And this is going to be an outpouring of something that I have gotten used to hearing and remained silent so far
I have mentioned several times, that I have had a closed upbringing. My childhood was more like a Gurukula with Mom and I, and a lot of time going in her teaching me. I did not go about playing in the streets or the like and wasn't much into school sports except throwball, which I gave up because the screaming, shouting and the dust was affecting my voice. I enjoyed it while it lasted and I clearly had better things to do.
The singer that I am, The voice that is heard across countries and the songs that I have gotten to sing, all the versatility that people come to laud me for is because of the contribution of one person, and one lady alone, who decided to be the wax that makes the candle to make me the light. She gave up a very lucrative career opportunity that came in the West because she needed to give me the upbringing and musical input that can only happen in Indian climes. And she gave up being a researcher and a documentary film maker, when everything was culminating for her, because she saw that I could evolve into a good musician. And one of the biggest investments anyone can do, and no one really cares for once the investment has been made, is time. She gave me the prime of her life.
And now that I am a somebody, and since she is my Guru and a mother, I refer to her as 'amma'. Not 'Guru - ji'.
Whenever I quote saying that I have learnt this from her, she used to teach me this; I immediately get messages or retorts saying I talk too much about my mother. After a point in time mom asked me to eschew mentioning her in the media.
I have followed it for a while now. Ironically even today people ask me who I have learned from.
Why is it that I cant talk about a Mother and a Guru? Why is it that it singing my mother's praises is "wrong"? And I have heard this a lot - "amma puranam"??!
If you learn from a Guru outside and fail to mention their names in any of your interviews, you had it. Anyone who knows anything about classical music knows what I am talking about.
And she is my reference point most of the times, and when I have to remember something that she has told me in her numerous classes to me, what should I say ? "Oh I have heard this... I have gleaned that.... I have read... " without citing a source? So what if the source is mom? She is usually my only source.
In my life there have been two learning centres, one has been my own home, and the other has been Rahman Sir's studio, which I have mentioned in my posts earlier.
I go into overdrive whenever I hear comments on how I should avoid talking about mom, and have to stop myself from lashing out.
I wonder why this mindset happens in people that people who have become a known figure should not mention their families? For Goodness sake, anyone who is a someone is because the family members have given up on a lot of things, sacrificed a lot. Even in Super Singer Junior, the parents of the children, work Overtime to compensate for the days-off they take on shoot schedules as the shoots don't happen on holidays or weekends.
My Mom is what makes my family, runs after my things, keeps things in place, cooks and keeps the home in tip-top shape, manages my shoot schedules, costumes, talks to umpteen people with regard to interviews, recordings, concerts visas and wotnots, inspite of being a chronic slip disc patient. And though all these comments about my quoting her bothers me a lot, there is nothing much than I can do that blog about it. Thank God for blogs, and for people who read this kutti space. *Sigh* and *Pissed off*