It's been a time for farewells. Former Kalakshetra director S. Rajaram passed away in Bangalore and mridanga maestro Palghat Raghu followed suit almost immediately. Another from Kalakshetra to depart recently was Balasaraswathi, a sincere, if less known musician-music teacher from that institution. Sangita Kalanidhi B. Rajam Iyer and now theatre personality Habib Tanvir have left us........
 

'Tukkada' raga-s

The problem of 'light / tukkada' raga-s (Sruti Box, Sruti 296) should be viewed from a historical perspective. First of all Jonpuri, the tukkada raga under mention, is of Hindustani origin. Hindustani or the North has been the feeder river for many of the 'staple' raga-s of Carnatic music, for the past 350 years, as for example, Saveri, Begada, Darbar, ........

N. Ramanathan
Chennai