Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival 2013 on iCarnatic.org

icarnatic · Post by **icarnatic** » 07 Mar 2013, 16:37

Dear Rasikas,

iCarnatic.org is pleased to announce we will do both Live Webcast and Video on demand of the Cleveland Aradhana Festival 2013. Please note some important changes in this year's webcast. See below for details.

North America Viewers

The following webcast packages are available to North America viewers

All concerts performed by North American artists / children, competitions, award ceremonies and Felicitation function can be viewed for free during the live webcast.
All professional concerts will be available as video-on-demand and can be viewed at your convenience from Monday, April 8, 2013 to May 13, 2013 for a package price of $75.

Viewers from outside North America

The following webcast packages apply to viewers from outside North America

All concerts can be viewed for free during the live webcast.
All professional concerts will be available as video-on-demand and can be viewed at your convenience from Monday, April 8, 2013 to May 13, 2013 for a package price of $75 (Outside India) and $40 (India).

Click http://icarnatic.org/cle2013.aspx for details and to purchase your subscription. Please visit http://www.aradhana.org for more information and schedule.

Regards

iCarnatic.org

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Mar 2013, 06:19

iCarnatic.org,
Very happy to note that you are continuing your good work of bringing the Cleveland Festival to those of us who cannot be there.

Good work--more so because you have said that all of the subscription money is donated to the festival.
Look forward to listening to the concerts. Quite a number of Rasikas.org folks are going to be on stage this year! Others, volunteering

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Mar 2013, 04:41

The Cleveland Thyagaraja festival 2013 was ushered in this evening by talented youngsters of North America. GanESA was invoked with avvaiyAr's ''pAlum teLi tEnum". They went on to sing sarasIruhAsana priyE to get inspired by sarasvati.
They then took up varALi and presented SeshAchala nAyakam. An admirable AlApanA in hari kAmbOdi was followed by entarA (the main).The rEvathi tillAnA of Lalgudi was dessert for this impressive fare. Guhan Venkatraman on veena sounded very pleasing and professional. Manasa Suresh and Sruti Sarthy sang extremely well, Sruthi picking up her violin and playing so well, part of the time. Kamalakiran Vinjamuri is such a pleasure to listen to! Vignesh Venkatraman and Abhinav Seetharaman completed the ensemble and presented a very good tani. (Mannargudi Easwaran got on stage and praised the kids).

A very good beginning to a great annual music and dance fare.
Planning to watch as much as I possibly can!

Only in Cleveland, I'd say, though there may be a few among us who take all the effort which goes into a mega-production like this for granted

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 28 Mar 2013, 08:42

Thanks for the service icarnatic. By 'professional concerts' do you mean the concerts which are ticketed?

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 29 Mar 2013, 15:26

I enjoyed watching/listening the Thursday concerts - both presenting chaste music.

Veena trio (Nirmala Rajaskehar, Neyveli Santanagopalan and Geetha Bennett) items included Viriboni, Deva Deva (mayamalavagowla) and Meenakshi (purvikalyani)
Malladi Brothers - main items were palintuvo (kantamani) and rama niyada (kharaharapriya)

Looking forward to seeing some of the competitions tomorrow.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 29 Mar 2013, 20:14

Mohan,
Please post about the programs you listen to. Nothing like reading a running commentary about a marathon of music like this. I did try to do it last year. Because of commitments, this year we have opted for watching the events in our free time on videos later. That's going to be a treat, I'm sure--since we can listen to all the music and view the dance programs too when it's convenient. Of course, for now, I'm switching on to watch the free programs whenever I can.
Today, I'm keen on watching the children whenever I can in the all-day music competition.

I did catch NSG, Nirmala Rajashekar and Geetha Bennett playing pUrvi kalyANi.

icarnatic · Post by **icarnatic** » 30 Mar 2013, 16:34

mohan wrote:Thanks for the service icarnatic. By 'professional concerts' do you mean the concerts which are ticketed?

Dear Mohan,

It is NOT just the ticketed programs, programs that are delivered by professional artists from India are not available for live viewing in North America.
We will make most of the programs available for on-demand viewing later in April. Please see our website for details.

Thank you all for the support.

Regards

Krishnan

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 30 Mar 2013, 17:00

Watched a bit of the concert competition. Some tough questions for the competitors - especially when Sri Mannargudi Easwaran was quizzing them about laya aspects. Unfortunately the on-demand videos doesn't seem to have the earlier competitors of the concert competition or the 'on the spot ' RTP competition which would be interesting to see.

The vidwans (who were judges) offered some good advice at the end, especially the need to listen to a lot of music.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 30 Mar 2013, 20:40

I liked the final sum-up by VVS.
He speaks not just for Clevland but for Chennai too!
Hats off to him for the phenomenal growth of interest in CM among NA children!

iCarnatic
Why dont you make available the competition videos too on demand which will benefit other children
who aspire to paricipate?
The audio of the questions at times are not audible which can be rectified in your recordings.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 30 Mar 2013, 21:15

Heard nAgasvaram of Kasim Brothers playing kApi. Very pleasing. Will soon hear them play with the shehnAi players (on video view).

Took in a bit of the panchratnAs.

CML,
Yes, the kids are doing very well!
Heard a bit of what Sundaram had to say: The generosity of the community in contributing to temples is admirable. If only a portion of it is channeled to the arts as well!
Something to think about. Thirty six years is a long time. The coming years should be made easier for this musical organization to function on a healthy financial foundation.
When folks open their wallets readily to donate to the temples, let them ponder over giving a small portion to the arts as well...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Mar 2013, 23:40

I am catching a little bit here and there.
Listened to the last part of Sri Adithya Chakravarthy (Vocal) ,Kum. Sushmitha Ravikumar (violin), Sri Sanjay Subramanian (mridangam). These kids are good, especially Sushmitha on the violin.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 31 Mar 2013, 00:57

vasanthakokilam wrote: These kids are good, especially Sushmitha on the violin.

I have heard Sushmita from when she was 'yea' big - They had family in Indianapolis, and she used to participate in the local Tyagaraja Aradhana in Indy. Nice to see her blossoming into a mature artist.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2013, 04:57

Sustaining Sampradaya-The Music of Dance by the kids, the torch-bearers was inspiring, to say the least.
Cheers to the youngsters, their teachers and parents. They did it, gave a major program with energetic singing and playing on their part--by the sheer power of rigorous practice and with dedication to the music which they love.

I watched most of the event and felt proud and was moved--the way they tackled so many songs in the program--and how well their friends played!
Simply loved it, kids. Thank you all for your great performance!

And how eagerly the big names in dance danced to your tunes! Just delightful!

We are going to see more and more such gifted kids in the coming years. Thanks,Cleveland

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2013, 07:17

This year the quality of the webcast is patchy with lot of interruptions! Technical problems!
I hope we get to watch Uday clean and straight....

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2013, 08:09

I hope so too, and Ravikiran's melharmonic program before that!

In a way, I miss not seeing the live programs this year (we in NA can only watch videos this time by subscribing).
Still, the ticketed programs will be available soon...

I missed the award ceremony.

Did anyone outside of NA hear Kunnakkudi Balamurali yesterday and BMK and AC this evening? If so, please share your experience...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2013, 09:23

I heard from iCarnatic that they blocked the NA transmission to encourage better attendance. It seems to have worked as VVS was repeatedly complimenting the large live attendance at the concerts..

meenaakshi · Post by **meenaakshi** » 31 Mar 2013, 18:46

Here are some shots:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir? ... feat=email

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2013, 19:22

An ace photographer by any name...

Your pictures are a valuable addition to the festival. Excellent shots covering stars, volunteers and rasikAs alike! You barely leave out anyone who's there, bless you!

These pictures say a lot about the spirit that is behind the Tyagaraja festival in Cleveland. You bring an intimacy to the scene for many of us who are not able to be part of it all.
See a number of Rasikas.org members there! Some missing at the moment (there'll be more pics for us to view, I'm sure)--Lakshman for instance who makes the journey every year for the ArAdhanA weekend with Shantha.

Happy to see all the lovely children--the singing and (instrument) playing ones too. Saundarya with her mother and Aishwarya with her father for instance.

Suryaprakash, Arun--and where is Uday?

Thanks again photographer, a visual enhancer to a great festival!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2013, 19:38

As expected, the melharmonic of Ravikiran was a success, thanks to his brilliance and to the children of North America who rise up to any occasion with their dedication and love for music.
As can be expected, classicist Ravikiran stayed away from a mishmash of eastern and western music, popularly known as fusion. There was no scrambling for finding a common factor at whatever cost. Both genres of classical music stayed within their boundaries but all the same conveyed to us that the children who took part in the program come from both disciplines, respect and relish both kinds of music--and that they both have a place in their hearts. Kudos to them all. Their kalyANi, bilahari and madhyamAvathi and the opening song (missed the name of the rAgA) were all so well presented.

There were barely any technical problems during the (forty five minute) program--except for a minute when the names of the children were announced

I know that without ads, there can't be free streaming--but L'Oreal with the eye shadow brush going back and forth on the screen is a much-too-frequent intruder

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 31 Mar 2013, 20:25

I think that the opening song was on Varadaraja of Kanchi ( Raga Panjaram) .

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2013, 21:09

Thank you, Pasupathy!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2013, 21:59

Icarnatic,
Today's program was difficult to discern at first for us to tell the free ones from the blocked ones.
Thank you, you have made it easy now by your updating the messages.This means that you are going to be labeling the programs when they commence--instead of keeping the old program lines for the next one. This way, we get to know who are all performing, as we look at the screen and listen. Thanks.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2013, 22:33

The channel is blocked. No sign of Uday!

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 31 Mar 2013, 23:02

There is a hopeful sign now. Status changed to 'We will be back online shortly....'

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 31 Mar 2013, 23:05

Web cast is resuming..

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 31 Mar 2013, 23:12

Yes, Uday is on.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 31 Mar 2013, 23:41

Well done, Uday!. Awesome demo. Congratulations on the debut!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 01 Apr 2013, 00:34

Well done Uday!
Fascinating invention!
You have delivered the baby; and done the naamakaraNam
the CM world has to bring up and mature the child to adulthood.
It has great potential and room for innovations that will add merit to CM!
Congratulations and ThankQ

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 01 Apr 2013, 02:18

Is that T.N.S. Krishna providing vocal support for Madurai R. Sundar ?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 01 Apr 2013, 02:40

That is Sudhir Rao, Sundar's disciple.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2013, 02:58

Uday,
Congratulations on the launch!
They had switched the programs around (you were supposed to be on after the tAlA meter debuted--and I was away in the kitchen and heard a voice similar to yours (it WAS yours!) and came running to the computer to find that you were already on! I could only catch you toward the end where you demonstrated the ease with which you could go from chAmaram to Sulini on your invention. I hope I can get to see the rest of your presentation from the website, even though I may not understand most of it.I only heard the tiny bit of your playing and of the chitraviNA.

You got the Radhika seal of approval, you said. Good! It was also pleasant, getting a glimpse of her on stage at the end!

Congratulations again.
I'm also waiting to hear more from VK who toots on the regular vENu.And from CML, Arun and others...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2013, 03:16

As for Madurai Sundar's concert, he had a bad throat, I could see, but how well he sang! He sang a string of lovely krutis, in pantuvarALi, aTANa, Vasantha and that tODI (a hallmark of the Sankara sivam school) with an unusual kalyANi song (thUran's, HMB, Sankara Sivam's, TNS's??) before winding up with a mini viruttam in SuraTi..

It was nice to hear him in Cleveland after quite a while. Always good to see an all native players ensemble. J.S. Balan is playing better and better every year. Karthik need to be appreciated for all his hard work, for his playing on stage--and for taking cheeky remarks from the boss

We had Musiri school represented yesterday, and Madurai (Ramanathapuram, Harikesanallur) school today and in the coming days--NSG this evening, TNS and TNS Krishna to come.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 Apr 2013, 13:14

Tx Meenakshi for the photos.
May I know the mridangist who is seated in between Tjr Murugabhoopathy and Trichy Sankaran in this photo
https://picasaweb.google.com/Minavg/Cle ... 0971110018

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 Apr 2013, 13:45

May I know who is seated in between Trichy Sankaran and Malladi suribabu in this url(in black shirt)
https://picasaweb.google.com/Minavg/Cle ... 9234766274

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 01 Apr 2013, 17:28

rajeshnat wrote:May I know who is seated in between Trichy Sankaran and Malladi suribabu in this url(in black shirt)
https://picasaweb.google.com/Minavg/Cle ... 9234766274

He looks like David Nelson to me?
See
http://dpnelson.web.wesleyan.edu/

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2013, 19:04

A Carnatic Symphony

The children did it again--most of them pint-sized musicians!
The Chitravina family was there on stage, Shashikiran, Ganesh, Kiranavali and big brother, making this concept of Shashikiran bear fruit. This man of technicolor coats
not only brims with ideas but executes them so well. A great communicator he truly is, in many ways!

And the children! As the camera panned, you could see how they were immersed in what they were doing.
The songs selection was excellent (trinity, Purandaradasa, HMB and Mayuram Visvanatha Shastry). This program was a variation on the excellent melharmonic of Ravikiran. The end piece, "We are the world" added a different complexion. Again, something the children could relate to, of course. Prof Leo Coach and company did a great job too. V.V. Murari added to the meager adult count!

The children, most of them tiny, outdid themselves. Their ardor and discipline in presenting their music was something to be seen.

A pity, the sound went off when the accolades started. What did Sundaram, Rhada and Ravikiran say? Was BMK in the audience? No clue!

When the children sang jayathi jayathi bhAratha mAtA, they made India proud.
When they sang bhAgyada lakshmi bAramma, it was for invoking the goddess of wealth (among other things) for bestowing sufficient funds to carry on the Cleveland festival for endless years!

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 01 Apr 2013, 19:18

arasi wrote:As for Madurai Sundar's concert, he had a bad throat, I could see, but how well he sang! ... that tODI (a hallmark of the Sankara sivam school) with an unusual kalyANi song

Yes, I felt the same way as well. Sundar really belongs in the top tier league. By the time of tODI his throat got better and he got his A game back. That tODI was awesome. kalyANI came as a surprise due to it being post-main.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2013, 19:24

VK,
kalyANi fits in anywhere, I think. enthaTi kulukE at the end of a concert, for instance.
Same with kAmbOdi. How good it sounds in a virutham!

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 01 Apr 2013, 20:22

A pity, the sound went off when the accolades started. What did Sundaram, Rhada and Ravikiran say? Was BMK in the audience? No clue!

Radha expressed her happiness; Sundaram had previously announced that Radha (after hearing the concert) gave spontaneeously $1000 to be given to all the children . Sasikiran ,deducting some expenses had given proceeds of entrance fee (collected from students) to Aradhana. Sundaram invited the "gang" again for next year. In addition, there might be a Carnatic Theater ( like Sakunthalam...a combination of people who can sing and emote) ..next year. (perhaps Radha+Sasikiran coordinated effort?)

The songs were:
vandhE mInAkshim - MSD
sArasa nEthra -Thy
gurumUrthE- MSD
varaleela gana -Thy
sambO gangAdharA- GKB -Isa maNohari
giridhara - HMB
girirAja -Thy -bangALA
dhaNdamu -Thy -balahamsa
jayathi -MVS -kamas
bAghyadhA- Purandaradas -sri
We are the world - M.Jackson+Lionel Richie

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2013, 20:40

Pasupathy,
Thanks for the song list. I couldn't note them down since I was circulating in the house.

Also for what went on on the stage when I went soundless. Since the program says: conducted by BMK and Leo Coach, I wondered if he was there (though not on stage).

Rhada is one generous lady. She contributed amply to the festival last year too.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 01 Apr 2013, 20:48

Arasi,
I did not see BMK either on stage or in the schedule?
http://www.aradhana.org/schedule.html#mon1

Only Sasikiran and Leo Coach conducted. ( Kiranavali +Ganesh also )

I know that some of the songs were taught by BMK first to Sasi +Ganesh: e.g. Vara leela. You can see the short video if you go to Musiguru site.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2013, 21:01

Will do.

The festival schedule says: A Carnatic Symphony conducted by Sangeetha Ratnakara Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna and Prof. Leo Coach, CSU; Concept by Sri. Shashikiran.That's why I asked.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 01 Apr 2013, 21:31

>girirAja -Thy -bangALA

I have a special affection to this song, this being the first krithi I learned. I am curious how it was in the symphony form. Shakthi featured it a few years back. While it was entertaining, it was too much over the top for my taste.
The vibe Arasi and Pasupathy have created make me think I am going to like this. Looking forward to listening to it.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2013, 01:40

iCarnatic,
Did you not show any of the programs after the children's symphony?

No luck.The screen said that the free channel was blocked.

If it isn't too much trouble, please put up the list of the free concerts for the day every morning, so that we can plan our day around it. Better still, do it last thing at night about the next day's program.

Since you are not packaging all these concerts in your videos viewing subscription, this request! Thanks!

Sreeni Rajarao · Post by **Sreeni Rajarao** » 02 Apr 2013, 06:55

I have been watching as and when possible - I have been lucky to catch some amazing performances by kids!

Thank you for organizing and Thank you for the Webcasts!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2013, 20:37

Tuesday morning, April 2nd and the streaming is on today. Thanks, iCarnatic!

Heard a bit of Rajeshwari Satish. She sang a very good kalayAmi raghurAmam (kannaDa).
Her viruttam, though brief had bhAvam.

Kiranavali Vidyashankar who followed her sang bhajana sEya in dhanyAsi, followed by abhimAnamella in bEgaDa.She concluded her singing with her brother's kalyANa vasantham thillAnA.

Mala Chandrashekar came on stage, was keen on listening to sikkil flute sounds, but have to wait until the videos come out

since they blocked the free program.

iCarnatic,
I'm just wondering: will the festival offer a streaming next year which combines both live concerts and the videos as another choice? Last year, we chose the streaming and the immediacy of a concert experience was fully felt, though it was a rigorous exercise in that my daily routine was interrupted too often! So, the videos seemed a better idea this year. Perhaps a combo as I suggest might work better for rasikAs--for an extra few dollars. Wonder what others think about it...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 02 Apr 2013, 20:47

I have already suggested this, especially the competition videos.
It is a good idea for the whole show be on the video-on-demand for a price as you suggest which is also good
commercially for the aradhana. Incidentally we will have the programs without the frustrating nterruptions!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2013, 21:22

CML,
Thanks for your post. Perhaps Cleveland can offer the programs thus:
1: Free broadcasts
2: Watch ALL programs with a subscription fee.
3: Watch ALL programs by video a little later.
4: Watch ALL programs live AND as videos later.
The interruptions in airing reminds me of the old radio days when broadcasts from anything other than local stations meant not only fading away of the programs but a lot of what in tamizh we called 'garu buru' noises!
Incidentally, you haven't been to the Chennai season in a while. Live concerts there to this day have amplification problems which you read about but have not experienced yourself! That's why I'm more tolerant of them, I suppose--a matter of habit!

Even those rasikAs who do make it to the festival cannot be at Cleveland for the entire festival--some only at weekends. They are potential viewers for the programs which they (like us) can later enjoy.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 02 Apr 2013, 21:38

Very true.
The suggestions cannot be implemented by iCarnatic without approval from CTA committee.
I hope they will respond here when we can make our collective suggestions!
As a late riser and siesta-prone senior I would vote for any watch-at-your-convenience strategy.

Enjoy your brief instant reviews! The Journalist is Live and kicking

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 02 Apr 2013, 23:13

>As a late riser and siesta-prone senior

I show early symptoms of that already