M Haricharan Das talks about Rahman 1 Mar 2009, 0257 hrs IST, Shalini
Umachandran, TNN
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CHENNAI: The sounds of a piano filter down from the music school a few
metres away as M Haricharan Das talks about a little boy who used to visit the
store with his father and curiously touch the instruments. The director of
Musee Musicals, who is also national manager for India for Trinity College,
London, says A R Rahman first came to his shop at the age of 11.
"Like any other little boy, he was fascinated by the instruments," says Das.
"His father was a composer in the Malayalam film
industry<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/M_Haricharan_Das_talks_about_Rahman/articleshow/4206193.cms#>and
he would come often with Dileep, as we knew Rahman then, to buy
instruments, look at new arrivals or just say hello," he says.
Rahman also studied music at Musee Musicals the largest centre outside
London where students take Trinity College of Music exams between 1995 and
2001. "He studied with the late Jacob John, who taught here for 40 years.
Rahman was studious, eager to learn and would even visit Jacob's house after
classes to learn more," says Das.
Former Trinity College principal Gavin Anderson, who met Rahman during a
visit to India, told Das that Rahman was someone to keep an eye on as "he
has a bright future and will be a celebrity". "I was happy to hear it but
didn't pay too much importance to it," says the 72-year-old. Musee Musicals
has been affiliated with Trinity College since 1901 and last year, over
3,000 students appeared for the exam. "When the exams were first held in
1901, only two students appeared and both failed," says Das. "I'm happy to
say our record has improved a lot since then," he says, laughing.
This 167-year-old music shop has helped nurture almost every big
musician<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/M_Haricharan_Das_talks_about_Rahman/articleshow/4206193.cms#>in
the city. From Viswanathan Ramamurthy, Ilayaraja and Harris Jeyaraj to
Sivamani, G V Prakash and, of course, Rahman, film musicians have either
studied or bought instruments here. "Musee Musicals is the starting point
for all musicians, whether film or classical," says Kishore, Das' nephew and
one of the directors. "Ilayaraja sent his children and grandchildren here
even though we were willing to send the teachers to their house. Musee
Musicals has great sentimental value for musicians and they feel it has the
right vibes," he says.
Racks of guitars line one side of the store, horns, trombones,
saxophones<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/M_Haricharan_Das_talks_about_Rahman/articleshow/4206193.cms#>and
violins fill 19th century display cases' music books fill another row
of
shelves, two ancient double bass sit atop a cupboard, and an old clock
tucked into an alcove ticks away. On the mezzanine floor is the section
selling Indian instruments veenas, flutes, tablas.
At the back of the store, swanky new and seeming slightly out of sync with
the rest of the old-world feel, is the piano section inaugurated in 2005 by
Rahman, where grand pianos and uprights gleam, Steinways sitting next to
Yamahas. "Rahman has not forgotten the people who knew him when he was
nobody. It shows his upbringing and that's his greatest strength," says Das.
Kishore adds that Rahman bought pianos for his KM Conservatory of
Music<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/M_Haricharan_Das_talks_about_Rahman/articleshow/4206193.cms#>and
a guitar for his son from them.
The Das family has owned Musee Musicals, set up in 1842 as Misquith and Co,
since 1964. "My father joined the store as an accountant in 1934, when it
was run by a Frenchman E A Prudhomme who had renamed it Musee Musicals, and
Amy de Rozario, a British citizen of Spanish origin." M G Das eventually
rose to become one of the directors of the company and both Prudhomme and de
Rozario left him their shares when they died. "Amy de Rozario was my piano
teacher too," says Das. "Back then, only Western music instruments were
sold. We introduced Indian instruments only after independence," he says.
Musee Musicals now has 40 employees and 11 teachers who give lessons in
piano, guitar, drums, wind
instruments<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/M_Haricharan_Das_talks_about_Rahman/articleshow/4206193.cms#>,
Indian and Western vocal music, violin, electric keyboard and other
instruments. "We want more people to take up music as a career whether as
teachers, singers, directors, composers or instrumentalists," says Kishore.
"Not everyone can be a Rahman, but music is a way to spread joy."
[email protected]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/M_Haricharan_Das_talks_about_Rahman/articleshow/4206193.cms
--
regards,
Vithur
