Live music 'with' my mum!?!?

Modern communication reduces the distance

I ‘watched’ tv with my mum last night! The Parramatta festival by famous Indian musician, A.R. Rahman (two Oscars for Slumdog’s music) was televised live in Australia and across Asia Pacific channel. Text messages meant I was telling mum how brilliant the show was, enough so that she ‘gave in’ as she said, and changed from what she was doing to ‘watch’ the show with me.

How marvelous the concert already was; I think my favourite was the sitar, bass guitar, piano, flute piece although it’s a tough pick as it was all fabulously stunning music and showmanship of the singers, dancers and musicians. A perfect example of the bollywood musical spectaculars that I adore. But this spectacular went on for 2 and half hours – much better than songs scattered throughout a movie!

Whether the Indian and Australia concert collaboration was really reaching out in solidarity to try to overcome the allegations of racist targeting of Indian-Australians is either a cynical, commercial theme for a live music show or a genuine celebratory shift in Australia’s perception of Indian immigrants, I have no idea?

However the ‘human spirit’ as quoted a few times during the concert certainly became personal for me. Personal as I watched the show from my Cambodian apartment while mum was in country NSW. As I bopped along in my living room, I knew my mum was enjoying the same fab musical event. And that she would be as fascinated by the musical compositions as me.

Every drumbeat, exotic costume and song note connected me to my mum

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/abc2live/feature.htm