An Unforgettable Day in My Life

Today is 1st December 09. Karthigai Festival falls today. It's sharp 5pm. I just ran out to my car after work. I planned to go to the TIC camp today. Yes, a special guest will be arriving there to give a motivation talk to the kids. He is none other than the great Sitarist Mr. Samuel J Dass. I am his fan. I had never ever met him in person and also not afford to go for any of his music programs. But still I'm proud to admit, that I'm his big fan.

After reached home, I get refreshed and went to temple to fulfill my Tuesday prayers. Then, I moved up at 6.50pm. I wrongly chose the Federal Highway. I am supposed to use the Old Kland Road. Oh my god..! When entering the LDP toll..I really got mad at myself. It was damn, terrible, hectic, f*cking traffic jam on the road. And the best part is, it’s started to rain. All the time, driving along the road, I was RESTLESS....and I was praying that I don't want to miss Mr Samuel's talk there. This is my chance...one and only chance in my lifetime to meet him. I remember, Ms Letchumy said that his time slot is from 8-9pm and he said he will coming at 7.45pm. Ms Letchumy, the coordinator of the TIC Camp. Such a wonderful person that I’ve ever met in my life, who has the inner and outer beauty as well. The chance of meeting Mr. Samuel today is because of her. Yes, she is a good friend of him and he is agreed to give the motivation speech to the kids upon her humble request.

My eyes were kept on turning to my car's digital clock. When the time ticked to 7.45pm. I almost lost my hope of reaching the school at time. I was at the Amcorp Mall building on the Federal Highway, at that time. My legs started to get pain due to pressing the clutch for more than 1000 times. At about 8pm I really got a great escape from the bloody jam and speed up my car till I reached the Taman Melawati Tamil School. It was 8.25pm when I stopped my car engine.

I looked up, there were few guys standing at the boys dormitory as if like packed up their things. They were holding the sitar. Gosh..!!! I thought I missed his talk or maybe his performance..! I ran towards Rishi, asked him "Am I late??" He said "you are at the right timing, they just came". Rishi, my younger brother, he is the assistant coordinator to Ms Letchumy. Then I realized there was someone walking towards us at the corridor. OHHH...MY....GOD...!!!!! It's him..It's him...Mr. Samuel J Dass..!! I ignored the whole world for a second and straight away said "hello sir…!" to him. He replied me "hi" with a broad smile. Actually I am a person who is very shy to say even a "Hi..!" to anybody. But just now, "where do I get the courage from???"

He entered the classroom. He was wearing short Kurta in red with golden embroidery on it with black pants. The students welcomed him with putting their hands together. I quickly went and sit beside Sahitra when she called me saying there is an empty place to sit. Our Penna Ji gave a welcoming speech and all clapped our hands in cheers..! Especially me. He sat down on the mat which was specially prepared for him. He hold the microphone and said, "okay, what are you all going to ask me and wanted to know about me?". The cute kids, one by one raised their hands and flooded him with their innocent questions. But only one attracted me most. “Sir, are you single or married..?” Yes, I didn’t get answer for this when I searched about him in web. What is the answer would be..? jeng…jeng…jeng…! He is single. He made a joke saying, “singgam single ah than varum..” then all laughed. He has good sense of humor too. (*“singgam single ah than varum..” is a famous dialogue in a tamil movie "SIVAJI" acted by superstar RAJINIKANTH...it meant "a lion will come alone")

He started his speech. He was born in Klang, in his own house…I mean his father's actually. He started to learn sitar at his age of 7. His first guru was his father. He was taught sitar by his father for 5hrs per day. Actually he hated sitar to the max and he had no interest in learning it at that period of time..!! His ambition was to become a lawyer or engineer. But he had no choice other than learning it. Mr Samuel even mentioned that his father beaten him on his fingers while teaching him sitar, using the rattan. He added “u know those days rotan, which looks like in the shape of hand and which we used to scratch our back body.” Then he laughed when remembering it back.

When Mr Samuel was 10years old, his father deceased due to bone cancer at his age of 36. Before the father's last breath at the hospital bed, he called little Samuel to the ICU room where he was admitted and whispered something. His father said to him "en kalaiye veenakkirathe..!!" Which means "don't waste my art" (*he actually asked him to continue playing sitar after him*)

His mother had taken care of him after his father’s death. She had worked hard to brought him up. He told us his childhood was not like others. After a short pause….he mentioned till today he will be taking only one full meal per day. His daily menu was, a glass of tea in the morning, full meal for the lunch and at night he won't eat at all. He asked the children "do you know why?" some of them answered.."diet".."wanna maintain your body" and then he laughed and said "I was only taking one meal since I was small and now my stomach couldn't afford taking the extra meal even though I have money to have 6 or 7 meals per day..!”. All were quiet then. (*yes i banned myself from writing his childhood story due to some P&C purpose*)

Then he continued. Even in that situation he was still able to finish his SPM, but of course not with flying colors. Yeah..who will make it..not even me…! I might have chosen a different way to survive if i were failed my SPM. But he…he didn’t follow the steps of any crap groups and ruined his life with the any bad habits. He mentioned that the one who failed in studies or life usually will take wrong path in their life. Such as will become as a drunker or drug addicts…and at last will blame the community for making their life like this. At this point of time I really admired his courage of leading his own life with well disciplined manner. I salutes him in my heart.:)

Then he started to talk about his career. He then joined Temple of Fine Arts where he learned and adopted the perfection of this traditional art from Mr.Orme Maheswaran. At the same time he also guided by Giani Bachitar Singh. Then he underwent training to Mr.Raj Kumar Sharma and Professor Haridev of Chandighar University and obtained the “Sangeeth Bushan” which is equivalent to a senior Diploma in music. After that in 2002, he studied under the sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan in Pune, India for 7 years and his talent was acknowledged by the maestro himself. Now he had done few albums. After a while he mentioned he have 7 kids now.

This strikes a student and anxiously he asked him a question, “sir u have kids ar…? You said you are single?...then how come got kids, sir…?”” Mr.Samuel burst into big laugh and we joined him too. He then listed down the name of albums that he made. They were Sitarasa, Sitarasa Nostalgia , Vrajalila, Biography of Swami Sivananda, Vidiyal, Raga Moods and Prana.

Then he also shared his moments in his recent achievements in World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA 2006. He won seven gold medals and one silver medal for the eight categories he took part in. He also won 7 Championship of the World plaques. I was just staring at him with my mouth slightly opened…and imagining him holding 7 gold medals…MY GOD…!!!! He is the real LEGEND..!

He told us, actually he never ever thought of winning even 1 medal, not even a bronze in his mind after looking at other participant performance. He and his partner were joking among themselves to book their earliest air ticket to Malaysia. But at the end, he was nominated for the eight different categories and won gold in 7 and silver in 1. He couldn’t believe himself when his name being called repeatedly in the hall. Till the MC had stopped him at the stage thinking that he will sweep off all the medals, he added with a smile. And now he had opened a new school The Samuel Dass School of Hindustani Music in K.L Malaysia.

“So that’s all about my story…you have any questions to ask?” he ended his speech with a question.

But this time there is not much questions unless one which makes everybody eager to know the answer…! A boy asked, “Sir, why you never get married…?” He answered back the boy, “Nalla ponnu kedaikkale….! nee enakku ponnu paarkariya…?” with a laugh.(Which means "I didn't get a good bride..! can you find 1 for me..?") The boy smiled and asked again. “Sir, please tell lah, sir…!” Then he said he will be getting married with a famous lady sitarist. And then all puzzled..! He continued, “You all don’t have to think deeply, where got lady sitarist in Malaysia..?” he laughed. So it is only his intention, but never found the girl yet. Then another boy replied him, “Sir, why don’t you train a girl and then get marry with her?” Hahahhahaha…I really laughed for this! All of us were laughing. I never expected this neither Mr. Samuel, I think. He was shocked and was laughing too. Then he said “yeah good idea! Why I never think of it ar…?”

Then Ms Letchumy announced, its performance time…! Yes, he played the sitar for us. The sitar music sounds great…! It’s crystal clear… first time in my life, I’m listening to the music lively. Wow….amazing…! It drags me straight to the heaven. He played few songs for us. Kuch kuch Hota Hai… Vaseegara…Andaikanlah (the allycats one)….and even one Chinese song…! But I just adore the Vaseegara….! I don’t know how to describe the feelings…! It was total mind blowing….!

After his speech, which ended with laughs and cheers and claps, all of us quickly queued up to get his autograph. I forgot to bring my autograph book…! Yeah..I was in rush…but how could I forget that…I should have prepared it a day before….! Oh man..! I was looking around to grab some papers from the kids…while this comes in my mind… “Should I give my palm to have his sign…nah…no no… what about my chest..hahahaha..That is a nonsense…! only stupid girls will be doing that…I’ve seen it in many tamil movies…! Then at last I found a small note book which I always keep in my hand bag, to take note of something important. That helped me finally.

Yesss….it’s going to be my turn soon…! Before me, I saw Vidhya taking his blessing by touching his feet. I wanted to do that also…but something interrupted my mind…! Vidhya learned music, so that she has the qualification to touch his feet…! I didn’t know anything about music…but one thing, I can’t live without it, that’s for sure. I just love listening to it…! So I feel I’m not qualified to take his blessings, I feel I’m just like a dust in front of him…! He is more than a GURU…I meant he is the maestro..hehehe..! When I was standing near to him to get his signature, I was so nervous….and slightly shivering. I passed the small notebook to him. He asked my name, and then he wrote some words with his signature. Wow…unbelievable…! I also have his autograph right now…! I walked towards the other with proud…:)

After he had left, I’m still amazed with his life story. All the great man in the world had gone through the tough time in their past. So we won’t gain anything without hard work. And whatever that comes easily to us will go easily. No matter how difficulty life is we should move it on in a right way. I salute you, Mr. Samuel J Dass. Thanks for the wonderful time that spent with us that evening.

Thanks to Ms Letchumy, who coordinate the whole TIC camp and invited Mr. Samuel for giving the motivating speech.