Amusing Musings with Music

Amusing Musings with music

Among my cousins, I was close with one, who was known for his wits and humor. He was Madav. Not only this kind of his nature but his interest in music too was another reason which made us to talk and share a lot. He would make the serious situations and circumstances ease with his wits and humor.

Once my patti made some halwa and kept it as such in the hot kadai and instructed that we should not try to taste without her permission and went to lie down. This instruction was mainly for my mother who was fond of sweets but a diabetic. As soon as she went to lie down, tempted mother went to the kitchen secretly and tried to lift the kadai to spread the halwa on a plate so that while doing so she could have some without the knowledge of patti. As if she was doing some help to patti! But she slipped it as it was too hot. We people were looking through the window and madav immediately started singing.

Chatti suttathada kai vittathada
Patti woke up and enquired “I heard some sound what happened?”
I: “poonai yamma poonai, veetai suthhum poonai, aalillatha nerathile adupangarai sellumam”….
Patti; Oh Cat! Madav go and close the kitchen door
He entered the kitchen saying “athai adikadi adukalaikul selvathen????
My mother got stunned seeing him and pleaded not to tell patti.
I sang on behalf of my mom “Ponal pogatum poda “and “mannikka vendugiren” Madav mannikka vendugiren….

A boy of my girl cousin’s class mate would like to get notes from her but since patti would never allow to talk to boys that boy would pass our house whistling some song..Then my cousin would throw the notebook across the wall or would pass on while putting kolam in front of the house. So whenever that boy passed through madav would sing..
“Paattu paadava..parthu pesava …paadam sollava…notebook tharuviya”
I would reply …”viswanatha kaathiruppai viswanaatha kaathiruppai…note varuthu note varuthu viswanatha kathirupai…..

Most of the time we would do night study. Patty was strict that we should not sleep before 12 at night. But I would just keep the book and my head would start dancing and I would hit my head on my sides or in front. Mischievously to indicate patti, he would sing

“Thoongathe penne thoongathe.”.
I would sing “Adutthava sangathiyellam unaketharku kanna unaketharku”

We were a big family that we could not expect curd. Only buttermilk would be served. Whenever patti served buttermilk madav would say
“Moril mugam theriyuthe” (kangal unai theduthe)
Then I would make a hic up sound…
Some times he would say
“Patti, please bring that butter knife, look how thick the buttermilk is….thicker than curd”
Whenever I got a chance to cook when patti was away from home - I would make only vatha kuzambu, sutta appalam (I knew only these two then) I would call my cousins
“Soodana vatha kuzhambu (en Jodi manchakurivi style from vikram)
Joraaga sutta appalam
Taste paarunga, saaptu paarunga,
jorana combination,
egapaatta competition
taste paaru saaptu paaru
Innum koncham kettu saapidu....

Once on the day of pongal we received a bad news from our family member and we could not celebrate pongal. So the sugarcanes were lying down in the store room waiting for patti’s permission. But my brother who could not control himself went in to the room and started enjoying sugarcane alone. Somehow madav’s detective eye noted and went on
“Karumbu thinnum athai magane (arisi kuthum athai magale)
Nee kai valikka karumbodithu
Thinnumpothu pal valikalaya”

Once when some guests were expected lot of sweets, savouries, tea, coffee were prepared. That was enough to arouse our anxiety to know who the guests were. So sang
“Yaarukkaga ithu yaarukkaga
Intha sweetu antha kaaram
Intha teayum antha coffeeyum

When one of our relative male members was ogling at a neighbour woman
“Aduthathu mamiya paarkathel
Ava kambodu adikka vandal
Thaanga mattel”

There was no end…these were only a few bits I have shared…but I could say the following bit was the height of all these fun.
Chennai December season would catch a fever at our house too. Once, all elders were out to the town for a purchase. Madav and I wanted to capitalize this opportunity. Both of us were avid listeners and collectors of carnatic music tapes. And we tried to learn and sing too to the horror of others in the house. It was a nightmare for most of our cousins and elders. But we never would give up. We tried to record the famous kriti by Maharajapuram santhanam “Saaranga Marugane” a raga maliga kriti in our voice. We sang and started recording. In that kriti one line is in the raga Naattai, which like maharajapuram santhanam we tried to elaborate it singing

Naaatttaaiiiiiiiiii……eeeeeeeeeeeeeee(upper scale) eeeeeiiiiiiii eeiiii(down scale) then both stopped here and wanted to rewind and know how it had come. Fine! It was all an anxious moment of hearing our own voice in a tape, a dream world…of becoming great musicians…on the Chennai sabas…….
The tape started playing…..when nattaiiiiiiii was played we felt some one was at the door steps. Both looked at each other with a pride…shook hands..Thumps up! ”we have set a record”. With the same pride on the face we went to see who that was..
The next door mami was there with a gleeful look
“Oh naan rendu mangai parichukattumanu kekka vanden..Partha etho aeroplane shapthamellam kettuthu…apppo neengal renduperumthanaa mimicry panninathu…O! Embuttu nanna mimicry pannarel….neku theriama poiduthu….illena engathu mamakitta solli pona varushame kovil thiruvizhala chance vaangi ungala medai ethirupen…nanna pannarel kettela…intha varusham ketkalam..Mama kitta…
Rendu mangai parichukaren. Seriya…(Oh I came here to pluck two mangoes from the tree but I heard some aeroplane sound and all…so it was by both of you! Amazing! …O really you are good in mimicry ..i did not know this earlier otherwise I would have recommended you both and got you a chance during temple festival. Let me try this year ..i shall put a word to my husband).

Hi friends can you imagine how we would have been…..Yes exactly you are right…I should not tell all those explicitly.

Do you think we stopped recording after that? Never…we continued..
Even yesterday I received a mail from my cousin madav who is in the US enquiring “how is your music going on?”
I replied.” Yes madav it is going great but you are not here to give another mimicry hit! Why not at this December season?!”

(Hi friends for the next three days i will not log in as I am leaving for Chennai…once I am back I will be in touch..till then Have a nice time my friends )