M & M

Astronomers chase around the world to observe rare events such as solar and lunar eclipses. Last past new moon (January 15, 2010) astronomers went to India, Uganda and China) to watch the annular solar eclipse (longest on record - it seems)



Likewise Music Rasikas chase their favorite singers to listen to their concerts (Rasikas who follow artists from concert to concert are called groupies in the US). People like me, on the other hand chase after a particular song. Normally in each concert (especially in Carnatic music), there is a main piece in which artists play a raaga aalapana, violin player play a solo piece, sing a kriti, do kalpanaswaram (do swarams) and a niraval (picks a line of lyric from the kriti piece and is played in different tempos and the artist shows his/her imagination and artistic mettle). According to Wikipedia
Improvisation in raga is the soul of Indian classical music - an essential aspect. "Manodharma sangeetham" or "kalpana sangeetham" ("music of imagination") as it is known in Carnatic music, embraces several varieties of improvisation. The main traditional forms of improvisation in Carnatic music consist of alapana, niraval, kalpanaswaram, ragam thanam pallavi, and thani avarthanam


We will try to illustrate with three videos and an audio files by two different singers singing the same song. First by Priya Sisters.

Starting with Alaapanaa with a violin solo



Now come the kriti



and continuing





Now we have an audio recording of Smt. Vidya Subramnanian's rendition of the same song during her 2005 Pallavi Concert.

Carnatic Music in 2060

As scientists, engineers and sociologists, we are interested in predicting the future and understanding how the life form started. That is why Large Hadron Collider work makes it so interesting as we may one day know how our universe started. Then there is the book Future Shock written by Alfin Toffler, a sociologist, who describes about "too much change in too short a period of time". Then there is Nostradamus a French Seer who published a collection of prophecies. He predicted that the world will end in 2012.

What I want to do in this blog is to look at the past and current Carnatic music concerts and see whether our readers can predict which type of concert will be liked in 2060 (50 years from now - of course assuming that the world does not end according to Nostradamus's prediction). I am not passing any value judgment here (Taste in music is highly individualistic). All I am wondering which of the five (5) scenarios will be remembered the most popular in 2060. I will let the readers choose one and argue why they think that is good. It is difficult to predict the future (even with differential equation and Bayesian Theory), but we can certainly speculate about the future (no matter whether it is right or wrong).


1)As you can see from the past concert by TN Seshagopalan (who gave a concert supported byPallavi around 1997), there is quite a bit of informality of people running around the stage.



2)Next we see a more recent concert by Sanjay Subrahmanyan (Please click here to see the youtube video (it will appear ina new window or new tab) in a Swathi Thirunal Concert Trivandrum and the stage is rather quiet. Sanjay's rendition of Kuntala varali nicely rhymes with Pantuvarali of TN Seshagopalan! In 2001 and 2004 Sanjay Subrahmanyam gave concerts under the auspices of Pallavi.

3)Next We see a fusion concert by Ganesh and Kumaresh in recent Jaya TV broadcast in Bilahari.


4)Then there is a recent rendition of Thiruvempavai (composed by Manika Vasagar praising Lord Siva, presiding diety in Thiruannamalai) rendition by an Avant-garde musician Sushila Raman (click here to read her biography in a new tab or in a new window) accompanied by
Saxaphonist.



5)There is also classical music in Indian Film music. Here is a song in Kunthalavarali ragam (and dance scene) from Manichithrathazhu (a Malayalam movie). There are Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Bengali versions of this movie.



So dear readers and lover of music, please make your predictions. (Probably, most music listeners will prefer type 5 the most and most classical/Carnatic musically inclined people prefer type 1 or 2 at the current time - Will this change in 2060?) - I am asking what is your prediction about the likings of all musically inclined people
and classical musically inclined people (I understand that music taste is individualistic)

Thanks to Dr. Janaki Krishnamoorthy for her help.

Homage to MS Subbulakshmi

Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi is considered the nightingale of Carnatic Music. Her Bhakti Bhavam can melt even a cold heart. In this blog post, I want to mention about a movie based on her life, Jaya TV broadcast of a tribute to Smt MS Subbulakshmi and a book published on MS&Radha: Saga of Steadfast Devotion.

The tile of the DVD is SWARARCHANA
SARE GAMA Videos (Home Video) D 47003
Saregama India limited
1) http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Swararchana_The_Musical_Legend_M.S._Subbulakshmi/70120109
2)
http://rasikas.org/forum/topic7391-ms-subbulakshmi-documentary-dvd-swararchana.html

You can see the preview in


This year in MM (broadcast by Jaya TV), Ms. Gowri Ramnaryan hosted a show paying tribute to Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi. The singers are Vijayalakshmi S, Gayatri V and Lakshmi R. These are well known singers. Vijayalakshmi S has given a concert in Pallavi on September 2008. Here are the Jaya TV broadcast videos.































Sruti Magazine, September 2009 has an article (excerpts from the book MS & Radha: Saga of Steadfast Devotion written by Smt. Gowri Ramnarayan) about MS Subbulakshmi
M.S. Subbulakshmi was born on 16th September 1916. This month, on the occasion of Subbulakshmi's 93rd birth anniversary, we reproduce another excerpt from the book MS & Radha: Saga of Steadfast Devotion written by GOWRI RAMNARAYAN and published by The Suswaralakshmi Founda tion for Carnatic Music and Performing Arts.

Sweet memories of a 'Spark'

Happy New Year!

I grew up at the Railway Quarters, Madurai where we have a ‘Sidhdhi Vinayagar’ Temple inside our colony.

It was Navarathri of 1978. I was very upset on one of those days.

During that Navarathri, my uncle was visiting us. He was a very close friend of the (late) Sheik Chinna Moulana Sahib and is a concert freak. We went to this Temple along with my parents. Little did I realize that I was going to attend a concert. I was so upset that my favorite playtime had been snatched away.

Incidentally, this Sidhdhi Vinayagar Tmple has been the ‘arangetram’ stage for many stalwarts we know of, such as Nadaswaram vidwan-brothers MPN Sethuraman, MPN Ponnuswamy, Madurai Somu to name a few.

Walking to the Temple, I learnt from my uncle that the concert was by T.N.Seshagopalan. I was still upset, and pretended to be a good boy. Suddenly, for reasons unknown, I was so fascinated by one Kirthana he sang…

“Hālāsya nāthaṃ smarāmi kōlāhala mīnākṣī samētam” in Raga Darbar. Truly complicated debut indeed for a young lad such as me, who had no such prior exposure!!! After I clapped at the completion of the Krithi, I felt different wondering whether there is perhaps something more to delve into… This spark had already set me into a music lover. I then asked several questions of my uncle. My music appreciation journey started thus…I started learning from my mother (many of us know how it goes while learning from parents) and later from one of the disciples of Sri.A.S.Panchapakesa Iyer (who wrote music books).

For the very next season, I had even skipped homework to attend these concerts. MPN brothers were regular performers at this Temple. By virtue of being a Railway Divisional Headquarters, the IRTS officers made no mistake in expanding the activities of this Temple. Other frequent performers prominent at this Temple were Chittibabu, Sudha Raghunathan, AKC Natarajan, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Dr.M.Balamurali, Valayapatti, Haridwaramangalam Shanmugasundaram, Mali, Ramani.......

I started enjoying…

Rajan.

Links and Connections

With howling winds and frigid temperatures, I feel like I am living in an Arctic tundra or in a Siberain gulag. Then I listen to music (thanks to Chennai music season), and I feel that I am transported to tropical paradises of Bora Bora and Tahiti! - Such is the power of music. Even though I am not well versed in music and cannot appreciate the subtle nuances, I am grateful I can appreciate music at all and that appreciation fills me with happiness. Here are some of the links where you can listen to the current music season.

Markashi Mahotsavam (Jaya TV broadcat).

Vishnu, a student of RPI and Albany Medical College gave a concert in Boston. He has uploaded his concerts here - Fall 2009 AASAI Benefit Concert

Dr. Nalini, one of Pallavi's board members and an accomplished vocalist, is giving concerts in Pune and Delhi (places in India where Ghazal experts gather and exhange notes).

Mrs. Vidya Subramnian, accomplished musician, music teacher and a student of Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman, gave a fine concert during the Vaikunta Ekadesi Celebrations in Hindu Temple in Albany - She sang quite a few songs from Tiruppavai. In case you missed hearing that concert, Vidya has a website where you can hear her singing - Link to Thiruppavai Songs
(Towards the end of the page you will see the renditions)

Students of Smt Kiranavali (She gave a concert in Oct 2004 in Pallavi - Saint Purandaradasa Day COncert) giving a concert for Sruti, Philadelphia - singing three of Shyama Sastry's swarajathi.


Kamakshi - Yadukulakambhoji - Part 1



Kamakshi - Yadukulakambhoji - Part 2



Rave himagiri - Todi



Kamakshi - Bhairavi - Part 1



Kamakshi - Bhairavi - Part 2




At this year's Navaratri festival in Wesleyan, there is again a fine rendition of one of Kamalamba Navaavarna kritis - Kamalamba Samraksatu
Embedded video



If you want to listen to behind the scenes of the Madras Music season (what is the current, who is better TMK or Sanjay or is it fusion or confusion or which sabha canteen is best and to read the opinions of well informed rasikas), please take a look at http://www.rasikas.org

We miss our Music Guru Sri P.N. Krishnamurthy who passed away earlier this year. If you want to write about him, please express your feelings in http://rasikas.org/forum/topic11395-end-of-an-era-shri-pnkrishnamoorthy.html (You have to register to write - but registration is fairly straightforward)

Happy Listening

Moorthy (Mukkai S. Krishnamoorthy)

We are the bees! Where is the honey?

I would like to start the blog with the following.

I had written this in 2006 as President's message in the brochure for Pallavi's tenth year celebrations.

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Dear Music Lover and Patron,

It is said “you are judged by the company you keep”. It is indeed a matter of great honor and immense pleasure to be associated with the Pallavi community and partake in its activities and growth. On the grand celebration of the tenth anniversary I congratulate each one of you because I believe that your untiring support has nourished Pallavi’s growth, which we all cherish today. From a small group of about five people, Pallavi has had a phenomenal healthy growth. I have been very fortunate to work with Prof.M.Raghavachari who is our founder President, the past President Prof.M.Krishnamoorthy, my Guru Shri. P.N.Krishnamurthy and many others. The rich experience, vision and guidance of the founding members coupled with the energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurship of the newer members has, beyond doubt, been the key factors of success in these ten years.
Over these years it has been increasingly difficult to bring quality artistes to the Capital District, especially after September 11th, 2001. Nevertheless, Pallavi has not been deterred by any such factors nor has compromised on quality. Going the extra mile, innovative ideas have been introduced in planning the concerts. The tenth year especially has seen a great amount of variety – Nadaswaram, Thyagaraja Vaibhavam with slide show, Bharatanatyam, Leading Hindustani concerts, Programs for kids, Composers Day, etc.
Attributed to the extensive brain-storming we do at our board meetings, we have been very successful in managing finance. We, sure, have had times when it has been very hard to break-even. But, we face it with the conviction that you are there for us. We all need to look beyond the obvious in increasing our membership base. There may be so many people out there who are willing and waiting to participate in a big way. Therefore, on this grand occasion, I appeal to you to pass the word around and encourage new people to come forward, become members and reap the benefits. I also appeal to you that we are constantly in need of physical help for various purposes. Therefore we need a large number of volunteers to come forward. From the bottom of my heart, I deeply thank Prof. M.Raghavachari and Prof.M.Krishnamoorthy for this invaluable opportunity and guidance. I also thank the esteemed members of the Pallavi Board and all of members and music lovers who have stood with us through thick and thin.

Remember! We all are bees and Pallavi is our beehive. Let us work together and gather honey.

Well; in our case we only sing and not sting!

Sincerely,
Thiyagarajan Subramanian
President, Pallavi of the Capital District.
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Thanks,
Rajan