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CM CH-CHE _ J
YK
J2 Friday, December 1, 2023
Chennai, THE HINDU

CM CH-CHE _ J
YK
CHENNAI • DECEMBER 1, 2023 GET CONNECTED » WWW.THEHINDU.COM/FRIDAYREVIEW

CM CH-CHE _ J
YK
 Friday, December 1, 2023
J4 Chennai, THE HINDU

CM CH-CHE _ J
YK
CHENNAI • DECEMBER 1, 2023 GET CONNECTED » WWW.THEHINDU.COM/FRIDAYREVIEW
Season of change The connecting thread
The annual music and dance festival needs Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti on being an
an overhual in the digital era p4 integral part of the city’s cultural fabric p6
‘It is Chitra Swaminathan
chitra.swaminathan@thehindu.co.in
important to O
n January 1, 2024, when
Bombay Jayashri Ramnath
receives the Sangita Kalanidhi
at the Music Academy, Chennai,
define one’s where she has performed numerous times,
it will be another landmark moment in her
exciting musical journey. For the past four
decades, like a troubadour who sets no
own space’
boundaries, Jayashri has been traversing
the musical landscape exploring swaras
and songs.
Jayashri developed the ability to
experience music as a liberating force
Bombay Jayashri, Sangita during her growing­up years in Mumbai.
Though she chose to specialise in Carnatic
Kalanidhi 2023, on how early music, Jayashri was exposed to Hindustani,
western classical, folk songs and Hindi film
exposure to different genres music. In those formative years, she
helped her engage with Carnatic enjoyed being surrounded by these. When
she turned a performer, Jayashri carried
music in new ways these influences to design a distinct
classical singing style, which is high on
* PHOTO: RAM KESHAV
CM
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GOING DOWN
MARGAZHI
MEMORY LANE
Alarmel Valli on
watching, imbibing
and performing at the
annual festival P8
melody, follows an unhurried pace and
has a calming effect.
Her tryst with a diverse musical
palette also gave her the courage to
engage with her art in new ways. This
often prompted her to move away from
her comfort zone to experiment with
untested collaborations.
In 2016, after singing Sangam poetry
with the Avanti Chamber Orchestra at a
ravine amphitheatre in Lapland, Jayashri
realised how such encounters open up
possibilities of unexpected connections
and leave a lasting impression on the
minds of the artiste and the audience.
She’s performed at the Zulu Carnival in
Africa, at an ancient cathedral in Spain,
on the lawns of a museum in Cordoba
and the Huvilla Festival Tent in Helsinki.
Everytime she sang at venues far from
her native land, she was struck by how
music created a world of its own, beyond
genre, language and culture.
CONTINUED ON
» PAGE 2
CH-CHE _ M
2 Friday, December 1, 2023
Y accompanists?
On a melody track Bombay
Jayashri at a concert and at
the Oscars. PHOTOS: SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
CONTINUED FROM
» PAGE 1
These choices revealed in
intentional and unintentional ways
her creative range and the intensity
of a voice often shrouded in
fragility.
At home, apart from performing
concerts, Jayashri was always
looking out for ways to use music
for a larger cause. She would readily
associate with initiatives that
created space and opportunity for
youngsters to experience classical
music. Well­aware of music’s
healing power, she set up the Hitam
Trust to sing for children with
autism. She has also been working
to create sing­along learning
material for the differently­abled. To
support Aim for Seva’s efforts to
make art accessible to all, she
regularly visits Manjakudi in
Kumbakonam to teach the children
there.
Jayashri tries hard to avoid
bringing a sameness to her art.
Composing must be an extension of
this thought. She has worked with
leading dancers and set to tune
their productions.
Jayashri’s systematic training,
initially under T.R. Balamani in
Mumbai and later under violin
maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman in
Chennai, and an irrepressible
curiosity have helped her create a
broader vision and deeper purpose
for her art.
In February 2013, when Jayashri
walked the red carpet in an elegant
red Kanjeevaram sari at the Dolby
Theatre in Los Angeles, she became
CM
YK
‘It is important
to define one’s
own space’
the first Carnatic musician to be
nominated for the Oscars for ‘Kanne
Kannmaniye’ a lullaby and the title
song of Life of Pi. Apart from the
international recognition, it
reiterated the creative power of
Indian classical music.
A decade later comes the Sangita
Kalanidhi. Before the start of the
Margazhi Music Season, Jayashri
shares what the award means to her
and how diverse artistic pursuits
have made her journey meaningful.
Question: Right from your
initiation, you have always
viewed music from a broader
perspective. How has it helped
shape your musical ideas?
Answer: I was fortunate to get to
experience and appreciate different
genres from a young age. More
importantly, I was blessed with some
of the greatest gurus who have
shaped my musical ideas.
Q: You were always eager to
position your music in different
settings — concert, cinema,
collaborative albums, causes…
Did this approach push you to
explore the finer nuances of
THE HINDU
Chennai
A: I have had the privilege of being
supported by some of the best
accompanying musicians on the
violin, mridangam, kanjira and
ghatam. A musical conversation
among us before a concert continues
on stage too, adding a special
Nothing can be more flavour. Over a period of time, a
satisfying than being able rapport builds up and makes the
to make your passion your performance extremely enjoyable.
life’s calling. And, while at The role of accompanying artistes is
it, also, receive the love and crucial to a concert’s success.
affection of the audience.
Q: Has your exposure to both
Carnatic and Hindustani music
helped you better understand
the classical music system?
A: Understanding both systems has
its advantages. It has helped me get a
firm grip on the finer nuances of the
Indian classical music tradition. That
said, it is important to define one’s
own space in art.
Q: What advice would you give
young Carnatic enthusiasts?
A: The younger musicians are
talented and promising. They will go
a long way in ensuring our music
thrives. Perseverance and hard work
are the key to a long successful
journey, and I’m sure they are aware
Carnatic music and strengthen
your bond with the art?
A: Carnatic music provides a strong
and deep foundation and empowers
one to explore various formats and
of this.
Q: The Sangita Kalanidhi title is a
great honour in a Carnatic
musician’s life. Do you think it
genres. Every concert, collaboration, also brings with it the
and recording is a learning responsibility of preserving and
experience. I have drawn greatly promoting the tradition, even
from these opportunities. while adding to it in your own
way?
Q: How do you plan a kutcheri? A: Yes, the great honour comes with
And what factors make it responsibility. Over the years,
successful? stalwarts have shown the way, we
A: The city I am performing in and just need to follow them.
the organisation play an important
role in planning the line­up of a Q: How would you sum up your
kutcheri. Every audience is different. journey?
And, over a period of time, one A: Nothing can be more satisfying
learns to cater to their likes. than being able to make your
passion your life’s calling. And, while
Q: How do you establish and at it, also, receive the love and
maintain a rapport with affection of the audience.
CH-CHE _ M
Friday, December 1, 2023
THE HINDU
3
Chennai

Formidable BGS presents Padmam awards field of music, dance and

theatre.
The following is the list of
Padhmam’ to senior mridangist
Guruvayur Dorai, ‘Natya
Padmam’ to dancer Srinidhi
Group, will give away the awards.
The Season line­up featuring
music and dance performances

line-up Brahma Gana Sabha celebrates

the annual December Art festival
from December 7, 2023 (5.30
p.m.), to February 4, 2024. The
inaugural event will take place at
R.R. Sabha Hall, Mylapore.
On the occasion, the sabha
honours senior artistes from the
titles to be presented on the
inaugural day. ‘Gaana
Padhmam’ will be presented to
vocalist Vijay Siva; ‘Vaadhya
Chidambaram, and ‘Nataka
Padmam’ to playwright K.P.
Arivanandam. M.M.
will be held at R.R. Sabha and
P.S. Dakshinamurthy Hall.
For details contact
Murugappan, of Murugappa 9444444767.

Yella Venkateshwara Rao. (Right) Nagai

Muralidharan.

ri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, the

S 123­year­old cultural institution,

presents a 21­day concert series as
part of the December Music Festival, to be
held from December 15, 2023 to January 4,
2024. Venue: Vidya Bharathi, 55 Bheema
Sena Garden Road, Mylapore. Art patron
Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti will preside over.
On the inaugural day, the sabha will
honour senior violinist Nagai R.
Muralidharan with the Sangeetha
Kalasarathy title.
Other awards to be presented during the
festival are:

Palghat Mani Iyer Centenary award —

mridangist Yella Venkateshwara Rao
(instituted by Nithyashree Mahadevan);

Partha Acharya Puraskar award —

veteran veena artiste R.S. Jayalakshmi (Cash
award Instituted by Acharyanet);

Gottuvadyam Narayana Iyengar Award

for Musical Excellence — Ghatam artiste
Suresh Vaidyanathan (instituted by
Chitravina exponent Narasimhan);

Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu award —

Violinist Vittal Ramamurthy (instituted by
Mohan Parasaran);

G. Ramanathan award — Subhasree

Thanikachalam (instituted by Sathanur V.
Parthasarathy); and

Dr. MLV Award — Vocalist Kalyanapuram S.

Aravind and violinist Vittal Rangan
(instituted by Sudha Ragunathan).

CM CH-CHE _ M
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4 Friday, December 1, 2023
It’s December.
Back to the sabha routine
The festival that has garnered global attention and heritage status needs to step out of the old ecosystem
Bala Shankar
he December Music
T festival has no parallel —
its scale, quality of music,
the fervour and the
public following — all have to be
seen to be believed. The field
continues to attract new talent,
including some who can stake claim
to other traditional careers. There
are as many artistes in their 20s as
there are veterans. So, the draw is
irresistible for all.
But we are supposed to be a
modern world, where challenging
everything is allowed, even
encouraged. Where rules are meant
to be broken. Where individual
success is the only goal, almost.
Where it’s fine to trample old
paradigms. How does one then
square the circle — align the old
order to the modern world? This is a
quiet debate in the Carnatic music
firmament.
No one needs to worry about the
talent pipeline. If anything, it’s now
both abundant and precocious. The
breadth and depth of music are
mastered smartly by young people.
A YouTube upload of a
youngster’s concert could even
reach 1,00,000 views! Not many of
the old era could have matched
such a feat, although such a
comparison could be risky. There is
a vast sea of knowledgeable
audience, mostly netizens, who can
analyse gamakams and raga
violations with a fine tooth comb.
And discuss and disagree on the
findings on open platforms. Fan
following for artistes sometimes
reaches ecstatic levels, should they
play the Net game well.
Sriram V.
arnatic music may hold
C centre stage during the
month of Margazhi
(December/January) but long before
it were two treasures from the Bhakti
era, which celebrate this month as a
period of devotion and austerity —
the Tiruppavai and the
Tiruvempavai.
The creations of Vaishnavite saint
Andal and Saivite savant
Manikkavachakar respectively, they
are both recited during this month.
Some recite all the verses every day,
while others do one a day. The
Tiruppavai, comprising 30 verses, is
rather convenient for the latter
practice while the Tiruvempavai,
with 20 verses, is followed by a
recital of Manikkavachakar’s
Tirupalliezhucchi for the remaining
10 days. This article looks at some
similarities and differences between
the Tiruppavai and the
Tiruvempavai, from the lyrical point
of view.
That both were meant for the
month of Margazhi is quite clear.
Andal refers to the month in her
opening verse, in fact the first word,
and also in verse 26 (Male
Manivanna), which respectively mark
the beginning and end of the Pavai
nombu (ritual fast) that she and her
friends observe during the month.
The remaining four verses are
celebrations following the
culmination of the rite and extolling
the Lord to grant boons. Yet another
reference is to a uniquely Tamil
phenomenon in Margazhi — the
abundance of dew early in the
morning, in ‘Kanaithu Ilam Katru’
(12). The Tiruvempavai too refers to
Margazhi, once, in the final verse,
number 20.
The Tiruppavai is structured as
Andal awakening her companions,
exhorting them to give up the
comforts of the bed and sleep, and
proceed to the house of the Lord
where she progressively wakes up
the attendants, family members, the
divine consort and finally the Lord
himself. The Tiruvempavai takes a
slightly different route. While it also
dwells at length on awakening those
in slumber, it ends with the group of
women plunging into the
crystal­clear waters of a lake, singing
of the Lord’s glory as they swim.
Both signify the discarding sleep of
ignorance and realising God.
There are some remarkable
similarities in treatment of the
CM
YK
The question that comes to one’s
mind is — is the old charm and
ecosystem about to step into the
archives?
There is a tense transition in
progress. Educated musicians are
now the norm. Many even pursue
other professions up to a point. At
the same time, some even abandon
other chosen professions to devote
their full time to music, uprooting
themselves from even foreign
shores to the Mylapore enclaves.
Some do face a reality check as the
pyramid structure of recognition
allows only a few to rise to the top.
The new wave of enormous
The Tamil treasures
of Margazhi
The Season possibly began in the Bhakti era and
has endured, thanks to the timeless appeal of
the Tiruppavai and Tiruvempavai
subject by both poets. The
Tiruvempavai opens with an
exhortation to rise and when those
in sleep refuse, a question is rather
irately asked as to whether they are
deaf. The same theme appears in
Andal’s ‘Thumani madathu’ (9). The
excuses that someone gives when
being woken up are all dealt with by
both poets. In ‘Ol nitthil nagayai’ (4),
Manikkavachakar describes a woman
refusing to leave her bed and who
bides time by asking if everyone else
has arrived. Those that have are
understandably irritated. The same
theme is in ‘Elle ilankiliye’ (15) by
Andal. And how many times have we
had someone declare that they will
be the first to rise the next morning
and then end up being the last? This
too is described in the
Tiruvempavai’s ‘Maane ni nennalai’
(6) and the Tiruppavai’s ‘Ungal
With unstoppable talent and
the audience enlisting on a
regular basis, organisational
transformation cannot lag
behind. But there may be no
one to bell the cat yet
young talent has a social side too.
Changes in clothing and appearance
are the least of the breaches, if you
can call them so. Men’s earrings
have made a reappearance, this
X
A depiction of the
26th verse of
Tiruppavai.
puzhakkadai’ (14).
Both works describe the beauty of
the morning — the birds awakening,
the stars dimming, the sun rising,
conches sounding from temples. The
Tiruppavai dwells repeatedly on
cows being milked, as it is set in
Aypadi — the settlement of cowherds
which is the abode of Krishna. The
Tiruvempavai mentions Tillai and
Tiruvannamalai — both at one time
full of water bodies, in keeping with
the theme of bathing in the tanks.
Unlike Andal, where bathing in a lake
appears briefly (13 — ‘Pullin vai
keendanai’), Manikkavachakar sings
at length on it. In his verse 13
(‘Painkuvalai kaar malaral’), he
compares a tank to a temple. The
dark­hued blue lotus is Uma, the red
lotus is Shiva, the white storks are
the sacred ash, the snakes in the
water the Lord’s ornaments, and the
THE HINDU
Chennai
time only on one ear. Changes in
society have impacted the Carnatic
music fraternity as well, in
man­woman relationships. With
some seeking (and getting)
unprecedented adulation and with
changes in personal lives, the
celluloid de ja vu is complete. Flaws
in moral character have also shown
their head. Some would say it was
always there, but open media access
has accentuated the dissemination
of all such distractions. Aspects such
as the guru­sishya bond or
collaborative mindset are welcome
changes, mirroring modern ethos.
But there is little change in the
sabha ecosystem and the chasm is
even more obvious. The sabhas are
as digital dinosaurs as the artistes
are digi addicts. Audio systems,
acoustics and hall ambience are
quite primitive compared to the
personal gadgetry and
sophistication of new­age musicians.
If adequate remuneration for
artistes is still a valid gripe, the
bigger elephant in the room is the
proliferation of artistes paying to
perform. Renaissance in the sabha
circuit is a reform waiting to
happen, but there may be no one to
bell the cat yet.
The festival has garnered global
attention and heritage status. With
unstoppable talent and the
audience enlisting on a regular
basis, organisational transformation
cannot lag behind. Meanwhile, we
will take our due seats among the
audience for yet another year of
excellent, good and indifferent
musical presentations, in
unchanged surroundings. Many of
us seem to want to just enjoy the
musical fare rather than brood over
the un­fixables!
bathers cleaning themselves are
devotees ridding themselves of their
sins at a shrine. He is unparalleled in
his imagery of women bathing — he
even introduces an onomatopoeic
word — ‘Mugair’ to describe the
sound of bathers diving in.
Rainfall is associated with
Margazhi in Tamil areas and it is
remarkable that both works describe
them with almost scientific
precision. Andal in ‘Aazhi Mazhai
Kanna’ (4) addresses the Lord as the
rain giver and says He must enter the
ocean, carry the moisture to the sky
and form clouds that are dark like
Himself. And then with lightning like
the Lord’s gleaming discus and
thunder like the sound emanating
from His conch, rain must fall like
arrows from His bow — the Sarnga.
To Manikkavachakar, the rain has
similar imagery — only the dark sky is
now Parvati, the Goddess. The Lord
shrinks the oceans, raises it to the
sky and gives the cloud the
complexion of His consort. Lightning
is her narrow waist and thunder the
sounds emanating from her anklets.
The rainbow is her brow, and the
rainfall is her grace, available to all
His devotees. It is interesting that
both poets, in the 7th to 9th
Centuries, were depicting what we
now know to be the rain cycle.
Verses 16 to 26 of the Tiruppavai
are involved in the waking of the
Lord from His bedchamber. This is
fulfilled by the Tirupalliezhuchi of
Manikkavachakar, which is dedicated
essentially to the shrine of
Tiruperunthurai and has passing
mention of Uttarakosamangai, both
temples being associated with the
poet’s life. The last 10 verses of
Tiruppavai and the full
Tirupalliezhuchi are like the
approach to a king’s bedchamber. If
to Andal the lesser Gods have all
come as vassals to the doorstep,
Manikkavachakar depicts all the
commotion — musicians with the
yazh and the veena, those chanting
the Vedas, others singing verses in
praise, yet others bearing garlands,
some silently waiting with hands
lifted above the head in obeisance
and others overcome with emotion —
weeping and fainting.
No article can do justice to the
inherent beauties of these works.
And each time you read them, you
discover hitherto unseen aspects. We
often speak of the Margazhi Season
as having begun in 1927. It really
began sometime in the Bhakti era
and has endured, thanks to the
immortal nature of such works.
CH-CHE _ M
Friday, December 1, 2023
THE HINDU
5
Chennai

G.S. Mani with the Kedaram

KFA’s Roll of honour
now who will get KFA’s
musicians Vignesh Ishwar and
Srikanth, president, Kartik Fine
Arts will present the Kartik
Rajagopal award for ‘Best
Cultural Organiser’ to D.N.
Varadharajan, secretary, The
Kedaram Ganamurthy title to G.S. Mani
Kedaram’s eighth year music festival
begins today, at Ragasudha Hall,
Luz, Mylapore. The first three days
held at Ragasudha Hall. And that
from December 8 to 10, at Srinivasa
Sastri Hall, Luz, Mylapore.
Ganamurthy title on December 3 at
6 p.m. The award carries a purse
and a citation. The concerts to be
featured during the festival can be
watched live on Kedaram Isai

K Peroli awards at the

49th art festival this
year? Kartik Fine Arts
Sriranjani Santhanagopalan.
Veteran Bharatanatyam dancer
and scholar Nandini Ramani is
Mylapore Fine Arts Club.
Other titles to be presented
are: Nritya Peroli to dancer,
of the festival (December 1­3) will be Kedaram will honour Madurai YouTube channel.

inaugurates the festival today, 6
p.m., at Sathguru Gnanananda
Hall. Senior mridangist
Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman is
the chief guest. He will
inaugurate the festival and
present the Isai Peroli title to
the guest of honour. She will
present the Nadanamamani
award to dancer
Thiruveezhimalai Kanaka
Krishna Prashanth, and the
Nadaswaroopam award to
violinist M. Narmadha. N.
teacher and choreographer
Rhadha. Tamil Isai Vendhar to
senior vocalist Prema
Rangarajan. Isai Chudar to
vocalist Spoorthi Rao, and Natya
Chudar to Bharatanatyam
dancer Madumitha Sriram.

CM CH-CHE _ M
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6 Friday, December 1, 2023
Chitra Swaminathan
hen it comes
W to the
Margazhi
festival,
there are several constants.
One of them is the name
‘Nalli’. When you enter
most sabhas in Chennai,
you cannot miss seeing it —
at the entrance or on the
stage backdrop. A popular
brand in the world of
textiles for more than five
decades, it has been an
Cultural
integral part of the city’s
cultural fabric too. And the
man who has strengthened
the connect between swaras
and silks is Nalli
Kuppuswami Chetti.
Yesteryear artistes, both
male and female, preferred
to be clad in silks for
kutcheris. Rasikas would
remember M.S.
threads
Subbulakshmi in her
favourite ‘MS Blue sari’ or Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti on
M.L. Vasanthakumari in her
bright Kanjeevarams.
the joy of being an integral
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar
was known to wear an
part of the city’s art scene
angavastram with a broad
Mudhra’s annual
festival begins today
udhra
M inaugurates
the 29th edition
of the annual
Margazhi Music
Festival today at
Vani Mahal Mini
Hall, T. Nagar, at
Tiruvarur Girish.
5.30 p.m. Dr.
Sudha
Seshayyan, former Vice Chancellor, The
Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical
University, and Campus Director,
SASTRA University, inaugurates and art
patron Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti
presides. On the occasion, the Mudhra
Award of Excellence will be presented
to veteran musician Suguna
Varadachari, and Nataka Mudhra to
actor­director R. Giridharan. Cleveland
V.V. Sundaram and veena vidushi R.S.
Jayalakshmi will felicitate. Tiruvarur
Girish’s inaugural concert will set the
tone for the 23­day festival. Concerts by
up­and­coming artistes can be watched
on www.paalam.tv at 6.15 p.m.
CM
YK
X
From left Narthaki Nataraj, Rajkumar Bharathi, Sai Shravanam, Urmila Sathyanarayanan
Awards galore at Bharat Kalachar
harat Kalachar
B inaugurates the 35th
year Margazhi Mahotsav
on December 16, at Sri YGP
Auditorium, T. Nagar. Veteran
dancer­scholar Padma
Subrahmanyam presides and
Vanathi Srinivasan, National
President, BJP Mahila Morcha,
inaugurates the series. Art
patron Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti
releases the annual souvenir on
the occasion. The evening
programme also includes
presentation of the Kala
Bharathi titles to senior and
up­and­coming artistes from
jarigai. Today, it’s mostly
the women performers
who continue the tradition.
Though the brand
promotes events
throughout the year, it is
during December that it
gets more deeply involved
with the Carnatic world.
As a youngster
Kuppuswami Chetti was
drawn to music. He would
listen to artistes singing at
the Sri Krishna Gana
Sabha, which was then
close to the Nalli store in T.
Nagar. “Performances were
held on the vacant land
where Kumaran Silks
stands today. Since my
father wouldn’t let me
leave the business and sit
in a kutcheri, I would often
stand in the porch of the
store listening to the music
late in the evening. I didn’t
understand anything but
found it extremely
comforting. Once I settled
in the business, I took time
out to go to sabhas to listen
to the great musicians of
the time,” says the
industrialist, whose love
for the classical arts and
the field of music, dance and
theatre.
Details:
Gnana Kala Bharathi ­
Rajkumar Bharathi.
Viswa Kala Bharathi ­ Narthaki
Nataraj.
Acharya Kala Bharathi ­ Urmila
Sathyanarayanan.
Kala Seva Bharathi ­ S. Kumar.
Nadaga Kala Bharathi ­ D.
Balasundram.
Special Commendation
awards will be given to V.V.S.
Manian (konnakol); Sai
Shravanam (sound design) and
Lavanya Venugopal (theatre).
THE HINDU
Chennai
the desire to promote them
has led him to back
initiatives, organisations
Sikhamani honour
and performances.
for senior artistes
Having seen the Season
transform from a handful of
concerts to a chock­a­block
calendar, Kuppuswami
Chetti attributes its
T he Indian Fine Arts Society celebrates its 91st South Indian Music
Conference and Festival from December 17 to 31, at Ethiraja Kalyana
Nilayam, Alwarpet.
exponential growth to the On the inaugural day of the festival, the Sikhamani titles will be
increasing number of conferred upon artistes from the field of music, dance and theatre. The
youngsters entering the following is the list: Senior vocalist Madurai G.S. Mani will be honoured
field. with the Sangeetha Kala Sikhamani award; Bharatanatyam dancer
He also thinks a bigger Ananda Shankar Jayant will receive the Natya Kala Sikhamani title; and
audience from across the theatre artiste Bombay Gnanam, the Nataka Kala Sikhamani title. Other
globe attending has boosted awards to be presented on the inaugural day are: Dr. Umayalpuram K.
its expansion. Being at the Sivaraman award for mridangam to Thanjavur R. Ramadas; and the GNB
helm of several sabhas, he award to senior musician Shyamala Venkateswaran.
ensures young artistes get
enough performance
opportunities.
“Earlier, it was difficult to
fill the junior slot. Today,
there's even a sub­junior
category to accommodate
aspiring youngsters. We
need to motivate and
nurture them. We have to
give them the confidence to
pursue the arts. Who knows
there could be another U.
Shrinivas or a
Balamuralikrishna in the
making!” says Kuppuswami
Chetti.
Theatre artiste S. Sureshwar
will receive the K. Balachander
Trophy for Artistic Excellence on
the occasion.
Young musicians, including
Rahul Vellal, Spoorthi Rao and
Rishabh Ranganathan, will
receive the Yuva Kala Bharathi
awards for this year.
The evening begins with a
nagaswaram recital by K.S.
Senthil Murugan and Shanthi
Senthil Murugan at 4.30 p.m.
The duo will be accompanied by
Gummidipoondi R. Jeeva and
Adyar G. Silambarasan on the
thavil.
CH-CHE _ M
Friday, December 1, 2023
THE HINDU
7
Chennai

M
ridangam
maestro guru
Karaikudi Mani’s
Sruthi Laya Kendra
inaugurates the 36th year
Winter Music Festival on
December 3 at Arkay
Convention Center,
Mylapore.
Y The day­long event
Mysore M. begins with Kavi Kannan’s
Nagaraj and ‘Kavi Samarpanam” at 10
Mysore a.m. followed by
Manjunath. Nandhikeswarar
Utsav­Panchanadai by the
students of Guru Karaikudi
Winter Guru
Karaikudi
Mani
Salem S. Ranganathan and
K. Sooreyakanthan;
Misram — Tumkur S.B.
the award function at 4.25
p.m. when senior
mridangist Mannargudi
Sooreyakanthan ­ Sri
Venkata Narasimhan
Endowment prize. The
music Ravishankar, V. Rishi, and
Tirupunitura Sasikumar;
Easwaran will be honoured
with the Guru Surajananda
award function will be
followed by Trichur
festival Khandam — Madipakam P.
Suresh, K.S. Somaskandan
and Vinayak S. Karun; and
award. Other artistes to be
awarded on the occasion
are: Delhi Ganesh ­ Gowri
Brothers’ vocal concert.
They will be accompanied
by Visvesh Chandrasekar
Sankeernam will have R. Manohari award; (violin); Trichur R. Mohan
segments with each Ramesh and R. Tirupunitura Sasikumar ­ (mridangam) and
focussing on a tala Subramaniam performing. N.V. Subramaniam Nerkunam Sankar
structure — Chatusram The event also includes Endowment Prize; and K. (kanjira).
features Kunnakudi
Balamurali Krishna and
Arvind Ranganathan;
Tisram ­ T. Shyamsundar,

KGS’s Margazhi mela Mani. It is spread over five Trissur Anoop Keelath,

Sri Krishna Gana Sabha inaugurates the 67th year

Margazhi Mela, dedicated to its founder R.
Yagnaraman, as part of his birth centenary
celebrations, on December 14, 5 p.m. N. Ravi,
Director, Kasturi and Sons, will be the chief guest,
and presents the ‘Nrithya Choodamani’ title to
senior dancer Sreelatha Vinod, and ‘Sangeetha
Choodamani’ title to Mysore M. Nagaraj and Mysore
Manjunath. Venue: Dr. Nalli Gana Vihar, T. Nagar.

CM CH-CHE _ M
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8 Friday, December 1, 2023
Growing
up with the
Season
From watching legendary
artistes to evolving as a dancer, the
December Music and Dance Festival
defines my journey
Alarmel Valli
hen I was a
W
child, the sight
of massing rain
clouds in
October, the
feel of a sudden cool breeze and
the scent of newly­wet earth would
spark off a frisson of excitement
and heady anticipation. For the
monsoon heralded the Margazhi
Music and Dance Season.
Attendance at the Season’s concerts
was mandatory for most children in
my extended family. We would all
set out each afternoon to a sabha,
bedecked in our Kanjeevaram silks
and finery, with jasmine in our hair.
To this day, music and rain and the
scent of mallipoo transport me
Learning life lessons through natya
Sreelatha Vinod, who has been chosen for the Nritya Choodamani award, on how training inside and outside the
Hema Iyer Ramani
t a time when most
A Indian children
were being steered
towards learning
classical dance or music, or at
least trained to play an
instrument, it seemed natural
for Sreelatha Vinod’s parents
to nudge her towards dance
when they found a dance
school called Natya Vihar in
their neighbourhood. It was
started by actor Hemamalini’s
father. Natya Vihar had one of
the finest dance gurus —
Tanjai Arunachalam Pillai —
and it was under him that
Sreelatha began her journey.
The intensive training and
Sreelatha’s passion led to her
arangetram early on.
Sreelatha recalls that dance
classes were something she
looked forward to, and the
gentle but strict guru taught
all the technicalities and
nuances of Bharatnatyam.
Among the many cherished
moments of performing,
Sreelatha fondly remembers
receiving a medal from the
legendary Sivaji Ganesan
when she was about five years
old. When she was just
settling into a routine of
learning and practice, her
guru became unwell. He was
hardly able to take classes, but
he continued teaching her.
It was also around this time
that the far­sighted
Arunachalam Pillai decided to
start a dance school to bring
all dancers under one
umbrella. He sent a letter
inviting dancers and gurus to
meet. This laid the foundation
for ABHAI (Association of
Bharatanatyam Artistes of
India). But, Arunachalam
Pillai did not live to see the
movement take off.
Soon, Sreelatha’s next
chapter of training in
CM
YK
back in time to those halcyon days.
For me, it was a cherished luxury
to attend three or sometimes, four
consecutive performances every
day. After a tiffin carrier dinner
eaten in our car, we would often
settle down to yet another music
feast — the day’s concluding
concert at 9.30 p.m.
How blessed I was to have been
born at a time when I could
experience the transforming art of
the greatest musicians and dancers.
Though I was only a callow
teenager when I first saw the
peerless T. Balasaraswati dance at
the Music Academy, it was an
epiphanic experience that helped
crystallise my later awareness of
dance as visual poetry and visual
music. As a wide­eyed 10­year­old,
mesmerised by the fire and
dynamism of Yamini
Krishnamurthy’s dance, the joy and
grace of Kamala Lakshman, and the
sublime beauty of the concerts of
legendary musicians, I was deeply
touched at a subconscious level. It
was a feeling I could not articulate,
let alone understand. But I believe
that in experiencing their art, I also
spontaneously absorbed aesthetic
and artistic values and principles.
This early exposure honed my
ability to differentiate between the
class have honed her as an artiste and a person
Bharatanatyam began with singular attention she had
her second gurus, the basked in, under
Dhananjayans. Arunachalam Pillai’s tutelage.
Sreelatha says this shift was She soon discovered that the
not easy for her, because not Dhananjayans, who were
only did she have to unlearn performing gurus, were much
and then relearn techniques sought­after. They had already
under teachers from another established Bharatakalanjali
school, she also missed the and so, whenever they
X recollections of innumerable
Margazhi memories (clockwise from
left) Balasaraswati; Yamini
Krishnamurthy; and Alarmel Valli.
PHOTOS: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
showcasing artistes from across the
globe.
For performing artistes, the
Season can be equally exhilarating
and daunting, inspiring and
frustrating, invigorating and
exhausting.
For decades, I made it a point to
limit myself to only three
performances during the Season,
as, to my mind, a single
performance in December in
Chennai is the equivalent of five
elsewhere. I have joyous
true and the superficial, the artistes who have not yet found
genuine and the pretentious, to their own voices. When any artiste
look beyond mere packaging and to can be accessed instantly, at the
the content within. touch of a screen and a dancer’s
In the pre­smartphone days, performance can be repeatedly
when live performances were played and fast­forwarded at whim,
experienced in the moment and there is a danger of palates
distilled to live on only in the heart becoming jaded. Older rasikas will
and memory, December Seasons remember the days when in most
were doubly precious to me. I sabhas, the Season lasted only a
would sit eyes glued to the stage, fortnight, or three weeks perhaps.
afraid to miss even a single instant. Not many could have envisaged a
We had not yet grown blasé, with time when the scope and scale of
surfeit. Today, the sheer profligacy the Season would expand so
of performance choices offered on exponentially, featuring as many as
YouTube alone can bewilder young 5,000 or 6,000 performances,
occupied it. That changed
something in her.
“I am quite ashamed of
who I was as a young girl. I
understood that better when I
became a teacher. But
Radhika never bore a grudge,
nor did her gurus, and that
was one of the first
out­of­class­lessons that I
learnt in Bharatakalanjali.”
The second lesson was to
follow. The Dhananjayans
came out with their
production of ‘Sangamitra’
and Sreelatha was chosen for
it. But she was disappointed
when told to play a small role.
Grudgingly, she performed.
After that, Dhananjayan called
her. “You have let me down.
The role, be it small or big, is
not important. How you
perform is — it is not what you
do, but how you do it that
affects the scene,” he said.
That was Sreelatha’s first
lesson in Patra Pravesham and
she admits, “my first lesson in
humility as well”.
Soon enough, great
opportunities came her way
and she worked with
X
commitment, a fact her gurus
Wholesome training acknowledged.
(clockwise from above) The Dhananjayans gave
Natyacharyas the space to their students to
Dhananjayans; guru grow. Like many others, she
Arunachalam Pillai; and found herself participating in
Sreelatha Vinod PHOTOS: SPECIAL several productions, each of
ARRANGEMENT which taught her valuable
lessons in choreography,
notice. Sreelatha admits that music composition, costumes
while it was easy for her to and overall presentation.
touch the feet of her guru She especially remembers
before and after the class, she being a part of ‘Ghanshyam’
would just touch the talam which gave her an
and not bow to the stand­in opportunity to see the
travelled, they saw to it that guru. creative mind and work
training did not suffer. The When the Dhananjayans dynamics of sitarist Pt. Ravi
senior­most students were put returned from their Shankar.
in charge, and it was thus that performance tour, Sreelatha With experience, she was
Radhika Shurajit began to take had a big lecture waiting for asked to choreograph small
classes for Sreelatha. But the her. Shanta Dhananjayan sat pieces. “The biggest award I
young girl was not happy. She her down and told her the got for my choreographic
showed her displeasure, importance of respecting the skills was when my guru
which Radhika was quick to chair, and the person who performed ‘Alarulu Guriyaga’,
THE HINDU
Chennai
rehearsals with musicians. On
occasion, Prema Ramamoorthy, who
composed the music for my Sangam
work and many other poems, would
work with me for 10 hours at a
stretch, taking just a few moments
off to snatch a bite. Others too,
despite their very busy schedules
have never jibbed at committing to
frequent and lengthy rehearsals.
This pivotal, symbiotic
relationship between dancer and
musicians made it possible for us to
flow in the same stream of
consciousness during the
performance. But this nurtured
synergy has become an all­too­rare
luxury in more recent times, where
good musicians for dance in
December are so hugely sought­after,
they find it increasingly impossible
to accommodate the leisurely,
immersive practice sessions that
used to be the norm in the past.
For me, the Season has been a
crucial springboard in my career. I
could not have succeeded
without the consistent
support and
encouragement from
some visionary sabha
secretaries, very early in my life.
How many would have had the
courage of conviction as Sri
Yagnaraman to present an
unknown 12­year­old dancer
at his Krishna Gana Sabha
December Festival — and
thereafter, from my 15th
year, invite me to
perform every
December?
No matter where I
may have danced
around the world,
the audiences I cherish
the most are those who
attend the December
Season’s performances.
Irrespective of the
season’s
metamorphoses over the
years, the Chennai
Margazhi Vizha is still
touched and lit with magic for
anyone who loves music and
dance. It is a beautiful bridge
between our city and the rest of
the world, forging lasting links
between cultures and people.
for which I had
choreographed. Their
acknowledgement in public
served as a validation of my
talent.” Today, Sreelatha has
choreographed over 25
thematic shows.
For someone who idolised
her first guru, the transition to
the new gurus also happened
organically. How and when
the shift happened, Sreelatha
is not able to define, but says
she revelled in the blessings of
two sets of gurus. She says
that while Dhananjayan
looked at the larger picture,
Shantha got down to the little
details. They complemented
each other. “It was from akka
that I learnt how to iron my
costume, air it, re­fold it and
put it away with care,
something that I practise to
this day. It was this attention
to detail that inspired me,”
says Sreelatha, who has
completed her Masters in
History and Bharatnatyam,
and holds a PhD in
Bharatanatyam [Adavus ­ a
Study] from Tamil University.
A Kalaimamani awardee, she
is a faculty member at Dr J
Jayalalithaa Music and Fine
Arts University and
established the Anthara
Centre for Performing Arts.
Inspired by her guru
Arunachalam Pillai’s vision for
ABHAI, she started
Prayathnam with a group of
like­minded young dancers.
As its president and managing
trustee, Sreelatha encourages
and supports the purpose of
learning — reading texts,
sourcing study material,
creating a syllabus that would
help students and train
teachers as well. It was
through Prayatnam that she
had the opportunity once
again to interact with several
other gurus, and to serve as a
bridge between her two loves
— history and dance.
CH-CHE _ M
Friday, December 1, 2023
THE HINDU
9
Chennai

Saluting the gurus

Presented by The Music Academy, the Sangita Kala Acharya award honours the efforts of teachers in
grooming sishyas. This year’s recipients are K.S. Kalidas and Ambika Devi

vidwans of the day. He is an
A­grade artiste of All India
Radio/ Doordarshan. A hip
injury in the year 2000 put
an end to his performing
career, but he continued to
propagate the Palani bani.
He is a prolific guru with,
many of his outstanding
Recognition students winning prizes
and also regularly
performing in concerts.
for scholar Kalidas has presented
many lec­dems on various
aspects of music, laya,
mridangam, and the Palani
Musicologist award 2023 style.
Arimalam S. Padmanabhan An ardent devotee of his
rimalam S. Padmanabhan, an academician, guru, Kalidas has formed a
Palkulangara K. Ambika Devi
is a prolific Carnatic musician
and prodigious guru hailing from
Kerala. She has been performing
for more than 60 years, and has
taught more than three
generations of musicians across
the country.
Ambika was born in 1939 to C.K.
Karthyayini Amma and K.N.
Kesava Pillai in
Thiruvananthapuram. Her
mother was her first
music teacher, and
Ambika went on to
complete her
Diploma and Post
Diploma course at
the Sri Swathi
music festival in 1958 and
received the Keerthi Mudra
Award from Dr. Rajendra Prasad,
former President of India.
Ambika served as faculty
member in various capacities for
32 years at the Swathi Thirunal
college, and retired as Professor
of Music. She is now a visiting
guest faculty at University of
Kerala’s music department.
Ambika is known for the
undiluted purity
and classicism in
her music.
Well­known as a
conformist in
handling
conventional ragas

A musicologist, vocalist, music composer,

folklorist and orator, is the recipient of this
year’s Musicologist award. A researcher for more
Trust which regularly
conducts guru­puja for Sri
Palani Subramania Pillai
Thirunal College of
Music with flying
colours.
Ambika had the
such as Mukhari,
Thodi,
Kharaharapriya and
Anandabhairavi,
than 20 years in the field of classical music, dance, Born on December 30, every year. He launched a
theatre, folk arts and classical Tamil literature, S. Janaki 1937, Kalidas was not a website good fortune of she is equally
Padmanabhan (71) was awarded a doctorate for his full­time musician — he was palanisubramaniapillai.org learning from great musicians celebrated for her delineation of
work on Music in Traditional Tamil theatre. K.S. Kalidas is a senior an engineer with the Indian for the benefit of artistes and gurus such as Semmangudi ragas such as Hamirkalyani, Kapi
Padmanabhan has written several articles in Tamil mridangam vidwan, Railways for about 30 and rasikas. Kalidas also Srinivasa Iyer, G.N. and Sindhubhairavi.
and English, and has published books in Tamil on teacher, scholar and writer years. He, however, played a major role in Balasubramaniam, C.S. Krishna Ambika has also played a major
Tamil Isai and Tamil theatre. He has prepared a on music. A disciple of pursued his passion for rebuilding the shrine of Iyer and Parassala B. role in propagating Malayalam
lexicon of literary terms in Tamil musicology. On renowned mridangam laya and music side by side, famous laya guru Ponnammal. compositions. She is considered
behalf of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, maestro Palani M. and played the mridangam Manpoondia Pillai. He was Ambika married Chennithala an authority on the
Chennai, he has presented lecture demonstrations Subramania Pillai, he for over 32 years in over also an active participant in Krishnankutty Nair, professor of compositions of Irayimman
beside conducting seminars, conferences and adheres to the essence of 500 Carnatic concerts; he the Madurai Mani Iyer mridangam at the Sri Swathi Thampi, K.C. Kesavapillai,
training programmes. the Palani style of provided accompaniment centenary celebrations and Thirunal college. She won the Kundan Nambiar, and
A resource person sought after by many in the mridangam­playing. to many leading Carnatic the listening sessions. first prize in the All India Radio Tulaseevanam.
literary circle, Padmanabhan has served as a teacher
for more than four decades, as educator in music,
Tamil, English and Value Education for school
teachers at all levels. In the year 2000, he took
voluntary retirement from the Department of
Education, Government of Pondicherry. He is also a
national­level resource person in ‘mass singing’
trained by NCERT.
Padmanabhan, who was trained by his
vocalist­composer father Arimalam P.S.V.
Subramaniam, was a performing vocalist for 45
years. He is an auditioned artiste (MAB) of All India
Radio since 1979. He also has audio recordings to his
credit.
— SJ

CM CH-CHE _ M
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10 Friday, December 1, 2023
Chennai, THE HINDU

TTK awards
S. Janaki

Odhuvar B. Sargurunathan
Balasubramanian Sargurunathan is a
well­known Odhuvar who has carved a
niche for himself in Thirumurai
rendition. Since 1998, he has been an
Odhuvar at the Kapaleeswarar temple.
Devotees look forward to his recital
every fortnight during the Pradosham.
His presentation of the 12 Thirumurai
verses has been
brought out as
cassettes and
CDs, and he also
teaches the
sacred verses,
both offline and
online.
Hailing from
Karukadipatti
village, the
Tirumurai became an integral part of
Balasubramanian Sargurunathan's life
when he quit school at 12 to join the V.S.
Trust Thevaram Pathashala in
Chidambaram.
In the late 1980s, he accompanied his
guru to perform at various temples
during auspicious occasions. He also
took special interest in ‘Arbutham’
Pathigams and
Appar­Thirunavukarasar’s verses.
At 16, Sargurunathan presented his
first major Tirumurai programme, which
took place at Tamil Isai Sangam. He has
been a regular there since. For the next
seven years, he was Odhuvar at a temple
in Manali. The famous Dharmapuram
Swaminathan was his role model, and in
his quest to attain excellence,
Sargurunathan became a disciple of B.
Achutha Raman.
So far, Sargurunathan has visited over
200 Paadal Petra Sthalams and
presented relevant verses. He is an
A­grade AIR artiste, and is a regular at
Chennai sabhas.

Thavil vidwan
T.R. Subramaniyam
The 73­year­old Thirunageswaram
Subramaniyam (TRS) is a veteran thavil
vidwan hailing from Thanjavur, Tamil
Nadu. He has had an eventful career
spanning 60 years. His versatility lies in
his quick grasp, mathematical brain, and
nimble execution of complex rhythms
on the thavil with felicity. While
pursuing a successful career as thavil
vidwan, he has also been mentoring
young artistes.
Subramaniyam had his initial thavil
training under his father from the age of
seven. He then
went on to learn
from Vanapuram
N. Balakrishnan
Pillai (thavil
teacher at the
Palani Sri
Dandayudhapani
Temple music
school, run by
the Tamil Nadu
government). At
the age of nine,
he was on stage accompanying his guru
at the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam.
In his illustrious career,
Subramaniyam has played the thavil for
several eminent musicians, notably
nagaswaram vidwans such as
Chidambaram S. Radhakrishnan Pillai,
Madurai MPN Brothers — Sethuraman
and Ponnuswamy, Andankoil
Selvarathinam Pillai and
Thiruppamburam Brothers — TKS
Swaminathan and Meenakshisundaram,
besides the clarionet maestro A.K.C.
Natarajan. He has played alongside thavil
vidwans such as Valangaiman A.
Shanmugasundaram Pillai, Yazhpanam
Dakshinamurthy Pillai,
Haridwaramangalam A.K. Palanivel and
T.A. Kaliamurthy.
T.R. Subramaniyam has displayed his
artistic prowess across the country and
abroad.

TBGS’s month-long
annual fest
ri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, in asso­

S ciation with Sri. P. Obul Reddy & Smt P.

Gnanambal Trust inaugurates the 44th
Isai Iyal Nataka Vizha on December 9 at Vani
Mahal, T. Nagar. The 46th Jeer of Sri Ahobila
Mutt, Srivan Satakopa Sri Ranganatha Yath­
eendra Mahadesikan inaugurates the festival
and presents the Vani Kala Sudhakara titles to
Malladi Brothers (vocal), Usha Rajagopalan
(violin), Neyveli B. Venkatesh (mridangam),
Meenakshi Chitharanjan (Bharatanatyam),
and K.R.S. Kumar (theatre). The inaugural
evening also features Sri Sai Nrithyalaya’s the­
matic production ‘Aarumuganum Arunagiriy­
um’ at 7.15 p.m. The festival is on till January
15, 2023. The programmes at 10 a.m., 1 p.m.,
2.15 p.m. and 4 p.m. will be held at P. Obul
Reddy Hall while the 6.30 p.m. concerts will
be held at Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi
Mahaswami Auditorium. The sabha conducts
the 34th Bharatham festival from January 2 to
February 2, 2024, at Obul Reddy Hall at 5 p.m.
and 7 p.m.
CM CH-CHE _ M
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