Living with a Violinist Robot

There is an invigorating debate among my IIT friends about this robot playing the violin. The summary of the majority view is

1. AI and LLM will overtake humans. 

2. Man took 2 billion years to be here but AI will do it in say a decade. 

3. Man is just some carbon stuff. This is silicon stuff. No need to discard its excellence. 

4. Music can be coded and robotic music be as great as what we like among human musicians, if not better. 

My own view:

1. A robot has no soul. Music comes from the soul although it is processed and presented by the mind-body complex. 

2. A robot can not enjoy music. So even if he produces music, he will be a fake! 

3. We are underestimating the human faculties of love, bliss and aesthetic creativity. To think man can put it into code and make a Deep Learning Robot a better version of himself is highly underestimating man. In other words, it is underestimating Bhagavan, in whose image man has been created. 

If man can create a machine better than himself, he is actually destroying Bhagavan. Will that day come? 

The divine sounds of the Veena

 

Thanks to a talk I heard on Youtube by Dr. H. V. Nagaraja Rao on Bhāsa's 3c. BCE play Pratijñā Yaugandharāyaṇa, I came across this wonderful shloka on the divine sounds of the Veena.

The hero of the play, King Udayana, is a master at capturing wild elephants by simply playing his special Veena. The name of the Veena is Ghoṣavatī. When Udayana is tricked by his rival king and captured, his Veena is also captured*. When the Veena is brought into his presence, the rival king describes it in this verse.

इयं सा घोषवती नाम! Oh, here is the Veena called Ghoṣavatī! 

यैषा She is indeed the one described thus:

श्रुतिसुखमधुरा By her sonorous tuning, she is so sweet 

स्वभावरक्ता by her nature, she is alluring 

करज-मुख-उल्लिखित-अग्र-घृष्ट-तन्त्री By the nails of one's fingers are stroked at the right place her strings

ऋषिवचनगतेव Like the words of great sages 

मन्त्रविद्या endowed with mystical powers 

गजहृदयानि  the hearts of elephants 

बलात् forcefully

वशीकरोति she captures! 

By her nature is the Veena tuneful, sweet and alluring. 

Her strings are played by one's nails delicately. 

Endowed with mystical powers like a Rishi's words, 

She entices elephants irresistibly! 

We have been fortunate to listen to vainikas who can captivate us like this. Imagine someone who can capture elephants by such divine Veena music! 

जय भारती! 

* This play describes how Udayana's minister Yaugandharāyaṇa  vows and succeeds in releasing him from captivity! 

 

Leelaa Laalasa - Ethereal music

(I thank Sri P. K

 Krishnakumaran for the translation.)

ലീലാ ലാലസാ, നിന്നുടെ മായാ-

Leela lalasa, ninnude maaya

Oh the playful one, your Maya's

ലീലകൾ കാലം പാടുന്നു

Leelakal kaalam paadunnu

divine sports are timeless! 

കണ്ണാ ! നിൻ കഥ പാടുന്നു...

Kanha ! nin kadha paadunnu 

Oh, dear Krishna!! All are singing songs of your sports! 

പൊൻ കിണ്ണം കൊട്ടി പാടുന്നു.

Ponn kinnam kotti paadunnu

They are beating golden drums and singing! 

തംബുരു മീട്ടി പാടുന്നു

Thamburu meetti paadunnu

Accompanying themselves on the tanpura and singing! 

ശ്രുതി താളം കൊട്ടി പാടുന്നു

Shruthi taalam kotti paadunnu.

Singing with Shruti and Taala! 

 ॥ ലീലാ ലാലസ...Leelaa Laalasa... ॥

കാലിയെ മേച്ചു നടക്കുന്നു

Kaaliye mechchu nadakkunnu

 You go grazing cows... 

നീ കോലകുഴലു വിളിക്കുന്നു

Nee kolakuzhalu vilikkunnu

You play your flute

കാളിന്ദിയിൽ നീരാടുന്നു 

Kalindiyil neeradunnu

You revel sporting  in the Yamuna river! 

നീ കാളിയ മർദ്ദനമാടുന്നു 

Nee kaliya mardana maadunnu

You vanquish the serpent Kaliya... 

 ॥ ലീലാ ലാലസ...Leelaa Laalasa... ॥

ഗോപികമാർ നീരാടുമ്പോൾ

Gopikamaar neeraadumbol

When Gopikas bathe..

നീ അവരുടെ ആടകൾ കവരുന്നു

Nee avarude aadakal kavarunnu

 You steal their clothes, 

ആലിലകൊമ്പിൽ ഇരിക്കുന്നു

Aalila kombil irikkunnu

And you go and sit on a banyan tree branch. 

നീ ഹരിഗീതം ഓതുന്നു 

Nee Harigeetham othunnu

Oh lord Vishnu, you teach us the Bhagawad Gita! 

 ॥ ലീലാ ലാലസ...Leelaa Laalasa... ॥

കാടുകൾ താണ്ടി നടക്കുന്നു

Kaadukal thaandi natakkunnu

You roam in the forest...

നീ കാലിയേ തേടി പോവുന്നു

Nee kaaliye thedi povunnu

You go looking for your cows. 

രാസകേളികൾ ആടുന്നു

Raasakelikal aadunnu

You play the dance of divine Raasa! 

നീ രാഗസരോവരമാടുന്നു 

Raaga sarovaram aadunnu

You sport in the veritable lake of love. 

 ॥ ലീലാ ലാലസ...Leelaa Laalasa... ॥

നിൻകഥ ഇങ്ങനെ നീളുന്നു

Nin kadha ingane neelunnu

Your story thus goes on ...

നീ ഞങ്ങടെ ഉള്ളിൽ ഇരിക്കുന്നു

നീ njangade ullil irikkunnu

You stay in our minds

കൺമണിയായി ചിരി തൂകുന്നു

Kanmaniyayi chiri thookunnu

You smile as our dearest one

നീ കംസനെയും നീ കൊല്ലുന്നു 

Kamsaneyum nee kollunnu

And you are the one who killed the terrible tyrant Kamsa. 

 ॥ ലീലാ ലാലസ...Leelaa Laalasa... ॥

Come, let's listen to an ethereal rendition by Vid. Ananya Ashok🙏

Savouring Sangeetam

Recently, we had a few sessions on Carnatic music via Zoom in the IITM 1973 group. I was asked to introduce our music. I made a few slides and talked throrugh them, using playists of music I had created from the public domain. I would like to share the pitches and the playlists here: Whereas the first part spoke of some basics of the history, format and naunces of our music, the second part went into the subject of how to develop a taste for "quality" in Carnatic music. I also shared the results of a survey I had done in 2013: https://bit.ly/2013CarnaticSurvey The Playlist is here> Zoom was not very cooperative and people listened to the music in peace only after the call.

Raaga Rendezvous

We had 3 sessions via Zoom among IITM1973 batchmates about Carnatic music recently. This is the pitch I made in the second session. The session was intended to explain what is a Raaga in Carnatic music, with all its nuances. To keep it simple, I used only one raaga, Mohanam. Arguably the most popular and natural tune all over the world! Here is the playlist we used:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT5COFfoKkzV45CJh15sQJXzjld0EbaQR

Zootopia- what I like about this 3D animated movie

I saw Zootopia twice, first with grandkids and then with better-half.

I feel the movie is a bit over the top for kids, unless they are already thinking of career choices and how to make the world a better place for everyone. And whatever your age, if you like crisp dialogue, great 3D animation (especially trains speeding amok), the American Urban Dream, and some wild adventure, you are going to fall in love with this movie.

Many hot buttons of popularity are pressed nonchalantly by Disney Studios:

1. The hero is a young, tiny, girl rabbit, Officer Judy Hopps who doen't blink when she says, "It's called a hustle, sweetheart!", with a boldness and courage belying her social stereotype-imposed self-image and dimunitive size. She pairs up with a wily, well-networked, fox who's on the bend after having been a bit of a vagabond himself. The two make a delightful pair as they take on the notorious complications of a complex urban world full of wheels within wheels of good, bad, lazy, and ugly bits all mixed up nicely. 
2. You do have spoofs of famous movie moments.
3. You have, to boot, Shakira herself appearing as a sexy gazelle, singing and dancing her way into every bison and leopard heart.
4. Animals who think, act, speak human, no, make it American dreamer, all the time.

Go watch it. and tell me what you think!

MS Subbulakshmi singing to veena accompaniment

This is a beautiful rendition. It appears that she is singing while playing the veena. What a great musician!

The bhikku and the veena

☺

Swami Sukhabodhananda was telling a story y'day on TV.

An old man who was very fond of music and played the rudra veena, died. His grandson was not into that sort of music and after some years,  found the chore of keeping the veena dusted etc. quite irksome. He took the veena and dumped into the trash yard nearby.
There was a bhikku around. As the Swami said,  this bhikku was aware that there were many unwise people who threw away wise things. He was therefore going around collecting these wise things. He was glad to see the man go and dump the veena. He went there,  picked it up,  and cleaned it.  He took it to the town square and sat down to play it.

Divine music flowed from his playing and soon a very appreciative crowd gathered. The bhikku went on playing the rudra veena.

After some time the man came down the same street and found the crowd. He also heard the strange sounds, and came to see who was playing what instrument.  He was astonished to find the bhikku playing the same veena he had thrown away an hour before. He exclaimed,  "Hey! That is my veena!" 

The bhikku paused and smiled. He said,  "young man, you can call the veena yours only when you play it."

Pazhani Mridangam

Stands on the hill the youthful hero, spear in hand.

More than a weapon, it is for His grace the magic wand.

It's through His grace there came a magician in our musical skies

Ever remembered for his monsoon of mridangam cadences.

His mridangam's thunder clap, the rumble, gurgle, and sparkle

Incessantly enchant our minds and hearts.

His tools in trade are so many that it defies description.

His skills are legendary, his poise and grace regal.

Pazhani gives us the prasadam of mridangam music.

DVD Sample:

Sixteen Annas of Music

I remember reading how C N Parkinson ("work expands to fill time") studied the phenomenon of marriages taking place in England before the WW II. He finally concluded that, "whereas it's true that marriages are made in heaven, it's also true that God arranges alliances between men and women who grow up and live within a distance of around 150 miles of each other in England." In other words, the probability pattern is unmistakeable, given the social dimensions of marriage.

While in the shower today, I have come up with a theory on Carnatic music. Everyone buys at best sixteen annas of music in his or her life time. No More. "The sixteen annas theorem" represents how everyone has a self-limiting capacity and only a set range of possibilities for their appreciation and interest in Carnatic music. I am not talking here of people who are tone-deaf; nor those who research or learn music for a 24/7 engagement. I'm taking the example of an Aam Rasika like me who understands CM and can sit with interest and mental engagement through a full concert from soup to nuts, I mean from Varnam to the Mangalam. Of course the menu is stacked a bit differently in Nouveau Musique Karnatique as dished out by TMK or GK and so on. But I don't think my theory is affected by these modifications.

Now what do I mean by sixteen annas? You see, the more we get into the serious world of CM, we find so many oceans of excellence, just as the earth has so many major oceans and seas, all connected of course. You have the Madhyama-kala repertoire of the Thyagaraja school. You have the splendid body of Dikshitar works. You have Shyama Shastri; Padams, Javalis. You have Tamil composers. Swathi Tirunal, Purandaradasa and others, Telugu bhakti compositions, and 20th century work. You have the instrumental speciality genre by itself. You nowadays have also something one can call CM Lite, where every song sounds like a tukkada. And so on. Does an Aam Rasika connect with all this equally? 

Does an Aam Rasika progress from one level to another, like with a CBSE syllabus? Is he a world traveller like Megallan sailing from one ocean to the other? Or can we predict how the Aam Rasika's penchant is, for a specific type of music, based on his age and social status? I say no. I find no such hard and fast pattern of preferences. But at the same time, an Aam Rasika has a quantity and variety limit to his Carnatic music appetite, which I call the sixteen annas theorem.

Before you wonder when I will actually explain my theory, here I go:

The first Six Annas of CM is what the Aam Rasika absorbs in the first 12 years of his life. That is his parental and environmental influence. If children at home are taught CM, or person's mother or father sings for a bit, then the type and variety and sub-genre of what he appreciates from his cradle to his gilli dandu phase will constitute the six annas, in fact the biggest chunk of the pie. For example growing up in Bangalore and Mysore, one would be exposed to the fine, solid krithis of Thyagaraja, dasara padas, a few select MD, SS and ST krithis. Krithis like Brochevarevarura, Sri Chamundeshwari, Ra ra Rajivalochana, Nagumommu, would surely be a part of six annas. In fact also many Kalyani, Shankarabharana, Todi, Kharaharapriya songs of Thyagaraja. This example of the Aam Rasika would be less exposed to Tamil songs, or highly complex Sanskrit krithis, for example.

The next three Annas is what the Aam Rasika is attracted to in his 12-30 years period. This is the phase when speed, virtuosity, instrumental fireworks, etc. can catch his attention. If the girl listens to lots of kutcheris of popular lady musicians, with a certain pattern of repertoire, focused on variety and melody rather than heavy compositions, a deep manodharma or technique, the three annas come from there.

That leaves seven annas. 

In the serious listening phase of his life, the Aam Rasika will make choices, as a mature and committed listener of CM who follows a type of music or musician, based on a studied appreciation of their individual style and accomplishment. This is more musician-centric and less sub-genre or style-centric. This will make up three annas. 

The last four annas are spent on some eclectic tastes, based on non-CM influences like films, big- name bands performing in some Utsavs or cultural festivals, and may even foray into fusion and other genres of music like Hindustani, Qawwali, Sufi etc. But you will be able to see that this is a later, more casual acquaintance, a less important acquired taste.

That means, in summary, here is where we stand:

Six Annas - childhood exposure 

Three Annas - Youth appeal

Three Annas - serious acquired taste

Four Annas - eclectic tastes.

So when we can say the Aam Rasika has finally arrived at this full sixteen annas of CM appreciation, we see this kind of a mix. The individual elements in each category may vary by birth, circumstance, upbringing and exposure, but the relative proportions play out like this. And if you sit next to a young 20-odd year old rasika man or woman in a concert next time, you could hazard that he or she has not actually acquired yet the full sixteen annas. He or she may be talking only of the first six or the second three annas. And if someone speaks at length about his favourite musician, "a phenomenon", don't be misled that that this choice represents the full sixteen annas. That is only three annas worth, and may not represent a dominant taste in the big picture. 

On the other Hand, it might as well build on the first nine annas. In such a case, the musician having that high appeal will take care of twelve annas of the Aam Rasika's listening taste.

If you look at the all-time greats in CM in the past or the present, you will find that they appeal to the first twelve annas. 

That is also the reason I think that CM rasikas will NEVER buy the eclectic fusion stuff beyond a little bit... Some four annas. The vast majority of their listening choices will be the mainstream twelve annas.  

Am I making sense?

A mother's tearful farewell to a daughter, Tambura

A mother's tearful farewell to her daughter, Tambura

Darling mine, your day of destiny, to make a new home, has come.
With sweet memories of childhood, take these words from mum.
From this home go, proud as a true Tambura, nothing humdrum.
Great composers, singers, Lakshmi and Saraswati offer you welcome.

Nevertheless, my child, these sagely words, you need.
In good and bad times, your mum's counsel, take heed.

Not all is rosy out there. Welcome and cuddled, happy days without a pause.
But soon, your voice may fall silent, and none will wonder what it was.

Your stately bearing, your perfect strings, that proud neck will languish.
Surrounded by tinny sounds in loud places, you may feel much anguish.

Your famed ears that, once tuned, stir you into heavenly resonance
Might mutely witness people playing with toys in pure dissonance.

None will dust you nor tune your shining strings.
You will sit quietly, amidst furniture and things.

Forget the warm embrace and caress of a true singer.
Your new family could just be too busy to lift a finger.

In your place they will play a cute IOS or Android app.
Or shiny discs or bread boxes that go on singing like crap.

And yet, my child, take heart, your music and heritage will shine!
Some day, some worthy will come, and gladly build you a shrine.

Kalakshetra at NCPA

http://youtu.be/-B9T2ODFpJQ

Chaitanya's Magnum Opus : Shikshashtakam

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ((1486–1534 CE) is a rare star in India's spiritual firmament. He gave up the scholarly approach to pursue God through infinite, constant Bhakti. Just before his passing, he composed these eight verses as his final and total precept to his disciples to pursue the path to God realization... his path of Bhakti.

शिक्षाष्टकम्(मूल संस्कृत)	Shikshashtakam (English)
चेतोदर्पणमार्जनं भव-महादावाग्नि-निर्वापणम् श्रेयः-कैरवचन्द्रिकावितरणं विद्यावधू-जीवनम् । आनंदाम्बुधिवर्धनं प्रतिपदं पूर्णामृतास्वादनम् सर्वात्मस्नपनं परं विजयते श्रीकृष्ण-संकीर्तनम् ॥१॥	Let Sri Krishna sankirtana be ultimately victorious which cleanses dust off mind, extinguishes the formidable fire of repeated birth and death, glorious like rays of the moon, gives life to knowledge, increases the ocean of bliss, has every word sweet like nectar, makes everybody holy.॥1॥
नाम्नामकारि बहुधा निज सर्व शक्ति- स्तत्रार्पिता नियमितः स्मरणे न कालः। एतादृशी तव कृपा भगवन्ममापि दुर्दैवमीदृशमिहाजनि नानुरागः॥२॥	O Lord, you have filled your many names with all your power and these names can be remembered any time. O God, you are so kind to do it but I am so unfortunate that I don't love your beautiful names.॥2॥
तृणादपि सुनीचेन तरोरपि सहिष्णुना। अमानिना मानदेन कीर्तनीयः सदा हरिः ॥३॥	Assuming ourselves smaller than straw, being more tolerant than trees, devoid of pride and respecting others, we should always sing in praise of Sri Hari.॥3॥
न धनं न जनं न सुन्दरीं कवितां वा जगदीश कामये। मम जन्मनि जन्मनीश्वरे भवताद् भक्तिरहैतुकी त्वयि॥४॥	O Lord of the universe, I do not desire money, followers, women or poems. O God, I wish to have causeless devotion for you in my all births.॥4॥
अयि नन्दतनुज किंकरं पतितं मां विषमे भवाम्बुधौ। कृपया तव पादपंकज- स्थितधूलिसदृशं विचिन्तय॥५॥	O son of Nand, considering me as your eternal servant and bound in this ocean of birth and death, please show your mercy assuming me as a dust-particle in your lotus feet.॥5॥
नयनं गलदश्रुधारया वदनं गदगदरुद्धया गिरा। पुलकैर्निचितं वपुः कदा तव नाम-ग्रहणे भविष्यति॥६॥	O Lord, when will the tears of my eyes fill my face on taking your name, when will my voice choke up and when will the hairs of my body stand erect on reciting your name?॥6॥
युगायितं निमेषेण चक्षुषा प्रावृषायितम् । शून्यायितं जगत् सर्वं गोविन्द विरहेण मे॥७॥	O Krishna, in your separation, a moment looks like ages. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain and all of this world seems meaningless.॥7॥
आश्लिष्य वा पादरतां पिनष्टु  मा- मदर्शनान्मर्महतां करोतु वा। यथा तथा वा विदधातु लम्पटो मत्प्राणनाथस्तु  स एव नापरः॥८॥	Whether He embraces me as a devotee of His feet or not, whether he appears before me or not, whether He accepts me as his own or not, the naughty Sri Krishna is my Lord and no one else.॥8॥

An incredible balancing act.

Beauty, harmony, balance ... on so many levels. A truly amazing balancing act. Dance artist Miyoko Shida was born in Fukuyama-shi, Japan. She performed as a dancer and choreographer at the Rigolo Nouveau Cirque in Switzerland and currently lives in Paris, France.
Click on the link to watch her balance several palm leaf stems with incredible ease and confidence. What does it take to do THAT!

http://bit.ly/1240WrI

Music and biscuits.

Folks,
OK, let me say it. Music is like biscuits.

As you let that sink in slowly, let me give you some context.

It is that unearthly hour of a dark silent warm cozy night. I have been listening to and watching RKM on ustream.tv. I have got IPL last over finishes and its zillion ads under my skin. And don't mind confessing that the music is swirling in my being and giving me a good feeling. How to describe it? Yes, how to name it, as Ilayaraja once asked?

I just got it! RKM's music is like a biscuit...

For NRIs, wannabie NRIs and ABCDs amongst us, a biscuit is that freshly baked little or big honourable calorie snack that you call a cookie. What makes the large modern mall attractive is its wafting aromas of freshly baked biscuits as I would call them or cookies as you might. Cookies or biscuits as I prefer do not go overboard like doughnuts or pretzels. They show the middle path in the modern world of instant gratification where man struggles for escape from his prison of ice creams, burgers, chips, and coffee. As Asok said in the Dilbert strip yesterday, we Indians love our bread and starchy food. So biscuits is God's answer to our prayers. From humble me to the big B, we love biscuits. Too much for our own good.

And RKM's music is like THIS biscuit: fresh, fragrant, not too sweet, not too creamy, yet so crunchily delectable and something I can savour every bite. Just for reference, imagine the famous Pune's Kayani's Shrewsbury, fresh from the oven at 10:45 AM, and make it even crunchier, with a touch of coconut, cummin, somehow hinting at caramel- but without oodles of butter and sugar- no orange or chocolate smears, no hidden nuggets, no layers upon layers you need to deconstruct, no cloying sweetness packed into Parle G like gujjus in Santa Cruz. The ideal biscuit is like a short comfortable memorable scenic train journey from Palghat to Shoranur,

So, can you relate to my thoughts? What kind of a biscuit is your favourite musician?

Sachi R

RKM is short for Ramakrishnan Murthy, a brilliant 23 year-old Carnatic musician.

Epilogue:

High time we said something about biscuits in Sanskrit:

BISCUIT nAmaka bhakshaNam
rasamayam lokE sadA-swAdanam
yAtrE gAyaka-ruchikaram bahutaram
atyaMta AmOditam

MARIE bodhita madhukaram
priyakaram svalpam sadA-sEvanam
rasyam snigdhataram gurubalam
rasika-janA-lambitam.

(Note: It seems Carnatic musicians have often relied on Marie biscuits during long train journeys to keep body and soul together.)

Kumar Gandharva - how to tell a story.

Dear rasikas,
Thanks to my good friend Varsha, I am revisiting some great moments with Kumar Gandharva over the years. I want you to enjoy these two WONDERFUL narratives about a man who discovered God through music:
1. Shabnam Virmani's classic : http://bit.ly/kumargkoisuntahai
2. Films Division Documentary on Kumar Gandharva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLw5sZ273vM

A few things for those few who may not know Kumar Gandharva:
-b. 1924 near Dharwad, began singing famous Bal Gandharva and other masters' songs at the age of 8, well enough to merit the title Kumar Gandharva.
- was a star already when he enrolled in Deodhar music academy in Bombay for methodical training.
- married his own student Bhanumati in mid 1940s.
- was stricken with TB and doctors said he didn't have a chance to sing any more, and he went away to Devas in Malva region of MP a sad recluse.
- was nursed back to health by his wife in mid-50s, and rediscovered himself and found a new path to music through Kabir Vani.
- created a new chapter in Hindustani music shorn of gharana tabs and sang thematic concerts for many years afterwards.
- lost his first wife, a great woman...remarried another disciple, and left behind a great legacy and many talented students.

Coming to these two films, unlike many films I have seen especially on South Indian artistes, these two films are not a series of eulogies using words like fantastic, incarnation, prodigy, musicians musician and so on; they are carefully-worded sincere (non-self-projecting) attempts to describe what was unique about the man and his music, with examples and musical audio/video clips. At the end of it all, you are left in a world of music and artistic sensibilities that go beyond hagiography.

The visual content of the films is also very artistic and moving.

I will surely recommend this as a BIG Sunday treat!!!

Ciao
Sachi R

S. Balachander talks about the Veena, tanam playing and ragas

S.  Balachander (photo from Srutimag Blog)

There is a wonderful LecDem delivered at Indian fine Arts Society in 1985 by the veena virtuoso S. Balachander. It is available online at Sangeethapriya.Org for your listening or download.

The talk is over 90 minutes long and covers various aspects of playing the veena and the ghana-raga tanam. Balachander explains how his style of play leverages the left hand and comes close to vocal music:


Click here:
http://bit.ly/SBalachanderLecDem

S. Rajam - a genius beyond all labels

Thanks to Dr. VKV, I was able to buy the Kalakendra DVD on S. Rajam and watch it.
Congratulations to SB Khanthan and Lalitha Ram. They have produced a long documentary and tried to capsule the man's multifaceted genius. A number of distinguished musicians, artistes and others describe him and his greatness as it touched them in reverential joy. But I feel the labels are all like flowers that adorn a beautiful deity in such a way that we feel finally the flowers are only a token of our devotion, they can hardly embellish the true beauty of the idol.




I learnt to my astonishment that Sri Rajam-
...Learnt music from Balu Dikshitar, Papanasam Sivan, Muthiah Bhagavatar and Madurai Mani Iyer and many others.
...Learnt Purandaradasa krithis from Smt Lalithangi and won a first prize at MA in his teens, where she also competed and was placed second.
...learnt art and later visited Ajanta and decided to chalk out his own path with watercolours and brushes
...mastered and a taught 72 melakarta compositions of Koteeshwara Iyer
...tuned Sarvam Brahma Mayam in Madhuvanti
...was a famous extremely handsome film star when S Balachander, the brother was much younger and unknown
...could draw at 70 as he could draw at 25, and sing too the same way
...taught a song to anyone who asked, even someone on the street opposite BVB in Mylapore
...discovered the beauties of so-called Vivadhis and sang them so positively as to earn praise from SSI
(That's like a master discovering hidden beauty, flowering potential and fragrance in plants we long neglected in a well-tended garden showing off the roses and dahlias)
...created masterly multilayered watercolour works to embody the visualisations of Dikshitar and Thyagaraja and others...
...was least rewarded by the Carnatic community for his unremitting labours of astounding creativity.....

Yes, the labels fall off this man. Should we hail the era and milieu that gave birth to this man, or thank God that we breathe the same air that he breathed?

The survey of Carnatic music rasikas' preferences

Go through the survey results compiled and saved here:
http://bit.ly/YmYZPK

The survey attracted 293 responses to the four key questions.

The answers showed that musicians and rasikas have a clear ranking of attributes in their minds of what constitutes good Carnatic music.

An analysis showed that there was no significant variation of ranking patterns among respondent sub-populations.

The confidence level of 95% with 293 sample responses represents only 5.7% error margin even for an assumed large population of one million rasikas.

The top attributes of Carnatic music voted are:

1. Shruthi-alignment
2. Bhakti/Bhava of lyrics
3. Niraval and Kalpana swaras
4. Alapana Virtuosity
5. Trinity Compositions
6. Ragam Tanam Pallavi
7. On-stage Chemistry including accompanists
8. Big Six Ragas (Kalyani, S'bharana, K'priya, Todi, Bhairavi, Kambhoji)

Hopefully musicians and patrons can derive some insights from this survey.

Ciao

Ode to the Obnoxious

Ode to the Obnoxious

Oh you scums that come in late,
And amble pompously to front-row seats,
Throwing broad smiles, snooty glances,
and looking propahly bored throughout!

Don't bloat when musicians bow to you.
Don't gloat as sabha cronies scrape to please you.
Take your business elsewhere and spare us your presence.
Throw your weight without a care, but spare us this excrescence.

If you want to cultivate culture, mend your manners.
Bring in your bourgeoisie bums, but without banners.
Avoid your antics, crass officious intents, and irresistible
Sudden cellphone urges. Or evaporate into thin air.

Those with weak bladders, wear adult diapers. If the music
Bothers you, amuse yourself outside with tepid pakodas.
Music halls need decorum, you're not here for whiskey and rum.
We, seated at the back,would like to give you a real smack.

Remember, those 'Reserved' placards on your seats
Look like they're from the coffin house.
You're anyway walking dead in concerts.
God save our music.

- Sachi R


The Hindu, which should be described as the ultimate Panchanga for all things pertaining to the South Indian way of life, published this piece called December Mist and Magic.