Finding Keys to the Music Room

Hi all...

I happily discovered that the City Centre had a Landmark too…I didn’t wait for long and headed straight to Landmark…I hung around for a while and found out the bargain counter, which was actually an ‘EMI discount stall’… I found two more Womad Realworld albums – Shu-De: Voices from the Distant Steppe (Womad Realworld – Virgin Records) – [from deep in the centre of Asia – a unique recording of traditional Tuvan ‘throat singing’, poignant and intimate folk-songsm and ritual chants of shamen] and Shringar - K Sridhar & K Shivakumar (Womad Realworld – Virgin Records) [jugalbandi between sarod and violin]…I went through the entire stall for more, but had to be satisfied with these two albums…then suddenly I remembered that I didn’t have a mobile phone and didn’t know where the others were…and they wouldn’t be able to contact me…I was stuck in Landmark…I decided to let them find me and wandered around…saw some fountain pens…as I had already bought a Parker Rialto (for myself on behalf of Shruti!! Thanks, dear!) at Spencer Plaza’s Landmark, I just window-shopped and went back to the music section…and decided to check out the Hindustani classical section…I flipped the CDs in their racks desultorily trying to locate something interesting…this went on for around 10 mins or so…and suddenly my ‘nazar’ fell on this CD…call it coincidence or my ignorance about these things that I didn’t know about this CD earlier…it was a CD of Hindustani renderings by Vidushi Dhondutai Kulkarni…I was delighted, thrilled, surprised…it was only a couple of weeks ago that I had read this wonderful book by Namita Devidayal (The Music Room)…a touching account of the life and musical career of Vidushi Dhondutai Kulkarni (if interested, see my earlier post, “Reading Namita Devidayal's 'The Music Room'” Monday, March 17, 2008)…and Namita Devidayal had written that there are hardly any commercial recordings of Vidushi Dhondutai Kulkarni and some private recordings are all that are there for posterity to remember this remarkable singer of the Jaipur Atrauli Gharama…so, finding this CD was a moving moment for me…now I have the songs and voice to give to the face and the life of the singer…the CD is called Raag Ras and is produced by T-Series (No. SVCCD 07; pub. in 1990 by Super Cassettes Industries Ltd., and © 1990 Super Cassettes Industries Ltd.)…the album has four tracks – 1. Ari Eri Main Apno Shiva Payo (Raag Kabiree Bhairav – Vilambit Ada Chautaal); 2. Tum Ghan Se (Raag Meera Malhar – Jhaptaal); 3. Sakhi Mohan Mohni Daari (Raag Des – Madhya Laya Teen Taal); 4. Panan Biri Main Ko Kabhun Na Dini (Raag Suha – Rupak Taal)…I have listened to the album twice… and my attention was diverted both times…and I was unhappy…tomorrow is Sunday and I hope to get some time to listen attentively to Vidushi Dhondutai Kulkarni’s singing and see if I can gain admittance into her Music Room…

Jayasrinivasa Rao