Monday, June 03, 2013

Lessons in liking music - Naandi

You can say that I belonged to a genteel poverty period where even a bicycle in the family was called prosperity. In such circumstances, the only music I ever heard in my childhood was boisterous singing from nearby hutments and such. I don't even remember the songs that they sang. 

Long story short appa after much nagging by amma brought home a two-in-one. A two in my dear friends is a radio and cassette player bundled in the same black box. There were no other colors for  be it a hand held transistor radio, a two in one or a table top transistor radio they were all black. With the black box we also got a packaged and bundled audio cassette. Yes only one cassette. Before the young 'uns ask what a casette is, the image below will help mind map. Now TDK was very popular recording media before T-series came into main stream. They were tough and durable.
Anyway back to our story of the packaged cassette. The songs were in english and GOD did not help me comprehend what was being sung. When I listen to the songs even today, I would be stumped if someone asked me to mouth the lyrics. Tis was an album by Giorgio Moroder. Now who Mr. Moroder was or what the song was did not generate much interest in an eight year old's mind. For some reason though the music got stuck somewhere in the deep recess of the mind and stayed there. I even forgot Mr. Moroder's name or the cover of the cassette.  The metallic and robotic rendition of I am left, you are right, she is gone just stuck in the brain and stubbornly stayed there. Later (sic.) or truthfully about a score years later, I remembered the album and the cover and googled for Mr. Moroder using the title "I am left, you are right, she's gone" and came to know that he is the god of Computer disco(old-world title for  DJ mixes I suppose) and Daft Punk (God help me if I understood what that stood for). What more Shall I tell you, Mr. Moroder and the album "From Here to Eternity" was my first lesson in liking Music. 

  • "From Here to Eternity" - 5:58
  • "Faster Than the Speed of Love" - 1:54
  • "Lost Angeles" - 2:44
  • "Utopia - Me Giorgio" - 3:24
  • "From Here to Eternity (Reprise)" - 1:45
  • "First Hand Experience in Second Hand Love" - 5:02
  • "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" - 5:08
  • "Too Hot to Handle" - 4:51
In the album, From here to eternity was the more popular song, but I am left, you're right, she's gone will remain my favorite. 
I was alone at home( Best half and my little 'uns are in mumbai), I was feeling melancholic and bored. I went troweling through my stash (which my best half is yet to declare 'useless') and like a trophy I held aloft my cassette player and after that I could not find Mr. Moroder's cassette. That was a total disaster in fulfilling a wish. I mop around a little, trying to and hoping to find the cassette but to no avail. So I pour myself some rum (old monk what else) and black coffee, pick up my laptop, head to the bedroom terrace and listen to I am left, you're right, she's gone over and over again on youtube. Tis not as good as the cassette, but what the heck, the song to me is soul music. Whats your soul music?

NOTE:

The word Naandi ( नान्दी) means beginning or the start