Nagasvaram (nadaswaram): The “auspicious” wind instrument without which no festive occasion is ever complete

Aparna Karthikeyan, The Hindu, April 11, 2015 | To read the full story and view more photographs, click here >>  It takes many days to make a block of wood sing. And it takes exceptionally talented craftsmen to do it. The four families who still make the nadaswaram by hand in Narasingapettai (a village near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu) … Read more

Life-giver and soul of Indian music: The Tambura (tanpura) according to T.M. Krishna

In his recent book, A Southern Music: The Karnatik Story, T.M. Krishna reflects on those misconceptions and stereotypes that stand in the way of truly appreciating South Indian music. He reiterates the unique role played by the (acoustic) tambura / tanpura which is all too rarely heard ‘live’ in Indian concerts today.   For this eminent singer “it … Read more

Tambura / Tanpura “tree of enlightenment” for Mallikarjun Mansur

N. Manu Chakravarthy, The Hindu,  September 22, 2011 It [2011] is the centenary year of the legendary Jaipur-Atrauli musician Mallikarjun Mansur. Unravelling the individual genius of the maestro is also the study of a living tradition  It is not easy to locate the greatness of Pandit Mallikarjuna Mansur and understand his relevance in our times. The … Read more

Video | Documentary on S. Rajam singer, scholar, teacher and painter

S.Rajam is a multifaceted genius with creative talents in a variety of fields such as music, musicology, classical painting and acting. In the field of music, S. Rajam is an unparalleled authority on Vivadi ragas and has done much to popularize Koteeswara Iyer’s kritis. He has the distinction of being the only musician to have … Read more

Press coverage: A musical picture book from Kerala

Vaitari: A musical picture book from Kerala by V.C. Arun with an Introduction for educators and parents by Ludwig Pesch Making studies as pleasant as musicReview by A. Sangameswaran Two musicologists of international repute are on an innovative mission to educate music lovers across the world about the intrinsic value of Carnatic music as a potential tool for education … Read more

The Small Theatre (Sittrarangam) – Ekagrata Publications

Download the epub-version for offline reading, printing or getting read out on the Archive.org website >> Description The Small Theatre (Tamil Sittrarangam) is a chamber auditorium specially designed for Indian performing arts. Based on rural architecture, it provides a congenial atmosphere for traditional performers of dance, music and folk arts, and their audience alike. Introductory … Read more