Kannada Novels and Other's Wives

One fine day I walked into a small time poet's house unknowingly. You can imagine what might ensue! But for a change instead of a poem he had a newly written "short story" to tell, I mean 'when the ink is still wet' kind. It was apparently his first. As the story unfolded it became apparent that the story's plot was a rape scene. I was still in high school mind you and so was my friend: the author. I could not think of a reason why he needed rape plot; couldn't he find something more creative. Who am I to decide the story of the plot he has written. I said story was not bad and left.

I read Bairappa's Vamshavruksha, Avarana. Both have these sex plots of a kind. I picked up Mandra and to my disgust it begins with a scene where musician is trying to plead someones wife to have sex with him. Sex is not a problem but it is not an analgesic tablet that you can take whenever you have head ache. For the second time I am looking for a reason why some authors are obsessed with sex.

I read Windy Doniger's exploits. Another clear case of lack of any creativity. I admire all authors for the effort they take in creating a piece. Bairappa especially rights well researched novels. Vamshavruskha is one of the finest novels. But to me that does not change my belief that those who lack creativity of some sort resort to sexual references too often especially extra marital ones.  Over doing it is wrong not the reference itself.

Emails and Emotions

How we interpret the tone of an email and the emotional value in it, I wonder, may be a reflection of our own attitude rather than what is implied in the email. I pick up phone or show up in person where I strongly suspect email wont solve problem but might end up creating one! Nonetheless, even under normal informal conversational circumstances, people get offended by emails. 

Email when used often becomes a chat like tool. Email is a name we have give to a mode of communication but what is going on is a conversation. But old habit of curtsies hardly dies; we still expect each mail to "address" us like old snail mail did! We do not say "Dear Siddu" every time we say something in a conversation. This difference in looking at E-mail becomes huge problem when unwanted emotions creep in.

E-mail over the years among a community of people creates an email culture so customized that people in that community start to believe everyone has the same set of protocol to deal with emails and expect others to behave the same way. New comes to a community feel that heat when they get angry emails apparently for no reason. This new community may be a new work place, new social circle. I am leaning to remember individual preferences when I communicate. Yet it is much easier if people relax a bit and stop attributing emotions to every word of emails. Emotions are hard to understand when communicating directly. How will that become easier on emails? Ignoring emotions will help a lot. Sensitive matters however are best dealt in person.

   

Hindu Child

Richard Dawkins argues that just as a child can not have a political ideal, she can not have a religion either. He says, it is like calling children 'these are socialist children', 'those are republican children'. Therefore there can not be a Hindu child. I like the idea. It is my own to be precise when I had realised that I am a Hindu because I was born to Hindu parents, a brahmin, a veggie etc all because I was born to a particular couple. I would be dishonest to say I chose to be this after I grew up. No I did not chose, I merely did not chose anything else. That is all.

My vegetarianism in particular is mostly inherited. However, I consciously chose to continue probably to avoid a sense of uneasiness if not guilt. Now of course I defend it! I tried to think, but I can not figure out if it was uneasiness or aversion to cruelty that made me continue. That is why I say it was probably uneasiness since I am may not have been exposed to cruelty in the sense it is required to develop aversion to it.

Even though I like the Dawkins idea. I can not figure out the solution. If some one can help separate religion and culture we could have children with cultural identity but no religious identity. Only if you can separate them. This is even more complicated for Hindus. We can definitely make children plural but depriving them of some faith is not reasonably feasible even though interesting. Absolutely queerer than we can suppose!

A list of Yakshagana melodies I can sing in some ragas

1  Naati                ----  Gajamukadavage/mudadinda ninna
2  Sangatya          ----  Kururaaaya idanella kandu
3  Regupti            ----  Kelu / Swaami laalipudu maata
4  Kambhodhi      ----  Nalinaakshi kele eega
5  Bhairavi           ----  Elavo sanjayane kelu
6  Madhyamavathi ---Indirage talebaagi
7  Kalyani              --- Kandanu kamsa kandanu
8  Bilahari               --- Kururaaya kelenna maaata
9  Nilaambari         ---
10 Paraju                --- Bharadim nEmtevu swaami nimmedeya
11 Desi (Desh?)     --- Laalisi keelindivasage annnadEva
12 Navaroju           --- KElu Darmaja maata naa peluvenai vikyaata
13 Savaay              --- ela ela chi
14 Saurashtra         --- Janapa kaurava vyatheya taaluta
15 Madhumaadhavi     -
16 Kedaragaula        (Taye kel sri krishna rayana bari salu)/ Adara pandu sutaru
17 Suruti            Ninnaya baluhenu
18 Todi              Taruni kele namma / Nodiri dharmaja/Taaye chintipudenu
19 Begadi          
20 Mukhari        -Bhupa yenayto pratapa
21 Panturavali   - Nadeyalo muraari sukadolu
22 Janjuti       --- Tandeyalida divasa dinda
23 Maravi      ---
24 Mohana     -- Maranaiyyana maata
25 Shivaranjini --- Dhaatugedaitaruva
26 Dhanyasi
27 Shankarabharana --- Anthacheluve/Dharanipati renukanu
28 Aarabi      --- Devara deva krupaakarana - chelva paavana charita
29 Anandabhairavi  -- Neetiyella poopudindu/agane ninna

30 Shudha Saveri    -- (Durga) Ahude yennaya ramana -- (bandu kootihalu nodi dhaati)

Shivaram Karath elaborates them here.
I will try to post samples for them.

Jounalists are jealous of bloggers

Yes they are here is an example:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/articleshow/msid-2056809,curpg-2.cms

And my answer:

This article is incomplete. At the end, article needs a "sigh". The author's chest appears light at the end of it!! This is merely a J(jealous) post. The treatment here is that at one end of the battle field are journalists who are the holly cows that make no punctuation error and have become something that is so "tough"/"hard" to become (like a rocket scientist) and the other end are sore looser. Mr author these sore looooooosers matching your descriptions have a more popular name: common man/ordinary people. 

Yes people fail/succeed/talk/bitch/rant/oppose and but unlike journalists only a few may even be paid. Aren't you js paid? Aren't you media houses have ideology: liberal/modern/progressive whatever you may like to call it?
It is really heartening to see when journalists who frustrate common men with their abuse of stupidity get frustrated. When was the last time online media got all the punctuation right? And when was the last time that so called Editorial Process was applied and meant something meaningful? It is time js stop assuming they only have the right to rant and face the rant of those frustrated by stupidity of journalists.

Yours sincerly
A blogger (not a paid one like you journalists)
By the if you apply your Editorial Process on this I have my blog to rant. No worries!!

Refined rhythms

Fingers have better dexterity than palms, wrist or arms. Therefore much better control over rhythm production is possible using fingers than anything else. Because Tabla is played using only fingers and to very less extent using palms, naturally the rhythm emanating from them is a lot refined than others when played well. Mrudanga can produce similar refinement but increased use of palm in Mrudanga actually reduces the tonality and also the ability to control rhythm production. Similar argument may apply to Maddale and Pakawaj.

For drums Chande that need drum sticks to play are best payed using the wrist. They can not produce bogglingly loud sound but can produce better tonality and sophistication in rhythms. Other way is to use arm and shoulders which undoubtedly produces less refined sound and reduces tonality.

Therefore playing hard and loud on any drum is not a virtue since it means use of parts of hands that have less dexterity. Amplification is best left to electronic devices of the day and drums can focus on better quality of sound rather than on being loud.
 

Which instrument is this?

Can you guess?

Ek Taala - Yakshagana using strange instrument

Ek Tala - Another variation - Tapatatapatatata 

Ravi kakka, I think in his youth gave a Yuvavaani programme for Badravathi Radio station (1988?). I learnt a little hearing him. We had jams lasting an hour sometimes. He is still the best in this with much better bass and envelope. I get more complicated groves into it but can not get it as elegant as his. I will record his performance and put it here sometime.

Here is one of his favourite groves it comes at the at of the following recording at the very end with faster tempo. Not a great music but much pleasurable.

Ravi Kakka Grove -- ChapaChapaPachaChacha

This so called Ek Taala is a popular folk grove which I tried show and convince you so many ways. But you do not believe me. So here is another I do that. I start with folk grove and transition to Yakshagana grove.

I call this record Dattanna Dattanna
.
.

ಹುಳುಕು

ನೀ ಬರುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿನಲಿ ಮುತ್ತಿನಲಿ ಮಸುಕಿತ್ತು,
ಮುಗಿಲೂರ ಮೋರೆಗರೆ ಮುಸುಕು ಮುಚ್ಚಿತ್ತು.
ಹಿತ್ತಲಿನ ಹಣ್ಣೊಳಗೆ ಹುಣ್ಣುಗಳ ಹುಳುಕಿತ್ತು,
ಉ೦ಬುತಿಹ ತುತ್ತೊಳಗೆ ಕಲ್ಲು ಮಣ್ಣು.
ಕಣ್ಣುಗುಡ್ಡೆಗಳುಡುಗಿ ಕೆ೦ಪೇರಿ ಕೆದರಿತ್ತು,
 

...........

ಹುಳುಕು

ನೀ ಬರುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿನಲಿ ಮುತ್ತಿನಲಿ ಮಸುಕಿತ್ತು,
ಮುಗಿಲೂರ ಮೋರೆಗರೆ ಮುಸುಕು ಮುಚ್ಚಿತ್ತು.
ಹಿತ್ತಲಿನ ಹಣ್ಣೊಳಗೆ ಹುಣ್ಣುಗಳ ಹುಳುಕಿತ್ತು
ಉ೦ಬುತಿಹ ತುತ್ತೊಳಗೆ ಕಲ್ಲು ಮಣ್ಣು
ಕಣ್ಣುಗುಡ್ಡೆಗಳುಡುಗಿ ಕೆ೦ಪೇರಿ ಕೆದರಿತ್ತು
ಮೊಸರ್ಕಡೆದು ನೀರೊಡೆದು ಬೆಣ್ಣೆ ಕಮಟಿತ್ತು

....

Still conscious Kaurava marches alone -

My most favourite padya ever - Original by Kalinga Navuda

I spoke about it a year ago.

Dhaatugedaitaruva Kurukula Naathananu Kaanuttha Sanjayanothu