NEWS & NOTES

Homage to Lalgudi in Boston

ITHAS (Massachusetts Institute of Technology MHeritage of the Arts of South Asia) and Chinmaya Mission, Boston, are two organisations enriching the cultural life of the Boston area for more than 20 years. Established in 1993 by Dr. George Ruckert, a disciple of Ali Akbar Khan, and a Senior Lecturer in the World Music Department at MIT and dedicated to present quality music and musicians from across the globe through concerts, work shops and lecture demonstrations, MITHAS has gained the respect of both artists and audiences. The (see photo above). She elucidated raga (Shanmukhapriya, Sama and Chinmaya Mission, Boston, has several key points and interesting Anandabhairavi) pallavi in Chatusra more than 500 children and adults anecdotes of Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Ata tala that he had composed attending several classes in music, life from the book, along with her almost fifty years ago. They made dance and other arts. These two own experiences when she was the concert memorable by their brief organisations recently held events collaborating with him at the time introductions to the compositions honouring the memory of violin when he was composing his magnum stating the significance of the items maestro Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. opus Jaya Jaya Devi for dance. She to the legacy of their father, and took also went on to explain how the the audience on a very emotional and The first was the launch of the title, An Incurable Romantic, aptly nostalgic journey. biography of the maestro titled describes him and released the book An Incurable Romantic: The The second event was a that was received by Dr. George Incredible Journey of Lalgudi Bharatanatyam programme Ruckert. Jayaraman written by Lakshmi in the margam format titled Devnath, organised by MITHAS It was followed by a violin duet by Lalgudi Nartanam by Sunanda at the MIT campus in Cambridge, Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and Lalgudi Narayanan and four of her senior Massachusetts, on 29 September Vijayalakshmi that commenced students Amrita Mangalat, Ramya 2013. Scholar, musician and writer with a recently composed varnam Ramadurai, Anjana Mangalat Sujatha Vijayaraghavan was the of Jayaraman in the raga Hamir and Jaya Iyer from her school, guest speaker at this event Kalyani and included a triple Thillai Fine Arts Academy. It was

Violin duet by G.J.R. Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi with Anantha R. Krishnan (mridangam) and K.V. Gopalakrishnan (khanjira)

 l SRUTI January 2014 Sunanda (2nd from L) with her disciples in Lalgudi Nartanam organised by the Chinmaya Mission, the varnam in Neelambari that of emotions through his virtuosity. Boston, on 20 October in Andover, Jayaraman had composed initially The choreography just had to Massachusetts. The programme as a tana varnam on Saraswati and follow his music. Under Sunanda’s honoured Lalgudi Jayaraman’s later converted into a pada varnam choreographic guidance, the dancers memory by presenting in dance the on Lord Muruga. Jayaraman’s music became a medium to meld perfectly songs he composed, set to music or for the familiar Kilikanni Cholla the music of Jayaraman into a visual popularised through his concerts. vallayo of Subramania Bharati form and celebrate his contributions traced a progression of emotion from to Bharatanatyam. The pushpanjali and the mangalam the maiden’s joyful anticipation Once again Sujatha Vijayaraghavan in praise of Devi in her many to painful separation, delineated played a vital role as the compere manifestations were from Jaya Jaya by Sunanda in abhinaya. A high and shared several insights into Devi. The jatiswaram in Rasikapriya point of the evening was the song the compositions, their lyrical created visual images of creepers Teerada vilaiyattu pillai, which and rhythmic beauty, and how the swaying in a gentle breeze, peacocks was performed to the recording nuances are most suited for dance. roaming in a beautiful garden, of an old violin concert by him. frisking deer, and gliding swans. This illustrated how he was able to DURGALAKSHMI KRISHNAN The main piece of the evening was bring to life incidents and shades (A rasika and arts organiser)

 l SRUTI January 2014