Chennai dance and music festival is a rich cultural extravaganza that celebrates classical music and dance of south India.
Here, more than 2,000 artistes from across India and abroad participate display their fascinating vocal and instrumental range. The number of participants and spectators is constantly on the rise every year. So, are the reputed national and international composers and musicologists.
While, connoisseurs discussing the various ragas over piping hot idlis and steaming filter coffee. Lady participants, dressed immaculately in colourful Kanchipuram silks, are an added attraction to the event’s ambience. December evokes a cultural identity of Chennai that has been cultivated over the past eight decades.
Ethnically, the festival holds a lot of importance since Carnatic music and dance forms are considered the high point of paying obeisance to the Almighty. More than 2,000 artistes from across India and abroad participate
Instrumental recitals include flute, veena (string instrument), Goottuvadyam (an instrument similar to veena but without frets), Nagaswaram (pipe), Thavil (percussion instrument), Mridangam (drum) and Ghatam (a mud pot).
As for the difference from previous years I have touched upon briefly on the renovation of the academy.
A few more points if you need on this you can incorporate: The phased infrastructure upgradation and modernization programme has resulted in greatly improved facilities and ambience making for an enhanced listening experience and comfort. There is renovation and upgradation of the foyer, enhancing lighting with additional fittings, enhanced aesthetics in the foyer with new wooden paneling and glazing, new acoustically-oriented panels inside the auditorium.
History: This Music Festival had its origins from as yearly as 1927.At that time it was known as the Margazhi (the tamil name for the month of December) Dance Festival and has been organized by the Music Academy in Chennai ever since. Chennai has a rich cultural heritage and this is reflected through its performing
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Mr N Murali, President of the Academy, spoke to Anand Ramachandran of NGI in an exclusive interview on the highlights of this year’s festival.
Excerpts of the interview:
It is known as the greatest music and dance festival in the world. What makes it what it is?
The annual festival is held every year in the month of December and from this year the dates are fixed and the music festival will be held from December 15th to January 3rd and the dance festival will be held from 3rd to 9th January. The festival has over 2000 concerts during this period. The highlights also include the conference sessions with a lot of depth and variety in the academic sessions and a noteworthy feature has been the inclusion of younger, top performing musicians into this academic mainstream to bring back the glory and high standards of the academic sessions of vintage years..
The participation and support of all the musicians, artistes and musicologists and scholars with their outstanding concerts and Lec-Dems at the Music Academy has largely contributed to the success.
The members and guests have over the last four years have experienced and expressed their happiness on the ongoing, phased infrastructure up gradation and modernization. It has resulted in greatly improved facilities and ambience making for an enhanced listening experience and comfort.
What are the new initiatives under your leadership apart from the renovation which Is going on ?
The resurgence of academic activities has been a major success. A publishing project has been taken up-English translation of Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini (SSP) of Subbarama Dikshithar. The project aims at making available an authentic, error free English version to students and scholars of music and wil involve publication of SSP in 4 volumes consisting of all the 4 mela-s. The first volume is expected to be on sale during the coming festival.
How do you nurture talent ?
An advanced school of Carnatic Music has been established with the object of offering advanced professional education and grooming in carnatic music to highly deserving youngsters so that they can become performers and musicians of a very high calibre with a fine sense of music appreciation and aesthetics. An Academic Council has been formed with eminent musicians/musicologists drawn from the Experts Committee of the Music Academy. The school has started functioning from August 16th,2010.
The Teachers College of Music has over the years rendered useful service, but in current times it has lost its relevance with the existence of multiplicity of institutions offering diplomas with the government syllabus. The college is now being phased out. The Academy will, however, continue its other special classes at different times in Mridangam, Veena, Violin, Padams and Javalis and classes for beginners.
What are the other initatives iunder your leadership?
The archives section of the library has several music tapes,rare books and manuscripts which constitute a treasure trove.Digitizing these archives through the use of modern technology will enhance the storage,value and use of these priceless archives.The library has been revamped and a long time dream project of digitizing Academy’s music recordings has been successfully fulfilled.
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The Sangita Kalanidhi Award
Mridangam artist Trichy Sankaran has been chosen for the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi title by the Music Academy in Chennai and he would be honoured during this year’s festival on January 1st,2012. dr.Trichy Sankaran will also chair the 85th Annual Conference of the Music Academy being held from December 15th this year.
Dr. Trichy Sankaran is a globally-respected artist, composer, educator, and cultural ambassador, who consistently demonstrates mastery, creativity, ingenuity, humility, and devotion. Since his professional debut at 13, Trichy Sankaran has had a prolific international performing career, appearing as a featured musician at major music festivals and cultural events in Europe, Australia, North America and Asia, including the highly celebrated World Drum concerts at Expo 86 (Vancouver), Expo 88 (Brisbane) and Expo 2000 (Hanover). As an active contributor to the music scene in Canada, he has composed a dynamic body of work that bridges the musical traditions of both India and the West. Collaborations include performances with New Music, jazz, Western Classical world fusion and internationally-recognized Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. As an Indian music scholar he has contributed to many learned societies across the globe and has authored textbooks. As an Indian Music Scholar he is held in high esteem by his students and colleagues at York University. Over the years Dr Trichy Sankaran has bridged
Eastern and Western pedagogical styles and has influenced generations of students who have become noted performers,composers and music educators for the past 4 decades.
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Looking at the names of youngsters who are slated to perform it is heartening this December festival, it is indeed heartening to note that the youngsters of today are taking keen interest in Carnatic Classical Music, inspite of the overwhelming western influence. This makes us feel assured that our traditional music which is valuable treasure of our country, will continue to be vibrant and alive.. The ancient dance forms that originated in the city are classical in nature and Chennai is aptly called the land of classical Dances. The oldest of these is the Bharatnatyam which has been nurtured in the temples and is associated with mythology, philosophy and spiritual beliefs of Hindu culture.
Since its inception, the Academy has been ceaselessly endeavoring for the advancement of the science and art of Indian Music and dance .As a body devoted to high learning and pratice of the art,the Academy brings together leading artists and learned persons in Sastra and Sampradaya.It has constituted an Advisory Committee of experts including the recipients of Sangita Kalanidhi,Sangita Kala Acharya titles and other eminent musicians and musicologists who are invited to serve as members annually..
Looking at the names of youngsters who are slated to perform it is heartening this December festival, it is indeed heartening to note that the youngsters of today are taking keen interest in Carnatic Classical Music, inspite of the overwhelming western influence. This makes us feel assured that our traditional music which is valuable treasure of our country, will continue to be vibrant and alive.
The history of the Music Academy goes back to mid-twenties. Several well-wishers and lovers of music felt the need the need to stimulate interest in Carnatic Music in the South and to develop a musical culture by establishing an academy in Madras city now known as Chennai. The idea took a definite shape when the All-India Music Conference held in Madras in 1927 passed a resolution recommending the organisation of a Music Academy in Madras for the purpose of fostering Indian music and to encourage the study of the theory and practice of the music. The Academy was formally inaugurated at a public function on 18th August,1928 and the opening ceremony was performed by Sir C.P Ramaswamy Iyer and attended by a large and distinguished gathering.
