Polestars of Carnatic Music

We all know that Carnatic music has always been closely held like a treasure chest by the Brahmin community, and in those days it was difficult for women in their own community to come on the stage and make public appearances with their music. Not that they were not capable, but the male domination prevented women from ascending the performance platform. Let us put aside giving records, female artist could not find male accompanist and even if they did the accompanist played only thukkadas and not for pieces such as RTPs that brought out the mastery of the vocalist. Society then had set roles and standards for women and it was not easy to transgress those boundaries. It was the time when child marriage was still practiced and women didn’t have an opportunity and even if they did they were not allowed to go through the gurukula style of music training. Unlike these days, that was the only formal way one could learn music.

Women are torch bearers of tradition and keepers of values, hence if they fail an entire generation losses. Even at the time when women were merely restricted to their homes and kitchen, these women came out in the public and in a very subtle way sang and fought discrimation. It was a fight through Music. Gandhian way – it was ahimsa to the core. Simply a revolution through music.

From Hindu mythology we know whenever the balance of justice sways to the side of adharma, almighty incarnates to bring back the balance of justice to equilibrium. May be the “Trinity Goddess” Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati decided to manifest as DK Pattammal, MS Subbalakshmi, ML Vasanthakumari.

How do you know if someone has come with an avathara nokkam? When they leave the earth they leave more than a fan following, they don’t just leave a trail, but pave road to divinity for the rest to walk. A life without an objective, vision and mission is vyartham and the life these 3 lived shows that they are “Avathara purushis”.

An era of divinity, an era of creativity and innovation within the boundaries of tradition was born. Their arrival ended the male dominance in Carnatic music and marked the birth of new era and paved way for other musicians of the same gender to take up music. This didn’t mean they were disrespectful of their men.

Though they did not belong to wealthy family and it is natural for them to gravitate towards money, fame and media, but nothing moved them from their objective, vision and tradition. Greed was kept in check. It won’t be an overstatement if I said they the trinity demonstrated Gnana, Karma and Bakthi marga all in once century and almost during the same time.

The eldest of the trinty Shrimathi DK Pattammal shed her sthula sariram a few days ago. But her music and life never wavered from the path of tradition. May be her mission was over.

Her rendition of Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s “Subramanyaya Namasthe”, a kriti that even maestros falter, moved Ambi Dikshithar (Grandson of Muthuswamy Dikshithar) and he volunteered to tutor 13 year old DK Pattammal. Even today she is considered an authority in Dikshithar and her rendition of Kamalamba Navavarnam is considered most chaste and accurate. She even learnt from Papanasam Sivan (Thamizh Thyagaraja). When given an opportunity to sing in the movie, she restricted herself to patriotic songs and those with a divine flavor. Sometimes I ask myself – is life plotted by destiny or divine? My words can never live upto her music and no words will be suffice to talk about it.

When success, fame, money comes early in life it gets to the head, but for the trinity this was never an issue of the head or heart. Life was equally unforgiving and challenging and these women had donned roles as mother, wife, sister, guru, grandmother, etc. but there was commitment, excellence, patience, steadfast, divinity, dedication, humbleness in every role they assumed. But how did they manage to live without tear, fuss, and complain? May be they were looking at the destination and not caught up in the journey.

They never sang for money, were not on a race to give albums, hog media limelight, not on a coast to coast tour schedules, titles came in search of them. They went in search of divinity and rest came to this and even when ti came to them they never spent much time on it. One took Venkatesa Suprabatham, the other took Shyamala Dhandakam and ML Vasantha Kumari took Tirupaavai – that was their route to divinity.

It is not easy to toggle between family and fans, personal life and professional life and the trinity didn’t have difficulty in managing identities because they had only one identity. Women and men today and future generations are going to be faced with similar challenges, same issues, same roles and these are women they can look upto to for reasons and answers beyond music. Their lives are not best practices, but are bible to read, respect and follow.

People will remember her fiery, patriotic songs – Aaduvomey pallu paaduvomey, Paarukulley nalla naadu, her inimitable Shanti Nilava vendum, but they forgot to honor this freedom fighter, musician, a true Barath Ratna. They should have draped our National flag on her and given her a funeral marked by gun shot and national respect.

Women like her are born once in a century or even dearer and seldom we get to know, understand and live at the same time. May be it is not late for us to reminiscent and respect a great soul.

DK Pattammal’s songs on You Tube

Partriotism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQGaVdZsMy4

Barathiyar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjYzZwzK3qc

Muthuswamy Dikshithar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia3rgnpEnCo

Papanasam Sivan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3T5YKSkh1I

Shyamala Dandakam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVk4UUbQffQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dun2SV1g208&feature=related

King of Pop gone...

I was not at Staples center, I was not dressed in black, didn’t wear black sun glasses to hide the sorrow and tears in my eyes, I didn’t have to stand up every time they applauded and gave him an standing ovation, but nevertheless I felt all that they felt – an irreparable loss. Both my corneas were naked and inundated in brine, tremors and whimpers in my four chambers made it difficult to breathe, and finally an irreconcilable and irreplaceable loss and a feeling of hollow in my chest. It felt like a personal tragedy though I have never seen him face to face, not a fan of pop music, but there was something about him that strummed the note of melancholy in my heart.

I experience a sense of great loss when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, but not to this extent. I was just 15 years and I felt the hope of India was extinguished, the star in the northern sky vanished. Then it was Princess Diana in the fall on 1997. When I think of the word Princess, I cannot place anyone else name next to that prefix. Princess and Diana are just made for each other. A charisma beyond cameras can capture, softness beyond touch and description, eyes that reflect the effusing beauty of the soul and I can never stop describing her. Again I have never seen her, but still felt so connected and long acquainted. The next one came in December of 2004 when The Nightingale of India took her last breath. She was called the “Queen of Song”, and Hindus even referred to her as “Meera bhai reincarnate”. Again I never saw her nor heard her music live, but fell in love with her just listening to her albums and seeing her pictures. And in the summer of 2009 it is Michael Jackson.

I have seen none of them, just seen them on television, heard their albums and fell in love with them. You may call it infatuation, but I felt something that is missing in me in them and also felt something common in us. Was it the search of love and happiness?

Of the 4 deaths that moved me to tears, it was Diana and MJ demise that took me beyond boundaries of consolation. It made me question our brittle life, social set up, unsatisfying relationship. Both of them tried to find their happiness in their relationships, in their families, and fell in love, I mean literally fell (fall) in love. Fans placed flowers, held a candle vigil, wrote eulogies and songs, but they couldn’t pull him out of the jaws of death.

He sang for the world “We are the world”, he sang to forget his sorrows and transported fans to another world through his music. But the disloyal world judged him for his color when he was black, judged him for his color when he turned white, and then pushed pedophilia charges on him and never let him live in peace. May be that is why both MJ and Diana didn’t want the world to show their face to the world after their death. Hopefully MJ will now rest in peace.

Today we are all searching for the same happiness and love that MJ and Diana were looking for. He was lying in a gold casket surrounded by handful of family, bunch of friends and millions of fans, but not even one could help MJ find his love and happiness. A bad childhood, an unsupportive family, a miserable marriage, and finally an untimely death – that is their storyline. They could never pull the trigger and open their parachutes. May be God wanted to hear his music and give his son eternal love and happiness?

Friends and family came to the podium and shared their grief and closeness with MJ, but did they ever reach out to him, did they ever help him out get out of his debt trap? Now no one will know the truth.

The Queen of song, MS Subbalakshmi was both beauty and talent, she too faced financial crises, and health set backs, but her relationship with Sadasivam helped her to stay focused and calm in the journey of life. May be I am just assuming that she lived a full life, a life of happiness and content.

Many of us are journeying in the same boat of insecurity. We are looking for the islands of happiness and love in people with a hope they would make our incomplete selves complete in many ways. But sadly to most this is a never ending journey and a journey to “Never Never land” and a quagmire. Hopefully these deaths will teach us how to live and how not to judge people.

Maharashtra during monsoon

I did a 5 day lighting tour of Maharashtra with my colleague Shatru. With Pune as my base, I traveled 1500 kms in 3 days. I was able to cover places of spiritual significance (Ashtavinayak, Jyotirlings’ - Bhimashankar, Grushneshwar and also made it to Shiridi and Shani Shinganapur) and also got a change to visit Ajanta and Ellora. The monsoon rains had arrived, though not in plenty, but still Maharashtra is beautiful. Farmers had tilled the land and sown the seeds and looking at the sky with hope and faith. In general people are soft spoken and I hear women dominate their men. I also got to taste a few Maharashtrian dishes like Poha, Sheera, and Batata vada.

Pune is a beautiful city with mix of both rural and urban. Like any other city in India, Pune too has power cuts, water scarcity, traffic issues, but I got sold on the greenery in the city. Khadakwasla Dam, Singgad fort, Osho commune at Koregoan Park are other added attractions in the city.

Enjoy the pictures and if you plan to travel that side and need help, give me a shout.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kdbulls/AshtavinayakMaharashtra#

http://picasaweb.google.com/kdbulls/BhimashankarGrushneshwar?authkey=Gv1sRgCNiki6nbg7GKhAE#

http://picasaweb.google.com/kdbulls/Ellora?authkey=Gv1sRgCO-Zg8rOpbmc1AE#

http://picasaweb.google.com/kdbulls/Ajanta?authkey=Gv1sRgCIKCqt_Cy7DVLg#

http://picasaweb.google.com/kdbulls/DirectorsCut?authkey=Gv1sRgCID0-tmdv5rRRA#

Mylapore Karpagambal Mess - Obituary

Whether Goddess Karpagambal is a landmark for Mylapore or not doesn’t really matter, but for the starving tastebuds and empty stomach Mylai Karpagambal mess (MKM) is the landmark. Everyone in Mylapore, outside of Mylapore and even NRIs who come to Chennai during the music festival knows Mylapore Karpagambal Mess. The place is not spic and span and even AC dining hall was a recent addition. It is not well laid out and not as pricey as Saravana Bhavan or Vasantha Bhavan, their adai/avail. Kasi halwa, carrot halwa, rava dosai, filter coffee is lip smacking and famous. Music and MKM goes together like sruthi and layam. There is something in MKM that is not there in Saravana Bhavan or Vasantha Bhavan.

I was at Dakshinamurthy Auditorium at PS high school and when TM Krishna started finished the Bairavi alapanai, I decided I wanted to celebrate the grand Bairavi chewing on MKM adai avail and may be top it up with Kasi halwa. This momentary thought took me to MKM and I missed the violinist delineation of Bairavi. I silenced the salivating tongue and growling stomach and mentally got back again to the auditorium, in time for Shyama Sastri’s swarajathi.

It was little over 9PM and I hurriedly walked out of the auditorium and forayed into RK Mutt road. MKM drove my legs to take long steps and I wanted to hit the mess before the crowd got there. The market on North Mada Street was still busy and vendors were trying to sell their stuff and empty their stock. I made quick left turn at the end of the street and my eyes were looking for back illuminated bold green board and my nose was busy trying sample the air. I thought I had missed the mess and I went up and down the street couple of times. My brain was trying to identify the nearest landmark to MKM and then trace the path again. To my dismay and surprise the name board was not there, and heap of fresh rubble welcome me. My tongue submerged in saliva suddenly truned dry. I was there a month ago for lunch with my colleagues and we enjoyed a full square meal and today it seemed like a hide and seek game. I could not believe this.

I thought this was some renovation work, and when I went closer I saw the roof torn down and the restaurant that marked the tastebuds of Mylapore was reduced to a heap of rubble. I picked up a small stone from the heap and walked home thinking….how can Mylapore exist? I wanted burst into Gopalakrishna Barathi’s song Yeppovaruvaro yendhan kali theera……
Which Emden did this to Mylapore? There is no music without layam and there is no Mylapore without MKM.

Flu....blue..and true...

It was Bird then cow and now it is Swine. I dont know if there is any relationship between the animals and the ones in the Chinese calendar.

A team of scientists dug up data about the last four flu pandemics. Their analysis, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the swine flu pandemic has already fulfilled one of the conditions — it is caused by a new variant of the flu virus family.

Man has tampered too much with ecological pyramid and there seems to be a catching up game between man and science. Man would not have to deal with all this if he didnt create hybrid polutry and dairy varieties, everytime there is break through there is a new disease in the town.

Can anyone win over nature?

Nazism….Ausizm…Obamaism

Before America went to elections India media and journalist went speculating Obama’s attitude and outlook towards India by reading his talisman. What an illogical way to deduce a conclusion on foreign policy based on his talisman. Is it desperation or delusion to think this way? Or both? May be Obama wanted Hanuman, the messenger Rama sent to court of Ravana to be his messenger too?

Obama appointed a few smart Indians to lead a few key functions in Washington. However much Obama tries to sharpen his knife and severe the umbilical relationship between Bangalore and San Francisco, shift jobs from Bangalore to Buffalo, reduce the H1B cap, cut back on sops and tax credits for corporations that outsource work to India, but will this really propel the stalling American economy is to be wait and watched.

Irrespective of the geographies they live in (UK, US, Aus) Indians have commanded respect both in the axis of power and knowledge. Is it awareness or fear that makes them get Indians on their side or make us their benchmark? Sadly this also makes Indians are targets of racial violence.

Post 9/11 a fellow student who went to school with me at University of RhodeIsland abused and accused me and other fellow Indians of taking their jobs away. He used to work at American Power Conversion (APC). A cousin of mine who went to law school in Manchester was beaten black and blue 5 years ago. Then Gandhiji was asked to de-board the train in South Africa, and today Indian students are targets in Australia. Racism never went away. Crudest weapon to use on mankind is the one based on race, color, caste, creed, and sex.

Nazism…Ausizm…Obamaism….

In the wake of all this US and Obama must exercise caution while making reference and comparison to India and Indians. Today American economy is badly hit with recession, unemployment and more American students are going back to school to re-skill themselves. Indian have always pollinated American universities and now Obama’s speech exposes Indians and Indian students to a high risk of racial discrimination. Intimidation and comparison is not the best way to motivate to compete and perform. Obama’s speech only instigates hatred, anger and violence against Indians. See the tone of this message…..Is the Hanuman talisman really working the Indian way?

Here is what Obama said…

Obama said that while at one time America produced the highest number of school and college graduates, PhDs, engineers and scientists, it has fallen behind and is no longer “head and shoulders above other countries when it (comes) to education”. “We’ve got to pick up the pace because the world has gotten competitive. The Chinese, the Indians are coming at us and they are coming at us hard, and they are hungry and they are really buckling down,” Obama said at a meeting in Wisconsin on Friday. “Their (Indian and Chinese) kids watch a lot less TV than our kids do, play a lot fewer video games, they are in the classroom a lot longer.” At present, the US is in the “middle” and has settled into “mediocrity” among the wealthy, advanced, industrialised countries. There is a need to improve as American kids are falling behind when it comes to science and math, Obama said.

Summer of 2009…

The past few months have been heavy on both my mind and heart. I used bring home a dirty laundry of emotions from work and was always occupied with looming layoffs, soiled company brand and uncertain tomorrow. But all this went out the door with the arrival of my nephew, a 26 month angel.

The moment I ring the door bell he yells “Arun mama” and the little feet charges towards the door like a pony. A loud chortle and an incandescent smile and he works his little fingers on the padlock with impatience and urgency to let me in the house. I must confess this is the best welcome I have ever had and no red carpet, confetti, and camera flashes can compare to his welcome.

It was goodbye melancholia and welcome euphoria. And even before I put my laptop aside and remove my footwear he is ready with his arms up in excitement. And the very moment I get him up on my hip he wraps his tender legs around my hip and goes non-stop like Rajdhani express to apprise me of his day. My fatigue and pre-occupation dissipates instantly hearing his narration both in words and action.I discovered the truth in my grandmother’s statement "kids will make you forget any sorrow". Trust me kids are mood enhancers and endorphins unlimited.
Mornings are always busy and hormonal, but these days it is more special with the little one. The first word he would utter when he wakes up is “mama” and it means I have to cuddle up with him in the bed and I have tell him our plans for the day and then slowly cajole him to get out of the bed and entice him to get into the toilet for ablution rituals. I have never felt this important in life. Does it sound like the Adam Sandler movie? Well have a nephew and then you will find out for yourselves.

He is always ashamed of being caught in his naked moments and if caught naked....he would close his eyes and say "shame shame puppy shame". Who will not enjoy this innocent recital? It is fun infinite and 24 by 7.

Just to watch him mischievously pee in the bucket of water (reminds me of Peter Sellers), gleefully lather the fresh bar soap, swallow the paste while brushing the "arisi pall" (size of rice grain) is just priceless. I have never received “Knighthood” to understand the honor and pride, but it compares no way close to “Mamahood”.

At times it his innocence and at times it is his maturity that leaves me in awe. Like a prince he would look up and down his closet to decide on the clothes to wear. On the way out he would reel out the agenda for the day - Citi center, beach, ice-cream and if I didn’t pay attention he would just keep repeating at the same decibel until I acknowledged and agreed on his nagarvalam itinerary. Sometimes I wonder if he was going through his schedule of events while deciding his attire for the day.

Once dressed, he would parade into the prayer room to prostrate and recant "Mudha karatha modhakam" at his own pace and infant style. Even MS will come second to his devotion. After smearing viboothi on his forehead he would end the prayer with "ammachi kaapathu". I am sure almighty would come down to my place everyday to enjoy this innocent, wholehearted devotion.
My life has been completely changed in the past month. So many small things that I never noticed due to fast paced lifestyle suddenly appeared in my canvas of life. Life paused, canvas turned colorful and air filled with child talk. I have childproofed (oovaa, mum mum, thacchi, pappu, etc.) words and at times even added new ones to my dictionary. Definitely it was childhood relived for me.

Everything that he does is a treat to my eyes and ears. It is a pleasure to watch him clap and enjoy nursery rhymes while he gulps down "pappu and thachi mum mum"(a special tam brahm kid meal). And sometimes I will have to come up some random fairy tale to make him eat the meal. It is heartwarming to see him pace up and down the room engaging in a conversation on the mobile phone. There is so much happiness to see him identify FMCG brands and chime in with the jingles. And when it comes to bedtime we have our pillow fights, hide and seek game under the blanket and our kathai session. He sucks his thumb and falls asleep as I keep patting him on the back and there were times when I fell asleep before him.

Every time I wear my footwear he wore his and was ahead of me to get out the door. It was never that easy to leave the house without him. There were days when I was late to work because he just wouldn't let me go and there were other days I proactively diverted his attention by turning on the cartoon channel before I sneaked out of the house. But he realized I was missing he would look for me in every room in the house. I never wanted to cheat the innocent child, but I had no other choice.

Anything that he does there is innocence, freshness and is it full of life. To watch his peacefully sleep besides me was meditative and calming. I don’t know if he felt secure sleeping next to me, but I felt secure sleeping next to him.

Today he is taking a flight to the US and next time when comes back for a visit he would turn a little over 3. It will never be the same again and he would have grown taller, bigger, and learnt more rhymes. He will forgot the games we played and the same home will seem like Mars to him and Mama will be an alien. I will miss those lovely welcomes, toys and balls scattered around the house, empty beds and no more bed time stories. It is now my turn wait for him looking at the doorway, to search for him in the house, pray like him when I step into the prayer room and remember him when I see his favorite jingles on television. Night will be longer even in this part of the world. May be I will use the long nights to learn new tricks for his next visit.

Pediatricians and mothers call it terrible twos, but for me it was alluring. I have had summer vacations, retreats at exotic locations, but nothing like spending time with this little brat. I am waiting for the next summer….

To see my adorable prince visit http://picasaweb.google.com/kdbulls/NeelChennaiVacation?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPrw5Cdpr_Fbg