Sangeetha Kalanidhi 2018

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 18 Jul 2018, 04:17

Well said, Bhagwan. We are marching on with the times in music too. Every decade brings in some change or other in the arts, and in a century, new avenues add to the vista. With that perspective, we cannot do a song and a dance or despair about the way things turn out. History teaches us to view present times (and the arts along with it) that way.
Add to it the unbelievable advances in recent history, wrought by technology! Even here at Rasikas.org, how much we have changed--from rising against the resistance a few artistes put up--not in a gentle way at all, if you recall, to the recording of their concerts

Now, how many offerings we are plied with at a mere click on the keyboard!
Changes are not easy to take, if we stick stubbornly to everything we believed in, in the past. In Nature, a river would take a bend against the odds and find a course to flow. The arts are mighty, and our need to interact with them is strong too. We don't give up easily, like that river.
The Academy is an old bastion, may be, but why think it's the end of it all? Thanks to it for all it has done for music, and hopefully will do in the future. We have other places to congregate to hear music and--need I say? The good old radio and TV channels are there to bring some quality music to us. And our personal screen at home, and more.
We can't stop our children from playing tech games which come from other parts of the world. We cannot stop musicians from taking CM to every corner of the world, bringing in rasikAs from
everywhere to it. Can't do anything about the off springs of migrated Indians from taking a shine to it!
So, here once more are my congratulations to Aruna (I do not know her personally). Any woman, man too

achieving any honor after putting one's heart and efforts into the pursuit is praiseworthy for me...

devan · Post by **devan** » 18 Jul 2018, 05:22

Congratulations to Aruna.

Ponbhairavi · Post by **Ponbhairavi** » 18 Jul 2018, 07:42

Post no139
“The question remains:what is A S contribution to CM to meritthis Award ...”
Pl see. https://en.wikipedia.org”wiki” Aruna Sayeeram

Congratulations to Aruna

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Jul 2018, 08:46

Wikipedia is not an objective or authoritive source. Nobody can argue that she does not have a large following. Indeed, she fills halls with people who might never attend concerts by those many of us here would consider "SK material."

The Wikipedia article looks like it was written by one of them. That is not to say it is all wrong, just somewhat biased.

SK hanging on the wall of someone that many of us do not consider fulfils our ideas of what it is about. Never mind: there'll be another one along next year.

"We," I suppose, tend to think that SK should follow only hard-line, core musical values. The actual selection Committee thinks... Well, we don't know what it thinks. Perhaps the MMA, Modern Music Academy, is a bit like "New Labour" in UK and actually wants to dump its traditional values to increase its popularity. Or perhaps they only read Wikipedia these days!

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 18 Jul 2018, 08:57

It is not them. It is we who are the insulated group, an echo chamber validating each other's oblique views.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 18 Jul 2018, 09:27

Ponbhairavi wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 07:42 Post no139
“The question remains:what is A S contribution to CM to meritthis Award ...”
Pl see. https://en.wikipedia.org”wiki” Aruna Sayeeram

Congratulations to Aruna

Says the disclaimer at the top of the page : "...This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance..."

Many of these articles are usually copy pasted from elsewhere.

Anyway, I haven't heard AS for so long (I stopped because I had no chance of getting a ticket or a place to sit in many of her concerts), so I have no idea what her music is like now. Now I think I really should go and listen for myself...

@harimau, you've disappointed me. This was your moment of a lifetime, and yet when it was time for you to show up, all we got was hari-meow. You took out your tup-tup rifle, only to realize that over the years, you've expended all the ammo in tup-tup. Your position is being stolen by the porcines.

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 18 Jul 2018, 11:21

Ok, now that th SK awardee has been announced, now the next topic for discussion would be the songs that will be rendered by the SK awardee at MA in dec 2018. My take is

Concert starts with a varnam in nattai - theme monkey
Submain piece on a cow in purvikalyani
Main piece - another cow in thodi
Grand finale - thillana on a snake with magudi accompaniment - 50 mins and 49 secs ably supported by the audience dancing away to glory inviting the new year !

This will be a 4 hours 22 mins 39 secs concert with special emphasis on thillana

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 18 Jul 2018, 11:25

SrinathK wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 09:27
Ponbhairavi wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 07:42 Post no139
“The question remains:what is A S contribution to CM to meritthis Award ...”
Pl see. https://en.wikipedia.org”wiki” Aruna Sayeeram

Congratulations to Aruna

Anyway, I haven't heard AS for so long (I stopped because I had no chance of getting a ticket or a place to sit in many of her concerts), so I have no idea what her music is like now.

Do u consider ur self to be lucky or unlucky

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 18 Jul 2018, 11:28

I consider myself a scientist.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Jul 2018, 14:19

"Hari-meow."

Brilliant!

ratanabhinav · Post by **ratanabhinav** » 18 Jul 2018, 16:23

Certain vidwans and vidushis richly deserved the award , but never got it . ( Lalgudi , Suguna Purushothaman , TNR ) . And then there is Aruna Sairam . Way to go , MA .

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 18 Jul 2018, 17:55

Is it time to start a Sangeetha Kalanidhi 2019 thread?

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 18 Jul 2018, 18:34

Why not? Express your wish list

Sivaramakrishnan · Post by **Sivaramakrishnan** » 18 Jul 2018, 19:14

No wonder AS is this year's SK.
Nominations for other titles haven't attracted much debate. (By and large they seem to be OK)
2018 is over.

Let us wait at least for Jan 2019 to begin next year's speculations.
Enjoy the Season 2018.

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 18 Jul 2018, 19:38

mohan wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 17:55 Is it time to start a Sangeetha Kalanidhi 2019 thread?

Ranjini Gayathri or TMK

Double dhamaka

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Jul 2018, 20:06

I don't mind TMK getting awards, as long as it is for music!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 18 Jul 2018, 20:13

I repeat my guess : It will be TMK. On music, he deserves it.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 18 Jul 2018, 20:27

kvchellappa wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 20:13 I repeat my guess : It will be TMK. On music, he deserves it.

He writes for The Hindu - so plus 1. Last time someone from SSI school got SK was all the way back in 1981 [TMT]. Can TMK lobby hard enough though? And how friendly is he with Sriram V / Sanjay?

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 18 Jul 2018, 21:38

TM Krishna has to perform in the Dec Music Season in Music Academy.Reconciliation is possible.But going by last few years TMK may not be proposed and one fear may be he may not accept?

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 18 Jul 2018, 23:05

You may find a host of SK's returning their awards!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 19 Jul 2018, 01:01

I suspect that TMK gets a lot more respect from musicians than he does here

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 19 Jul 2018, 03:26

TM Krishna's music captures the audience.He deserves the SK award.Most definitely he is very knowledgeable too and not a routine singer.He gets due respect from the accompanists and gives more then their share of chance.
But as he is staying away from music Academy during the season and is not performing,he may not be given the award.

HarishankarK · Post by **HarishankarK** » 19 Jul 2018, 04:53

ram1999 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 11:21 Ok, now that th SK awardee has been announced, now the next topic for discussion would be the songs that will be rendered by the SK awardee at MA in dec 2018. My take is

Concert starts with a varnam in nattai - theme monkey
Submain piece on a cow in purvikalyani
Main piece - another cow in thodi
Grand finale - thillana on a snake with magudi accompaniment - 50 mins and 49 secs ably supported by the audience dancing away to glory inviting the new year !

This will be a 4 hours 22 mins 39 secs concert with special emphasis on thillana

This is so so funny -

But can we all leave the poor vidushi Aruna Sairam alone

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 19 Jul 2018, 05:53

This has become a Musicians bashing site.

devan · Post by **devan** » 19 Jul 2018, 07:58

Punch bag

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jul 2018, 08:36

Once again, should we take a deep breath? Not to spar again, but to meditate a bit, then mull over things...?
As we get obsessed over this SK buisness, if only we pause to think how it's shaping up! The way it's going, the minute the curtains come down on the sadas, someone's going to start a new SK awardee for 2019 thread, only to prove that we probably belong in the loony bin. That is how

we will seem. For those who have seen the Bob Newhart show (old show, you might say, but I mean the old-er version). Week after week, we saw psychiatrist Bob's patient's gather for their group therapy session. It was funny, but the characters were something else

I think we may end up as a tamAshA when groups of new visitors gather around to watch our free show of utter ridiculousness

Spring Cuckoo,
We truly don't need to have special Rasikas badges made. After all, it's another of our 'season'al topic...

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 19 Jul 2018, 09:21

Thanks, Arasi. You are paying us a rich compliment - that we make others laugh. What can be nobler?

devan · Post by **devan** » 19 Jul 2018, 10:29

Mob lynching. The trend now in India.

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 19 Jul 2018, 12:10

arasi wrote: ↑19 Jul 2018, 08:36 Once again, should we take a deep breath? Not to spar again, but to meditate a bit, then mull over things...?
As we get obsessed over this SK buisness, if only we pause to think how it's shaping up! The way it's going, the minute the curtains come down on the sadas, someone's going to start a new SK awardee for 2019 thread, only to prove that we probably belong in the loony bin. That is how we will seem. For those who have seen the Bob Newhart show (old show, you might say, but I mean the old-er version). Week after week, we saw psychiatrist Bob's patient's gather for their group therapy session. It was funny, but the characters were something else
I think we may end up as a tamAshA when groups of new visitors gather around to watch our free show of utter ridiculousness
Spring Cuckoo,
We truly don't need to have special Rasikas badges made. After all, it's another of our 'season'al topic...

This is the problem with this forum. Any one expresses a critical opinion, certain members jump in to showcase a neutral approach. Forums are meant for expressing opinions which are critical or otherwise !!

And if any member is not interested in the discussion or a comment, it is best perhaps to ignore! Not sure if there is a need to comment on every thread !

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 19 Jul 2018, 12:13

HarishankarK wrote: ↑19 Jul 2018, 04:53
ram1999 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 11:21

This is so so funny -
But can we all leave the poor vidushi Aruna Sairam alone

Not sure if AS is poor. Definitely the listeners are

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 19 Jul 2018, 12:34

I agree.

If music, or any art, it's too be discussed by its audience (or non-audience!) then there will be negative stuff as well as positive. And either could be strong.

Having said that, I dislike the feeding-frenzy thing that happens here, almost too the point where one artist cannot brush their teeth in the morning without a vitriolic thread rubbishing the action. Of course, international awards for toothbrushing invite some comment - - - but it goes on and on and on.

That doesn't apply here, to an artist that gets only occasional notice from us. And perhaps occasional notice is part of the reason for adverse comment on the award and the institution.

There are many names in our SK threads which cause us to argue only about seniority and order. We do not fight about everyone.

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 19 Jul 2018, 12:52

Nick H wrote: ↑19 Jul 2018, 12:34 I agree.

If music, or any art, it's too be discussed by its audience (or non-audience!) then there will be negative stuff as well as positive. And either could be strong.

Having said that, I dislike the feeding-frenzy thing that happens here, almost too the point where one artist cannot brush their teeth in the morning without a vitriolic thread rubbishing the action. Of course, international awards for toothbrushing invite some comment - - - but it goes on and on and on.

That doesn't apply here, to an artist that gets only occasional notice from us. And perhaps occasional notice is part of the reason for adverse comment on the award and the institution.

There are many names in our SK threads which cause us to argue only about seniority and order. We do not fight about everyone.

Not sure if discussions in this forum has any impact on the artist and the way they perform. Classic case is TMK has been critiqued / ridiculed so much, however, he continues in the path that he has chosen. AS and her music has been bashed enough, she continues to draw crowd more than enough. People who participate here are minuscule and most are just for time pass!
Therefore we need not take it so seriously !
In fact many musicians are not happy the way the concerts are reviewed and I have heard from quite a few musicians that they do not follow what is been reviewed here and they aren’t bothered. So the review quality in here itself is a suspect

And even Music Academy is not bothered to change their criterion of selection based on what is being spoken about here

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 19 Jul 2018, 16:10

I do not see anything wrong with SK selection discussion.The CM performing fraternity might be seeing Rasikas posts or at least a few of them.It is not a requirement only Praises should be heaped.
Music Academy Management or any other Sabha Management will be least interested in our views.Rasikas.org is a platform for Carnatic Music related topics mainly and at times very informative also.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jul 2018, 18:35

Discussions are what we are here for--I don't deny that. As one vidwan aptly put it years ago to me, we at Rasikas are those who are engaged in tiNNaip pEchu (chat among friends on the front stoop). I am all for it. The number of my posts don't say otherwise. What pains me is when personal prejudices (the negative kind, especially of the vitriolic kind) creeps in. That's all. Freedom of speech reigns. It's when it's handled in a damaging way that we have to question ourselves. Others have the freedom to spell out: you lot of a certain age, shut up and mind your own geriatric life! But the way in which you say things still matters, I suppose...

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 19 Jul 2018, 19:49

ithu koncham overthaan. But, then it may be called intolerance on my part!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jul 2018, 00:03

KVC,
Could you elaborate on the idu (ithu) as to what it refers to?

Ram,
In your post #179 you say, "Forums are meant for expressing opinions which are critical...I agree.
"Or otherwise" I agree to that too, so long as they are not downright insults and border on slander..

musi · Post by **musi** » 20 Jul 2018, 08:41

ram1999 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 19:38
mohan wrote: ↑18 Jul 2018, 17:55 Is it time to start a Sangeetha Kalanidhi 2019 thread?
Ranjini Gayathri or TMK

Double dhamaka

Ranjani Gayatri really deserve it. Be it complex neraval pallavis, bhajans, abhangs , graha bedam, singing unsung ragas, mass appeal - they have everything.

The vid Seetha Narayanan once in 2000-01 (in their early years of vocal) commented on how brilliant gayatri was .
She said that they would both be top artists of their generation given their voices , passion, sincerity and thirst to learn and innovate.
It turns out her prediction was right.

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 20 Jul 2018, 11:00

musi wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 08:41Ranjani Gayatri really deserve it. Be it complex neraval pallavis, bhajans, abhangs , graha bedam, singing unsung ragas, mass appeal - they have everything.

Totally agree with you. I can't think of a more deserving pair of artists than them... complete masters of the art, and such dedication. I don't listen to them much, but obviously that has nothing to do with whether I think they are great musicians or worthy of the SK title. Definitely the most deserving among all of those around and among the all time greats in CM.

ratanabhinav · Post by **ratanabhinav** » 20 Jul 2018, 11:05

NSG 2019 !

devan · Post by **devan** » 20 Jul 2018, 11:37

Bombay jaisree or Sowmya. They are much senior.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 20 Jul 2018, 11:58

arasi wrote: ↑19 Jul 2018, 18:35 Discussions are what we are here for--I don't deny that. As one vidwan aptly put it years ago to me, we at Rasikas are those who are engaged in tiNNaip pEchu (chat among friends on the front stoop). I am all for it. The number of my posts don't say otherwise. What pains me is when personal prejudices (the negative kind, especially of the vitriolic kind) creeps in. That's all. Freedom of speech reigns. It's when it's handled in a damaging way that we have to question ourselves. Others have the freedom to spell out: you lot of a certain age, shut up and mind your own geriatric life! But the way in which you say things still matters, I suppose...

Arasi, about 10 years ago, rasikas used to be a place where a lot of music sharing used to happen. There were a lot of interesting topics discussed, a lot of rasikas narrating their personal experiences with musicians, many a golden record would be shared up, many a lyric and composer and composition revealed, many mysteries demystified. Much of this has stopped. Now-a-days we don't even want to share off google cloud and youtube.

What I find now is that most of the best contributors have either stopped coming here, grown old, or passed away. Ironically there is now a LOT more music to share (especially free music), many more resources out there and a lot more technology to make it easier to share as well. Even commercial music is more affordable than ever.

To be very blunt the General discussion page is often synonymous with the lounge (which is basically a more luxurious thinnai). I will say that the overall standard of discussions has decreased.

For my part, I ain't just complaining. I have a lot of ideas on how I can keep filling up this place, apart from the new discoveries I keep making in music every other day. But this old spirit needs to come back.

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 20 Jul 2018, 12:11

ram1999 · Post by **ram1999** » 20 Jul 2018, 13:00

arasi wrote: ↑19 Jul 2018, 18:35 Discussions are what we are here for--I don't deny that. As one vidwan aptly put it years ago to me, we at Rasikas are those who are engaged in tiNNaip pEchu (chat among friends on the front stoop).

Tinnaip pechu - it is nothing but gossip, rather mandai uruttakl.

And I wonder if the artist who commented was hitting below the belt the quality of the discussion in the most sarcastic manner

If that is the case does it matter if the expressions of anyone in the forum is passive or aggressive.

All that I am saying is members need not react to every post and participate in every post for the sake of expressing ones opinion.

And discussions lose steam after a few days of discussion.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 20 Jul 2018, 16:16

arasi wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 00:03 KVC,
Could you elaborate on the idu (ithu) as to what it refers to?

The relentless criticism of AS's credential as an authentic CM singer. I get a feeling that being popular and singing snake song and madu meikkum have overshadowed her merit (which may not be superlative, but not below par in my view). I see that it is a crime for an artist to be popular. i also see that there is disdain for the rasikas who hear such artists avidly.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 20 Jul 2018, 20:28

arunsri wrote: ↑15 Jul 2018, 21:53 Music Academy --- whose credibility was always questionable has hit a new low. Guess, it cannot get worse...

I think almost three years back I said that the Music Academy has learnt its lesson from the then UPA government: if one perpetrates one outrage after another, people just get used to it.

Yes, it is going to get worse. Just wait another couple of years.

I am expecting that the band Agam will get Sangeetha Kalanidhi in the future.

Google YouTube for their videos. You can get Rangapura Vihara, Manavyalakincha, Subrahmanyena Rakshitoham, etc. You see young men and women swaying to their music which is usually set in some bar or nightclub.

They are also bringing in new audience to Carnatic Music.

That ought to qualify them for Sangeetha Kalanidhi!

PS. To my knowledge, they have not yet attempted the monumental swarajathis of Sri Syama Sastri. I hope I get to Hell before that happens. Real Hell cannot be worse than listening to Agam singing Amba Kamakshi in Bhairavi even once.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 20 Jul 2018, 20:30

ram1999 wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 12:11—

I gave you a +1 for your deleted post.

You deserve it no matter what your comment may have been!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 20 Jul 2018, 20:31

You take us repeatedly there, Harimau! You perhaps are in UPA syndrome yourself.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 20 Jul 2018, 20:35

harimau wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 20:28 I am expecting that the band Agam will get Sangeetha Kalanidhi in the future.

They are also bringing in new audience to Carnatic Music. That ought to qualify them for Sangeetha Kalanidhi!

Hmm, they have performed with our latest Kalanidhi, Navotsavam

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 20 Jul 2018, 20:39

kvchellappa wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 16:16
arasi wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 00:03 KVC,
Could you elaborate on the idu (ithu) as to what it refers to?

The relentless criticism of AS's credential as an authentic CM singer. I get a feeling that being popular and singing snake song and madu meikkum have overshadowed her merit (which may not be superlative, but not below par in my view). I see that it is a crime for an artist to be popular. i also see that there is disdain for the rasikas who hear such artists avidly.

Nothing wrong with being popular. We have the example of Sri Madurai Mani Iyer who was extremely popular and whose Music was extraordinary.

You should come down to Chennai in December to attend her concert at the Music Academy. People, who normally can't be seen at any Carnatic concert, show up for it. Fresh from the beauty parlor with lanky hair (all kinks being ironed out) and wearing saris costing upward of Rs 50,000. They pay a lot of moolah to be able to tell their friends that they attended her Music Academy concert.

It is a fashion thing. You won't understand it unless you go a concert by Agam in a Bangalore nightclub.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 20 Jul 2018, 20:42

MaheshS wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 20:35
harimau wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 20:28 I am expecting that the band Agam will get Sangeetha Kalanidhi in the future.

They are also bringing in new audience to Carnatic Music. That ought to qualify them for Sangeetha Kalanidhi!
Hmm, they have performed with our latest Kalanidhi, Navotsavam

Don't talk to me about Navotsavam. That and The Hindu November Music Fest are the signs of a society in decline.