Singer-composer Job Kurian inevitably needs quietude to conjure up music. Not the kind of silence trapped in a sound-proof studio but the one afforded by Nature. That explains why the 35-year-old keeps an old broody run-down house at the centre of his ancestral property by Kallar river in Vithura on top of his list of favourite haunts.
“The estate is about 180 years old and the now-dilapidated house there must be about 60 years old. It was being used by the estate superintendent. But I still go there and practise music a lot. It’s a place very close to nature with lots of greenery and fresh air to rejuvenate you,” says Job.
For someone who’s virtually wired in day in day out, it’s not much of a surprise that Job, who resides at Vattiyoorkavu, pays a visit to the rustic haven three or four times a week when in the city. “It’s a place I’m possessive about and hence I go there all by myself. I don’t take any recording instruments with me, except for my shruti petti . There’s no noise pollution, no air pollution... being there is a natural energiser;” says Job.
So, when not driving off to the suburbian retreat, where do you find him in the city? “Another spot that feels pretty personal is actually a tea shop near Cliff House and Devaswom Board Junction,” reveals Job. He says this no-frills, street point serves as “our musicians-editors gang’s meeting spot.” Though not cut-off from the hurly-burly of the city, the hang-out spot, nevertheless, offers a “sense of togetherness” for the group of music lovers to assemble for discussions and casual chit-chats. “It’s also a place where we share each others’ grievances in life,” says Job with a laughter. Another of his favoured spots is right outside Juice Barrel in Kuravankonam, where he often catches up with his buddies to unwind.
A weekly series on people and their favourite places in the city and its suburbs.
