Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
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Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
...
Since 2000, when Smt.Vedavalli was awarded Sangita KalAnidhi title, sikkil sisters, Bombay Sisters(2010)(Smt.Saroja and Smt.Lalitha), Smt. Sudha Ragunathan, Kanyaakumari- violinist ,Smt..aruNA sairAm ,Smt.Sowmya and Smt. Bombay Jayasree have won the prestigeous award.
I think, vocalist/violinist , veeNa lady artistes, like RanjaniGayathri, akkarai Subbulakshmi, amrutha venkatesh, amrita muraLi and a few more deserve the award.
Why not have separate awards for lady artistes, instrument players, percussion experts, in each category, each year, just as we have nruthya kalAnidhis?
During the past 25 years, about 5 or 6 awardees have been percussion experfs.
And an equal number has gone to instrument players...
.
As shown in the list.
2000 Vedavalli Vocalist
2001 Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman Mridangam player
2002 Sikkil Sisters (Neela & Kunjumani) Flute players
2003 T. V. Sankaranarayanan Vocalist
2004 Vellore G. Ramabhadran Mridangam player
2005 M. Chandrasekaran Violinist
2006 T. N. Seshagopalan Vocalist, Veena Player, Harikatha artiste
2007 Palghat R. Raghu Mridangam player
2008 A. K. C. Natarajan Clarinet player
2009 Valayapatti A. R. Subramaniam Thavil player.
2010 Bombay Sisters (C. Saroja and C. Lalitha) Vocalists
2011 Trichy Sankaran Mridangam player
2012 Trichur V. Ramachandran Vocalist
2013 Sudha Ragunathan Vocalist
2014 T. V. Gopalakrishnan Vocalist / Mridangam player
2015 Sanjay Subrahmanyan Vocalist
2016 A. Kanyakumari Violinist
2017 N. Ravikiran Slide instrumentalist (Chitravina), Vocalist, Composer
2018 Aruna Sairam Vocalist, Collaborator, Composer
2019 S. Sowmya Vocalist.
2020 Neyveli Santhanagopalan Vocalist, Composer
2021 Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam Mridangam player
2022 G. J. R. Krishnan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi Violinists.
2023 Bombay Jayashri Vocalist
2024 T. M. Krishna Vocalist
2025 R. K. Shriramkumar Violinist .
.
Are we perhaps shifting the meaning of sangeetham from melody and sAhithyam to layam and melody?
Let us have awards for vocal music, instrument music, percussion, upanyasam and dance., EACH YEAR.
Why not?
...
Since 2000, when Smt.Vedavalli was awarded Sangita KalAnidhi title, sikkil sisters, Bombay Sisters(2010)(Smt.Saroja and Smt.Lalitha), Smt. Sudha Ragunathan, Kanyaakumari- violinist ,Smt..aruNA sairAm ,Smt.Sowmya and Smt. Bombay Jayasree have won the prestigeous award.
I think, vocalist/violinist , veeNa lady artistes, like RanjaniGayathri, akkarai Subbulakshmi, amrutha venkatesh, amrita muraLi and a few more deserve the award.
Why not have separate awards for lady artistes, instrument players, percussion experts, in each category, each year, just as we have nruthya kalAnidhis?
During the past 25 years, about 5 or 6 awardees have been percussion experfs.
And an equal number has gone to instrument players...
.
As shown in the list.
2000 Vedavalli Vocalist
2001 Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman Mridangam player
2002 Sikkil Sisters (Neela & Kunjumani) Flute players
2003 T. V. Sankaranarayanan Vocalist
2004 Vellore G. Ramabhadran Mridangam player
2005 M. Chandrasekaran Violinist
2006 T. N. Seshagopalan Vocalist, Veena Player, Harikatha artiste
2007 Palghat R. Raghu Mridangam player
2008 A. K. C. Natarajan Clarinet player
2009 Valayapatti A. R. Subramaniam Thavil player.
2010 Bombay Sisters (C. Saroja and C. Lalitha) Vocalists
2011 Trichy Sankaran Mridangam player
2012 Trichur V. Ramachandran Vocalist
2013 Sudha Ragunathan Vocalist
2014 T. V. Gopalakrishnan Vocalist / Mridangam player
2015 Sanjay Subrahmanyan Vocalist
2016 A. Kanyakumari Violinist
2017 N. Ravikiran Slide instrumentalist (Chitravina), Vocalist, Composer
2018 Aruna Sairam Vocalist, Collaborator, Composer
2019 S. Sowmya Vocalist.
2020 Neyveli Santhanagopalan Vocalist, Composer
2021 Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam Mridangam player
2022 G. J. R. Krishnan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi Violinists.
2023 Bombay Jayashri Vocalist
2024 T. M. Krishna Vocalist
2025 R. K. Shriramkumar Violinist .
.
Are we perhaps shifting the meaning of sangeetham from melody and sAhithyam to layam and melody?
Let us have awards for vocal music, instrument music, percussion, upanyasam and dance., EACH YEAR.
Why not?
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
appa...., vAdhyamum, layamum sangItatilE sErthi illEngarIngaLA? 

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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
Melody is the essence of music. Melody plus saahithyam is the essence of carnatic music. Hence instrumental music is music. But does not do full justice to vaaggeyakaras. Only vocal music gives melody with saahithyam.
Percussion is at best supplementary,
Percussion is at best supplementary,
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
Instrumentalists certainly need to be awarded, and they needn't wait long for their turn just because it's the vocalists who traditionally lead a concert. Yes, if only the MA can come up also with an Instrumentalist award each year (vAdya Kalanidhi)!
The view that vocalizing lyrics alone makes a vocalist supreme, I do not concur with. Yes, in most concerts, the vocalist with the music and lyrics reigns on stage, but imagine her/his power of soloing it on stage, and our accepting a concert without the pakka (pakkA) vAdyams supporting them!
Also, there are several center stage instrumentalists to consider. This additional award would bring into the honoree list more main, pakka, upa pakkavAdya musicians.
You can also have two KalAnidhis heading/taking turns at the morning sessions!
The view that vocalizing lyrics alone makes a vocalist supreme, I do not concur with. Yes, in most concerts, the vocalist with the music and lyrics reigns on stage, but imagine her/his power of soloing it on stage, and our accepting a concert without the pakka (pakkA) vAdyams supporting them!
Also, there are several center stage instrumentalists to consider. This additional award would bring into the honoree list more main, pakka, upa pakkavAdya musicians.
You can also have two KalAnidhis heading/taking turns at the morning sessions!
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
May years ago I suggested that there has to be 3 or 4 Kalanidhi awards per year so that you can cover all the vidwans, since there has been a real explosion of vidushis and vidwans and all of them sing very well too. So I suggest there can be 3 SKs every year to cover vocal/instrumental mains (like veena/flute/chitravina etc), Violinist and Percussionists. This way down the line in about 30 years every current musician would be an SK.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
Music Academy Awards,
Most alarming fact is that non Tamil Nādu Musicians are not selected for the awards - except Sangeeta Kala Acharya.
The big award always to Musicians from Chennai. T V Gopalakrishnan and A KanyaKumari may be considered as outsiders, but for all practical purposes they are from Chennai. After Nedunuri Krishna Murthy and R K Srikantan there are no Musicians outside of Chennai for the award.
Hyderabad Brothers in their peak time richly deserved recognition. Hope Wise counsel may prevail to recognize D Rangachari the surviving brother for the awards
The proposed new awards are welcome ,but perhaps monetary considerations to institute so many awards need more sponsorship.
Most alarming fact is that non Tamil Nādu Musicians are not selected for the awards - except Sangeeta Kala Acharya.
The big award always to Musicians from Chennai. T V Gopalakrishnan and A KanyaKumari may be considered as outsiders, but for all practical purposes they are from Chennai. After Nedunuri Krishna Murthy and R K Srikantan there are no Musicians outside of Chennai for the award.
Hyderabad Brothers in their peak time richly deserved recognition. Hope Wise counsel may prevail to recognize D Rangachari the surviving brother for the awards
The proposed new awards are welcome ,but perhaps monetary considerations to institute so many awards need more sponsorship.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
Musicians have to live bit more atleast 78 to say whether they were denied or given. Palakkad raghu got at the age of 79 and he moved on when he was 81. YOu missed mentioning Pinakapani who also got SKhnbhagavan wrote: ↑20 May 2025, 07:43 After Nedunuri Krishna Murthy and R K Srikantan there are no Musicians outside of Chennai for the award.
Hyderabad Brothers in their peak time richly deserved recognition. Hope Wise counsel may prevail to recognize D Rangachari the surviving brother for the awards
Unfortunately this extraordinary musician seshachari passed away when he was 67 years . Unquestionably Hyderabad brothers should have been given SK and other younger musicians like Sowmya, TMK , RKSK,BJ all could have waited one more year. Possibly if Seshachari lived upto another 12 years he may have got it with the other brother.
Dont worry from andhra land Malladi brothers and bit later pantual rama will get it for sure. We lost quite a lot of possible candidates due to infamous me too.
Do remember Musicians outside of Chennai from andhra even Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma whose major work was unearthing from copper plates the annamacharya krithis got SK in 197x.
WE have talked so much who missed , who did not got it all that is there say 15 to 20 years back. Personally SK awardees are ok , bottomline we all have to wait till the vidwan/vidushi reaches the age of 78 to complain . In any case SK does not have that much charm as what it used to be.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
RajeshJi,
Yes i did miss a name or two. But if you scan from the year 2000 Onwards, outside Chennai Vidwans/Vidushis d not figure.
Madam T S Satyavathy from Bangalore was awarded Acharya as well as MS Sheela. Madam Satyavathy deserved or deserves to be Kalanidhi's .Vidwans are recognized late as you pointed out Palghat Raghu, V Gopalakrishnan.V V Subramanyam will not be conferred the award. Even Vijaya Siva is not getting it as he is not scheduled or some extra ordinary patch up happens. Malladis,Mysore Brothers may find their place in due course.
Yes i did miss a name or two. But if you scan from the year 2000 Onwards, outside Chennai Vidwans/Vidushis d not figure.
Madam T S Satyavathy from Bangalore was awarded Acharya as well as MS Sheela. Madam Satyavathy deserved or deserves to be Kalanidhi's .Vidwans are recognized late as you pointed out Palghat Raghu, V Gopalakrishnan.V V Subramanyam will not be conferred the award. Even Vijaya Siva is not getting it as he is not scheduled or some extra ordinary patch up happens. Malladis,Mysore Brothers may find their place in due course.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
This is not a new topic. I have been suggesting for many years that at least TWO awards, one for vocal and another for Instrumental artists should be awarded every year in order to cover all the deserving artists, whose number is becoming aplenty over the years.
In fact, now there are many young artists who outshine some veterans who were awarded in the past! With all the politics involved in the Madras Music Academy, very soon any award by this organization will become worthless, in my humble opinion.
In fact, now there are many young artists who outshine some veterans who were awarded in the past! With all the politics involved in the Madras Music Academy, very soon any award by this organization will become worthless, in my humble opinion.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
Of course wise counsel prevails. why do u think TMK was awarded SK or Aruna Sairam ????? TMK is like Kamalhassan, VEHEMENTLY opposed DMK and is becoming RS MP. TMK opposed MA and got the award by hook or crookhnbhagavan wrote: ↑20 May 2025, 07:43 Music Academy Awards,
After Nedunuri Krishna Murthy and R K Srikantan there are no Musicians outside of Chennai for the award.
Hyderabad Brothers in their peak time richly deserved recognition. Hope Wise counsel may prevail to recognize D Rangachari the surviving brother for the awards



THE SK AWARD HAS NO MEANING AND LOST ALL ITS RELEVANCE !!!!
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
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Last edited by ram1999 on 03 Jun 2025, 08:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
arasi wrote: ↑12 Apr 2025, 07:16 Instrumentalists certainly need to be awarded, and they needn't wait long for their turn just because it's the vocalists who traditionally lead a concert. Yes, if only the MA can come up also with an Instrumentalist award each year (vAdya Kalanidhi)!
The view that vocalizing lyrics alone makes a vocalist supreme, I do not concur with. Yes, in most concerts, the vocalist with the music and lyrics reigns on stage, but imagine her/his power of soloing it on stage, and our accepting a concert without the pakka (pakkA) vAdyams supporting them!
Also, there are several center stage instrumentalists to consider. This additional award would bring into the honoree list more main, pakka, upa pakkavAdya musicians.
You can also have two KalAnidhis heading/taking turns at the morning sessions!
The next in demand would be Bharat Ratna for doctors, engineers, activists, etc
Padma awards (various) similar to the above.
and dilute the value of these awards.
all cannot be / should not be categorized !!!!
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
@ram1999
I am surprised that this line came from you.
Dr.APJ ABDUL KALAAM was in a way saviour of India. He was a technologist.
Sridharan of Metro fame is an engineer richly deserving Bharath Rathna.
Sundar Pichai, zoho vembu, anand mahindra..Dr.MS Swaminarhan..the waiting list is very long.
Sir,The next in demand would be Bharat Ratna for doctors, engineers, activists, etc
I am surprised that this line came from you.
Dr.APJ ABDUL KALAAM was in a way saviour of India. He was a technologist.
Sridharan of Metro fame is an engineer richly deserving Bharath Rathna.
Sundar Pichai, zoho vembu, anand mahindra..Dr.MS Swaminarhan..the waiting list is very long.
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
All that I am said was the value of the award will be diluted if it is given enmass under different categories.sam wrote: ↑03 Jun 2025, 09:53 @ram1999Sir,The next in demand would be Bharat Ratna for doctors, engineers, activists, etc
I am surprised that this line came from you.
Dr.APJ ABDUL KALAAM was in a way saviour of India. He was a technologist.
Sridharan of Metro fame is an engineer richly deserving Bharath Rathna.
Sundar Pichai, zoho vembu, anand mahindra..Dr.MS Swaminarhan..the waiting list is very long.
ALL NAMES AS MENTIONED ARE THE MOST DESERVING, WITHOUT A DOUBT!!
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Re: Vaadhya kalAnidhi and laya kalaanidhi awards
@ram1999
In CM world, I think there can be only one Bharath Rathna..Smt.MSS.
.
As for sk award, we should have multiple top awards,
Instrumentalists, percussion experts,
We must also give award to gents and ladies each year.
I am for posthumous awards for greats of earlier decades, too..
.
Each award has different name .
So there is no dilution..
Like Nobel prize for many fields.
Even shared award.
But the sad reality is that
worst war criminals have been given Nobel peace prize.
.
My greatest worry is that sk award should NEVER be given to so called social activism.
Like giving sk award to some cine actress ..for supposedly taking ' indian culture to rich western market.
Great Sir. I knew that you would endorse.ALL NAMES AS MENTIONED ARE THE MOST DESERVING, WITHOUT A DOUBT
In CM world, I think there can be only one Bharath Rathna..Smt.MSS.
.
As for sk award, we should have multiple top awards,
Instrumentalists, percussion experts,
We must also give award to gents and ladies each year.
I am for posthumous awards for greats of earlier decades, too..
.
Each award has different name .
So there is no dilution..
Like Nobel prize for many fields.
Even shared award.
But the sad reality is that
worst war criminals have been given Nobel peace prize.
.
My greatest worry is that sk award should NEVER be given to so called social activism.
Like giving sk award to some cine actress ..for supposedly taking ' indian culture to rich western market.