క్రాంతిగాడి తొలి "music-లవ్వు" story

There used to be a telugu songs program called 'Chitralahari ' which was telecasted once in a week by Doordarshan when i was in school.Thats the only primary gateway to telugu film music in those days to me. I used to stay at my ammamma's house most of the times.As there was no other colour TV available around ,all my colony friends and the neighbours used to throng our house everyday. And when the program was Chitralahari,they were always punctual :) . Ontime.

That day. Chitralahari day. Everybody ,as i said ,arrived on time ..sat on floor .....some leaned against wall....some leaned against door...totally relaxed :) .Festive time for everyone. The maximum people were MY friends. I sat with Radha(krishna), Nagu(nagabrahmam, 3-4 yrs senior to me) watching the show. After 2 or 3 songs.. there came a song....

The way the song began...wow.....the crystal-clear, beautiful, enchanting begining itself took our breath away.And the lovely voice of the singer was so good. Me and Nagu watched the whole song in awe. After that song..a few more songs were shown. But I was still stuck there in the previous song. It was something new which i never experieced before.

A few days gone.. . I didnt forget the song yet. The tune was still lingering in my mind but very feebly. I think it was saturday or sunday. I was walking in the quarters where nagu stayed. He suddenly started humming the first few words with that tune.And that made me remember the tune properly. Oh..Enchanting!!! And for the next few days that was the only song i sang (Dont worry..I sang to myself..not publicly :) ) all the time..at school..at home..streets...bathroom.... everywhere under the sun.

After nearly 2 years:

There was one function at my ammamma's house that summer. summer holidays for me. Enjoying the season :) A few days after the function...my mamaiah brought one of his friend's taperecorder. We didnt have one at our house.It was a small one though. He brought some cassettes...and in that bunch of cassettes...it was there. The cassette of the movie ,in which there was that song i listened long time back..around 2 years ago, was there. KRANTHI IN EUPHORIA :)

I used to pick that cassette and look at the case. WOW...How beautifully the title was wriiten in telugu . ROJA .The song I watched on TV two years ago was "chinni chinni aasha" :). i felt even more happy whenever i read the name AR RAHMAN. My first his-word-encounter with him. Whenever my mamaiah went out..the only one cassette that was played was ROJA. I never even looked at the other ones. After i pressed on ... I ,with full attention, used to listen to that song completely immersed.Every bit of the song..every second...mesmerized me. Its a different world to me. Never before experience.

Sometimes .. when my mamaiah was not around..i would just lay on floor with no bedsheet or mat(the floor was sometimes so cool :)) and with only a pillow supporting my head...and close my eyes... while the cassette was getting played. In the initial seconds I used to attentively observe the music of the songs...and everytime i did so..my heart palpitated heavily. Never before it happened that way...and after that..i would fall asleep like in trance. My mamaiah ,when he was back,finding the tape in ON though the playing was done(No Auto-stop )..would wake me up saying in a stern voice "rey ..entraa...alaa padukunnavu...kaneesam off cheyavchhu kadaa padukunemundu". haha.I would have turned it off if i knew when i was about to sleep. But i didnt know.I didnt know when i slept and i didnt know when my heart got calmed from its heavy throbbing. After a few days...tha tape was gone. :( . edupokkate thakkuva.

Days were rolling. Still in schooling,...as i said we didnt have any taperecorder....but I seriously wanted to buy that cassette.The reason/thoughts : "I dont know how long it takes to have a tape at my house..but it may really take a long time.....and what if they stop that ROJA cassette production later..Oh..no!!!......but I donot have any money to buy one ". I was so naive :)

2 more Years later:

Finished tenth class. Like many others...one day...I went to the other town to attend a one-hour-entrance-exam for some intermediate college.After the exam.I came out of the hall. Ennallanuncho manasulo vunna korikaki rekkalochhina vela.ROJA audio cassette knali.That was the first time i had some money in my pockets :)I could buy a cassette and still could afford bus fare to go back. :) .I was walking on the roads still pondering ... to buy or not to. Couldnot make up my mind. The biggest factor restraining me was : " though i buy..where shall i hide it. Hmm.not an easy task. What would i say to my parents if they found my hidden treasure and waht if they asked my logic behind buying when there was no tape to play it." I stood before a music store. What do u think? Did i go in? Did i buy ? Any guesses?


P.S: Why this post now? :)

Everytime AR's muisc is slated for release... its exhilaration for me...and yeah...its because .. his new movie album is getting released ...you know it too..Its JHOOTHA HI SAHI. I LOVE RAHMAN kadaa !!! . So..oka rangelo waitng ...yama yama curious......eppudeppudu vindaamaa ani..!!!! :) hello !!!! naaku vinapadindi..evaro anukuntunnaru akkada "konni jeevithaalu inthe.." ani. Who's that ???? ;)