Carnatica Brothers - K.N.Shashikiran and P.Ganesh

Carnatica Brothers - Concert updates

2011-07-21T04:27:00.000-07:00

UK Trip - 22 July to 2 August, 2011

July

22nd - Leeds, West yorkshire, UK
23rd to 1st August - Workshop at Tamil School - 9:00am to 4:00pm
30th - Special workshop & Lec - dem Concert - 6:00pm - Rasikalaya
31st - Shiva Temple - 6:00pm - London

August

3rd - Back to India
4th - 6th - Carnatica's 'Pallavi Darbar' - Mylapore Fine Arts Club
5th - Hyderabad
9th - Anjaneya Fest - Tanjore
10th - Narada Gana Sabha - Karur
14th - 'Dr. Balamuralikrishna 80' celebrations - Chennai Fine Arts - Arkay Convention Centre, Mylapore
17th - Dr. Rukmani Ramani compositions concert - Narada Gana Sabha (Mini hall), TTK Road
19th - Ragavendra Aradhana - Raghavendra temple - T Nagar
20th - Krishna Fine Arts - Nanganallur

21st - Nayaki Fest

August 22nd - September 28th, 2011 - US Tour
27th & 28th - Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation -Contest & workshop - Stroudsburg

September

11th onwards - Annamayya Special concert & workshop - Cleveland, Ohio
Workshop and examinations for the students of School of World Music & Dance, Detroit. - more details will be updated...

October

1st to 6th - Navarathri Concerts in Kerala
29th to November 6th - Bharat Sangeet Utsav 2011 in Chennai and other cities. More details will be updated soon...

December

8th to 17th - Carnatica's Global Cultural Fest - Hare Krishna Centre, Thiruvanmiyur
8th - Bharath Kalachar
13th - Mylapore Fine arts Club - 4:00pm
16th - Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha - Inaugural concert - 6:45pm - Vidya Bharati hall, Mylapore

19th - Jaya Tv's Margazhi Maha Utsavam
22nd - Chennaiyi Thiruvaiyaru - Kamarajar Arangam
23rd - Narada Gana Sabha - 7:30pm - TTK Road, Chennai

25th - Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha - Vani Mahal
26th - Indian Fine Arts - 4:30pm
27th - Karthik Fine Arts - Tamizh Isai Vizha - 4:00pm - Anna Nagar, Chennai
28th morning - Saraswathi - Narada Gana Sabha (Mini hall) - Music & Mathematics (Lec-Dem)
evening - Sri Ranjani Sabha - R K Swamy Hall, Mandaveli
29th - Lions Club Music Fest - Kumbakonam
30th - Nadhasudha - Sri Ganapathi Sachidannanda Ashram - Velachery
31st - Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya fest, P K Mahal, Mylapore
- Carnatica's Eastern Ethnic Newyear Bash - The Music Academy - 10:00pm onwards..

January 2012

1st - Rasika Fine Arts (Morning) - Chennai Fine Arts (Evening)
3rd - Aasthika Samajam
5th - Prabahadha Sangeetham (Morning Ragas, Chamber concert)

April 2012

12th - KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, USA

stay tuned to get more updates about our concert schedule....

Musically,
K N Shashikiran

Kalaimamani Awards announced by Govt. of Tamilnadu...

2011-02-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

The Govt. of Tamilnadu has annonunced the 'Kalaimamani' awards on 28th Jan 2011. Click here to find the official press release http://www.tn.gov.in/seithi_veliyeedu/pr28Jan11/pr280111_94.pdf
I dedicate the kalaimamani award to all my gurus and thank all my well wishers for their support and hope will strive to work harder to contribute more towards the cause of carnatic music....... My hearty congratulations to my fellow musicians, TVG Sir, Gayathri Girish, Rajesh Vaidya, N.S Rajam, Thiruvarur Swamynathan and others who will be receiving awards with me.

Musically,
K N Shashikiran

Carnatica Brothers US Spring Tour 2011

2011-01-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

March 9th - May 22, 2011

March 2011

04^th – Workshop, Delaware

05^th – Mahalakshmi Temple, Delaware

06^th – Charlotte

09^th – Urbana, Champaign
10^th – Louie Ville, Kentucky
12th - Columbus, Ohio
13th - SIFA, San Jose
19th – SIMA

20^th – San Diego (To be confirmed)

26^th – Kannada koota, Bay Area (To be confirmed)

April 2011
02nd – Learn Quest festival, Spl Concert by K N Shashikiran, Kiranavali, P Ganesh (Chitravina), Boston
09th – Indian Music medley, SPICMACAY, Stansford University

10^th – SAHANA, Sacramento
16th –‘ Ragamalika’ - Special Carnatic – Film based melodies with Subhasree Tanikachalam & group Tamil Sangam, Detroit

17^th - –‘ Ragamalika’ - Special Carnatic – Film based melodies with Subhasree Tanikachalam & group Tamil Sangam, Atlanta
Apr 21st to May 1st 2011, Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana

24^th - –‘ Ragamalika’ - Special Carnatic – Film based melodies with Subhasree Tanikachalam & group Tamil Sangam, Columbus
27th - Cleaveland Concert
30^th – Sringeri, Stroudsberg

May 2011

01^st –‘ Ragamalika’ - Special Carnatic – Film based melodies with Subhasree Tanikachalam & group Tamil Sangam, New jersey
06th - 08th - Global Music Fest, Oakland University, Detroit

07^th – Chicago Tamil Sangam

8^th - –‘ Ragamalika’ - Special Carnatic – Film based melodies with Subhasree Tanikachalam & group,Oak Land University, Detroit.
13th – Rochester (To be confirmed)

14^th & 15^th – Carnatic Star, S V Temple,Minneapolis

20^th – Miami

22^nd – Barathy Kala Mandram, Toronto

More to be updated...

Musically,
K N Shashikiran

December 2010 Season schedule

2010-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

December 2010
07th - 5:00 Pm - Carnatica's Samarpanam, Arkay Convention Centre, R.H road, Luz Corner.
08th - 10:30 Am - Meenakshi College
11th - 5:00 Pm - Margazhi Maha Utsavam, Theme: 20th Century Composers, Kumara Rajah Muthiah Hall, Chettinad Vidyashram.
19th - 9:00 Am - Mylapore fine arts club ; 4:00 - Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha, Theme: Sarvam Sri Vishnu Mayam
20th - 2:00 Pm - Music Forum, Tag Centre, Lec. Dem - Spiritualism in musical compositions
21st - 4:00 Pm - Bramha Gana Sabha
23rd - %:00 Pm - Carnatica's Global Cultural fest, Hare Krishna Centre, Thiruvanmiyur
24th - 2:45 Pm - Chennayil Thiruvaiyaru, Kamarajar Arangam
26th - 7:30 Pm - Narada Gana Sabha
28th - Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha, Lec. Dem
29th - 6:30 Pm - Nadhasudha, Velachery
30th - 6:30 Pm - Sriranjani Sabha

January 2011
01st - 9:00 Am - Rasika Fine Arts
03rd - 6:30 Pm - Papanasam Sivan Academy, Madipakkam
06th - 5:00 Am - Morning ragas, Chamber concert
09th - 7:00 Pm - Panchamukha Aanchaneya festival, P.K. Mahal, Mylapore
22nd - Thyagaraja Aaradhana, Thiruvaiyaru
24th - Kolkatta
29th - BTM Cultural, Bangalore

February 2011
6th -
15th & 16th - Kerala
19th - Hamsadhwani

Musically,
K.N. Shashikiran

Carnatic Brothers Concerts Schedule Update

2010-07-20T23:56:00.001-07:00

July 2010
25th - Kumbakonam

August 2010
1st - Thiruvanmiyur
26th - Kanchi Mutt

September 2010
7th - Bangalore
19th - Gokulastami concert, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha
25th & 26th - Mumbai, Pune
29th - Papanasam Sivan Arts Academy

Musically,
K.N. Shashikiran

Carnatica Brothers Spring Tour 2010 Schedule!!

2010-03-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

March 2010
5th - Hamsadhwani
7th - Walajapet Venkataramana Bagavathar Festival, Ayyampettai.
8th - Sarvam Vishnu mayam - Thematic Concert - Nanganallur perumal temple
12th to 15th - Carnatica Brothers touring Srilanka
18th - Carnatica's Raganubhava concert - Ragasudha Hall, Mylapore

21st March 2010 - 18th May 2010 US Tour
26th - Nadha Laya Sangamam Music ensemble (Concept & Production by K.N. Shashikiran, Featuring: Chitravina P. Ganesh, R. Thyagarajan & T. Suresh (Flute)), San Diego
28th - CMAGA - 3:00pm, Atlanta

April 2010
April 2nd to 10th Cleveland Festival
6th - Cleveland festival concert by carnatica brothers, 4:00 pm
11th - Sri Venkatesa vaibhavam (thematic Concert), SV Temple, Pittsburgh
17th - Carnatic Star Contest followed by concert by Carnatica Brothers, Minneapolis
18th - Milwaukee
23rd - Toronto
24th - Montreal, Canada
30th - Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Krishna! krishna! Hare Hare!! - Thematic music & dance production - Composed & Directed by Carnatica Brothers, Michigan

MAY 2010
1st - Tri city, Tennessee
2nd - Pittsburgh
7th - San Jose
8th - Sacramento
9th - Kannada koota (To be confirmed)
14th - Sai Temple, Detroit
15th - GLAC Thyagaraja Aradhana, Flint
16th - POMONA

AUSTRALIA TOUR
22nd - Workshop
28th - Brisbane

JUNE 2010
5th & 6th - Singapore Tour
12th to 14th - Sydney Music Festival
18th - Kalyani Krishnaswami Compositions Concert

US Tour
20th - Summer Course in Oakland University, Michigan
26th - Spl performance by Anand Salem, Disciple of K.N. Shashikiran

JULY 2010
1st - Summer Course - Middlesex Community college

More to be updated......

From The Hindu...

2009-11-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

During our recent Europe tour, we performed at the Indian Summer festival in Paris, to a huge, appreciative audience. The Hindu recently carried a report on the Indian Summer, with a mention of our performance. Here it is:

'Indian Summer’ in Paris comes to an end

Two-month-long festival of Indian cinema and dance a huge success

Aim was to show films that have never been screened in France before: Martine Armand

Festival ran to full houses; ended with Paresh Mokashi’s Harishchandrachi Factory

PARIS: The sixth edition of ‘Indian Summer,’ the two-month-long festival of Indian film and dance held by the Guimet Museum of Asian Arts here, came to a triumphant end with the screening of Paresh Mokashi’s Oscar-nominated Harishchandrachi Factory. The film received a standing ovation from the jam-packed house.

“We opened the festival with Dadasaheb Phalke’s 1936 epic Sant Tukaram, the first Indian film to be shown in an international festival [Venice in 1937] and, coming full circle, we ended our cycle of Marathi and Malayalam cinema with a biopic on the father of Indian cinema, Paresh Mokashi’s Harishchandrachi Factory,” Martine Armand, who did the programming for the festival, told The Hindu.

Even though the French subtitles left much to be desired, the film, made like a silent movie, had the audience in splits. “I just loved it. It’s fun, it is moving and very inventive. Congratulations to the director,” exclaimed Janine Krause, an avid cine-goer who admits she knows little about Indian cinema with the exception of Satyajit Ray. “We never get to see such films here. This was a treat.”

The festival — which ran to full houses, with many persons having to be turned away because the auditorium could accommodate only 300 persons per showing — concentrated on Marathi and Malayalam cinema d’auteur, 15 films in all, including classics like Jabbar Patel’s Umbartha, V. Shantaram’s 1937 classic Kunku, Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Kathapurushan, Anantaram and Vidheyan, or John Abraham’s Amma Ariyan. Noted Marathi stage and screen actor Mohan Agashe presented Umesh Kulkarni’s Valu, which deals with a sacred bull gone berserk.

“The films I saw were rich, strong, varied, so very different from the sugary sweet Bollywood cinema that we get to see here. I know India and have been going to Pune and other cities for the past two years, and despite that, this festival was a genuine voyage of discovery. It was a delight,” said Catherine Metais, who first went to Pune as a young exchange student nearly 30 years ago.

Hubert Laot, head of programming at the Musée Guimet, said it was unusual for the museum to hold a festival dominated by film, music and dance. “The museum’s public is a specific one. Many of them are deeply interested in Asian culture and we regularly hold conferences by academics, photographers and archaeologists. This was something quite different and generated huge enthusiasm,” Mr. Laot told The Hindu.

During the two months of the festival, the museum also held music and dance performances. Dipanwita Roy and her daughter Priyadarshani gave an Odissi recital, with the mother wowing audiences with the strength of her abhinaya. Maria Kiron for Bharatanatyam, and the brothers K.N. Shashikiran and P. Ganesh with Carnatic music, also drew record crowds. For Sharmila Sharma’s Kathak recital on November 19, there is not a ticket to be had.

“I am always struck by the strength of the women from Kerala and Maharashtra, and that was one of the aspects of the programming. Kunku, Umbartha and Chitra Palekar’s Maati May have very strong female characters and deal with women’s issues. As far as Malayalam cinema went, the common thread running through the programming was the history of India and of communism in Kerala, as well as what happened during the Emergency. Our aim was to show films that have never been screened or distributed in France before. We chose Harishchandrachi Factory long before it was nominated as India’s official entry for the Oscars and I feel gratified by that. What was attractive about juxtaposing Marathi and Malayalam films was the fact that both States have very strong theatrical traditions and the films balanced each other out, both in terms of their strong content and their extraordinary quality,” Ms. Armand said.

(http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/08/stories/2009110852191800.htm)

December Season Concert Schedule

2009-11-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

December:
3rd - Krishna Gana Sabha - 6:30 pm
5th - Jaya TV's Margazhi Maha Utsavam -Kumararaja Muthiah Hall - 5:00pm
5th - Nalinakanthi - MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science - 6:30pm
8th - Bharat Kalachar - 4:00pm
9th - Sri Ragam Fine Arts - Govt. Music College - 11:30am
12th - Naada Inbam - 6:00pm
13th - Narada Gana Sabha Awards Function
16th - Music Academy - 1:45pm
17th - Meenakshi College - 11:45am
17th - Nanganallur Aanjaneya Temple (Chitravina Concert by Ganesh) - 6:30pm
18th - Mylapore Fine Arts Club - 4:00pm
18th - Launch of Carnatica's Samarpanam Festival - MGR Janaki College - 5:00pm
19th - Kalarasana (Isai Tamizh Vizha Inaugural concert) - 4:00pm
21st - K.N. Shashikiran & Kirnavali VIdyashankar Duet - Sringara Rasa Thematic concert - MGR Janaki College - 10:45am
21st - Karthik Fine Arts - 4:30pm
22nd - Panchamukha Aanjaneya Festival - P.K Mahal, Mylapore - 7:30pm
23rd - Chennaiyil Thriruvaiyaru - Kamaraj Memorial Hall - 2:00pm
24th - Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (Sri Venkatesa Vaibhavam Thematic Concert)- 4:00pm
27th - Indian Fine Arts Society - 9:30am
27th - Madipakkam Papanasam Sivan Sabha - 6:30 pm
28th - Carnatica's December Festival Samarpanam - MGR Janaki COllege
29th - Sriranjani Fine Arts - R.K Swamy Auditorium, Mylapore - 6:30pm
30th - Narada Gana Sabha - 7:00 pm
31st - Rama Bhaktha Jana Sabha - 7:00pm
31st - Carnatica's Eastern Ethnic Eve (New year celebrations) - Music Academy - 10:30 pm

January:
1st - Rasika Fine Arts - Jaigopal Garodia School - 9:00am
3rd - Morning Ragas - Chamber Concert - 5:00am
6th - Naadhasudha-Velachery - 6:00pm
15th - Bangalore

February:
17th - Hyderabad Music Festival
19th - Chembur Fine Arts - Mumbai

March - May - USA tour
June - Australia tour

Musically,
K.N. Shashikiran

Concerts in November

2009-11-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

13th Nov - Kalpathi Sangeethotsavam - Annamacharya Music Festival (Palghat)
18th Nov - Tirupati
19th & 20th Nov - Coimbatore
21st Nov - Cochin
22nd Nov - Palght Fine Arts

Musically,
K.N. Shashikiran

We're in the Limca Book of Records!

2009-10-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ganesh and I performed a 24-hour concert on September 9th and 10th, 2006, as a prayer for world peace and harmony. We did not take a single break during the entire concert and survived mainly on fluids, which we drank between songs! I remember that we sang over a hundred songs and were fortunate to have some great accompanists during the concert. The Limca Book of Records has now recognized the concert as a national record. Here's the certificate we've received:

Oh, and btw, the video in the Video Bar at the bottom of this page was recorded on the morning of September 10th, 2006, about 23 hours after we started the concert.

Pictures from Europe

2009-10-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

In concert at the Amman Temple in La Chappel

In concert at the Theater Du Paris

That's Ganesh. Whoever said striking a pose for the camera aint easy?!

Trying hard to look cool! ;)

Seeing through you!

The Mona Lisa and I smile :)

In concert in France

The Team - Ganesh, Murugabhoopathy (Mridangam), Rupi Sivarajaiyar (Violin), Herbert Lang (Kanjira) and I

Do I look like one of them?!

The Austrian Parliament

The Munich Museum

My spice chai and I

Thanks to Rupi for the photos. More later!

More from Europe

2009-10-02T02:39:00.000-07:00

The Europe tour has been amazing so far! The response we've received for our concerts has been overwhelming! Our concert at the South Asian Arts Museum in France was an unforgettable experience. The audience first wanted an encore and then, in the end, they all rose in unison and gave us a standing ovation - a wonderful moment that I will cherish for a long time to come!

The Munich concert was equally memorable. It was covered by the German National Radio and they also did an interview with me - it was fun! We stayed at the Indian Counsel General's house and I had a great time teaching there!

I've also been having fun composing Pallavis in French, German and also one about the Eiffel Tower, in Tamil!

The Tamil pallavi goes like this in bilahari: paarinil unak eederillai paris nagar tower eiffel! (There is no equal to you in the world, O Eiffel Tower of Paris!)

One of the French Pallavis I composed is in Mohanam and the lyric goes like this: Salut Paris, ville de la beauté et de la culture! (Salutations Paris, O city of beauty and culture!)

We're having a great time and looking forward to the rest of the tour!

Musically,
K.N.Shashikiran

The first concert in the Europe tour

2009-09-20T02:03:00.000-07:00

Performed in clermont ferrand in france, the first concert in the tour was well received, the we created a pallavi in french in raga abheri which went well with the crowd and we found it interesting. Anyways we will have more to come.... an interesting workshop preceded the concert... so a good start to this tour.... and looking forward to the rest of the tour...

musically, K.N. Shashikiran

Europe Concert Schedule

2009-09-17T03:33:00.000-07:00

We're on a tour of Europe now. Here's a rough schedule of our concerts:

Sept 18th to 26th - Paris, Clermont-Ferrand (4 concerts)

Sept 27th - Luxembourg

Sept 29th - Munich

Oct 2nd - Vienna

Oct 4th - Frankfurt

Oct 8th - Bielefleld

Oct10th - Geneva

Oct 11th - Nancy/Strasbourg

Oct 13th - Lille

We'll report from some of these places as the tour progresses! :)

Musically, K.N.Shashikiran

Back in the US!

2009-07-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

We're back in the US now after a tour of Australia, New Zealand and a 20-day halt in good ol' Chennai! After a couple of months of teaching - workshops and camps, and concerts here, we'll be heading to Europe.

Check out our schedule for the next three months on the right side of this page. Our December schedule is also almost finalized, so we'll put that up too in a few days!

We're looking forward to the next three months! :)

Musically,
Shashi & Ganesh

Guru Vandanam

2009-05-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

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:
----

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.

---

Salutations to all my gurus.

Musically,
KNS

RasikaSpeak

2009-05-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

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

Photos from the current US Tour!

2009-03-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

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

Sangita Lipi - the first-ever Carnatic Notation Workbook

2009-02-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

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

Pride and Prejudice

2009-02-08T04:36:00.000-08:00

Yet another music season has come and gone. And this season, like any other in the past few years, was proof to the fact Carnatic music has choices aplenty – in terms of both sabhas and performers. In fact, the choices are so wide and delectable that rasikas have a tough time deciding which sabhas to go to and which concerts to attend! This overwhelming response of the rasikas (notwithstanding these recessionary times) is a good, nay great, sign for Carnatic music. Yet, it makes me wonder if only the “idols” constitute Carnatic music!

The handful of concerts that we had of great musicians also drew sizeable crowds. But, these were crowds that came more out of their curiosity than out of their knowledge of the music of these veterans. (Here I’m not referring to die-hard rasikas who have been attending concerts of musicians like Parasala Ponnamma, R.K.Srikantan, Rama Ravi, et al regularly.)

This past season, I hardly had time to attend any concerts, since I was performing almost every day, besides organizing. But of the ones I did attend, Nedanuri’s lec-dem was undoubtedly the best moments of the season for me. His musical expression belied his age. The regard that has for his gurus and past masters would make any musician feel humbled. His elegance and grace in handling ragas like Manirangu has to be heard to be believed. After his lec-dem I felt I should probably stop singing for a few years - there is so much to be learnt from his music!

That evening, I couldn’t resist the urge to meet him. So I went. And spent an hour with him. I was amazed by his simplicity – he offered to accept me as his disciple!

When I see artistes like him, I wonder why we create so much hype about mediocrity these days. I say this because, although the hall was packed during Nedaurai mama’s lec-dem, there was nothing was written about him in the newspapers/ online forums. Yet, hype or no hype, I’m not likely to ever forget the precious moments I spent with him and in his lec-dem.

As for me and my season as a musician, I wonder what I’m doing here! Every year, I put in 6 to 8 hours of practice daily, apart from teaching for several hours and working on promoting our music. A lot of people ask me why I have to work on so many promotional activities. Here’s my answer to them – singing concerts alone is just great, but I, as a musician, feel selfish if I do only that. Music has given me a lot and I want to be a humble servant – by reaching out to as many people as possible, the various glorious aspects of this great art form, for which several great masters have dedicated their lives.

I’m happy that I’m not in the limelight because it makes me work harder and grow musically. At times, however, I feel like I’m in Trishanku Swargam, being bracketed neither in the “seniors” category, nor in the “young talents” category. I have heard people questioning my commitment and integrity, and passing remarks like “He’s making music commercial”, “It’s a business for him”, “He’s exploiting students”, “He invites Mr.Sundaram to events so that he can go to Cleveland” and brushing aside my efforts on stage with comments like “He’s a businessman who also sings”, “If only he concentrated only on music, he’d do better”. But what keeps me going is my passion for music.

Very often I have thought about stopping performing – there is too much ego and unhealthy competition, and more often than not, biased views from different quarters. When I say this, people may wonder why I chose music as my profession if I cannot handle such biased opinions. Oh yes, I can! I’m happy to face this and more, but I would also like to see a metamorphosis in the thinking of practitioners and listeners; I want to see the growth of a healthy community. The bottomline should be truth and honesty – and this is sine-qua-non for preserving the values of this art.

I probably sound like I’m insecure. Let me assure you, I’m far from it. I’m happy being where I am in the music world. But I do want to see this art grow beyond attention on individuals, including me. There are rasikas who are beyond any of these biases. They enjoy music for what it is. They don’t necessarily come and praise the performers after every concert. But as a performer, I _feel_ their presence in almost all concerts.

There are artistes who continue to learn and don’t bother about what they get out of performing. These are the people that I look up to, as inspirations. This new year, I’m not sure about many things, except for the fact that I will work doubly hard – to grow more, inwardly. At the same time, I would be happy to propagate the values of this art form to more and more fellow forms, world over, in my own humble way. After all, small drops make an ocean.

Musically,
K.N.Shashikiran

Money Matters in Carnatic Music

2009-01-31T06:08:00.000-08:00

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

The Role of an Accompanist

2009-01-31T05:53:00.001-08:00

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

Quantity Vs. Quality

2009-01-31T05:48:00.000-08:00

While the quantity vs. quality debate has always held center stage in business management, it seems to be growing in relevance in Carnatic music too. Has the increasing number of concerts diluted their quality? As I thought about it, I found that two sides of me emerged:

Shashi: Do you realize many musicians are singing more than 15 concerts this month?

Kiran: Yeah, but having chosen music as their profession, why not? Concerts aren’t as long as they used to be, they’re only about 2 hours long. So singing so many concerts is an ideal test for a performer’s strength and stamina.

Shashi: Yes, in fact our musicians manage back-to-back concerts even in the U.S., where they have very hectic travel itineraries, vastly different climates from one city to another and a broad variety of tastes to cater to. But singing one concert almost everyday during Margazhi is no easy task.

Kiran: Does it tell on the quality of the concerts? What do you think? Even if musicians manage not to repeat songs, their mental agility may reduce. It’s inevitable.

Shashi: Well, not necessarily. And you can’t generalize. There are some people who are sticklers to the ‘more the merrier’ policy. There are others who think quality and quantity are inversely proportional. Quite debatable, really.

Kiran: Vocalist Sudha Ragunathan, who has been a popular performer for more than two decades now, says that it’s definitely not an easy task to maintain the same quality. But she puts in the same effort, focus and concentration for all her concerts during the season. She says it involves a high degree of mental alertness and that experience and maturity help fill the gap caused by mental fatigue.

Shashi: The interesting thing is that many of these concerts are within a radius of 2 km. The same audience probably attends several performances of a particular artiste. A challenging task to keep the audience from getting bored!

Kiran: Yes, that is why musicians must keep expanding their repertoire. It definitely helps to surprise your audience with a few rare, long-forgotten, or new songs every concert!

Shashi: You’re right. In fact, vocalist Gayathri Venkataraghavan says that in addition to learning new songs, she prepares new ragam-tanam-pallavis for the season.

Kiran: On-the-spot creativity and the ability to feel the pulse of the audience also help in maintaining the high quality consistently. Even if a musician repeats a raga that he sang in a previous concert, the alapana can be sung differently, or a different song in the same raga can be sung.

Shashi: Yes, and even if the same song is sung, the manodharma aspects can be embellished differently in each concert.

Kiran: Correct. Vocalist Sudha Ragunathan says that she likes experimenting with varieties of sarvalaghu and kanakku patterns in her swaras. “Even if I get into a tight corner, I try to work myself out of it. If I’m successful, the satisfaction is immeasurable!”

Shashi: Creativity is the sine-qua-non for any musician. But what with the unrelenting cold weather during Margazhi, the voice tends to wear out. It definitely takes a lot of effort to keep the voice in great shape throughout.

Kiran: Some musicians even cancel their concerts because of voice fatigue. One way to prevent this would be to decrease the number of concerts they perform. Consciously accepting fewer concerts is definitely a good remedy.

Shashi: Perhaps Carnatic musicians should have their own professional concert management teams, or voice fitness gurus, to review every concert, offer suggestions on voice maintenance and help them maintain quality through the season! What say?

K.N.Shashikiran

Management Quota in Music

2009-01-31T05:46:00.000-08:00

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

The concert tradition

2008-12-15T05:43:00.000-08:00

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

It’s a rasikas world out there!

2008-12-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

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

Article for the Times of India

2008-12-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

This season, I'm writing for the Times of India. In this post and the ones that will follow, you can read the original versions of the articles, before they went through the editor's scalpel.
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Behind the Curtains

After a spell of torrential rains caused by cyclone Nisha, the downpour has just started again – for it will rain music in Chennai for the next one month, during the famed ‘December Music Season’!

The music flows unabated year after year, but exactly what goes on behind the curtains? What does the season mean to musicians? How do they prepare – physically, mentally and musically - for the season? How do they cope with the enormous expectations from rasikas, who look for variety? How do they handle the pressure of having to perform 15 – 20 concerts within a span of 30 days? How do they relax between concerts?

Gearing up for the season

For the musicians, a lot of effort goes into preparing for the season. This is the time when old recordings are fished out, new songs learnt, old songs re-learnt and refined. Some organize jamming sessions with fellow musicians, to share musical ideas and learn from one another. Instrumentalists work harder on their respective styles and also on adapting to the styles of the main performers.

For young artistes, the season is a platform to gain acceptance. Several organization heads and critics attend concerts, hoping to spot an exceptional talent or two. NRI artistes also perform in the city during the season, hoping to establish a foothold in the Chennai concert scene. Senior musicians shoulder the responsibility of passing on the traditional values of the system to the younger generation, to whom they are mentors. For the accompanists, some of whom perform fifty to sixty concerts – sometimes two or three a day – the season is a test of their stamina! Striking the right balance, in terms of creativity, ragas, talas, composers, tempo, languages, classical pieces and tukkadas is a challenge in itself for any musician – but a pleasant one at that!

Once the preparation is done, the musicians’ community is raring to go. The city and its rasikas are all set too. But let’s hope that we don’t listen to Amrithavarshini, the rain raga, too frequently this season!

“Chennai wears a festive look in December. The season has always been special to me,” says the cyclone’s namesake, vocalist Nisha Rajagopalan, echoing the sentiments of the music fraternity.

For vocalist Aruna Sairam, who is an overwhelming audience favourite, the December season is about “re-inventing” herself, “much like a snake shedding its old skin. I find a new me every season. I focus on my strengths; I understand my weaknesses and work on them.”

Concert preparation

Do musicians prepare for every individual concert? The answer is yes. And no. Some musicians do not prepare specifically for any of their concerts, because that leaves them handicapped if the previous concert on that day had also featured the same songs or ragas. There are some that decide only on the songs for each concert. The audience, the ambience and the mood decide which creative elements they will explore, to what extent and how. For some other musicians, a lot of meticulous homework goes into each concert. “Fulfilling the expectations of hundreds of rasikas with varied tastes is a Herculean challenge!” says young vocalist Saketharaman.

Coping with pressure

For vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan, known for his blend of tradition and innovation, the season brings with it a lot of pressure, because of the enormous number of concerts he performs. So how does he maintain his voice? “Oh, I don’t – because my voice isn’t very good anyway!” he replies. His fans may not agree though! “But I do avoid too many phone calls,” he continues. “As for the mental fatigue, I’ve just gotten used to it these days!”

Aruna Sairam, on the other hand, picks her concerts carefully. “I’m performing eight concerts this season”. She has spaced them well too, ensuring she sings not more than two every week.

The December season is not the best time for the voice, thanks to the cold climate and the omnipresent fog. So artistes take extra care to protect their voices, through their hectic schedules. Many of them follow a strict diet regimen, avoiding too much oil or spices and not eating too much, particularly before a concert. Nevertheless, the artistes keep the ENT specialists, homeopathy and ayurveda doctors busy for most of the season!

Some musicians keep fit with regular practice of pranayama and yoga. There are some who take a vacation and come back just in time for the season, with renewed zest and vigour. The holiday helps them rejuvenate themselves and gets their creative juices flowing!

Making style statements

Many musicians also try to connect with the audience in ways that don’t involve music! French beards, fashionable ear studs, tattoos, streaked hair, designer kurtas and sarees are in! Some musicians also consciously cultivate mannerisms that the audience goes gaga over – so much so, that sometimes the mannerisms attract more attention than the music!

Another fad you will see this season is keeping in shape! If you thought only sportsmen keep fit, think again – for the musicians are becoming fitness freaks too! Thanks to the fact that singing involves sitting long hours, not many musicians exercise enough. But now, they’re hitting the gyms! So you’ll catch a leaner bunch of musicians on stage this season!

Then and Now

Has anything changed since the time the current lot of top musicians were upcoming artistes? Carnatic music has definitely remained the same, but the way we package it to suit audiences’ tastes has changed. Our music has evolved. And evolution, needless to say, is good for any art form.

So what was it like for performers in the 1950’s and earlier? “I’ve been performing for over sixty five years,” octogenarian violin maestro Prof. T.N.Krishnan says. “There were only three sabhas then and there weren’t as many artistes as there are now. But the December season has always been special. The number of artistes has increased now; so has the audience. Audiences everywhere had similar tastes back then; now there are a wide variety of tastes. I practice regularly even now. I haven’t changed my style and I definitely understand what I play much better!”

Times have changed; audiences have grown; artistes have matured, but the music lives on! And the December season is here yet again, bigger than ever, so let’s drench ourselves in the musical rain, shall we?

K. N. Shashikiran

A Tyagaraja Tattoo!

2008-11-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

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

Spring Concert Schedule 2008

2008-03-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

Back in India!

2007-07-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Photos of Richmond concert

2007-05-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos taken during our concert in Richmond, VA.

Shashi & Ganesh

US Concerts Schedule

2007-04-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

We're currently on a tour of the US. Here's our schedule for the tour:

Violin: Nagai Sriram
Mridangam: Tanjavur Murugaboopathi

1. March 22nd 2007
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608

2. March 23rd 2007
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

3. March 24th 2007
Tri City Music Circle, Johnson City, Tennessee

4. March 25th 2007
Namaste Yoga Center, 57 Broadway, Asheville, NC

5. March 27th 2007
East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN

6. March 30th
Augusta, Georgia

7. March 31st 2007
Carnatic Music Assoc of Georia, Tucker, GA 30084

8. April 1st 2007
Indian Classical Music Association, Savannah GA

9. April 6th – 15th 2007
Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana

10. April 21st 2007
Carnatic Music Association of North America, Fords NJ 08863

11. April 22nd 2007
South India Fine Arts, Sunnyvale CA 94088

12. April 29th 2007
Columbus Carnatic Music Association, Worthington OH 43085

13. May 4th 2007
Richmond Music Group, Richmond VA

14. May 5th 2007
Shiva Vishnu Temple, 6905 Cipriano Road, MD 20706

15. May 6th 2007
Sruti – The India Dance and Music Society, Blue Bell PA 19422

16. May 11th 2007
India Community Center, Rochester, NY

17. May 17th 2007
Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, New York

18. May 18th 2007
Bradley University, Peoria IL

19. May 19th 2007
Sri Rama Temple Foundation, Aurora, IL

20. May 20th 2007
Great Lakes Aradhana Committee, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

21. May 25th 2007
Tampa Classical Music Circle, Tampa, FL

22. May 26th 2007
Sangeetha (St. Louis), Ballwin, MO 63022

23. June 2nd 2007
Carnatic Music Association, Sacramento, CA

24. June 3rd 2007
Sri Ranganatha Temple, Pomona NY 10970

Yours Musically,
Shashikiran & Ganesh

Gajavadana - Todi

2007-04-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

We've uploaded a recording of our rendition of gajavadana in tODi. This piece was recorded during our concert for the Music Academy in Dec 2006.

gajavadana - tODi

Yours Musically,
Shashikiran & Ganesh

Video from 24-hour concert

2007-02-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video clip recorded on 10th Sep, 2006, during our non-stop 24-hour concert (9th - 10th Sep,2006).

Dec Season photos

2006-12-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

December Season Concert Schedule

2006-11-15T05:15:00.000-08:00

Dear rasikas,

We will be singing at the following places this Dec season.

1. 9th Dec - 9:00 am - Nungambakkam Cultural Academy
Violin: Venkatasubramaniam
Mridangam: Thiruvarur Vaidhyanathan
Ghatam: S.V.Ramani

2. 10th Dec - Bharathiar Festival

3. 14th Dec - 5:00 pm - Jaya TV Margazhi Mahotsav
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: Srimushnam Raja Rao
Kanjira: Amrit

4. 19th Dec - 4:30 pm - Karthik Fine Arts
Violin: M.A.Sundareswaran
Mridangam: Guruvayur Durai
Ghatam: Pudukkottai Ramachandran

5. 21st Dec - 2:30 pm - Music Academy
Violin: Nagai Sriram
Mridangam: H.S.Sudheendra

6. 22nd Dec - 2:00 pm - Narada Gana Sabha
Violin: Nagai Sriram
Mridangam: Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy
Kanjira: Sunder Kumar

7. 23rd Dec - 6:30 pm - Kapali Fine Arts
Violin: Avaneeswaram Vinu
Mridangam: Trichur Narendran
Ghatam: Udipi Balakrishnan

8. 24th Dec - 9:00 am - Mylapore Fine Arts
Violin: M.A.Sundareswaran
Mridangam: Srimushnam Raja Rao
Ghatam: Ernakulam Ramakrishnan

9. 24th Dec - 7:00 pm - Naada Sudha
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: H.S.Sudheedra

10. 25th Dec - 9:00 am - Brahma Gana Sabha
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: Umayalapuram Sivaraman
Ghatam - Vaikom Gopalakrishnan

11. 25th Dec - 7:30 pm - Panchamukha Anjaneya Temple
Violin: Avaneeswaram Vinu
Mridangam: Thiruvarur Vaidhyanathan
Ghatam: Udipi Balakrishnan

12. 26th Dec - 9:30 am - Lakshman Shruti
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: Srimushnam Raja Rao
Ghatam: E.M.Subramaniam

13. 26th Dec - 6:30 pm - Rama Bhaktha Jana Sabha
Violin: M.A.Sundareswaran
Mridangam: Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy
Ghatam: Udipi Balakrishnan

14. 28th Dec - 6:00 pm - TTD

15. 29th Dec - 4:00 pm - Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: Kamalakar Rao
Ghatam: Udipi Balakrishnan

16. 31st Dec - 9:00 am - Naada Inbam
Violin: V.L.Kumar
Mridangam: K.V.Prasad

17. 1st Jan - 9:30 am - Rasika Fine Arts
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: Srimushnam Raja Rao
Ghatam: Udipi Balakrishnan

18. 4th Jan - 6:30 pm - Madipakkam Papanasam Sivan Satsangam
Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridangam: Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy
Ghatam: Trichy Murali

19. 6th Jan - 6:30 pm - Universal
Violin: V.V.Ravi
Mridangam: Umayalapuram Sivaraman

Yours Musically,
Shashikiran & Ganesh

24-hour concert - September 9th-10th

2006-09-07T05:45:00.001-07:00

Dear Rasikas,

Starting at 9 am on the 9th of September, Saturday, we will attempt to sing a marathon 24 hour concert, dedicated to world peace and harmony. Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Umayalapuram Sivaraman will accompany us for the first few hours.

The concert will take place at Carnatica's office - #9, Shirdi Towers, Arulambal Street, T.Nagar, Chennai.

Yours musically,
Shashikiran & Ganesh.

Photos of concerts

2006-08-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Concert at Irai Pani Manram, Kottivakkam - 19th August.
Sri M.A.Sundaresan on the Violin, Tanjore Murugabhoopathy on the Mridangam.

Concert at Narada Gana Sabha for Sri Ragam Fine Arts, 18th August.
Akkarai Subbulakshmi on the Violin, Rajna Swaminathan on the Mridangam.
Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Umayalapuram Sivaraman in the foreground.

Upcoming concerts in August

2006-08-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

1. 18th - Gokulashtami Thematic Concert - Narada Gana Sabha (Mini Hall), Alwarpet, Chennai - 6:30 pm
2. 19th - Award followed by concert for Irai Pani Manram, Kottivakkam, Chennai.
3. 23rd - CD release function followed by concert at Narada Gana Sabha (Mini Hall), Alwarpet, Chennai.

Shashikiran & Ganesh

Concert for The Semmangudi Srinivasier Golden Jubilee Trust

2006-08-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the song list for our concert at Raga Sudha on the 27th of July. We were accompanied by Sri M.A.Sundareswaran on the violin and Sri Srimushnam Raja Rao on the mridangam.

1. brOcEvArevare - srIranjani - Adi - Tyagaraja
2. dEva dEva kalayAmite - mAyAmALavagauLa - rUpakam - Swati Tirunal (N,S)
3. nEnendu vetakudurA - karnATaka behAg - Adi - Tyagaraja (S)
4. karuNa ElAgaNTe - varALi - Adi - Tyagaraja (R,S)
5. marivEre gati - Anandabhairavi - misra cApu - Shyama Shastri (S)
6. bhOgIndra shAyinam - kuntaLavarALi - khaNDa cApu - Swati Tirunal (R)
7. gajavadana - tODi - Adi - Kumara Ettendra (R)
8. nI bhajana gAna - nAyaki - Adi - Tyagaraja (R)
9. dakshiNAmUrte - sha.nkarAbharaNam - misra jhampa - Muthuswamy Dikshithar (R,S,T)
10. parulanna mATa (jAvaLi) - kApi - rUpakam - Dharmapuri Subbarayar
11. tillAna - senchuruTTi - Adi - Veena Seshanna

Yours Musically,
Shashikiran & Ganesh.

Hi to music lovers

2006-06-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hi and welcome to the Carnatica brothers' blog.
Happy World Music Day to Carnatic music lovers worldwide!