Rukmini Devi’s views On Bharatanatyam

"Few dancers either know the true meaning of the mudra-s, the mandala-s, etc., but learn the poses for the sake of effect. Just as the ancient South Indian bronzes were made to the correct proportion according to the Sastra-s, given for the…

Narayanan Nambiar Master of poetic rhythms

Octogenarian Kalamandalam P.K. Narayanan Nambiar is a towering figure among theatre percussionists of the country. Awarded the Padma Shri this year, the mizhavu maestro has become the first of his clan to earn this national honour ...read m…

Lecdems at the Tamil Isai Sangam

The Tamil Isai Sangam is doing yeoman service to the cause of Tamil music since 1943. It has been holding the pann aaraaichi or pann research from the year 1949. Professor P. Sambamoorthy used to head the pann research sessions till his death,…

Bala, queen of abhinaya

The Tamil Isai Sangam is doing yeoman service to the cause of Tamil music since 1943. It has been holding the pann aaraaichi or pann research from the year 1949. Professor P. Sambamoorthy used to head the pann research sessions till his death,…

Old is gold, so what’s new?

V. Ramnarayan "Bigger... and better?" we asked in our last issue on the Chennai music and dance season. Bigger it certainly has been but whether better is arguable. We shall at any rate wait till our next issue, when all our correspondents…

Opera … of love and destiny

On the occasion of Alain Danielou’s centenary celebrations which culminated in October 2007, the Alain Danielou Foundation, with branches in Rome, Berlin and Paris, presented a series of concerts and exhibitions in different Italian cities…

Sruti Magazine Covers – 2008

Sruti Magazine cover art. Reproduced with permission. All Rights Reserved. www.sruti.com

Sensitive, sensuous Shobana the filmstar Dancer

S. Janaki Shobana was introduced to films by Jaya Chakravarthy, mother of another star-dancer - Hemamalini. She made a brief appearance as a child star in a Telugu film first. In 1984, the year she made her dance debut, she received a break…

From the heart

R.K. SHRIRAMKUMAR The sun would be on the horizon, about to retire for the day. Much dust and enthusiastic tones of high frequencies would be generated on the streets with boys playing cricket. That was when he would bring me home, after a…

R. Visweswaran: Bridging the North-South divide

S. Janaki Music was his passion, so he opted to make it his profession. Music to him was an elixir which, combined with his unswerving faith in his spiritual guru Mataji Vithamma, brought him back from the jaws of death time and again. R.…

Pleasant Memories of the Golden Past

Manna Srinivasan Navaneetham was born in 1923. Hailing from an Isai Velalar family, she was first initiated into dance. Though she progressed up to the varnam stage, she switched over to the flute out of fancy. She would observe Peruncheri…

A Golden Voice

S. RAJAM on N.C. Vasanthakokilam, as told to S. JANAKI. NC. Vasanthakokilam’s music career was short, but while it lasted, she was one of the topmost women vocalists in Carnatic music. Vasanthakokilam, or NC as she was popularly known, could…