Rhythm on his fingertips
To say that a lot of attention has surrounded child prodigy Keshava post the gala opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2010 (CWG) would be putting it mildly. But while there has been a lot written and said about this seven-year-old boy wonder, Keshava is like any other child. He loves going back to his school, friends, studies, games (swimming, cycling, etc.) and the usual fights, giggles and chats. “I like to sing songs, play the tabla and read,” says Keshava, when asked about his hobbies.
A resident of Auroville, near Puducherry, Keshava is a Class II student of Deepanam School. The CWG 2010 Opening Ceremony was his first moment in the spotlight. Understandably, he was a little confused — “I couldn’t see anything but chairs,” he says.
“The CWG opening was his first solo and maybe his sixth or seventh public performance. He performs for about 10 to 15 minutes with us, but only if he wants to,” says his mother Gopika, an artist herself.
But the story of young Keshava’s fame did not start just with the CWG. It began when his grandmother was tapping out beats like teen taal, ek taal and playing harmonies like rupak and bhajan theka for him that he simply copied her in perfect rhythm! And all at the age of two!
After a few light lessons in the tabla on the dining table, Keshava started observing the tabla artistes his musician parents used to play with. That is how his tabla journey began. Having said that, the increasing attention doesn’t bother him, as he lives at home with no TV and not many of his friends and neighbours knew about the Opening Ceremony and Keshava’s role in it!
So what does he like to do on a typical day? “I go to school, and read my ‘Princess’ book when I come home,” he says happily, “I like to cycle around the garden, and place tablemats, spoons and plates on the dining table when it’s time to eat.” And when does he find time for the tabla? “After dinner, if I feel like playing, then I play,” is the candid answer.
His mother says that since there is no urgency to dedicate a set number of hours to the tabla each day, Keshava sees it like a hobby and thus enjoys it tremendously. “Besides, he also plays the guitar sometimes,” she adds proudly. Keshava is also fond of his bedtime stories — with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs being his favourite. “My favourite part is when the queen transforms herself into an old hag,” he says giggling. While there are obviously, no clear plans of what he wants to become when he grows up, his current love for airplanes often makes him act as “Captain Keshava,” with bright ideas of taking the family to places they haven’t been so far! Tabla player or pilot, young Keshava is indeed set to fly high. But for now, he is just living in the moment!
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