|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 16 March 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
In Tempo on Poya by Karel Roberts Ratnaweera Some years ago, Sri Lanka's world-class cellist Rohan de Saram (not to be confused with Rohan Joseph de Saram, our world-class conductor who has now dropped the name de Saram), in an interview on the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation asked his interviewer, none other than Alec Robertson, whether a Beethoven String Quartet would be considered acceptable on Poya Day radio music programmes. (The String Quartets of Beethoven are considered to be the last word in Western classical music). The answer was no. Rohan de Saram was on a visit to the country of his birth which he left several years ago to pursue his chosen career as a professional concert artiste, in which he subsequently received international status. Rohan was taught by the Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassado who gave a memorable concert in Colombo-at the Savoy cinema, in fact-prior to taking Rohan de Saram under his wing to Europe. It should be mentioned here that the boy de Saram was taken to Spain by his mother Miriam de Saram -now deceased- to be heard by the great Pablo Casals who is said to have remarked that a talent like De Saram's was heard only once in a lifetime. Acceptable The programme on radio was, if this writer remembers right, 'Buddhism and You,' and Alec's reply to de Saram's question wouldn't even a Beethoven String Quartet be acceptable for Poya Day radio listening was spot-on;no, it would not,or words to that effect. Music is one of the sense pleasures and as such is not to be indulged in by anyone not only on Poya day but on any other day with aspirations to attaining the goal of Nibbana. Those were the days when the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, and before that, Radio Ceylon played only what is loosely termed classical music throughout Poya day. Of course, lovers of Western Classical Music had a field day on those days-sixteen or more hours of nothing but Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and other divinities in the pantheon of such music, while 'the others'were bored to death. This writer also recalls that on the demise of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in the '70s, Radio Ceylon played three whole days of the best in Western Classical Music, including, of course, the celebrated funeral march of Chopin and other composers who had funeral marches incorporated into their symphonies, sonatas or whatever. However, this hardline, if one may call it that, was relaxed some years ago-perhaps with 'outside'commercial pressure-and a Poya Day menu of 'Easy Listening' was introduced. Presumably, this laidback listening was considered to be in keeping with the meditative nature of the day, but it seems to this writer, based more on misplaced piety than anything else. The 'thinking'was that this so-called easy listening, really nothing more than slow, sensual stuff,was thought to be in keeping with Poya day while strong, beaty stuff was ruled out. Sensual The irony of this is that much of the so-called easy-listening music is sensual, and if vocal,often with sexy lyrics or sickly sentimental words, as in inane Country and Western songs. It seemed that the criterion of selecting music for Poya Day listening depended on how 'fast' and hot the beat was; better "If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold it Against Me' than "Who Let the Dogs Out?'simply because the former is slow in tempo while the latter,with innocent lyrics, has a strong beat. What kind of logic this fits into is beyond comprehension. By the same yardstick, simplistic cowboy songs such as "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On,' would be more acceptable for public listnening on 'holy' days than, say, that exquisite Bolivian folk number 'Lambada'which, anyway is sung in the Spanish language which is unknown here. And why? Because the 'pillow' is slow and 'easy' while the Lambada has a lusty rhythm. Now, however, with the establishment of the Commercial Service of the SLBC, Poya Day or Good Friday,it's 'Roll Over Beethoven' and make room for 'Lying Naked on the Floor', which is presumably what the average Sri Lankan listener wants. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
