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The Hindu
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
M.L. Vasanthakumari's melodious voice and innovative approach made her music unforgettable
She came, she sang, she conquered. July 3 marks M.L. Vasanthakumari's (MLV) 97th birth anniversary. It's a good time to look back at my guru and an extraordinary vocalist's life and art — a combination of melody, vidwat and dynamic stage presence. MLV was not only adept at singing both shudha Carnatic ragas such as Thodi and Bhairavi but also desya ragas like Behag or Sindhubhairavi. She may have imbibed this talent from her father vidwan Koothanoor Aiyaswamy Iyer, who was trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Along with her mother Lalithangi, he also specialised in Purandaradasa kritis. MLV followed suit. MLV expanded the repertoire she inherited by adding compositions by Kanaka Dasa (disciple of Purandaradasa) and other Dasa Koota composers. It could be said that the family brought Dasarapadas to the concert stage. Mysore University acknowledged MLV's efforts in this regard by bestowing upon her an honorary doctorate. A versatile vocalist, MLV was trained early on by none other than G.N. Balasubramaniam, who was also a close friend of her father. It was GNB who boldly ushered in a new voice-culture based on Hindustani akaaras and nagaswaram glides (jaarus), and lightning-fast swara clusters (brighas). She carried forward his innovative approach. She was one of the first Carnatic vocalists to sing abhangs. Her kutcheris often felt wholesome with the inclusion of padams, javalis, Tevarams, Tiruppugazh and complex RTPs. She was well known for introducing rare kritis in each and every concert. Rasikas waited with bated breath to hear a new song, alapanas of rare ragas such as Sekarachandrika, Gamansrama, Revathi and Natabhairav, a pallavi in a difficult setting or a Purandaradasa ragamalika. They also enjoyed the tukkadas she presented. MLV was adventurous as a singer. For instance, at the Sangita Kalanidhi concert in 1977 at the Music Academy, she courageously took up a tricky pancha nadai (five varieties of rhythm) pallavi and executed it beautifully. Her singing drew lavish praise even from one of the sharpest critics of the time — Subbudu (P.V. Subramaniam). I began learning from MLV in 1963 at the age of 12. My mother Alamelu Viswanathan took me to her house. The singer was then getting ready for a concert. I was awestruck by akka's (as I used to call her) personality. She was wearing a beautiful silk saree, diamond ear studs and stone-embedded gold bangles. Her long well-oiled hair was neatly braided and adorned with fragrant jasmines. She heard me sing a short kriti, paused for a moment and accepted me as her disciple. My mother was overjoyed. She had a cheerful-casual disposition as a teacher. It was a 27-year-long association between the guru and the sishya. MLV's music was different from that of her contemporaries — D.K. Pattammal and M.S. Subbulakshmi. Though MLV was younger than the other two legends, she rose to great heights and the three were referred to as the 'female trinity of Carnatic music'. They began their career as gramophone-record sensations and gained unprecedented popularity in the early 20th Century. MLV was just 12 when she cut her first vinyl with 'Sarasija nabha murare' (Charukesi , Swathi Tirunal). Later, the trio forayed into singing for the cinema, with M.S. even acting in a few. As for MLV, she sang for the top heroines of the time, including Padmini, who was also her neighbour. Both shared a warm relationship. MLV divided her time among kutcheris, travel and studio recordings. One often saw her practising during her commute or in the little free time she got. Despite her hectic schedule, she was always available for her sishyas, willingly sharing her knowledge and guiding them. MLV's music was three dimensional — she had a great voice, a creative mind and a generous heart. The writer is a well-known Carnatic vocalist.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Kavya Ganesh impresses with her nuanced performance
The beauty of the Bharatanatyam margam lies in its structured format. Yet, it allows the artistes to reimagine and present it in their own distinct way. This was evident at the recent performance of Kavya Ganesh, for the HCL series, hosted by the Music Academy. Soft vocals, mild music from the instruments and graceful poses by the dancer set the tone for a vibrant opening. Kavya began her performance with sage Patanjali's 'Shambhu natanam', portraying the lord of dance. The movements were marked by clarity as she conveyed the essence of the hymn. The music composition was by O.S. Arun. Kavya next presented the Swarajathi 'Maamohalahiri meerude', a composition by Kadigai Namashivaya Pulavar in raga Khamas. She expressed well the emotional turmoil of a nayika longing for Muruga. Kavya conveyed the myriad shades of love using the imagery of a lotus. If its beautiful colour, shape and fragrance bring joy to the heart, the flower's blooming at sunrise and wilting during sunset could be compared to a lovelorn nayika. The transition in mood in this sequence — from unrestrained love to coyness — was depicted in a nuanced manner. Similarly, Kavya captured the emotions well in the anupallavi where the heroine is in a dilemma, whether to reach out to her lord or not. The jathis, composed by Ramamoorthy Sri Ganesh, stood out with precise footwork. However, a little more grace would further enhance the impact. The Annamacharya kriti 'Palumaru' in Chakravakam, again, portrayed a sakhi urging goddess Alamelumanga to let go of her anger and indifference towards the lord. Kavya did justice to the piece. However, the the nayika-sakhi interaction in two consecutive compositions was a trifle weary. The dancer next took up the thumri, 'Na kadamb na kunj', which depicts Radha waking up from a dream and searching for Krishna. In her longing, she begins to identify and imagine herself as Krishna, before realising that both Radha and Krishna are one and the same. Kavya beautifully conveyed this transition from Radha to Krishna with sensitivity. The Amritavarshini raga tillana, composed by Satish Venkatesh, with verses from the Valmiki Ramayanam, was the concluding piece. The depiction of monsoon and the joys associated with it lent vibrancy of the piece. Janani Hamsini's singing was soulful and in synchrony with the dance. Kiran Pai on the mridangam, Sujith Naik on the flute, T.V. Sukanya on the violin and Hemanth on the nattuvangam provided good support.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Three human rights activists honoured with the Quaide Milleth Award for Probity in Political/Public Life
The Quaide Milleth Educational and Social Trust honoured human right activists John Dayal, Navaid Hamid, and Vipin Kumar Tripathi with the Quaide Milleth Award for Probity in Political/Public Life 2024 at the Music Academy on Saturday. The award recognises individuals who demonstrate a commitment to constitutional values, secularism, pluralism, and the welfare of marginalised communities. Mr. Dayal, a religious freedom advocate, is the founder general secretary and president of the All India Christian Council; Mr. Hamid, is the former president of the All India Majlis-e-Mushawarat and current general secretary of MOEMIN, who has worked for the rights of marginalised communities, particularly Muslim communities. The third awardee, Mr. Tripathi, is a former Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi professor and was honoured for his activism toward promoting communal harmony and his contributions in scientific development. 'The awardees are selected based on their unblemished track record of integrity, both in political and personal life in India,' said M.G. Dawood Miakhan, the trust's secretary. 'We are here to recognise your services, support your initiatives and to wish that you continue your fight in spite of all the odds you may be facing,' said retired CSI Bishop V. Devasagayam while felicitating the awardees. Former Madras High Court judge Justice K.N. Basha presented the awards. Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras S. Sathik; principal of The Quaide Milleth College of Men M. Amthul Thawab also participated.
