Yesterday, after a long time, I went to attend the Delhi Drum Circle music gathering. I love the music they make, just a group of people sitting together, playing drums. The Delhi drum circle is only a metaphor for this piece. It is also a muse to understand and reflect upon our connection to music. Music makes us happy.
The Delhi Drum Circle
So, what’s the Delhi Drum Circle? DDC, as they are known is a bunch of people who get together on balmy evenings in the capital city of Delhi with their drums and play any rhythm that they enjoy. It’s that simple. One of them starts and the rest of the gang follows the rhythm. It builds up from the start in a rhythmic crescendo. It’s exhilarating. The last two times I have been to the Delhi Drum circles, I could not stop myself from dancing like a madman.
Many of us don’t talk much about music because it is a difficult relationship to understand. I, for one, don’t as well because my knowledge is limited, only as a consumer. I sing a bit but never wanted to learn anything professionally. However, I enjoy music. Some sage said ‘music has no boundaries.’
Sufi music
Sufi is another genre of music I enjoy. It’s heavenly, it’s spirited. They sing in the praise of God. Love is the God they sing to. The music in Bollywood is good and bad, depending on the artists who have composed the music. I remember many old Hindi songs and sing them to myself whenever in a mood. Mohamed Rafi had the most angelic voice anybody ever possessed.
Some of Honey Singh’s songs are so awful that I feel like crashing my head in the wall and wonder how people enjoy them. I don’t listen to western music quite a bit and do not understand what is EDM or progressive house. Recently, I asked a DJ and he said it’s the same thing. DUH! If it’s the same thing, which is beats on a loop, then why are these two different genres? I am a fan of a few old times Bryan Adams songs and my caller tune is 18 till I die! I used to enjoy Backstreet boys’ music whilst they were at their best and have enjoyed some of Bon Jovi’s and Akon’s songs as well. If you have to ask me if I have any current favorites from the west, I have none.
The relationship with rhythm
You know, that’s the thing. We can’t quite define my relationship with music. It’s not that easy. Music is perhaps what keeps us going when we are in pain. Music is what gets our feet tapping to dance when we are happy.
Many a times, like at the drum circle, I dance alone. I tried learning Latin Dances but my hands wander and it makes my dancing partner uncomfortable. It’s stupid. I can either focus on my hands or on the music. So, I have given up learning dance but not dancing. I dance alone. One night I danced to EDM (ha-ha!) for over half an hour by myself.
Even if music has no words or lyrics attached to it but it moves you, it has achieved its purpose. Yes, that the purpose of music-to move us-to make us happy or to touch us deeply in a way that we tears well in our eyes.
In conclusion
Music is a powerful emotion and can make us instantly happy. That’s what it is. We are not the same people when we are listening to music that moves us. It changes us. We lose ourselves in rhythm and in the melody. It’s a high that cannot be put into words.
You may have realized that this has been a very rudimentary piece. There is much that has not been said because there is much that still needs to be understood. Pardon me for what’s amiss for I don’t know how to fill it.
Some vacuums are not meant to be filled.
Thank you for reading.
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Love,
Amarvani