The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rasikas line up for Carnatic music Lining up for Carnatic music

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rasikas line up for Carnatic music Lining up for Carnatic music

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Music lovers waiting in queue at the Music Academy to purchase cassettes and CDs sold by AIR on Wednesday. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

CHENNAI: The Prasar Bharati function to release CDs and cassettes of M.S. Subbulakshmi, the Alathur Brothers and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar began late at the Music Academy for a strange reason — a serpentine queue had gathered at the venue to buy the CDs and the cassettes. The queue that began forming at around 6 p.m. extended till the Academy gates and blocked the entry of automobiles.

K. Satish, an employee of a software firm, joined the queue at around 6.30 p.m. At 7.15 p.m. he had hardly moved a few feet. "I think there are many jumping the queue. I think I should join them too," he said just as the function began inside.

Near the counter selling the cassettes and CDs confusion reigned supreme. Not everyone thought it fit to wait patiently in the queue. As the clock ticked by and the impatience of those waiting grew, more hands thrust themselves at the few, harassed staff manning the counter. "Sir, if everyone stood in the queue, we will be able to complete each sale much quicker," the employee at the cash counter was heard shouting, at no one in particular.

An AIR official who made a quick tour of the counter under siege seemed dazed by the number of buyers. "I have never seen this kind of crowd for anything," he muttered as he made his way back to the stage.

Such was the interest to get the cassettes and CDs that speaker after speaker inside made it a point to mention it; everyone felt reassured that classical music in the country had a bright future.

One official said that AIR had brought to the venue 2,400 CDs and cassettes of 19 titles. These were sold out in less than two hours.

The audio CD was priced at Rs. 137, the video CD at Rs. 206 and audiocassettes at Rs. 67. "We are selling it at a 30 per cent discount," said K.S. Sarma, CEO, Prasar Bharati.

Overwhelmed by the response, the officials decided to extend the sale to end-July. The AIR station on the beach will sell these.

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