It is that time of the year when Carnatic music is in the air usually in Chennai. The end of December is when the season gets to its peak with Tambrahm mamas and mamis trying to schedule their days around the choice of Kacheris on offer. In my earlier article – “Innikku Aaru Kacheri?” I had written about the buzz in a Tambrahm households during the season. If you haven’t read it earlier, please read here before proceeding further. But this year, the “Season” buzz is missing due to the Corona after effects which are still lingering in the air.
I know of many mamas and mamis who make it a point to be in Chennai every December to enjoy the music season. And those who live in Chennai and do their annual or biennial visit to America to be with their sons and daughters usually make it a point to return to India before November. This serves three purposes. One, to escape the summer in India and be there. Two, return by Oct/November so as to escape the harsher winter in the US. Three, to be in Chennai for the music season. To go a step further, there are mamas and mamis who drop a hint to their NRI sons and daughters to plan the pregnancies in such a way that the delivery will be around March to May time frame. By this, they can be of support to their children for six months during delivery and still come back in time for the margazhi music season!
This year though, the entire season has gone virtual with no live concerts but kacheris are being streamed into our homes. Of course this has left a lot of mamas and mamis utterly disappointed and despondent. “Ennomo pa, music season la oru kacheri kooda poi kekka mudiyaama poyiduthu!” and accordingly the conversations this year have turned different. Like this:
Mama: Enna thaan virtual streaming naalum, oru live kacheri paatha madiri illai.
Mami: Ithaye ethara vaati chollindu iruppel? Etho intha situation’leyum kacheri kekka mudiyarathe… sandosha padungo! Aathuleye okkandhundu kekka mudiyaratho illiyo?
Mamis are always practical and tend to make do with what is available, you see.
Mama: Athu seri. Aanaalum, kacherila friends’a ellam meet panni, varthamaanam pesi, kacheriya analyse panra madiri varaathu.
Mami: Neenga analyse panrathu sabha canteen menu’nnu nanna theriyum! Sabha’kku porathe canteenukku thaane. Ennoda friend Bhagiyam chonnale. “Ungaathu Mamava moonu naal sabha canteen la paathen” nu, pona vashe!
Mama: Neeyum thaan en kooda varaai, kacherikku. Oru Kaapi kudikarathoda seri!
Mami: Naan varaatha pothu, enna mezhukellam – bajji, bonda’nnu thinnundu iruppel! Cholesterol report paatha theriyarathe!
Mama: Seri atha vidu. Kacheri nerla kekkarache, raga alapanai pothu ragatha guess panrathula oru rasam. Inga virtual kacheri’ la first’e enna ragam’nnu pottudara…
Mami: (Mind voice) Aamaam, etho Semmangudi’yoda vaarisu madiri pesarathu…
Since it is all virtual, mamas don’t get to meet their friends and discuss about the kacheri etc… This happens on the phone these days. Sample this:
Mama 1: Enna Ramachandran, neenga kacheri ellam kekkarela?
Mama 2: Virtual kacheri’nna free’ya thaane irukkanum. Ithukkum charge panraale? Aniyaayama irukku… Nidhi Chala Sukhama’nnu ellarum paadarathoda sari.
Mama 1: Illai, virtual naalum avaalukku selavu irukke… Free’a pannina kattu padi aagathu…
Mama 2: Ticket’na vendaam. Intha varusham season’a skip pannidalaamnu irunthen. Paiyyan season pass pottu kuduthuttaan. “Yours truly Margazhi” la kacheri kettundu irukken. By mistake avaa site la subscribe pannaama, YouTube la subscribe pannitaan! Nadu nadu vila ads’aa vanthu padutharathu!
Mama 1: Naanum season ticket vaangitten. Paadaravaalukku minnala audience illaama paadarathu kashtam thaan.
Mama 2: Virtual enna puthusa? Minnadi ellam AIR leyum, Doordarshan leyum ippadi thaane kacheri pannindu irunthaa?
Mama 1: Athu correct thaan. Nethikku Sanjay Subramanyan kacheri kettela? Thodi RTP asathittaan!
Mama 2: Ketten ketten. Asaadhyama irunthathu!
Mama 1: Ippo vara youngsters’um nanna paadaraa… Ritvik Raja’nnu T.M.Krishna madiriye paadaraan.
Mama 2: Avan TMK oda sishyan’aache. Athe style. As expected, TMK oda kacheri Yours truly la illa. Avan thaniya Friends in Concert’nnu arrange panninaan. Oru Kacherikku 2500 Rs charge. Romba jaasthi. Athuvum Corona samayathula.
Mama 1: Naan TMK ‘oda kacheri kekarathaye niruthitten. He should talk less and focus on music. He should let his music do the talking.
Mama 2: I don’t agree with his views. Athanaala avan kacheri kekaratha niruthala. He is an exceptionally gifted singer, you see.
Mama 1: Athu correct… But he should not use his God given talent for insulting his own music fraternity! Ippo namma ethukku avana pathi discuss pannindu…?
Mama 2: Intha virtual kacheri’la oru irritation enna’nna nadu nadu vila link poyidarathu… Connectivity problem…
Mama 1: Enakku antha prachanai illa. Ambani zindabad. Jio connectivity nanna irukku. Innikku Ranjani Gayatri kacheri irukku. Eppadi irukkunu paarpom. Virtual concert’ukku Voncert’nnu per kuduthirukaa. Article padichelaa?
Mama 2: Padinoru manikku upload pannitaale… Naan kettuten. Ranjani Gayatri as usual very good.
Mama 1: Sari – appo naanum kettudaren. Aamaam neenga chinna vayasula violin vaasipele… Ippo vaasikarathu undaa?
Mama 2: Wifu’kku aathula 2nd fiddle vaasikarathoda sari!
At the same time, mamis also have a different set of issues this year as can be inferred from their conversations.
Mami 1: Enna mami, eppadi irukkel? Kacheri ellam kekkarela?
Mami 2: Etho konjam konjam… Intha virtual season naala, namakku thaan vela jaasthi aayiduthu. Eppa paaru kaapi yum norukku theeniyum panni poda vendi irukku. Anga Ragam Thanam Pallavi poyindu irukaracha inga murukku, thattai’nnu kadichu thinnuttu Ragam Thanam palvali’nnu paattu paadindu irukaar engaathu mama!
Mami 1: Aamamaam. Normal season’nna engaathu mama kaalangaarthaleye kilambi lecture, demonstration, kacheri’nnu ellam mudichuttu raathri thaan varuvaar. Aagaaram ellam sabha canteenleye nadakkum. Intha varusham veetuleye irunthu en pranana vaangaraar.
Mami 2: Etho advertisement varathe… Mylapore fine arts la canteen lenthu swiggy’la home delivery panraalaame… Try panninelaa?
Mami 2: Nethikku thaan try panninom. Tiffan ellam nanna irunthathu…
Mami 1: Appo naanum avar kitta sollideren. Enna venumo order pannikattum…
Mami 2: Nethikku Sudha Raghunathan kacheri ketten… Etho interest’e illaama paadara madiri irunthathu! Nanna thaan paadina…
Mami 1: Inime thaan samayal kattula vela koraiyume… Okkanthu kekkaren.
Mami 2: Ongathula entha site’la kacheri kekkarel? Intha link, antha linku’nnu ore confusion’aa irukku…
Mami 1: Engathula antha Music Academy season pass eduthirukom. Etho adutha varshamaavathu intha Corona ellam illama direct’a Samajavaragamana kekka mudinja sari!
Mami 2: Correct. But, season’a cancel pannaama kacheri ellam konjam kekka mudinjuthe.
Pic Courtesy: The Hindu
Tambrahmism 