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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Deepak Maharaj at the Sam Ved festival
By Sunil Kothari
Deepak Maharaj has a head start as the son of Pandit Birju Maharaj – scion of the Kalka Bindadin's Lucknow gharana. At 46, he is young yet mature, and is blessed with a pleasant stage presence and a melodious voice. He knows the tricks of the trade and is a professional performer.
Dancing in the 26th annual dance and music festival organised by Sam Ved Society (5-6 March), Mumbai, in memory of Kathak maestro Pandit Durgalal, Deepak Maharaj was in an exulted mood. With youthful exuberance, he regaled the audience with select gems from the Lucknow gharana repertoire. Starting with a prayer in Brijbhasha, a composition of his father Birju Maharaj, he evoked images of Krishna, and soon unleashed a series of energetic nritta pieces after reciting the bols – which showcased his exceptional command over laya and tala. Thankfully, he did not restrict it to a sheer display of technique, but laced it with grace and occasional humour. He recited the bols before executing the nritta pieces, and had the advantage of having his elder brother Jaikishan Maharaj accompanying him on the pakhawaj, and maestro Akram Khan on the tabla. While his brilliant execution had the audience eating out of his hands, he also proved that he was a true artistic legatee of his father who has emerged out of his shadow.
Several young Kathak dancers are found lacking in abhinaya – emoting to a poem, a song, a thumri. Prefacing the abhinaya thumri of Bindadin Maharaj, Deepak admitted that he is no match to the nuances of the thumri. He sang it in his melodious voice impersonating both Krishna and the gopis. However, he did not dwell upon the sanchari bhavas, but only embellished them with typical thumka. It was evident that Deepak Maharaj has been concentrating on presenting nritta with amazing energy and speed. If he could exercise restraint and invest the form with the lyrical grace of Rajput and Mughal miniature paintings (which Birju Maharaj has mastered in his performances), Deepak could earn brownie points. Gat bhava and gat nikas are salient features of the Lucknow gharana which enhance the nazakat or delicacy and khubsoorati or beauty of the dance form. Deepak Maharaj would do well to strike that balance.
The finale – a jugalbani between Akram Khan's tabla and Deepak Maharaj's footwork. had the audience asking for more. On his part, Jaikishan Maharaj on the pakhawaj unleashed a pattern of paran like shooting an arrow. What a delight it was to relish Kathak in such a soiree!
Kathak exponent and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Uma Dogra has been organising this festival in memory of her guru since 1991. This was the first time that theatre found a place in the music and dance festival – a musical theatre presentation by Shekhar Sen in his inimitable role of Soordas. Ronu Majumdar’s hauntingly melodious flute recital with Benaras gharana tabla wizard Kashinath Mishra was another bonus.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Remembering Vellore Ramabhadran
By BuzyBee
The air was heady with nostalgia on the evening of 27 February 2016 at Raga Sudha Hall, Mylapore, where vidwans and rasikas alike had gathered to pay tribute to the memory and legacy of mridanga maestro Vellore G. Ramabhadran. After the lighting of the kuthuvilakku and the prayer by T.R. Padmini, the chief guest vidwan P.S. Narayanaswamy delivered the presidential address and conferred the first Vellore Ramabhadran Award upon Prof. S. R. Janakiraman.
In his address, P.S. Narayanaswamy (PSN) drew upon his six-decade-long friendship with Ramabhadran and recalled how he had not only been the preferred accompanist for every leading artist over the years, but a vocalist of flair as well. PSN shared an instance of how Ramabhadran had sung Begada to help clarify his doubts about the raga. He narrated another incident to illustrate how Ramabhadran could vary the pitch of the same mridangam to suit different vocalists with effortless ease. Once, Ramabhadran arrived in Coimbatore to accompany PSN (whose pitch was 1-kattai) after playing at a concert in Bangalore for Trichur V. Ramachandran (2-kattai). When PSN wondered if he had brought a separate instrument aligned to 1-kattai, Ramabhadran had quipped, “You can play only one mridangam at a time, right?” and went on to play the same mridangam, now perfectly aligned to PSN’s sruti.
A host of distinguished speakers transported the audience back in time as they shared fond memories and anecdotes about Vellore Ramabhadran. Cleveland V.V. Sundaram harked back to his first meeting with Ramabhadran at a Madurai Mani Iyer-Lalgudi Jayaraman concert in Calcutta, and spoke at length about Ramabhadran’s invaluable contributions to the Cleveland Tyagaraja Festival, his enviable “knowledge bandwidth”, and above all, his genial and jovial personality. V. Narasimhan, Secretary, Asthika Samajam, Tiruvanmiyur, drew parallels between the styles of Ramabhadran and mridangam stalwart Tanjavur Ramadas, even as he highlighted Ramabhadran’s quiet down-to-earth approach. ‘Spencer’ R. Venugopal regaled the audience with an anecdote from the 1975 Sangeeta Choodamani award ceremony, when Palghat Mani Iyer memorably described Ramabhadran’s vidwat as tholpatru (kinship of skin), and added that only Ramabhadran could coax the mridangam to play tones that were such sweet music to the ears.
Prof. S.R. Janakiraman, the Vellore Ramabhadran Awardee 2016, insisted on walking up to the podium to make a speech despite his advanced years. Expressing his deep gratitude at being chosen as the first recipient of the award, he described Ramabhadran as a consummate vidwan who was well-versed in both percussion and vocal music, and highlighted the remarkable comfort levels he shared with countless vidwans, which fostered a spirit of warm camaraderie on stage.
Ramabhadran had always remained young at heart, and believed in wholeheartedly encouraging up-and-coming talent. Standing testimony to this fact, flautist J. Jayanth, grandson of the late Tanjavur Sankaran, recounted how Ramabhadran mama had accompanied him from his first concert as an eight-year-old to the last one they had played together at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha. Describing Ramabhadran’s stage presence as “stylish”, Jayanth said the veteran had educated him on the finer aspects of kalapramanam and sruti suddham. He went on to narrate an anecdote about the time he had forgotten to resume after Ramabhadran mama’s tani avartanam, and how he was prodded in a gentle, timely manner at his next concert so that he would not repeat the same mistake. Such was Ramabhadran mama’s keen observation and memory, said Jayanth.
The programme concluded with a concert featuring vocalist Sunil Gargyan (disciple of P.S. Narayanaswamy), supported by M.A. Sundaresan (violin), Trichur Narendran (mridangam), K.V. Gopalakrishnan (khanjira) and Balaji (tambura).
Vellore Ramabhadran (1929 -2012)
Born on 4 August 1929, Vellore Gopalachariar Ramabhadran was a celebrated name in percussion, a master of the mridangam.
Ramabhadran was fortunate to have been initiated into Carnatic music by his father, T.P. Gopalachariar, a konnakol artist and one of the founders of the Vellore Sangeeta Sabha which had conferred the title Sangeeta Ratnakara on Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. Gopalachariar’s residence in Vellore was frequented by stalwarts such as Tiger Varadachariar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer,Madurai Mani Iyer,GNB,M.S. Subbulakshmi and D. K. Pattammal, and it was during one such visit that Ramabhadran had the privilege of accompanying Tiger Varadachariar at an in-house concert.
Ramabhadran’s first stage performance was at the age of 14 when he accompanied the doyen Madurai Mani Iyer at the Jagannatha Bhaktha Sabha, Egmore, in 1943. This marked the beginning of an illustrious career spanning over six decades and as many generations. Ramabhadran’s gentle and effortless way of playing the mridangam came to be known as the “sarvalaghu” style.
Ramabhadran has brought out a solo DVD titled Sarvalaghu: The Nuances of Mridangam accompaniment. He was the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the Sangeeta Choodamani (Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, 1975), Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1992), Sangita Kalanidhi (Music Academy, 2005), Chowdiah Memorial Award (1994), Sangeeta Ratnakara (Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana, 2005) and the Bangalore Gayana Samaja Centenary Award (2005) which he received from the President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Ramabhadran often attributed his success in accompaniment to the fact that he was also a trained vocalist. His vocal concerts at Guruguhanjali, a sabha run by V.V. Srivatsa, as also his chamber concert at Sruti, bear evidence to his vidwat. Ramabhadran also participated in numerous lecture-demonstrations around the world and was part of several fusion concerts and jugalbandis along with eminent vidwans such as Zakir Hussain and Amjad Ali Khan.
Vellore Ramabhadran not only believed in encouraging young talent but also in recognising the contributions of veteran musicians who did not aspire for star status. With this objective he instituted the Vellore Gopalachariar Memorial Award and entrusted the responsibility of administering it to the Sruti Foundation. Several musicians of merit have been honoured during the past 20 years.
The mridanga maestro with the gentle touch passed away on 27 February 2012 at the age of 82.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Sangita Kalanidhi – what's in a name?
By S. Janaki
It's that time of the year – when the elite in the Music Academy put their heads together to select eminent artists for the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi, Natya Kala Acharya and other awards.
Several veteran musicians deserve to be decorated with the birudu of Sangita Kalanidhi, and one of them – probably an instrumentalist – will be lucky this time, as last year the title was bagged by a young vocalist. As there are so many veteran instrumentalists waiting in the wings, why not award the title to more than one musician every year – as we have been urging over the years? The Sangita Kalanidhi could be conferred simultaneously on five vidwans – vocalist, string instrumentalist, wind instrumentalist, pakkavadya and upa-pakkavadya artist. It would be a timely gesture as several deserving musicians are well past seventy and not in the best of health. This would not be the first time on the part of the Academy, as it honoured as many as 14 vidwans at a stroke in 1942 – all those who had presided over its conferences from 1929.
In 2013 the Academy decided to confer the Sangita Kalanidhi on a young musician every alternate year. It is commendable that brilliant musicians in their prime are gaining due recognition, but is it fair to place them on par with renowned veterans with a lifetime's experience? Why not follow the pattern adopted by the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi which has instituted the Akademi Ratna or Fellow for veterans, and the Akademi Puraskar or SNA Award for artists in their prime? The Music Academy could well establish a prestigious new title like the Sangita Sarvabhouma for veterans. The new nomenclature (with suitable remuneration) will soon become popular.
I suggested the above points and one more at the AGM of the Music Academy last year. The Natya Kala Acharya award – as the title signifies – should be bestowed only on eminent dance gurus with an excellent track record. What's in a name? – was the response! Considering its stature, it is the duty of the Academy to be doubly careful. If the Academy chooses to honour a star performer for his or her excellence in the field of dance, it can as well coin a new title like Natya Kala Prapurna or some such. (It has lost its claim to the title of Natya Kalanidhi which is a title conferred by ABHAI). It should be child's play for the Sanskrit scholars and musicologists associated with the Music Academy to come up with appropriate titles. And surely there is no dearth of sponsors for the Academy to institute a few more prestigious awards!
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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“Fevicol? Nylon? Fiddlesticks!”
By Navaneet Krishnan
Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan invited master violin craftsman James Wimmer and his apprentice Alexandra Armanino, to Chennai in November 2015, to conduct a workshop to train a few specialist craftsmen in the art of violin repair. This two-week workshop was a continuation of a longer one conducted by Krishnan and Wimmer in 2013. The workshop was held under the auspices of the Lalgudi Trust, founded by the late Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. Navaneet Krishnan caught up with them on a rainy afternoon in November.
How did this idea of conducting such a workshop come about?
Wimmer: I was struggling to learn some Carnatic violin in Santa Barbara from Dr. Saravanapriyan Sriraman, a disciple of Lalgudi Krishnan, sometime around 2000. At the time Saravanan was a student at the university there. When Krishnan came to Santa Barbara for a few concerts, Saravanan felt Krishnan would be more comfortable staying at my place, rather than at his student quarters. So that’s how I first came in contact with Krishnan. I gained some keen insights into the system of teaching and learning violin in the Carnatic tradition during that period, watching Krishnan teach Saravanan. Around 2002, I made a trip to south India, when I made a slide presentation about the cello and its repair. Krishnan and his father, the late Lalgudi Jayaraman, were present, and they were impressed.
Krishnan: He (Wimmer) played the Mohanakalyani tillana in my father’s presence.
Wimmer: Yes I was terrified! Subsequently I met them at their house, and I asked if I could see their violins. Seeing them, I realised how poorly violins are maintained here in India, because of the absence of the rigorous repair and maintenance culture that we are so familiar with in the West. I saw the makeshift adjustments made to the instruments of Lalgudi Jayaraman, and I thought to myself, “Here is the violinist of the century, whose violin barely has a tone!” I didn’t have the proper tools with me, so I asked for a butter knife, held my breath and tapped very gently to set the sound post right. With just that minor adjustment, Krishnan told me that every violin’s tone appreciably improved.
So was that the starting point for this programme?
Wimmer: Not exactly. I had had prior exposure to similar “repair” work in the 1980s. After I completed my apprenticeship in the violin shops of Wolfgang Uebel and Rainer Knobel in Germany, I returned to India in 1985. When I visited my first guru, V.K. Venkataramanujam in Varanasi, and saw his violins, I immediately knew that they were in an atrocious condition. I was horrified, and told him that he should never again go to whoever had butchered his violins like this, under the guise of repair. To make matters worse, they were painted over with a coating of brown house paint, to cover up the botched attempts at repairing the instruments. I told him that I had become a certified violin repairer, and could set right his violins if he wanted. He immediately put me to the task. I luckily had a few basic tools, sound posts and bridges, and I got down to repairing his violins as best I could, trying to get used to sitting on the floor. All this while I was trying to teach young Balaji, Ramanujam’s son, how to approach repair while holding the violins with our feet. It wasn’t easy, but I got very used to sitting on the hard concrete floor, and ever since then I have sent the occasional box of broken violins to (now) Dr. V. Balaji, who would somehow repair them for violin students. Ramanujam has passed on, but my friendship with his entire family has been rich and enduring, with Balaji encouraging me to continue to teach repair in India on a larger scale.
Over the years, efforts to get grants and the like never panned out, and in 2013 I finally decided, after almost 30 years, to throw in the towel and maybe take a vacation in Hawaii instead. That’s when my good friend and Carnatic violin teacher Saravanan, who would not hear of it and kept prodding me, took matters into his own hands and contacted Krishnan in Chennai about the idea, and before I knew it, I was once more dropping all my plans for the Fall, and heading for Chennai. That was how this workshop came about the first time.
How was your experience the first time around?
It was difficult, as it took me time to get to know the participants and their ways, learning to communicate with them, making them understand the importance of the right tools, and removing the culture of trying to fix everything with Fevicol. Also, since we had some novices, and one participant who had no experience with woodwork whatsoever, the progress was very slow.
Krishnan: It was also difficult for us, as it was the first time we were arranging such a workshop and we had no idea what to expect. And to make matters even more difficult, half way through the workshop, my mother unfortunately passed away, so we had to put everything on hold for a couple of weeks. Also the last time, it was not so intensive and focussed. This time around from the very first day, we have had full focus, covering a lot of ground.
How many participants from last time have come again this time?
Krishnan: Just one, Anbarasan. Last time we had a mixture of craftsmen, novices, carpenters, and music students. This time we were careful to only choose those who were already professional instrument craftsmen. Anbarasan has been repairing violins for the past 15years, mostly based on what he learnt on the fly. But he has shown tremendous improvement. In fact, he has possibly made the most progress this time, as he was already very familiar with the techniques and tools from last time. He runs a small instrument shop in Mambalam, and this workshop gives him a rare opportunity to interact with such master craftspeople from abroad. The others participants are Aryan and Nagaraj, who work in a piano shop, and Ranjit, who is a carpenter from Malappuram in Kerala.
Wimmer: Krishnan here has made some very astute choices in the selection of this year’s course participants. At first I was sceptical of the two young gentlemen, Aryan and Nagaraj, who came to us from a piano store, of all things. However, as it turns out, they both trained for two years in Mumbai in a programme presented by none other than the venerable Steinway firm, and they bring considerable technical handwork skills and conceptual abilities to bear on our projects. They speak outstanding English, and shriek with laughter together with us when we make feeble attempts to learn Tamil from them. They have a great sense of humour, and when I take revenge for the Tamil teasing by having them pronounce the names of the important violin makers and bow makers of Italy, France, and Germany, they squirm and howl good naturedly, rolling their eyes with the difficulty of the task. Fair is fair; we all guffaw as one unit. Then there is Ranjit, who has travelled all the way from Malappuram in Kerala to join us. A carpenter by trade, he has already made a very passable violin out of teak, jack and mahogany wood, without any formal training or other input. He also brings along quite a palette of skills with hand tools and adapts immediately to the problem solving and focus specific to our craft. He works precisely and swiftly, and it is often difficult to keep ahead of him and keep him busy. Finally, there is Anbarasan, our only returnee from the first course two years ago. He runs his own shop, yet finds time to enjoy our teaching. He gives us the opportunity to check his progress after the intensive course held in 2013, and he does not disappoint.
All of these gentlemen prove to be a tremendous resource for us, as it is impossible to remember every last little item that we need to bring from the US in order to make this course a success. They all know how to find materials and supplies that we did not even know existed in India, and they know how to improvise them into existence. We never cease to be amazed at their resourcefulness.
Together, they have accomplished as much in these two weeks as many established shops in the US might accomplish in a similar time frame, with Alex (my assistant) doing a stellar job of carrying half the teaching load. When the visitors have all gone, and everyone is concentrated on their own project, the productivity arising from the tranquillity is nothing short of astonishing.
All your participants have full time jobs as instrument repairers. How then do they manage to spend so much time here? Wouldn’t it hurt them economically to be away from their day jobs for so long?
Krishnan: We provide a daily stipend for all the participants for the entire duration of the workshop. Also, we have given them all the specific tools for violin repair, for free. We are trying our best to make it economically viable, trying to equip them with both the tools and the knowledge to go about proper violin repair. I have also made sure, that they need not work sitting on the wrong kinds of tables, or on the floor. A proper workstation has been provided on a permanent basis here. In fact, we have also arranged for Ranjit’s stay, since he is the only participant from out of town. But naturally if this could become a larger movement, with support from the government and corporate houses, more people could be trained on a larger scale, in a much more efficient manner. Ultimately we would like to spread the word about this kind of violin repair culture to as many people, be they practitioners, students or craftsmen. A lot of people have evinced interest to take part in this workshop, but they want to come only part-time, which does not work to anyone’s advantage. Unless they can dedicate themselves to this art, and learn it full time, they cannot grasp the intricacies of these techniques. And it would not be fair for me to ask Jim (Wimmer) to structure two separate courses – one for the full-timers and another for the part-timers.
What is the biggest obstacle to violin repair in India?
Wimmer: (emphatically) Fevicol! We never use any of these chemical adhesives in the West to glue the violin together. We use only animal fat-based glue. (Suddenly picking up a couple of bows) See this. We never use any kind of adhesive to string a bow. We cut a small piece of wood, to very precise measurements and insert it along with the hair. That way, when I need to re-string a bow, I don’t need to get in with the sharp instruments that will cut into the wood of the bow. There are some bows in the West, that are easily worth anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000. Often the owners of these very valuable bows would be sitting before me, as I strung them. So I could not afford to cut into the wood, permanently damaging the bow, and possibly bringing its value down to scrap!
Do you use nylon to string the bows?
Wimmer: Never! We always use horse hair, and the hair has to come from wild, free running horses. Domestic horses are lazy, and their hair is weak. That just won’t do! Also it has to be the white hair from the horse’s tail, which is the finest quality. Black hair is coarse and won’t serve the purpose. Most of the horse hair comes from Mongolia. China is a big player in the export of Mongolian horse hair. The other places where wild horse hair is available are Poland and Argentina.
Krishnan: 200 odd years of violin playing in south India, and no one has even thought about these aspects! There is absolutely no awareness. In the olden days if something went wrong with the violin, they would send the instrument over to the local music instrument shop, and the repair person there would try his hand, and the end result would invariably be tragic. I remember my father once sent a violin so that the sound post could be set right, and the repairer went about it in such a violent manner that the front of the violin just fell off! He then used vajram (a natural adhesive, similar to shellac) to glue the violin back together. My father could not even complain, as there was no other option. Once he started getting foreign concert tours, he would take as many violins as he could, and get them repaired abroad. I think that is still the norm. Most top violinists in the field continue to get their instruments repaired abroad, rather than in India. There is no craftsman who knows anything about violin repair in India.
Wimmer: I think the problem stems from the fact that most violin repairs in India are done by repairers of other instruments like the veena or the sitar, which are structurally very different. If the gourd of a sitar breaks, it is glued together, and then painted over with furniture polish. But the violin is very different. In the West, we make the violin to be a work of art. If you had a priceless antique painting, and you wanted it to be retouched, you would not get it done by someone who paints houses! But unfortunately that is the mentality when it comes to repairing violins in India. Frankly, in the West such an act would be considered criminal, because violins (especially the older ones) are extremely valuable, and treating them this way is equivalent to throwing them into the garbage. The value is gone. Well preserved violins often fetch very handsome amounts, as they are seen as an investment. Don’t get me wrong, there are shoddy workers everywhere, even in the West, but here it seems that good violin craftsmen are almost non-existent. See this violin (shows his own violin). Even the wood is extremely valuable. I bought this wood around 1983-84, and just this plank of wood cost me around $250. So imagine my consternation if some fellow were to come along and dig into it with all kinds of sharp instruments, and then paint it over with furniture polish.
Is the tonal quality of the violin affected by this top-heavy treatment?
Well, not so much, but more so the aesthetic quality. Imagine the disappointment and anger of the owner when they receive the instrument, with so much damage done to it. If, for instance, you were to give me your car for fine tuning, and I were to bang around with a hammer and break the wind shield, your car would still work, wouldn’t it? But the pleasure of driving it would be greatly diminished. It is the same logic here.
Coming back to horse hair, how economical is it compared to nylon?
Well, earlier, when horse hair was not as widely available, nylon did make sense, but now horse hair is easily available all over the world. A bunch of good quality horse hair will cost me between $400 and $450. It is still much more expensive than nylon, which can be manufactured in bulk, but that extra amount is worth it. The end product is much more superior.
So is the difference merely aesthetic, or is there tonal difference too?
Oh, a bow with nylon is simply not up to the task. It will not produce the requisite tone from the violin. The reason is that the horse hair has the ability to take the rosin very well. Rosin is a very sticky substance, and it penetrates well into hair. But it just does not stick as well on nylon. Also horse hair tends to stretch over the strings, as you play, giving you more grip, and ultimately creating this grand tone (plays and demonstrates).
Krishnan: You see how almost every violinist in India, due to the lack of awareness, is having to play with instruments of substandard quality. The instruments are functional, but just so. Indian violinists are missing out on a world of tonal beauty because of this.
Wimmer: This is the discussion we often have here with our participants. They tell us that they are getting to learn a wealth of new techniques here, but our techniques are very exacting, expensive and time intensive. And when the musicians (their clients) themselves are unwilling to either allow the time, or spend the money on these techniques – if they would rather get their instruments patched up the old, cheap way – then the damage is done. So it is going to be a challenge to change the mindset of Indian violinists. We are trained to look at each violin that comes for repair as unique. We take two months to think about how to go about repairing a particular violin. We do have impatient clients even in the West, but if they want their instruments in a hurry, I would rather not work on them at all. I just tell them, “If you can’t wait, then take it back now.” We have a saying in the West, “Good repair and good work takes time. If you want it bad, you’ll get it bad. The worse you want it, the worse you’ll get it.”
Do you see more youth getting interested in the art of violin making and repairing in the West?
It takes time, especially with these old arts and crafts. With technology, movies and the like dominating their interest, not many come to violin making. But things are slowly changing in the West. Alex (my assistant) is a rare breed. She’s been with me now for more than four years, and she is a very promising protégé indeed. I am the easy-going teacher, Alex is the tough one.
Alex: When I came to Jim (Wimmer), almost five years ago, I didn’t know anything about violin making. He taught me from scratch, but I was a quick learner, and I was willing to put in the necessary time and toil to understand and master these techniques. I was originally a musician, and a student of architecture, and I was interested in learning about the structural integrity of the violin. I was also a wood worker, as my father was a cabinet maker. I had this interest in learning this craft. Jim was willing and patient.
Is it important for a violinist to know how to repair a violin?
Wimmer: We prefer they leave that aspect to the professional repairers, unless they’ve trained with a master maker. It is important for a violinist to know their instrument. Often violin players will come to me, and they will sit with their violins, and I will try to make them understand what they need to look for, tonally speaking, in their instruments. Professional instrumentalists become very nervous at the slightest change in their instruments, worrying that it might mar their performance. I have to allay these fears and make them understand that a violin is temperamental, but that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with it. I try to engage them this way, and teach them to understand their instruments better; that way they know when to go to a violin repairer, and when not to. This knowledge is very important. When I was an apprentice, we had to regularly hold these “programmes” to sensitise people, but really, sometimes it seemed hopeless. That is because violin players only want to play their violins and feel good about it, drown themselves in a spiritual experience. They do not want to think about the instrument while they are playing. That is really our work, to make the violins such that there is no struggle for the players. So it is good for them to understand their instrument, but they should not go about repairing it themselves.
What about minor adjustments?
Best they don’t do anything to the instrument – it will only end up damaging it in the long run, and will involve a lot more work to restore it. I knew this one famous bass player in the US. He had this habit of adjusting his own instrument, and would do the same for other musicians too, telling them not to unnecessarily go to violin makers and spend money. The tool that you need to repair an instrument only costs about $5. So this one time, he had a concert in Las Vegas with Barbara Streisand, and before the concert, he used his tools to adjust the sound post in his bass cello. Midway through the concert, his cello cracked open so loudly, that security personnel came running on to the stage, fearing a bomb explosion! So a few days later he was standing in my shop with his broken and abused cello. I looked at the box and thought a piano had been passed through a wood chipper and brought to me. It took me some time to understand what the instrument was! When I open the top, and looked in, the anterior section, where the sound post should have been, looked like the surface of the moon, replete with craters! I knew this was his doing, but I could not be rude, so I told him, “Look here! I don’t know who’s doing your sound post work, but if I were you I would never go to him again.” He sombrely nodded and kept quiet.
Musicians need to understand that violin makers are there for a reason. Most violin makers never play the violin. In fact, there is no known documentation to show that Antonio Stradivarius ever played a single note on the violin. But he is considered as the greatest violin maker ever. This is because, as violin makers/craftsmen, our hands and fingers face a lot of abuse. Look at my hands. I used to play the violin, but years of working on violins has made my fingers big and hard. I use my hands literally like sledge hammers and I cut my fingers so many times during the course of my work. If you are a professional violinist, you cannot afford such abuse to your hands and fingers. You will lose the supple dexterity required to play concert music.
Did you manage to get word out about this programme to other violinists in the city?
Krishnan: We informed as many people as we could. We have had many professional violinists visit us, like V.S. Narasimhan, M. Narmadha, Pakkala Ramdas, cello player Sekhar (son of Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan), and many others. We want the awareness about this programme to spread as much as possible. Ultimately this is a precious art, that needs to be fostered by people. Many violinists brought their instruments very proudly here, and unfortunately it turned out that they had been stuck with Fevicol, which is far stronger than the wood of the violin. So when he (Wimmer) tried to fix them, the wood started developing cracks, and the violin was in a worse condition than before. So we are basically educating violinists to stay away from Fevicol or any other chemical adhesive, and to go in for animal fat-based glue only. But it is an uphill task, because people are used to a particular way of working for so long. Considering the number of violinists we have in Chennai alone, both in classical music as well as film music, it is shocking to see the lack of awareness about the instrument and its proper care. Of course this problem is unique only to the acoustic violin. The electric violin has none of these issues, though it entails problems of its own. I have seen violins with nails driven into the back to keep it in place. Such atrocious work! And unlike the West, we have no dedicated schools or institutions that can train good quality craftsmen in instrument making. Even the music colleges in India, have very little, if anything at all, in the line of training craftsmen to make and repair instruments properly.
We are very happy that our participants are now well-versed with the skills involved in proper violin repair. But unfortunately for them to be able to use these techniques, the awareness among violinists needs to grow manifold. Educating and convincing violinists about the value of these techniques, that despite the time and money involved, it is worth their while, as they can get the best out of their instruments – that is possibly the biggest challenge.
Are you planning to continue with this programme as an annual feature in Chennai?
Yes, God willing. I am very happy that Wimmer is gracious and magnanimous enough to share his knowledge in such a free and open manner, with anyone who is interested. That is a rare quality indeed.
(Navaneet Krishnan is a Carnatic vocalist)
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Samskrita Ranga’s Abhijnana Sakuntalam
REVISITED PRODUCTION
Samskrita Ranga’s Abhijnana Sakuntalam
By Naveena
"Vaidarbhi kavita svayam vrtavati sreekalidasa varam" (The maiden of elegant poetry chose Kalidasa for her bridegroom.) Innumerable are the paeans that have been sung to the glory of Kalidasa’s creativity, which, while being awe-inspiringly beautiful, also reveals the foibles of the human mind. His Abhijnana Sakuntalam is the most feted of Indian dramatic compositions, inspiring several translations and hugely popular with the cognoscenti of world literature. Interestingly, the ring, which is the all-important souvenir (Abhijnanam), is but a figment of the poet’s fecund fancy. It is totally absent in the original story which traces back to the Padma Purana and the Mahabharata.
The Samskrita Ranga, founded by the illustrious Sanskrit scholar Dr. V. Raghavan to promulgate Sanskrit theatre, staged Abhijnana Sakuntalam on the occasion of its 57th anniversary at the Dakshinamurti Auditorium in Chennai. The play was produced and directed by dancer, critic and scholar, Nandini Ramani, daughter of Dr. V. Raghavan and secretary of the organisation.
To stage a full-fledged play in a language not many are conversant with, while other popular forms of entertainment face a dwindling audience, is indeed a Promethean effort. That it was rewarded by a large turnout, is a pointer to not only the goodwill enjoyed by the founding family, but also the love for Sanskrit theatre among art-lovers.
Boasting of excellent production values, the play proved a delight to the eyes, ears and heart. The original seven-act play was condensed into five visual scenes, each retaining the salient features, sentiments, witticisms and observations that the playwright envisaged. Nandini’s succinct English synopsis before each scene and apt gesticulations by the artists made understanding easier for the uninitiated.
After the traditional introductory scene involving the sootradhara, the play opened to a beautifully-lit penance-grove of Sage Kanva, setting the stage for Sakuntala’s (Sushama Ranganathan) conversation with her sakhis, the entry of King Dushyanta (Subramanian) and the development of mutual love between him and Sakuntala. Smitten by her, the king seizes the opportunity of protecting the sacrifical rites when requested by the ascetics. He sends away his retinue and stays back in the vicinity of the grove. The pair is eventually reported as having united in wedlock by way of the Gandharva tradition. Dushyanta then leaves for his kingdom, leaving Sakuntala with his thoughts and royal insignia.
Sakuntala, immersed in her thoughts, fails to pay obeisance to the visiting sage, Durvasa, incurring his wrath and curse that she shall be forgotten by the very person whom she was thinking of. This scene is not directly portrayed but is gleaned from the conversation of Sakuntala’s companions (Manasa and Meera Krishnamurthy), one of whom convinces Durvasa to amend his curse, whereby Sakuntala’s beloved would remember her upon production of a souvenir.
With passage of time, Sakuntala is given a fond farewell by the inmates of the hermitage – both animate and inanimate. Sage Kanva (Ramchandrashekhar) sends with her two of his disciples, Sarngarava (Prakash Kaushik) and Saradvata (Devnath), as well as Gautami (Shyamala Srivatsan), the matron of the hermitage.
The action shifts to the royal palace. Due to the operation of the curse, king Dushyanta fails to recollect Sakuntala and labels her an opportunistic woman, when she is unable to prove her identity (the insignia is later reported to have been lost to a fish in the course of the journey). The indignant Sarngarava remarks upon the caprices of royalty. Mutual incriminations follow, but Sakuntala is left in repudiation. In a miraculous happening, she is carried-away to safety by a celestial nymph as conveyed to the king by the Devaguru (Santosh).
Years later, Dushyanta returns to earth after aiding Indra successfully in battle. He is remorseful, having been delivered from the curse by seeing the ring. Wanting to pay his respects to Sage Maricha (Prakash Kaushik), he stops at his hermitage and spots a young boy, Sarvadamana (Baby Bhargavi) playing with a lion-cub. The boy resembles Dushyanta and bears all the marks of an emperor. Dushyanta’s curiosity is aroused when he experiences overwhelming feelings of affection. The boy is protected by a talisman, which would turn into a snake except when touched by the boy himself or either of his parents. Unaware of this, Dushyanta touches it and it remains unchanged, to the sheer astonishment of the ascetic-attendant (Saikripa). The truth is eventually bared and the couple reunite. Sarvadamana is prophesied by sage Maricha to be a great emperor who shall bear the burden of the entire Earth, thereby earning him the epithet, Bharata. The play concludes with the customary phrase of auspiciousness – the Bharatavakyam and the Samskrita Ranga’s mangalam.
Sushama Ranganathan made for a comely Sakuntala, both as a coy maiden in the initial parts of the play, as well as the strong, single mother in the denouement. Prakash Kaushik as the quick-tempered Sarngarava was highly effective. Baby Bhargavi as Sarvadamana was cherubic, especially while playing with the lion-cub, ostensibly counting its teeth.
Sumitra Vasudev (vocal rendition of Sanskrit verses), K.R. Venkatasubramanian (rhythm-pad)) and J.B. Sruthi Sagar (flute) provided splendid support. Costuming was aesthetic, with some of the raiment dating back to the 1960s. One only wished the actors spoke a little louder in the commencing portions of the play. For aficionados of Sanskrit and the lay rasika alike, it was a fulfilling evening.
(Naveena is is an arts-writer, translator, singer, quizzer and compere, proficient in several languages including Sanskrit.)
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Sahrdaya announces auditions
By Samudri
Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer Sheejith Krishna's Sahrdaya Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Repertory auditions, to be held in Chennai onJune 4th and 5th, 2016, 5-8 pm.
The aim is to create a world-class performance troupe that can bring to life cutting-edge choreographies embracing traditional and experimental forms. Artistes in the Repertory will work together to deepen and widen their vocabulary in dance, music, and theatre to help create innovative works of the highest standard.
Artistes between 20-35 years with rigorous professional experience and/or an undergraduate degree/diploma in Bharatanatyam who are
a) interested in group work and
b) willing to give a 2-3 year commitment to the Repertory
are encouraged to apply.
The Repertory seeks to showcase the strength, diversity, and richness of classical Indian art forms while stimulating cross-cultural dialogue, understanding, and solidarity.
To apply, email sahrdayafoundation@gmail.com with your resume and a short paragraph on why you want to join the Repertory. Deadline for applications: May 25th, 2016.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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NATYA SANGRAHAM 2016
By Charukesi
Natya Sangraham, the annual dance camp organised (22 to 24 January) at Thennangur by Natyarangam, the dance wing of the Narada Gana Sabha, had as many as thirty students this year from Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, New Delhi and Gurgaon, besides students from Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
The three-day workshop kickstarted at 6.30 every morning with energising yoga sessions conducted by dancer and yoga teacher Jyotsna Narayan. Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar, the convenor of the camp, conducted the angika sessions with customary flair, correcting the stances, steps and postures of the participants and tirelessly stressing the importance of auchityam or propriety in presentation. His inputs in all the interactive sessions were invaluable in making the workshop a wholesome experience.
Priyadarsini Govind, Director, Kalakshetra and a faculty member at the camp, conducted a session on satvika abhinaya and highlighted the importance of the imagination in order to gain insights into the mind of a character in a given situation. She said that the power of observation and the ability to ask questions (such as who, why, what, where and when) help deepen a dancer’s understanding of any composition. She took up the kritis Jagadoddharana and Sakhiye inda velayil jaalam seyyade to illustrate the navarasas and pointed out that personalising an action added beauty and value even to mundane actions. “Internalisation is the key to discovering depth in what one is practicing,” she said, adding, “When thought begins from within, ideally the nabhi, it is reflected through the eyes!” According to Priyadarsini, the key to mastering sahitya or lyrics is to not only note down their word-to-word meanings, but also understand the sthayi or underlying emotion, and furthermore, actively identify with the character and situation in order to communicate it appropriately and effectively.
Likewise, well-known violinist and vocalist R.K. Shriramkumar emphasised the importance of learning the sahitya even as he focused on ragas and swaras in his lecture demonstration. He explained the lakshanas of certain ragas, pointing out that how ga is the jeeva swara of Kalyani, dha and ni are essential to Athana and janta swaras give life to Nata raga. In order to highlight the importance of meaning, bhava and tala in any kriti, Shriramkumar took up Teliyaleru Rama and explained why it was crucial to choose an apt line of the sahitya for niraval, since music and meaning are inseparable and go hand-in-hand. As for viruttam singing, Shriramkumar underlined the need to look out for deergha or longish aksharas and use ragas with similar gamaka structures while singing in ragamalika.
Sudha Seshayyan’s session dealt with a key aspect of vachika abhinaya. To understand and appreciate poetry, she advocated the step-by-step approach: Read the word, understand the word; Leave the word and catch the line; Leave the line, assimilate the poem; Make the poem a part of you. Dr. Sudha encouraged the participants to think of how Indian texts are interpreted in literature and in classical dance, while pointing out how much depends on the sensitivities and sensibilities of the individual. “Poetry is personalised,” she said. “The same piece can be interpreted differently by different dancers.” An expert in temple history and legends, she also dealt in detail on several facets of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Mannargudi Rajagopalaswamy temple and the Tiruvarur Tyagesa temple.
The session on compering by noted theatre person P.C. Ramakrishna of Natyarangam was brief but informative, and included vital reminders such as attention to detail and clarity in expression which have the potential to make or mar a dance performance.
Among the notable events at Natya Sangraham were the glittering Dolotsavam for Lord Panduranga, with R.K. Shriramkumar singing compositions suitable for dance, accompanied by K.S. Subramaniam of Natyarangam on the mridangam, and the Garuda Sevai which witnessed some mellifluous nagaswaram accompaniment by vidwan Sithukadu Murugavel and party and spirited dancing by all the participants around the temple.
Certificates of participation were handed over on the concluding day, and all the dancers expressed appreciation for the care, comfort and the wealth of information extended to them during the three-day workshop.
CHARUKESI
(A bilingual writer, art critic and organiser)
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The MS soundscape
By Kanniks Kannikeswaran
I have only seen MS twice. The first was at a concert at the Music Academy where she commenced the concert with Seetamma mayamma in Vasanta – a raga that was not the most favourite raga of the little boy that I was then – clinging on to my periamma’s hand.
The next time was when I saw her just ten feet away from where I was sitting with my grandmother at the atirudra mahayagnam conducted in Chennai in the early 1970s. I vividly remember MS and Radha seated just a few feet away from us sing to a sruti box accompaniment the Bauli raga kriti Sambho Mahadeva as a musical offering at the celebration.
There I was, a 12-year-old boy listening to that voice that sounded no different from what I was used to hearing on radio, the voice that chanted the suprabhatam every Saturday on All India Radio Madras A, early in the morning, the voice that sang Raghupati Raghava rajaram in the Gandhi anjali programme again on Madras A – a Raghupati Ragahava rajaram which would suddenly make a transition to the scale of Mayamalavagaula with the voice conveying a certain sense of pathos that a 12-year-old could easily grasp and sense that it was no ordinary voice. The voice would make the Friday morning programme bring to the little boy, horror and indignation and sorrow at the thought of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Sitting in the midst of ritviks, with the mixed smell of the homam embers and flowers filling the air, I very clearly remember the thoughts that raced through my mind as I watched the celebrated duo perform. This was the voice that I had heard performing the famous Dhanasree tillana, Arar asaippadar, Vadavaraiyai mattaakki, Jagadoddharana and some of what would be known as standard MS staple. And there was a presence associated with the duo of singers.
The word MS was special. My periamma, visiting Madras for the music season, would make a beeline to all of her concerts. Her consistency in rendering compositions with a sense of intonation that anyone would envy could be compared only to replaying recordings.
Looking back now over the years, I realise that MS’s popularity and appeal lay not just in her virtuosity but in her ability to sculpt a soundscape that subconsciously became part of our collective cognition. Central to her soundscape was her ability to do the fullest justice to the lyrical content of the pieces rendered – and more particularly the ability to delicately package and deliver a lyrical/melodic motif with finesse that no one else could muster.
Tunesmithing is an art. The perfect marriage of the dhatu and the matu where the right consonant hugs the right note and causes the tune to explode with meaning when the right voice renders it – is what touches the listener. And once the listener is touched, there is no escape from the earworm of a musical passage.
Our musical sensibilities are shaped by the soundscapes that we are exposed to. My father always recollects with pride the gramophone records of Meera and Sakuntalai that he and his brothers listened to, growing up in Tiruvannamalai in the 1940s. Not just Meera and Sakuntalai, there are several tunes that MS has made her own.
I watched the eyes of my good septuagenarian friend – an NRI surgeon from Madurai – mist when I played him Engum niraindayo from Meera in 1986. His eyes wore a faraway look as he recollected scenes from this film that he had watched in his childhood. “A caravan of camels walking across the desert”, he said softly, almost in a trance. “The song comes out, a divine melody that make your hairs stand up.”
Another tune that for some reason brings me memories of the oboe line from Swan Lake is Katrinile varum geetam. Words cannot do justice to this tune that straddles the classical with the popular genre of the 1940s. A good sized orchestra provides the accompaniment and the memorable interludes in this song as well as in the song Giridhara Gopala from the same film. Bharatiar’s lyrics come to life in the simple tune that delivers the vision for the bright-eyed youth of tomorrow Ilaiya Bharatattinai vaa va vaa.
It would not be an exaggeration to state that a recording of MS’s Vishnu Sahasranamam is being played at any given instant of time in some part of the world or the other much like the proverbial sunset on the British Empire that spanned the entire world. Don’t many of us hold MS’s rendition of this work as the yardstick for enunciation? Would the world have even known of Venkatesa Suprabhatam had MS not rendered it? The impact of MS’s recording of Mudakarartha modakam is such that the rendition of these verses in any other tune would be frowned upon. It is not just the Nama Ramayanam and the Hanuman Chalisa. It is the creative addition of the refrains ‘Ramaramajayarajaram’ and ‘Jai bolo Hanuman ki’. The two phrases appear in numerous ragas and each time the effect is different. The concluding ‘Jai bolo Hanuman ki’ definitely brings the sense of a finale to the long recording, the Govindashtakam and Totakashtakam, the Saundaryalahari stotra that precedes Kanjadalayadakshi, the numerous suprabhatams – the list of tunes in the MS soundscape is never ending.
The impact of these tunes is trans-generational. And the emotion filled voice of MS truly makes these recordings immortal.
Some artists are remembered for their virtuosity and what they offered to connoisseurs of Carnatic music. Others are remembered because they tugged at the hearts of people with the right combination of words, tunes, flawless intonation and dynamics, a flawless voice and a sense of devotion to every syllable rendered, every word uttered and every sentence communicated – a combination of skills that could only be referred to as divine, leaving an indelible mark on people’s life. Very few belong to the second category. And M.S. Subbulakshmi is clearly the nightingale, the reigning transcendent goddess even after her lifetime.
(The author is a musician, composer and music educator with a doctorate, based in the U.S.A.)
The Nightingale Overture
Composed by Kanniks Kannikeswaran. Performed by the Raag Rhythm Youth Orchestra.
Is it even possible to pay a tribute to MS? Can any voice substitute hers or even mimic the vibes of the period that she belonged to? Or regenerate the feelings that the voice generated? Any attempt to sing the originals would only remind us of their inimitability! It was a reflection on the tunes that I had heard, cherished and taken for granted ever since my childhood that inspired me to create a full orchestral composition (orchestral strings violins/violas/celli/basses, woodwinds flute/piccolo/oboe/clarinet, brass French Horn/Trombone/Trumpet, percussion and harp) that would weave these tunes across several key changes into a composite concert overture.
The overture commences with the Mohanam raga melody Giridhara Gopala from Meera; it transitions through the process of sruti bhedam to the raga Devakriya where the winds play the tune of a few lines of the Venkatesa Suprabhatam; it then makes another transition, through yet another sruti bhedam to the raga Hindolam where MS’s debut film song Ma ramanan is played. The oboe effortlessly teases us through various melodies of MS, this time into the song of the desert ‘where did you disappear’ Engum niraindaye,nee engu maraindayo? also from Meera. Through another key change to F major, the line ‘meena koorma varaha’ from Dolayam in the Balaji Pancharatnam is presented as an orchestral waltz. This waltz quickly transitions into the well known line Mudakarartha modakam in the raga Hamsadhwani played on the piccolo from the same album. Then comes the piece de resistance of the overture, the melody in the wind Katriniley varum geetam from Meera again. This haunting melody on the oboe is supported by the strings and the harp. It then transcends to the key of F major where the oboe and the clarionets play with the melody of Broohimukundeti from the film Savitri where MS played the role of Narada. Brasses herald raga Sindhubhairavi as there is a quick transition to Brindavanattil Kannan valarnda again from the film Meera. This transitions to Rajagopalachari’s verse set to music Kurai onrumillai first in raga Sivaranjani, with a key change to the Kapi raga section, with the flutes and bells bringing in shades of the melody Punarapi jananam from Bhaja Govindam. The brass announces Jagadoddarana after which the strings take you over to Gandhi’s favorite bhajan Raghupati Raghava Rajaram sung by MS. This bhajan in raga Piloo transitions to raga Mayamalavagaula Ramarama Ramarama Ramarama Ram; the band takes this line and brings in Rama Lakshmana Janaki in Sankara from Hanuman Chalisa again from the album Balaji Pancharatnamala. This is then transformed to Sreyo bhooya sakalajananam from Maitrim bhajata sung first by MS at the United Nations. The overture comes to a thrilling conclusion with this line wishing ‘sreyas’ or brilliance upon all listeners.
The nightingale overture premiered on 19 March at the `Ragas in Symphony’ concert hosted by the Sanatana Dharma Foundation (SDF) in Dallas, in the hands of the Raag Rhythm youth orchestra to a packed house with an audience of about 1400.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Cleveland festival: the future has arrived
By Sujatha Vijayaraghavan
Children children everywhere
All the rooms were full!
This was the scene on the Easter weekend at Cleveland during the 39th Aradhana Festival. In the halls, on the stage, in the corridors, in the foyer and all around, boys and girls in pattu pavadais, blouses, davanis, kurta pyjamas in all shades of the spectrum, presented a festival of colours. 'Raga' means both colour and melody, and it was truly a visual and aural ragamalika – there was music everywhere. Even the hotel lobbies and lifts rang with Mohanam and Kharaharapriya as the children went over their alapanas and songs in a last minute revision. Mridangams, veenas, violins, saxophones and flutes in their bags were lugged hither and thither by children and parents. This was a mela of staggering numbers with more than 800 competitors and nearly a thousand performers in various events.
The Cleveland Aradhana Festival has shifted its focus to propagation of Carnatic music among the younger generation of North America. What started 39 years ago as a group singing of Pancharatnas by the local ladies became a major cultural event subsequently featuring the stars and promising talents of Carnatic music from India. The overwhelming response from the diaspora led to the next stage when the vision was to instil Carnatic music among the children and youth of North America. With cooperation from senior gurus in India and the aid of the latest technology in communication, classical music flooded the homes of the young learners and the project Sustaining Sampradaya was launched a decade ago.
Sustaining Sampradaya
This year the two groups of Sustaining Sampradaya featuring about 90 girls and boys, were dedicated to the memory of M.S. Subbulakshmi and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar respectively. Both teams had young accompanists who played with zest on the violin, veena, mridangam and flute. Both events presented vintage ragas and songs associated with the stalwarts. While the MS group made Sankarabharanam and Sankaracharyam their main piece, it was the four raga RTP Sankarabharananai azhaittodi vadi Kalyani darbarukku that was the climax of the Ariyakudi presentation. Perched on specially designed kolu-padi-like stands with mikes strategically placed, the children belted out not only the songs, but indulged in shared alapana, niraval and swaraprastara. The accompanists held their own when their turn came. It was great to behold teenage students of mridangam swooping down after every lengthy piece to help their younger counterparts to adjust the sruti of the mridangam that kept fluctuating owing to the cold.
The watchword of these presentations was "pathantaram"– the established version associated with a doyen or a parampara. The gurus who had imparted the lessons looked on with concern, the younger teachers – who took on smaller batches to hone them to perfection over marathon sessions – were an anxious lot in the front row, conducting and keeping time with their hand gestures. Relief and elation reigned over the teachers and the taught at the conclusion when the auditorium erupted in unending applause and whistles. Over and above the euphoria of the present moment hovered the vague realisation that the immortal repertoire of two doyens had been etched in the musical memory of children, who would realise the value of the treasure only in the years to come.
The programmes had been so arranged as to feature solo and group events by children, interspersed with performances by seniors and sub seniors. Each group featured scores of children taught by senior musicians and gurus from India and the U.S.A. on various themes. Jayashree Varadarajan, director and guru of the Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandir School of Fine Arts from the Bay Area presented a bouquet of compositions by Purandaradasa on social and individual reform, outlining his philosophy as an advocate for change. Her students dressed in morning shades of yellow, ochre, orange, red and white ranged from tiny tots to young adults. The group stood out for its polished perfection and professionalism.
Bhakta Meera to Bhaja Govindam was the theme of popular melodies by M.S. Subbulakshmi sung with competence by a group of 25 from Toronto – all the girls wearing strands of jasmine, the students of Kulanayaki Vivekanandan and her sister Bhushany Kalyanaraman. One hundred students of Ashok Ramani sailed through compositions of Papanasam Sivan and Tyagaraja.
There were also heterogeneous groups trained in a two-tier system by a guru from India and by his/her students in the several cities of the US. Neyveli Santhanagopalan presented what he called his Epic Choir of 225 children. Starting with a traditional Todayamangalam followed by his composition, the group electrified the gathering with rapid fire renditions of alankarams in 35 talas in ragamalika. A jawbreaker of rhythmic phrases from Tiruppugazh set to music by him was another salvo. Pallavis of Tyagaraja’s kritis in Desadi tala followed next and the musical rollercoaster concluded on a high note with a theme song of the festival in Nalinakanti raga: “Aradhanai – Tyagaraja, Aradhanai – Clevelandil, Aradhanai – aandutorum, Aradhanai" which was on everyone’s lips after this fun and frolic with Carnatic music.
Overseas students of Ramani’s Academy of Flute in several cities of North America have been presented over the last several years at the Cleveland festival by vidwan N. Ramani. This year the mantle fell on his son R. Thyagarajan to lead the group in a homage to the late flute maestro.
A novel feature
There were several solo concerts by the prizewinners and promising young talents of North America. The crowning glory for them was the new feature introduced this year giving an opportunity to a few select youngsters to sing with the stars. Geetha Shankar, a tenth grader in school, was the cynosure of all eyes as she sat with a serene smile next to Aruna Sairam on stage. At Aruna’s bidding she burst forth with a bravura alapana of Kharaharapriya in the upper octaves. With further encouragement, the girl revealed her amazing talent in the Brindavana Saranga alapana prelude to an abhang and wowed everyone by a flash of griha bhedam to boot.
Neyveli Santhanagopalan was accompanied by young Vivrd Prasanna, an eighth grader in school. Triven Kannan, another youngster sang along with Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna. Kamalakiran Vinjamoori (a student of A. Kanyakumari) from California and barely out of school, was for all practical purposes the 'asthana vidwan' of the festival. He was omnipresent with his bow, the violin case slung over his shoulders, an unfazed performer accompanying a junior or a senior, playing a solo late in the night, participating in an ensemble and holding his own everywhere.
Sruthy Sarathy, the young violinist suddenly found herself playing for Chitravina Ravikiran, in an unscheduled concert. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who had been slated to do a jugalbandi with Ravikiran earlier in the festival, for some reason chose to play a solo for the entire duration on his Mohan Veena leaving the organisers and his fellow artist on stage totally perplexed. Ravikiran was then given a solo slot later in the festival, which proved to be more preferable to the audience. While Ravikiran made no allowances for young Sruthy’s age, he was openly appreciative of her rising to the challenge and coming out in flying colours.
Eight-year-old Rajagopal Hari, sitting to the right of his mother Vishaka Hari seemed quite at home as he sang the Tyagaraja kritis with her and went on to recite a long excerpt from Chamakam with the right enunciation and intonation.
Dance programmes
The lobbies and corridors were once again a rainbow of colours the next weekend when more than 90 participants arrived for the dance competitions which were conducted, results announced and prizes distributed in an operation planned and executed meticulously with military precision.
The dance segment of the festival offered the same variety as in music, but in lesser numbers. The only solo by a senior dancer was that of Bragha Bessell, whose thematic exposition Vinara was scripted and presented by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan. Navia Natarajan performed with elan on the last day. Tyagaraja’s Nauka Charitram choreographed, supervised and conducted by guru Rhadha was presented by local dancers trained by her disciples. Kripa Bhaskaran, dance teacher from Milwaukee, who was awarded the title of Natya Seva Mani this year, presented her students in Rama Katha Sudha.
Aspiring young dancers in the U.S.A. were offered opportunities to try their hand at choreography and group presentations of the margam, and they acquitted themselves quite creditably in two programmes titled Sahitya and Parampara respectively. In Sahitya the musical segment was also handled by young dancers and musicians. The logistics in putting together these programmes meant coordinating participants in various cities of the US, a formidable task carried out by the youngsters.
Varied fare
The group singing of Tyagaraja's Pancharatna kritis after a traditional unchavritti, kolattam and nama sankeertanam, was as usual the highlight of the festival and the biggest draw. The award presentation ceremony moved in fast forward with crisp introductions, devoid of lengthy speeches and platitudes.
Music concerts, which form the main fare of the festival went on all through the day from 8 am to 10 pm and offered a great deal of variety in vocal as well as instrumental. There were solos, duos, ensemble, fusion and jugalbandis by senior, juniors and both together.
The vision and planning of the organisers in upholding classicism was evident in the choice of artists, the arrangement of events and in the choice of ragas and compositions. Concerts by Suguna Varadachari and Rama Ravi stood out for their classical idiom reminiscent of Musiri Subramania Iyer and Dhanammal respectively. R.S. Jayalakshmi’s veena rang out with emphatic power and emotion as she played with effortless ease. While every number was soaked in raga bhava, the tanam in Bhairavi made everyone sit up with the realisation that the veena, Bhairavi and tanam were made for each other.
Homage to M.S. Subbulakshmi overweighed all else. There was a presentation of her United Nations concert by her own great-granddaughter Aishwarya, a musical journey of her film and light classical pieces scripted and compered by her biographer and supporting voice Gowri Ramnarayan, a raga and kriti composed by her longtime accompanist V.V. Subramaniam, a Nari-katha by Suchithra Balasubramanian accompanied by dancer Smitha Madhav, a concert of her repertoire by Gayathri Venkataraghavan, a Sangeet Symphony and several more events.
T.N. Seshagopalan paid a royal tribute to Ariyakudi in his pallavi in Todi with the sahitya “Ariyakudi mahimai ariya kooduma Margadarsi Sangeeta Ratnakara.” Saketharaman, in a memorable concert, rendered a Todi alapana with shades of T.N. Rajarathnam as a prelude to the Tyagaraja kriti Munu Ravana, one of the Alathur favourites. On 1 April, the anniversary of the passing away of K.V. Narayanaswamy, Bharat Sundar paid his homage which commenced with the Swati Tirunal varnam Sumasayaka and had other KVN vintage numbers.
The informal late night discussions on music, a reminiscence of M.S. Subbulakshmi by her family friends, the couple Nirmala and Ramasubramaniam, mini concerts by youngsters and a Varakari bhajan by Sri Ganapathy Thukaram Maharaj and party at Comfort Inn Ball room were a lingering finale to each day’s events. One woke up to music and went to sleep with music ringing in the ears. Marching towards its fortieth year in 2017, the Cleveland Aradhana Festival has moved on from being an annual art event into a movement to propagate the best traditions of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam in North America. The organisers V.V. Sundaram and Gomathi Sundaram, Balasubramaniam and his wife Gomathy, Jaya and Natarajan and Toronto Venkataraman who have steered it with a missionary zeal through 39 freezing winters are now watching the manifestation of their vision realised. The future has indeed arrived.
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