This section has all the buzz on the December Season. You can also read interviews with some of the awardees of this season and exclusive features on various themes.

Dance and music at Kapali Temple

Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, Chennai will hold a 'Music and Dance Festival' from December 9 to 15. The programmes will be held at the 'Navarathri Mandapam at 6.30 pm.

The schedule is: December 9, Priya Murle (Bharatanatyam); December 10, Meenakshi Srinivasan, who now lives in Singapore, (Bharatanatyam); December 11- A. Lakshman (Bharatanatyam); Dec 12 - Priyadarsini Govind, (Bharatanatyam); December 13 - Neyveli R. Santhanagopalan, (vocal concert) December 14 - Urmila Sathyanarayanan (Bharatanatyam); December 15 - Gayathri Venkataraghavan (vocal concert).

The programme has been organised and sponsored by P. Vijayakumar Reddy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Kapaleeswarar Temple.

Honours for Kalanidhi Narayanan, Balamuralikrishna

Brahma Gana Sabha will hold its annual December Art Festival from December 3 to 31, 2005, at Sivagami Pethachi auditorium, in Mylapore Chennai.

Senior Carnatic musician Balamuralikrishna will be awarded the title 'Gaana Padhmam' and dance guru Kalanidhi Narayanan will receive the 'Natya Padhmam' title.

Kartik Fine Arts opens fest

Kartik Fine Arts opens its 31st year Arts Festival on December 1, 2005 at Narada Gana Sabha's auditorium, Alwarpet, Chennai.

The sabha confers the title of 'Isai Peroli' on Carnatic vocalists Ranjani and Gayathri and the title of 'Nadanamamani' on US based Bharatanatyam dancer Ramya Ramnarayan. The 'D.K. Pattammal award of Excellence for a young talented vocalist' will be presented to Sankari Krishnan and the 'Kartik Rajagopal Golden Jubilee committee award for best organiser' will be presented to K. Hariharan, Secretary, Parthasarathy Swami Sabha.

The sabha hosts its Tamil Isai festival from December 26 at Valliammal College for Women, Anna Nagar, Chennai. The 'Tamil Isai Vendar' title will be conferred on senior musician M. Balamuralikrishna and the 'Sirkazhi Sri Govindarajan Memorial Award' will be presented to mridangist Madras A. Kannan.

Contact: Kartik Fine Arts, Ph: 24997788.

Click here for concert schedule

The Other Festival at Museum Theatre

The Park's 'The Other Festival 2005' will be held from December 1 to 7, 2005 at Museum Theatre, Egmore, Chennai.

The fest featuring experimental works in arts, is jointly hosted by Arangham Trust and Prakriti Foundation. It opens with a curtain raiser on November 27, at Sundar Mahal (Amethyst) with a music recital by two Dutch musicians in which classical, European works will be combined with contemporary music from different continents. Marcel Worms plays on the piano with Eleonore Pameijer on the flute. Ganesh Kumar from Chennai joins them with 'Alaap'.

For more info, call: Prakriti Foundation: 24465415, Arangham Trust: 28524917
Email: aratnam@vsnl.com, prakritifoundation@gmail.com, otherfestival2005@gmail.com

For concert schedule,visit www.theotherfestival.com

Nungambakkam Cultural Academy Trust's fest

Nungambakkam Cultural Academy Trust hosts its 36th fine arts festival from December 9, 2005 to January 11, 2006 at Rama Rao Kala Mantap, T. Nagar, Chennai. Ph: 2483 4823.

E-mail: Radhika Natarajan, radhikanatarajan@hotmail.com

Lec-dems on mridangam playing / Chennai

Chennai based Sampradaya, an archiving, documentation and research organization involved in the preservation of South Indian music traditions, is organising a series of lecture-demonstrations on the art of mridangam playing from December 1, 2005 in Chennai. Titled 'Sogasuga Mridanga Talamu', the lec-dem series also marks the silver jubilee of Sampradaya.

Lec-dems are scheduled on 1 and 2 December at the Music Academy's mini hall and on 3, 12 and 13 December at Asthika Samajam, Venus Colony.

The lec-dems will be presented by mridangists T.K. Murthy, Palghat Ragu, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, T.V.Gopalakrishnan, Trichy Sankaran, Karaikudi Mani and T.R. Rajamani. Topics are 'Moras in 108 talas', 'The importance of Thani Aavarthanam-An overview of Recent Developments', 'Arithmetic in Laya', 'Yathis in Moras & Korvais' and 'Mridangam Accompaniment - the vocalist's perspective'.

Organisers say that the lec-dems are being presented owing to a widespread paucity of understanding and inadequate appreciation of the role of the mridangam, not only among rasikas but also among musicians.

For more info, contact Sampradaya, 1, Musiri Subramaniyam Salai, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Ph: 2499 3359. E-mail: samprada@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's fest

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hosts its annual music and dance festival from November 25 to December 16, 2005 at its auditorium in Mylapore, Chennai.

The fest is being held in association with Kalapradarshini and is being inaugurated by N. Murali, President, The Music Academy. Justice K.S. Bakthavatsalam, Chairman Bhavan's Kendra, Chennai presides.

The fest features music concerts from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 and dance recitals from Dec. 10 to 16.

Contact: Ph: 2494 0811, E-mail: bvb@vsnl.com Website: www.bhavans.info

Click here for concert schedule.

Honours for P.S. Narayanaswamy

Sri Kapali Fine Arts hosts its 36th music and dance festival from December 14, 2005 to January 4, 2006.

Inauguration will be held at R.K. Swamy Auditorium, Mylapore, Chennai. The title of 'Sangeetha Kala Jyothi' will be conferred on senior Carnatic vocalist P.S. Narayanaswamy and 'Natya Kala Jyothi' on dance guru Saroja Vaidhyanthan of Delhi.

Concerts will be held at R.K. Swami hall, Srinivasa Sastri Hall, Dakshinamoorthy auditorium and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's hall in Mylapore.

Honours for T.K.Govinda Rao

Mudhra hosts its 11th Fine Arts Festival from 17 to 26, December 2005 at Freedom Hall, Nungambakkam. On the inaugural day, senior musician T.K.Govinda Rao will be conferred 'The Mudhra Award of Excellence' for his contribution to music. The inaugural concert features violin-duo M.S.Gopalakrishnan and Narmada.

Mudhra will also conduct a two-day 'Carnatic Music Appreciation Programme' on 24 and 25 December, 2005 (10 am to 4 pm), specially for rasikas outside Chennai and abroad.

For more details, contact Mudhra at Ph: 98400 72821 / 28264493
E-mail: radha@mudhra.org

Indian Fine Arts Society's fest

The Indian Fine Arts Society hosts its 73rd South Indian music conference and concerts from December 17, 2005 at Balamandir German Hall, T. Nagar, Chennai.

Carnatic vocalist T.V. Sankaranarayanan will be conferred the title of 'Sangeetha Kalashikamani' on the inaugural day. Violin maestro T.N. Krishnan will inaugurate the fest.

At the valedictory function on January 4, 2006, the title of 'Natya Kala Shikamani' will be conferred on senior Bharatanatyam artiste Chitra Visweswaran.

New dance-drama from Narasimhacharis

Dance gurus M.V. Narasimhachari and M. Vasanthalakshmi present a new dance-drama, 'Subhashitham' (Eternal Words of Wisdom) this December Season.

The thematic Bharatanatyam presentation is based on the Panchatantra, Jataka stories, Thirukkural and Indian folklore and features stories with spiritual values and principles.

Composed and choreographed by the dancing couple, M.V.Narasimhachari and M.Vasanthalakshmi, this dance-drama has been put together by team of 55 musicians, dancers and technicians.

It will be premiered on 4 December 2005, at 6 pm at The Music Academy's auditorium, Chennai and will be presented again on December 31, 2005 at Krishna Gana Sabha.

For more info, contact the Kalasamarpana Foundation by E-mail: chari@md2.vsnl.net.in or log on to www.webindia.com/Kalasamarpana.

Anita Guha's new dance-drama

Dance guru Anita Guha presents a new dance-drama for this December Season.

The dance drama titled ‘Natrunaiyavadhu Namachivayave’ is themed on lord Siva and features the episodes of 'Tripura Samharam', Sundarar, Shiva and Arjuna, Karaikal Ammaiyar and the cosmic dance of the Panchaksharan.

This has been specially choreographed for the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Chidambaram Natyanjali festival 2006.

Featuring 50 students of Bharathanjali, the dance-drama has lyrics and music composed by P. R. Venkatasubramaniam, besides verses from Thevara Thirupathigangal and from the original works of the Nayanmargal. It has been choreographed by Anita Guha.

It will be premiered on 5 December, 2005 at Narada Gana Sabha's auditorium, under the auspices of Karthik Fine Arts, on Dec. 11 at Krishna Gana Sabha and Dec.18 at Indian Fine Arts Society.

Honours for T.N. Krishnan

Narada Gana Sabha hosts its annual music and dance festival from December 16, 2005. On the inaugural day, the 'Nadhabrahmam' title will be conferred on senior violinist T.N. Krishnan. Inaugural concert features saxophone by Kadri Gopalnath.

Lecture-demonstrations will be held from Dec. 22 to 31, at the mini hall. From January 6 to 8, 2006, the 'Ramayana Bharatham' dance presentations (which showcases the episodes in Ramayana in different languages) will be held at the main hall. Ph: 2499 3201.

Rama Bhaktha Jana Samaj's fest

Sri Rama Bhaktha Jana Samaj, K.K.Nagar, hosts its first mini music festival from 26 to 30 November, 2005 and its 9th annual music festival from 18 December 2005 to 5 January, 06 at Padma Seshadri School auditorium, Alagirisamy Salai, K.K.Nagar, Chennai-78.

At the inauguration of the fest on 18 December, the 'Sangeetha Maamani' title will be conferred on Carnatic vocalist Sudha Raghunathan and the 'Sangeetha Kala Seva Rathna' on arts promoter Nalli Kuppusami Chetti. Inaugural concert features vocal by Sudha Raghunathan. For more info, contact: aashna_483@yahoo.com.

Honours for Kalanidhi Narayanan, Balamuralikrishna

Brahma Gana Sabha will hold its annual December Art Festival from December 3 to 31, 2005, at Sivagami Pethachi auditorium, in Mylapore Chennai.

Senior Carnatic musician Balamuralikrishna will be awarded the title 'Gaana Padhmam' and dance guru Kalanidhi Narayanan will receive the 'Natya Padhmam' title.

Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha's fest

Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha hosts its 26th festival of muysic, dance and drama from Dec. 9 to 31, 2005 at Vanimahal, T. Nagar, Chennai.

The 'Vani Kala Sudhakara' title will be conferred on Carnatic musicians Sudha Raghunathan, A. Kanyakumari, Vellore Ramabhadran, Bharatanatyam dancer Revathi Ramachandran and dramatist Kathadi Ramamurthy.
Contact: Ph: 285 2166.

MFAC title for thavil maestro

Eminent Thavil maestro Haridvaramangalam A. K. Palanivel will be conferred with the title 'Sangeetha Kala Nipuna' by The Mylapore Fine Arts Club at the inauguration of its 54th year Art Festival on December 12.

The fest forms part of the December season of classical music and dance Chennai is famous for. Music competitions in vocal and instrumental will be held from October 9 onwards, every Sunday. Application forms and other details can be had from the Sabha office at 45, Musiri Subramaniam Salai, October 1 onwards. Ph: 24997755.

'Sangitha Kalanidhi' for violinist M. Chandrasekaran

Click here for concert schedule