I have had the privelege of learning from some of the greatest musicians and the finest teachers that Carnatic music has ever seen - my father Chitravina Narasimhan, my brother Chitravina Ravikiran, Brindamma, T.Viswanathan and Calcutta K.S.Krishnamurthy (KSK mama). My gurus have, each in their own way, nurtured and moulded me into the person I am today, musically and otherwise.

This month, it is ten years since KSK mama left for his heavenly abode. As my tribute to my guru, I've organised 'Guru Vandanam - A Tribute to Calcutta K.S.Krishnamurthy' at Raga Sudha Hall, Mylapore, today and tomorrow (23rd and 24th of May).

Here's the program schedule:

May 23rd:

4:00 pm: K.P.Nandini - vocal (Daughter of Uma of Mayavaram Sisters, disciples of Shri KSK)
K.P.Haricharan - violin
Kumbakonam Swaminathan - mridangam

5:00 pm: V.K.Manimaran - vocal
M.A.Sundareswaran - violin
Srimushnam Raja Rao - mridangam
E.M.Subramaniam - Ghatam

6:30 pm: Tribute to Shri KSK.
Chief Guest: Shri P.S.Narayanaswamy

7:00 pm: Suguna Varadachari - vocal
M.A.Krishnaswami - violin
Mannarkoil Balaji - mridangam

May 24th:

3:00 pm: Subha Ganesan - vocalM.A.Krishnaswami - violin
Mannarkoil Balaji - mridangam

5:00 pm - Carnatica Brothers (K.N.Shashikiran & P.Ganesh) - vocalM.A.Sundareswaran - violin
Srimushnam Raja Rao - mridangam
E.M.Subramaniam - ghatam

7:00 pm - Sangita Kalanidhi R.Vedavalli - vocal
M.A.Krishnaswami - violin
Arun Prakash - mridangam

Two years after KSK mama's passing, I wrote this article - my tribute to KSK mama -for the magazine Sruti:
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Calcutta Krishnamurti was an ideal teacher, a real friend, philosopher and guide. My first experience with him was as a BA (Music) student attending a special contact class for the correspondence programme of the Madras University. I am afraid that, at that stage, I did not know who or how great a teacher he was. At the end of the class, I ventured to ask him a couple of questions and, after answering them, he enquired whether I hailed from a musical family. He was thrilled when I told him that I indeed belong to a family of vidwans.

While he was about to leave, I asked him rather sheepishly what his name was. Without batting an eyelid, he humbly answered that he was Calcutta Krishnamurti. I was speechless.

Within a couple of years of this incident, I had the great fortune of having him attend a concert of mine for YACM. It was then that he called up my father to say that he was impressed with my performance and that he was interested in imparting some of his knowledge to me. I thought that it was a great day because till then I had only heard a lot about his musical prowess.

I was nervous on the first day of my class. I was also determined to win his goodwill, which was my father's wish too. I was wondering what he would teach me.

He started with a masterpiece of Syama Sastri in a raga many believe is bound to break, rather cement, the relationship between teacher and learner. As you may have already guessed, the raga was Varali and the composition, Karuna joodavamma, which I had never heard before. The sangati-s were quite different from the usual pattern and I tried hard to reproduce them. But when I sang the full composition the next day, KSK was highly pleased and, after blessing me, joked that in his case, Varali had helped to create a bond between him and me! I was amazed to learn later that his repertoire consisted of some 2500 to 3000 songs.

KSK was different, in more ways than one, from many conventional teachers. He never imposed his style on his students and taught them each in a manner that would suit his or her own endowments. He believed that music should have spontaneity and originality, and his method of teaching was calculated to nurture these attributes.

He was a very innovative and creative person and this was obvious when he sang during classes. He never considered a student arrogant if he questioned him. In fact, he welcomed questions and discussions. His raga gnana was very special. He would be able to bring out the subtle differences between allied ragas like Nayaki and Darbar; Anandabhairavi and Reetigowla; Kannada, Begada and Sankarabharanam very precisely. He was sure of the gamaka-s that would go well with particular phrases of a raga. As a teacher, he was so committed that he never thought of time as a barrier. He was available at any time of the day for tutoring or clarifying doubts. Music was life for him. I have never heard him shout at his students when they made mistakes. Instead, he had the knack of making them strive for better results each time. He himself strove for perfection and on more occassions than one, had the large heart to correct himself or accept a better musical expression. I had the great privilege of giving vocal support to him in some of his concerts. And he treated me more as his son as a student.

KSK was a traditional musician but knew where and how to blend in innovation. He encouraged youngsters a lot and was not a person who thought that music had gone with the past generations.

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Salutations to all my gurus.

Musically,
KNS

We've had a wonderful time in the US for the past two months. It's been very hectic - we'v been running from one airport to another, hopping from one city to the next, performing back-to-back concerts, teaching our students online whenever we found the time, collaborating with musicians in the US, sleeping about 3 hours every day on an average, meeting people and making friends - and it was great fun! Thanks to all our hosts, the organizers, the rasikas, our fans and well-wishers for making our tour memorable! We'll be back again in the US later this year! :)

In this post, we're going to let the rasikas do the talking. Here's some feedback we received from a couple of organizers. We'll put up more as and when we receive them.

28th March, Corvallis:

Corvallis Aaradhana and Music Festival (2009) organized by the Corvallis Aaradhana Committee, in Coravallis OR, was a day of superior music. Led by the legendary Mridangam Vidwan Sri. Guruvayur Dorai and the very talented Carnatica brothers (KN Shashi Kiran and Ganesh Sudarshan), the Pancharatna kritis were rendered in good unison. This was followed by many music enthusiasts paying their homage to great composers like Sri Thyagaraja, Sri Purandara Dasa, and Maharaja Sri Swati Thirunal. The real treat for the locals was the rarity of Sri Dorai voicing the Pancharatnas, rather than drumming to them.



The three-part homage concluded with a feast from Carnatica Brothers accompanied by Sri. Raman Iyer on Violin and Kalaimamani. Sri. Guruvayur Dorai. It was truly a one-of-its-kind concert for two reasons: first, the brothers made it a very interactive concert for the public, singing to most of their choices; second, they stuck to the authentic, traditional style of rendition, which the audience was looking forward to.



Starting off with a well-paced “Sri Vigna Rajam Bhaje”, in Gambheera Nattai by Oothukaddu Venkata Subbaiyer, the brothers then sang “Theliya leru Raama” in Dhenuka, followed by raagam, neraval and swarams for Thyagaraja keerthana “Rama Nee Samanamevaru” in KaraharaPriya. Then the Khamas raagam, requested by the audience was painted beautifully leading to a very bhava-bharita rendition of the keertana “Brochevaarevarura”.

The main item was the Rangam Taanam Pallavi, “Shobhillu Saptaswara”, in JaganMohini (raagam chosen by the audience). With an Anagatha Eduppu and extremely good timing on the Anulomam and the Pratilomam, the brothers showed their command over the Raagam, Taalam and the theory of Pallavi Singing. The Raagamalika Pallavi was well-supported on the Violin by Sri. Raman Iyer from Seattle. The audience then got their cream on the pudding when they watched Mridangam make divine music, during Sri. Dorai’s Tani-Avarthanam. The concert concluded with Tukkdas including “Bho Shambo” in Revati and a “Kaavadi Chindu”. Overall, the brothers demonstrated their exemplary knowledge of technique, variety, and clarity of diction. Between the two, the brothers can fully scale three octaves. They have well comprehended their strong points and support each other extremely well, something that other duos do not necessarily do. The able accompanists further elevated the concert experience. There were many “Aha” moments in the concert, with a very good balance of Manodharma and Janaranjaka pieces.

Though the acoustics of the hall was not ideal for a concert, the Corvallis Aaradhana Committee did a great job in managing the event logistics. What started off as a cold rainy day and a long drive for some, ended as a warm, satisfying evening; a wedding feast if you might say, nothing that you would want to change.

March 15th, New York:

Song List

1. Varnam: Chalamela, Natakurinji
2. Devadeva Kalayami, Mayamalavagowla, Swati Tirunal
3. Sarasiruhasana priye, Naata, Puliyoor (Pallavi) Duraiswamy Iyer
4. Amba Kamakshi, Yadukula Kambhoji, Shyama Sastry
5. Niravadi sukhada, Ravichandrika, Thyagaraja
6. Narayana ninna naamada, Suddha Dhanyasi, Purandaradasa
7. Kapali, Mohanam, Papanasam Sivan
8. RTP Saraswathi Pallavi: Shruti Laya Nivasini Saraswathi Shaarade Vidyaprade
9. Sree varalakshmi namastubhyam, Sreeragam, Dikshitar
10.Alaipaayude, Kanada, Oothukadu
11.Ranjani mridu pankajalochani, Ranjani ragamalika, Thanjavur Shankara Iyer
12.English note, Harikeshanallur Mutayyah Bhagavatar
13.Mangalam

Shruti Laya opened its 2009 season with a grand concert by the Carnatica Brothers Sri. Shashikiran and Sri.Ganesh, accompanied by Sri.Jayshankar Balan on the Violin, and Sri.Guruvayur Durai on the Mridangam.

The brothers' interactive concert style grabbed the audience's attention right from the beginning. Most unusually for musicians at their level,they encourage the audience to submit requests! They then asked the audience to vote for the varnam to start with, and started with the popular favourite, Natakurinji! This was followed by Swati Tirunal's "Deva Deva kalayami" in Mayamalavagowla. During the swarakalpana phase of this kriti, Ganesh sang all the sarali varisai to keep the youngsters hooked.

The unique feature of this concert was that every single song rendered was from a different composer (see song list). Sri.Shashi Kiran and Sri.Ganesh took care to bring out the special flavour of each composer. From the gentle unhurried notes of "Amba Kaamakshi" (Yadukula Kambhoji, Shyama Sastri), each phrase dripping with bhakti, to the highly energetic Niravadi Sukhada (Ravichandrika, Thyagaraja), the audience was mesmerized at every turn. The main ragam for the evening was Mohanam, with an elaborate aalapana. Just when everyone was expecting a Tanam to follow, Shashikiran took a vote between the requests he got for this ragam, and went with the audience choice of Kapali (Papanasam Sivan). The Tani that followed showed everyone again why Sri.Guruvayur Durai is held in such high regard. It was a virtuoso display of percussion fireworks that had the entire audience cheering.

The RTP which followed was a special treat - a pallavi composed specially for Shruti Laya in Ragam Saraswathi: "Shruti Laya Nivasini Saraswathi Shaarade Vidyaprade". They brought out the lush beauty of this ragam, following with swaras in Saraswathi Manohari and Manohari.

This was followed by a smorgasboard of beautiful pieces, notably the Ranjanimalika krithi "Ranjani mridu pankajalochani", and even the famous "English note". The concert came to an auspicious conclusion with an uncommon mangalam "Makutake mangalam".

Sri.Jayshankar Balan ably supported the vocalists with his crisp and quick responses and showed his own mettle in the alapana segments. Of special pride to Shruti Laya is the fact that he is a US resident, but a graded AIR artist in his own right.

Smt.Sharada Chityala, Director of Shruti Laya, introduced the artists and briefly spoke of their accomplishments. Sri. Sreenadh Jonnavithula, Director of Shruti Laya, thanked the artists for this wonderful concert, and for the special pallavi composed for Shruti Laya. Following Shruti Laya tradition, a senior member of the audience, Sri. Balachandran was invited to give a musical appreciation. Members Sri. P.S.Ramesh, Smt. Meena Mani, Sri.Chidambaran and Director Smt. Sumathi Sumangali honored the artists with shawls.

Shruti Laya would like to thank State Bank of India, whose generous sponsorship helped us stage this program. We also thank our tireless volunteers Subu, Ashok, Mani, Sundar, Abhinav and Vamsi for help with setting up the hall, and Sanjay, Ishwarya, Saipriya, Gautham for manning the front desk. And of course, we thank our members and rasikas, whose support and encouragement made Shruti Laya possible.

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Thanks to all rasikas who attended our concerts and gave us their feedback. We look forward to performing for you again! :)

Musically,
Shashikiran & Ganesh

Here are our latest photos, taken a few days ago in New York and Philadelphia.

Pink In Philadelphia!

With Ganesh, Kirana and her baby :)

Ganesh with the baby

With Ganesh, Jayshankar Balan and Guruvayur Dorai sir after the concert for Shruti Laya, New York, on March 15th




Grinning away!

Musically,
Shashikiran

My second book, Sangita Lipi, will be released on Monday, the 23rd of February, at the Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall, Alwarpet, Chennai. Sangita Lipi is the first book that gives a standardized and easy-to-understand-and-use format for writing notations. The art of notation-writing is, unfortunately, becoming defunct these days and Sangita Lipi is an effort to revive this art.

Here's the press release for Sangita Lipi:

For the first ever time in the history of Carnatic music, the art of writing notation has been given a standardized, easy-to-understand-and-use format. Authored by musician and researcher Vidwan Shri K.N.Shashikiran, the Carnatic notation workbook 'Sangita Lipi' aims to revive the art of notation-writing. With mp3 recorders becoming ubiquitous, students record compositions with them, making the concept of notating compositions virtually defunct. But digitally recorded music cannot possibly used for reference in the middle of a practice session or performance. This is where Sangita Lipi will come in handy for both students and performers.

Notation is a way of documenting songs for posterity. It will help in analyzing how ragas and compositions have evolved over the years and how they vary from one school of music to another.

Besides, many songs contain numerous variations (sangathis) which one may forget over time. A book that has all the compositions one has learnt, all notated in a systematic manner, would be the best memory aid!

Notation-writing helps a student learn faster. It improves one's swara-gnana, helps identify rhythmic intricacies and understand gamakas better. It is for these purposes that Sangita Lipi was conceptualized.

Sangita Lipi contains notation templates for all the commonly used talas – Adi (1 kalai, 2 kalai and tisra nadai), Rupaka, Misra Chapu, Khanda Chapu and the Suladi Sapta talas. Each song has a label, where the name of the song, the composer, the raga and its scale, the tala, the date and pitch can be written. The notation template is easy to understand and use – there are distinct markings at the end of each count, tala-component and tala-cycle, making the art of notation-writing an easy and enjoyable exercise!

The book also contains detailed explanations about notation, the various symbols used and how to notate. There is a guide to six language scripts that can be used to notate - Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English. The book also explains the various talas, the popular gamakas and the notation symbols used for them. There is a list of popular varnams and kritis, which can be used for reference.

The author of the book, Vidwan K.N.Shashikiran, is a multi-faceted musician known for his innovative ideas. Besides, he is a researcher, scholar, voice culture expert, entrepreneur (being the founder of the hugely popular music organization Carnatica), columnist and guru. It is Shashikiran's desire and dream to share his learning and teaching experiences with the music world. Sangita Lipi is an effort in that direction.

Published by the College for World Music & Dance, Australia and priced at Rs. 250, the book is a must-buy for all students and performers of Carnatic music.

For copies and more details, contact carnaticabrothers@gmail.com or nivedita.narayanan@gmail.com.

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Programme:
(23rd February, Monday, at the Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall)

5:00 - 6:30 pm: Thematic Concert of Annamayya Kritis by Jayalakshmi Sekhar (Veena), Trivandrum Vaidhyanathan (Mridangam) & Pudukkottai N.Ramachandran (Ghatam)

6:30 - 7:00 pm: Release of K.N.Shashikiran's 'Sangita Lipi'. Dr.Pappu Venugopal Rao will release, Dr.S.A.K.Durga will receive the first copy.
Release of Jayalakshmi Sekhar's Audio CD 'Kritis of Annamayya'. Cleveland V.V.Sundaram will release, Dr.Pappu Venugopal Rao will will receive the first copy.
Address by Vidushi Smt. S.Sowmya.

7:00 - 9:00 pm: Grand Mahashivarathri Special Concert by the Carnatica Brothers K.N.Shashikiran and P.Ganesh (Vocal), B.Raghavendra Rao (Violin), Arunprakash (Mridangam) and B.S.Purushottam (Khanjira).

ALL ARE WELCOME!

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Musically,
K.N.Shashikiran

There were times when Carnatic music teachers, also known as ‘paatu vadhyars’, were mostly mamas chewing betel leaves, with an old and tattered ‘jolna pai’ slung over their shoulders, house-hopping to teach students. Today, the ‘pattu vadhyars’ are tech-savvy musicians who teach shishyas from all over the world, over the internet! And, they don’t house-hop anymore, they cyber-trot! From the concept of gurukul, we have progressed to ‘guru-cool’!

Gone are the days when music as a career offered very limited choices. Today, there are a plethora of opportunities – from audio/video engineering and teaching to performing. With sabhas mushrooming in every nook and corner, most Carnatic musicians perform on an average ten concerts every month. Besides, there are TV shows, radio recordings, album recordings and several other performance opportunities. Most performers are also teachers. There are musicians like Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Sowmya, Sriram Parasuram and L.Subramaniam who have other professional degrees but they have chosen music over law, management, engineering, medicine and other fields! In fact, several Carnatic musicians, these days, fall in the higher brackets of income tax payers!

With the world becoming a global village, Carnatic music has gone global too! There are Carnatic musicians who travel abroad every year, to places like the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East. The top performers even travel abroad several times a year! On each tour, they have hectic schedules and perform about 20 concerts in various cities.

“Music is certainly a lucrative profession,” says vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan emphatically. “For a person with sound training, a good temperament towards people, the urge to innovate and a little bit of luck or God’s grace, it is a very rewarding career.”

So has Carnatic music changed over the past few decades? Well, Carnatic music has evolved over the years but the basic framework has remained the same. What has changed, however, is the way we package it, to suit audiences’ tastes and preferences. Just like fruits and vegetables that come in coloured wrappers, these days, to keep them fresh!

The late violin maestro Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan used to say that he was like a departmental store. He had different styles of music on offer. All one had to do was choose what he/she liked best! But these days, Carnatic musicians are more like mega malls than departmental stores! Choices have increased, so much so that it has become difficult for audiences to choose what they like best!

Has the media played a role in bringing about this transformation in Carnatic music? “Well, Carnatic music is featured almost every day on the TV channels. That has definitely helped,” Gurucharan acknowledges.

But all is not rosy. After retiring from their concert careers, some artistes take to other activities like teaching and composing. Yet, unlike actors, musicians do not have a common forum and no pension scheme for retired musicians. There are talented musicians who go unnoticed for want of concert opportunities. It is high time we got our act together, so that the unlucky ones don’t remain unlucky.

K.N.Shashikiran

A Carnatic concert is built on the strong foundation of teamwork. A concert without concerted and complimenting effort on the part of all performers is like a building without foundation. For a successful concert, the musical conversation between the main artiste and the accompanists must be in perfect melodic and rhythmic harmony. The sync must be achieved in mind, heart and soul.

Musical giants of yesteryears ensured success by having a united team on stage. The camaraderie between the main artistes and their accompanists would be evident through the frequent exchanges of appreciative bale-s and sabhash-s. Competition sans professional jealousy undoubtedly helps increase the quality of the concert.

Traditionally, a Carnatic vocal concert has had a violin and a mrudangam as the accompanying instruments. However, quite interestingly, the violin is not an indigenous instrument! Originally used in Western music, it was adapted into Carnatic music only a few centuries ago. Before the violin, the harmonium was the key melodic accompanying instrument in Carnatic music. Occasionally, the vina, chitravina and flute have also been used. The tavil has been the usual percussion accompaniment in Nadaswaram concerts,

But innovations have always been welcome – this is evident from the fact that a completely Western instrument like the piano has recently made successful forays into Carnatic music. From being mere support artistes, accompanists have sought more pro-active roles for themselves. So much so, that the number of people choosing a career as an accompanist has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years. There are about 250 violinists, 500 mridangists and 100 upapakkadyam artistes today.

How important is the role of a violinist? “There are three things a violinist must keep in mind,” says violinist M.A.Sundaresan. “First, we must follow the main artiste and his/her style of singing. Second, we must occasionally bring in touches of our own school of music. Third, we must know when to start and when to stop!”

“In a concert, all the participating artistes contribute their knowledge and skill towards its success. The role of the accompanists is to heighten and embellish the concert, thereby lifting the concert to heights of ecstasy,” says mrudangam maestro Sangeeta Kalanidhi Umayalapuram K.Sivaraman.

What makes a good mrudanga vidwan? “I always take the role of the first rasika of the main artiste,” says Umayalapuram Sivaraman. “I involve myself in his music and translate the emotions of the main artiste on my mrudangam. My mrudangam becomes an approximation to the musical rendition of the main artiste.”

Kanjira artiste B.S.Purushottam echoes the maestro’s views. “Sensitivity and adaptability are the sine-qua-non for any accompanist. Our job is to follow the main artiste and the violin like a shadow. More importantly, what mrudangam is to vocal, kanjira is to violin.”

There is no doubt, then, that the success of a concert depends as much on the accompanists as it does on the main artiste. As someone rightly put it, a ‘pakkavadyam’ must be a ‘pakka vadyam’.

K.N.Shashikiran

We’ve heard of management quota in colleges. But does it exist in the arts? Well, I hear that a sabha offered its inaugural day slot this year to a dancer for Rs. 30,000! And in Carnatic music? It's unofficial, but it’s real.

Heard of concerts being up for grabs to newcomers, mostly NRIs, for a price? That’s what the quota system in music is about. But before we greet both parties involved – the sabhas and the musicians – with scorn, let’s analyze why this practice is creeping into our system.

“Music is an essential ingredient in most public transactions, including art performances. However, all sides need to be careful not to let financial concerns overwhelm artistic sensitivities,” says Dr.Shankaran Mahadevan, musician, teacher, composer and organizer from the U.S.

To organize a concert for an artiste (popular artistes not considered), it costs between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 15,000, including the hall, electricity and accompanists’ fees. For sabhas with their own hall, the equations may work out just a bit lower.

Now, where does the organizer get his revenue from? First, sponsorship – which, in these recessionary times, is not easily forthcoming. Needless to say, getting sponsors for events featuring relatively unknown performers is difficult. “After 13 years, only this year we have managed to get sponsorship – from DFL,” says Mr. Sundar, secretary of Hamsadhwani, which organizes an annual NRI festival. Second, ticket sales - which is a paltry amount for many sabhas. “These artistes do not get much audience, except for their relatives! So how do we foot our bill?” asks the secretary of a relatively new sabha. “We depend on donations to even pay the popular artistes.”

Most organizers view the ‘quota system’ as a way of promoting good talent. While sabhas with good sponsors and better infrastructure have their own benchmarks for awarding concert opportunities, the smaller sabhas depend to a considerable extent on the NRIs.

The need of the hour though, is transparency. Several sabhas have managed to maintain a clean slate over the years, making all their transactions fully transparent. The Hamsadhwani NRI Festival, for instance, is in its 14^th year. “NRIs looking for concert opportunities can become members of our sabha for a fee of Rs. 10,000. This entitles them to a performance any time during the next one year in our sabha,” says Mr. Sundar, Secretary of Hamsadhwani. “Besides, we pay them as well as we pay the local artistes.”

“We are happy to contribute to organizations that are working to promote the arts,” says a parent of an NRI artiste. “There are informal requests from organizers for support. We donate voluntarily.” Some parents view it as an investment in a career. It’s the best way to gain a foothold in the Chennai concert scene, they feel. “December is the best time of the year too, because we have holidays back in the U.S.,” says a young performer. In fact, some gurus themselves act as a link between sabhas and students seeking concert opportunities.

“But if the concert opportunity crassly descends into a business transaction, the performers are disheartened,” says Dr. Shankaran Mahadevan. “The incongruity of the quota system is especially strange in Carnatic music, where we sing compositions of saints like Tyagaraja, who shunned all worldly pursuits!”

All said and done, the sabhas are happy, so are the musicians. But, is it good for the system? Has it affected the quality of performances? Should it be encouraged? Should established musicians take upon themselves the task of identifying and promoting young talent? Can rasikas play an active role in supporting youngsters? Is getting more support from the government and the corporate (DLF, Shriram Group of Companies, et al have taken a step in this direction) a solution? These and several other questions remain.

K.N.Shashikiran

Sitting in a restaurant yesterday, enjoying a buffet with tempting starters, an array of delectable main courses and mouthwatering desserts, it suddenly struck me that the Carnatic concert format can be compared to a buffet! The musical feast, beginning with a varnam (the soup) or a invocatory piece on Lord Ganesha, then moving on to a few brisk numbers (the starters), the sub-main piece (the tandoori roti/naan), the ragam-tanam-pallavi or a major kriti (the rice, with piping hot rasam and sambhar), and finally a few tukkadas (the dessert and the payasam) and the mangalam (the beeda), satiates all appetites, from the connoisseur to the layman! Besides, the fare varies from artiste to artiste, much like the restaurants! But catering to the tastes of varying audiences, in terms of elements like devotion, various emotions, innovation, choice of ragas, varieties in talas and tempo, composers, languages, rare and familiar songs, is no easy task.

A musician treats a concert like a painter his canvas. Creativity (‘manodharma’ in Carnatic parlance) and “re-creativity” (interpretation of the works of various composers) are his paintbrushes.

Maestro Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar is credited with conceiving the concert format. This format has stayed on for almost seven decades. In pre-Ariyakudi times, it is said that every concert had only three or four songs which were elaborated in great detail.

A concert normally begins with a varnam. This not only warms-up the voice but also lends a brisk pace to the concert. Since, varnams have a pre-set tune and are generally not embellished with creative elements like sangatis, starting with a known varnam helps the accompanists and the main performers strike a good rapport.

Following the varnam is a Ganesha kriti and/or a few brisk numbers, with variety in raga, tala, composer and tempo. This builds the momentum of the concert and helps the performers connect to the listeners. A ragam-tanam-pallavi or a major kriti is sung elaborately and this forms the ‘main piece’. Post main piece, padams, javalis, a few tamil numbers, Purandaradasa devarnamas, tiruppavais, bhajans, viruttams, tiruppugazhs, tillanas, etc are sung. Most of these pieces are set to captivating tunes, hold great aesthetic appeal and offer quite a contrast from the main piece. Some musicians sing songs that the audience requests – a musical à la carte for the rasikas! Most thematic concerts also follow the same pattern. Instrumentalists, on the other hand, prefer familiar pieces so that audience follows the tune and appreciates the music better.

The concert format showcases in full glory, the wide variety of musical forms that exist in Carnatic music. “Singing all musical forms, in different tempos, languages, ragas and talas and by different composers ensures that you connect with each member of the audience at some point of time in the concert. In the format that we follow today, all key ingredients are in adequate proportions,” says Sangita Kalanidhi Madurai T.N.Seshagopalan. “But it is not necessary to stick to this format. Innovate if you want to, but pull it off with panache!”

The basic concert framework has remained the same since Ariyakudi’s times, but musicians have experimented within its boundaries. Maestro G.N.Balasubramaniam, for instance, was known for developing his alapanas in stages. “I’ve sung geethams in my concerts!” says maestro Seshagopalan. “But, the 2-hour concert format does not always permit the artiste to relax enough, though it is interesting and engaging for the audience,” feels musician Sriram Parasuram.

Does the audience accept changes in the concert format easily? For upcoming musicians, not always! It would be ideal for them to stick to the usual format, with an occasional touch of innovation. But with established musicians, rasikas look forward to innovation! It’s no wonder then that heavy pieces like O Rangasayee, O Jagadamba and Chakkani Raja or even a viruttham have been used as concert starters, varnams – sung as the main piece and abhangs – have become popular numbers! All said and done, a concert spread has to be a good balance of tradition and innovation. And surely, the sky is the limit!

K.N.Shashikiran

Over 30 days, about 800 artistes and 5000 concerts, nearly 30000 rasikas – that, dear reader, just about sums up the December music festival. A cultural extravaganza of mammoth proportions; a festival unparalleled in quality and quantity; a time for rasikas and musicians to rejoice together; a time when sabha canteens do roaring business - that’s the December season for you! With the month of Margazhi already known for its devotional fervour, the December music season is but the icing on the cake! As Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, the doyen of Carnatic music, would say, “God resides in Chennai during December”!

Amidst all the festivity, rasikas play the pivotal role of consumers. And the consumer, as marketers say, is king. Interestingly, Tyagaraja, one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music, describes Lord Rama as ‘Rasika Shironmani’, meaning ‘the best among rasikas’, in his Todi composition ‘Dasarathi Nee Runamu’. He says that it was because of Rama, the rasika, that his fame spread even to far off lands!

Being consumers, rasikas shoulder two major responsibilities. First, it is they who make or break a musician’s career, for the primary index of a musician’s popularity is number of rasikas who attend his/her concerts. Second, rasikas have the responsibility of applauding the artistes at the right moments during the concert, motivating him/her to perform better. This will benefit our system immensely, for it will ensure that quality of performances is maintained.

Unbridled enthusiasm

The music season, the roots of which were sown in 1927, with concerts organized as part of the All India Congress Session’s Music Conference, has grown so much over the years that the festival fever starts as early as August – not just in Chennai, but across the world. Even before the sabhas announce their schedules and awardees, rasikas analyse threadbare the possible contenders for the various awards, the top performers of the year and the young talents to watch out for, on internet forums. Reviews of concerts in remote parts of the world are posted, making the music world a very small place indeed! Unknown artistes get a global presence. For NRIs who are unable to attend the season, the reviews on the forums act like live commentary. Forum members also discuss technical aspects, learn about ragas, compositions and composers. Websites and forums like rasikas.org, carnatica.net, kutcheribuzz.com and chennaionline.com are favourite haunts on the web for many rasikas. Says Rajee Krishnan, composer and member of a popular internet forum on Carnatic music, “it is interesting, the way we learn from each other. There are many gifted folks on the forum”.

All this should in turn make rasikas more accountable. There are some who write with pseudonyms and attempt to malign the names of popular musicians. Although moderators on the forums act quickly to remove such posts, one hopes that rasikas themselves with act with more responsibility.

As for the concerts, there is almost a mad scramble for season tickets in the major sabhas – so much so, that they are sold out well before the season begins. The secretary of one of the major sabhas tells me that season tickets were sold out three months ahead of the festival this year! To help sabha-hopping rasikas plan their schedules, a booklet with schedules of all sabhas is printed before the season and rasikas duly arm themselves with copies!

Diversity of rasikas

Rasikas range from children to nonagenarians. While there are the older rasikas who believe that the “golden era” of Carnatic music is long gone and can never happen again, some of our youngsters still prefer film and other genres of music over Carnatic. Why? “The atmosphere is too formal and the music, too abstract!” they say. A few artistes have experimented with their concerts, keeping this view in mind, and have succeeded to a considerable extent.

Then, there are newbies and there are those that have been attending concerts for several decades. Besides, there’s one category of rasikas that understands and appreciates the delicate intricacies and subtle nuances in a concert. They are the connoisseurs. There’s another category that does not know much, but makes a genuine attempt to learn. You’ll find them looking up that small booklet on compositions and their ragas, or consulting a fellow rasika, every time the musician begins a new song! These are the “kaansens”, as Pandit Shivkumar Sharma calls them. There’s yet another category of rasikas who find the air-conditioned comfort of the concert hall the best place for their midday siesta. Or for reading and re-reading the day’s newspaper until it’s in tatters. Or for showing off their latest collection of silk sarees and finery. Or even for finding prospective grooms for their neighbour’s sister’s friend’s niece! Oh, well, there’s enough entertainment on the stage and off it too!

Issues to be addressed

Amidst all the festivity, the hype and hoopla, there are some issues that cry out for attention. First, that ubiquitous mobile phone! Why rasikas leave their mobile phones in the loud mode when it takes about 2.876 seconds to switch it to vibrate is a question that has baffled many musicians. There is a subset of these I-will-keep-my-mobile-phone-in-loud-mode-come-what-may rasikas who answer calls from the seats, speaking loud enough for the entire auditorium to hear, above the sound of the music! Second, the compelling need for half the audience to stage an exodus the moment the clock strikes eight or when the tani avartanam begins. The tani avartanam is an interesting component of a concert and just as integral a part of it as the main performance itself. It takes only a sincere effort on the part of rasikas to begin to appreciate tani avartanams.

As for the 8 o’ clock syndrome, transportation problems and domestic commitments have probably created it. It would help though, if the audience does not mill about in the middle of a song. On these issues, we’d do well to learn from our Western counterparts. “Leaving during the middle of a concert can be distracting to the artistes on stage and has to be avoided by rasikas. If the exit is unavoidable, they would do well to sit at the back or leave as silently and inconspicuously as possible at the end of a song,” says Sathej, a rasika.

But being the incurable optimist that I am, I strongly believe that things will change for the better, that rasikas will work, together with musicians, for the progress of Carnatic music. It’s a rasikas world out there, after all!

K. N. Shashikiran

This Sunday, I got a tattoo of Tyagaraja Swami on my left arm, just below the elbow. It is extremely painful and my hand is still aching, but I think it looks really cool! And it’s well worth all the pain, because I have the saint etched on my hand permanently!

Here’s a picture of the tattoo.



Musically,
Shashikiran

We're now in the US. This is our schedule:

March 8 - San Jose
(http://rasika.carnatica.net/viewtopic.php?t=1640)

March 9 - 2:30 pm - Hindu Temple, Sacramento

March 8-9 (morning) - Workshop for Shruti Swaralaya, Fremont

March 14 - Chicago

March 15 - Rayleigh

March 16 - 3:00 pm - Thematic program on Music & Spirituality, with Neyveli Santhanagopalan - Tri City, Tennessee

March 24, 25, 26 - Boston

March 28 - Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana (http://www.aradhana.org/schedule.htm)

March 29 - Indianapolis

March 30 - Fundraiser Concert with Subhashree Thanikachalam, V.K.Manimaran, Gayathri Venkataraghavan & Mahanadhi Shobana at Baltimore Temple

April 1 - Lecture Demonstration, Detroit

April 2-5 - Workshop, Detroit

April 4 - Balaji Temple, Detroit

April 5 (evening) - Bharathi Kala Manram, Toronto

April 6 - 4:00 pm - South Indian Music Association (SIMA), Los Angeles
(http://www.geocities.com/southindianmusicacademy/upcomingevents.html)

For more details, contact 423-534-9724

We're finally back in Chennai, after many months! Here are a few pictures from Sydney, Australia.





Watch a video of our rendition of bhOgIndra shAyinam in kuntaLavarALi at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana earlier this year.