This man collects autographs on currency notes

R. Natarajan is part of the core team that runs the annual Natyanjali Dance Festival in the temple town of Chidambaram.It is perhaps one of the best localised dance fests in the country.

At this time of the year, Natarajan pitches his tent in the city to enjoy the December season and look at up and coming talent which may want to perform at Chidambaram.

He has already received 200 applications for the 2010 Fest. But the selection is not going to worry him now.

When he is at sabhas, Natarajan is also pushing his hobby collection - he has a huge album of currency notes on which are the signatures of the maestros and the stars among Carnatic musicians and classical dancers.

His collection includes the signatures of MS and DKP. The notes are Indian and American. He gets a signature on each note. "I didn't decide to use currency notes. It just happened," he says.

"But why can't we get autographs on them when we scribble all kinds of things including love messages on them." Haven't some artistes declined to sign on the notes? Some have.

But Natarajan isn't discouraged. His purse holds a bunch of notes set aside for the autographs. A unique collection indeed.

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Q&A: Secretary of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha

Sri Krishna Gana Sabha's secretary Y. Prabhu says this 'season' has been good. So far.

An indicator - Saketharaman got more tan 600 rasikas in the main hall at 2 p.m. on Christmas day.

He is upbeat. And he says that we should not make conclusions when only a handful attend the noontime shows.

Prabhu says that he continues with his dad's philosophy (the late Yegnaraman served at the helm for over 50 years) that the sabha should also provide a platform for up and coming artistes even if it means a loss to the managers.

"Yes we too get concerned about rising power bills but we must encourage the young," Prabhu says.He feels that the platform must be used well - to give off the best.

"You never know. .. some one else may spot you and give you more platforms." The newly renovated Kamakoti Hall has been hosting interaction sessions and concerts and has drawn modest or a mere dozen rasikas.But that does not faze Prabhu.

He says market demand made them expand the 100 seater to make it a 200 seater. "We can rent the hall for social and cultural functions, "says Prabhu. "This helps get us funds." And the need for dining space that rasikas expressed for led them to build the hall alongside the canteen. He acknowledges that the open space has now gone.

"But with so much pressure on real estate we have to do what best we can,"he says. Now, rasikas can park their cars in the nearby campus of a Sri Ramakrishna Mission institution. And that is a big plus factor when SKGS hosts key fests.

Lakshmi's prized thambura

The big prize given away by Tamil isai Sangam at its festival in North Madras was a tambura that went to young K. Lakshmi of the city.

An engineering undergard who has just been placed in a IT company, Lakshmi says music is a passion - she has been training since the age of 11. Her gurus are Manjula Sriram of Bangalore and Padma Chandilyan in Madras.

Lakshmi scored high in the Sangam's annual competition in the category for compositions of Gopalakrishna Bharati. She has been doing the kutcheri circuit for the past 2 years.

"I want to be a full time vocalist" says this resident of Ganapathy Colony, off Chamiers Road.

Felicitations for a musicologist

This may have been a simple function. But it was timely and appropriate. Last week, Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha got up this event to felicitate Prof. R V Krishnan, musicologist and a expert in music pedagogy. Krishnan has been a teacher for over three decades.

He was head of the Music College in Thiruvaiyaru and later worked at the Music College in Madras and retired as Vice Principal.

At 87, he continues to publish booklets on music. His latest - Rama Nama Ashtithara Sata Namavali woven as the Sahitya of nata raga - 'Jagadanandakaraka' by saint Thyagaraja.

His manual of music under the 'Sangeetha Saram' series (3 volumes) have run into many editions. His father was Veena Varadayya who taught at Annamalai University. Krishnan has brought out a CD as well as a book on his father's compositions (the CD features a recital by a nadaswaram vidwan.)

All the books are low priced and useful for music students.

Krishnan now lives at A3, Sakthi Bhuvaneswari Flats on South Mada Street in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai 41. Phone - 2440 1539.

Doctor's Contribution

Dr. R. Chandrasekaran a retired professor from Madras Medical College and an Emeritus Professor of the T. N. MGR Medical University has the right formula for a peaceful retired life.

Reading, writing, browsing on the internet, yoga, watching TV and some social service are what he is into. For the season, he has brought out a double whammy kind of book. A resident of Raja Annamalaipuram his third publication is titled "Neighbourhood Music and Health Guide".

The 250 page pocket book is divided into four portions. The first part has a list of more than 2000 Carnatic songs in alphabetical order with the ragam and composer's name against each.

"For this portion, I was lucky to get the help of T.K.Swaminathan, a person with deep interest and knowledge in Carnatic music", Dr. Chandrasekaran says. The second part is titled "Music Miscellany" and covers a variety of topics on Carnatic Music.

The third part is on Health Topics. Many of the topics on "health", are taken from the author's previous book released a year ago. The fourth part is an exhaustive list of doctors (certain specialities only), hospitals and service bureaux for nurses, ward boys, etc.

These contact details covering a wider area of Chennai, will serve as a ready reckoner in times of medical emergencies. This book, intended for light reading also contains lots of jokes.

Why did this doc choose to combine music and health in this book? Dr. Chandrasekaran said " it is very evident from the experiences of many of us that music relaxes and soothes our mind. "It strengthens our nerve centres and the brain. There are many ragas which, when rendered with utmost devotion, can cure many of our ailments. Naturally music and health are inseperable."

His wife Dr. Satyabhama, a consultant radiologist in Chennai has also contributed one or two topics on "Music Miscellany".

The distribution of this free booklet has started in sabhas.

Dr. Chandrasekaran can be contacted on his

mobile - 98410 30040.

Prized tamburas!

Two young musicians won tamburas at the Mylapore Fine Arts Club's opening evening of the fest last week.

They were Aarti Anantha Krishnan of Kalakshetra Colony who is a student and part of the Bala Brundam Sangita Gurukulam and Vaishnavi Ramadass of Alwarpet.

The duo received their special prizes from the chief guest, former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalswami.

This was to recognise them for winning in various music competitions that the sabha holds prior to the Fest.

Mylapore's Vaishnavi has been learning music from music gurus Meera Kedarnathan and from the late guru Kedaranathan for the last 8 years.

It was a cakewalk for her at five of the music competitions that turned the spotlight on one of the composers. It was for her rendering of the compositions of Purandara Dasa that she was awarded the tambura. This is an endowment by vocalist Sudha Ragunathan in memory of her guru, MLV.

For her rendition of songs by Dikshithar, Swati Tirunal, Shyama Sastri and Ragam, Swara and Neruval it was first prizes all the way.

She attends Sri Ramachandra Medical College, is doing a course in Auditory and Speech Pathology and makes time for rigorous practice.