The infinite compassion of Dwijavanti

I am not a believer...but if I were ever motivated to attain anything "higher" than myself, I would look no further than Maharajapuram Santhanam's rendition of "Akhilandeswari Rakshamam". It's amazing how someone whose voice is essentially so coarse can manage to vocalise something far smoother than the sweetest of voices can. I could not find a copy of this or Lalgudi's violin performance of the same piece anywhere online. But I did find his children TN Krishnan and Vijayakumari's recording of it on violin.

Look for it on this page if you are as smitten with the sound of music as I am.
www.musicindiaonline.com/music/carnatic_instrumental/s/instrument.4/

Flower from a stranger

T'was a bright sunny October noon
I was in the middle of a lovely walk
Lost in a delightful swoon
A merry path ahead to chalk

My thoughts surrounded such beauty
As of a sacrificing, benevolent being;
Of the callings of fulfilling duty;
And pleasures of the colours I was seeing

I had all but forgotten the existence
Of others that co-habited this park
Filling myself with the brightest wonder
That made all else disappear in the dark

Out of the violet, I chanced upon a stranger
Beheld a soul happier than I,
Saw his footsteps cheerfully linger
When we met eye to shining eye.

His face was aglow with a pride
That was buried in a shy faint veil,
Pouring forth a happy tune unafraid
Like a sailor to set his first sail.

A little flower came from his hand to mine
As crimson as the shades of the sun
"For you" he declared with a smile
An offer such as I couldn't shun.

I took it with the surprise and delight
Of having a momentary kindred
Seeing him in my own light
and in the flower, shamelessly red

Had he found the happiness that I too had?
Had he wanted to give away unbridled?
Or had he been before someone sad ?
Now celebrating all he had hurdled?

Strange was the fleeting acquaintance !
Stranger, the blossom found in common
Strangest, the sharing in happenstance
That brings all of us in joy as one

The only thing better than a walk in the woods...

...is a walk ON the woods. :) I mean, on the branches and amongst the leaves, leaving the roots and the trunk way below. It's a great pleasure to be able to see the world the way our ancestors meant for us to see it - from the tree-tops.
Now as the fall sinks further into my heart, the thought of being amongst the branches is ever more enticing. After much deliberation and restraining my instincts and resolving to be a lab-rat all weekend, I succumed to the first hint of invitation from a friend to watch the colours and hike the woods.
The old verses ring in warning inside my head...

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep" - Robert Frost

Ah, but what a frosty thought indeed !

The first promise I need to keep is the one I made to myself...

...that I will take all the colours in before the world grows old and turns silver.

Music of the season

The image on the right is a rather unique one. Three people singing Islamic Iraqi music inside the First Christian Church in Bloomington, Indiana. A sight for sore eyes and music for the aching heart, indeed. And what wonderful melody. The crowd listened mesmerised at the Lotus festival. Ofcourse that is an assumption since I was completely lost in the voice of the lead singer myself. I am no believer in heaven, but personally I came pretty close that evening. Inspiring indeed !

Some other concerts worth mentioning were a crazy Brazilian samba group at the Buskirk-Chumley theater and ofcourse the Indian music that comes in every year to remind me of what I am missing out on :)

Ofcourse the best part of all this is being able to hang out with friends and dance until late in the night. Every home needs a library and every town needs a music festival. I am glad dear old Chennai does. I hope someday it will shed it's conservative coat and become as open to world music as B-town is.

This year we were lucky to see the colors along with the music which was the feather on the cap for Lotus. I notice sometimes that there aren't as many people on the road as I would expect during such a festival. I wonder why that is.

The past one week has been about getting back to work and mundane affairs of life. If only I can take a little bit of the fun with me everyday wherever I go .... :)