You have no excuse now - 10-day long Veena Mahotsavam

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 10 Sep 2014, 07:12

People posting on the website claim to detect veena-like gamakas in the voices of their favorite singers.

Now is a time to actually listen to some good veena music.

Narada Gana Sabha has been holding a 10-day long Veena Mahotsavam starting Sept 6. It is being webcast at http://www.kalakendra.com.

While it says 'live webcast' on the website, the truth is that you can go back and listen to concerts from Sept 6 and also listen to the live webcast if that happens when you sign on.

Many unrecognized or under-appreciated artists are showcased along with the usual culprits.

So spend about 2 hours a day listening to the daily programs and try to catch up on the ones you missed.

PS. Yeah, the organizers seem not to have put an announcement on this website but now you have been informed. That is why I titled this thread "You have no excuse now". [-x

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 10 Sep 2014, 07:58

Thanks Harimau.
Simply doubles my resolve to hear them.
I request you to kindly also review your favourites here.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 10 Sep 2014, 12:30

30 minutes each for every artist. Check the details of the schedule in the below url.
http://www.kalakendra.com/shopping/veen ... -3586.html

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 10 Sep 2014, 13:19

30 minutes each for every artist

Ahh, another one of those. Yes, we have every excuse.

Why do they do this? And why do they single out veena for this?

tiruppugazh · Post by **tiruppugazh** » 10 Sep 2014, 14:01

Now is a time to actually listen to some good veena music.

So 'good' can last only 30 minutes???? X(

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 10 Sep 2014, 16:08

One of the often-heard excuses for lack of veena music is the difficulty of travelling with the instrument, but for these affairs, people are expected to lug the thing all the way, and not even play a full-length, not even a moderate-length, concert.

Half-hour turns might be good for school kids...

rupavathi · Post by **rupavathi** » 10 Sep 2014, 16:40

So easy to criticize, isn't it? Be honest, when was the last time all you oh-so-self-righteous rasikas here went to a full veena concert, much less sat through it? When was the last time you pressured a sabha or organizer to include a concert of your favourite instrument? Here, some one takes the effort to put together a whole festival dedicated to an instrument that everyone pays lip service to but does precious little. He features a ton of artists - some known names and a whole bunch of talented people who have never seen the spotlight. He even gets someone to arrange a livecast so you don't even have to move your bottoms from the comfort of your couch... and you pounce on the 30 minute slot! How positive and encouraging! You truly have no excuse... :-Q

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 10 Sep 2014, 17:34

rupavathi wrote:So easy to criticize, isn't it?

Err, yes.

Be honest, when was the last time all you oh-so-self-righteous rasikas here went to a full veena concert, much less sat through it?

IIRC, Iyer Brothers, RS Hall, last month. Previous to that, I think it was Rama Varma at the Musiri House (and I got up two hours early to be there), just a few weeks ago. Before that, I think it might have been Veena Jayanthi Kumaresh maybe twice this year. I can also recall a couple of excellent programs by Jaysri and Jeyaraaj over the past year or so, and I don't miss many of Ashwin Anand's concerts, but, as he is not Chennai based, they don't happen much out of season.

EDIT: Oh, I remembered two more! Looks like I can claim that I actually go to quite a lot of veena concerts. Now, If this thread was about Nagaswaram, that would be different I'm afraid.

Does that somehow make a difference to my point of view? Are veena concerts supposed to be somehow hard to sit through? Have I succeeded in assuring you that I don't have any such difficulty?

When was the last time you pressured a sabha or organizer to include a concert of your favourite instrument?

I didn't say it was my favourite instrument. I wouldn't say that either, but I do enjoy it, and I hope you can see that that is not just "lip service," I do go to concerts.

Here, some one takes the effort to put together a whole festival dedicated to an instrument that everyone pays lip service to but does precious little. He features a ton of artists - some known names and a whole bunch of talented people who have never seen the spotlight.

The hard work is appreciated. All sorts of logistic nightmares, I'm sure, involved in organising so many people plus accompanists, and getting people to keep to time on the day will be yet another headache. The Radel people, two or three years ago. put on a veena festival of full-length performances over several days. It is true that they did not bring so many people to the stage. It is also true that it was not well attended by audience --- but I feel that such an effort makes for a better musical event. This music is not short-attention-span music, surely?

A year or three ago, Veena Jaysri and Jeyaraaj announced that they would not take part in these events in the future. I have no doubt that their reasons were infinitely better informed and better reasoned than mine. That is on this forum somewhere.

He even gets someone to arrange a livecast so you don't even have to move your bottoms from the comfort of your couch... and you pounce on the 30 minute slot! How positive and encouraging! You truly have no excuse... :-Q

It really is just my personal point of view, but no: I attend concerts for the concert-length experience. I am neither positive nor encouraging of this bite-sized-servings kind of performance unless it is a performance by youngsters ans students, in which case I will be very positive and encouraging even if they play for ten minutes.

Again, though, I ask, Why Veena? There is a history of these kinds of events, but I don't think there is a history of, say, half-hour violin performances. I am genuinely interested in the answer to this.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 10 Sep 2014, 17:38

Way back in 2011- vainikas of repute Jeyaraaj and Jayashri really came out with their views on 30 minute concerts of veena . Check this link
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17189

This 30 minute concerts are more of organizers thumping their chest to say they have saved veena and given opportunities for all veena artists . I empathise all the vainikas who are put to this ordeal .

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 10 Sep 2014, 17:50

Thank you for finding and linking that thread. I see I said much the same things then --- at least I'm consistent!

But what is so much more important is what J & J said. They are not only performing artists, but very active teachers, and I am sure that it is from the heart that they ask why people will come to learn when there is so little opportunity.

Radhika-Rajnarayan also narrates her tale of woe concerning her festival that I mentioned, and I confess that I only went to one of the performances.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 10 Sep 2014, 18:06

Heard and watched Sowmya. By her own admission, she finds singing easier. She played shuddha seemanthini, Bilahari, Jinjhuti and Suruti. Her swaras in Bilahari and raga in Jinjhuti were very enjoyable. I couldn't remember the Bilahari song.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 11 Sep 2014, 01:08

Rsachi wrote:I couldn't remember the Bilahari song.

Not often heard "Ma Mayurameedil Eri Vaa" by Mazhavai Chidambara Bharathi.

A vocal rendition can be heard at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2M46097av6U.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 11 Sep 2014, 01:33

rajeshnat wrote:Way back in 2011- vainikas of repute Jeyaraaj and Jayashri really came out with their views on 30 minute concerts of veena . Check this link
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17189

This 30 minute concerts are more of organizers thumping their chest to say they have saved veena and given opportunities for all veena artists . I empathise all the vainikas who are put to this ordeal .

I have to disagree with this statement.

Have we heard N Vijayalakshmi, Yogavandana (Bangalore), Malathi Krishnamani, etc., at any time during the years past? How about Punya Srinivas (derided on this website some time back when I pointed out that she won the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar despite not being supported by the so-called alternative sabhas of Chennai) who received the A grade from All India Radio at age 20?

Thank the organisers for providing you with a sampler of veena music. Then you can search for them on YouTube and see if anything has been uploaded or look for CDs of their music issued usually under private labels and not available at Charsur or RPG.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 11 Sep 2014, 01:39

Rsachi wrote:Heard and watched Sowmya. By her own admission, she finds singing easier. She played shuddha seemanthini, Bilahari, Jinjhuti and Suruti. Her swaras in Bilahari and raga in Jinjhuti were very enjoyable. I couldn't remember the Bilahari song.

Please go back and listen to that day's program. Jayalakshmi Sekhar and Punya Srinivas are excellent vainikas. P Vasanthkumar (he is on the committee of the Madras Music Academy) is, IIRC, a student of Sri Pichumani Iyer and a highly competent veena player. S Sowmya definitely has practiced a lot as I can see great improvement compared to last year.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 11 Sep 2014, 02:27

Nick H wrote: Again, though, I ask, Why Veena? There is a history of these kinds of events, but I don't think there is a history of, say, half-hour violin performances. I am genuinely interested in the answer to this.

If the audience will show up for veena concerts, then more full-length concerts will be featured.

These veena festivals will attract 80-120 persons. For a two-and-half hour veena concert, you will get 10% of that number.

For years, I used to count heads at Vidushi Kalpakam Swaminathan's concerts at Raga Sudha Hall. There will be 20 persons at the beginning at 6:30 pm, the crowd will swell to 35 at about 7:15 pm and then dwindle down to 20 again at 8:00 pm.

If that is the respect accorded to such an authoritative figure on music, can you imagine the crowds for lesser-known vainikas?

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 11 Sep 2014, 06:24

tiruppugazh wrote: So 'good' can last only 30 minutes???? X(

That is because the current generation accepts and applauds 'tup tup tup' and 'dugu dugu dugu' for 3 hours but cannot appreciate music without gimmicks or USPs (Unique Selling Propositions).

Gresham's Law in Economics says bad money drives out good. That law now applies to Carnatic music.

Gimmickry on the veena has been given an opportunity on the final day of the Veena Mahotsavam.

)

tiruppugazh · Post by **tiruppugazh** » 11 Sep 2014, 07:32

Well said Nick! Just because people take the trouble to get up a crap fest doesn't mean it won't be called one. 30 minutes is ridiculous.

Gresham's Law in Economics says bad money drives out good. That law now applies to Carnatic music.

As far as I know Kalpagam Swaminathan was playing to empty halls for many decades. So 'bad money' has been around for a long time now

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Sep 2014, 09:50

Harimau,
Will do.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 11 Sep 2014, 10:37

I wonder If the choice is between having no Veena music vs this T30 format, would we still say no to it?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Sep 2014, 10:42

I think 30 min is less. First item 4 min, second item 6 min, main item only 15 min before Tillanas. Veena is a difficult instrument and the musician needs time to settle down on the stage.

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 11 Sep 2014, 12:26

Full length Veena kutcheries are most welcome. But that does not mean we should criticise the organisers who take enormous pains to organise capsule programmes. Though Nick has attended a lot of Veena concerts, I wonder how many of our rasika friends attend Veena programmes. It is very easy to make fabulous postings in the forum using the ipad sitting in the comfort of AC rooms or cozy car. But you have to spend time and energy to go and attend the concerts. I know many friends who travel long distances to attend vocal concert of their favourite vidwans but never find time to attend a veena concert. I feel it is worth explaining my own experience in this context. Hence this long post.

I was a big votary of only vocal music. When I was young, I wanted to learn vocal, but my parents preferred instruments and it was a no no for me. Later after getting job, on my own started learning vocal. Still I was attending instrumental concerts very rarely. In a continuous music festival, I used to take off on the days of instrumental solos. I missed many of the legends concerts as well, which now I regret.

When I came to Chennai in 2009, I was fortunate to have my quarters next to Infosys Hall and I used to attend most of the concerts there. There I got introduced to Veena Utsav. I used to attend for full two days and got captivated by the serene music played by the great Veena vidushis and young vidwans/vidushis. I got amazed by their sheer commitment, dexterity, skill and delivery of pure divine music unmindful of the miniscule audience for whom they played. Each time, I thought they deserved a bigger slot and better audience. I talked to Radha Bhaskar Madam also. But that opened a new door for me. Now I am ready to attend a full veena concert and do not switch off radio when I hear an announcement of a Veena or Nadaswaram orogramme. Even this year, Veena Utsav I attended for half day, in spite of the webcast. So we can express the need for full Veena concerts. But need not be harsh on the organisers, who restrict the duration of the slots for obvious reasons.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 11 Sep 2014, 12:31

Yesterday there was an artiste from Madurai, Maheswari Venkatraman IIRC, who played extraordinarily well. Please check it out if still available on video. A truly gifted musician. Turns out she is handicapped.

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 11 Sep 2014, 12:52

suresh, I got introduced to this vidushi in the Veena Utsav of Mudhra only. Truly gifted, she plays very well. I have heard her in radio as well. Sad, she is visually impaired.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 11 Sep 2014, 13:44

The concert attendance record of Harimau[s] might be unrivalled, but I do think he overstates the lack of veena popularity measured by bums on seats. He uses a musician of great and "chaste" classicism as the example, but, do the same thing with vocal music, and surely one would find the same range of attendance. Most of the audience enjoys at least a small does of gimmickry, and they would not find that in Kalpagam Swaminathan's concert. I can even say that I hadn't "grown into" her strict style of music before the inevitabilities of age took the chance away from me.

Most veena concerts I have been to have been far better attended. Within the past few months I have been to vocal concerts, on consecutive days, by TVG and R Vedavalli, where the opening numbers (audience numbers) could have been counted on one hand. It is true that TVG clashed with both Sanjay and some seriously bad weather --- but it was also his first concert since the SK announcement, and the lack of attendance seemed to me to indicate a certain meanness.

Having said all that, I was surprised at the turnout for the last concert I attended by Jayanthi Kumaresh. I expected a full house, and gone early to get a good seat. The hall was very far empty --- but it was nowhere near full.

If the sampler format has merit, then why not extend it to vocal and other instruments. Perhaps the mega-seat-filler programs should have "commercial breaks" to bring us five-minute slots from lesser-known artists?

Maybe they should be billed as "You might like to see more of these artists in future" events; but then the full-length concerts would have to follow. Billing them as somehow saving the veena, and a great gift to vainikas is just a nonsense.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 11 Sep 2014, 13:55

I think one of the objectives of the Narada Gana Sabha Veena Mahotsav is to identify, recognize and honor Vainikas who are not known well to the world, and particularly to Chennai rasikas. So it is more of an introduction and exposure for them rather than a full blown concert opportunity. Hence the focus on numbers and squeezing out the maximum number of slots.

I think that the expectation is that some sabha secretaries discover these artistes here and then arrange full length concerts at their venues. Didn't notice any sabha secretaries in the audience. May be they were watching the webcast.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 11 Sep 2014, 14:58

There is a bit of Todi swaras and then Kapi Meevalla..by Maheshwari in the you tube video. Her Kapi Alapana was very enjoyable.

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 12 Sep 2014, 12:18

A surprising and disturbing phenomenon I noticed.
In the annual music academy competitions which held every year,
last year (you can see that on the website link http://tinyurl.com/l9xkbxd ) and I understand this year too
the competiton for veena (for awarding the Veena Dhanammal prize) was not held. The rules on the website says competition
will not be held if there are less than 3 registrants.

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 12 Sep 2014, 14:09

Please check out the Veena K.S.Narayanaswamy Centenary Tribute, posted in the General Discussions.
So many interesting points are there in it, which are directly related to the discussion going on in
this thread!

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 12 Sep 2014, 20:04

The arguments against 30-minute slots go like this: such concerts should not be allowed as they don't allow the artists to fully showcase their abilities. But I don't go to full-length veena concerts either.

I am reminded of the statement made by a cabinet member in the Nixon administration about the Pope's stance on birth control: he don't play the game so he don't make the rule. :-BD

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 12 Sep 2014, 21:16

Harimau.. I caught several portions of today's webcast. The lady's mridangam sounded good. Wonder why some level of distortion is present in the veena sound throughout... Quite a bit distortion for Smt Padmavathy as she plays a sedate Varali...

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 12 Sep 2014, 23:18

Harimau,
One doesn't usually tip the hat to a tiger, but I do so now.
Punya Srinivas (check this out: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punya_Srinivas) is quite brilliant. She began with the Vandana Dharini (GNB's catchy Sudha Madhurya Bhashini). Then Natakurinji was rendered with panache. Her veena sounds were very good. The Misra Chapu song - Vazhi marai..(?) came out very well. She ended with a quick Desh song with fast and elegant glides across three octaves...

tiruppugazh · Post by **tiruppugazh** » 16 Sep 2014, 09:18

Why is the Kalaignar's grand daughter not featured in this festival?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Sep 2014, 09:36

I also heard and enjoyed the veena music of Ramana, Amrutha and Parthasarathy.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 16 Sep 2014, 22:56

Ramana, a student of 8th std., was absolutely amazing. As he played Sivakamasundari in Mukhari and ended with a marvelously innovative korvai, I became convinced that he is going to become the next Sanjay.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 26 Sep 2014, 06:19

tiruppugazh wrote:Why is the Kalaignar's grand daughter not featured in this festival?

The Tamil proverb that is applicable in this situation is: AAdhaayam illaama Chetty aatthodu povaanaa? (Will a tradesman agree to be swept down the river if he doesn't see a profit in it?)

The last and only time Dr Ezhilarasi Jothimani (MBBS) was featured was when her grandfather was the CM of Tamil Nadu and there was the celebration of the 1000th year of the Big Temple in Tanjore where a certain dancer related to the organizer presented 1000 dancers in a dance program and the organizer took a day off and got his photo taken with Kalaignar.

So what is the profit in this photo op? You got to ask the guy who floated down, if not the Kaveri at least the moat around the Big Temple.

)

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 26 Sep 2014, 06:51

Rsachi wrote:Harimau.. Wonder why some level of distortion is present in the veena sound throughout... Quite a bit distortion for Smt Padmavathy as she plays a sedate Varali...

Technical difficulties have marred the webcast. We are in the infancy of this live webcasting business as our networks may find it impossible to allocate the required bandwidth on demand as the webcaster is using a 2G/3G/4G dongle to send out the transmission. On the positive side, Punya Srinivas sounded better on the webcast as some of the distortions cancelled out the echo in the hall!

I was trying to get to listen to some programs that I had to miss due to conflicts but I got to see the video but not hear the sound as the kalakendra server may not be doing a good job.

Oh, one other thing: the contact mics used by most vidwans and vidushis are huge and expensive. Expense doesn't equate to fidelity in sound reproduction. Either go for a $850 AKG mic or buy a Supreme mic for Rs 350 that does an excellent job. In fact, the organizer had a few Supreme mics available but if the artist doesn't want to use it, nothing can be done about it.

Rajesh Vaidya's contact mic even had a mini equalizer so that he could shape the sound as he sees fit.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 26 Sep 2014, 10:28

Good to discuss this. As far as I know, the veena sound quality I hear in a webcast depends on
1. Veena native sound and pitch
2. Contact mike
3.preamp & equaliser
4.Mixer & equaliser
5. Input to webcasting computer
6. Quality of cables used
7. My computer sound card
8.my speaker or headphone.
9. My equaliser settings - I have one in my Google Chrome and on my PC output setup also.
I have not mentioned bandwidth because the sound output I hear is cached and DAed from whatever bits arrive at whatever speed.

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 27 Sep 2014, 12:47

This is the video on 12th September where the distortion was there almost throughout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZRIg-XGISg

I understand that those present in the venue did not experience it. So the sound that came out of the speakers in the hall was fine. So it is not a pick-up / amplifier related issue. The mike /sound card in the system that was picking the audio had an issue ?

My wife (Mrs. Sujana) was the first one to perform in the above video and I could not be present in the hall. I thought I will catch up on the webcast / recording later X( [-x

Can we do some sort of clean-up to remove/minimise the distortion ?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 27 Sep 2014, 13:33

I caught this program live on the web and switched off for the unacceptable sound quality.
You can correct a bit but this level of distortion is too much.
Please find out if somebody did a recording with a smartphone or a handheld recorder in the hall.

It is the quality of connection to the uplinking computer, I think the signal level was too high from the line.