K Club with Sangu Crooning

Right. There was this time when I went to Hong Kong with a bunch of Chinese friends. We had a whale of a time there. Super fun. The most regrettable incident however, was a visit to a K Club (Karaoke Bar). Being a pure Chennaite and all, stuff like Karaoke and Disco and all does not ettify with me (make sense).

My friends and I were out for the entire day and them fellas wanted to end their day with some dessert (HK is famous for its food) and then spend the remaining part of the night in a K Club and go back to our rooms in the morning. I was totally cool with the dessert thing. I was however, quite apprehensive about the K Club. Will I be made to sing in front of everyone there? Will I have to make a total fool of myself? Questions kept racking my mind.

We went into this dinghy place in Mong Kok (a people infested commercial district in HK). At least it looked dinghy from the outside. Inside, it had this really surrealist feel to it. Like any average disco or club.

We trooped into a room and set ourselves down. We got ourselves stuff to eat and some alcohol. This was all fine. I ate and had some beer and was in a state of mental peace. Then they started singing.

Chinese have this preference for really shitty english songs and Chinese songs (which are all uniformly shitty. Chinese songs sound like songs of say, Jessica Simpson, set to Chinese lyrics. They would consider a rock song with Chinese lyrics as innovative I suppose.) So this really turned me off. They took turns singing while I tried to keep myself occupied/distracted with a really shitty video game. After some time, I got really bored and put my head down to sleep. My friends somehow got this impression that I felt I was being neglected and started pestering me to sing one of those shitty english songs. Goddamn! I didn’t know what to do. I did not want to be seen as a bad sport. At the same time, I did not want to embarrass myself, especially because there were these 2 really reasonably (I am very critical) hot Hong Konger chicks who had tagged along with us. I refused. They asked again. They told me I could sing a really shitty (actually, a bit wacky also) song called Calcutta cos it had really simple lyrics and an Indian background to it. I refused. They asked again. I took a deep breath. I thought about it. I apprehensively took the mike. Their faces lit up at the prospect of seeing me humiliated. Then I refused. They gave up. And worse, my worth visibly diminished in front of the girls’ eyes. But I was too tired to care. With the effect of the beers setting in, I just put my head on my lap and slept, despite the noise pollution in the background.

You may ask why I refused and start to imagine that I ought to have sung along. There are many plausible reasons for me not singing. I think although singing is something natural, I believe it should come spontaneously ie. a person musn’t be forced to sing. Secondly, I only like to do things in public that I am good at. Thirdly, I think K Club, like disco, is a stupid way to waste your time and really see no point in it. Fourthly, I have this impression that I am a really mature fellow and mature people do not indulge in such frivolties. It simply goes against the general moodiness and seriousness and depth of my character. I was just suggesting possible, plausible reasons here. I do not know the real reason myself, but you can take your pick. (I myself prefer the last one as the explanation bcos it sounds very nice. Good excuse to give.)

But in the last 2 days, I thought about it. Amean, its not like I cannot sing. I am an accomplished bathroom singer. I sing quite loudly in the shower and don’t care if others hear. I am quite comfortable singing english songs really. This is because I was introduced to english songs early on by my father (even before MTV came) and was listening to the likes of The Beatles, Beegees, Boney M etc.. even as a pinju payal. And I used to sing along to a lot of these songs as a youngster in the confines of my bedroom, though the whole house could hear me at it.

Then why did I feel so opposed to it in the K Club? Was it because my voice had lost the vocal range and the ideal pitch that I had when I was a youngster? Was it because I had lost touch? Was it because I had lost interest in music? I feel the last reason is probably the most correct.

When I was introduced to The Beatles and all, I thought every song of theirs was supercool and would try to learn all of their songs by heart. As time passed, I got to realize that many of the songs were actually nothing great. There was no point in idly worshipping any group. I found myself surrounded by a sea of musical mediocrity and lost any little interest I had retained. After that, I started to look for specific songs that I liked and listened to exclusively those. So nowadays, I hardly listen to music. Suppose I come across something interesting in the radio or in a restaurant, then I look it up on youtube and listen. Or else, if the sounds are completely new (for instance this – totally amazing!), then I listen a while. Otherwise no.

UPDATE: The video link I gave, just in case people miss it is of traditional Tuvan throat singing. Part of Mongolian and Siberian culture. The mode of singing is something completely unique and absolutely gorgeous. The whistling sound that you hear is actually him singing. I have a penchant for such weird and wacky singing. Another example – the Australian Didgeridoo.

OK. I see you are getting pissed that such a simple matter is being given so much pointless analysis. You say: What a fucking waste of time!?! If you do not wish to sing, don’t. But don’t bother us with reasons and other such b.s. I agree. Thats why I decided: Fuck all my theories and everything! Let me just do it. Which is why I present to you this song I have sung. The song is “When you say nothing at all” by Ronan Keating. I understand this could very well be a song targetting girls. But I really like this particular song and the song ‘Words’ (originally sung by the Beegees.) Otherwise naa Ronan Keating kitte thalavechikooda padukamaten.

NOTE: Wait a while for the song to start. And please excuse the poor recording. This is about what an ad hoc recording on sound recorder will produce.

And so, finally, I can have a human audience hear me sing. I’m tired of having just the wall lizards and cockroaches listening to me in the bathroom and giving me feedback.