ramanavami music festival -Bangalore

[RSR]

I am among those who feel sad at this development.
https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/ ... 15926.html
Sri, Sachi will be the best person to educate us on this issue.
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"Eight decades of fabulous music - Sree Ramaseva Mandali was founded in Bengaluru in 1939 by music lover S V Narayanaswamy Rao. He was just 14 then. -
It has hosted the who’s who of Indian classical music: M S Subbulakshmi, Bhimsen Joshi, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Bismillah Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, M L Vasanthakumari, D K Pattammal, M Balamuralikrishna, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Kunnakudi Vaidyan........
Subbulakshmi performed for a record 32 times and Yesudas has been performing for five decades now. - Thousands of connoisseurs listen to music during the 31-day festival every year......

[Sachi_R]

Dear Sir,
I am unqualified to throw any light. Maybe Mr Bhagavan can and would like to throw some light.

I stopped going to Fort High school several years ago. I found neither the pandal ambience nor the overall conduct of the festival to be in any way spiritual or musical. I thought it was a major money-making racket. I may have been wrong.

[RSR]

Dear Sir,
I am unqualified to throw any light. Maybe Mr Bhagavan can and would like to throw some light.

I stopped going to Fort High school several years ago. I found neither the pandal ambience nor the overall conduct of the festival to be in any way spiritual or musical. I thought it was a major money-making racket. I may have been wrong.

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Dear Sir,
You may know better . But, what I have read about the performances there, last season, give a different picture to me. 1) Quite a few violin concerts 2) Even a Nagaswaram concert
3) huge response from the public 4) List of famous and popular artistes' participation
5) Reported high percentage of young people in the audience, ( I am comparing that to the lament about vacant seats in Chennai concerts) 6) As a well-known writer observed,' canteen seems to be more popular than the concert ...in .......'
As for 'Pandal', that was the norm back in 1940-1955 years. PS High school ground, and Mylapore Temple concerts. and other venues in Chennai temples.
What is pertubing is bringing in cene playback singers without any concert contribution into this great event.
Thank you , nevertheless for your input.

[Sachi_R]

Sir,
Compared to say Unnati, Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, Nadasurabhi and other such festivals, this series has

Lots of glaring lights
Milling VIP fellas strutting about with mobiles in the front row,
A fair distance of the normal ticketed seats from the dais,
A thousand banners all around you
A general restlessness
Noisy audio

This was my experience.
Of course all the Carnatic stars get paid handsomely to come and perform here. They seem to love the fest.

!

Each to his own. As I said the three other fests I mentioned have true music in a good and quiet setting shorn of milling crowds and "marketing". These other three fests I mentioned have no tickets! Of course these sabhas have almost zero PR whereas RSM starts their FB and other campaigns six months in advance.

My take. Badari, Bhagavan, even CRama may feel differently. They are more dedicated rasikas than me FOR SURE.

[arasi]

Sachi,
Go back more than half a century--the festival was something I looked up with awe. Caught a few concerts in my younger days, and later, whenever I came to India (not frequently then), with just a two week break and kids on tow, regretted not making it even once to the festival. Nowadays, I'm off before the festival starts, and from what I gather, and what you say, It doesn't seem to be something for me to rue about With all the lovely venues for music in Bengaluru nowadays, why bother. AND, we have plenty going on around where I live, if I can make it...

[Sachi_R]

Arasi,
I have heard Ariyakudi, GNB, Pattammal, maybe even MSS, Chowdiah, Mali etc when RSM held the concerts in the City Institute.
I heard KVN, Ravikiran, TNK with N Rajam etc. in early 80s in Fort Highschool. I moved away from Blr. after that. When I came back, I found pretty much a highly developed money machine in the form of RSM. So I stayed away.

I knew they secretly record and sell audio and video of all concerts. I don't know what is the current status.

[RSR]

Excuse me for a rather lengthy post that follows.
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On googling, for (ramanavami music festival in bangalore ..rasikas)
I found a few earlier threads . Mods may kindly merge all of them.
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I do agree with Sri.Sachi that milling crowds could be a bit distracting to the artistes and discerning audience in music festivals. Perhaps, the ambience of 'PARVATHI' in Mysore is meant for leisurely listening . ( By the way, is there any music festival in large scale conducted in Mysore?)
There is another side to that. It is heartening to learn that such a classical music ( CM and HM) event is drawing huge crowds, especially, many from the comparatively younger generation. That too, , no dance programs but only classical vocal music and instrumental music.
Surprising to learn from earlier threads that the organization is facing financial problems. Possibly due to the high remuneration paid to the artistes. We cannot complain about that.
It is a very good thing that there is a good distance between the dais and seats for audience. Then the attention will be riveted to the music and not to the visual aspect.
On the one hand, we regret that attendance in classical music concerts is dwindling but then complain that there is too much crowd! We may as well have chamber music, if we want old ( durbar) style concerts for the select few. connoisseurs.
My preference is for 'milling crowds', especially of common and local working people, students from all disciplines and young professionals from all the streams. --unlike events targeting diaspora from western countries mostly... something like recapturing the ambience of typical Madurai Mani Iyer concerts in 1950's. in Mylopore temple.
Bangalore is known as the 'Silicon Valley' of India. There are reported to be around 2 lakhs software professionals in Bangalore alone. And add to that no less numerous and talented Engineers, Technologists and Scientists working there and other professionals in legal , medical , financial and management/administration sectors.
With such a HUGE number of potential rasikas and contributors, it is possible to plan a budget comparable to state govt budget.! Bear in mind the voluntary contributions made year after year to Thiruppathy Balaji temple!.
Bangalore is really a very cosmopolitan city . A very good percentage of professionals are from North India. and offering CM and HM programs as they do is very nice thing.
If a suitable classical music awareness drive is conducted not just on the eve of the festival, but through out the year, 45 days may not be enough for the festival!
The timing of the concert definitely has to be changed. concert can begin at 6-15 pm and end by 8-45 pm. to enable the audience to reach home comfortably. before it getting too late. The organizers themselves can arrange for transport. ( have we not seen nearly 100 buses carrying the employees back home from the workspot in even Chennai?)
Another heartening aspect for me is that it is named as 'Ramanavami music festival' rather than the 'secular' music festivals in Chennai!( the very name is anathema to these secularists)
http://ramanavamimusic.blogspot.com/

[arasi]

By what other name can a Ramanavami festival be called?

[arasi]

Deleted...

[RSR]

Though Chennai music festival in dec-jan is very famous, it is not explicitly mentioned as a religious festival. ( thiruppaavai-thiruvempaavai,,not withstanding). And recent years have seen intrusion of dance programs... For many decades now, chennai music is more oriented towards virtuosity than religious orientation. I think it violates the basic principle laid down by the saint Thayagaraja, music is a means of self-liberation. ( 'sangeetha gnyaanamu' bakthi vinaa)
There is a music festival in Coimbatore on the occasion of Ramanavami.
Mysore has dussera festival. ( evidently connected with religion)
Though there are many sabhas and venues for music programs in Bangalore during the ramanavami season, they are not always known by that name., When we google for ramanavami music festival in bangalore.... we get the concert series under discussion, only. That famous.

[hnbhagavan]

Dear Rasikas,
I cannot be a greater Rasika than Sachi sir,KVChellappa,Badri etc.

My take on the Ramanavami Festival is that residents around Basavanagudi and near by areas only can attend and enjoy the concerts.The traffic problems and Concert start time after adjustment of Sound generally will be 7 PM.In case you are not a serious listener and can tolerate frequent people movement you get a good deal to listen to top stars in Carnatic Music.I know a few Rasikas who reside abroad but who have roots in Blore do come regularly each year for the festival .With all its short comings this is still a major festival in Bangalore
.
I am of the same opinion as Sachi that smaller festivals conducted by Gayana Samaja,Srirama Lalita Kala Mandira,Nadasurabhi and Indira Nagar Sangeetha Sabha score better in terms of ambience,Sound quality etc.

As far as the Inner squabbles in the family lesser details are known to me and I was surprised to read in deccan Herald.
It is the only place KY Jesudoss is featured in Blore,but this year he is not in the list.Sanjay,TMK is also not in the list.
But for the sake of Bangalore tradition the festival should be encouraged and as Sachi pointed out handsome remuneration is paid to the Musicians as the sponsorship is good.

[hnbhagavan]

Dear Rasikas,

Major Ramanavami concerts in Bangalore are:
1.Sree Rama Seva Mandali.,Fort H S -Special Pandal for one month
2.Vani Kala Kendra at Vani School,basaveswara Nagar for one month
3.Seshadripuram ramotsavam samiti at Seshadripuram College open air for 3 weeks

Apart from this One Week festivals are held at various places - Vyalikawal,Srirama Puram,Koramangala etc