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Natyarangam's 6th Annual celebrations:

Narada Gana Sabha's Natyarangam Trust is having its 6th Annual celebration on 16th and 17th February 2002 at the Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall. The schedule is as follows:

Saturday, 16th February 2002

9.30 am - Registration of Participants

10.00 am - Abhinaya Competition (18 to 30 years)
Portray a given Situation" -- Mythological, Historical or Contemporary! - To the accompaniment of Violin or Flute & Mridangam arranged by Natyarangam

6.00 pm - Rangamalika - Bharatanatyam by talented dancers who have performed in our monthly programmes.

Dancers: Suchitra & Sangeeta, Lasya & Lavanya, Padmalakshme Suresh, Deepa Narayanan & C A Joy

Sunday, 17th February 2002

Dance Quiz - Adavallar (15 to 25 Years)

9.30 am - Qualifying Round

10.00 am - The Big Quiz (with Theory, Demo & Audio rounds)

6.00 pm - Rangamalika - Bharatanatyam by talented dancers who have performed in our monthly programmes

Dancers: J Krishnakumar, N Suhasini, Binesh Mahadevan & K T Pradeesh

Prize Distribution in the evening

Swati Sangeetotsavam - A Report

What makes the Swati Sangeetotsavam so unique, special and different from most other music festivals organised in the country? One really doesn't know where to start, as there are so many factors which make this festival so wonderful.

For one, the ambience. The concerts are held at the Puthen Malika where Maharajah Swati Tirunal himself lived and composed. The peace, the silence, the oil lamps, the silent flight of the night birds, all transport us to a simpler, purer, better world two centuries back. The concerts begin at six o' clock on the dot, which is unusual in itself, punctuality not being a strong point of most Sabhas. The audience is seated in the open air, first in the golden rays of the setting sun followed by the silver rays of the rising moon and the discreetly twinkling stars, as the evening gently and unobtrusively metamorphoses into night.

The audience itself is unique in so many ways. Firstly such a big, responsive, encouraging, silent, well behaved crowd is normally to be found only outside India. The same Tiruvanantapuram audience which normally goes out for tea during the Tani Avartanam or even home to catch the nine o' clock TV Serial remains rooted to the spot as it were till the Mangalam is sung, irrespective of the hour, as long as the music is good! The musicians themselves have the luxury of singing with accompanists of their choice and without a time limit - an increasingly rare occurrence. Only Maharajah Swati Tirunal's compositions are sung. Instead of limiting the musicians, this seems to bring out the best in them, for the Maharaja has composed dozens of Pada Varnams, Tana Varnams, Keertanas, Slokas, Tillanas, Bhajans, Padams, Javalis and even Hindustani compositions like Dhrupads, Khayals, Horis, Tappas and Taranas.

This year's festival series opened with a violin solo by the eminent and infrequently heard Prof. V V Subramanyam, supported by Prof. T V Gopalakrishnan on the Mridangam. Prince Rama Varma, a direct descendant of Maharajah Swati Tirunal introduced the artists in his own unique and enchanting way, saying that VVS is a magical amalgam of the sweetness of Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, the lilt of Prof. T N Krishnan, the competence of Lalgudi Jayaraman and the precision of M S Gopalakrishnan, combined with a magic touch all his own. And TVG was introduced as the gentleman with the singing Mridangam. The Prince added that while many singers these days were overdosing their music with mathematical calculations thereby sounding like Mridangams themselves, here was a man who was doing the opposite, by making his Mridangam sing. Many people in the audience who found the introduction slightly too complimentary were more than convinced of the veracity of his observations before the Anupallavi of the Kambhoji Ata Tala Varnam was over. Saturated with delicate embellishments and impeccable aesthetics, the Varnam poured out onto the audience like a much awaited shower in the desert. VVS and TVG played as one and in my whole sixty years of listening I am yet to witness a more beautiful interpretation of this very popular Varnam sung or played by anyone else.

This was followed by Deva Deva Kalayami in Mayamalavagowla where one could pick out each syllable in the literature including the fact that it is "Tey Charanambuja Sevanam" and not "Deva Deva Kalayami They" as most vocalists erroneously sing. A charming and highly competant Bhooshavali followed in the form of Gopa Nandana. The concert was studded with other jewels like Mamava Sada Janani in Kanada, Smarasada Manasa in Bilahari, Paramapurusham in Lalita Panchamam (an invention of Maharajah Swati Tirunal), Mamava Karunaya in Shanmukhapriya, a miniscule Pallavi on Maharaja Swati Tirunal in Sahana and two Hindustani Bhajans in Yaman and Charchari (a very close relative of Sindhubhairavi) and the Mangalam in Yadukulakambhoji. I am yet to witness another concert where during the entire three hour duration the artistes constantly maintained intense eye contact with each other and truly functioned as a single unit. This was music making at its best where mere sound got transformed to the sublime level of Nada.

The second day Prince Rama Varma, accompanied by Prof. V V Subramanyam on the violin, B Hari Kumar on the Mridangam and Udipi Sridhar on the Ghatam proved yet again that he was a worthy descendant of a worthy ancestor. Opening with the amazing Pada Varnam, Saa Vaa Maa Rusha in Khamas (replete with imaginative and brilliant swaraksharas) the Prince moved on to a composition in Bhoopalam (as opposed to Revagupti), Rama Rama, tuned by his Guru Dr. Balamuralikrishna, as I later found out. By this time the Prince, VVS, Hari Kumar and Sridhar had blended into one, probably inspired in no little measure by the previous evening's magic woven by VVS himself and TVG who was in the audience now. Simple manodharma swaras more or less in the Madurai Mani Iyer style, tinted ever so alluringly with a dash of Murali and M D Ramanathan burst forth, followed by an equally rare and beautiful composition on Devi (Sadhu Tada) in Vakulabharanam. This was followed by Paripahi in Mohanam with a fascinating display of Swara Bhedams in various ragas, Parama Purusha (Vasanta), Mamava Padmanabha Sada (Varali), Nama Sudha Rasa (Kapi, from Kuchelopakhyanam) and a Bhajan in Misra Pahadi. Peace, adherence to sruti, clarity in pronuncation and a deep rooted Vainik sense of aesthetics are the elements in Prince Varma's music that I so adore. VVS followed him like a shadow as did Hari Kumar.

The third day featured Baby Sriram, accompanied by R Hemalatha, B Ganapatiraman and Adichchanalloor Anil Kumar. Though all the artistes were young, the music was anything but junior. Baby has a low husky voice which is not always very cooperative. But this evening she was in full form, opening with the Sankarabharanam Ata Tala Varnam with aplomb. She continued with Pahi sarasanabha in Saveri which made a welcome change to the usual opening songs that one has come to expect over the years. (Does one HAVE to start with Hamsadhwani or Nata always, one wonders!). She continued with Mamava sada janani in Kanada an exquisite rendition of Palaya Madhava Mam Anisam in Asaveri, which was by far the best piece in her concert, Kalaye Deva Deva in Ranjani, Vande Sada Padmanabham in Paras, Jaya Jaya Raghu Rama in Sahana, Sarasa sama Mridu Pada in Gowrimanohari, Saramaina in Behag, Aliveni in Kurinji and Gopala in Bagesri. The only low point in the concert was the Sahana song, which she did not seem to have prepared well. For instance Naka Nayaka became Naka Nashana, which is less than complimentary to Lord Rama! In fact, it means virtually the opposite of what was intended by the composer. But all in all a wonderful concert by a phenomenally talented young lady who is not heard as much as she deserves to be.

Hemalatha seemed to be a female version of VVS himself in her sound production and fidelity to the main artiste, not even once glancing at the more than appreciative audience. Ganapatiraman was a little more aggressive than when I have heard him in the past and did not give much of an opportunity to the eminently melodious Anil Kumar.

T V Sankaranarayanan, with his usual team of Delhi (now Chennai!) P Sundararajan, Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam and T V Vasan blasted his way into the heart of his listeners with his usual all time favourites like Paripalayamam in Reetigowla, Sarasaksha in Kamavardhini, Mamavasada Varade in Natakurinji, Padmanabha in Hindolam, Smarasada Manasa in Bilahari, Pankaja Lochana in Kalyani, Jaya Jaya Padmanabha in Sarasangi, Jaya Jagadeesa in Yamankalyani and Visweswar in Sindhubhairavi. Sarasangi became the main raga for the evening in honour of the Laksha Deepam at the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple this year, a reference to which event is there in the lyrics of the said piece. Sundararajan on the violin was competent and pleasant as usual. But Bhaktavatsalam who is always brilliant, seems to be becoming more and more aggressive as the days go by which is really a pity as I myself have heard him play ever so sensitively even in the past four or five years. Vasan was in his element too.

The surprise entrant in this year's festival was young Kaushiki Chakrabarty, prodigious daughter of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty from Kolkatta. She elaborated a vilambit Khayal and a drut composition in Behag, followed by a piece in Bhimplasi, a Thumri in Khamaj (Miliye Sham), Jai Jai Devi in Hamsadhwani and Ramachandra Prabhu in Sindhubhairavi. She has an amazing voice which covered almost three octaves, which has perfect control even over dazzlingly intricate Tans. The fact that she is still very very young does show obviously but it was a remarkable debut in the South for one who will surely end up right at the very top of the heap in Hindustani music sooner than later.

One of the most unforgettable evenings I have ever had in all my years of music listening was the next day, featuring Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty. Like his daughter, he also sang only the Hindustani compositions of Maharajah Swati Tirunal. He started with Karunakar in Amritavarshini, which made it rain even more than it already had that grey evening. Then piece after piece, raga after raga of breathtaking beauty followed in gradual succession. Visweswar in Jaijaiwanti, Sumarankar in the same raga, Bansiwale in Kalavati, a composition in Hamir, Bajatmurali Murari in Gowri, Aaj aye in Hamsadhwani, Gori Mat Maro Ban in Misra Kalingda and Nache Raghunath in Misra Pilu.

I have never heard a piece of music more sublime than the Gowri, a raga I confess I have never come across before. Panditji's voice is his slave and his intelligence and wit, mind-boggling. I look forward to the day when South India will produce a vocalist of his calibre other than his own Guru Dr. Balamuralikrishna of course.

The final day featured a concert by Malladi Sriram and Ravi, accompanied by M A Sundareswaran, K V Prasad and Tirupunitura Radhakrishnan. This concert brought back extremely pleasant memories of the concert last year by their father Malladi Suri Babu, which in turn evoked magical memories of his Guru Voleti Venkateswarulu. They gave one of the longest and most colourful concerts of the series, opening with Sankarabharanam Ata Tala Varnam.

This was followed by Vasanta (Paramapurusha), Rama Rama in Devagandhari, Vasundhara tanaya in Bhairavi, Karunakara in Begada suffixed by the most imaginative swaraprastara, Devadeva in Poorvikalyani, Sarasijanabha in Todi, Itusahasamulu in Saindhavi, Saraseeruhanabha in Desakshi, a Tillana in Bhoopalam and Kalaya Srikamalanayana in Chenchuruti. The brothers have a lot going for them - strong voices, good pronunciation, raga bhava, good manodharma and a very strong and classical "vazhi" as one calls it. The accompanists did their work commendably as usual.

All in all a most satisfactory festival, with only three or four compositions repeated altogether. The audiences were better than ever before and one already looks forward to Swati Sangeetotsavam 2003, starting on January 6th and continuing till the 12th!

- By Ramanathan

Posted on February 15th, 2002