People remember music from their own cultural perspective.
But 44-year-old Leon Low, a Singaporean Chinese, has bucked the trend.
He loves rendering Thyagaraja kirthans and ragas and dreams of scaling new heights in the rich field of Indian Carnatic vocal music.
He cannot read, write or speak Tamil but has developed a fascination for Indian Carnatic vocal music over the past 13 years.
During an exclusive interview for Indian Newslink in Singapore recently, he recalled with nostalgia his foray into Indian music when he began chanting Sai bhajans at the Sai Baba Ashram in 2003.
“I do not consider myself a devotee of Sai Baba. But the lilting melodies of Sitar maestro, the late Ravi Shankar inspired me,” he said.
The beginning
Despite the subtle disapproval of his family, he visited the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) in 2000 and told the Principal of the Carnatic School that his desire was to learn Indian music. He had no idea of the format– Vocal, Instrumental, North Indian or South Indian.
He had at that time heard of only Sitar, which, along with his subsequent interest in bhajans, stimulated his interest in Indian music.
He soon realised that Indian music was more than just Sitar as there were so many intricacies, nuances and genres.
He was fortunate to begin lessons in Vocal music with the teacher at SIFAS and a year later, came under the tutelage of Dr Bhagirathi Yerramilli, who took it as a challenge to teach the Chinese aspirant, who did not understand any language of India.
Leon’s thirst and search for Indian musical knowledge then took him to India, where he understand the country’s rich culture, traditions, customs and habits.
As a music student in Indian attire, he was able to learn as much outside the classroom as he did inside it.
Music Festivals
It was heart-warming to hear him talk about the ‘Thiruvayaru Music Festival,‘ held every year in Chennai, at which celebrity and amateur musicians pay tribute to the Trinity of Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.
All these show the depth of his well-researched musical knowledge over the years.
Leon is working in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) as the Chief Paramedic for Emergency Ambulance Service in the rank of a Lieutenant.
He said that his work trained his mind and body to harmonise, while the sound and ecstasy of music helped him to manage challenges in his profession.
He exudes emotions and is keen to help people.
These qualities he imparts to his peers and subordinates in the emergency ambulance services.
Impressive debut
Though trained in Carnatic music, his debut was at an Onam celebration in 2004 in Singapore where he learnt a Malayalam folk song phonetically and rendered it, to a deafening applause of the audience.
Popular Malayalam film star Mammotty, who was the Guest of Honour, quipped, “If a non-Indian can sing in our language, we should improve our language.”
Since then, Leon has performed at a number of classical concerts in Singapore, Malaysia and Chennai. He has also sung in temples during the Navarathri Festival and enthralled audiences everywhere.
He has 15 stage performances to his credit, with the annual ‘Margazhi Music Festival’ held every year in Chennai as a highlight in his musical career.
Another feather in his cap came in 2006 when he began to study for a degree in music at Madras University.
Cultural synergy
As he could not get away from his busy schedule at the SCDF, he had to take up distance learning. That was obviously tougher because of his language deficiency and the inability to interact closely with his examiners and supervisors.
He feels that his deep interest in Indian Carnatic music could serve as a bridge between the two ancient and rich cultures of India and China, helping people from the two countries to realise the affinity between their respective music forms.
Dr V Subramaniam is our Singapore Correspondent
