Good to Great

This has been a season for concerts and live shows for me...Attended a concert by Usha Uthup this weekend. Despite the delay and somewhat lousy event management - everything just vanished into thin air, the moment she came on stage...What energy, what a voice, what humility, what excitement, I really cant explain it with words - the presence of that single person, made the evening so electrifyingly, brilliantly phenomenal....If I respected the woman and loved her voice before, I am now in adulation of this woman - Usha Uthup, who has no formal training in music, has a non-conventional voice, was mocked at by musicians and puritans, yet had the courage to become the face of Western music in India...Didi, we really love you.. You're simply awesome..

In my mind, Usha Uthup was all about "pop" songs.. but when she sang "Kanne kalaimaane", originally a KJ Yesudoss number -a voice so far away from Usha's and I surprised myself by moving to tears...rather streaming with tears...I loved the song always, but her rendition so deeply moved me and at that moment I realised that there are clearly only 2 things that sets apart the genius, super talented people from the maestros...

1. There are several talented people in the world, but the ones who scale greatness carry an attitude - so comfortable in their skin, with their individuality that they can side step all stereotypes confidently, creatively and boldly and be their own unique personalities with no qualms.
2. Whatever it is that great people do, be it music, art, management, research or anything random... it is done for their own pleasure, for their own love of that which they pursue - not to prove a point to anyone...it manifests as dedication that's unsurpassable - moments of complete involvement where they stop existing as separate from their pursuit - they are the music, they are the art, they are the plan, they are the thesis, they are the process, they are the outcome...

Dont wonder why I get so intense about things - the real experiene of life, is all about intensity...else you are simply bovine..If you have one of those charecterstics in anything you do, you'll go a long way - if you have both, you'll become great someday. Now, thats wundergal's verdict - take it or leave it, but please dont argue!