It is indeed a great honor to have been featured in one of the (75th year Special) issues
of a prestigious Tamizh magazine like Kalki and share my experiences about the magazine.
Please find the article attached.
Hope you enjoy reading it :-)
Showing posts with label My Experiences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Experiences. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Article in Tamizh Magazine Kalki - Dated 4th October 2015
It is indeed a great honor to have been featured in one of the (75th year Special) issues
of a prestigious Tamizh magazine like Kalki and share my experiences about the magazine.
Please find the article attached.
Hope you enjoy reading it :-)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru - 24/1/11
It was a wonderful experience giving an introduction to the Aradhana (in Tamizh and English) at Tiruvaiyaru, which was telecast Live on Podhigai and National TV Network.
(Photo Courtesy : Kutcheribuzz Website)
(Photo Courtesy : Kutcheribuzz Website)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
காவிரி முதல் வோல்கா வரை ! - Day 5
21/5/09:
Check-out from the Mirage Hotel in Kazan and leaving for Moscow.
(From R to L: Sanchari Bakshi (Sitar player from Delhi),myself,Sanchari's mother and interpreter Guzel)
(Waiting to board flight at Kazan. I don't think people could have looked more tired:-))
(A student of the Kuchipudi dance form, Katerina, who came and met me at Hotel Borodino,Moscow).
After this its going to be two days of hectic travel.
Check-out from the Mirage Hotel in Kazan and leaving for Moscow.
(From R to L: Sanchari Bakshi (Sitar player from Delhi),myself,Sanchari's mother and interpreter Guzel)
(Waiting to board flight at Kazan. I don't think people could have looked more tired:-))
(A student of the Kuchipudi dance form, Katerina, who came and met me at Hotel Borodino,Moscow).
After this its going to be two days of hectic travel.
காவிரி முதல் வோல்கா வரை ! - Day 3
19/5/09:
We traveled from Moscow to Kazan and did some sight-seeing in Kazan after lunch.
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Year 2000.
(The Kremlin [fortress] at Kazan seen at a distance )
(The Kul Sharif mosque inside the Kremlin)
(The mosque at close quarters)
(With our tour guide.The Suyumbika Leaning tower seen in the background)
(Photo taken just outside the Kremlin.The Volga river seen in the distant background.)
(Group photo taken just outside the entrance to the Kremlin grounds.L to R: J.Vaidhyanathan,Sanjeev,myself,Sundar and Sethuraman)
(In front of the Spasskaya Bashnya (Tower) stands an imposing statue of the famous Tatar poet Musa Jalil. The poet is depicted with his arms tied behind his back and his legs entangled in barbed wire: a tribute to his heroic efforts fighting in World WarII, where he ultimately met his end. This spot also offers great views onto the intersection of the Kazan and Volga Rivers.)
(The Kremlin at night)
We traveled from Moscow to Kazan and did some sight-seeing in Kazan after lunch.
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Year 2000.
(The Kremlin [fortress] at Kazan seen at a distance )
(The Kul Sharif mosque inside the Kremlin)
(The mosque at close quarters)
(With our tour guide.The Suyumbika Leaning tower seen in the background)
(Photo taken just outside the Kremlin.The Volga river seen in the distant background.)
(Group photo taken just outside the entrance to the Kremlin grounds.L to R: J.Vaidhyanathan,Sanjeev,myself,Sundar and Sethuraman)
(In front of the Spasskaya Bashnya (Tower) stands an imposing statue of the famous Tatar poet Musa Jalil. The poet is depicted with his arms tied behind his back and his legs entangled in barbed wire: a tribute to his heroic efforts fighting in World WarII, where he ultimately met his end. This spot also offers great views onto the intersection of the Kazan and Volga Rivers.)
(The Kremlin at night)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
காவிரி முதல் வோல்கா வரை ! - Day 2
Today we did quite a bit of sightseeing in the historic city of Moscow.
The weather today was very pleasant.
We first visited the Kremlin:
The Red Square is another important landmark in the city. All along the Red Square are beautiful monuments:
Standing alongwith our tour guide, in front of the Lenin Mausoleum (Lenin's tomb), situated in the Red Square:
We went inside a beautiful cathedral (Cathedral of Christ the Saviour)and took a look at the ancient carvings on the walls and ceilings. Unfortunately,photography was prohibited inside the cathedral:
After this,we went to a beautiful garden. Such bright-colored flowers ! It was nature at its best here:
We finished all this and came back to the hotel,quite exhausted.
I have to now sit and pack- we leave for Kazan tomorrow morning.
I will write more from Kazan...
The weather today was very pleasant.
We first visited the Kremlin:
The Red Square is another important landmark in the city. All along the Red Square are beautiful monuments:
Standing alongwith our tour guide, in front of the Lenin Mausoleum (Lenin's tomb), situated in the Red Square:
We went inside a beautiful cathedral (Cathedral of Christ the Saviour)and took a look at the ancient carvings on the walls and ceilings. Unfortunately,photography was prohibited inside the cathedral:
After this,we went to a beautiful garden. Such bright-colored flowers ! It was nature at its best here:
We finished all this and came back to the hotel,quite exhausted.
I have to now sit and pack- we leave for Kazan tomorrow morning.
I will write more from Kazan...
Thursday, April 23, 2009
"of near misses,of hop skip jump on a moving train"
Experience is everything- be it hopping on to a moving train, standing alone in an eerie platform or even hoping the flight I’m booked on is delayed- yes, you read it right-delayed because the traffic snarl near the airport has me sitting at the edge of the seat of my perfectly still car….My travel stories aren’t all tumultuous but I have to share a few interesting incidents that I’ve relived over the years,some with a smile and some with a shudder !
I think it was in 1992 or 1993.I had to board a train to Madurai one evening.I had a TV recording that morning which got delayed beyond unexpected time limits.I finally managed to finish the recording and rush to the station directly from the studios.It was a 200m sprint towards the platform !! I reached the platform,only to find the train just starting to move ! I managed to make a dash into the guard van :-). It took a while for me to recollect my wits. Had to hang around there till the train reached the next major station where I alighted from the guard van and went to my coach. A frightful experience that was !!
This happened after a concert near Vishakhapatnam in 1994 or 1995. I was traveling alone and reached the station around 11.30 p.m to board a train to Chennai. On taking out the ticket,to my horror,I discovered that the date on the ticket was wrong!! It showed that date, while it should have been booked for the next day,since I was going to board the train after midnight..I was at a loss,didn't know what to do. Thankfully,there was still ample time for the train to arrive.I rushed to the ticket counter(which was thankfully open at that late hour) and bought an open ticket. The train arrived and in the three minutes that I had, I pleaded with the ticketing officer for a vacant berth.It took him a full 40 seconds to check all his charts and finally find one vacant berth.In the next 20 seconds,I paid the extra amount and bought a fresh ticket.It was yet another 100m sprint for me within the next 120 seconds:-).This experience was a good lesson for me-after this incident,I have always made it a point to check the date and time of boarding the train. This midnight travel time can sometimes be very tricky:-)
This was again another concert trip to a small town in Andhra.I was traveling alone. I happily slept away and missed my station! This was in the "pre-mobile phone era" ! The person who had come to pick me up from the station got very worried since he didn't find me at the station. He called home to check if I had boarded the train and immediately everyone got perturbed!! In the meanwhile,I got up and on enquiring with a co-passenger,I was horrified to find that I had gone past the station where I should have alighted. The next small station came into sight only forty minutes later. Those forty minutes looked like 50 years to me!! There was no way of informing anyone what had happened. I got down at this sleepy small station and discovered that the next train(for me to take in the opposite direction to retrace my way)would come only after one hour. On enquiring further, I learnt that there were no buses either. So this seemed to be the only way out. I then went in search of a telephone booth,called the organizer, called home and explained everything to everyone!! Finally managed to reach my hotel room around noon !!
Taking connecting trains is always a risky proposition.But we are forced to do such things many times, since we are left with no other option after finishing a concert.Such a thing happened at Vijayawada station. We were a group of three.Our train reached Vijayawada station about ten minutes late and as our train entered the station, we found the last bogie of Pinakini Express(from Vijayawada to Chennai) just leaving from the next platform. It was too late and we stood on the platform wondering what to do..Vijayawada being a busy junction, we were sure that there would be some way out.Then some train from somewhere in the North happened to come a few hours later.We somehow managed to get three tickets on that train and reached Chennai safe and sound:-)
I can go on and on with such experiences but let me just recount one more experience:
After my concert at Udupi,we traveled by road to Bangalore and I had to take a flight to Chennai from Bangalore. The luxury bus had a flat tyre somewhere about three hours away from Bangalore.We took an auto to a taxi stand, managed to find a taxi that would take our group of four to Bangalore. By the time we reached outer Ring Road in Bangalore, traffic started moving at a snail's pace and I knew for sure that I would miss my flight. Mobile phones came to our rescue-the organizers immediately got my tickets changed and I managed to catch another flight in the afternoon to Chennai. So this particular travel had almost all modes of transport-by air, by bus, by auto and taxi:-)
These experiences have taught me various things- resilience, how to remain calm amidst chaos and probably most important of all- that travel is actually a lot of fun.I often think wistfully,that if only I had the time to explore the sights, sounds and the intriguing characteristics of every place I visit....
I think it was in 1992 or 1993.I had to board a train to Madurai one evening.I had a TV recording that morning which got delayed beyond unexpected time limits.I finally managed to finish the recording and rush to the station directly from the studios.It was a 200m sprint towards the platform !! I reached the platform,only to find the train just starting to move ! I managed to make a dash into the guard van :-). It took a while for me to recollect my wits. Had to hang around there till the train reached the next major station where I alighted from the guard van and went to my coach. A frightful experience that was !!
This happened after a concert near Vishakhapatnam in 1994 or 1995. I was traveling alone and reached the station around 11.30 p.m to board a train to Chennai. On taking out the ticket,to my horror,I discovered that the date on the ticket was wrong!! It showed that date, while it should have been booked for the next day,since I was going to board the train after midnight..I was at a loss,didn't know what to do. Thankfully,there was still ample time for the train to arrive.I rushed to the ticket counter(which was thankfully open at that late hour) and bought an open ticket. The train arrived and in the three minutes that I had, I pleaded with the ticketing officer for a vacant berth.It took him a full 40 seconds to check all his charts and finally find one vacant berth.In the next 20 seconds,I paid the extra amount and bought a fresh ticket.It was yet another 100m sprint for me within the next 120 seconds:-).This experience was a good lesson for me-after this incident,I have always made it a point to check the date and time of boarding the train. This midnight travel time can sometimes be very tricky:-)
This was again another concert trip to a small town in Andhra.I was traveling alone. I happily slept away and missed my station! This was in the "pre-mobile phone era" ! The person who had come to pick me up from the station got very worried since he didn't find me at the station. He called home to check if I had boarded the train and immediately everyone got perturbed!! In the meanwhile,I got up and on enquiring with a co-passenger,I was horrified to find that I had gone past the station where I should have alighted. The next small station came into sight only forty minutes later. Those forty minutes looked like 50 years to me!! There was no way of informing anyone what had happened. I got down at this sleepy small station and discovered that the next train(for me to take in the opposite direction to retrace my way)would come only after one hour. On enquiring further, I learnt that there were no buses either. So this seemed to be the only way out. I then went in search of a telephone booth,called the organizer, called home and explained everything to everyone!! Finally managed to reach my hotel room around noon !!
Taking connecting trains is always a risky proposition.But we are forced to do such things many times, since we are left with no other option after finishing a concert.Such a thing happened at Vijayawada station. We were a group of three.Our train reached Vijayawada station about ten minutes late and as our train entered the station, we found the last bogie of Pinakini Express(from Vijayawada to Chennai) just leaving from the next platform. It was too late and we stood on the platform wondering what to do..Vijayawada being a busy junction, we were sure that there would be some way out.Then some train from somewhere in the North happened to come a few hours later.We somehow managed to get three tickets on that train and reached Chennai safe and sound:-)
I can go on and on with such experiences but let me just recount one more experience:
After my concert at Udupi,we traveled by road to Bangalore and I had to take a flight to Chennai from Bangalore. The luxury bus had a flat tyre somewhere about three hours away from Bangalore.We took an auto to a taxi stand, managed to find a taxi that would take our group of four to Bangalore. By the time we reached outer Ring Road in Bangalore, traffic started moving at a snail's pace and I knew for sure that I would miss my flight. Mobile phones came to our rescue-the organizers immediately got my tickets changed and I managed to catch another flight in the afternoon to Chennai. So this particular travel had almost all modes of transport-by air, by bus, by auto and taxi:-)
These experiences have taught me various things- resilience, how to remain calm amidst chaos and probably most important of all- that travel is actually a lot of fun.I often think wistfully,that if only I had the time to explore the sights, sounds and the intriguing characteristics of every place I visit....
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A visit to tyAgarAjA temple- tiruvArUr
In one of my earlier posts in December, while posting about my concert for Brahma Gana Sabha on 27.12.08, I had said that I would write a separate post on the kriti "hastivadanAya" in the Raga navroj, a composition of Muthuswami Dikshitar. (I had sung this kriti in this particular concert.)
It was on 19.01.2005 - Sri.N.V.Subramaniam of saraswathi vaggeyakAra trust had organized a "musical visit" for a small group of musicians, to the tyAgarAjA temple, tiruvArUr. It was a unique experience..
The group of musicians included Sri.Tiruvengadu Jayaraman, Sri.Tirupunthuruthi Venkatesan,Sri.R.K.Sriramkumar, Smt.Prema Rengarajan, Smt.Sumathi Krishnan and myself. We chose all the Kritis of Sri.Muthuswami Dikshitar composed on the different deities in this famous temple in tiruvArUr and each one of us rendered around 5 to 6 kritis.The total number of kritis covered from morning to evening was 51 :-)(40 kritis on various deities + kamalAmbA navAvarNa kritis sung in unison)
The most interesting feature was that we started our journey into the temple that morning and sang the respective songs standing in front of the respective sannidhis (shrines). We had no mikes, no accompaniments. This kind of ambience to sing, was simply wonderful.
The grand finale to this journey around the temple was the group singing of the "kamalAmbA navAvarNa" kritis. All of us sat in front of the shrine and during the evening "Deeparadhanai", we sang these kritis in unison. The vAra kriti budhamAshrayAmi(nAttakurinji) was also sung in unison at the respective shrine inside the temple.
I sang the five kritis hastivadanAya (Navroj), sundaramUrtim(takkA), dakshiNAmUrthe(shankarAbharaNam), tyAgarAjE(sArangA) and neelOtpalAmbA jayati(nArAyaNagowla).
(I am singing the kriti dakshiNAmUrthe in front of the sannidhi)
This was the first time I sang the kriti hastivadanAya and that too, standing in front of the gaNapati sannidhi !! (this is one of the shOdasha gaNapati kritis)
Hence, each time I sing this song in a concert, I am reminded of this trip to tiruvArur. :-)
It was on 19.01.2005 - Sri.N.V.Subramaniam of saraswathi vaggeyakAra trust had organized a "musical visit" for a small group of musicians, to the tyAgarAjA temple, tiruvArUr. It was a unique experience..
The group of musicians included Sri.Tiruvengadu Jayaraman, Sri.Tirupunthuruthi Venkatesan,Sri.R.K.Sriramkumar, Smt.Prema Rengarajan, Smt.Sumathi Krishnan and myself. We chose all the Kritis of Sri.Muthuswami Dikshitar composed on the different deities in this famous temple in tiruvArUr and each one of us rendered around 5 to 6 kritis.The total number of kritis covered from morning to evening was 51 :-)(40 kritis on various deities + kamalAmbA navAvarNa kritis sung in unison)
The most interesting feature was that we started our journey into the temple that morning and sang the respective songs standing in front of the respective sannidhis (shrines). We had no mikes, no accompaniments. This kind of ambience to sing, was simply wonderful.
The grand finale to this journey around the temple was the group singing of the "kamalAmbA navAvarNa" kritis. All of us sat in front of the shrine and during the evening "Deeparadhanai", we sang these kritis in unison. The vAra kriti budhamAshrayAmi(nAttakurinji) was also sung in unison at the respective shrine inside the temple.
I sang the five kritis hastivadanAya (Navroj), sundaramUrtim(takkA), dakshiNAmUrthe(shankarAbharaNam), tyAgarAjE(sArangA) and neelOtpalAmbA jayati(nArAyaNagowla).
(I am singing the kriti dakshiNAmUrthe in front of the sannidhi)
This was the first time I sang the kriti hastivadanAya and that too, standing in front of the gaNapati sannidhi !! (this is one of the shOdasha gaNapati kritis)
Hence, each time I sing this song in a concert, I am reminded of this trip to tiruvArur. :-)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru-15.1.09
The 162nd Aradhana of Saint Tyagaraja held at Tiruvaiyaru was very special to me - because I got to compere (live) from there, about the Aradhana !
I gave a brief introduction about the Aradhana for about 2.5 minutes in English, immediately followed by a 2.5 minute version in Tamil. This was broadcast live on AIR and telecast live on DD-Podhigai, just before the live relay of the Nadaswaram recital and Pancharatna Kriti renditions.
This was an out-of-the-world experience for me !!
I was asked to be at the venue by 7 a.m.(the live started at 8.25 a.m).
I stood under the Pandal, where the usual concerts take place (opposite the Saint's Samadhi) and audio balancing, camera positioning etc were done.
Around 8 a.m, all Vidwans started assembling there for the group rendition of the Pancharathna Krithis and the Nadaswara Vidwans also started playing. Soon after,the Unchavruthi procession got over. The TV crew signalled to me that I had to start in exactly three minutes !
The wonderful music from the Nadaswaram continued and I realized that I had to mentally "switch off" from that and concentrate on my speech.
Standing under the Pandal in that pious atmosphere and giving a speech that was watched live all over the world, were indeed very special moments for me.
After this, I joined the other musicians to render the Pancharatna Kritis.
15.1.09 - 8.25 a.m to 8.30 a.m - An occasion for me to remember forever !!
I gave a brief introduction about the Aradhana for about 2.5 minutes in English, immediately followed by a 2.5 minute version in Tamil. This was broadcast live on AIR and telecast live on DD-Podhigai, just before the live relay of the Nadaswaram recital and Pancharatna Kriti renditions.
This was an out-of-the-world experience for me !!
I was asked to be at the venue by 7 a.m.(the live started at 8.25 a.m).
I stood under the Pandal, where the usual concerts take place (opposite the Saint's Samadhi) and audio balancing, camera positioning etc were done.
Around 8 a.m, all Vidwans started assembling there for the group rendition of the Pancharathna Krithis and the Nadaswara Vidwans also started playing. Soon after,the Unchavruthi procession got over. The TV crew signalled to me that I had to start in exactly three minutes !
The wonderful music from the Nadaswaram continued and I realized that I had to mentally "switch off" from that and concentrate on my speech.
Standing under the Pandal in that pious atmosphere and giving a speech that was watched live all over the world, were indeed very special moments for me.
After this, I joined the other musicians to render the Pancharatna Kritis.
15.1.09 - 8.25 a.m to 8.30 a.m - An occasion for me to remember forever !!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Music Forum - 29.12.08
Music Forum, Chennai, is a well known organization which has been regularly organizing innovative and thought-provoking panel discussions and Lecture Demonstrations.
I heard from a friend and also through an email from the forum that there was going to be an interactive session with kids of present-day musicians as participants, on the 29th of December.
The topic seemed to be "What does Carnatic Music mean to me?" and each child was supposed to talk on stage.
Yesterday morning, I asked my daughter Vishruthi if she would be interested to go and see how other kids were going to talk. She was very eager and hence both of us went to Ragasudha Hall, Luz.
When we reached, we saw Subhiksha Rangarajan (singer Lakshmi Rangarajan's daughter)talking. Sudha Raghunathan's daughter Malavika was the anchor person.
After that,Ghatam Karthick's son Sarvesh spoke a bit and played on the Mridangam.
One of the organizers Mrs.Usha suddenly came up to Vishruthi and asked if she would speak a little and sing a song ! The kid was taken aback for a minute and didn't know whether to say Yes or No !
Then I asked her to go and speak whatever she felt like and also sing any song of her choice.
Her turn came in the next five minutes and this was how she began :
" I am Vishruthi Girish, daughter of singer Gayathri Girish, I study in class 5 in Bala Vidya Mandir, Adyar. I came here with my mother to see the other kids talk and suddenly people here have asked me to come on stage to talk and sing " !! And all of us burst out laughing !!
She spoke for about 3-4 minutes and then sang Seethamma Mayamma in Ragam Vasantha.
After this came the question-answer session. Someone there asked her who her favourite actor was. And she said "Shahrukh Khan " !!
Next, Ghatam Karthick (who was among the audience)asked her, "What will you tell your mother after a very successful concert of hers?" She said," I will congratulate her."
Next he asked her,"Suppose your mother had a very bad concert, what will you ask her after the concert?"
(I was wondering what would be her reply.)
There came her prompt answer;" Nothing, because my mother never sings badly !!" :-)
(I told myself: Wow ! The kid indeed knows how to give a diplomatic answer !!)
There was a big round of applause for this answer!
At the end of the program, all kids stood together for a group photo:
(Standing from L to R:)
Vishruthi,Anirudh(son of Mridangist J.Balaji),Sarvesh(son of Ghatam Karthick),Srihari(son of violinist Vittal Ramamurthy),Subhiksha Rangarajan(daughter of singer Lakshmi Rangarajan), Malavika(daughter of Sudha Raghunathan),Kalasri(daughter of violinist Vittal Ramamurthy).
I heard from a friend and also through an email from the forum that there was going to be an interactive session with kids of present-day musicians as participants, on the 29th of December.
The topic seemed to be "What does Carnatic Music mean to me?" and each child was supposed to talk on stage.
Yesterday morning, I asked my daughter Vishruthi if she would be interested to go and see how other kids were going to talk. She was very eager and hence both of us went to Ragasudha Hall, Luz.
When we reached, we saw Subhiksha Rangarajan (singer Lakshmi Rangarajan's daughter)talking. Sudha Raghunathan's daughter Malavika was the anchor person.
After that,Ghatam Karthick's son Sarvesh spoke a bit and played on the Mridangam.
One of the organizers Mrs.Usha suddenly came up to Vishruthi and asked if she would speak a little and sing a song ! The kid was taken aback for a minute and didn't know whether to say Yes or No !
Then I asked her to go and speak whatever she felt like and also sing any song of her choice.
Her turn came in the next five minutes and this was how she began :
" I am Vishruthi Girish, daughter of singer Gayathri Girish, I study in class 5 in Bala Vidya Mandir, Adyar. I came here with my mother to see the other kids talk and suddenly people here have asked me to come on stage to talk and sing " !! And all of us burst out laughing !!
She spoke for about 3-4 minutes and then sang Seethamma Mayamma in Ragam Vasantha.
After this came the question-answer session. Someone there asked her who her favourite actor was. And she said "Shahrukh Khan " !!
Next, Ghatam Karthick (who was among the audience)asked her, "What will you tell your mother after a very successful concert of hers?" She said," I will congratulate her."
Next he asked her,"Suppose your mother had a very bad concert, what will you ask her after the concert?"
(I was wondering what would be her reply.)
There came her prompt answer;" Nothing, because my mother never sings badly !!" :-)
(I told myself: Wow ! The kid indeed knows how to give a diplomatic answer !!)
There was a big round of applause for this answer!
At the end of the program, all kids stood together for a group photo:
(Standing from L to R:)
Vishruthi,Anirudh(son of Mridangist J.Balaji),Sarvesh(son of Ghatam Karthick),Srihari(son of violinist Vittal Ramamurthy),Subhiksha Rangarajan(daughter of singer Lakshmi Rangarajan), Malavika(daughter of Sudha Raghunathan),Kalasri(daughter of violinist Vittal Ramamurthy).
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Devarnama that I will never forget !
Year 1990. First year at college. Occasion : College Day Celebrations.
We, as freshers, were just hanging around on that day, trying to get accustomed to all the unfamiliar faces around us.
I was suddenly asked to go up on stage and render a song as a filler between two programmes.
It was a Purandara Dasar Devarnama that I chose to sing, in Raga Hamsanandhi. Borrowing a Sruthi Box from someone there, I started singing.
The moment I started singing, there were a lot of boos and woos from the students in the audience. Amidst all the din, I managed to finish the song and get off the stage.
I shed a few silent tears and for a moment, felt very insecure in that atmosphere. But the very next moment, I made up my mind that I would get myself noticed very soon and prove myself.
In the subsequent months, there were numerous important occasions at college, where I was asked to render the invocation song and things were totally different by the end of the first semester ! Students started enjoying the small bhajans and Tamil songs that I rendered during the College Assembly. I was soon identified as "singer" Gayathri belonging to I year, Maths Department ! (I was anyway S.Gayathri then and so this looked very apt :-) )
Very often, I bump into a lot of my college mates - be it in temples, malls or at the doctor's clinic. They immediately recollect the songs that I used to sing at college..
In retrospect, this particular incident in 1990 made me take a vow and my subsequent days and years at college were very enjoyable, fruitful and memorable.
Why am I writing all this now? - I sang this above said Purandara Dasar Devarnama at a concert two days back and my thoughts went back to this particular incident. Hence this post !
We, as freshers, were just hanging around on that day, trying to get accustomed to all the unfamiliar faces around us.
I was suddenly asked to go up on stage and render a song as a filler between two programmes.
It was a Purandara Dasar Devarnama that I chose to sing, in Raga Hamsanandhi. Borrowing a Sruthi Box from someone there, I started singing.
The moment I started singing, there were a lot of boos and woos from the students in the audience. Amidst all the din, I managed to finish the song and get off the stage.
I shed a few silent tears and for a moment, felt very insecure in that atmosphere. But the very next moment, I made up my mind that I would get myself noticed very soon and prove myself.
In the subsequent months, there were numerous important occasions at college, where I was asked to render the invocation song and things were totally different by the end of the first semester ! Students started enjoying the small bhajans and Tamil songs that I rendered during the College Assembly. I was soon identified as "singer" Gayathri belonging to I year, Maths Department ! (I was anyway S.Gayathri then and so this looked very apt :-) )
Very often, I bump into a lot of my college mates - be it in temples, malls or at the doctor's clinic. They immediately recollect the songs that I used to sing at college..
In retrospect, this particular incident in 1990 made me take a vow and my subsequent days and years at college were very enjoyable, fruitful and memorable.
Why am I writing all this now? - I sang this above said Purandara Dasar Devarnama at a concert two days back and my thoughts went back to this particular incident. Hence this post !
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Inspiring TV Interviews
After my concert on 9th November, at BRRS,Chembur in Mumbai, I returned to my hotel and switched on the TV. While surfing through the channels I came across an interview on uTVi channel,with writer and leadership coach Robin Sharma. What an inspiring interview it was ! Such clarity of thoughts and ideas. He talked about the importance of realizing one's inner self and said how vital it is in life, especially in the current period, when there is global economic unrest. He talked about leadership qualities and how one should discover hidden opportunities even in one's failures.
I have really enjoyed reading books like "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", "Discover Your Destiny", "Family Wisdom",authored by Robin Sharma.
After this programme, I came across another awesome interview on IBN channel, where Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai interviewed two great legends of Indian Cricket, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. I really enjoyed watching this show.
I have always admired Sachin's simplicity and down-to-earth attitude. He talked beautifully and I could see that all his answers were very honest and straight from his heart ! Of course, I am no one to even comment upon Mr.Gavaskar's wonderful way of talking and handling situations ! He has always been one of my favourite cricketers.
When asked which has been the most glorious moment in each of their cricketing careers, Gavaskar immediately said it was India's World Cup victory in 1983. And, Sachin said the most memorable moment was when he adorned his Cricket cap for the very first time, when he represented the Indian team. I could "feel" the passion with which he gave that answer..
Sachin has always talked about his role models Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar in almost all his interviews, and this show was no exception. He said Gavaskar's three D's (discipline, determination and dedication) have always inspired him.
Gavaskar, when asked what he likes the most about Sachin, said it is the balance that Sachin displays, both on and off the field. He said mental balance is a very vital factor in anyone's path towards success and that he has found this in Sachin.
Sachin, when asked which has been his most satisfying innings so far,gave his usual charming smile and said," I have been happy on many occasions with my game, but seldom satisfied". What an answer from such a legend! In such a subtle manner, he gave the difference between "being happy" and "being satisfied".
Well, I can go on and on about this interview. Each question and each answer has got imprinted in my mind !
Along with thousands and thousands of fans of these two legends all over the world, I wish to convey that they have indeed made our country proud. Hats off to these two great players and wishing them all success and happiness..
I have really enjoyed reading books like "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", "Discover Your Destiny", "Family Wisdom",authored by Robin Sharma.
After this programme, I came across another awesome interview on IBN channel, where Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai interviewed two great legends of Indian Cricket, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. I really enjoyed watching this show.
I have always admired Sachin's simplicity and down-to-earth attitude. He talked beautifully and I could see that all his answers were very honest and straight from his heart ! Of course, I am no one to even comment upon Mr.Gavaskar's wonderful way of talking and handling situations ! He has always been one of my favourite cricketers.
When asked which has been the most glorious moment in each of their cricketing careers, Gavaskar immediately said it was India's World Cup victory in 1983. And, Sachin said the most memorable moment was when he adorned his Cricket cap for the very first time, when he represented the Indian team. I could "feel" the passion with which he gave that answer..
Sachin has always talked about his role models Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar in almost all his interviews, and this show was no exception. He said Gavaskar's three D's (discipline, determination and dedication) have always inspired him.
Gavaskar, when asked what he likes the most about Sachin, said it is the balance that Sachin displays, both on and off the field. He said mental balance is a very vital factor in anyone's path towards success and that he has found this in Sachin.
Sachin, when asked which has been his most satisfying innings so far,gave his usual charming smile and said," I have been happy on many occasions with my game, but seldom satisfied". What an answer from such a legend! In such a subtle manner, he gave the difference between "being happy" and "being satisfied".
Well, I can go on and on about this interview. Each question and each answer has got imprinted in my mind !
Along with thousands and thousands of fans of these two legends all over the world, I wish to convey that they have indeed made our country proud. Hats off to these two great players and wishing them all success and happiness..
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Virutham-Keerthanam Special Concert: 30th May,1998
I was not planning to post anything now,until five minutes back, when I happened to come across tapes of a concert that took place on 30.5.1998.
Of late, my blog has, by default, become the medium of expression for my thoughts- whether musical or philosophical, and a place for me to share my experiences and recollections from the past.
So this is why I have landed up writing now and here I go :-)
In April 1998 it was decided that we would have a thematic "Virutham-Keerthanam" concert, wherein, Vidwan Sethalapathy Balasubramaniam (Balu Mama, as he was known to us)would sing different Viruthams (Virutham singing had always been Mama's forte),and each of them would be followed by a suitable Kriti that I would render.
Kasturi Srinivasan Hall (Music Academy Mini Hall) was fixed as the venue for this concert. One day at my place,as Mama and I were sitting and planning the items for the concert, my grandmother was sitting and watching the proceedings..Her all time favourite song was Senthil Andavan (she would ask me to sing it at every concert of mine that she attended :-)).
She told Balu Mama, "I would love to listen to a Virutham for Senthil Andavan now, followed by the song". And, Mama immediately went into an excellent Kharaharapriya singing one Virutham after another. As she was listening to this profuse outpouring of soulful Viruthams from Mama, Patti's eyes were filled with tears.
We then decided to have Kharaharapriya as one of the pieces in this concert.
The concert did happen on 30.5.98. Mama did sing a beautiful Kharaharapriya that day. I did sing the Kriti Senthil Andavan. But Patti was not there to listen to her favourite Kharaharapriya at this concert. She passed away just a few days before this concert...
Of late, my blog has, by default, become the medium of expression for my thoughts- whether musical or philosophical, and a place for me to share my experiences and recollections from the past.
So this is why I have landed up writing now and here I go :-)
In April 1998 it was decided that we would have a thematic "Virutham-Keerthanam" concert, wherein, Vidwan Sethalapathy Balasubramaniam (Balu Mama, as he was known to us)would sing different Viruthams (Virutham singing had always been Mama's forte),and each of them would be followed by a suitable Kriti that I would render.
Kasturi Srinivasan Hall (Music Academy Mini Hall) was fixed as the venue for this concert. One day at my place,as Mama and I were sitting and planning the items for the concert, my grandmother was sitting and watching the proceedings..Her all time favourite song was Senthil Andavan (she would ask me to sing it at every concert of mine that she attended :-)).
She told Balu Mama, "I would love to listen to a Virutham for Senthil Andavan now, followed by the song". And, Mama immediately went into an excellent Kharaharapriya singing one Virutham after another. As she was listening to this profuse outpouring of soulful Viruthams from Mama, Patti's eyes were filled with tears.
We then decided to have Kharaharapriya as one of the pieces in this concert.
The concert did happen on 30.5.98. Mama did sing a beautiful Kharaharapriya that day. I did sing the Kriti Senthil Andavan. But Patti was not there to listen to her favourite Kharaharapriya at this concert. She passed away just a few days before this concert...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Children Academy
In the 1980's, Children Academy was one of the premier organizations in Chennai which used to conduct music competitions for children and more importantly, give short-duration concert opportunities for the prize-winners of these competitions.
This used to be a great motivation for us to participate in these competitions. Artists like S.P.Ramh, Embar Kannan, S.Varadarajan, Punya Srinivas (she was A.K.Devi then) and several others were part of this group.
This organization was headed by Smt.Nalini Ramprasad and Sri.Koothapiran (fondly known as 'Vaanoli Anna'). In 1986, after winning the First prize in the competitions held by Children Academy, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to give the first concert in my life !!
Here is the photo where I receive the prize from Dr.S.Ramanathan.
(Smt.Nalini Ramprasad and Sri.Koothapiran are seen in the picture below):
This photo was taken during my debut concert.(And, yes, that is S.Varadarajan on the violin !!)
The same people who managed the Children Academy then, run an organization now,called, "Sri Matha Samarpanam Trust" in Chennai. Last month, they had conducted Vocal Music, Sloka recitation competitions for children in which my daughter, Vishruthi, had participated and won prizes. It was nice to have an occasion again in 2008 (after 1986!)with Smt.Nalini Ramprasad and Sri.Koothapiran giving away prizes ! Another coincidence was that Smt.Punya Srinivas (who was in my group participating and performing at Children Academy in 1986) was the chief guest at this function. She, alongwith her husband, mridangist Sri.D.A.Srinivas are seen in the picture.
This used to be a great motivation for us to participate in these competitions. Artists like S.P.Ramh, Embar Kannan, S.Varadarajan, Punya Srinivas (she was A.K.Devi then) and several others were part of this group.
This organization was headed by Smt.Nalini Ramprasad and Sri.Koothapiran (fondly known as 'Vaanoli Anna'). In 1986, after winning the First prize in the competitions held by Children Academy, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to give the first concert in my life !!
Here is the photo where I receive the prize from Dr.S.Ramanathan.
(Smt.Nalini Ramprasad and Sri.Koothapiran are seen in the picture below):
This photo was taken during my debut concert.(And, yes, that is S.Varadarajan on the violin !!)
The same people who managed the Children Academy then, run an organization now,called, "Sri Matha Samarpanam Trust" in Chennai. Last month, they had conducted Vocal Music, Sloka recitation competitions for children in which my daughter, Vishruthi, had participated and won prizes. It was nice to have an occasion again in 2008 (after 1986!)with Smt.Nalini Ramprasad and Sri.Koothapiran giving away prizes ! Another coincidence was that Smt.Punya Srinivas (who was in my group participating and performing at Children Academy in 1986) was the chief guest at this function. She, alongwith her husband, mridangist Sri.D.A.Srinivas are seen in the picture.
Friday, October 10, 2008
My recent visit to M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF):
Dr.M.S.Swaminathan has been one of my role models since the time I have known him personally- for his utmost dedication to his work.
He has done yeoman service in the field of Bio-Technology, Food security and supporting the lives of the poor in rural India. I am in no way qualified to even write about this great personality and each time I meet him, I look upon him with great respect. What dedication and passion towards his chosen field of work !
I have had the fortune of singing the prayer song on several important occasions at his Institute and each time I enter the campus, the faculty members are all there to welcome everyone with a beaming smile ! And one feels so much at home there!
A sentence or two about the Conference Hall, which is where these meetings are held and where I have been singing each time-this room has positive vibrations and the minute I enter the room, I can feel them ! As one sits there, the immortal music of MS Amma gets played at a very soft decibel level and I am sure everyone's mind gets calmed down on listening to Maithreem Bhajatha and the Meera Bhajans.
His field of work has always fascinated me and on each occasion, I have always made it a point to stay there for some time after my initial duty of singing the Prayer, listen to a bit of all the achievements of this great institution and then leave with all those inspiring thoughts fresh in my mind.
We are all endowed with different qualities,talents and traits- Dr.MSS is one person who has very beautifully, meaningfully carved out his life and this,along with his humility, are the qualities that have always inspired me.
I had recently been there to render the Invocation song for the Founder's Day celebrations and here are a couple of pictures taken on that occasion:
He has done yeoman service in the field of Bio-Technology, Food security and supporting the lives of the poor in rural India. I am in no way qualified to even write about this great personality and each time I meet him, I look upon him with great respect. What dedication and passion towards his chosen field of work !
I have had the fortune of singing the prayer song on several important occasions at his Institute and each time I enter the campus, the faculty members are all there to welcome everyone with a beaming smile ! And one feels so much at home there!
A sentence or two about the Conference Hall, which is where these meetings are held and where I have been singing each time-this room has positive vibrations and the minute I enter the room, I can feel them ! As one sits there, the immortal music of MS Amma gets played at a very soft decibel level and I am sure everyone's mind gets calmed down on listening to Maithreem Bhajatha and the Meera Bhajans.
His field of work has always fascinated me and on each occasion, I have always made it a point to stay there for some time after my initial duty of singing the Prayer, listen to a bit of all the achievements of this great institution and then leave with all those inspiring thoughts fresh in my mind.
We are all endowed with different qualities,talents and traits- Dr.MSS is one person who has very beautifully, meaningfully carved out his life and this,along with his humility, are the qualities that have always inspired me.
I had recently been there to render the Invocation song for the Founder's Day celebrations and here are a couple of pictures taken on that occasion:
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
My special notebook of Basic Swara Exercises
A few days back when I was teaching my daughter to sing fundamental Swara exercises, I suddenly remembered having maintained a notebook of such exercises as a student, when I was undergoing lessons in violin from none other than Lalgudi Sri.Jayaraman !
With so much excitement I took the book and started reading it page after page(I still remember- it was only then that I had started using a fountain pen and hence was very excited about writing on each page with a pen :-)).
Now for a brief description of those memorable days:
I was very fortunate to have had foundation lessons in violin playing from the maestro.
We were living inside the IIT Campus and I used to take a PTC bus( Bus 5B)from IIT to T.Nagar. We were always supposed to play only with our own violins, so I used to carry it with great care for each class !
Class sessions not only included playing, but also sitting postures, holding the violin and the bow properly, proper facial expressions during playing and so on ! I used to shake like a leaf standing in front of him ! He always used to pose small riddles and mathematical puzzles and would expect immediate and accurate answers ! I continued lessons with Shri.Nagarajan (disciple of Lalgudi Mama) and once in two weeks, I had to play all the lessons in front of Lalgudi Mama !
These classes were an experience by itself !
After a few years, Lalgudi Mama directed me to Smt.T.Rukmini, saying that this would be more convenient for me, as I would not have to travel long distances for each class. He also added that he suggested this mainly because hers was the same style of playing as his.
Classes with Mami were always so nice ! Mami would first teach me to sing the song and then play the same on the violin. I still remember- before each class, whenever I entered her house, she would ask, "Ippo dhane school poittu vandhiruppa nee, tiffin edhavadhu saaptiyaa?" In case I said No, she would first force me to eat something and only then start class ! So much caring Mami would always be!
Well, these were the sweet memories which I recollected as I went through my Swara Exercises book !! With a smile I told all these to my daughter and resumed my classes for her.
With so much excitement I took the book and started reading it page after page(I still remember- it was only then that I had started using a fountain pen and hence was very excited about writing on each page with a pen :-)).
Now for a brief description of those memorable days:
I was very fortunate to have had foundation lessons in violin playing from the maestro.
We were living inside the IIT Campus and I used to take a PTC bus( Bus 5B)from IIT to T.Nagar. We were always supposed to play only with our own violins, so I used to carry it with great care for each class !
Class sessions not only included playing, but also sitting postures, holding the violin and the bow properly, proper facial expressions during playing and so on ! I used to shake like a leaf standing in front of him ! He always used to pose small riddles and mathematical puzzles and would expect immediate and accurate answers ! I continued lessons with Shri.Nagarajan (disciple of Lalgudi Mama) and once in two weeks, I had to play all the lessons in front of Lalgudi Mama !
These classes were an experience by itself !
After a few years, Lalgudi Mama directed me to Smt.T.Rukmini, saying that this would be more convenient for me, as I would not have to travel long distances for each class. He also added that he suggested this mainly because hers was the same style of playing as his.
Classes with Mami were always so nice ! Mami would first teach me to sing the song and then play the same on the violin. I still remember- before each class, whenever I entered her house, she would ask, "Ippo dhane school poittu vandhiruppa nee, tiffin edhavadhu saaptiyaa?" In case I said No, she would first force me to eat something and only then start class ! So much caring Mami would always be!
Well, these were the sweet memories which I recollected as I went through my Swara Exercises book !! With a smile I told all these to my daughter and resumed my classes for her.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A Novel Gift !
Hi Friends,
I am back after a gap of a few weeks..
Here is something different, that I thought I should share with all of you.
A few months back, I had been to a place in Karnataka for a concert. There was a person in the second row, listening intently to the concert and judiciously taking down something too ! I presumed he was a critic who was making a note of his observations.
After the concert he came up to me and gave me this beautiful gift !
A caricature in black-and-white of all of us on stage !!
A unique gift indeed !!
I immediately thought of sharing it with all of you and here it is !
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Fruitful Evening...May 24th,2008
I had to render the invocation song at two different functions today. The first was for Tamilnadu Brahmins Association(TAMBRAS), where I first rendered devotional songs on Lord Venkateswara for about 45 minutes. Following this was a very interesting Multimedia Presentation by Dr.Pappu Venugopala Rao, on the daily Puja activities at Tirumala Temple, Tirupati. He began with a brief history about the temple and the detailed presentation simply transported us to the divine temple.
With a heavy heart I left this place before the presentation was over and I got to the next venue, which offered something equally interesting.There was a talk scheduled by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. This seemed to be a project called "Single Teacher School". This movement has already been started, wherein, corporates "adopt" one village each, and identifies one student who already has considerable level of education. This student is trained and he, in turn, becomes the teacher and about 30 people in each village are educated about hygiene, health care, Indian culture and basic education. This project, I believe, is co-ordinated by Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society. The theme looked very appealing and interesting to me. I wish more and more corporate bodies come forward and lend their support towards this good cause.
Having rendered the prayer song at both these venues, I got home with the satisfaction of having spent the evening in a very fruitful way and for having observed a lot of achievers lending their support towards such good causes, towards the betterment of our society.
With a heavy heart I left this place before the presentation was over and I got to the next venue, which offered something equally interesting.There was a talk scheduled by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. This seemed to be a project called "Single Teacher School". This movement has already been started, wherein, corporates "adopt" one village each, and identifies one student who already has considerable level of education. This student is trained and he, in turn, becomes the teacher and about 30 people in each village are educated about hygiene, health care, Indian culture and basic education. This project, I believe, is co-ordinated by Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society. The theme looked very appealing and interesting to me. I wish more and more corporate bodies come forward and lend their support towards this good cause.
Having rendered the prayer song at both these venues, I got home with the satisfaction of having spent the evening in a very fruitful way and for having observed a lot of achievers lending their support towards such good causes, towards the betterment of our society.
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