Launching carnatictimes.com -- your kapi time companion

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 09 Nov 2015, 04:03

Dear All

I have recently launched http://www.carnatictimes.com, a website in which I will be publishing interviews of Carnatic musicians and articles on Carnatic music.

An interview with Dr Nanditha Ravi, as well as an article on musicians who have moved out of Chennai, is now up on the site.

I am conducting more interviews and writing new articles, which I will publish on the site periodically.

Read more about CarnaticTimes here.

-Nivedita

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 Nov 2015, 04:32

Nivedita,
Living now in the UK, I wondered what a talented young woman like you was up to. You were doing so well as an interviewer on television in India. Spending time on your music of course, I thought.

Happy to hear about your kApi time.com

All the best to you

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 09 Nov 2015, 06:45

Nivedita,
Now I learn you are in UK. Good luck to you. As Arasi mentions your programs in Podhigai were all interesting.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
09 11 2015

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 09 Nov 2015, 07:11

Wondering why we did not see you in Podhikai. Best wishes. Will sure follow the site.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 09 Nov 2015, 12:57

Nivedita - Good to hear from you after a hiatus! Good luck! I am sure you will be fair, even as you ask tough questions!

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 10 Nov 2015, 19:10

Thank you very much, Arasi-ji, kvchellappa and rshankar!

Special thanks to you, Thanjavooran sir, for watching my shows and posting your comments here.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 16 Nov 2015, 02:39

The latest interview -- with mridangam artist and fellow forumite Ramkumar -- is now up.

http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/an-e ... -ramkumar/

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 01 Dec 2015, 05:27

A new article 'The Musician Makers' -- on the role of parents in the lives and careers of child musicians -- is now up. Features interviews with fellow forumites Shri V. Shrinivasan (cienu; grandson of Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi and father of vocalist S. Aishwarya) and Shri Krishnababu (tkb; father of Keyboard Sathyanarayana).

http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/the-musician-makers/

pattamaa · Post by **pattamaa** » 01 Dec 2015, 12:38

lovely article Nivedia... musician makers... nice writeup, and to backup with some great pictures... It's inspiration for other parents to encourage their children to take music more seriously... Cienu sir, you are a role model for rest of us... May MS amma and "MS Mama" bless all the kids who are learning music and encourage them to take the art very seriously and to practice well..

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 02 Dec 2015, 00:52

Nivedita: beautifully written!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Dec 2015, 22:49

Nivedita,
I'd say you outdid yourself in this! An excellent piece of writing, a blending of fascinating backgrounds of the two young artistes with a bright future.

No doubt, it it is an inspiring bit of writing, inspired as you were. A sobering experience for parents who put the cart before the horse--of wanting their children to be stars first.

Satya and Aishwarya are shining examples of their dedication to their music--and of their parents' amazing support. Add grandparents and family also. For the parents who think the family tag makes it easy for them to get a foot in the door, we see how much of work goes into it to be worthy of that recognition and in sustaining it

Hats off to the families AND to the youngsters for continuing to work on their gifts. We are assured of CM continuing to flourish by reading about these two. There are more in the making and are we glad

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 06 Dec 2015, 19:49

Thank you very much, pattamma, rshankar and arasi-ji!

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 06 Dec 2015, 19:52

Many of our Carnatic musicians have been working selflessly and doing oustanding rescue and relief work in flood-hit Chennai -- a big salute to them all: http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/altr ... stry-next/

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 07 Dec 2015, 08:31

Nivedita. Well brought up. Shows the acumen of our musicians beyond music. Waiting for more articles in your emag.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 12 Jan 2016, 00:10

Thank you, CRama.

The next interview 'Master of the Kanjira' with Shri K.V. Gopalakrishnan is now up:
http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/mast ... akrishnan/

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 12 Jan 2016, 08:08

Nice, packed with interesting info as usual.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 22 Jan 2016, 16:47

Thank you, kvchellappa sir.

The next article 'Lessons from the concert stage' has now been published. Even after several years of being a student and countless hours of rigorous practice, a new musician learns plenty of invaluable lessons from performing. Vocalists Akshay Padmanabhan and Vivrd Prasanna talk about the things they have learnt in this article: http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/less ... ert-stage/

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 22 Jan 2016, 18:04

Thanks.
The resonses make me reminisce:
Sanjay said that he tried to practise in front of a mirror trying to sing poker-faced like Voleti, but gave it up.
Re. requests, one prominent singer searched for the lyric and said, 'I will sing next time. I do not have the lyric.' One prominent singer said when asked about 'Kurai onrum illai' said, 'Everyone sings it. So, i have not shown interest to learn it.' I do not now what happened he started singing it a couple of years later. Another promnent singer also makes a sarcastic remark about all singing it.
It is interesting when artists share their learning and performing experience from their angle.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 22 Jan 2016, 22:31

The next article 'Lessons from the concert stage' has now been published.

Very interesting; a very nice article. Would be nice to follow up with a similar one, from the perspective of, say, one violinist and one mridangist.

An aside... how to handle the name "vivrd," and from what is it derived? How is it pronounced? If the answer needs to be in Tamil, that's fine: I can get Sushi to explain it to me,

balatpsundari · Post by **balatpsundari** » 22 Jan 2016, 23:08

A very well written article Nivedita, very nice write up.

Thank you very much.

Nick H - To answer your question - "Vivrd" is derived from "Sanskrit"
We chose this (word/name) from a Narasimhar (one of the avatars of Vishna) - Slokam.
it is pronounced as
"viv" (*as in viv-ian richard) and
"rd - is pronounced as "rudh"

Vivr(u)d(h) - hope am clear ? (sorry if not.... let me know).

if you know devanagiri Script here is the way it is written. विवृध्

The meaning(s) of this name/word is :
"To exhilarate, to be lucky, become large or powerful, propsper, spring up, nourish, arise, grow, gladden, augment, thrive....... and few more "

Thank you
Prasanna & Vidya (parent of Vivrd )

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 23 Jan 2016, 04:48

Thank you

. I probably need to hear it spoken a few times to complete the lesson. My wife may be able to read the script. Her first language is Tamil, but she has learnt some Hindi. Not Sanskrit, though.
Best wishes to the thing man.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 29 Jan 2016, 14:27

Nick H wrote:
The next article 'Lessons from the concert stage' has now been published.
Very interesting; a very nice article. Would be nice to follow up with a similar one, from the perspective of, say, one violinist and one mridangist.

Thanks, Nick. And that's a good idea, will try and do a follow-up piece.

In the latest interview 'Where passion and talent run deep', vocalist and violinist Amritha Murali talks about her passion for music, her training with senior gurus and her concert career: http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/wher ... ha-murali/

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 29 Jan 2016, 16:05

Excellent questions and nicely answered by an all rounder in C/M. In general a very interesting interview.
Good luck to you. Keep us all engaged with more and more such programmes.
Thanjavooran
29 01 2016

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 29 Jan 2016, 17:05

nivedita wrote:In the latest interview 'Where passion and talent run deep', vocalist and violinist Amritha Murali talks about her passion for music, her training with senior gurus and her concert career: http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/wher ... ha-murali/

A gem of an interview, and a wonderful choice. She is a modest and quiet person, and a truly wonderful artist. Apart from her music, I was always impressed by the regularity with which I see her in the concerts of others. I asked her about this one day, and she said she just loves the music, and cannot go without attending the concerts. I asked her if this even if she was frequently performing herself, and the answer was an emphatic yes. She is absolutely a true music lover: I am sure performers appreciate her presence in the audience, let alone on stage.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 27 Feb 2016, 22:47

Thanks, Nick and thanjavooran.

In the next interview 'Silken voice, soulful music', vocalist Vasudha Ravi talks about her guru Dr Manjula Sriram, training, family and career:
http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/silk ... ha-ravi-2/

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 27 Feb 2016, 23:44

Nivedita, It is a very good interview, with a talented musician. I have met her in the presence of her guru, and she is like a mother to her!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 28 Feb 2016, 07:39

Nice as usual. I wish each interviewer would do the sort of homework you do in being able to elicit interesting info. I felt at home about the values of CM that was conventional until the modernists came along and disowned its origins and tried to set it apart from its genetic ambience.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 02 Apr 2016, 21:20

Thank you very much! Appreciate your comments, especially since it hasn't been easy interviewing and writing with a 50-day-old baby!

In the next article, 'Grooming without gurukulavasam', I write about how the gurus of today are producing shishyas of high calibre even without a gurukulavasam set-up, with inputs from vocalists Anahita Ravindran (disciple of Shri Chitravina Ravikiran) and Krithika Natarajan (disciple of Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman and Smts Ranjani-Gayathri): http://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/groo ... kulavasam/

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 14 Jun 2016, 15:49

'He is blessed with a precocious talent for music and revels in all the attention it gets him, yet has a firm head on his shoulders. Not one to rest on his laurels, he works hard and with passion, and is constantly trying to improve and innovate. With oodles of enthusiasm, a smiling countenance and the looks of a hero, this young man never fails to impress — on the stage and off it.'

Meet flautist J.A. Jayanth, grandson and disciple of the late flute maestro Shri T.S. Sankaran, in the latest interview on carnatictimes.com: https://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/lik ... -grandson/

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 14 Jun 2016, 16:59

Nice interview nivedita. Best wishes for the talented instrumentalist with no electronics.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 14 Jun 2016, 18:07

nivedita wrote:especially since it hasn't been easy interviewing and writing with a 50-day-old baby!

Missed this earlier!
First-off: congratulations!
Next: Hope you and your husband are finally getting some sleep!

Best Wishes for sustained enjoyment of 'piLLai-k kani amudu'!

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 24 Jun 2016, 09:47

Nivedita,
Blessings to the new arrival.
I have heard Sathanur Sankaran taking lessons from his father in my school days. An excellent interview.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
24 06 2016

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 24 Jun 2016, 12:06

Welcome to the new family member. We look forward to the first interview: I'm sure mum's talent will be there

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 25 Jun 2016, 19:52

Nivedita (proud parents),

It took me this long to zero in on this wonderful piece of news. Thanks to Ravi and Nick, I was alerted!

May that child of yours inspire you to be more creative besides demanding you to be an
all-absorbed mother! Love and blessings to the little one

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 30 Jun 2016, 13:11

Thank you, arasi-ji, Nick, thanjavooran, rshankar and rajeshnat! It's been a busy and exciting few months!

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 30 Jun 2016, 13:13

"I have learnt that I should practise like there is no tomorrow at home but sing like I have all the time in the world on stage."

In 'Stardom beckons', the next interview on carnatictimes.com, vocalist Sriranjani Santhanagopalan talks about her music, family and career! Read the full interview at https://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/sta ... nagopalan/

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 30 Jun 2016, 17:54

nivedita wrote:"I have learnt that I should practise like there is no tomorrow at home but sing like I have all the time in the world on stage."

The truth is exactly opposite that too considering reduced kutcheri time and with more and more performers in nearly the same count of concert venues. You have to sing in stage as though there is no tomorrow .Nice one nivedita - sriranjani is always confident both on and off the stage is my best conclusion.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Jun 2016, 18:17

Very nice, Nivedita!
IIRC, her cousin Gokul is a forumite - Tyagarajadasa....

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 30 Jun 2016, 18:35

Nice as usual. Best wishes to the artist to realise her ambition and to Nivedita to bring out more such gems.

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 27 Aug 2016, 22:14

The next article, 'For the love of Carnatic music', is now up on Carnatic Times!

Read the incredible, inspiring story of fellow forumite, British rasika and music student Nick Haynes and Malaysian-Chinese vocalist Chong Chiu Sen, a disciple of the doyen Smt. D.K. Pattammal: https://carnatictimes.com/portfolio/for ... tic-music/

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 27 Aug 2016, 23:04

Thank you nivedita. I don't feel that I did anything really remarkable, but I guess it's true that some remarkable things have happened to me, and music has been a part of that. A major part, over the past two or three decades.

Sitting in the audience is the easiest thing in the world to do! The really remarkable ones are those that learn the music. Hats off to my fellow interviewee, Chong. I hope I get to meet him in December and hear him sing. I can imagine what an experience it must have been working with Manoj Siva and RKSK: they are both amazing people. Amazing that he chanced upon DK Pattammal. I've been lucky enough to visit her house once, but I never saw her concerts. Meeting her was another magical experience.

NB: Smt Vedavalli's concert for September is now planned for early October.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 28 Aug 2016, 13:14

Reads like a fable. Thanks.

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 29 Aug 2016, 11:32

Nivedita,
Excellent ! I really enjoyed the write up besides the catching captions viz
For the love of Carnatic music, Challenges along the way , Foreigners no more etc.
Lot of informations I gathered.
Wishes to the Artistes
Thanjavooran
29 08 2016

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 29 Aug 2016, 22:00

Nivedita- Great writeup.
Nick - always a joy to hear more anecdotes about your plunge to CM.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 29 Aug 2016, 22:50

Thank you Rajesh.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Aug 2016, 05:26

Awesome write-up, Nivedita. Nick, good to hear about your story....

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 30 Aug 2016, 06:51

Dear Nivedita
Wonderful write up.. Enjoyed reading this.
Dear Nick
It was great to hear from you how you fell in love with Carnatic music.

Ramasubramanian M.K · Post by **Ramasubramanian M.K** » 30 Aug 2016, 07:40

Nivedita: Excellent work!!! Like the proverbial "Late Lateef", I noticed this topic only TODAY!! Shame on me!! The interviews are crisp and well structured--the recurring themes mentioned by the interviewees--intense practice,the Gurus' dedication to teaching despite their own busy schedules--all run thro the interviews. What I liked most was the absence of inane questions which most of the TV hosts/hostesses spout!! Letting the artistes being interviewed freely speak their minds without 'cliched prompting' by the interviewer,was another thing I liked!!

Cienu,Nick et al--you have proven yourselves to be good subjects to be interviewed.
Nivedita,wishing you the best and looking forward to more such interviews--a little bit of 'spice" humor being extracted from the artistes would make it juicier!!!

Anusha · Post by **Anusha** » 30 Aug 2016, 09:28

Thank you, Nivedita. Wonderful narration, as always!

nivedita · Post by **nivedita** » 30 Aug 2016, 13:44

Thanks much for kind words, everyone! Very motivating!