Singapore Serenade

[Guest guest]

Yes, it was indeed a serene experience not only for those who were present

in the hall but for those who were watching it Live worldwide. The

tranquility continued even after the end of the concert and is reflected

till the exit of the last person from the hall where a pin drop could be

heard.

 

One correction to make -- it was not a 100th music concert but 100th foreign

tour - probably the 270th concert I guess......

 

Thanks a ton to Swamiji for giving me this wonderful experience in

Singapore.

 

Sri Guru Datta !

Bala

 

 

 

On Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 5:45 PM, Indiravi <indiravi wrote:

 

>

> http://www.starofmysore.com/main.asp?type=abracadabra

> <http://www.starofmysore.com/main.asp?type=abracadabra>

>

> GANAPATI SEER'S SINGAPORE SERENADE

>

> It was not music of the spheres, nor of Beethoven, certainly not for the

> Gods in high heaven. But for sure, it was for the humans, inspired by

> Dhanvantri and Ashwini of Hindu Pantheon. That was the kind of music the

> select and distinguished audience at the prestigious Esplanade Concert

> Hall in Singapore experienced on 24th January 2009. The Conductor of

> this music for meditation and healing was Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda

> Swamiji of Datta Yoga Centre — the pontiff of Sri Ganapati

> Sachchidananda Ashram, Nanjangud Road, Mysore. I was privileged to be

> among the audience which included the President of Singapore and his

> wife.

>

> The programme began at 7.30 pm and ended at 9.30 pm to the minute. For

> those like me, who have heard the music of Swamiji, the new music that

> evening was the one that can be called Singapore melody with the Chinese

> tune dominating the pure instrumental music. Sweet music to the ear and

> sweeter to the soul — with Swamiji working on his synthesiser. He

> was assisted by an array of distinguished instrumentalists of repute

> beginning with Dr. N. Ramani, the most acclaimed flutist and Padma

> Bhushan awardee. Others included Dr. Yella Venkateswara Rao, the

> indomitable mridangam percussionist, Dr. Mysore Manjunath, a rising and

> shining star among India's violinists and Sri V. Suresh, the most

> proficient ghatam player who literally played the roller-coaster with

> his pot-instrument beating it putter-putter with his nimble finger as he

> wobbled like a dancer sitting on his haunches with half-stretched

> dhoticlad legs attracting audience attention. It was quite an amusing

> sight. The Swamiji was also assisted by Narasimha Mani on keyboard, and

> Jaitra Varanasi on violin both from Swamiji's Ashram here.

>

> No doubt it was a new kind of music, never heard of, for most of the

> audience who were listening to Swamiji for the first time. Since this

> concert hall is taboo for any religion-based programmes, including

> music, there was nothing about religion in the music. It was pure

> instrumental except for the one on " Gum Gum Ganapathi " sung by Swamiji

> more as an invocation. Otherwise it was one long, two-hour non-stop

> performance of musical instruments, including individual performances.

> My regret was the audience was denied the joy of listening to Dr. N.

> Ramani's magical flute.

>

> I asked Swamiji for the reason. True Dr. Ramani gently sneaked out from

> the stage, may be for the rest room. When he returned the programme was

> drawing to a close. That, however, was not the reason, Swamiji told me.

> Dr. Ramani was not keeping quite fit and in deference to his own wishes,

> the flute was skipped. His participation thus could not be optimised,

> though he played with the ensemble earlier. That was my personal

> disappointment.

>

> As for the one-long non-stop go at the performance, Swamiji said that to

> get the benefit of meditation and healing, the music had to be performed

> that way. Hope the miracle of meditation-healing will have happened to

> all those who were present in that packed auditorium.

>

> The programme also known as Nada Dhyana Raga Sagara had enough sound and

> vibration to make the listeners plunge into that Sagara of Dhyana and

> Raga, remain there for two hours and come out cleansed, healed. Swamiji

> might not have delivered a great concert in a conventional sense, but he

> was successful in delivering a divine concert. No matter you may call it

> by any other name! Thank you Swamiji, we are beholden to you. You have

> done us Mysoreans proud in Singapore.

>

> Swamiji probably could not have chosen a better concert hall than this

> one to give his 100th music concert abroad.

>

> I guess we Indians have some lessons to learn from what I saw of the

> concert hall itself and the manner in which the President of Singapore

> S.R. Nathan and his wife Urmila came and occupied their seats. So

> unobtrusive. First the hall. Simply magnificent both outside and inside.

> Architecturally it is shaped like the Durian fruit with two bulges found

> mostly in Mauritius and may be, in Singapore-Malaysia too. I don't know.

> That might be the very reason for the unique design with sliced spikes

> jutting out as in real fruit, including green colour. And inside. It is

> a hall in oval shape with double balcony, stage at one end and box-seats

> on either side along the wall.

>

> For a moment I thought, performing in such a hall, even an average

> artiste will be enthused and inspired to perform extraordinarily and

> bring out his full potential and more. Swamiji, indeed reached that

> acme. I thought.

>

> Earlier I was mentioning of the President of Singapore arriving almost

> unnoticed with his wife but without a large retinue, as we see in India,

> on time and taking their seats quietly in the 12th row. All are equal

> inside the concert hall. No AK-47 toting security. No nothing. What a

> contrast to our Indian netas

>

>