Harmony

It has been quite some time now, that I wrote something. Most of the times, whatever I write is inspired from my observation and the way I interpret the latter and what I feel or think about it. This time too, it is not going to be different.

Today I and my friend Neel had gone to watch the classical concert by Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Ustad Zakir Hussein at Zankel Hall, New York. And what more could one expect than a Santoor & Tabla rendition! The following is an account of what I observed and what I felt during this two and a half hour concert.

We were quite early for the show and were eagerly waiting to see the two masters. Finally Zakir came out and gave us the general introduction and welcomed Shivkumar. Shivkumar started playing Santoor with the Alap, which set us all in the mood which he wanted to create. In the initial piece he played raag Rageshwari. After the alap Zakir began playing tabla. After reading the previous sentence you all might have felt that he just started playing tabla, but it wasn't really like that. I guess he had already started playing tabla in his mind, and the fact is, we never realized when he actually started playing. The tabla beats merged with the ragas rendered by santoor so seamlessly that it was as if, tabla was already playing, only its volume was muted until now, and suddenly the volume was switched on again :-) The tabla-santoor merge had already happened, I guess in the minds of the two...

Yesterday while I was reading about Shivkumar Sharma I came across a site where he mentions that he never aims to evoke an ovation from the audience. He fact aims to take the audience to a state of thoughtlessness, which is what he considers the pinnacle achievement of music. Today at some points I felt exactly the same, especially when he was playing raag Rageshwari... It was myself, it was the two maestros, and the raag rendered by the tabla beats and santoor strings. In fact I was not able to distinguish between the two, they were in absolute unison and the result was an integrated vibration, exciting each and every atom of my body, mind and psyche.

At some other points they started performing the crescendo, the tabla beats became so fast, that we literally couldn't see Zakir's fingers! Shivkumar was centre staged and Zakir was on his left. When they reached the climax of the crescendo (the state when the beats were fastest; perhaps fastest may not be the right word as I haven't watched their fastest speeds :-), but fastest from the perspective of the current crescendo), Zakir started looking at some point in space, but in reality his eyes were not actually observing, they got studded to a point and only his mind was controlling his fingers... Apart from this, it was difficult to tell who was following whom. Agreed that the role of tabla in Indian classical music is that of an accompaniment to the main performer. But was it something really like that, today? I don't think so. At some points Shivkumar was challenging Zakir to produce the rythm that he was rendering and I guess Zakir's reply was - forget producing, I'm at a speed beyond your imagination!

It was a site worth watching. Zakir, his focus, his hands and the music were in absolute harmony. It is a state which I guess we all experience at some stage in our life, where our performance in our respective fields is at the pinnacle, at the fountainhead of our success, like a horse running at full speed, where it is only you, your music and your unconquerable velocity. It is a stage where others can only hope to reach. But for you - the performer, there is no audience, its only you and your music - a state called Samadhi, beyond time, beyond frontiers. This state only lasts for a short span of time, but it is so invigorating that you live your entire life in this small state, isn't it?

This entire week was extremely exciting, I had been listening to various artists and instruments and I have tried to compare these musical instruments with our organs, what is the seat of these instruments in the human body? I mean what do you first feel when you hear a particular instrument, where does that emotion arise, what is its organic quality, how do you picturize that sound?

Sitar (my favourite)- When it comes to musical instruments Sitar lives in our throat (kantha), in that it yearns, it longs in absolute earnestness, pleading to spread the message of love and happiness. Sitar can evoke the entire gamut of emotions - smile, laugh, wait (intezaar), memory, tears.

Santoor - Aha, get lost in the woods, get lost in a lake, get lost in Manasarovar, your soul will hear Santoor and only Santoor, the music of peace as vast as an ocean.

Tabla - The beats of tabla are like the beats of our veins (nadi), beats of blood throbbing in elated state in every nerve of our body.

Flute - This sweet, eternal sound can only originate in our heart, and travel through the air captivating every living soul in its trance.

Also I think every kind of music has a time to listen: Shehanai or Suprabhatam by MS Subbalakshmi in the morning, Santoor in the afternoon, Flute or Sarod in the evening, and Sitar in the night.

After watching this concert I have no doubt that music and human body are organically connected in that the musical vibrations directly affect our body molecules and hence our mind and emotions. The nature of effect just depends on the kind of music that you are playing or listening to. And at times this effect could be so dramatic, that it can make you smile, make you laugh, make you cry, make you think or as Panditji says take you to a state of blissful thoughtlessness...