Home concert with Jimi-san and Kathak friends

ヴァラナシは大変暑くなっています。この間、時々４０℃になった。疲れている！！！
It's really starting to get hot in Varanasi. A few days have been around 40, and it's hard to get much energy going for practice.

金曜日の夜に、ムンナハウスでコンサートをオルガナイズした。皆様は楽しかったらしい。最小はカタックダンスのトモミちゃんとカズミちゃん。伴奏者はタブラのナオトくん、シタールの鈴木さん、サラーンギのアツシくん、私。総出５０分だった。私はカタックの伴奏やったことがあるけど、その長い演奏は始めてだった。時々間違ったけど、笑ったらいつもよくなるね。
On Friday night I organised a concert here in Munna House, which was well received by all. First item was Kathak dance - Tomomi and Kazumi, who I've been practising with for the last couple of months, accompanied by myself, another tabla player Naoto, and lehera on sitar by Mr. Suzuki and sarangi by Atsushi-kun. It was my first performance with a full-length Kathak show, around 50 minutes all-up. Everyone said it was very enjoyable. We made a few mistakes, but a smile always fixes that.

二回目はサンツーアのいつもワンダフルな宮下節夫「ジミー」さん。今度も二人のタブラがあった　－　ナオトくんと私。　ジミーさんもナオトくんもとても心がいいで、自分のグルジーも楽器も音楽ものための純情があって、一緒に演奏でたらいいと思った。「変な日本語、ごめん！」　私は紹介者でしょう。。。セッションはとてもラブリーだった。ミュージシャンとお客様は皆、一緒になった。音楽を弾くと、心がはっきり見えるようになる。だから、ジミーさんとナオトくんみたいに誠心誠意がある方と一緒に音楽を弾くと、当たり前いい感じになる。それはインド古典音楽の心髄です。
Second item was the always-wonderful Setsuo "Jimi" Miyashita on santoor. I played with Jimi-san in last year's Ashu Babu Concert, and he released a CD this year featuring myself on tabla. I also invited Naoto-kun to accompany on tabla as well as myself. Both Jimi-san and Naoto-kun have such clear hearts and so much devotion to their Gurus, instruments and music, that I thought they should play together. Introducing people is an important role for me... It was a really lovely session; I think we created a very beautiful energy which everyone naturally tuned in on. When one plays music, it is like opening one's heart for all to see. So playing with such loving and devoted people as Jimi-san and Naoto-kun naturally created a very special atmosphere. That is the essence of Indian classical music.

３０日から、ナヴァラトリーという祭りです。ナヴァラトリーの意味は「九日の夜」。ヅールガという女真のためです。私はムンナハウスの一階の暗い部屋で、夜９時から、黎明まで、始終に練習する。大変でしょう。。。エネルギーを送ってくださいませんか？
Goddess-worshippers will like to know that Navaratri - the nine nights of the Goddess - begins on March 30th. I will be locking myself in a dark room in the basement of Munna House and practising non-stop from 9pm til dawn in front of pictures of Durga-maa and Guru-ji. It's going to be hard... Please send me some energy.