September 15, 2016

  • Looking Cultural

    Last Monday I slaved away at work and then on Monday evening met Sparky and some friends on campus for the first Concert of Indian Classical Music of the semester. The small but very active club (The Asian Indian Classical Music Society) had through sponsorship arranged to provide FREE concerts for this semester. Monday featured the sarod played by Pandit Debojyoti Bose and accompanied on the tabla by Hindole Majumdar. Although the sarod was hypnotic I still think the tabla is a much more entertaining instrument. The last concert we went to this same tabla player performed. He is a short round man that really enjoys the music. He smiles and nods while playing and while listening to the other musicians. He is very animated in addition to playing with flair. I had wanted to take photos but my phone battery died. I hadn't realized that the auditorium was in the basement and my phone was grinding away trying to find a signal thus wearing the battery down to nothing.

    Before the concert started the sarod player was fussing around the stage. He had to position everything just so and took a good 10 minutes doing a sound check and tuning his instrument. The tabla player on the other hand tapped the rim of one drum with a little brass hammer and took the covers off the drum heads. One of the officers of the club (who knows Sparky from when he was teaching at the college) greeted us warmly and noted that we were obviously "cultured" people. When pressed he said that even among the Indian community it was only the "cultured" people that enjoyed classical music. I laughed and told him that I did listen to the classical radio station. He got all excited and wanted to know where to find it on his radio - he thought I was listening to classical Indian music! We had a good laugh. In the end we bought a CD of the tabla player's solo recordings. It isn't something I'd want to listen to while nursing a migraine but it would be great driving music for long car trips...

Comments (9)

  • I guess I'm partly cultured. I like some classical music. :) Do you remember Lucy or Ethel and where is Frank?

    • I think you are more than cultured! You are a real pearl! I do remember them. I never did know "Lucy or Ethel"s real name. Frank is on WordPress I think...

  • I've lost Lucy or Ethel, or else I can't remember who they are on FB? I believe Frank said he wasn't going to be on here much more. I think he's getting tired, and not feeling well. Hi Xanga subxcription ran out, and he doesn't do FB.

  • I must admit I've no idea of the Indian music to which you refer. :-) A volume of daughter's I have I really like is "Waltzing Violins" and I do love Celtic music. Right now I'm listening to Big Bands. :-)

  • I'm just learning to listen to tabla -- what a beautiful instrument! I think the demeanor goes along with the joy of the instrument! ~ ~ I too have lost Lucy or Ethel. I emailed Frank the other day because of the Soberanes Fire that is still burning in his area -- they're doing ok with the fire, but they were staying home for the 3-day weekend because they both had a flu bug. I think that his breathing has deteriorated to the point that it's hard to do anything!

    • I really miss Frank. He had a fun sense of humor. I know his breathing had deteriorated but I had hoped he would keep up with xanga even after his subscription ran out. I hold him and Norma in my prayers.

  • @slmret: I am saddened to hear that about Frank's trouble breathing, but thank you for the update. He remains in our prayers.

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