Culture and Conversation

Anugrah Lakshmanan presented a short thematic concert dedicated to compositions in praise of Vishnu and his various manifestations. His co-artistes that evening were V.S.P Gayatri Sivani on the violin, Mannarkoil J.Balaji on the Mridangam and S.Krishna on the Ghatam. The concert began brightly with Swati Tirunal’s Aarabhi piece ‘Narasimha Mamava’. This was followed by a Tamil composition in Asaveri ‘Sharanam Sharanam Raghurama’. This composition of Arunachala Kavi is usually

The nuances of nishadam in Surutti make it a rather tricky note to navigate. It can frustrate a veena player who tries to produce the sound by pulling the string at the dhaivatam or panchamam fret. During descending phrases, it changes its shape to form a slightly lower note than in ascending phrases. Hence it is important to understand the intention and use it carefully, according to the phrase being sung. Senior vocalist S.Sowmya’s Surutti alapana interwove choice phrases o

When it comes to abhinaya, one can never forget T. Balasaraswati. While it is undeniable that she was a crucial link to the past by way of her illustrious lineage, representing seven generations of hereditary performers, she also had the extraordinary ability to floor audiences through her extempore abhinaya. One recalls American ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown’s words, “Balasaraswati performed the same piece 15 times during a concert tour, yet rendered each version anew by

Yashoda Thakore first learnt of the famed courtesans Muddupalani and Rangajamma when she did her Master’s in dance. Her grandmother had recounted Muddupalani’s acclaimed work ‘Radhika Santvanam’ as a gem of Telugu literature, well-known for its ‘Radha bhava’. Yashoda was thrilled at the very idea that she could be a descendant of someone like Rangajamma who was renowned for her beauty and literary talent. Her professor painted these women as illusory beings!  However, she fou

Bharath Narayan started his recital for Mudhra with the Kambhoji Ata tala varnam ‘Sarasijanabha’. A good grip over layam was observed when he navigated the chiseled charanam and chittaswarams of this piece. This was followed by ‘Namami Vighna Vinayaka’ of CS Krishnaswamy Ayya in Hamsadhwani. The exchanges between Bharath and R.Raghul on the violin were sharp and firm when fast swaras were sung at ‘Kumara Sodara’. Bharath Narayan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement – The Hindu

Dr. R. Ganesh’s recital for  Mudhra  reflected the singer’s artistic maturity and thoroughness in concert presentation. A diverse selection of ragas, songs, languages and composers helped him steer the performance effectively. He was accompanied by Gayatri Vibhavari on the violin, J.P. Suriya Nambisan on the mridangam and N. Sundar on the morsing. Dr. R . Ganesh performing for Mudhra. Accompanying him are Gayatri Vibhavari on the violin, J.P. Suriya Nambisan on the mridangam

பரதநாட்டியக் கலைஞர், முனைவர் 'திருநங்கை' நர்த்தகி நடராஜ் அவர்கள் இந்தியாவில் "பத்மஸ்ரீ" விருது பெரும் முதல் திருநங்கை ஆனார். இதைபற்றிய செய்தி இந்திய அரசாங்கத்தால் ஜனவரி 25ஆம் தேதி, 2019 அன்று வெளியிடப்பட்டது. இச்செய்தி ஊடகங்களாலும், நர்த்தகி அவர்களின் ரசிகர்களாலும், சக நாட்டிய கலைஞர்களாலும் பெரும் பாராட்டுக்களையும் வரவேற்பையும் பெற்றுள்ளது. (படம் : www.narthakinataraj.com ) அவரின் பால் அடையாளத்தினை அவரது குடும்பம் ஏற்காததால் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியேறும் சூழல் இவருக்கு மிகச் சிறிய

Weaving together the pieces of a typical maargam into a thematic presentation is quite a complex task. However, Rakshita Raghunathan & Ragini Iyer did this quite convincingly in their recent Bharatanatyam duet titled ‘Adhyantara – The Journey of a Goddess.’ Pieces that were centred around Meenakshi (and Devi as an extension) were taken up in their short recital.  Starting off with an Alarippu that incorporated several gestures associated with Devi like her eyes that are shape

Image belongs to Kattaikkuttu Sangam, Photo by PeeVee The Mahabharata, a voluminous epic, has many memorable characters. Despite leading quite a tragic life that finally came to an end on the battlefield between the Pandavas and Kauravas, Karna was known for his benevolence and compassion. Stories from the Mahabharata form an integral part of the Kattaikkoothu repertoire. This challenging Tamil theatre form where actors are required to sing, dance, act and speak dialogues han

Rukmini Devi – a personality with several layers Biographies usually tend to be uninteresting as they are endlessly filled with facts and events. However, VR Devika's books are unconventional maybe because she is a person who loves telling stories! One can perceive her child-like enthusiasm in gathering and putting together various details in a manner that never tires the reader. In her biography of the great Bharatanatyam revivalist Rukmini Devi Arundale, Devika has attempte

When I first read the great T.Balasaraswati's biography by her son-in-law Douglas Knight in the year of its release (2010-11, if my memory serves me right), I found that she had a student named Shyamala Mohanraj from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. As I was reading the book, I simultaneously watched several videos of dancers following the Bala Bani to visually experience what I was reading. That is when I chanced upon Shyamala Amma's videos. I was stunned at her dedication and steadfastne

Tamilarasi holds her infant with one hand as she swiftly applies make up with the other. She is getting ready for a Kattaikkoothu performance and is transforming into a menacing Dushasana. S. Tamilarasi, K. Venda, R. Mahalakshmi, A. Bharathi and S. Srimathy have embarked on a dream project — they are part of an all-woman Kattaikkoothu show that hopes to break the social taboos associated with women performing Koothu. As one enters the Kuttu Kalai Koodam in Kanchipuram, a stri

When asked about the significance of Pride Month, Revathi said, “Pride is not just a celebration — but a protest for survival, visibility and acceptance. From forced marriages to conversion therapy, queer people — especially those from working-class and rural backgrounds — fight to just exist without shame. We march to be seen, to affirm that our identities are not a disease or disorder.” Revathi published her first book in Tamil, Unarvum Uruvamum (Our Lives, Our Words) in 20

In the early 19th century, several attempts were made to recast the classical music tradition of South India. Constructing a classical music repertoire acceptable to the social and cultural milieu of those times required the positioning of certain compositional forms as core elements and relegating others to a lesser status in the artistic hierarchy. Padams and Javalis were the greatest casualties in this exercise. Thanks to the efforts of hereditary musicians and dancers fro

In 1998, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the United States of America decided to distribute free classical music CDs to every baby born in the state! This may have astounded many but what is even more surprising is that the decision was made in response to a study by a psychologist named Francis Rauscher who developed a theory known as the Mozart effect. The study basically suggested that early childhood exposure to classical music has beneficial effects on mental dev