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