Thursday, April 19, 2007

Rag-!

Here’s to you guys


There are certain things that can be defined, but certain things needn’t be”. Well, don’t even try to extrapolate to find out as to what could be the possible ‘relevance’ to the post that follows. It’s just a flash of thought. :)

Read on…


I’ve always believed in the power of the pen coz it kinda brings out what exactly is running on my head. Well, I’ve had a quite a long, inevitably ‘sunny’ Sunday. A concert in the morning ( ‘Swaralaya’ – Raag’s ode to ‘varnams’), some ‘blah’ presentation that kept getting rescheduled and goddd finally its DONE.!!! Here I am sitting on my bed, penning down my thoughts…pretty obviously the ‘best’ part of the day. :)


I’m not quite going to delve into vivid technical details about the concert. A very typical ‘Raag’ show – studded with not many audiences (lets jus call them the ‘lucky few’! – includes the diro – Dr.LKM tho’), our ‘usual’ hiccups with ppl forgetting to get the Sruthi box, our ‘usual’ high points in the show with the choice of Raagams, the ‘usual’ bloopers too, the ‘usual’ SEC-talk, the ‘usual’ snap sessions and the ‘usual’ lunching a Cnot after that. Indeed, I might as well describe the concert quickly. We had a rich blend of all kinds of varnams – Adi thaalam, Ada thaaalam, Pada Varnams n all that – favorite would be ‘ Reethigowlai’ though (yeah yeah yeah…am ‘group-obsessed’ – pretty obviously my ‘group’ sang that song!). Yeah, let me add more to the list – Charukesi, Valachi and Sahana too. :) The concluding piece of the concert was a Hindustani Song sung by a ‘first-yearite’ (Prateek) in the club. To sum it up, ‘twas the only ‘good’ part of my day. :)

All said and done then there is this sudden realization that dawned on me and trust me it almost shook me. Ah! All those ‘usual’ things that I just wrote about aint going to be all the ‘usual’ and ‘same’ anymore. These are probably certain times when you desperately ‘wish’ for ‘change to NOT be the constant thing in life’!It suddenly occurred to me that ‘twas indeed the ‘last’ concert of this eventful semester. Such ‘final’ /’last’ things make me retrospect, analyze and think about the past and carries a lot of meaning to me. It brings with it memories of the past and promises of the years to come.


First things first, I’d like to raise a ‘toast’ (virtually-ob!) to the ‘SEC’ and ‘JOINT SEC’. This is not some ‘feel-good’ gesture, but I really mean it. Well, we’ve had our own share of ‘lean phases’ this year, but then the very fact that we’ve come out of it flourishing only goes to show their potential, dedication, sincerity and passion.

Sriram- he’s just been there be it what!! That would just about sum up everything. His wise-cracks, musical brilliance, impatience, temper, joy, anguish- we’ve just seen it all in ‘Rag’. The man has jus put in his ‘200%’ for the club. Rock on ‘SEC’!!!

ViSPP – Godd, she’s been quite a ‘pendulum’ with ‘n-degrees of freedom’, swindling between a million things to do. This ‘adorable’ being has been what she’s always been in the club – an embodiment of sincerity, amazingly level-headed and perfectly keeping up with the SEC. Nothing quite happens without an approving nod from her. :)

We love you guys (yeah, we MEAN IT!)!!

Here’s to you guys.


Secondly, the fact that the ’03 batch’ falls into the genre of ‘senti-semites’ aint any encouraging. Common, we’ve been pampered, nurtured and motivated by them. Atleast, the previous sem, we always had this sem to look up to a lot more of known faces who were getting back to campus. Damn!! All this makes me feel so bloody OLD!! We’ve always adored you guys, we still learn a lot of things from your batch. ROCK ON!!!

Here’s to your batch!!!

All said and done, it also strikes me that, almost half my batch isn’t going to be ON next sem and that’s what I’d call ‘unfair’!! We’re so used to being and doing things in the club having each other around that it is just about ‘hard’ to imagine things the next sem. I can’t claim to ‘know’ every one of them, but then, most certainly we’ve only had great times making music together.

Here’s to everyone in my batch!

Well, I do realize, I’ve been emotional, sentimental and retrospective, things that I’m usually not at least in an open forum, in this post, but then what the heck! But then again, we’ve got to pull our feet and keep moving and wait for the road to see people walking together, making music and rejoicing it. Yet, things wouldn’t be the same and that would have to be the hard truth!

Here’s to all you guys!

Here’s to music!

24 comments:

Manojh said...

Welcome aboard! This aging community Roh! I am already there :)
Neatly done. Sums up everything.
Great job Sriram and Vsp.
You guys have been wonderful. Carry on!

N said...

This ones closest to my heart :) thanks ro, for speakin on behalf of all of us.

Anonymous said...

Deeply disturbed :) Nicely wriiten babe!

Nandhitha said...

Hi anonymous... please leave ur name, along with the comment.

AJB said...

OMG, OMG, OMG!!!
That was one helluvan emotional ride down the memory lane for me!!!
Here I am sitting with all the problems I could ever have my hands full of at office, there you go adding to the emotional distress (offie work pressures!!!) I am in already. lol....
You just made me feel very, very old too.

Change always sucks doesn't it?

Ragamalika has seen an enormous change from my earlier days in the club and I am very glad for all you guys.

So here's to all the batches that have made Rag the great place that it is now, to all the Sangamams together, to all the Nrityaranjanis, to all the concerts - group or otherwise, to all the bloopers, to the last minute work done etc. etc. etc....Cheers!

I really must write a post now...:D

Anonymous said...

Hey ro dear!
Here's me penning down this comment ,with tears rolling down my cheeks.Just couldn't help geting psenti..An Amazing post!!!
vsp

Rohini said...

Well folks! No getting psenti n all..We've always been a happy family and we'd be that. :)
And yeah, alumni are ardently requested to post stuff. Lets make it a proper 'music' blog in action rahter than jus us doing the usual round of updates. Post just about anything- any new nice concert that you heard to, 'recent updates' in your life(Wink!- the target is expected to respond!), just about anything.

Rohini said...

And, yeah..am curious too about the 'anonymous'! hehe

Nandhitha said...

Machaan! A span of 2 hrs and these many comments eh? Good good :)
Had just been to vsp's room and I saw a totally "senti" vsp sitting there. Dei, cheer up da.
Okay, I m guessing the anonymous - is it soumi? (from "babe!" thingie :P) Please reply dear anonymous :D

Manojh said...

It was sheer co-incidence that I opened the blog yesterday afternoon and noticed this new post. Even as I was reading it, there was a mail from nandhitha.
Talk about timing!! :D

Btw,I agree with Roh. Apart from mailing about on-campus stuff, lets make the blog even more happening by posting a few other interesting articles on music.

AJB said...

Hey Manoj...What concerts happ this weekend?
Let me know...
and yeah, roh...suggestion is good...ppl have to post!!!
I shall try posting one soon...we 've been having concerts this entire month...
TNS coming soon!;) Ramya, envied? :D

And the 'Target' (of Roh's comment) - pls respond! ;)

Manojh said...

check this link for the line up

http://www.eventsbangalore.net/category/music-indian

Manojh said...

concerts this weekend are

Fri - GJR Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi

Manojh said...

Oops..pressed enter too soon :)
Sat - Priya sisters
Sun - Kunnakudi

Rohini said...

Manojh! Ive heard GJR and Vijayalakshmi.(last season only!- also ended up dozing off for a while, thanks to the cozy ambience in Academy!)
GJR is quite astounding indeed. But neither of them to the mark of the 'god' - Lalgudi!! Aha!
Have fun you guys while we're getting 'toasted' out here in the desert.

Rohini said...

And, "ppls" - Kari, Chak, Poorna, Rajiv, Sarah, Vaid, Vishwa...and every other alumni who reads the blog...cmon out with 'interesting' tit-bits. We're the 'entertainment-deprived' ones out here. Post! Post! Post!Post! Atleast comments..much easier than typing out a 'mail' indeed! :)

Rohini said...

Oh..godd!! keep missing out on things...our 'lovely' juniors too!! Post 'ppl' of the world. :)

Manojh said...

Roh, I have never heard them play. So shall check and report their performance. Am doubtful for Kunnakudi though. Somehow he has never impressed as a carnatic performer. A recent concert of his on TV was appaling.
It's been raining hard in the evenings in bangalore over the past week.Can imagine angry faces in BITS reading this ;). Take heart anyway, you shall be home soon!

AJB said...

Well, GJR and Vijayalakshmi today are out of question for me...still sitting at office on a Friday eve! :(
Priya sisters' vocals disgust me, Kunnakudi's violin - worse!
Jug and I went for a live concert of his, when we were in our 12th.

I distinctly remember because I lost my cycle that day, adding to the already distressed 'me' - distressed after hearing cinema songs being played by Kunnakudi...

Did you know that he takes along in his entourage, a guy to put on that huge bindi or whatever on his useless forehead?!?!! :X

Viswa, I don't think will be checking these posts - for he is too busy doing his passport stuff, all ready to fly off to Manila for his MBA!!!

So all you kids will be in Chennai this summer I hope. Please keep one whole weekend free - I will come down and we can go for a trip or something! :)

AJB said...

btw, psenti concerts - who, when?
I hope all the psenti semites ARE giving one!!! :)

N said...

all of us are giving one. might include me as well :P

Anonymous said...

yeah Apu we shall meet in chennai one weekend if your highness can spare sometime when you eventually land in chennai.TNS concerts can wait till the hols i guess :(

Ramya

Anonymous said...

the first anonymous comment wasn't from my end btw!-Ramya

Anonymous said...

Ro ! Nice Post :) Get going..