Before you think my grammar's gone kaput, the title's a part-reference to what an artiste I heard yesterday said.... specifics later in the post.
Last night was the penultimate performance of this year's Novemberfest..... this time it was a Korean group called Gong Myoung...yeah, I know, try saying that aloud without smiling :)
By the end of their performance, I was ready to swear that these 4 guys could make music out of just about anything....like, they'd already performed with an empty 20 litre water can, and a hollowed out walking stick!! Brilliantly versatile, amazing coordination and an array of instruments I'd never seen before. Do catch this group if you get a chance..... you won't be disappointed, I assure you. It's all instrumental btw, haunting, soothing, foot-tapping and peppy all at once.
But this post wasn't meant to be just about the music.
It turned out during the show that only one member of the quartet could speak some English. While telling the audience rather haltingly that this was their first trip to India, he mentioned that his "English languag-ee short, Korean languag-ee long". A fairly accurate way of conveying his relative skill in each language. He was a good sport about it though....made an effort to introduce the team well, and connect with the audience. The audience, for their part, was ready to cheer on his efforts and laugh along.
Which is perfectly fine, but just one little thought niggled at the back of my mind....
What if it was an Indian guy standing onstage and speaking like that to an Indian audience??
Unfortunately, I think there's a 99% chance that he would have been criticized to shreds by the listeners.
What is it about us Indians that allows us to generously overlook the linguistic shortcomings of a foreigner, but remain adamant about the supposed English fluency we expect from a fellow Indian?? Kinda funny, 'coz We are like that only seems to work pretty well for everything else.
Is it because English has become a second or even first language to virtually everyone in an urban or semi-urban setting? Or is it because of the English = Educated mindset we have?
Y'see, it doesn't seem to matter as much to the same people if the speaker can't manage his mother tongue fluently. Oh and that's not all, we have a big and I mean biiiig issue about regional accents too...... a damned-if-you-have, damned-if-you-don't attitude is what generally prevails.
From personal experience, I have been told on a few occasions that I speak with a mallu accent. Fine. But what beats me is that it's often said in that Oh you poor thing tone.
Why, people, whyyyyyy???
For crying out loud, I was taught by Indian teachers (mallu and otherwise), learned my lessons under the eye of mallu parents, talked in Malayalam long before I learned English...of course I'd have an accent!! Granted, Indian accents pro'lly don't sound that great with Western languages but then again, that street goes both ways. The other version is when I'm told I speak English well "for a Malayalee"....... hmmm, let's not get into that right now. Btw, this is an experience some non-mallu friends have gone through as well, so I guess that Unity in diversity thingie's not total hogwash after all.
Some views on this would be great. Coming back to the music, we're gearing up to swing with the Afro-Brit band Osibisa tonight..... will keep y'all posted.
In the meantime the only thought in my mind as I left the Music Academy last night was that languages really don't matter..........when the music's "long".
:)
P.S - In the meantime, do check out this Kurbaan review...had me in splits!!
Last night was the penultimate performance of this year's Novemberfest..... this time it was a Korean group called Gong Myoung...yeah, I know, try saying that aloud without smiling :)
By the end of their performance, I was ready to swear that these 4 guys could make music out of just about anything....like, they'd already performed with an empty 20 litre water can, and a hollowed out walking stick!! Brilliantly versatile, amazing coordination and an array of instruments I'd never seen before. Do catch this group if you get a chance..... you won't be disappointed, I assure you. It's all instrumental btw, haunting, soothing, foot-tapping and peppy all at once.
But this post wasn't meant to be just about the music.
It turned out during the show that only one member of the quartet could speak some English. While telling the audience rather haltingly that this was their first trip to India, he mentioned that his "English languag-ee short, Korean languag-ee long". A fairly accurate way of conveying his relative skill in each language. He was a good sport about it though....made an effort to introduce the team well, and connect with the audience. The audience, for their part, was ready to cheer on his efforts and laugh along.
Which is perfectly fine, but just one little thought niggled at the back of my mind....
What if it was an Indian guy standing onstage and speaking like that to an Indian audience??
Unfortunately, I think there's a 99% chance that he would have been criticized to shreds by the listeners.
What is it about us Indians that allows us to generously overlook the linguistic shortcomings of a foreigner, but remain adamant about the supposed English fluency we expect from a fellow Indian?? Kinda funny, 'coz We are like that only seems to work pretty well for everything else.
Is it because English has become a second or even first language to virtually everyone in an urban or semi-urban setting? Or is it because of the English = Educated mindset we have?
Y'see, it doesn't seem to matter as much to the same people if the speaker can't manage his mother tongue fluently. Oh and that's not all, we have a big and I mean biiiig issue about regional accents too...... a damned-if-you-have, damned-if-you-don't attitude is what generally prevails.
From personal experience, I have been told on a few occasions that I speak with a mallu accent. Fine. But what beats me is that it's often said in that Oh you poor thing tone.
Why, people, whyyyyyy???
For crying out loud, I was taught by Indian teachers (mallu and otherwise), learned my lessons under the eye of mallu parents, talked in Malayalam long before I learned English...of course I'd have an accent!! Granted, Indian accents pro'lly don't sound that great with Western languages but then again, that street goes both ways. The other version is when I'm told I speak English well "for a Malayalee"....... hmmm, let's not get into that right now. Btw, this is an experience some non-mallu friends have gone through as well, so I guess that Unity in diversity thingie's not total hogwash after all.
Some views on this would be great. Coming back to the music, we're gearing up to swing with the Afro-Brit band Osibisa tonight..... will keep y'all posted.
In the meantime the only thought in my mind as I left the Music Academy last night was that languages really don't matter..........when the music's "long".
:)
P.S - In the meantime, do check out this Kurbaan review...had me in splits!!
4 comments:
a mallu accent being derided !!!
Now now now....thats when you know the world has really lost all sense of fine taste...
the mallu accent is the most beautiful and musical thing that ever happened to a language otherwise derided as the "child of many fathers"...
and interestingly the people most likely to comment so condescendingly on the mallu accent are the insensitive, philistine (in all matters of the tongue - food and language)Punjus and the Northies...as if "Oye, How can He tuckk like thaTTT to meee oye" is as Edwardian as it gets...
Dear Zahra,
Please promise,
you will never rob your fellow humans of your lovely mallu accent (that is hoping you still have the gift)...kasam khao....ek haath me nariyaal aur dusre haath me kele ke chips lekar kasam khao...
I can proah-miz that Shastry, but jest won doubt...sirf nariyal se kaam chalega kya? It is zimbly imbossible to hold the kela chipz long enough, without having them find their way to my mouth!!! ;P
And in recognition of your valiant defenze of the mallu tengue, I hereby proclaim you..... an honorary mallu!!!
(Coconuts break in the background..)
What to say of the looks which go along with the accent. Addressed to me "You look like a tamilian but u can speak hindi". And to narayan "You don't look like a tamilian". and they are suppose to be compliments. But even south indians have prejudices against northies speaking hindised tamil. Since the instances are less we don't bother much. Nice blog. Am going through the older posts.
@Bhavana
Ze blawg and ze blaawg owner are honoured to have you aboard madame! :)As for accents and looks..... I guess it will be quite a while before some things change.
Seriously, thanks for dropping in...and I hope the rest of the blog hasn't been too traumatic for you!
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