Live Concert in Eikota, Tokyo, 9/11/2016
Marina Ahmad Indian Music Concert-and drawing: from 5:00-6:00 pm.
A little girl noticed I was drawing from her seat at the edge of Marina’s makeshift cloth-covered stage. The seat next to me was empty and it didn’t take much time for the sweet girl, Himaru, to sidle over and get a better look at what I was doing. Seeing she was more than curious, I handed her some paper, a paint brush and shared my paint box with Himaru. Afterwards when I asked how old she was she said “Five today.” Well, what a fine birthday present she gave herself!
Painting intuitively is so easy that when I say a child of 4 or 5 can do it, this is also meant as a gentle reminder that we are always beginners when it comes to art. New experiences bring with them inspiration and challenges–which for many of us is simply knowing how to use art supplies like the Pelikan paints used here. To my amazement Himaru knew instinctively to wash her brush in a cup of water every time she changed colors. This is why her brush work is so powerful and bright.
A raga in Indian classical music expresses different moods in a certain progression. Marina Ahmad’s choice of raga for this concert was so fitting considering that sitting in the hall was Daniel Babu, my friend and nutritional counselor for more than 20 years who always-always talks about the necessity of eating, working, resting and sleeping at the God-given proper times of the day. Marina’s raga consisted of many songs that reflected the 24 hour cycle of the day and how our mood, our energy and the activities align with the movement of the earth and the heavens. Some songs were very bright and adrenaline boosting, like the ones at the beginning of the day and as the day progressed her songs and her voice took on subtle expressions of our lulls and then sudden surges of energy.
I only with that I had written down Marina’s illuminating explanations between each song in her 90 minute concert–but I was too busy painting and drawing!
Special thanks to Marina Ahmad for allowing us to bring our sketchbooks and art supplies into a very packed concert room!