"Dhruva Nakshatram" Book Release

[mridhangam]

Dear Members

A book in Tamil entitled "Dhruva Nakshatram" has been written by Shri Lalita Ram and is being released on the 11th December 2011 at 9 am at Raga Sudha Hall followed by a concert of Dr Vijayalakshmi Subramanyam. The invitation is attached. Members are cordially invited to attend the function and make it a grand success.

Mannarkoil J Balaji
Click on the image below to view the invitation please.

[rshankar]

Best Wishes!

[Gamakam]

Dear Shri. Balaji:

Thansk a lot for all the efforts in organizing this event.

Dear Rasikas: looking fwd meeting you all on the 11th.

regards
Lalitha ram

[Gamakam]

[veenajj]

This should definitely rank as the Literary Highlight of this season. Congratulations to Lalitha Ram.

Jeyaraaj and Jaysri

[Nick H]

Duplicate posting, but perhaps more appropriate in this thread...

Hands up who else thought that Gamakam must be one our learned elder[ly] member? He isn't! :$

This was an excellent function, followed by a superb concert. Met many friends, old and new. I hope they will forgive me if I have, in the future, no recollection of the event! Really was more than half asleep, I'm afraid.

My highlight of the morning was the double mridangam play of the two youngsters, students of Sri Kalidas, who really gave a wonderful tribute to PSP.

What can I say about the book? Very little, until my wife begins the serialisation ... except that it is beautifully produced and it is nice that we need think no longer of Sri PSP as a one-photograph mridangist. There are quite a few nice pictures in the book.

It was nice to see how well the event was attended, including several VIPs of the musical world.

In today's [now yesterday (11th)] Hindu: a write up about the book: Exploring Palani Subbudu's genius

[rshankar]

Nick, our Gamakam is not just a young man, but a young father as well, IIRC!

[arasi]

A sad miss on my part, Gamakam!
I was too tired, and had to be at Brahma Gana Sabha for Radha Viswanathan.
Hope we can meet. Will try and peek in at the Rasikas meet, at least for a short while. Even before I knew the date, I had commited myself to another engagement.
Will buy the book, of course! Though I haven't been to your blog in a while, your writing is something I admire...

[Gamakam]

shankar: you are right:-)

arasi: Nick conveyed your wishes yesterday. Would be nice to catch up during the season. I'll be in chennai between dec 23 and jan 1. I'm still trying my best to make it to the rasikas meet.

[Gamakam]

For those interested: The book is available for sale at the Karnatik Music Book Center. Alternatively it can be ordered online here: http://udumalai.com/?prd=thuruva+natcha ... s&id=10381

[thanjavooran]

The function started at 09 00 hrs with the invocation song by Aishwarya shankar. RV lighted the kuthuvilakku. [ I entered by 09 15 hrs ]
Bhaskar [ Publisher } read his key note address. He mentioned that Lalitahram is an expert in writing biography with facts and figures. As his speech was rapid I could not make out much. Golden shawl honour formality went on well.
Sruti Janaki SK R Vedavalli
Kalidass Murali of MA
J. Balaji Dr BMS
Raghuprasad SK designate T S
Murali released the first copy and BMS received it
It was mentioned that the book is dedicated to BMS

Murali

He thanked the organises for advancing the function by an hour enabling him to attend MA meeting
The crowd on the annual Gurupuja day [ PSP] was very disappointing.
Both PMI and PSP are genious in their own way and style. Both were soft , intellectual and their playing was aeasthitic.
The initial handicap faced --he was a LH player.
Chembai V B encouraged him a lot. In one concert he was allowed to perform 5 Thani Avarthanams
When PMI got president award PSP gave him a warm send off
He was a noble person with pleasing qualities.
Nowadays IT professionals have turned to be Biography writers.
MA awarded for the first time SK to a Pudukottai style player [ TS ]

BMS

His first Gurunathar was PSP
He planned to learn Thavil intially . But his parents wanted him to learn Mirudhangam
MNK also was a student along with him.
Every week end he used to go to Trichy from Thanjavur to learn Mirudhangam from PSP
He was a number one vidwan and his kanakku will be aeasthitic.
Playing for a song [ with synchronze ] is very difficult and he was doing it perfectly.
He was given only a second place for reasons not known.
Lalitharam's work is wonderful and has written this biography nicely.


Lalitharam

In a humble way he mentioned that he has only compiled the information he tapped from verious source . Historical documentations are very less.

Trichy Sankaran

He started his speech in tamil and slowly switched over to english.
This is the first documentation on PSP
PSP was a genius and is quite evident from the learned gathering in the hall.
There are three methods of documentation
a Through research work
b From anecdotes shared from the descendents [ reliable source ]
c Through books.
PSP died 49 yrs back and his Gurupuja was conducted by MNK
In Pudukottai there are temple monuments for Mamundiya pillai and Dakshinamoorthy pillai side by side.
GNB together with PSP had performed quite number of concerts and both were thick friends.
He had unique opportunity of double mirudhangam along with his Guru PSP and accompanied all stalwarts viz ARI , SSI, GNB
This was the great introduction for him to enter into CM
Pudukottai style is different and the Balapadam specifies in detail the various patterns. It has a speciality how to accompany a music in a concet.
In his view Gurukulavasam is important and that too for performing as double mirudhangam
The final mohara style in thani is formed by Mamundia pillai. He had also set mohara for thirupugazh
Palghat Ragu has learnt a lot from PSP though he was adopting Thanjavur style.
PSP was an expert in playing for thukkada too
He was a pucca vocalist. He can sing perfectly with sruthi sudhdham . His rendering of thodi kriti Munnu ravana was excellent .
Both SSI and PSP used to render kalpana swarm alternately.
PSP and PMI had mutual admiration
PSP appealed to the audience at Thiruvaiyaru during aradhana that to listen to TS 's Thani and to bless him.
PSP was an everlasting shining star and the name Duruva Nakshathiram and the name of the book aptly fits in.

Finally vote of thanks by J Balaji and he did not leave even a single person and covered all who were instrumental for the smooth conduct of this function.

My observations

Everbody praised the efforts of young Lalitharam for bringing out such a book. Sizable audience left immediately after this function as there was a gap of 15 mts for the concert to start. A discount of 20% was offered on the price of book on that day. Definitely there will be omissions of some important points . Corrections are most welcome.

Thanjavooran 13 12 2011

[Gamakam]

The first chapter of my book can be read here: http://solvanam.com/?p=18173

Lalitha Ram

[anand_900315]

For the benefit of those who could not make it to the function, here is the selected speech and also the double mrudangam thani avarthanam that Nick said a tribute to PSP. Follow the YouTube link below;

1) Vidwan KS Kalidas Speech - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAhOWXTETS4
2) Dr. (Prof.) Trichy Sankaran Speech - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjrmyfskptI
3) Double Mrudangam Thani Avarthanam (L Subramanyan and Akshay Anand who are disciples of Vid. KS Kalidas)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGqEoUYo3ks

Anand

[mridhangam]

Members

You have missed out on reporting the excellent, dignified, well-balanced concert provided by Dr.Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam on that day and the sterling accompaniment provided by Shri B Raghavendra Rao which made the mridangam duo raise to the occasion. I earnestly request Thanjavooran sir to report about the concert also if time permits.

Thanks in advance
Mannarkoil J Balaji

[anand_900315]

Here is a write up on the book "Dhuruva Natchthiram" in todays Chennai Times of India. Follow the below link.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/ ... wMode=HTML


Anand

[raghavt]

i missed it all Thanks for the review and links... And congrats to all who made this function a hit

[Nick H]

You have missed out on reporting the excellent, dignified, well-balanced concert provided by Dr.Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam on that day and the sterling accompaniment provided by Shri B Raghavendra Rao which made the mridangam duo raise to the occasion.

Very true. It was a superb concert which I enjoyed from first to last. I have not seen her sing before, but I gather she is a very well-respected artist. I look forward to hearing her again.

[Nick H]

The book has now been translated into English.

I didn't make it to the launch on 21st December, but will certainly be getting a copy

Dhruva Nakshatram, Published in English by Sruti.