Sadhana 2016 DAY 1

Sadhana 2016, Day 1, was my first time on stage with my Bhairavi :)

Who is Bhairavi? My sitar of course :) Two years ago when i got my brand new sitar from Calcutta, India, especially chosen, tested and brought to Malaysia by my guru himself, i fell in love with her. And, knowing she is going to be my best friend for life...i named her Bhairavi! Why Bhairavi and not any other raag? Because that was the first raag i heard my guru play life in a concert titled PRANAM and i was moved to the core by it. Of course he played the other raags first and Bhairavi comes as the finale. Yet...there was something about this raag that got to my soul. Especially that particular piece which i had been listening over and over in one of his youtube videos and the difference it made when you hear it LIFE...the echoes, the vibrations, the energy and magic of it!! It was an experience i will never forget. That is why i decided to name her Bhairavi! 

As i went on for the weekly classes, i had no such goal or ambition to perform in shows. I just loved learning the notes...i just love the sound that comes each time i pluck the strings. Even the first notes and fingering exercises got me excited...haha! i would practice it as though they were some masterpieces. I would even record and listen to the simple Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni ..over and over...simply because i was so amused that it was ME making those sounds... :) And that's what kept me going, not caring how long i might take to learn a whole song in a particular raag. I never even thought about it. Because it was so joyous all the way! It was like..who cares what i might play in five years...when every note is so beautiful!!

And today, after exactly two years...i have learnt one whole song ( about 6 mins long) in raag Bhairavi and will be performing this Sunday in Swara CAC's Students concert, Sadhana 2016. While rehearsing with my group today, i was in the verge of tears as it was so joyous to be able to play the raag myself..especially such a beautiful composition and it seems more like a miracle that i am going to perform with them. 

Last Sunday, my group played raag Yaman (picture above) and surprisingly i did not feel nervous on stage though it was my FIRST sitar performance. With all the spotlights, the people and the mics attached, i somehow felt calm. Just before the curtain went up, i told my Bhairavi..."never mind whose watching or listening, its just about you and me here...so stay with me please!" and know what? she did!! :) 

So, here's another round of rehearsals going on till this Sunday and i pray, once again she stays with me through the notes of Raag Bhairavi!

 

I have to mention this, when the MCs announce that the next performance is by the students of this guru, we walk in with pride, knowing we have learnt from the best of the best gurus and absolutely confident of ourselves. Performing well, will be the best guru dharchana we can offer to such dedicated master who would go all out to make sure we get EVERY note absolutely RIGHT! No compromises...and no excuses!!No matter how tiring it is for him to check each and every one of his students in EVERY class and yet he doesn't give up on us. You get it right or you dont play at all! That is how every note is learnt by every student. 

So, just saying thank you will not be enough for all the joy that is brought into our lives through music. As i said before, this performance is a dedication to our guru, master Samuel J Dass.  

We hope to give the best we can! :) And all the best to my most wonderful sitar gang who are performing this week! Love you all! 

 

The picture above snapped by my friend Usha with her HP...she was upset it turned out dark....but i so love it.  Because i wasn't aware she was taking this picture...and i am looking somewhere beyond this world...I've no idea what was on my mind...i cant recall this moment...and it only seems like it all happened in another realm :)

So, hope to see you this Sunday at Temple of Fine Arts, 6PM!!

SADHANA 2016

SADHANA 2016, what is it?

Its when every beat, every step, every note and every move which has been instilled painstakingly into our nerves by the gurus, finally takes a form, that can be related to the audience.

What you will watch or hear in this show, is something that grew inch by inch into the souls of the performers. It is not something that happens overnight. Not even over months, but years!  Its a flow of two way energy, between the guru and student that finally merges at a point, mixed with dedication and love, and takes on a new life.

With every note you learn, you get a little closer to the tune and with every step you learn, you get a little closer to the dance. Every class will only seem like...one step or one note that you cant relate as a whole, but as you keep practicing and adding on the next note and step, it begins to make sense. Then you begin to see the magic, and that keeps you going, and suddenly after years of these little steps, you suddenly find yourself dancing, singing or playing a song. Usually you are surprised at the outcome. You finally see, what has been happening in every class from the first day. You now now how to put it together. Its then not called steps anymore, but DANCE. Not notes, but MUSIC.  

And SADHANA 2016 is another step closer to magic, because whatever that has been happening on different days, different times, different disciplines, with different gurus and students who have been teaching (or screaming, precisely :)) and learning various forms of ART, slowly growing together under one roof but not really taking notice of each other, but suddenly comes to life as whole group of performers who now recognize one another and are connected through the arts. 

Taking into consideration that this is all happening in Kuala Lumpur, these students and their parents who are living somewhere amidst the concrete jungle, and in times when people think money is the most important thing in life and everything else is secondary, its pretty amazing how such shows are still possible. The reason could only be that we are still human beings and are still connected to the divine nature. We cant help it. No matter how hectic life is, no matter how busy, how far we live, how expensive it is, our hearts cant help seeking whats REAL! And that is why, parents can go to such extend to take the time for their children to be involved in such shows. That's is also why students are able to take the stress of painful practices and yet go on learning joyfully.

So, this July the proud gurus of Swara Community Arts Center in PJ are waiting to see their students on stage and so are their families and friends. Yes, its going to be ALL STUDENTS this time while the gurus sit back and relax?? Ermm no i don't think so, most of them are more nervous than when they are performing themselves. Hahaha, but that's only because they want to see the best of their students!

So, come join us, support and bless our first times on stage. Lets celebrate ARTS with a passion that never fades. ARTS keep life aglow and shining within the souls of performers and audience creating a connection that takes you into the other realms.

See you at TEMPLE OF FINE ARTS, Brickfields this 17th and 24th July, 6PM!

SITAR GROUP

Bharathanatyam

Kurati Kummi-Children

Bharathanatyam Adults

Children-Odissi

Children and adult-TABLA

Bharathanatyam-ADULTS

Odissi-ADULTS

And with many more performances!

SADHANA 2016 

above all is a dedication to our beloved gurus of 

Swara Community Arts Center.

Samuel J Dass, Prakash Kandasamy, Neha Mondal Chakravarti, Vathana Chandrasegaran, Nitin Shirale, Eliezer Enan, Pangasaasanii Gowrisan , Sangeetha Irene & Maheeswari

WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Performances

Sitar

Tabla

Guitar

Violin

Veena

Vocal

Odissi

Kathak

Bharathanatyam 

Bollywood

 call 016-6820919 for invites