l SRUTI August 2011 Sruti south indian classical music and dance monthly Issue 2 16 November 1983 It's with a sense of gratification at the warm reception given to the inaugural issue of SRUTI that we have prepared our second offering. The lead group of articles this time focusses on what has come to be called Tamil Isai. The principal article (p.4), researched and written by Anandhi Ramachandran, provides a retrospective analysis of the genesis and the controversial initial years of the Tamil Isai Movement, while a companion piece (p.8) by her offers a balance sheet of sorts on Tamil Isai Sangam, the institution set up to implement the movement's goals. The hymns composed by Tamil saints, known as Tevaram, form an important part of the musical heritage of the Tamils and a report on the interview conducted by Muthumeenakshi with an official of the Dharmapuram Adheenam Mutt throws considerable light on the hoary tradition of hymn- singing (p. 12). Rounding out the group is a Sruti Report (p. 11) on what prominent musicians have to say on Tamil compositions and what our chief has to say on whether the proponents of Tamil Isai and their opponents have served the listening public. The latter's analysis is presented in the first edition of an opinion column on music, which we call Bull's Eye. (p. 15); it will be a more or less regular feature. A companion column on dance is also envisaged. Giants have trodden the Carnatic earth, offering music sublime. We have plans to publish special articles about them from time to time. In this issue. Contributing Editor T. Sankaran offers a word portrait of the (Old) Boys of Tiruveezhimizhalai (p. 18). His article is accompanied by an account of the talks our chief had with them on the changes that have taken place in nagaswaram playing (p.21). We carry in this issue, of course, the second part of Gowri Ramnarayan's fascinating profile of D. K. Pattammal (p.26). You can see for yourself that our vivacious Assistant Editor has drawn Pattammal out on such interesting subjects as her study of Dikshitar kritis from an eminent lawyer and jurist; her relationship with her husband Iswaran; the musicians who were her contemporaries; and the younger generation of musicians. Gowri has similarly drawn much out of bharatanatyam dancer V.P. Dhananjayan, as witness the report of her interview with him (p.35) Also on dance in this issue is a brief article by V.R. Devika on Arayar Sevai, a unique kind of devotional service offered in three temples to the accompaniment of dance movements, and an interview-based report on Usha Narayanan, A Dancer And Her Quest For Peace, who finds peace in developing an art form based on Arayar Sevai (pp. 16-17). M. Krishnan is with us again, this time offering yet another amusing yarn spun around an old incident (we think we might call his series Incidentally) and illustrated with a whimsical pen. Turn to "Music Hath Charms...." (p.44). This time we present not a dancer's choice, but the editors' choice as the photo feature in the centre-spread (as well as on the back-cover). Those of you who missed SRUTI's inaugural function can obtain vicarious pleasure by peeping in. Photographs are by the Waran Bros. Sruti Box is another new feature we introduce this time, consisting of a selection of letters sent to us, perforce edited. And on that note, I'll sign off. Sruti Box Potentially Most Popular Indispensable You are a team which seems all devoted and Hearty congratulations on SRUTI's in pursuit of excellence. You have well-spelled 'Arangetram'! As the tambura is indispensable out goals(as stated in the 'Last Page'), and to the artiste, may SRUTI be indispensable to you wish to offer such reading material which the 'rasikan'! is written in popular style but always written in good taste. SRUTI has the potentiality of Mukundan S. Chettiyappa becoming in India the most popular music and Bangalore dance magazine in English and I wish it a grand success. R.C. Mehta Corrections Provided Editor, Journal of the Indian Musicological Society, Baroda Dr. Sarojini Parameswaran's well-researched article on Mandolin Srinivas in your inaugural issue (October 1983) is well-written and, therefore, very readable. Permit me. Superb however, to point out a couple of factual errors. I went through the first issue of SRUTI. It is simply nice and tuneful. The That Brij Bhushan Kabra might have adapted matter, language and the presentation are the guitar "in certain respects" may perhaps superb. While enclosing Ravikiran's annual be true, but he certainly was not the first to subscription, I wish the magazine and the play Hindustani classical music on the guitar. responsible team a great success. Way back in the 1940 - 1960s, the late S. Hazara Singh and his contemporary, Van Shipley used to give solo Hindustani music N. Narasimhan performances on the electric Hawaiian guitar, Madras both in public as well as over the Bombay station of All India Radio. While Hazara Singh almost exclusively played classical ragas (alap, A Prayer jod and gat), Van Shipley also played popular I pray to Mother Goddess Meenakshi that film tunes. These facts would surely be SRUTI may stay aligned to true pitch always. corroborated by All India Radio, Bombay and The Gramophone Company of India (His M.P.N. Sethuraman Master's Voice). Madurai S. Hazara Singh, died sometime in the 'sixties - unhonoured, unsung and, worse, Congratulations! unremembered! Please accept my congratulations. One other fact your writer appears to have missed out is that probably the first Indian to G. Kasturi have truly "adapted" (i.e. modified) thev Western mandolin to suit the Indian gayaki Editor, The Hindu, Madras style of playing (by replacing the double wire strings with spaced-out single strings to obtain greater facility in rendering "gamaks" and Kudos for Bold Step "meends") is Sajjad Husein Qureshi (otherwise Kudos to you for your bold step in bringing famous as the film music director "Sajjad"). out a magazine exclusively devoted to the Again, Oureshi was the only Indian I know of cause of South Indian classical music and dance. who played Hindustani classical ragas in the I am very much pleased with the get up of the gayaki style on the modified Western mandolin magazine. The articles on DKP and Master nearly thirty years ago - till Mandolin Srinivas are highly informative and it is Srinivas came along! There might have been heartening to know that you have plans to others before him! present many more articles on the same line. Shishir Kaushik R.S. Pyati Former Music Critic - Times of India, Bombay Bellary & Free Press Journal, Bombay News & Notes Inauguration Honours Revival of Art Form SRUTI launched at lovely ceremony D.K. Pattammal felicitated on Shanti Koothu, an art form in Madras, 16 October (see centre- completion of fifty years as concertt prominent about ten centuries ago, spread) singer at ceremony organized by revived and presented for the first SRUTI (see centre-spread). time in South India, in Madras on T.N. Krishnan given Chowdiah 14 October, by R. Venkateswaran, Memorial award for best violinist former Central Government official in the country, 14 November in associated with the stage for 40 plus Bangalore. years Shanti Koothu, derived from temple ritual and philosophic in Globetrotters A.S. Sivanidrappa of Mysore given content, enacted alone by New Dance-Drama Chowdish Memorial award for best Venkateswaran, with Rukmini Usha Raghavan (nee Ramaswamy) Nava-Dyuti, a dance-drama based violinist in the state, same date. Subramaniam and Dandapani on a dance tour of Europe, following on the theme of "The Dawn of a Oduvar providing music. Theme performance at the International New Era", with lyrics from verses drawn from Ramayana, Yoga Conference in Switzerland and of Kalidasa, Desika and Rg Veda Periapuranam, Skandapuranam, teaching assignment for Mandapa (in Sanskrit), Purandara Dasa (in Tyagaraja's compositions and other in Paris. About twenty-five perfor­ Kannada) and Divya Prabandham, sources, mainly in Sanskrit and mances in all, including dates in Rama Natakam and Bharati (in Tamil. various cities of France, over three- Tamil), presented in San Francisco, month period. 1 October. Ratna (Papa) Kumar dancing her way from the U.S., with stop-overs in Europe, arriving in Madras in time Whistler for the December music and dance New Enterprise Arangetram festival season. K. Siva Prasad in full length recital Second cassette produced by Sruthi, G. Srimathy, daughter of Mr. & in Madras, 24 October, whistling a a new enterprise devoted to classical Mrs. P.R. Govidan, 19 October; T.V. Gopalakrishnan (percussion happy tune and many more in South music, in market with G. Uma and y. Sudha, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. and vocal) off to Europe with Indian Classical music style. R.G. Gita singing Devi Kritis. R.V. Subramanian, 19 October; brothers Vasan (mridangam) and Vyjayanti, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Ramani (violin) and disciple Kadri P. Vijayaraghavan, 31 October; Gopalnath (saxophone), for a string Nrittika Lakshmi, daughter of of dates, including an appearance Mr.& Mrs. E. Kuppuswamy, 9 at the world music festival in Berlin. November; and Sudha, daughter of Ensemble joining western Mr. & Mrs. S. Narayanan, 17 musicians, particularly jazzmen, in November, all disciples of Sudharani creating fusion of music of East and Raghupathi at Sree Bharatalaya, all West. in Madras. Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan (vocal) Nivedita Krishnamurthy, initially off to Singapore and possibly trained at Darpana Academy of Malaysia, with S.D. Sridhar (violin). Performing Arts, Ahmedabad and Main concert at consecration lately a disciple of Jayalakshmi ceremony of Murugan temple on Narayan at the Academy of the island, with Karaikudi Krishna- Bharatanatyam in Hyderabad, 30 murthi providing percussion support.