Carnatica.com: News-Views-Reviews - Carnatica's Thematic Navaratri Music Contests

Classical 1 - Group-kritis on Devi:

Muthuswami Dikshitar's Kamalamba, Abhayamba or Neelotpalamba Navavaranams
Oothukkadu Venkatasubbayyar's Navavaranams
Syama Sastri's Navaratnamalika or Swarajatis
Swati Tirunal's Navaratri kritis

Type 1 - Solo or group rendition from the above kritis:

The rules for this contest are:

Time limit is 15 minutes
Participants must give a list of 10 songs from the above mentioned list, choosing at least one song from each category.
For the preliminary round, the participant must render one song from the list that they choose and send it as a cassette recording.
Age categories are - Juniors (Below 15 years), Seniors (15 - 25 years) and Super-seniors (Above 25 years)

Type 2 - Thematic concert based the above kritis:

This contest is open for aspiring musicians, professionals and non-professionals. The age limits will be the same as above. The rules for this contest are:

Time limit: 45 minutes
Participants must give a list of 10 songs from the above mentioned list, choosing at least one song from each category.
For the preliminary round, the participant must render one song from the list that they choose and send it as a cassette recording. The song must be embellished with a detailed raga alapana, neraval and kalpanaswaram at a relevant eduppu.
For the cassette recording, accompaniment is optional.
For the next rounds, accompaniment will be provided by us.
Classical 2 - General Carnatic Contest: Rendition of compositions from the following composer list:
1. Trinity (Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri) & contemporaries like Subbaraya Sastri, Swati Tirunal, Vina Kuppayyar, Tanjore Quartette, Gopalakrishna Bharati, Mysore Sadasiva Rao, Kavi Kunjara Bharati
2. Pre-trinity and post-trinity composers like Purandaradasa, Annamacharya, Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Muthutandavar, Marimutha Pillai, Arunachala Kavi, Sadasiva Brahmendra, Pallavi Gopala Iyer, Kshetragna, Narayana Teertha, Patnam Subramanya Iyer, Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan, Papanasam Sivan, Muthiah Bhagavatar, Mysore Vasudevacharya, Pallavi Seshayyar, Tirupati Narayanaswami Naidu, Anai-Ayya, Ghanam Krishna Iyer, Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, Koteeswara Iyer, Periyasami Tooran, Neelakanta Sivan, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri, G N Balasubramaniam, Ambujam Krishnaetc.
3. Contemporary composers like Tanjavur Sankara Iyer, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Chitravina Ravikiran, V V Srivatsa etc.
Type 1 - Plain rendition of kritis of composers from any of the above categories: The rules for this contest are -
- Time limit is 15 minutes
- Participants must choose a minimum of seven kritis from 1 and 2, and a maximum of three kritis from 3 above and send the list to the address given below.
- For the preliminary round, the participant must render one song from this list and send it as a cassette recording.
- Ragas chosen should be purely classical based.
- Age categories are - Juniors (Below 15 years), Seniors (15 - 25 years) and Super-seniors (Above 25 years)
Type 2 - Thematic concert based on the above categories:

This contest is open for aspiring musicians, professionals and non-professionals. The age limits will be the same as above. The rules for this contest are:
- Time limit: 45 minutes
- Participants must give a list of 10 songs from the above mentioned list, choosing at least one song from each category.
- For the preliminary round, the participant must render one song from the list that they choose and send it as a cassette recording. The song must be embellished with a detailed raga alapana, neraval and kalpanaswaram at a relevant eduppu.
- For the cassette recording, accompaniment is optional.
- For the next rounds, accompaniment will be provided by us.
Category 3 - Semi-classical:

Type 1: Rendition of semi-classical pieces on Navaratri theme (solo or group):

This is a contest on rendition of semi-classical pieces based on the Navaratri theme. Bhajans, small songs like Gitams such as Varavina , note-sahityam like Syamale meenakshi (only for sub-juniors), folk songs, devotional songs (eg. Jagatjanani), Devarnamas and other semi-classical (eg. Karunai deivame,Tediundan) pieces based on Devi can be rendered. The age categories are:
- Time limit is 15 minutes
- Participants must give a list of 10 songs from the above mentioned list, choosing at least one song from each category.
- For the preliminary round, the participant must render one song from the list that they choose and send it as a cassette recording.
- Age categories are - Sub-juniors (Upto 8 years) Juniors (8 - 15 years), Seniors (15 - 25 years) and Super-seniors (Above 25 years)
Type 2: Semi-classical concert:

Participants can render Varnams, songs with raga alapana, Tukkadas and Tillanas, all in praise of Goddess Devi. A proper concert format should be followed for this thematic semi-classical contest on Devi. The rules are:
- Time limit: 45 minutes
- Participants must give a list of 10 songs from the above mentioned list, choosing at least one item from each category.
- For the preliminary round, the participant must render one song from the list that they choose and send it as a cassette recording.
- For the cassette recording, accompaniment is optional.
- For the next rounds, accompaniment will be provided by us.
- Age categories are - Juniors (Below 15 years), Seniors (15 - 25 years) and Super-seniors (Above 25 years)
Category 4 - Kolam/Rangoli contest:

We will play some music and you will have to draw kolams/rangolis! Isn't that easy?!