Linda: Music

Music

Today was a day of music, and of learning of the generous quality of the people. Our first concert from 9:15-11:45, a stunning performance of Classical Indian violin. Indian ragas were not a form of music to which I gravitated naturally, but being able to see a concert of this caliber helped to open the veil to its perfection. The play of a simple melody, being enhanced and improvised by a powerful musician, then played back and forth with a second violinist and accentuated by two styles of powerful drumming was absolutely breathtaking. Audiences here are quite different from America. Here, they clap, if they clap at all, just before the piece closes, or, briefly, after a particularly brilliant improvisation. At the close of the piece, the drone plays on, the sound continues, then the next piece begins. Uninterrupted beauty of sound. This was the shortest seeming two and a half hours of concert I have ever attended. It was never boring and was musically subtle, exciting and satisfying in a new way for me. At the end, a profound hush, an intake of breath, the release of satisfied sighs, and the quiet departure of the listeners. No loud applause, no adulations of the performers. The performers were the means and not the end. The music was all.

Later, we saw a vocalist and also some baratya natyam dancers. Again, these were extraordinary performances. One story, from the Ramayana, was when Kaikeya is convinced to ask her husband for two promised boons that would allow her son to be king and Rama, the rightful heir, to be exiled for 14 years. The second was the story of Krishna’s mother and of the birth of Krishan.

Between performances, we strolled (if one can stroll in India) to the Ramakrishna Temple, a new structure with some lovely gardens – quiet in the middle of the city) and were also assisted by an India woman. We were having difficulty finding one of the venues for the concerts (there were about 25 venues, all with performances all day long, mostly free) and asked a woman coming out of, what I thought, was a gated shop. I was very new to India. I asked for directions and she said, just a moment, locked her gate and came out. She personally escorted us to what she thought was the venue – a walk of about 15 minutes – without a second thought. As we walked, I realized this was no ordinary women. She presence, her stance, her regal manner, her kindness all told me of much more. The gated structure was her home. When I complimented the beauty of what I saw, she glowed, and said how she the servants helped make it so. I responded by telling her how good it was to not only have something of beauty, but to be able to give people work as well. It sounds condescending in print, but I meant it sincerely, and she took it as such. She then told us where the President lived and how he was coming before dropping us off at a venue – which was not the right one. She left only when she was sure we were in good hands, who gave us tea and walked us, again personally, to where we needed to go. Walking! Such a wonderful way to meet really interesting people.

Later, after the last concert, as we walked back to the hotel (15 minutes), all of a sudden a flurry of police cars drove by. The President, it seems, had arrived! Streets had been blocked and there must have been 15 or 20 police escort as well as dozens of police along the street. And yet, there we walked – and continued to walk. All were smiling and nodding for us to continue. We walked right by the president’s car – with his family in it. Quite amazing. The next day, as we were walking to get lunch, the cavalcade left – several cars, some with guns discreetly pointing out the windows, down the street.