Cleveland Aradhana schedule - 2010

[ksrimech]

In vishnusahasranamam somewhere around 61st stanza " Amani ma....", there is another voice which is different from MS Amma voice. Could that be ? I always wonder about this. Thanks for sharing this VKV Sir.

Her daughter, Smt Radha Vishwanathan.

[ramanathan]

Photos from Aradhana 2010, Pancharatna session:
http://picasaweb.google.com/carnaticate ... land2010I#

[vasanthakokilam]

Great photos. Quite impressive. Thanks Ramanathan.

[cmlover]

Excellent! Thanks
Keep sharing the experience..

[seemohan]

Rasikas who are unable to be at Cleveland right now would be happy to note that the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana program (http://bit.ly/d0UoIj) in progress can be watched on the web at http://bit.ly/bXVt2r Please pass on the word via Facebook, Twitter, etc!

C. Mohan, http://bit.ly/6kVNwW

[arasi]

Thanks, Ramanathan!

[rajeshnat]

Photos are nice , would be nicer if all male musicians start wearing a little light colored jibbas(preferably white) then these bright colored and having too much printed patterns. Carnatic aura with a less flashy jibbas will look better. Of course I cant say that for the female musicians.
Is the gentleman playing kanjira in the 5th photo cleveland balu.?

[arasi]

That's him, Rajesh.
Peacocks are more colorful than peahens, remember
The predominance of a glowing yellow makes you think that, I suppose.
Among women, I thought Sudha who is always respledent in glowing colors had chosen to wear something softer in texture and not glaring. She looks slimmer too.

[ramanathan]

More pics added:
http://picasaweb.google.com/carnaticate ... land2010I#

[rshankar]

Ramanathan,

Thank you! Very nice pictures - a nice picture of a serene Aishu! Lovely pics of the Lalgudi siblings, and Rajana Swaminathan too. Who is Rajana playing for? The pics of the vocalist in that concert are not clear.

[cmlover]

Yes indeed! Some captions will help. (when you get the time..)
Thanks!

[cienu]

Rajna is playing for Roopa Mahadevan (San Jose, CA)

[cienu]

A return to US after 33 years. Smt Radha Viswanathan outside the CSU Auditorium.

[suma]

Great Picture
I was there when you took this picture.
It is fabulous.

There were tons of Rasikas thronging towards Radha mami to get a photo shot with her and take her blessings. Was a hectic Pancharatnam morning for mami.

[rshankar]

Cienu - beautiful!!

[VK RAMAN]

cienu - beautiful picture - picture is worth thousand words.

[arasi]

Cienu,
Great to see her beaming face!

[cmlover]

WOW! We beliieve it is spring though the flowers are not out yet!
But the Lotus face of Radha is good enough!

[ramanathan]

More photos from Aradhana 2010 - Pancha Veena, TNS, Bhushany Kalyanaraman, Sriram Gangadharan, etc:
http://picasaweb.google.com/carnaticate ... land2010I#

[cmlover]

Thanks again. Most of the familiar artistes we can easily recognize. It will help to have a caption for some of the other faces so we can appreciate. Nice to see TNS with the veena. Awaiting the audio sometime....

[VK RAMAN]

Action packed pictures. I like it.

[rajeshnat]

ramanathan
Moving forward just a suggestion , you can avoid too many overlapping and near duplicate photos ,this will help all of us to see all the photos instead of deluge of photos. It just takes a few seconds for you to avoid the deluge and then upload to picassa, it helps all of us a lot. Thanks a lot

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Pics are excellent--Radha's glowing face is a testament to her tenacity and determination--a legacy of her beloved father Sadasiva mama.
My main purpose in attending the Aradhana just for 1 day was to be present for the honoring ceremony--besides Radha another close family friend Mr. Vaidyanathakrishnan was also honored. This being the main purpose of the visit I could catch only glimpses of the childrens' singing or other concerts that were held during the weekend.
However I spent quite a time with radha(especially as Cienu was busy making the arrangements and stay for his mother).We ran down memory lane back to the early forties when both were young kids enjoying each others' pranks and cranks--we sang together some of MS Mami's old Hindi light songs-Mainara Guniya,Ek Sahara Thera, Rama Milanke(younger forumites if they happen to get hold of these old records I am sure would be amused by the simple but elegant tunes giving full force to Mami's speedy brigas. We regaled the younger crop of the MS/TS family with some laughable,some poignant moments- One incident about TS's fierce temper when somebody "miffs" a task alloted to that person(which the person nonchalantly agreed to unaware of the consequences of failure to execute!!

Once Radha was asked by Mama to stitch a few buttons in his Khadi undershirt(a vest-like piece) and hung the undershirt on the coatstand in his room. for Radha to do the stitching. He left to attend to some of his duties and returned about two hours later -only to find the buttons had not been stitched-the worst being the banian was in the same shape at an angle as he had hung it on the stand-clear proof that Radha had completely forgotten and not even remembered Mama's instructions . here in Radha's own words:
Appa comes to Amma's room where I was sitting with some relatives and visitors,brandishes the banian before Radha,takes a scissors and tears the Banian into two halves--no shouts/admonitions--and then left the room.


Now forumites may think what earthly purpose was served by this action and why was a banian rendered useless for an apparent lapse of memory. But Mama was trying to teach Radha the importance of finishing an assignment once you accept it--radha says had she simply not agreed to stitch the buttons he woul not havebeen angry at all.

I have also been guilty of similar infractions when I gleefully undertook a task that I was ill-fitted to do and despite Mama's repeated enquiries ---before assigning the task to me whether I understood the importance and the nature of the assignment--boldly assured him it wil be done only to forget it immediately afterwards and was reminded of it when he accosted me--before I could hem and haw he briskly terminated the conversation with his usual Sari Sari(Yes,Yes I know your excuses kind of dismissal) and I ran towards the nearest rat hole in the place!!

Moral: A task undertaken should be completed throroughly no ifs and buts. As if to rub it in he would proclaim to anyone who could hear within a block as to WHY everyone in the Household should take lessons from Visalam who took care of Mami for over 60 years and the ONLY person in the entire Kalki Household who was never shouted at by Mama!!

Then I mentioned to Cheenu,Aishu and others (all younger folks ) around Radha in the Hotel Room what a great Abhinayam exponent Radha was in her younger days--the immediate response from the crowd was to get Radha to demonstrate--I suggested Malai Pozhudinele( the line Mohana Punnagaidan Purindhan--which used to draw loud applauses from the audience in those days) and coaxed Radha into doing the facial abhinaya(Mohan Punnagai)--I sang the line--remarkably despite being enfeebled due to her illness,the face was as radiant and expressive as it was 60 years back--Cienu told me later that he had never seen his Mother dance even for the kids and thanked me for bringing back memories. Seeing her undertake the arduos trip I cannot but doff my cap for her resilience,cheerfulness and determination(no self-pity,no blame).

memories--the them of her concert due tomorrow-- Anda nalum Vandidado was appropriate for our tete-a-tete!!



As I write this Radha must be preparing for her Saturday concert.
Cienu, Wishing Aishu and your Mom the best for the success of the concert!!
Ramesh Mama.

[arasi]

Ramesh,
Very moving...and funny and precious. Sweet and pungent memories and a story of a spirited and determined woman recollected by you with affection and admiration!
Thanks for sharing

[cmlover]

Welcome back with those delectable anecdotes of yore. Some of us also travel in the memory lane along with you!
I vaguely remember Radha's aDavu for the 'kaNdathuNDo kaNNan pOl' (?) in one of the Deepavali malar in 40's. Arasi may remember too! It will be a miracle if that divine bird with the clipped wings can soar once again. You almost tried. Congratulations! Any pictures, cienu?

You have proved time and again how uncontrollable ire that TS had which at times took a destructive turn! Perhaps that was part of his undoing. We do recommend professional care for those who sport uncontollable anger. The old advice of 'holding the breath and counting upto 100' is still very good since CO2 build-up does calm the body and mind!

We are eagerly awaiting Aishu's NA debut on Saturday! She will look back with pride on this day fifty years hence when most of us are gone. Who knows Cleveland may become the Chennai of NA

Perhaps it is time for VVS/VKV/Balu/... to think of starting a North Ameican MeccA

[arasi]

CML,
Yes. The way we used to wait for the dIpAvaLi malars every year! Those dance pictures were in black and white.but the expressions came alive in them. A whole song was depicted in a series of pictures in a few pages and that was enough.to imagine all of the abhinayam for even those who did not see a performance.

[cienu]

It will be a miracle if that divine bird with the clipped wings can soar once again. You almost tried. Congratulations! Any pictures, cienu?

5 days after MKR left Cleveland after having ignited the spark, the divine bird did soar on Thursday evening at the Comfort Inn Ball Room !! (8/4/2010).
On the sidelines of the Cleveland Festival, (and 54 years after she last danced in public) Smt Radha Viswanathan gave an impromptu demonstration of Abhinaya for Kalki's "Malai Pozhudinilaye" weaving a spell on the audience. Gayathri Venkataraghavan accompanied wonderfully on vocal.
Sitting on her wheel chair and with just the left hand (as her right hand is immobile) and facial expressions Smt Radha charmed the group of mostly dance students and teachers and had most of them in tears. The picture of this rare event is courtesy of Shankar Ramachandran of Columbus (Grandson of Kalki and son of Late Anandhi Ramachandran)

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Cienu: What a spirit!!! Indomitable is an understatement!!

Wish you all the BEST for today's concert!! Aishu I am sure would carry her grandmother to loftier musical heights!!

Cienu,YOU can chalk this Cleveland Saga to your string of achievements in fostering your Mom's desires and Aishu's accomplishments. There is something to be said for those who do not merely talk about perpetuating legacies BUT ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AS YOU HAVE DONE!!
Regards to your Mom and Aisu.
Ramesh mama.

[cmlover]

Speechless!

[rshankar]

Cienu - how LOVELY!! May be you can get things to come full circle and get your mother to do this to Aishwarya's singing!! (after all, she was used to dancing to the singing of her mother!)

[Nick H]

cienu, it is lovely to see the pictures: looking forward to seeing you all back in Chennai