Ravi Shankar's visit to Gainesville

I was fortunate enough to get tickets for Ravi's performance at the University of Florida Performing Arts center. It was a great opportunity to see this man that is an established mark on Indian music. The party was to start at 7:30 October 14th. We arrived on time and took our seats at the auditorium. While it was expected to see many people from Indian subcontinent as we have a big community here in Gainesville. I was taken by so many people from other races, especially the women, that were dressed with the traditional Sari. I am not sure what was the reason behind that. And I couldn't help but to relate to orientalism. What makes you wear the national outfit of other nation? Is it a sign of respect? Do you think that this shows that you relate to those people by buying their clothes (most of them are probably manufactured in China). And is it the same to say that you are pro-India even without knowing anything about this great nation, with its many flaws and we doings, just b/c you read about Ghandi or saw one or two movies about it?

If I was an Indian, I would have been annoyed little bit about that. Indian clothes have a good symbolic meaning for freedom and Independence as it was a symbol for rejecting colonialism in the last century. And this symbol should be kept for people that truly know India. Not some westerns with an unhealthy mixture of fantasies and some peaces of information here and there.

The same dogma had a negative contribution to the concert. Where you had people clapping and showing their respect in some immature way, such as clapping and standing for the master's pupil as he was the first to show up to, well, put up his masters sikar. Also when the drum player Mr. Tanmoy Bose, a great performer, had some high pitched sequence, he was interrupted by clapping while playing. It was sad to see Mr. Ravi raising his hand asking them to be quite until the man finishes his peace. This is a spiritual music, not a rock concert, I can hear him say.

India , through its great peace movement and it amazing achievements, had a great effect on my life. Especially through her great son Mr. Gandhi and his decedents. And I do feel some great spiritual attachments to the country. An attachment that I hope I would never spoil by showing a false affiliation to it by wearing the Turbin and a Duti one day to a concert. or by leaving my emotions un-attained and spoiling a part from some other fellows evening.

The concert itself showed some great music. Where there was less tructure than I was sued to. And the performence was planned to be more spontaneous between Ravi and his daughter. You see them playing their intruments together and back and forth with some great harmoney.

here is a link for some performence of his, long time ago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gWCiLexilY