Happenings

Plethora of happenings currently with respect to Carnatic Music.

Last week, University of Maryville had a 3-day session on Music Therapy (including Carnatic Music), each day concluding with a concert in the evening, including the one by the Mysore Violin duo. I could attend only one such concert. It was by Thrissur Brothers.

They were so young. They were accompanied by their father on Mridangam. He, too, seemed so young (almost looking like a third brother) that audience was shocked to know he was actually their father. Notable in the concert was the first rendition by the brothers on Veeribhoni in the third order (moorne kaala). How can anyone ever sing Veeribhoni so fast? It left me stunned! Just shows how much mastery they have over the language.

Yesterday, I attended a beautiful Vocal concert by TV Shankaranyanan at Bangalore Gayana Samaja. He was so joyous and happy and smiling throughout the concert. It was plain to everyone as to how he loved singing and thriving and enjoying! It was a pleasure not just to hear but to see him! He received Swara Murthy VNR Rao Memorial Award for this year today.

Today morning, students of Vijaya College of Music performed with an instrumental ensemble of Violin, Flute and Veena at Gayana Samaja. The Prinicipal, HV Krishnamurthy, (also my revered Guru), received Veena Seshanna Memorial award for this year for exemplary contribution to Carnatic Music for over 6 decades.

In the evening, I attended my first ever concert of RK Padmanabha at Sri Vidya Kala Kendra, a Music school guided by RKP. His is one that of Deep Voice and Masculine Melody. He rendered 5 self-composed songs on the Great Shankaracharya.

Next Saturday, as usual, the monthly concert is scheduled at Vijaya College premises. Also, there is a music competition for kids at Sri Vidya Kala Kendra.

Week after that, more hectic activity. Continuous daily programmes (various art forms like music, dance, Yakshagana, etc) at Sri Vidya Kala Kendra from Aug 5th to 12th by young students (including a violin concert from Mysore M Nagaraj’s son Karthik). Coinciding with the same time period, daily concerts, conference on Music, at Gayana Samaja, including the concerts of celebrated Mysore Violin duo, Shankar Subrahmaniam and Malladi Brothers (who come from the Tyagaraja Disciple lineage) to conclude.

I realized that a sportsman can be at his best only for 2 youthful decades at the most, like Graf, Tendulkar, Pele, Schumacher, Federer and others. But a musician can be a musician all through his life. It is nothing short of tapas.

Such professionalism, such dedication, such a purpose in life, and yet such humbleness in each. At the end of every concert, when the artistes are honored, the few words that are spoken on each of them shows of what true character they are made of and such down-to-earth attitude. And hearing them, hearing about them, hearing about the behind-the-camera people (who aren’t in the limelight yet are significant contributors to Carnatic Music), makes me feel such a mere mortal.

And then, today RKP said in his concert, “Innu swara sikkilla, innu hadakke baralla….adhu yavaga sigattho, awaga naanu dhanya naade…” [I still haven’t got the swara, I still don’t know how to sing. When I do come to know, then, I am blessed]