Some comments I have to reply to.

I got a thank you for singing KMI. I am not the one to be thanked here. Rahman Anna - DA ONE.

The DINK and DINS study was conducted in India. Maybe Outlook or The Week. I am not sure.

The Italy Trip - I was super lucky to have taken the trip with Ilayaraja Sir. I had never sung for him before. So I was shocked that he called me. Bhavatharini, Priti Uttam, Music Director Uttam Singh's daughter and Madhu Balakrishnan were the other singers. I think we were totally a 20 member group.

I got to know we were singing at an opera hall. It was also my first trip outside country, or even the city when I was on a professional assignment without my mother. I CRIED and cried. Half the time. She is the person behind everything that I am. My voice. And all the funda that I write about Ragas. I only type. While she dictates. Whatever I am able to do with my voice and as a person I owe it all to her. And I am at sea if she is not there.

It was also very lonely for me. She had work and she had to go somewhere else so she cancelled at the last minute.

Ilayaraja Sir, the first thing I went to his place, I started crying out of sheer fright. I said I am scared of you. (Yeah I did a lot of crying enough to last a lifetime, then)And then he and Bhavatharini started laughing. Then he said "Naan enna paeya boothama? Edhukku Bhayam?" Then he asked me to drink something. And I was also perenially scared to sing at the rehearsals. He never said anything. Even if he was angry or upset, it didn't show. He was like sing. And open your eyes and sing.

The rehearsals went this way. At the end they almost lasted until we had to almost leave to the airport from Prasad Studios. The rehearsals happened there.

We reached Italy after transit at Germany. It was a long haul. We reached the Bologna airport. We had to perform at Modena. Which was some 250 kms from Bologna, if I remember right. Modena had an airport too, we were informed, but it was under maintenance so all flights stopped here. It was cold outside. Maybe 9 or 10.C. We drove down to Modena by Bus. Some 2 hours.

Raja Sir, his wife, Bhavatarini,Uttam Singh sir, Preeti and I stayed at one hotel while the rest of them stayed at another. I didnt find out where. After settling down, we had to leave for rehearsals at the Opera Hall.

The Concert was called "The Musical Journey of Maestro Dr. Ilayaraja". The acoustics were too good. And I also saw how much work the women do in Italy. Lifting, drilling wot not. That done. The next evening was the show.

Sir told me again to sing confidently and to open my eys and sing.

Sir sang "Janani" first. And from the singers, I had to open. That was it. We were given headphones on stage, which doesnt happen in India. Here, we are on a constant struggle with the monitors, our voices usually never reach us properly, and we are just guessing what we are singing, there is no feed back. Explains why some concerts are not the same as listening to the CD.

I had also had a lot of trouble with the Taal with the Tabla Player. It was not in sync. As in between me and the Tabla Player. But on stage, it was a different thing. I was on a roll and it turned out much, much better than I had ever imagined. No problems with the taal. Or anything. After which Madhu sang a kriti, Preeti sang a Hindustani Classical Piece, and Bhavatharini sang another song. Our solos were now over. Other than that, I sang 'Ilangaathu Veesudhe' with Madhu, 'Aasaiyaa Kaathula' with Preeti and Bhavatharini, and 'En Ullil Engo' was a solo again. I hadn't heard this song before. I fell in love with this song when I sang that.

There were a lot of instrumental pieces also. Evenly distributed. And it was a wonderful concert. My favourite a three note composition, and Music in Indian life. The latter was a compilation of a Thaalaattu, a song sung during harvesting, marriage, falling in love. All his compositions. Yeah, definitely not in this order. The former was a composition made in only three notes. G, R and S.

I learnt a lot from this trip. What it was to be with a disciplinarian. And the first time I was under the influence of fear. Its actually 1/2 respect and 1/2 fear with him. I got less afraid later. I saw his style and way of working. I was darn lucky. Realised how God has given me a lot of things in life. Starting from my mom. There is a lot I have to say. To let people know. SO, thats coming soon to this Blog on a comp near you.

The Audience had only 6 or 7 Indian people. The rest were natives. And the applause. THAT WAS SOMETHING. It never stopped. After each song, we didnt know whether to stay on stage for courtesy's sake or leave so that the next person can come and sing. At the end they wanted an encore, right from the beginning. Finally we did an encore of one of the instrumental pieces. One evening. A lifetime's cherished memory.

I never thought that applause could be matched here, but i was proved wrong. But thats another anecdote. Another story. :)

Shall end my BLLLLLLLLLLooooooog here. This has been long enough.