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‘Music connected us both’

The story of Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Rahul Ananda’s residence
PHOTO: COURTESY OF PID
“I gifted him an Ektara. Macron is a good student, said Rahul. “I showed him how to play the instrument, and he caught the idea and played the same note in a matter of minutes,” he added.
DOWEL BISWAS
Situated in Dhanmondi 32 is a 140-year-old one-story house with a rather peculiar outlook. Unconventional flowers like lilies, marigolds, roses lying indifferently at its premises. This is where prominent artiste and musician Rahul Ananda, with his wife and son is residing for years, and this is where he makes his music.
However, in the evening yesterday, this house was the centre of attention. As unconventional as it sounds, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, deliberately asked for an invitation here and was welcomed as an old friend by the family.
‘An artiste’s visit to another’ the title may seem curious to many. To which Rahul replied, “Curious..? I feel that it’s quite natural. As a representative of my culture, people, and country, my studio has been blessed by the presence of many foreign dignitaries and ambassadors in the past.”
“I cannot say how or why President Emmanuel Macron decided to meet me. Although I feel as a musician himself, it was quite natural for him to connect with another,” Rahul continued with his welcoming smile.
“I am accustomed to getting invited to sing and perform for them, but it seemed quite atypical to get to know that President Macron wants to visit my studio to see how I build musical instruments and songs there.”
“He didn’t want me to perform for him, but just to know how I create music and where. So, I prepared as much as I could at my house, which is a 140-year-old broken-down one, to welcome my guest.
Rahul continued, “Then I thought a musician is coming to another’s house, and thus, there is nothing to be prepared for. He should visit us as we are, as it is.”
But how does an artiste really prepare his home and studio to welcome the President of France, Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron?
The multi-instrumentalist and front-man of the urban folk group Joler Gaan said with his evergreen, graceful smile, “Just like I invite and welcome any other person into my home, be it a teenager, rickshaw puller or a youth admirer of my music.”
“My home has always been open to people who wanted to talk to me and catch a conversation regarding music, or life as a whole,” said Rahul. “Although, the instance that I got to know his interest in visiting my studio through Ambassade De France Au Bangladesh, I felt rather curious.”
Macron came to know about Rahul at an event organised by Ambassade De France Au Bangladesh. “In my performance, I incorporated different self-made musical instruments, including one made of 67 parts of a bicycle. He came across a video recording of that event, and got interested in meeting me. After that, the French Embassy took care of the rest,” Rahul said.
Rahul began their conversation by playing his trusty flute. “He was curious about the instruments I make, I showed him my recent instruments, namely Mukuli, Draupdi, Churinda, Pagla etc.”
“I gifted him an Ektara. Macron is a good student, said Rahul, adding, “I showed him how to play the instrument, and he caught the idea and played the same note in a matter of minutes.”
Macron did not come empty-handed either; he gifted Rahul a pen with his name embedded in it. “President Macron asked me to open the gift and muttered in my ears that he himself uses this pen. Macron murmured that he wants me to write poetry and songs with this pen and asked me to show him those the next time he visits me.
Macron also wrote a letter to Rahul’s son, Tota. “This letter is exclusive to my son, and he shouldn’t show it to anyone,” Rahul said, while laughing his heart out.
To answer why he thinks President Macron visited him, the artiste started playing one of his instruments and answered with a prose of Lalon geeti, “Zaar Mormo sey zodi na koy saddho kar ke janite pay….” (which loosely translates to-- If one does not know their own worth, who will?).
Rahul Ananda concluded on a serious note, “I don’t actually know. I am just doing my work. Some of my work takes me to places, into some people’s minds and lives, and that’s how I connect to people myself, spiritually and philosophically. That is the wonder of music and life for me, and I feel that is what connected us both.”