This made me think about my favourite songs and why I keep going back to them. In my most cross eyed moment 30 minutes ago, I searched for 'Indira' on imeem.com and was comforted by the Tamil song 'Thoda Thoda' . This took me back to the running through the green rice fields of India with my Indian silk skirt swishing behind me. It took me into my late grandmother's kitchen with the intoxicating smells of sweet tamarind and spicy cumin. As I dream, I am gently reminded of the attraction of being somewhere and doing something that is so far from the present. I ponder this whilst sitting in a dimly lit cube wearing rather uncomfortable-to-be-in-for-8hours non swishy Jeans eating non fat organic yogurt and drinking 'honest organic iced tea' that is 'just a tad sweet'.
Another song that makes me weak in the knees is 'Nila Kaaigirathu', this invokes entirely different memories of being perched next to my cassette player pressing the pause button every 5 seconds to write down the lyrics. This practise was usually followed by the relentless belting of the song in the stairway of our apartment with my friend Dhanya. We thought we would become Indian classical singers :-)
I seek immense pleasure in the magic of music to be able to transport me to places that seem happier, places that allow me take a deep breath and smile. I find it hard to get the same pleasure from most Western music. I have always wondered why I dislike 80's music however I have been seen once or twice singing along merrily to 'Livin' on a prayer'. Why is it that I draw my energy from Indian music even though I have lived most of my life outside India?
I think music helps embed memories, may it be sad or happy. For me, I seem to pick music from my time in Dubai as many of my happy memories formed its root in the sun burnt and eclectic country - United Arab Emirates.
What kind of music brings back sweet memories for you?
Posts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjCeieymjKY (Losin' It by Underground Lovers), and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13x6r9dcF60 (Purple Sneakers by You Am I) instantly take me back to my high school years, coming into myself as an adult and taking notice of the world around me.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I assumed it would auto-link the urls. Allow me:
ReplyDeleteLosin' It
Purple Sneakers
Interesting :-) For me it was a defining moment going from Christina Aguilera to Silver Chair
ReplyDelete'Funky Town', as covered by Pseudo Echo takes me back to learning to roller skate rinks in Palmerston North, NZ, in 1986. Gay? yes, but it was the '80's.
ReplyDelete'Drain You' and 'All Apologies' by Nirvana still raise my angst to levels that are well above the limits recommended by the World Health Organization.
What am I listening to right now? 'Low' by Flo Rida and dancing like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfchVEsjrhI&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=tropic%20thunder%20goodie%20room&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:of&feature=player_embedded Swing it past yo' knees, playa!
I loved when you write "different memories of being perched next to my cassette player pressing the pause button every 5 seconds to write down the lyrics" .... brings back memories of my sister Sara and I in our cubby (made up of a sheet and 4 chairs)...Cher "Turn back Time"
ReplyDelete...Telia