The Hindu - Friday Reviews on Music

SSK · Post by **SSK** » 31 Jul 2007, 01:10

Any one knows the process of submitting a review article to Hindu for the Friday http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/frcl06.htm.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 31 Jul 2007, 01:42

Even the music critics of The Hindu complain that when they tun in their reviews they do not know whne it will actually see the light of day in print.

And The Hindu has its own stable of music critics in S V K, Lalithaaaaa (is that enough of the letter a, you damn fools at The HIndu?) Krishnan, Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, Gowri Ramnarayan, Garimela Subramaniam, etc.

So, you could save yourself a lot of trouble by directing your review to the Round File on your computer.

SSK · Post by **SSK** » 31 Jul 2007, 03:32

Does any one have the email addresses and phone numbers to contact S V K, Lalithaaaaa Krishnan (Is it T N Krishnan ???), Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, Gowri Ramnarayan, Garimela Subramaniam, etc.

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 31 Jul 2007, 05:06

SSK wrote:Lalithaaaaa Krishnan (Is it T N Krishnan ???)

Mrs. GJR Krishnan, if I am not mistaken.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 31 Jul 2007, 05:35

T N Krishnan's daughter's name is Viji.

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 31 Jul 2007, 12:22

Whenever I read reviews of certain critics in the HINDU, I notice that they have a very strong prejudice towards certain artistes. Irrespective of the day, sabha or occasion, some critics seem to hold very strong preconceived opinions about certain artistes .For eg: I have read about 4/5 reviews of a noted critic (whose name features in this very thread elsewhere) on a certain artiste's performances and all the reviews uniformly bashed the artiste and his/her music. And since I attended about 2 or 3 of them myself, I actually know how much of the review was actually honest. And I have found that this particular critic bashes certain artistes regularly. And to top it all, the critic in his reviews usually gives a preamble on the greatness of music, thygaraja's bhakthi etc. etc., My point is this: Does the critic actually realise the damage he/she is causing? Has anybody else on this forum felt the same as me? If so, please bring them to light on this forum. (Infact, I am beginning to feel that there was much in what our fellow-member needhideivadhai had to say sometime ago)
Now, I am know I am opening a Pandora's box with this post, but I wanted to express this somewhere and what better place than rasikas.org?
-bhaktha

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 31 Jul 2007, 13:28

It is a long tradition of Hindu's carnatic music reviews where the reviewer choses some "favorite" whipping boys and then proceeds to excoriate them in a regular systematic way using past greats to justify himself.

I think these reviews say more about the reviewer than the artist. I like to read the reviews of Gowri Ramnarayan and Lalithaa Krishnan - They have more "constructive" content usually.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 31 Jul 2007, 13:50

two more names which do the rounds these days, G Swaminathan, M V Ramakrishna.

and Lalithaa Krishnan is indeed Mrs GJR Krishnan.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 31 Jul 2007, 20:29

Lalithaaaaa (is that enough of the letter a, you damn fools at The HIndu?)

harimau, for all we know, 'Lalithaa' may be the chosen spelling by Lalithaa herself which is her prerogative. I am just offering that as a possibility. I am amused at your annoynace of that transliteration

SSK · Post by **SSK** » 31 Jul 2007, 21:11

Hmm!! I did not realize that a simple (at I thought of it that way) question, is creating such a passionate debate. Ofcourse I have not my answers yet (emails & ph numbers..)

rbsiyer · Post by **rbsiyer** » 01 Aug 2007, 19:52

bhaktha wrote:...
I have read about 4/5 reviews of a noted critic (whose name features in this very thread elsewhere) on a certain artiste's performances and all the reviews uniformly bashed the artiste and his/her music. And since I attended about 2 or 3 of them myself, I actually know how much of the review was actually honest. And I have found that this particular critic bashes certain artistes regularly. And to top it all, the critic in his reviews usually gives a preamble on the greatness of music, thygaraja's bhakthi etc. etc., My point is this: Does the critic actually realise the damage he/she is causing? Has anybody else on this forum felt the same as me? If so, please bring them to light on this forum.
...
-bhaktha

not so sure about the 'damage" aspect. when a performer is castigated by XXX, it is usually a sure benchmark of his/her sucess. just look at his crazy reviews of nityasri, jayasri, aruna sairam etc.

on the other hand his over-the-board praise has always been forthcoming for certain voiceless mediocrities who can barely draw two dozen listeners to their concerts.
i doubt if many people wade through his vague prose in entirety. his reviews could have been written easily without actually attending the concert in question.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 01 Aug 2007, 21:31

We can do without the XXX surely?

Does the critic say, "I attended XXX's concert last night..."?

So let the critic be criticised.

It is the last profession on earth that should expect forbearance from others!

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 07 Aug 2007, 07:30

Hallo Sri Bhakta, and other CM devotees,
One can easily foresee the likely review(by a particular critic)that would appear in the Hindu Review column going by his past reviews.His predetermined phrases, adjectives,encomiums and brick-bats used for a particular artist on a concert are vivid and stereo type.Here are some examples.
His oft-repeated USAGE OF adjectives are ,MECHANICAL , GARISH, HACKNEYED , TITANIC, SULLIED etc are known for his brutal attack on the artists who are balck listed by him.He never cares for the irremediable damage caused to the artists
His criticisms have never been constructive, neither they have been subjective.
All the irrelevant stuff, other than music will find place in his reviews.
People have already started ignoring them EN-TOTO.Bruised tomotoes can never
stay in the market for long, since the other good ones too will get spoiled
Ramaraj

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 07 Aug 2007, 10:40

nick H wrote:We can do without the XXX surely?

Does the critic say, "I attended XXX's concert last night..."?

So let the critic be criticised.

It is the last profession on earth that should expect forbearance from others!

I didn't want to name the critic...but since Nick has brought it up,...here goes...I was referring to Shri SVK in my last post.

-bhaktha

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 07 Aug 2007, 13:50

Dear Bhaktha ji,
In one of ur posts(Post No.6), U mentioned u are opening the proverbial PANDORA's BOX. I am in total agreement with you ,when question of musical career of some up and coming , and less privileged artists is put to stakes due to the unmindful criticism by the (musically) half baked yellow journalist, more due to the fact that even the editor does not seem to mind the counter opinions out-poured thru' the letters to the editor column and take restrictive action. Most of the time the letters ceremoniously wend their way to the dust bin.without caring for the feelings of the author of the letter
I am extremely happy that a thread has been started atleast now to air our views against this WHITE COLLARED, JOURNALISTIC, MERCY KILLINGS.
It may not be out of place to mention here about SWAMY HARIDOSS GIRI'S sayings.
Bhagavata apacharamm (meaning insult to music devotees) will never be pardoned by God himself . and the resultant punishment will be more severe than expected.HE would even tolerate denigration to HIM, but not to the Bhakthas.There are umpteen number of evidences in our ethics.Let the critic do some AATMA VICHAARANA , before proceeding with his usual POMPOUS quill-driving exercises.
Ramaraj

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 07 Aug 2007, 14:39

vageyakara wrote:Dear Bhaktha ji,
In one of ur posts(Post No.6), U mentioned u are opening the proverbial PANDORA's BOX. I am in total agreement with you ,when question of musical career of some up and coming , and less privileged artists is put to stakes due to the unmindful criticism by the (musically) half baked yellow journalist,
Ramaraj

Some selected senior artistes of long standing and repute have always been his targets too...It is almost that he does not find one good aspect in their music. If this were true, then why would the artistes be given prime slots, that too in most of the famous sabas, yaer after year??...Obviously the sabha secs and true rasikas know better.
-bhaktha

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 07 Aug 2007, 15:57

bhaktha wrote:
vageyakara wrote:Dear Bhaktha ji,
In one of ur posts(Post No.6), U mentioned u are opening the proverbial PANDORA's BOX. I am in total agreement with you ,when question of musical career of some up and coming , and less privileged artists is put to stakes due to the unmindful criticism by the (musically) half baked yellow journalist,
Ramaraj
Some selected senior artistes of long standing and repute have always been his targets too...It is almost that he does not find one good aspect in their music. If this were true, then why would the artistes be given prime slots, that too in most of the famous sabas, yaer after year??...Obviously the sabha secs and true rasikas know better.
-bhaktha

Dear Bhaktaji,
U are absolutely correct.Even Senior Artists( black-listed by him) are his regular target, but knowledgeable rasikas and Sab.Secs.are fully aware of his meaningless slip-shods and they attach little or no importance to them.But the blossoming youngsters who are deprived of proper exposure feel the pinch of it before long and the irony of it is that they have no media support. It is in this context, the forum can play a corrective and constructive role that too without any bias whatsoever.
I would like to suggest one workable measure:-
Whenever an adverse view attributed to have emerged from his gullible pen , our critics can rise to the occasion and come to the rescue of the artist and post our un biased views in this EXCLUSIVE THREAD, solely due to the fact, that there is battery of reviewers in our forum , who value music alone and nothing else.
Ramaraj

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 21 Aug 2007, 14:14

COME FRIDAY REVIEW !!!-EMANATES THE STINK UNABATEDLY !!! FROM THE PEN OF SVK.

The salient features of Neiveli S.Gopalan's concerts were, for reasons best known to him(SVK), conveniently overshadowed in as much as SVK refers to the "shadows of the past of NSG's) peeping at times !!! What an unscrupulous way of reviewing the concert .
I am sure the hearing capabilities of (svk) are gradually deteriorating and it is high time he immediately consults an ENT specialist.Since 99 out of 100 rasikas are able to assimilate the essence of Sri NSG's dedicated music passed on to him thru his predecessors , the GARISH, MECHANICAL, HACKNEYED(the adjectives as is usually used by the VIVACIOUS CRITIQUE) receptivity of the of the critic has only come to the surface.The Hindu also does not seem to care the deleterious effect it causes to the artist and his rasikas.
Ramaraj

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 21 Aug 2007, 14:29

Neyveli's Kedara Gowlai has stayed in the auditorium after that excellent neraval and was recently briefly awakened again by TMK.

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 21 Aug 2007, 16:05

U r absolutely correct wsuresh ji,
Whereas kEdAra gowlai and it's beautiful get-up(Neiveli brought to the ragam) did not seem to have fallen into the
KELAAKKAADAR's (meaning in tamil, the deaf ears)of i.e.( SVK's ears !!)God only knows where SVK strayed a bit !!
Ramaraj

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 21 Aug 2007, 16:29

Hallo CMLovers,
Evidently , SVK seems to be pruning more judiciously into an orthopedic specialist than a puritan CM crtitic, with his own idealistic pursuit to mend the FRACTURED VOICE , leaving his FRACTURED views much to be desired.Rasikas can judge for themselves the slipshod scribblings, if put in his own inimical , bombastic nonsensical literacy,sans any musical values.Perhaps he wants to emulate Lakshmikanthan of Hindu- Nesan of yester years
Ramaraj.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 21 Aug 2007, 20:43

Am I glad today that I am not SVK

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 21 Aug 2007, 21:02

Hi arasi,
I can bet, I would never come across such a merciless review from any musically knowledgeable critic One and the only critic who can be so callous, would be none other than SVK.At least from now onwards rasikas would do well to either ignore his scribblings or keenly watch out for his forthcoming ones to judge for themselves as to how meticulously he ventures to down grade certain artists whom he targets to malign their fame.My contention is that SVK is not infallible !! and that , He is not the MOUNT ROAD MAHA VISHNU after all !!!
Ramaraj

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 21 Aug 2007, 21:19

vageya,
If you mean SVK is running a vilification campaign, then your comparison with Lakshikanthan does not seem to be appropriate. Lakshmikanthan was a journalist - not an art critic - and he exposed the moral rot in Kodambakkam, particularly the big-wigs, who are admired even now as great CM artists (no names).

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 21 Aug 2007, 21:50

hALLO vgv, WHAT I MEANT was, that his unmindful scribblings are equally injurious both to the artist and to the feelings of discerning rasikas of Neiveli or for that matter any artist whose primary intention is to entertain his rasikas .The debilated quality of his review is nonetheless equal to that of Lakshmikanthan's insofar as it relates to the silent
havoc caused to both the artist and to the tranquility of rasikas' minds.
ramaraj

Sergey85 · Post by **Sergey85** » 22 Aug 2007, 13:21

Oops|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||;)

dvijavanti · Post by **dvijavanti** » 22 Aug 2007, 16:34

i completely agree with vageyakara ji .
i was one of them who attended shri neyveli ji's concerts at krishna gana sabha , with three of my friends . it was an ECSTASIC experience . i have no words to describe the sanchras he made in kedara gowla , such subtlety , such classicism!!!!some of the pidis were so refreshingly new !!!!we three were discussing about his concert throughout that night ,and realised how many things we learnt from him . he is truly a MUSICIAN'S MUSICIAN.
so youd understand how shocking it would have been for us three , when we saw that ghastly article from shri SVK , we were even doubting whether he actually attended the concert or not!!!!! none of his comments were relevant to what actually happened at shri neiveli's concert . his voice was as mellifluous as the veena , he chose brisk kritis as opposed to SVKs remark of "lethargic" . all that appeared in the hindu were his INDIVIDUAL opinion, and (with due respects), very biased opinions at that. he has no idea what shri neiveli ji's concerts mean ,not only to aged and experienced rasikas but to youngsters like us.

dvijavanti · Post by **dvijavanti** » 22 Aug 2007, 16:47

Such comments would deny the prospective rasikas of the delightful experience of attending shri neiveli jis concerts, which would be a great loss to them indeed.
THE HINDU should definitely scan the reviews sent to them, especially by SVK ji , and chuck the biased or irrelevant articles right at the bin, considering the disastrous impact it is likely to have on the rasikas.
i also humbly request shri SVK to OPEN HIS EARS , and his MIND , while listening to concerts and not succumb to his personal grudges or prejudice .
thank you
my humble apologies if i have been rude at any point of time

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 22 Aug 2007, 20:33

I feel that all the attention lavished on the critic does not help. We do not have to get virulent about his virulence.

Neyveli's music is one of a kind. He needs neither attestations nor certificates of merit!

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 22 Aug 2007, 21:18

I'm so disappointed that I missed the kgs concert. I attended other concerts but keep missing my favourites. After reading some of the previous posts, one wonders if SVK is really that influential in the music circle..I, for one, don't care about what he writes. At the end of the day, music appreciation is a personal thing.

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 22 Aug 2007, 22:01

arasi wrote:I feel that all the attention lavished on the critic does not help. We do not have to get virulent about his virulence.

Neyveli's music is one of a kind. He needs neither attestations nor certificates of merit!

Hallo Arasi.
Even though knowledgeable Rasikas care a little for the rubbish reviews of SVK,it is the duty of CM devotees, atleast to raise their voices whenever unjustified views are put forth by him against any artist.Our forum members can live up to the expectations in bringing our unbiased feelings thru' the forum."A BRUISED TOMATO IS ONLY FIT TO BE
THROWN IN TO THE DUST BIN".
Ramaraj

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 23 Aug 2007, 13:10

arasi wrote:I feel that all the attention lavished on the critic does not help. We do not have to get virulent about his virulence. !

Must confess that I am left slightly wishing I'd never asked

But if a public figure, whose job is criticism, is to be criticised, I still don't think he deserves annonimity.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 23 Aug 2007, 20:40

Nick,
I am very much with you in what you say. I am just as ticked off by him. Yet, we don't have to go on about it as if THAT is going to have any effect on him. Yes, we as rasikAs have to say it, and in no uncertain terms too. It is not the number of times one rasikA or other says it. If one rasikA keeps harping on it with long posts of emotional outbursts, we may get less effective in our wanting him to pay attention to what we say. More and more number of rasikAs expressing their opinion on the forum would make him and the newspaper hear our voices (hopefully). Well, Neyveli's concert too gets spoken over and over again. As I said before, he is a class act and doesn't need to be mentioned repeatedly in our ire against a man who neither possesses the gift of music nor writes as a true reviewer would. Well, all I am not in favor of is the nagging nature of the complaint. Getting emotional and thus behaving almost like him

isn't effective perhaps, is my point...

vageyakara · Post by **vageyakara** » 23 Aug 2007, 21:07

hALLO eVERY c.mDEVOTEE,
my humble suggestion is to make out a printed version of page (1)(2)etc....and send the same to the Hindu, so as to record our concerns, solely due to the reason, that voices raised thru' letters to the Editor column do not at all reach the desired destination.!!!and particularly due to the fact that Sri SVK should stop white collared , JOURNALISTIC , MERCY KILLING THROUGH HIS CALLOUS PEN.As forum members we don't have even a molecular grudge against him or for that matter anybody whose criticisms are constructive and for the benefit of Carnatic Music which is DIVINE !!!
In the name of criticism one should not frighten the younger generation aspirants (who are about to take it up as a serious subject) , whereby trying to decimate the
proverbial GOLDEN GOOSE !!!!
Ramaraj