MANNARKOIL BALAJI

MANNARKOIL BALAJI

As the night crawls in, a mild mridangam sound rises from one of the walls of the Reserve Bank quarters. A sincere banker and an eager percussionist, Mannarkoil Balaji found a way for his passion and creativity within the confines of reality. Born in a family with no musical lineage, Mannarkoil Balaji today, is one of the most sought after mridangists.
K.G. VIJAYAKRISHNAN

TRIBUTE – K.G. VIJAYAKRISHNAN

When K.G. Vijayakrishnan retired from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, as a linguistics professor, in 2017, he wanted to devote all his time, attention, and love to music, taking a permanent break from linguistics.
THRIPPEKULAM ACHUTHA MARAR

CENTENARY TRIBUTE – THRIPPEKULAM ACHUTHA MARAR

If melam processions can raise aural storeys of towering architecture, the diminutive Thrippekulam Achutha Marar lorded over their grandest of varieties. Positioned in the middle of the front row with 15-odd men playing the chenda, the ethnic drum’s five-foot tall emperor made no showy gestures to state his pre-eminence in traditional Kerala orchestras. The concerts would feature no less than 120 artists and often span four hours.
BANGALORE S. SHANKAR

BANGALORE S. SHANKAR

S Shankar is a popular Carnatic vocalist and teacher in Karnataka. With an impressive career of more than five decades, he has carved a niche for himself through his public concerts and the medium of radio and television. A traditionalist to the core, he has admirers across the globe and has imparted training to many students who are acclaimed performers.
HOMAGE TO TYAGARAJA IN MYLAPORE

HOMAGE TO TYAGARAJA IN MYLAPORE

The annual Tyagaraja aradhana was celebrated by Sri Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar Cultural Trust on 12 February 2022 at Mylapore in Chennai; it was organised by S. Rajaraman, the Managing Trustee. A host of eminent vidwans and vidushis – including several vocalists, violinists, mridangists, flautist, and vainika—participated in the celebration and diligently rendered the pancharatna kritis.
ANAYAMPATTI S. GANESAN

ANAYAMPATTI S. GANESAN TURNS 90

The jalatarangam, today, is secure in the hands of vidwan Anayampatti S. Ganesan. Born on 22 May 1932, the maestro turns 90 this month. His only regret is about four of the vintage cups having broken over the years!
MAVELIKKARA PRABHAKARA VARMA

MAVELIKKARA PRABHAKARA VARMA & P.R. KUMARAKERALA VARMA

The venue was a temple in Mavelikkara, a small town in Alappuzha district of Kerala, where thousands of music lovers had gathered to drench themselves in the music of nagaswara chakravarty Tiruvaduthurai T.N. Rajarathnam Pillai (TNR). Before the concert began, a boy was brought to TNR with the request that he bless the music student.
SEASON 2021-22

SEASON 2021-22

A hybrid season in 2021-22 provided good opportunities to musicians to present in-person concerts besides the virtual ones, and the musicians offered impressive performances in many venues. Here we focus mainly on the performances of up-and-coming musicians—on both virtual and live platforms— conducted by different organisations.
KSK 100 – a celebration

KSK 100 – a celebration

The birth centenary of vidwan Calcutta K.S. Krishnamurti (KSK as he was known to all) occurred on 21 December 2021. To commemorate the occasion, his disciple, Sangita Kalanidhi Sanjay Subrahmanyan put together a series of events, including several posts on his social media channels, culminating with a concert on 25 December 2021, at the Music Academy, Chennai.
SIFF’s initiative to groom young talent

SIFF’s initiative to groom young talent

A nationwide, completely online cultural competition was conducted by the Singhal Iyer Family Foundation (SIFF); it received a whopping 12,000 applications from students in cities as well as villages.
Instrumental concerts @ the Music Academy

Instrumental concerts @ the Music Academy

The inaugural session of the Music Academy conference and concerts 2021 was marked by a nagaswaram concert by S. Kasim and S. Babu accompanied on the tavil by G. Rajan and M. Vijayakumar. The vidwans began with Tatvamariya tarama in Reetigaula (Papanasam Sivan) with a compact swaraprastara in the pallavi. Hiranmayeem Lakshmeem sada bhajami in Lalita followed.
Captivating colours in Madrasana’s Tinge fest

Captivating colours in Madrasana’s Tinge fest

Madrasana Tinge, a five-concert, colour-based festival, was held from 27 to 31 October 2021 in association with IIT Madras Music Club. Each artist was given a colour for interpretation, based on which several unique pieces were presented.