Where else could Elvis and Shiva mingle as mates but at a Tom Prasada-Rao performance? Tom, an Indian raised in Maryland, played smart sounding original songs to a small but crowded venue, a back room in a town church. Shiva, or at least a likeness on a tin lid, was perched atop the right speaker, while Elvis was on the other. In between was a singer/songwriter who spoke like an American, dressed with an obvious reverence to his Indian heritage, and played music that sounded polished, professional, and radio-ready. (That is, if the radio industry ever reverts to playing music worth hearing.) With a voice like Jeffrey Gaines, Tom played slow and quick tunes, all catchy, and informed the audience that his song "See Myself in You" was recorded by long-time country music star Randy Travis. "I just received my first check," Tom said just before he explained the timeliness of the song. Originally, said the Tom, the song was about a "can collector" he and a friend had met, but since the September 11 tragedy, the song now has a different connotation: Tom was removed from an aeroplane in Texas and interrogated by the FBI for a few hours before he was allowed to resume his trip. After receiving multiple apologies when his identity was verified, Tom said, "Don't apologize; I'm a songwriter, and you just gave me a lot of material." Tom told the audience "I haven't written the song yet, but this one will do for now." Other performance highlights included Tom's electric sitar, another metaphor for Tom's heritage.
Continuing the multi-cultural theme was Annie Wenz who, in addition to providing percussion with tins (Elvis and Shiva), played the second set which included Vietnamese songs, language, and bells. Annie continued with some Spanish and an amusing song about bungey jumping in New Zealand. Annie is braver than I as I've been to that bridge, but unlike Annie, I've never jumped from it. |
