Articles

Remembering A Grandfather
By: R. K. Shriramkumar

The sun would be on the horizon, about to retire for the day. Much dust and enthusiastic tones of high frequencies would be generated on the streets with boys playing cricket. That was when he would bring me home, after a long walk from school (Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan), teaching me enroute, verses from either the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Samkshepa Ramayana. That done, he would instruct my mother to give me a snack. And even before I could finish it, he would be ready with his violin constantly summoning me for the class…Read More

Reminiscences of Rohini
By: R. K. Shriramkumar

It was a hot Sunday afternoon when I got dragged out, by my fuming grandfather, of an interesting Hindi movie and was entrusted to the vidvan whose tutelage and guidance was an eye opener to the long path into the realms of the quintessence of Carnatic music. Taking me into his caring fold with the delightful beginning with ‘Muladhara murti’ in the raga Hamsadhvani, that very afternoon, Sangita Kalanidhi Shri D K Jayaraman led me on to the royal concourse to satsangita.

Shri DKJ’s fame as an uttama gayaka is too well…Read more

Travel with Lakshmi & Sarasvati
By: R. K. Shriramkumar

‘Delhi le pADa romba kETTirkka.Unakku Needucharana pankaja pADamA?’ Amma would ask in a caring tone. ‘aDuttadu Delhi porom. adukkule AnAlum thayArAyidu!’ Mama would enthusiastically inform me about the concert a month in advance. Amma’s concern would be about my learning the kalyani krti. Mama’s constant reminders to me would be to learn the game of cards so that I would give him company on the twin night travel to Delhi…Read More

The Silken Mother
By: R. K. Shriramkumar

She plants a sweet kiss on the tender palms of Tanujashri, her year-old great grand daughter and bestows a beaming smile at the splendour of the human divinity. Ajay, her college-going great grandson runs into the living room and vents his latest arguments that he had with his sister, as the great grandmother listens to it with caring concern. At coffee time, she spends a light moment with Gayatri and Nitya, her beloved grand daughters, to whom she has bequeathed so much of her music and marvel. The phone rings and she answers in a raised tone, enquiring about the health of her grandson Charan and of course, of the weather in Adelaide, Australia. Her nonagenarian better half, Shri Iswaran mama, clad in shorts and shoes, announces his schedule for the evening at the tennis court. And, as he is on his way to his favorite game, she cries her heart out to the ever-disappearing long time family cook Krishnamurthy to give him his usual serving of fruit juice. In comes the…Read More

 

Voice of the Violin’s Soul
By: R. K. Shriramkumar

The concert is at The United Nations. The song, ‘Jagadoddharana’ rendered in the heavenly voice of Smt M S Subbulakshmi permeates every corner of the vast auditorium. She is accompanied vocally by Smt Radha Viswanathan. As the audience listens, enthralled and spellbound, they hear a ‘Third voice’ merging with the divine voice of Smt MSS.

The Music Academy resounds with Muttusvami Dikshitar’s immortal ‘Chetasshri balakrishnam’ rendered by Shri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer in his own inimitable and majestic style. Shri V Subrahmanyam & Shri Palai Ramachandran support him vocally. And every person in the audience is astounded to hear a honeyed ‘Fourth Voice’…Read More