Editor’s Blog

Random thoughts on a maestro’s centenary…
Carnatic Music’s princely hero – he of the golden voice and the killer good looks, he who danced with the raga devatas and entranced the rasikas – the one and only GNB would be 100 years old this year! ‘GNB’ to you and me, ‘GN’ or ‘GN Sir’ to his colleagues and students, Balasubramaniam was arguably one of Carnatic Music’s very few self-made geniuses.

Several years back when I first started listening to Carnatic Music, I was hooked by three regal styles. I was fortunate enough to experience two of those in person – the languorous bass gait of MDR and the sprightly energy of Semmangudi – at close quarters in the Navaratri Mandapam at Trivandrum. The third was always an enigma that gripped me when listening to a programme titled “Sangeetha Sudha” that was aired at 8.45 pm daily on Vividh Bharati’s local segment. They had a tendency to repeat a given set of albums at regular intervals and I remember looking forward to the next repeat broadcast of the lovely cadences of “Thamadamen Swami”.  I used to relish the unique rocking movements of that booming voice as it explored the highs and lows of Todi. That was my introduction to the genius of GNB. Read more…

A news item in the back pages of The Hindu a few months back brought to light the pathetic situation of some descendants of Shyama Sastri – one of Carnatic Music’s hallowed trinity of composers and arguably one of the finest ever. Since that item appeared, there have been a few sporadic efforts to raise funds to help the composer’s family. It is an issue that has rankled the conscience of the Carnatic fraternity. Many people, especially artistes felt that while every Carnatic concert gets embellished with at least one Shyama Sastri composition, the maestro’s folks languish in penury, seek support for education and – horror of horrors – have no avenue even to pursue music! Read more…

The birth centenary of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer – Carnatic Music’s evergreen doyen, creator of a lasting musical paradigm and owner of a unique voice that moved millions – is being celebrated by the Carnatic fraternity. A man revered by many and reviled by a few, Semmangudi was arguably a fundamental pole around which the Carnatic world revolved for the better part of seven decades. Any historical account of our music would have the familiar balding figure at the forefront of the Carnatic pantheon.

There have been several memorial functions, concerts, audio / video / book releases and even a marathon 100-hour concert dedicated to the late maestro. However, on this centenary of the doyen, other than rehashing his familiar biography and long list of titles & achievements, we would do well to introspect on his singular legacy and assimilate many fine aspects for the betterment of our music. Read more…

Season ’07 started out for this rasika on a distinctly different note. Instead of the usual crowded, large halls featuring wildly popular celebrities in the heart of Mylapore or Alwarpet, my season fare for the past weekend featured two excellent, albeit lesser known artistes performing at intimate, clubby settings. The first was Bangalore Sankar, a senior Karnataka-based vidwan performing at a private concert organized by a group of rasikas who participate in an internet discussion forum! What made the concert doubly unique was that it was hosted at the residence of popular vidushi S. Sowmya who extended a personal warm touch to ensure that rasikas savoured not just the music but delectable snacks and coffee too! The second was an absolutely delightful, authentic Harikatha performance by senior vidushi Kamala Murthy, held at the residence of V. V. Sundaram, arts patron and impresario of the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana. Read more…

“Shri. K. Viswanathan of RmKV Silks, 49 years young, dynamic businessman, passionate lover & energetic promoter of classical music and fine arts…” – words I would rather be saying as I introduce him as a guest of honour at the inaugural of a Carnatica event. Sadly, I have to use the same words today with a heavy heart and mind in an obituary, for Viswanathan Sir died last night in a tragic automobile accident near the southern town of Kovilpatti -  a piece of news I’m unable to come to terms with and I doubt I ever will. For he was much more than just a businessman sponsoring our events…

Carnatica’s association with Viswanathan goes back a couple of years to the time when RmKV Silks – till then a Tirunelveli-based reputed silk house – was trying to make its mark in Chennai. Given the time-honoured connections between silk houses and Carnatic Music, it was but natural that RmKV would also be drawn into supporting and promoting classical art events and organizations. And we were very happy to be one of the first organizations that Viswanathan chose to associate himself with. I still vividly recall that first meeting. I went mentally prepared to meet with a 70-something, veshti-clad grey eminence, sitting cross-legged before a short wooden writing desk, poring over his hand-written ledger accounts. Imagine my shock and surprise when the assistant ushered us into a swanky, ultra-modern office and the man rising to greet us was this dapper youngster wearing a trendy full-sleeved shirt, elegant tie, rimless glasses and that engagingly pleasant smile! Read more…

There is a truly magnificent Malayalam novel titled “Ini Njaan Urangatte…” (Now, let me sleep!), P. K. Balakrishnan’s retrospective account of the Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective. The title is based on the last line of the novel, when at the end of the arduous battle of Kurukshetra, an exhausted and emotionally drained Draupadi falls into Yudhishtira’s arms, hoping for her first peaceful slumber in years. Such a slumber is what many of us at Carnatica yearn for right now, after the months of hard work that went into making Virtuoso Music Awards 2005 a success. Jaisree, our tireless programme co-ordinator is happy to be getting back home to her kids by 7 pm; Ashok, our cheerful man-for-all-seasons is glad to return to his normal routine after the endless bike rides of the past two months; Sowmya is back to tending her son, garden, books and music; And Shashikiran… well, he is back to his normal self, chattering endlessly on the mobile and thinking up Carnatica’s next activity, eliciting a collective groan from our office folks! Read more…

Freshly returned from Tiruvaiyaru after the 158th Aradhana of Carnatic Music’s most beloved saint-composer, one’s mind is a mélange of emotions – some good and some not-so-good but on the whole tending towards the positive. It is quite a toss-up regarding what one remembers most from one’s maiden visit to the cradle of our music. The divine Asaveri on the Nadaswaram on Aradhana morning competes with the shockingly rude behaviour of a “security” officer towards two hapless mridangists scrounging for a few precious inches of space. The heartening memory of large crowds even at 10 pm, listening to the sequence of 20-minute concerts competes with the mediocre performance of some “leading” artistes who needed to refer to a free Dinamalar pamphlet for the Pancharatna lyrics. The lingering taste of sinfully fresh tender coconut competes with the bone-jarring ride one had to endure on non-existent roads. The rare but soothing sight of a Cauvery in full flow competes with the crass display of gold bracelets and layers of make-up at the Pancharatna rendition… Read more…

Over the past few days, there have been several developments related to the conduct and control of the affairs and Annual Conference of the Music Academy, Madras. An interim order of the Madras High Court restored the status quo at the Academy, thus enabling the current Executive Committee of the Academy to hold the Annual Conference. While we at Carnatica are happy that the esteemed Academy is holding its Annual Conference, we note with deep regret and disappointment that the names of Carnatica and its founder-directors have been needlessly dragged into a controversy in the process. Read more…

nAda yOga – that pinnacle of musical bliss in which nothing else matters; a state in which the mind and body live, eat, breathe and drink only music! It is something we have heard of and read in tributes to legendary musicians, but seldom get to experience first-hand.

This past week was one of those rare opportunities: a chance to be in the presence of a living legend – an immortal, ethereal minstrel who has had the privilege of transcending materialist and human barriers to reach that sublime state in which music is the only permanent, prevalent factor. Muktamma – millions of words have been written about her, about the peerless Brinda-Mukta pair, about the distinct characteristics of the Dhanammal bANi… but words are inadequate to describe the singularly exhilarating experience of being in the presence of such musical divinity. Read more…

It started out as a chance encounter over an Internet discussion forum a couple of years back. A friend tipped me off that the person with a cryptic login name who had posted recently about my beloved MDR might actually be Balaji, the legend’s son. On an impulse I shot off an e-mail, enquiring bluntly whether that was true and asking if he had any recordings of my icon. My sole aim in life at that point of time was the enhancement of my personal music collection, especially hard-to-find nuggets of old masters, starting of course with MDR!

Balaji promptly and courteously responded, and since then we have been in touch off and on, mostly through e-mail. That relationship culminated a couple of days back with my entering the portals of #91, Ponniamman Koil Street, Adyar to be warmly and hospitably welcomed by Visalam mami, the simple and unassuming wife of the maestro. Armed with a scanner, laptop and a consent from Balaji, my aim was the digital archiving of the compositions of MDR, notated and neatly recorded in his own handwriting. Read more…