A Concert of K J Yesudas at Chennai on December 16 2012

Had the privilege of attending the concert of Dr.K J Yesudas at Ramarao Kala Mantap (Chennai Cultural Academy Trust) on December 16, 2012. The Hall was filled to capacity and as usual, the rasika's were left asking for more. Age has not made any difference to the quality of the voice or his music and S R Mahadev Sarma on the violin, Harikumar on the Mridangam and Vaikom Gopalakrishnan on the Ghatam provided excellent support.

Yesudos started the proceedings with the rendition of the Ganeshopanishath and followed it with Shri Gananadham in the Raga Kanakangi of Thyagaraja. The standard Pavana Guru in raga Hamsanandhi followed. For the second time in the day we were exposed to Athana and the singer presented Thyagaraja's Bala Kanakamaya. Next to follow was Raga Kiravani and after an elaborte alapana it was Thyagaraja again with Kaligiyunte. Yeasudas next presented a rare piece of Muthuswamy Dikshithar in the raga Shadvidhamargini (also known as Stavaraajam in the Dikshithar school) and the kriti was Madhuraam Bhajare. Thyagaraja's Marukelara in Raga Jayantasri was presented in a fast tempo followed by Garuda Gamana in raga Nagaswaravali. Karunai Cheiyvaan was a moving experience and then it was time for the raga Chakravakam (main piece). 

On request he presented Kshira sagara sayana in devagandhari and then followed some small pieces in Telugu, Hindi etc. We had to leave at 10.30 pm though we very much wanted to listen to him ending the programme with Yogendranam and Harivarasanam. Yet to get over the feeling of having heard it live.

Chennai season kuthceri experience

Despite hectic planning etc we could not attend a single concert during the Annual December Music Season in 2011. To ensure that the same is not repeated in 2012, set out on Sunday morning (16.12.2012) to book tickets in advance. First call was at Krishna Gana Sabha on Maharajapuram Santhanam Road, T.Nagar which had a concert by Aruna Sairam at 16.30. The tickets for all the seats inside the auditorium were sold out and managed to get a ticket to watch the concert on a CCTV outside.

When we reached the venue the programme had already started with Aruna Sairam rendering the first of Andal's Thiruppavai (it being the first day of Margazhi). Soorya moorthe of Muthuswami Dikshithar in raga Sowrashtram followed next. A fast paced alapana of Ragam Athana followed by Illalo Pranathaarthi of Thyagaraja livened up the proceedings. Enna Punniyam Seidhano of Oothukadu Venkata in raga reethigowlai was rendered in low and slow tempo. A detailed delineation of Raga Pantuvarali followed and the kriti presented was Siva siva enaraadha of Thyagaraja. Next to follow was Brindavana Saranga and the item sung was Soundararajam of Dikshithar. The main piece of the concert was raga Kharaharapriya. We could not stay for a complete listening because we had a ticket to K J Yesudas's concert at Chennai Cultural Academy Trust at Ramarao Kala Mantap, T.nagar at 7.00 pm.

Aruna Sairam was ably supported by an excellent team of accompaniments - J.Vaidyanathan on the Mridangam, B Raghavendra Rao on the Violin and Giridhar Udupa on the Ghatam.

 The concert on the whole was a wonderful and divine experience.

Who should be sad?

We have had a very hectic election schedule come to a close and the respective political parties doing exactly what they do after every election, depending on which side they have landed. Recent news item that has generated a lot of interest and anxiety is the skyrocketing prices of pulses consumed by the majority of the population down south. Probably the price is set to breach the three digit mark for the first time post independence. What could be the reason for such a shortage (?) that has triggerred the price rise. The reason could be (as I see it) :

During the run up to the elections political parties require a lot of money, which is sourced from the business community. The parties seek out the funds with a tacit approval to the business community to hoard basic supply of food items, create artificial shortages in the market and increase prices and recover the amount so donated to the political bosses. The establishment gives them the customary 100 days to recover the amounts. During this period even the people in the opposition do not raise their voices, for they have also been benefited by the businessman's largesse.

After the 100 days honeymoon is over the opposition slowly starts making the appropriate noises and the rulers give an indication that they are getting into the act, and send out signals to the business community to behave. Likewise the business community also makes a drama of bringing down the prices by about a few rupees. The politician got the money to fight the election and is very happy. The business community recovered the money they donated to the political boss and they also are happy. The government appeared to heed to public outcry and brought down the prices (if not to original level, atleast to an extent) and this makes the common man happy.

In all of the above, who is sad or rather who should be SAD.

Indiscipline - the Indian way of life

1945 - The year is best remembered for the twin atom explosions over Japan by the United States of America that hastened the surrender of the Axis powers and also heralded the end of Second World War.

1947 - A nation referred to as a sub-continent with people speaking as many languages as could be imagined and following different faiths etc achieved independence from the British Rule led by an apostle of peace and non-violence, without shedding any blood et al.

We see that Japan on to our east and Germany to our West started their journey of reconstruction of their war ravaged economies at the same time as India on attaining its independence. But after a lapse of six decades where do we stand. Germany and Japan are considered economic superpowers and form part of the powerful G7 Group of nations. India is still considered a developing nation - a sleeping Asian giant etc. But we remain that. No one has any idea if we will wake up and when. India has been considered to be a powerhouse of knowledge and much of the secrets of life and learning that are being unearthed in the West were supposed to be known to indians from the vedic times itself. With such excellent credentials like abundant natural resources, knowledge levels etc why are we still lagging behind, instead of being trend setters and leaders.

I personally feel the reason could be attributed to our lack of discipline and national pride. We take pride in doing everything against the existing rules and conventions. Laws are broken with impunity by the people who make them in the first place. I feel it very disgusting to read notices in prominent public places which go - 'Do Not Spit Here', ' Do Not Pass Urine Here' etc. The said notices can be seen in any city, town, metro in this country of ours. The funniest aspect here is that after a lapse of time the notices get obliterated by constant spitting and you know how. The disgrace is that we have to put up such a notice and the added insult is that inspite of putting up such a notice, people care little for small decencies. You can see vehicles jumping traffic signals even when a traffic police is present at the scene. National properties like buses and trains are defaced and destroyed without any qualms. IST which should read as Indian Standard Time is more aptly read as Indian Stretchable Time.

Why is this happening? According to my very personal view, I feel the genesis of the whole thing can be traced to the 'Civil Disobedience Movement' launched by Gandhi at the time of our freedom struggle. He exhorted our people to boycott anything British and break all rules and laws framed by them. Immediately on our attaining of our independence and the subsequent partition and the religious riots, he was busy in bringing peace and sanity to the nation. Before he remembered to tell the countrymen that now that the country has become free and we are the law makers, we ought to respect the rules and laws and inculcate a sense of discipline into our lives, he fell prey to an assassin's bullets.

Maybe we will turn into responsible citizens only when Gandhi comes and tell us so. We have to Wait for the Mahatma then.