Vidushi R Vedavalli @ Bangalore Gayana Samaja - Nov 1st

[ashwin_anand]

Dear All,

As part of the Annual Music Conference of the Bangalore Gayana Samaja, Sangita Kalanidhi Vidushi R Vedavalli will be presenting a lecture demonstration on "thanam" on Nov 1st (Thu) from 10 am.

[squims]

Oh great! Nov 1st is sounding like it's going to be a good day! Vedavalli maami in the morning and Venkatesh Kumar ji in the evening.

[gardabha_gana]

Nice! Hope and pray that Lord Indra/Varuna keep the rain away.

[squims]

My plans of going to T S Sathyavathi were literally washed away in the rains today. I sincerely hope it's better tomorrow. But looking at the way things are now, I'm highly doubtful.

[srikant1987]

I managed to attend Dr Vedavalli's lecdem. The rains hadn't quite stopped, but had subsided enough to let me celebrate Rajyotsava with Gayana Samaja.

Dr Vedavalli mentioned (in Kannada) that she would have loved to give her lecdem in Kannada itself, but that Kannada hasn't been in practice for her for a while, so she chose English. She also played tAnams by her guru Sri Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer -- which also came from a lecdem (in Tamil).

Some of the important points in the lecdem that I immediately recollect:

(1) She strongly discouraged the usage of 'nom' and 'tom' syllables, and prefers only akAra tAna syllables.

(2a) She said that there is a 'continuity' required for tAnam.
(2b) In between she sang a long passage of tAnam concluding with a pa, and said that until she came there, she had no chance to take a rest.
(2c) She said that the tALa strings help keep the nAdam alive (maintain continuity) in vINa tAnams.

(3) Every second syllable is stressed in tAnam, and this stress is also provided by tALa strings in vINa.

(4) She observed that 'humkAram' -- stressing the 'm' in a 'nam' for another syllable / swaram the way the akAra is stressed multiple times -- is a dying practice, and expressed her fondness for humkAram.

(5) She mentioned a point about beginning with an ArOha krama which I didn't completely understand -- I think she advised beginning a passage with a (say in tODi or bhairavi) pmp - ddp rather than with a ddp - pmp.

(6) She said tAnams use flat notes and practically don't admit any gamakas. Gamakas will cause them to sag.

(7a) She mentioned that the sphuritam in jaNTai varisai itself is where a student of music is first introduced to the "voice culture" demanded by a tAna -- so voice culture is part of very elementary training in Carnatic music.
(7b) At another place in her lecdem, she startled us all revealing that this recording of Mudikondan was made in his 75th year. She stressed on the importance of sticking to shruti so closely that even "wind cannot pass through in between".

(8) She said that tAnam and also mandrasthAyi music come from the nAbhi, and give little place for false voice.

(9a) She mentioned that vaiNikas are often provided 'ciTTa tAna' passages, where a (svara) notation is given to them, and they are to make a tAnam out of it.
(9b) Later in the lecdem, she showed how tAna varNams can themselves serve as ciTTa tAnas; she said that the third line in these varNams (like ErA nApai) are especially solid exercises for tAnam singing.

(10a) In contrast to AlApanais, which use different speeds, tAnams stay in madhyamakAla.
(10b) There is always a caturashragati shadow in tAnam, although there is no tALam bound to it. There is not much for a percussionist to do when accompanying a tAnam.

[perarulalan]

Did anyone attend the LecDem on Chenchurutti rAgam by Dr. Deepak Paramashivan? Apparently, Smt RV praised this lec dem a lot.

[squims]

Thanks for the report Srikant. Couldn't make it. It sounds pretty much like a commercially available lec dem about taanam that I have of Vedavalli maami's.

P.S. I did get to attend Pt Venkatesh Kumar's concert though. Was lovely.

[Nick H]

Maybe I should manage to attend Bangalore lec-dems for the opportunity to learn in English :$. I was tempted to come for one by Trichy Sankaran a couple of years ago, and have seriously regretted, ever since, that I did not.

Srikant, thank you very much for the write-up

a commercially available lec dem about taanam that I have of Vedavalli maami's.

I should look for that.

[squims]

Here's a link to help you Nick.

http://www.kalakendra.com/shopping/bodh ... rrency=INR

[Nick H]

Thank you

I've added to my Flipkart shopping list.

[girish_a]

I checked it out on Flipkart. There is a sample track. It is in tamil, which I don't understand Is there an English version?

http://www.flipkart.com/bodhakam-madhya ... 8T9HGM986Q

[Nick H]

There is a sample track. It is in tamil,

Ahh, ok... you saved me buying it. Thanks.

[srikant1987]

(8) She said that tAnam and also mandrasthAyi music come from the nAbhi, and give little place for false voice.

She said this of not tAnam, but of 'M'kAra, when discussing humkAram. Sorry ...