The Artists SPICMACAY The performers that you see today are a mix of busy The Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music And students and professionals from around the Pittsburgh Culture Amongst Youth aims to introduce traditional rd area, who pursue their respective arts with passion and Indian culture to youth over the world, with the hope that Oct 3 2006 commitment. Here is a bit more about each of them: the wealth of knowledge, wisdom and beauty that it Mridula Anand, a disciple of danseuse Sudharani encompasses will become an integral part of their lives. Raghupathy, is a research specialist in Molecular Biology One of the important facets of Indian culture is classical at the University of Pittsburgh. An active mother, she also Indian music and dance, whose origins go back several teaches Bharatanatyam in the Oakland area. thousand years. During the last century, Indian classical music has spread to the West: it is no longer an exotic Anisha Anantapadmanabhan has learned from Smt. expression of the east but has a more knowledgeable and Prabha Raghunathan and Neivelli Ramalakshmi. She is a appreciative audience. senior at CMU, majoring in Business with a To promote the objectives of SPICMACAY, the great concentration in Finance and a minor in Economics. masters of these arts travel to various schools and Abhishek Krishnan, originally from New Jersey, is a colleges throughout the country demonstrating Indian SPICMACAY Computer Science sophomore at CMU. He is interested in culture. Such demonstrations are not merely a Carnatic music and learns from various gurus. performance by the artist, but are more like a tutorial in PITTSBURGH Komal Mayekar is a sophomore at CMU, majoring in which the artist speaks and interacts with the audience so Business Administration and Psychology. She has been that the audience understands the art form much better. presents learning Kuchupudi and, Kathak, in addition to SPICMACAY does not charge any admission fees for any Bharatanatyam under Vyajanti Koustubhan and dancing of its events. It also does not have any racial, political or Bharatanatyam for over 15 years. She is also an advanced religious affiliations. One and all are welcome to be a “““Satyam“Satyam Shivam SundaramSundaram” pianist. part of the movement. Visit the Pittsburgh chapter at http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~macay Sunaina Menawat is a senior Psychology major and a An evening of classical music and dance This SPICMACAY program has been funded in part by the first year graduate student in Healthcare Policy and Student Activities Fee of Carnegie Mellon University and by dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi Management at CMU. She has been studying the contribution of generous donors.

Bharatanatyam for over 16 years from Smt. Hema This program is FREE! However, we incur production costs Rajagopalan, and Kathak more recently from her mother, including an artistes’ fee. Your tax-deductible donations will help Program Smt. Mala Menawat. defray our expenses and enable SPICMACAY to continue to host Vijay Palaparty is a disciple of Sudharani Raghupathy of excellent events in the future. A donation box is provided outside 1. “““Kodanda“Kodanda RamaRama”””” Shree Bharatalaya. He is also a member of Pittsburgh- the auditorium to collect your generous contributions. You may also send your donations to: SPICMACAY, Box no. 106, 2. Shiva based Srishti Dances of India, a touring Indian classical University Center, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes dance company specializing in Odissi and Bharatanatyam Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213 . 3. Durga Kauthuvam styles of dance. No audio or video recordings of any kind are allowed. 444.4. Mahadeva Kauthuvam Nalini Prakash , also a disciple of Sudharani Raghupathy, Refreshments courtesy of South Asian Student Association 5.5. Jugal Bandhi is a Founder Trustee of ‘Silambam’, a dance institution in 55. Jugal Bandhi (http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~sasa) Coonoor, Nilgiris, India. She performs widely throughout 666.6. MahMahatmaatma ––– A Tribute India and most recently toured with Pittsburgh-based We hope you have a pleasant Srishti Dances of India in Yugma, a collaboration of 777.7. “““Rim“Rim JimJim”””” Odissi and Bharatanatyam. evening. 888.8. “Kaahe Chhed Mohe” Arvind Ramanathan is a second year doctoral student in 999.9. Thillana Computational Biology at CMU. Arvind also plays the Veena, and is knowledgeable about Hindustani music.He 101010.10 . “““Vande“Vande MataramMataram”””” has learned from Sangeetha Kalanidhi R. K. Srikantan and Veenai artist D. Balakrishna.

Advay Shirsalkar is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. He has been studying Hindustani music for a long time now, and has learned from Satish Gadagkar and Milind Chittal. Welcome

Welcome and Namaskar. This evening's performance is a Carnatic music is the classical music of Southern India, 444.4. MaMaMahadeva Ma hadeva Kauthuvam (Nalini, VijayVijay) ) A dedication to Mahatma Gandhi, his life and his teachings. whose foundations lie as far back as 2000 BCE. As with kauthuvam is a hymn that is in praise of god or goddess. Mahatma, or "the great soul", as he was commonly all Indian classical music, the two main components of Spirituality is at the heart of classical performing and referred to, was a simple and unassuming man whose life Carnatic music are raga, a melodic pattern, and tala, a visual arts in India. The Mahadeva kauthuvam describes stood as a model for courage and strong will that served rhythmic pattern. Carnatic music is a highly evolved Shiva, the Lord of dance. as an inspiration for several civil movements. His melodic system based on sequences and ornamentations. India is a teachings reflected his beliefs in truth. His respect for Improvisation is essential, and several forms of 555.5. Jugal Bandhi (Advay, AnAnisha,isha, Arvind) humanity was reflected in every aspect of his life - such improvisations such as alapanai, taanam, niraval, and country with a rich tradition of classical music of which as his stance on the equality of all - representing the kalpana-swaram exist. Carnatic and Hindustani traditions are two of the significant ones. In the spirit of celebrating unity in world as one large family. Hindustani music is the classical music of Northern diversity, the artists present a piece unifying the two styles India, and has traditions originating not only in the Vedic Based on his outlook, the theme of this evening's of music. performance is centered around the Sanskrit saying: philosophy and native Indian sounds but also by the “Satyam-Shivam-Sundaram ” meaning “Truth is good Persian performance practices of the Afghan Mughals. 666.6. Mahatma ––– A Tribute (Abhishek) We present a and beautiful ”. But what exactly is truth? If truth is what The scales and melodic patterns correspond with moods, tribute to the Mahatma through a presentation of some of we perceive to be true, then truth is a subjective concept, colors, seasons, and hours of day and night, a unique his pictures and quotes. feature of Hindustani music. The various ragas, as in and is something which we gain with experience and is 7.7.7. “Rim Jim” (((Komal(KomalKomal)))) This song describes the beauty not ultimate. However, as Gandhi wrote, "beyond these Carnatic music, are defined by unique combinations of scale-patterns, dominant notes, specific rules to be and joy which comes about from the rain and changing of limited truths, there is one absolute Truth which is total seasons. The dance depicts the beautiful rainfalls which and all embracing. But it is indescribable." It is this followed in ascending and descending orders, and certain associated melodic phrases. are created when Shiva dances. The peacocks come out proverbial timeless Truth he spent most of his life trying and dance in the rain to the sounds of bells. The peacocks, to attain - and his means of approach was through the gentle in nature, sing melodiously with the sound of the marriage of goodness and beauty - the union of virtue and rain. The song concludes as the dancer portrays vision - that of his words, work, and wisdom with his Program everybody coming together in the rain to celebrate its world. 1. “““Koth “KothKothandaanda RaRama”ma” (((Komal (KomalKomal)))) Our first piece, a beauty.

Bharatanatyam dance item, is based on a song dedicated 888.8. “Kaahe Chhed Mohe” (((Sunaina (SunainaSunaina)))) This piece, to Rama, the epic hero of Indian literature The The Art Forms presented as a Kathak performance, is about a passionate Ramayana, who in the eyes of Gandhi was not only the Bharatanatyam is a Southern Indian classical dance form young girl talking to her playful lover who enjoys toying upholder of but also an embodiment of righteousness and known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque with her, and she asks: why do you tease me so? poses. The dance conceptualizes the music, and has three truth. This song communicates to all of us the perception distinct elements to it: nritta (rhythmic movements of pure of the ultimate truth. 9. Thillana (((Nalini (NaliniNalini,, Vijay) Thillana is a rhythmic aesthetic value), nritya (movements in which abhinaya or 2.2.2. Shiva (((Mridula (MridulaMridula)))) Shiva represents eternal truth. piece that celebrates the joy of dance. The concluding piece from the Bharatanatyam repertoire, the music that expression is emphasized), and natya (dance with a Shivam represents eternal good. Eternal good is hence a accompanies the piece is lilting and allows dancers to dramatic aspect). The word Bharata, interpreted as the consequence as well as a cause of eternal truth. Gandhi explore beautiful rhythmical patterns. dance form created by sage Bharata, has within it the was a strong believer in this philosophy. He frequently essence and uniqueness associated with Bharatanatyam: referred to his religion as morality and benevolence and 101010.10 . “““Vande “Vande MaataramMaataram”””” (Advay, Arvind) We Bha for Bhava or abhinaya and expression, Ra for raga his god, Truth. This song reminds us that only purity leads conclude tonight’s show with a rendering of “Vande or melody, and Ta for tala or rhythm. us to Truth which is pure itself. Maataram”, the national song of India, composed by Kathak is one of the classical dance forms originally from 333.3. Durga Kauthuvam (((Mridula(Mridula and ssstudents)students) This Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and sung particularly Northern India. It is a narrative dance form characterized commonly in the times of Gandhi. piece, also a Bharatanatyam performance, is called by fast footwork (tatkar), spins (chakkar) and innovative Durga Kauthuvam. It focuses on Durga, the symbol of use of bhav in abhinaya. The structure of a conventional victory in many streams of Indian culture - representing Kathak performance tends to follow a progression in Gandhi's struggle for and ultimate achievement of tempo from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. equality of all people due to his faith in Shivam, or the Often the performer will engage in rhythmic 'play' with goodness of humanity. This piece is a reassurance to all the time-cycle, splitting it into triplets or quintuplets for of us that goodness touches everyone. This piece if example, which will be marked out on the footwork, so performed by Mridula Anand and her students Amrita that it is in counterpoint to the rhythm on the percussion. Balachandran, Jenda Domaracki, Priya Kannan, Aarti Sahasranaman, Gayathri Sriram, and Shruthi Vembar.