Friday, June 25, 2010

Keshavsut's Tutari..err Vuvuzela!

Stanley Crouch: People are uncomfortable in silence because it can breed needless contemplation and may engender a floating into the deeper world of the self.

I am feasting on world-cup football.

A lot of people, including my wife, are bothered by vuvuzelas' angry-honeybees-buzzing noise.

I am little affected by their din.

I in fact seem to enjoy it.

If Keshvasut (केशवसुत) 1866-1905 had watched this worldcup, would he have written his poem 'Tutari' (तुतारी) as 'Vuvuzela' (व्हुव्हुझेला)?

"Get me a vuvuzela
I will blow it with all my strength
That will pierce all skies
with its loud long scream

Get such a vuvuzela to me"

("एक व्हुव्हुझेला द्या मज आणुनि
फुंकिन मी जी स्वप्राणाने
भेदुनि टाकिन सगळी गगनें
दीर्ध जिच्या त्या किंकाळीने
अशी व्हुव्हुझेला द्या मजलागुनी")

Long after the world cup gets lifted to the sky on July 12 2010, a Burdell will continue to play vuvuzela for me.


Artist: Richard Decker, The New Yorker, 6 Feb 1937