Section Synopsis (JANUARY 2007)

NEWS & NOTES

Parampara Showcases Reddys As Good Teachers - G. VENU

Why Radha and Raja Reddy have named the annual mega event mounted by their institution Natya Tarangini as ‘Parampara’ in an age of vanishing parampara-s is best known to the Koochipoodi couple themselves. Perhaps they felt that the example of their own family, where apart from Raja, Radha and Kaushalya even the two daughters Yamini and Bhavana have become Koochipoodi dancers to reckon with, would enthuse other dancers to make sure that the art fires were kept burning in their respective homes even after their time, by passing the torch on to their own young. The festival, high profile in true Reddy style, attracts good audiences, centered round a new theme every year. This year’s theme “Sambhavami Yuge Yuge” was interpreted sometimes in an obvious fashion and at others hinted at or just ignored by the featured artists— not every dancer choosing to present the Gitopadesa Krishna/Arjuna interaction on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. As host couple the Reddys set an example, the last segment of their recital incorporating this theme, Radha as Arjuna, particularly, excelling in her abhinaya....

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The Carnatic music scene in the capital shows signs of rejuvenation, notwithstanding fluctuations in regularity and profile over different periods. The favourable factors relate to the resourcefulness and enthusiasm of the community, organisational vibrancy, networking, infrastructure and other facilities. The Tamil Sangam, an institution with a ‘Diamond Jubilee’ record, vantage location in south Delhi and equipped with a fine auditorium, has become the nodal point for many major events. The Sangam’s own schedule contains many programmes presenting ‘Tamil Isai’, the term now used in a generic sense for South Indian music. It is also the regular and sought after venue for events conducted by many `sister’ organisations, like Vadakku Vaasal and those operating in different colonies like Dwaraka. (see Sruti 265). The ‘Metro’, one of the best things that has happened to Delhi which is poised for further extensions, is expected to make commuting easier and more comfortable. The Sree Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha, the long running impresario outfit, now ‘driven’ from a distant Chennai base, has been conducting a variety of music and dance programmes, including the annual Tyagaraja Aradhana festival, organised during February-March. The events recently organised under its banner included: a three-day Harikatha programme by Kalyanapuram Aravamudhachariar, climaxing with Andal Charitram; and a four-day festival presenting ‘sangeeta upanyasam’ on Tyagaraja Ramayanam - Sundara Kandam, and Seeta Kalyanam; by the ‘current sensation’, Visakha Hari; music concerts by Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam and P. Unnikrishnan and the Bharatanatyam ballet Bharata Samudayam Vazhgave, based on the compositions of Subramania Bharati and presented by the trio— Roja Kannan, Priya Murle and Lavanya Ananth from Chennai...

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The Other Festival, launched in 1998 has grown into a much awaited highlight of the December season. This year, the week long festival returned to the Museum Theatre after a brief exile. It brought forth a mixed bag of performances in theatre, art and dance, proving to be a celebration of artistic diversity. The event was a collaboration between noted dancer and art administrator Anita Ratnam and Prakriti Foundation’s Ranvir Shah. Art lovers within the city and outside have helped accentuate its popularity over the years. Umang Hutheesing’s Textile exhibit displayed at Amethyst as an extension of the festival this year was an added attraction. The Other Festival seeks to provide a space for experimentation, encouraging artists to create pathbreaking, iconoclastic expressions. It salutes the spirit of the contemporary and evolving traditional forms. An engaging discussion follows each evening’s performance; this has been a ritualistic practice at the festival, which believes in enhancing the collective experience, bridging the gap between Artist and Audience. This year’s Festival opened with Kalakshetra-trained Bharatanatyam exponent Navtej Johar’s unusual but impressive offering, Fanaa - Ranjha revisited. The Punjabi love legend Heer Ranjha served as the work’s thematic base. Through an arresting juxtaposition of Bharatanatyam sequences and contemporary choreography, a powerful dance-drama unravelled. The voice of veteran Sufi musician, Madan Gopal Singh rendered a surreal mysticism to this repertoire. The use of Kutrala Kuravanji was complemented by fragments of Tamil poetic expression woven in by vocalist G. Elangovan

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COVER STORY

Nedunuri Krishnamurthy Touches Eighty -Gayatri Sundaresan


In October 2006, veteran Carnatic musician vidwan Nedunuri Krishnamurthy (born 10 October 1927) reached 80 years of age. A three–day event was hosted at the Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, during October 27-29, to celebrate the occasion. On the evening of the 27th, R. Ramachandran of Hamsadhwani who delivered the welcome address spoke of the bewitching music that Nedunuri has provided over the decades and also presented a fact file of his achievements and the honours received. R. Yagnaraman, of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, said that Nedunuri and his disciples of Andhra Pradesh had won the hearts of the rasika-s of Tamil Nadu. He was proud to declare that Nedunuri had given the most concerts at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, and that it was KGS that had first honoured him— with the title of Sangeeta Choodamani. M. Krishnaswami (MK) praised Nedunuri for holding his own as an outstanding exponent of Carnatic music for more than four decades. At a time when the Music College in Tirupati was on the verge of closure, MK had been able to persuade Nedunuri to take up its stewardship. It was Nedunuri who brought the college back to the forefront. Around the same time, after some initial hesitation, Nedunuri also began composing tunes for Annamacharya’s kriti-s; today his contribution to the project stands unparalleled. Dinakaran, General Manager of the Indian Overseas Bank, one of the major sponsors of the event, said he was specially happy to be part of the function honouring a great artist. While accepting the felicitations Nedunuri Krishnamurthy expressed his gratitude for the honours that KGS and the Music Academy had bestowed on him—honours that any musician would be proud to receive. He added that Semmangudi’s praise of his music and Lalgudi’s brotherlike affection were things that he cherished. He dedicated all the accolades he had received over the years to his guru, Dr. Sripada Pinakapani. Spencer R. Venugopal, while releasing the CD of a live concert by Dr. S. Pinakapani, said that he was a professor f medicine, anathlete and physical instructor, a research cholar, publisher of books on music, including notations of are padam-s, kriti-s and javali-s, besides being a top-rung usician and an eminent guru, shaping his sishya-s into resplendent stars”. He had transported the Tanjavur style f music to Andhra. Even when bedridden, he continues to work, giving of himself completely. Venugopal referred to him as a veritable Bheeshma. R. Vedavalli released the CD of Srirangam Gopalaratnam, another disciple of S. Pinakapani. She said that Nedunuri was not only a great musician but also a wonderful human eing. T.R. Subramanyam released a CD of Malladi uribabu and Malladi Narayanaswami.

Excerpts from an interview by CHARUKESI (S. Viswanathan).

Who was your first guru?
My first guru was my mother Vijayalakshmi. She taught e the Adhyatma Ramayana and the songs of Bhadrachala Ramadasa. Then I joined the Maharaja’s Music College in Vizianagaram, when I was thirteen. My father told me: “I can’t pay your school fees. Try and join an institution where you can get everything free.” In the Maharaja’s College, not only was the teaching free, but also the board and lodging in the hostel. I learnt violin initially, for five years. Then I abandoned it and took to vocal music. The late Dwaram Narasinga Rao Naidu was my guru. Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu was the Principal of the college.

Do you remember your first public performance?

Yes, I do. It was in Kothapalli village, near Pithapuram. I was just 18 then. It was on Vinayaka Chaturthi day that I started my public concert career. When did you come under the tutelage of Dr. Sripada Pinakapani? In 1949. I had virtual gurukulavasam with my revered guru. He was in Kurnool, practising medicine. He has an analytical brain. Though treating patients was his duty, music was his nature. It was my good fortune that I had him as my guru. [Incidentally, Nedunuri has named his only son after his guru]....

When did you come under the tutelage of Dr. Sripada Pinakapani?
In 1949. I had virtual gurukulavasam with my revered guru. He was in Kurnool, practising medicine. He has an analytical brain. Though treating patients was his duty, music was his nature. It was my good fortune that I had him as my guru. [Incidentally, Nedunuri has named his only son after his guru]....

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SPECIAL FEATURE

The Audience Has A Responsibility’: R. Krishnaswami An Interview -V. Ramnarayan

Senior advocate R. Krishnaswami of the Chennai High Court is the man behind Narada Gana Sabha, one of the premier institutions supporting classical music, dance, theatre and Harikatha in Chennai, which will be celebrating its golden jubilee beginning February 2007. Established in 1958, the sabha has grown from an initial membership of around 200 to more than a thousand members today. Located on T.T.K. Road, the sabha has its own auditorium with an impressive façade, comfortable interiors and reasonable acoustics, especially for dance and dance music. The sabha is known for its year-round performance schedule. Until 1988, Narada Gana Sabha held its programmes at the Music Academy hall, as the property where it is now situated was under litigation and Krishnaswami had to wage a hard-fought battle to win possession of it. Narada Gana Sabha has done some pioneering work in promoting the performing arts in rural and semi-urban areas, With the help of the Saraswathi Vaggeyakara Trust, the sabha has conducted programmes to honour the memory of the Trinity of Carnatic music at Tanjavur, Coimbatore and Ettayapuram. The sabha has also been in the forefront of propagating the art of nama sankeertanam, guided by the late Swami Haridhos Giri. Other commendable initiatives have included financial help rendered to musicians in straitened circumstances and needing aid. Krishnaswami takes turns with his elder brother, R. Surianarayanan, formerly of Indian Fine Arts, one of the oldest sabha-s in Chennai, and other volunteers, to manage the December season concerts. He is an active lawyer practising in the High Court and does all his work relating to the sabha only when he is not attending to court work. In a conversation with Sruti, Krishnaswami freely expressed his views on the current trends in Carnatic music...

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Your Music Is Your Personality’ : T.M. Krishna - An Interview

In a conversation with BARADWAJ RANGAN, T.M. KRISHNA proves he holds strong opinions on everything— from critics to audiences to concert planning. Sruti will be bringing you more such interviews, from time to time, with artists currently performing and making a serious impact on audiences.

Let’s begin with a basic question. With the different perceptions, expectations and levels of understanding in the audience, how do you evaluate the “success” of a concert?

Well, there’s only one thing you can be sure of, really. Walking away from a concert, you know how it went. There are so many days my concert is a big success, but I’m not happy with it at all. On the other hand, there could be times when I thought I performed artistically very well, and the audience could be bored. These things cannot be explained...

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Rear Window

Music Therapy— Loose Ends Galore? -P. K. D

1. With the cost of allopathic medical treatment skyrocketing and the much-publicised side effects Music therapy, according to one Ayurveda manual, is defined as: “The prescribed use of music and of many so-called miracle drugs, there is a boom in the citizens’ and practitioners’ interest in alternative systems of medicine, particularly those which are non-invasive and side-effect free. This is welcome and should normally spur systematic research into such systems and produce a viable, affordable system of medicines. But what is happening is for hospitals to climb on to the new bandwagon and prematurely start half-baked (or even unbaked) therapies and claim magical, painless cures for various diseases. The latest entrant into this field appears to be music therapy. M. Balamuralikrishna and Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan are reported to have been doing research on music therapy for some years though, as far as I know, they have not formally published their findings. A leading corporate hospital is reported to have started diploma and degree courses in music therapy with a Sangeeta Kalanidhi as their adviser and applied to a university for affiliation and recognition. Significantly, they have applied to a Vedic university and not a conventional one! Is the subject ripe for a formal degree and professional practice

2. musical interventions to maintain, restore and improve emotional, physical, physiological and spiritual health and well-being. [What more can one ask for!] Goals of therapy include communicative, academic, motor, emotional and social skills.” Another manual defines meditation music and sound therapy as: “An automatic process of deep inner healing set in motion through the right combination of sounds that resonate within and fill the space around us. Since we are the product of our environment, the sound aims to treat the environment first by the chemistry of sound”. We know that sound has a physics. This is the first time we hear of a chemistry of sound whatever that may mean!...

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