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.
Thu, Jan 07, 2021
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.
Sat, Dec 12, 2020
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 05, 2020
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
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.
Mon, Jun 29, 2020
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.
Tue, Mar 31, 2020
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.
Sat, Jan 25, 2020
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.
Sun, Jan 12, 2020
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.
Sat, Jan 04, 2020
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.
Tue, Dec 24, 2019
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.
Sat, Dec 14, 2019
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.
Fri, Dec 06, 2019
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, Oct 25, 2019
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.
Tue, Sep 17, 2019
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.
Wed, Aug 14, 2019
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?
Thu, May 23, 2019
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.
Sun, May 19, 2019
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.
Fri, Mar 01, 2019
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.
Sat, Feb 09, 2019
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 02, 2019
Here, Rajiv Menon is dealing with an extremely tricky subject, but has pulled it off remarkably well. Sarvam Thaala Mayam also looks like a dedication to the limitless forms of percussion in India and a vivid expression of unity in diversity.
Thu, Jan 31, 2019
There are multiple studies that show a very high share of household income -- particularly among the poor -- going to medical expenditure, which also leads to catastrophic expenses.
Wed, Jan 23, 2019
Beneath the entertaining surface, Petta’s storyline too is intensely political and here too, besides their villainy, the antagonists embody majoritarian politics.
Mon, Jan 21, 2019
Political observers are justifiably cynical, because once again the uniting common minimum programme is a menacing rival who they find as a threat to Indian democracy and constitution.
Mon, Jan 07, 2019
For music lovers and musicians, Margazhi in Chennai is magical. It features about 2000 classical concerts by all types of singers, instrumentalists and percussionists - ranging from veterans to young aspirants.
Wed, Jan 02, 2019
In the third edition of the Indian Express Margazhi special, we feature Chennai-based carnatic musician Kunnakkudi M. Balamurali Krishna
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