Lyrics

Birdsong in Indian music: “A rich tapestry that intertwines music, poetry and nature”

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Read “How images of birds enliven Indian classical music” by Chitra Srikrishna (Scroll, 2 February 2025) along with images and YouTube contents:https://scroll.in/article/1077488/how-images-of-birds-enliven-indian-classical-music Bhakti poet Andal, Marathi mystic Dhyaneshwar and Tamil poet Subramania Bharati have all used birds as rich metaphorical devices. Both the Carnatic and Hindustani classical traditions are filled with the songs of birds. … Read more

Mahakavi Bharati: The Man, His Poetry, Those Times

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In commemoration of the 100th death anniversary of poet C. Subramania Bharati, join us on this virtual event as we celebrate the life and works of Mahakavi Bharati. Usha Rajagopalan is a writer, translator, and lake conservationist. Geetha Srikrishnan hails from a musically inclined family, and is a Classical Carnatic Musician. An independent writer who … Read more

Flow | The right tempo or “kalapramanam”

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If there is a single feature of Carnatic music to account for its mesmerizing effect on listeners it may well be a feature known as kalapramanam: practicing rhythm (laya)1 and performing in the the “right tempo”2 (kālapramānam) which, once chosen, remains even (until the piece is concluded). Adopting it as part of regular practice enables … Read more

Pallavi | A musical tribute to Dr Pia & Prof SA Srinivasan – Sannidi Academy of Music and Arts

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This concise vocal composition (pallavi) by Vidvan TR Sundaresan pays tribute (namaste) two outstanding personalities in this field:Dr. Pia Srinivasan & Prof. SA Srinivasan whose affection (priya) and discerning patronage (rasika) of the language of music (sangīta sāhitya) could hardly be expressed better than through music itself

What makes one refer to Carnatic music as “classical or art music”?

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Tyagaraja worried about many things — about the death of brahmanatva — the lofty way of thinking and living, of sham religiosity, of sycophancy, of Lord Rama’s reluctance to bestow grace. In one such song in the poignant raga Naganandini, he laments: sattaleni dinamunu vacchena Such days have come… Days that have no strength (sattu) … Read more