Emergency at the Academy - hilarious

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 29 Mar 2007, 16:44

Emergency at the Academy - I
http://www.chennaionline.com/musicseaso ... ason33.asp

Emergency at the Academy - II
http://www.chennaionline.com/musicseaso ... ason38.asp

Makes for hilarious reading! The references to Canteen Krishnamurthy are too good! By comparison, today's state of affairs at MA seems to be rather tame...

A few excerpts:

The next morning, Madras music-lovers woke up to strong coffee and 'Indian Express' newspaper. A few tumblers were dropped, a few throats choked after the first sip as people rubbed their sleepy eyes in disbelief. For most music-lovers, their coffee went cold as they read the tongue-lashing, sorry, pen-lashing by Subbudu, the critic, who went hammer and tongs at the concert, in 'Indian Express'.

The Academy managers and other worthies marched hither and thither on the stage. Very few people knew what was going on excepting that something exciting was going to happen. A few minutes later, everyone knew. A worthy from out of town, who was babbling about the utility of music in the bhakti movement, was cut short and shown the way to the green room, thus abruptly bringing to a halt the morningâ€™s lec-dem session. This was no time for bhakti. It was time to demonstrate shakti.

After the meeting, a sizable portion of the crowd went to the canteen for bondas and coffee. Canteen Krishnamurti had a tough time managing the irate crowd, which not being able to thrash Subbudu then and there, abused the poor waiters for the delay in serving. In their anxiety to preserve the Pitamahaâ€™s dignity, some of the respectable mamas and a few mamis too walked past the counter without paying and had to be pulled up by Krishnamurti and made to cough up for what they had gobbled.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 29 Mar 2007, 19:45

Old and cold soup, served again!

meena · Post by **meena** » 30 Mar 2007, 00:52

noticed sruti online mag. is also serving old and cold soup.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 30 Mar 2007, 03:41

meena:
Weren't these two articles written by Sriram of Sangeetham.com sometime in 2003? What is next in the discovery (hilarious or not) department?

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 30 Mar 2007, 05:12

Hmm, I thought that was bonda and hot coffee, not cold soup.
Does Canteen Krishnamurthy still serve at MA?

meena · Post by **meena** » 30 Mar 2007, 05:58

meena:
Weren't these two articles written by Sriram of Sangeetham.com sometime in 2003?

mahakavi, yup!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 30 Mar 2007, 06:02

Here is a page from Sruti June 2002 (link no longer available) on a Tribute to the great Subbudu on his 85th birthday

To Sir with love, from those who err with love
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, great poet of foreign shores,
Once wrote a song of fantasy, (as poets are wont to do).
He wrote of Kubla Khan, who escaped from mundane chores,
By decreeing a stately pleasure dome in a place called Xanadu.

Here in our land of Bharat-varsh, we do have our share of surprises,
Like fork-tongued folks and chameleons who talk, but we have no Xanadu.
Yet there is no reason to feel ashamed, for among our truly great prizes,
Is a wonder who writes as none other can write, and his name is SUBBUDU!
A scholar who knows, a musician who plays, a reviewer who needs no aid,
He understands his subjects well and calls a spade a spade.

So those who blow and key and strum,
Those who bow and those who drum,
Those who dance and those who sing,
All of them fear that pen with a sting.

We find at times a silver spoon, in the mouth of some lucky men,
But Subbudu's case is a class apart-- he was born with a pun in the pen!
So even his scathingly pointed critiques, will elicit some loud guffaws,
Because of the jokes that pepper the piece, and enliven the list of flaws.

And it's not as if he only knows about the performing arts,
He's also privy to inside yarns and hush-hush goings-on,
He knows that spirituality can be hawked at roadside marts
And the different masks for different tasks, that people tend to don,

So when he considers it necessary,
He'll come out with the right repartee,
Since the knowledge stored in his memory,
Is as good as an armoury.

Since I can't match his pun command,
With anything of a similar brand,
I've racked my brains and used this time,
To pay tribute to him in rhyme.

Now we must bring this to a close, resisting the urge to be verbose,
About one who likes things short and sweet, finding in length no special treat.
To Subbudu then, this toast we have raised
May he and his arts live long and unfazed!

--ANJANA RAJAN

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 30 Mar 2007, 06:37

Jayaram
For more such gems (sriram's) visit
http://www.chennaionline.com/musicseaso ... /index.asp

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Mar 2007, 08:49

mahakavi wrote:Old and cold soup, served again!

Since this is the MMA one is discussing, I think this should be 'araitta puLiyai tiruppi araikkiradu' - they would consider soup (hot or cold) infradig!

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 30 Mar 2007, 10:37

Jayaram, the canteen is usually run by Arusuvai or Mountbatten Mani. This year it was Padmanabha Caterers...

Ravi, soup, hot or cold, is no longer infra dig...in fact at many places, meals are nowhere to be seen and the menu card is dominated by north indian and western dishes! Welcome to Kaliyuga!

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Mar 2007, 11:24

I thought for a second you said kaLiyuga..

I sensed that mushrooms are a big hit nowadays. Welcome to kALAnyuga

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 30 Mar 2007, 15:23

Mushrooms?! Surely kaliyuga is upon us! What will they think of next? Asaiva sAppAdu?

When I was at MA last (in 2002) they still served full course meals - aviyal, pulisseri, payasam et al.

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 30 Mar 2007, 15:25

Btw, Subbudu who is being referred to in these articles, has passed away.
Long live the king (of critics)!

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 30 Mar 2007, 19:52

rshankar wrote:
mahakavi wrote:Old and cold soup, served again!
Since this is the MMA one is discussing, I think this should be 'araitta puLiyai tiruppi araikkiradu' - they would consider soup (hot or cold) infradig!

OK, how about this:?

ARina kanjci, pazhaiya kanjci! (old gruel, cold gruel!) Let us go back to krita yugam!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 30 Mar 2007, 21:35

Just found the sad news that Arusuvai has passed away. He was close to ninety, I believe. May his great soul rest in peace among the gandharvas and our past masters who he filled with delectable victuals to fill our ears with their 't^Ripta' divine music. Here is a belated musical homage to the Man. The lyric (as reported by Sriram) was composed by one 'Konai KavirAyar' but apparently never set to music. I have tried my best (just added on word towards the end for completion of the durita kaalam). Since he has not given any raagam I chose the liberty of choosing Bilahari (of course you know which song of MD I am imitating

Here is the lyric

Pallavi
shri shivakAmi patim bhajEham satatam

Anupallavi
vidwat sabhA prAbhalyam sangIta rasikapriyam
academy dvArasthAnam gnanAnanda pUita jayaramAnujam

Charanam
mridangAdi tAla vadya nipuna shApanugraha pAtram
kAshi shridAnyakShEtra prasAda pacanti nipuNam

rucikara bIja patrAdi pAnaka kriyam
gaura vastra dhAraNam pAkashAstra nipuNam

If you need the meaning refer to Sriram's articls
http://www.chennaionline.com/musicseaso ... ason51.asp

Just a few fine points.

mridangAdi tAla vadya nipuna shApanugraha pAtram is a materpiece suggesting the exodus of patrons towards Arusuvai during the tani. Perhaps even PMI won't be kind to him upstairs

kAshi shridAnyakshEtra prasAda(m) refers to kashi alva and tirunelveli alva. Note the 'nayam' of forming the espression shri(tiru)+ dhAnyakakShEtra(nelveli)-- a beautiful expression! Arusuvai was famous for those savouries and many more!
gaura vastra dhAraNam refers to his wearing kadar white vEShTi all the time reminiscent of Gandhiji's behest in the olden days! (bless him!)

Finally here is the loan of CML's voice to the great soul

http://www.rogepost.com/n/3056647095

Do please offer yours too and oblige....

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Mar 2007, 22:08

bhalE! bhalE! CML!

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 30 Mar 2007, 22:57

mahakavi wrote:Let us go back to krita yugam!

aDiyEn is ready.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2007, 02:00

The greatest compliment you can pay to a humorist is to respond in the same coin. Now that he belongs to the ages here is my tribute, in the style of 'nayyaaNDi mELam' in line with the contents of this thread but with the touch of pathos
http://www.rogepost.com/n/6637392254

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 31 Mar 2007, 02:17

Really nice, cmlover! Subbudu deserved your musical eulogy!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2007, 02:41

Thanks Shankar/Sub

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 31 Mar 2007, 05:44

mahakavi:

Let us go back to krita yugam!

Hmm, the only downside of krita [and possibly treta] yuga is that there's no dance or music. Would be boring without CM...
Dwapara and Kali yugas are more interesting on that count!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2007, 08:00

This kaliyuga is the end of this caturyuga! The next will be krita yuga all over again. So just move forward in time (according to Einstein relativity moving forward in time does not contradict physical laws; it is the move backwards which violates (the famous paradox of going and murdering your grand Pa etc.,) Also if you carry all your recordings (in a water-proof bag, to pass through the deluge, then you will have your CM!

I have already sent a 'mAnasic e-mail' welcoming you in the krita yuga

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 31 Mar 2007, 19:15

Time is linear but yet cyclic! You cannot go back in time but yet you can if you keep travelling forever.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 31 Mar 2007, 23:07

cmlover wrote:http://i12.tinypic.com/42scqhi.jpg
The greatest compliment you can pay to a humorist is to respond in the same coin. Now that he belongs to the ages here is my tribute, in the style of 'nayyaaNDi mELam' in line with the contents of this thread but with the touch of pathos
http://www.rogepost.com/n/6637392254

cmlover,
Your nayyAndi melam is in line with the ahirbhairav song "UllathiL nalla ullAm urangAdu" from the sivaji film karnan,sung by sirkAzhi tuned by MS viswanathan/rAmamurthy (if I am right).Definitely both are tearful !!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 01 Apr 2007, 03:27

Rajesh
Very clever! That is exactly I had in my mind as well as the pathos of that scene! Smart observation. I also wanted to imbed some of the 'acidic' darts flung at Subbudu and have tried to thwart them through verbal volleys. Those who know them (as well as the controversies) will relish them !