VOL. VI ISSUE. 9 FEBRUARY 200 %%mm TtZTZTVtijlu The International lournal on Music & Dance Guru Kittappa Pillai Memorial Youth Dance festival 2003-04 under the aegis of Ponnaiah Lalitha KalaAcademy Navya Natarajan Roopesh Nandinl Raman! Shwetha Vljayaraghavan, Archana Sastry, Shwetha > Lakshman Pflathibha Chadraprabha Welocme 8c Congratulations to the new Director of Dept, of Kannada 8c Culture An accomplished flindusthani vocalist MUDDU MOHAN A rad hano tsa va- 2004 Music Conference President N. Raja Rao GUNAGRAHI / FEBRUARY-2004 £d sdz^ded edes 1 r 2003-04 c~> O £ cXm 5* 5*-/ C ^o c J 5* 3" oj 3"D rj St? s O cO eJj & \ *-y • >-> w ^rj^C5*D 2 £5 £ 9 ESOifcu?? 5*rj2F to5* ^723" ,1 — «_» — >y »> ^ ^ cj ^ w-j w-> ^ O wJU c-J UJ c -3 * 5*03?032*0 £53>d* £)d. 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Surya Prasad Phone : 22253975 Associate Editors Chief Patrons Principal Advisers Admn. Executive Advisory Council Legal Adviser : Usha Kamath Ph : 25598886 K. Ramamurthy Rao. Mysore Ph : 0821-371899 B. L. Manjula, Ph : 25519227 :S.K. Lakshminarayana (Babu) Mysore. Ph : 0821-513414. V. Krishnan, Ph : 23345665 Dr. A.H. Ramarao, Ph : 26691175 M. Bharadwaj. Ph:081 82-222051 H.K. Ganesh. Ph : 256702763 H. Kamalanath. Ph : 26612244 Dr. R. Sathyanarayana, Mysore 0821-567891 T.S. Parthasarathy, Chennai. 044-459005 Guru Maya Rao, Ph : 22261816 Mattur Krishnarrurlhy Ph:23346404 Shyamala G. Bhave, Ph : 23443900 : Dr. H.N. Shivaprakash. Ph : 26672189 : Dr. Manjunalh Bhat Ph : 26647654 Durga C. Avarthi, Ph : 25298954 T.A.S. Mani. Ph : 23441515 K. Balasubramanyam, Chennai. Ph : 0444992474 H.N. Suresh. Ph : 23347918 C. Cheluvaraj. Ph : 23328361 Prof.K.E.Radhakrishna. Ph: 23321641 Guru H.R. Keshavamurthy Ph: 23320903 PI. Parameshwar Hegde, Ph : 23310039 Pt. Vinayaka Torvi, Ph : 23305701 Dr. Vasundara Doreswamy. Mysore, Ph : 0821-2542814. Ranjani Ganeshan, Ph :26615127 : C.N.Satyanarayana Shastri, Ph. 26620138 II Vol. VI Issue 9 February-2004 EDITORIALOFFICE: ”H U N I K 0 T I", NO, 8, S E C 0 N D CROSS 0PP. SRINIVASA MANDIRAM, BALEPET B A N G A L ORE - 560 053. PH : 0 80- 222 53975 e-mail: gunagrahi@yahoo.com, drnLsunaprasad@yahoo.com Inside: 55th Gana Rajyotsava From the Editor General Evets/10 commandments 2003-04 Advertisement Leisure 4 5 111 6 Reviews Natarajotsava- 13 14 15 Correspondents: INLAND : Bangalore - N. Ananthapadmanabharao, Ph : 25532658. Kusuma Rao, Ph : 23222593 Katte Sathyanarayana Rao, Ph : 23604663 Mysore - K.Raghavendra Rao, Ph: 0821 513517 Dr. V. Nagaraj, Ph : 0821-511133 Mumbai-B. Nagabhushan, Ph: 0251-2472475 FOREIGN : California : Malathi Iyengar Ph: 81 8 788 6860. 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Nagar, Kanakapura Main Road, BANGALORE ■ 560 078. 3 55 de rf ra aazrfj&.ed srf 6 *M [ ^OCjD #S> fi odjaea?? : ^Ou)0 wqfrarf ssrt^fd wtps^o&eo^rt ^crecdo s' Artis' I | ^orfD dsk fc ^dd cdedcd 55??e rtra roe&^edsd doegFb. s^aq^rfrttf ?5d£>ecrod udzZ'&Zj rfosoosjo wsdd tsdodocdod dsdF&Fracrtid roo^oib 3jset3 sjsrtoo 'd) psdFdsdc^d aaes^ortsdd^ djs&^, ^zroa^od srortja zJrtSrt srtFcddFd ^toacd pjatoeoftd?^ TiouJe^r. ycdd s^osoad ^oc±; ^ae rfedcdd^e &F7dFt3& po rtrt&C zjzqzjCj dd d ^cddrteouran dxcedjsrSod;;© d. ^cj 4 ddFrttfC) dK>Fdd o5jd?£$f>s ad too&f dt&dtsrf d:dc; srodddFrf I M Q -o f^dsd ac^drtsoroft rt rf^FUrfdd, dfe^d. ^ aatodF ?rodd ^a? tj ? d so f ojwD 2^ ui> o-j 0 3t) d . I I** 50 erfrfj^ dd^ roos dorf^rt daz^s^ dSjo&jsUd dj^do ssafcF^ds I eirfd rod^ed. I p* 12 erfrfja, ddo dodtfo&o rf y$Frf TOdeoad, ro3od.re.ft ffsdrs^d ? 1 *<*.. U d\dd &d drfr^oft tftf ddo, 3322 £drte< zSerfJaeFcrod, ddd dddorrcft I ^ Q 8 erf dodrttf SdjuFra. * ,** siraSjrf rfedo 5 djs. dodrtod© esss.qftSrf d.d.3?o& d^odd o±>d*j£> <->3 0 8 r 8 c3 srorto rfad:> ddd£> d/sdxlodea tfodrfF ased a&32 z^ed. is ^ ^\j * 8 I** ijstizS ^dedrttf SsroA»rttf aedd do^d en>ddo& ddoFO dj^ed ^ rf^rtirf | d©^ add aedd dou, doee^u^edoo sadrssrod rfos^i ssdjsdF o&aeadrtsk. j** sdjs2©3 doda^d, d^&rf dogasd, rf 0 <£j, yrod sjdyrf arort/a ^dd eroo do I rt<£ TOt^joj dodo ^odrtSocroft £>d d? ^odo rf?roFt3rfcdd ?Jjsec&3 rf. ■ 2) 63 — o _D S > c3t)E - t35’ coDS'E* 4 J GUNAGRAHI/ FEBRUARY-2004 BB S M il BHB B B ■■HHHlFrom the Editor General Importance of lighting in dance Lighting plays an important role in the success of any dance recital. Unfortunately this aspect is not well taken care of by the dancers. {Rather than saying it needs more attention, (which it surely does because jgood lighting facility is the one thing that venues in India generally find too expensive to provide for), it would be apt to say that lighting is one exciting, though expensive design element that is and can be used differ- ently in staging dance. When presenting (especially solo) Bharatanatya whether in India or abroad light is used conventionally only to clearly illuminate the face and body and perhaps, very basically, to add colour to : the stage and the dancer or to create silhouettes and the required “atmo- sphere". It is also quite exciting to see the beams of light coming on to the stage, creating patterns on the floor or crisscrossing in the air. Just llike. sometimes, when the Sun breaks through the clouds, we see the 'beams. On stage, it is similarly exciting for the audience to see not just that the dancers are illuminated but what it is that is illuminating them. There arc other instances when the choreography moves dancers around, consciously playing with shifting beams and floor patterns. Light becomes .another performer. A critic wrote of a dancer “a solo became a duel with lighting". Granted, for light beams to be seen the face cannot be lit brightly and that is a shift in the aesthetic which is unusual for Bharatanatya. One wants to or believe to. see the face fully, even in nritta sections. The abhinaya is conventionally, mukhaja-driven. But, intcrest- , ingly, when the face can not be seen, a lot more concentration will be on jthc body and the body starts to speak. Not that the body did not speak | before but you probably never paid attention. Perhaps because you could see the face clearly, you only watched the face. Watching the face is perhaps also cultural for us. By seeing more of the face one can understand more. Some- iitimes, in theatre as in life, the opposite is true. The moment someone wears a mask, you find yourself watching every movement, gesture, posture intently, wailing for a cue, looking for a code. It also means being more aware of the body in choreography. True it is that working with Western lighting designers one gets less than required lighting intensity on {the face even for conventional staging. Dancers grumble about inadequate lighting... outlining our eyes hugely, for reach! If a performer can captivate your attention or if you care to pay attention, you can enjoy it in the minutest detail. And yet. in dance where lighting design is a prominent spatial feature, it is all better seen from a ; little distance away! Karnataka Kala Sri Dr. M. Surya Prasad. ^ Sri Thyagaraja Gana Sabha Trust & Sri Mookambika Talavadya Sangeetha Kalashale Venue: Sri Vani Education Center, 1246, IV main, II stage, Rajajinagar, Bangalore- 10. Sunday. 22-02-04 at 5 p.m. Hindustani Vocal by Sripad Gaddi & party. fs’adajyothi Sri Tyagarajaswamy Bhajana Sabha Venue: Sri Kanyakaparameshwari Temple premises, 8 ,h cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore-3. Friday, 27-2-04 at 6.30 p.m. Veena recital by Revathi Sadashivam, Vijayashyam Acharya (mridanga), N.S.Krishnamurthy (ghata). J ^ Ruga Sudhalaya "N Venue: BEL Sri Ganapathy Temple, BEL Colony, Jalahalli, Bangalore Saturday, 28-2-04 Sri Purandaradasa & Sri Tyagaraja Aradhanotsava 8 a.m.: concert by the invited artistes v 12 noon: Ghoshti Gayana J he TEN COMMANDMENTS essential for a I . Never go to the music concert late. 1. Even for some genuine reason, if you have to be late, please do not disturb the tranquility of the concert. Never talk to you neighbour or sing with the artiste in such a way that it will disturb the audience. X. Never try to exhibit your knowledge of rhythmic beat(tala) in a gesticulating way like an acrobat and a joker. 5. Never try to give a running commentary f Aradhana \ & C.V.Nagaraj Memorial TVust VII anniversary and Music conference From 27"’ February to 29 ,h February 2004 Adarsha Auditorium, 151, 15"' cross, Malleshwaram, Bangalore-55. President of the Conference: N.Rajarao 27- 2-04 Friday 6 p.m.: Inauguration by: Dr. R. V.Raghavendra Chief Guest: Dr. M.Surya Prasad 6.30 to 8. 30 p.m: Musical opera: “Gokula Nirgamana” (of Dr.Pu.Ti.Na). Direction: T.S.Sathyavathi 28- 2-04 Saturday 4 to 6 p.m. Chief Guest: B.K.Chandramowli Lecture demonstration: “Pallavi” by Padma Gurudatt 6.30 to 8.30 p.m.M.S.Pranesh(flute) &party. 29- 2-04 Sunday 1 0 to 1 1 .45 a.m.Goshti gayana 12 noon: felicitation and release of souvenir felicitation to: N.Raja Rao by R.K.Padmanabha Chief Guest: Lalitha Srini vasan. felicitation speech by M.A.Jayarama Rao.^ music lover attending a classical Music concert^ of the concert and your criticism, disturbing the audience. 6. Never fart during concert and spread yout olfactory secretion to audience’s disgust. 7. Never leave the concert in a conspicuous manner before it is concluded. 8. Never sleep or snore during the concert. 9. Never eat during a concert. 10. Never disturb the concert by your auda- cious bad behaviour. A Music Lover./ 6 reviews! M.Chandrasekharan brilliantly v acc ompanied by his daughter BiijM^aiaa /.Bharathi on the second “Beru-Meru” festival violin enthralled the audience. Vanish i Academy of Mu- His bow just obeyed the dic- sic Trust celebrated its anniver- tatesof his musical tempe ra- the pallavi line ‘Saraswathi Vidhimathi Vachaspathi Devi’ in two kalai adi tala and both of the father and daughter went on to paint the form of the raga on a larger canvass. V.S.Rajagopal (mridanga) and sary in an useful manner. In the three day festival entitled “Janaka-janya” and "Beru- Meru” there were lectures and demonstrations on various subjects by the leading person- alities. Dr.R.V.Raghavendra, M.S.Sheela, R.Raghuram, R.K.Padmanabha, A.V. Prasanna, H.N.Suresh, M. Chidanandamurthy, R.S. Nandakumar, Kusuma Rao, Dr.Varadarangan and others shared their expertise and ex- periences with the audience. Dr.R.Sathyanarayana, the noted musicologist co- ordinated the festival with suc- cess. The performing artistes in the evening displayed the beauty and artistry in the eka-swara prabedha pattern in their recitals by having ragas with the change of only one swara. They could easily high- light the contrasting effect and charm thus obtained. ment. There was complete consensus between the two. Chandresekharan was witty and cheerful. His musical nest, therefore, was full of warming feathers of experience and excellence. His genius for rhythm was the most impres- sive of his musical assets. Thus, ‘Siddhi VinayakanV and Sri Jayachamaraja Wodeyar’s Gambheera Nata krithi ‘Sri Jaalandhara’ with chittai swaras and kalpanaswaras set the right mood. The extended version of Amrithavarshini (Muthaiah Bhagavatar’s ‘ Anandamri thakarshi ni ’ ) and Harikambhoji (Thyagaraja’s ‘Rama nannu brovara’, neraval at ‘Meppualakai’ with shared swaras) by Bharathi was admirable. ‘Anathudagai’ (Jingla) was crisp. The high point of the recital was reached in the detailed treat- ment of Vachaspathi for a raga, tana and pallavi. He sang Dayananda Mohithe (ghata) struck a fine mean. Ainith & Ananth applauded The hosts of the festi- val and the almost seasoned father and son-flautist duo B.K. Anantharam and young Amith A.Nadig sent the size- able audience into raptures with their fine flute play marked by harmony and perfect un- derstanding of the medium. Their recital stood out as a unique example of music, hap- pily fulfilling the demands of classical structure, cohesive design and architecture elimi- nating all that was redundi nt, out of context, needlessly re- petitive and merely dazzling. The presentations were adorned with the luxuries of radiant suswara, tone and phrasing. Amith's training and presentation of music, in par- ticular, seemed to be in ac- cordance with the highest can- nons of the traditional aesthet- ics of a raga and its ethos and spiritual essence. The impres- 7 GUNAGRAHI / FEBRUARY-2004 sion of the richness of the play- ers’ mind, of their sur-soaked heart and contained craving for expression of their artistic sensibility coinciding with the psyche and spirit of the raga preceded that of the felicity of the their hand and fingers. Their executional prowess and a high order of technical excellence pervaded the compositions like ‘Ninnu vina\ ‘Paridaana’ (Bilahari, with alapana and kalpanaswaras), ‘Bhuva neshwariya' (by Muthaiah Bhagavatar, Mohana Kalyani, the changed madhyama in Bilahari resulting in this raga.) and “Janani ninu vina' (Rcetigowla) left a long lasting impact on the mind. Radiant Rohini Rohini Attavar’s Bharatanatya recital at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan brought some interesting glimpses into the glory of Kancheevaram Ellappa Pillai’s tradition. Trained by Udupi Lakshminarayana, Rohini dis- played praiseworthy dance lines and artistry in abhinaya. Her control over laya was also notable. This was evident in the opening Saraswathi Vandana wherein I could enjoy some of the charis. Her varna was marked by attractive jathis punctuated by taut nadais and teermanas. She went through the paces of nritta with lot of confidence. Though one wished she had perfected the ardhamandalis, the technical details were aptly underscored by her. The Krishna leelas were neatly enacted by her. It was a wholesome recital in- deed! Swaralaya School of Performing Arts presented Nrithyanjali at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan as a tribute to Dr. Ananda Alwar whose birth centenary is being celebrated. The programme began with the lighting of 101 lights followed by Ganesha stuti and jatiswara in Neelambari raga. The nritta in three speeds and in attrac- tive geometrical patterns was appreciated by the audience. The students of the School gave an admirable account of their understanding of the art and technique of Bharatanatya in the rendition of the varna which was in praise of Lord Venkatesha. They did proud to their mentor Rohini Ananth in covering the nritta, nrithya and abhinaya aspects of the varna. Koravanji nrithya (gypsy dance) seemed to be targeted 8 to the younger participants. A little overdose of nrithya and nritta notwithstanding, the Kasturi Brothers — KRS Prasanna Kasturi and KRV Pulikeshi, dazzled in a dance drama wove around the mythological tale of Ekalavya of Mahabharatha and ren- dered at ADA Rangamandira during the Samskrithi’s dance festival. But the unfolding of the story was based on Kuvempu’s drama ‘Beral ge koral’, as a tribute to the ace poet-playwright whose birth centenary is being celebrated throughout the State. The ad- aptation of the play to dance was to a larger extent reward- ing. It was a comeback recital for both of them. Prasanna, an NRI, now settled in Missouri, USA, demonstrated that he is still perfectly in the Indian groove and good in Bharatanatya. Though Puli- lkeshi is often seen in group productions and as a nattuvanar on the stage, one had the delightful occasion of witnessing them performing in full swing in a full-pledged solo presentation. They began their presentation traditionally with a Pushpanjali and a salutation to Lord Shiva on the basis of Sri Panchakshara stotra by Adi Shankaracharya. Then they dealt with the story of Ekalavya in a vibrant tempo. A young boy Ekalavya, the son of a mighty tribal chief had always wanted to be an archer, so he headed towards one of the great cit- ies of those times - Hasthinapura to meet Drona an expert in archery and mar- tial arts and the Guru of Kauravas and Pandavas. Ekalavya implored him to ac- cept him as his disciple. Drona though was quite impressed by the youth’s earnest interest and keen desire to master the art was greatly displeased when he learnt that he was a ‘Shudra’ (belonging to the lowest social community). He was thrown out of the palace, but he was determined to be- come an archer some day. Steadfast in his ambition to become an ace archer Ekalavya returned to the for- est and made an image of Drona and decorated it with flowers and prayed to the im- age every single day. Day and night he would practice inces- santly sending arrows one af- ter the other to sever the tree trunk. The Kaurava and Panda va princes were jealous of Ekalavya’s archery skills. Drona was both upset and angry that Ekalavya had de- feated even Arjuna his best disciple in the fight. So he de- manded Ekalavya to give him “Guru Dakshina’ (A disciple's offering to a teacher after mas- tering a subject). Unhesitat- ingly. Ekalavya drew out his sword and severed his thumb in a trice. Drona returned to the kingdom of Hasthinapura content that he had disabled an opponent of Arjuna leaving behind Ekalavya the most faithful disciple of all times without so much as a word of thanks. Prasanna, who took the major share, was at home in every aspect of Bharatanatya. His mukhijas too were apt. Pulikeshi excelled in the abhinaya portion. Pulikeshi also did nattuvanga when his brother performed. Carnatic ragas like Kalyani, Mohana, Athana, Hamsadhwani etc, were appropriately used. A few catchy and interesting dia- logues picked up from Kuvempu’s play were deliv- ered on the stage lending an- other dimension to the rendi- tion. The Bharatanatya vo- cabulary was the mainstay of the dance drama. In the eka- aharya disposition, the refined neck movements, charis, bhramaris and varied adavus including mai-adavus filled the vocabulary. Both the young dancers gracefully executed the leg and hand stretches. There was an admirable har- mony and co-ordination in their movements. The nrilhya was used for the exit and en- tries. Pustakam Rama (vocal), Karthik Datar (nattuvanga), Harsha Samaga (mridanga), H.S.Venugopal (flute) and Chitra Lingam (veena) im- parted a rich, resonant and lively musical support. K.Padmaje (costumes), Nagaraj (lighting) and Kanakaraj (make up) contrib- uted well to the success of the presentation. Kala Nadam festival The annual two-day Kala Nadam dance festival held at Ravindra Kalakshetra yielded mixed reactions. It opened with a Kathak duet by the hosts of the festival Nandini K. Mehtha and Murali Mohan. This is a well-trained and tried pair. But the high decibel level seemed to snatch away the wholesome aesthetic enjoyment. The lighting both at the rear and in front of the stage could have been more mean- ingfui. The duo began with a Ganesh vandana set to Puriya Dhanashri raga. They danced in perfect harmony. There was an admirable synchronization in their angikas and facials. In the next technique-oriented tripad, they went through the thaats, aamads, todas, tihais and chakkars (teental of 16 beats) with their usual elan. Though the patterns seemed to be uncomplicated and yet well planned, the delivery did not pose any problem for them. Due to the infelicitous acous- tics the audibility of the padhanth and the sound of the tatkaars (footwork) suffered to a greater extent. The famous Haridasapada ‘Krishna nee begane baaro’ covered the abhinaya slot of the Kathak duet. Nandini and Murali did full justice to liie number. They enacted the varied traits and sports of Lord Krishna in quick succession on the basis of the lyrical support drawn from the above pada. l^ess said the better about the following jugalbandhi between Kathak and Spanish Tap dance. The way the dancers danced with their footwear on the stage, that too in front of the idol of Nataraja kept there was inex- cusable. Nupura’s silver jubilee Everything was nostalgic during the three-day valedic- tory of silver jubilee celebra- tions of Nupura led by a ver- satile performer-Guru Lalitha Srinivasan. The curtain of the yearlong celebrations and programmes came down on a happy and exuberant note. On the day one, at Ravindra Kalakshetra, the alumni of Nupura performed. My sweet memories of late eighties got stirred up. These dancers who have not only gained extra weight, they seemed to have grown intellectually and it was a happy thing to note that they were in good nick. These dancers like Manu Srinivasan, Chaya Jois, Uma Sudheendra, Usha Dinakar, Suma Krishnamurthy, Vatsala Kamath, Deepthi Uday and others brought back the memories of the grand old past and seemed to cherish them as was evident from their danc- ing. Though aesthetics suffered a wee bit,' the artistry compen- sated for the miss. Very usefully accom- panied by Guru Lalitha Srinivasan (nattuvanga). H.K. 10 Narayana (vocal), Madhu sudan (violin), Ashwatha narayana (flute), Shankara raman (veena) and S.V.Bala krishna (mridanga), the danc- ers in a group of three and four dancers unfolded the Jatiswara in Vasantha raga. In the following Jayadeva Ashtapadi (Lalitha lavanga) the effect of Vasantha (Spring) on the youth was sketched. Deepti, Manu and Suma en- riched it with their mature abhinaya. The swaras tagged on iO it served as the launch- ing pad for nritta. The beauty of Lord Krishna and His glorious acts were depicted on the basis of a verse ‘Govinda Gopikananda’ drawn from Narayana Teertha’s ‘Krishna LeelaTarangam’ by Haripriya, Deepti, Suma and Uma. The dancers moved briskly and covered the entire stage and erected before us the lively pictures of Krishna’s leelas. It is to the credit of Guru Lalitha Srinivasan that she has been recognised as a teacher of Bharatanatya to the foreign students under the ICCR scheme. Some of such students from Sri Lanka and other countries presented II Natanam Adinar, an eulogy of Lord Nataraja with mixed re- sults. All the dancers com- bined to present a fitting finale in the form of a ti liana in Hamsanandi raga. More than anything else, the discipline and decorum amongst the dancers was admirable. Under the heading of “Kavya Nrithya”, the above dancers joined by the present batch of students, including Chandrika Narayana, Ajay Vishwanath, Bharathi, Niveditha and others, Kannada poems drawn from the works of the 20 ,h century poets like Pu.Ti.Na, Dr.V.K. Gokak, K.S.Narasimha swamy. Dr. Siddaiah Puranik, Dr. Lakshmi narayana Bhatta, K.C.Shivappa among others were rendered. The programme began with a Ganesha stuti by Pu.Ti.Na. The word ‘paraku’ used in this poem was de- picted in a notable manner. K.C.Shivappa’ s poem “Radhe olavina” explicates a Krishna brooding over Radha. He is longing for a meeting with her. Set to ragamalika, the theme of the poem was en- acted by Ajay (as Krishna), GUNAGRAHI / FEBRUARY— 2004 Chandrika and others. They could establish an intimate rap- port with the rasikas. Likewise the danc'ers caught the atten- tion of the audience by pre- senting Dr. Lakshmi narayana Bhatta’s poem with the de : scription of Vasantha rithu. The second day was marked by Bharatanatya by Sudha Vijayaraghavan and Roshni Vijayaraghavan. Apama Sindhur presented a dance feature “Hunt” using the vocabulary of Bharatanatya and folk dance. In the Ang Bhav un- derscored the element of angikaabhinaya. Conceptualised and choreo- graphed by Guru Lalitha Srinivasan assisted by Bharathi Vittal and Chitra Arvind, the presentation sought to identify a new hori- zon in the field of Bharatanatya. Without the aid of words (lyr- ics) various emotions and ex- pressions can be expanded. The angas of the shareera (parts of the body) are quite sufficient and capable of such an expression. This was shown on stage at Guru Nanak Bhavan. Chandrika Narayana, Niveditha Guptha, Bharathi, 11 Chitra, Helen, Ajay, Vinodith made it a lively presentation. With Srinivasan at lighting, it was endearing. The adavus, charis, bhramaris of Bharatanatya, tatkar of Kathak, leaps and jumps from martial arts constituted the the- sis of Ang Bhav. On the final day at Bangalore Gayana Samaja, a dance drama “Prem Bhakti Mukthi” revolving around the tale of the great saint-poetess Meerabai won the hearts of the lovers of dance. For me, who had been a witness to its pre- mier show some two decades ago, it was more enthralling. Guru Lalitha Srinivasan, herself had donned the role of adult Meera. But now, with changed caste, it evoked the same ex- perience. Meerabai’s own padas like ‘Hari Guna gavath nachungi’, ‘Meera pada baandh nachi’, ‘vish ka pyala' , ‘GiridharMadhava’, ‘pyare darashan’ et al, were used in the flowering of her tale. Colourful costumes, vivacious music, apt lighting, dancers’ dedicated performances con- tributed to th^ success of the dance drama. Swaras and jathis were used for the inter- spersing nritta. Shuddha Saveri, Kaanada, | GUNAGRAHI/ FEBRUARY-2004 Vmrithavar hini, Moh- ina among Dther ragas legaled the audience. The dance-drama provided a joyous finish to the tation of each number. Brevity seemed to be the keyword. It was like a radio concert set to a stipulated time frame. But still, lovers of music did not miss the finer points of the Carnatic music. sicism and gimmicks-free cre- ation of music. This got itself manifested in the detailed de- lineation of Poorvi Kalyani for “Parama paavana Rama”. Both Ravi and Ganesh con- tributed to a wholesome and valedictory programmes. In connection with the celebrations of Gottuvadya Narayana Iyengar’s birth cen- tenary, Hamsadhwani, a The opening Hamsadhwani masterpiece “Vatapi Ganapatim” provided ample scope for the instrumen- tal ists to settle down. The refined picture of the raga. Their rhythmic brilliance was evident in the swaraprastara. The tani avartana by Ramabhadran added spice to sangeetha Sabha dedica ted to the classical music and dance presented a short and compact Chithra Veena recital by a seasoned exponent of the In the 37 lh All India competitions in Music and Dance 2004, conducted by Navya Nataka Samithi, Hyderabad, Deepa Srinath, a prize-disciple of Guru Radha Sridhar was awarded the First Prize in the senior section of Bharatanatya. She received the prize from Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna. on Feb. 8th, at Ravindra Bharathi, Hyderabad. GUNAGRAHI congratulates both the Guru land herShishyaa. instrument N.Ravi Kiran at the Nayana auditorium undSf swaras studded on to it were the concert. the joint auspices with the Dept.of Kannada and Culture. Ravi Kiran was endearingly accompanied by P.Ganesh on the second Chithra Veena. Vet- scholarly and succinct. There was a rich variety of phrases in a pensive Harikambhoji for Mysore Sadashi varao’s “Saketha naatha”. The I)r. Anasuya wins laurels Anasuyu Kulkurni gave an Angklung concert at Pune to an audience of both Hindustani and Karnatak music connois- eran mridangist Vellore Ramabhdran enriched the ren- ditions and the conceit with his soft, clear-cut, rhythmically varied and taut strokes. It is good that Hamsadhwani of Chennai has extended its activities by hold- ing concerts under its banner outside its native place. Ravi chittaiswaras enchanted the lis- teners. Purandaradasa’s ‘Narayana ninna’ (Shuddha Dhanyasi) was impressive, ar- resting, richly embellished and it was presented with ability. Purity of ragas, tuneful rendi- tions, artistic and aesthetic phrasings and discrete duration marked the concert. seurs. She had selected com- mon melodies and played them to the able accompaniment oi' S.Aditya (violin), Ramesh (mridanga) and Bharat Kamath (tabla). The audience was spellbound at the agility, clarity and speed with which Anasuya played on this Indonesian in- strument. She also gave a lec- ture-demon stration on the Kiran held the audience spell- The main virtue of the “Origini and Development of bound by his excellent presen- concert was a powerful clas- win(J Instru-ments” and gave 12 ■■■■■■■■■I! a rewarding demonstration of some of the exotic instruments at the Centre of Performing Arts of the University of Pune to the students of Music De- partment. She demonstrated how the Angklung is adapted to the Indian music. Anasuya gave a lecture- demonstration on “Evolution of Percussion Instruments in the Wold of Music” at the Indian Fine Aits Society, Chennai dur- ing its 7 1st South Indian Music Conference and Festival 2003- 04. Her programme was ad- judged the best lecture-demon- stration in the music category and she was honoured by the Society on this occasion.— FAC. A traditional concert Nadasurabhi Cultural As- sociation presented a vocal concert by Laksmi Rangarajan of Chennai at the Indian Heri- tage Academy hall, Kora mangala. Having been initiated into Karnatak Music at a very young age, under the tutelage of T.M. Thiagarajan, she followed the same concert pattern and style, set by Semmangudi. Her inherent talent, rigorous practice under a single Guru, total dedi- cation and total adherence to the tradition were evident in her per- formance. Her presentation of ragas, compositions and kalpanaswaras were purely GUNAGR AHI / FEBRUARY-2004 classical. The opening vama in ‘Kedaragoula’, which has not been heard in concerts for quite some time now, was refresh- ing. ‘Sri Mahagana pathim' of ‘Jayachamaraja Wodeyar in Athana was breezy. Her ren- dition of kritis like ‘Tulasidala mula’ in Mayamalavagoula, ’ Bhogindrashayinam’ in Kuntalavarali, ’Srinivasa Thiru venkata’ in Hamsanandi took back the memories of rasikas to Semmangudi ’s concerts of yesteryears. Her selection of compositions was from all ma- jor composers like the Trinity, Swathi Thirunal, Annam- acharya, Purandaradasa, Papanasam Sivan and so on. The main raga was Shankara bharana forThyagaraja’s ‘Eduta nilachc’. The detailed exposition of the raga was traditional and innovative. Her intuitive swara kalpana was admirable. A few bhajans and Tamil songs like ‘Pasurams’ from Periazwar’s Thirumozhi and Subramanya Bharathi’s ‘Jagajjanai’ were noteworthy. She closed with the famous tillana in Poorvikalyani. Her daughter Subhiksha gave her vocal sup- port. Sunitha played the violin. P. Padmanabhan on the mridanga was vibrant. R.Ramesh on ghata was good enough to make the tani avartana lively. Hr.rini Raghavan. Natarajotsava — 2004 The 19th National level “Natarajotsava-2004”, a dance festival featuring young male and couple classical dancers will be held from 6th March to 9th March 2004 at Jaganmohana Palace audito- rium, K.V.Road, Mysore be- tween 6 and 9 p.m. daily. The festival is being hosted by the Vasundhara Per- forming Arts Centre led by the reputed dancer, choreogra- pher, Yoga expert and Guru Dr. Vasundhara Doras wamy. The Centre will provide boarding and lodging and a respectable honorarium fixed by its Trustees. The interested participants are requested to apply to the following address along with their three action photos and bio data. The admission to the festival in by invitation and free. Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy, No.l, West Cross, Ashoka Road, MYSORE-570001. BTM Cultural Academy (R) venue: Sri Ramana Maharshi Academy for the blind. 3rd cross, 3rd phase, JP Nagar,Bangalore-78 Sat.. 2 1-02-2004, 5.30 p.m. Vocal by Dr. Oman Kutty, Lalgudi Rajalakshmi (violin), C.Cheluva raju (mridanga) Sukanya Ram gopal (ghata) 13 With Best Complements from: ****»«. M Th& jm m Power fu I Bike 4^17 /rw SS/’sa' Authorised Dealers: CENTURY AUTOMOBILES Shankar Mutt Road, SHIMOGA. Phones: 221643 270530 Fax: 08182-270530 r i ISM ill! /SB? fflMII GUNAGRAHI / FEBRUARY-2004 Name this instrument and the artiste •> I . I low are the Bhaashuanga ragas classified? . Name them with examples ? 3. Name the ten Thaats of Hindustani music? 4. What is Bhaava pradhana Gaana? 5. Rana Bheri is . 6. Jaya Bheri is . 7. What is Bhaava pushli? 8. What is the specialty of Bhaashaanga ragas like Kambhoji. Bilahari etc? SOLUTION TO PHOTO QUIZ |iuR>(|nyi nXnsuuv'-iG ^ Ojsnui >jninujtf>| ot paidnpn inoiuansu; utussuopul un ‘3un|>|3uv 9. What is Bhaasha raga malika? 10. What is its specialty? 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