Muthulakshmi Reddy – A Trailblazer in Surgery and Women’s Rights: Biography of a “reformer from the inside” by VR Devika

Muthulakshmi Reddy – A Trailblazer in Surgery and Women’s Rights is the story of a pioneer path-creator for women. She was the first girl student in Maharaja’s School for Boys in Pudukkottai, the first Indian woman surgeon from Madras Medical College, the first Indian member of the Women’s Indian Association, the first woman member of … Read more

Video | Vocal recital by Dr. K. Gayatri – Naada Inbam Festival

Dr. K.Gayatri – Vocal,Vid. Vittal Rangan – Violin,Vid. R.Shankaranarayanan – Mridangam,Vid. H.Prasanna – Ghatam.Recording of Live Concert on 22.12.2022 Thursday 6.15pm Items in YouTube Comments by courtesy Swami Nathan >>(please check the above link for any updates) 1. ​Reethigowlai (after sloka) 00:02:302. Jaganmohini dayApayOnidhE mAm pAhi.. Composer: Mishu Krishna Aiyyar 00:10:113. Madhyamavathi ​naadupai balikeru thyagaraja … Read more

An artiste creates and modifies his or her style for several reasons: “Let’s Talk Carnatic” by Mopachennai.org

Is tradition set in stone? Is not change even within a musician’s lifetime in the natural order of things? Does custom or convention in musical practice have to be held sacrosanct at the cost of organic modification or adaptation? An artiste creates and modifies, subtly or otherwise, his or her style for several reasons – … Read more

A lesson (thought experiment) inspired by Gandhi’s understanding of music

The challenge of going beyond a “narrow understanding of classical” music has long been debated among performers and musicologists; whether for the sake of creativity and self-expression or ideals like “serving society through music”, even harnessing the healing power of music where most needed. So what about reconsidering all of this and more in the … Read more

Appreciating the beauty and importance of the nagasvaram: “Carnatic music grew because of the nagaswaram” – S. Rajam

In this part, I quote from my recording with S. Rajam on T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai, done in early 2007 [brief excerpts] “Carnatic music grew because of the nagaswaram. Our art originated in the temples — especially, dance and nagaswaram. During the daily three-time worship at temples, the nagaswaram would be played all the times. Source: … Read more

Raga Sri | A musical tribute to Dr. Pia Buonomo Srinivasan – Brhaddhvani

Dr. Karaikudi Subramanian and Dr. Meenakshi Subramanian salute Dr. Pia Buonomo Srinivasan (May 15, 1931 – April 8, 2022)1 for her respect and selfless contribution to vina and its tradition. […] We dedicate the raga Sri2 she loved particularly in her memory. | Read the full tribute posted on the video channel of Brhaddhvani – … Read more

The tambura’s role in perfect alignment to pitch: “The most beautiful way to discover music” – T.M. Krishna

To sing just with the tanpura has been revealing: TM Krishna M Suganth | Times of India | Nov 27, 2014 | To read the full article, click here >> They had collaborated earlier for Margazhi Raagam, which was a first-of-its-kind Carnatic concert film and now, singer TM Krishna and filmmaker Jayendra have come together … Read more

“My music is an extension of my tambura” – Bombay Jayashri

Can digital alternatives substitute the original symbol of sruti?by Aruna Chandaraju in The Hindu, 29 March 2018 >> Classical musicians have many concerns. A major one is having a perfectly tuned tambura — when practising and performing. Naturally. The tambura aka tanpura, is the keeper of the pitch. It is the guardian of the right … Read more