One balmy evening last July a few of us NMCers were driving home after a rigorous rehearsal for our Drive East performance. We were deep in discussion about how we would present our concert. We prided ourselves on not settling for the usual announcements that accompanied Carnatic music items, but rather, on being fun, creative and different. Our audiences ranged from the complete neophyte to the dyed-in-the-wool aficionado and we needed to engage and capture their attention in a meaningful way. The conversation meandered to another favorite topic - food. Rehearsals made us hungry. Glitzy restaurants glinted by in the night. Somebody described an amazing meal she had eaten - divinely delicious, but also described in such over-the-top terms that she still got the giggles thinking about it. And then something clicked and I thought - why not merge together NMC's top loves, food and music, and weave in, just for fun, the grandiloquent vocabulary that some of New York's restaurants used to describe their wares?
It was the matter of an evening to turn the idea into a script. What fun we had with it, as NMC's latent thespian talents found full expression! And here it is - our concert, presented as a fine-dining experience, with music as the bill of fare. I do hope you enjoy reading it. In order that you don't go hungry, I have included tasting-size portions of some of the items. Just click on the links to watch the videos.
THE SCRIPT FOR NMC's DRIVE EAST CONCERT, AUGUST 2018, LA MAMA THEATER, NEW YORK CITY
Costumes: Men - Veshtis and Bowties; Women - plaid/fusion/confusion.
INTRODUCTION
(Bhargavi and Shiv walk to center)
Bhargavi and Shiv: If music be the food of love play on! (Twelfth Night reference)
(Bhargavi and Shiv walk to corner dining table and take their seats, while Roopa starts narration from backstage)
(From Backstage)
Roopa: We at NMC love our music - and we love our food! And here we are in New York, one of the greatest foodie and pretentious menu cities in the world. So we combine these elements to present to you a carefully curated platter of an assortment of vintage, heirloom and artisan-crafted items. The grand theme of tonight’s menu will be Lord Muruga, redolent of the warm spices, paddy fields and fierce spirit of the Tamil country of southern India. For added piquancy and depth of flavor, we will include a delightful dash of Shiva and a daring splash of a seer, Kabir.
(During Roopa’s speech, Vignesh walks in, joining Bhargavi and Shiv at the table)
Vignesh: If music be the food of love, eat on!
Shiv: Paada Vendume X 2
Bhargavi: (Sa) Paada Vendume X 1
Mridangam aradhi
(Roopa starts again from backstage while everyone enters the stage and takes their places for the first item, the Guha Manohari varnam, except Kamini who proceeds to the dining table to be Narrator-Waiter.)
Roopa (still backstage): The members of NMC are each hand-picked, and have been meticulously and lovingly braised in controlled environments and terrains around the globe. They are the fine distillation of a uniquely Indian method of breeding and rearing, specially selected for precious traits like a proclivity for Engineering and Medicine. Nourished on home-fermented yogurt from cows that roam the faux-grass pastures of industrial feedlots, they possess a finely honed global sensibility in addition to being distinctly off-kilter on the normalcy meter.
After her speech, Roopa enters the stage and takes her Guha Manohari place while the dining scene starts)
Kamini (Narrator-Waiter speaking in snooty tones): Hello! I will be your Maitre d’ for the evening. Tonight’s performance begins with a great-grandfather spun Varnam in the ragam Guha Manohari. Born in the haze-tinged ambience of Delhi, this free-range item skips daringly over the Pa, foraging for nourishment and sustenance in the salubrious groves of Ri, Ma, Da and Ni.
Vignesh: Hey, but I want some Pa-s! Won’t it be boring and bland without the Pa? Give me a Pa with my Mu-ru-ga!
Kamini (frostily, recoiling slightly): Sir, I can assure you that the creator, Sri N.S. Ramachandran, has honed this varnam to perfection.
Shiv: Hey, I know this varnam already! N.S. Ramachandran was my kollu-thaatha (great grandfather)! It has a perfect blend of swarams, sahityams, and laya. Anything more or less would upset the balance.
Kamini: Yes, this rare piece will tickle your palate and leave you craving for more!
Bhargavi: Let’s just get this started, shall we?
Anjna starts brief alaapanai right away as Narrator/Diners take their places.
SING GUHA MANOHARI :Mayile, Raga Guha Manohari, Adi Talam, Composed by Sri. N.S. Ramachandran
(click on link above to watch video: Guhamanohari Varnam)
(Kamini, Bhargavi, Prithvi go to dining table)
Kamini: Next we have a trio of Nanjinais - constructed, deconstructed, and multi-constructed. Aboghi three ways. The first is flame-roasted in the searing sun of southern India in the traditional style; the deconstructed version presents Nanjinai’s clean, spare flavors; and the third is a multi-layered delight topped with a frothy foam of harmony.
Bhargavi: I love this song. My Thatha taught it to me when I was 6 or 7. It is by Arunagirinathar who wrote a collection of poems called the Thirupugazh. He’s from the 17th century.
Prithvi: Nope, 15th century. He was so devoted to Muruga - such a cool guy - walked long distances from one Muruga shrine to another!
Bhargavi: All that is fine, but I don’t know about this deconstructed stuff and harmonies. Sounds weird to me!
Prithvi: Oh come on, be a little adventurous and try something new!
Bhargavi huffs, rolls her eyes.
Anjna starts brief alaapanai right away as Narrator/Diners take their places.
SING NANJINAI: Nanjini Polumana, Abhogi, Tisra-Gathi Adi, Composed by Sri Arunagirinathar
(Click link above to watch the video: Nanjinai Polumana)
(Kamini, Shobana, Divya go to dining table)
Kamini: Next, with Esane Koti Surya Prakasane, we envelop you in a different aura with a different theme in the form of Shiva and caste identity. Note how the sibilant upper-caste hisses are hushed and muted as this rare, sun-ripened item weaves its way unctuously through the cool dancing halls of Chidambaram.
Divya: Can you tell me a little more? What is the provenance of this item? The ragam? The talam?
Shobana: This piece might be rare, or medium rare, but I can tell you something about it! It’s by Muthuthandavar, and apparently he was one of the people who came up with this whole three-course Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam idea for Carnatic songs.
Divya: This one is in Nalinakanthi, right? (Kamini nods). It makes me feel so happy! I’d like it well done, please!
Kamini: Certainly!
Anjna starts brief alaapanai right away as Narrator/Diners take their places.
SING ESANE: Esane Koti Surya Prakasane, Nalinakanthi, Misra Chapu, Composed by Sri Muthuthandavar
(Kamini, Asha go to dining table)
Kamini: With the entree, Papanasam Sivan’s Saravana Bhava Guhane, we are back to Muruga, this one steeped in the terroir of 20th century India, fed by the cool waters of the Kaveri and the rice from its golden delta. Savor this item slowly and leisurely and enjoy both the familiar and the surprising and allow the waves of devotion to wash over you. May I recommend a short alapanai in Madhyamavathi to prepare you for the main feast?
Asha: Could we also have some kalpana swarams? And also a tani avartanam? That would really round out this item.
Kamini: But of course!
Roopa starts alaapanai right away as Narrator/Diners take their places.
SING SARAVANA BHAVA: Saravana Bhava Guhane, Madhyamavathi, Adi, Composed by Papanasam Sivan
(click on link above to watch video: Madhyamavathi - Kalpana Swarams and Tani Avartanam)
(Kamini, Shraddha, Vignesh go to dining table)
Kamini: For our next item, we venture into northern pastures with a silken smooth song by the great poet Kabir, massaged in Charukesi, layered with harmonies. This one has a very different flavor profile. Pay particular attention to the strong note of Oak. We urge you to think abstract thoughts while enveloped in the essence of the Ajapa breath.
Shraddha: It will be nice to have something a little lighter after the heavy Madhyamavathi!
Vignesh: What’s the deal with the Oak?
Shraddha: I believe it was taught to NMC by Saili Oak, who learned it from Ashwini Bhide! Who tuned this too!
Vignesh: OK, let’s hear it. I'm hungry!
Pree starts her Doha right away as Narrator/Diners take their places.
SING CHARUKESI: Ajapa Jaap, Charukesi, Misra Chapu, Composed by Kabir
(Kamini, Roopa, Shobana, Preetha go to dining table)
Kamini: And finally, for dessert, a sweet and bracing thillana in Basant Bahar that evokes multiple themes like the disjointed dancing ritual of a desperate peacock and national integration. A lot to chew on!
Shobana: Is this the one by Maharajapuram Santhanam?
Preetha: Yes - his thillanas are fun and can be such tongue-twisters!
Shobana: Oh yay, let’s get up and dance! (peacock mudra!!)
Roopa: Really, you want to dance?!
Preetha: I think she means “Let’s daaaance” (hip hop, body roll)
Pree/Roopa/Shobana do the pallavi with choreographed hip hop moves while Anjna plays. A dose of NMC madness!
Shiv (from his place): hey guys, cut, cut! This is a serious ragam Basant Bahar, made up of Basant AND Bahar. I don’t hear the Bahar really though? Can we do it right?
(Shiv sings alaapanai. While he’s singing Narrator/Diners take their places, astonished by the beauty of the ragam)
SING THILLANA
Roopa: And that concludes our meal! I want to thank you all for coming AND the beautiful talents who gave us food for our souls. In order of appearance, Diner #1, #2, #3...I’ll mention each person’s name. And our dear Maitre d’, Kamini! Of course we must thank our Sous Chefs for the night (Anjna, Rohan, Sai)...thank you for attending today and feel free to share pics and videos of the food you’ve eaten today on Instagram! Tag Navatman Music Collective and Drive East! And have a great night! Sleep well!
THE END!