CHENNAI: It was a Carnatic music concert with a difference. Nanganallur, which abounds in temples, woke up to a scintillating performance at marathon concert by about 150 budding artistes.
The young students sang and played on the instruments boldly brimming with confidence. As dusk gradually enveloped, the performance reached a crescendo with the Ranjani Sabha reverberating with the majestic music emanating from a variety of musical instruments. The major highlight of the Nanganalluril Margazhi Maha Utsavam – 2017 – 18, held under the aegis of the Sai Fine Arts (SFA), Nanganallur, here on Sunday was the stunning performance of 103 young musicians - all students of SFA who performed continuously for about one-and-a-half hours from 8.30 pm onwards. This saw the students aged about 7 to 16, perform 12 songs including the famously sung song Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma composed by Purandara Dasaru, Endaro Mahanubhavulu - a popular kriti in Carnatic music composed by the legendary Thyagaraja, one of the Carnatic music trinity, Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho a beautiful devotional song on Lord Shiva composed by Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Kurai Onrum Illai and Asaindhadum mayil.
Sisters: Sai Meenu and Sai Priyadarshini excelled well on the violin. As the classical music filled the air, parents and scores of music buffs who had gathered on the occasion nodded their heads in appreciation of the talent in the juvenile performers.
G. Sengalvarayan, Assistant Prof. Department of Music, Annamalai University, was the chief guest. Kalaimamani V. Ramjee, Sridhar, violinist in M. S Viswanathan and Illayaraja troupe, Kavinaya Selvar Mannai Basanthi founder of Mannai Sri Parthasarathi Trust and Vijaya Murugesh, founder Sai Music School and Fine Arts, were among those who participated in the function on Sunday evening. Each participant was presented with a memento and a medal. The one-day festival commenced at 8.30 am and went upto well past 9 pm.
The Gurus: Nellai M. Vinayaga Moorthy of SFA who is the Aasthana vidhwan of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, V. Thanga Selvi and Viswamithran had groomed the students. This Carnatic music festival, organised by SFA was to provide a platform for budding Carnatic musicians to showcase their talent. The Nanganalluril Margazhi Maha Utsavam also seeks to promote the rich tradition of Indian classical music.
