Musicians,events,anecdotes and tid-bits

[R.Latha]

Grand finale to a musical celebration
The soothing tenor of Sreevalsan J. Menon's voice enhanced the contemplative style of his rendering.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951310200.htm

Chaste and classic ragas
The annual concerts at the Navarathri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram are a much-awaited music fiesta that is a fine blend of melody and devotion.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951370300.htm

With devotional fervour
The Navarathri fete at the Karthyayini temple, Thrissur, featured vocal concerts by stalwarts and youngsters.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951400400.htm

[raagadevan]

"The master's voice"

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a...?homepage=true

[R.Latha]

Sudha Raghunathan. Musically Yours
[Thursday, January 13, 2011]
4 Comments


Sudha Raghunathan is a Carnatic legend. But she is also an icon for popular music lovers. Her two most recent films songs “Yeno Yeno Panithuli” from ‘Aadhavan’ and “Enna Kuraiyo” from ‘Mandhira Punnahai’ are recent testimony for her popularity on this part of music world. The perfect blend of tradition and modernity can bee seen in her.

Not that all she also runs Samudhaaya Foundation, a social initiative to commit to serve society by pledging to donate organs.

Sudha Raghunathan speaks on her music and social initiatives in this special Pongal show. Professionally and personally, she is serving the society. You’ll agree when you watch this IndiaGlitz exclusive.

Send in your feedback on this video and your stars will see them and may even respond to your comments.

Happy Pongal to you all.

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/t...nts/25186.html

[raagadevan]

"Journeys In Music" (From The Hindu)
By T.M. KRISHNA

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/12/26/...2650220500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/01/02/...0250310500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/01/09/...0950220500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/12/19/...1950260500.htm

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2011/01/30/...3050300500.htm

[venkkiram]

கர்நாடக சங்கீத ரசிகர்களுக்கு :

பாடும் கலையில் "ஜி.என்.பி" எப்படி நாதஸ்வர பாணியை கையாண்டார் என்பதை இஞ்சிக்குடி சுப்ரமணியனின் துணையோடு திருச்சூர் வி ராமச்சந்திரன் விளக்குகிறார்.

[ajnaathan]

Grand finale to a musical celebration
The soothing tenor of Sreevalsan J. Menon's voice enhanced the contemplative style of his rendering.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951310200.htm

Chaste and classic ragas
The annual concerts at the Navarathri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram are a much-awaited music fiesta that is a fine blend of melody and devotion.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951370300.htm

With devotional fervour
The Navarathri fete at the Karthyayini temple, Thrissur, featured vocal concerts by stalwarts and youngsters.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/10/29/s...2951400400.htm

The Navaratri Mandapam kutcheris have lost their earlier standard. The Swathi music festivals are a shade better now.

[R.Latha]

Melodic sojourns

FETED: Vani Jairam receiving Sangam Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award from Mr. K. Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu. Photo: Special Arrangement

Vani Jairam is continuously active on the concert circuit both here and abroad. Beginning with her show of exclusive Tamil hits at Harrow, London, the past few months have sped past at a frenetic pace for the prodigious singing talent. “It was held to collect funds for a dilapidated school building in Sri Lanka. The cause made it heart-warming, and singing to a packed auditorium was rewarding,” says Vani.

The crowning glory of the houseful show of her Telugu hits organised by Sangam Academy at Ravindra Bharati Auditorium, Hyderabad, was the Life Time Achievement Award that she received from K. Rosaiah Governor of Tamil Nadu. Vani stayed back to conduct two workshops for children belonging to an international school there. Recordings for devotionals in Tamil and Sanskrit brought her back to Chennai, after which she flew to Dubai for a Malayalam concert for a television channel. Another Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to her a couple of months ago by yesteryear veteran actor A. Nageswara Rao, at his birthday celebrations in Hyderabad.

Guru Purnima Day saw her performing at the Ramakrishna Mission, Mumbai. Devotionals in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi and Gujarati held the audience in thrall. Vani’s Hindi and Gujarati recitals in Ahmedabad that followed were equally well-received. It was the same at her recent devotional concert in Kerala. The songs were predominantly in Malayalam, though Vani also included other language songs on these platforms.

The linguist-musician’s next halt was Australia. “Vijay Yesudas, Chinmayi and Haricharan accompanied me. The concerts at both Sydney and Melbourne were a sell-out,” informs Vani.

“The feedback was overwhelming. Surely she would continue enthralling us with her music for the next 25 years,” says one of the many fan mails, she points out to.

Keywords: Vani Jairam

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2656188.ece

[R.Latha]

The Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2012

Trichy SankaranMridangam artist Trichy Sankaran has been chosen for the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi title by the Music Academy in Chennai and he would be honoured during this year's festival on January 1st,2012. dr.Trichy Sankaran will also chair the 85th Annual Conference of the Music Academy being held from December 15th this year.

Dr. Trichy Sankaran is a globally-respected artist, composer, educator, and cultural ambassador, who consistently demonstrates mastery, creativity, ingenuity, humility, and devotion. Since his professional debut at 13, Trichy Sankaran has had a prolific international performing career, appearing as a featured musician at major music festivals and cultural events in Europe, Australia, North America and Asia, including the highly celebrated World Drum concerts at Expo 86 (Vancouver), Expo 88 (Brisbane) and Expo 2000 (Hanover). As an active contributor to the music scene in Canada, he has composed a dynamic body of work that bridges the musical traditions of both India and the West. Collaborations include performances with New Music, jazz, Western Classical world fusion and internationally-recognized Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. As an Indian music scholar he has contributed to many learned societies across the globe and has authored textbooks. As an Indian Music Scholar he is held in high esteem by his students and colleagues at York University. Over the years Dr Trichy Sankaran has bridged

Eastern and Western pedagogical styles and has influenced generations of students who have become noted performers,composers and music educators for the past 4 decades.

[R.Latha]

Gharanas may not retain their identity: Pandit Rajan Mishra

The legendary gharanas of Indian classical music may not be able to retain their distinct identity in the contemporary age where electronic media and rampant bombardment of music is the norm of the day, say two celebrated singers.

Speaking to reporters Friday at the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), renowned exponents of the Benaras gharana of Hindustani classical music, brothers Rajan and Sajan Mishra said that classical music as a whole is becoming increasingly popular and that swelling audiences were the barometers of the popularity.

"Gharanas were made to preserve a certain style of music. But in this age of electronic media and television and radio, it is difficult to maintain the gharana system now," said Pandit Rajan Mishra.

In Hindustani classical music, the gharana system involved distinct genres of music, in which a collective of classical artists adhered to by lineage or apprenticeship.

Some of the famous gharanas in India are the Benaras, Kirana, Patiala, Jaipur.

The Mishra brothers, who are also Padmabhushan awardees, played the main protagonists of a documentary film `Adwait Sangeet` made by Pune-based film-maker Makarand Brahme, which was the inaugural film of the Indian Panaroma (non-feature) section at the Goa festival.

"While western India is influenced by the Kirana gharana, the Mishra brothers are from the Benaras gharana, which is one of the most influential gharanas in the country. The Benaras gharana has given us two Bharat Ratna awardees (Ustad Bismillah Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar) and 32 Padma awardees," Brahme said.

"The Benaras gharana is perhaps the only one which patronises performing arts like vocal, dance form, percussions," he said.

According to Rajan Mishra, classical music was on an upswing in India, much against the popular perception that the form of music was on the decline.

"You see, earlier in Delhi there was only the Sapru auditorium for classical music and it was often empty. But now you have so many other avenues like the Siri Fort auditorium, which houses 3,000 people, and they even have big screens outside and there are open part shows. Public interest in classical music is increasing," he said.

http://zeenews.india.com/entertainme...hra_100916.htm

[R.Latha]

Viswa Kala Bharathi awards

Swami Dayananda Saraswathi on Saturday called for preserving “Bharathiya” culture. “It is in our dance, music, literature, costumes and even food,” he said at the inauguration of the silver jubilee Margazhi Mahotsav and Nalli Sangeetha Nrithya Vizha of Bharat Kalachar.

He congratulated Bharat Kalachar and its chairman Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy for working to preserve Indian culture and for encouraging artists since its inception. “An artist is one, who is born with talent and is one who brings along with them certain innate capacities.

These capacities have to be tapped and marshalled, for which a guru is required. To become an artist, one must work intelligently with the help of a teacher,” he said.

In her silver jubilee address, Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy said that Bharat Kalachar was started 25 years ago by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and her husband YGP. “Bharat Kalachar was started with an aim to provide a platform for talented youngsters to perform before an audience,” she said.

Bharat Kalachar Secretary Y.Gee Mahendra, cultural consultant Madhuvanthi Arun and Joint Secretary Sudha Mahendra also spoke. Various awards were presented to over 40 performing artists on the occasion.

The annual souvenir was released by Rajiv Gupta, Zonal Manager, Bank of India, and the first copy was received by Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti.

Gnana Kala Bharathi award was presented to mridangam maestro Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman; Viswa Kala Bharathi award went to Mandolin U.Shrinivas, Sudha Raghunathan, Alarmel Valli and Malavika Sarukkai; Natya Kaladhar award to O.S.Arun; Acharya Kala Bharathi award to Srimushnam V.Raja Rao, Anitha Guha; Kala Seva Bharathi award was presented to Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti and the Nadaga Kala Bharathi went to R.Neelakantan (Neelu).

Bharat Kalachar's Velli Vizha Sangeetha/ Nrithya Kala Bharathi awards instituted in memory of YGP and Semmangudi R.Srinivasa Iyer by Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy, were also presented.

The awards went to Neyveli R.Santhanagopalan, P.Unnikrishnan, N.Vijay Siva, R.K.Shriram Kumar (violin), B.Kannan (veena), Sriram Parasuram and Anooradha Sriram, J.Vaidhyanathan (mridangam), S.Karthick (ghatam), B.S.Purushotham (kanjira) and K.S.R.Aniruddha.

Priya Sisters -- Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya -- and Kalpana Raghavender also received Velli Vizha Sangeetha Kala Bharathi awards.

Velli Vizha Nrithya Kala Bharathi awards were presented to dancers Meenakshi Chittaranjan, Priyadarshini Govind, and Urmila Sathyanarayana.

Young achievers

The Yuva Kala Bharathi Awardees 2011 were Mahadevan Sankaranarayanan (Carnatic vocal), S.Mahathi (Carnatic vocal), V.Deepika (Carnatic vocal), Cuddalore S.J.Jananiy (Carnatic vocal), Shreya Devnath (violin), Trichy S.Krishnaswamy (ghatam), Mylai R.Mahendran (Nadaswaram), K.Sathyanarayana (keyboard), Deepika Potarasu (Kuchipudi), Revathy Kumar (all rounder in Bharathanatyam, vocal and nattuvangam), Navia Natarajan (Bharathanatyam), Aishwarya N.Balasubramanian (Bharathanatyam), and Ritwika Ghosh (Bharathanatyam).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle2665033.ece