Even before her first formal lesson, a varnam, the young girl had already picked up the corpus of songs that the entire household knew by heart, like Santi nilava vendum, Eppadi paadinaro, Mamava Pattabhirama. The omnipresent melodies flowed into her utterly unconsciously.

Samuditha Foundation, founded by Carnatic vocalist Saketharaman, with its motto ‘Carnatic music for all’, has found a novel way to meet its objective. Kala Shiksha, the online music school run by the vocalist, provides innovative musical education to urban, suburban and rural children across the country through collaborations with seasoned teachers, who inspire and teach over 250 students, irrespective of caste or religion.

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.

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!