Musicians,events,anecdotes and tid-bits

1. Sharp manodharma
Dwaram Lakshmi's concert showed her prowess.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050320200.htm

2. A festive week
The seven-day event witnessed flawless concerts.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050340200.htm

3. Devotional fare
‘Sai Bodha' has Shirdi Sai Baba songs by eminent vocalists.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050470400.htm

4. Princely charm
Prince Rama Varma enthralled with his flawless rendition.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050480400.htm

5. Eclectic vocal recital
Predictable in parts, but it was a sweet melody dished out by Sri Ranjani.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050500400.htm
Mellifluous melody

6.T.V. Sankaranarayanan and his son Mahadevan gave a skilful perf ormance as part of Spic Macay's ‘ Virasat 2010'.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050510400.htm

7. Sticking to tradition
N. Subbalakshmi's vocal recital was expansive and creative.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/08/20/s...2050530400.htm

PBS to be felicitated

P.B. Sreenivos turns 80 and Kannadigas gear up to felicitate him


Ramya Cultural Academy is organising a felicitation to the legendary playback singer P.B. Sreenivos on September 25 at Town Hall, Bangalore, 6 p.m. The singer turns 80 on September 22 and the film music lovers, artistes and dignitaries will be present on the occasion.

P.B. Sreenivos (PBS), has been singing since 1951. He has sung in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Sreenivos is known for his playback singing in the Kannada film industry for Rajkumar and other leading stars. PBS is fluent in eight languages (Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Urdu, English and Sanskrit) and has penned several ghazals in Telugu. Sreenivos sang with Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum and Jikki apart from leading a chorus song. He was introduced in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu simultaneously in the movie “Jathaka Phala” (Jathakam) by R. Nagendra Rao.

His songs for Rajkumar in films like “Gandhada Gudi”, “Bhaktha Kumbara”, “Nandi”, “Gandhinagara”, “Bangarada Manushya”, “Kasthuri Nivasa”, “Bhaktha Kanakadasa”, “Santa Tukaram” and several others which haunt the Kannada listener to this day. Apart from singing, he wrote and composed innumerable ghazals and directed music. He was the first to write a song in English, compose music and release an LP Record. This rare singer with over six decades of playback singing has won innumerable awards.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350930200.htm

TFA awards
Toto Funds the Arts calls for entries

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350890400.htm

For this weekend
Screening of a Kannada film

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350920400.htm

1. Annual awards

The Mylapore Academy (ph: 24939352) conducts its 41 {+s} {+t} annual awards function, for Tamil drama and Television serial ‘Bests' of 2009, on September 5, 6.15 p.m. at Narada Gana Sabha, Alwarpet. N. Gopalaswamy, former chief election ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0351130100.htm

2. Scholar remembered
Tribute was paid to Dr. Raghavan.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0351220200.htm

3. Consecration of Sholinghur temple

Two hill temples – Narasimhar Hill or Periya Malai and Siriya Tiruvadi or Small Hill -- and a temple in Sholinghur Town are attributed to Yoga Narasimhar.

Of these, the hill temples are more famous. An imposing Anjaneya adorns ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0351250300.htm

4. Kathakali festival

A five-day kathakali festival, ‘Bhava Bhavanam,' will begin from September 4 (daily, 6.30 p.m.) at Rukmini Arangam, Kalakshetra, Tiruvanmiyur. Entry is free.

The event opens with ‘Psyche' by Kalakshetra and directed by ...
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0351290300.htm

5. Consecration of Sholinghur temple

Two hill temples – Narasimhar Hill or Periya Malai and Siriya Tiruvadi or Small Hill -- and a temple in Sholinghur Town are attributed to Yoga Narasimhar.

Of these, the hill temples are more famous. An imposing Anjaneyar adorns ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350620200.htm

Beyond familial bonds
Nupur and Mohit Lal on the festival they organise in memory of their father Pandit Durga Lal, coming up this Wednesday.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350350200.htm

Twin stories
Ketaki Sheth's images of Patel twins first seen in 2000 are still relevant.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350420300.htm

Devotional endeavour
‘Sai Bodha' provides a gist of Shirdi Sai Baba's teachings and philosophy in a lyrical form.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/09/03/s...0350240300.htm

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Violin Maestro's 80th Birthday celebration: Chennai

Grand Feast for Rasikas. Celebrations in Large scale.


Lalgudi JAYARAMAN -- Multi-programmes in SEPTEMBER 2010

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/article619787.ece


..

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Evergreen QUEEN of Carnatic Music


-- Birthday Reminiscense - September 16.


http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a...?homepage=true

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1. Book release

The Department of Vaishnavism and the Department of French and Foreign Languages, University of Madras, in collaboration with Sri Vedanta Desika Research Centre, will release ‘Tresor de Sages Maximes,' the French translation of Swami ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2950870200.htm

2. The winners…

The following artists have been declared winners in the 22 {+n} {+d} Spirit Of Youth festival of music and dance held from September 24 to October 3 at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall:

Madhvi Chandran (Bharatanatyam); Jyotsna Krishnamurthi ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2950840200.htm

3. Nattuvanars take centre stage
This arangetram in Coimbatore was different. But will it have takers in the future?

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2950370300.htm

4. Honour for artists

Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai, will be conferring its birudhu, ‘Vani Kala Sudhakara' (together with a cash award) on the following artists during its annual Music Festival in December 2010:

Sanjay Subrahmanian (vocal), ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2950440400.htm

5. Straight from the maestro
N. Ramani has chosen songs not found in commercial recordings.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2950450400.htm

6. November Fest
5000 musicians on stage

The Art of Living is organising Naada Vaibhavam, a grand symphony of 5,000 Carnatic musicians on January 30, 2011, in Chennai. This programme hopes to make classical music accessible to the masses and offer a spiritual experience. Those ...

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951180800.htm

7. Pavitrotsavam

Pavitrotsavam is being celebrated at Sri Ambujavalli Nayika Samedha Lakshminarayana Perumal Temple, in Akkoor Village, Tiruvannamalai – 631701, till October 31.

Pavithram Samarpithal is today at 8 a.m., kalasa tirumanjanam is on ..

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2950340200.htm

Messages behind the mausoleum

Built by Shah Jahan in 1642 as a memorial to his adored wife, the Taj Mahal in Agra is more than a beautiful mausoleum. Discovery Channel's Discover India unearth's the ‘Mystery of the Taj Mahal ,' October 31 at 7 p.m. It is also a ...

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/201...9/bangindx.htm

Grand finale to a musical celebration
The soothing tenor of Sreevalsan J. Menon's voice enhanced the contemplative style of his rendering.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951310200.htm

Chaste and classic ragas
The annual concerts at the Navarathri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram are a much-awaited music fiesta that is a fine blend of melody and devotion.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951370300.htm

With devotional fervour
The Navarathri fete at the Karthyayini temple, Thrissur, featured vocal concerts by stalwarts and youngsters.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951400400.htm

"The master's voice"

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a...?homepage=true

Sudha Raghunathan. Musically Yours
[Thursday, January 13, 2011]
4 Comments


Sudha Raghunathan is a Carnatic legend. But she is also an icon for popular music lovers. Her two most recent films songs “Yeno Yeno Panithuli” from ‘Aadhavan’ and “Enna Kuraiyo” from ‘Mandhira Punnahai’ are recent testimony for her popularity on this part of music world. The perfect blend of tradition and modernity can bee seen in her.

Not that all she also runs Samudhaaya Foundation, a social initiative to commit to serve society by pledging to donate organs.

Sudha Raghunathan speaks on her music and social initiatives in this special Pongal show. Professionally and personally, she is serving the society. You’ll agree when you watch this IndiaGlitz exclusive.

Send in your feedback on this video and your stars will see them and may even respond to your comments.

Happy Pongal to you all.

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/t...nts/25186.html

"Journeys In Music" (From The Hindu)
By T.M. KRISHNA

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/12/26/...2650220500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/01/02/...0250310500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/01/09/...0950220500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/12/19/...1950260500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/01/30/...3050300500.htm

கர்நாடக சங்கீத ரசிகர்களுக்கு :

பாடும் கலையில் "ஜி.என்.பி" எப்படி நாதஸ்வர பாணியை கையாண்டார் என்பதை இஞ்சிக்குடி சுப்ரமணியனின் துணையோடு திருச்சூர் வி ராமச்சந்திரன் இங்கே விளக்குகிறார்.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by R.Latha

Grand finale to a musical celebration
The soothing tenor of Sreevalsan J. Menon's voice enhanced the contemplative style of his rendering.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951310200.htm

Chaste and classic ragas
The annual concerts at the Navarathri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram are a much-awaited music fiesta that is a fine blend of melody and devotion.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951370300.htm

With devotional fervour
The Navarathri fete at the Karthyayini temple, Thrissur, featured vocal concerts by stalwarts and youngsters.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951400400.htm

---

The Navaratri Mandapam kutcheris have lost their earlier standard. The Swathi music festivals are a shade better now.

Melodic sojourns

FETED: Vani Jairam receiving Sangam Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award from Mr. K. Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu. Photo: Special Arrangement

Vani Jairam is continuously active on the concert circuit both here and abroad. Beginning with her show of exclusive Tamil hits at Harrow, London, the past few months have sped past at a frenetic pace for the prodigious singing talent. “It was held to collect funds for a dilapidated school building in Sri Lanka. The cause made it heart-warming, and singing to a packed auditorium was rewarding,” says Vani.

The crowning glory of the houseful show of her Telugu hits organised by Sangam Academy at Ravindra Bharati Auditorium, Hyderabad, was the Life Time Achievement Award that she received from K. Rosaiah Governor of Tamil Nadu. Vani stayed back to conduct two workshops for children belonging to an international school there. Recordings for devotionals in Tamil and Sanskrit brought her back to Chennai, after which she flew to Dubai for a Malayalam concert for a television channel. Another Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to her a couple of months ago by yesteryear veteran actor A. Nageswara Rao, at his birthday celebrations in Hyderabad.

Guru Purnima Day saw her performing at the Ramakrishna Mission, Mumbai. Devotionals in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi and Gujarati held the audience in thrall. Vani’s Hindi and Gujarati recitals in Ahmedabad that followed were equally well-received. It was the same at her recent devotional concert in Kerala. The songs were predominantly in Malayalam, though Vani also included other language songs on these platforms.

The linguist-musician’s next halt was Australia. “Vijay Yesudas, Chinmayi and Haricharan accompanied me. The concerts at both Sydney and Melbourne were a sell-out,” informs Vani.

“The feedback was overwhelming. Surely she would continue enthralling us with her music for the next 25 years,” says one of the many fan mails, she points out to.

Keywords: Vani Jairam

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2656188.ece

The Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2012

Trichy SankaranMridangam artist Trichy Sankaran has been chosen for the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi title by the Music Academy in Chennai and he would be honoured during this year's festival on January 1st,2012. dr.Trichy Sankaran will also chair the 85th Annual Conference of the Music Academy being held from December 15th this year.

Dr. Trichy Sankaran is a globally-respected artist, composer, educator, and cultural ambassador, who consistently demonstrates mastery, creativity, ingenuity, humility, and devotion. Since his professional debut at 13, Trichy Sankaran has had a prolific international performing career, appearing as a featured musician at major music festivals and cultural events in Europe, Australia, North America and Asia, including the highly celebrated World Drum concerts at Expo 86 (Vancouver), Expo 88 (Brisbane) and Expo 2000 (Hanover). As an active contributor to the music scene in Canada, he has composed a dynamic body of work that bridges the musical traditions of both India and the West. Collaborations include performances with New Music, jazz, Western Classical world fusion and internationally-recognized Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. As an Indian music scholar he has contributed to many learned societies across the globe and has authored textbooks. As an Indian Music Scholar he is held in high esteem by his students and colleagues at York University. Over the years Dr Trichy Sankaran has bridged

Eastern and Western pedagogical styles and has influenced generations of students who have become noted performers,composers and music educators for the past 4 decades.

Gharanas may not retain their identity: Pandit Rajan Mishra

The legendary gharanas of Indian classical music may not be able to retain their distinct identity in the contemporary age where electronic media and rampant bombardment of music is the norm of the day, say two celebrated singers.

Speaking to reporters Friday at the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), renowned exponents of the Benaras gharana of Hindustani classical music, brothers Rajan and Sajan Mishra said that classical music as a whole is becoming increasingly popular and that swelling audiences were the barometers of the popularity.

"Gharanas were made to preserve a certain style of music. But in this age of electronic media and television and radio, it is difficult to maintain the gharana system now," said Pandit Rajan Mishra.

In Hindustani classical music, the gharana system involved distinct genres of music, in which a collective of classical artists adhered to by lineage or apprenticeship.

Some of the famous gharanas in India are the Benaras, Kirana, Patiala, Jaipur.

The Mishra brothers, who are also Padmabhushan awardees, played the main protagonists of a documentary film `Adwait Sangeet` made by Pune-based film-maker Makarand Brahme, which was the inaugural film of the Indian Panaroma (non-feature) section at the Goa festival.

"While western India is influenced by the Kirana gharana, the Mishra brothers are from the Benaras gharana, which is one of the most influential gharanas in the country. The Benaras gharana has given us two Bharat Ratna awardees (Ustad Bismillah Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar) and 32 Padma awardees," Brahme said.

"The Benaras gharana is perhaps the only one which patronises performing arts like vocal, dance form, percussions," he said.

According to Rajan Mishra, classical music was on an upswing in India, much against the popular perception that the form of music was on the decline.

"You see, earlier in Delhi there was only the Sapru auditorium for classical music and it was often empty. But now you have so many other avenues like the Siri Fort auditorium, which houses 3,000 people, and they even have big screens outside and there are open part shows. Public interest in classical music is increasing," he said.

http://zeenews.india.com/entertainme...hra_100916.htm

Viswa Kala Bharathi awards

Swami Dayananda Saraswathi on Saturday called for preserving “Bharathiya” culture. “It is in our dance, music, literature, costumes and even food,” he said at the inauguration of the silver jubilee Margazhi Mahotsav and Nalli Sangeetha Nrithya Vizha of Bharat Kalachar.

He congratulated Bharat Kalachar and its chairman Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy for working to preserve Indian culture and for encouraging artists since its inception. “An artist is one, who is born with talent and is one who brings along with them certain innate capacities.

These capacities have to be tapped and marshalled, for which a guru is required. To become an artist, one must work intelligently with the help of a teacher,” he said.

In her silver jubilee address, Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy said that Bharat Kalachar was started 25 years ago by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and her husband YGP. “Bharat Kalachar was started with an aim to provide a platform for talented youngsters to perform before an audience,” she said.

Bharat Kalachar Secretary Y.Gee Mahendra, cultural consultant Madhuvanthi Arun and Joint Secretary Sudha Mahendra also spoke. Various awards were presented to over 40 performing artists on the occasion.

The annual souvenir was released by Rajiv Gupta, Zonal Manager, Bank of India, and the first copy was received by Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti.

Gnana Kala Bharathi award was presented to mridangam maestro Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman; Viswa Kala Bharathi award went to Mandolin U.Shrinivas, Sudha Raghunathan, Alarmel Valli and Malavika Sarukkai; Natya Kaladhar award to O.S.Arun; Acharya Kala Bharathi award to Srimushnam V.Raja Rao, Anitha Guha; Kala Seva Bharathi award was presented to Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti and the Nadaga Kala Bharathi went to R.Neelakantan (Neelu).

Bharat Kalachar's Velli Vizha Sangeetha/ Nrithya Kala Bharathi awards instituted in memory of YGP and Semmangudi R.Srinivasa Iyer by Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy, were also presented.

The awards went to Neyveli R.Santhanagopalan, P.Unnikrishnan, N.Vijay Siva, R.K.Shriram Kumar (violin), B.Kannan (veena), Sriram Parasuram and Anooradha Sriram, J.Vaidhyanathan (mridangam), S.Karthick (ghatam), B.S.Purushotham (kanjira) and K.S.R.Aniruddha.

Priya Sisters -- Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya -- and Kalpana Raghavender also received Velli Vizha Sangeetha Kala Bharathi awards.

Velli Vizha Nrithya Kala Bharathi awards were presented to dancers Meenakshi Chittaranjan, Priyadarshini Govind, and Urmila Sathyanarayana.

Young achievers

The Yuva Kala Bharathi Awardees 2011 were Mahadevan Sankaranarayanan (Carnatic vocal), S.Mahathi (Carnatic vocal), V.Deepika (Carnatic vocal), Cuddalore S.J.Jananiy (Carnatic vocal), Shreya Devnath (violin), Trichy S.Krishnaswamy (ghatam), Mylai R.Mahendran (Nadaswaram), K.Sathyanarayana (keyboard), Deepika Potarasu (Kuchipudi), Revathy Kumar (all rounder in Bharathanatyam, vocal and nattuvangam), Navia Natarajan (Bharathanatyam), Aishwarya N.Balasubramanian (Bharathanatyam), and Ritwika Ghosh (Bharathanatyam).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle2665033.ece

"Music in the air, will decorum follow?"

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open...cle2642825.ece

As the music of India permeated the Western world and gained popularity in the 1960s, many Westerners, like The Beatles' George Harrison, began to study this intricate music.

According to Taoseño Phil Hollenbeck, who was first introduced to the study of classical Indian music by Ravi Shankar (Harrison's teacher) in the late 1960s, Shankar said that it would take about 25 years of dedicated study before a student would begin to understand the music. Hollenbeck, who has been perfecting his ability to play classical Indian music for four decades, said Shankar was right - it was at about the quarter-century mark that he began to grasp its musical depths.

"Ragas Performed on Sarode and Pakhawaj" is a concert that pairs two highly accomplished musicians well-versed in the Dhrupad style of music, an older form of classical Indian music that is not often performed today. Hollenbeck will be joined by David Trasoff in a concert where they will perform both traditional classical and light classical folk ragas Sunday (Nov. 27), 7 p.m., in the Arthur Bell Auditorium at the University of New Mexico's Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St.

Hollenbeck explained that classical Indian music was developed over centuries by yogis (spiritual practitioners) who were exploring the vibrational qualities of sound. With origins dating back more than 3,000 years to the Vedas (ancient Hindu spiritual texts), the music is considered highly beneficial for spiritual development. From a basic understanding that all forms of the material world are in essence vibrations of sound, the texts speak of music as the divine creative language.

Structurally, classical Indian music is based upon ragas (melodies) and talas (rhythms). Trasoff describes on his website (www.davidtrasoff.com), that "a raga is formed from a series of ascending and descending notes selected from a given music scale. Within this skeleton, the musician brings out the melody that gives a particular raga its character and mood: Joy, sadness, romance, or a combination of these and other basic emotions. In a classical performance, the raga is presented in two sections. In the first part, called alap, the musician plays unaccompanied and presents the notes contained within the raga, proceeding until all the notes and their interrelationship are explored. This allows the character of the notes and the raga to be shown in a framework free of a fixed rhythmic structure."

The percussionist then enters into the mix to lay down a rhythmic structure. Trasoff further explained that the architecture of classical Indian music makes it possible for musicians to easily improvise with one another.

"On the one hand, the forms are very specific and there is a lot of learning that goes into them," Trasoff said. "But once we're within those forms we're free to improvise and create the music as we go. So, musicians can come together and create a program - it's not that we have to have a fixed set of pieces like you would for a Western recital. We basically create the music with each other and also with the audience and with the setting."

Their Taos concert at the Harwood marks the first time that Trasoff and Hollenbeck have performed together, though they first met as beginning students in the early 1970s.

"This is going to be an interesting program," Trasoff said, "and a little different than other programs of Indian music that people have seen because Phil and I both have training in an older form of the music than what's usually heard on stages today. We're going to certainly play some in that form (Dhrupad)."

The musicians will also play some lighter, folk pieces. In addition to playing together, Trasoff and Hollenbeck will illustrate the subtleties of their unique instruments in solo performances.

The sarode is a relatively new, stringed instrument in the classical Indian repertoire. In the 20th century, Ustad Allaudin Khan (father of the late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan) made changes to the Afghanistan rubab and its playing style and developed today's sarode which is played with a coconut plectrum or fingernails on a fretless, steel fingerboard. The sarode is deeper in tone than the popular sitar. Ali Akbar Khan, considered by many to be the best classical Indian musician of his time, was Trasoff's teacher. Ustad is a title of honor meaning "master." It is used in reference to Muslim musicians of Indian music. Pandit is a similar title used for Hindu musicians.

North Indian classical music used to be referred to as Hindustani music, but Hollenbeck said that because the music is played by Indians of all religious backgrounds, it is now more often referred to as North Indian classical music. The music is historically from North India, Pakistan, and to some degree Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan. It is distinct from the music of Southern India.

The pakhawaj is a double-sided drum of North Indian music. It is said to have originated thousands of years prior to the tabla and is played in a vast number of styles of music across South Asia. The drum is hollowed out from a section of the trunk of a hardwood tree. Both ends are covered with three layers of skin. The resulting drum can be struck with the fingers and palms to produce more than 20 basic sounds. The pakhawaj is known for its warmth and expressiveness and is played in classical dances, Dhrupad music, temple or devotional music and solo performance.

North Indian classical music is taught as an oral tradition, passed from teacher to student through repetition. Hollenbeck explained that when he began his studies in Varanasi in 1969 under the tutelage of late Pandit Amarnath Mishra of Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, he worked with him one-on-one. Mishra played a piece of music, and Hollenbeck repeated it, as best as he could. Gradually the pieces became more and more complex. Hollenbeck described the process:

"You stick one-on-one with a teacher and you try to basically follow and imitate what they do," Hollenbeck said. "There's not a whole lot of explanation at first because at first you're just learning rudiments and that goes on for a few years."

Hollenbeck explained that there is a verbal language for teaching the rhythm called bols ("bol" means "word"). A teacher will use this language to recite a phrase of rhythmic pattern and the student must repeat it. Gradually the recital of the phrases increases in speed, but initially the teacher repeats it slowly to allow the student to hear the musical pattern completely - with all its subtleties. Hollenbeck explained that this language describes the weight and tone of the sounds, and that teachers will take one phrase and play it several different ways, emphasizing different beats or compositional parts to further illuminate the piece.

Hollenbeck admitted that the study of classical Indian music is difficult at the beginning, but he said it has given him a lifetime of satisfaction. "The study of Indian music gives you a framework to understand a lot of the traditional music of everywhere."

Trasoff has appeared in concert in arts centers, universities, conservatories and festivals in the United States, Europe, and Asia and has made numerous performing tours in India. He has also composed and performed music for film, theater and dance projects, including an award-winning Los Angeles production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the award-winning documentary "Broken Tail's Last Journey" and the acclaimed Indian art film "Leela." His recordings include a CD of North Indian classical music recorded with Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Hollenbeck is said to be the most senior Pakhawaj/Mridang artist in the Western world. He is a professional accompanist in both the Dhrupad and Odissi styles of pakhawaj, accompanying vocalists, instrumentalists, and dancers of many traditions. Hollenbeck also performs with South Asian folk and devotional artists and with Western jazz, world-fusion, and other traditional musicians and dancers.

http://www.taosnews.com/entertainmen...cc4c002e0.html

December season 2011

CHENNAI: Over the years, the December season has become the ground for showing, new and experimental work, which promises a trajectory that is exciting. The music season in Chennai will be abuzz with activity this year, both on the listeners as well as performers front.

Today, audiences are larger, keener, more enthusiastic and appreciative. The number of impresarios and concert organisers too are on the rise. Often, they come out with innovative ideas in programme planning and presentation to attract more listeners. Large commercial and business houses and even some newspapers and networks have joined the fray. Of course, they have come to regard music as a means of business proposition.

The pursuit of music and dance is now considered a sign of culture and personal adornment. The number of young artistes, participating have been on the rise in the recent years, bringing out a wealth of aspiring talent to public view (like SR Veeraraghavan, senior disciple of Balamuralikrishna, Mambalam Sisters, Nisha Rajagopal, Sriram Gangadharan to mention a few).
Get ready to soak in the spirit of Margazhi

Harikatha too is being encouraged, for preserving and promoting the arts, in their pristine purity, cultivating among the public, a deep appreciation of the unique heritage of ours. While the quality of the performances are on the increase, it is becoming an increasingly tough task, to select the toppers from among the short listed.

Some of the finest specimen of gushing, over brimming musicality are to be seen, some of them being encouraged rightly by Sri Ramjee of Isai Mazhalai group. Bharath Sundar, Vidya Kalyanaraman (vocal), Parur Ananthakrishnan, KP Nandini (violin), NC Bharadwaj and Harish Kumar (Mridangam) are among those artistes who need to be watched.

One cannot help mentioning premier institutions like Sonal Mansingh’s Centre for Indian Classical Dances, Kalakshetra, Saila-Sudha (the academy of Excellence in Kuchipudi and Bharathanatyam), Kala Priyadharshini (Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala) creating remarkable platforms, to showcase the holistic nature of the art, indicating the signs of the time.

The top musicians, of course, are no longer the proverbial ‘penniless wretches’. The avenues of their earning have multiplied. The fees of musicians, in good demand, have sky rocketed. Let the top musicians, realise that love of the ‘pelf and profit’ should not relegate, all finer considerations of ‘art for art sake’ by increasing the number of concerts during the season, even when ‘vocal chords’ do not co-operate.

The advent of sponsorship as a phenomenon is a good sign, but the companies must be careful about whom they fund, particularly when this funding goes to ‘fly by night’ operators, during the music season. Music buffs like Mrs YG Parthasarathy and Sri A Natarajan (former Director/Doordarshan) opine, that though proliferation of number of programmes do help the artistes, but yet the remuneration to the artiste should not become a pittance, when compared to the generous inflow of funds from the sponsors, taking advantage of the plight of the upcoming artiste.

Let a thousand voices echo across the city, let a thousand ankles chime and let us say with a nod ‘let happiness and pain become a music in their string, fill the mouths of heaven, with their tongue’.
Contradictory view points have been expressed regarding proliferation of programmes, but let not the condition be that there is apoplexy at the extremities (too many concerts) while there is sheer anaemic at the centre (no audience).

New Guinness World Record by students of M.S.Martin's Academy

A new Guinness World Record was created by 109 students from Chennai, who are students of M.S.Martin's ''Mellifluous Melodies". Together, they created a Carnatic Symphony on the Keyboard for 15 minutes at the Music Academy, on Sunday 27th November evening , to break the existing Guinness record for largest keyboard ensemble. Ascintillating Carnatic music performance for 2 hours followed.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, November 28, 2011 /India PRwire/ -- The adjudicator, from the Guinness World Records, Mr. Jack BrockBank from UK was present and handed over the certificate in presence of Music Maestro M. S. Vishwanathan, Legendary Carnatic Vocalist, Aruna Sairam and Mr. N. Murali, President,Music Academy. Awarding the certificate to Mr.M.S.Martin, Mr. BrockBank said "I am impressed by the stunning performance of the students and the dedication they have shown for creating this record .I am confident that this group will create many more records in future and wish them all the best ".

Notes to Editor

The earlier record was created on 25th September 2004 by Billy Joel , which consisted of 107 participants who played "Piano Man" for five minutes at the opening of The Shoppes at Cross Keys , Florissant , Missouri ,USA.

Earlier, in 2009 , 75 children from M.S.Martin's school created a Limca Record by performing on a single stage.The key person involved is M S Martin who is a gold medalist in B A Music and was bestowed the prestigious award of ISAIMAMANI in the year 1993 by Annamalai University. He has been training children in carnatic music over the last 14 years.

For Sudha Ragunathan, the year ends with six more awards, thus making her already enormous list of laurels longer.

She came! She sang! She conquered! That was the order of the day in the late 1970s when a young girl with sparkling eyes and a friendly smile, clad in a half-sari represented Ethiraj College, and won almost every inter-college classical music competition she had participated in. Her oratorical feats saw her through many debates too victoriously. Adjudged ‘The Most Outstanding Student' of her college for three consecutive years - a hat trick that remained unbeaten for years, her next playfield was the yearly music competitions held by various sabhas in Chennai and the outskirts, as a curtain raiser to the December music season. Here too the story was no different.

Success never went to her head and her polite and humble demeanour won her many hearts. It is no wonder that the number of her admirers has always been on the rise to date.

This writer has keenly been observing the growth of this budding artist who transformed into a globally accomplished vidwan – the seamless metamorphosis from Sudha Venkataraman to Sudha Ragunathan.

“I still continue to analyse whether I am worthy of the lauded admiration, be it national or international,” Sudha begins at her new house ‘Vasantham' named after her guru M.L. Vasanthakumari that bears testimony to her guru bhakti.

More credits

At the end of the last quarter of 2011, Sudha would have created a record of sorts when six more accolades would have been added to her already enormous list of laurels. On September 30 and October 22 she received the commemoration award of Rs. 1 lakh from the Dr. Sir Rajah Annamalai Chettiar Trust and a memorial award from the Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam Trust. By the time this article goes to print ‘Vishwa Kala Bharati' from Bharat Kalachar (November 26) would have been added to the list with three more to come by December – ‘Tamil Isai Vani' from Maximum Media at their first Tamil festival on December 18, ‘Isai Perarignar' from Tamil Isai Sangam on December 21 and ‘Tamil Isai Vendhar' from Kartik Fine Arts on December 25.

How will she manage all the above alongside her numerous concerts aligned one after the other? “It is indeed mind boggling but extremely exciting too! I will strive to live up to the reputation that I have earned over the years as an artist who delivers.” And she adds with a lilt, “did you notice that four of the accolades are for Tamil Isai propagation?” She starts to hum raga Maand and begins to sing ‘Aarumo Aaval,' one of the favourites of her guru – on my request she completes it - a definite bonus.

“I bow my head in obeisance to the Almighty and my guru for all their blessings and of course my well wishers. It is their constant support and feedback that has kept me racing forward,” she says.

As it can be seen at the end of every one of her concerts, Sudha is normally swarmed by a host of rasikas ages ranging from three to 80, asking her several questions from why she chose to sing a particular raga that day to enquiring about her saris and when she would sing Manirangu or Kaapi. An extremely patient and affectionate Sudha, with an effervescent smile takes the effort to answer every question whilst shaking hands and posing for photographs. Aren't all these causing a huge strain? “No way” she asserts and continues “it is my duty to make all such rasikas feel ‘at home.'” This is also true of her concerts wherein on various occasions, she would extend beyond four hours, meticulously rendering every kriti requested by her rasikas.

“God has blessed me with a wonderful family. Be it my husband, Ragunathan or my son Kaushik or my daughter Malavika, they have never been demanding and have always proved to be understanding and supportive of every endeavour of mine, whether it concerns with music or social welfare. Since family time is extremely important, I make it a point to travel out of the country on a long vacation with no concerts, and we end up having a whale of a time!” answers Sudha when this writer queries about the time they spend together.

Sounds like fairy-tale success, does it not? Nothing can be further from the truth, according to her. “What I am today is just not by the wave of a magic wand. It has taken 30 long years to have come this far and I feel there is still plenty to achieve and a long way to go. Or as Robert Frost would say, miles to go before I sleep…", says the philosopher in Sudha.

When he sings a Thyagaraja kriti in his majestic voice and clear diction, listeners get to experience the true spirit of the composition. Veteran musician Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, who has the credit of popularising several of the saint-composer's pieces through such renditions, was honoured with the ‘Thyagaraja Seva Rathnam' award at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha here on Saturday.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/...cle2684778.ece

One of the best speeches by a Carnatic exponent, young and hugely talented Mr. T M Krishna. I loved every moment of this video and his command, forward looking thoughts about art, artists, classical music and how it should be moving forward. Wow! take a bow Mr. T M Krishna :notworthy: At the end of this programme, he sang 'Vandhe Matharam'. No words to describe that. I have already become a huge fan of him. :grin: Hope you too appreciate this video and his thoughts.

http://<a href="http://www.youtube.c...3p2TL8V1Uw</a>

OST's memories of chennai music

O.S. Thyagarajan on the enduring appeal of Margazhi, the simplicity of vidwans and why he made the city his home

My journey from the national to the cultural capital was not about traversing geographical distance, it was a voyage of self-discovery, an artistic expedition but more importantly, it was a travel back in time to soak in the sampradaya of Carnatic music.

Before settling down in Madras, every year I would gladly leave behind the biting winters of Delhi to enjoy the misty Margazhi air, take part in the annual music celebrations and witness the largest gathering of rasikas here. You may be busy performing through the year, but Margazhi kutcheris have always had a special appeal and flavour.

The Season then meant a few prominent sabhas, many restful sessions of music and relaxed and discerning listeners who savoured and analysed every note. The audience knew what to expect from each vidwan, who had remarkably distinctive styles. They had some compositions and ragas as their specialities… rather a concert trademark. There was an unspoken understanding between stalwarts; they would never tread into each other's area of specialisation.

Mention Karaharapriya ragam or ‘Chakani Raja' and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer immediately came to mind. Listeners flocked to hear Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar's rendition of ‘Sree Subrahmanya Namaste'. Rasikas could never have enough of Madurai Mani Iyer's ‘Sarasa Sama Dhana' in Kapi Narayani while ‘Radha Sametha Krishna' in Yaman was a favourite of G.N. Balasubramaniam.

Artistes performed only when invited. Seeking opportunities was unheard of. They chose the time and date of their kutcheri. Their concert calendars were never crammed. And they ensured there was enough time between performances to unwind and prepare.

Hearing these musical giants meant free lessons on aesthetic sensibilities and developing a sound understanding of the various aspects of this classical art. There was mutual respect and admiration among the old-world artistes, who when not performing could be seen sitting among the first few rows at kutcheris of their contemporaries or sometimes would even come to listen to a promising youngster.

Apart from hard initial training under my father O.V. Subramaniam, Tiger Varadachariar and Tanjore Ponniah Pillai, it was the valuable guidance, encouragement and support of generous masters such as Lalgudi Jayaraman and T.M. Thygarajan that earned me the reputation of a musician with undiluted values. They approached teaching in a holistic manner. It was not just about preparing students for stage performances. Vadyars ensured understanding the art in its totality and groomed thinking musicians.

The legends of the past remain so because of their vidwat, sense of dignity and a modest vision. I have seen Madurai Mani Iyer going to a kutcheri sitting in a mattu vandi with Lalgudi Jayaraman and Pazhani Subramania Pillai walking behind. Umayalpuram Sivaraman once arrived for a concert lugging his mridangam in a cycle rickshaw. The most touching moment was when at a Music Academy concert, M.S. Anantharaman put down his violin as a mark of appreciation after I sang a Bhairavi piece. It was heartening when many of the acclaimed names accompanied me on stage — Lalgudi Jayaraman, Palghat Raghu,

Trichy Sankaran, M.S. Gopalakrishnan, M.S. Anantharaman and Karaikudi Mani. They even took time out to help me embellish my music with their valuable inputs. Lalgudi sir would invite me home for long discussions. Such was their involvement and large-heartedness.

At one of my initial concerts at Krishna Gana Sabha as part of their talent promotion series, I was highly-appreciated for my rendition of ‘Nidhi chaala sukhama' in Kalyani ragam and also for some of my GNB-inspired technical flourishes. A landmark concert, it proved to be a turning point in my career as other sabhas took notice of this and invited me to perform. I owe it to the late Yagnaraman, the secretary of Krishna Gana Sabha, who after hearing me on the radio, called me in Delhi and offered me a prestigious platform.

The experience was overwhelming. Heart is where art is — with each passing year I became eager to shift base and I finally did. To sing to audiences in Madras, hear stalwarts and imbibe from their music — this is the sotthu (treasure) I have earned.

I remember

It was a concert organised for a small audience by my French friends in Pondicherry. The venue was bustling with people when I arrived. The miffed security man stopped me at the gate and said I could stand at the entrance if I wanted to hear the music. Later, when he came to know I was the performing artiste, he could not hide his embarrassment.

Ragam Tanam Pallavi controversy

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2698075.ece

The ignorance is slowly fading to give way to realisation and action. Carnatic music is gaining popularity in the world music scene and fusion music and remixes are becoming the call of the day. We, as the youth, are becoming more open to listening to various forms of music and appreciating the nuances of them all. Carnatic music may not be “cool” yet, but it sure is getting there.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-sty...cle2694554.ece

Rajhesh Vaidhya, who is making a name for himself as the artist whose “fingers move at a blistering pace on his electric and amplified stringed instrument,” is in the midst of coordinating his Anusham Chamber Concerts, practising for solo performances scheduled for the Season, and working on an album. “I love this hectic pace,” says the veena whiz kid during a chat. “This is what I know best.”

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2717171.ece

shubha mudgal interview http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainmen...mudgal_1627295

western vs carnatic music

Four Chennai musicians, whose roots are firmly in the Carnatic tradition but who experiment with new forms, will present a Festival of Parallels on western and Indian classical music. In a series of lecture-concerts from December 24 to January 2, 2012, pianist Anil Srinivasan, vocalists P Unnikrishnan and Sikkil Gurucharan and violinist Lalgudi GJR Krishnan will compare and contrast the work of classical composers from across cultures through talks and performances. Srinivasan will present western compositions, while the others will perform traditional Carnatic ones. For instance, Krishnan will talk about and perform the work of violinist and composer Lalgudi Jayaraman.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/11200170.cms

seat yourself at a Carnatic music concert and you will find that, for the first few minutes of each piece, this exercise consumes a certain section of the audience. This rasika, during the alapana, transforms into an intelligence officer gleaning meaning out of garbled transmissions. The music, at this point, isn't a portal to pleasure but an exam question awaiting an answer. Is this Shri or Madhyamavati? Twenty points. Vexed foreheads are uncreased only when the pallavi begins, whose opening words lead those with raga-identification books to rifle through relevant pages. Those without guides may corkscrew their necks in the direction of the omniscient mama behind — him of the fierce, sandpaper-voiced whisper — who is enlightening his mildly baffled wife. This acquired knowledge will then be passed on from row to row, a heaving body in a silent mosh pit, till everyone in the auditorium knows the name of the raga emanating from the stage.

These listeners have, in these furtive endeavours, missed crucial minutes of the piece, but they are not to be blamed. They are afflicted, the poor souls, with what might be called the TOUR syndrome: the Tyranny of the Unidentified Raga. It's a compulsive condition; one that convinces the rasika that the composition they are listening to cannot be enjoyed unless they know the name of its raga. They may not care whether the canteen dosa came off a multi-serve griddle or a solitary skillet, but Sheshachala nayakam, they maintain, cannot be satisfactorily digested unless they label it a Varali. Only after arriving upon this information, whose importance assumes the proportions of a sphinxian riddle to be cracked open in order to be let through, can they begin to focus on the artiste's expressiveness and phrasing, the warmth and colour of tone and timbre, the aspects of a concert that would normally attract listeners.

Technical knowledge is important — to the critic evaluating a performance; to the mature listener looking to sink deep into the music — but it is not the primary aspect of a Carnatic music concert. Like the language the composition is set in — Telugu or Kannada or Sanskrit — these details about raga and tala, korvai and karvai are essentially building blocks, with which the composition is constructed by composer and singer. The purpose of the composition, however, is to transcend these blueprints and transport the listener to a realm of emotion similar to the feeling that arises upon sighting a majestic painting, unaware of its roots in oils or watercolours, or savouring the creation of a chef before whose art the only possible response is to close the eyes. You don't need to acquaint yourself with the contents of the spice rack, just the capacity to surrender to the moment would do.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a...?homepage=true

classical music 2011 roundup

Chaste classicism. Uncompromising adherence to tradition. Experimentation and innovation too. Lots of fusion, and some confusion. Collaborations between genres Indian and western. Crossover music, world music… Some surprises in the tone, timbre and tenor of music. We saw all this and more in the field of classical music and dance in 2011.

Navtej JoharHowever, it was classical music that ruled the scene. Tradition remains rock solid even as transition happens. Dr Pappu Venugopal Rao, secretary, Madras Music Academy, says, “Classicism survives. Adherence to tradition is still the benchmark by which classical musicians and dancers are judged.”

Pandit Jasraj also opines, “Classical music will always survive –––– our traditions, Hindustani and Carnatic, are so great, so strong.” The venerable Jasraj himself continued to enthrall with his golden voice. Other illustrious musicians also continued to wow critics and connoisseurs –– sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, santoor player Shivkumar Sharma, vocalist Parveen Sultana and tabla wizard Zakir Hussain.
Celebrated musician duos, vocalists Rajan and Sajan Mishra, and Gundecha Brothers, cemented their reputation with riveting performances. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Ajoy Chakrobarty, Shruti Sadolikar and Shubha Mudgal also impressed.

Even as the void left by the departure of icons like Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal continued to be felt in Hindustani music, the younger generation dazzled with their concerts –– like vocalist Sanjeev Abhayankar, flautist Ronu Majumdar, sitarist Shubhendra Rao and rudra veena player Bahaudddin Dagar.

Bharatanatyam’s three reigning divas — Alamervalli, Malavika Sarukkai and Priyadarshini Govind –– awed audiences with their outstanding talent. Shobana presented her latest creation ‘Krishna’, a musical which amalgamates film and classical dance, to widespread appreciation in Chennai. Teacher-dancer Anita Guha once again won praise for her choreography skills. Among the abundant talent of the younger generation, Mythilli Prakash once again garnered critical acclaim.

Kuchipudi’s doyennes like Shobha Naidu, Manju Bhargavi and Vyjayanthi Kashi also came up with impressive performances while the legendary Vempati Chinna Satyam’s son Ravi Shankar worked hard to keep his father’s great legacy going. Swapna Sundari presented widely appreciated performances of ‘Vilasini Natyam’. Kuchipudi dancer and scholar Alekhya Punjala released a full-length DVD presentation of the popular Kuchipudi dance-drama ‘Bhamakalapam’.

Interestingly, while Bharatanatyam is going ahead with more dance-dramas, Kuchipudi, which originally drew mostly on these items, began to head more towards solos, as Dr Pappu observed.Shobhana

In Kathakali, which is gaining increasing visibility in the past few years, we saw many an absorbing performances. The art which has gained from the Kalakshetra association also saw the highly accomplished Leela Samson and maestro Sadanam Balakrishnan star in a widely appreciated production, ‘Lavanasuravadham’. This was the year when that rare breed –– female Kathakali artistes –– also made their presence felt.

As always, we saw eminent Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan come up with interesting shows. A Kathak duet between Jyoti Manral and Seema Malhotra at Lalitarpan Festival in Delhi drew the praise of connoisseurs, including Shovana herself. Malabika Mitra, Aloka Kanungo and Prerna Shrimali also displayed their mettle as did other talents of this genre.

Odissi virtuoso Sonal Mansigh continued to draw crowds with one of her recently choreographed pieces, ‘Shiva Shringar’. And Ratikant Mahapatra, son and student of the late legendary Odissi guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, presented ‘Samsmaranam’, a tribute to his father.

It was gratifying for senior Mohiniattam artistes to see a growing number of youngsters take to the lasya-dominant art. “It is wonderful to see their enthusiasm. I also find that many artistes in this genre are exploring newer dimensions,” exclaimed Mohiniattam doyenne Bharati Shivaji. They even performed alongside dancers of other genres.

In fact, one noticed some interesting productions which presented an anthology of classical dance styles, though not all of them were harmonious or successful. Institutions like Kalakshetra, Jawaharlal Nehru Manipuri Dance Academy, Kalamandalm and ITC Sangeet Research Academy, besides Nrityagram, continued to function as great support structures for classical arts.

Well-known annual dance festivals like Khajuraho, Konark, Delhi International Arts Festival and countless others spread the fragrance of our classical arts. TTD’s ‘Nada Neerajanam’ at Tirumala too continued to showcase the country’s greatest artistes and upcoming talent in classical dance and music.

Tagore was a hot favourite this year, considering this was his 150th birth anniversary. His poems, dance-dramas, short stories and lyrics found their way into several presentations of Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi.

The current queens among female Carnatic vocalists, Sudha Ragunathan and Bombay Jayashri, came up with dazzling performances. Among the female instrumentalists, while A Kanyakumari, Sukanya Ramgagopal and Emani Kalyani Lakshminarayana ruled, younger artistes like Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi and Veena Gayathri impressed with high calibre performances.

Music colossus M Balamuralikrishna continued to mesmerise audiences with his tremendous talent and awesome creativity. Staying entirely true to tradition and displaying to the world what the grandeur of pure classicism is all about were both stalwarts and young stars.

Thanks to the proliferation of mass media, we saw classical music and dance move beyond the usual platforms to television through reality shows. It is a good augury that classical arts are finding more mass appeal. However, as Bombay Jayashri said, “This increased number of platforms for the burgeoning talent among the youth is heartening. But we must take care that the identity of Carnatic music does not suffer in the process.”

Contemporary dance is a comparatively new phenomenon in India as compared to the West, but is evolving steadily and witnessing receptive audiences today. Specially choreographed creations in the contemporary idiom were presented by Navtej Johar, Aditi Mangaldas, Anusha Lall and Madhu Natraj, and groups like Nritarutya and Jayachandar Palazhi’s Attakalari.

It is a matter of pride for us that many of our classical dancers and musicians have found platforms for their art in foreign stages too. In New York, the Erasing Borders Festival of Indian Dance showcased three Indian classical dance styles –– Bharatanatyam by Rukmini Vijayakumar, Manipuri by Natya Academy artistes and Mohiniattam by Mandakini Trivedi. Indian artistes also played alongside artistes of other genres –– through fusion, crossovers and collaborations. While santoor player Rahul Sharma tied up with Richard Clayderman, violinist Jyotsna Srikanth collaborated with western greats Simon Thacker and Robert Atchison.

Well, as the year is about to end, many exciting things are still happening — the Chennai Music Festival being one of them. Let’s look forward to another great year.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...ght-notes.html

Musicians embrace some aspects of digital technology while decrying others. Carnatic music has had its own unique love-hate relationship with emerging technologies. In the midst of a raging debate about ‘recording' and ‘reproduction', many musicians have begun teaching over Skype in the last 6-7 years.
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2747520.ece

Tyagaraja kirtana background stories

A close friend of Tamil writers T. Janakiraman and Karichan Kunchu, Athreyan has written a total of 28 such stories over the years, but could trace only 12 of them and has published them in this book.

There is an apocryphal story that Madurai Mani Iyer steadfastly refused to sing Tyagaraja's Kalyani raga composition Nidhi chaala sukhama. The bard is said to have composed it after rejecting an offer from the Tanjavur king to become a court musician. “How can I sing that song when I am accepting money for my performances?” Mani Iyer would ask.

The stories in Sri Tyagaraja Anubhavangal are not his own construction, Athreyan observes. “They were narrated to me by Umayalpuram Swaminatha Bhagavatar during my student days in Kumbakonam. I used to wash his clothes out of respect. I also got to listen to many stories while I heard some conversations Swaminatha Bhagavatar had with Yagnaswami Shastri, and also from Embar Vijayaraghavachariar.”

Swaminatha Bhagavatar was a disciple of Umayalpuram Sundara Bhagavatar, who learnt directly from Tyagaraja.

“Tyagaraja had a very sensitive mind. All his compositions were born out of personal experiences, in a spontaneous outpouring. Unlike Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, who composed to enrich Carnatic music and give shape to ragas, Tyagaraja was not driven by any such motives. His compositions are purely an outcome of sukhanubava,” explains Athreyan, singing a line or two from each composition that he speaks about.

In one of his stories, the author also expresses concern about some musicians not paying enough attention to the words, pronunciation and context of every song.

And the fictionalised versions of the real-life incidents offer some insights into Tyagaraja, a saint-composer, ardent devotee of Rama and also a man given to human emotions.

The story behind the Hindola raga composition Manasuloni is a case in point. According to Athreyan, Tyagaraja was disturbed by how his kriti Paluku kanda chakkera in Navarasa Kannada was interpreted by a group of dancers.

“He suddenly plunged into sadness, after seeing how the crowd there started celebrating the erotic postures. Spontaneously, the pallavi of Manasuloni was born. But it took quite some time for him to complete the composition,” Athreyan said.

The fact that Arunachala Kavirayar's Rama Nataka keertanas made a tremendous impact on Tyagaraja is exemplified by his Yadukula Kambhodhi song Etavuna nerchitivo.

He composed the song after spending a whole night watching Rama Natakam at an open field. When he was asked to come to the dais, he turned emotional and hugged the blacksmith who performed the role of Rama and wiped off the sweat on his body with his towel.

Ravikiran on Madurai mani iyer

He is undoubtedly among the greatest India has produced. His life symbolised shruti shuddham and his music transcended the region-and-culture-specific values of the Carnatic genre. His music could sit seamlessly in the pantheon of pitch-perfect artistes in any part of the world across time. My grandfather, Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar, is known to have phrased it colourfully — “Even if the sun rises in the west and the oceans trip over themselves, Madurai Mani would never deviate from shruti.”

Mani Iyer's treatment of attractive non-major ragas such as Jayantasena, Kapinarayani, Ravichandrika and Pratapavarali elevated their status several notches. His mastery over the ‘big' ragas, Todi, Kalyani, Bhairavi and Kambhodhi was second to none just as his command over other popular parent ragas such as Keeravani, Charukeshi, Shanmukhapriya and Vachaspati. His concert formula (at least in later years) studiously eschewed ragas that sounded melancholic or poignant (Mukhari, Neelambari) and even when he chose to sing a raga like Varali, he preferred the crisp Kaavaava laced with swaras. His choice of rakti (evocative) ragas would lean towards Anandabhairavi, Sahana, Devagandhari, Dwijayavanti followed by kritis such as O jagadamba, Shree kamalambikayam, Seetavara or Chetashree, rendered almost cheerfully!

Madurai Mani Iyer was synonymous with swara singing and was an indisputable master of this. He could repeatedly spur even the most stoic audiences to express themselves through rounds of thunderous applause. And he didn't need to resort to a Ramanujan-level of arithmetic to woo audiences.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a...?homepage=true

"A genius [Palghat Mani Iyer] who redefined the art of mridangam playing"

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a...?homepage=true

singers straddling carnatiic & film music
Many youngsters are learning Carnatic music these days, but quite a few seem to have playback singing as the primary option. Or are they eyeing the reality shows with stupendous prizes? Is it possible to be a successful classical and light music singer? Mahathi, the great granddaughter of Sangita Kalanidhi Pazhamaneri Swaminatha Iyer, trained in Carnatic music, before she sang a film song for ...
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2757857.ece