DR. H.S. Anasuya Kulkarni at BTM Cultural Academy, Bangalore

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Feb 2008, 00:43

I listened to an interesting CM concert at the BTM Cultural Academy this evening. I had not heard of Dr. Anasuya Kulkarni until I saw her name listed in the brochure of the Academy. Friends were keen to go since it was listed as a rare instruments concert. They said she was a very good vocalist in her younger years. Then she traveled and lived in various countries (her husband worked for the UN). I suppose she gave performances whenever she came to India. She runs a music school here-an institute of ethnomusic.
Not only has she collected musical instruments while she lived in various countries, she has also learnt to play many of them.
The concert consisted of two parts. About a dozen performers joined her in the first half and they played african and indonesian instruments which included percussion instruments as well. The only two indian instruments in the orchestra were a gOTTu vAdyam (the old fashioned kind) and an Ek tArA..There were lyres, a little tree of bells which was thumped on the floor and drums varying in size and sound, xylophones and a row of jalatarangam -type of alloyed metal pots without bases, so, no water!
The ensemble played malahari (lambOdhara), varavINA, naLinakAnti, maitrIm bhajata and raghupati rAghava rAjArAm. Wait, if you thought it was child's play, it was not. The audience were attentive. Three percussionists played various drums which ranged in size and sound.
A crisp description about the instruments preceded. One thing that impressed me was that it was a life's work where a musician with encouragement from her husband not only collected musical instruments but learnt to play them and also trained herself in playing CM with them, even making modifications to them to acommodate CM.
The second part was a typical CM concert with a violin, mrudangam, khanjira and a morsing--except that that Dr. Anasuya played an indnesian instrument called ankaling which had a row of cage-like structures, each tuned to a svarA, and by shaking them, she produced music. She played the vasantA varNAm ninnukOri, sara sara samarE in kuntalavarALi and an RTP in amruta varshiNi and a couple of dEvara nAmAs.
Well, it wasn't anything like a questionable fusion concert. It was CM without any compromises. The only difference was the assemblage of instruments. She did sing a bit here and there too.
The pallavi line was apt: vinOda vAdya ...sunAda sangItavidha vidha sangam or somehing to that effect.
I am wondering. Will this kind of music bring in more children into the fold with the very novelty of it?
Anyway, a good time was had by all...

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 24 Feb 2008, 06:23

Lovely write up Arasi,

I have been wanting to attend one of Dr.Anasuya Kulkarni's concerts , especially to see her handle such rare instruments. Shall definitely keep this on top of my mnd when she performs next in Bangalore.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 24 Feb 2008, 07:42

What is an Ek TArA?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Feb 2008, 09:26

Bilahari,
A one-stringed instrument, the kind MIrA and others played, as depicted in illustrations.

Thanks, Cienu. Wish you were there...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 24 Feb 2008, 09:50

Arasi: Does this look like the instrument she played?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angklung

And the sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRnchn3qgSc

In the YouTube video, it looks like there is one person per swara shaking that instrument. Fascinating that she could do Vasantha and Amrithavarshini on this one. I guess it will be in the style of jalatharangam except with the sound of the rattling bamboo.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Feb 2008, 10:49

VK,
Exactly! The spelling of course varies. She likes to call it ankrang she said, if I am not mistaken. Anyway, she did say that there are individual players playing each note in the original version. She went to a lot of trouble designing special hooks to hang them on to a frame, making sure they stay put while they moved around freely to make the sounds. The interesting thing is, the instrument sounded as though it has percussion built in!

Sorry, I can't see the youtube thing you have posted. Is it my computer?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Feb 2008, 12:26

I now saw it on Krishnan's computer.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 24 Feb 2008, 12:52

Thanks for the review Arasi! Am sure inspired to listen to it sometime.

gn.sn42 · Post by **gn.sn42** » 10 Jun 2008, 22:23

A recent post by arasi led me here - here's an interesting article on Anasuya Kulkarni and the discovery of an old ankhlung in the Mysore palace:

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2 ... 990500.htm

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Jun 2008, 00:49

gn.sn42,
Thank you for the article. The lady certainly has undying fervor! Yes, her enthusiasm and ability in handling the instrument and various other ones in her collection is very impressive.