VEENAVAADHINI: VEENAVAADHINI Pilgrimage with Dikshitar

Saturday, May 17, 2008

VEENAVAADHINI Pilgrimage with Dikshitar

Tiruvateeswarar Temple is a beautiful serene place in the heart of Chennai, right in the midst of busy Jambazaar (Tiruvetiswaran Pettai). Muthuswamy Dikshitar has composed the beautiful "Tiruvateeswaram Namami" in praise of the Lord here, and his consort Champakavalli. As part of our Pilgrimage with Dikshitar, a small group of us sang this song sitting in front of the shrine just after the abhishekam was performed. It was a wonderful experience. We started off with Mahaganapathim in Nattai, and then Sri Guruguha in Devakriya was rendered. We concluded with Somaskandam, a Nottuswara Sahityam, and Sri Abhayamba as mangalam.

Those who participated in the group singing along with us were Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Vidya, Rajani, Archana, Bhuvana, Syamala Thyagarajan, Selvaprasad (violin) and Venkataraman (Mridangam). Smt and Sri HP Ramamurthy, and the temple authorities organized the prasadam.

The audio recording of the song is available on Veenavaadhini's podcast.

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OBJECTIVES OF VEENAVAADHINI

VEENAVAADHINI has five long-term objectives, which are detailed below:

1. Veenavaadhini Sadhanalaya: Veenavaadhini School of Veena and Vocal music aims at teaching all that we have learnt, so that the efforts of our Gurus in painstakingly grooming us does not come to a naught, but is passed on to future generations. The target student groups are those with keenness to learn the intricacies of classical music and having a passion to preserve its pristine purity. Classes on Veena and Vocal are given in-house as well as over the internet. Workshops and lectures are also conducted for cultural organizations, institutions and student groups.

2. Conducting Chamber Concerts: The ambience created in a chamber concert is very difficult to replicate in a concert hall. The very sense of a close rapport with the rasikas present in a chamber music environment enthuses the artist to excel himself, and more often than not we get to hear the best music only in chamber settings. We have had stalwarts as well as upcoming talents present memorable performances at our residence, which is the venue for the Veenavaadhini Chamber Concerts organized by us.

3. Music and Festivals: In India, our festivals are centered around Gods and Goddesses, and Carnatic music finds its lyrical expression in the plethora of compositions or kritis by various composers, rich in musical content, steeped in devotion, in praise of the various deities that we worship during various festivals throughout the year. We have been organizing concerts having themes such as Vinayaka, Krishna, Rama, Subramanya, centred around festivals of Ganesh Chaturthi, Gokulashtami, Rama Navami, Thai Poosam and the like, wherein the artist sings the whole concert based on compositions pertaining to that particular deity, in keeping with the festive spirit and religious fervour.

4. Veenavaadhini Archives: This would be by far the most unique of all our activities. It is a lifetime project undertaken by us where we intend to audio archive over 1000 carnatic compositions, such as Varnams, Kritis, Tukkadas and Thillanas, and over 100 Raga Alapanas which will be played on the Veena by us. The aim of this mammoth endeavour is to reaffirm that music on the Veena can fully conform to the requirements of vocal music, and all the intricacies of Carnatic music that the human voice can bring out can also be played on the Veena. This, we believe will help in showcasing the versatility of the Veena and its endless possibilities.

5. Pilgrimage with Muthuswamy Dikshitar: Belonging to the unbroken tradition of the Sishya Parampara of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, we consider it our privilege and responsibility to preserve and propagate his compositions. It is well known that Dikshitar had traveled the length and breadth of this country and composed on the various deities in the sanctum sanctorum of the temples that he visited. His kritis are a storehouse of historical and mythological information based on the sthala puranas of these temples. We at Veenavaadhini propose to pay tribute to this great vaggeyakara by visiting the temples that he went to and render his compositions pertaining to the relevant deity.

About the Founders of VEENAVAADHINI

JT Jeyaraaj Krishnan and Jaysri Jeyaraaj Krishnan (popularly known as Jeyaraaj and Jaysri) belong to the Direct Shishya Parampara of one of the greatest composers of Carnatic Music, Nadajyoti Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar.

Jeyaraaj and Jaysri started learning Music at a very young age and have undergone intensive training under Vainika Vidwan Late A. Anantharama Iyer and his sister Late A. Champakavalli, son and daughter respectively of Brahmasri A. Ananthakrishna Iyer who learnt directly from Ambi Dikshitar, the great grand nephew of Muthuswamy Dikshitar.

Jeyaraaj and Jaysri have also had the privilege of learning from Sangeetha Acharya Vidwan Sri Chingleput Ranganathan.

"A" grade veena artistes of AIR Chennai, this husband and wife team has regaled audiences in Chennai as well as other parts of the country, and abroad.

Veena holds a revered place in Carnatic Music. Jeyaraaj and Jaysri endeavour to dedicate themselves to preserve and propagate the "Gaayaki" style of playing the Veena.

To know more about the veena couple, you may also visit their website at http://www.veenajj.com/.

VEENAVAADHINI

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

VEENAVAADHINI Pilgrimage with Dikshitar

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OBJECTIVES OF VEENAVAADHINI

About the Founders of VEENAVAADHINI