Indian classical music for the (internet) world to listen
RadioVeRVe and Ananya together aim to bring this great tradition back to where it belongs – in the hearts and minds of everyone of us.
Catch Ananya-Radio VeRVe Classical Music Channel at http://www.radioverve.com/classical. Also visit http://www.ananyaculture.org, http://www.radioverve.com
10 years of Gunagrahi
Drishti congratulates Dr. M. Surya Prasad, noted critic and scholar, for the Dashamanothsava – the celebration of the 10th year of Gunagrahi, a monthly bulletin on dance and music brought out by Dr. M. Surya Prasad.
Ananya’s music festival for young musicians
Every year young musicians get an opportunity to showcase their talent at Sangathi Yuvasangeethotsava, the annual music festival organized by Ananya. This year’s festival, the fifth in the series was held for five days from 6 June 2007, and offered four concerts in the evening everyday from Thursday to Saturday in four locations: Seva Sadan, Malleswaram; BTM Cultural Academy, BTM Layout; Sri Ramana Maharshi Academy for the Blind, J.P. Nagar ; Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, Banashankari and Sri Tyagaraja Gana Sabha Trust, Sri Vani Vidya Kendra, Rajajinagar.
Ananya’s 10th annual music awards
The Ananya Purakara, given to senior musicians every year, was conferred on mridangam maestro and founder of Karnataka College of Percussion, T.A.S. Mani.
The Shastra Kaustubha award was given to music teacher and performer T. N. Padma of Mysore and the Ananya Yuva Purasakara awards were given to Mukund (flute), B. U. Ganesh Prasad (violin) and G. Guruprasanna (khanjira).
Natyashastra Workshop
Bharata Nrtyasala, the dance institute of Sundari Santhanam in Bangalore, conducted a Natyashastra workshop by Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, (dancer, research scholar, choreographer, music composer, teacher, author and Indologist) on 28, 29 and 30 April 2007. Padma Subrahmanyam’s workshop included Natyashastric techniques of Angika, Sattvika and choreography. The workshop was attended by many performing artists. The dancers learnt a beautiful abhinaya piece, choreographed by Padma Subrahmanyam, using the charis and the karanas with each swara beautifully intervowen with the sahithya. The fees paid by the participants for the workshop was contributed to the construction of Bharata’s temple initiated by Padma SUbrahmanyam. The construction is already in progress in Tamil Nadu.
Shyamala G Bhave awarded honorary doctorate
Shyamala G Bhave, veteran Hindustani musician of Karnataka, was conferred the honorary doctorate by the Karnataka State Open University in Mysore, Governor T. N. Chaturvedi presented the doctorate of the function organized at Mysore.
Bangalore School of Music to shift
Bangalore School of Music, a premier music institution, which was located at Frazer Town, Bangalore will now be shifted to its new premises at R.T. Nagar, Bangalore. With state-of-the-art design by Architecture Paradigm, the new campus will have teaching studios, mini halls, library, 140-seat auditorium, recording studio, theatre, music shop and more, to enhance learning. For details contact 080-25483409/41253208 or visit http://www.thebsm.org.
Kalachaitanya, dance and music education for the needy
Kalpataru, a dance institution headed by dancer Padmaja Suresh, has undertaken a project, Kalachaitanya, to provide education in dance to children who are deprived and denied. To donate for the scholarship fund of these children, contact: 080-23340093, or email to padmajasuresh@mailcity.com
Devdasi dance festival
Applications are invited from solo dancers of all Indian classical dance forms for the three-day second annual Devdasi dance festival being organized by Devdasi Nrutya Mandir in Bhubaneswar from 25 to 27 September 2007. Contact committee member, Shyamhari Chakra, Correspondent, The Hindu, 1095, Satabdi Nagar, Bhubaneswar-751003, Orissa, India. Mobile: 98611-23774, 9868388748 Email: shyamhari@yahoo.com
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award conferred on Guru Narmada from Bangalore
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the year 2007 was presented by the President of India Dr. A. P. J Abdul Kalam to Guru Narmada at a special ceremony on 1 March, 2007 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Akademi Award is the most coveted honour conferred on artists and scholars in the field of performing arts. The Akademi Awards carry Rs. 50,000/- in cash, a tamrapatra and a shawl.
M. Phil and Ph. D in Music, both part-time and full-time. Department of Music – Queen Mary’s College, Chennai
The Department of Music in Queen Mary’s College, Chennai is offering M. Phil and Ph. D in Music, both part-time and full-time from this academic year. One of the earliest to introduce music at the college level when degree courses in music were started in the 1920s, the Music department in Queen Mary’s College also offers B.A. and M.A. in Music. For enrollment and details, contact: Dr. S. R. Jayasitalakshmi, Head of the Department of Music, Queen Mary’s College, Chennai, India. Phone: (044)-24415733 Mobile: 98400 – 32469 Email: musicdept_qmc@yahoo.co.in.
University of Madras introduces MA programme in Bharatanatyam
The University of Madras has introduced an MA Degree course in Bharatanatyam under private study (semester with credits). It will benefit professional dancers and teachers of Bharatanatyam. For details: http://www.unom.ac.in/news/bhar.html.
Rainbow Award for Malathi Iyengar
Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, Hollywood, a multicultural festival of women solo artists, honoured on 19 March 2007, Malathi Iyengar artistic director of Rangoli Foundation, with a Rainbow Award for her outstanding contribution to arts programming and performance for traditional and non-traditional audiences. Iyengar’s choreographic works, productions, and viewership have often included members from multicultural and mainstream communities.
Indian Railways offers fare concession for artists
To avail concession in railway fares for participating in festivals and performances artist may contact the cultural department of Sangeet Natak Akademi in their respective states. Along with the application letter for concession, the artist will have to attach a copy of the invitation letter from the organizer and five copies of list of artists travelling along with their names and age. Individuals or groups travelling can avail 50% concession in first class and 75% concession in second class fares.
Padma Awards 2007
For 2007, the Padma Bhushan awardees include Kerala playwright Kavalam Narayan Panikkar, vocalists Rajan and Sajan Misra, Kathakali maestro Raman Kutty Nair.
Contemporary dancer/choreographer Astad Deboo, Bharatanatyam guru PR Thilagam from Tamil Nadu, Bharatanatyam dancer Geeta Chandran, Bharatanatyam/Kuchipudi dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant are among those named for the Padma Shri awards.
Awards for Veena Murthy VIjay and Suma Sudhindra
Art for artists, India, a premier music organisation located in New Delhi, honoured Veena Murthy Vijay and Suma Sudhindra from Bangalore for their contributions to the field of art. President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam gave away the awards in a function organized on 9 April 2007 in New Delhi.
Sangeet Natak Akademi awards for young artists
To identify and encourage outstanding young talent in diverse fields of performing arts, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, has introduced awards for young artists across the country from the year 2006 and onwards in the name of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, who passed away last year. The list of awardees for Ustad Bismillah Khan, who passed away last year. The list of awardees for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2006 was finalized on 15 Feb. 2007. The list includes 33 artistes below the age of 35 in the field of music, dance, theatre and puppetry. The award carries a prize money of Rs. 25,000.
New Book Release – Voices WIthin
Voices Within, a book on Carnatic music, has been written by the well-known musicians, T. M. Krishna and Bombay Jayashri. The book is a tribute to the giants of Carnatic music. The authors have in a simple lucid style, captured every single aspect of the life of every musician written in the book. The contributions, challenges, triumphs and idiosyncrasies of seven giants have been written in great detail. This book is available in all the leading book stores.
Congratulations
Drishti congratulates the young Bharatanatyam dancer, Priyanka Chandrashekar, disciple of Revathi Narsimhan for securing the first rank (with 90 per cent marks) in the state in the senior dance exam.
Admissions Open For 2007-2008, Alaknanda Institute For Performing Arts
For professional training in Kathak dance, Hindustani vocal music, keyboard, tabla and the arts, contact: A-62 A, Sector 20, Gautam Budh Nagar Inside Brahmananda Public School Noida 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India Mob: +91 98102 54233, +91 98719 91802 Email: info@kathakindia.org Website: http://www.kathakindia.org
New Book Release
Jayalakshmi Eshwar’s Hasta Prayogaah – Vocabulary of hand gestures in Bharatanatyam has been released as an essential reference work for Bharatanatyam students, professionals and teachers. Visit http://www.abhinayaa.org for more details and ordering information.
Intensive Kuchipudi Workshop
A major teaching event, Kuchipudi dance workshp is starting from 21 June and concluding on 30 June 2007 at Shambhavi Dance Theatre, Kengeri. This program is being jointly organized by Shambhavi Dance Theatre and the Sangeetha Nritya Academy, Bangalore. The chief resource person will be Vyjayanthi Kashi. The workshop is open to all those who have a passion for Kuchipudi and experience in any dance forms, school children, juniors, seniors and university students.
Contact: Shambhavi Dance Theatre, Survey No. 200/6, Sun city Road, Parallel to railway track, Kengeri Satellite Town, Bangalore 560 060.
Phone: 080-23357457, 23148164, 09448146110, Email: futureofdance@hotmail.com
90th birthday celebrations: Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam
Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam, born in 1917, is a well-known Carnatic musician, author, teacher and composer. The world of Carnatic music has started celebrating the 90th birthday celebrations from December 2006.
Prof. Ramarathnam, the only vocalist disciple of Sangeetha Rathna Mysore T. Chowdiah, was highly regarded by the doyens of Carnatic music such as Mysore Vasudevachar, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai, Alathoor Srinivasa Iyear and Musuri Subramanya Iyer. He was the first Principal of the University College of Music and Dance, University of Mysore since its inception in 1965, a position that he held till his retirement in 1987.
Harshitha Bhat
Kum. Harshitha Bhat, disciple of Guru Shubha Dhananjay, performed her Rangapravesha in Bharatanatyam on 20 May 2007, at Ravindra Kalakshetra, after seven years of training in this beautiful dance form under the able guidance of her guru.
She is a Central scholarship (CCRT) holder since 2002 and has won numerous accolades in competitions at district and state levels.
She has also participated in many state and national dance festivals and religious festivals, to name a few – Dasara Mahothsav-Mysore, Vachana Mahotsava-Delhi, Chalukyothsava-Badami, Janapada utsava. Along with her guru, she went recently (April 07) on a dance tour to China.
Harshita is a II-year PUC student at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, and is also a gifted singer trained in Carnatic music.
She seeks the blessings of artists and art lovers to flourish in this beautiful art.