E — 2 •lit June Saturday, 630 pm.: MES Kalavedi presents Amman i Iyengar Endowment concert - Vocal by Sriram Gangadharan. (Chennai) & party at MES Col- lege. 15th Cross, MaUeswaram. 20th June Sunday, 5.00 pm.: Sri Tyagaraja Gana Sabha Trust and Sri Mukambika Talavadya Sangeetlia Kalashale presents “Eka Raga Sabha” -Vocal by M.S. Vidya accom panied by Mulabagilu A. V. Satyanarayana (Violin), A. Renuka Prasad (Mridanga) and P. Srinivasamurthy (Ghata) at Sri Vani Vidya Kendra, 1 246, 4th Main, E Block, 2nd Stage, Rajajinagar. 25th June Friday, 630 pm.: Nadajyothi Sri Thyagarajaswamy Bhajana Sabha presents Vocal by Sruthi Anand accompanied by Jyotsna Manjunath (Violin), Swaminathan (Mridanga) at Sri Kanyakaparameshwari Temple Premises, 8th Cross, MaUeswaram. 26th J une Saturday, 6.30 pm. : Raaga Sudhalaya Charitable Trust presents Vocal by Vinutha Prakash accompanied by C. Madhusudhan (Violin), M. V. SampathkumarSharma (Mridanga) at BEL Sri Ganapathy Temple, BEL Colony, Jalahalli. 26th June Saturday, 6.00 pm.: Sri Rama Lalithakala Mandira in association witli Dept, of Kannada and Culture presents classical music programme. & on 27th June Sunday, 5-30 p.m. Flute by Rajkamal & Party at Sri Devagiri Sangeelha Sabhangana, BSK 2nd Stage. 26th June Saturday, 530 pm.: M.A. Narasimhachar Music Foundation presents Flute Duet by G. Mohanarangan and G. Ravikiran accompanied by B.K Raghu (Violin), K.U. Jayachandra Rao (Mridanga) at The Indian Institute of World Culture. 3rd and 4th July : Harmonium Solo Competition in I lindustani and Karnatak styles is being conducted by Bjapure I lannonium Foundation at Ananya Sabhangana, MaUeswaram. For further detaiLs contact Ravine! ra Katoti at 23525440/57638420. E-mail: harmoniumfoundation@yahoo.com Veena Doraiswamy Iyengar Memorial Trust presents the third programme in the series ) “PALLAVI” by Rudrapatnam Brothers R.N. Thyagarajan & R.N. Tharanathan and party. 19tli June Saturday, 530 pm.: B I'M Cultural Academy presents Panchaveena recital by D. Balakiishna, Geetha Ramanand, Revathi Murthy, Manjula Surendra and Vani Yadunandan accompanied by V.S.Rajagopal (mridanga) and S.A.Narayanamurlhy (Ghata) at Sri Ramana Maharshi Acad- emv for the Blind, 3rd Cross . 3rd Phase, J.P. Nagar. SCHOLARSHIPS: Candidates under the age of 25 years as on 1st July who wish to persue proficiency grade in Karnatak music (vocal/in- strumental) are hereby requested to submit their applications in their own handwriting, furnishing their updated bio-data, for scholarships to The Managing Trustee, Sri D. Subbaramaiah Fine Arts Trust, 75, 7th cross, ITI Lay out, I phase, J.P. Nagar, Bangalore-560078 on or Vfcefore 25th August 2004. Bharatanatya classes Regular classes in Bharatanatya will be star- ted at Sri Mookambika Talavadya Sangeetha Kalaa Shaale during the third week of June 2004. Interested aspirants arc requested to Contact B.C. Harini at the following address: 1667/9, ‘Sri Mookambika Nilaya’, 10th main road, ‘A’ block. II stage, Rajajinagar, Bang- lalore-5600 1 0. Ph. 23579372/9886096098/ >£448089890. i Karnataka ’s only English International Journal on music and dance Editor General Karnataka Kala Sri Dr. M. Surya Prasad Phone : 22253975 Associate Editors : Usha Kamath Ph : 25598886 K. Ramamurthy Rao, Mysore Ph: 0821-2371899 B. L. Manjula, Ph: 25519227 Chief Patrons :S.K. Lakshminarayana (Babu) Mysore, Ph : 0821-2513414. V. Krishnan, Ph : 23345665 Dr. A.H. Ramarao, Ph : 26691175 M. Bharadwaj, Ph:081 82-222051 H.K. Ganesh, Ph : 56702763 H. Kamalanath, Ph : 26612244 Principal Advisers :Dr. R. Sathyanarayana, Mysore 0821-2567891 T.S. Parlhasarathy, Chennai, 044-2459005 Guru Maya Rao, Ph : 22261816 Mattur Krishnamurthy 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 : 04424992474 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 Doreswamy, Mysore, Ph: 0821-2542814, Ranjani Ganeshan, Ph :26615127 Legal Adviser : C.N.Satyanarayana 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. VII Issue 1 June— 2004 INSIDE: Calendar of Events 2 Understanding Hindusthani music 4 From the Editor General 5 Reviews/News 7 In Kannada 11 About Kuchipudi Natya 1 2 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: 818 788 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 ‘All 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 P.O. J.P. Nagar, Kanakapura Main Road, BANGALORE - 560 078. 3 Understanding Hindusthani music (Part 11) Thaat (Classification of Ragas) The set of seven notes or scale which can produce a raga is called a thaat.The system of classification for the ragas in different groups. Each group is called a Thaat. There are again several systems of classification of the raga. Presently in Hindustani Classical Music the 10 thaat classifica- tion of ragas is prevalent. There are certain rules for these Thaats or scales. 1 . A Thaat must have seven notes out of the twelve notes [Seven Shuddha, Four komal (Re, Ga, Dha , Ni), one teevra (Ma) ], placed in an ascending order. Both the forms of the notes can be used. 2. Thaat has only an Aaroha. 3. Thaats are not sung but the ragas produced from the Thaats are sung. 4. Thaats are named after the popular raga of that Thaat. For example Bhairavi is a popular raga and the thaat of the raga Bhairavi is named after the raga. Following 10 Thaats arc widely accepted now. ( Bhatkhande system) Name of Thaat Swara Komal(Flat)/ Teevra(Sharp) Bilaval Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha, Ni All shuddha swar Khamaj Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha, Ni Ni Komal Kalyan Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha, Ni Ma Teevra Bhairav Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha . Ni Re, Dha Komal Kaafi Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha, Ni Ga, Ni Komal Maarvaa Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha, Ni Re Komal , Ma Teevra Asaavaree Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha , Ni Ga, Dha, Ni Komal Poorvi Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha . Ni Ma teevra, Re, Dha Komal Todi Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha . Ni Ma teevra, Re, Ga, Dha Komal Bhairavi Sa, Re , Ga, Ma, Pa. Dha , Ni Re, Ga, Dha, Ni Komal Raga in today’s form In today’s Indian classical music Raga is the backbone. The word raga comes from Sanskrit word “Ranj” which means to delight to make happy and to satisfy. Here it’s necessary to clarify that not all ragas project a happy mood. The raga can produce various moods such as Shanta (serenity), Shrungaar (erotic), Bhakti (devotion to God), Veera (gallantry, bravery, aggressive) Raga is neither a scale, nor a mode. It is, however, a scientific, precise, subtle and aesthetic melodic form with its own peculiar ascending and descending movement which consists of either a full octave, or a series of six or five notes. An omission of a jarring or dissonant note, or an emphasis on a particular note, or the slide from one note to another, and the use of microtones along with other subtleties, distinguish one raga from the other. Raga has its own principal mood such as tranquillity, devotion, eroticism, loneliness, pathos, heroism, etc. Each raga is associated, according to its mood, with a particular time of the day, night or a season. Improvisation is an essential feature of Indian music, depending upon the imagination Continued on Page no.6 4 Colouring the Tone Is a particular flair or inborn gift bestowed upon the child by Nature along with other faculties at the time of birth? It may be so, for how else would an unlettered Kabir versify, every zealous cricketer not become a Tendulkar, every music aspirant a Kumar Gandharva or Lata Mangeshkar? This miracle of Nature manifests itself in the daily course of life in the emergence of child prodigies. Even in an extra sharp memory that never fails. But this is not the whole story. Excellence is also a slave to hard work. The world gives way to indefatigable workers who pursue their goals unflinchingly. They also hit the nail though with not the same natural, nipping grace with which those of the former categoiy do. Genius has a strange and electrifying way of showing itself. Perhaps it acts on the spur of the moment, instantaneously. Spontaneity, effortless ease and absence of deliberation are its hallmarks. These thoughts are stirred in the mind when hearing to a fine musician. For almost three decades, I have known and heard earnest and upright wayfarers on the highway of art. In the steadfast and single-minded pursuit of music, they have been second to none. But now are they really charged up when they perform? This can be measured in the extent of involvement a listener feels when listening to them. Do you listen to them with rapt attention, oblivious of self or surroundings or just casually as you listen to any other routine recital? A given piece of music should either entertain, make you forget yourself or it should educate. A listener dilly-dallies only when it falls in between the two. These days it has become customary for vocalists to curb their voices. I prefer the old style of bold and unrepressed voice-culture. In instrumental music the tone can be controlled to a whisper to con- vey an emotionally pregnant situation (its finest illustration may be found in Bismillah’s shehnai). It should be in the very nature of ripples and waves of emotion to heave and undulate, to rise and fall by letting some tone-colour informing the renditions. Karnataka Kala Sri Dr. M. Surya Prasad. ■ ■■■■■■■■■■GUrjAGRAHI/JUNE-2004 Continued from Page no.4 and the creativity of an artiste; a great artist can communicate and instill in his listener the mood of the raga. Each melodic structure of raga has something akin to a distinct personality subject to a prevailing mood. Early Indian writers on music, carried this idea further and endowed the ragas with the status of minor divinities, with names derived from various sources, often indicating the origin or associa- tions of the individual ragas. In theoretical works on music each raga was described in a short verse formula, which enabled the artiest to visualize its essential personality during meditation prior to the performance. Some Terms regarding the Raga There are 3 Raga Bhed (Types of Raga ) : 1. Shuddha raga : The raga in which even if any notes that are not present in it are used, it’s nature and form does not change. 2. Chhayalag raga : The raga in which if any notes are taken that are not present in it, it’s nature and form changes. 3. Sankeerna raga : The raga in which there is a combination of two or more ragas. Terms describing the properties of a Raga: Vaadi ,Samvadi, Anuvaadi and Vivadi swara Vaadi : The most prominent note of the raga which gets emphasized in the raga and used very often. Samvaadi : The second most important note of the raga. It used lesser than the vaadi but more than the other notes of the raga. This is the fourth or fifth note from the Vaadi. Anuvaadi : The other notes of the raga (other than Vaadi and Samvaadi). Vivadi : The meaning of vivadi is “one which produces dissonance”. Which is not present in the raga. But still a vivadi swara is used in a raga by able singers in such a way that it enhances the beauty of the raga. This is done very rarely. For example some times in the raga “Yaman” Shuddha Madhyani is used in between two Gandhar (Ga) Aaroha : Ascent of the notes. Here each note is higher than the preceding note. Example: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni Avaroha : Descent of the notes. Example : Ni, Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, Re, Sa Pakad : A small group of notes which describe the unique features of the raga. Jaati : Gives the number of notes in Aaroha as well as the Avaroha of the raga. Oudhava has 5 notes. Shadava has 6 notes and Sampoorna has 7 notes. Thus there are 9 jaati based on Oudhava, Shadava, Sampoorna in Aaroha and Avaroha. (i.e. making combinations of either oudhava or shadava or sampoorna in aaroha and oudhava or shadhava or sampoorna in avaroha. Tliaat : The system of classification for the ragas in different groups. The set of seven notes or scale which can produce a raga. Presently in Hindustani Classical Music 10 Thaat classification of ragas have been adopted. Samay : Each Raga has a specific time at which it an be performed. This is so as those notes are supposed to be more effective at that particular time. For an image of samay chakra (time cycle). Rasa: The emotion each raga invokes. The notes of the raga influence the Rasa the raga will invoke. Musical terms regarding a presentation of a raga in vocal style Sthaayee : The first part of the composition. Mainly develops in the lower and the middle octave. Antaraa : Second part of the composition. Develops in the middle or higher note. Mukhadaa: The first line of the composition. (To beContinued in the next issue) 6 GUNAGRAHI /JUNE-2004 liCTi Dr.A.H.Ramarao & Sudha Kao page Vivacious Dr.Vasundhara The Yakshagana ensemble of music comprising Bhagavala ( K.J.Ganesli), mridanga (K.J. Krishna) and chande (K.J.Sudheendra) was effec- tively utilized by Dr.Vasundhara. leme was unfolded, as can be seen from Bharata— natya Sastra, in an operatic man- the dance was very vigorous. Wonderful agility of the body was exhibited in these dances which contained many jumps. In some of them could be fre- quently seen reverses of the leg- poses of the ‘Karanas’ of Bharata called ‘Dandaka Rechita’. “Krantaka' and A reputed all-round artiste of Bharatanatya Dr.Vasun- dhara Doreswamy of Mysore, stunned the dance-rasikas at the Yavanika ner with the added effects of Yakshagana music. The drums were beaten loudly and ‘veera* and ‘raudra’ rasas were por- ‘Dolapada’. The fights on the stage were done exactly in the same ideal- istic Natya Dharmi. ’Mandala’, with her innovative and experi- mental programme held under the EFCEP series. The juxtapo- sition of Bharatanatya and Yakshagana was amazing. An essentially group-oriented me- dium of Yakshagana was artis- tically and successfully explored fully well for a solo Bharatanatya presentation. Needless to say, Dr.Vasundhara shone forth in the trayed most successfully. The presentation also showed how well the rasas could be evoked without all the realistic trappings of scenery etc. “Panchali” was a fine specimen of an imagina- tive creation spun out of a puranic nucleus. The sole dancer Dr.Vasun- dhara entered under the co er of a curtain and danced first ‘Gomutrika’and other move- ments were appropriate. ThP theme was rendered in song and verse. These were sung by the musicians. Dr.Vasundhara’s nimbleness in movements and the abhinaya bordered on satwika were commendable. On the whole, it was a presen- tation of a fine unification of bhava, raga and tala, of an emo- performance. “Panchali”, wove around the tale of Draupadi of Mahabharalha was the theme. from within the curtain and then outside. The Yakshagana seems to have been a faithful form of tional theme conveyed with all the aids of music and rhythm and of action or abhinaya set like Born in Agni and dissolved in ice, Draupadi’s tale is a tale of an ordinary woman and her emancipation. The dancer Bharata’s theatre in respect of Abhinaya. The dancer provided suitable ‘hastas’ or ‘mudras’ for the ideas occurring in the blossoms on the swings and curves of the music and dance. National seminar on Panchavadyam dazzled with the mythological tale. It was one woman, one dance, portraying many charac- ters in an amazingly complex Indian epic.The sahitya for this one-man presentation was pro- vided by Rajendra Kedilaya. The elements of music of Yakshagana were beautifully adapted to Bharathanatya ges- tures and other technicalities. speech. Her rendition was re- markable for its pure dance or ‘Nritta’too. This ‘Nritta’ though not as elaborate and varied as the ‘teermanas’ and ‘adavujatis’ in Bharatanatya was yet of a very attractive variety. Her hands turned and gave graceful curves. When the mood was heightened or an actor in her entered in an- ger, or one was about to fight, 7 Kerala has developed its own typical temple arts in which instrumental music plays an important part. Musical in- struments such as Chenda, Kombu, Kuzhal etc., are un- avoidable features of all temple utsavas. Tayambaka which in- volves the elaborate display of talas on a classical drum (Chenda) is also typical of G Kerala. It is performed in sev- eral sessions, each session having its climaxes and anticli- maxes. Panchavadyam is an- other unique art in which the sounds emanating from five musical instruments, (Madd- alam, Idakka, Timila, Kombu and Elathalam) and two auxil- iaries, Sankku (Conch) and Kuzhal, in varying pitches are synchronized. As in Tayairr bakam so too in Pancha- vadyam, each session lasts for hours. Panchavadyam is a unique musical system in which two or more groups with similar percussion instruments are played, initially independently and together eventually in a progressive manner, according to a given rhythm. As the name indicates the orchestra is a sym- phony of five musical instru- ments. Panchavadyam, an orchestra composed of Timila (a karaa- gatha .vadya), Maddalam (a nakhaagatha vadya), Edakka (a kaashthaagatha vadya), Kombu (a mukhaagatha vadya) and Cymbals (ilaa taala, an annyonyatha vadya) is per- formed mostly during temple- festivals. Panchavadyam pro- vides sufficient scope for col- lective and individual perfor- mance. Starting from a slow tempo it steadily progresses and reaches the crescendo. It is a tower of rhythm created in front of caparisoned elephants lining up in the temple-yard dur- ing the festival. Thayambakam, chenda melam and pancha vadyam are the main percussion ensembles of Kerala. They have rhythm, tempo and tonal modulation as their chief components and do not have a text to follow unlike vocal mu- sic. Thayambakam can be seen especially when the temple de- ity is taken out in procession. Only chendas and elathalams are used. It comprises one leading chenda with four supporting chendas and an ilaltalam (bronze cymbals). The artiste uses his palm and stick for drumming. The edakka-playing would bring to the fore the musical intrica- cies of the instrument and em- phasizes its musical significance. These aspects came to the fore in an interesting two-day festival of percussions and semi- nar on Panchavadyam and Thayambakam held at Khimcha auditorium under the joint aus- pices of the Percussive Arts Centre and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavana. Kudos to V. Krishna who has taken the mantle of leading the Centre after the sad and sudden demise of his father Bangalore K.Venkataram for successfully holding the festival cum seminar. Versatile percussionist Anur Ananthakrishna Sharma en- thralled the audience both by 8 playing on different folk instru- ments and also directing the en- semble comprising dolu. dholak, dholki, Chende, nagada, tamate, morsing, ghata singari, tombe and other instruments played Madhusudan, Jagadeesh, Pramathkiran (rhythm pads), Udayaraj Karpoor (tabla). Harsha Samaga and Arunkumar (drums). Seasoned flautist Praveen Godkandi provided melodious and rhythmic strains on his varieties of flutes and the members of the ensemble un- folded the magnificent picture of the tala beautifying it with gati and nadai bedhas. The indepen- dent personality of each of the instrument was kept in tact. In the following laya vinyasa M.T.Rajakesari (mridanga), B.N. Chandra- mowli (khanjira), B.K. Chandra mowli (konnokkol), Ravi (ghata) and Ravishankar (tala) drew the composition of a khanda dhruvatala ( 1 7 beats) with inter- esting korruttus and nadais. On the second day’s evening Pandit Ravindra Yavagal (tabla) and Anur Anantha krishnasharma (mridanga) were locked in a captivating and bril- liant jugalbandhi. A special laya vinyasa led by Tiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam and a unique percussion ensemble ‘Tarang’ featuring Abhijit Banerjee, Somanath Roy, B.Rajaeskharand Snehashish Mozumdar were the other attractions of the festival. Sheela dazzles in Pallavi sing mg Rendering a raga, tana and pallavi as the main piece in a concert is an established prac- tice of the Carnatic music sys- tem. It is a manodharma sangeetha that brings out the musical imagination of the ar- tiste on a wider scale. In the ear- lier years, RTP had a greater sig- nificance and it is to span over an hour or two including tani avartana by the percussionists. But as the limes changed it ei- ther disappeared from the con- cert stage or given a lesser im- portance. Now a day it may not last for even an hour tending to be a mere rhythmic ritual. Vir- tually it is an acid test for the performers. V. Doreswainy Iyengar Me- morial Trust led by his son- veena artiste D. Balakrishna and Ananya did well in starting a se- ries of full-fledged raga, tana and pallavi recitals at the Ananya au- ditorium. Hereafter, such a con- cert would be presented on ev- ery third Sunday morning. The seasoned and an in-form singer M. S. Sheela opened the series with her melodious and brilliant vocal recital. She did not sacrifice raga bhava and musi- cal abundance for rhythmic exu- berance in the rendition of her full-fledged vocal recital featur- ing exclusively a raga, tana and pallavi “Shankarane Sadashivane ninage vandane IgUNAGRAHI /JUNE-2004 | Shankarabharana raga priyane” in Shankarabharana raga set to adi tala trishra nadai two kalais. The raga alapana was refresh- ing. She was confident and competent and her composure certainly helped her along. Un- cluttered by excessive frills, the threadbare elaboration was a flu- ent, melodic effort. The raga was elucidated at length in an artistic manner covering a con- siderable gamut of the raga with an array of energetic prayogas and colourful sangatis. Her tana was highly musical, pleasant and devoid of monotony. The kaala bedha, nadai bedha and the koruppus were a class by themselves. The neraval and solfa passages fell well within the ambit of a tidy presentation. She also seemed to be comfort- able with the chosen tala. The swaras were expanded compre- hensively with sensitivity in dif- ferent kalapramanas.lt was sur- prising to see Sheela again re- sorting to swaraprastara after the tani avartana by the percus- sionists. However, the compe- tent kalpana swaras in a ragamalika comprising Shankarabharana, Hindola, Behag, Kapi and Revathi and that were affixed to the Pallavi and the well-organised end Korvai did leave an impression. V. Nalina Mohan (violin) responded positively to Sheela’s musical approach and attitude. Anur Ananthakrishna Sharma 9 (mridanga) and B.K. Chandramowli (khanira)'s laya competence deserved acclaim. Shashikanth shines Talented veena player and a torchbearer of Veena Doreswamy Iyengar school of veena play M.R. Shashikanth re- galed the audience at Sri Jayaramaseva Mandali with his non-strident and impressive ren- ditions. Adherence to the Carnatic classicism and a sound tradition of the veena play he captivated the audience with the continuous flow of music. “Sarasiruhasanapriye” with swaras straight away caught the attention of the rasikas. His depth of manodharma and ac- complished artistry stood Simhendramadhyama on a strong footing of attractive aes- thetics. The prati madhyama raga glowed in all the registers. “Ninne nammitinayya”, a popu- lar krithi was adorned with neraval and scholarly swaras. A pleasant Anandabhairavi was followed by a brilliant raga, tana in Kharaharapriya for “Rama nee samanamevaru”. N.Vasudev (mridanga) and Ranganatha Chakravarthy (ghata) were in their true elements. Thyagaraja Gana Sabha con- ference The 33 rd annual music confer- ence under the joint auspices of Sri Thyagaraja Gana Sabha Trust and Sri Mookambika Talavadya Sangeetha Kala Shale G in connection with Sri Shankara Jayanthi celebrations was held at Sri Vani Vidya Kendra, Rajajinagar II stage. The confer- ence was presided over by vet- eran veena artiste Rajalakshmi Tirunarayanan who is a proud disciple of Veena Venkatagiriyappa and R.N.Doreswamy of Mysore. She was conferred the title of "Kala Bhushana” at the sadas. R.R.Keshavamurthy (violin). Prof. H. S. Lakshminarayana Bhatta (social service) and Dr. Shatavadhani R. Ganesh (San- skrit) were also felicitated at the sadas. Artistic Shringeri Nagaraj There are many talents lan- guishing outside Bangalore. And these talents get a big push when exposed in Bangalore. This was true in the case of an accom- plished vocalist, teacher and vocalist Shringeri H.S. Nagaraj of Shimoga when he was given an opportunity to sing at Sri Rama Seva Mandali, Fort High School Compound. The young and dy- namic singer proved his mettle and amazed the rasikas with his pure artistry and aesthetics of Karnatak music. While opening with the Abhogi varna he sang the chittaiswaras in three speeds in one beat of adi tala. The fol- lowing charana was sung in madhyamakala. “Sharanu Siddhi Vinayaka” by Purandaradasa in Sowrashtra raga was moving. Both the raga and sahitya bhava was well em- phasized. Neraval and swaras for ‘Tripura Sundari” (Dikshitar, Sama raga) were full of impact. “Te 1 i si Rama chintanato” (Poornachandrika) sustained the tempo of the recital. Nagaraj regaled the audi- ence with his singing of Vanaspathi, the 4"’ melakartha raga. With the swaras of Kharaharapriya in the uttaranga of the scale, this raga makes for an interesting listen- ing. The young singer could evoke this in the best possible manner. He went on to further consolidate it by singing a rare Thyagaraja krithi “Pariyachaka maata” with artistically laid out swaravinyasa. A bhajan (“Sri Saidevam bhaje”) and a Purandaradasa pada “Aaru badukuvaraiah” (in a melan- cholic Shubhapantuvarali raga) were emoted appropriately. B. Lakshmi (violin), Keshava mruthy (mridanga) and Manju nath (ghata) were the success- ful accompanists. Seasoned Shanti Rao Seasoned veena player Shanti Rao was honest in her approach and execution of some interest- ing items in her recital for Sri Ramaseva Mandali, Fort High School compound. She had no pretensions. Her concentration, the talented know-how and the discipline let her performance pressing the rasikas. While do- ing so she never departed from the heavy character of classical music. Nor did she go for the lighter effects and colours that are alien to it. The opening “Vatapi Ganapatim bhaje” was a lively launching pad to her re- cital. The sahitya-bhava of “Daari nee telisukonti” in Shuddha Saveri raga got evoked through her expert handling of the krithi. Thyagaraja’s “Anupama Gunambudhi” (Athana) was crisp. The expo- sition of quaint Naganandini raga for Dr. Balamuralikrishna's “Dakshayini” was the surprising and yet lovable rendition. Shanthi’s expertise and schol- arship blossomed fullywell in the rendition of a raga, tana and pallavi set to Simhendra- madhyama raga. The alapana was systematic and meandered through all the registers in a majestic flow. The tana malika comprised five ghana ragas like Nata, Varali, Gowla, Arabhi and Sri. The pallavi line was elaborated in the traditional manner. After adorning it with brilliant manodharma aspects she studded it with a ragamalika swaraprastara which had Dwijavanthi, Hameer Kalyani and Todi ragas. 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V cj -^ «( eJ tadd^cOoocd ?ras^)-djae^rYs? , do ( ^(dr^t^oo stioQ>& tfFJZFlitf SdD2?r n About Kuchipudi Natya Introduction Kuchipudi is one of the major classical styles in India today, and to put it in any historical or artistic context it is necessary to say something about In- dian classical dance. As an art form Indian classical dance is inseparable from other arts such as litera- ture, music, painting, or sculpture. It is also a truism to say that Indian dance like other art forms in India is deeply rooted in religion. Classical dance can therefore only be understood as a complex interre- lationship between literature, art, music, religion etc. It is not surprising that a classical dancer had to be not only well versed in music, literature and art but also be an accomplished singer. The classical trea- tise on dancing, the Natyasastra, which laid down in painstaking detail every aspect of the practice and teaching of dance, is not just a treatise on danc- ing but also on drama and music. Indian dance and drama Thus the art of drama or natya also embraces that of dancing, so that in natya “there is no wise maxim, no learning, no art or craft, no device, no action that is not found in drama”- Nrtya (dancing) is inextrica- bly linked with natya. Indeed Indian drama could be said to have developed from ritual miming in song and dance in ancient India. It is this all embracing definition of drama/dance that characterises dance forms such as Kuchipudi. Classical dance in India depicts stories of gods, and goddesses, heroes and heroines. In South In- dia in the I4th and 1 5th centuries this theatrical aspect of Indian dance where the epics of the Hindu mythology and narratives were translated into dance dramas became yery popular. Kuchipudi belongs to this theatrical dance tradition. It is, perhaps more than any of the other major classical Indian dance styles highly accessible to audiences because of its narrative style and its fusion of movement and dance technique with mime (abhinaya). Origin of Kuchipudi Kuchipudi derived its name from a little village in Anathra Pradesh in South India called Kuchelapuram, which later became known as Kuchipudi, sometimes translated as the village of the poor. Although its roots lay in Vaishnavism or devotion to Vishnu, Kuchipudi evolved out of the Bhakti movement dedi- cated to the worship of Krishna. Devotees of Krishna called bhaktas travel led through the countryside as actor-dancers. The famous Bhagavata Mela Natakam or school of wandering actor-dancers (bhagavatulu) which became very popular in Tamilnadu grew out of this milieu. Kuchipudi has strong links with this tra- dition of wandering actor-dancers in South India. Like the Bhagvata Mela Nataka Kuchipudi has its origins in Vaishnavism, but was dedicated to the worship of Krishna; both used Telugu the language of Andhra Pradesh, and both were exclusively the domain of Brahmin men. The man credited with founding Kuchipudi was a saintly Brahmin called Siddhendra Yogi, a devotee of Krishna. There are many stories about how Siddhendra came to develop the dance style. One of the more interesting ones is that Siddhendra had a mystic experience during which he saw a vision of Krishna and his consort Satyabhama. Suffused with, this mystical experience Siddhendra spent his time composing and dancing songs dedicated to Krishna, but above all to Satyabhama. These later came to be known as Bhama Kalapam. Satyabham or Bhama re- mains a principal motif in present day Kuchipudi dances. The particular version goes on to say that the Bhama Kalapams became very popular with the devadasis or female temple dancers, and to prevent the corruption of these dances by these women, Siddhendra resolved to teach the dances to Brahmin boys. These boys were to be thoroughly versed in and dedicated to the Scriptures, and the ‘purity’ of the dance form preserved. In another version ofthe origins of Kuchipudi, Siddhendra experienced a vi- sion in "which Krishna appeared to him and asked him to write a play about Parijatapaharana. This leg- end which is already familiar, tells the story of Krishna 12 ■■■■■■■■■■I GUNAGRAHI /JUNE — 2004 ■■■■■■■■■■■ and his two consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama, their jealousy and rivalry over the Parijata tree, and of the machinations of the wily sage Narada Muni. The play is a hymn to bhakti or devotion to Krishna. Accord- ing to this version of the story, Siddhendra Yogi then went in search of suitable actors to stage the play. He had to find actors who were spiritually pure, not the devadasis who were considered unworthy to perform such an important act of worship. Siddhendra eventually arrived at Kuchelapuram, his wife’s fam- ily village. Kuchelapuram was a village of Brahmin Krishna worshippers and the young men were ap- parently eager to perform the play. Supported by their families the play was staged to great acclaim and subsequently became a part of the annual religious rituals of this and other neighbouring villages. Another story places the origins ofthe dance style around the same period of Siddhendra, ie the 14th - 15th centuries in royal patronage of the arts. The Vijayanagara kings were great patrons of the arts, including dance. Dances then were predominantly in the temples by the devadasis. These patrons how- ever felt that the dances needed to be ‘purified’ and and given a spiritual and high moral context which the devadasis could not apparently give it. The gu- rus under whose guidance the dances were per- formed were given this task. According to this inter- pretation the gurus combined the techniques of the devadasis or kuchi (from the Tamil kooti for actress), with the prescriptions of the Natyasastra to evolve what we know today as Kuchipudi. The dancers cho- sen to enact these dance form as a spiritual duty and commitment were Brahmin boys. Kuchelapuram Brahmins It is significant that in all these versions ofthe ori- gins of Kuchipudi, the teaching and performance of the dance form was the exclusive preserve of Brah- min males, and that the rationale given for this was the protection of the ‘purity’ of the dance from the influence of the devadasis. In the first two versions the devadasis were seen as a corrupting influence, in the second version as incapable of fulfilling the larger spiritual role performed by the male bhagava~ulu. The all-male tradition of Kuchipudi gave the performances a unique quality especially where male dancers performed the female roles such as Satyabhama or Krishna Sabdam so beloved of the Kuchipudi repertoire. In more modem times women have come to dominate the dance form as performers and choreographers, although the most revered gu- rus have remained male. In 1675 a Muslim prince, the Nawab of Golconda, Abdul Hassan Tahnisha gave Kuchipudi a perma- nent home. He granted the village of Kuchipudi and its surrounding lands to the Kuchelapuram Brahmins as a gesture of appreciation after seeing the Kuchelapuram Brahmins perform Parijatapaharana. Repertoire The repertoire of Kuchipudi included pieces which combined nritta or pure dance and abhinaya. The latter was integral to the dance dramas and recreated stories from ancient mythology. These took the form of dance operas among the most loved of which was the Krishna LilaTarangini, a life of Krishna. It por- trayed Krishna’s life from childhood to adulthood and was of several hours duration. It is still a popular item in Kuchipudi concerts but is now performed as selected pieces rather than as a piece on its own because of the length of the original. In one section of this piece called the Balagopala Tarangam the dancer danced with a plate on the ground, demon- strating the technical skill of the dancer. Modern Kuchipudi is now famous for the incor- poration of the brass plate in its performances. Kuchipudi performances also included kritis or dance songs in praise of Rama, such as Golla Kalapam writ- ten by Thyagraja. Other works which have remained an integral part of Kuchipudi are epics and puranas in which hymns or ashtapatis are interpreted through abhinaya. One of the most well-known of these is from Gita Govinda which enacts the ten avatars of Vishnu. Apart from the dance dramas Kuchipudi also includes pure dance or nritta pieces such as jatisjatiswarams.tillana and tirmanas. Kuchipudi is danced to Carnatic music. A Kuchipudi orchestra will typically consist of the natttuvanar Who call out the tal or time measure, while at the same time beating time with a pair of small brass cymbals and/or stick, a mridangam player, ^ _a flautist and a violinst. Kuchipudi dancers had to be accomplished singers and musicians since the danc- ers did the singing themselves. However now sing- ers rather than dancers sing the songs for perfor- mances. Traditionally Kuchipudi was an all night event en- acted in the courtyards of the temples on an open-air stage. Elaborate preparatory rituals preceded each performance. In recent times this traditonal male preserve is now performed primarily by female dancers. The opening up of the art form to women may be credited to Kuchipudi’s most famous guru, Vempati Chinna Satyam. Vempati settled in Madras in the 1960s where he established his Kuchipudi Art Academy to re- search, teach and perform Kuchipudi. He introduced women to the style and developed the solo forms of dancing which, with the more traditional dance dra- mas, now characterise much of the theatre of Kuchipudi. His Academy has produced some of India’s best known Kuchipudi dancers. a ON WORLD DANCE DAY In 1982 the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute, UNESCO, created International Dance Day to be celebrated every year on the 29th April. The date commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727 - 1810), the creator of modem ballet. Every year a message from a well-known dance personality is circulated throughout the world. The intention of International Dance Day and the Message is to bring all Dance together on this occasion, to celebrate this art form and revel in its universality, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together in peace and friendship with a common language - DANCE. Bom in 1 965 in Brisbane, Stephen Page is descended from the Nunukul people of Stradbroke Island and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh nation of South-East Queensland. With his works he has created milestones for the company and Australian dance. Here is his message for International world day 2004 “Dance is the original most ancient form of human .expression. Through the body and physical language, dance has a powerful connection with the emotional and spiritual worlds. In traditional Aboriginal culture, dance is the core, like a kind of sacred medicine. Dance is grounded, connected to the spirit of Mother Earth. Unless you surrender to the dance you can’t hunt quietly. It is an integral part of human existence. When I create a new dance work I ask the dancers to swallow and digest the traditional seed, to sense the innate code within so that we can transform the traditional essence to the contemporary world. Dance is the universal language. It represents human identity and a celebration of the human spirit. Dance is the artistic heart of kinship. It is a sacred universal remedy.” Let dancers around the globe join hands in spiritual friendship and spread this message bringing peace and joy to a world torn apart by hatred and violence. Indu Raman, Member, International Dance Council (Unesco). SbTaxi ~ ! I ^ lH sfoooQftf aojsxj wtfss’re' esoB’ran’v' I pH tia'cs’Ocis’ ei 0 & 6 5’ejaDc^, rtztfz, tfosp'fcis', tsou'rasrDcs', tfuti £>£^a'F5’ JZQcj I | & ■ ^7) tSZJOoti XJ^O’Xj'^g'O' cUUn'jD S’TO io^CS’jaraF CSOB’Ca) Cf O' 0 . 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