NEW PRODUCTION
'I have a Dream' -A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Venue: Teatro Massimo, Palermo, Italy.
Dates: 14-18 March 2008.
Choreography: Luciano Cannito with interventions by Ileana Citaristi and Tadashi Endo.
Direction: Beppe Menegatti.

This unique dance production about the spiritual paths of men and women of our time was inspired by a sentence written by Mother Teresa of Kolkata on a postcard directed to Carla Fracci, the legendary Italian prima ballerina: "God loves you tenderly; put your love for him in your dance so that people may be attracted to him through your dance. God bless you".

The title I have a Dream is taken from the speech Martin Luther King delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on 28th August 1963 at the end of a civil rights march. The first segment of the ballet was dedicated to King, followed by Ernesto Che Guevara, the Cuban martyr who died for the liberation of his country from American domination.

The other segments were dedicated to Edith Stein, the Jewish nun who gave her life helping prisoners in concentration camps under the Nazis; the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, recently killed in Russia for her investigative work on the links between the mafia and the establishment; Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi the two great Indian symbols of peace and non violence; Aung San Suu Kyi, who lives as a permanent prisoner in her own country Myanmar; the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, the women who challenged the dictatorship in Argentina during the Peron regime, and Jan Palach who set himself on fire in Prague in January 1969 to demonstrate against the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia.

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The Bhagavata Mela in Melattur
A lesson in devotion -SWARNAMALYA

While we struggle so hard to recreate a "temple stage" in our city prosceniums, under the glare of arc lights with sophisticated acoustics, and contemporary commentaries to achieve the 'inwardisation', and the more elusive 'rasanubhava', here is a clan of artists who seem to know absolute inner tranquillity. It was an effortless reach for the "daiva siddhi" that Bharata talks about in the Natya Sastra, as the highest achievement or attainment of aesthetic enjoyment and the purpose of art. Natya — drama with music, dance, dialogues, stories, stagecraft and theatrics — is best preserved by these dedicated artists or bhagavata-s. The 68th Bhagavata Mela festival at Melattur this year brought alive yet again one of the greatest living traditional theatrical art forms of Tamil Nadu.

Melattur is almost cut off from the mainstream crowds of Tanjavur and other nearby towns. We begin to feel at home as we join the locals and visitors gathered outside homes and talking to one another from their "tinnai-s". The air is fragrant with the festive mood.

At Melattur, the reverence artists show by first paying obeisance to God at the temple before going on stage, the way they sanctify the stage with unhurried renditions of bhajana sampradaya songs, nama sankeertanam, and the todayamangalam transform the space into a hallowed site. The message they send out is very clear: "We are about to engage in no ordinary entertainment, hence in the name of God, let us embark upon this divine journey." And then there is a beautiful start sans commentary, explanations or credits. Involving the audience in the nama sankeertanam truly purifies and prepares our minds for the divine experience to follow. All this stands in total contrast to the blaring of names, titles and laurels won, accompanied by thunderous applause that we are used to in the city.

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A golden innings in Sattriya - ANWESA MAHANTA

'Barbayan' Ghanakanta Bora, celebrated Sattriya dance exponent and guru, was accorded a warm felicitation at a colourful function at Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati, to mark his 50 years in Sattriya dance. It was organised by the Ghanakanta Bora Felicitation Committee comprising academicians, admirers and disciples of the guru. A felicitation volume titled Sattriya Paramparar Surabhi (Fragrance of the Sattriya Tradition) edited by Dr. Malloka Kandali, was released and presented to Ghanakanta Bora by Dr. Nirmal Kumar Chaudhary, eminent educationist and former Vice Chancellor, Guwahati University.

Dr. Chaudhuary felicitated the guru for his virtuosity and dedication. Another distinguished scholar, composer and academician, Dr. Birendranath Datta, also recalled memories of the thrilling performances of the 'Barbayan' both in percussion and dance. Nrityacharya Jatin Goswami, septuagenarian maestro of Sattriya dance went down memory lane to the fifties when he had met young Ghanakanta as a satra inmate in the Kamalabari Satra at Majuli — a well known island in the Brahmaputra river. There he received training in both percussion and dance under the tutelage of Maniram Dutta Muktiyar. The veteran also described Ghanakanta Bora as one of the rare custodians of the purest form and beauty of Sattriya

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IACRF celebrates 15th anniversary - LAKSHMI MANI

The Indo-American Cultural and Religious Foundation (IACRF, INC.), founded in 1994 as a nonprofit association has stood at the vanguard of promoting cultural events in New Jersey. IACRF has brought to New Jersey outstanding artists in the fields of music, dance and drama from India to perform in the U.S.A. In addition, it also encourages local talent in the New Jersey area.

This year is special because it is the fifteenth anniversary of IACRF. Bargavi Sundararajan, the dynamic President of IACRF, and her colleagues Rajam and Ramanathan, together with innumerable volun­teers, organised a two-day music festival on 26th and 27th April at the Sri Venkateswara Temple auditorium in Bridgewater. The festival included concerts by local artists as well as renowned musicians from India like T.M. Krishna and Aruna Sayeeram, accompanied by a talented team of accompanists: R.K. Shriram Kumar, Arun Prakash, H.N. Bhaskar and J. Vaidyanathan. The two-day festival was also unique in honouring Padma Srinivasan "for teaching excellence and outstanding service to Carnatic music" in the New Jersey area for over 20 years. Padma Srinivasan has become an institution in the New Jersey/New York area. She combines erudition with a gift for teaching students ranging in age from five to seventy or older.

While the local artists — Subha Srinivasan, Ashvin Bhogendra, Bhavani Prakash, Saavitri Ramanand, Kalyani Ramani, and Rajeswari Satish displayed high proficiency in Carnatic music, the highlights of the two-day festival were the concerts of T.M. Krishna and Aruna Sayeeram.

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Sydney music festival - SHOBHA SEKHAR

Carnatic musicians will soon be 'visiting' Chennai only for the December Music season, thanks to the upsurge in the global demand to host music fests and kutcheri-s! The Annual Diary may soon look like this: February to April – U.S.A., May to July - Australia, August to November - Europe and other countries, December and January - Chennai.

The burgeoning population of Indian/Sri Lankan emigrants to countries such as Australia, a virtual shift by enthusiastic parents towards encouraging their children to learn Indian classical art forms, and the passion and commitment of resident musicians to teach and mentor aspiring youngsters, have helped to elevate the profile of Carnatic music in the hearts and minds of music rasika-s.

Swara-Laya Fine Arts Society is a fledgling non-profit organisation in Sydney with the propagation of classical art forms in Australia for its mission. Conceived by Jeyendran and supported by a team of music enthusiasts, the organisation launched the Sydney festival last year and was moderately successful. Jeyendran, an electrical engineer by profession, has always played a pivotal role in organising events for the Murugan temple. "We do not have the funding or support from any Government body or sponsors," he says. This is a self funding project and all profits will go to a charity. The team of volunteers has very magnanimously supported the festival with marketing and sale of tickets. The marketing involved a 'personal touch', volunteers meeting during the past six months and making telephone calls to potential rasika-s," he explains.

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Remembering Guru Narmada - SULOCHANA SARALYA

Students of Shakuntala Nrityashala, Bangalore paid tribute to their Guru Narmada at the J. S. S. Auditorium, on her first death anniversary. They mounted a photo exhibition and a video presentation followed by an exemplary Bharatanatyam recital by Narthaki Nataraj, a disciple of Narmada's guru, the late K.P. Kittapa Pillai.

Performing for the first time in Bangalore, Narthaki mesmerised the connoisseurs with her excellent angika and good footwork combined with highly involved satvika abhinaya, especially that of a sringara nayika in the varnam. Narthaki began her recital with a sloka on goddess Lakshmi, followed by Mamava Meenakshi in Varali. The highlight of the evening was her presentation of the varnam by the Tanjavur Quartet in Khamas raga — Samiyai azhaittodi va. The charanam saw Narthaki at her best in communicating the feelings of the heroine at the thought of her beloved's arrival, it was a dignified depiction of sambhoga sringara. The leisurely jati-s executed with perfect araimandi, impressive lines with pleasing aleedha and pratyaleedha positions, threw light on Narthaki's good grasp on nritta. The appropriate usage of dhrishti and sirobheda were a lesson to young dancers.

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EyAaO! 'Joint family' goes to China - PAUL JACOB

"I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any" - Mahatma Gandhi.

These unbelievable words have knowingly or unknowingly been the inspiration for several renowned international musicians, dancers, painters and architects, including the great Stravinsky, to dig deep into the rich cultural heritage of India. This ocean of wealth is yet unseen and unheard of even to most Indians. Artists who come to India to explore and educate themselves on our heritage, are amazed that the 5000-year old traditions which have kept the spirit of India alive are yet to be experienced in many parts of the world.

While classical music and dance have gained infrastructure and support in urban areas and through the international Indian community, the folk arts have not been so lucky. Many of these traditional folk arts and crafts have survived through simple hand-me-down methods in families which have been practising them for generations. In today’s globalising world, the younger generation of these traditional families show little or no interest in carrying the traditions forward.

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Palani Subramania Pillai
Birth Centenary Celebrations - S. JANAKI

The birth centenary of mridanga maestro Palani M. Subramania Pillai was celebrated on 11th May at the Satguru Gnanananda Hall in Chennai. N. Murali, Managing Director, The Hindu and President of the Music Academy, inaugurated and presided over the solemn function. The programme was organised jointly by Palani Sri M. Subramania Pillai Trust and the Narada Gana Sabha Trust. The two organisations have been collaborating for many years to celebrate Guru Smaranam in memory of the mridanga maestro. Mridanga vidwan Guruvayur Dorai welcomed the distinguished gathering of invitees and admirers of Palani. The organisers then read out a special message from Trichy Sankaran — one of Palani's senior disciples, settled in Canada. Mannargudi Balaji recited a verse in Tamil in praise of Palani, written by Sridhar Kumar — a mridanga, khanjira and konnakol artist.

M.S. Ramanujam, Postmaster General, Chennai City Region, released a special cover with a special cancellation. Presenting it to R. Krishnaswami, Secretary, Narada Gana Sabha, he said, "bringing out a special cover or stamp is one way to commemorate and perpetuate the contributions of such personalities to the nation." Stalwarts like M. Balamuralikrishna, Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and T.K. Murthy paid tribute to Palani — the man and his mastery of the mridanga.

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36th ITC-SRA Sangeet Sammelan - MANJARI SINHA

Acclaimed as one of the major music festivals in the cultural calendar of the capital, the ITC Sangeet Sammelan has had a nostalgic association with music lovers of Delhi for more than three decades. The 36th ITC-SRA (Sangeet Research Acedemy) Sangeet Sammelan surprisingly saw the most modest gathering this year. Even the guest of honour Gursharan Kaur expressed her amazement at the half empty hall on the inaugural evening.

Presented as a 'Tribute to a Legend Sangeet Martand Ustad Chand Khan', the 36th ITC-SRA Sangeet Sammelan was held in March 2008 at Delhi’s Kamani auditorium. It had three sessions  of vocal and instrumental music. The prestigious ITC Award, this year, was conferred on Pandit Jasraj of the Mewati Gharana on the inaugural evening. Speaking on the occasion he hailed SRA as a temple of music which has honoured (him) a devotee of music. Vidyadhar Vyas and Anil Rajput reiterated the aim of SRA, namely, the preservation, promotion and performance of Indian classical music.

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NEW PRODUCTION
'Rati Kamadeva' - Ek Anubhooti - SAPNA RANGASWAMY

Ahmedabad based Ishira and Maulik represent the gen-next Kathak dancers. Rati Kamadeva - Ek Anubhooti is their seductive, contemporary yet classy choreographic dance piece. Rati Kamadeva was premiered in Pune in March 2007 and it was recently staged in Vadodara at the Kathak Festival at Kirti Mandir. This mythological story of Rati and Kamadeva is based on Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhavam.

Once upon a time, all the gods were terrified that the intense meditation of Siva would disturb the balance of the universe. To save the universe it was necessary to awake Siva from his meditation… Parvati with her dance and singing tried to seduce him but he did not stir. The gods then requested Rati and Kamadeva to break Siva's meditation and unite him with Parvati to save the universe. Rati and Kama being the ambassadors of love arouse the feelings of love and desire. Together they danced the dance of love and when Kama's arrow hit the meditating Siva, he was disturbed and opened his third eye. Angry Siva burnt down Kama, whose death shatters Rati and she too decides to end her life. On seeing Rati's true love for Kama, Siva grants her a boon that when he would unite with Parvati, Kama would return to Rati in his 'ananta swaroopa'.

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REAR WINDOW

The day of the concert   -MALAVIKA SARUKKAI

The day of the concert is when all the effort by a whole team comes together. Different artists have different ways of preparing for a big occasion. Here, we learn how Bharata­natyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai goes through the process — "the making of art". We hope to present other artists in similar roles in future.

Finally, the days and hours of rehearsal are over. My mother and I have sat and discussed at length the thematic and emotional flow of the evening's performance. Often what seems cohesive during discussions does not necessarily work out at the performative level. Each piece to be presented has to be seen both individually and collectively in performance. There have been many rehearsal sessions with the musicians; items have been repeated. Dates in my diary tell of the long wake. Demands have been made on my energy reserves. It has been arduous to not only have physical stamina but to keep faith in the need for excellence. To keep the fire of creativity alive. To inspire and be inspired. My musicians come together, freelancers all of them, to harmonise together in the process of making music for me. I spend much time discussing and engaging with them. To get them to 'feel' the special nuance, the turn of my thoughts, the narrative of rhythm. This is not easy and I appreciate their collective creative effort. At last, after many rehearsals a certain inner energy pervades the choreographed piece. Deep within me I feel it has 'birthed'. My mother and I share this silent joy. Exhausted and content, I now feel I can finally present it to the audience.

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BOOKSHELF

HINDI FILM SONG - Music Beyond Boundaries  - V.A.K. RANGA RAO

HINDI FILM SONG - Music Beyond Boundaries. By Ashok Da. Ranade. [Promilla & Co. in association with Bibliophile South Asia, New Delhi & Chicago. C-127 Sarvodaya Enclave, New Delhi 110 017. 2006. Pp. 400 + 8 pages of stills on art paper. Rs. 495.]

Why should Sruti, devoted to the classical performing arts, take cognizance of a book on film music?

Because it is authored by Ashok Da. Ranade, whose classical credentials are unquestionable. He has a knowledge, deep and fond, of theatre. He has composed music for plays, documentaries and films. His grip on ethnomusicology is also on record. He has authored books on all the above subjects, in Marathi and English, and has lectured about them. One expects unusual insights into a familiar medium from him. One is not disappointed.