It was the last day of the Chennai Sangamam festival when I went to the Government Estate to meet some of the artists. It was a
lovely January morning and the sunny weather was enhanced by the warm smiling faces of the artists as they milled around the
MLA's Hostel. Some were performing impromptu for visitors like me, others were walking around in groups, yet others were posing
for photographs. In a corner, payments were being made to the participants. In a tent, Father Jagat Gasper Raj was addressing
some of the artists and thanking them. It was one happy morning.
Going walk about, I was able to speak to a few artists. The Sangamam has clearly made a big difference in their lives. Take
weak-sighted Sankarapandian who performs kavadi attam to the nayyandi, magadi and ballu pattu tunes. He started
learning the art at the age of seven from his father Ananjaperumal. Today he is 72. The highlight of his life was when he performed for
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958. His wife is a karagam artist and as for his son, he felt that there is no scope in the family profession
and now runs a mechanic shop. "How did you come to have such poor eyesight?" I ask. He gives me a beaming smile and says it was because
he was drinking too much at one time! And how did he get into that? "Oh my father made me take to it," he says. "He claimed it would
make me stronger." But now Sankarapandian is out of the genie's clutches. Before the Sangamam there were opportunities only to perform
every Tuesday and Wednesday in the months of Tei (December/ January) and Avani (August/ September). Post the first Sangamam, in which he
has been participating since its inception, he has more frequent invitations. He is next scheduled to perform at the Xavier College,
Palayamkottai. And does he not find the kavadi heavy? Never, he says. And how long does he propose to continue performing it? For the
rest of his life.
To grow as dancers, we need at times to just stop dancing, step back and put our art in some kind of context. For those
of us who have not made this a habit, the Tennangur experience is the best way to start. Organised by Natyarangam, this
dance camp 'Natya Sangraham', now in its tenth year has successfully managed to be the one event that dancers wait
for in eager anticipation. This year, the three-day camp started with an informal gathering on 23rd January at the
Narada Gana Sabha foyer where we met our fellow participants. Everyone was friendly but a little wary of the noticeable
hierarchy of dancers assembled! A mild problem because less than an hour into our trip, we were all mingling as
serious dancers and rasika-s on one mission to become students yet again.
We arrived at Tennangur and were assigned our individual rooms and bathrooms a pleasant relief for those of us finicky
travellers! Retiring to our rooms, we were up early for the morning yoga session (not without a bit of reluctance, I
must admit). The lethargy was short lived as Anil Kumar our yoga teacher firmly and enthusiastically took charge of
the group. A few stretches and some 'kapala bati' pranayama later, even the sleepiest of us was raring to go. It was the
start to Natya Sangraham 2009.
Madurai Mani Iyer. The very name evokes an affectionate, intimate kind of nostalgia. An outstanding vocalist of an earlier
era, he was both a pundits and a people's musician, whose lilt swayed even the unlettered, uninitiated passerby with its
sometimes beseeching, sometimes playful magic of pure sound. He was that rare amalgam of swara and sruti that achieved the
ultimate effect of effortlessness; not only in raga alapana and kriti rendering but also in his mellifluous cascades of
swara-s did he paint the raga swaroopa with utter fidelity. He was one of the most consistent performers in the midst of
many giants of Carnatic music, yet his consistency did not mean repetitiveness; critics and enthusiasts remark on how fresh
his music was throughout his career, how fresh it continues to be even today.
A nephew of the celebrated Madurai Pushpavanam, Madurai Mani Iyer fashioned a style all his own, a brand of singing
quite unlike any other, in the process winning over a legion of followers. His music was original, without leaving the strait
and narrow path of tradition. Much beloved by his rasika-s, peers and seniors among vocalists and accompanists, even that much feared breed of human being, the music critic, Mani Iyer kept it simple, his music a direct line to the divine, in
its chaste if unusual vocalisation and obvious surrender to his muse. If his sweet voice earned him the sobriquet Madhura
Gana Mani, his evocative rendering of the raga once so thrilled the Mohanam specialist Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer,
that he hailed him as Mohana Mani.
SEASON
Natya Kala Conference Ramayana in Performing Arts
- APARNA SEETHARAMAN
In this report, we present a fresh perspective of a Bharatanatyam dancer in her twenties who spent her formative years in India, and has since been living in the U.S.A.
The 2008 Natya Kala Conference at the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha was devoted to the Ramayana theme. In his inaugural address, K. Jayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Kerala, pointed out that the Valmiki Ramayana has been translated into numerous languages, with each translator using his creativity and poetic licence to bring the story alive in that language. Such translations buck the Western trend of being completely faithful to the original that severely limits the translator. He also attributed the popularity of the Ramayana to the myriad characters, each so well-sketched out, with the Indian ethos perpetuated by each. But essentially, it is a simple story of a husband and wife and their travails, albeit in an elaborate setting. He also mentioned an oft-repeated characteristic of the Ramayana that Rama was simply a man (not a divine being like Krishna) who was true to the path of dharma.
While each of the presenters had an interesting viewpoint to share, the following appealed to me the most.
The Cell. As the name suggests, a trap, a prison. Only, the cell phone is a subtle trap that ensnares the user without him even realising it. Technological development, while largely for the benefit of mankind, can cause great harm if used indiscreetly. The onset of the age of computers saw the disappearance of outdoor activity and playtime for children. Similarly, the cell phone, meant ostensibly for staying in touch and emergencies, is being put to indiscriminate use.
What prompted me to pen this article are a few observations over the last year, culminating in the December Festival. I write with particular reference to the attitude and behaviour of people in the context of the performing arts. Music appreciation is a sensitive and refined art, where the demands on the listener are manifold. An absorbed and attentive listener can enjoy the music more and in turn spur the artist to better performance. If the French and German audiences are acclaimed as the best worldwide, they have rightly earned the praise. Total silence, the first and basic requisite for any art form being performed on a stage, in itself indicates the respect and attention a listener gives to the performer.
PEER PLEASURE
Sarada Hoffman my friend for six decades - A feature in which one artist writes about another on a personal note
My memory goes back to June 1945 when I, a ten-year old boy, met Sarada, as a young, 16-year old teacher of Bharatanatyam. She was
already established and the seniormost performer of the nine-year old institution, with more than eight years of training with the
traditional masters who had served Kalakshetra. Since then, she has been a very close friend and then a teacher. Till I embarked on
my own journey of Bharatanatyam in 1954, Sarada was my main inspiration. Our mentor Rukmini Devi was ever present around us
imparting values of the Indian way of life, Indian aesthetics, Indian philosophy, tolerance towards all religions of the world,
Indian textiles, love for animals the list is endless. But Sarada's close association made me understand and appreciate these
values by our constant and valuable meetings throughout my Kalakshetra days.
As an artist, Sarada was perfection personified and tolerated no nonsense inside the classroom. She believes in hard work and total
dedication which, to some extent, has been passed on to many of us, her students. We never kept count of the number of rehearsals she
would conduct even for a single piece to be performed. I owe my present energy to perform solo margam-s even today, to the hard work
which she put in for us when I was in my teens. Sarada has often been blamed for being a very strict disciplinarian and taskmaster.
But dancers trained by her, who still continue to perform, must all be obliged to her and would vouch for her method of teaching which
emphasised body kinetics.
* Vanna Malargal by Dr. V. Raghavan (Tamil) [Dr. V. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts, Rs. 150]
* Sangeeta Ninaivu Alaigal by M.S. Sountharam (Tamil) [Vaanathi Pathippagam, Rs. 30]
* Guruguha! (Tamil) by R. Sridharan [R. Sridharan, Rs. 200]
* Bhakti Geetamalai by A. Ramji and V. Venkatesan (Tamil) [A. Ramji, Price not mentioned]
* Youth Jugalbandi by Charukesi (Tamil) [Vikatan Prasuram, Rs. 65]
* Mridangam the King of Percussions (with VCD) by Dr. T.V. Gopalakrishnan [Vision Musica, Rs. 395, US $ 25, E 17]
* Solkattu Manual An Introduction to the Rhythmic Language of south Indian music (with 2 DVDs) by David P. Nelson [Wesleyan University Press, price not mentioned]
* Bharatanatyam Bhakta Guru M.K. Saroja by Ashish Mohan Khokar [Ashish Mohan Khokar, Rs. 1100, US $ 60, E 50]
* Classical Dances Incredible India by Sonal Mansingh, Photographs Avinash Pasricha. [Wisdom Tree, Rs. 695] -
* Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer (with CD) by V. Subrahmaniam and Sriram V [Westland Limited, Rs. 790]
* Essentials of Musicology in South Indian Music (with CD) by Prof. S.R. Janakiraman [The Indian Music Publishing House, Rs. 460]
* The Grammar of Carnatic Music (with MP3) by K.G. Vijayakrishnan [Mouton de Gryter]
* Ragas which emerged during the post-Trinity period and their lakshana (with CD) by Dr. M.B. Vedavalli [Dr. M.B. Vedavalli, Rs. 500]
* The Harmonium Handbook by Satyaki Kriaig Brockschmidt [New Age Books, Rs. 175]
* Music Therapy by Dr. Suvarna Nalapat [Readworthy, Rs. 220]
* At Home in the World (Bharata Natyam On the Global Stage) Janet OShea [Wesleyan University Press, US $26.95]
* Indian Classical Music & Gharana Tradition by R.C. Mehta [Readworthy Publications, Rs. 780]
* Collected Writings on Indian Music by Dr. V. Raghavan [Dr. Raghavan Centre For Performing Arts with SNA, Rs. 650]
* Prayers, Praises And Psalms compiled and translated by Dr. V. Raghavan. (Text in Devanagari and English translation) [Dr. Raghavan Centre For Performing Arts, Rs. 300]
* Harikatha Samartha Ramda's Contribution to the Art of Spiritual Story-Telling by I.P. Meera Grimes [Indica Books, Rs. 250] -
* Ragacikitsa (Music Therapy) by Suvarna Nalapat [Readworthy, Rs. 760]
* History of Tamizhs Dance by Dr. S. Raghuraman, translated by Lakshmi Ramaswamy [Nandini Pathippagam, Rs. 300]
* Self Transformation Through Music by Joanne Crandall [New Age Books, Rs. 195]
* The Guru and His Disciple by Namaji [Sri Gnanananda Seva Samajam, Rs. 100]
* The Treasure of the Trinity by A. Parthasarathy [Narada Gana Sabha, Rs. 100]
* Hindustani Sangeet ka Avalokan by Dr. Reena Kumar (Hindi) [Kanishka Publishers, Rs. 400]
* Devpriya A dialogue with Dance exponent Sonal Mansingh by Yatinder Mishra (Hindi) [Vani Prakashan, Rs. 250]
sruti.com
It was the last day of the Chennai Sangamam festival when I went to the Government Estate to meet some of the artists. It was a
lovely January morning and the sunny weather was enhanced by the warm smiling faces of the artists as they milled around the
MLA's Hostel. Some were performing impromptu for visitors like me, others were walking around in groups, yet others were posing
for photographs. In a corner, payments were being made to the participants. In a tent, Father Jagat Gasper Raj was addressing
some of the artists and thanking them. It was one happy morning.
To grow as dancers, we need at times to just stop dancing, step back and put our art in some kind of context. For those
of us who have not made this a habit, the Tennangur experience is the best way to start. Organised by Natyarangam, this
dance camp 'Natya Sangraham', now in its tenth year has successfully managed to be the one event that dancers wait
for in eager anticipation. This year, the three-day camp started with an informal gathering on 23rd January at the
Narada Gana Sabha foyer where we met our fellow participants. Everyone was friendly but a little wary of the noticeable
hierarchy of dancers assembled! A mild problem because less than an hour into our trip, we were all mingling as
serious dancers and rasika-s on one mission to become students yet again.
Madurai Mani Iyer. The very name evokes an affectionate, intimate kind of nostalgia. An outstanding vocalist of an earlier
era, he was both a pundits and a people's musician, whose lilt swayed even the unlettered, uninitiated passerby with its
sometimes beseeching, sometimes playful magic of pure sound. He was that rare amalgam of swara and sruti that achieved the
ultimate effect of effortlessness; not only in raga alapana and kriti rendering but also in his mellifluous cascades of
swara-s did he paint the raga swaroopa with utter fidelity. He was one of the most consistent performers in the midst of
many giants of Carnatic music, yet his consistency did not mean repetitiveness; critics and enthusiasts remark on how fresh
his music was throughout his career, how fresh it continues to be even today.
A nephew of the celebrated Madurai Pushpavanam, Madurai Mani Iyer fashioned a style all his own, a brand of singing
quite unlike any other, in the process winning over a legion of followers. His music was original, without leaving the strait
and narrow path of tradition. Much beloved by his rasika-s, peers and seniors among vocalists and accompanists, even that much feared breed of human being, the music critic, Mani Iyer kept it simple, his music a direct line to the divine, in
its chaste if unusual vocalisation and obvious surrender to his muse. If his sweet voice earned him the sobriquet Madhura
Gana Mani, his evocative rendering of the raga once so thrilled the Mohanam specialist Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer,
that he hailed him as Mohana Mani. 
In this report, we present a fresh perspective of a Bharatanatyam dancer in her twenties who spent her formative years in India, and has since been living in the U.S.A.
The 2008 Natya Kala Conference at the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha was devoted to the Ramayana theme. In his inaugural address, K. Jayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Kerala, pointed out that the Valmiki Ramayana has been translated into numerous languages, with each translator using his creativity and poetic licence to bring the story alive in that language. Such translations buck the Western trend of being completely faithful to the original that severely limits the translator. He also attributed the popularity of the Ramayana to the myriad characters, each so well-sketched out, with the Indian ethos perpetuated by each. But essentially, it is a simple story of a husband and wife and their travails, albeit in an elaborate setting. He also mentioned an oft-repeated characteristic of the Ramayana that Rama was simply a man (not a divine being like Krishna) who was true to the path of dharma.
My memory goes back to June 1945 when I, a ten-year old boy, met Sarada, as a young, 16-year old teacher of Bharatanatyam. She was
already established and the seniormost performer of the nine-year old institution, with more than eight years of training with the
traditional masters who had served Kalakshetra. Since then, she has been a very close friend and then a teacher. Till I embarked on
my own journey of Bharatanatyam in 1954, Sarada was my main inspiration. Our mentor Rukmini Devi was ever present around us
imparting values of the Indian way of life, Indian aesthetics, Indian philosophy, tolerance towards all religions of the world,
Indian textiles, love for animals the list is endless. But Sarada's close association made me understand and appreciate these
values by our constant and valuable meetings throughout my Kalakshetra days.