Category archives: Musicians and scholars

Up-to-date information: Composers, musicians, scholars, publications and special events

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Periodicals and other recommended sites included in the above Google custom search:

  1. Deccan Herald
  2. Hindustantimes.com
  3. The Indian Express
  4. Livemint.com
  5. Madras Heritage and Carnatic Music by music historian V. Sriram
  6. Newindianexpress.com
  7. Sruti.com
  8. Telegraphindia.com (The Telegraph Calcutta)
  9. Thebetterindia.com
  10. TheHindu.com
  11. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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For information on places, persons, instruments or institutions

“The tambura is back. But where are the players?” – Interviews in The Hindu

Gaining prominence

Despite the many alternatives available today, fortunately we still get to see the tambura player on stage. In fact, the first thing many musicians do after accepting a concert date is to book their preferred tambura player. As more musicians show a renewed interest in the instrument, the tambura is experiencing a resurgence. Paradoxically, though, the number of dedicated artistes playing it is declining. […]

[Eminent violinist] RK Shriramkumar laments the fact that one needs to refer to the instrument as an acoustic tambura to distinguish it from its electronic version. “It’s a tragedy that musicians have brought upon themselves by settling for electronic versions. Just as instrumentalists are expected to bring their own instruments to concerts, vocalists must be instructed to bring tamburas. Students should be encouraged to play the tambura for their gurus on stage to experience the constant give and take.”

Source: “The tambura is back. But where are the players?” by Lakshmi Anand in The Hindu 2 December 2021

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-tambura-is-back-but-where-are-the-players/article37806267.ece

Date accessed: 29 June 2022

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Video | Raga Alapana on the Veena – The Music Academy Madras

Date: 30th Dec 2022, 8.00 am
By Vidushi Jayanthi Kumaresh

How does a vainika internalize a raga1 before he or she presents it?

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  1. The most concise definition of a raga may be that by Joep Bor: a tonal framework for composition and improvisation. [↩]

Tyagaraja (1767-1847) – Sruti Magazine

Tyagaraja Aradhana Festival
at Kalakshetra
Photo © Ludwig Pesch

The period 1750-1850 was a golden era in world music, when some of the greatest musician-composers lived and enriched the field. In Europe, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schumann and others lived during this period and created the symphony repertoire. It is a significant coincidence that the Carnatic Music trinity—Tyagaraja (1767-1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1776-1835) and Syama Sastry (1762-1827)—lived in a single area in Tanjore District during the same period.
As a tribute to Tyagaraja as we celebrate his 250th birth anniversary, we explore Tyagaraja’s compositions, his contribution to Carnatic music, his lyrics from the point of view of literature, prosody and poetics, his creation and craftsmanship of ragas1 and his devotion to Rama.

Source: “Tyagaraja 250: His art and craft: Cover Story by Pappu Venugopala Rao (Sruti Magazine, Issue 393)
URL: https://www.sruti.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=6&product_id=465
Date Visited: 6 December 2021

Order details & finding a library copy >>

For details on the classical music of South India (including staff notation for ragas covered in the Flow series), see the present author’s critically acclaimed reference work: The Oxford Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music >>

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  1. The most concise definition of a raga may be that by Joep Bor: a tonal framework for composition and improvisation. [↩]

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) 00:02:30
2. Jaganmohini dayApayOnidhE mAm pAhi.. Composer: Mishu Krishna Aiyyar 00:10:11
3. Madhyamavathi ​naadupai balikeru thyagaraja 00:17:20
4. Kedaragowla alapana 00:31:02 antha raama soundaryam Arunachala kavi 00:45:55
5. Veeravasanta vIra vasanta tyAgarAja mAm tArayAshu karuNA nidhE jaya (MSD) 00:54:50
6. Garudadhwani raga – Garuda Garuda ? -by her guru Smt. Suguna Purushottaman 00:58:30
7. Kalayani alapana 1:02:00 ​talli ninnu neranammi (Shyama Sastri) 1:18:30 Thani 1:38:03
8. virutham Petra thay thani maga marandhalm (raga malika) 1:55:12 Nadanamakriya ArAr Ashaip-paDAr nin pAdattukku … Shri Muthu Thandavar… 2:00:35
9. Mand thillana Lalgudi Jayaraman (see reply for lyrics) 2:03:45
10. Bhavamana 2:08:10

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