To Watch Raghu Live

When I was yet in Perth, Girija had messaged me about Raghu playing with Lucky Ali in Hyderabad, and that was so exciting.

The day's almost here now, August 10th.

Yesterday when Girija says, "after the show you can stay back, maybe meet Lucky Ali, do a selfie with the band".....I was like "ah..aah...na....to me this is wholly and solely about seeing Raghu on stage" . 

And it took us back to the start of his journey. A journey that started here in Hyderabad.

It was 2004, fifteen years back. Girija had been transferred to Hyd. Raghu was yet in school, and that's when he discovered his yearning and passion for the guitar. It happened almost by chance, by his picking up a random guitar lying around in JNIDB and strumming it for time pass.

And that was the beginning. I remember how his focus shifted to the guitar...... and everything else, gradually, bit by bit, just about everything else started to fall by the way side.

It was like in his genes....his paternal grandmother was a carnatic music teacher, his maternal grandfather had a handwritten massive collection of rare keethanas, his father Ram, plays the veena and is in fact, still learning. That's quite a legacy. 

It's yet ....yet a lot, and lot, of hard work and conviction.

His path hasn't been easy. It's in fact been quite the tumultuous one, as are most that walk off the trodden path. There's so much of the unknown and uncertainty to deal with........the lack of structure, the lack of financial security, the volatility, the naysayers and above it all your own self doubt that comes up in response. Really not easy. 

I've watched this journey all through. Times when Girija will be like "I'm with him, I'll back him through thick and thin, even if I have to go against everyone else in the family" or times she'll be like "oh god, it's breaking me, I don't know how to handle this situation, he's being so difficult".

It's those latter times that would be trying, sensitive.... trying to balance being that friend who understands, plus also saying "let him be girija, it's not too many who even find their calling, leave alone walk the path". And then Girija will be like "gosh.....you geminis, he's as free spirited a person as you, so hard to deal with" 

I've thus watched that journey, mostly from ring side.....from his days of playing at pubs, a couple of which I've been to...  Cocos in Hyderabad and Indigo Bar in Bangalore, and that itself felt nice. Then through his days of teaching at music institutes. Being the purist that he is, he couldn't, or rather wouldn't settle into the politics and people dynamics of teaching. 

The stage was his calling. 

So now, seeing his name on posters with Zakir Hussain, Lucky Ali and Arjun Janya......and then to actually getting a chance to see him live on stage sure means much....... so much.

And there's bonus.

Lucky Ali himself....I've always loved his music. It's taking me down another nostalgic road, to those initial days of pop in India.....with his songs like O Sanam, Ek Pal Ka Jeena, Na tum jaano na hum..... especially O Sanam, even that haunting visual is already playing in my mind.

I'm so so looking forward.

Good Luck Raghu, and needless to say "you've made us all happy and proud".