Nadaswaram Bani
In the schedule of events, several concerts have a footnote that includes some raga visthara with a nadaswaram. This feature is a part of the GNB centenary that the Aradhana is celebrating this year. The influence of the Nadaswaram Bani has been one of GNB's lasting contributions to Carnatic music.
In GNB's days, the manodharma that vocalists performed tended to be rather staccato, with passages broken into short phrases. Ramnad Krishnan and Madurai Mani Iyer, who were his contemporaries, are good examples of this style.
Nadaswaram artists, on the other hand, used to play with long kaarvais, and filled in the gaps between phrases. This was typical of the periya melam style that was used in the music that accompanied religious rituals and festivals. T.N. Rajarathnam Pillai was a leading exponent of this style, and GNB greatly admired his music, often attending performances given by him.
It was GNB's insight that led him to incorporate the periya melam style into the traditional Carnatic music that was performed in concert halls. It certainly helped that his voice was versatile enough to handle the gamakam-laden nuances, crisp brighas, as well as the long sustained karvais that characterized the new style that he created. On top of that, his musicianship was such that he incorporated all of it in a manner that was pleasing to the ear.
GNB's style has pervaded Carnatic music since he introduced it. His music was wildly popular in his time, and his style has endured among modern performers as well. We would like to recognize this contribution, and educate listeners about the extent of his influence.
Before select concerts during the Aradhana, a leading musician will speak about a raga, how GNB handled it, what his favorite krithis in that raga were, etc. A nadaswaram artist will also perform that raga for a few minutes. The concert will feature a major piece in that raga, so that listeners can discern the elements of the nadaswaram technique in the performance.
We hope that listeners will find this introduction educational.
Categories: Schedule 2010
An Inspired Pallavi
Our Advanced Pallavi competition was inspired by a story that the great dancer and guru Adyar Lakshman told us about a young T.R. Subrahmanyam (later confirmed by T.R.S. himself).
Much before he became the eminent Professor and well-known laya expert, the young T.R.S. was an entrant in the Pallavi competition at the Madras Music Academy. Applicants were supposed to submit their contact info, and the details of the pallavi they were going to perform (sahityam, raga, tala, eduppu). As T.R.S. was seated, the judges saw that his application only contained his name, and the sahityam of the pallavi.
When the judges (among whom were the Alathur Brothers) asked him what the particulars of the pallavi were, T.R.S. merely said "whatever ragam you want me to sing, I'll sing." They gave him Mukhari.
T.R.S. performed his raga alapana and thanam in Mukhari, and then asked what talam to sing his pallavi in. The Alathur Brothers, deciding that this young man needed a challenge, asked him to sing his pallavi set to sankeerna chapu talam in sankeerna nadai.
T.R.S. agreed, and proceeded to sing a flawless pallavi with the sahityam he had written, set to the raga and tala that the judges had selected. While singing the pallavi, he was showing a simple sankeerna chapu talam in his hands, while the judges, stalwart laya experts themselves, were scrambling to show the sankeerna nadai with it, to make sure that this young man was singing it correctly.
At the end of the competition after all the participants had finished, someone came and asked the judges who had won the competition. A judge responded, "who else could have won but Subrahmanyam?"
We don't expect all of our participants to be the next T.R.S. We do hope though, that his example of confidence and creativity in the face of these strict constraints will inspire the participants to reach for a higher level of achievement in the art of Ragam-Thanam-Pallavi.
Categories: General
Registration is Open
Registration for the music competition and for the individual participation are now open.
Categories: Announcements
Bharathanatyam Competition
Registration for the dance competition is now open »
Categories: Announcements
Sustaining Sampradaya results delayed
This year, we had an overwhelming response to the announcement of the Sustaining Sampradaya program. A record number of people applied to be included, both newcomers and repeat Sampradaya participants.
The senior vidvans who select participants for the program are in the process of interviewing a few of the candidates. Scheduling the interviews and co-ordinating availability across time-zones has led to a delay in selecting the final participants.
We now expect to make the announcement on Friday November 6.
We apologize for the delay and seek your understanding as we work as quickly as possible to complete this phase of the process.
Categories: Announcements | Sustaining Sampradaya
