Iyer Sisters concert - Nada Inbam, Sep. 18th

[Lakshman]

Would someone who attended this concert please post a song list? Thanks.

[satyabalu]

http://youtu.be/oQ1rPCy0YcE

[Lakshman]

Satyabalu: I was aware of the youtube link but the kannaDa varNa is partly cut off. Wanted to find out which one it is.

[Thayirsaadham]

When can we expect to listen to Iyengar sisters, Mudaliar brothers and Dalit sisters ? What atrocius way to name a duo..... Whats with all the caste based naming ? Absolutely ridiculous ! And people keep wondering why carnatic music is never embraced by people outside the brahmin fraternity..... How shocking !

[Lakshman]

I figured out that the varNa is by Patnam Subramania Iyer.

[rshankar]

What atrocius way to name a duo....

As Iyer is a very valid surname that's still in use, (and I suspect that Iyer is these sisters' last name), they bill themselves as 'Iyer Sisters' - I think you are reading a bit too much into these names...after all, what's in a name, as the Bard (of Avon, and not tiruvaiyyAru in this instance) would say!

[VK RAMAN]

Thayirsaadam or Thayirvadai is very explicit and if that can be one's anonymous name, Iyer/Iyengar will not hurt or stand in the way of some one following or appreciating the music IMHO.

[Thayirsaadham]

Thayirsaadham means curd rice..... How is that explicit ? I dont understand...... Pls elaborate. Well, Iyer refers to a caste..... it will be better if they came up with some other name.... it wont look nice to have naidu sisters and dalit brothers... pls stop naming duos based on caste

[arasi]

At least with some immigrants from India in the west, the caste names were chosen (without their being particular about the caste they came from). That's because many early immigrants from the south did not have a last name--they only had an initial of their father's name. Since the previous generation had their caste names, they came in handy.

When we look at northern names, many have caste/professional names (Chaturvedi, Patil, Rassiwala). A popular southern last name is Shastry. In TN of course, we are extra-sensitive about caste names. When I went to Chennai after some years and heard about the dropping of caste names in street names, the old familiar names sounded strange to me. Then I asked, what do they call Chari road now

[rshankar]

Iyer refers to a caste..... it will be better if they came up with some other name.... it wont look nice to have naidu sisters and dalit brothers... pls stop naming duos based on caste

Several points: who said Iyer is a caste name? Are you saying that all Brahmins are Iyers? Are you proposing to start a campaign to get everyone with the last name of Iyer to change it? These artists have the last name of Iyer. Secondly, if sisters or brothers with Naidu as their last name, what's wrong to have them label themselves as 'Naidu Brothers/Sisters'? Why would that not look 'nice'? Methinks, it's your prejudice that comes across.

[Thayirsaadham]

Ok.... its time myself and my sis start calling ourselves the Iyengar sisters....

[Nick H]

I always think I should stay out of these conversations and I usually have the sense to do so. Nothing to do with me, and all that, but...

Thayirsaadham, if you want to take up this issue you could dig up one of the recent threads stimulated by TMK's writing about Brahmin domination of CM. They were not all ranting, either. Far from it, there was some good historical learning there for the likes of me. It just seems to be a bit unfair to pick on these two ladies and their concert to raise the issue. There are Iyer Brothers, too, of course: they are based in Australia and play Veena.

I don't know how either pair of "siblings" got their professional moniker. I don't know how old they were when they first started playing, and giving public performances, and needing something to put on the program to identify themselves by. It may well be that this is an issue that you should take up with their parents, or maybe some well-meaning organiser, and then they got stuck with it. Who knows but that might even sometimes regret it!

But, whether they do or not, it is not easy to change a performing persona. It is tough enough to get any recognition in the first place: a name change means, in many ways, a clean slate, at least until people have grown accustomed to the new name. For most people that is really not going to be worth it.

You can "tell" streets to change their names: you just send someone to repaint the signs. It is a little harder with people. In so far as caste names such as Iyer have become accepted, registered surnames in other countries, then it is going to continue possibly forever, and will end up having as much relevance as trade names like Goldsmith in other cultures. And maybe these girls were born to Mr and Mrs Iyer.

If you and your sis want to call yourself Iyengar sisters, nobody will stop you. Unless you start doing something outrageous like restricting entry (or refusing Chettiar sponsorship ) then I don't think anybody is going to judge you on anything other than the music that you play and sing.

I'm not trying to say that you should not say what you are saying --- just that more general talk would be better than taking aim at this couple. Try this thread

[sureshvv]

Ok.... its time myself and my sis start calling ourselves the Iyengar sisters....

Sure.. You can also please change your handle to "karuvaaadu"

[Lakshman]

Please let us keep the discussion civilized and not get involved with name calling of any one, be it rasika or performer. Thanks.

[Thayirsaadham]

Sureshvv .... the "karuvaadu" comment was totally unnecessary...... It reflects poorly on you.... not on me... I have issues with duos being named after castes..... they can definitely come up with some other names.... there is already this big debate about why people outside the brahmin fraternity never take up carnatic music..... Naming duos Iyers and Iyengars only makes it worse.... Thanks..

[VK RAMAN]

anonymous names like Thayirsaadam or Thayirvadai also is an innuendo on iyers/iyengars; I object to that psuedo name

[Pratyaksham Bala]

IYER SISTERS - Vidya and Vandana Iyer!
https://www.facebook.com/VidyaandVandan ... e_internal

[Pratyaksham Bala]

IYENGAR SISTERS - Nirupama and Akshata Iyengar!
http://new.livestream.com/shaalelive/29mar2014

[Thayirsaadham]

Thengalai sisters.... vadagalai brothers... heights !

[arasi]

vaDamA sisters, brahacharaNam brothers...

What next?

What would Bharathi say to all this? He would have sung in his mega voice: inda niRam siRidenRum, idu ETRadenRum sollalAmO? onRenRu koTTu murasE...?

(that this hue (also sect--varNam) is better than that...how can one say that? Play drums, play, that all are one, play drum, play!)

Thayirsaadham,
I know, I know, that perhaps was not your intention, but if decrying caste names (for whatever reason) brings to focus caste issues, why not just listen to their music (or not), see the dancers (or not)? And, why zero in on name tags?

[sureshvv]

Sureshvv .... the "karuvaadu" comment was totally unnecessary...... It reflects poorly on you.... not on me...

Love the way you react with righteous indignation when the subject is your choice of handle. And you sit in judgement of someone else's name in spite of being corrected by more than one that "Iyer" is a common enough surname. If you open your eyes and look around you (by the extent of your intolerance, I shall assume you are an NRI [non-resident iyer ]), I am sure you will find plenty of last names indicative of people's origins. Why don't you focus on that instead?

[harimau]

When can we expect to listen to Iyengar sisters, Mudaliar brothers and Dalit sisters ? What atrocius way to name a duo..... Whats with all the caste based naming ? Absolutely ridiculous ! And people keep wondering why carnatic music is never embraced by people outside the brahmin fraternity..... How shocking !

In the good old days, we had Alathur Brothers, Chitoor Subramania P_____i, Sathur A G Subramania I__r, Madurai Mani I__r, Ariyakkudi Ramanuja I_____r, etc. (Caste names not spelt out so as not to offend you). So it may be good that we return to naming people as Calcutta Sisters, Matunga Mamis, etc.

I applaud Tamil movies which have started this trend by naming movies Renigunta, Tirunelveli, etc.

I feel one village with a nice sonorous name has been slighted.

So I suggest that the next singing duo be named "Peddanarasimharajuvarippetta" Brothers/Sisters/Cousins.

Since that village is right on the border between Andhra and Tamil Nadu, we can apply it to people from either state. :-BD

The other possibility is Kanakammachatthiram as the prefix. The border runs right through the road in the middle of the village with the Andhra side having liquor shops as the predominant business. Any tippling duo could qualify for this name as the prefix! )

[tiruppugazh]

40 years back Bangalore brothers or Pondicherry Sisters or Tada Brother/Sister would definitely qualify for a 'tippling' duo

[Nick H]

I eagerly await the opportunity to see the Begum Sisiters.

[kvchellappa]

It is interesting that in TN we are very caste (esp. Brahmins) conscious. There are several caste surnames in the north (what is yadav?), but it passes muster. The Dravidian parties have prevailed. I am sure Iyer sisters will not change the name because they do not mean caste, but a surname. I wonder how musical such ideas are to drag in a caste debate where the name is not so intended, and one looks for music not the caste affiliation.