that I call the modern day Musee d’orsay. Can a disciplined nation that love to live by rules engage in graffiti wars defacing public places?

Japan considers graffiti an act of vandalism and if caught one can face up to 5 years in prison. Some artists have found ways to skirt constraints by performing in front of an audience.

 

Last year, Japan hosted its first weeklong event Pow Wow inviting graffiti artists to paint in certain areas of the town like Shibuya and Harajuku. Here are some pictures taken during my exploration in Tokyo. Though Tokyo rates much lower compared to what I witnessed in US (NYC, Chicago) and Europe (Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam), but then it is quickly becoming the graffiti capital of Asia. Here is an interesting read: http://www.vice.com/read/writers-block-how-tokyo-became-asias-graffiti-capital.

I came home that evening overwhelmed from the views atop 243 meter Metropolitan Building and exploration walk between Shibuya and Shinjuku. As much as the law prohibits, Mangas and Graffiti co-exist alongside the rich and homeless without being on your face and disturbing the equilibrium.

Come back soon to take our ride on the famous Shinkansen to Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.

 

Fish Tales to Future of Science

In the last few blogs, I have been sharing about Japanese culture drawing parallels and highlighting contrasts. I would not do justice to my trip and writing if I didn’t speak about their cuisine and their futuristic thinking.

We woke up early next morning with a plan to visit the Tsukiji Market that contributes to world cuisines and the local economy. I wanted to visit Tsukiji Market for two reasons despite being a vegetarian. It is one of the largest fish markets in the world that auctions 400 varieties of seafood ranging from cheap seaweed, tasty sardines, healthy tuna, and expensive caviar to controversial whales across the world. Second, with plans to move this historic market operating since 1923, I wanted to capture and experience the mood before it becomes a postcard.

Did you know that Japan is one of the fish bowls of the world and also maintains one of the largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch? Auctions at Tsukiji fetch over 6 billion each year and the market employs 60,000 wholesalers, accountants, auctioneers, company officials, and distributors.

The busy inner market opens at 3 am in the morning to auction fresh catches between 5 am and 6.30 am. The mood inside is electric like the trading floor in a stock market and attracts a lot of visitors. With the Michelin Guide awarding Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world, the market gets best chefs come by to grab fruits der mer.

While walking around in the market, I was reminded of the lessons learnt from Stephen Lundin’s Fish Tales on energizing monotonous work places and lives by changing our attitude. Here at Tsukiji there seemed to be no dearth of positive energy and great attitude.

Once the auctions were over the inner market turns calm and visitors move to the outer market to taste the delicacies and shop for kitchen tools. Can you believe there are over 500 sushi restaurants in this area and all of them have live counters where food is cooked and served on the spot. Can it get any fresher?

I never knew the marine world could be is this colorful, but it was sad to see some of them waving at us to set them free. Though it was a great experience to watch and tour the market, the walk killed my appetite. While exiting, we sniffed each other to ensure we didn’t smell like the ones on display as we were headed to witness future of science at the Miraikan Science & Technology Museum.

In 70s and 80s Japan was a world leader in technology and manufacturing and I remember growing up playing with Nintendo games, watching movies on Sanyo VCR’s and my driving my first car (Toyota) in the US. With the birth of Silicon Valley and China turning into world’s manufacturing hub, Japan became the modern day Harappa Mohenjo-Daro. And that image was about to change as I walked into Miraikan – National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

A shiny ball hanging from the roof and a dozen flatbeds didn’t look like a proper ambiance for a Museum, but what was projected on the ball turned the comfortable beds into a beds of thorn.  A 15 minute movie on Searching Planet produced in collaboration with Google projected real-time data on climate change, wind patterns, temperature rise and depletion in forest cover and fauna. It instilled a sense of moral responsibility in us to save the planet and its species from extinction.

While the first exhibit made us a bit anxious about the future, what we saw on the next three floors gave us the hope and faith in science to fix global warming, exploring human body to detecting life threatening diseases like cancer through bio markers and curing crippling diseases like spine injury, to improving health care and interact with humanoids.

I’ve walked through science museums across the world where exhibits explain about the past and present, but this is the only museum where I saw tomorrow, today. At the end of the visit, I was convinced the promising sun was rising again in the land of rising sun.

On the next blog, let’s discover Tokyo from the top and explore its rarely seen underbelly.