Ravikiran Narasimhan

Veena Pustaka (Indian carnatic instrumental/1992)

Hey folks,

I was 13, I think when I was taken against my will to a Carnatic classical music concert. My grandma could have trusted me to be at home, alone, but I think she wanted to inject a bit of culture into my young veins. Probably save me from the poisons of Western music, Monday night RAW, and Pokemon trading cards.

I feel bad now that I don’t remember the name of the performer I heard that day. But what I do remember was being a whiny little brat who made it abundantly clear that my presence at that concert was an anomaly on the level of finding a penguin in the Arctic. I sulked, pouted, made slightly loud sighs, and attracted the steely-eyed displeasure of madisaru-clad elderly women.¹

Representative photo. Credit: Mohan Ayyar. 2012. License details.

My grandmother decided (rightly) that societal castigation was not worth the price of the ticket, so she brought me home, and we were both mum throughout the autorickshaw ride. I knew I was going to get an earful and boy was I right.

In my mid-30s, nearly 600 days into a new country and way of life, some of those memories of home have resurfaced as my mind drifts awash with nostalgia.

I hope you enjoy this masterpiece.

Blast from the Past

This day, last month on What’s Curation?

Devan & Anuradha Sriram

-Nikhil.

1. A style of draping the traditional sari. Check out The Sari Series: A Digital Anthology to see videos of 83 different styles from all over India. Take your style to the next level!