Living with grandparents when you are growing up, imbibes in
children some teachings for life, some of which you will learn long after you
grow up.I recently had such an experience.
I am from a family, where every individual is deeply musically inclined.My grandfather was famous for two things - his Aalapanas and temper. At any time of the day, he can be seen listening to MS or Semmangudi on his beloved transistor and performing an aalapana along with it. There are three main things that everyone in my family always picture my grandfather with
I am from a family, where every individual is deeply musically inclined.My grandfather was famous for two things - his Aalapanas and temper. At any time of the day, he can be seen listening to MS or Semmangudi on his beloved transistor and performing an aalapana along with it. There are three main things that everyone in my family always picture my grandfather with
- An old “transistor” (radio)
- "Easy" Chair
- "The Hindu" newspaper
As a young kid, when
I get ready for school in the morning, I always hear “aboghi”, or “sankarabaranam” on podhigai.
And when I am back from school and want to watch cartoons, there will again be
ladies wearing rich “pattu” sarees with “arakku”
border and neatly braided hair singing on the television. I never understood the beauty or the interest
in carnatic music then.
As any other girl from an Iyer family, I was sent to paatu class even before I went to my kinder garten. If any elderly visits our
house or if it is the “golu” season or just another random evening, my paati ‘
s standard instruction to me, was to sing a varanam or keerthanai. The entire
family will gather around to appreciate or suggest improvements on my singing. “What
joy do these people find with Carnatic music?” used to be my thought.
The madras music festivel in December has the same effect on
my family as a World Cup series has in any Indian home. Mylapore fine arts,
naradha gaana sabha yesudas kutchery schedules flying around, and taking me
along to some of the concerts. As a 10 yr old, sitting in a concert listening
to an elderly man singing seemed absolutely ridiculous to me. I did begin to
enjoy the music, but 2 hours is an overdose.
As I grew up, due to tuitions, extra classes, etc, I did not have any
time to pursue nor enjoy any of these, neither did I miss it.
Now in Texas, I have frequent strong desires to
listen to “sabhapathiku veru deivam” or
MS singing “maithrim bajatha” and feel thankful youtube has all these links. I
can vividly picturize my grandfather,with
his pure white hair on his easy chair, slowly tapping his hand to the “thalas” and nodding
his head in appreciation. I guess, even if you are generations different, some
genes just cannot be changed.
I am forever thankful to all the wonderful things my family
continues to teach and instill in me, to mould me into a better person.
