17 Dwaram

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The only time I attended a live concert of Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu was in the Sahakara Bhavan hall in Mysore, the then regular venue of Nadabrahma Sangeeta Sabha. I had heard my father talk highly of Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu. In his opinion, however controversial it might be, was that he was the only violinist who could hold the audience’s attention throughout a three and a half hour concert,  quite common those days. I had listened to his music on radio. So, it was with great anticipation that I was attending his concert. After a long wait, because I had the habit of being early to get a good place close to the stage, the frail old man wearing dark glasses (which he wore as he was partially blind) arrived.

He was led up the steps to the stage and once on it, he was no longer guided by anyone. He turned away from the audience, faced the back of the hall, bowed and joined his hands in a namaste and was about to sit down. Then one of the organisers hurried on to the stage and turned him gently towards the audience. Then he repeated the namaste and proceeded to give a glorious concert.