Trichy Sankaran - Laya vinyasam Toronto

[mahavishnu]

The event was held to felicitate the maestro for receiving the Sangeetha Kalanidhi award. It was a very well organized and several hundred people were in attendance. The Chair of the music department of York University (Sri Robert Stirling Beckwith) gave an excellent speech about Sri Sankaran's contributions to world music, teaching and extraordinary pedagogical activities in Toronto. Dr. Beckwith has been associated with Sri Sankaran since he and Sri Jon Higgins started the Indian music program at York, which has served as the model for Asian music programs that started later at Columbia, Penn and elsewhere. The hope is to establish a permanent chair of Indian music studies at York and Dr. Beckwith sought active support from the Indian music community to enable this.

The presence of the next generation musician in a mainstream North American University is extremely valuable on so many counts. I can personally see how Indian music in North America has been transformed by figures like T. Viswanathan and Trichy Sankaran (both Sangeetha Kalanidhis) after the tragic passing of Sri Higgins. I would rate the establishment of such a chair (held by an eminent scholarly Indian musician) as being much more important to the cause of propagating Indian culture in N America, than holding teen reality contests. I get misty watching one of Wesleyan's students sing a Kamalamba navavarnam in Ananda Bhairavi, only made possible by the presence of an Indian music program there.

The event began with two short demonstrations by Sankaran sir's students. Sri Sai Karthik played a tani avartanam in adi talam 2 kalai (samam). Very competently handled. This was followed by a short demo by an advanced student of Sri Sankaran named Steve Mancuso (http://www.humber.ca/scapa/music-degree ... ve-mancuso), who presented how he uses south Indian solkattus in jazz drumming. He presented three beautiful pazhani school korvais that he and Sankaran sir have adapted for the drum kit. His use of the high hat to keep the talam was simply amazing. It is very impressive to see the impact of the pudukkottai bani on world music! The differntial use of the snare and tom-toms for producing the effect of ta-dhi-ki-ta-thom was very clever.

Now for the big event. The laya vinyasam by Sri Sankaran.

Sri Trichy Sankaran - mridangam
Sri Madurai Sundar - vocal support
Sri Giridharan - khanjira

Sri Sankaran was keen on presenting the mridangam in the context of the music that it was created for. He did not want to simply play a tani avartanam, but wanted to showcase the beauty of the instrument for accompanying and highlighting Carnatic compositions. And that he did with grace and panache today.

1. Nattaikurinji varnam - Sankaran sir's anticipation of the chittaswarams was spectacular. A lesson for any beginner and senior musician alike.

2. Vatapi ganapathim - featuring a chittaswaram featuring symmetries and a 7 beat koraippu composed by Sri Sankaran.

3. Ninne nera nammi - pantuvarali - to demonstrate the beauty of accompanying a piece in roopaka talam

4. Kartikeya gangeya - Todi - followed by an one hour Tani avartanam with extensive khanda, tisra and misra nadais. Before the piece, Sri Sundar sang a beautiful viruttam, "guruvAi varuvAi aruLvAi guhanE" in lieu of the alapanai.
I must mention that Sri Sundar's singing was exceptionally soulful and inspired.

I had requested Sri Sankaran to play a tisra nadai and the now famous "beach korvai". He obliged gracefully and called my attention to it with a subtle hand gesture as he was about to play the korvai.

5. Kanden kanden - vasanta - to demonstrate accompanying an explosive high-speed kriti

6. Nirupamana - behag javali - Sankaran sir's use of thoppi in this was to die for.

7. Kamas - thiruppugazh - In a 10+10+5 talam (did not catch the name) followed by an excellent mora and korvai.

8. Mangalam - sowrashtram

An exceptional event. To all those who are complaining about whether there should be a tani in a concert etc, here's what I have to say. I go to a concert to listen to everyone that is on stage. And if it is someone like Sankaran sir on the mridangam, I will always be there! We in Toronto are very fortunate to have him here.

[padavarnam]

The presence of the next generation musician in a mainstream North American University is extremely valuable on so many counts. I can personally see how Indian music in North America has been transformed by figures like T. Viswanathan and Trichy Sankaran (both Sangeetha Kalanidhis) after the tragic passing of Sri Higgins. I would rate the establishment of such a chair (held by an eminent scholarly Indian musician) as being much more important to the cause of propagating Indian culture in N America, than holding teen reality contests. I get misty watching one of Wesleyan's students sing a Kamalamba navavarnam in Ananda Bhairavi, only made possible by the presence of an Indian music program there.

I find this observation of yours very meaningful and valid! Your review of the event also reveals (or should I say betrays?) your keen observation and gnanam!

[Nick H]

keen observation and gnanam!

Not only a passionate rasika, but a professional academic in a fascinating field that includes music. gnamam (in so far as I am able to understand) indeed: in full measure

What an event! How lucky you were to be there!

Thank you for a description that invokes magic for those of us far away.

[rajeshnat]

Mahavishnu
Looks like Sankaran Sir was in full form(I hear by telepathy that semmu86 is crying that he could not make it to toronto :tmi: ). IIRC , sai karthik is son of Madurai Sundar

[rajeshnat]

I would rate the establishment of such a chair (held by an eminent scholarly Indian musician) as being much more important to the cause of propagating Indian culture in N America, than holding teen reality contests

Mahavishnu
I have got some what a hazy meaning of chair . Is chair equivalent to Head of Department/ Visiting Professor for music department Or is it something more than that?

[rshankar]

Ramesh..awesome report...of a unique experience It's not a mere review, but a report of rasAnubhava...a synthesis of many previous experiences that informs and elevates the experience of the current one!
Sri Sundar stays true to his lineage rendering kanDEn kanDEn in vasantA!

[mahavishnu]

Thanks all for the kind words. I am just the messenger...

Rajesh: The term "Chair" is used in academics in two contexts. One is what you mentioned; the head of an academic dept. However, I was referring to a Chair in the context of an endowed special professorship that comes with unique privileges.

A Chair designed for a specific purpose will have the mission to build a program of research in a specialized field, attract high-quality researchers and interface with the community. A permanent Chair would mean that this position will go on after the retirement or termination of a person. This enables continuity and the creation of additional resources like permanent collections in the library, annual conferences and regular coverage by mainstream media. It also ensures that the University cannot ever cut this position during poor economic times or when the wind blows in a different direction.

Public taxpayer funding such a Chair is easier in the Natural and physical sciences (and possibly engineering) since there is tangible economic benefit (curing cancer, making more fuel efficient cars etc.). Some Chairs like the Lucasian professorship in Mathematics at Cambridge (http://www.lucasianchair.org/) and Newton's chair have been supported by the general public for the sense of history they bring.

However, finding an endowment for a Chair in Indian music studies is much more difficult. Wealthy individuals have not invested in the Indian arts very much. One can't blame them since they want their name associated with something that is perceived to have larger public outreach.

So the charge of finding the money (given that York is willing and able to establish a chair) falls on the community at large. A permanent chair will enable the creation of history like the Lucasian chair and keep the field alive for many centuries to come. Sri Beckwith was appealing to the Indian community to participate in the creation of such a Chair. I think this is laudable.

[semmu86]

I missed this thread somehow. Looks like it must have been one awesome programme. Thanks Ramesh for the brilliant write up and liked the way you have ordered the performers, with the Mrudangam coming first 8) ....

(I hear by telepathy that semmu86 is crying that he could not make it to toronto :tmi:

Not only me, anyone would have cried for having missed this programme ...

[Nick H]

I'm crying that he has returned to Toronto!