The technology tradition!!

The technology tradition!!

I had mentioned about my involvement rather participation in the mobile app development.

Ever since I experienced internet someday in the late 1990s, technology is always one of my active passions. I still remember that day, running up the stairs of Rosy Tower on Nungambakkam High Road (now called Mahatma Gandhi Road) and sitting before the computer. It was the Madras branch office of Microsense the reseller of internet connection for RPG Sprint. The first search the executive did was ‘rubber’ because MRF was a leading brand then seen very often in the media. Sanjay and Anand were with me and we were ogling at the screen.

From that day to the day I started a web application development company and now coordinating the development of a mobile application for Android and iPhone, my passion is growing exponentially. Technology never fails to enthrall me.

When Girish, the development team head, said that he has setup a team in Chennai for developing mobile applications we discussed on the focus verticals. Girish suggested we do one for our music sharing portal www.sangeethapriya.org. When we mooted this idea to our portal management team, they said it is too early for all these. Then Girish and I discussed various options and were adamant in developing one for Carnatic music or around it.

The discussion led us towards developing an app for musicians. The immediate choice was Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Why Sanjay? Because Sanjay was the 1^st Carnatic musician to have a website (he has closed it and now for the mobile app we have revived it). Sanjay was the 1^st to run a bulletin board for Carnatic music called sangeetham.com. Sanjay is very active in blogosphere, tweeting, et al. So, we have every reason to go to Sanjay.

Now how to contact Sanjay? I have not been interacting with Sanjay for well over 4 years. Reason could be that both of us were busy with our work. I know you all decline to believe it. Honestly, I don’t know why we didn’t. Anyway, I called Sanjay and asked him if we could meet. Believe me I went back 5 years. Yes, Sanjay was the same Sanjay I last spoke with 5 years ago.

I met Sanjay at his home. I didn’t beat around. When I told about developing a mobile app for him, he immediately agreed. Then I took Girish to Sanjay’s home. We discussed on the features, timeline etc.

Now the after almost 4 months the mobile app is ready for commercial launch. The Android version is ready and the iOS version is waiting for Apple’s approval.

Wait for a week and I shall share with you the screen shots and the download link.

Be connected with tradition, always, technologically!!

Tradition meets Technology!!!

As described by all 'ligists' and 'ians', India is beyond doubt a continent.  A land of diversity. And as diverse as having people meandering in the cities half-naked in the name of fashion and nomads living scantily draped.

We have the best of traditions not just surviving but also thriving against all odds. The millennia old delicious food recipes, effective medicinal concoctions, exciting handicrafts, stunning architecture, flamboyant jewellery, exquisite draperies, and what not, are making the world look at India for the best resources. And,  it doesn’t stop with this. The fad of the last millennium technology is also not left behind by Indians.  Today Indians have contributed immensely to some of the finest developments in science and technology.

Many Western instruments have now become an integral part of Indian classical music concerts. Some of the leading technology brands have their manufacturing base in India. India is a major revenue earner for almost all the global companies.

The technology development and adoption by the Indian media and entertainment  industry is on par with the US. Mobile phones footprint is one of the largest in the world. Digital cinema filming and projection has a viral growth in India.

When we in India have about 55 crore mobile phone users, are we taking maximum advantage of this population? Are the mobile users deriving the full benefit of the mobile technology? Are the mobile service providers delivering what their consumers want? What kind of benefits can be provided to users? Who all can provide?

Ok, I can understand your impatience. You want to know, why am I writing about this in my blog? You all know am not an economist. Or a technologist. Or a mobile retailer. But most of you know me as a gadget freak or can be called a gizmo maniac.

Mobile service runs predominantly on GSM technology in India, sharing about 20% to CDMA technology. Now in India, Symbian platform based handsets enjoy an enviable share, but has slowly started losing the market to Android based phones. Thanks to Japan, Korea and Taiwan based brands, the prices are now affordable. For below 10,000 we get very good handsets with exciting features.

Now we need some great mobile apps. And mobile apps from across verticals. Mobile apps from banks, FMCG companies, service companies, media & entertainment companies, Govt. departments like Law & Order, Transport, Tourism, Electricity, PDS etc. And, we also need good apps from academicians, teachers, performing artistes too.

One such app will be unleashed in the next 2 weeks from Chennai. And I'm involved in it. What is my involvement in it? Did I conceive it, design it, develop  it? No. I just coordinated with the performing artiste and the developing team.

When I say performing artiste, I mean a Carnatic musician. I'll call him the GenX musician! Technomusician.  A first mover towards technology who leads the pack - definitely. A constant learner, for excellence. Wait for 3 more days to know more on this.

Can we call this the emergence of a technology tradition!!! 

Movie watching experience in Sathyam

Today was a very hectic day. Morning attended a 'upanayanam' at Maharastra Nivas. Had breakfast there. Drove down to Sathyam theatre for the morning show of the film 180 (Tamil). A long film, ran for almost 3 hours. From there went to W V Raman's home for a business meeting. Back home by 1.35pm for lunch.

Coming back to my movie watching experience:

Thanks to my friends Iqbal & Anu, I got the last row in the Elite class, Sathyam theatre. A very nice location in the theatre to watch a movie. Felt like sitting at home, relaxed, stretched legs, wide chairs well-cushioned chairs. What irritated me is the audience's total lack of civic sense. The people who pay Rs.120 for a ticket care a damn for the upkeep of the environ. Shamelessly they throw popcorn, beverage cans, cups inside the theatre. This has not changed from the last time I went to a theatre around 3-4 years back. Yes the last movie I saw in a theatre was 'dasAvathAram - Tamil film' the day after it was released. I saw in Sangam theatre. Over the last 3-4 years the concept of cinema halls from the owners perspective has changed for good. But unfortunately the viewers attitude has gone from bad to worse.

A total deterioration of overall value system. No respect for anything under the sun. About 6 years back in a TV interview before the TN Assembly election Rajinikanth said 'only God can save Tamilnadu'. It is valid today. Total lack of civic sense, no courtesy towards fellow citizens, no respect for the rule of the land, no discipline in every walk of life. They wont wait in a queue, allow others to take their vehicle out in a parking lot, give way for others in a road, won't stop before the 'stop line' in a signal, will take a right turn from the extreme left in any junction and the list goes on. Anyway I'm going to say like Rajinikanth.

Sathyam cinemas is an experience. I had to congratulate the management for training their staff and should the thank the staff for practising what they were taught. Yes, the staff were so courteous, disciplined and well behaved. This starts with the security guard at the entrance itself.
keep the good work going Sathyam cinemas.

Now about the movie நூற்றெண்பது - 180 (http://www.180thefilm.com/):
Story: Nothing new

Conversations: NCL - naturally casual language. No dramatics, punch phrases. I personally liked this style.

Music: Sharreth - Nothing commendable to mention. I've a respect for Sharreth as a judge in music competitions running in the TV channels. And I expected a lot from him, I know it is my mistake and not his. He has attempted a Tamil version of Sufi song (its my guess). In Sufi music the lyrics has a very special and important place. But unfortunately in this Sufi style song it is butchered beyond recognition. In my previous post in this space I've written about Music, Sound and Noise. What ever be the era we live I don't subscribe to the view that Sound can replace Music. When we have started experimenting Music therapy for various health & wellness disorders, I advocate the responsibility of music producers to produce and deliver music. No Sound or Noise please. Pl. graduate from being a sound engineer to music direction and produce good music. My judgement of Sharreth is not totally wrong, please am not trying to justify myself. The signature or identification tune or whatever (which sounds Rithigowla to me but unfortunately is only for about 10 secs so am not sure) you call when Nithya Menen and Siddarth are together is very melodic. But suddenly the melody vanishes in the songs.

Sharreth can be a good composer of 60 seconds jingle, definitely not a full movie particularly the background score. He claims to be a great admirer of Illayaraja, Sharreth don't just stop at admiring Raja, there is nothing wrong in trying to emulate him. Start emulating him.

RR: Should have been better to enhance the presentation. At most situations the background score dissuades the emotions.

Direction: Not a director's movie. Some sequences, characters should have been avoided.

Casting: Is this how this generation live. Near perfect. Suits the movie.

Actors performance: The emotions are expressed very subtly or even inadequately by the actors, it is much better than over acting. Probably that's what the director wanted from his actors. No complaints.

Presentation: A typical ad film kind presentation, well knit all thru with independent phrases. Very different presentation of a song where they displayed the lyrics seamlessly and beautifully as part of the lead lady reading her birthday greetings pasted by her husband all around their home. Definitely a fresh approach and a good idea to make the viewers know the lyrics, as today's orchestration just wipes out the lyrics with loud sound.

Visualisation: Am listing this category last because there is a lot to write about this. This film is shot in Red Digital Camera. My good friend Balaji has been evangelising digital cinema since 2008. And Balaji is a self educated Digital Imaging Technician. Though he has worked in about half a dozen commercial films, this is the 1st film I saw in which Balaji is credited in the title itself as Digital Imaging Technician. This movie's team has understood the power of digital imaging and has taken full advantage of the technology. They have used the technology, its features exhaustively and have presented a real visual treat. I would even say a new experience to the viewers. What Balumahendra did in 'mOdu pani', 'azhiyAtha kOlangaL', mOndrAm pirai', PC Sreeram did in 'thaLapathi', 'agni natchatthiram', 'anjali', 'thEvar magan', Balasubramaniam and team has done in 180. Brilliant use of slow motions in songs (Mani Rathnam has done it in thaLapathi) bring out picture perfect frame compositions. subtle expressions by the artistes in the frame are all captured well. Brilliant color contrasts, skin tonal quality is amazing. 

Things I applaud: First & leading the list is the Director's courage to make a film without a story line. His phenomenal conviction about his presentation skills.
Very special congratulations to the director and producer for not having the contriving Vivek or nauseating Vadivelu or suffocating Santhanam or irritating stunts in the film. As the Tamil actors have a fancy for prefixing adjectives I have given what (I think) perfectly suits them.
A very simple climax though expected didn't disappoint me.
Taking full advantage of the visual media by avoiding unnecessary dialogs and communicating the sequences and incidents visually. The scene at the hospital in Chennai where AJ discusses with the doctor, calls his chief in US is well made without any melodrama.
Director & Screenplay writer's clarity in what they want to say. I'm not debating on its validity.
One positive thought - providing education to the hawkers narrated very crisply without the 'large than life' projection of the hero.

Things should have been avoided: The parents of character Renu and AJ's mother could have been avoided. They neither had a bearing nor added any value to the story, screenplay or film.
The dialog by AJ's mother the previous night is very contrived and misfit for a movie of this genre.
A very accomplished doctor in the US getting depressed in less a minute and behaving cranky is not acceptable. Today Prostrate cancer is the most commonly checked for problem in men even in a country like India. I agree that the age of AJ is not more than 40 but as a doctor he is expected to show more composure than an ordinary man.
The duration of the film is just atrocious. Because of the duration am constrained to say its a waste of 3 hours.

My recommendation: A time-pass if you really want to kill 3 hours in a cozy atmosphere by spending just Rs.120. Do not expect any takeaway. Expect a couple of smooches there are nothing that will embarrass parents sitting with their children and watching this movie. Good effort would have bitten the producers' wallet deeper.

My outcry

Music, Sound, Noise………….

This post is more my outcry, the aftermath of attending Tanjore S. Kalyanaraman’s 81^st birthday celebrations on June 2, 2011 at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. Sri. M. Chandrasekaran, Sri. N. V. Subramaniam were sitting on the stage alongwith Brinda Venkataramanan, Sanjay Subrahmanyam was awarded the SKR Memorial Award. Sanjay was giving his acceptance speech and that is when I entered the hall. Bhushani Kalyanaraman read the vote of thanks. In “The Hindu” City Entertainment column, it was mentioned that an AV presentation would be screened. Though it would have been produced, scripted and directed by SKR’s nephew SB Kanthan, I did not dare take a chance. Have had bitter experiences viewing similar presentations on Ramnad Krishnan, GNB, MMI etc.

Hold on…

Music: vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/music

Sound: vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person‘s or animal’s ear: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sound?rskey=g31dtq&result=1

Noise: a sound, especially one that is loud or unpleasant or that causes disturbance: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/noise

It is not that you all do not know the difference in meaning between the above three words. It is that most of us care too less to decide which one to listen to. Then why have I given the dictionary meaning of those words. Caveat - I may give you couple of more too!!!

Do not worry, am not writing the review of the concert. There are more important issues to write about. This may end up being a very long post but I do not want to stop expressing my feelings.

Check http://sanjaysub.blogspot.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/user/sanjaymobileapp

Narada Gana Sabha, is one of the oldest cultural programs organizing institutions in Chennai. I neither know its legal status nor am I interested. All I remember is that the likes of Kamala, Vyjayanthimala, Hemalini, MSS, SSI, etc performed to generate funds for constructing the present auditorium on TTK Road. The NGS Trust got enough funds to construct a hall large enough to house about 1500 people as audience and a stage to accommodate a 10-member ballet team.

Why am I providing this information to you? For the benefit of those who have not seen the auditorium to sort of visualize it. Why visualize? To expect some good ambience, acoustics, seating systems, etc. Of course, the seating arrangement is much better than the nearest (in terms of distance) competitor Music Academy. The ambience is also good. However, the acoustics is a disaster to say the least. They have positioned one speaker named JAS on either side of the dais facing the audience. Moreover, it is placed on the wall running along the dais covering the green rooms. Now visualize sitting at the last row listening to a Carnatic music concert. Do not worry, you are blessed. Yes, I mean it. If you are caught as a VIP and made to sit within the first twenty rows, then you are in for a punishment. You will listen to nothing but noise.

Now coming to the three words, I mentioned at the beginning of this post. What should be music to your ears will neither be music nor sound but sheer noise. We Indians show tolerance where it should not be shown. In addition, we are intolerant to things, which should be tolerated. When it comes to service delivery of telecommunications, entertainment, banking and the like we are extremely tolerant to deficiency in service. Sometimes, it is just not deficiency service does not exist. We as receivers are made to accept what is being given.

More importantly exercising our right in getting these services in a public place is being branded as being brash. We feel ashamed to decline a coffee with sugar when we have ordered without sugar. Similarly, when AC is switched off as soon as the movie starts in a theatre where they charge you more than a non-AC theatre, we never question these deficiencies. We should feel ashamed to be like a vegetable.

I want to share with you something that you all know and been experiencing over the last 20 years - the one-upmanship attitude of most of the mrudangam players in a Carnatic music concert. One set of mrudangam players over the last 20 years think that the vocalists are surviving only because of the intelligence of these mrudangam players. To some extent, the vocalists are to be blamed for they train under these mrudangam players. I do not say that the mrudangam players lack music knowledge. However, these mrudangam players lack musical wisdom and aesthetics. They demand higher volume levels than the vocalist himself does. In the early 1980s, I have attended many concerts at Srinivasa Sastri Hall, Luz. The mike-man (we used to call him so) Sri. Narayanan used to decide the volume levels and has silenced some of the accompanists. That was possible because he had an ear for good music. Today’s mike-man has an ear neither for music nor for sound. He can only listen to and appreciate noise. Therefore, he cares a damn about balancing the volume levels. When the mrudangam player turns at him and asks him to increase the volume, the mike-man will promptly do so.

Another irony or idiocy is that the violin players of today ask to increase sharpness in the mixer. Probably they think that the bow in their hand is to deploy an arrow in an archery competition; hence, they want to sharpen it. Utter nonsense. The sound should come from the violin naturally. Moreover, to achieve that sound the player should practice until he/she gets it.

Now our right as a listener of these live concerts is to give the genuine feedback on the volume levels to the mike-man. However, we normally do not. But I always do. In NGS about 7-8 months back, Satish Vyas had arranged a concert of Ajoy Chakrabarthy. The sound system was a disaster. From the audience I mentioned to the artistes on stage that the sound levels are bad and offered to help them. Immediately Ajay asked me to do it. Fortunately, I fixed the problem. The same thing happened during a Ganesh/Kumaresh concert at Krishna Gana Sabha during December 2011. When I told them about the imbalance, Ganesh immediately said that such feedback would help them to deliver the best.

On June 2, 2011 at NGS, Srimushnam Raja Rao wanted the volume for his mike to be increased and when it was done, SRR gave a thumbs-up. Unfortunately, it was unbearable for us in the hall. I waited for the bEgadA varnam to get over. Then I shouted from the audience to reduce the volume levels for the mrudangam and increase the volume for the violin. Immediately a dozen people sitting in the audience looked back and extended their hand to thank me. Why didn’t they raise their voice when they felt the volume levels were literally tearing their head apart? In the guise of tolerance, decency and diplomacy they failed to exercise their basic right. And, this tolerance extends to every other deficiency, crime, etc.

People can say that it was a free concert and we have to be content with what is given. Let me tell you we are beggars and there is a difference between an ‘all are welcome’ and ‘entry free’ announcement. In the paper if the advertisement reads as ‘all are welcome’, the organizers cannot stop anyone from entering. As hosts, the organizers should treat the guests properly. In ‘entry free’ program, the organizers can restrict the entrants.

Leave alone free concerts, even in concerts where we pay for the entry we never bother to give our feedback to the performers and the organizers. Also, the feedback should be given in a manner such that they take cognizance of it and implement it at the next opportunity.

I will be happy if the readers of this post not just read but heed to my appeal to exercise their basic right. And let us start listening to atleast good sound if not music.

Incipient Confidence #7

Triplicane used to be an abode of illuminati and glitterati till about the late 1980s. Fine arts thrived here like nowhere during their time. I remember all the artistes performing their best at the Sri Parthasarathy Temple, ThiruvettIswarar Temple, Vasantha Bungalow, The Hindu High School, Kala Mandapam etc. Today Triplicane is a haven for bachelors, with roads and streets buried under 2-wheelers, cars, muck, - simply with all nonsense possible.

Ok what has that got with the title of this post. I'll come to it now. Last year a group of people organised series of concerts during the last week of December. The concerts were held inside the Sri Parthasarathy Temple Tank. This year again they are repeating this event.

Today I got back home early. During my usual routine of gazing the tank and temple from my home terrace I saw 3 kids clad in festive mood getting on to the stage. The weather slightly chill for Chennai with water all around, the tallest, presumably the eldest sat in the centre of the stage. Took a veena and placed it on her lap. To her right another kid, younger than the 1st one, sat behind a mrudangam. Both these kids where in blue pattu (silk) pAvAdai (full shirt or modern day midi) and green shirt. The one opposite the left of the centrally placed kid was on a maroon kurta and white pyjama.

For the next 1 hour I saw carnatic music safely, securely and happily enjoying her sojourn in the hands of Anjani the eldest of the lot. My good friend Sridharan once told me that he listened to the sisters, yes Anjani and Aswini are sisters. and Aswini is accompanying Anjani on the mrudangam. He very strongly insisted that listen I to Anjani. I ofcourse did watch her perform for PudhuPunal in DD podhigai some time ago and immediately called Sridharan and ridiculed at him for the recommendation. Am awfully sorry Sridharan, you made me lick the dust rather Anjani did by her performance this evening from 5 to 6 at the Parthasarathy Temple Tank.

Watch her video

The young angel literally transcends belief, atleast my beliefs. She should be all of 12 or 13 and understanding the veena at this age should be by ordain only. The way she handled the instrument, the graceful traverse of her fingers over the frets, the delicate handling of the gamakas just belittled me. She played gAnamUrthE, anurAgamulE which are or can be classified as authentic classical compositions with such elan which made me trash Rajesh Vaidya who played after her.

Ofcourse there was another 1 hour concert between Anjani's and Rajesh's. But fortunately for me nothing went inside my ears after Anjani's music. Anjani didn't maul or malign the identity of veena in contrast to what Rajesh Vaidya usually does. Every Indian musical instrument like Indian spice has an unique identity. And its the duty of the performer to keep it intact. Anyway let me write about this later as a separate post.

What impressed me is the sincerity of Anjani. There were only about 20 people of which atleast 5-7 would have the family members of the performers. But the slender audience didn't deter Anjani from giving her best.

It's almost half a decade I heard someone sing or perform anurAgamulE. Though there are few kritis in this raga saraswathi only a couple reside in me. The 1st time I heard this classic was some 30 years back at Srinivasa Sastri Hall, Madras. It was by Dr.MBK for Nadopasana with MSG and UKS. And I was prejudiced for long, till I heard TMT in 1980s at the same venue with TSV and CSM. I should also admit that I have not been attending live concerts over the last 3-4 years.

It's been long say about 15 years we had a good vainika emerge. There is one Sivakumar in AIR Trichy, who unfortunately had to settle for a government job and disappear from the Chennai concert scene. I've a few friends who are all great admirers of veena music and I can assure them that we have good scope of listening to some real veena music from the hands of Anjani. This young girl if continues to maintain her adherence to quality music and doesn't subvert will be the next E.Gayathri and Jayanthi Kumaresh.

I've to mention about the kid Aswini on the mrudangam. She is a disciple of Sri.T.K. Murthy. Thanks to Sri. T.K. Murthy. Aswini's fingering technique, playing style are still unadultered. And I wish she develops on the foundation laid by Sri. TKM and continues to accompany some of the best artistes who may germinate or have germinated somewhere in the world. Aswini is confidence and artistry personified. And the guy on the ghatam (awfully sorry I forgot to look at the name on the billboard) also proved his mettle. Am sorry. will look tomorrow and post.

Incipient Confidence#6

Just back from Vidya Raghavan's (VR she shares the abbreviation with a brilliant musician Vellore Ramabhadran) concert. I did not notice this series of concerts organised by Cleveland Aradhana Committee. This morning I got a call from an old time friend saying her daughter is singing at Arkay Hall and wanted me to listen to her.

As usual I entered at the end of the 1st song, my layam should be perfect if I had to comment on others isn't it!!

The 2nd item of the day was sAvEri. VR started the alapana. In about a minute the small electronic box placed on the dias reminded her its existence. yes she derailed from the shruthi track. VR has good taste for music no doubt. She has good ideas also. But what she lacks is the commitment to deliver the best. Intention doesn't matter only action matters. VR showed signs of frustration when she failed to sing the phrases her mind wanted. If the idea transformation doesnt happen the way we want, no point in getting frustrated, what is required is introspection. VR should listen to the recording of her today's concert and analyse dispassionately. She sang the shyama sastri grand classic sankari sanguru. about this kriti - this has been rendered with utmost care, finesse, embellishments by some of the great masters of yesteryears. So I can't stop recalling them from my memory bank. And when I recall them most of the other renditions not just fall flat but drop to abysmal depths. (I'll start a thread on GC soon calling some experts in our group also to participate. The call will be over email only, be prepared!!) The tempo, structure are of very high order in this kriti. Actually VR if practices for more hours will deliver much better music than what she did today. She fumbled while singing the neraval & swaras for this kriti.

I would like mention a few words about neraval singing. Infact in my previous post I had mentioned about PSP's accompaniment in Musiri's neraval at v vaishnavi in the thOdi kriti amba nAdhu. This neraval is one of the finest I've heard. In Madurai Somu's concert with Lalgudi, Murugabhoopathy, Viswanatha Sharma & M.Swaminathan at Tiruvayyaru on 19/1/1968 he has sung neraval at vEda sAstra purAna in the panthurvaraLi krit ninnE nEra nammi. I can list atleast 500 such phrases. Coming to neraval singing, its just about elaborating a phrases, am quoting Smr. Suguna Varadhachari's lecdem at Music Academy on dec25, 2010 "in neraval singing for kritis the talam has to be followed as much as the ragam whereas in neraval for RTP we need not follow the talam - meaning the position of the talam and the syllable should be in the same position in kriti neraval for RTP it's not required to be followed". So the bottomline is - the performer has to listen a lot, imbibe the various aspects of the raga, tala, meaning for the phrase elaborated etc. And should practice hard enough to achieve this status. And this will take time and it could be a minimum of 10 odd years, ofcourse prodigies are exemption.

My suggestion to the young performers is to do honest homework of neraval before trying it on stage. They can try some raga phrases, swara singing but if they derail while singing neraval it shows their total lack of understanding.

VR after sAvEri sang kalyani ragam and pankaja lOchana immortalised by SSI. Though his version may not convince the purists he created a magic to satisfy the listener. VR lost control of the shruthi very often which is not commonly seen in performers from US or Europe. Why I say so? Because shruthi alignment is prerequisite in Western classical music and those who are exposed to that form of music will definitely adhere to it. I was told by some members for the Cleveland committee that VR used to be a top performer when she was in the US. Should the lapses be due to her stay in Chennai, has it rubbed off on her like the other habits - traffic violation, unhygienic habits throwing filth all around.

VR you have a good voice which is not too high on the pitch so try to concentrate on it, practice well and then get on to the stage. You will definitely go a long way.

Incipient Confidence#5

On December 23, 10 I got caught in the wrong foot. A friend of mine used the rain cheque I had given her. She took me to Malladi Brothers at Brahma Gana Sabha. Don't worry, am not writing about this concert. I was around the venue by 3 pm and the Malladi concert is by 4.30pm. Instead of wasting my petrol, I went to the BGS hall.

The notice board said Akkarai Sisters (AS), Usha Rajagopalan, Poongulam Subramaniam, Sree Sundar Kumar. So I thought its a violin trio, dont ridicule at my guess. Usha had earlier paired with Meera sivaramakrishnan and performed violin duo concerts so thought this could be a new venture. I heard Akkarai Subbulakshmi accompany Munda Sudharani a week back at the same venue. I was very impressed with Akkarai's performance. So didnt hesitate a moment, just walked inside the hall. Luck was not in my favour. Akkarai sisters were singing. Its my mistake, should have read the notice board properly. Anyway as I had taken the mission of reporting on the nexgen performers, sat at the corner close to the canteen!!

When I went in Poongulam and Sreesundar were fighting with each other for the top position of the day. As soon as the fight was over, (I realised that they were complementing the finish of a song, yes they finished the song!!) Akkarai Subbulakshmi started sahAna raga, tried some twists & turns, glides & slides, pits & falls what not. I should thank my senses for identifying the raga correctly. They sang EmAninnE. They tried some neraval which turned out to be varuval (chips) meaning dry, stale, bland.

Subbulakshmi announced that the next composition is by their grand father Suchindram Sivasubramaniam. The composition is set to the ghana raga panchakam (nAttai, gowLa, Arabhi, varALi & Sri) on Lord Muruga.

I am reminded of Sri. S. Balachandar, During my YACM days, if am right in 1989 or 90, we had a 3 lecdem by Sri.SB on appreciating classical music. Typical of SB, he insisted that the last 1 hour of day 3 should be a Q&A session. The 1st question came from none other than our Lalgudi. The question was 'Why havent you composed any songs?". The answer SB gave was "I have not yet learned, practiced, played all the compositions of pre & post Trinity. Am not ordained to be a composer, more importantly I dont see an imperative need for new compositions". Just that this came to my mind, wanted to share with you all.... ;)

Coming back to the ghana raga panchakam sung by AS, the composition neither had lyrical value nor musical value. Probably the way AS sang did not reflect any of these qualities, I may be wrong. But as an average listener when I go to a new performer I expect them to sing popular kritis and exhibit their talent, understanding of the artform, etc. So when the performer sings or plays a not so popular kriti or raga its very difficult for me to absorb the music. I may be wrong in the approach but that's me - the average listener.

Anyway now lets get into the concert. But unfortunately my attention kept drifting away that day the same way its happening here when I want to write about it. AS senior started thOdi raga. Pyrotechnics doesn't work well in carnatic music. It should be used occasionally. Subbulakshmi may even prove what see sang was technically perfect thOdi. But unfortunately it lacked what it should have - music. Music is not all about permutations, combinations, arithmetic, algebra, physics. Its about aesthetics, finesse, nuances, subtleties, emotions. Remember shouting is not a musical emotion. The problem is that lot of carnatic music instrumental performers fall into this quicksand. Just because one duo, Ranjani & Gayathri, is scaling heights shifting from violin to vocal its not a rule of thumb that those who want to be a popular vocalist should first start off as a violinist and then jump vocal. What disturbs me that if AS takes up vocal or rather ditches violin, its certainly a big loss for the carnatic music. Yes I mean it. Particularly Subbulakshmi is a phenomenally talented, gifted, skilled violin musician. But she fell to abysmal depth as a vocal performer. The reason - she tried to produce all her violin ideas through her vocal chords. But her vocal chords are not tamed well enough like her left fingers and right hand. Her hands obey her like the police dog. Subbulakshmi may have or has brilliant musical ideas, unless they are executed and exhibited properly the value can't be priceless.

Pl. recollect what I wrote about RK yesterday. I had mentioned that RK has a sense of proportion and also aesthetics. As a vocalist AS lacked the sense of proportion in trying the various gamakas, brihAs, jArus etc. Let it not be like the famous Tamil adage which goes like this 'the cat with a hot rod stripped its body thinking the tiger got its strength from those stripes'.

This feedback is for AS to take cognizance, view this dispassionately and have a self evaluation.

Here again am forced to mention about the accompanists. During Usha's thOdi raga alapana the power played havoc. After a few cuts, Usha didnt stop and played a good alapana. Usha gave a brilliant support to AS. But Poongulam was showing his seniority from the moment I entered the hall. Pl. listen to the mrudangam accompaniment of Pazhani for Musiri's amba nAthu in the Music Academy concert which is available as a commercial album. You all will understand what I mean by good accompaniment.

Sorry if I had disappointed many of you, am helpless. I cant cheat myself.