Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Remembering musicians of the recent past
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cameo
Posts: 118
Joined: 26 Aug 2008, 16:01

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by cameo »

Image

A touche article in malayalam newspaper about Shri abdul Kalam's interest in carnatic music

He walks on to the stage and sits there to listen "Endaro Mahanubhavulu" which was his favoutite keerthanam.

girish_a
Posts: 427
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 13:33

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by girish_a »

Can someone translate the malayalam article for our benefit?

cameo
Posts: 118
Joined: 26 Aug 2008, 16:01

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by cameo »

This is an article mostly on the experience shared by a flute artist.

I have put a rough translation, and not line by line, and may not be as good. Just you will get some insight.

##############

This story is about a rarest of the rare episode in the history of Indian politics.
The story of a president who stood delighted listening to the “Sreeragam” flowing from the flute.

He broke all the protocol and went up to the stage and sat beside the artist listening to “Endaro Mahanubhavulu” by Thyagaraja Swami. Then he asked the artist his name, and whereabouts.

His name is Narendranath. He is the lead of Navy’s Jazz band, and his team got the opportunity to be the official music troupe in Rastrapathi Bhavan. Whenever the president was free, he would call Narendranath and make him play his flute. Their relation went to higher levels, and later on he also got a chance to teach the President Piano.

Navys Jazz band is the team that arranges and plays the music concerts for the guests of Rashtrapathi Bhavan. It was his interest in Carnatic music that made Kalam to bring a flute player into the team, and that is when Narendranath joined the team.

One day there was a concert by Bismillah Khan in Mughal Gardens. After his program, as Kalam was walking he heard his favorite Keerthana being played in the loudspeaker. Immediately he returned, crossed the crowd gathered there and sat on the stage like a child and enjoyed the music. This crowd also had dignitaries like Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and so on..

Kalam used to make him play this ragam very often during his leisure hours.

Thought Kalam had a little bit of knowledge on Veena, he wished to learn another instrument, and that is when Narendranath advised him to choose Piano.

Kalam used to ask to play some ragas in the flute, and his favorites being Sreeragam and Brindavana Saranga. Mostly these interactions happens in Rashtrapathi Bhavan’s Banquet hall or Ashoka Hall.

It was on Pournami days, that the concerts are arranged in Mughal Garden. Kalam himself takes the lead to arrange the artists which had the legends like Balamuralikrishna, Bismillah Khan, Mandolin Srinivas and so on.

Just 2 years prior to the end of his presidentship, Kalam had his family from Rameswaram visting him, and Kalam made sure that that days concert was mostly packed with Ilayaraj and AR Rahmans songs.

##############

girish_a
Posts: 427
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 13:33

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by girish_a »

How beautiful! Thank you very much, cameo.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by arasi »

Cameo,
Thank you for the translation!
There was a post where he was described as not being a handsome man. I see his face beaming to the sound of music here and wonder why he was thought of that way...

"Handsome is handsome does" too, I suppose...

His long flowing hair reminds me of the 'bhAgavathar crop', sported by some famous singers (mostly stars of the film world) like MKT.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by Nick H »

Having been away from the forum during my UK holiday, my small personal tribute comes late.

When I first became aware of Sri Abdul Kalam, it was his hairstyle that first struck me. Of course, it is a shallow observation, but it did seem wonderful to me (I detest that American clean-cut-suit-and-tie-MBA look) that a man in such a position should have such a wonderful mop of hair!

Over the next few years, I came to know that it was not only the hair, but the man himself, that was wonderful. I am so sad that he is no more.

PUNARVASU
Posts: 2498
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by PUNARVASU »

arasi wrote:Cameo,
Thank you for the translation!
There was a post where he was described as not being a handsome man. I see his face beaming to the sound of music here and wonder why he was thought of that way...

"Handsome is handsome does" too, I suppose...

His long flowing hair reminds me of the 'bhAgavathar crop', sported by some famous singers (mostly stars of the film world) like MKT.

arasi, if you are referring to the tribute i wrote on him, it is based on what he himself is supposed to have said :
'I am not a handsome man, but I will give my hand to some one in need'.'
Other wise I dare not describe him as such!

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by arasi »

Punarvasu,
With the pea soup foggy weather we have had here, my old mind got even more muddled, and I had no clue who had mentioned it :( You do know that I would have sent you an E-mail had I noticed that it was you and asked you!

I see what you mean, though.That he had said it himself, I wasn't aware of...

PUNARVASU
Posts: 2498
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by PUNARVASU »

Thanks, arasi. I know, while reading so many posts, it is easier to remember what was written than who wrote that. Soon after Shir Abdul Kalam's passing away, many of his quotes were being mentioned. I have read them earlier too and as I wrote an ex tempore tribute, those words automatically found their way into it.
No problem. I thought I should clear it.
Thank you.

gardabha_gana
Posts: 1033
Joined: 24 Dec 2006, 07:44

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by gardabha_gana »

Is there any audio/video of Kalam sir playing the Veena. A great son of India. This is what I had written on my FB page.

India pat yourself on your back - to have a son like Abdul Kalam. And what a send off you gave to a real Bharat Ratna - I think one can use the cliche that the award gave itself an upgrade when it was conferred on Kalam.
What made Kalam so special - I don't think in the truest sense of the term he was the greatest space/nuclear scientist. Names like Homi Bhabha, the father of Indian Atomic Energy comes to mind. Probably Vikram Sarabhai or Satish Dhawan may lay a claim in the Space arena. What set him apart in the technological field was his laser like focus on building the missile systems and delivering it - and taking India into a position of strength when we were really a poor nation. That was however not the reason for the send off India gave him today.
I don't think he was politically the best president either. His president rule imposition in Bihar was thrown out by the supreme court. Probably, KR Narayanan was a better political president.
What set him apart was that he was "one of us", a real "common man" or "aam admi". He had a sense of genuineness in him - in that the common man could identify with him. He threw open the Rashtrapathi Bhavan to the common man. He didn't go around lecturing about world peace or preach secularism. He asked people to dream - to be the best and do things the right way! Religion to him was personal - never wore it on his sleeve. He was multifaceted from quoting scriptures to playing the Veena. I think he embodied the Idea of India better than anyone else in this generation. I have never seen anyone earn the respect and affection in equal measure of common folk in the country across caste, community and regional barriers. Goodbye Dr. Kalam! Hope India lives a fraction of your ideals!

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Bharath Rathna A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away

Post by arasi »

gardabha_gana,

You captured the ratnA of bhArat in his essence--yes, he is an exemplary son of India.

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