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RAMNAD KRISHNAN

RAMNAD KRISHNAN: A CONFLUENCE OF THREE STREAMS

Ramnad Krishnan’s name brings to mind his electrifying delineations of ragas like Sahana and Begada, Keeravani and Sankarabharanam. Through his son R.K. Ramanathan’s initiative, a yearlong celebration of the legend’s music was organised at Raga Sudha Hall in Chennai, with two programmes held every month, starting in September 2017 and concluding in September 2018.
DOES MUSIC HAVE A RELIGION?

DOES MUSIC HAVE A RELIGION?

Each religion has its system of music based primarily on its cultural origin. Church music indicates the Western origin of its original propagators and mosque music indicates its Arabian origin. But does music itself as an art have any religion?
SRUTI AT 35

SRUTI AT 35

A lovely floral display spelt the name of the magazine which was soon to be launched that morning on Vijayadasami - an auspicious day. It was a double celebration to mark the release of the inaugural issue of SRUTI and the golden jubilee of Sangita Kalanidhi D.K. Pattammal’s concert career.

NEWS & NOTES

Ramesh Vinayakam, the talented film music composer, conceptualised and curated Class of Class - a full Carnatic music concert featuring many of his own compositions rendered by leading Carnatic musicians, at a well got up event recently in Chennai.
Mannargudi A. Easwaran

Mannargudi A. Easwaran

Mannargudi A. Easwaran is a reputed and popular mridanga vidwan, who through his exemplary ability to enhance, embellish and admirably blend with any style of music, has carved a niche for himself in the field of Carnatic music.
Indian music and the West: An exploration

Indian music and the West: An exploration

From the 17th century, Indian mythology and ideals have exerted an indefinable influence on Western thought and artistic practice. The use of certain types of note intervals, experiments in transilience (equivalent of the gamaka), as well as atonal/functional harmonies have found their place periodically in themes that were generally classified as mystical or exotic.
REMEMBERING MLV Amma: my guru and mentor

REMEMBERING MLV Amma: my guru and mentor

To me MLV Amma was many figures rolled into one—teacher, mentor, parent, friend and guide. It was she who shaped me into the person I am today.

DKP birth centenary celebrations

The birth centenary of Gana Saraswati D.K. Pattammal - one of the female trinity of Carnatic music—is being celebrated on a grand scale. In order to spearhead the year-long celebrations DKP 100 (A unit of D.K. Pattammal Charitable Trust) has been constituted with around 50 members comprising the family, disciples and fans of the legend with the guidance of patrons like N. Murali, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, N. Gopalaswamy, R. Seshasayee, and Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti.
MDR

REMEMBERING MDR

Vandeham Varadadasam, a celebration of the music of Carnatic music legend M.D. Ramanathan (MDR), was organised recently by his son Balaji Ramanathan at Raga Sudha hall in Chennai. It was an enjoyable evening listening to the introductory speech of Sangita Kalanidhi T.V. Gopalakrishnan who recounted his association with MDR—providing insights into the late musician’s personality.
Jim Reeves

REAR WINDOW - JIM REEVES

For innumerable Western music fans in India their idea of nirvana or total bliss is to close their eyes and listen to the velvety voice of Jim Reeves. His 54th death anniversary falls on 31 July and his 95th birth anniversary on 20 August, and as such it is a good time to remember the singer whose voice and words have touched millions of lives around the world.

Brothers on song

The Malladi Brothers are indeed a breath of fresh air when they ascend the concert stage. With their foreheads streaked with bright splashes of vibhuti, they look bright and sparkling in their usually pearly white jibbas and veshtis, their eyes taking in the audience in an intelligent sweep that seems at once to gauge its level of appreciation, its stylisitic preferences.

TRIBUTE - Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao by Seetha Ratnakar

It was a sad day for the music world when the oldest living vaggeyakara, Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao breathed his last in Vijayawada at the age of 98, on 22 April 2018. He reached the pinnacle of glory even in death when he was awarded the highest State honour, a 21 gun salute by the Andhra government.