Evening OF February 23rd 2013 is etched in my
memory …it was purely magical, just that I didn’t happen to see the magic but
heard the magic. I always wanted to go for a Raja sir concert but with him
doing few concerts and myself being outside India was always speculating when
would that day come. I was very excited when I came to know that Raja sir
concert is going to happen in New Jersey.
The trip to New Jersey was fun to start with and then came another sweet
surprise - I didn’t realize that my ticket would fetch me so closer to the
stage. Before you see a good movie on your way to theatre if you face traffic
jam it is both good and bad; it is bad because you are aggravated and good
because it automatically mellow down the mood to some extent. Same thing
happened – the so called MCs tried their best but I was patiently waiting for
the man to appear on stage. Lot many times our money is wasted in front of our
own eyes but that day I felt happy that I am spending on something I am going
to cherish.
Clock ticked slowly
and boom audience saw the man coming onto the stage in white dhothi in a
typical Tamizhan style. He didn’t allow
any of us to take a breather ….he came …he started ..he mesmerized.
Orchestration was mind blowing; the sound comes from instruments and he has
written the notes and passed on to the musicians. Its not just the instruments
..it is also the number of people who bring the sound ….none of us had any clue
when he said there are small mistakes happening and boy he made the musicians
play all over again on few occasions. This is called perfectionist ….one who is
pretty clean will feel perturbed even if they see a mustard seed in a dining
table …same was this man ….
The good thing I
liked about the concert was that he went with the plan …though audience was
demanding more telugu songs he went ahead with what was prepared. When we go to
basement we tend to be in party mood and we step into pooja room we tend to
catch onto the atmosphere. Same was the case …in Ilayaraja concert we are
supposed to enjoy the music and show our appreciation by clapping our hands. He
doesn’t like whistling and bustling and audience listened to his words. When the clock was slowly inching towards its
maximum number still he did not play the fast peppy numbers instead had a
village folk song. Man ..this is called playing to your strength….
