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Section Synopsis (SEPTEMBER 2007)
NEWS & NOTES
SPIC MACAY’s national convention in Jammu -MANJARI SINHA
 Legends like M. Balamuralikrishna (C-music), Guru Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and Kalamandalam Gopi (Kathakali), R. Fahimuddin Dagar (H-dhrupad), Abdul Rashid Khan (H-khayal), Guru Guruppa Chetty (Kalamkari) and Saswati Sen, the gifted disciple of Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj, were some of the panelists who participated in the valued discussion organised during the 22nd National Convention of the Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music & Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY), held 18th to 23rd June in Jammu. Profound statements made by these doyens from the field of performing and visual arts, during the panel discussion on “The relevance of culture and heritage in the 21st century”, were thought provoking.
Hundreds of students from different schools and colleges across the country had a rare opportunity not only to witness performances by artists of repute but also to spend some valuable time interacting with great masters from the fields of arts and crafts, literature and yoga, music and dance, while learning in their intensive guidance the art of Kalamkari, pattachitra, puppetry, painting, sankha-vadyam, dhrupad and khayal singing, Kathak, Purulia Chhau and Kathakali dance styles and much more. Classic films of Akiro Kurosova, Satyajit Ray, Charlie Chaplin and talks on the arts by Naina Kanodia, and on Dogari literature by Padma Sachdev, were also enriching.
The five-day long convention concluded with an all-night concert that took a flying start on the evening of June 22nd with a captivat-ing Carnatic violin recital by Prof. T.N. Krishnan, ably assisted by his daughter and disciple Viji Krishnan Natrajan (violin), Guruvayur Dorai (mridanga) and V. Gopalakrishnan (ghata)
The ninety-nine year old Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan impressed and amazed the audience with his unbelievable vigour and remarkable stamina in his vocal recital, in which he presented his own compositions in raga Chhayanat, bandish ki thumri-s in raga Khamaj and Desh and Hazrat Amir Khusro’s tarana, before he concluded his concert with two compositions in raga Madhuvanti.
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Moral policing and artistic responsibility -LEELA VENKATARAMAN
A hotly debated issue in the current scenario — the discussion on “Artistic Licence and Moral Policing” spearheaded by the Indian Women’s Press Corps at their office in New Delhi on 30th July, predictably churned much froth, with raised voices expressing clashing points of view in support of or against the panelists comprising litterateurs, journalists and artists.
“Can there be freedom without responsibility?” is the issue behind the furore of protest by sections of the population against some of the artistic works exhibited at the Vadodara Faculty of Fine Arts and some paintings of M.F. Hussain. The other question is whether what constitutes artistic morality can be clearly defined, particularly when art is such a personalised field both in terms of its expression and in the responses to it. One man’s food could be another man’s poison. And to confuse the issue more, is art evoking religious symbols? In a country like ours, where so many religions, castes and ethnic groups live together, who is the final authority to decide on what constitutes artistic responsibility?.
Panelist Suneet Chopra (art critic) talked of artistic intention and art interpretation as two important guidelines. In the case of the paintings of M.F. Hussain, he vouched for there being no intention to hurt the religious sentiments of any group of people. Those who had interpreted some of his paintings as blasphemous knew little about art and less about the man they were criticising.
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LearnQuest Music Conference in Boston -DURGA KRISHNAN
The music historian Jules Combarieu said, “Music is the art of thinking with sounds”, a quote that aptly captures the essence of any music making. The Boston based LearnQuest Academy of Music organised, for the second time, a rare music festival where the musical thoughts poured in, in various shapes and form conveyed through a variety of instruments.
The academy organised its first two-day Music Conference in 2006, which was very well received by the community. The second Music Conference held in April this year, consisted of an evening session on the first day, April 6th and full day sessions on April 7th and 8th lasting past midnight. It included nine Hindustani music and four Carnatic music recitals, one lecture demonstration, two Hindustani and Carnatic jugalbandi concerts, one tabla solo and a special concert called “Music Triveni” where an aesthetic blending of Hindustani, Carnatic and Western music was offered.
LearnQuest Academy of Music is a non-profit educational institution devoted to providing formal instruction in Indian classical music, both Hindustani and Carnatic. Founded in December 1994, the academy offers curriculum-based instruction in several disciplines of Indian classical music by highly accom-plished and dedicated teachers. Since its inception, the academy has continually grown, gaining recogni-tion for its activities and has received appreciation from the community it serves. The academy organises workshops, lecdems, seminars and concerts by local artists as well as visiting musicians from India.
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COVER STORY
Kshetra Bharatham
A many-splendoured pilgrimage through dance -LEELA VENKATARAMAN
 Thematic festivals in dance, apart from providing a focus for creativity, provoke the dancer to experiment beyond the comfort zone of the margam format. Natyarangam’s eleventh such festival, the six-day long Kshetra Bharatham at the Sathguru Gnanananda Hall in Chennai, was a resounding success, with its creditable organisational planning and excellent choice of dancers, each teamed with a scholarly resource person to provide the information scaffolding. On the occasion, Natyarangam (the dance wing of the Narada Gana Sabha) honoured Guru Indra Rajan who hails from a Karaikkal Isai Vellalar family. She is particularly known for her authoritative nattuvangam, which has energised many a famous dancing star’s recital. Endowment awards were presented to Narthaki Nataraj (senior dancer), Mythili Prakash (talent promotion) and violinist N. Sigamani (dance musi-cian). A book with interesting articles written by the resource persons on each kshetram was released on the occasion..
Placing the festival in a contemporary context, chief guest B. Krishnaraja Vanavarayar maintained that as long as Rameswaram beckoned to the Indian in the north, and Kasi called out to the Indian in the south, India would be one. ‘Kshetram-s’ invested with the magnetic resonance of the collective adoration of millions of devotees through the ages, along with the creative energies of pan-Indian poets, vaggeyakara-s and bards, continue to draw people from every part of the country. Indian dance and music as inward looking disciplines integrating mind, body and soul, provide the best means of equipping people with qualities required for success in this technological age. Not surprisingly our arts, along with Yoga and Ayurveda, are the top export items!
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Guru Gopinath (1908 – 1987) Apostle of Indian Ballet-K.K. Gopalakrishnan
 The year 2008 is the birth centenary of Guru Gopinath, one of the pioneers of Indian ballet.
Some days ago, Ragini Devi, the dancer, came here with her party. She gave two performances. Her dancing was hardly worth looking at but Gopinath, her partner, was superb. His expression, his movements, and the strength and vigour with which he danced were simply marvellous. Some people go so far as to say that he is even better than the great Uday Shankar,” wrote Indira Gandhi in her letter of February 1935 to Nehru during her student days at Santiniketan.
Again on March 27, 1935, Indira Gandhi wrote: “I went with them (Vijayalakshmi Pandit, her husband R.S. Pandit and their daughter) as Uday Shankar was giving a performance in Calcutta and I was very eager to see him. I simply loved the dancing and the music and costumes were marvellous. But after having seen Gopinath’s dance, I was a bit disappointed. Gopinath is so much more graceful and his art is far superior to even the great Mr. Shankar’s. If Gopinath were to give one performance or two in Europe, his fame would be far greater than that of Uday Shankar.” (– excerpt from Freedom’s Daughter edited by Sonia Gandhi.)
Though the late Indira Gandhi was no connoisseur of dance, and surely had her likes and dislikes, her words are a tribute to the immaculate artistry of the late Guru Gopinath, which left a perpetual mark on a young, lively mind. His birth centenary is being celebrated the world over during 2007-08 by his disciples, grand-disciples and great-grand-disciples. A special programme is being mounted at Kalakshetra as a homage to Guru Gopinath on 23rd September in Chennai.
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MAIN FEATURE
Ranjani-Gayatri The Ra-Ga Sisters -V. Ramnarayan
 The excitement was palpable when the violin sisters Ranjani and Gayatri switched to vocal music in 1997. They had been successful violinists in the kutcheri circuit for a decade, though Ranjani was only 24 and Gayatri almost exactly three years younger. The buzz in Chennai’s music circles after their first few forays into vocal music was akin to that we first experienced when a whole bunch of young stars-to-be emerged in the 1980s.
It was their guru P.S. Narayanaswamy who insisted that the sisters enter the vocal kutcheri arena, just when they were peaking as violin accompanists and a brilliant lead violin duo. Of the two sisters, Ranjani readily accepted the challenge but Gayatri was hesitant, unsure she could handle the transi-tion. Today, it is Gayatri who feels that it was perhaps always meant to be. “By temperament I would not have been satisfied with being an accompanist forever.” Not that any restlessness was ever evident in their violin days. On the contrary, they were known to be the ideal accompanists giving free rein to their imagination only when it was their turn to indulge in manodharma, even then with due care not to commit excesses of improvisation.
They had both trained in violin in Mumbai, and had for years impressed the cognoscenti as well as lay listeners with their vidwat and understanding of the role of accompaniment, starting as young prodigies in 1986. It had been their practice from their childhood to learn to sing all their songs, internalising the lyrics for the more meaningful impact their music could provide. Their violin guru had insisted on that, right from the time Ranjani joined his classes as a precocious child.
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NEW PRODUCTION
Flame of the Forest — Two views
-K.R.A. NARASIAH
 The excitement was palpable when the violin sisters Ranjani and Gayatri switched to vocal music in 1997. They had been successful violinists in the kutcheri circuit for a decade, though Ranjani was only 24 and Gayatri almost exactly three years younger. The buzz in Chennai’s music circles after their first few forays into vocal music was akin to that we first experienced when a whole bunch of young stars-to-be emerged in the 1980s.
It was their guru P.S. Narayanaswamy who insisted that the sisters enter the vocal kutcheri arena, just when they were peaking as violin accompanists and a brilliant lead violin duo. Of the two sisters, Ranjani readily accepted the challenge but Gayatri was hesitant, unsure she could handle the transi-tion. Today, it is Gayatri who feels that it was perhaps always meant to be. “By temperament I would not have been satisfied with being an accompanist forever.” Not that any restlessness was ever evident in their violin days. On the contrary, they were known to be the ideal accompanists giving free rein to their imagination only when it was their turn to indulge in manodharma, even then with due care not to commit excesses of improvisation.
They had both trained in violin in Mumbai, and had for years impressed the cognoscenti as well as lay listeners with their vidwat and understanding of the role of accompaniment, starting as young prodigies in 1986. It had been their practice from their childhood to learn to sing all their songs, internalising the lyrics for the more meaningful impact their music could provide. Their violin guru had insisted on that, right from the time Ranjani joined his classes as a precocious child.
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REAR WINDOW
"No darkness where Ravi is!"
 The article Ravi iddalli katthale illa, was published in the Kannada book titled Hrinmana Deepti by S. Krishnamurthy, grandson of Mysore Vasudevacharya. It has been translated into English by N.S. RAO, former Vice Consul of the Federal Republic of Austria, in South India. Edited excerpts:
Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Alla Rakha meet ‘Abhinava Tyagaraja’ Mysore Vasudevacharya.
I am not quite sure about the year — it was 1946 or 1947 when the memorable event took place. It was around four in the afternoon. Following his daily routine, Thatha (my grandfather Vasudevacharya) had begun his sangeeta sadhana with the Tyagaraja kriti Merusamana in the raga Mayamalavagaula. Thatha was lost in the soul-elevating mood created by the sahitya. He was about to select a part of the charanam for niraval. Seated in the verandah of our home, I was going through the day’s newspaper while listening to the music from Thatha’s room.
Just then, an Austin car stopped in front of our house. Vidwan Seenappa, elder brother of tabla vidwan Seshappa was sitting next to the driver. Seenappa opened the rear door to help two young men alight from the car. I did not know them, but judging from their crisp, snow-white kurta and pyjamas, they were from North India. Endowed with thick curly hair, bright eyes and a glowing complexion, they appeared to me as if the divine Ashwini twins had descended from the heavens to grace the earth.
(to be continued)
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Way of Life
Reminiscences of S. Rajam - Part 1 Mylapore — Musical hub of Madras
My life has revolved around music and art. I have seen and heard most of the stalwarts of the ‘golden period’ of Carnatic music. I have been fortunate to have moved with them closely. In the early decades of the last century, Mylapore was at the centrestage of musical developments, with concerts within a stone’s throw of one another. And living in Nadu Street from the time I was five years old, I was in the middle of it all!.
 There were well known musicians, and many dedicated teachers of music, whose services have largely helped in the growth of Carnatic music. Most of them may not have succeeded as performers, but their pathantaram was authentic, and teaching music was their main source of livelihood. This army of unsung teachers was the repository of a huge repertoire. If we were to compile their combined repertoire we would get a thousand composi-tions! They spread the knowledge of music to a wide range of people, and thus contributed to keeping the tradition alive.
Many vidwan-s lived in Mylapore at that time. Mylapore was a hub, humming with musical activity not seen anywhere else in India. We can proudly say that it continues to be so to this day.
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OBITUARY
My Guru Korada Narasimha Rao
 Veteran Koochipoodi guru Korada Narasimha Rao passed away on 4th January 2007 in Eluru. The following is a tribute by his disciple VYJAYANTHI KASHI.
Born in Eluru in Andhra Pradesh on 4th June 1936, to Appalaswamy and Ankamma, Korada Narasimha Rao rose to become one of the most unforgettable Koochipoodi guru-s in recent times.
Attracted to the art of Pagativesham as a child, he followed Pagativeshalu groups where they performed. After returning home, he sat in front of the mirror, trying to imitate the artists their facial expressions. He often narrated to me whatever he could recall about their performances like Ardhanareeswara, and the songs of Krishna and Satyabhama.
What motivated him most at that age was the classical dance of Anjali Devi choreographed by guru Vedantam Raghavayya in the film ‘Bala Raju’. Although Korada was initially drawn to Pagativesham, his interest soon widened to include Koochipoodi.This heralded the start of a grand artistic career spanning many decades.
SANGEETA STHALAM
The Madras University’s Music Department A temple of higher learning
-SRIRAM.V
The School of Fine and Performing Arts, Department of Indian Music, University of Madras, completes 75 years this year, having come into existence in 1932. Special celebrations were organised on 20th July and the inaugural ceremony was held in the grand Senate House, now restored to its former glory by the recent renovation.
Music was introduced as part of the University’s curriculum in 1924 when a meeting of musicians, presided over by Harikesanallur L. Muthiah Bhagavatar was held at the Nagappa Chetty Pillayar Vasanta Mandapam in Triplicane’s Big Street. A resolution was passed urging the University to include music among the optional subjects for the Intermediate examination. This was endorsed at a meeting held under the auspices of the South Indian Teachers’ Union at the Pachaiyappa’s College, Madras. Sir R. Venkataratnam, Vice Chancellor, deeply interested in music, advocated the setting up of a committee to draft a syllabus, and its recommendations were revised by a second committee. Both had P. Sambamoorthy as a member. The professional musicians of Madras protested against the move to impart music training through the University as they feared a threat to their own income from tuitions. Music was finally introduced as an optional subject in the Intermediate Course
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BOOK SHELF
RAMADAS and THYAGARAJA: Two Saint Composers. Compiled and Edited by Prof. A. Prasanna Kumar. [Sri Raja–Lakshmi Foundation, Chennai & Visakhapatnam. 74/8 MVP Colony, Visakhapatnam 530 017. Price not mentioned].PAPPU VENUGOPALA RAO.
The book is a devotional tribute to the two great composers Ramadas and Tyagaraja. Though they are separated by about two hundred years, both of them share an indomitable devotion to Lord Rama. While Tyagaraja has composed on several other gods, his primary devotion to Rama has been the underlying current in all his compositions. Ramadas, in contrast, belongs to a class of devotees whose bhakti is known as ‘ekanta bhakti’ or ‘ananya bhakti’, and who worshipped only one god and no other. Ramadas can be said to be of a higher denomination under this heading also because of his exclusive devotion to Rama of Bhadrachalam and no other Rama. Musically Ramadas’s compositions flow with ease and reflect an outpouring of a devotee who underwent twelve years of rigorous imprisonment. His compositions fall into three categories —before he went to prison, during imprisonment, and after he was released. A major chunk — about 65 out of the 130 odd of his total compositions, were written in prison. Most of them bring tears to the eye — they are pained appeals to the Lord to protect him.
ANTARNAAD – Sur aur Saaz. By Pandit Vijayshankar Mishra (in Hindi). [Kanishka Publishers - 4697/5-21, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi 600002. Pp. 471, including the prefatory ones). Rs. 900].S.K. SAXENA
As a record of interviews with 39 leading musicians of today, four essays on Bharat Ratna awardees, and 17 essays on musicians who are no longer with us but whose memories we still revere, this book is unique. It is therefore a venture of singular value.
By providing truthful accounts of the chosen artists’ own experience, reflection on music, personal struggles and environment, the book fills a clear lacuna in our concern with the world of Hindustani music. Besides being very well written, the book is distinguished by the author’s ability to put questions to the artists interviewed in a way at once sensible, penetrating and determined, yet at no point impolite.
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News you can Use
P.S. Narayanaswamy, C. Saroja (Bombay Sisters), Srimushnam Raja Rao, Mandolin U. Shrinivas, T.S. Vembu, V.V. Sundaram, Shrividya Rajagopalan, G. Nagasamy and Karai A. Shangarasethu are the Trustees of the Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Commemoration Trust and Manamadurai Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Aradhana Isai Vizha.
The seventh S.V. Narayanaswamy Rao Memorial National Award for excellence in Carnatic music was presented to vidwan Nedunuri Krishnamurthy by Prof. B.K. Chandrasekhar, during the music festival organised by Sri Ramaseva Mandali in Bangalore. The award comprises a citation, shawl, memento and a purse for 50,000 rupees.
A book titled Kuchipudi Adavu Samu, by US-based Koochipoodi and Bharatanatyam exponent and teacher Rathna Kumar, was released on 3rd March 2007 in Chennai.
A book titled The Splendour of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, by Dr. Sakuntala Narasimhan, was released in Bangalore.
A book titled Hastha Prayogah — the vocabulary of hand gestures in Bharatanatyam, by Bharatanatyam exponent and teacher Jayalakshmi Eshwar; was released in Delhi.
Akashvani Sangeet CDs and cassettes of the late T.R. Mahalingam (flute) and Maharajapuram V. Santhanam (vocal) under “the great masters of Carnatic music” series, produced by Prasar Bharati and All India Radio, were released on 9th March in Chennai.
Maharajapuram Srinivasan (C-vocal) with the title Nada Sri, Neena Prasad (Mohini Attam and Bharatanatyam exponent) with the title Nritya Sri, Seetha Ratnakar (Doordarshan Kendra, Chennai) with the title Vidya Sri, and Harikesanallur Venkataraman (writer) with the title Gnana Sri, by the SaRiGaMapaDhaNi Foundation; recently in Chennai.
Aimperum Vizha of music and dance was organised jointly by the Tamil Nadu Govt. Music College, Tiruvaiyaru, Dept. of Culture, Centre for Tamil Culture, South Zone Cultural Centre, Tanjavur, and Tanjavur Cultural Centre, 29th March to 1st April in Tiruvaiyaru.
A book titled A Musician's Reminiscences by nonagenarian musician and scholar Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam was released on the opening day of the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana Festival in April in Cleveland, U.S.A.
Carnatic musician and composer Dwaraki Krishnaswamy, was honoured on 14th April with the Kalamargi Award by Nrityakalamandiram, which is celebrating its silver jubilee in Bangalore.
A veena concert was organised in memory of Karaikudi Subbarama Iyer (elder of the famous Karaikudi brothers), by vidushi Raajeswari Padmanabhan on 29th April at the Raga Sudha hall in Chennai. The concert featured Raajeswari Padmanabhan (veena), Madhirimangalam Swaminathan (mridanga), S. Karthick (ghata).
On the occasion of World Dance Day, the Shiromani Institute honoured veteran dancers Yamini Krishnamurthi (Bharatanatyam), Uma Sharma (Kathak), and Sonal Mansingh (Odissi) with the Lifetime Achievement award, and Prathibha Prahlad (Bharatanatyam), Navtej Singh Johar (Creative), Teejan Bai (Traditional folk), Kavita Dwibedi (up-and-coming, Odissi), and Leela Venkataraman (critic) with Nritya Shiromani Samman; 29th April in New Delhi.
A book titled My Enjoyment of Music by music critic K. Raghavendra Rao was released on 30th April in Mysore.
‘Smrityanjali’ in memory of Carnatic musician and composer the late Vinjamuri Varadaraja Iyengar was observed by his family, disciples, and admirers on 24th June in Los Angeles, U.S.A. It included a vocal concert by Tiruvaiyaru S.R. Krishnan, and release of the Sangeetha Vahini Vol. II — a book of Vinjamuri’s compositions.
Sri Thyagabrahma Sabha, Tanjavur conducted a ten-day music festival from 22nd June to 1st July in Tanjavur. The festival was inaugurated by Dr. C. Subramaniam, Vice Chancellor, Tamil University. A special souvenir was released to mark the occasion.
‘Parjanya’ — a three-day lecdem-cum-concert series on “Rain producing Raga-s” was organised by DakshinaChitra from 1st to 3rd July in Chennai.
Music, dance and Harikatha were orgainsed as part of the 148th birth anniversary celebrations of M. Abraham Pandithar by his family on 5th August at the Laly Hall situated on Abraham Pandithar Street in Tanjavur.
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Season Awardees
Mridanga vidwan Palghat R. Raghu has been selected to preside over the 81st annual conference of the Music Academy and receive the title of Sangeeta Kalanidhi; C-musicians B. Krishnamurthy and V. Subramaniam to receive the title of Sangeeta Kala Acharya; nattuvangam guru and composer Bhagavatulu Seetarama Sharma and jalatarangam artist Sita Doraiswamy to receive the TTK Award; and vidwan Madurai G.S. Mani to receive the Vaggeyakara Award; at the sadas of the Music Academy on 1st January 2008.
Musician and composer Madurai G.S. Mani to receive the title of Tamil Isai Vendar; C-vocalist R. Ganesh the title of Isai Peroli; Bharatanatyam dancer Lavanya Ananth the title of Nadanamamani; R. Krishnaswami (Secretary, Narada Gana Sabha) the Kartik Rajagopal Golden Jubilee award; and veteran musician and composer Tanjavur Sankara Iyer the Sirkazhi Govindarajan Memorial award; from Kartik Fine Arts in December 2007.
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Formal Debut
Anitha (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Uma & Mr. S. Hariharan, and disciple of Rajeswari Sainath (Sruthi Laya Kendra Natrajaalaya), 3rd March in Hyderabad.
Harini (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Nalini & Mr. Ravichandran, and disciple of the Dhananjayans (Bharata Kalanjali), 3rd March in Chennai.
S. Janani (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Lalitha & M. Sundar, and disciple of Meenakshi Chitharanjan (Kaladiksha), 12th April in Chennai.
Shrutilaya & Abinaya (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Shubha & Mr. Ramesh, and disciple of Roja Kannan (Bharatha Natyalaya), 26th April in Chennai.
S. Madhumita (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Lalitha & Mr. B. Sankar, and disciple of Samyuktha Varadarajan (Srivarnisa Kalalaya), 29th April in Chennai.
S. Nikitha (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Rema & Mr. P. Sethumadhavan, and disciple of S. Divyasena (Divyanjali), 29th April in Chennai.
M. Shruthi (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Meena & Mr. S.S. Muralidharan, and disciple of Roja Kannan (Bharatha Natyalaya), 1st May in Chennai.
Lakshmi Priya (Koochipoodi), d/o Mrs. Rajini Mathivanan, and disciple of Mosalikanti Kishore, 19th May in Chennai.
Snehaa & Nithikaa (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Vasumathi & Mr. Sundaram, and disciple of Roja Kannan (Bharatha Natyalaya), 27th May in Chennai.
R. Sai Smruthi (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Subathra & Mr. N. Rajagopal, and disciple of Samyuktha Varadarajan (Srivarnisa Kalalaya), 17th June in Chennai.
Sathwika (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Shoba & Mr. Ravishankar Rajagopalan, and disciple of Roja Kannan (Bharatha Natyalaya), 29th June in Chennai.
Nandita & Nivedita (Bharatanatyam), d/o Mrs. Chitra & Mr. Krishnan, and disciple of Uma Anand, 30th June in Chennai.
 Veteran Bharatanatyam guru Sarada Hoffman was honoured with the title ‘Aachaarya Devo Bhava’ (Lifetime Achievement Award), Carnatic musician Nalini Ramprasad (Founder, Sri Matha Samarpanam) with the title ‘Sangeeta Aachaarya Siromani’; and mridanga vidwan and teacher R. Jayaraman with the title ‘Laya Aachaarya Siromani’; by Sri Sumukhi Rajasekharan Memorial Foundation; recently in Chennai.
 Geethanjali 2007 — the second music festival in memory of the late M.S. Subbulakshmi, was organised by Sri Lalithakala Academy Foundation, Mysore and Swami Vivekananda Yoga University, Prashanti, Bangalore, on 6th May in Bangalore. The title of ‘Sangeetharatna’ was conferred on violin vidwan T.N. Krishnan by Governor of Karnataka T.N. Chaturvedi. A brochure on the life and achievements of MS, and the second edition of the VCD — Journey through Images of M.S. Subbulakshmi, were released. Cultural programmes were organised on the occasion.
 A programme in memory of Usha Srinivasan (Bharatanatyam exponent and teacher) who died about a year ago of cancer, was organised by her family, disciples and admirers in Chennai recently. Usha was a disciple of the famous natyacharya K.N. Dandayudhapani Pillai; she later started her own dance school Hasta in Chennai. She was associated with dance organisations like ABHAI and the IDA. Dance guru-s and dance personalities who participated in the memorial function recalled Usha Srinivasan’s human qualities and service in the field of Bharatanatyam. Those who spoke on the occasion included Nandini Ramani, V.R. Devika, Leela Sekhar, M.V. Narasimhachari, Sudharani Raghupathy, C.V. Chandrasekhar and S. Janaki. Usha’s disciples paid their homage to her memory by presenting dance items taught by her.
 Vainika Revathy Krishna presented a veena concert at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the presence of the then President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. After the concert, Dr. Kalam presented her a plaque with his name and the picture of the Rashtrapati Bhavan
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