Season potpourri - Sruti

SEASON 2010-11

Season potpourri Manna Srinivasan

The T’Nagar season

Yet another Season has come and gone. It was v  the uniqueness and the magic of the Season and the
longer and featured many new initiatives. need for better marketing.
Nalli’s Reckoner for the Chennai Music Season
compiled by S. Kannan is getting more and more Corporate sponsorship has come to stay if it has not
voluminous. become the mainstay. The list of sponsors is increasing.
This constitutes a desirable alternative to the reliance on
The mega event is so comprehensive, multi-dimensional, government agencies. It is also encouraging to note that
multi-segmented and inter-related; yet each component many corporate sponsors regard such initiatives as part of
seems complete. their social responsibility. What is required is sustained
community commitment.
Hailed as unique, the phenomenon is not isolated or
ephemeral, but a continuum. It is a product as well as a As regards marketing, perceptions vary and there is
process. There is a ‘before’ and an ‘after’. scope for different interpretations. Basically, the season
phenomenon is an endeavour for the preservation and
It inspired imaginative ‘flights’ of many types. Just to promotion of the musico-devotional culture viewed in
illustrate: The violin duo, Ganesh-Kumaresh presented a larger perspective. Carnatic music and classical dance,
as part of the concert repertoire, an ‘ode to the season’ as they have evolved over a period, are projected as the
composed for the occasion, rendering the lyrics vocally main manifestations and symbols of cultural identity,
first. Neyveli Santhangopalan delighted with an while the approach has become more inclusive with a
imaginative presentation of the probable discussions pan Indian view in a global perspective.
in a hypothetical meeting of the Trinity of Tyagaraja,
Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastry. The sadas at the Academy provoked comment that there
was need for some trimming. What starts as a formal
The juggernaut moves on. There is no fulcrum as such. ‘convoking to confer the awards’ proceeds through
Any one can join and many do each time. There are longish speech session ending in near chaos, when ‘
also problems aplenty. They get highlighted, the media admirers’ are called upon to ‘felicitate’ the awardees.
providing the space and scope. Opinions of all sorts, When the citations give the biographical sketch,
concerned, constructive, simplistic, for the sake of quick main qualifications, accomplishments and achievements,
sound bytes, even iconoclastic and allergic, are all taken what is the need for another round of felicitation,
in good spirit. repetitive mostly and often inarticulate.

Much of the sabha fraternity remembered the late Obul The vote of thanks, no doubt essential, has to be crisp and
Reddy, the rasika, devotee of Tyagaraja, friend of artists not rambling as often the case. In general, on such formal
and patron. Some dedicated the entire festival to his occasions, the manner of conducting contributes to the
memory. It was gratifying to note his family’s resolve to promotion of the image of the institution.
continue the tradition of patronage.
By and large, the top spots in terms of quality and crowd
The inaugural functions continued to be long drawn, with pulling ability, were secure with those already in the lead,
few exceptions, dislocating the schedule and denying the particularly in the case of the female vocalists — Sudha
proper atmosphere for the programme that followed. Ragunathan, Aruna Sairam, Nithyashree Mahadevan,
Bombay Jayashri, Ranjani-Gayatri, S. Sowmya and
The general refrain in the speeches was to stress matters Pantula Rama. Among the others attracting serious
like notice and poised for further heights, names like Gayatri
Girish, Gayathri Venkataraghavan, K. Gayatri and Nisha
v  involvement of the younger generation to appreciate Rajagopalan are safe bets.
the rich musical tradition;

v  recognition and projection of the contributions of great Among male vocalists, the top rung seems to have shrunk

composers through dedicated events; a bit, a couple of the established stars slipping in appeal.

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Srikantan Nedunuri Krishnamurthy Abhishek

PRITEESH SHA become widespread. In the case of Tevaram, the oduvar-s
who have been keeping up the tradition may be recognised
for the purpose.

Poor cousins no more

Malladi Brothers Time was when Mambalam was viewed as the outskirts,
mentioned mostly together with mosquitos. While
For some others, the mismatch between vidwat and religious activity has been part of the routine there,
voice was obvious, giving a clear message. They still the space for organised cultural activity with proper
have an important role to play outside the prime slot infrastructure was lacking. The picture has changed a
performance. T.M. Krishna has moved into another, great deal since the forties. The locality came to be linked
somewhat mystified orbit. Sanjay Subrahmanyan and with film stars. Actor Chittoor V. Nagiah’s initiative
the Malladi Brothers are in the forefront among the and munificence in establishing the Sri Thyaga Brahma
sumptuous and steady. Abhishek Raghuram has given Gana Sabha (STBGS) is often cited (see Sruti 246).
enough indications of his potential, hiking his profile in The locality’s further progress through the business
the pecking order, but he requires to be more judicious route has been remarkable. If exorbitant land costs,
in matters like the process and pattern of elaboration frequent traffic jams, flyovers and swarms of shoppers
and the surfeit of his sangati flourishes to carve out a converging from distant places are any indication, the
niche for himself. Sikkil Gurucharan needs mellowing area has arrived. Nalli, Saravana and GRT may soon
to some extent. feature in the ‘Forbes Fortune’ listings! Appasamy Real
Estate set up star hotels in the area, soon followed by
Among the wonders of the season, the enduring appeal GRT and Accord.
of nonagenarian R.K. Srikantan and octogenarian
Nedunuri Krishnamurthy deserve special mention. Now, the area boasts of the TTD Centre and Ayodhya
Mandapam, both throbbing with activity throughout
The richness of the musical dimension of Tevaram the year. The resident profile has gone up considerably,
and Divya Prabandham hymns is well established; and the cultural profile has also kept pace; it now
accomplished practitioners in these specialised genres are constitutes the second major concentration in the
also available. The major sabha-s may consider featuring Season’s music activity.
dedicated concerts in the main festival in the non-ticketed
segment. Inclusion of Andal pasurams in concerts has The major festivals taking place in the area include
those of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha (SKGS), Sri Thyaga
Brahma Gana Sabha (STBGS,Vani Mahal), The Indian
Fine Arts Society (at the Balamandir German Hall),
Bharat Kalachar (at the YGP auditorium in the PSBB
school premises), Nungambakkam Cultural Academy
(at Ramarao Kalamantapam), Mudhra (at Infosys Hall,

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RKM School campus). In addition programmes are The morning session starts with the popular Harinama
held at the nearby Meenakshi College (Arcot Road), sankeertanam by Jayakrishnadas Dikshitar, the audience
Sringeri Bharathi Vidyashram (near Panagal Park), vying for every inch of space.
Kasi Viswanathar Temple and Jai Gopal Garodia Hindu
Vidyalaya (both in West Mambalam). The sabha and the violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman
have been enjoying a symbiotic relationship for
Of these, special mention may be made of Sri Krishna decades. Now identified with Nalli, the sabha is also
Gana Sabha and Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, the most favoured beneficiary of the Shriram Group’s
which have leapfrogged to be counted among the largesse.
top five in the city in terms of good location, own and
well equipped infrastructure, sustained track record, The increased stature of the sabha is reflected also
committed membership and other support, a commend- in the renaming of the street of its location, after
able variety of activities round the year, impresario and the popular musicmaker, Maharajapuram Santhanam,
service functions, rewards to artists, administrative set who had a close association with the institution,
up, maintenance and upkeep, and capacity to undertake originally founded by his father, the charismatic
further initiatives. Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer. Y. Prabhu, son and
successor of the sabha’s architect, R. Yagnaraman, is
In both cases, devotional fervour, reverence for tradition alive to the responsibility of carrying forward the
and special affinity with the Kanchi Sankaracharya precious legacy.
Peetham are prominent hallmarks. The programme
schedule has variety. The December festival features top The functioning of a full fledged restaurant as a regular
billing befitting a major player. facility has made the complex a rendezvous in relatively
quiet surroundings.
The awardees of the titles at Krishna Gana Sabha,
Sangeeta Choodamani and Nritya Choodamani, The Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha is a well-equipped
receive cash prizes of Rs. two lakh each and ‘Acharya institution with its own infrastructure in a prime
Choodamani’, rupees one lakh, from this year. location in one of the busiest intersections of the area.
Similarly, at the Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, the Vani It has been serving the cause of music and related arts in
Kala Sudhakara recipients (five in all, covering the a holistic manner for more than six decades, acquiring a
disciplines of vocal, violin, mridanga, dance and drama) rich track record.
get one lakh rupees each, thanks to the munificence of
the Obul Reddy family. Fully renovated recently with additions and
improvements, the institution is poised to undertake
In both places, a degree of informality is still part of the impresario functions and promotional programmes
ambience. at a higher level on a regular and sustained basis. The
scope of its activities now covers conducting mega
The Sri Krishna Gana Sabha has more days in the festivals, promotion of young talent, conducting
year with programmes than without, perhaps a training courses in music and dance, cultivation of
unique record. What a variety of programmes! It audience interest, seminars, research, setting up archives
was here that Sri Haridhos Giri launched the revival and other service functions. The institution has a
of Nama sankeertanam before shifting his base to committed membership of over 850.
Narada Gana Sabha.
The Obul Reddy mini auditorium at the complex has
The renovated complex is a heritage landmark. become an effective launching pad for young and new
The weeklong Natya Kala Conference attracting talent. The practice of proper introduction of such talents
international response has become a USP for this followed here is commendable.
institution, introducing a markedly cosmopolitan
character for the duration. The competent management team is headed by

The peak on 25th December has to be ‘experienced’. (See Deccan N.K. Murthy, the well known patron
A Day at the SKGS in Sruti 258). The day is reserved for
the MLV remembrance concert of Sudha Ragunathan. and munificent trustee of the Sri Thyaga Brahma

Aradhana Mahotsava Sabha at Tiruvaiyaru. Hail the

Mambalam surge! n

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At the Music Academy Sruti team

Bombay Jayashri in peak form

The season raised hopes of great COURTESY: THE HINDU
music as usual. Vyasarpadi
Kothandaraman delighted the Thyagarajan Sankaranarayanan
modest gathering on the morning after the
inauguration with high quality nayanam, Narasimhan, surprisingly yet to receive her promotion, was apparently
and an array of grand raga-s that included similarly hampered, though she managed to give a pleasant concert
Sahana, Malayamarutam, Manirangu, whose highlights were her rendering of Papanasam Sivan’s Chittam
Poorvikalyani, Hindolam and Manji, before irangada in Sahana and Tyagaraja’s Kaligiyunte in Keeravani. It was a
he unfurled a magnificent O Rangasayee in satisfactory day overall, with Gayathri Venkatraghavan turning in an
Kambhoji. While the Academy deserved impeccable performance that included an outstanding Todi (Syama
compliments for keeping the volume down Sastry’s Ninne namminanu, Misra Chapu).
to a reasonable level, it is time someone
convinced nagaswaram and tavil vidwans Youngsters K. Bharat Sundar (junior) and Prasanna Venkatraman
that their instruments do not require (sub-senior) did not disappoint their growing band of admirers, each
amplification. It is easier said than done doing enough in his concert to claim elevation to the next higher slot
we know, as the best of them insist on next time around.
“equal” treatment with their relatively feeble
counterparts, both vocal and instrumental. Nisha Rajagopalan, Amritha Murali and Sumithra Vasudev lived up
to expectations. There was not much to choose between these three
In the inaugural concert the previous talented young vocalists, each seeming to reserve her best for the Music
evening, Sangita Kalanidhi T.V. Sankara­ Academy and each staking a serious claim for higher honours.
narayanan, not quite his exuberant self
of yore, provided a heartwarming sample O.S. Thyagarajan was as good as he always proves to be, but did
of his unique style — with a touch
of restraint. His violin accompanist
T.K.V. Ramanujucharyulu contributed
suitably to a mellow presentation worthy
of the occasion.

Kunnakudy M. Balamuralikrishna justified
his promotion to the senior slot,with a chaste,
competent recital, though his voice was not
at its best. Earlier on the same day, Savita

Kunnakudy Balamuralikrishna Prasanna Venkatraman Bharat Sundar

PRITEESH SHA

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not reach the heights we all know he is capable of, Suguna Purushothaman Palai Ramachandran
though he gave his trademark impression of
effortlessness. His Bhairavi ragam-tanam-pallavi successful concerts of the season, an appreciative audience
was a fitting finale to a concert whose highlight bursting into frequent and prolonged applause. He did
was Ramakatha (Tyagaraja, Madhyamavati, Adi). elaborate alapana-s of Madhyamavati and Todi, the main
OST’s music is based on one of the strongest raga of the evening. Innovative, even startlingly original
foundations of classicism in contemporary Carnatic sometimes, the Todi essay had little of the Todi that
music and he has on occasion demonstrated oldtimers know. Judging by the rave reviews everywhere,
profound vidwat and emotional depth. Sruti including cyberspace, the concert was a watershed in the
followed him around this season, attending at least evolution of the aesthetics of Carnatic music. More than the
four of his concerts. We expected him to peak at excesses of a young musician’s creativity, it is the listening
the Academy, but though his performance there public’s approval of it that causes concern.
was flawless, it did not leave us thirsting for
more at the end of it. When will this accomplished, Ranjani and Gayatri were their usual excellent selves
often unsung, musician hit the highest notes he with Neelambari and the ragam-tanam-pallavi in
keeps promising? It will be a great day when Dwijavanti was worth mention. Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s
he does. Yadukulakambhoji and Subbaraya Sastri’s Ninnu sevinchina
in it were outstanding. Right from the Begada varnam,
Easily the best all-round concert in the senior there were unfamiliar songs galore both in Tamil and
Telugu. Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam embarked on an
category was that of Bombay Jayashri. An excellent unusual pallavi — a combination of Bhairavi and
Sindhubhairavi — and an appropriately worded pallavi
short alapana of Chandrajyoti followed by line specially composed by Va Ve Su. Vijay Siva was his
usual competent, compact self, with no deviation from the
Bagayanayya early on printed programme unlike some others.

was followed later by During her very pleasant concert, Sowmya rendered

an elaborate treatment

of the Lalgudi

Pancharatna kriti in

Todi of Tyagaraja:

Gati neevani.The

alapana, the kriti

and every other

aspect were top class.

Jayashri The ragam-tanam-
pallavi in Kanada was

excellent. The introduction of Sunadavinodini in

the ragamalika swaram was a nice touch.

Suguna Purushothaman sang a beautifully Ranjani and Gayatri
structured Poorvikalyani alapana as a prelude to
the Dikshitar kriti Meenakshi me mudam dehi. Her PRITEESH SHA
ragam-tanam-pallavi in Keeravani included
an elaborate alapana in two parts. Her pallavi
– a ragatalamalika with 48 akshara-s, chatusra jati
Roopaka talam, was a treat.

Palai C.K. Ramachandran’s swaraprastara was
reminiscent of his guru Semmangudi’s style. The
Kalyani raga alapana of the evening served to showcase
Ramachandran’s creativity. The raga alapana for the
Shanmukhapriya ragam-tanam-pallavi again bore
the Semmangudi stamp.

Abhishek Raghuram’s was one of the most

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Yaro ivar yaro in Saveri, a version said to have been Dikshitar kriti in it clearly distinguishing it from
in vogue many years ago. While it was very well done, Reetigaula as sung now but from Natabhairavi as
still it sounded strange to ears accustomed to the well. R.K. Shriramkumar matched him all the way —
(Ariyakudi tuned?) Bhairavi version. T.M. Krishna altogether a fine exhibition of a rarity.
was at his flamboyant best. He reminded us of his
forays into the Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarsini with The programme book had again been well prepared, with
an elaborate treatment of Nareereetigaula, the 20th no howlers in it, unlike some years ago.
melakarta in the Dikshitar sampradaya, and the
CHARUKESI, K.V. RAMANATHAN and V. RAMNARAYAN

Few takers for instrumental music M.V. Swaroop

Imagine being in a gelato shop, faced with a multitude of flavours – the PRITEESH SHA
shop allows you to taste all of them, but forces you to choose one or
two. Each season, I resolve to sample many artists, but follow one or two Pantula Rama
around. This year, I chose to haunt Pantula Rama and Bharat Sundar. Each
season, I fail to keep this resolution, just like in the gelato shop, where I taste He stitched stock phrases together
so many that I fill myself with samples. to draw a quick outline of the raga,
before asking violinist Varadarajan to
Haruki Murakami, the Japanese author, writes that what sets apart a great stitch his own outline.Then,the magic
performance is the empathy that the artist generates to involve the audience unfolded: first over ten minutes of
not just in listening to the music, but in the process of creating it. At the meandering around the madhyama,
new Arkay Convention Centre, early in the season, Pantula Rama, waylaid
by what looked like fatigue and a crippling sore throat, created this empathy Sanjay Subrahmanyan
to raise her performance. It was like watching Tendulkar bat with back pain
at Chepauk – the knowledge of the artist’s pain accentuating the brilliance of PRITEESH SHA
the artistry. Struggling to hold notes for long without quavering, and creaking
in the higher register, she was a shadow of herself. Every now and then, a
scorching briga or a phrase of teasing prettiness would surface, only to be
followed by another that ended in a splutter. She left it to M.S.N. Murthy,
her violinist husband who probably knows her music the best, to reinterpret
that splutter for the audience. Still, it was a wonderful concert – a thematic
concert of pallavi-s – some flashes of Kalyani and Athana linger in my head.
At her Music Academy concert, she was nearly back at her effortless best,
confirming again, that in full flight, few musicians can match her zesty vision
and vivacity.

Sadly, I could only catch Bharat Sundar once, early in the season at Bharat
Kalachar. Day jobs and day concerts don’t go together. I was curious to listen
to him for two reasons. One morning, while reading the newspaper in the
balcony, I heard some great music from the living room, and presumed it
was one of the old-time bigwigs, only to find a youngster on the television
screen. A few days later, my teacher told me that he was one to watch out for.
The Bharat Kalachar concert was evidence of why; Bharat’s music is a mix of
the enthusiasm of youth and the polish of a veteran. He pushes boundaries
without ever being cluttered, he experiments a lot without seeming hassled.
His Todi and Pantuvarali were as refreshing as the drizzle that day.

Speaking of Todi-s, Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s ambling, nearly-two-hour,
4-kalai ragam-tanam-pallavi at Vani Mahal was exhausting and exhilarating.

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exploring the many tints of its relationship with the PRITEESH SHA
gandhara and the rishabha. Ma to ri, through ga and back,
over and over again, but fresh each time. In the third stage Kanyakumari and Embar Kannan
of the alapana, the dhaivata and nishada received similar
examination – long karvai-s on the panchama alternating s are traditionally woven together – why that dhaivata
with panchama-less sangati-s. When he wound his way and madhyama use the panchama as oxygen, why the
up the hill to the shadja and ended this phase, there was shadja and nishada lie in a loving embrace and why
spontaneous applause from the audience. He still had one that rishabha stands alone, clear and proud. The
leg of the ascent left, followed by descent, both of which alapana and niraval were enchanting soundscapes, a
were spectacular. Varadarajan understands Sanjay’s music reflection of an acute grasp of the raga and careful
so well that his replies in each phase of the alapana were imagination.
never a repetition, but a supplement. He found hideouts
that hadn’t been explored, crannies that were forgotten Nisha’s malleable voice and superb control, along with
and peculiarities that needed to be refreshed.
Sheejith Krishna’s PRITEESH SHA
Sanjay’s music comes in a variety of sounds. Astute
observation leads me to the conclusion that he slips from electric dance, were also
‘aaa’ to ‘eee’ quite unconsciously during those long, twisty
phrases. Then, there is the occasional ‘hu’, ‘tarilla’, the ‘dup’ in view in a very different
and the ‘doop’,and the ‘humm’and the ‘gumm’.Sometimes,
I wonder, as many other listeners do, if they are getting a setting – as a part of the
little out of hand (especially in the last two years). Largely,
though, I am too bowled over by his imagination to care. cast of Sarpa Sutra – a

When A. Kanyakumari played on an off-white violin theatrical presentation
that produced a thick, jazzy tone, while Embar Kannan
shadowed her on his traditional one, at the Music by Gowri Ramnarayan
Academy, my central concern, again, was the tone. The
contrasting timbres gave each instrument a distinct voice staged at Spaces in
and feel, like, say the Malladi Brothers’ contrasting voices,
while the musicians remained in unison stylistically. I am Besant Nagar and Sri
still unconvinced of the suitability of that electric tone
for Carnatic music (am I just too used to the traditional Krishna Gana Sabha.
sharp trill to accept this broader tone?), but one can find
no fault with the aesthetics of Kanyakumari’s music. Take The play, outwardly, a tale
the Karnataka Behag kriti, Nenendu, for instance. The
hook of the kriti, the “Hari” falling on the “nenendu”, from the Mahabharata,
was so beauteously arresting – each swara of that phrase
so prettily perfect in its place. Or that Kaligiyunte in told through the original
all its magnificence, so caressingly strung together,
and so teasingly ornamented by Easwaran’s toppi. The Sanskrit verses and Arun Nisha
uncomplicated pallavi in Charukesi ensured that the lilt Kolatkar’s sardonic poetry,
of the raga did not get lost amidst labyrinthine, rhythmic
gymnastics. held up a mirror to the world around us, addressing

A feature of Simhendramadhyamam, and the one that intolerance, revenge, terrorism and genocide.
gives it weight, is that except for its rishabha, the other
swara-s are all dependent on their neighbours. The My uncle has this fascinating story about getting
oscillating rishabha is masquerading as the gandhara, tickets for the T.M. Krishna concert on New Year’s Day
the dhaivata rests on the panchama, and the nishada and at Music Academy. After much unsuccessful wrangling
madhyama are hung down from the shadja and panchama. with various authorities for two tickets, he decided he
Nisha Rajagopalan, at SAFE, showed why these swara- would find someone to stand in the queue for the daily
ticket. To his horror, he found that the queue opened
at 3.30 am, while the tickets would be disbursed only
at 7.30! The person he found, a watchman in a friend’s
house, volunteered to make himself available at the
Academy at 5 am. But he had a doubt, “Sir, what movie
is this?”

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This would suggest, to the simplistic, that Carnatic musicians of all time, N. Ravikiran, at Krishna Gana
concerts are rivalling cinemas in attention and popularity. Sabha. I will not refer to it as “fusion”, because it was billed
I listened to a wonderful concert of vainika Jayanthi only as “Punarvasantham”. It featured the maestro himself
Kumaresh, featuring a haunting Charukesi tanam, at the on the chitraveena, a good but puzzled violinist, a grating
Academy, where two of my bags lounged on seats and my keyboardist, a slightly lost guitarist and an array of trigger-
nearest neighbour on the left was seven seats away. At happy percussionists. Time and again, the artists on stage
N. Ramani’s concert organised by Kartik Fine Arts in were unsure of what they wanted to do. The keyboard and
Anna Nagar, where he, accompanied by M. guitar played at a different wavelength from the rest of the
Chandrashekharan on the violin, played the crowd. It lacked the tightness, originality or the energy to
most enchanting Anandabhairavi, Hindolam and make up for the lack of classicism. What saddened me the
Madhyamavati, the only blip in an otherwise astounding most was that the artists gave the impression that they were
concert was the thinness of the audience. not taking the exercise seriously enough – no performance
of any sort can be salvaged once this happens.
This is symptomatic of a bothersome and oft-repeated
complaint – instrumental concerts, no matter the calibre, I ended this year’s season with my guru,N.Ramani’s concert
form or variety of the artist, fail to attract audiences. Ours
is a vocal music, yes, and the object of our instrumental at Asthika Samajam in Tiruvanmiyur on 1st January. Just
music is to mimic the voice. I wonder if this stifles
instrumental music’s appeal to the layman. Crudely put, like last year, it was spine-
is Kurai ondrum illai more captivating than ga ga gaaa ga
gaaa gaaa? It brings us to another question – should there tingling. An arresting
be music that is purely instrumental – like, perhaps, the
rakti-s and mallari-s of the nagaswaram tradition or the Poorvikalyani and a
more recent experiments of Ganesh and Kumaresh?
heavy Dhanyasi (Syama
Charsur organised a week of young talent, and not one
instrumentalist was featured. But then again, ask me Sastry’s Meenalochani)
to name an instrumentalist who deserved to be billed
along with that line-up, and I would stutter. I don’t were enough to make it
think the problem is a lack of talent – I think we just
don’t know these artists. Bangalore is overflowing with special. The Keeravani
flautists who are more than competent, every street in
Tripunithura houses a violinist. Mysore, I am sure, has that followed was
veena players unknown to us, and I heard a captivating
nagaswara vidwan at a wedding in Hyderabad a few described by Varadarajan,
months ago. Sadly, the season doesn’t know of them.
the violinist, as probably Ramani
A fallout of this is that instrumentalists are increasingly
engaging in weak attempts at “fusion”; often a bogeyman the best he had heard ever, “Pey maadri vaasichaar!”.
for diluted music – shattering pace, a lot of “mood music”
and lots of con-fusion (pun intended). A concert I am Everything, from the leisurely alapana to the monstrous
constrained to point out was led by one of my favourite
korvai in tisra nadai, was an exhibition of a past master’s

command and genius.

R. Krishnaswami, secretary of the Narada Gana Sabha, and
President of the Federation of Sabha-s, spoke at a function
of how there are only fifteen registered sabha-s in the city.
The others are mushroom organisations, he said, which
surfaced only during the season. Even conceding that
most of the season sabha-s are mushroom organisations,
I don’t understand what is wrong with them. After all,
don’t these mushroom events give the season its variety
and splendour? Isn’t the charm of the season in this very
‘disorganisedness’?

(The author is a practising lawyer and Carnatic flutist)

At Sri Krishna Gana Sabha Vasantha & Raja

Sudha, Sanjay and Priya Sisters to the fore

The music festival at Krishna Gana Sabha Ragunathan, Sanjay Subrahmanyan and the Priya Sisters,
commenced on 11 December 2010 and ended while Bombay Jayashri, Vijay Siva and Malladi Brothers
on 26 January 2011 with T.M Krishna’s concert. were not far behind.
The most impressive artists in our view have been Sudha
Sudha enjoys the privilege in the sabha of being

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PRITEESH SHA allotted her guru M.L. and the kriti Saroja dalanetri in the raga were scintillating,
Vasanthakumari’s slot thanks to a restored sound system.

and usually excels herself T.M. Krishna seemed to have overreached himself in his
here, her home ground. concert. His exuberance in the expression of manodharma
Her ragam-tanam- and virtuosity with elaborate swara-s and alapana-s
pallavi in Hamsanandi in flowing in torrents until it reached a crescendo was an
instance of overkill. His delineation of Rishabhapriya and
Khanda triputa (chatusra Natakurinji raga-s was a case in point. He seemed to be
jati) usually sung by overwhelmed by his extraordinary creative urge to give
MLV as she announced free rein to his talents, unrelieved by a certain restraint that
was a classic reminder of can add aesthetic value, unlike say Ariyakudi Ramanuja
Iyengar or Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, who sang with
Sudha that doyenne of Carnatic equal gusto. The concert fell short of our expectations.
music.
Promising youngsters
Sanjay’s concert gave the impression of being an
impromptu performance, very casual, but his innate talent Amongst the promising young vocalists, those who
came to the fore in his rendition of raga Kapinarayani, deserve special mention are K. Bharat Sunder, the Akkarai
followed by the kriti Sarasa samadana.There was expectation Sisters, Swarnarethas, Kunnakudi M. Balamurali Krishna
of more from Sanjay who usually presents a ragam-tanam-
pallavi with a more challenging and complicated tala than
the one he rendered in Hamsadhwani.

The Priya Sisters’ concert was well planned and provided PRITEESH SHA
fare rich in bhava covering various composers, including
an impressive ragam-tanam-pallavi in Madhyamavati
in Misra triputa tala followed by a string of raga-s with
rhyming names: Charumati, Hemavati, Revagupti, Revati
and Madhuvanti. It was of a much higher standard than
our earlier estimation of the sisters.

PRITEESH SHA Akkarai Sisters

Priya Sisters and Anahita Ravindran. Also impressive was child
artist Prachotan, a disciple of the Hyderabad Brothers.
Bombay Jayashri excelled in the presentation of a few Among instrumentalists, mention must be made of
pieces that had the audience floored, but in others, clarity flautists Shanthala Subramaniam, Shashank’s sister, and
and emphasis on notes or azhuttam were lacking. Her B. Muthukumar, disciple of vidwan N. Ramani. Parur
rendering of Kharaharapriya raga with rare prayoga-s and Ananthakrishnan, a grandson of M.S Anantharaman and
the less heard kriti Nadachi nadachi was of a class that Akkarai Sornalatha impressed as violinists.
would have done Lalgudi Jayaraman proud.
Trends
The Malladi Brothers sang inspiringly with richly
embellished sangati-s in the tradition of Nedunuri We are getting used to listening to the same set of
Krishnamurthy and Pinakapani, but with the mike and musicians every season here. The sabha can certainly
sound systems in the sabha failing to cooperate much to explore the possibility of introducing new artists, as
the ire of artists and audience alike, something was lost there is a wealth of talent in the field of Carnatic music.
of the concert experience. Their Sankarabharanam alapana Even senior artists like Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and
R. Vedavalli do not figure in the festival season
programmes. Last year the sabha, in collaboration with
Sri Krishna Sweets, conducted lecture demonstrations
by artists and musicologists and interactive sessions
between artists and rasika-s that generated enthusiasm
among the public, which was missing this year.

(The authors are long time rasika-s)

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Young, confident, arrogant? V. Karpagalakshmi

Ihad the opportunity to attend concerts by quite good. For instance, in the kalpana swara-s, almost all
a few young artists during the season. Most of the musicians come out with a korvai at the end.
them are talented and well trained under their This is preplanned and practised many times as it
guru-s and some are learning from more than one involves tala calculations. For most of the popular
guru. While it is inevitable that they adopt some of raga-s these are ‘readymade’ and most musicians sing
the mannerisms and style of singing of their teachers, the same korvai-s. Members in the audience may not
many of them have also developed their own style. realise this and the applause is almost involuntary.
They are quite confident on the stage; but this
confidence itself seems to have taken the shape of In some instances the audience’s reaction to young
over-confidence, even arrogance, in some of them. musicians borders on adulation; this seems to go to
Their attitude appears to be “This is how I do it, take it the head of the immature artists and they begin to
or leave it”. assume that what they are doing is right. The attitude
nowadays seems to be that the louder you sing,
Some youngsters wanting to show off their ideas add shout, shriek or yell, the better is the music. The audience
new sangati-s to well known kriti-s with time tested does not protest but claps louder.
sangati-s. In some cases these new ideas sound
interesting, but in others they just do not fit. It is true, While many young talented violinists and mridanga
every raga has multiple possibilities for prayoga-s
and sangati-s, but some sangati-s do not go with artists do not get opportunities to perform because
certain kriti-s, while the same may be good for some
another song. It is not as if it happens only with young they lack ‘godfathers’, some of those who do get the
musicians, it occurs even in the case of some senior
artists. chance to accompany are just not ready for the task.

It is a pity that many youngsters are not prepared to Another problem with the accompanists is that some
accept criticism even when it is positive and comes
from knowledgeable persons. Often people close to the of them accept back to back concerts at different
musicians call the critics and argue with them instead
of advising the musicians to take the criticism positively centres and hustle the main artist to end the concert
and try to improve their music.
earlier, so that they can reach the next venue on time.
An irritant during kutcheri-s is indiscriminate applause
by the audience, without bothering to know if the This craze to accept as many concerts as possible
artist is singing the raga properly, whether the tala is
kept correctly, and whether the sruti alignment is has caught the fancy of some young vocalists too.

A few who have been winning acclaim in recent

times, performed three concerts in two days and it

showed in the third one. The voice sounded really

battered. Why do they take such risks? Is it for

money or fame? If it is for fame, this is surely a

good way to lose whatever name and fame they

have won. n

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Kutcheri buzz! Sadhana Rao

Chennai’s music season is 83 years old. The festival
‘seesun’, as some pronounce it, over 83 long years
has got textured and layered with its very own
identity, insignia, ideogram and idiosyncrasies. From the
simple rasika to the cyber space rasika, from few hundred
concerts to thousands, the consistency of change has
touched the rim as well as the core of the festival. The
sedate pace of Chennai gets into an energised rhythm as a
kind of concert zealotism descends on the city. Each year
the festival brings in its wake nuggets and anecdotes that
occupy mind spaces and musical landscapes that go on
to become vignettes, tales and markers of the festival.

Ubiquitous time table Rasikas with copies of the Buzz in their hands

The concert hopping is preceded by deep research of the Perfect talam
ubiquitous ‘time table’ or the concert schedule. The time
table itself rivals the concentration that a Sudoku puzzle A bunch of excitable 18 to 21-year olds with pronounced
demands. The Sudoku is contained in its 9x9 squares. American accents took their place at a vocal recital in a
The time table goes way beyond – the permutations and concert hall. While not being obtrusive, they brought to
combinations encoded in the time table need the genius the auditoriam a mannerism and movement that were
of Ramanujan and Mozart to make the perfect choices, distinctly from the foreign shores. A sharp keenness
with conflicting dimensions around date, time, artist, dominated their body language as the renowned vocalist’s
accompanist, tradition, genre, age, venue, canteen. voice resonated through the not so perfect amplification
tools and the auditorium’s acoustics.The young group were
Despite its online edition, one can see scores of music students from Connecticut and were e-learners. They were
pilgrims carrying the time table or several, according to keen to put to test what they had learnt over skype.
each sabha. Seated in the canteen at Narada Gana Sabha,
Vijayalakshmi Iyengar (a teacher who has just completed Dr. Gopal (who was sitting behind them and unabashedly
her 75th birthday) said, “I wish I could get into a time calls himself a Carnatic music fundamentalist) got greatly
capsule to extend my years on earth and live through disturbed by the incorrect talam. In the first break (which
many more cycles of the yearly time table. Each year I came after half an hour and by which time Dr. Gopal’s
wait for the 1st December edition of The Hindu to get my internal aggravation had mounted) he leaned forward
first glimpse of the festival layout, and then December and and said rather authoritatively, “Your talam was correct
January unfold with all the performances I want to see.” for the first five minutes, by the sixth minute you all were
totally off beat; internalise your sense of rhythm before
The ubiquitous time table (described as the most unsung you take it outward”. The stentorian command and the
document by the sabha chiefs) actually reveals the azimuthal legendary fame of the Chennai audience’s knowledge and
skills of the drivers of the sabha that give force and vigour quick disapproval made the youthful group go silent – the
(or the lack of it) to their line up of performances. Whilst infectious enthusiasm of the young too got curbed!
viewing the rasika-s in the canteen tearing their hair
and scratching their pencils, a young techie who works At the next break Dr. Gopal leaned forward one more
at Google labs commented on the terrific opportunity time and said, “I am sorry I did not mean to breathe heavy
he saw. He could and would build a mobile application disapproval on you all, yet did not want to mar or distract
that would leverage his search optimisation algorithmic the event for us. Please take in and take back not merely a
insights to simplify the process of negotiating the complex performance but also an experience.”
matrix. Vijayalakshmi Iyengar wanted her time capsule
more than ever – to hear more music and to see all the A sense of dignity descended on the young group and they
associated growth and innovation. listened intently with the unexpected insights. The young
and old cyber learners and regular concert goers with their
respective sensibilities shared a listening space. Seeing this

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combustible combination in audience profile, it seemed …music of the external world”. To which an irate listener
for the moment, that classical arts too has as broad a base said with vigour,“No, these sounds are plain noise. Musical
as mainstream popular arts. sounds are the result of regular vibrations.” Hostilities
opened with under-the-breath one liners tossed against
Correct talam was now in the desired rhythm! each others’ point of view. The rest of us just surrendered
to the power of music.
Venerating the raga
The violinist continued to venerate the raga. This was a
The violinist was rendering a cherished composition in live performance and live performances do not have
raga Neelambari, the musician’s bow coaxing the strings repeatability, no retakes or second chances. At some point
caressingly. Most in the audience inched forward in the doors were closed, the warring lords subsided.
their seats to catch the nuanced musical positions.
Suddenly the doors of the hall opened. The sonorous The behavioural and cultural patterns of the audiences off
sounds of the auditoria were now assaulted by the stage and the artists on stage are so very different, yet they
clangor of the external world (of automobile horns – of are bound together in a strange symbiotic relationship
loud human voices hurtling instructions). The violinist – one without the other has no relevance.
continued with his rendering, with the calm of a
meditating monk. Artists are probably well experienced Tales such as these and more, touch the maquillage of
with untimely, unplanned interruptions as well as the festival and leave their impressions year after year.
audiences being lured by the wafting aroma of the canteen’s Come end-January, like the ebb tide, the season, its
gastronomic spread. melodies and rhythms too recede with the certitude that
the ‘season ‘will be back in its next cycle.
A distracted member of the audience probably tickled by
the humour of the situation said, “Well this too is music (The author writes on travel, music and literature)

One season, many objectives J.S. Raghavan

Some people turn up for concerts during the season a voice that could carry to my ears. “Yep. You told me that.
with an agenda that excludes listening to music, Her name is Ranjani.” “I meant the raga of the varnam,”
as I saw during my trips to several sabha-s this uncle shot back ticking him off. The young man shrugged
time. At Mylapore Fine Arts, a couple of men looking his shoulders. “Gawd! Do they name ragas after girls?”
well-bred and well fed trooped in and sat by my side.
The younger one in jeans and T-shirt with the legend More tete-a-tete about Ranjani, the girl, followed. I rose
Yale on it had the kind of sheen that an American from my seat as the vocalist was performing below par and
climate and style of living laminates as gratis. His moved towards Narada Gana Sabha, my next port of call.
companion, past sixty, looked an authentic Mylaporean
and cheerfully avuncular. The canteen was packed like pappadams. Asoka Halva,
their piece de resistance, nestling in paper cups was before
As the violinist invoked the musical devatas with his many patrons, glistening in all its ghee-anointed glory
sa-pa-sa drones, Mr Nephew looked every which way in ready to slide effortlessly down the votaries’ throats. The
the auditorium like an alert black cat commando at the young man at the adjacent table spooned a sample into his
side of a z-category VVIP. Mr Uncle inclined his shiny mouth, tilted his head backwards and critically examined
dome towards the young man. “That one, the tall girl it like a wine expert called upon to determine vintage.
in the third row on the left, in pistachio green sari with  His bulbous face expanded like an appalam slipped into
a chaplet of jasmine in her hair. She is the Ranjani a pan of heated oil. His companion, a middle-aged lady,
your doting mother has in mind for you. Have a good watching him with bated breath, smiled nosing the scent
look, sonny!” of approval from him. Soon crisp, piping hot vazhaippu
vadai followed, which the two shared at one per head.
Nephew didn’t require any more goading as he began “Good, amma,” the young man gave his stamp of approval.
directing his unencumbered line of vision towards the “Don’t be in a hurry, Vasu.” The mother said. “Let us try
green sari, unmindful of the musician beginning to play a other sabhas as well before we come to a decision. The
varnam with verve. “It is Ranjani,” the old man declared in wedding is six months away.”

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As they were waiting for their onion rava, a red kurta and other’s sister looked very much married; the younger one
cream trousers hailed them from a distance, balancing a in a dream of a red silk churidar perhaps not. “You missed
tumbler-dabara of hot coffee. When Vasu waved his hand Sudha’s concert the other day. Her sari was a vision,” said
he came closer. “How was OST’s concert?” he asked. “I the senior and gave a graphic account of the colour, border
missed it.” combination and the effect of stage lights on its silken
sheen. I think I can locate that one for you at Nalli or Rasi.
“What concert? Who is OST?” Vasu asked looking in You can earmark it for the reception if you like it. For a
the direction from which his onion rava had to make its second choice you can see what Sudha will be wearing in
appearance. His mother pitched in with her explanation. today’s concert. And her sparkling jewellery, the choker,
“We are doing sabha hopping. Rather sabha canteen rings and jimikki.”The bride-to-be smiled wondering what
hopping to sample the caterers’ products. You know Vasu’s was in store when the curtain in the auditorium went up
father. My God! He has the sharpest Tanjavur tongue this to reveal the singer in all her bedecked glory. “But d’you
side of the Kaveri. We are on our mission to recommend think I will be able to have a good look sitting rows away
to our sambandi the best caterer to do the honours at from the dais?”
Vasu’s wedding in May.” The red kurta, obviously a music
aficionado, mumbled something and moved away in a The elder sister grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I thought of
marked manner, his rigid shoulder conveying disapproval. that. Look here,” she said producing from her handbag,
a sleek pair of powerful binoculars, underscoring their
I joined the queue at the Donors’ entrance at the gleaming objective that Sudha’s choice was more important than
Music Academy, nodding at the regulars. Two women her voice.
giving an impression that a French perfumery was not far
away were standing ahead of me. The elder, obviously the (The author is a well known humorist)

Season sketches Subhiksha Rangarajan

Young vocalist Subhiksha Rangarajan is a versatile
artist with a number of talents. She enjoys sketching
musicians during their performances, especially during
the Chennai Season. Here, she shares with us her
pleasure at capturing some of her young colleagues in
action.

"This is my little way of enjoying some beautiful music, Amritha Murali Charumathi Raghuraman
and more beautiful musicians. Each musician I have
sketched has touched me somewhere, either in the
gesture of losing themselves in their music, in the
enjoyment at a particular, unexpected phrase, the delight
maybe at seeing someone special in the audience, the

Swarnarethas K.V. Gopalakrishnan nonchalant smirk of confidence, the powerful, triumphant
straight-ahead stare of intensity, the pausing, simple
silence snatched in between breaths. Every second has
been a moment of creation, in the musician’s head and
therefore in my expression. Watching these people
in ‘action’ is as rewarding as sharing this with them.
While I have taken as much as I can visually and aurally
in each concert, I have been helped tremendously by
many photos taken by musicians and others in the
audience. These are not carefully studied portraits...
these are a second's peek into the enormous life of the
music in the musician."

(Visit www.sruti.com to see more illustrations by Subhiksha)

35 l SRUTI February 2011