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V P Dhananjayan- Bharatnatyam Guru
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We (Shantha and I) had our Bharatanatyam training in Kalakshetra, which in the early 60s was located in Damodar Gardens (in the campus of the Besant Hospitals of today), Besant Avenue, Adyar.
In 1961, Paduka Pattabhishekam choreographed by Rikmini Devi was staged during the December music season. The stage was set with a thatched covering. It was a thatched kottai.
People used to sit on jamakkalam and chairs. Everyone used to buy tickets for the shows. Tickets were priced at Rs. 2, Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 and the season tickets were priced at Rs. 50.
Rasikas used to throung the Kalakshetra campus to see the dance drama.
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I acted as Rama. I was sent to forest. When I heard that my father Dasaratha died was dead I swooned.
When I fell down my hair set of jatamudi fell down. I had to somehow adjust my hair setting. But my co-actors, Janardhanan and Balagopalan set my jatamudi again on the pretext pf pacifying me. Nobody had noticed it.
After the show was over, Rumini Devi appreciated us!
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P. Ramabhadran, Arts Promoter
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In the 50s I used to walk all the way from T.Nagar to Mylapore to attend concerts hosted by Rasika Ranjani Sabha.
I was a student and I couldn't afford to take a bus.
A few of my friends walked this distance in 30 minutes. There weren't so many buildings in the area. We took a short cut to the hall through a othiadi padai.
Those who had tickets used to occupy seats inside the hall. The others stood outside.
I could not afford even the Rs. 2 ticket. We did not mind standing at all because great vidwans like Ariyakudi and G.N. Balasubramaniam used to sing.
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GNB was an expert in singing Thodi raga and I used to wait for his rendering of this raga.
I would never miss GNB's concert in R.R.Sabha.
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Madurai G.S. Mani
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During the early 50s, I used to come along with some friends to Madras during December music season from Madurai.
I would stay with my relatives in Mambalam. I used to attend msuic concerts in Krishna Gana Sabha and Rasika Ranjani Sabha. Kutcheris were held at Sugan Vihar near Panagal Park under the banner of Krishna Gana Sabha.
I used to walk from Mambalam to Mylapore for concerts in R.R. Sabha. Tickets used to cost Rs. 2. I always got the lowest ticket.
Once, for a kutcheri of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, the hall that I could not get tickets at all. I did not have themind to miss the kutcheri. There were several people standing outside the fence.
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The man at the entrance has seen me several times attending all the concerts held here. Knowing my passion for music he allowed me inside and asked me to squeeze myself in . . . I found a place on the floor. I still remember this as a bonus given to me.
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S. G. Rajagopal, Secretary, Nayaki
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“Those days with very less traffic it was easy to reach sabhas even after attending office. Music festivals were conducted in sabhas like Rasika Ranjani sabha and Krishna Gana Sabha. I was a regular at these sabhas.
Once I had been to Krishna Gana Sabha. It was held in a keetu kottai in T. Nagar. It was the first time I went for a Hindustani vocal recital.It was the vocal concert of Bhade Gulam Ali Khan. When the vocalist entered the hall there was slight whisper everywhere in the audience. G. N. Balasubramaniam, well known as GNB entered and occupied a seat in the front row. There was perfect silence. GNB acknowledged his appreciation for each and every alaap (alaparana) with his applause.GNB is well known for his birga singing. It was great to watch two great musicians in a hall, a musician from south to have so much knowledge of North Indian classical.
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For me hearing Hindustani classical from an eminent vocalist was a great experience. I learnt to appreciate Hindustani music. From then on I marked in my diary whenever there was Hindustani vocal recitals.
Contact S. G. Rajagopal at 24475492
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Chitravina N. Narasimhan
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“During the late 50s (may be 1957-58).
Those days I used to take a hand (kai) rickshaw from Kodambakkam to attend a music concert of Krishna Gana Sabha. It was held at a kottai near Panagal Park in T. Nagar.
December music season those days was a real entertainment for the music rasikas who stayed for even a 4- hour concert. It was Madurai Mani’s vocal concert. He was accompanied on the violin by Rajamanickam Pillai and Palghat Mani Iyer on the mridangam and Pazhani Subramanya Pillai on the ganjira. Their concert used to be called ‘Mummanigalum Manickamum.’ The concert kept the audience spell bound with two thani avardhanams.
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People sat on chairs and some on floor but not one stirred or got out before the kucheri concluded. Rasikas had a great regard for musicians. Whenever I give concert on Chitravina I am reminded of this concert and I think that I should also keep the listeners spell bound.” Contact him at 42020528
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Saroja Ramamrutham, a painter and baby actor of yesteryears known as Baby Saroja.
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“I was at Santhome during the 50s. Music Academy’s concerts were held at R. R. Sabha.
Kucheris of stalwarts were held here. It was a late night kutcheri on Dec.31.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was on the Sitar, Annapoorna Devi on the surbahar and Ali Akbar Khan on the sarod. It was a jugalbandi and everyone in the audience sat for the whole concert which went beyond 1 a. m on the New Year day. This still remains the most memorable concert which I keep reminiscing every year during the music season.”
Contact Saroja Ramamrutham at 24915549.
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