Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Reasons for being partial to one of my all time favourite classics, Gaanola by Suman Chattopadhay

Just before another concert of the legend, let me share a historical garbage. Way back in 1994, when a skinny boy of class seven [or was it six?] tried to pen down his feelings, after listening to the album "Gaanola", words [and vocabulary] failed him. This post is my tribute to that boy, and to the wonder that he experienced.


A flurry of memories stream in through the bathroom window, a sense of impending adulthood, a certain pang of being severed from the Blake-esque innocence, a floating sensation of being in love for the first time, and the derision of not being able to continue that spell of gloating lovesickness. I experience all these random feelings at once, whenever this particular album is mentioned! Yes, I know, "Gaanola" is that "PERSONAL".

And like all things personal, I cannot possibly remain coherent while talking about this album. It's raining, I am sitting in front of my computer, listening to "jawto durey jaabey bondhu", perhaps for the umpteenth time, and, it is doing magic to my most vulnerable chord. Memories, deep beneath the scar of indifference, are creeping up like zombies, lost moments are trickling down the impregnable wall. They taste hot and, aye, they taste salty!

2 comments:

Ritama Gupta said...

class 6 huh?...
It was early for me to..only I was 6 years old then...and among he was among the first ones who opened the doors of music for me. I remember the recording studio and head phones too large for me, I remember the bright stage lights at Kalamandir and the reassuring smile he gave me when I looked at all the people in front of me. I must have felt alot then. But that's all I remember. These memories mean alot for me. They've shaped the way I see music. That's Suman for me.
I seldom relive these memories so openly, but your post today...

Ritama Gupta said...

I won't be able to make it on the 26th. This is probably his last public performance. Have fun (or more). Tell me all about it.

I'm starting to like your words(or the way you put them) more and more each day.