FYI and special thanks to Star of Mysore News

[Guest guest]

Source: Star of Mysore, Dec 23 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

By S.R. Krishna Murthy

 

Music in all forms is vibrant and dynamic. It is not static. But the movement of

music from generation to generation requires a media. Man, in his evolution, has

become the perfect carrier of music to the future. This is mainly done by

teaching music from one generation to the next. Teaching of music has also

undergone many processes in its present form.

 

Normally in the daily walk of life, we can come across numerous music schools

and centers, where vocal and instrumental music are taught. But exclusive

schools are rarely found to teach percussion instruments, except in metropolis

cities. Not that there are no other place where one can learn this art. If there

is one percussion artiste any where, he may try to pass on his knowledge to the

next generation by accepting disciples. I am speaking about institutional

teaching.

 

In this context, H.L. Shivashankara Swamy, a percussionist of high order and a

staff artiste at AIR Mysore, has founded Laya Vidya Pratishthana. This

Institution is training many students in all forms of music, with emphasis on

the percussion side. The institute has completed three years of its rhythmic

existence. A function to mark the third anniversary had been organised by them

at Sarada Vilas Centenary Hall on December 20.

 

Junior pontiff of Avadhoota Datta Peetha Sri Datta Vijayananda Theertha Swamiji

inaugurated the function. Maha Mahopadhyaya R. Satyanarayana, an authority on

music and a moving encyclopedia presided and delivered an address.

 

Sangeetha Seva Nidhi K.V. Murthy, Industrialist and philanthroper, M.S. Nanda

Kumar, a civil contractor and the person who built Namana Kala Vedike, Art

Patron Lakshmi Narayana (Babu), P.R. Krishna Murthy, Director of Samskara

Bharathi, were on the dais. Six eminent personalities who have carved a niche in

the field of music were honoured on the occasion—Gana Kala Ratna Muthanna

(violin), Vidwan Srikantaiah (Tabla), Gowramma Nagaraj (Gamaka), G.R.

Krishnaveni (Dance) and H.S. Yadugiri (vocal). One more recipient M.R.

Chinnaswamy, a percussion instrument manufacturer, could not attend.

 

The Laya Lahari programme consists of an ensemble of Indian and western

percussion instruments along with other musical instruments. It consis-ted of

mrudanga (H.L. Shiva-shankar), Ghata (S. Srinivasan), Morching (T.A. Ramanujan),

Drums (Karthik Mani), Rhythm Pad and Khanjira (H.L. Anantha Krishna), Chande

(Ajay Krishna), Tabla (S. Nagaraj), Dolu (M. Narayan), Kanakkol (D.V. Pra-hlada

Rao), Clarinet (R. Mohan), three Flutes (S.G. Muralidhar, Sameer L. Rao of

Mumbai and Smitha Srikiran), three violins (K.T. Udayakiran, M.V. Shantha Kumar

and C.R. Praneshacharya), Mandolin (C. Vishwanath), Two keyboards (A.S. Prasanna

Ku-mar and K. Muralidhar of Udupi) and Base Guitar (A.V. Anand). N. Srikanth and

Nitin Rajaram Shastry lent vocal support.

 

The programme commenced with a bunch of six bhajans composed by Sri Ganapathi

Sachidananda Swamiji for which mrudanga maestro Karaikudi Mani has set the

music. The invocation of lord Ganesha was with Pahi Pahi Gajanana. The second

Bhajan Taddhimi Shankara Taka Dhimi Shankara and Krishnam Vishnum were two very

rhythmic bhajans most suitable for such ensemble.

 

Jeevake Jeevana Sanjeevana was a slow bhajan, a contrast to the previous one.

All the six bhajans were sung by the duo Srikanth and Nitin, except the second

one, which was a solo by Nitin. Tiny tot Keerthana, daughter of Shivu, joined in

the second rhythmic Bhajan Krishnam Vishnum.

 

Two compositions by H.N. Bhasker in Pantuvarali and C. Vishwanath in Nata

Bhairavi came next, which showcased the efficiency of the artistes. Sameer L.

Rao, basically a Mysorean, lives in Mumbai. He is a disciple of Hariprasad

Chourasia, one of the most admired flautists of India. He had come all the way

to perform in this concert. Along with Shivu, he had composed a piece depicting

the moods of the four seasons in Mia-ki-Malhar, Darbari Kanada, Peeloo and

Kalavathi.

 

The bhava the duo wanted to depict was successfully brought out, especially for

the rainy season. The violin prelude to the seasons by Udaya Kiran was

excellent. After rag jog with Akara singing by Nitin, the main item for which

there was an eager anticipation. It came in the form of a fusion of western and

Karnatak music, specially composed for the anniversary. The much awaited Tani

Avartana came at the end.

 

Nearly nine percussion instruments with vocal Kanakkol in Adi Tala and some

creative phrases and different Nades were very well taken by the audience. The

programme concluded with a Tillana by Lalgudi Jayaraman in Mohana Kalyani and

the patriotic song which had given much inspiration to freedom fighters Vande

Mataram. Totally it was a rhythmic synchronisation of twenty creative minds.

 

 

 

 

in His service,

krishna dowlatsingh

 

 

 

_______________

Windows Live: Friends get your Flickr, Yelp, and Digg updates when they e-mail

you.

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691817