Rasikas - crowd ideated skit - dance and drama - musical - inspired by TMK on Mamapore

[shankarank]

http://www.thehindu.com/society/which-c ... 430539.ece

The above article gave me an idea. This should be turned into a Skit, probably staged in NA , probably in Cleveland. Hey those who reside in America should know how to laugh at themselves or at their immediate parents (Mamas and mamis) on how they nurtured this music ( it can be seen in positive light even when a dig is taken against it! - why not?) ! B'coz this is American tradition every night and a special skit every Saturday Night!

This may be a way to bring Urur Olcott into Cleveland - may be!! With TMK scripting it - with additional Crowd ideated @ rasikas and elsewhere. Priyadarshini Govind choreographing it. May be an audience outside the usual norm ( Dalit Leftist scholars) could be invited.

The Harvarders and yalites ( Harvard/Yale/Ivy bound kids) will have a critical look at global capitalism how it affects people as resorts are built.

A reverse gaze skit can then be done, with Sangita Kalanidhi Ravikiran ( again ideated here!) on how fusioners use Travel Managers , schedule managers ( something I read from a post of R V Krishnamurthy!) and negotiate their way into new spaces. It could also include a gaze at the new curated spaces and parody the same. Suitably enacted by another dancer!

So much scope for Padams, parodical Javalis and tillanas and fusion and whatever!

A Multi dimensional presentation finally where CM makes a part!

[Sachi_R]

Shankarank,
A well written piece, except for two lines! The author displays a close familiarity with the Mamapore universe.
Let me cite the two bad lines:

The first:

This environment is concretised because the Mylapore Mamas can connect with him and..

The second:

Which takes precedence is, of course, the million dollar question.

The two words, one stemming from the cement industry and the other from the world of those aspiring for mega dollars, both betray a post-modern-neo-Mamapore sensibility of the only species more despicable than the Mama of 'pore...the "Singer of Mylapore"!

Who is the Singer of 'pore?

He is born into Mamapore, is privileged at birth, surrounded by an army of influential string-pullers who will do all the ground work for his success on the stage, including some industrialist and some sabha and some media blood connects, who will launch him into a successful orbit like an ISRO rocket.

He will be launched with his nose up. In the Mamapore universe, his nose will be juxtaposed in a symmetry to the Govindan Mama nose,much like you have horses with hooves raised juxtaposed in a Chola temple pillared hall, good enough to be featured in a Nat Geo documentary.

But if someone from the other side of the moon, aka Hindustani music, were to read this piece, they would bemoan the corresponding lack of such Mamas in Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, where they once made up audiences, but today the eco-system for HM has not organically evolved or scaled up as it has for CM.

It's also curious that the article does not refer to some large scale impact phenomena like Face Book, Sangeethapriya or Rasikas, which to my mind have irredeemably influenced Mamapore.

[Ranganayaki]

I have a critical comment to add about this article, but I hate to join the hate Rasikas always exhibits just for this artist/writer and i feel obligated to remain silent. If Rasikas were more moderate than rabid over tmk, I could share my thought. I almost wrote it and I realized what it would amount to. I share this because I would like the moderator(s?) to know.

[shankarank]

Ranganayaki, since I one of those who post here regarding TMK, I pick a certain idea or position and say things against it. You are welcome to show the most appreciation or love to TMK. So it is not about TMK at least in my case. Show some courage now!

[Ranganayaki]

Dear Shankarank, as I said, I have a critical and not a supportive comment this time about TMK, but I don't want to say it in this rather horrid atmosphere. Whether I am critical or not I will be polite about TMK, you can call it love, why not, I certainly wish to be loving to all, not easy and you give me easy, unearned credit.

You goad me to be courageous but it is not that I am afraid, never, I'm just disgusted. You are lucky, i can't be very disgusted with you, because I don't understand you. It seems to be a conscious choice for you, because you did get me or KVC to understand a bit finally and I was able to respond - in another thread. And just now you wrote quite simply.

[rajeshnat]

Mods,
Merge this thread with the other TMK thread . Incidentally shankarank has put the same url in both places.

[rajeshnat]

Ranganayaki
This is internet forum you please state your thoughts . How each of us react is a huge spectrum and you can have all feelings . Please do post and not try to take a second avatar of whether you have to post or not after you typed a post. I particularly like your writing and not all points are agreeable with my own limited psyche. That is why we have a forum where each of us can express unlike a scroll.in or a facebook update.

[Ranganayaki]

Rajesh, I don't think you understand. It is not the reaction to my words that might bother me. I don't want to add a single word critical of TMK in this nasty atmosphere. I don't want to join this nastiness, even if I am not nasty. It is my protest. I will share any criticism if this forum moderates itself. Of course it won't happen, so I am staying silent.

[rajeshnat]

I could share my thought. I almost wrote it and I realized what it would amount to.

Ranganayaki
I am concisely asking you to share since you foreclosed that you already typed . Also in internet forums 98% are passive many will have a vibe that is dormantly active more in line with your thoughts and the written posts may be even diametrically opposite. Please post.

[kvchellappa]

TMK is on a high and is playing his cards more shrewdly than an ace player of bridge would. He has an invulnerable kavacham against any brahmastra, the advantage of birth and the socially palatable stance that he has put up more artistically than the sangathis in his singing. This forum is a frog in the well and the noise here however loud will not echo beyond its narrow confines. So, if being decent to TMK is the concern, it will not be vitiated by polite expression of disagreement if there is. The hot air here need not detain one. There is a likelihood that there will be a more balanced appreciation of the person, both the one commenting and the one commented upon. After all, even the learned and honorable judges could air their differences not in whispers but in an open press conference.

[narayan]

Dear Ranganayaki, I think some measured 'criticism' in the good sense of the term is in fact, much needed. All artistes would like to know what works and what does not and why. Putting aside the business of singing or playing only for oneself, in any performing art, I know for sure that the audience reaction is of interest to artistes. Lack of any critical input is itself a death knell to a lively art form.
Here we are talking about a response to an article, which may or may not deserve too much analysis, as is it is meant to be light hearted. But the larger point about TMK is still valid.
'Nasty' criticism in this forum will not stop. Why should it? The forum is a microcosm of the world around us and I do not see any way in which this can be moderated (that request has also been made) and may be it is not worth the trouble. It is also true that TMK is very deliberately taking a stance on many matters and is not content with just being a (successful) musician. More power to him in his efforts.
My last input on this matter is that TMK's singing does not seem to be adversely affected at the moment and he is quite involved and very effective - and at least some of his fellow musicians are with him. Given all this, I think some well considered criticism (just the fact that you have written something but hesitated before posting it is itself testimony to some restraint and consideration) is probably welcome.

[Ponbhairavi]

pl see the url

//www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f= ... 32#p329232

[shankarank]

That sounds like a good reverse gaze script from a Mama - or even better a sabha secretary

[shankarank]

And looks like some Chennai comedy circuit has already taken the lead from this thread:

https://twitter.com/madversity/status/9 ... 9307276289