The 2005 US Northwest Thyagaraja Music Festival was held at the University Unitarian Church in Seattle on April 16, 2005. It was organized by the ACME foundation with partial financial support from the Washington State Arts Commission, co-sponsorship from the University of Washington School of Music and Ragamala, and contributions from individuals, other sponsors and advertisers..
Over the years this festival has grown in stature as a premier music festival devoted to Carnatic music in the US Northwest, and is held in rotation among the cities of Seattle, WA and Corvallis and Portland, OR. This year, the festival was an all-day event (7.30 am - 6.30 pm) that brought together nearly 550 participants and music-loving attendees from the Seattle area, Portland, Corvallis, and other cities in Washington and Oregon.
The festival commenced with a short prayer and general announcements. Then for the next hour-and-a-half, a group of nearly 25 singers, accompanied on violin and the mridangam, rendered Thyagaraja's Pancharatna Kritis.
The program featured 8 segments of singing and instrument playing. Each segment lasted nearly an hour, and consisted of performances by 6 to 10 individuals or small groups. The compositions were mostly those of Sri Thyagaraja. However, many participants also performed compositions by other well-known composers of Carnatic music.
The program encompassed a wide variety of compositions and ragas, although some of the best known compositions such as Thyagaraja's Nagumomu (in Abheri raga) were heard multiple times. Many of the performances were those of students of Carnatic music from the US Northwest, and one could easily spot their teachers (who themselves sang at the festival) taking delight in encouraging and showcasing their students.
The day's musical events went on without a break, while in the room across the hallway, one could enjoy tasty vegetarian breakfast in the morning and lunch in the afternoon, provided free by the festival organizers to all the attendees at the event. The organizers had also made commendable arrangements for babysitting children in the rooms downstairs! Credit is also due to the many volunteers who had worked with abundant energy and commitment to make the festival a success.
The stage and other festival areas were tastefully decorated. The front desk, where one could register, pick up music-related flyers, buy CDs or ask questions, was manned by helpful and knowledgeable volunteers. The organizers had also brought out an attractive festival brochure, which contained beautiful paintings depicting the great composers of Carnatic music on the front cover, and details of the festival program, together with short articles, sponsor messages and a proclamation by the Mayor of Seattle declaring April 16, 2005 as Sri Thyagaraja Day in Seattle.
The most lasting impression I carried home, aside from the listening pleasure from the ethereal music, was the strong positive impact that the festival had on the community in the Northwest. The festival encouraged participation at all levels of musical skill and familiarity, from the aspiring learner to the experienced performer, from the intuitive music-lover to the discerning aficionado. The opportunity to participate at the festival was encouraging and motivating for students as well as teachers of Carnatic music in the region. For both children and youth born and raised in the US, as well as for the expatriate Indian participants and attendees, the festival provided a painstakingly-organized forum for nurturing and furthering their interests in Carnatic music.
Latha Sambamurti is the Chair of Performing Arts with the Redmond Arts Commission, Washington State, USA. She can be contacted at: 8935 160th Ave NE #A-307 Redmond WA 98052, E-mail:latha.pat@verizon.net Phone:+1-425-558-4982
