Durga's Story [OH832]
Q: How could we involve your mum?
Hari Ramakrishnan [Durga’s son]: She just broke new ground apparently because a cappella is quite common here, but in India to be classified as a public performance, so something called a shruti box, which like keeps a bit like in the background the whole time to like keep you into – sort of how you might like blow into a harmonica, right at the beginning of an a cappella piece, but it’s to –
Q: To get the key?
HR: To get the note right.
Q: Yeah.
HR: But if you don’t have that shruti box apparently, it’s not considered a public performance, and it’s outrageous [laughs], and she was sort of talking to me about it ‘cos she had a performance in, somewhere in Wales, past Cardiff in Newport [?]. And they said, “No, you’re not allowed the shruti box, it has to be a cappella.” And I was like, “No, if you want to like really break ground or anything, don’t turn this opportunity down just because of one silly little tradition,” and apparently she rocked the house, like everyone loved it.
[Instrument playing]
Durga Ramakrishnan [DR]: I was born in Chennai, Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, I studied there till my university. My parents also lived in the same place, because they were working full time, I was left with my grandmother, and as time passed on and my mother died, I stayed with my grandmother. And we were a very big family, there was something really nice in our house where everybody used to sing and play the instrument. My aunties, my mum was a good performer, and it has been passed onto me, I also loved.
[Instrument playing]
DR: I still remember I think four or five years old, still I remember my great grandfather, they used to speak English, and now coming to England I could relate certain things in the past. How India have been before independence, and my great grandfather was a headmaster and a lecturer in [inaudible 00:03:06] College, then my great grandmother was a music teacher, so the family had inheritance of music from there, and she used to write beautifully. Even her letters will be in English, we used to speak Tamil at home, when I was a child, we have to get up at 4:30 in the morning and because your voice is so flexible in the early hours, and like we used to study early morning in India. In that age when we were small you may not know why they say that, what is the connection, you just hear around you, so you’re learning something beautiful, you learn through all your five senses, and some words you – it reminds you in the later life. Every day is a new day and you remember certain things you like from then.
[Instrument playing]
DR: I felt India was more developed than Libya, there was no telephone in the house, we had to go to the post office to ring India if at all we have to, and there were no newspapers. Even television programmes were in Arabic, so then I came to England it was as if I was in a very [laughs] – I could walk in the streets on my own, where I could not do that in Libya, we could go and shop, I can go to the library. I felt so happy when I could go to the library, to read books, and programmes were in English, so and TV or radio you can hear. And Bristol is a great place for diversity, it is in our curriculum, it is in our law and everything like equality, and the cultural exchanges is there. So I have also learnt so many things from British people, working here with others. One thing here I have seen even ladies working up to themselves to go and do their DIY things, which I always appreciated and admire. So if you have to do something, you have to learn, and develop that interest, and be confident, yes you can do, if you try you can do, you have interest you can learn. That I see in England I think.
[Instrument playing]
DR: Actually, my career changed after coming to England. I was hoping to become a very big musician, and my initial plan was before leaving India, after finishing university was to become a lecturer in the music department. But everything changed after marriage, I had to leave the country, I had to go. And then when I came here I couldn’t find the community what I need to express my art and develop. I can’t live without my instrument, singing is something I am – it is very close to my heart, and that gives me energy to do anything and everything. And it’s a great asset that has been passed onto me from my ancestors or my grandmother, my mother. I’m very grateful to them, without them, their guidance, and my teachers, I could not have achieved today what I am. I would like to conclude my interview with a patriotic song, Vande Mataram (Mother, I bow to thee) [inaudible 00:07:14] which beautifully coincides because the song is composed in a raga called desh.
[Singing song]
Hari Ramakrishnan [Durga’s son]: She just broke new ground apparently because a cappella is quite common here, but in India to be classified as a public performance, so something called a shruti box, which like keeps a bit like in the background the whole time to like keep you into – sort of how you might like blow into a harmonica, right at the beginning of an a cappella piece, but it’s to –
Q: To get the key?
HR: To get the note right.
Q: Yeah.
HR: But if you don’t have that shruti box apparently, it’s not considered a public performance, and it’s outrageous [laughs], and she was sort of talking to me about it ‘cos she had a performance in, somewhere in Wales, past Cardiff in Newport [?]. And they said, “No, you’re not allowed the shruti box, it has to be a cappella.” And I was like, “No, if you want to like really break ground or anything, don’t turn this opportunity down just because of one silly little tradition,” and apparently she rocked the house, like everyone loved it.
[Instrument playing]
Durga Ramakrishnan [DR]: I was born in Chennai, Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, I studied there till my university. My parents also lived in the same place, because they were working full time, I was left with my grandmother, and as time passed on and my mother died, I stayed with my grandmother. And we were a very big family, there was something really nice in our house where everybody used to sing and play the instrument. My aunties, my mum was a good performer, and it has been passed onto me, I also loved.
[Instrument playing]
DR: I still remember I think four or five years old, still I remember my great grandfather, they used to speak English, and now coming to England I could relate certain things in the past. How India have been before independence, and my great grandfather was a headmaster and a lecturer in [inaudible 00:03:06] College, then my great grandmother was a music teacher, so the family had inheritance of music from there, and she used to write beautifully. Even her letters will be in English, we used to speak Tamil at home, when I was a child, we have to get up at 4:30 in the morning and because your voice is so flexible in the early hours, and like we used to study early morning in India. In that age when we were small you may not know why they say that, what is the connection, you just hear around you, so you’re learning something beautiful, you learn through all your five senses, and some words you – it reminds you in the later life. Every day is a new day and you remember certain things you like from then.
[Instrument playing]
DR: I felt India was more developed than Libya, there was no telephone in the house, we had to go to the post office to ring India if at all we have to, and there were no newspapers. Even television programmes were in Arabic, so then I came to England it was as if I was in a very [laughs] – I could walk in the streets on my own, where I could not do that in Libya, we could go and shop, I can go to the library. I felt so happy when I could go to the library, to read books, and programmes were in English, so and TV or radio you can hear. And Bristol is a great place for diversity, it is in our curriculum, it is in our law and everything like equality, and the cultural exchanges is there. So I have also learnt so many things from British people, working here with others. One thing here I have seen even ladies working up to themselves to go and do their DIY things, which I always appreciated and admire. So if you have to do something, you have to learn, and develop that interest, and be confident, yes you can do, if you try you can do, you have interest you can learn. That I see in England I think.
[Instrument playing]
DR: Actually, my career changed after coming to England. I was hoping to become a very big musician, and my initial plan was before leaving India, after finishing university was to become a lecturer in the music department. But everything changed after marriage, I had to leave the country, I had to go. And then when I came here I couldn’t find the community what I need to express my art and develop. I can’t live without my instrument, singing is something I am – it is very close to my heart, and that gives me energy to do anything and everything. And it’s a great asset that has been passed onto me from my ancestors or my grandmother, my mother. I’m very grateful to them, without them, their guidance, and my teachers, I could not have achieved today what I am. I would like to conclude my interview with a patriotic song, Vande Mataram (Mother, I bow to thee) [inaudible 00:07:14] which beautifully coincides because the song is composed in a raga called desh.
[Singing song]