-Brian Mendonça
Lately I have been doing some serious practice on my
classical guitar. The sudden enthusiasm has its genesis in a visit by my friend
Dr. Rajan Barrett to our place in Goa. Everytime I used to phone him he used to
excitedly tell me which piece he was practising on his classical guitar. I left
it at that. Until he came over.
Before the crack of dawn, he was up to practise his
pieces while the world slumbered. Lost in playing a piece, he somewhat
reluctantly would come for the breakfast laid out for him. He relished the feijoada the last time before he
returned to Baroda. But not before he played a number of pieces on classical
guitar.
I invited him to play for the students in college. He
agreed. We held the mini-performance during recess in the foyer where curious
passers-by stopped to listen. It was unplugged – without any mikes or
amplifiers. It was just the sweet tones of the classical guitar.
This was a new way of promoting classical music. It was
not ticketed; it was away from the high-brow; and it was accessible to all. In
some way I felt it epitomized the heroic lives of the composers that were
featured.
Rajan started with ‘Por Una Cabeza’ (1935) by
Carlos Gardel. He introduced each piece before playing. ‘Por
Una Cabeza’ is a tango inspired by the machismo
of Argentina. It is about laying claim to a woman. There are many videos which
interpret this piece.
The next two pieces were by Francisco Tárrega, viz.
‘Lagrima’ and ‘Adelita.’ ‘Lagrima’ (Teardrop) is said to have been written when
Tárrega visited London in 1881 and was homesick for Spain. ‘Adelita’ is one of
Tárrega’s most famous works leading him to be called the Chopin of the
classical guitar. Rajan ended with J.S. Bach’s ‘Minuet in G’ composed in 1725
for Anna Magdalena Bach.
I was impressed at the way Rajan had come this far in
his practice. It shows what perseverance can do. He had practised classical guitar
over a period of 10 years. To cultivate this practice was deeply satisfying.
One did not need anyone else to play. Finding time to play amidst the demands
of being a University professor was very creditable.
Rajan and I come a long way. I met him during my
M.Phil. days at Pune. He was the best man at our wedding in Bombay. We also
spent time together in Delhi. My first reading of my book of poems Last Bus to Vasco: Poems from Goa was at
his behest at M.S. University, Baroda where he is part of the faculty of the
department of English. I visited him before that at Patan, North Gujarat
University. We also landed up in the South for a conference which both of us
were attending in Coimbatore.
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Published in Gomantak Times Weekender, Panjim, Goa on Sunday, 26th January 2020. Photo: Dr. Rajan Barrett, faculty, Department of English, M.S. University, Baroda, plays Latin American music on classical guitar during the recess in the foyer of Carmel College, Nuvem, Goa on 14th January 2020. Photo courtesy Jolainne De Souza.
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