108 Mrudanga Yagna

[radha bhaskar]

108 Mrudanga Yagna
On the Divine occasion of the 68th Birthday Celebrations of Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy
Sachchidananda Swamiji, Mridanga Vidwan Sri.Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam presents LAYA MADHURA MRIDANGA YAGNA by 108 Mridangam Artists on 27th May, 2010 from 7p.m. to 8.30 pm at Avadhoota Datta Petham, Ooty Road, Mysore- 570 025.
Laya Madhura Mridanga Yagna, a divine concept devised by Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamigal will be a one of its kind presentation by 108 Mridangam Artists from all over India. The 108 Mridangists’ team led by Maestro Thiruvaarur Bhakthavathsalam will transport the listeners to a totally different plane, exploring the multihued colours of laya in the most intricate manner.This concert based on a new raga “Sachchidananda” will explore four Nadais - Chatusram, Tisram, Kandam, Misram and make it a beautiful offering to Swamiji on the occasion of his 68th Birthday Celebrations.
For details contact project Co-ordinator : Mudhra Bhaskar(9840072821)

[rshankar]

Dr. Radha - a very nice idea - Best Wishes! And another plea (at the cost of sounding like a broken record) to please record such unique events and preserve them for posterity.

[VK RAMAN]

A very novel idea. I wish a video clip after the event will be very nice

[radha bhaskar]

We have been approaching a few television channels for recording and telecasting the prog.Shall keep you informed about the schedule when it is confirmed.

[srkris]

Shocked by the superficiality and artificiality of the whole concept. Mrudanga yagna??? In celebration of a monk's birthday??? Please give me a break, music is not about quantity of instruments or decibels of sound produced.

[radha bhaskar]

Shocked by the superficiality and artificiality of the whole concept. Mrudanga yagna??? In celebration of a monk's birthday??? Please give me a break, music is not about quantity of instruments or decibels of sound produced.

I think it is very wrong to pass sweeping statements without knowing fully about the concept and idea behind this project. This programme has been crafted very brilliantly from the technical point of view with 27 members in each group playing the respective nadais and the corresponding korvais. This in interspersed with some brilliant solo touches by Bhakthavatsalam. A Pallavi has been coined revolving around the four notes - sa, ga, pa and dha and the four groups of mrudangam are also tuned to these notes.Many more technicalities are being brought out in this prog. and it is not a sound - blast as assumed by you. Five rehearsals have been conducted so far at Adyar music college and most artists were present for all of them. Even those from as far as Kerala, Mysore and Delhi have attended it. CDs have been recorded and sent to all artists so that they get to reherase it well. So, it is a lot of very very hard work that has been going on to make the mrudangam cogregation really meaningful from the music point of view. It is not any "Tamasha" as you have assumed. A grand reherasal will take place at the ashram on 26th night with acoustics and lighting too.So, please mind your words before making such comments. This prog.is truly classical in all respects and no comprise has been made on that aspect.There may be many who are doing gimmicry in music and making undue publicity but that does not permit you to assume and state that all are doing so!

[radha bhaskar]

we are just back after the thundering success of the Mrudanga yagna at mysore. It was really one of its kind and had an overflowing audience. Shall post the photos and report soon for our readers.

[srkris]

Radha Bhaskar,

I never questioned the sincerety, or the efforts put in by those involved. Sri Bhaktavatsalam is a great vidwan, and there may not be any doubt on the abilities of the group of mridangists selected for the programme. But 4 groups of 27 great mridangists playing together can produce only a lot of decibels. This is not a personal remark, it applies to any large group of mridangists playing together. Any such presentation can only be a show-off event at best, whether that show involved repeated rehearsals and arduous effort or not. What can 108 mridangists show musically that one capable mridangist cannot? Therefore, are the rest of the 107 mridangists not (musically) superfluous?

The word "yagna" has become meaningless due to misuse in modern times. If 108 konnakkol vidwans join together and render solkattus together in someone's honour, does it become a konnakkol yagna? Ridiculous. Is a yagna supposed to mean anything or everything that catches someone's fancy?

[rshankar]

Chembai - you are perhaps going by the narrow definition of yagnya/yAga which refers to the particular way a set of mantras are recited. But I think a yagnya/yAga also refers to veneration, worship, or something observed with religious reverence. In that context, 108 artists, all getting together and offering their worship (for whatever cause) in what ever way they see fit with reverence should qualify as a 'yAga/yagnya'...I for one do not find anything ridiculous in genuine offerings.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Yagna means sacrifice. There is no sacrifice here. Would '108 Mridanga Tapas' be appropriate? Tapas means a sustained effort. A concentrated exercise playing in harmony?

[srkris]

Rshankar, it's okay to offer creative explanations, but that is not the point i was trying to make.

[Nick H]

generally speaking, I agree with comments about large groups of instruments --- but I think that we should not pass judgement on an event that we have not even seen. Respected fellow forumites and other musicians have been involved in this project: please don't let us dismiss it without so much as a video clip!

[kssr]

In such shows the benefit is definitely for the organisers- Ravishankar or Ganpathi Sachidananda- a show of strength/popularity. Nothing special for the listener. But it is interesting in its own way. Some kacheris aim and achieve depth and some aim and achieve breadth- this one the latter. I have seen the Ravishankar's veena event- included TNS!!

It is a yagna. Yagna is used in another sense too. " It has been a real yagna to get the railway ticket", for instance. Meaning a difficult task; ordeal. This event must have been a real ordeal to organise and hence yagna.

[radha bhaskar]

The DVD of this programme is getting ready and then you can pass your judgements.For that matter, thousands of people throng Thiruvaiyaru for Thyagraja aradhana and sing together -seperately ! ( most often off key and each trying to surpass the other by singing as loudly as possible). Well, what is actually acheived here compared to the individual rendition of the same ( which may defintely be more melodious and of better quality)? Why do we sing songs in chorus when we well know that a talented indivdual can sing it much better? As I said earlier,without even having a clue of how the programme was presented, it is not right to pass judgements based on one's past experiences. I was just a witness to the programme and not personally a part of it.So, if it was not of standard, I would have definitely refrained from mentioning about it !

[radha bhaskar]

Also, as for the term "yagna" it refers to a ritual which is done with a lot of reverence, dedication and devotion and in this context,the term is quite appropriate. Tapas is of a high level and not every human being can claim to be able to do that. Anyway, so many fancy names are used nowadays for everything.So, what is in a name? The content is more important.

[Nick H]

When I first went to Mridangam classes, there were three senior students who used to play together, and won a number of prizes in competitions. To play together in perfect unison is very, very difficult, and I did not see them achieve it at all their performances, but it still remarkable that they achieved it at all. One of them has gone on to become a professional, and could probably look back on what he played in those days and think it fairly simple stuff --- but the accuracy of those three pairs of hands is still not to under-estimated. If it is tough for three, how tough is it for 108?

I suspect that all of us love the on-the-spot improvisation of carnatic music --- and the mridangist improvises for the entire concert, not just the tani. That is necessarily absent in group playing, but we can still appreciate other things, such as the skill and discipline. In the end, of course, a performance must stand or fall by whether it produces music that pleases the ear! It seems that, at least, radha bhaskar's ears were left happy

[radha bhaskar]

I also think that the success of the programme has something to do with the special ambience of the nada mandapa at the mysore ashram where the sound from the mrudangam was a treat to hear -so melodious! I can defintely say that this effect may not be possible in a closed auditorium which will definetly make it a sound blast. The acoustics were so meticulously arranged, we took more than four hours to do the sound balancing! We had taken technicians from chennai to do the same.

[Srinikrish]

I personally witnessed the event and it was one of the best that I have ever seen. I am giving the link to view the photographs of the same :

http://www.dattapeetham.com/india/festi ... may27.html

Though this link has some additional pictures please scroll down to view the number of audience witnessed (only one side of the Mandapam).

[kaliyugram2000]

I am unable to understand what is being questioned here as "creating decibels" etc... People who are commenting on this program in my view can be considered gyanasoonyam who is unable to understand the logic and meaning of this program. Giving due to credit to western music, we can see how our Westernized Indians throng for POP and JAZZ shows which is sure to create highest possbile decibel. People stand in queues and ready to spend lavishly for such shows but for such innovative traditional effort it is very sad to see such sarcastic illogical comments. So it is not about decibels etcc but it is about Music. if that POP, JAZZ decibel can bring joy to a big croud, this program has also brought the same kind of joyfulness to the audience who came there. I was amazed to see that there was no seat left in the Nada Mantapa for the program duration of 11/2 hr and the success was evident from the applause it recieved at the end.
So I sincerely request that people who want to comment on this program refrain from writing anymore simply asking questions for the sake of asking like "what is yagna" etc...