Dr. Shailesh Srivastava, who has been the music director for The Sri
Sathya Sai University Convocation dramas for over 17 years now :
“For all of us,” he says, “when a song is sung, or dialogue is spoken in
the drama, the accompanying music, sets, the ambience and everything else
matters so much to get into the emotion of the scene; but, for Swami, the
moment a dialogue is spoken, He is into it completely. Just as the word and its
meaning are intricately bound; for God, the moment a word is spoken, it is
already there with Him. He does not need any background music or add-ons to
feel it.
“I remember one significant rehearsal session many years ago. We were in
the pit, in front of the stage, and playing background music. Swami was seated
in the first row of the auditorium watching the play. We could not see Him as
we were sitting in front of Him facing the stage. Suddenly, the drama stopped,
and somebody tapped me from behind. I turned, and Swami said, ‘Soft… don’t play
music so loudly’. I immediately rectified. And I have experienced this any
number of times. For Swami, it is the feeling and the word which goes together,
and that’s what is most important; the tune and other aspects are secondary.
“It was the time of summer vacation in 1990 and Swami was in Brindavan. I
was all alone in my room in East Prasanthi , and one day I thought to myself:
‘Why don’t I try composing a Qawwali ,though, I had no prior experience. Maybe
we will get an opportunity to sing it during the Summer Course to be held after
the vacation ends.
"This was my motivation. And that evening, as I started writing and
fitting a tune, Mr. Sai Surendranath, who had just returned from Whitefield on
some work, came to me and said, ‘Swami was discussing that there should be a
music program for the Summer Course, and He told me to tell you that you should
tune a Qawwali!’ It was a bolt from the blue. Before that Swami had never asked
me to compose anything!
“I was so surprised! It was like a stamp of Divine Authority put on my
work, because I had just begun the composition, and frankly I never knew how to
really go about it. But the moment the word came from Swami, I was extremely
happy! I completed the job to my satisfaction and went to Brindavan. There, I
had just taught the first part of the song in the Institute green room to two
singers – Ravi Kumar and Kabir, and Swami arrived there with a dignitary!
"He wanted to hear whatever was done, and after He heard that small part,
He was extremely happy. It was one of the most satisfying moments of my life.
He then looked at the VIP and said, ‘See! I just told him to make a Qawwali and
he has done it! Shraddhaavaan labhatey gnanam (one who has faith will certainly
gain wisdom)!’ So, though He is the Doer all the time, this is how He works
through you and even rewards you!”
- taken from :
http://media.radiosai.org/ Journals/Vol_06/01FEB08/03- coverstory.htm
Sai Ram
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