Booscuthalaa - Untying the Knots

No, it's not the annual Thiruvaiyyaaru festival or Chicago or even the Cleveland utsavam, for that matter! If there's one place where every budding musician would want to perform, it should be the Music Academy in Madras. The name couldn't be more apt! With a long history and superlative performances, year after year, an Academy concert is where every discerning rasika wants to be. There is something unique and ineffable about this place that gives you those vibes - the good ones, of being in a supreme place, a longing to be sincere and a sense that the listener is no fool! The place boasts of  state-of-the-art acoustics (BOSE speakers et al), thoughtful parking arrangements, and of course, the artistes save their best for the Academy concert. It's no secret that they get almost a pittance for singing here. Performing here is a privilege in itself. For the average Madras man, it's something like getting a chance to act in a Maniratnam movie or sing an AR Rehman song...

This post is a tribute to all the great souls who have taught me music and continue to be my inspiration in life. Music has always been my passion. One of my significant childhood memories at Vikaasa is that of my music sessions with Mrs. Lakshmi Parthasarathy in a huge "Interest" hall, next to the KG block at school. I used to love the wooden staircase in that building, which by this time, has been demolished and transformed into something else. As a 3rd std. kid, I looked forward to that one interest class we had every week. If I can still sing today(tolerably), it is only due to Mrs. Parthasarathy's rigorous training sessions in those years. Not everyone in m y class liked Carnatic music. In fact, I was one among the very few who could sit through class without getting restless. Ma'am would teach us small songs very rarely. Otherwise, it used to be just swara lessons all the time. Soon, we entered senior school and Vikaasa gav...