Ravi Shankar Memorial Concert In San Diego

Courtesy: Oviya Design Studio

 La Jolla, CA - Come March and San Diego will be harmonizing to the beat of Indian Classical music as roughly seventy world renowned artists flock here to play, sing and dance to traditional Carnatic and Hindustani music at the six day, 6th Annual Indian Classical Music and Dance Festival hosted by the Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego (IFAASD).

The intention of this festival is not only to bring the ancient and resplendent tradition of Carnatic music outside of South India to Southern California “to create an environment of learning” says Shekar Viswanathan, president of IFAASD, but to also celebrate the quaternion artistic legacies of: The late Bharat Ratna Ravi Shankar, the bicentennial anniversary of Kerala’s Maharaja Swati Tirunal, a patron to arts and the Mohiniyattam dance style, the centennial anniversary of Sri K.P. Kittappa Pillai, who contributed to the development of Carnatic music and Bharatnatyam dance, and Sangita Kalanidhi Pinakapani, a medical doctor and vocalist who received one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.

The significance of Shankar’s influence between the Southern Carnatic and Northern Hindustani styles of Indian classical music and its introduction to the West will be omnipresent at the festival. Dubbed as the “global ambassador of India’s cultural heritage” by many, Shankar introduced music from the Carnatic South to Northern India where some of the ragas were popularized. In turn, he also popularized North Indian music in the South and connected Carnatic and Hindustani musicians to the West per Viswanathan.

A few must see events occur during the festival which will be infused with Shankar’s endeared artists and instruments per Viswanathan. On March 22nd Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty, a Hindustani classical vocalist, has composed a special performance in the late maestro’s honor entitled ‘Ravimalika’ which will consist of many melodies Shankar liked.

On March 23rd, a felicitation ceremony with honorary guests San Diego mayor Bob Filner and Council President Pro Tem Sherri Lightner, will pay respect to Hindustani classical vocalist and sister-in-law to Shankar, Lakshmi Shankar.

Lakshmi Shankar will also be joined on stage with Carnatic veterans such as vocalists Trichur Ramachandran, Gayathri Venkatraghavan and N. Ramani amongst other cherished artists who will sing and imitate many of the late maestro’s compositions.

The homage to Shankar will wind to a spectacular grand finale on March 24th as some of Shankar’s past students engage in a flute and shehnai jugalbandi showcasing a contrast of styles between similar instruments. The Southern style will be distinguished from North Indian music which has blends of Persian and Islamic influence.

The dance portion of the festival will feature three Bharatnatyam performances and one Mohiniyattam performance. An item which is sure leave an inerasable image for dance buffs is the March 20th presentation of Kalidas’ ‘Celebration of Sringara Rasa’ often knows as the queen of all rasas due to the range of complex emotions and expressions dramatized throughout the performance.

The program is choreographed by Radhika Shurajith, famed director of the popular television show, Thaka Dhimi Tha, a classical dance program. On March 24th, Gopika Varma, a leading artist of the Mohiniyattam style will present ‘Dance of the Enchantress’, the mystical ocean churning tale from the ancient Hindu epic Bhagvata Purana.  

A daily platter of performances from famed artists and their accompanists will continue to entertain music enthusiasts. Other festival highlights include a lecture demonstration from legendary Carnatic percussionist, Trichy Sankaran and Trichy Thayumanavan, Carnatic music vocalist duos, the Malladi Brothers and the Trichur Brothers, noted South Indian flutist Mala Chandrasekar and expressions in dance by Leela Samson just to name a few.

For the untrained ear, such Indian classical music may seem daunting, but the festival is not reserved for music aficionados. Although Carnatic music is not limited to spirituality, it is likened to a state of divinity. Rather than wondering about the utility of improvisational exchanges and intricate timing of notes one can simply close one’s eyes and soak in the blends of melodies demonstrated through the magical lilts and drones of vocals, and instruments such as the Flute, Veena, Violin, Mridangam, Khanjira and Tabla which will be showcased at this must see event.

Southern Carnatic music with its emphasis on vocal music primarily sung in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, is an art form which was once dependent on the patronage of royal houses and is now ablaze in popularity thanks to private institutions and non profits such as IFAASD whose events garner thousands of attendees on a yearly basis.

Event Information:  6th Annual Music and Dance Festival

Date: March 19th – March 24th   2013

Place: David & Dorothea Garfield Theater, 4126 Executive Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037

Time: Varies by day, please see website

Tickets: $25/Day prior to March 01, $30/Day after March 01 and considerations for IFAASD 

              members.

For tickets and more information: http://www.indianfinearts.org/concerts/6th-annual-ravi-shankar-memorial-concerts/

Indian Classical Music Festival in Los Angeles

In an era of head banging Bollywood remixes the profound, transcendental nuances offered by Hindustani classical music can never fade away. Audiences eager to experience the doyens of Indian classical music will not be disappointed with the upcoming and one of a kind all day festival entitled Raga Spirit 2012.

Film maker Gita Desai who won acclaim for her comprehensive documentaries Raga Unveiled and Yoga Unveiled along with Irvine based Ektaa Center’s President and Executive Director Harish Murthy are fusing arts with academia as they unify their efforts with the support of the Department of Ethnomusicology within the Herb Alpert School of Music at the University of California, Los Angles (UCLA).

Pandit Vijay Kichlu

Honorary coordinator Pt.Vijay Kichlu who has committed his life to preserving the traditions of classical music will inaugurate the festival. Now in his 80s, Kichlu is traveling a great distance to simply support the purist ideology and “love for an authentic cause” he shares with Desai.

The first presentation of the morning begins with Thumri Ki Kahani, a lecture-demonstration symposium by Kichlu who will guide the audience through the style’s romantic and evolutionary journey. In terms of classical vocal forms, thumri has been labeled as semi-classical by orthodox followers of classical styles, as the beauty of the composition often overrides the mechanic perfection of ragas.

Kichlu will also present rare recordings of the earliest thumri composers and the “greatest thumri performances.” He serves as executive director of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, a classical music academy that possesses a rich and priceless collection of music in its archives built up over half a century.

With ease and grace, Kichlu has laced together the presentation of two gharanas of thumri called Poorab Ang and Punjab Ang. Live recitals of the different schools will be contrasted and interspersed during the lecture which will be presented by accomplished vocalists Sanjukta Biswas and Shantanu Bhattacharyya who are accompanied by Durba Bhattacharyya (harmonium).

Aruna Sairam

Each session’s design and musician selection by Kichlu is likened by Desai as a work of art “where every flower grows in the right place, with lots of love and humor.” Kichlu afforded the same reverence for each performer he personally selected with Desai’s consultation, categorizing them as the “finest that our country has.”

In the afternoon session, an array of instruments and vocal choices representing Hindustani styles are synthesized with tabla artists Samar Saha and Calcutta’s Arup Chatterjee, Durba Bhattacharyya (harmonium) and Debashish Bath (slide guitar).

The evening performances feature a juglabandi duet with Tejendra Majumdar (sarod) and Kushal Das (sitar) and Subhanker Banerjee (tabla). Karnatik vocalist Aruna Sairam will be accompanied by H.N. Bhaskar (violin) and Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam).

The evening will end with vocalist brothers Rajan and Sajan Mishra and their accompanists.

Rajan & Sajan Mishra

Thoughts on the state of Indian classical music were expanded by Kichlu, who called it a “marvelous blend of academics, science and artistry.” He is wary of modern tendencies in music that seeks thrill and excitement created by skill. “Our music is not skill only, it has a deep academic background we call it Raga music, which is not just a scale, it is rules, melodic notes, and the artist’s inner condition.”

On the idea for the festival, Desai was partly inspired by the total immersion festivals people experience in India which are “common in Indian pockets such as Madras and Calcutta and often stretch as long as 10 days.”

Attendees “soak themselves till late night as the festivals begin with new comers and end with the very best.” Such an experience is like a “yatra and pilgrimage of the arts” says Desai.

Murthy, who is also keen on establishing the festival as a tradition in Los Angeles understands the complexities, “this is an introductory effort in Los Angeles, and we must take into consideration, the audience here.”

Murthy encourages lovers of world and Indian music to come and enjoy “the finest exposition of Indian classical music, vocal and instrumental where one can garner awareness and understanding of the different styles and genres of Indian music.”

Saturday October 20. 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 A.M. Ucla Schoenberg Hall, 445 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles. Tickets: All Day Concert Series Passes: $60-$125, Individual Concerts: $15-$35.Www.Ragaspirit. Com, ektaacenter.Org.