Saturday 29 August 2009

Carnatic Musicians on the Web

The inertia of finding carnatic music on the net continues. Carnaticmusicians seems to be a site with an undiluted fascination for vidwan N. Vijay Siva's music and have catalogued musical milestones in his life since his childhood.

Promising blog.

Thursday 23 July 2009

Finding Sangeetham.com and serendipity

I have loved Sangeetham.com and continue to miss it on the web, inspite of the fact that there are so many carnatic music websites. There were features to look forward to - several scholarly articles, lively and intelligent discussion forums, rAga explanations, bAni appreciation, lyrics and meaning for the trimUrti's kritis, season analyses and its lighter moments..for those who remember.

But happily, I realise that I can go back the Internet's archives to savour Sangeetham all over again. Very coincidentally, as I think of DK Pattamal's music, I come across this article by a very articulate Sriram V in conversation with the musician during the Sangeetham.com days. Overwhelmed.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

Listening to Carnatic music on the Web

Carnaticmusicvideos is a fairly new website showcasing a selection of mostly contemporary musicians. While the videos are of good quality, I wonder why people would not want to rely on good old youtube and pick from an unlimited selection of music, sangeethapriya. or even stream from musicindiaonline.

I wonder what the USP of carnaticmusicvideos is?

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Carnatic International

It felt nice inside when I came across this write-up on the BBC about Patrick Ngcobo, a South African who came down passionate about South India's classical music and learnt music from Yesudas. [article]

As a child growing up in Calicut, I remember being amazed along with many friends, neighbours and elders, by a musician called Isabella Clinquart (I forget the spelling, I was very little) who performed an hour long carnatic music concert at the annual Tyagaraja Aradhana. Wonder what became of her.

John Higgins has to be one of the most well known and most loved of all non-Indian musicians who learnt and performed carnatic music with so much commitment. (He was born in Masachussets, US, and not in England like I had earlier thought.) I still try and close my eyes when I listen to him. The accent is hardly discernable.

Remarkable people.




Saturday 25 April 2009

Bharatiyar on Velavan

Some songs are timeless. Subrahmanya Bharati's villinai otta puruvamazhai tannai vElavA is one such for me. It is easy to listen to MSS's version of it over and over. Despite having learnt it, I am still trying to identify the name of the rAgam.

It appears to have the ArOhaNam and avarOhaNam of a kAkaLi niSAdam version of suDhaDhanyAsi along with chatuSruti dhaivatam in its avarOhaNam.


Friday 20 February 2009

North of the Vindhyas

For any Hindustani music technicality on rAgas, rAginis and thAts, I now refer to Swarganga and Sangeeth Research Academy.




Sunday 25 January 2009

Haiku: Carnatic Music Season




My colleague Liz conducted a haiku workshop last year and these were the ones I came up with her encouragement.

Sunday 18 January 2009

rAgam tANdavam

Extremely captivating. It seems like a kAkaLi niSAdam counterpart of valaci (sa ga pa dha ni sa). Not sure if I am missing a ri. Heard it for the first time in a Sanjay Subrahmanyan kacheri. Composition by Dandapani Desikar

[Listen ]