Chennai based Shanthi Arts Foundation Endowments (SAFE), conducted a unique competition for the young learners of music last week. A competition exclusively on Ragam Tanam
Pallavi.
About 15 young participants performed Ragam Tanam Pallavi (RTP) with accompaniments - violin and mridangam - similar to a regular concert.
The announcement for the contest was made about two and a half months ago, so that the participants have time to prepare and come up with original pallavis. The organisation received applications from the vocalists and the instrumentalists separately and matched them. The participants came to know of the other accompanists just 24 hours before the competition. The time that was just enough to know the raga and tala the singer has chosen. Hence,
the participants went on to stage without actually rehearsing for it.
The ragas chosen by the participants were not the usual heavy ragas. There was a reason for it. "One of the conditions for the contest was that the pallavi should not be in the ragas – Kalyani, Kambodhi, Todi, Bhairavi and Shankarabharanam," said P. Ramabhadran, the driving force of this Foundation.
"We hear these ragas in almost all the concerts and there are set pallavis in these ragas. We wanted the youngsters attempt new pallavis". Ramabhadran's idea worked out and participants sang many new pallavis.
But, what made him think of holding such a competition?
He says, "In today's two and half hour concert, we hear RTPs rarely, as the main piece consumes about one third of the concert time. A sub major iten and the small pieces take away the rest of the time. The pallavi is slowly vanishing. Also, I was impressed by the idea of such a competition hosted by the pallavi expert, Chenglepet Ranganathan, three years ago. Though the competition did not evoke much response then, I took over the idea and made it different with violin and mridangam to give a concert effect. We have started the competition from last year."
The pallavis ranged from one in
Dharmavathi raga in Adi Talam-Khanda nadai to a pallavi for which two different talas in both hands were used! The amazing talent from youngsters must have surprised the learned judges like R.
Vedavalli, Prof. T. R. Subramaniam , Madurai Srinivasan (Mridangist), Dr. Hemalatha
(violinist).
Ramabhadran is happy that the event is slowly occupying a place in the calendar of the young musicians. "In fact, Ramjhi's Isai Mazhalai, a group that trains young musicians had invited a master of pallavi, J. Venkataraman from Trichy and conducted a workshop to train the kids for this competition during summer vacation!" Sadly the group got an opportunity to perform at Shanmukhananda Sabha in Mumbai and only two kids from the group could participate in the competition.
The competition was held in two sessions on a Saturday. Though the number of participants has increased this year, compared to previous years, the talents from the outskirts of Chennai and outside Chennai are yet to come out.
For the next year, the organisers are planning to inform music schools in other towns in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states, well in advance so that this unique competition evokes more response and brings out latent talents from other places too.
If you are a young musician, you may want to note down the dates of the competition for the next year. The competition is held during the first week of November and will be announced in June / July.
Shanthi Arts Foundation Endowments (SAFE) can be contacted at 32/11, 'Ranga Nivas'. East Abhiramapuram Third Street, Mylapore Chennai - 600 004. Ph: 2499 4208
Message from B.R.Kumar, Chennai
Hats off to Shri Ramabhadran, Founder, SAFE for having taken up the cause of RTP singing by youngsters. RTP has been systematically sidelined by the vocalists in the last one or two decades and therefore it has become a rare and forgotten commodity ! If vocalists could consciously adhere to the melodic singing of RTP, it can stage a come back. RTP need not be mere sound and fury, based on the 'Kanakku'[calculation] of Tala beats ! Look at the
Nathaswara Vidwans. Till now they are able to handle RTP with all its niceties of melody. Our vocalists could also emulate Nathaswara Vidwans.
B.R.Kumar, Chennai
Our readers share. . .
Mr.Ramabhadran deserves to be congratulated for his indefatigable efforts to provide forums for young talent to get recognised in their art of Pallavi rendering - the timing could not have been better - as there is always a lull before the December season commences. And this gap is nicely filled by an event like this.
While I am not sure if ghana ragas like Thodi, Kalyani should be proscribed for a competition of this sort, the competence in rendering RTP is not necessarily enhanced by resorting to less than main ragas. I understand the intent to encourage young talent to explore beyond the traditional frontiers, but over the years one has to pause and think how the pendulum is coming full swing. The reason is that the lesser ragas lack the scope and a detailed delineation without the bane of repetitive phrases is difficult and attempts to disprove this notion have often failed to get audience attention.
Of course it is the duty of organisations like SAFE to provide appropriate platforms such as these, to test how far the notion of Pallavis in lesser sung ragas, gets traction from the public which - after all that is said and done - is the final arbiter of taste and standards notwithstanding the raised eye-brows of self-styled elites guarding the wals of the Fortress of Tradition!!
May SAFE succeed in its noble endeavours to preserve and innovate!!
M.K.Ramasubramanian(Ramesh)
By email
