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Section Synopsis (March 2006)
NEWS & NOTES
SEMINAR ON SILAPPADIKARAM IN DELHI (Part II)
MUSIC AND DANCE AS EMBODIED IN THE TEXT-LEELA
VENKATARAMAN
 Dr.
Prameela Gurumurthi-- Head of the Department of Music, Madras
University-- began by singing the Mangala Vaazhtu in Silappadikaram,
Tingalai porrudum, invoking the sun, the moon and the rain. Lauding the
thoroughness of Ilango Adigal, she referred to the 'kural ili' method or
modal shift of tonic, so clearly referred to in the music descriptions
of the epic. In 'Arangetru Kaadai' where Madhavi's training and debut
recital are described in detail, one can see that the poet is given
prime importance. We have the later vaggeyakara-s who combined both
composition and music for the lyric. But in the Silappadikaram times,
the two functions of poet and music composer were obviously independent
as shown in the Paripaadal where eyal and isai are separate. At the age
of twelve, after seven years of training, Madhavi gave her first
performance. At the same age, Kannagi was married-- the two women shown
in entirely different situations. The word 'Paani' for tala is
interesting, said the speaker, for the Sanskrit word 'Panigrahanam' has
reference to what is done with the hands, which keep tala. The poet was
expected to know the four languages Vadachol (Sanskrit), Isaichol (desi
or regional) Eyalchol (literature), and Tirichol (colloquial). Music was
rendered in four speeds-- Mudanadai, Vaaram, Kurai and Tiral. Mentioned
in the text is "Vaaram paadiya toriya makkalir," senior members of the
dancing profession, perhaps now no longer able to dance, who formed part
of the music team for the dance, singing in medium tempo. What was
required was 'asaiyaa marabu' or faultless technique in that which does
not change. There were songs for the vettiyal (royalty) and poduviyal
(for the lay). The poet was specifically required to avoid abusive
language. The percussionist Tannumai had to know all 'koothu' (dance), 'pann'
and the seven types of 'tooku' as well as 'alavu' and 'koodai' (tempi).
The flute player who decided on the pitch of the music, had to know how
to mix the chittiram and vanjani-- the 'vallina sorkkal' (stronger
sounds) and the 'mellina sorkkal' (soft)-- which means that the sahitya
with words had to be fully understood for its nuances, even by the
instrumentalist. He had to be sensitive to the sa-pa relationship and
the eleven qualities of pann-s....
Speaking of the Yazh, the stringed instrument about
which details are given in the text, Prameela Gurumurthi talked of the
four types of Yazh, namely, Peri Yazh, Makhara Yazh, Saguda Yazh and
Sengotai Yazh, each with a different number of strings. What Ilango was
referring to in Silappadikaram was the Saguda Yazh with 14 strings....
My paper on Dance began with a mention of how the exuberance of
Silappadikaram contrasted with the stark nature of Manimekhalai said to
have been written at the same time. The epic clearly showed that there
existed two streams of dance, one secular entertainment much like what
we call classical style known as 'Santi Koothu' with a full fledged
grammar, and the other, of ritual dances-- Vinoda Koothu, rendered by
lay people while worshipping their pastoral deities. Nataka Ganikai-s or
courtesans like Madhavi were diligently trained to dance for many years
and were very handsomely rewarded by the aristocracy for their
expertise. While the dance was secular in character and meant for
entertainment, the themes from the myths were devotional. Known as 'Aadal'
or 'Koothu', dance was classified under two heads of Ahakoothu and
Purakoothu, the same classification used for poetry. Ahakoothu was
further classified under six broad pairs of concepts- Vasai (satire) and
Pugazh (in praise), Vettiyal (performed for royalty) and Poduviyal (for
the lay), Vari and Vari Santi, Santi (classical) and Vinodam (folk),
Aryam and Tamil (which shows the Sanskritic influences having come in
already), Iyalpu and Desi....
What is amazing about dance is that it is not looked upon in isolation,
but in its integrated perspective with other disciplines like poetry,
music, etc. The dancer is required to be fully conversant with the
fourteen constituents (vilak-kurppu) of the dance....
Scrupulously prescribed are the measurements of the stage....
The evening of the seminar saw a refined Bharatanatyam recital by
Priyadarshini Govind. The research by S. Raghuraman of Chennai and the
music inputs by Prameela Gurumurthi provided Priya with the base for
choreography....
....A fair share of the praise for the recital belonged to Preeti Mahesh
for her singing, which apart
from its tunefulness and classical verities, had bhava, chiming in with
the dancer's rendition, without ploughing a lonely furrow by trying to
attract attention to itself. Priyadarshini can build on this fine base
she has created.
Click to read more
OPINION COLUMN
Carnatic And Hindustani Music
-LUDWIG PESCH (Amsterdam )
In the Sruti Box section in Sruti 253, Trichur K. Sundaram (C & H Music)
has offered some interesting insights into the appreciation of Carnatic
music beyond its natural habitat, as it were. Being committed to the
appreciation and dissemination of Carnatic music abroad, and also
because I have been cited in two items-- the above one and in "Tambura -
1" by `Garland' N. Rajagopalan in the same edition, I would like to
share my own views for further debate:
Complexity does not make one music system superior to another.
Complexity is also the hallmark of 20th and 21st century music that is
variously categorised as "contemporary", "new", "avant-garde", etc.
(This music, irrespective of its other merits, is hardly listened to by
self-professed music lovers even in the West and typically broadcast in
the middle of the night for the benefit of a few aficionados.) Does this
mean that "classical music" of various shades is lacking complexity? By
no means, but composers of the past pursued different goals than their
modern counterparts.
The complications that may arise in the appreciation of Carnatic music
can be viewed as an intellectual challenge and even flaunted as its
hallmark; or (more commonly), deplored as constituting its chief burden,
and it is indeed a cause for some deep-rooted misunderstandings and
prejudices outside India.
I have to confess that I never miss a Hindustani concert when offered a
chance and enjoy every part of it. The prevailing focus on a few time-honoured
procedures in Hindustani music (for example, beginning slowly and ending
in fast passages or the absence of an extensive drum solo) seems to be
no weakness either, far from it. Conversely, I have listened to much
Carnatic music that is mindboggling in terms of various "complications"
(for example, virtuosity, vocal range, teamwork, calculations,
spontaneity) but failed to touch me beyond the thrill of the moment.
Incomprehensible strains of unconventional sound combinations are surely
not the answer
to lack of interest. What matters is serious artistic work that takes
the whole gamut of human emotions into account, whether or not this is
likely to attract large audiences in the immediate future. Fortunately,
there are musicians and teachers of that calibre, and many of them have
a broad outlook. It is the most honourable task on the part of rasika-s,
patrons, teachers, educational institutions and organisers to find
talented musicians and enjoy their presentations after enabling them to
develop their talents as long as it takes. (It took Alauddin Khan nearly
half a century, and generations of musi-cians and listeners have
benefitted from his quest for self-perfection.)
As with cooking, connoisseurs of the arts tend to have little interest
in the procedures that precede or accompany the acquisition and
preparation of various ingredients. Furthermore, the aesthetic delight
derived from good music is as immediate as it is lasting beyond the
tangible experience which, I understand, raises a true rasika's delight
above that of a gourmet (though the latter may also be a great rasika
and vice versa).
For the same reason, I believe that the debate around the "vanishing"
tambura is so important for the future of Carnatic music in and outside
India: A good, beautiful tambura is more than just a nostalgic feature
for senior listeners; a well-tuned and played tambura, provided it is
carefully positioned and audible during a live concert, lends another
aesthetic dimension to music. All this cannot be explained just in terms
of auditory experience, overtones or musical colours. Its contribution
is more than the sum of all these and other properties, some of which
have been admirably incorporated in the electronic devices available
now. Yet, first and foremost, the presence of a tambura makes a powerful
statement about the way musicians and organisers pay attention to detail
beyond that which is duly expected of them.
An experienced tambura player is an artist in his or her own right and
deserves proper acknowledgement and remuneration for the valuable
services rendered. Yet a tambura player's name can rarely be
ascertained, be it in recording and programme notes or photo credits.
Proper training in the art of playing and maintaining a tambura has not
even been considered by most modern institutions as part of their
curriculum. It definitely should be considered, and I hope it soon will.
Why? Firstly, because there is an intrinsic quality of raga music
informed by the perfect (admittedly complex) sounds of a tambura; and
secondly, because Carnatic music will never qualify for prime treatment
in the eyes and ears of discerning music lovers beyond South India (or
South Indian communities abroad) until attention is paid to details such
as those outlined above. Whether this will change in the foreseeable
future is entirely in the hands of those who train, promote and present
Carnatic music in India and beyond.
The cooperation of the main artists is indispensable and a matter of
self-interest as and when they wake up to the fact that it is attention
to every minute detail in a concert that determines their future
prospects beyond the current touring and festival frenzy. With the
advent of another generation, the current level of interest in Carnatic
music may just fade out as fast as it has grown into a profitable
industry since the 1990s. After all, each generation is bound to develop
its own musical orientation whereas artistic integrity and beauty are
bound to prevail.
Click to read more
MAIN FEATURE
RAJAM PUSHPAVANAM
(1916-1991)
A Victim Of Orthodoxy- INDIRA
MENON
The following article is written by INDIRA MENON, freelance
writer and author of books titled The Madras Quartet - Women in
Carnatic Music, and Great Masters of Carnatic Music 1930-1965.
I discovered her from the Song Books of the old gramophone companies
which I found in my grandfather the late Sir K. Ramunni Menon's
library. The Columbia Company was announcing the release of its
latest disc:
"A Rare Treat for Music Lovers - Srimathi Rajam Pushpavanam.
Those who understand carnatic music know the value of Rajam
Pushpavanam's records. Not only has she a superb voice `with beauty
of tone and delicacy of expression' and style but in addition a
great charm which comes through well on her record. No artiste is so
capable of doing full justice to the great song Kanakkankodi of Sri
Papanasam Sivan than Srimathi Rajam".
There is a picture of a lovely young woman, with curly hair looking
sideways. (See alongside). She exudes an air of confidence and self
assurance.
I searched for her records among my grandfather's collection [now
with the SAMUDRI Archives]. There were four discs but, alas,
Kanakkankodi (Kambhoji) was not one of them. I listened to Manasa
sancharare (Sama) and was enthralled by her voice. It had all the
qualities mentioned in the blurb.
Rajam was the daughter of Madurai Pushpavanam Iyer, uncle of Madurai
Mani Iyer. Pushpavanam was the rage among rasika-s and has become
one of the legends of Carnatic music. When I was writing the book
Great Masters of Carnatic Music, vidwan T.V. Sankaranarayanan, his
grand-nephew, spoke to me about Pushpavanam and Rajam....
Pushpavanam died in his prime in 1917 at the age of 32, leaving his
16-year old wife Sundarambal and one-year old daughter Rajam. From
her childhood Rajam began to hear the fantastic stories about her
illustrious father.... Following the family tradition, her musical
training started at a very young age. Her guru-s were Mudicondan
Sabhapathy Iyer, Parur Sundaram Iyer and her cousin, Madurai Mani
Iyer. She later learnt padam-s and javali-s from Sesha Iyengar....
Rajam inherited her father's vocal prowess. There was an
inexplicable quality to her voice, with its amazing range and
timbre....
The only evidence of Rajam's musicianship is to be found in the old
gramophone "plates" of the 1930s and early 40s.... But an unusual
feature of Rajam's voice that proves she was much ahead of her times
was the use of modulation....
Opportunities to sing at marriage functions and concerts came in
plenty for Rajam.... She entered a competition held by the Music
Academy in the 1930s and won the first prize....
By the age of twenty four, Rajam had become a woman of immense
wealth, "dressed from head to foot in gold and diamonds". She built
a palatial bungalow at 22 Ramachandra Road, Mylapore and owned three
motor cars (Ford A40, Studebaker and Morris Minor) which she drove
herself, a very unconventional thing for a Brahmin lady.... There
was a brief foray into the world of cinema too. Again very
unconventional for someone with her background. She acted in two
films....
With such a good start to her music career, what happened to this
brilliant and vivacious daughter of Pushpavanam?
....Rajam Pushpavanam's truncated career illustrates that she was a
victim of orthodoxy. Her marriage virtually put an end to the career
she had built up from her childhood. And when she tried to pick up
the threads after the nine-year gap, widowhood brought its own train
of woes. As a typical case of out-of-sight out-of-mind, the sabha
organisers may have been reluctant to field an unknown entity....
If, at this stage, some male member of the family had undertaken to
act as her manager, she might have made the effort to make a
comeback....
Insensitive social taboos ultimately rebound on society and we are
the poorer for it.
Click to read more
SPOT LIGHT
Sangeeta Sthalam-s - 13
Heritage Landmarks in Music
Tanjavur Naalu Kaal Mandapam-SRIRAM.V
It has now become customary to lament the dearth of Carnatic music in
Tanjavur, once the very heartland of the art form. But far from the
sabha-s and the sabha culture of Chennai, a music festival that is 106
years old still continues to be held year after year, albeit with some
gaps in its history.
The Prasanna Venkateswara Swami shrine of Tanjavur is
very well known.... The area in front of the temple is a small town
square, a rare piece of open space in old Tanjavur. This has a four
pillared hall that faces the temple. On the right hand side of this 'naalu
kaal mandapam', as one faces the temple, is a 'ter mutti' or the
elevated platform from which the utsava moorti (processional idol) of
the temple is placed in the chariot during the annual car festival. The
space below the pavilion houses a shrine to Lord Hanuman, who in local
parlance is referred to as Sangeeta Anjaneya Swami....
In 1899, the famed mridangist Narayanaswami Appa began the practice of
holding an Anjaneya Festival in the space in front of the Naalu Kaal
Mandapam. This spanned five days and comprised Harikatha performances
only. Clearly Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar was the star of the show and
till his death in 1903 it was his performance that would mark the
inauguration each year. The festival was discontinued following
Narayanaswami Appa's death a few years later.
In 1929, Malaikottai Govindaswamy Pillai, the renowned violinist,
resolved to revive the festival. He was assi-sted in this effort by the
mridanga vidwan Ramdoss Rao and also by two rasika-s and bhakta-s,
"Signal" Mani Iyer and Vasudeva Sastry....
The festival was revived on 6th July 1929.
....In 1931, Pillai passed away. Vasu Sastry took on the responsibility
of conducting the festival, earning the name "Hanuman Vasu". In later
years, due to advancing age, he entrusted the responsibility to mridanga
vidwans T.K. Murthy and Tanjore Upendran (the latter has since passed
away), and to musicologist B.M. Sundaram. Over the years, others joined
the committee.
Many are the interesting stories connected with the festival....
Today, the festival continues to be held for ten days every year. Most
of the artists charge only travel fare and any extra amount received is
donated to the temple. The programmes are funded by public donations and
there are no sponsors sought. Many local artists such as nagaswara
vidwan Kothandapani and tavil exponent T.R. Govindarajan donate
liberally to the festival........... N. Sivaramakrishnan, 27/12, Rajaji
Road, Srinivasapuram, Tanjavur 613009 is in charge of collection of
donations for the festival.
Heritage Watch
Now that this series has gone on for thirteen issues, I thought it is
perhaps appropriate to update Sruti readers on what is happening to the
sthalam-s that we covered earlier. There is as usual, some bad news and
some good news as well.....
Click to read more
BRIEF NOTES
30th Anniversary Of Raghavan Centre -A.S.S.
The 30th anniversary of Dr. V. Raghavan Centre was celebrated on the
29th of October 2005 in Chennai. Bharatanatyam exponent, teacher and
critic, Nandini Ramani is the Managing Trustee of the Centre.
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan (Member-Secretary, Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai
Nataka Mandram) presided over the function, guru-s K.J. Sarasa and
Savitri Jagannatha Rao offered felicitations. R. Kalidas, senior
member of the Centre honoured the guests. The violin maestro made a
plea to all dancers not to forget their mother-tongue while making
announcements.
Nandini Ramani presented cash awards and mementos to her long-time
associates involved in the Bharatanatyam wing of the Centre which
propagates the T. Balasaraswati style, and also her teachers,
Carnatic vocalist Prof. B. Krishnamurti and T. Mukta-- specialist in
padam-s and javali-s, who have imparted training to her over the
decades. K. Ramiah, nattuvangam artist and Kanchipuram G. Ekambaram,
senior percussionist, both hailing from the same dance tradition
were honoured on the occasion. T. Mukta's daughter Lakshmi received
the memento and cash award of 10,000 rupees on her behalf. Dr. C.S.
Sundaram, Sanskrit scholar and close associate of the Centre,
vainika R. Ramani, vocalist Sarayu Srinivasan, flutist P.V. Ramana,
and vocalist Balaji (of T. Mukta's family) were also honoured.
As part of the function, an entire Bharatanatyam margam was
presented by senior students of Nandini Ramani. It provided
interesting insights into the handling of adavu-s in the Bala style.
Nandini also presented a padam-- Alasara paritapamu. Senior students
of Nandini felicitated her on the completion of 50 years in the
field of Bharatanatyam
SSP In Kannada -KUSUMA
RAO
For the first time after its publication a century ago, the Sangeeta
Sampradaya Pradarsini by Subbarama Dikshitar has been translated
into Kannada by the well-known scholar and musicologist Prof. S.K.
Ramachandra Rao and vidwan Anandarama Udupa. The Pradarsini, was
written originally in Telugu. Now ANANYA has come forward to
undertake the uphill task of making the Kannada version of this
invaluable treatise on Carnatic music available for seekers of
traditional music.
On Sunday, the 17th December at the Gayana Samaja in Bangalore,
three books were released by vidwan R.K. Srikantan, namely,
Prathamaabhyaasa Pustakavu, Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarsini - Samputa
1, and Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan avara Mela Raga Malike edited by Prof.
SKR and Vidwan Udupa. Distinguished personalities like Thimmappa,
Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University, S. Krishnamurthy (author of
Sangeetha Samaya, grandson of Mysore Vasudevacharya, and former AIR
Station Director) and Dr. Shachi Devi (musicologist and co-author of
Karnataka Sangeeta Darpana, one of the two Tirumalai Sisters) were
on stage.
Six disciples of R.A. Ramamani sang, aptly, Sreenaathaadi Guruguho
jayati, in raga Mayamalavagawla, the first song Dikshitar composed,
for invocation. Dr. T.S. Satyavathi welcomed the guests and spoke a
few words about them in her interesting way. Shachi Devi, defining 'sampradaya',
said, "sam" means good, "pradaya" is giving. So 'Sampradaya' means
passing on what is good to others. She spoke of dhatu-matu samanvaya
in Dikshitar's kriti-s.
Prof. Thimmappa praised the dedication of ANANYA in executing a big
task like this, which even universities find it hard to do. He
announced that Prof. SKR has been given an honorary doctorate by the
Bangalore University.
R.K. Srikantan mentioned that books like Pallavi Swarakalpavalli by
Tiruvottriyur Tyagayyar ought to be translated into Kannada too.
Udupa said he felt honoured to do this work with a person like Prof.
SKR and for an organisation like ANANYA.
After the books were released, R.N. Srilatha accompanied by Veena
Suresh (violin), Tumkur B. Ravishankar (mridanga) and Tumkur B.
Shashishankar (ghata), gave a scholarly vocal recital, comprising of
the choicest Dikshitar kriti-s, like Mamava Meenakshi in raga Varali
and Sree Kamalaambikey in Sree raga.
The three books were available for those interested for 100 rupees
less than their face value that evening.
Remembering Guru Krishnaveni -SULOCHANA
SARALAYA
The 15th of July happened to be a special day for many old students
of Kalakshetra as well as connoisseurs of dance, as they had the
opportunity of witnessing a slide show on the late Krishnaveni
Lakshmanan, former Principal of Kalakshetra, Chennai. Tara
Priyadarshini, U.S.A.-based disciple of Krishnaveni, chose to pay
her respects and express her gratitude to her beloved "Akka" (with
whom she had lived and learnt for eleven years) through a programme
titled `Guru Smarane' at the Nayana Auditorium in Bangalore.
S. Rajaram, former Director of Kalakshetra, presided over the
function. He disclosed that Krishnaveni had donned the lead role in
a majority of the 26 dance-dramas choreographed by Rukmini Devi and
that nobody could surpass her in the 'Agni Pravesa' scene in the
Ramayana series. He paid glowing tributes to Krishnaveni (whom he
knew from 1953) who was an excellent choreographer, a good
performer-cum-musician, and a very generous teacher.
G. Sundari, a close associate of Krishnaveni, recalled how
Krishnaveni literally entered Kalakshetra through a window, as she
used to watch rehearsals standing outside (as a five-year old child)
and came in at the behest of Rukmini Devi. Sundari paid tributes to
the qualities of compassion and humility which Krishnaveni possessed
in abundance. She also spoke about her commitment to art, her
ability to understand and express the essence of the lyrics as she
was a linguist and her talent as an excellent musician-cum-composer
of sollukattu-s, swara passages and jati-s. She also disclosed that
Krishnaveni was a great lover of animals.
Bharatanatyam dancer and guru, Uma Rao of Mysore, who spent twenty
years in Kalakshetra, described Krishnaveni as a graceful and
versatile dancer with lovely eyes (neerajakshi) who was able to live
the characters she portrayed. She also dwelt on her original way of
using the hasta-s and her ability not only to spot young talent, but
also to provide them opportunities to participate in Kalakshetra
productions. Paying tribute to her sense of commitment, she
disclosed that on her numerous trips abroad, she would not go out
sight-seeing like the other members of the troupe but would stay
back, rest and be fresh for the performance.
Krishnaveni's daughter Gayathri Balagurunathan and Tara
Priyadarshini paid homage to their guru, through a Bharatanatyam
performance presenting items choreographed by Krishnaveni.
Commencing with Ganapati Kavuthuvam, Tara presented Siva Stuti which
was tuned and choreographed by her guru as a ragamalika and
talamalika while Gayathri presented Perialwar's pasuram (in which he
imagines himself to be Yasoda), tuned as a ragamalika. Incidentally,
this was the last item to be choreographed by Krishnaveni and was
presented for the first time on stage by her daughter. The tillana
in the raga Hindolam, performed by both, provided a fitting finale
to the 'Guru Smarane' programme. Uma Rao did the nattuvangam while
artists from Kalakshetra, Sai Shankar (vocal), Anil Kumar (mridanga)
and Shashidharan (flute) provided good musical support to the
dancers.
Mela Raga Vyjayanti -SULOCHANA
SARALAYA
'Neelambari', an association consisting of disciples of Neela
Ramgopal, celebrated her 70th birthday in an unique way at the
Indian Institute of World Culture auditorium in Bangalore on the 5th
June. The disciples produced Mela Raga Vyjayanti, a set of 18 CDs,
consisting of kriti-s in all the 72 mela raga-s, rendered by their
guru Neela Ramgopal, and arranged for its release on the day of the
felicitation. Musicologist V.V. Srivatsa, after releasing the set of
CDs, called it a historic event, as it would serve as reference
material for both music teachers and students in the years to come.
The purpose of this project, is to share Neela Ramgopal's knowledge
with all the students of music, who rarely get exposure to the
lesser known mela raga-s. The unique feature of this project is that
compositions of different composers in different languages have been
selected. Each composition has been rendered with raga alapana and
swaraprastara, which enables the listener to understand the raga
bhava. Each CD has four raga-s with the names of the raga-s, and
their arohana and avarohana.
Vimala Rangachar, speaking on the occasion, said that 'vidya daana'
was the greatest of daana-s and the large number of students under
the 'Neela Ambara', was proof of Neela Ramgopal's generous nature as
well as the disciples love for their guru.
Revathy, representing the disciples, praised the ability of her
guru, in not only recognising the talent of her young students but
also finding a platform for most of them. Usha Kesari, called her
guru, a philosopher, friend and guide to her innumerable students.
The felicitation function was followed by a short vocal concert by
Neela Ramgopal, who commenced with a rare composition of Tyagaraja,
in the raga Jhankaradhwani. B. Raghuram, Cheluvaraju and M.A.
Krishnamurthy, rendered support on the violin, mridanga and ghata
respectively.
Awarded
Doctorates by the Department of Indian Music, University of Madras,
to Priyashri V. Rao for her thesis on "Dance Performance and its
Components - A Historical Study"; to K. Madhu Mohan for his thesis
on "Pitch Analysis in Carnatic Music - An Examination of Intonation
& Modern Theories of 22 Sruti-s", in November 2005
SNA Awards 2005
Music
C.R. Bhat, Ramashrey Jha (H-vocal), Brijbhushan Kabra
(H-guitar), Tulsidas Borkar (H-harmonium), S.V.
Parthasarathy, P.S. Narayanaswamy (C-vocal), Ongolo
Rangayya (C-nagaswara), V.V. Subramanyam (C-violin).
Dance
Rhadha (Bharatanatyam), Tirath Ram Azad (Kathak),
Mathur Govindan Kutty (Kathakali), K. Radhamohon Sharma
(Manipuri), Korada Narasimha Rao (Koochipoodi), Durga
Charan Ranbir (Odissi), T.H. Chaotombi Singh (Creative &
experimental dance), Josyula Krishnamurthi (Music for dance -
Koochipoodi Bhagavata maddala).
Traditional / Folk / Tribal Dance / Music / Theatre and Puppetry
P.K.G. Nambiar (Koodiyattam), Subbu Arumugam (Villupattu),
Kashi Nath Pujapanda (Odissi music), Babu Bhai Ranpura
(Folk music - Gujarat), Khirod Khaklari (Bodo dance & music),
Daryao Singh Mallik (Folk theatre - Haryana), D.S. Aiyyelu
(dance costume), Ganpat Sakaram Masge (puppetry).
Overall Contribution / Scholarship in Performing Arts
Pratibha Agarwal
AWARDED
Gold medals in two categories to the Indian team: to Bharatanatyam
dancers Snigdha & Sneha Venkatramani in the Traditional Dance
category; and to sarangi and tabla players Mohammad Ayyub &
Kishore Gangani in the Traditional Music category; at the 2nd
Delphic Games (Cultural Olympics) held at Kuching, Sarawak in
Malaysia in September 2005.
CELEBRATE
Second anniversary of Sougandhika Centre for Mohini Attam run
by dancer Dr. Neena Prasad; 13 November 2005 in Chennai.
Seventh anniversary of Kala Pradarshini run by dancer
Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala; recently in Chennai.
FORMAL DEBUT
Jaan Freeman & Shanti Pillai (Bharatanatyam), disciples of
Nandini Ramani (Dr. V. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts, Chennai)
and Priyamvada Sankar (Priyamvada Sankar School of Bharatanatyam,
Montreal); 5 November 2005 in New York.
Shruti & Smriti (Bharatanatyam), daughters of Mr. G.K. Bhat &
Mrs. Vasumathi; and disciples of P. Praveen Kumar (Chithkala School
of Dance); 6 October 2005 in Bangalore.
Megha, d/o Mr. Krishna Rudrapatna & Mrs. Savithri; and
Mathangi d/o Mr.
R.C. Keshavan & Gayathri Keshavan; both Bharatanatyam disciples of
Gayathri Keshavan (Academy of Bharatanatyam); 9 October in
Bangalore.
Harini (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. E.R. Lakshmanan & Mrs.
Mangalsundari Lakshmanan; and disciple of Jayanthi Subramaniam); 14
October in Chennai.
V. Dharvika (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. S. Ganesh & Mrs. Vidya
Ganesh; and disciple of Sailaja (Saila Sudha); 16 October 2005 in
Chennai.
Hamsini (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. M. Balasubramanian & Dr.
Sudha Balasubramanian; and disciple of Jayanthi Subramaniam (Kala
Darsana); 16 October 2005 in Chennai.
M. Nithya Kalyani (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. Mohan & Mrs.
Mythily Mohan; and disciple of Ambika Kameshwar (RASA - The Arts
Centre); 16 October in Chennai.
Pranitha (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. Pravin R. Kamat & Mrs.
Sheela Kamat; and disciple of Vandya Srinath (Bhramara School of
Dance); 16 October in Bangalore.
Rashmi (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. R. Rajashekar & Mrs. R.
Nagarathna; and disciple of Lalitha Srinivasan (Nupura), 22 October
in Bangalore.
Sandhya (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mr. S. Sathiamoorthy & Mrs.
Sujatha Sathiamoorthy; and disciple of Jayanthi Subramaniam (Kala
Darsana); 24 October in Chennai.
R. Kokulavarthany (Bharatanatyam), disciple of Ranganayaki
Jayaraman (Sri Saraswathi Gana Nilayam); 27 October 2005 in Chennai.
R. Prahelika (Bharatanatyam), daughter of Mr. S.K.
Rajagopalan & Mrs. Meera Rajagopalan; and student of Tapasya Kala
Sampradaya; 28 October 2005 in Chennai.
Preethi (Bharatanatyam), d/o Dr. A.B. Selvaraja & Mrs.
Kalpana Selvaraja; and disciple of Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala (Kala
Pradarshini); 30 October in Chennai.
DIED
Sharbari Mukherjee (57), Hindustani musician; music and dance
critic for Link and Patriot; resource person for various projects of
NCERT, AIR, Doordarshan and SNA; served as Deputy Secretary, and
Secretary, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi; was actively involved
in important arts events like the Lok Utsav, Brhaddesi Sangeet
Mahotsav, Swarna Jayanti Sangeet Utsav, and other training and
documentation schemes of SNA; 15 November 2005 after a long illness.
Vimala Sarma (67), Sruti Correspondent in Mumbai;
psychologist and writer; 18 December in Mumbai. (See obituary on p.
35).
BEREAVED
Sulochana Saralaya, Sruti Correspondent in Bangalore, by the death
of her husband P.M. Saralaya, 4 November 2005 in Bangalore. Carnatic
vocalists Saralaya Sisters-- Kavitha & Triveni (Sruti Representative
in Bangalore), are their daughters.
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