GreyMatter
Uncommon Perspectives by Naveen Bachwani
Filed under Life, Music | 8 October 2006 |
1 response
Many of us who go through our entire lives firmly believing that whatever we are today, we are because of our own efforts and hard work. And then, there are others who believe that all Life is a hand dealt by destiny… or by God. While I usually subscribe to the notion of hard work and individual effort, I also cannot ignore the contribution that others have made, over the years, in shaping my thoughts and offering me a perspective I did not have to begin with.
Some of these “individuals” were responsible for the values and principles I have come to cherish. Some, helped me in the career choices I had to make at the various turning points in my life. While others, simply exposed my sensibilities to Art, Literature, Music, Movies and such finer aspects of Life.
But, ever so often, these contributions remain unacknowledged. No one knows about it, but you.
It is widely believed that Sir Isaac Newton had once written in a letter to Robert Hooke (circa 1676): “If I have seen further (than you and Descartes), it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
Truth be told, the phrase is attributable to Bernard of Chartres from the twelfth century, who had once remarked: “Pigmaei gigantum humeris impositi plusquam ipsi gigantes vident.“ Translated from Latin, it means: “We are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness on sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size.”
Ironic, isn’t it? The phrase that actually speaks of giving credit where credit is due, is itself borrowed from some where without due acknowledgement of its source!
I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one such contribution from someone who’s singularly responsible for the w-i-d-e variety of Music I have come to love, over the past two decades or so – Vivek Doraiswamy.
Through him, I learned to appreciate artists as diverse as The Righteous Brothers and Dire Straits. Through him, I was first exposed to the music of John Williams and Sadao Watanabe. It was he who first introduced me to the BeeGees and to Yanni. And, it was through him, that I first experienced the melodies of Pat Boone and Pink Floyd.
If you love music as much as I do, you will realize how much his contribution really means. It is because of the times we shared, back then, that I now enjoy Hindustani Classical as much as Alternative Rock, Contemporary Jazz as much as the Golden Oldies!!!
Thanks, Vivek. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.
vivek doraiswami
wow, thanks naveen.. was just googling my name to see if tgere were any new news items on zibika and i saw this link on the search results!! gosh, i didnt know that i was singularly responsible.. i guess those days, you me and Sanjay actually mutually enjoyed a lot of music and we had other weird freinds with diverse musical interests who kinda also made us open to hearing music which we might have perhaps not gotten into (read the odd gnr, metallica, the odd hiphop and pop!!)