SHILLONG PEAK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW-LAJONG CHOIR AND MALKAUNS TARANAS...

It’s raining outside, sez Missus. We can’t believe her, it was so baloney hot in the afternoon, and as usual, what we do not believe , coming from her, comes true, that’s one of the ektu-ektu tragedies of our May-fly existence. But then annything is possible in Shillooonnggg! It’s a walk in the clouds…Meghalaya..

We have reached a certain emotional highpoint this night, and wish to capture that moment on celluloid. We have picked out seven or eight compositions in Malkauns aka Hindolam and can’t resist adding an abhang in Shivranjini to the playlist. It’s around 0100 AM and mercifully Boss has turned inn. The sequence of the unmaad- the crescendo of the buoyancy arises like thisss-

Shillong choir- Lajong- in the finals

 – Hindi song- akhiyan sang

Sameer Rao-flute

 Pt. Sanjeev Abhayankar

 –Pt. Hariprasad

 Dr.Prabha Atre

 Pt. Bhimsen- Anuraniya thokada

 Pt. Bhimsen-Anuraniya shorter version.

 Pt. Bhimsen- Raajasa Sukumaar (contains the two greatest taans that ever fell on a human ear)

As we get elevated from Umiam to Shillong if you know- 3500 ft. to 5000 over barely 15 km, - the terai Himalayas to the Himalayan Himalayas, the journey appears to be more skewed than anticipated :more like (ii) than (i): 

          
 that is, the contrast   between  Pt.  Bhimsen  and    the  others  is  starker  than anticipated. It’s   like   comparing    the   water   tanks  that  dot  Delhi, with  the  Qutb  Minar  ( idam na mama--Late Nikhil  Chakravarty’s  idea-  Mainstream of  Gole  Market, in  context of Sanjay Gandhi  vs.  Mahatma Gandhi- hhha...). You   keep  on  praising   sr.  no. I  to  5,  as  you  would   praise   kids   in   your   family, just  to  egg   them on…gustakhwi muafff..

Anyway, God bless the boys. What had really provoked us to reach for the keyboard today were the goings-on of Thursday, the 6^th September. Got distracted on the way, sorry.

We returned with Missus from our trip to Mokokchung, Nagaland (not Mokongchuk boss..) on Wednesday. The next day was promised to be a bandh day, a welcome indulgence for us North Easterners- a bonus holiday, lots of bonuses we get. But in due course we were reminded that Chabiwala Bank was recruiting people, and interviews were scheduled on that day well in advance. As it turned out, it was YF who was wearing the pants or the jensem unnoticed by him, and was squarely responsible for steering the vessel through the turbulent waters…

At 9.30 AM we trotted out of 2/149 (or is it 4/129?) , Lummawrie, Laitumkrah, c/o Kong Dr. Biloris Lyndem, there were no vehicles plying on the streets. Suddenly CMs cavalcade ran through, the usual biker leading the charge. Well, the call was given by the KSA boys, 5.00 AM to 5.00 PM, in protest against the vakra-drishti of our big brothers (Indians, our mind spoils to say) who claimed to be our maai-baaps and were supposed to offer us succour in the first place.

Whereas....Mom and Missus were decidedly against our venturing out into the streets unaccompanied, a welcome congruence, we found no option. Infact Mama Biloris also favoured our being indoors, but then she also had issues against our going to Mokokchung (not Mokongchuk) earlier the week.

Office (Ophis in Khasi) happens to be about 2 kms from home. Some 60 kids had been invited for the interviews that day and we were airing messages to the prospects on Red FM 93.5. Girls and Boys come out to play, the Moon doth shine as bright as day, he,he,he…Come with a whoop, Come with a call, Come with a good-will or come not at all...wagairah, wagairah..(James Orchard Halliwell, Better English, Class -II : that volume smelled the best, our vintage memory cells remind us-can’t be reproduced here at this stage). Being on the same side as the KSA- for Meghalaya, of Meghalaya- we did not expect resistance. We carried the ID Card of Chabiwala Bank in our sweating palms, talisman like. But then we were all trepidation. Looking behind our ears, as Philip Neelam of Delhi B, All India Radio used to playfully say.. Groups of students were gathered at every corner, but milk of human kindness dekho- no one obstructed us. The faces were neutral, if not positively smiling.. Meanwhile, cell sticking to our left ear, we learnt that although the interviewees were at their stations, the interview panel was nowhere in sight. Frantically, we called the ADGP Police for help, and in no time forces were pressed into service. Instead of the normal 60%, 80% appeared that day for the interviews. If there is Xenophobia, it is not in the North East, it’s there in places like Maharashtra myaaan. No kyaash in my pyaant and I am Myanayjer Cwapretiue Byankk.

Boss rightly says good that there are restrictions on outsiders buying property in the hill states, otherwise bahar ke saale.. is natural beauty ko bech khaayen..that is outsiders would sell all this natural beauty for a song..Amen!

To return to sthayi- lest the matter slip out of our mind for ever, on the way to Kaziranga, riding our white steed, Missus and YF had a discussion on the issue of personalities of our top artistes, with reference to percussion instruments like tabla or the cymbals. Pardon us for chhota munh badi baat…it’s mere speculation.. the Statutory Warning applies to the entire Blog… maaindyu haan…

VidushiKA: Beyond question, the Topmost Vocalist Kong- she’s like the mother-in-law, who, when she returns home from work, checks whether the home is dusted and cleaned. Everybody accepts and loves her imperious looks and her tabalchi sensitivities. She lays down the rule of the game meticulously. Witness Jani Jay Paniyasi:

Kindly click it if you want to meet the Almighty. Don’t bother him-her-or-it, if you already know himherorit, YT can’t vouch for that part. Hamen uska pataaa..nahi maloom..nahi maloom..nahi maloom..nahi maloooommm..seriously..that’s the celebrated qawwali from Habib Painter Qawwal..about that later..

PtJ: Beyond question, the Topmost Vocalist Ba alive, especially after the departure of Pt. Bhimsen- doesn’t tolerate tabalchis with attitude. The Hairy One accompanies him for points occasionally, but stays within his aukaat. Mince, we’ve heard him yaaar…..at a Patna conference, Ba is reputed to have once peremptorily ordained as he mounted the stage- tabalchi- bhaiyya- amplifier mey sab jeero-jeero kar do. He is the inveterate teacher, and the troupe lays done rules of the game before-hand, without coercion. Here it is- do click it:

Marhoom Bharat Ratna Panditji- Shahenshah of taan…..would wear an invisible garb- a halo of swaras around his person- his son says. Never bothered to check with the tabalchi in advance. Accompanists were all so charged up. They knew they had an appointment with the Divine, and the He gave them Wisdom. The accompanists lost track of themselves. An unknown force guided them, hand-held them. Look at Anuraniya Thokada, full length.

The tabalchi Nana Muley is so excited. Panditji is Music Incarnate. Tyanche vaibhaw aaglech...The Universe was his garden and the Skies, his umbrella.. As a perceptive observer remarked once...Bande mey tha dum..

PtHPC: Top flautist: Very indulgent and tolerant. Avuncular in fact. Allows the Pushy One to dance on his head without a smirk or shikan on his face. No illustration required here. It’s banned here boss.

~~~~Shabba khair~~~~

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

To hoist or not to hoist? That’s not the question. We have to. Nobody in the North East aside of Tripura (Shhh….Wren and Martin- so jao..don’t turn in your graves) celebrates the same with conviction so why should we hoist Der Flag tomorrow in the face of HNLC sanctions? Three firing incidents in Shillong on the 13^th, no kidding maan…! Do in Rome as.. wagairah wagairah!  But No- Rules are Rules and the responsibility for their enforcement in the territory falls squarely on YF. And remember-, Major S., Hoister-in-Chief,  Green is below haan..not Saffron,..else..Taziraate Hind dafaa falana falana ke tahat..! Ultimately, Major S, hawk-eyed, watching out for Kalashnikov-toting cadres, we do it.

NIKE SAYS: JUST DO IT

Some things we discovered in this Circle- The Republic Day and the Independence Day are celebrated in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur more in Omission than by Commission, thanks to the UG, that’s what they call ‘em here, for there are in all nⁿ: n=3 or 4 permutations of the outfit names in each State. Like NSML, NLMS, MLSN etc. etc., no one can remember all.  Of course they are less numerous than the acronyms introduced by the Consultants of Chabiwala Bank, though. Billing: only $ 1 mn. per acronym, he, he, he! No vehicles allowed, we have to trudge a few miles on foot with our trusted bodyguard, that is Missus. Common wisdom says if you are in female company, the militants will normally not bother you or her or their Kalashnikovs.

Under the gathering clouds of an HNLC threat, on ID eve, we revisit some old discoveries (what a good boy was I…) and stumble upon some more as we listen to Marwa and Malkauns, in that order, in vocal, courtesy Pt. Jasraj, and in gayaki sitar from Ustad Vilayat Khan and Ustad Shahid Parvez. On the eve of Independence Day on 14.08.2012.

Missus is about to whistle time-out, while we are on the verge of some really major musical discoveries::

(i)            As is widely held, vocal is the REAL music. Which is why a recital by Ustad Vilayat Khan is partly sitar. Flute, Sitar and Violin are surrogates in that order. For technical ragas like Nayaki Kanada or Jog Kauns instrumental is better, but for emotional connect, ones like Marwa, Todi, Lalit, Bhimpalasi or Shivranjani, Rx , Voice in the Wilderness. Emotions are ‘Voiced’ naaa…? Not :’Trumpeted’…? Ergo saas, nanadiya..panghat..kanhai..birahan…If you want a marriage between technique and emotion, there is always the sargam or taan..

The twain also meet- in the form of the harmonium wadak or the sarangi wadak..but then there is also a world of the abstract boss…and what about precision of the sur…?? In case of instrumental an accurate swara can be created even by the dea..sorry, auditorily challenged, but the genius is one like Pt. Bhimsen or Pt. Jasraj or Pt. Kadkade, who, in addition to emotion, can deliver the saa scalpel-cut..

(ii)       Lesson number two: Komal swaras are the ones that create emotion. Cases in point: Re and Dha in Puriya Dhanashri, Bhairav, Shivranjani, Todi wagairah wagairah, …wagairah…strike you with a feather.. We are working on another original concept we tentatively call “the jeevanta swara’’, that is ‘the living swara’’, about which more, later, inshallah!

(iii)        When sam strikes, the main artiste scurries for compleation, and that is a major source of improvisation. Lost the URL- due raha.

(iv)         There are sitarists and sitarists and sitarists, but Shahid Parvez is only one who you'll meet at the chariali of Sitar and the Omkar!. Chodo sab Robida-Nikhilda. Only, Bhai does not and never aspires to, having Barkhaas and Rajdeeps and Virjees in tow.  Ashtasiddhi nustya raabtat tyachya annganat! Just you listen to how he coaxes, draws out a lon...nng taan from a single stroke of the strings! Others either don’t know or don’t care.

Look at his Kirwani - the sawal jawab in jod alaap @ 13.40 and 22.40 is extraordinary, so is jhala. This is the best Shahid in our vast collection.

Kirwani: Kirwani is a Sampoorna raga, Seven swaras lined up in the aaroha as well as awaroha. Gandhar and Dhaiwat komal. To us it’s a female raga. There’s a certain compleation to it. One goes to bed satiated after listening to a Kirwani. It’s as if Kirwani possesses the terminal bracket ‘}’ which other may not have, and as she winds up, she cleans up the kitchen platform (‘ota bi mhantyet tyale’)  and the dining table for you before joining you in bed.

Shahidbhai: Bhai, not Ustad. That sounds like the person he is. Shahid Bhai is the inveterate, brotherly, compulsive teacher, mentor. He was the grand guru of Aarti, our niece,herself a fine artiste. “Those who can, do, those who cannot, teach.” That, hopefully, was the lowest George Bernard Shaw stooped to. W.W.Sawyer, our Statistics mentor went livid with rage when he recalled that one. Bhai blows away the flippant philosophy as one would poof away the dust on a garden bench before settling down thereon.

It’s raining music. Shahid Bhai is playing with the seven swaras in a heavy downpour. Ga and Dha are the youngest. Sukomal.  Bhai indulges them particularly, makes out paper boats patiently. They then launch the boats. Can anyone do so in the pelting rain? Bhai does it casually. He places the Shadja gently on the surface of the turbulent stream. It floats away gracefully like Queen Elizabeth! Gandhar and Dhaiwat clap in glee! Paper boat sailing awayyyy..gracefully in the turbulence- that’s what Ustad's gayaki meends feel like!

We have the authority of Gwalior Gharana for the above….Mince…hi ho mhanali! “Jhopa aata…!”

TAILPIECE:

Hans Eysenck, the German-American Psychologist stuck out his neck stating that genes were a major determinant of intellectual prowess in the case of homo sapiens. We, being among the dregs of humanity cannot offer a dispassionate comment on that one, but can quote with approval another belief of his: that the abnormal person is ‘normal’ and vice-versa. Consider the (hypothetical) height readings of 100 fauji jawans. Twenty-one (say), the highest frequency, has a height 5’8”. So that is the Norm, no? Ergo a huge majority, that is 79 out of 100 is abnormal..! Touche…!

Bertrand Russell is sort of our intellectual umbilical cord. Uncharacteristically, he was guilty of writing some fiction. He lived in a formative era when the fires of many ideologies, such as Atheism, anti-Semitism, Semitism, Nazism, Communism, Church-ism, Scientificism, Relativity, Imperialism… wagairah, wagairah raged…were available off-the-shelf so to say. Whewww…! That would have launched a thousand T-sharts wani saiiinnn…kya bijnis apartunity tha…!

Well, annnything could be a prescription for passion, Lord Russell held, giving illustrations to veer bigots from following the course of insanity.

“[Pythagoras] founded a religion in which the main tenets were the transmigration of souls and the sinfulness of eating beans. His religion was embodied in a religious order, which, here and there, acquired rule of the state … But the unregenerate hankered after beans, and sooner or later rebelled.” (History of Western Philosophy)

Russell then went on to extrapolate the absurdities of human tendencies in his “Faith and Mountains”. The World, somehypotheticaltime, is severely divided into two camps, the worshippers of Aurora Borealis and worshippers of the metal Molybdenum, called the ‘Molybdenes’. Predictably, Zachary, the heir of Molybdenes falls in love with Leah, the Princess of the Borelians, who, for a difference, lived happily hereafter. The tale ends in the following paras, centered on Zachary, the scion of Molybdenes :

"…One winter evening, returning weary through drizzle and fog, Zachary found himself outside a tin tabernacle where a remnant of the Molybdenes still worshipped. To the accompaniment of the harmonium, they were singing those well-known words:

Molybdenum of metals best, Is good for high and low,

It cures diseases of the chest, And makes our muscles grow.

He sighed, and muttered to himself, "Could I but return to the old Sublimities! Ah, how hard is the Life of Reason!"”

Anything can inflame passion you see- the hair of a pig, a mound of snow…or for that matter a ritual in which a 'player', with a stick, hinders a small wooden sphere from hitting three other sticks, trying to despatch the hapless sphere 60 yards away, and becomes the richest Indian or Pakistani. Can precipitate a War or a Peace, Amen!

PS: we wrote about the water peace in Meghalaya/ Mizoram. If the water is drawn thus from the Municipal mains, and not in series, why would there be this Kauveri- Kolaveri di?

'Play it Again Sam': Said by Ingrid Bergman to the ace singer Sam at 'Rick's' in Casablanca nostalgically. There is some controversy on who said what said..