Guruguhanjali is the brain
child of Dr.V V Srivatsa, a music scholar and composer of great merit. With an aim to
propagate the greatness of Muthuswami Dikshitar and his compositions, Dr. Srivatsa has
dedicated this special music forum to Guruguha, Muthuswami Dikshitar.
The raison detre for the movement called Guruguhanjali is the affection, good wishes
and dedicated participation of performing artists and rasikas of Chennai. This annual
series has been conducted every year in Chennai after the Deepavali as an Anjali
to Muthuswami Dikshitar, as the festival signifies the death anniversary of this great
composer-musician. Last year this series was conducted at different states in South India,
where Muthuswami Dikshitar had visited.
Concerts and lecdems were conducted at Tiruvanantapuram, Mangalapuri (Mangalore)
Udipi and Vizianagaram. The response at Mangalore was overwhelming. Mention must be made
of the spontaneous and thunderous applause given by the audience to Smt. Suguna
Purushottamans rendition of the sollukkattu passage of the composition, Sri
Mahaganapatiravatu maam. Presentations at Tiruvanantapuram were well-received
and there was adequate local support. The Andhra episode was an aberation and best
forgotten, reminisces Dr.Srivatsa.
Guruguhanjali has successfully presented 438 compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar in all.
Guruguhanjali does not, however, wish to consider this as a mission completed, instead
continue to be motivated by a sense of service to the rasikas. Guruguhanjali is back this
year with the ninth series which has many unique features.
1. Most of the participating artistes have welcomed the concept of thematic presentation
and have willingly and gladly agreed to learn, assimilate and present compositions
classifiable as a group.
2. Many newcomers to Guruguhanjali are slated to be featured in this series.
3. As in the past, there are some innovative features in this series.The mridangam
maestro, Vellore Ramabhadran has consented to give a vocal recital. Vidwan T N
Seshagopalan has opted to play on the Vina. Veteran, Dr. T K Moorthy has chosen to
accompany a teenager.
The Guruguhanjali Award is to be presented to Sangeeta Kalanidhi T M Tyagarajan,
who is credited with inspired and emotive renditions of several compositions of
Dikshitar. He has also published a compendium containing a hundred compositions of
Dikshitar, in notation.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Ninth Annual series, a millennium would end. We hope
to see Guruguhanjali doing its yeomans service to the cause of music year after year
for another millennium and many more to come. |