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How would it be to attend a first class entire 3 hour Carnatic classical concert in a huge 500 seater auditorium filled with just dozen people, and half of them being organisers?

It really saddened me...

Kamalaambike in Sri Raagam by Weslayians...

This one just blew me away....

It is really heartening to see Classical Carnatic Music being sung by Westerners.

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A related article:

Jon Higgins was an American vocalist who trained in Carnatic Classical music in India some decades ago. He attained great heights in Carnatic vocal music and was conferred the title, "Higgins Bhagavathar". He lived in India for many years and sadly, during one of his visits to his home country, was killed in an automobile accident...

There is a wonderful story involving in an incident that happened when Jon Higgins and his party of musicians went to the Krishna temple at Udupi. The American wore a dhoti and a kurta as was his custom in Madras, but he was much too fair complexioned to be an Indian, and the priests would not let him enter the temple as non Hindus were allowed inside….So Jon stood where Kanakadasa the untouchable had stood centuries ago, to catch a glimpse of the idol from a distance as best he could. His musician friends stood with him, refusing to go inside the temple if Jon was not allowed.Then it occurred to one of them to ask Jon to sing the famous song,"Krishna, nee begane baro," a composition in Kannada….

When the air was filled with the vibrant melody of his splendid voice there was no keeping away the crowds that gathered around to hear him. The priests, astonished, begged the singer to come in ...

Thought for the day

I enjoy listening to music more than playing. Thats the plain bare facts. But then I might still be too young a player to really enjoy while I am playing. It could be something that grows on you. Perhaps. But right now, when I am playing, there are 100s of things that I have to think and sweat out before I can play it right. The framework of the raga, the taala, the lyrics, the what-next dread, the bow-movement, the speed and clarity, the lubrication on the finger. Phew!

I mean, you listen to Endaro Mahanubhavulu, and you dance along with it, but if you are the one who are playing, you need to continuously remember whats coming next, how to improvise, how to keep the audience dancing along with the music...there is simply so much basics to stick to...and its at that moment, that I feel I am just imparting the enjoyment but not really enjoying the music myself because of the paraphernalia involved...

Well, many more years to go, I guess...for me to both play and enjoy at the same time...

Just...

Had been thinking about the following for a long time now but I guess I need to take it out of my system through this blog...

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan's demise recently came as a shock to me. Somehow he seemed immortal. Then again, I guess he indeed is...

July issue of Reader's Digest had a story about how a child of age 16 went all the way to Delhi from Madras to meet President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam (upon invitation for Children's Day) and ended up singing Endaro Mahanu Bhavulu not just in front of him, but along with him!!!

KGKP had a series of music programs in Holenarsipura this weekend. Mother had been part of Goshti Gayana and related some of the wonderful moments of the trip:

A small child of 6 years old or even less reciting all 5 Pancharatna Kritis without even seeing the book. I mean what talent!!

An octagenarian with humped back sang the welcome song (Mahaganapathi) with such clarity, such gamaka, such devotion that it proved how one's learning stays forever in one's life if learnt well in the beginning...

Those were just a few happenings in the music side...

Melakarta, Katapayadi, Mathematics...

Today in class I learnt about Katapayadi sankhya and how the formula can be used to determine the melakarta raga index number. I was fascinated by it and thought I will blog about it. But I wiki-ed and found 2 amazing sites already loaded with fascinating information.

Melakarta

Katapayadi Sankhya

Its all about mathematics, algorithms and formula. I came to know that one can even determine the complete raga scale just by the name of the raga. Just blew my mind off!!

Patrick Ngcobo

By BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan
Carnatic music normally takes years of patience and dedication to learn
Few would have thought that the Zulus of South Africa would have much interest in southern Indian classical music.
But South African Patrick Ngcobo has proved that ethnicity and language are no barriers when it comes to learning about music far from home.
When he decided to learn southern Indian classical music, better known as Carnatic music, his African friends in Durban ridiculed him, and his Indian neighbours were sceptical.
For them, it was abnormal for a person from the warrior Zulu tribe in Natal province to take up Carnatic music.

Ignoring insults and sniping remarks, Patrick single-mindedly persisted.
Today, the 34-year-old sings in seven Indian languages.
He can slide from one Indian raga, particular melodic scales, to another with ease - his diction is remarkable.
It was so difficult for me to sit cross-legged for hours. Because of our food habits in Africa, our bones have become tight and I could not sit for long.
His perfect pitch, whether high or low, and fantastic range of voice and ability to sing in different languages is clearly the result of dedication, toil and hours of continuous practice.
It all started when Patrick happened to listen to a song of the famous South Indian classical singer, Dr KJ Jesudas.
"I have never heard such a melody before. The mesmerising voice took me to a different world. That was it. I wanted to learn the style and it became my dream to meet KJ Jesudas," recounts Patrick.
Luck favoured him when Jesudas performed in Durban in the early 1990s.
Impressed by Patrick's musical talent, Jesudas offered to teach him Carnatic music if he could go to the city of Madras, in southern India.
With poverty knocking at his door, Patrick went from pillar to post to find resources to go to India. But it was not easy.
"I had no money, no relatives or no friends in India. Thanks to some sponsors I finally set foot in Chennai (Madras). That is it. I had no contact with my family for three years, they did not even hear my voice," says Patrick.
He was also fortunate when Jesudas offered him a place to stay at his residence.
But life was not easy in Madras. From food to clothing everything was alien and the rules were rigorous.
He abstained from alcohol, meat and relations with women. With all his time occupied by learning Carnatic music, socializing was minimal.
"It was so difficult for me to sit cross-legged for hours. Because of our food habits in Africa, our bones have become tight and I could not sit for long. I managed, but even now I use a cushion while performing," says Patrick.
KJ Jesudas (left) is extremely happy with his African disciple.
Carnatic music normally takes years of hard work, patience and dedication to learn.
In addition, a student has to get the pronunciation right while singing the songs either in Tamil, Telugu or Malayalam.
As a beginner, Patrick first had to sort out the language barrier and pronunciation difficulties, which all took time.
"Sometimes it was too frustrating. I used to practice from five in the morning till midnight. It took six months to learn one verse from a particular keerthana, or a song. But eventually, I got there."
Talking to the BBC from Madras, KJ Jesudas is extremely happy about his African disciple.
"Right from the beginning, I was impressed with his hard work, perseverance and devotion. His observation is remarkable. He is a classic example of what dedication can bring to a person irrespective of his or her background," he said.
Patrick returned to South Africa in 1996 and started performing in public.
'Rare opportunities'
The black Carnatic singer naturally drew attention and made headlines. To satisfy his local audience, he even started composing songs in Zulu based on Indian ragas.
The Zulu singer believes because of his ethnicity he is being sidelined in South Africa.
With a huge Indian population (1.2 million) in South Africa, Patrick thought he could be a professional singer and also teach Carnatic music.
"Being the first black person to learn Indian Carnatic music, I thought I would be encouraged. I am disappointed to say that I rarely get opportunities to perform in South Africa," he laments.
The Zulu singer believes because of his ethnicity he is being sidelined in South Africa.
While he gets chances to perform in places like Botswana, it is not sufficient to satisfy his musical thirst.
Being the eldest in a family of seven, Patrick has other responsibilities.
Now he specializes in gardening services and also runs a taxi outside Durban.
But he continues to practice his music while cutting trees or driving the cab.
One day, Patrick believes his chance will come to prove his mettle.
"My dream is to perform around the world and show the greatness of the Carnatic music," he said.

Courtesy:BBC

The disturbance at Thani Avarthanam

Many amongst the audience in a Carnatic concert are downright bad. People who come to listen to the main artiste, get up and exit in the middle of the main piece after the main artiste hands over the stage to accompanists for the Thani Avarthanam. This sudden sporadic getting-up-and-exitting in an auditorium filled with music patrons causes a lot of hustle and bustle and not only does it disturb the setting of a performance but also demotivates the accompanists from even starting off. It is a shameful and cheap thing to do on the part of audience and a direct insult to the accompanists and to their years of dedication and effort put in for performing at such class and with such maestros.

Doubtless, the best person to drive some sense to people at such a juncture is the main artiste himself. To insult back at the insultors in front of other music patrons. Malladi brothers is the only main artistes whom I have seen who have stood up for the accompanists. In one of the concerts in NMKRV in Feb 2007, when Thani Avarthanam started and people started getting up, one of the brothers, spoke in to the phone rasply, words cutting like a knife through the auditorium, and the decibel raising with every word: "Is it fair?"

The true music patrons applauded for those 3 words. The accompanists's gratefulness showed on their faces.

In another Malladi brothers concert in BTM that was held recently, he sent out a message even before he started off with the main piece: "There is no interval in this main piece. I request the audience to sit through till the Thani Avarthanam is completed."

Hats off to Malladi Brothers! Being in the lineage of disciples of Saint Thyagaraja, nothing less was expected of them!

The Start

Came across the below set of lines recently. Just felt like reproducing verbatim:

Carnatic music is one of the two main styles of Indian classical Music. It has its main emphasis on vocal music as most of the compositions, even while playing on the instruments are sung. It has two main elements, those being the Raga (the modes or melodic formulae) and the Taala (the rhythmic cycles). Nearly every rendition of a carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the composer’s vision as well as the musician’s interpretation. This art form is traditionally taught on the lines of the system formulated by Purundara Dasa. It involves the student to begin with the Swaravalis (graded exercises), the Alankaras (exercises based on the seven taalas), and then to Geetams (single songs) and then to SwaraJaatis. As a student advances further, he shall learn the Varnams and the Kritis. Quite obviously, it may take several years before a student can give his own concert.