The "Music" played

The “Music” Played

It has been a week since the “Music” graced us lucky 70-80,000 people. 84 Kilometers from the Genius’s and my home town Madras, a place called seekithu kuppam(Slum) 60 Kilometers from Pondicherry a land occupied by Marg properties, about 5000 cars and 10-12000 bikes parked.

Choc-o-Block full, ECR was jam packed, absolute chaos, the lights were bright and I could see them about a kilometer away from the actual place. I started at 4:50 PM from Madras and reached the place at 7:40 PM in the evening. Though I hit 120 consistently we managed to reach after 2:30 hours of traffic filled travel.

Then at 7:30 Pm 10 minutes before I reached the show had begun. I vividly remember at the flip side of the donor pass were few protocols which were supposed to be adhered to but then......

1. The entry will be prohibited after 6:30PM i.e. 30 minutes past the show time

(The show started at 7:30 PM only).

2. Only one person will be allowed for valid donor pass holder

(No one even bothered to check if we had valid ones)

3. Plastic bottles and drinks bought outside will be strictly prohibited.

(People had their dinner right there)

4. Still Cameras and video cameras are not allowed.

(Every second person had a either still camera or handy cam)

5. Mobile phones should be switched off immediately after the show begins

6. (No one even cared to do that, people shot through mobile cameras)

Now, to the main show after couple of ear drum rupturing numbers at around 7:40 PM the music emerged atop a crane dressed in a Jeans and Black Tee, then chaos a musical at that. I have never ever seen such a Himalayan audience and such a show in my 31 years of existence.

The grandeur of show was seen to be believed, it is just out of the world experience a journey in to the unknown but everything known. To support the maestro there were very famous personalities like Sivamani, Hariharan, Chitra,Sadhna Sargam and many.

During the show the dancers were just making their presence felt and not at any moment did they relent, they were full of beans and the show was even more Rahmanesque. The Maestro slipped in to one of his product a new song from the film Blue, “Fiqrana”. I had a hunch that he likes this song particularly in this album, then the other singers kept every one entertained.

Along the course came perhaps the song of 2008, came out this singer and the audience did not quite know whom he was, poor man that he is, he is the voice of “Jashn-e-Bahar” Javed Ali just mesmerised with this song. Then came Dil se from the master himself, it was like going to heaven and coming back such was the intensity that a melodious song like that evoked a rapturous applause.

A minute and couple of sighs from the audience the “Train” left the station and slowly built its velocity to peak to a point where about 10,000 people sang and danced. The train was driven by the master’s sister A.R.Rehana and Mohammad Aslam. So much so people who know no word in Hindi started singing “Chaiyyan chaiyyan”. Such is the power of “music”, the “Train” came to a screaming stop, and then “Taxi” picked up from where the “Train” Let off. The “Taxi” driven by BlaaZe and Vivienne. There was madness in the audience as people of all age started grooving.

Then a break for 15 Minutes to hand over the formalities and then started the journey again this time to the Dhol beats of “Azeem-O Shaan” and “Veerapandi kottayile” and “Rukumani” sung by the maestro himself, to boot to the songs the LED display behind the showman was just mind blowing.

After this there was chill in the air and silence in the audience, then the stage got lit up in green, the maestro had a cap and a harmonium to his aid, then he slipped into a sufi song “Khwaja mere” and then followed “Arziyaan” from Delhi-6 I for a minute forgot that I was Sathyanarayanan and that I was Rahim Khan, such was the mesmerising voice. After that Hariharan and Chitra sung their chart toppers with Chitra’s “Kannalane” evoked more applause for the maestro’s part than the actual song.

Neeti Mohan increased the temperature of the evening by crooning and belly dancing for “Maaya Maaya”. After enthralling the audience for more than 4 hours the Musical genius slipped in to perhaps the most sung by song of the evening in "Musthafa" the audience just swayed and sung as if they were charmed by the snake charmer. Then the re mixed Humma from the maestro and BlaaZe just took the night away. To end the show the academy award winning “Jai Ho” and the universe winning “Vande mataram” evoked emotional scenes.

The icing on the cake was the fire crackers after the show which kept the audience un moved; it was a night of musical nirvana for me and the other 70000 odd Rahmaniacs.