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Natyarangam's 6th Annual celebrations: |
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Narada Gana Sabha's Natyarangam
Trust is having its 6th Annual celebration on 16th and 17th February 2002
at the Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall. The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, 16th February 2002 9.30 am - Registration of Participants 10.00 am - Abhinaya Competition (18 to 30
years) 6.00 pm - Rangamalika - Bharatanatyam by
talented dancers who have performed in our monthly programmes. Dance Quiz - Adavallar (15 to 25 Years) 9.30 am - Qualifying Round 10.00 am - The Big Quiz (with Theory, Demo & Audio rounds) 6.00 pm - Rangamalika - Bharatanatyam by
talented dancers who have performed in our monthly programmes Prize Distribution in the evening |
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Swati Sangeetotsavam - A Report |
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What makes the Swati Sangeetotsavam so unique, special and different from most other music festivals organised in the country? One really doesn't know where to start, as there are so many factors which make this festival so wonderful. | ||
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The audience itself is unique
in so many ways. Firstly such a big, responsive, encouraging, silent, well
behaved crowd is normally to be found only outside India. The same
Tiruvanantapuram audience which normally goes out for tea during the Tani
Avartanam or even home to catch the nine o' clock TV Serial remains rooted
to the spot as it were till the Mangalam is sung, irrespective of the
hour, as long as the music is good! The musicians themselves have the
luxury of singing with accompanists of their choice and without a time
limit - an increasingly rare occurrence. Only Maharajah Swati Tirunal's
compositions are sung. Instead of limiting the musicians, this seems to
bring out the best in them, for the Maharaja has composed dozens of Pada
Varnams, Tana Varnams, Keertanas, Slokas, Tillanas, Bhajans, Padams,
Javalis and even Hindustani compositions like Dhrupads, Khayals, Horis,
Tappas and Taranas.
This year's festival series opened with a violin solo by the eminent and infrequently heard Prof. V V Subramanyam, supported by Prof. T V Gopalakrishnan on the Mridangam. Prince Rama Varma, a direct descendant of Maharajah Swati Tirunal introduced the artists in his own unique and enchanting way, saying that VVS is a magical amalgam of the sweetness of Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, the lilt of Prof. T N Krishnan, the competence of Lalgudi Jayaraman and the precision of M S Gopalakrishnan, combined with a magic touch all his own. And TVG was introduced as the gentleman with the singing Mridangam. The Prince added that while many singers these days were overdosing their music with mathematical calculations thereby sounding like Mridangams themselves, here was a man who was doing the opposite, by making his Mridangam sing. Many people in the audience who found the introduction slightly too complimentary were more than convinced of the veracity of his observations before the Anupallavi of the Kambhoji Ata Tala Varnam was over. Saturated with delicate embellishments and impeccable aesthetics, the Varnam poured out onto the audience like a much awaited shower in the desert. VVS and TVG played as one and in my whole sixty years of listening I am yet to witness a more beautiful interpretation of this very popular Varnam sung or played by anyone else. This was followed by Deva Deva Kalayami in Mayamalavagowla where one could pick out each syllable in the literature including the fact that it is "Tey Charanambuja Sevanam" and not "Deva Deva Kalayami They" as most vocalists erroneously sing. A charming and highly competant Bhooshavali followed in the form of Gopa Nandana. The concert was studded with other jewels like Mamava Sada Janani in Kanada, Smarasada Manasa in Bilahari, Paramapurusham in Lalita Panchamam (an invention of Maharajah Swati Tirunal), Mamava Karunaya in Shanmukhapriya, a miniscule Pallavi on Maharaja Swati Tirunal in Sahana and two Hindustani Bhajans in Yaman and Charchari (a very close relative of Sindhubhairavi) and the Mangalam in Yadukulakambhoji. I am yet to witness another concert where during the entire three hour duration the artistes constantly maintained intense eye contact with each other and truly functioned as a single unit. This was music making at its best where mere sound got transformed to the sublime level of Nada. The second day Prince Rama Varma, accompanied by Prof. V V Subramanyam on the violin, B Hari Kumar on the Mridangam and Udipi Sridhar on the Ghatam proved yet again that he was a worthy descendant of a worthy ancestor. Opening with the amazing Pada Varnam, Saa Vaa Maa Rusha in Khamas (replete with imaginative and brilliant swaraksharas) the Prince moved on to a composition in Bhoopalam (as opposed to Revagupti), Rama Rama, tuned by his Guru Dr. Balamuralikrishna, as I later found out. By this time the Prince, VVS, Hari Kumar and Sridhar had blended into one, probably inspired in no little measure by the previous evening's magic woven by VVS himself and TVG who was in the audience now. Simple manodharma swaras more or less in the Madurai Mani Iyer style, tinted ever so alluringly with a dash of Murali and M D Ramanathan burst forth, followed by an equally rare and beautiful composition on Devi (Sadhu Tada) in Vakulabharanam. This was followed by Paripahi in Mohanam with a fascinating display of Swara Bhedams in various ragas, Parama Purusha (Vasanta), Mamava Padmanabha Sada (Varali), Nama Sudha Rasa (Kapi, from Kuchelopakhyanam) and a Bhajan in Misra Pahadi. Peace, adherence to sruti, clarity in pronuncation and a deep rooted Vainik sense of aesthetics are the elements in Prince Varma's music that I so adore. VVS followed him like a shadow as did Hari Kumar. |
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Hemalatha seemed to be a female
version of VVS himself in her sound production and fidelity to the main
artiste, not even once glancing at the more than appreciative audience.
Ganapatiraman was a little more aggressive than when I have heard him in
the past and did not give much of an opportunity to the eminently
melodious Anil Kumar.
T V Sankaranarayanan, with his usual team of Delhi (now Chennai!) P Sundararajan, Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam and T V Vasan blasted his way into the heart of his listeners with his usual all time favourites like Paripalayamam in Reetigowla, Sarasaksha in Kamavardhini, Mamavasada Varade in Natakurinji, Padmanabha in Hindolam, Smarasada Manasa in Bilahari, Pankaja Lochana in Kalyani, Jaya Jaya Padmanabha in Sarasangi, Jaya Jagadeesa in Yamankalyani and Visweswar in Sindhubhairavi. Sarasangi became the main raga for the evening in honour of the Laksha Deepam at the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple this year, a reference to which event is there in the lyrics of the said piece. Sundararajan on the violin was competent and pleasant as usual. But Bhaktavatsalam who is always brilliant, seems to be becoming more and more aggressive as the days go by which is really a pity as I myself have heard him play ever so sensitively even in the past four or five years. Vasan was in his element too. |
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I have never heard a piece of music more sublime than the Gowri, a raga I confess I have never come across before. Panditji's voice is his slave and his intelligence and wit, mind-boggling. I look forward to the day when South India will produce a vocalist of his calibre other than his own Guru Dr. Balamuralikrishna of course. | ||
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This was followed by Vasanta (Paramapurusha),
Rama Rama in Devagandhari, Vasundhara tanaya in Bhairavi, Karunakara in
Begada suffixed by the most imaginative swaraprastara, Devadeva in
Poorvikalyani, Sarasijanabha in Todi, Itusahasamulu in Saindhavi,
Saraseeruhanabha in Desakshi, a Tillana in Bhoopalam and Kalaya
Srikamalanayana in Chenchuruti. The brothers have a lot going for them -
strong voices, good pronunciation, raga bhava, good manodharma and a very
strong and classical "vazhi" as one calls it. The accompanists
did their work commendably as usual.
All in all a most satisfactory festival, with only three or four compositions repeated altogether. The audiences were better than ever before and one already looks forward to Swati Sangeetotsavam 2003, starting on January 6th and continuing till the 12th! - By Ramanathan |
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Posted on February 15th, 2002 |
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