Nov 26, 2012
December 2012 Concert Schedule
Sunday, Dec 2 2012, 6.30 PM - Jaya TV Margazhi Maha Utsavam, Chettinad Vidyashram.
Theme: "Ambujam" - Compositions of Ambujam Krishna
Violin: H.N.Bhaskar
Mridangam: K.Arun Prakash
Ghatam: N.Guruprasad
Saturday, Dec 8 2012, 6 PM - Brahma Gana Sabha, Sivagami Pethachi Auditorium.
Violin: B.U.Ganesh Prasad
Mridangam: Delhi Sairam
Kanjira: K.V.Gopalakrishnan
Saturday, Dec 15 2012, 6.30 PM - Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal.
Violin: H.N.Bhaskar
Mridangam: Manoj Siva
Kanjira: B.S.Purushottam
Wednesday, Dec 19 2012, 4.45 PM - Chennayil Thiruvayyaru, Kamarajar Arangam
Violin: B.U.Ganesh Prasad
Mridangam: Delhi Sairam
Kanjira: Anirudh Athreya
Saturday, Dec 22 2012, 4.15 PM - The Music Academy.
Violin: Charumathi Raghuraman
Mridangam: K.Arun Prakash
Kanjira: B.S.Purushottam
Sunday, Dec 23 2012, 4.30 PM - Narada Gana Sabha
Violin: H.N.Bhaskar
Mridangam: N.Manoj Siva
Ghatam: N.Guruprasad
Wednesday, Dec 26 2012, 7 PM - The Indian Fine Arts Society, German Hall.
Violin: Charumathi Raghuraman
Mridangam: Sai Giridhar
Ghatam: N.Guruprasad
Friday, Dec 28 2012, 6.30 PM - Mylapore Fine Arts Club
Violin: H.N.Bhaskar
Mridangam: H.S.Sudhindra
Ghatam: Sivaramakrishnan
Sunday, Dec 30 2012, 5 PM - Kalarasana, Chinmaya Heritage Centre
Four Hour Concert
Violin: H.N.Bhaskar
Mridangam: K.Arun Prakash
Kanjira: K.V.Gopalakrishnan
Jan 11, 2011
Our Music Season 2010
From the aspiring musician to the senior veteran, the December margazhi festival in Chennai evokes feelings of anticipation, heightened expectation and a throbbing excitement. All the sabha venues are abuzz with the busy hum of the Season activity - from concert to canteen, discussions of the latest concerts, lec-dems, who is in form or out, abound. We have been part of this wonderful Margazhi from the year 1988, and the joy and thrill that the music season brings is still as fresh as it was for us when we were young girls.
Starting with our concert for Kartik Fine arts on 4th December 2010, and ending with two very special concerts, December season 2010 has been full of exciting and fulfilling concerts.
A few memorable concerts were our concerts at Brahma Gana Sabha, Tyaga Brahma Gana Sabha at Vani Mahal, Narada Gana Sabha, The Music Academy and our four hour concert for Kalarasana at Rani Seethai Hall. In Brahma Gana Sabha, the lovely vivadhi raga Manoranjani was the highlight, as also the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Raga Abhogi. Like last year, we presented Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi-s in not-so-familiar ragas. In Season 2009, it was Tri-raga Pallavi in Saraswati, Lalita and Durga, and RTP-s in Saramathi, Sarasangi, Khamas, Kamalamanohari to name a few of the Pallavis that we handled. This year, we sang Ragam-Tanam-Pallavis in Ritigowlai at Narada Gana sabha, Dwijavanti at The Music Academy, Dvi-raga pallavi in Mohanam/Ranjani at Kalarasana. The Ritigowlai pallavi was a Thirukkural. It was a joy to sing the RTP in Dwijavanti, which seems an unlikely choice, given the seemingly limited scope of it in the Carnatic context! However, the raga has immense possibilities, and we tried to weave in both the Carnatic and Hindustani styles of rendering it. Kambhoji, Bhairavi, Thodi, Karaharapriya, Saveri, Kalyani - the infinite possibilities and the richness of these ragas leave us with a sense of wonder and reverence. These familiar, oft-repeated ragas sometimes bless you with a vision so fresh and new, yet timeless in its charm and beauty...
What was perhaps most satisfying to us were our violin duet concerts at the Krishna Gana Sabha and Kalarasana. To come back to the violin after a gap, was a trip down memory lane, kindling nostalgia of our earlier years when we were violinists. It was a joy to go back to the instrument and discover that the old skills still linger! Our violin concert at Kalarasana was dedicated to the memory of our guru Late Sri T.S.Krishnaswami. Another memorable concert was the four hour concert for Kalarasana, where the audience not only were there before we arrived in the hall, but stayed back till the end of the concert which lasted for well over four hours.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our accompanists who were instrumental (pun intended!) in lifting our concerts to greater heights. H.N.Bhaskar, Manoj Siva and Arun Prakash have been performing with us for so long, that they are virtually third voices and not accompanists! Charumathi Raghuraman, who accompanied us in Narada Gana Sabha and The Music Academy was in fine fettle - incidentally, it was her maiden evening concert at the Academy and she did a fantastic job. The nadam and aesthetics of K.V.Prasad stand out, his playing for our Indian Fine Arts concert was a joy to hear. Each and every accompanist - Poongulam Subramaniam(Mridangam), Delhi Sairam (Mridangam), Neyveli Skandasubramaniam(Mridangam), Karthik(Ghatam), Trichy Murali (Ghatam), Ravi Balasubramaniam(Ghatam), B.S.Purushottam(Kanjira), B.U.Ganesh Prasad(Violin), Mysore Srikanth (Violin)Guruprasad(Ghatam), K.V.Gopalakrishnan(Kanjira) have contributed immensely to the success of our concerts.
But as a fitting finale to the Season, there was a surprise in store for us. For our vocal concert at the Anjaneya temple at Nanganallur, the violinist could not accompany us due to ill health. We could not find a violinist to take his place at the last minute, and we ended up accompanying ourselves! Though many of our rasikas have asked us to simultaneously do both vocal and violin on the same platform, we have never tried doing this! Perhaps it was the will of Lord Hanuman that we had to do it here! It was quite a challenge, and an exciting one! To be honest, we had a few misgivings about doing both and wondered if there would be a missing link in the concert. But surprisingly, we felt quite at ease handling the dual roles of vocalists and violin accompanists and the concert was a tremendous success.. A nice way to end a memorable season!
Starting with our concert for Kartik Fine arts on 4th December 2010, and ending with two very special concerts, December season 2010 has been full of exciting and fulfilling concerts.
A few memorable concerts were our concerts at Brahma Gana Sabha, Tyaga Brahma Gana Sabha at Vani Mahal, Narada Gana Sabha, The Music Academy and our four hour concert for Kalarasana at Rani Seethai Hall. In Brahma Gana Sabha, the lovely vivadhi raga Manoranjani was the highlight, as also the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Raga Abhogi. Like last year, we presented Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi-s in not-so-familiar ragas. In Season 2009, it was Tri-raga Pallavi in Saraswati, Lalita and Durga, and RTP-s in Saramathi, Sarasangi, Khamas, Kamalamanohari to name a few of the Pallavis that we handled. This year, we sang Ragam-Tanam-Pallavis in Ritigowlai at Narada Gana sabha, Dwijavanti at The Music Academy, Dvi-raga pallavi in Mohanam/Ranjani at Kalarasana. The Ritigowlai pallavi was a Thirukkural. It was a joy to sing the RTP in Dwijavanti, which seems an unlikely choice, given the seemingly limited scope of it in the Carnatic context! However, the raga has immense possibilities, and we tried to weave in both the Carnatic and Hindustani styles of rendering it. Kambhoji, Bhairavi, Thodi, Karaharapriya, Saveri, Kalyani - the infinite possibilities and the richness of these ragas leave us with a sense of wonder and reverence. These familiar, oft-repeated ragas sometimes bless you with a vision so fresh and new, yet timeless in its charm and beauty...
What was perhaps most satisfying to us were our violin duet concerts at the Krishna Gana Sabha and Kalarasana. To come back to the violin after a gap, was a trip down memory lane, kindling nostalgia of our earlier years when we were violinists. It was a joy to go back to the instrument and discover that the old skills still linger! Our violin concert at Kalarasana was dedicated to the memory of our guru Late Sri T.S.Krishnaswami. Another memorable concert was the four hour concert for Kalarasana, where the audience not only were there before we arrived in the hall, but stayed back till the end of the concert which lasted for well over four hours.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our accompanists who were instrumental (pun intended!) in lifting our concerts to greater heights. H.N.Bhaskar, Manoj Siva and Arun Prakash have been performing with us for so long, that they are virtually third voices and not accompanists! Charumathi Raghuraman, who accompanied us in Narada Gana Sabha and The Music Academy was in fine fettle - incidentally, it was her maiden evening concert at the Academy and she did a fantastic job. The nadam and aesthetics of K.V.Prasad stand out, his playing for our Indian Fine Arts concert was a joy to hear. Each and every accompanist - Poongulam Subramaniam(Mridangam), Delhi Sairam (Mridangam), Neyveli Skandasubramaniam(Mridangam), Karthik(Ghatam), Trichy Murali (Ghatam), Ravi Balasubramaniam(Ghatam), B.S.Purushottam(Kanjira), B.U.Ganesh Prasad(Violin), Mysore Srikanth (Violin)Guruprasad(Ghatam), K.V.Gopalakrishnan(Kanjira) have contributed immensely to the success of our concerts.
But as a fitting finale to the Season, there was a surprise in store for us. For our vocal concert at the Anjaneya temple at Nanganallur, the violinist could not accompany us due to ill health. We could not find a violinist to take his place at the last minute, and we ended up accompanying ourselves! Though many of our rasikas have asked us to simultaneously do both vocal and violin on the same platform, we have never tried doing this! Perhaps it was the will of Lord Hanuman that we had to do it here! It was quite a challenge, and an exciting one! To be honest, we had a few misgivings about doing both and wondered if there would be a missing link in the concert. But surprisingly, we felt quite at ease handling the dual roles of vocalists and violin accompanists and the concert was a tremendous success.. A nice way to end a memorable season!
Oct 12, 2010
Our upcoming concert at Rutgers, NJ on 29 Oct 2010
Our concert on 29th October in Rutgers University will be in a format different from the usual carnatic concert format. We will be presenting an eclectic selection of songs of various saints and composers from the kirtanas of Tyagaraja and Purandaradasa, Tamil Viruthams to the bhajans of Meera, Tulsidas and Kabir and Marathi abhangs.
In a typical carnatic music concert spanning three hours, starting with a varnam, two to three major compositions with detailed alapana, nerval and swaram are presented. To rasikas who are relatively new to the Kutcheri experience, sitting through the entire concert may be a little difficult. We have had people frequently come up to us and ask us to come up with a concert format that would be a kind of bridge that would help people get familiar with our music, while retaining the sanctity and values of this great system.
This concert is an effort to reach out to people from a wider spectrum, and to give them a taste of classical music. The so-called “thukkadas” which generally appear at the end of a carnatic concert will be woven into the concert from the beginning itself. For the classical music lovers, there is going to be a jugalbandi piece - a Hindustani/Carnatic exploration of a raga which is common to both systems- with all the manodharma aspects like Alapana, Neraval and kalpana swaram.
This concert is also going to be a relatively new experience for us, as we have not sung classical Hindustani music much on stage. Much of our knowledge of Hindustani music is through listening- we grew up in Bombay listening to greats such as Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Smt Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor, Gangubai Hangal….An unforgettable experience is a concert that happened in the early hours of the morning and the artiste was the great Mallikarjun Mansoor. Our father actually made us stand and listen so that we wouldn’t fall asleep during the concert! We also learnt briefly from the veteran Hindustani vocalist Pandit K.G.Ginde.
We will be accompanied for this concert on the violin by Sri.H.N.Bhaskar, Delhi Sri Sairam on mridangam and Sri Sai Shyam on tabla.
In a typical carnatic music concert spanning three hours, starting with a varnam, two to three major compositions with detailed alapana, nerval and swaram are presented. To rasikas who are relatively new to the Kutcheri experience, sitting through the entire concert may be a little difficult. We have had people frequently come up to us and ask us to come up with a concert format that would be a kind of bridge that would help people get familiar with our music, while retaining the sanctity and values of this great system.
This concert is an effort to reach out to people from a wider spectrum, and to give them a taste of classical music. The so-called “thukkadas” which generally appear at the end of a carnatic concert will be woven into the concert from the beginning itself. For the classical music lovers, there is going to be a jugalbandi piece - a Hindustani/Carnatic exploration of a raga which is common to both systems- with all the manodharma aspects like Alapana, Neraval and kalpana swaram.
This concert is also going to be a relatively new experience for us, as we have not sung classical Hindustani music much on stage. Much of our knowledge of Hindustani music is through listening- we grew up in Bombay listening to greats such as Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Smt Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Mallikarjun Mansoor, Gangubai Hangal….An unforgettable experience is a concert that happened in the early hours of the morning and the artiste was the great Mallikarjun Mansoor. Our father actually made us stand and listen so that we wouldn’t fall asleep during the concert! We also learnt briefly from the veteran Hindustani vocalist Pandit K.G.Ginde.
We will be accompanied for this concert on the violin by Sri.H.N.Bhaskar, Delhi Sri Sairam on mridangam and Sri Sai Shyam on tabla.
Jan 27, 2010
Ranjani's thoughts on Dec Season 2009
As I take a breather after the hectic season, many things are in my mind, both the mundane and the special. Mundane as in the usual warm up before the concert, child care logistics, and other matters which come up in the course of running a household without the help of Krishnan, my husband who was in most part of December in London on official work.
What makes the life very interesting and meaningful are the special moments when you give your best and everything clicks to make the moment so memorable. These moments stay with you for a lifetime.
After a very long gap of two years, we performed a violin Duet concert for Brahma Gana Sabha due to a very bad throat infection. We were to sing on the 16th, but all the medication and salt water gargling could not cure the sore throat. We called the secretary up ,told him about our inability to sing and asked him to fix up someone else in our stead. But the secretary explained that he would not want to look for a suitable replacement in two days time and requested us to play violin instead. We were quite hesitant, as we were honestly out of practice and were not sure if we could play to our satisfaction. But surprises of surprises!! All those years of practice and passionate involvement stood us in good stead. I felt very comfortable with the violin as if I have played on it almost everyday. Gayatri said that she felt the same way too.We were very happy with the performance that day, our accompanying artistes Manoj on the mridangam and Guruprasad on the Ghatam did a fantastic job. I could feel my late Guru T.S. Krishnaswamy smiling and blessing us! Maybe, everything - even throat infections happens for the good!
Each of our concerts this season was special in different ways. The Narada gana sabha sound system I heard has been upgraded and we felt the difference right away and enjoyed singing there. Krishna Gana Sabha also has a very good ambience and acoustics, we discovered what a beauty the ragam Sarasangi was in that concert. It is quite surprising that there are not many compositions in this wonderful raga save a couple.
Music Academy as always was very special for us. We sang the three raga Ragam Tanam Pallavi based on the Durga Lakshmi Saraswati theme. Singing RTP is such a pleasure, it gives the artiste the freedom to handle it the way he or she wishes. Gayatri was as usual excellent in shifting from one raga to the other in quick succession and bringing out the essence of each of the ragas in the first phrase itself. We also were awarded The Best Concert in the senior category and all this has made our season 2009 a special one.
The only regret this season was that I could not listen to many concerts, especially the concerts of Parasala Ponnamma, Nedanuri Krishnamurthy, R.K.Srikanthan to name a very few, I hope to make it up the coming season.
What makes the life very interesting and meaningful are the special moments when you give your best and everything clicks to make the moment so memorable. These moments stay with you for a lifetime.
After a very long gap of two years, we performed a violin Duet concert for Brahma Gana Sabha due to a very bad throat infection. We were to sing on the 16th, but all the medication and salt water gargling could not cure the sore throat. We called the secretary up ,told him about our inability to sing and asked him to fix up someone else in our stead. But the secretary explained that he would not want to look for a suitable replacement in two days time and requested us to play violin instead. We were quite hesitant, as we were honestly out of practice and were not sure if we could play to our satisfaction. But surprises of surprises!! All those years of practice and passionate involvement stood us in good stead. I felt very comfortable with the violin as if I have played on it almost everyday. Gayatri said that she felt the same way too.We were very happy with the performance that day, our accompanying artistes Manoj on the mridangam and Guruprasad on the Ghatam did a fantastic job. I could feel my late Guru T.S. Krishnaswamy smiling and blessing us! Maybe, everything - even throat infections happens for the good!
Each of our concerts this season was special in different ways. The Narada gana sabha sound system I heard has been upgraded and we felt the difference right away and enjoyed singing there. Krishna Gana Sabha also has a very good ambience and acoustics, we discovered what a beauty the ragam Sarasangi was in that concert. It is quite surprising that there are not many compositions in this wonderful raga save a couple.
Music Academy as always was very special for us. We sang the three raga Ragam Tanam Pallavi based on the Durga Lakshmi Saraswati theme. Singing RTP is such a pleasure, it gives the artiste the freedom to handle it the way he or she wishes. Gayatri was as usual excellent in shifting from one raga to the other in quick succession and bringing out the essence of each of the ragas in the first phrase itself. We also were awarded The Best Concert in the senior category and all this has made our season 2009 a special one.
The only regret this season was that I could not listen to many concerts, especially the concerts of Parasala Ponnamma, Nedanuri Krishnamurthy, R.K.Srikanthan to name a very few, I hope to make it up the coming season.
Nov 29, 2009
This month we performed a couple of very well organized concerts and thought we would share our experience about them.
The annual music festival organized by Ganjam in Bangalore was a copy book of how a concert should be organized. Right from choosing the right hall (The Chowdiah hall), excellent sound system with an able sound engineer to man it, seating, back stage arrangements, stage décor, hospitality,…….. everything was in place. This concert was a memorable concert for me in more ways than one. Kudos to the Ganjam family and every individual who have contributed to the high quality concert presentation.
I would call all the above mentioned factors as providing the right ambience which is vital to presenting a classical concert. On a subconscious level, the artistes on stage would be affected by the ambience, and this will definitely dictate the mood and quality of the performance.
During every December music season, we get invited to perform from roughly twenty five organizers out of which a couple of them would be sabhas which would be hosting the music festival for the first time. I am not sure if it is a healthy trend to have a sabha in every small neighbourhood. This would in fact lead to dilution in the quality of the concerts and would result in spreading the existing resources very thin. Is not high quality presentation of a handful of concerts better than scores of concerts indifferently organized? I am sure that in time to come, the audience will seek and demand better facilities which will result in sabhas organizing themselves better and upgrading their existing infrastructure.
My wish list:
Every hall should be acoustically sound with comfortable seats and back stage amenities.
A top notch sound system in place with a sensitive and knowledgeable sound engineer.
Ample parking facility, this is very vital in metros and major towns. Invariably, before a concert we would find a big queue of cars outside the gate of the sabha premises, and the passengers arguing vehemently to be let inside and watchmen helplessly standing there not knowing what to do which would lead t traffic jams in front of the sabha. We have had to, on a few occasions, trek down from the gate to the green room, lugging our instruments and other paraphernalia. However, some leading sabhas have provided alternate parking facility within close proximity of the sabha premises which is a welcome and noteworthy effort.
A simple and pleasing stage décor, and good lighting to provide the right ambience for the concert.
I am indeed looking forward to the season concerts, they are just round the corner…..
Ranjani
The annual music festival organized by Ganjam in Bangalore was a copy book of how a concert should be organized. Right from choosing the right hall (The Chowdiah hall), excellent sound system with an able sound engineer to man it, seating, back stage arrangements, stage décor, hospitality,…….. everything was in place. This concert was a memorable concert for me in more ways than one. Kudos to the Ganjam family and every individual who have contributed to the high quality concert presentation.
I would call all the above mentioned factors as providing the right ambience which is vital to presenting a classical concert. On a subconscious level, the artistes on stage would be affected by the ambience, and this will definitely dictate the mood and quality of the performance.
During every December music season, we get invited to perform from roughly twenty five organizers out of which a couple of them would be sabhas which would be hosting the music festival for the first time. I am not sure if it is a healthy trend to have a sabha in every small neighbourhood. This would in fact lead to dilution in the quality of the concerts and would result in spreading the existing resources very thin. Is not high quality presentation of a handful of concerts better than scores of concerts indifferently organized? I am sure that in time to come, the audience will seek and demand better facilities which will result in sabhas organizing themselves better and upgrading their existing infrastructure.
My wish list:
Every hall should be acoustically sound with comfortable seats and back stage amenities.
A top notch sound system in place with a sensitive and knowledgeable sound engineer.
Ample parking facility, this is very vital in metros and major towns. Invariably, before a concert we would find a big queue of cars outside the gate of the sabha premises, and the passengers arguing vehemently to be let inside and watchmen helplessly standing there not knowing what to do which would lead t traffic jams in front of the sabha. We have had to, on a few occasions, trek down from the gate to the green room, lugging our instruments and other paraphernalia. However, some leading sabhas have provided alternate parking facility within close proximity of the sabha premises which is a welcome and noteworthy effort.
A simple and pleasing stage décor, and good lighting to provide the right ambience for the concert.
I am indeed looking forward to the season concerts, they are just round the corner…..
Ranjani
May 29, 2009
The Music Academy, Chennai
December 21 2008, 4 PM, The Music Academy, Chennai. There was a minute for the curtain to go up and our concert to start.
It was a moment that was filled with mixed emotions, of nostalgic memories that only heightened the sense of anticipation in me( Gayatri). The two bells signaling the time of commencement of concert, the hushed murmur of the filling audience behind the curtain - all this added to the swelling expectation in the air. As I looked around me, I could see my accompanists and co-artistes on stage filled with a similar anticipation - anxious and eager to give their best at what would be one of the most prestigious and important concert of the year for us. It was by no means my first concert; we had been here before several times, as violinists - accompanists as well as playing the duet, and vocalists. Yet it was a strange moment, a moment of quiet introspection on what this stage had meant to me through the years.
For a few seconds I let my mind go back to the first time I ascended the platform to perform here. It was 1991, and I was a slip of a girl, all of 15 years old, accompanying vocalist Balaji Shankar. Since then, every year, both Ranjani and I peformed as accompanists, sometimes twice in the same festival, for different main artistes- but what remained unchanged was the feeling of reverence that every musician had for this hallowed stage. When one sits here, one cannot help but muse on the fact that this is a dais that has been occupied by every single musical giant of carnatic music. This was the stage that shaped the careers of musicians who rose to leave their indelible mark on the carnatic music world. The stage that remained, and remains to this day, the single most prestigious venue, the single most awaited concert, the moment of reckoning for any musician! One thinks of occasions when the most eminent musicologists and musicians argued on topics, the expert committee who would sit through and arbitrate the proceedings of the morning lectures or lec-dems. These morning deliberations have many times, have been the basis for books and dictionaries on carnatic music. This was a stage that would bring butterflies in the stomach to the most seasoned of performers. And to think that we are another link in this wonderful tradition, inheriting the same platform...as I sat there, I was hit by a sensation so powerful - of immense pride, of a profound sense of humility, of a sense of responsibility and elation. That was the moment when the ball of anxiety inside me dissolved to give way to a sense of happy anticipation, a thrill of expectation, I suddenly couldn’t wait for the moment when the curtain would rise and we would start singing and revel in the joyful experience of sharing our music.
As young children, Ranjani and I have heard so many memorable concerts, mostly sitting on the stage, near the dais. As visitors from Bombay, to us, this unique feature of dais tickets, from where we could watch and listen to our favorite musicians from close quarters was a refreshing experience. One of my fond memories is that of Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer whom Ranjani and I spotted sitting a few seats away in the first floor, his head sheathed by a muffler, listening quietly to a junior concert! Another unforgettable vignette is that of the packed hall and huge TV monitors in the parking area which was also packed to capacity during the concert of Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam. So when we performed our first vocal concert in the Music Academy in 2002, the overflowing auditorium and general clamour for seats, awakened a curious sense of deja-vu in me. After our concert here on December 25, 2003, a rasika came up to us and said,” The day is not far when you will sing at the evening slot”. As it happened, we sang our maiden senior slot concert the very next year! No matter how many times one performs to a house-full auditorium here, one can never get used to the exulting thrill and rush of adrenaline that performing here inevitably brings!
Today, the extraordinary fact about the Music Academy is not just its unmatched heritage that it can be justly proud of. Rather, it is the way in which this great sabha has re-invented itself, has become a standard-bearer in every sense of the term, and has defined, by example, what an ideal sabha can be like. This great renaissance, so to speak, has been possible because of the vision and dedication of the President Sri N Murali, and no less, his team of dedicated committee members. The sound system has been totally revamped with a top quality PA system. The schedule of back-to-back concerts does not leave the sound engineer any time for a sound check, which is vital for ironing out problems that crop up with changing dynamics. Yet, in those few minutes between concerts, the audio team ably led by the head sound engineer, flits between the stage and the sound booth, checking out monitors, and making sure that everything is in place. The sincerity and ability that they bring to the job at hand is heartening.
Every single detail has the same commitment to high standards. A notable feature is the valet parking service, which ensures that the musician doesn’t have to hunt around for a parking or go through the hassle of taking care of the car. The volunteers who wait to escort the artiste backstage and hospitably offer snacks and beverages, make sure that the artistes are in a relaxed mood before the concert.
Another notable improvement has been in ensuring that the musician gets a good attendance for the concert. Previously, most of the seats in the hall were reserved for members and season pass holders, substantially restricting the availability of daily tickets for interested rasikas. Often, the season pass holders or members would not turn up, thus putting the organizer and artiste in a situation which ironically combined an half empty auditorium and "tickets not available" board for those interested in buying daily tickets! For the past few years now, member or patron or pass holder, one is ensured of a seat only if he turns up in time for the concert. This has resulted in better turnout for the concerts. Nothing like a filled audience to motivate the performer!
The punctuality observed in the start and end time of the concerts at the Academy is a byword in the carnatic music world. The honorarium offered to the musicians is among the best in Chennai sabhas. Above all, it is the spirit of commitment, of sincere duty, devoid of vanity, a quiet reaffirmation of the best of values which the entire Music Academy team headed by Sri Murali exude, that make the sabha so special. We feel indeed proud of our association with this great institution, and pray that it will go from strength to strength; setting new standards in sabha culture that will be an inspiration to artistes and rasikas alike.
It was a moment that was filled with mixed emotions, of nostalgic memories that only heightened the sense of anticipation in me( Gayatri). The two bells signaling the time of commencement of concert, the hushed murmur of the filling audience behind the curtain - all this added to the swelling expectation in the air. As I looked around me, I could see my accompanists and co-artistes on stage filled with a similar anticipation - anxious and eager to give their best at what would be one of the most prestigious and important concert of the year for us. It was by no means my first concert; we had been here before several times, as violinists - accompanists as well as playing the duet, and vocalists. Yet it was a strange moment, a moment of quiet introspection on what this stage had meant to me through the years.
For a few seconds I let my mind go back to the first time I ascended the platform to perform here. It was 1991, and I was a slip of a girl, all of 15 years old, accompanying vocalist Balaji Shankar. Since then, every year, both Ranjani and I peformed as accompanists, sometimes twice in the same festival, for different main artistes- but what remained unchanged was the feeling of reverence that every musician had for this hallowed stage. When one sits here, one cannot help but muse on the fact that this is a dais that has been occupied by every single musical giant of carnatic music. This was the stage that shaped the careers of musicians who rose to leave their indelible mark on the carnatic music world. The stage that remained, and remains to this day, the single most prestigious venue, the single most awaited concert, the moment of reckoning for any musician! One thinks of occasions when the most eminent musicologists and musicians argued on topics, the expert committee who would sit through and arbitrate the proceedings of the morning lectures or lec-dems. These morning deliberations have many times, have been the basis for books and dictionaries on carnatic music. This was a stage that would bring butterflies in the stomach to the most seasoned of performers. And to think that we are another link in this wonderful tradition, inheriting the same platform...as I sat there, I was hit by a sensation so powerful - of immense pride, of a profound sense of humility, of a sense of responsibility and elation. That was the moment when the ball of anxiety inside me dissolved to give way to a sense of happy anticipation, a thrill of expectation, I suddenly couldn’t wait for the moment when the curtain would rise and we would start singing and revel in the joyful experience of sharing our music.
As young children, Ranjani and I have heard so many memorable concerts, mostly sitting on the stage, near the dais. As visitors from Bombay, to us, this unique feature of dais tickets, from where we could watch and listen to our favorite musicians from close quarters was a refreshing experience. One of my fond memories is that of Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer whom Ranjani and I spotted sitting a few seats away in the first floor, his head sheathed by a muffler, listening quietly to a junior concert! Another unforgettable vignette is that of the packed hall and huge TV monitors in the parking area which was also packed to capacity during the concert of Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam. So when we performed our first vocal concert in the Music Academy in 2002, the overflowing auditorium and general clamour for seats, awakened a curious sense of deja-vu in me. After our concert here on December 25, 2003, a rasika came up to us and said,” The day is not far when you will sing at the evening slot”. As it happened, we sang our maiden senior slot concert the very next year! No matter how many times one performs to a house-full auditorium here, one can never get used to the exulting thrill and rush of adrenaline that performing here inevitably brings!
Today, the extraordinary fact about the Music Academy is not just its unmatched heritage that it can be justly proud of. Rather, it is the way in which this great sabha has re-invented itself, has become a standard-bearer in every sense of the term, and has defined, by example, what an ideal sabha can be like. This great renaissance, so to speak, has been possible because of the vision and dedication of the President Sri N Murali, and no less, his team of dedicated committee members. The sound system has been totally revamped with a top quality PA system. The schedule of back-to-back concerts does not leave the sound engineer any time for a sound check, which is vital for ironing out problems that crop up with changing dynamics. Yet, in those few minutes between concerts, the audio team ably led by the head sound engineer, flits between the stage and the sound booth, checking out monitors, and making sure that everything is in place. The sincerity and ability that they bring to the job at hand is heartening.
Every single detail has the same commitment to high standards. A notable feature is the valet parking service, which ensures that the musician doesn’t have to hunt around for a parking or go through the hassle of taking care of the car. The volunteers who wait to escort the artiste backstage and hospitably offer snacks and beverages, make sure that the artistes are in a relaxed mood before the concert.
Another notable improvement has been in ensuring that the musician gets a good attendance for the concert. Previously, most of the seats in the hall were reserved for members and season pass holders, substantially restricting the availability of daily tickets for interested rasikas. Often, the season pass holders or members would not turn up, thus putting the organizer and artiste in a situation which ironically combined an half empty auditorium and "tickets not available" board for those interested in buying daily tickets! For the past few years now, member or patron or pass holder, one is ensured of a seat only if he turns up in time for the concert. This has resulted in better turnout for the concerts. Nothing like a filled audience to motivate the performer!
The punctuality observed in the start and end time of the concerts at the Academy is a byword in the carnatic music world. The honorarium offered to the musicians is among the best in Chennai sabhas. Above all, it is the spirit of commitment, of sincere duty, devoid of vanity, a quiet reaffirmation of the best of values which the entire Music Academy team headed by Sri Murali exude, that make the sabha so special. We feel indeed proud of our association with this great institution, and pray that it will go from strength to strength; setting new standards in sabha culture that will be an inspiration to artistes and rasikas alike.
Nov 7, 2008
North American Tour 2008 - Part 2
The Canada weekend
Ottawa, Sept 26 2008
Toronto, Sept 27 2008
Montreal, Sept 28 2008
Canada in so many ways is such an amazing country! A country where people from different ethnic backgrounds co-exist in absolute harmony and freedom, a land of extraordinary beauty and charm. As we discovered, people here stand very little on ceremony. Though elections were just round the corner, there was no hype whatsoever about it. Actually the media were focusing more on the impending US elections! There was a very interesting incident that happened in Montreal as we were driving past one of suburbs. We were idly watching the election posters which were stuck here and there, and looking at the photo of the candidate who was contesting for that area. Imagine our surprise, as we saw the candidate himself standing at the traffic lights, giving out pamphlets! He actually came up to our car and offered a pamphlet with a smile on his face to our host who was driving the car!! In our country, traffic would be halted, roads cordoned off, and security personnel and black cats shielding the politician who would wave distantly to the crowds!!
Though the carnatic listening population in Montreal and Ottawa is limited, the enthusiasm and sincerity with which they listen is indeed heartwarming! The sound engineer for the Ottawa concert was, to our surprise, a young lady. Again the total absence of any kind of gender prejudice or concessions is so striking. Here was this young lady, hauling heavy equipment, running up and down between the stage and the sound booth, confidently handling the controls, and eminently capable of more than holding her own in a field that is generally dominated by men!
Boston, Oct 3 2008
Philadelphia, Oct 4 2008
Columbus, Oct 5 2008
These concerts were right in the middle of Navaratri. Generally, Navaratri is a time for people here to invite friends over for golu, and socialize. Especially when concerts happen during the Navaratri weekend, it is a tough balancing act for most people! Despite this, the turnout for these concerts were substantial. The credit for this must go indeed to the organizers and the rasikas themselves, who despite so many other distractions and commitments, make concert attendance a priority.
The Navavarna kritis of Muthuswamy Dikshitar are gems beyond description, and singing them is a blissful and spiritually elevating experience. But as we sang a few of these songs over the Navaratri weekend, we felt all the more emotionally charged. What greater delight and divine grace could there be!
Augusta, Oct 10 2008
Though the bigger centers can boast of bigger numbers and wider membership base, sometimes it is in the smaller centers that we find people who give so much of their time and efforts in bringing carnatic music to their towns. Augusta is one such small town, where a small group of dedicated carnatic music rasikas devote so much of their resources and energies in making concerts happen. In particular, Dr Dharma, a young professor of mathematics and statistics, lets nothing stand in her way of organizing concerts- health, limited financial resources or any other. She is virtually a one-woman powerhouse, powered by nothing other than sheer love and passion for carnatic music! And organizing a concert here is no mean effort. As the concert was on a Friday, the organizers had to arrange for snacks before the concert, dinner after the concert, in addition to all the other standard concert arrangements! When one thinks of the enormous load of work that goes into making every concert happen, you cannot be but touched by the passion and commitment that people such as Dharma, Dr Manjunath, and the rest of this small group of people have. Hats off to them!
Tampa, Oct 11 2008
Raleigh, Oct 12 2008
Stepping into the warm balmy air of Tampa is a homecoming of sorts! The same goes for Raleigh! The warmth of the climate is evenly matched by that of the people! We were particularly touched when a young child of barely four years of age actually sat through our concert in Raleigh, that too in the first row! It is an interesting fact that the average age of the rasika in USA would probably be 35-40! Not to mention the abundant presence of young children, who stay through the concert and listen with attention and enthusiasm. Back home, we often hear people joke that the audience for carnatic music seem to consist mostly of retired, elderly people!
Seattle, Oct 17 2008
One of the most scenic cities in USA, Seattle must be enjoyed during the summer months when the city is at its most beautiful! Most other times, the weather seems to be dominated by drizzly chilly weather, which has a charm of its own! We did a lecture-demonstration the previous day of our concert on the devotional aspect of carnatic music, with special focus on bhajans and abhangs. This was held at the ISKON temple. We were quite thrilled with the turnout for the event. Interaction with the rasikas always is a very exciting experience. Here, there was an interactive session at the end of the lecture demonstration and the audience showed a lot of interest, asking penetrating questions. As requested by the temple priest, we ended the presentation with a thaalattu song (lullaby) for the deity of the temple Lord Krishna, Madhava Mamava in Nilambari. It was indeed a sweet experience that lingered in our minds.
Los Angeles, Oct 18 2008
San Jose, Oct 19 2008.
The last two concerts of our tour, these were indeed a fitting finale to our North American trip! In fact, the San Jose concert reminded us of the Season concert at The Music Academy, Chennai with the overflowing audience, the hushed atmosphere, and people even sitting on the dais! The only difference was that, here in San Jose and LA, you could sing to your heart's content without having to look at the time, while generally during concerts in Chennai during the Season, one has to be very conscious of sticking to the time limit. Again the profusion of children in the auditorium was such a heartening feature. What better exposure to carnatic music can parents give their children, than getting them to concerts! This only shows the commitment that the parents have. Beyond doubt, there is whole generation of budding musicians in North America who will make a fair bid to change the nucleus of carnatic music from Chennai to America!
Ottawa, Sept 26 2008
Toronto, Sept 27 2008
Montreal, Sept 28 2008
Canada in so many ways is such an amazing country! A country where people from different ethnic backgrounds co-exist in absolute harmony and freedom, a land of extraordinary beauty and charm. As we discovered, people here stand very little on ceremony. Though elections were just round the corner, there was no hype whatsoever about it. Actually the media were focusing more on the impending US elections! There was a very interesting incident that happened in Montreal as we were driving past one of suburbs. We were idly watching the election posters which were stuck here and there, and looking at the photo of the candidate who was contesting for that area. Imagine our surprise, as we saw the candidate himself standing at the traffic lights, giving out pamphlets! He actually came up to our car and offered a pamphlet with a smile on his face to our host who was driving the car!! In our country, traffic would be halted, roads cordoned off, and security personnel and black cats shielding the politician who would wave distantly to the crowds!!
Though the carnatic listening population in Montreal and Ottawa is limited, the enthusiasm and sincerity with which they listen is indeed heartwarming! The sound engineer for the Ottawa concert was, to our surprise, a young lady. Again the total absence of any kind of gender prejudice or concessions is so striking. Here was this young lady, hauling heavy equipment, running up and down between the stage and the sound booth, confidently handling the controls, and eminently capable of more than holding her own in a field that is generally dominated by men!
Boston, Oct 3 2008
Philadelphia, Oct 4 2008
Columbus, Oct 5 2008
These concerts were right in the middle of Navaratri. Generally, Navaratri is a time for people here to invite friends over for golu, and socialize. Especially when concerts happen during the Navaratri weekend, it is a tough balancing act for most people! Despite this, the turnout for these concerts were substantial. The credit for this must go indeed to the organizers and the rasikas themselves, who despite so many other distractions and commitments, make concert attendance a priority.
The Navavarna kritis of Muthuswamy Dikshitar are gems beyond description, and singing them is a blissful and spiritually elevating experience. But as we sang a few of these songs over the Navaratri weekend, we felt all the more emotionally charged. What greater delight and divine grace could there be!
Augusta, Oct 10 2008
Though the bigger centers can boast of bigger numbers and wider membership base, sometimes it is in the smaller centers that we find people who give so much of their time and efforts in bringing carnatic music to their towns. Augusta is one such small town, where a small group of dedicated carnatic music rasikas devote so much of their resources and energies in making concerts happen. In particular, Dr Dharma, a young professor of mathematics and statistics, lets nothing stand in her way of organizing concerts- health, limited financial resources or any other. She is virtually a one-woman powerhouse, powered by nothing other than sheer love and passion for carnatic music! And organizing a concert here is no mean effort. As the concert was on a Friday, the organizers had to arrange for snacks before the concert, dinner after the concert, in addition to all the other standard concert arrangements! When one thinks of the enormous load of work that goes into making every concert happen, you cannot be but touched by the passion and commitment that people such as Dharma, Dr Manjunath, and the rest of this small group of people have. Hats off to them!
Tampa, Oct 11 2008
Raleigh, Oct 12 2008
Stepping into the warm balmy air of Tampa is a homecoming of sorts! The same goes for Raleigh! The warmth of the climate is evenly matched by that of the people! We were particularly touched when a young child of barely four years of age actually sat through our concert in Raleigh, that too in the first row! It is an interesting fact that the average age of the rasika in USA would probably be 35-40! Not to mention the abundant presence of young children, who stay through the concert and listen with attention and enthusiasm. Back home, we often hear people joke that the audience for carnatic music seem to consist mostly of retired, elderly people!
Seattle, Oct 17 2008
One of the most scenic cities in USA, Seattle must be enjoyed during the summer months when the city is at its most beautiful! Most other times, the weather seems to be dominated by drizzly chilly weather, which has a charm of its own! We did a lecture-demonstration the previous day of our concert on the devotional aspect of carnatic music, with special focus on bhajans and abhangs. This was held at the ISKON temple. We were quite thrilled with the turnout for the event. Interaction with the rasikas always is a very exciting experience. Here, there was an interactive session at the end of the lecture demonstration and the audience showed a lot of interest, asking penetrating questions. As requested by the temple priest, we ended the presentation with a thaalattu song (lullaby) for the deity of the temple Lord Krishna, Madhava Mamava in Nilambari. It was indeed a sweet experience that lingered in our minds.
Los Angeles, Oct 18 2008
San Jose, Oct 19 2008.
The last two concerts of our tour, these were indeed a fitting finale to our North American trip! In fact, the San Jose concert reminded us of the Season concert at The Music Academy, Chennai with the overflowing audience, the hushed atmosphere, and people even sitting on the dais! The only difference was that, here in San Jose and LA, you could sing to your heart's content without having to look at the time, while generally during concerts in Chennai during the Season, one has to be very conscious of sticking to the time limit. Again the profusion of children in the auditorium was such a heartening feature. What better exposure to carnatic music can parents give their children, than getting them to concerts! This only shows the commitment that the parents have. Beyond doubt, there is whole generation of budding musicians in North America who will make a fair bid to change the nucleus of carnatic music from Chennai to America!
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