Sruti Magazine

Sruti Magazine Reemerges with an Infusion of Talent

Sruti is India's leading monthly devoted to the Performing Arts. The target audience of Sruti comprises several groups. These include lay music and lay dance enthusiasts, connoisseurs, musicians, dancers, teachers, scholars and students of the fine arts, institutions and organisations active in the field and officials of Government agencies concerned with the arts.

Featuring Carnatic music doyenne D K Pattammal and child prodigy Mandolin U Srinivas on its inaugural cover in October 1983, the magazine created quite a stir in artistic circles. It was without a parallel in English magazines then-or perhaps even now. That cover page spoke volumes about the magazine's twin objectives of preserving tradition and encouraging innovation, something Sruti has assiduously pursued ever since. Many customs that have today come to be recognized as established best practices in the performing arts especially in south India have been the result of Sruti's systematic campaigns in favor of good taste, decorum and performance excellence. Among its early triumphs was the restoration of the importance of ragam-tanam-pallavi, which had become conspicuous by its absence on the concert platform.

For over two decades, Sruti has constantly practiced what it preaches-adherence to high standards of authenticity, objectivity, sophisticated writing based on thorough research, and a healthy respect for individuals and institutions, balanced by an equally healthy irreverence towards holy cows. Sruti is not an academic journal, even though it carries scholarly and technical articles from time to time.

Sruti's several profiles of the leading exponents of music and dance have been path breaking in the annals of Indian journalism, as have been its special projects to document the teaching methodology and stylistic characteristics of leading schools of dance and music. It is a veritable treasure house of in-depth knowledge of the many centers of excellence‑the kshetras which have served to propagate the classical arts of India.

Started under private auspices, Sruti was promoted as a not-for-profit venture and placed under a Trust in April 1985 when the Sruti Foundation was established with Founder-Editor N Pattabhi Raman as its Managing Trustee. Sruti, is its `flagship' endeavor, while Samudri (Subbulakshmi-Sadasivam Music & Dance Resources Institute), is an ambitious initiative towards archiving valuable resource material in music and dance and promoting research and cooperative endeavors to ensure the sustainable development of the performing arts, based on traditional ideas and practices. Visit www.sruti.com To subscribe online.

A great loss to Sruti

Sruti was devastated when its founder Pattabhi Raman died in December 2002. The recent passing away of Contributing Editor S. Rajam has been no less a loss. His was the sage counsel we sought whenever in doubt about matters historical or technical in music. He responded enthusiastically to our repeated requests for illustrations – both independent and to accompany his expert contributions on Carnatic music. Till the very end he showed the curiosity and excitement of a schoolboy while constantly seeking to add to his substantial knowledge. He drew and painted until about a month ago. His doors were always open to us, as indeed it was to any genuine student of the arts and their history. He taught and encouraged countless students of music and any artist who sought his gentle but firm mentoring. He retained his inexhaustible fund of enthusiasm for the great cave art of India – Ajanta, Sittannavasal, and so on – all his life. Even as recently as November 2009, he hosted a slide show of Ajanta paintings and sculpture at his Mylapore residence by Prof. Subramaniam Swaminathan, sharing his boyish excitement and sense of marvel at the astonishing wealth of the art on display.....read more

Where words fail, music speaks

First there is silence, then there is sound. Then there is language; and then there is a theme. The first thing that penetrates silence is sound. There are two types of sounds – musical and unmusical, nada and noise. The nada of the tambura is all pervasive and soothing. That is the first layer in the fabric of Carnatic music – sruti. The sound wave from the tambura is not regional, not religious. It has no words. But it conveys peace, calm and tranquility. Isn’t that the end result that good music must produce?

Now, if a musician has to penetrate this tranquil nada already created and create something more on that, he has to use two tools – raga and tala. Again, both these are non-regional and non-religious. One is melody and the other is rhythm. The nature of melody conveys the context of the mood. Raga also means colour and content. The nature of rhythm and tempo conveys the pace and the pulse of the music.....read more

Rukmini Devi's Ramayana revisited

Could you imagine anyone here performing the Iliad or the Odyssey in six episodes over six evenings,and people actually showing up to watch? Nobody cares about these epics anymore, except maybe a few classicists at Chicago. Dead beyond a doubt,” mourned a colleague, after he heard me wax lyrical about the six-part Ramayana series that played to packed audiences at the Kalakshetra Foundation auditorium between 15 and 25 December 2009 as part of the institution's 57th annual art festival in Chennai. SRUTI, February 2010 .....read more

Tavil maestro Valayapatti AR.Subramaniam

Tavil maestro Valayapatti AR. Subramaniam has become a legend in his own lifetime with his introduction of new dimensions to the art of percussion, scoring several firsts as a performing artist and bringing laurels to the traditional temple drum. His accomplishments include the performance of more than 3000 concerts with violin virtuoso .......read more

Virtuosity triumphs

Was it an astute masterstroke on the part of the Music Academy? An attempt to broadbase the demography of Carnatic music practitioners? Delayed recognition that Carnatic music was essentially temple music before it acquired temporal colours over the last century? A genuine case of honouring an icon? .......read more

G.N.Sir

The late Sri G. N. Balasubramaniam (G.N. Sir to many of us) was hailed as a genius by his distinguished contemporaries. Veterans who were with us when GNB started his career showered on him their affection and encouraged him with their appreciation. Profound vidwat, rich imagination and a voice vibrant and agile - these enabled him to explore unexplored regions and draw daring patterns with dexterity and speed, which thrilled his listeners.......read more

Bombay Jayashri - A strange and wonderful journey

Not perhaps since the days of Veena S. Balachandar has a leading Carnatic musician traversed a path as unusual. Bombay Jayashri was all of 28 when she began a truly full-fledged performing career in Carnatic music. Though introduced in early childhood to Carnatic music, thanks to both her parents being music teachers, she grew up in cosmopolitan Bombay, revelling ......read more

A Colossus Remembered

A few decades ago, there was a period when the Music Academy and V. Raghavan were synonymous,” said Sangita Kalanidhi M. Balamuralikrishna at the valedictory function of the centenary celebrations of Dr. V. Raghavan, on 22nd August at the Dakshinamurti Auditorium...... read more

Celebrating Sampradaya

The centre appropriately named Sampradaya was inspired by the musical integrity and genuine affection of H. Ramachandra Shastry (my own teacher) and Savithri Rajan (the teacher of my associate, Michael Nixon). Neither is with us anymore, but happily both lived to a ripe old age and remained devoted teachers all their lives. Their memories are therefore vivid and precious even today. This has to do with their strong personalities .....read more

Music for the soul

Mining the Internet’s Carnatic music resources and databases, I came across a curious recording of one of Mali’s speeches at a concert in Bangalore. After announcing his retirement early in the speech, he proceeds to tell the audience that he became a musician by accident. Until then, he had been performing only out of necessity. He then says that when he feels like playing, he will let people know, and that they can come and listen to him. .....read more

A titan passes

Three great Indian musicians have left us in the recent past - Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Gangubai Hangal from the world of Hindustani music and D.K. Pattammal, the last of the Titans of Carnatic music. All three of them were pioneers in their field, the ustad playing a major role in the propagation of Hindustani music in the West, the US in particular, and the two women storming male bastions with their powerful voices and uncompromising musical values. The success of Sruti was assured when Pattammal offered her unconditional cooperation in a two-part profile with which we launched the magazine in October 1983. This is how that profile began - with a graphic description .....read more

A stagnant music?

Guitar Prasanna, one of my favourite musicians, said in a recent interview, “Jazz is constantly evolving, while Carnatic music is static. That is the reason Carnatic music is in such a pathetic state today." He goes on to state that musicians do not express themselves anymore, and that there aren’t enough Balamuralikrishnas and GNBs around. He was making a fair point, I thought at first glance. But, the more I think about it, the less convincing it seems. When tradition and history are crucial ingredients of an art form, they are the form’s greatest strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, they give the art its mystifying depth, its breadth, its microscopic .......read more

Musician, composer and arts administrator

S. Rajaram was a Carnatic musician, composer and arts administrator. Born in 1925 in Mysore, he learnt to play the mridanga from D. Seshappa and Yella Somanna, the jalatarangam from Devendrappa and vocal music from his famous grandfather Mysore Vasudevacharya. Rajaram served All India Radio for over three decades and later Kalakshetra in Chennai as Principal of its College of Fine Arts. He was appointed Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai .....read more

Taking Carnatic music to the US - Interview with Lalgudi G.J.R.Krishnan

I could say that the first Carnatic music concert tour of the U.S.A. worth its name was done by my father in 1971. He took N. Ramani Sir along with him – this was a novel idea of combining flute and violin in concert! Ramnad Raghavan accompanied them on the mridanga; Trichy Sankaran too played for some of the concerts, while some had double mridanga! They did some 33 concerts on that tour. Travel was not quite as convenient as now, and communication ......read more

Tradition, transition and transformation

What happens when a traditional art form is moved out of its context and projected on the urban proscenium before a suave audience not much in tune with its roots? Should it retain its robust and down to earth regional flavour or should it be “refined" and enabled to acquire a sophisticated sheen to cater to the tastes of national and international audiences? How much and what kind of change is permissible in an art form to prevent it from losing its identity?.....read more

Exemplars of a rare tradition

T.Balasaraswati, the Bharatanatyam virtuoso and T. Viswanathan, the enchanting Carnatic flautist, have left indelible impressions on their arts. Though they were independently successful in two different performing art forms, they were similar in their style of expression. This unique style has to be credited to the music of their grandmother, the legendary Veena Dhanammal. We cannot pay a tribute to Balasaraswati or Viswanathan without honouring Dhanammal......read more

Strict teacher, loving mentor

Janardan Mitta turned 75 on 12th May 2009. His sitar was a permanent fixture in the music of films made in Chennai for some 40 years. A disciple of Ravi Shankar, he has been focussing on classical music concerts in the last few years. He has also been involved in fusion efforts, notably with Carnatic violinist A. Kanyakumari. Excerpts from his conversation with V. RAMNARAYAN. Belonging to a Telugu family from Hyderabad as you did, how did you become a sitar player? My father, a successful lawyer, had a great interest in music. He could play the tabla and harmonium and used to sing songs like Mohe panghat pe from Mughal-e-Azam....read more

Samyuktam – confluence in creativity

Collaborations in creativity Samyuktam was the brainwave of that indefatigable organiser and visualiser Sanjeev Bhargav, who continues to delight Delhiites with Ananya – the annual festival of choreographic works at the historic Purana Qila. Under the joint aegis of India International Centre (IIC), Seher, Power Grid Corporation, First City monthly and others, the three evenings 16th to 18th March of Samyuktam will be long remembered for the novel approach to bring together some of the best of Carnatic vocalists, musicians and Bharatanatyam exponents to explore common ground in classical dance and music without losing their autonomy, but to explore and embellish one another....read more

S.Rajam – a rare gem

S.Rajam is a multifaceted genius with creative talents in a variety of fields such as music, musicology, classical painting and acting. Born in 1919, he imbibed his interest for music and art from his father Sundaram Iyer, a well known advocate and music connoisseur of his times, and mother Chellammal. In the field of music, Rajam is an authority on vivadi raga-s and has done much to popularise Kotiswara Iyer’s kriti-s....read more

Bringing back old Tiruvaiyaru Music in sacred spaces

A religion and culture editor, a psychotherapist, a poet, a housewife, and a writer – women formidable by any standard – made great company! We made a motley group with a musicologist from the Netherlands travelling to witness the first “Tiruvaiyaru on Kaveri – a festival of Sacred Music" organised by Chennai based Prakriti Foundation. Though associated....read more

Madurai Mani Iyer - Mohana Mani

Madurai Mani Iyer. The very name evokes an affectionate, intimate kind of nostalgia. An outstanding vocalist of an earlier era, he was both a pundit’s and a people’s musician, whose lilt swayed even the unlettered, uninitiated passerby with its sometimes beseeching, sometimes playful magic of pure sound. He was that rare amalgam of swara and sruti that achieved the ultimate effect of effortlessness; not only in raga alapana and kriti rendering but also in his mellifluous..read more

When comes another?

Madurai Mani. What memories the name conjures up! Of hours of unalloyed delight across the years; of performances in the Rasika Ranjani Sabha of Mylapore; none less than four hours; of concerts during the Vidayetri utsavam of the Kapaleeswara temple that started at 9 pm and went on past 1 am; ‘tengaimoodi kutcheri-s’; short concerts in the Tiruvaiyaru Tyagaraja Utsavam; performances over All India Radio between 7.45 and 9 pm (those were the hours then)….read more

Superb addition to Chennai’s assets

Expected to be launched in March 2009, the Music Academy TAG Digital Listening Archives is a public-spirited and well-conceived initiative towards the preservation for posterity of Carnatic concert music. It is the brainchild of R.T. Chari, a member of the present executive committee of the Academy, and already well known for the monthly southern heritage lectures he has been conducting for a number of years under the auspices.read more

A Perfectionist

Sarada was a Bharatanatyam student at Kalakshetra who made a mark in the world of dance after G. Lilavati and Radha Sriram – the first and second pupils of the institution. She identified herself with all the noble work Rukmini Devi (Athai) initiated and sustained—from her student days till she retired from Kalakshetra in 1996. Sarada and Anandi (Kalki’s daughter) turned up one day while Athai and I were conducting a rehearsal. Athai asked them if they could dance what they had seen. They performed enthusiastically.read more

The golden era and the ‘moulded’ era

The first decade of the 21st century which is drawing to a close has seen revolutionary changes in the presentation of art forms especially music. Music has become more of a ‘commodity’ and naturally acute competition has set in. Thus we have ‘music producers’ (artists/musicians), products, distributors, agents, consumers, etc. as in any other business. More and more people are entering the trade as it is no longer a dreaded proposition. read more

Kalapramanam in kriti-s

This is the last article written by B.R.C. IYENGAR for Sruti. He passed away recently. He was Sruti’s Correspondent and Representative in Hyderabad/Secunderabad for more than two decades.read more

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Voice of India

Amongst 20th century giants of vocalism, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (born 1922) enjoys the rarest combination of popularity and stature. He has charmed three generations of music lovers with his awesome renditions of khayal, thumri, and bhajan-s in Hindi, Kannada, and Marathi. According to reliable estimates, he has probably delivered more than 10,000 concerts during his career spanning six decades, and recorded over a 100 discs. He is also the only Hindustani classical vocalist to have earned the Platinum Disc of the Gramophone Company of India (HMV). read more

K.B. Sundarambal From sringara to bhakti

Memories of the singing star Kodumudi Balambal Sundarambal, remain green in her centenary year, more than a quarter century after her passing. Her musical voice still reverberates in mind’s ear and the mark of her personality as a modern-day minstrel on the lines of the legendary Tamil poetess Avvaiyar, whom she portrayed so successfully in the eponymous Gemini film, remains vivid. read more

Sydney Music Circle turns 25

On a cold winter night in Sydney in 1983, about 20 people sit on the living room floor of a small townhouse in the city’s southwest, a few hundred metres from the local meatworks. As the temperature falls towards single digit, the sound of a varnam in Sankarabharanam – Saami ninne kori rises in the air. read more

Rajeswari Padmanabhan (1939-2008)

Vainika vidushi Rajeswari Padmanabhan was born in Kollur in 1939. She was the daughter of Lakshmi Ammal and the granddaughter of Karaikudi Subbarama Iyer (the elder of the Karaikudi Veena Brothers). From the age of five, she was under the tutelage of her grandfather Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer (the younger of the Karaikudi Brothers) and remained under his guidance until his demise in 1958. read more

Sruti Silver Jubilee Eyal Isai Natakam Gala

Apart from the obvious toast to Sruti for its dedication and service ov er a quarter of a century, one should also propose the second toast to Sruti parivaar for putting on a typical programme, in the tradition of Sruti, befitting the ideals and the dreams of its Founder. Yes, Pattabhi Raman would have highly approved, perhaps with the comment that, in keeping with the character of Sruti, a session could have been devoted to Hindustani music and the magnetism of another living legend (and a staunch supporter of Sruti), Pandit Ravi Shankar.read more

Then and Now

Performers and listeners of today must be sick of talk of four hour Carnatic music concerts. It all seems so long ago and so much out of tune (no pun intended) with the times. But upto the end perhaps of the sixties, certainly of the fifties, four hours and more for the duration of a concert was the norm. Performances in the sabha-s, to take the Rasika Ranjani Sabha, where I developed my passion for classical Carnatic music, as an example would be held on Sundays and would be announced as from 4.25 pm. read more

Trailblazing traditionalist

When Dr. N. Pattabhi Raman started Sruti, a “south Indian classical music and dance magazine" in October 1983, it was by and large a family affair. His two elder brothers Sundaresan and Venkatraman (my father) were publisher and financial adviser, my maternal uncle S. Ramaswamy was senior editor, my fellow assistant editors Anandhi Ramachandran and Gowri Ramnarayan were closely related to me, ‘research staff ’ was Kamakshi, Gowri’s cousin, business manager Ravi Rajagopal was a nephew of Pattabhi, T.A. Narayanan, the printer, was his cousin’s son-in-law, and photographer Pat Raman was, well, Pattabhi. read more

Desigar Raga Musical contribution

For the lay music lover, Desigar lives in such wonderful songs as Jagajjanani (Ratipatipriya - Ghanam Krishna Iyer) and Taamarai poota tadaagamadi (Hindustan Gandhari – Tiruchi G. Tyagarajan). Tuned by him, both these songs are honeyed webs of melody and lyrical beauty. These songs and a few other recordings showcase Desigar’s melodious voice and his facility with ‘ravai sangati-s’ in fast speeds. His ‘Navaratna Keertanaigal’ on Madurai Meenakshi is a group of nine attractive songs, composed by him in various raga-s and tala-s. read more

Kamala at seventy five

Famed in India as “Kumari Kamala" during her prime as a dancer, the acclaimed Bharatanatyam exponent has dedicated about seven decades of her life to its propagation. Endowed with a rare and uncommon prowess at the art, her name has become synonymous with the dance form. She began performing classical dances in many Indian films in several languages, including Hindi, since the late 1930s at the age of five, till about the mid 1960s. One of her best known films includes, Naam Iruvar in Tamil, based on the patriotic songs of Tamil poet Subramania Bharati. read more

Neyyatinkara Vasudevan

Neyyatinkara Vasudevan shone like a meteor in the field of Carnatic music. Hailing from a humble background, he attained success in his career as a vocalist and teacher against heavy odds, facing many rough patches along the way. He passed away on 13th May at his residence in Vazhuthucadu, Tiruvanantapuram at the age of 68.read more

Syed Sallauddin Pasha

At first glance, he looks like another fresh-faced young man with a genial smile. But Guru Syed Sallauddin Pasha, has for over twenty five years, served the cause of the mentally and physically handicapped with his art expertise. No mean dancer of both Bharatanatyam and Kathak, he combines in himself the qualities of dancer, choreographer, movement therapist, light designer, technical director, and social activist. Through his professional dance theatre company ‘Ability Unlimited’, Pasha ushers in hope, instilling confidence in differently abled youngsters. read more

Natyacharya Subbaraya Pillai

Natyacharya Subbaraya Pillai Born on 7th December 1914 to Sengammal and Chockalingam Pillai, Subbaraya Pillai, like his father, was extensively trained by Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram Pillai. After early training at Pandanallur, he assisted his father at Kalakshetra and later at the Indian Institute of Fine Arts, Egmore. Through his long career spanning several decades he trained many students — Alarmel Valli, Meenakshi Chitharanjan, Anurupa among others.
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Striking new notes

Fusion in music involving Indian classical together with other forms, mainly from the West, has been a controversial subject in the music community over the years. Traditionalists may not appreciate or approve these collaborative efforts by musicians from different cultures inspired by the high quality of the music adhering to idioms other than their own, while young listeners embrace such experiments more readily, as we have seen in recent years at The Hindu Friday Review November Fest. To many of them, it is their first step towards appreciation of our classical and semi-classical music, even if they were first drawn to fusion by the presence of their favourite pop, rock or jazz idols. It is not known how many of them go beyond the first step to become true rasika-s of classical music.read more

Accompanists’ role in Carnatic music A dialogic response – Part 2

This is the concluding part of the dialogue between two rasika-s: the senior Rasika-1 (R-1) and Rasika-2 (R-2) the junior, on the role of accompanists in Carnatic music. The first part was published in Sruti 285/ June 2008.

R-2 : Do you agree solo is no longera simple extension of the accompanying experience and needs special skill and talent?  read more

A friend for all seasons

Vijay is an exemplary musician and a wonderful human being, a real suddhatma. He strives hard for perfection and idealism marks all his endeavours. He makes sure that his music has been perfected before his well presented concerts. To ensure this, he puts in hours of dedicated practice and also makes sure his accompanists coordinate well with him. He plans all his concerts to suit the occasion, place, duration, and accompanists. He prepares a list for the concert well in advance, informs his accompanists about it, enables them to master the songs by organising a few practice sessions or by sending them tapes. For him, the success of the concert depends on all of them putting in their best efforts and presenting it with a unified frame of mind. The audience should be respected and the music presented to them should be of a high calibre, a complete team effort. read more

Akshara and matra

My friend and long-time co-contributor to Sruti, B.M. Sundaram, has raised the confusion prevailing in the minds of musicians as well as the public on the use of the terms ‘akshara’ and ‘matra’ (see Sruti Box, Sruti 283). The few books available on tala schemes add to the confusion and there does not appear to be a convincing old treatise on the subject.

It is customary to talk of a tala containing a specific number of akshara-s which are further subdivided into matra-s. My guru, Palani Subramania Pillai used to mention, while talking of ‘eduppu’ or ‘graham’ of a line in a kriti, as one or 1-1/2 akshara before or after the ‘sama’, depending on whether it was... read more

‘Vikku’ for Sangeeta Kalanidhi

The preparation for next year’s Wimbledon tennis tourney starts even before the completion of this year’s championships. Advance planning and consultations are always helpful. It is not too early now to think of the Music Academy’s choice of the next Sangeeta Kalanidhi. The President of the Academy should not fight shy of a public debate on the issue as his institution has achieved a unique place in the music and dance world and he has himself pioneered new ideas.

It is typical of the class-conscious and caste-ridden Hindu society to have used the concepts of upper and lower places in status in the field of music and dance also. For a long time women singers were considered an inferior species not fit to sing ragamtanam- pallavi until D.K. Pattammal came.....read more

72-melakarta calendar

The twelve chakra-s of music and the twelve months of the English calendar have been beautifully and artistically correlated by renowned artist-musicologist S. Rajam in a calendar brought out by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to coincide with the Tamil New Year. L&T has further attempted to relate it to the “chakra-s of the mind, body and soul" by including descriptions of the chakra positions, as well as the colours and gems associated with them.

In his work titled the Chaturdandi Prakasika, Venkatamakhi expounded the mela system of raga-s. He gave an interesting nomenclature for the 12 chakra-s of the melakarta scheme to enable easy recall of the chakra number through its mnemonics. (Much has been written on Venkatamakhi and the..... read more

The past and the present

Kalakshetra functioned from 1936 to 1963 in the sylvan surroundings of the Theosophical gardens, Adyar. There was an intimate relationship between the institutions run by the Besant Trust such as the Besant Theosophical High School, Arundale Teachers Training Centre, Montessori School, and Kalakshetra. Students and staff shared a common hostel, a common prayer, and common teachers. Our teachers were elderly, experienced and inspiring; yet they were strict disciplinarians and living examples of simple living and high thinking. There were no time-bound tuitions; living in the campus was by itself a learning experience. There were no distractions and the ‘satsangam’ made us what we are today. It was truly a ‘gurukulam’ with a limited number of inmates close to one another, sharing and caring for one another. It was a beautiful and serene.....read more

Leela Samson; Bridging two worlds

As the Director of the Kalakshetra Foundation what are your priorities?

Kalakshetra Foundation comprises the Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts, The Besant Theosophical High School, The Besant Arundale Senior Secondary School, a Craft Education and Research Centre including the Weaving Department, the Kalamkari Natural-Dye Printing & Painting unit, the Visual Arts Centre, The Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium, the Rukmini Arangam, four libraries, the Rukmini Devi Museum, hostels, staff quarters and guest houses.

I took charge on 6th May 2005. My first priority was to unify the divided administrative system. The Director has to administer all the.....  read more

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 helping of those who wished to attain the best results, so were rules and regulations made for the position of the body and the mudra-s in Bharatanatyam. read more

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 more

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, after which many other stalwarts presided over the sessions. For the past ten years, Tiruppamburam Shanmugasundaram is heading the sessions. Another stalwart who has taken part in pann research since its inception is ‘Pannisaikkavalar’ Dr. Le. Pa. Karu Ramanathan Chettiyar.....read more

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, after which many other stalwarts presided over the sessions. For the past ten years, Tiruppamburam Shanmugasundaram is heading the sessions. Another stalwart who has taken part in pann research since its inception is ‘Pannisaikkavalar’ Dr. Le. Pa. Karu Ramanathan Chettiyar.....read more

Old is gold, so what’s new?

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 will have filed their stories, before we pass judgement. Yes, it’s early days yet but on evidence gathered so far, some eminent representatives of an earlier era of music gave greater demonstrations of the grandeur and depth of Carnatic music than today’s stars. Devotion rather than showmanship prevailed in these concerts, leaving even newcomers to kutcheri listening thirsting for more.....read more

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 related to the life and work of the great musicologist and scholar. One of the major events of the series was the presentation of seven songs by Rabindranath Tagore translated into Western musical notations for voice and piano by Danielou, at Tagore’s request. Danielou was a great friend and admirer of Tagore.....read more

Sensitive, sensuous Shobana the filmstar Dancer

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 in films too and for the first time played the lead role in a Malayalam film, April 18. She has acted in more than 225 films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi alongside top leading actors.....read more

From the heart

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 long walk from school (Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan) teaching me, enroute, verses from either the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Samkshepa Ramayana. That done, he would instruct my mother to give me a snack. And even before I could finish it, he would be ready with his violin and would have summoned me many a time for class.....read more

R. Visweswaran: Bridging the North-South divide

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. Visweswaran was totally immersed in music. This multi-talented artist was adept at playing Carnatic music on the veena, Western classical music on the Flamenco guitar, BGM for films, and Hindustani music on the santoor.....read more

Pleasant Memories of the Golden Past

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 Muthu Pillai playing on the instrument at her house and try to imitate the action with any piece of bamboo she could lay her hands on. Pillai was a versatile artist, in nagaswaram, vocal and flute, who sang for her mother Rajamanickam’s dance performances. He would play on the flute in his spare time.....read more

A Golden Voice

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 sing with great felicity. She was gifted with a golden voice which was the envy of many a Carnatic musician. It was a voice with a rich and pleasant timbre, very pliant and malleable (“kambi pol saareeram") which could accommodate briga-s and fast paced renderings, without any distortions (pisiru) or losing its melodious quality.....read more

Brinda-Muktha: Certain Aspects of their Music

Brinda and Muktha had a thousand songs in their repertoire. The popular and the rare kriti-s of Tyagaraja and Dikshitar, the gems of Syama Sastry and Subbaraya Sastri, Anai-Ayya, Gopalakrishna Bharati, Arunachala Kavi, Subbarama Dikshitar, Ponnayya Pillai, Kshetrayya, Mysore Sadasiva Rao, Subbarama Dikshitar, besides innumerable javali-s were all in their possession.

Karubaru, a grand Tyagaraja song in Mukhari was their favourite. Today this song has become famous. Similarly Elavataramu in the same raga was a grand edifice of pure and deep melody. So was Sangeeta sastra gnanamu, again in Mukhari. In Todi, they knew many Tyagaraja songs including Tappi bratiki, Kotinadulu, Emi jesitenemi, Enduku dayaradura, Endu daginado, Kadatera rada, Munnu ravana.....read more

New direction

Sruti has received a fresh impetus with the recent recasting of the Sruti Foundation resulting in an infusion of new professional expertise in the inclusion of V Vaidyanathan and Sukanya Sankar. The new management has some exciting plans for the expansion of the magazine’s reach, enhancing its visual appeal and introduction of new features, besides putting it on a sound financial footing. Some of these ideas are already being put into practice and the magazine has moved to a convenient, well-appointed location, with contemporary facilities in technology and connectivity. Former cricketer and author V. Ramnarayan has been tagged the new editor of the new Sruti. The difference is palpable. Ramnarayan is also the nephew of late N. Pattabhi Raman, founder of Sruti magazine. The team has exciting plans to expand the magazine’s reach, with visual appeal and new features.

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