The Man, The Legend

Yesudoss, the singer is only well known to us. Most of us have grown up listening to him waking us up with 'Adithya hrudyam punyam' in the morning and going to sleep with his 'kaNNE kalaimAnE'. But at the concert in Coimbatore last week, he showed why he is much much greater than just a singer. Let me recall certain incidents.

We had a rather irritating compere at the concert - the modern RJ/VJ kinds who make more noise and attempts to hog more attention than the actual performer. (For heaven's sakes she actually hooted twice after Yesudoss finished a melody piece! Sigh!) And as is the norm today, she shouted and crooned for more applause every time someone came on stage/every time Yesudoss finished singing ('Come on Coimbatore, ivvaLO thAnA Coimbatore applause, etc.,). The second time she did that, Yesudoss with his dulcet voice said 'amma, athellAm appdi kEttu vAnggak kUdAthu ma. avangga mansAra ennai pArAttindu thAn irukkA. antha vibration illainAA ennAla paada mudiyAthu. athanAla appadi ellAm kettundu irukkAthE.' Brilliant! (Of course the compere hooted for this as well..)

Yesudoss at the start of the concert (which was being held for a noble cause) mentioned something about how there were no beds in the hospital in Cochin where he was born and how his mother suffered at birth. In the middle of the concert, the sponsors came with a cheque offering that it be used for getting 10 new beds at that hospital. Our man did not as much take the cheque in his hands and said that he will speak to the hospital officials and ask them to collect the cheque directly.

Then again, there was an anecdote about how he was almost offered the AsthAna gAyakan of Kerala state (Again, when the compere asked the meaning of AsthAnam, you should have been there to see how he explained it.). Following this, the organizers again offered him a gold chain and the title of konggu AsthAna something (don't remember). Yesudoss, did not as much put the gold chain on his neck before saying that the chain should be used for the cause for which he came and that he only intended to sing for this cause and would want nothing more.

The clincher however came later. Our beloved compere by now had lost all sense of shame and when Yesudoss finished one more beautiful song, she hooted at the top of the voice that ‘She loved and desired him’. Let us think of this. This man on stage is a 66 year old man who has led a career without a single mark or blemish. The way he treats music and life and his principles are very very noble. Wouldn't someone's tongue tremble before they make such audacious statements?

But our man gently replied saying that 'You are pretty courageous. I'm glad for you that my wife is not here.' Following this, the compere once again babbled some mindless stuff before saying, 'Ok, I'll go back stage now.' Our man simply said 'That would be the best thing to do.'

But it was not over yet. The following piece was a rendition of iLaya nilA pozigiRathu by a member of the orchestra. The guitar for this piece was played excellently by a girl of about 11-12 years. After she finished it, Yesudoss got the mike and, 'ungga ellArukkum oru periya artistai introduce panna poREn.' Gets the girl in forward. 'ivangga thAn intha pAttukku guita vAsichAngga. adakkamA kai kAl sEshtai illAma guitar mathiram vAsichAngga. guitar vAsikkarathai thavira vera ethellAmo panni attention create pannalai. ippadi thAn vAsikka veNdum.'

Of course the compere as usual hooted ignorant of what was happening.

Some other highlights

1. Yesudoss never allowed anybody (other than very very small kids) to fall at his feet on stage.

2. While the rather unnecessary felicitations where going on with the wives, sons, brothers, brother-in-laws and onnu vitta chiththappAs of various dignitaries, Yesudoss waited patiently backstage. He did not come forward and join the mutual flattery on stage.

3. When Yesudoss appreciated and gave compliments to the young child singers on stage, he did so in a manner that made the kid feel happy while at the same time making sure that it didn’t get into the head.

To summarize the whole thing, I've been to a few concerts, both light music and classical. I've listened to a few excellent pieces that mark as sheer genius in terms of creativity. But here's a man who shows us that it is not just music or not just art, but beyond that sincerity and being true to what one believes.

I bow to you sir! Hats off to Yesudoss!

She's all ready!

Sorry for the late post.

But Alvibest is all ready and dressed up! I'm sure most of you guys must have already looked at Her. In case you haven't, then maybe you need to send a mail to subscribe.alvibest@gmail.com!

Mohana

She is a shy timid girl, not more than fourteen years old. The first bud of youth's spring is just about to peek from her eyes. Her body and more importantly mind is opening to ideas, passions, pleasures and pains which had hitherto remained unknown.

She opens her timid doe-like eyes and looks at the world with anxiety and anticipation. Her eyes grow wider with the eyelashes entwining like lovers. Her lower lips quivers often, a bud that shall soon blossom into a flower and ripen into a fruit. The celerity of puerility is replaced with the grace of puberty.

She looks at her own reflection in the mirror with awe. Everyday she gazes on with pride and desire as spring lends her colour, charm and gaiety to her body. She admires the buds that someday will gush with life someday. She stands there in front of her mirror and everyday a new secret, a new mystery is revealed to her.

She charms, entices and lures without her knowledge. She looks about with the innocence of a jasmine washed in the summer rain as the bees hum around her softly. When she does realize her power, the attraction she wields, she blushes a crimson red. Her blood rises to her cheeks filling it with life and passion.

She stands at the threshold of her youth. The garden of passion lies open in front of her eyes. Her feet however linger behind in the playground of maidenhood. She stands there like the evening, neither here nor there. A little shadow, a little light. A little innocence, a little desire. A bud on the threshold of blossom. That is what she is.

She is the Sandhya, the twilight. She is Mohana - the innocent and seductive Mohana who is on the threshold of blossoming...forever.

She can be seen here.

P.S. Thanks to V for inspiring this post.

எந்தன் அன்னை

கதிரே எந்தன் அன்னை - ஞானப்
புதிரே எந்தன் அன்னை - அசைவின்
சதிரே எந்தன் அன்னை - எந்தன்
எதிரே எந்தன் அன்னை

ஒளியே எந்தன் அன்னை - விரியும்
வளியே எந்தன் அன்னை - வாழ்வின்
அளியே எந்தன் அன்னை - சாவின்
களியே எந்தன் அன்னை

சுடரே எந்தன் அன்னை - பேரின்பப்
படரே எந்தன் அன்னை - வலிதரும்
இடரே எந்தன் அன்னை - உடலின்
குடரே எந்தன் அன்னை

தழலே எந்தன் அன்னை - பேராசைச்
சுழலே எந்தன் அன்னை - வினையின்
உழலே எந்தன் அன்னை - கருணை
நிழலே எந்தன் அன்னை

தேவை

மழை போல் கவிதை
மலர் போல் காதல்

ஒளி போல் பார்வை
வளி போல் எண்ணம்

கொடி போல் வாழ்க்கை
கிளை போல் ஆசை

இருள் போல் உறக்கம்
ம்ருள் போல் கனவு

நதி போல் செல்வம்
மதி போல் கருணை

கதிர் போல் ஞானம்
சுடர் போல் காமம்

கவி போல் கருவம்
கனல் போல் ஆற்றல்

தழல் போல் ஆத்திரம்
நிலம் போல் பொறுமை

வானம் போல் உடல்
கானம் போல் உயிர்

குருவி போல் இன்பம்
கூடு போல் வீடு

அருவி போல் கண்ணீர்
பிரிவு போல் துயரம்

இரவு போல் ஜனனம்
மாலை போல் மரணம்

Lover's night - a poem with two Windows and a door

***********************************

The Door opens

***********************************

Behold behold tis the lover's night
Summer showers cool moonlight
Nectar here nectar there
nectar nectar everywhere

***********************************

Window I

***********************************

Hooting owls and croaking frogs
Crafty cats and fighting dogs
Gentle songs of silver streams
Satin sheets and jasmine dreams

Shining knights and smiling dames
Lissome steeds and magic flames
Golden locks from fairy tales
Underneath her lovely veils

Silent roads and distant trees
shining stars with window breeze
Cradles rocked by rumbling snores
Goodnight kisses and closed doors

***********************************

Window II

***********************************

Wicked hair and wanton sight
lying by the candle light
Goblet of some ancient wine
and tonight she's only mine

Slender neck and hungry eyes
Ripened lips sweetened twice
Now this touch now that kiss
Now a gasp and then a hiss

In my arms her slender waist
Tapering thighs and bosom raised
Lost in pleasure and in pain
Souls together bodies slain

***********************************

Behold behold tis the lover's night
Summer showers cool moonlight
Nectar here nectar there
nectar nectar everywhere

***********************************

The Door closes

***********************************

The Shy Morning

Morning glows in a virgin blush
Trembles there in the silver dew
A teasing song calling the thrush
Golden face blooms anew

A tremulous flame this orange dawn
A golden crack in the sheet of night
Peeping here like a frightened fawn
A modest maiden with feet lily white

Oh how she quivers a face so shy
How she waits on the threshold of day
How she longs to embrace the sky
Oh how she longs to merge with the grey

Over the hills on the singing streams
Gently she walks feeling her love
Shyly she hides all her dark dreams
Like a fair nymph hiding in a cove

Soon she'll grow, soon she'll bloom
Soon she'll smile like a new spring flower
But now she's shy a virgin in her room
Waiting with desire for her secret lover

(P.S. Yes, I'm back!)