Sangeetha Kalanidhi 2017

[melam72]

It may be called Sangeetha Kalanidhi, but the way it is chosen has no 'Needhi'.

[arasi]

Srikant,
Yes. It was VidwAn Pinakapani I was referring to, the region being Andhra Pradesh...

[RaviSri]

To set the record straight about MDR. In 1983, Rukmini Devi tried her level best to secure MDR the SK that year. MDR himself, though a person given to not much of desires, wanted the Kalanidhi. He and Rukmini Devi knew that he wouldn't survive for more than a year. Rukmini Devi went to Semmangudi's house (yes, she did that) and fervently appealed to him to select MDR. In the 1980s it was the one man army, namely Semmangudi who chose the Kalanidhi. Semmangudi remarked to Rukmini Devi that MDR was sick and wondered whether he would be able to preside over the 13 day kAryam (That is how the old man used to refer to the MA conference). Rukmini Devi rightly felt this was hitting below the belt and that Semmangudi it was who had all along conspired to keep out MDR from being awarded SK. To prevent further claims Pinakapani was chosen, by Semmangudi (who else?) and the latter himself was rather shocked that the MA which never gave him a cutchery should condescend to ask him to preside over its conference. And Pani was not given a concert even in the year he presided. He performed a concert by default because MDR who was to perform was sick on that day and cancelled his concert. Thus the matter rested and so did MDR a few months later.

[arasi]

RaviSri,
What a revelation! Sad story
Thanks...


nIdiyO?
mELam koTTuvadu sila nEram kELAdiruppadu mElAm
nILamAi muzhakkuvAr, nIdi ellAm pugalvAr, A! nIdiyO?
nIdimati rAgamenil, kAda dUram ODuvAr, kalyANiyum
tidikkum tODiyum, bairaviyum pOdumenRE, pArum!

It's best not to listen to mELam many times
Haranguing, he would speak of laws, his own--
If it's nItimati, he'd run away in dismay--kalyANi
Sweet tODi and bhairavi are the limits for him

[kvchellappa]

Kodutthuvecchavar, pAdal petruvittAre! ithu enna nIthiyo?

[thanjavooran]

Shri RaviSri,
Not heard about this unpleasant episode sofar. Thanks . SSI once remarked that not giving SK to TR Mali and TNR is still haunting MA.
Thanjavooran
02 05 2017

[pattamaa]

From the time I heard (few years before) that SSI played dirty politics I stopped hearing his music. Can't believe that he did it again to MDR also. MDR is much beyond SK award .... God is great.

[hnbhagavan]

Times are not different even now.The likes of Vijayasiva,O S Thyagarajan have been left out.Criteria changes from year to year.Some times criteria may fit only one candidate.

[shankarank]

He performed a concert by default because MDR who was to perform was sick on that day and cancelled his concert. Thus the matter rested and so did MDR a few months later.

The matter did not rest there. I don't know if that was the year Pani garu gave the demonstration of a pallavi without any accompaniment - but he was quoted anyways here : http://media.libsyn.com/media/sanjaysub ... de_011.mp3 to declare that Mridangam is not music.

It is surreal ( not just ironical)! - that the person quoted to prove that point replaced MDR for kalanidhi! At least that partly explains why MDR does not deserve a kalanidhi

[ram1999]

In one of the interviews of Dr. Pinakapani by Sruti magazine, he has quoted how hard he tried to perform in the music circles in chennai. He was very close to Sri GNB and also to an extent with Semmangudi. GNB tried a lot to bring Dr. Pani to perform in chennai and MA but couldnt succeed. Dr. Pani's response to the interviewer does seem to be a very unpleasant experience and that he says he did not pursue this any further.

Yes in the year he was awarded the title, he was not given an opportunity to perform and he filled the gap when MDR cancelled his concert.

Infact in one of the Nedunuri concerts at KGS a year or 2 after he was awarded the SK, he commented during the concert that he had a special affinity towards KGS for the simple fact that he was supported by KGS in his earlier years and that he was recognised and awarded the Sangeetha Choodamni much before MA awarding SK to him.



Sad state of affairs - less spoken the better !!!

[melam72]

If it's nItimati, he'd run away in dismay--kalyANi
Sweet tODi and bhairavi are the limits for him

Neethimathi I can abide. I love Bhairavi and Kalyani.

Thodi ....

[parivadini]

In one of the interviews of Dr. Pinakapani by Sruti magazine, he has quoted how hard he tried to perform in the music circles in chennai. He was very close to Sri GNB and also to an extent with Semmangudi. GNB tried a lot to bring Dr. Pani to perform in chennai and MA but couldnt succeed. Dr. Pani's response to the interviewer does seem to be a very unpleasant experience and that he says he did not pursue this any further.

Yes in the year he was awarded the title, he was not given an opportunity to perform and he filled the gap when MDR cancelled his concert.

Infact in one of the Nedunuri concerts at KGS a year or 2 after he was awarded the SK, he commented during the concert that he had a special affinity towards KGS for the simple fact that he was supported by KGS in his earlier years and that he was recognised and awarded the Sangeetha Choodamni much before MA awarding SK to him.



Sad state of affairs - less spoken the better !!!

Are you referring to the interview that was published a few years back or the one in the eighties?

[ram1999]

In one of the interviews of Dr. Pinakapani by Sruti magazine, he has quoted how hard he tried to perform in the music circles in chennai. He was very close to Sri GNB and also to an extent with Semmangudi. GNB tried a lot to bring Dr. Pani to perform in chennai and MA but couldnt succeed. Dr. Pani's response to the interviewer does seem to be a very unpleasant experience and that he says he did not pursue this any further.

Yes in the year he was awarded the title, he was not given an opportunity to perform and he filled the gap when MDR cancelled his concert.

Infact in one of the Nedunuri concerts at KGS a year or 2 after he was awarded the SK, he commented during the concert that he had a special affinity towards KGS for the simple fact that he was supported by KGS in his earlier years and that he was recognised and awarded the Sangeetha Choodamni much before MA awarding SK to him.



Sad state of affairs - less spoken the better !!!

Are you referring to the interview that was published a few years back or the one in the eighties?

Not sure of the year of publication !

[SrinathK]

And since HNB did mention the episode of Lalgudi, his biography set the record straight on that. There came a point where he was repeatedly promised it only to have his hopes dashed every time. And he wasn't the type that went campaigning for awards. His attempt to try and secure more solo opportunities for instrumentalists was criticized as an act of self promotion and trying to canvass for the award. One thing that the book does not mention (which is however out there on rasikas) is that this was also the decade when a senior musician got his way by threatening suicide if he wasn't given his due and LGJ who was promised it had to be sidelined. The last straw on the camel's back was when a senior dignitary at a major function mistakenly believed him to be a Sangeetha Kalanidhi only to be publicly denied by Semmangudi who was also on stage.

Lalgudi felt at that point that enough was enough and it wasn't worth these allegations and humiliations and then went to Semmangudi and declined the award. Naturally, critics found more ammo and now accused him of acting like he was above great awards and Subuddu even made a sarcastic statement that Lalgudi still had some years left in him and probably could afford to wait.

The tale of this award has a very colourful and dramatic history both in the circles of musicians and the rasikas. Keep the fireworks ready for whatever may unfold this time.

[parivadini]

Not sure of the year of publication !

The reason I ask is, if it was a recent interview - then I was the interviewer. (My interview in Tamil was translated and reproduced in sruti.)

The parts below was what he said in this context.

1970-லேயே இந்தியன் ஃபைன் ஆர்ட்ஸின் இசை விழாவுக்கு தலைமை வகித்தேன். அவர்கள் கூட, என்னை 1992 வரை மீண்டும் கச்சேரி செய்ய அழைக்கவில்லை.

என் கச்சேரி ரேடியோ நேஷனல் ப்ரோக்ராமில் வர வேண்டும் என்று பலர் கேட்டுக் கொண்டதற்கு, “அவர் musicologist. கச்சேரி செய்யும் வித்வான் அல்ல.”, என்றாராம் அன்று டெல்லியில் பொறுப்பில் இருந்த ஈமணி சங்கர சாஸ்திரி. இத்தனைக்கும் அவரும் ஆந்திரத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர். பின்பு, 1972-ல் என்னை கச்சேரி செய்ய அவரே அழைப்பு விடுத்த போது, “If I was not fit twenty years before, my music has not become any better now”, என்று பதிலெழுதி மறுத்துவிட்டேன். என்னை மீண்டும் ஒரு முறை பரிசீலிக்கச் சொன்ன போது, “My previous reply stands good for now and for ever”, என்று எழுதினேன்.

1983-ல் எனக்கு சங்கீத கலாநிதி பட்டம் வழங்கப்பட்டது. அந்த வருடம் கூட, கச்சேரி செய்யும் வாய்ப்பை எனக்கு சங்கீத வித்வத் சபை அளிக்கவில்லை. ஏனென்று கேட்டதற்கு, “பினாகபாணி போன்ற உயர்தரக் கலைஞரை, வெறும் மேடைக் கலைஞருள் ஒருவராகச் சேர்க்க வேண்டாம்”, என்று சாமர்த்தியமாய் கூறினார்களாம். அந்த ஆண்டில் நடந்த காலை வேளை விரிவுரைகளுக்கு மட்டும் தலைமை ஏற்று வந்தேன். திடீர் என்று ஒருநாள், எம்.டி.ராமநாதனுக்கு உடல் நலமில்லை என்பதால், என்னை கச்சேரி செய்யச் சொன்னார்கள். “இப்போது மட்டும் எனது சங்கீதம் மேடைக் கலைஞரின் நிலைக்குத் தாழ்ந்துவிட்டதா”, என்று கேட்டேன். அவர்கள் தொடர்ந்து வற்புறுத்தியதால் கச்சேரி செய்தேன்.

He mentioned that GNB was impressed with Dr. Pani's music and arranged for "one chamber concert". In my lengthy conversations with him he never mentioned that GNB "tried a lot".

[kvchellappa]

It looks like World War episodes! Why is no film maker taking up this plot?

[melam72]

It looks like World War episodes! Why is no film maker taking up this plot?

Because the only dramatic fights over here are between the ego of musicians

[melam72]

Even a couple of years ago, Sri Vijaya Siva made some acerbic remark about SPSS when delivering an award acceptance speech. Has Vijaya Siva really become the MD Ramanathan of our times in terms of missed opportunities???

[hnbhagavan]

In fact Vijaya Siva was not featured in MA last two years.However i noticed he came to MA with his brother and had food in the canteen!

[arasi]

''pApi pET!"--borrowing Varsha's expression...

Chellappa,
Rich material for a movie indeed, but you can't make Amadeus over and over again, unless we have an indian version of it in some language already!

Melam,
tODi enna pAvam seidadO? kAm-
bOdiyin gatiyum adutAnO?

Poor tODi! Is it the same fate with khAmbOdi too?

[Nick H]

you can't make Amadeus over and over again, unless we have an indian version of it ...

The last thing we want is the "Mozart of Madras" turning up in this thread.

[melam72]

Melam,
tODi enna pAvam seidadO? kAm-
bOdiyin gatiyum adutAnO?

Arasi Avargale,

Kambhoja desathu melamum ragamum enakku mikap
periya kaambhojathai serkirathu; aanaal
thodi raagathai kandu
kaamam illai;
krodham mattume!
Melum enna seyyalaam,
Isaiyarasiye?

(Arasi madam,
The tunes and rhythms of the land of Kambhoja translate into
paroxysms of kaambodha; yet,
I feel no kaam when I see
Thodi;
Only krodha!
What more can we do,
Oh song queen?)

[MaheshS]

is that this was also the decade when a senior musician got his way by threatening suicide if he wasn't given his due

Rajam Iyer - KVN got it, so I deserve as well being a disciple of Ariyakudi, if not I am going to hang my self in the Music Academy Lalgudi was also *very* peeved off that TNK got it before him ... just saying.

None of them were / are saints. They just talk about not wanting this or that, and behind the scenes do every dirty trick available to make sure they do

Carnatic musicians and their music are completely different things. I just look at the later and try not even to go near their "human" side. Not to mention the "jalras" / "enemies" they accumulate along the way.

Meh. Listen to their music when you can, and keep well way from them was the advice I was given a long time ago. And so far it's been proven to be true.

[RaviSri]

Rajam Iyer - KVN got it, so I deserve as well being a disciple of Ariyakudi, if not I am going to hang my self in the Music Academy

Rajam Iyer was peeved in 1986 when KVN was selected. Actually KVN himself was not the first choice. T.T.Vasu, then President of MA wanted to honour Pandit Ravishankar as that was the diamond jubilee year of MA and he wanted a glamorous candidate for the occasion. Most committee men opposed it, so did Semmangudi. Further Ravishankar himself, though not averse to getting the award told Vasu that he would not be able to preside over the 13 day kAryam. Vasu and a few others then opted for Lalgudi. But the Pitamaha put his foot down. KVN was then chosen. Rajam Iyer was all fury throughout the conference. After the dawn of 1987 itself Rajam Iyer made it clear to Vasu that he was the senior most disciple of AyyangArwAL, KVN was his junior, therefore he should have got it instead of KVN. But he would excuse the Academy if he were awarded that year. "What if we don't?" asked Vasu. "I will hang myself from the Academy's lobby ceiling" was the reply. Vasu discussed the threat with the Pitamaha who said, "Vasu inda vvarSham avanukku kuDutthuDalAm. avanODa pAvam namakku vENDAm". Thus it was that another farce was enacted. Lalgudi coming to know of all this made it known to Vasu that he was "opting out" and permanently.

At the beginning of the 1987 season I asked Vasu why he did not call Rajam Iyer's bluff. He said they didn't want a corpse on the Academy premises and the subsequent police and court vyavahArams. I told him that it was impossible for anyone to hang himself from the lobby. "Look at the height. Anyone wanting to commit suicide will have to bring a very tall ladder and such things were available only with the Fire department. Rajam Iyer was just bluffing. Even the ceilings of the other rooms at the Academy, the library, the music classrooms etc were all very high and before anyone could try to hang himself he would be caught". At that time committing suicide in India was a criminal act. Anyway, Vasu said, the Pitamaha had decided that he or MA did not want to live with Rajam Iyer's curse.

This is how the MA has conducted its affairs for many decades. And for many musicians and even for many rasikas the SK even now is a "Prestigious award" which is at the least, silly. The machinations right from 1939, the dirty politics, the back stabbing all these have brought down the so called prestige of the award. If the whole of the Ganga and Cauvery waters are used to bathe the Academy, the institution is not going to be purified.

[ram1999]

Parivadini,

perhaps it was the interview which was published in the 90s which i am referring to. Will try and hunt for the magazine and post it, if i find it.
Your interview is the 2010 interview which i have read ...

[ram1999]

Rajam Iyer - KVN got it, so I deserve as well being a disciple of Ariyakudi, if not I am going to hang my self in the Music Academy

How did Semmangudi get so much clout to control the affairs of the MA single handedly and having the veto powers ??

[shankarank]

None of them were / are saints. They just talk about not wanting this or that, and behind the scenes do every dirty trick available to make sure they do

This is one of those kinds of expectations ( that they be like saints!) that is creating all this noise about this being not a religious music - but art music! And we don't have to consider the question even if it is religious music or art music - as those terms mean so many things that there is no clarity in that. If we need to consider that - we have been having that discussion already in so many ways!

If the musicians have to live amidst the community they serve and they have the same material needs as the rest and need recognition as part of that, I don't see anything conflicting ( this is not about right vs. wrong) in them going after something!

If an artist who toils cannot seek recognition , no philosophy or moral on earth makes sense to me!!!

If we don't agree with institutions and their selections for awards, first we need to remember they put their reputation on the line (in this day and age) - before we get to judge them even. We should just let them do that also - make what we think is a wrong selection!

Before we complain that MDR was not selected, did we as a community in sufficient numbers value his music - then?

[pattamaa]

>>If the whole of the Ganga and Cauvery waters are used to bathe the Academy, the institution is not going to be purified.

Well said !!!

[pattamaa]

Rajam Iyer - KVN got it, so I deserve as well being a disciple of Ariyakudi, if not I am going to hang my self in the Music Academy

How did Semmangudi get so much clout to control the affairs of the MA single handedly and having the veto powers ??

Ditto - i have same question from yesterday. curious... Is it because of Sadasivam connection, and fund raising for building etc ?

[shankarank]

>>If the whole of the Ganga and Cauvery waters are used to bathe the Academy, the institution is not going to be purified.

Well said !!!

Lets worry about purifying Ganga/Yamuna and there is no water to speak of in cauvery!. Yamuna is already a dead river it seems with no oxygen to support life!

[devan]

Tvg. also got his sk. by threatening. When Sudha Ragunathan was given the sk. Tvg.was angry. In Sudha Ragunathan's sk.speech the president said in future it will given to youngsters. In the very next year he ate his own words and give it to Tvg. It is still a mystery for what mr. Tvg. For mrindangm or vocal. He has achieved nothing in both. Only when you cry you will get milk.

[hnbhagavan]

TVG
Devan - such statements do not augur well.TVG i do not know why you think he has not contributed.He has produced wonderful musicians-S Varadarajan is an outstanding violinist.The combined concerts of BMK-MSG-TVG made its mark.True he may not be the best,but his contribution is significant.

[kvchellappa]

The MA policy is to rotate old ones and youngsters as clarified by Mr. Murali. The award, I think, is for service in the cause of music. To say that TVG has not done it is to fly in the face of facts. It is a different issue if there were not more deserving ones, which would be relevant, and equally futile outside the MA precincts, with each pick.
To equate the image of a musician in the eyes of the ordinary rasikas with that of an 'expert' body is perhaps an intended satire on MA!

[devan]

For overall contribution you can give Sangeetha acharya,not sk. In the recent years it has been given for a specific field. If there is no achievement in any particular field you can use the word overall contribution. They want to give to it to tvg. That is it.

[kvchellappa]

An unrelated thought: Normally we hear of Indra in purana when he steals a horse to wreck a sacrifice.

[hnbhagavan]

Sangeetha Kalanidhi is considered to be above Acharya i presume.Sangeeta Kala Acharya seems to be a consolation prize.
A rasika is entitled to his opinions,likes and dislikes.But to dismiss some one very senior like TVG is not in good taste and above all in a public forum.
In case a rasika does think a vidwan being good or bad,he need not attend such concerts.

[pattamaa]

i think, devan meant Sri TVG is not a performing artist.. he also doesn't perform in MA or elsewhere (neither vocal or mridangam), not even in senior slot.. so, he was saying archarya award was more fit. am i right ?

[semmu86]

SSI's connection with and his hold on the affairs of The MA (Esp on the SK selection) is quite well known and documented by many. His connections with the MA presidents and secretaries from KVK, K R Sundaram Iyer, right till the days of TTV etc... Lesser the said and discussed on this, better it is!!!

[Nick H]

The wonder is that the institution, and its awards, have maintained the reputation they have.

[arasi]

"Semmu" himself has said it

Now, if we behave not as rasikas (those who appreciate CM, in our case), and veer towards the very thing we bash (that is--show irreverence to musicians whose livelihood it is), we better not call ourselves rasikas.

Bhagwan,
Yes. If we ridicule them: ivan enna pADaRAn/ vAsikkiRAn? (What's his singing/playing worth, eh?).
The answer from them will be: ivA ellAm enna rasikiRA? (And these folks call themselves rasikas?).

History is fine, but it isn't wise to make sensation out of events, our getting down to the level of tabloid journalism...srkris, hope you are tuned in!

[sureshvv]

i think, devan meant Sri TVG is not a performing artist.. he also doesn't perform in MA or elsewhere (neither vocal or mridangam), not even in senior slot..

If so, he would be wrong. TVG performs plenty. In addition he is also a composer & teacher.

[sureshvv]

How about Madurai Sri G. S. Mani? His contributions are phenomenal.

[SrinathK]

Whatever it may be, TVG is responsible for over half the Carnatic music collections on the internet. And that is gargantuan.

[rshankar]

Whatever it may be, TVG is responsible for over half the Carnatic music collections on the internet. And that is gargantuan.

NOT the same guy at all!

[shankarank]

i think, devan meant Sri TVG is not a performing artist.. he also doesn't perform in MA or elsewhere (neither vocal or mridangam), not even in senior slot..

If so, he would be wrong. TVG performs plenty. In addition he is also a composer & teacher.

People should listen to dEvadi dEva ( Sindhuramakriya by tyAgaraja - an MSS favorite too as Sadasivam will be seated @ the front) by Somu with TVG and VVS (assuming that is correct identification in Sangeethapriya). At every point in the song, anupallavi, first charanam take-give (literally translating the tamizh term ) and the undulations during the neraval TVG's touch is unique. It is a short span coddler - but one of the memorable ones.

To do those kind of things requires a life time of sAdhakam!

Somu asks the violinist to shorten his reply to tOdi ( IIRC) later in that concert so Gopalakrishnan ( as he says it) could play!

In later days when Somu was performing the same item with some unknown juniors - he could be heard feeling impatient, egging them on, vocalising a konnakol, as he sang! He definitely missed the senior accompanists!

[rajeshnat]

In fact Vijaya Siva was not featured in MA last two years.However i noticed he came to MA with his brother and had food in the canteen!

I dont know if you have read year on year comparisons of music academy slots that i wrote. Two years back on 2015 dec , a bunch of youngsters like RKM, Sandeep Narayan were in for evening slots . A bunch of capable musicians like Vijaysiva, Suryaprakash, Tns krishna and Unnikrishanan (bit debatable here) were out . Unni made it back in 2016 Dec. I guess there are just 2 slots each day from Dec 16 to Dec 30. That is only 30. I wish after a point crowd pulling ability is a key criteria for retaining slots.

[shankarank]

to declare that Mridangam is not music.

This has its own history. It was PMI's turn to first degrade Naina Pillai's 8-kaLai Pallavi's as vayitriLE ANi kuttina mAdiri ( like driving nails into one's stomach).

Then couple of decades down it was SSI's turn to say how does it matter who beats up on a Dead cow skin!

Couple of decades later people start making a walk out. About the same time a demonstration is made of pallavi without any accompaniment and declared musically complete!

Couple of decades later - At last the declaration is made!

A decade or so later - it becomes dead history being recalled here: https://youtu.be/12iHM8KJMD8?t=1422

[SrinathK]

Whatever it may be, TVG is responsible for over half the Carnatic music collections on the internet. And that is gargantuan.

NOT the same guy at all!

Really? My apologies. I stand corrected.

[SrinathK]

We must accept it that while music is divine, the vessel that expresses and the vessel that appreciates it is ultimately human.

[shankarank]

if all the stressful consonants ( which should include the vallinam mellinam col of Mridanga, and the stresses that a hands place on the violin bow or the vIna) are differentiated forms of the primordial sound (kAdi vidya), then humans are also differentiated forms of the divine and have the divine potential!

It is hard to always worship another human form as divine and that is riddled with problems - even then people have/are done/doing that also- we have seen. To deny that potential is some other theology!

Also because of problems in treating humans as divine, they invented harmless ways of installing sounds into the mUrtis. nAdOpasana is not altogether different in principle.

Guru is divine, but Guru's feet is even diviner because Guru lays out the path and observes that path himself also. Vijay Siva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K83dNbItH0k mentions that father is the first Guru - because of bramhopadEsa. But in that same Guruguha first kriti, mother is the first Guru (kAdi vidya) - an alternate idea is also available! I like the latter because that is more universal!

Mother's maiden name is one's primary (or secret) key in the US databases!

And we are also talking about a traditional art form that we want to continue - even with changes - not some modern art sold to highest bidder in auctions and art galleries - which also involves human vessels!