Thursday, Feb 09, 2023
Journalism of Courage
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G Pramod Kumar
The author is a former journalist and UNDP Senior Adviser in Asia Pacificl who is presently a writer based out of Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.
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The K Arun Prakash Interview: ‘My style is to highlight the composition and the singer, silence automatically happens’Premium Story
January 28,2023 12:29:46 PM
Among all the mridangists of the contemporary generation, Arun Prakash has always been exceptionally amusing to watch. Excerpts from an interview with the percussionist in Chennai.
Mon, Jan 30, 2023
A cool and breezy Carnatic Summer is helping Chennai reset and rehabPremium Story
September 24,2022 13:53:35 PM
G Pramod Kumar finds that though it is not the famed annual season yet, but unusually there has been plenty of music in Chennai thanks to an impressive off-season line up
Sat, Sep 24, 2022
The Bharat Sundar Interview: ’I like anything that’s abstract…’Premium Story
January 19,2022 12:05:39 PM
Among the new generation of Carnatic musicians, Bharat Sundar is an absolute delight to watch, and a little different from others in his overall demeanour and style.
Wed, Jan 19, 2022
Sanjay Sabha Live: the gravity defying journey into the unknownPremium Story
December 13,2021 11:48:39 AM
Any description of Sanjay’s music of late has become cliched with superlatives; however it’s safe to say that on Saturday, it was a new Avatar that took his music - technically, aesthetically and experientially - to a totally new sphere.
Mon, Dec 13, 2021
The Kalyanapuram S. Aravind Interview: ‘We have to see the raga as a living entity in a physical form in front of our musical eyes’Premium Story
December 04,2021 16:33:25 PM
Starting off at four, Kalyanapuram S. Aravind first trained under Seshagopalan’s wife Sudha followed by S Kasthuri Rangan and then again under the master himself, which he still continues. And it was only in 2014, at the age of 23, that he made his debut in the Margazhi season.
Sun, Dec 05, 2021
The show must go on: Sanjay Subrahmanyan excels in digital avatar tooPremium Story
August 07,2021 08:09:09 AM
Sanjay Subrahmanyan's concerts are unique spectacles where he shares quite a part of his life-force with you. On stage, he’s selfless, emotionally naked, uninhibited, and both boisterous and tranquil.
Sun, Aug 08, 2021
The N Guruprasad Interview: ‘Only by knowing where not to play, one would know exactly where to play’Premium Story
January 07,2021 13:23:51 PM
On the concert stage, Guruprasad is a delight to watch, not just for his art, but also for his elegant presence. He looks minimalist and effortless in his art, but what comes out of his humble claypot is sheer poetry.
Thu, Jan 07, 2021
The JA Jayanth Interview: ‘My eternal quest is to find point where human voice, sound of my instrument become one’Premium Story
December 12,2020 11:17:31 AM
Although rooted in Carnatic traditions, Jayanth has a unique sound that often traverses generic barriers, thanks to his early exposure to Hindustani and other forms of music and cross-cultural collaborations.
Sat, Dec 12, 2020
The Vishnudev Interview: ‘When I sing, I consider myself to be only a medium and hence don’t hold back anything’Premium Story
December 05,2020 11:45:36 AM
When Vishnudev sings in prestigious concert halls and Sabhas in Chennai as well as venues across the world, his classicism, confidence, uninhibited style and highly nuanced bhava are hard to miss. The freedom that he embodies, both in terms of his learning and imagination, also ensures that his music is eclectic.
Sat, Dec 05, 2020
The S. Varadarajan Interview: ‘The harder you work, the more gifted you get. Nothing happens naturally’Premium Story
November 28,2020 10:17:18 AM
S. Varadarajan, fondly called Varadu by both musicians and fans, is a household name in Carnatic music today. As an accomplished violin accompanist and soloist in contemporary Indian classical music, he is noted for his singing violin, a soulful “gayaki” style.
Sat, Dec 05, 2020
Silenced by pandemic, going digital is only way for Carnatic music… but that’s no easy ragaPremium Story
June 29,2020 18:27:38 PM
What the Covid-19 pandemic has thoroughly exposed is Carnatic music’s existential vulnerability arising out of a limited socio-cultural infrastructure that sustains it. The moment this infrastructure, which unfortunately seems to harbour a strange resolve not to scale up beyond its extremely limited universe, faces some vulnerability, both the art and the artistes take a massive hit.
Mon, Jun 29, 2020
Why selective testing and lockdown are more suitable for India than WHO’s ‘test, test, test’ doctrinePremium Story
March 31,2020 13:52:33 PM
Given India’s resources, the current testing policy and lockdown to cut down transmission seems to be appropriate. On paper, it must flatten the curve, reduce the epidemic momentum and even almost stop it from becoming a generalised epidemic.
Tue, Mar 31, 2020
Chennai Margazhi Season 2019-20: Here are the highlights and lowlightsPremium Story
January 25,2020 12:55:41 PM
What’s mind-boggling about the Margazhi season is the number of musicians that Chennai, or rather a community with a certain socio-cultural ethos, churn out. Despite an extremely low probability of making it big, youngsters seemed to be heavily invested in it and more and more are making debuts every year.
Sat, Jan 25, 2020
Ramakrishnan Murthy Interview: ‘Hitting the perfect note, even for a fraction of second, is worth entire struggle’Premium Story
January 11,2020 16:58:12 PM
Known for his absolute adherence to classical values and purity of music, Ramakrishnan Murthy is one of the top Carnatic vocalists today who is treated almost on par with his much celebrated seniors.
Sun, Jan 12, 2020
The Sandeep Narayan Interview: ‘I want my concert to be as genuine and as real as possible’Premium Story
January 03,2020 16:41:20 PM
Carnatic classical vocalist Sandeep Narayan believes in contemporary values even while practising what’s considered a conservative art. Curious to know who was the star-musician who trained him and shaped his perspectives in art and life? Read this engaging conversation.
Sat, Jan 04, 2020
Abhishek Raghuram interview: ‘There’s no right and wrong in art. For me, it’s about self-expression’Premium Story
December 24,2019 13:50:02 PM
Abhishek Raghuram is one of the few Carnatic musicians who draw large audiences both in Chennai and other cities of India. Despite his strong classicism, he is not a conventional traditionalist and hence doesn’t mind associating himself with other musicians, artists and genres.
Tue, Dec 24, 2019
Audiences come to enjoy music, not to see your mathematical wizardry: Neyveli VenkateshPremium Story
December 14,2019 13:29:58 PM
From a nondescript industrial township where he was once pushing the wheelbarrow, Venkatesh has travelled the world with his percussion instruments, performed with leading Indian and international musicians. Excerpts from his interview.
Sat, Dec 14, 2019
Akkarai Sisters: ‘Carnatic music is a spontaneous art, not something that can be rehearsed to perfection’Premium Story
December 06,2019 12:12:34 PM
When Swamynathan saw that his daughters had an instinctive interest in music as small kids, he was elated. He told himself that what happened to him wouldn’t happen to them.
Fri, Dec 06, 2019
Sharad Pawar and Bhupinder Hooda should inspire Congress, also lead it beyond the dynastyPremium Story
October 25,2019 11:58:09 AM
These election results must be a late wake-up call for the Congress that seemed to have given up without a fight after its decimation in the recent Parliament elections.
Fri, Oct 25, 2019
Why Tamil Nadu will again offer maximum pushback to HindiPremium Story
September 17,2019 15:16:47 PM
In a culturally autonomous Tamil Nadu, Hindi and Sanskrit are not some languages, but inter-changeable metaphors of north Indian domination and that’s precisely why it instantly unites people across party-lines, including those who ally with the BJP from time to time.
Tue, Sep 17, 2019
Kerala floods: Why people are showing signs of ‘donor fatigue’ and why it’s time for government to introspectPremium Story
August 14,2019 09:36:01 AM
Following the last floods, when people contributed all they have, has Kerala government conserved its own resources, which are obviously paid for by the people as taxes, and spent them wisely?
Wed, Aug 14, 2019
What the CPM can learn from the Congress’s spectacular victory in KeralaPremium Story
May 23,2019 19:57:27 PM
Only once in Kerala’s political history has the Congress and its allies have done better - in the post-emergency elections in 1977 when it won all the 20 seats.
Thu, May 23, 2019
Away from Chennai’s margazhi season, Carnatic music finds a welcome home in Kerala’s templesPremium Story
May 19,2019 06:00:40 AM
If on a winter’s night, a raga: Even before the sound of the procession recedes, Subrahmanyan begins to sing a varnam, the customary introductory piece in a Carnatic concert.
Sun, May 19, 2019
Why lone rangers Kamal Haasan and Dhinakaran are the side story in Tamil NaduPremium Story
March 01,2019 15:35:41 PM
While the main story is about alliances and how their synergies amplify chances of electoral success, there’s a side story too: It’s about two emerging and charismatic leaders being stranded. This story is about Kamal Haasan and TTV Dhinakaran. Both of them will be contesting alone.
Fri, Mar 01, 2019
Kumbalangi Nights movie review: A new breakthrough in Malayalam cinemaPremium Story
February 09,2019 11:14:33 AM
Kumbalangi Nights movie review: The movie is primarily about three young men and their school-going brother living a pathetic life in an incomplete hut in a small island near Kumbalangi on the Western coast of the state, which otherwise looks breathtaking.
Sat, Feb 09, 2019