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Like parents, like daughter

Shubasree Ramachandran is a constant bright light every Margazhi season.

It is a daunting task to come up on your own when you are born to parents as renowned as Padma Bhushan awardee and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Trichur Ramachandran and Kalaimamani Charumathi — but to their daughter Shubasree's credit — she has carved a niche for herself in the classical world of music.

Having performed at sabhas and stages all over the world (including the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and the Theatre De la Ville in Paris), Shubasri has also won awards like the Sahitya Priya award of Jan Kalyan, the YuvaKala Bharathi, and many more. What does this Margazhi bring for her?

“I'm focussing on a completely devotional repertoire of songs and bhajans this time. When I started performing 20 odd years ago, only those with real talent could make their way to the stage, but today it's not like that and hence the essence of the Margazhi has diluted a little. I still remember those days when we were cautious and worried if we would match up to expectations!” laughs Shubasri.

All the more so for her, as she has followed in the footsteps of her parents. Did she ever consider an alternate path? “Haha, many a time! I initially worked as a graphic and interior designer, then dabbled in real estate, was even a radio jockey for some time .. but the lure of the Carnatic world was always omnipresent. I'd like to think it was a 'divine pull' that lulled me back on stage!” she exclaims.

Picking the moment when she won the prestigious IMA award in 2011 from Star Plus in Mumbai as her career highlight, Shubasri says that her parents' best advice to her was to always strive for perfection. “I've passed on the same philosophy to my students as well. I started teaching children music when I was abroad and they went on to win the famous Carnatic Music Idol competition in the U.S! It was indeed a proud moment for me, as I love them,” she signs off.

Next: Music fest gets bigger, smarter

Music fest gets bigger, smarter

Sharanya Sriram

The allure surrounding the December music season is high these days, thanks to the mushrooming sabhas and generous sponsors. But one must remember that it is not just the season alone that keeps artistes busy.

Carnatic musicians have a packed calendar throughout the year, the busy periods being the spring music festival and Ramnavami festival (Bengaluru), the widely acclaimed Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, Sydney music festival, Gokulashtami and Ganesha Chaturthi concert series, Swathi sangeethotsavam, Chembai music festival and a host of other music festivals overseas (such as Singapore, Middle East and the UK).

With a plethora of opportunities on the concert platform, more youngsters are now drawn towards this age old art form. The adage tengaimoodi kutcheri is now far from reality. Carnatic music is now an industry in itself. Media attention, dedicated time slots in leading TV channels and innovative programs such as “Carnatic music idol” have been able to take Carnatic music to the masses. Music appreciation amongst rasikas has never been this great, courtesy - a host of music websites and mobile applications.

Musicians for whom the concert is not their cup of tea, earn well in music classes. With online classes being the latest gurukula trend, a typical one-on-one class with their guru could cost students anywhere between 20 USD and 50 USD; especially due to the large NRI population who want their children to stay in touch with their roots.

Apps like “Musiguru” have taken this remote learning experience to hand-held devices This apart, there is a demand for voice culture workshops, corporate workshops in managing stress through music, therapies and other areas of research.

Musicologists play a vital role in these areas. Popular magazines dedicated to art and culture (such as Sruti and Aalaap) offer a lot of writing opportunities to both musicians and musicologists. A cursory glance at the various blogs on Carnatic music online is a clear indication of the passion that keeps the buzz around Carnatic music live and happening.

(The writer is a software engineer and an upcoming musician)

Next: Carnatic notes set to economics

Carnatic notes set to economics

Jagyaseni Chatterjee

A Southern Music — The Karnatik Story, by Vidwan T. M Krishna was launched recently in the city by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen at the Rukmini Arangam of Kalakshetra.

TM chose to begin the event with a short performance by R. K. Shriramkumar (violin) and K. Arun Prakash (mridangam), both of whom had accompanied him in his first ever stage performance in 1988 when TM was just 12 years old. This was followed by an abhinaya piece by acclaimed danseuse Bragha Bassell.

The book with 27 essays is arranged in three broad sections - the experience, the context and the history. There are fascinating discussions of specific, sometimes technical domains coupled with unusual historic anecdotes and surprising articulations, set amidst an interdisciplinary approach.

From the Devadasi tradition, the Cleveland Festival, the sound of cinema to the E-Guru and manodharma experience, it encourages the reader to explore beyond Carnatic music, expand listenership and also showcases the universality of the genre.

Prof Sen congratulated T.M, “This is one of the best books that I have ever read; a testament to humanity, to hope, to our ability, to get into those complicated things and yet follow it. It is a commanding view of both historical and contemporary events and a clean portrayal of the liveliness of a tradition that has cut across centuries in so many unexpected ways.”

Present in the audience was also Aruna Roy, guru and dance exponents, Dhananjayan and Prof C. V. Chandrasekhar, TM's family and guru Bhagavatulu Seetharam Sharma. The event concluded with a short discussion of the audience with the author and a group song by the students of Kalakshetra Foundation. In the words of former governor of West Bengal and chairperson of Kalakshetra, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, “TM's work is an enduring resource, a fine frenzy of a cyclone in the making.”

Next: Beautiful, thematic concert

Beautiful, thematic concert

Jaisree Raghavan

Vocal: Carnatica Brothers

Violin: Nagai Muralidharan

Mirdhangam: Thanjavur Murugaboopathy

Kanjira: Nanda Masti

Carnatica Brothers (K.N. Shashikiran & P. Ganesh) gave a thematic concert, commencing with a beautiful swaying kunthala varali varnam — Sri Ranga Pura Vasa — on Lord Ranganatha. They aptly chose to render a navagraha krithi of Muthuswami Dikshithar in Naatakurinji to honour the planet of Wednesday, “Bhudam Ashrayami” where Ganesh did a skilful raga outline and neraval.

Then the duo moved on to an emotive Lalitha where they sang in praise of the presiding deity of Tiruvellikeni. — Sri Parthasarathy — starting with the verse Van Thamizh Nagaril composed by P.N. Muralidharan.

Carnatica Brothers perform at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha in the city.

This was followed by the kriti Hecharikaga ra ra in the rakthi raga Yadukula Kambhoji.The next part of the concert was quite interesting. The date of the concert was taken as a base for rendering the pallavi. It was 18/12/2013. Sum of all digits of the date is 63. So, the 63rd Melam Lathangi was chosen as a raga for delivering the pallavi. Sum of digits of 63 is 9 so, 9 beat thalam was chosen.

Reverse of 63 is 36 which was the number of aksharas in the thalam — Khanda Jathi Triputa Thalam. Other to be noted points were, half of 36 is 18 which is the date. And karvai was 6 followed by remaining 12, which is the month - December. “Padamalarai anudinamum panindiduvom parthasaarathi sada un” was the pallavi lyric.

Tanam was rendered in Ragamalika and Ganesh handled the ragas, lathangi, nayaki, begada and mukhari. It was a balance of keen intellect and great bhava. Angi suffix ragas were chosen for Ragamalika Swarams, Shashikiran handled Suvarnangi, Nagai Muralidharan was outstanding on the violin.

Be it raga alapanas, tanam, ragamalika swaras and the trikalam in pallavi he stood out for his exceptional performance. Thanjavur Muruga­boopathy on the mridangam accompanied with perfect tempo throughout the concert. Nanda Masti accompanied on the kanjira.

( Source : dc )
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