Hindustani Music Festival in Chennai
A series of Hindustani music concerts will be on from Dec. 21 to 23. At Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall.
The plethora of Carnatic music concerts held during December made the Chennai based Hindustani Sitar artiste Janardhan Mitta think of hosting a festival of Hindustani music here.
Viswa Kala Sangama founded by Janardhan has been hosting the fest for the past three years now. Senior Carnatic vocalist R. Vedavalli will inaugurate the tomorrow. At 6 pm
The artistes featured in the series are Pt. Parameshwar Hegde on Dec. 21, Ravindra Katoti, Harmonium Solo and Aparna Panshikar, vocal on Dec. 22, Anagha Hindlekar and Pt. Rajeev Taranath on Dec. 23.
More details can be had from Pt. Janardhan Mitta. Phone : 28342253
Big Quiz - On Christmas day!
Mudhra is organizing a Mega Info - Quiz on music, dance, drama and cinema on Dec. 25 from 10am to 1pm.
The resource persons for the event are Dr. Radha Bhaskar, musician and musicologist, Rajshri Vasudevan, Head of the Department of Natya, Dr.MG.R College of Fine Arts and Gnani, journalist and theatre personality.
This quiz is open to all rasikas and you can register your name at Mudhra's concert venue or phone 28264493 / 9840072821 or email – bhaskar@mudhra.org.
Last date for registration is Dec.22, 2007.
Docu on 'season'
Kalakshetra Foundation presents 'Season', a documentary film By R. V. Ramani
On 20th December, 6.30 pm, (Duration 3 hours)
At Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai - 41. The screening is open to all.
'Margazhi', the Tamil month is the time for celebration, the time for a community to assert their presence with musicians, dancers and rasikas.
Popularly known as the December Season, more than 1000 performances are organized in Chennai, by various Sabhas. Journeying through the ambience of the 1996 December Music Season, moving from one artist to another, before / during / after the performances, the film attempts to portray the very essence of the culture that prevails during the Season.
For details call Kalakshetra at phone number 24520836 / 4057, RV Ramani – 98401 57606
Carnatica's music fest
Carnatica, a website for Carnatic music in association with Universal Fine Arts, London has organised a music festival from Dec. 16 to 24, 2007
This season is the third year, for the fest and the concerts are dedicated to stalwarts in Carnatic music. Hence titled 'Samarpanam' - a tribute to legends.
The concerts are open to all will be held at Swamy’s Hall, R. K. Mutt Road, Mandaveli, Chennai - 28.
The festival features young artistes like Malladi Brothers, Manasi Prasad, Master Balamuralikrishna, K. Gayathri, Raghavendra Rao, Sriranjani Santhanagopalan, Saketaraman and senior artistes like Vedavalli, Santhanagopalan, Parassala Ponnammal, Alamelu Mani, R. K. Srikantan.
Detailed schedule is on the website www.carnatica.net
Bangalore 'season' in Chennai
Tarangini Arts Foundation, run by Bangalore based veena artiste Suma Sudhundra holds a music festival every year in Chennai.
The festival features artistes from Bangalore with a few local vidwans too performing.
This year the 'Celebrations Samarpan 2007' will be held on Dec. 19, 20 and 22, 23 and 24.
At Chettinad Kalakendra, Chettinad House, Rajah Annamalaipuram Chennai. From 6 pm.
On Dec. 19 a veena concert by Praveen followed by vocal concert by T. V. Sankaranarayanan.
There will be two vocal concerts by Vinay Sharva and M. S. Sheela on Dec. 20
On Dec. 22, Manasi Prasad will present a vocal concert followed by veena recital by Suma Sudhindra G. Ravikiran and T. N. Seshagopalan will perform on Dec. 23.
On Dec. 24, Suchetan Rangaswamy and S. Shankar will give vocal concerts.
Nandi Music fest
Nandi Fine Arts, an arts organisation promoting Carnatic classical music will be holding its 22nd Annual Music festival from Dec. 14 to 21,
At the Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple Auditorium, Gopalapuram, Chennai.
The title of Nandikeswara Nada Kaladhara will be awarded on senior vocalist Suguna Purushothaman this year.
The festival will feature Suguna Purushottaman - Vocal, Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini - Violin, Vijay Venkateswar - Vichitra Vina, Dr. R. S. Jayalakshmi - Vina and K. Bhaskaran - Flute.
New albums by Charsur
Charsur Digital Workstation, a Chennai-based music company, is releasing nine new albums for the 'season'.
They include Maaya - the Color of Rain - by Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil Gurucharan.
In the 'Padhatti series', which are old recordings of great masters, the music of T. K. Rangachari, Prof S. Ramanathan, Thanjavur S. Kalyanaraman, Madurai Somu and T. V. Goapalakrishnan will be out as albums
There is also Tulsi Das Bhajan by O. S. Arun, a 'Ksetra' series album dedicated to Udupi by M. S. Sheela and 'Govindamiha', from Krishna Leela Tarangini by Sikkil Gurucharan.
Know to enjoy music
Mudhra, an arts organisation and music magazine organises a two day music appreciation programme during the season.
On Dec. 22 and 23 from 10 am to 4 pm.
The programme introduces the rasikas tomusic, concert format, different musical forms sung in concerts, the creative aspects, role of accompanists raga and tala structure.
Venue: Infosys Hall, Ramakrishna Mission School, Bazullah Road, T. Nagar, Chennai.
You need to pay a fee which includes lunch and tea.
More details can be had from phone no. 28220453, mobile no. 93821 63330
Arts for Kids at Kalakshetra
Now, if you want to introduce your kids to the arts, here is an event to check out.
'Kikillippu' is hosted at the verdant and quiet Kalakshetra campus in south Chennai.
This Christmas day event is open for children aged 8 - 12.
The daylong event covers theatre exercises, voice culture, learning about music instruments, story-telling session, Kolattam, Nature walk, fun with geography and pottery and participation in a spectacular Padayani mask procession.
Lunch will be provided. A fee is charged.
Organised by Aseema Trust and Kalakshetra.
For details contact Kalakshetra.
December 25. 10 am - 5 pm. At Kalakshetra.
Fest of Contemporary Music, Dance
Prakriti Foundation is presenting for the first time in December 2007, The Park's New Festival.
This five-day festival being held from December 2 to December 6 at the Museum Theatre, showcases new and emerging work in the field of dance, music and theatre for a Chennai audience.
( A similar fest, called The Park's Other Festival, has been laid to rest).
This fest also offers people who come to Chennai for the 'season' a different mirror of the arts and artistes' works.
In this inaugural year, Prakriti has curated works by performers like Dr. Mallika Sarabhai, the Vayunaidu Company, U.K, and Dr. Rekha Tandon from Bhubaneshwar, as well as 'Jazz' an experimental work in music by Ramu Ramanathan, and a solo performance by Preethi Athreya.
The Park's New Festival has been envisioned as a forum to aptly represent the new India, where tradition and modernity, classicism and experimentation co-exist comfortably, giving art and culture new directions for expression and articulation.
Says Ranvir Shah of Prakriti, "In bringing work that is contemporary, or a contemporary exploration of a traditional form, this festival hopes to answer the needs of a new Indian audience at home with both, their place on the world stage, and the strong cultural roots that have shaped them."
As has been the custom with all Prakriti Foundation events, The Park's New Festival will have an exhibition of art and outreach initiatives with several institutions in Chennai in addition to the festival performances.
Festival schedule: Dec.2 to 6
-- 'Two Lives in Dance...And Two More' a dance and spoken word presentation by Mrinalini Sarabhai and Mallika Sarabhai.
-- 'Jazz' a play presented by Stagesmith, Mumbai. Written by Ramu Ramanathan and directed by Etienne Coutinho.
-- 'Porcelain' a dance solo by Preethi Athreya featuring the work of Walter and Tobias Sturmer presented in association with the Alliance Francaise, Chennai.
-- 'Mistaken...Annie Besant in India' a play presented by Vayu Naidu Company, U.K. Written by Rukhsana Ahmad and directed by Chris Banfield.
-- 'Dhara' A dance presentation by Dance Routes Bhubaneshwar showcasing the Raghurajpur Lila Project. Directed by Dr. Rekha Tandon, with music by Michael Weston.
For details contact V. R. Devika of Prakriti at 98400 98495
Rehearsed Reading / Bangalore Nagarathnamma
Sruti, Smriti – Kriti is a rehearsed reading based on excerpts from 'The Devdasi and the Saint - The life and times of Bangalore Nagarathnamma', a new book written by V. Sriram.
It is woven around the factual accounts related to Bangalore Nagarathnamma’s life in relation to her art. Word pictures on other women artists, Dhanakoti Amma, Dhanammal and Muddu Palani are evoked as punctuations of the narrative and layered with music as the underlying river.
While the ‘reading’ unfolds in English which is wrapped in Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil compositions, a contra rhythm is brought through short interventions in Tamil narratives as a parallel to the discourse.
Veteran stage actors in Chennai, P. C. Ramakrishna and Vishalam Ekambaram, film actor Rohini, poet Thamizhachi (Sumathy) from Tamil stage, stage actor Indirani Iyer and actor-director Nikhila Keshavan, Shylaja, a TV artiste and new talent Darshana, besides the writer of the book V.Sriram, star in this production.
Vocalists Swarnarethas, Sandeep Narayan and Rahul Krishna, three young musicians who train under vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam, will perform to enrich this production. So will dancer Sreelatha Menon.
Produced by Paatini and presented by The Madras Players, the work is scripted, designed and directed by Prasanna Ramaswamy.
It will be premiered at Kalakshetra on December 8, with other performances on Dec.9 at the Madras Book Club, on Dec. 10 at the Alliance Francaise (Nungamabkkam) and Dec. 16 at the TAG Centre.
While the shows on Dec.8 and 10 are open to public, the shows on Dec.9 and 16 are restricted to members.
<< Video excerpts of this event
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