It is a matter of gratification that there are a growing number of people, including the young who respect, practice and present India’s traditional arts, including Carnatic Music with sincerity at formal performances and festivals.
While Thirvaiyaru, which witnesses the confluence of five rivers on the banks of a small Panchayat Town in Tanjavur in Tami Nadu is the venue of the annual event to pay obesience to the 18th Century Saint Thyagaraja, a number of centres in Andhra Pradesh virtually become ‘Temples’ in May singing in praise of the great Annamacharya of the 15th and 16th Centuries.
Defying distance and revering multiculturalism, the Auckland based Sangeetha Bharathi School of Music provides an opportunity for almost singers and musicians to perform at its annual Annamayya Padahela.
This year’s Festival, held at the Mt Roskill Intermediate School Hall on May 14 was no exception.
Following the recitation of ‘Vishnu Sahasranamam’ (eulogising Lord Vishnu with 1000 names), School Principal Padma Govardhan commenced the evening’s performance with an invocatory piece on Saint Annamayya, a special song written by her husband Govardhan Mallela to which she had set the tune.
Ms Govardhan had chosen all the numbers to correspond to this year’s central theme of Krishna Tatvam, highlighting Lord Krishna’s birth, childhood, pranks, adulthood and his sayings.
Among the lilting numbers performed by the students of the School and others were ‘Cheri Yasodhaku’, ‘Vande Vasudevam’, ‘Radha Madhava Rathicharitham’, ‘Jo Achyutananda’ and ‘Bhavayami Gopalabalam.’ Each, rendered as solo or as a group song, demonstrated the high calibre of the performers. Some of the numbers were accompanied by dances.
The supporting artistes included Dr Ashok Malur and Syamala Hariharan (Violin), Krishna Somasundaram, Masters Balu Mallela and Keeran Shiva Kumar (Mridangam) and Ravi Nyayapati (Tabla).
This year’s graduate Pavan Mani received the Rajeswari Mallela Memorial Award and Certificate of Completion.
The evening was a blend of spirituality, music and dance making it a memorable festival of piety, music and dance.
Priya Srinivasan is associated with Rasikas New Zealand and the New Zealand Carnatic Society, of which she was previously Secretary.
Photo: Young students (left) and senior singers (right) performing at the annual Annamacharya Day of the Sangeetha Bharathi School of Music at Mt Roskill Intermediate School Hall on May 14, 2011.
