Cleveland Aradhana April, 2019

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 05 May 2019, 14:40

Hard though you may find it to believe, your views are those of the smallest possible minority.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 05 May 2019, 15:33

Nick H
-----------
How do we know? From the number of paricipants in this thread so far, , it appears that my views are those of largest possible majority, ( those who are atall interested in this thread). May I know why rasikas is having facebook presence then?

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 05 May 2019, 15:44

.
Cleveland Aradhana :
I would request members to post photographs here, in this thread.
Images add value to the write-ups and reviews !

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 05 May 2019, 17:18

"Send them to the lounge" sounds more like "Banish them!' or even "Off with their heads"!
I supposed listening to good music is supposed to make us happy, enrich our spirits and make us more amicable. Am I totally wrong?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 05 May 2019, 17:25

Also, speaking tradition, the illustrated (!) thread on Cleveland traditionally carries pictures which bring pleasure to many of us. To see artistes in a friendly atmosphere, not just on stage, seeing familiar faces of volunteers, of rasikA friends and acquaintances, , and of children who learn music with zeal--are part of this tradition, I'm afraid....

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 05 May 2019, 18:27

arasi wrote: ↑05 May 2019, 17:25 Also, speaking tradition, the illustrated (!) thread on Cleveland traditionally carries pictures which bring pleasure to many of us. To see artistes in a friendly atmosphere, not just on stage, seeing familiar faces of volunteers, of rasikA friends and acquaintances, , and of children who learn music with zeal--are part of this tradition, I'm afraid....

May be.! Being of 'plate music' and 'AIR programs' generation (1947-1967), we never asociated any image of the artist with the music.

supposed listening to good music is

Music, is meant to be 'heard' and not 'seen'. Not many Rasikas in this forum for Classical Carnatic music, may be interested in all those images, In what way, posting such images in the lounge deny any one of the pleasure of seeing faces known to them?

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 05 May 2019, 18:35

I thought , it is uncivil to use any language other than English in the posts without translation. कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 05 May 2019, 19:39

Visuals have been part of our lives even from our cave dwelling times. A hunting life was also depicted on the walls of a dwelling by some. From the forties, the visual memories of a Madurai Mani Iyer's concert are still vivid. We are not abandoned in a desert island to listen only to recorded or taped music. We have, and will have rich recollections of visual images as well as what we heard and will hear. And MS, who is hailed by all, inspired us with her visual presence, her involvement became ours, her bhakti, outpouring of feelings became a little part of ours too. Ah, that we are blessed with our precious eyesight to boot!

sevikku IyappaDum, adu kaNNukkum virundAgum (a treat to the ears and also to the eyes at times to make it richer).

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 05 May 2019, 19:53

RSR must be thinking about the kAncipuram during PaTTammAL's child hood where the whole family was in a crisis over the publication of her photograph!

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 05 May 2019, 20:16

.
Only music ! No visuals !!
Henceforth in the kutcheris, the musicians should perform sitting behind the curtain !

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 05 May 2019, 20:37

Bala,
What a boon! Women artistes do not have to spend a fortune on their saris and jewelry (real or otherwise)!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 05 May 2019, 20:59

And there I was, after writing about the concerts, wanting to indulge in trivia like how the opulence in saris were somewhat toned down this year (thank goodness) and that black and white have made an entry into dance couture

Didn't care for it personally. However, there too, was happy to see less gold in costumes. I know, the tailors are looking for variations to make their work less boring. However, find me traditional here, but it does makes sense not to lower the big fan part of the costume. Why? the leg movements are not quite visible. As for the small fan, well, it has almost disappeared! Too much of fancy work in its place is not aesthetic to my eyes. It reminds me of the way the beautifully draped sari is now shown in all kinds of angular, ungraceful ways. The soft drape cannot be seen at all in the way they are modeled in the printed media. Hope the lovely bharathanatyam costume doesn't reinvent itself

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 05 May 2019, 21:16

It is no good trying to corrige the incorrigible.

Do not try to teach a hippopotamus to sing.
You will not succeed and it only annoys the hippopotamus.

Wise words told to me by a colleague in 1990.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 05 May 2019, 22:34

Nick

It is no good trying to corrige the incorrigible

.
'correct' would have been a less archaic term.
no one can teach a hippo to dance
By the way, the event had a number of tavil and mrudangam sessions.
Was there any review?
----------------------------------------
Anyway, you are perhaps concurring with me.
spoil the thread. supposed to be on the Divine Kritis of Thyagaraja.
I have made my points on this topic. Enough.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 05 May 2019, 22:43

The Best of Smt.MS was from 1936 to 1956. and except those who resided in Madras of those years, who attended concerts, we did not know how she looked, except through some stray photos in kalki magazine.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 06 May 2019, 02:35

Surely, her films were produced in that period, weren't they?

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 06 May 2019, 03:38

RSR wrote: ↑05 May 2019, 22:34
'correct' would have been a less archaic term.

No, I definitely meant corrige. Although, far from being archaic, I think that word may not have existed until I typed it today. Well, except among the many who share my particular view of words, of course.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 06 May 2019, 12:23

arasi wrote: ↑06 May 2019, 02:35 Surely, her films were produced in that period, weren't they?

Surely! All of them unmatched classics in music to this day! And ,Ah, the Lyrics for Tamil Meera by Kalki! 1938-> sevasadhanam, 1940,>sakunthalai, 1941-> savithri, 1945-> meera(tamil) and finally meera *(hindi).1947
I was just 3 years old in 1945 and though we could hear the songs almost everyday, in loudspeakers, radio and plate, we were not allowed to see any film.
Somehow, the print had been withdrawn and I could see the tamil film Meera only in 1967!
Here is Sarojini Naidu's tribute to MS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5GzAh5XgGo

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 07 May 2019, 19:26

Pratyaksham Bala wrote: ↑05 May 2019, 20:16 .
Only music ! No visuals !!
Henceforth in the kutcheris, the musicians should perform sitting behind the curtain !

maRaindirundE pAdum marmam enna, in shaNmukhapriya?

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 07 May 2019, 22:28

As a concession, male artistes can appear on stage.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 08 May 2019, 08:18

dEvuDA!
Why fancy sarees, ladies? Glittering jewelry dames, pray?
We are all for unseen music, behind the curtain concerts--
But men are fine to be seen, in fancy kurtas or plain whites--
The stage is there solely for them, oh, no lady for tambura!

Kutcheri halls, ticketed or free, canteens and conveyance?
Won't a desert island collection of ten best--sorry, a thousand
Recordings do, doing away with fellow-listeners and the rest?,
"Do you like the human race? Not me--this means you, get out!"

A Huxley character had painted this on his gate--wonder how vast
His music collection was , and his need for listening to music live--
Meanwhile, bring in the pictures, Meenaakshi, Rupavathi and the rest--
A grand event recorded in living color and in black and white!

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 08 May 2019, 13:19

Approaches to Thyagaraja's music may be different.
#327 Re: Thyagaraja (Krithis)
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=824&start=325#p351263

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 08 May 2019, 18:53

I clicked on REPLY, and then decided not to say anything...

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 08 May 2019, 21:28

arasi wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 08:18 Meanwhile, bring in the pictures, Meenaakshi, Rupavathi and the rest--
A grand event recorded in living color and in black and white!

---------
The ' Trinity' were Goddess for us.

But men are fine to be seen, in fancy kurtas or plain whites--
The stage is there solely for them, oh, no lady for tambura!

I agree with you. So, no exemption

Kutcheri halls, ticketed or free, canteens and conveyance?

just like our cine fans thronging the theaters. ?
Bajan Sampradayam does welcome everybody's participation, as a singer , not just a listener

A Huxley character

Which Huxley? /Father,/ Aldous? Julian? Evidently, Aldous. Point-Counter Point.
Kindly wait till I complete the list of the Best of Thyagaraja kritis. And I am indeed very eager to have your reaction on THAT list.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 May 2019, 00:02

No problem. I am prepared to wait, wait with commenting on them too. Meanwhile, I am always happy to visit Govindan's tAgarAja Vaibhavam list and savor the songs and the meanings, in any language I like to. A dedicated work which occupied him for many years and is valuable to us and for the coming generations....

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 May 2019, 02:27

Back to the place which after all was the reason for this thread's origin. The Cleveland Tyagaraja Festival.
A Brothers' concert, and then, a father and son's duet.
Twenty odd years ago when we started attending the season in Chennai regularly, me like a child in a toy store, excited about hearing my favorites and eagerly following the Chennai clan's suggestions on who all to listen to. The Hyderabad bros whom I had listened to in Connecticut earlier were on my list. Their singing of sadAchalESwaram stuck in my memory. I continued to listen to them for a few more years in Chennai and then, I felt uncomfortable. Things were different. A friction of sort between them came in the way of my enjoying their music. Or rather, the restlessness on stage transfered to me. A personal response which does not at all reflect on their vidwat. A few years ago I heard them on the STD channel. The unease I felt was still there. Then I heard that they weren't singing together anymore. On again, it seems to me now. I wanted to watch them for sometime, if I had the time. Trivandrum Balaji and KVG added their considerable merit to the concert, and Nagai Muralidharan! His participation throughout the festival was an asset. His playing was something sweet and worthwhile to listen to all the time, whomsoever he played for. All the above made the concert something I wanted to listen to.
The vidvat of the brothers I doubt not. It's the chemistry which distances me from them. Surprisingly, I didn't experience any unpleasantness of a great measure which would have made me turn away from their music. Nagai was playing pantuvarALi which drew me in.The Bros commenced singing nAradamuni and did neraval at Narayana nAmamulanu pArAyaNa-anupallavi line. SwarAs followed and they were very nice. I heard more of the lesser-heard brother again, with the bhiravi AlApana. Nagai's return I relished. The kriti was chEtulAra with swarAs at sETu bandhana.
The tani by Balaji and KVG was very good. Not surprising.
After a while when I was back, I heard them singing mAmava karuNaya of ST.
So, after many years I heard them for while and their music was worth hearing. I don't know if those who were at the Cleveland concert from beginning to the end could do that, with the artistes' disparities coming in the way of their musical power...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 May 2019, 02:58

Violin duet by V.V.Subramaiam and V.V. Murari,
Neyveli Narayanan,

The varNam evaded me. I wasn't close by, and by the time I hurried to hear it, it was ending . I couldn't make it out.
muddu mOmu in kamala Manohari was expertly and appealingly played.

What inimai (sweetness) in vAchaspati which came next!So clean, even at this age!
Murari blended in so well with his father's playing. S-s at Pallavi line.
Then Anandabhairavi rAgA came. Did he play or did the sweet notes came sliding into his fingers? marivEre was the kriti played with tIrmanam and naLinam (forceful yet graceful).

kApi, enta saukhyamu!

rAgA tODi was an experimental whirl at first, then gained a speedy gait, and reached its own pace in the end. A kind of parsing exercise, then back to its own shape and form. kArthikEya gAngEya gowri tanaya simply sparkled.

karuNai deivamE, kaRpagamE, sindhubhairavi, by Madurai Srinivasan.
HamsAnandi tillAna--the fast and dexterous playing at his age was unbelievable!
Thanks to Cleveland, to iCarnatic's streaming, we are richer in our listening pleasure

Sundara Rajan,
You heard more concerts than I did. Please continue...

meenaakshi · Post by **meenaakshi** » 12 May 2019, 19:57

Pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jN8YoB7Eu7QWQPB78

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 12 May 2019, 20:42

@meenakshi
Thank you for your photos . They look as crisp as Tanjore S kalyanaraman music with absolutely no repetition unlike few years back when there was too much of repetition. Seeing few photos on that pancharatna day with so many in audience , the place looks like a superdome stadium where cleveland cavaliers is having their match. I dont see any photos of the awards ceremony (ratnakaras etc...), if you can add those only that would be great . For me to see in one single photo frame mahavidwans Trichy Sankaran ,Guru Kuraikudi Mani is such a great mastercard moment.

Just one feedback not to you but organizers in the video of pancharatna for the whole pancharatna the video was only on the percussion team and vidushis , we only heard vidwans but never saw vidwans singing . I am sure it is a logistics issue of being not able to place cameras at that line of sight, hopefully that should be corrected from next year.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 12 May 2019, 20:49

At last! Thanks Meenakshi. Gives even for those of us who saw the streaming a better idea of how much of music went on in Cleveland. All the hard work doesn't show of course--we see only the finery and smiles!
The stadium ambience is something new. We noticed it, but did not know about it until the very end, when Sundaram winds the festival up after the children's Dance contest very briefly every year: about 2000 attendees on Aradhana day is what we expect, but this year, the number was about 5,ooo. So we had to get the stadium to accommodate them.
How simply put! At the drop of a hat, the organizers had to seek a bigger venue within the campus, the university had to agree to let t them use the stadium. What an amount of dedication, goodwill and caring must have gone into it! And, feeding them all too! Hail, the university, the city of Cleveland. I am hoping for a day when a stadium in Chennai would be used for a CM concert and it will be filled too!
Meenakshi, are there any more pictures of the kids singing? Of course, all happy faces, well attired, but we don't get to see much of all the planning and physical hard work which goes into a mammoth musical event like this...
We can prat, of course--'vAi chollil vIraraDi' (big in talk folks)!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 12 May 2019, 20:54

All
Just in case you did not know as soon as you click the link that meenakshi posted , there at the top where there are 3 dots, there is an option called "Slideshow" that option will show in full screen without you baby sitting with next clicks.

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 12 May 2019, 21:06

Meenakshi,
Thanks for sharing the photos.
good coverage.
vaazhga valamudan!
with wishes,
Thanjavooran
12 05 2019

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 12 May 2019, 22:02

meenaakshi wrote: ↑12 May 2019, 19:57 Pictures:

Great! What super photos. Glad to see you got included on one!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 May 2019, 01:40

Yes, Nick. That one picture--a bit work-worn!
Thanks to Rajesh--I went for the slide show and loved it. Many pictures, more of the kids, her covering every artiste possible--all shots capturing the enormity of the festival and the amity as well.

Many favorites. Kids blossom, of course, and the artistes get caught up in bonhomie in a place where all mingle without levels of seniority or stardom.

Still, some of my favorites: Mahati taking a selfie with Sudha, Rhada and Girish, Sankar Sundaram with the tambura which he played for Manimaran, the latter himself emulating NSG in wearing a gOpi mark on his forehead, the Charsur pair, Suresh often very much part of the stage (sound) managers along with Manimaran along with the regulars of Cleveland's Grand Family.
Vidya, Brinda, Sandeep and bro, Jayanth, and all the younger set--all because of your extensive coverage! Missed yours dearly, but caught a glimpse of him in the webcast.

Did I miss a picture of R.Tyagarajan? He was so much part of the festival in that the sweet sound of his flute was heard a lot, even beyond his performance.
All the young shooting stars add color and life to the collection, and hope. The committee members and families hearten our hearts, Balu, Karthik, even performing on top of all their duties. Then, the key man, Sundaram himself. May the Cleveland spirit move the team in continuing their good work and in transferring it (as they seem to be doing) to the next generation, and so on...

Did I catch a picture of Rupavathi? Why not even a few pictures, may I ask?

.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 13 May 2019, 12:42

meenaakshi wrote: ↑12 May 2019, 19:57 Pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jN8YoB7Eu7QWQPB78

Best Solution! Thank you.
For displaying images, ( not videos), my choice is sites.google.com
it is free for any one with gmail account. Ultra simple to insert images,
I am not againt images in a web page, It does (sometimes) enhance the experience.
I have used them extensively in
sites.google.com/site/homage2mssubbulakshmi
,, ,, /dkpattammalsongs
,, ,, /ncvasanthakokilam

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 13 May 2019, 21:13

:

about 2000 attendees on Aradhana day is what we expect, but this year, the number was about 5,ooo. So we had to get the stadium to accommodate them.
! And, feeding them all too!

https://sites.google.com/site/rsrshares ... anam-feast

மதுரைக்கரசியின் கல்யாண விருந்து!

..கோயில் நிர்வாகமோ, விருந்துக் குழுவோ ஒரு பைசாக்கூட செலவழிக்காம, ஒரு லட்சம் பேருக்குப் போதும் போதும்ங்கிற அளவுக்கு விருந்து போடுறதெல்லாம் சாதாரணமான விஷயமா என்ன?
அங்கிருந்த பழமுதிர்ச்சோலை திருவருள் முருகன் பக்த சபை பெரியவர் சாமுண்டி விவேகானந்தனைப் பாராட்டுனேன். “இந்த விருந்தை நடத்துனது நாங்க இல்ல தம்பி. அன்னை மீனாட்சிதான் நடத்துனா. நாங்க வெறுமனே பரிமாறும் கரண்டிதான்”ன்னு தன்னடக்கத்தோட சொன்னாரு.
This is a great article on the Free feast at Madurai every year, on the auspicious occasion of 'Meenakshi ThirukkalyaaNam. It is an entirely voluntary effort by the devotees. rich and poor. It is not financial contribution but supply of matrials required for the marriage feast and much more important, voluntary labour by men, women and children. of all ages. I am not even attempting to give a translation. Neither the temple administration nor the administering committe, spends any thing.
An active devotee when congratulated, said ' it is not we who conduct the feast. It is Mother Meenakshi. We are just the serving hands'
-----------------------
Tamilnad has such devout festivals all the year round in hundreds of temples big and small of hoary tradition. and fame. No trace of commercialism. All that CM rasikas have to do is to take CM to the common people. May not be possible in Chennai.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 May 2019, 00:01

Absolutely. It's in the villages and small towns that community-minded service flourished and still does, it's heartening to see. Meenakshi now resides in a city, but the spirit still remains among the residents, by her grace. It was some such individuals from the Nellaiyappar temple area further south that started it all here. It's not as if the sharing stopped there (The same it was with the building of chapels and cathedrals in Europe in the Middle Ages. The community offered its services in skills and their time for this labor of love and the spirit continues).
And to grow the banyan tree of CM all over the US and beyond (barring Florida, may be!)--is no mean task!.
As for publicity: Nowadays, I don't see any difference in that overwhelming phenomenon, either in the western or eastern hemisphere. Those who work, keep working. Those whose profession it is to spread it in the media, do that. Others love it all, or suffer it.

Anyhow, most in the community of Rasikas.org look forward to the pictures. It's an annual ritual we seem to share and have fun with...

rupavathi · Post by **rupavathi** » 16 May 2019, 09:09

arasi wrote: ↑13 May 2019, 01:40
Did I catch a picture of Rupavathi? Why not even a few pictures, may I ask?

If this is directed at me, No, I haven't gone there.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 16 May 2019, 16:07

thanjavooran wrote: ↑12 May 2019, 21:06 Meenakshi,
Thanks for sharing the photos.

It is like seeing pictures from a great party to which so many friends went, but one could not make it.

There is also a feeling of home overseas. A corner of a foreign land that will be forever India?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 May 2019, 03:32

Nick,
Where even a TYagaraja week was celebrated by the city some years ago and his posters were seen all over town--just as with any major composer in the west gets honored, to mark a special birthday, Tyagaraja was honored...
Well, music is music, and when we do not mind other cultures' expression in music of their own kind, then go a bit further and try to understand its merits, take even more steps to appreciate it, is a good thing. A whole lot of open-mindedness and a desire to learn something beyond one's ken--at least,an appreciation for it comes into play.
By the way, aren't you a prime example of that? Sometimes, more so than some natives:)

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 17 May 2019, 15:10

Of course, Arasi. You know what they say: converts make the worst fanatics!

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 17 May 2019, 18:42

Nick, as an example, is an aberration in white controlled U.S states exceptions are NJ, some parts of OH and CA in my Humble opinion

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 20 May 2019, 19:40

RSR wrote: ↑13 May 2019, 21:13 It is an entirely voluntary effort by the devotees. rich and poor. It is not financial contribution but supply of matrials required for the marriage feast and much more important, voluntary labour by men, women and children. of all ages.

At an abstract level, finance is just currency issued by the powers. Finance or barter , wealth is wealth, material is material. There are still Amish around who would not get social security even in the US. I heard they barter,

This is a story I heard, whose veracity needs verified. There was a time when Thiruvaiyaru festival faced this predicament of feeding the devotees. SrI Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan who was then Secretary, in extreme distress took a dip in cauvery that morning and from no where food raw materials arrived!

There is a Murugashramam temple in West mambalam taken care by a family of devotees, which does not take any monetary donations, only material may be to avoid controversies with HR&CE.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 25 May 2019, 20:31

There is a qualitative difference. As has been clearly mentioned in the article quoted, whether rich or poor, the organizing committee does not note down the names. of donors.
Purandaradasa as you may know, was a fabolously rich man who took to ascetc life Thyagaraja swami 's forefathers were highly esteemed scholars in Tanjore court. Still, Thyagaraja chose a life of austerity and lived by 'unchavruthi'. Shyama Sastry was not poor but he was a temple-priest. There is nothing 'baclward' in barter economy of rural areas. The commodities are 'real' ..not a chimera like paper-currency / stock-exchange loot.
We are not discussing such socio-economic and ultimately political issues in this forum.
Carntic music can utilize this still vibrant community spirit , if only it knew to take the art to common folks.
Sabari was a tribal.'entha nine sabari bagyamu'..

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 27 May 2019, 06:38

RSR wrote: ↑25 May 2019, 20:31 Still, Thyagaraja chose a life of austerity and lived by 'unchavruthi'.

Of all things the historian V. Sriram has done, he has done one good thing to clarify this. SrI tyAgarAja had land ownership and he was not poor by any means. He did uncavriddhi as a svadharma. May be you meant it that way, but just clarifying it.

It is not just a self imposed condition on himself, but I would view it as a challenge to the community at large whether they are willing to support this propagation of harinAma.

There was a time in our veedhi bhajana, when we would go through what was considered as the "executive tier" street and somebody rued lets avoid and go through the other street, because no one bothers here. This is the temple bhajan group that took the rice to prasAdam preparation only. To which the leader said , no lets go through the street anyways so harinAma reaches their ears.

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 27 May 2019, 07:38

The commodities are 'real' ..not a chimera like paper-currency / stock-exchange loot.

Did that stop any of us from buying commodities? Do we go to the farm and procure it? Possible in this day and age? We have to work with what we got!

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 28 May 2019, 13:24

#146-> are we not straying away from the main topic of this thread? coins were introduced to make exchanges easier in small scale. Farmers co-operatives have been as a brdge between producers and consumers.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 28 May 2019, 17:55

RSR wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 13:24 #146-> are we not straying away from the main topic of this thread?

Long since forgotten. As you have appointed yourself as monitor of its content, perhaps you should refresh your memory by checking the title!

Perhaps we could get away from all this and enjoy some more pretty pictures? Especially the lovely ladies celebrating their wonderful culture in their splendid saris. And aprons...

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 28 May 2019, 18:09

Photos !
Let members post lots of them. Here, in this thread.

RSR · Post by **RSR** » 28 May 2019, 20:54

Nick H wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 17:55
RSR wrote: ↑28 May 2019, 13:24 #146-> are we not straying away from the main topic of this thread?
Long since forgotten. As you have appointed yourself as monitor of its content, perhaps you should refresh your memory by checking the title!

Perhaps we could get away from all this and enjoy some more pretty pictures? Especially the lovely ladies celebrating their wonderful culture in their splendid saris. And aprons...

The title of the thread is just 'Cleveland Aradhana 2019). It was about the music performance review. It said nothing about phoots and videos. My posts have been confined to music only mostly. Especially about absence of Dikshitar kritis in a memorial concert for DP.PattammaL. and for a festival purported to be Thyagaraja Araadhanaa, very few kritis of the Saint. but instead javaLis etc. I am not the only person to feel bad about it.
I dont think, this thread is meant for photos. If you insist, on 'looking' at the participants , we can have another thread titled, ' Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana'2019 , prefereably in the lounge.
Better still in rasikas. facebook with links here.