The day that was
==============
The bruised polyvinyl record
got stuck cajoling out
the auspicious pipe music
through howling amplifiers.
A rough voice woke up
the sleepy neighbourhood
for the festivities of the
municipal councilor’s second daughter
attaining puberty.
A couple of roosters with bright red crowns
tried in vain to raise their pre down cries
bleeding to death in the councilor’s kitchen
for the feast of the day.
The transgender carrying a bamboo basket
to the local market
could not find open
a single shop selling toilet soap.
The karagam folk artist
who danced the whole night
at Kali festival downtown
mounted the barber’s chair
with a white shroud wrapped
loosely around neck
catching a few winks
while the barber
worked on his tough beard.
Pilgrims for sabari hills
with beats of chendai drums
walked in rows
through the hot summer streets
dancing thaya thaya.
Get up, you cut yourself
dancing with them
the barber woke up
the customer
bleeding at the chin.
The mostly deserted auditorium
was drowned in darkness as
the listless play went on
and on in a minimalist stage.
Forgetting his lines
the small time actor
coughed and dropped dead,
collected his fees waiting for long and
walked home that slept half starved.
Hissing like a snake on heat
he caressed the sagging breasts
of his fatigued wife
with a naughtly smile;
the mother woke up
with a rhapsody of dry cough;
forgot to buy her
the cough medicine
today too.
********************************
Had been to Krishna Gana Sabha yesterday for Sanjay Subramanian’s evening concert. Sanjay sang to a full house and his kokilapriya aalap, thaanam and raga elaboration of Kokilapriya closely followed by raag Kalavathi were real melodies.. my only grouse is about kalavathi .. he fully carnatakized Giridhar aa jha..he could have maintained the genre difference and could have presented it as a pure hindustani kriti..
and whenever he leaned towards the mikes (i counted at least 4), the continuous feedback from the internal speakers into the microphone produced an extremely loud sound quite jarring and horrendous.
Sanjay was followed by Brij Maharaj. At 75, we can’t exprect him the maestro to dance with verve as he did some two score years ago.. his Bengali lady sishyai tried to fill his place for most part.. as she too appeared to be passed-the-prime and constitution-wise was somewhat rotund, it was more a ‘lecture deomo’ type of performance.
Birju maharaj appeared on the stage a full 45 minutes after the programme commenced and was a pale shadow of himself – I met him at Mr.Kamal Hassan’s place 6 months ago.. he has since grown very old and is looking haggard.. complaining of knee pain (it was writ all over his face) he tried to make some minimal mudras with grace and also dance a little.. it was really tragic to watch an elderly man trying to be what he was 20 years ago and failing miserably in the attempt..like Gavaskar batting in first class cricket after all these years..
Krishna Gana Sabha could have invited him as a honourable guest for a lecture demo and not for a paid concert like what was arranged yesterday. very disappointing..