The performance
The bag looked unassuming - ubiquitous tennis bag shape in staid black livened up by a thin red piping along the rim. The man carrying it looked equally staid in grey slacks and a black tee. He patiently lugged the bag up the steps and onto the centre of the stage. He set it down on the floor and in a single fluid motion, unzipped the bag and unloaded its contents. He spread out the many items in a neat square arrangement in front of him.
There were many colours and shapes that one could make out in that square collection. First he unrolled a neat bamboo mat that was lined on one side with a silky brown fabric stitched over baby soft sponge. Then he picked up a purple cushiony pouch with slender blue edges and opened the zipper that stretched along three sides of the pouch. He fished out a similar shaped electronic gadget from inside it and placed it in front of the unrolled mat.
His next selections were two rod shaped beige cloth covers. The first one, when opened, turned out to be a dull-silver flask that he placed reverentially on the right side of the mat. One imagined the nectar of the Gods flasked in soothing drinkable warmth. The second cloth rod opened to reveal a microphone; not one of the simple, lowly Ritchie street ones but a sleek steel and black contraption that managed to look classy, sophisticated and super expensive. Next he picked up a rectangular flat cloth case and again unzipped it and spread it open. The pages inside this lovingly protected file flapped wildly at the sudden exposure. Two colourful cushions were placed at the sides of the spongy mat and one had a strong urge to run up the stage and sink into this tempting comfort. The final few items, each encased in silk cloth bags, were a remote control, an electric adapter box, and wires for connecting the fancy microphone and the complex looking square gadget to power supplies.
In five minutes of practised movements, the stage was customized for the artist of the hour. The big man, this artist, soon arrived and settled down in the snug setting. He then proceeded to sing like God. Such a rich voice, such beautiful emotion. It was moving. But what impressed one more was the meticulous display of organization before the actual vocal performance. It was the magic of the tennis bag and its varied cloth pouches. Such planning, such flawless execution. Emotion is a weird animal. Sigh!
I totally agree on the emotion part(-:
The music troupe which I am part of has some of the best musicians I have ever come across in my life, their gadgets even more so!!
Will seem simple enough at first glance, but the immense precision and organisation that goes into each assembling & disassembling is just mind boggling!
Posted by
Meera Manohar |
1:06 PM, January 13, 2006
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Posted by
anthony |
9:06 PM, January 14, 2006