Season starts..

Oh, no..am not talking of the disastrous cricket..
but the sangeetha (music) season here in madras..thats really a pleasant time in madras with even the weather being very kind except for the odd low pressures ( & cyclones that might end up in Nellore finally;-))
Coming back to the mellifluous season, its already in full swing right away and to imagine how it shall be in the next few weeks when it attains crescendo is any body’s guess..
The first one I attended was a carnatic symphony by A.Kanyakumari..an ensemble of 21 violins and a few percussions..man! amazing it was..
the ease with which she conducted it, the instructions thru “eyes” for the “next” to start/stop and the calm composed manner in which she handled the string being cut in her violin, the classic manner in which she just took the neighbour's violin and continued that swara and then switched to another violin (man talk of tuning and time here)..the effortless way in which Embar kannan, her able right, adjusted the violin string for one of the kiddos behind..not to forget the way in which each of those 21 (apart from the established kanyakumari and kannan) played was amazing..so we have another bunch (or 19??) expert violinists set to occupy the stages in the coming season(s)..a great symphony..novel one and a fantastic acheivement..great start to the season!
Remember Shakti??
Hey, remember ‘Shakti’ the old troop of john Mclaughlin (best and fastest jazz guitarist on this planet), vikku vinayakram, inimitable zakir, L subbu (oh man, can any group have a better collection of resume?) few decades back?? And their great run of success in the west and its revival (now called ‘Remember Shakti’) with mandolin srinivas,selvaganesh (vikkus son) and zakir with john..so their play of world music continues effortlessly..and in Chennai shankar mahadevan was ‘the voice’ as zakir announced and vikku joined for 1 number (olt time sakes??)..
The whole crowd was thrilled by each of the numbers..i wud rate the ‘swara raga sudha’ where Shankar joined this band and freaked out along with them in their pace and rhythmic style..i had apperhensions about shankar maha fitting in this group, but he did it excellently- this number (swara raga..) alone is hazaar times greater than 'breathless'. Then zakir as always freaked out, only that he had a whole range of paraphernalia of drums, symbols,what not (siavamani Influ?)- but the same 2 hands..which only those who saw cud make out.. for if one just happened to hear he wud be forced to think a whole group is playing..and selva as usual had his fav Kanjira and at times on mridangam and ghatam..to play percussion sharing the stage with zakir shud be the toughest in the music arena and to choose such a instrument like kanjira and show such a variety of sound (oh that sterofonic retorts to zakir’s challenges and that single handed plays when all the 4 went berserk) along with control speaks of his talent..
The whole crowd applauded for so long (I was reminded of the days we at CH used to applaud all the way for the encore- kudutha kaasukku oru encore atleast;-)). Most of us came out like drunks, if the madras traffic police had their men in the neighbourhoods of kamaraj arangam, they wud have had a field day, for we all drunks wud have meandered on our way after that concert..
Folks- if u happen to visit this city in this season, make it a point to select a couple of good concerts and attend- it shud be a boon for ur kids and kith..to tell u of the energy that surrounds u in words is tuff..go, get a 1st hand exp.