VOL. VI ISSUE. 12 MAY 2004 PERCUSSIVE ARTS CENTRE 2 3RD Thaalavaadydthsava 2DC4 The distinguished awardees H. Puttachar Awardee Anoor Dattatreya Sharma CMANA Prize winner N. Amrit Palani Subramanya Piliai awardee M. Vasudeva Rao K. Putturao Memorial Palghat Mani Iyer Awardee L. Subramaniam Veteran veena vidushi Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan being conferred the tide of “Kata Btoesfcana” at the sadas of the music conference held under the aegis of Sri Thyagaraja Gana Sabha Trust and Sri Mookambika Talavadya Sangeetha Kolas hale. PERCUSSIVE ARTS CENTRE (REGD.) (FOUNDER: SANGEETHA KAEA RATHNA BANGALORE K. VENKATARAM) 183, 8th Cross, 2nd Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore -560 Oil, INDIA. Ph. 26563079 23rd TIIAALA VAA D Y OTS AVA 2004 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Veena Subbanna 125th Birth anniversary of Palanl Mutblah Filial Birth centenary ofMadural Srirangam Iyengar of Mannargudi From 27th to 3()th May 2004 at Shivarathreeshwara Centre, J.S.S.Campus, 1st Main. 38th Cross, 8th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore -560 082. (Tel. 26549394, 26644540) under joint auspices with J.S.S. Sangeetha Sabha, Mysore and on 3 1st- May 2004 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Bangalore. PROGRAMMES (SUBJECT TO ALTERATIONS) Thursday 5.30 p in.: Nagaswara Swuagatha 27-05-04 6.00 p.m.: Inauguration and Presentation of PALANI SUBRAMANYA PILLAI AWARD (Donated by Snit. Sudha Rao and Dr. A. II. Rama Rao, Rarnasudha Charitable Trust) to Vidvvan M. VASUDEVA RAO. Presentation of H.PUTTACHAR AWARD (Donated by Vidvvan II.P. Ramachar) to Vidvvan ANOOR DATTATREYA SHARMA; Prescnla lion ot CMANA Prize (donated by Carnatic Music Association of North America) to Vidvvan N. AMRIT and release of Souvenir. 7.00 p.m.: H.C.K. Bhatta Memorial programme (donated by Dr. Sridevi & Dr.H.K. Chandrashekar, USA): Padma Gurudutt -Vocal. Dr. Jyolsna Srikanth -violin, M. Vasudeva Rao-mridanga; Arun Sukumar -morching. Friday 6.30 p.m.: T.R.Srinath -flute, S.Seshagiri Rao -violin, Anoor Dattatreya Sharma- 28- 05-04 mridanga, A.S. N. Swamy-khanjari . Saturday 6.00 p.m.: 150th birth year celebrations of Veena Subbanna -Lecture on the life and 29- 5-04 compositions of Veena Subbana by Vidushi T. Sharada (Sangeetha Kalanidhi R.K. Srikantan Endt. programme) : O.S.Thyagarajan -vocal. H.K. Venkataram -violin. A.V.Anand -mridanga, N. Amrit-khanjari Sunday 5.30 p.m.: 125th birth year celebrations of Palani Muthiah Pillai & Birth Centc- 30- 05-04 nary celebrations of Madurai Srirangam Iyengar of Mannargudi -Lecture by Sangeetha Shaslra Kovida B.M.Sundaram (Nagamma & A.Venkobachar memorial Endt. -donated by Mridanga Kala Shiromani A. V.Anand). 6.30 p.m.: U.D.N. Rao Memorial Programme (Donated by Smt. Nalini Rao & family) & U.D.Narayanamurthy Memorial Programme (Donated by Smt. Yamunadevi & family): C. Saroja & C. Lalilha (Bombay Sisters) -vocal, Mysore Srikanth- violin. Tumkur B. Ravishankar -mridanga, Ranganatha Chakravarthi -ghata. Monday 5.30 p.m. : VALEDICTORY FUNCTION at CHOWDIAH MEMORIAL HALL: 31- 05-04 Nagaswara Swaagatha 6.00 p.m. : Presentation of K. Puttu Rao Memorial Palghat Mani Iyer Award, (Donated by K.K.MURTHY, President, Academy of Music, Bangalore) to Vidwan L.SUBRAMANIAM; Distribution of prizes of Amruthur Janaki Animal Percussion Competition (Courtesy -M.R.Doraiswamy Iyengar). 7.30 p.m. : L.Subramaniam -violin, T.A.S.Mani -mridanga. .H.P.Ramachar -khanjari, Giridhar Udupa-ghata, S.V.Balakrishna -morching (Courtesy -V.Krishnan, Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha) Karnataka \ only English International Journal on music and dance ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ GUNAGRAHI /MAY-2004 | ■ ■ ■ Editor General Karnataka Kata Sri Dr. M. Surya Prasad Phone : 22253975 Associate Editors : Usha Kamalh Ph : 25598886 K. Ramamurthy Rao. Mysore Ph : 0821-371899 B. L. Manjula. Ph : 25519227 Chief Patrons S.K Lakshmmarayana (Babu) Mysore. Ph 0821-513414. V. Krishnan, Ph : 23345665 Dr. A H. Ramarao, Ph : 26691175 M. Bharadwaj. Ph:08182-222051 H.K Ganesh. Ph : 56702763 H. Kamalanath, Ph : 26612244 Principal Advisers Dr R Sathyanarayana. Mysore 0821-567891 T S. Parthasarathy, Chennai, 044-459005 Guru Maya Rao, Ph : 22261816 Mattur Krishnamurlhy Ph:23346404 Shyamala G Bhave, Ph : 23443900 Admn. Executive Dr. H.N. Shivaprakash, Ph : 26672189 Advisory Council : Dr. Manjunath 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 Pt. Parameshwar Hegde, Ph : 23310039 Pt. Vinayaka Torvi, Ph : 23305701 Dr. Vasundara Doreswargy, Mysore, Ph : 0821-2542814, Ranjani Ganeshan. Ph 26615127 Legal Adviser C.N.Salyanarnyana Shastri, Ph. 26620138 EDIT0RIAL0FFICE: "M 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 : 080- 222 53975 e-mail : gunagrahi@yahoo.com, drmsuryaprasad@yahoo.com Vol. VI Issue 12 May-2004 Understanding Hindusthnni music 4 From the Editor General 5 Reviews/News 7 Calendar of Events 13 In Kannada 14 Leisure 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. Nacheketa Sharma - Ph : 001-650-960-6906 Lavanya Dinesh Ph : 717-576-8295 'We Welcome all unsolicited material but do not take responsibility for the same. If these are to be returned postage should be included. 'Letters are welcome *AII rights reserved. Nothing may be printed in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. ‘The editors and publishers of Gunagrahi do their best to verify the information published but do not take responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. The opinions/views expressed by individual authors in articles published are not necessarily those of Gunagrahi. Articles, Photos, Write-ups, reports may also be sent to the following address : Editor General, 446, Jaraganahalli 1*0. J.l*. Nagar, Kanakapura Main Road, HANG A LORE - 560 07 H. 3 Understanding Hindustani music ( Part I) Introduction The theory and practice of Indian music are the logical result of a consistent development, a distinctive process, which plays an integral part in Indian history' and culture. One should not listen to Indian music and judge it in terms of Western music or any other musical form. It would lie like judging Beethoven or Brahms in terms of raag (the basis of Indian melody) and Taal (the basis of Indian rhythm). A listener is requested to forget counterpoint, harmony, and mixed tone colours fora moment and to relax into the rhythmic and melodic patterns. The totally diverse factor from the western classical music is that the music is not prewritten or pre-rehersed.The artist might have a few raags in mind that he/she would decide to present but that too can change on Jennaish from the audience (the audience’s preference of the raag they would like to listen to). Saptak (scale) The table below explains the concept of the scale for Indian classical Music. Saptak can start from any note as Sa(The first note ). In the table below shows the different scales that can be used. Saphed means White and Kali means Black . The next pail are equivalent numbers in Hindi). Indian name of the Scale ISaphed Ek (White One) Kali Ek (Black One) Saphed Don (White two) Kali Don (Black two) [Saphed Teen( White Three) Saphed Chaar( White Four) kali Teen (Black Three) Saphed Pach( White Five) Kali Chaar (Black Four) Saphed Chile (White Six) Kali paach (Black Five) Saphed Saat (White 7) Western Scale C Sharp D D Sharp E F Sharp G G Sharp A A Sharp B Shudhha, Aclial, Komal, and Teevra Swar Achala Swar : The notes Sa and Pa are fixed on the scale .They are referred to as Achal Continued on Page no. 6 4 a From the Editor General The Imw of Diminishing Returns The recently concluded Sri Rama Navami music season had more highs than lows due to abundant talent. One more Sri Rama Navami music season has come and gone leaving the Bangalore rasikas to rumi- nate over it. How does it look in the retrospect? An avalanche of classical rhythms and resonances. This is the impression it has left on the public mind. Imagine, more than 300 concerts hosted by more than 12 sabhas and organisations, big and small, young and old, for about 900 solid ‘hours over a period of 30 days and more! The spread laid by the over- generous hosts was no doubt sumptuous. ! When you have too little of a good thing, you ask for more. When you have too much of it, you take it for granted and lose interest. This is [exactly what has been happening to the Rama Navami series, with more and more organisers going into action with offers of attractive packages jover longer periods, as attendance becomes thinner and thinner. Any- thing in excess will be counter productive. The Law of Diminishing [Returns' begins to operate. However, a few organisations arc not wor- ried because their nourishment comes not from gate collections but from competing corporate sponsorships, members’ subscriptions, sou- venir advertising and aitistes’ donations. The 2004 series also had the same story to tell: Good music and •dance wasted in near to almost empty halls. It broke one’s heart to sec the concert of a young, highly talented singer attended by hardly a dozen [loyalists of the Organisation/artiste. Poor turnouts could be attributed to a combination of factors such as escalation of admission rates, decentralisation in the sense that the sabhas have been not only prolifer- ating but spreading themselves out at places within the reach of local [residents, overlapping of programmes and the lethal lure of the satellite TV. The synthetic or fusion music being aggressively promoted by the [electronic media. One more cause could be the changing face of classi- cism in the name of innovation to which elders find it difficult to relate, while youngsters do not consider it innovative enough. All classical forms and formats are conceptualised, structured, de- signed and presented in a scientific manner. This is true of the East as •well as the West. However, this does not rule out the possibility of change, attuned to contemporary taste and temperament. But it should be within [the framework of tradition which is resilient enough to take on any new challenge. GUNAGRAHI COMPLETES SIX YEARS It is heartening to note that with the publication of this issue the most popular GUNAGRAHI has completed its six years of purposeful publication. It has largely been successful in reaching to the expec- tations of the classical readers and rasikas. We rededicate ourselves for the cause of classical arts and artistes. --—Karnataka Kala Sri Dr. M. Surya Prasad. Continued from Page no.4 swara (immovable). | GUNAGRAHI/ MAY-2004 Vikrut Swar :The other notes are Vikrut (Movable) Komal Swar : In Vikrut swaras the notes Re, Ga , Dha, Ni can be moved below there shuddha place on the scale. They are called komal (Soft or Flat). These are shown by a small horizontal line below the note. Teevra Swar : Only one swar Ma can become vikrut by going one note above the shuddha Ma. It is called teevra (Sharp). It is shown by a small vertical line above the note. Saptuk (Register) In Indian Classical music 3 saptaks (Octaves) are usually utilized. Saptak : When the set of seven notes is played in the order it is called a Saptak (i.e. Sa , Re. Ga, Ma. Pa, Dha, Ni) Maddhya Saptak : The normal tone of human voice, which is neither high nor low. It is called Maddhya Saptak (Middle Octave). This has got no symbol in the notation system Taar Saptak : 1 he one higher than Maddhya Saptak is Taar saptak (High). The notes arc high and sharp.This shown by a dot above the note. Two dots above the note imply a note of an octave higher than the Taar Saptak i.e. Ati Taar Saptak. Mandra Saptak : I he one below the Maddhya Saptak is called Mandra saptak( Low). Notes of this octave are sung or played in a low deep tone. This comprises of the saptak which is below the lower Sa of the Maddhya Saptak. Notes of this saptak are indicated by a dot below. It is possible in case of stringed instruments such as Sitar to go to the octave lower than the Mandra saptak. It’s known as the Ati Mandra Saptak. The notes of this saptak are indicated by two dots below. In the saptak (scale) the Sa gets repeated after the Ni. The Frequency of the second Sa is twice the frequency of the First Sa. The second Sa is termed as Taar Shadja. From this Taar Shadja the same saptak gets repeated (But this time at twice the frequency of the respective swar. It’s then called taar Saptak.) The Drone Since the Indian Classical music is modai music based on relations between a fixed sound, the tonic and the successive notes. The tonic needs to be heard continuously.The sustained accompaniment of the tonic allows the performer to check his/ her voice to avoid dissonance.This constant tonic is provided by the instrument Taanpura . It has four or some- times 5/6 strings . The drone is accomplished (explained for a four string taanpura) by playing . . . .Pa, Sa, Sa, Sa or Ma, Sa, Sa, Sa ( If a particular raag does not include Pa but has Ma) Some times it is set to. . . .Dha Sa, Sa, Sa or Ni, Sa, Sa, Sa if the raag has prominence of DhaorNi. 6 (To beContinued in Che next issue) GUNAGRAHI / MAY-2004 their rangapravcshas. Petite and promising dancer Sunilha was the sixth one to make her first how at Mandya’s pres- tigious Nalwady Krishnaraja iVodeyar auditorium. Sunitha stuck to her form and for her three-tier exposition of the vama. However she would do well in maintaining the right ardha mandali throughout the dance performance. A Kannada devaranama by Kanakadasa “Rama Govinda Chethana Radhakrishna ’s accomplishments Mandya’s Young exponent of Bharatanatya Chethana Radhakrishna PM. has been successfully striving hard in popularising Bharala natya and also the essence of Indian culture. She has been training the packed auditorium en- joyed every moment of her dance The opening Pushp- anjali in 1 famsanandi was the means with which she saluted 1 hu e” explicating the virtues of Lord Rama and Krishna was presented. The ten incarna- tions of the Lord were shown in a compact and commend- able abhinaya. The traits and behaviour of a khanditha nayika could be savoured in her abhinaya for a Venkata students in Bharatanatya at various centres. Along with her energetic and inspiring hus- band Radhakrishna she has made hcrGurudev Lalithakala Academy a rendezvous of classical music and other line arts. The fact that the Acad- emy has completed its ten years of useful service is in it- self a testimony for its popu- larity and utility. Chethana, her- self a Post-graduate in dance from tiie Bangalore University has carved a special niche for herself as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and organiser. Besides prestigious solo per- formances and several cho- reographic works, she has so far presented five dancers in various Gods and God- desses followed by a brisk klianda alarippu. Her control over nritta was evident in the rendition of a Sri raga jatiswara set to khandachapu tala. The jathis were trans- lated into a fine and felicitous dance language. Tanjorc Quartet’s ragamalika shabda envisages the greatness of Sri Krishna and His (lute play. Sunilha gave a definite shape and form It) it with her admi- rable abhinaya. The mood of shringara bhakti was neatly evoked and further consoli- dated by nritta and nrilhya when she delineated a Papanasham Shi van’s Nattakuranji pada varna “Swamiye naanudan ariye”. Full marks could be awarded 7 rumanaiah-javali set to Hindusthani Kapi raga. Sunitha’s Guru Chethana Radhakrishna not only imparted an inspiring nattuvanga support but also surprised the audience by re- lating to the problems con- fronted by Sunitha in learning Bharatanatya. Guruprasad (vocal), Narayana (violin), Ashwathanarayana (flute) and Janardhana Rao (mridanga) lent positive support to the dancer. Radhakrishna intro- duced and welcomed the guests. Dr. Pradecpkumar was the master of ceremonies. Raghuraj shines The author of the great arts-treatise Natya Shastra Bharatha Muni was remem- bered at a function entitled “Sri Bharatha Muni Jayanthi” held under the auspices of Samskara Bharathi. Scshadri puram branch at Garden City Public School. The impoitanee and the contribution of Natya Shastra were elicited in a scholarly and yet simple lec- ture. The contents of the 36 chapters of the treatise were explained in a nutshell. Dr. P.K. Gayathri. Prof, of Sanskrit spoke about the relevance of Natya Shastra in the modern times. Chakravailhi Tinmiasan Cr ol Samskara Bharathi ex- horted the younger generation to emulate the Indian culture and ensure real happiness in human life. BVS Rao presided over the function. Flautist and the vice-president of Samskara Bharathi Cecilia Copal super- vised the conduct of the programme. The formal programme was followed by a short, neat and tidy Bharalanatya recital by Young dancer-teacher Raghuraj. This young chap bestowed with handsome face and good looks, began with a Pushpanjali and graphically presented the glory of Lord of Obstacles on the basis of a Papanasham Shivan’s krilhi “Gajavadana kamna sadana” set to Sriranjini raga. Aided by a pre-recorded music, Raghuraj did credit to his Gum Brinda. Lean and agile, the dancer utilized the compact stage for an effective nritta. The fluidity in the limb move- ments paved the way fora neat execution of pure dance. His abhinaya was al- most perfect and profound. “Tamboori mcetidava bhavaa bdhi daatidava” (Sindhu bhairavi) by Purandaradasa is already a well-known compo- sition both in music and dance fields. The saint-poet emphasises the prominence of music for salvation and getting rid of the worldly problems. Raghuraj \s salwikaabhinaya could reach the import of the composition even to the lay rasikas. Raja Rao feted A wellknown organiser and connoisseur of music N.Raja Rao who pre- sided over the three day Aradhana’s seventh anniver- sary music conference held at the Adarsha auditorium, Malleshwara under the joint auspices with C.V.Nagaraj Trust was felicitated on the valedictory day. It was inau- gurated by Dr.R. V.Ragha vendraof Ananya. In the auditorium lit by oil lamps and sans micro- phones. veteran singer Dr. T.S.Sathyavathi led a talented team of musicians comprising Arc lum a Rajeev, Rcnuka Rudrapatna, Marulhi Prasad and Amrith Nagasundar (all vocals). T.S. Krishnamurthy (violin), Chaithanya Kumar (flute) and M.A. Krishna murlhy (mridanga and lablas) to present a musical feature “Gokula Nirgamana" based on Pu .Ti . N arasi mhachar ’s work. Dr. PS. Cecilia's narra- tion was apt. The plight of the Gopikas after Krishna left Gokula came lively before (lie audience. Karnatik classical ragas were used for the select verses. The background mu- sic was never harsh and redun- dant. Welcome Laya Simada A welcome addition of a new percussion ensemble called “Laya Sunada” led by versatile mridangist T.S. Chandrasekhar with Guruprasanna (khanjira), Krishnaprasad (ghata), Srinivas (morsing), Ramanath 1 Ramadas (dholak) and Vyasa Vitihala (dolu) was heralded when the group accompanied flautist M.K.Pranesh in his full- fledged solo performance held on the second day of the con- ference. Dr.Nalarajamurthy lent an impressive violin sup- port. Pranesh does not be- lieve in placating the audience. Nor does he indulge in un- wanted and unnecessary orna- mentation of his renditions. That is why Carnatic music flowed quietly in all its tradi- tional resplendence. The opening “Pranaamaamyaham’’ (Gowla) and “Chalamelara” (Jayanthasri) set a bouncy tempo to the recital. The ex- pounding of Devaamrilha varshini (Hvarani) and Ravi- chandrika (Niravadhi suklutda) ragas was reward- ing. A raga, tana and pallavi in Hemavathi raga (Sri Kanthimati ) as per the classi- cal tenets adorned with schol- arly swaras and making room for the percussionists to exhibit their talent and artistry was the highlight of the evening’s re- cital. Srilatha scores Music runs in the fam- ily of seasoned singer from Mysore Dr. R.N. Srilatha, who has been trained by her father R.K.Narayanaswamy and brother R.N.Thyagarajan. She also holds a doctoral de- gree in music. Blessed with a suitable voice, Srilatha sang for Hamsadhwani Creations at Ananya auditorium in a man- ner Ire from any perverse or wasted display of skill. An ideal menu of classical music greeted the rasikas. Raga prefaces and technical exten- sions were appropriate. It was off to a gixxl start with Begade varna. I lerswaraprasthara for the Anandabhairavi krithi by Shyama Sastry “Aa dinamu nielli pogadu” had interesting sequences and an impressive korvais also. Tlie chittaiswaras appended to it were attractive. She ran into form in her Naltakuranji raga alapana which had sweet sparks of imagination. She imparted more repose to her build up in the medium octave statements and reserved her fast se- quences towards the end of the elaboration. Yet another Shyama Sastry krithi “Maayamma nannu brova vamma’ in a leisurely vilamba registered well as she further beautified it with kalpanaswaras in different kaalaas matrices. She did well in the presentation of a rarely heard krithi "E maayinemi” with chittaiswaras. The detailed delineation of Raga Varali abounded in Karnatik graces with melancholic flavour help- ing buoy up the recital. She did a reasonably good job in its methodical exposition with due pauses between phrases and working it up in the laara sthayis. The Shyama Sasty krithi “Kamakshi Bangaru with neraval and swaras re- vealing her high level of cre- ativity. Seasoned violinist T.S.Krishnamurthy enriched the recital with his timely re- sponses and repartees. C.Cheluvaraju was the able mridangist. Sukanya Ram- gopal’s ghata-play was excel- lent and apt to the occasion. Dancers excel in Nava Rangapraveshotsava ‘Arangetram’ or ‘Rangapravesha’ is the name given within the South Indian dance tradition Bharatanatyam to a dancer’s debut perform- ance. The focus of the Arangetram therefore became entirely artistic - an occasion 9 GUNAG when both new dancer and her teacher could be judged for their standards. The perform- ance had therefore a very im- portant economic as well as artistic role too. The Rangapravesha then is a per- formance that in order to be meaningful demands the equal involvement of teacher, per- former and audience in the pursuit of artistic excellence. In this sense it is an event that symbolically unites the artistic community. With the explosion of interest in Bharatanatya during the 1970s and 80s, in addition to the artistic role, Rangapraveshas have ac- quired a different significance. As a result, they are now a big business. Performing a Rangapravesha, rather than a regular performance now typi- cally means a hike in the fees paid to musicians. In addition, gifts must be purchased for both teacher and musicians and anyone else involved and quite often snacks are supplied to the audience. Within the Diaspora, especially in Karnataka, the situation has reached extremes. They can be com- pared with weddings in terms of lavish display. Unsurprisingly, they have therefore become phenom- enally expensive. The problem is that in the midst of this dis- play, the artistic role of the performance is often lost. With the increasing importance of the Rangapravesha — an initia- tion into a cultural practice, its role as an initiation into an ar- tistic practice is forced to take a back seat. Rather than look for clean lines, convincing ex- pressions anti good rhythm, the audience now comes to see family values upheld, to wit- ness and approve of the re- s|x;ctful bond between teacher and student and to applaud the speeches that extol the values of hard work and of keeping in touch with one’s roots. And the mere fact of the expense of Arangetrams, as we have seen, ensures that this group is very exclusive. In this case, Arangetrams be- come more than performance and more than party, but a cul- tu rally specific form of con- spicuous consumption used as a vehicle to propagate specific cultural ideals. Programmes held in this vein will join the ranks of Disney’s 4 world cul- tures’ display in presenting a 10 vision of the art form that ef- fectively confines and shack- les it and forbids its growth. Talented and deserv- ing dancers hailing from eco- nomically weaker sections ei- ther had to toil hard to weigh with the ‘haves' or give up the idea of Rangapravesha unable to swim against the stream. The Dept, of Kannada and Culture wisely thought of en- couraging such talents by pro- viding them an opportunity to cherish their dream of Rangapravesha. The Rajyotsava awardee organisation Sri Vivekananda Kala Kendra led by V.Nagaraj joined hands with the Dept, active assistance from V.Srinivas, the present direc- tor and Rani Satish. the minis- ter of Kannada and Culture. The maiden group Rangapravesha programme was held in 2002 during the Navaralhri time. It was a big success and received a posi- tive response from the danc- ers, their Gurus, parents and the audience. The aspirants were provided with the spacious Ravindra Kalakshetra stage, minimum lighting and printed invitation cards. They were also presented with a memento and a certificate. They were also allowed to have the chief guests of their choice. The gen- eral standard of their perfor- mance was of a high standard and commendable. Recently the second such ‘Nava Rangapravesho- tsava’ was held at Ravindra Kalakshetra for five days. The programmes were held on the same lines. 14 young dancers trained by seven different Gu- rus made their first bow dur- ing the festival. Young Shwetha Nagaraj of Sri Vivekananda Kala Kendra accompanied by Sowndarya Srivatsa (nattu vanga). D.S. Srivatsa (vocal), Sarvotham (flute) and Narayanaswamy (mridanga) rendered the opening dance of the festival by unfolding the Lord Ganesha on the basis of a Dasara pada “Vandisuvu dadiyali”. Archana-Chethana scintillate A scintillating Bharatanatya by the twin dancer-sisters Archana and Chethana fol- lowed. With able support lent by Guru Devaki Narasimhan (nattuvanga), Srivatsa (vocal), Narayanaswamy (mridanga) and others they sent the lovers of dance into raptures by pre- senting Pushpanjali, Shabda, Jatiswara (.Kedara, roopaka tala), a Pada by Padmacharan f Shrunga puraadheeshwari’, Kalyani) and the varna by Dwaraki Krishnaswamy (‘Bhuvana sundarana karetaare’, Kham ach). The nritta was nimble and the miming was at its best. There was an impec- cable understanding and co- ordination between the danc- ers. Rukmini as the virahotkhantita nayikacame alive in the rendition. Shrutlii and Veena do well Shruthi and Veena trained by Kolar K.M. Ramesh scored well in the exposition of a jatiswara (Poorvikalyani), shabda (ragamalika), pada (Kshetragna) and the Todi varna (‘Maaye mayane sodariye’). Rajeshwari Pandit and Brinda (vocal), Ramesh (nattuvanga) and others im- parted useful support. Guru Sudha Nagaraj pre- sented her three disciples — M.Praveen Kumar, B.K. Lakshmi and. B.K. Srivalli. Varied attributes of Lord Krishna and his life story in- cluding the episode of Geetopadesha were unveiled by the trio while rendering ragamalika varna (‘Sundara it Srikrishna Vasudeva’). The technical hold of the dancers was evident in its delineation. Praveenkumar in particular stole the show with his refined abhinaya for a Padmacharan pada ‘ Pradosha samayadi'. Lakshmi and Srivalli gave a good account of themselves in presenting Thyagaraja’s ‘Raara Rajeevalochana’ (Mohana) and an Ashtapadi (Radhe Haririva). Sudha (nattuavanga), Srivatsa (vo- cal), Srihari (mridanga), Praveenkumar (morsing etc) were the rewarding accompa- nists. Aptly accompanied by Shabha Dhananjay (nattu vanga), Srivatsa (vocal) and others R.Srinivas and R. Rajalakshmi did well in delin- eating Papanasham Shivan’s Nattakuranji varna (Swami naanindu). Kanyakumari went through the marga-items like jatiswara (Abhogi), Shabda and Papanasham Shivan’s varna(Nattakuranji), a devaranama (‘Ninna nambide’) and tillana (Hindola) with involvement, (nattuvanga and vocal), Hemanthkumar (violin), Janardhan (mridanga) and others gave inspiring sup- port. ■■■■■■■■■■I GUNAGRAHI/ MAY-2004 | Shruthi Nayak and Ranjitha Govindaraj did proud to their Guru Jyothi Pattabhiram of Sri Sadhana Sangama Nrithya Kalpa. They excelled in render- ing a jatiswara and varna. Jyothi (nattuvanga), Venugopal (flute), Somanna (violin) and others en- riched the dance recital. B.K. Vasanthalakshmi’s disciples Shubha Prahlad and Darshini Manjunath showed their class in the depiction of Abhogi jatiswara , a rare Kannada shabda (‘‘Shankara taravenu’) and the Dhanyasi varna (‘Ee maguva’). A Kshelragna pada by Shubha and an Ashtapadi by Darshini were upto the mark. Orchestra support by Vasantha lakshmi (nattuvanga), Bharati Venugopal (vocal) and others was fruitful. Artistic Pt.Vinayak Torvi The artistic and aesthetic confluence of Hindusthani mu- sic, bhaava and moving words of the songs evoked the feeling of bhakti and enthralled the rasikas at Sri Raghavendra Math, Swimmingpool extension, Mallcshwaram when the leading and proficient I iindusthani singer Pandit Vi nayak Torvi presented a full-fledged vocal recital fea- turing Haridasa padas and Marathi songs. He was per- forming in a series of concerts held at the Math in connection with the dedication of “Su varna Kavacha” weighing about four- teen kgs to the Swamiji. A large corpus of listeners as a rule was always able to recognise what is more tangible and concrete that is the words and the sense. The more abstract element of the melody and “sur” haunted it. The Haridasa com- positions and a couple of Marathi numbers provided a natural ped- estal to the veteran vocalist to take off in any manner in accor- dance with the natural vogue or genius of his musical system, that is, Hindusthani music a pure gain for the recital. Thus whether in tans, bol-tans, sargams or gamak, the lift off from as well as the homecom- is a unique feature of Hindusthani music. The artiste herein enjoys the full freedom of using varieties of foreign notes to make a particular raga more resplendent. Generally mishra ragas are used in rendering light numbers with a view to lay em- phasis on the import of the lyr- ics. Pandit Vinayak Torvi’s re- cital under review sent the audi- ence into raptures with such mishra ragas. Mishra Jogiya (‘Daya maado Ranga'). mishra Tillang ( ‘Doom maaduvarene’ ). mishra Pahadi (‘Saagi bande Prabhuve’), mishra Maand (Sant ing to the main strain of the com- positions was natural and unproblematic. He set the ball rolling with a graceful introductory chanting of “Jaya Jaya Rama Krishna Hari” (ragamalika) in the typical Vaarkari paddhathi of Pandharapura. It is worth not- ing here that in this Paddhathi, the Dindi bhajan begins with this type of chanting. In an ex- tremely concentrated and self- gathered voice, wonderfully free from any kind of wavering or vacillating auxiliary tones or overtones and merging into Aadhara shadja with gripping elongations Pandit Torvi un- leashed a cascade of melodic Gnaneshwar’s abhanga ‘Sant bhav Pandhara') and mishra Kapi (‘Murariyane kondaade’) imparted a smooth, even flow to his music and bhaavas and a symmetry to the continuity of design to the melodic fabric. “Bhooyati Vardendra” (Jaijavanthi, Dwijavanthi of Carnatic music), “Tunga teera viharT and “Anjikinyaala kayya' fell pleasantly on the ears. He concluded with “Sadaa enna hridayadalli’ (Bhairavi). Vyasamurthy Kalti (harmo nium), Vishwanatha Nakod and G.S. Hegde (tabla) enriched the recital with their lively accom- paniments. His talented disciples Keerthikumar Badasheshi patterns. It was a delight to (tanpura along with Shruli Bliat watch the patterns taking shape on the second tanpura) and according to the directions of Dattatreya Velankar (with cym- his hands. bals) added spice to the vocal The concept of mishra ragas recital with their vocal support. Calendar of EventS3unday, 6th June, 6.30 p.m.: ANANYA presents at 6.30 pm.: LAVA RAGA SANGAMA (Melody in Rhythm) by STRI TAAL TARANG Sukanya Ramgopal (Ghata Tarang), Ranjani Venkatesh and G. Lakshmi (Mridanga), Bhagyalakshmi M. Krishna (morsing). Vasavi Taranath (konnokkol), K. Jayashree (Vioiln), B.S. Ashwini (Flute) and Jayashree Rao (Key- board). 16th May. Sunday. 6.00 pm.: Sri Tyagaraja Gana Sabha Trust (R.) and SriMookambika Talavadya Sangeetha Kalashale present Veena duct by Geetha Ramanand and Revathi Murthy accompanied by K.K Uari Narayan (Mridanga), R. Ramesh (Ghata) at Sri Vani Education Centre, Rajajinagar. 16th May, Sun., 6.30 pm.: Veena Doraiswilmy Iyengar Memorial Trust presents PALLAVI by R.A. Ramamani and Party at Ananya Sabhangana, Malleswara. 20th -23rd May: Radel (R.) and Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira (R.) present “Sunadavinodini” Electronic Veena Festival at Devagiri Sangeetha Sabha, BSK II stage:- 20"' May, Tlnirs. 6 p.m.: Anuradha Madhusudan, Cheluvaraju (mridanga), M.A. Krishnamurthy (mridanga). 2 1' 1 May. Fri 6 p.m.: Prashanth Iyengar. Nilakantha Ramesh (mridanga), V.Suresh (ghata). 22"" May. Sal. 6 p.m.: Emani Kalyani, AAK Sliarma (mridanga), Sukanya Ramgopal (ghata). 23 r " May. Sun. 6 p.m.: Jayanthi Kumaresh. A. Kumar (mridanga), Giridhar Udupa (ghata). 2 1 )’" May. Sat. 6.30 p.m.: Raga Sudhalaya: Divya Ravi (Delhi — Vocal), Subhadramma Venkatappa (violi n) and Ranjani Venkatesh (mridanga) at BEL Sri Ganapathy Temple. BEL Colony. Jalahalli. X jp Thyagarajaswamy Bhajana Sabha Sootram Nagaraja y - ..y 1L p * p ft \j A Aryabhata award. Noted play-back singer m \iliP L W; * S.P.Balasubramanyam presented this coveted award l ° h ' m at Rav [ inclra Kalakshetra at a glittering I'unc- Sootram Nagaraja Sastry was also presented with the “Rashtriya Ratan Award" of International Friendship Forum of India of Delhi and "National Unity and Economic Development Award” from his Excellency Justice O.P.Verma. Gove rnor of Punj ab in the pre sence of reputed dignitaries at New Delhi. 1" ANNCWI^KVIHNT j ♦ Artistes, Authors and publishers are welcome to send two copies of their books/cassettes/CD.^ bn Indian music (Karnatak, Hindusthani, Sugama Sangeetha, folk music etc) and Indian dance (clas-‘ ideal and folk) to GUNAGRAHl for review. While every effort will be made to acknowledge receipt bf the same under "New Arrivals", the decision to review a book/cassette/CD rests entirely with thd journal. ' ♦ The Sabhas, Organisations, Institutions and organisers are hereby requested to send the dc-l tails of their forthcoming activities/programmes as also the events held to get them enlisted in thd Current issue of GUNAGRAHl by post and/or through e-mail on or before 8th of every month. 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UIZ OF FINK ARTS....20 Define Chittai swara? What do you know about it? Explain its features? What is the speciality of the chittai swara of "Paahi maam Sri Rajarajeshwari"(Janaranjini) and "Nee madi ehallaga” (Anandabhairavi)? Clarinet is a instrument of European origin. Explain its features? It is used in . Who was the first to introduce it to Indian music? What is a concert drum? 10. Give examples for it? sju3iuiuisui |T?Disnui luaiojjtp jo sgoj ■■■ ■■■ ■■ t^m mm mm i same tempo as that of the composition whereas the Anandabhairavi Chittai What do you know about these things? .L.E.I.S.U.R.E. SOLUTION TO QUIZ OF FINE A RTS... 20 1 . A set of swara passage added on to a krithi for decorative effect. 2. It is sung at the end of the anupallavi and charana. 3. It may be set in the same kaala (identical speed) of the composition or in adhyama kaala. It set in the same speed as the com position, it is usual to sing the chittaiswara in the normal tempo at the end of the anu pallavi and in madhyamakala at the end of the charana. 4. The Janaranjini chittaiswara is set in the swara is set in madhyama kala, com pared to the speed of the composition. 5. Wood wind. 6. It has a compass of 31/2 octaves and is a single reed instrument. It is cylindrical in shape and is provided with keys. 7. Orchestra and in dance bands. 8. Mahadcva Naltuvanar, in the 1 9 lh century was the first to practice and introduce it in Chinna Melams (dance bands) in South India. 9. Membraphones used in classical concerts. 10. Mridanga, khanjira. tavila and dolak. Public Utility Services: i Postal Bangalore Basavanagudi Jayanaga Services GPO I IPO HPO Enquiry 22266772 266 1 3930 26340303 Speed Post 22861435 266 1 3964 26557644 Customer Care Center 22863434 26608366 26631004 Western Union Money Transfer 22865660 26617600 26340303 Philately 22863434 266 1 7600 26340303 15 (JjUNAGRAHI IMonthlv. Journal RNI REGN. NO. 69149/98 Rcgn. No. CPMG/KA/BGS-92/2003-05 A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A BACHELOR’S DEGREE!!! EITHER IN KARNATAK MUSIC OR IN BHARATHANATYA OPENING SHORTLY FROM THIS ACADKMIC YEAR (2004-05) KESHAVA COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DANCE (AFT‘1I.IA'1TCI) TO BANGAI.ORE UNIVERSITY) AT 556, 11™ MAIN ISRO LAYOUT, J.l’. NAGAR I’OST, BANGALORE 560078 Application forms & prospectus are available THOSE INTERESTED MAY CONTACT the above address or dial OFF: 26669565 (BETWEEN 10 AM & 12 NOON & 5 & 7.00 PM). RES: 23523773 ( AFTER 7.00 PM ) t j \ Owned, Published, Edited and Printed by Dr. M. 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