KARUVATTA CHUNDAN VALLAM

Posted on June 17, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

A brand new Chundan Vallam is being constructed at KARUVATTA, near Haripad, in Alleppey District. Karuvatta is situated at upper Kuttanad in Kerala. It is famous for the PAYIPPAD Vallam Kali (Jalotsavam) during Onam, Thiruvonam, Avittam and Chathayam. This is the only Jalotsavam where the Jalotsavam is spread on three days. Karuvatta is one of the participant of this Utsavam – KARUVATTA, CHERUTHANA, AYAPARAMPU, ANARI, KARICHAL, PAYIPPAD, VALIYAKULANGARA ETC. ETC are the participants of this Utsavam.All of these villages have their own boats. These boats participates in other Jalotsavams also – such as Moolam Vallam Kali (on 19th June, 2008 at 2 PM you can see live in TV-Amrita). Nehru Trophy, and many other Jolotsavams in the state. Kerala Govt. declared Jalotsam as one of the approved sport item.

The existing Chundan Vallam belonging to KARUVATTA has become oldand now the village members are constructing a brand new one with the co-operation of some 50 enthusiasts in this sports. The construction will be over and the NEETTIL IRAKKU (Inauguration) will be on the 23rd July, 2008 and this being one of the auspicious function, people from all the neighbouhood villages including dignitaries in the state will attend.

We wish KARUVATTA and it’s enthusiastic supporters a successful journey ahead in the coming days.

Pooram Mahotsavam 2008

Posted on June 17, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

The Three Gems

Posted on June 13, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

The Three Gems
Friday May 30 2008 11:46 IST Express Features Thiruvananthapuram

ONE is quite tensed, the other one is very serious about the whole thing and the third one is absolutely cool. This is what we felt as we caught up with Arjun Krishna, Harisankar and Mahadevan respectively, the three finalists (all hailing from Thiruvananthapuram) of Ragaratnam Junior, the reality show to find the best talent in Carnatic music, aired by Amrita TV.

The first prize winner will win Rs 3 lakh. The second and third prize winners will get Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively. Besides V Dakshinamoorthy and the house judges of the show, ie Binni Krishnakumar, Sriram and Kavalam Sreekumar, the final will have three celebrity judges who are doyens in the field of Carnatic music.

“I have to do well and so I am practising regularly in the morning and evening,” said Harisankar, a Class IX student of Infant Jesus School, Kowdiar. And giving him all encouragement is his father Alleppey Sreekumar, assistant professor, Swathi Tirunal Music College, Thiruvananthapuram.

“Now I am taking lessons from my grandmother also,” said Hari, referring to music exponent Prof K Omanakutty. He is all praise for the show. “I have learnt about many aspects of music through this show,” said Hari, who hopes to make it big in music field some day. “I want to make a mark in different kinds of music and become a good musician,” he added.

He has already sung in four films- Valkkannadi, Saphalyam, the remake of Vigathakumaran and Rishivamsham.

“I have done well in the kacheri round. I also got appreciation in Ragam Thanam Pallavi and Thillana rounds too,” said Hari, who is the elder son of Sreekumar and Kamalalekshmi. “I have got support from all my family members,” he said.

Arjun Krishna had made ripples in music field before he became a participant in Ragaratnam Junior, thanks to the 10 songs he sang in the musical film Anandabhairavi. However, the show has been a different game altogether, he said.

“It has been a really good experience for me. It is because of the show that I learnt Pancharatnakeerthana and I have learnt a lot sitting through different rounds,” said Arjun, a Class X student of Christ Nagar School.

His teacher and guru has been his father M Balakrishnan, music teacher with Karikkakam Government HS. Besides Anandabhairavi, Arjun has also sung in Oruvan.

“Through the show I could reach out to more people. And I have got appreciation from viewers outside the country also,” said Arjun. He considers kacheri round and Meera bhajan round as his best ones. “I am a bit tensed. But, hope to do well in the final. May the talented one get the prize,” said Arjun.

Mahadevan, who has won scores of fans through not just his music but also his infectious smile, is quite a happy-go-lucky fellow.

“I have no tension. I just want to go there and sing well, that’s all. I never thought I would reach this far,” said Mahadevan, who is a Class VI student at Shantiniketan School, Peyad. “He is very young and so naturally he is pretty easy going. He is a bit lazy about practicing,” said V Jayalakshmy, Mahadevan’s mother, who is a school teacher. His father Sriram is doing business.

It was Lalitha, his paternal grandmother who initiated him into music. “She started teaching me veena first. Then I started learning singing from her. Now I learn from Kavalam Sajeev. Actually my veena recital in the show was much appreciated,” said Mahadevan. He had also scored well in Thillana round and sargasangeetham round.

The final will be held at University Senate Hall this Saturday from 6 p.m. Entry to the venue has been restricted by free pass. To obtain the same, do contact 9847171137. The event will be telecast on Amrita channel on June 8 from 6.30 p.m. onwards.

Notes left unsung

Posted on June 13, 2008

Notes left unsung
Thursday June 12 2008 12:57 IST Express Features Thiruvananthapuram

Every song has a story behind it. Likewise, every singer, music director and lyricist too has one; some tinged with pain, some eminently joyful.

And many of the tales are quite delectable, but regrettably – and perhaps conveniently – forgotten by the tinselworld.

Meri Aawaz Suno (Lipi Publications – Rs 75) and Engine Naam Marakkum (Olive Publications – Rs 100), two slim volumes in Malayalam by journalist and music critic Ravi Menon is about those stories. The first book deals with Hindi film music, while the other, a slightly larger one, is on its Malayalam cousin.

Christened with the opening line of a Mohammed Rafi song, Meri Aawaz Suno… is not a chronological that’s-what-happened on Hindi film music, but a compilation of musical incidents, events and histories.

It also has some interesting bits on people who almost made it big, but whose stars incredulously waned after that supreme, meteoric, moment of glory.

Ravi starts off with the legendary tiff between O.P.Nayyar and Lata Mangeshkar, sparked off by Lata’s failure to turn up for a rehearsal. It is one of numerous juicy tid-bits in the book. Here are some others.

Did you know that the guitar bits in the cultish number Dam maaro dam… from Hare Rama Hare Krishna was by singer Bhupinder? Or that Malayalam’s own P.Jayachandran got an invite from the blue from Telugu producer Pundareekakshayya to sing five numbers for a film just because he resembled Mohammed Rafi in looks?

Another readable chapter is on the happy rivalry that exists between Rafi and Kishore fans. Both represented diametrically opposite crooning styles, and tastes.

The author quotes poet Javed Akhtar who once attributed Kishore’s sudden rise to the transformation in the average Indian’s perspective, and the change from a rural point-of-view to the urban by the end of the `60s.

The touching episodes in the book are beautifully penned. How singer Shailendra Singh, who immortalised several hit numbers for Bobby never quite made it afterwards.

How ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh started off his career in tinsel world with a jingle, the tragic end of Nazia Hassan, the Pakistani beauty who gave to Indians that chic number Aap jaisa koi mere…, and many more.

You’ve tapped your feet to I’m a disco dancer… from the 1983 Mithun Chakraborthy-starrer Disco Dancer. But the singer never did become another Kishore Kumar, did he? The book also strives to bust some enduring myths.

This is best exemplified by a chapter – in fact the closing one of the book – on the number of songs Rafi sang. Rafi buffs easily roll out a stellar 26,000 songs, but whether that’s a fact is another story.

Meri Aawaz Suno can also leave you with the feeling that a lot has been left unsaid. For one, you read about Rafi (a lot about him, in fact), Kishore and even Manna Dey. But little is said about Mukesh, who made up the triumvirate with Kishore and Rafi in the `50s and `60s, and sang some of the immortal melodies of Hindi filmdom.

On the other hand, this book, as said earlier, is not a year-by-year history of Hindi film music, but a rare attempt to document a few memorable tales. In that, the author has succeeded.

ENGINE NAAM MARAKKUM This book is divided into three sections – Naadam, Gaanam and Eenam. Like Meri Aawaz Suno, this book also delves into the rare moments of Malayalam film music history, but in greater depth.

The first part is about the singers – from K.J.Yesudas to K.S.Chithra to Vani Jayaram and Brahmanandan. The second section, which is mostly about songs, relates some rare stories behind their creation. Like Yusuf Ali Kecheri’s visit to Naushad’s home to get him create music for Dhwani. ‘‘Naushad performed magic,’’ Kecheri remembers.

Most of the names in the book will be familiar to Malayali music afficionados, but one chapter in it is particularly arresting. The story behind the evergreen Ezhilam paala poothu…. It may come as a surprise to many that the music direction for this song was not by a Malayali. Like Meri Aawaz Suno, Engine Naam Marakkum also will prove a collectible for music buffs. You can contact Ravi Menon on 9447385575.

Central Govt Committee to monitor Children participating in Reality Shows

Posted on June 12, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

Central Govt Committee to monitor Children participating in Reality Shows

Raga Ratnam Junior – a post-mortem of the final 3 prizes

Posted on June 10, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

I notice a significant difference in marks by one of the in-house judges. These marks were hidden during the final day’s prize declaration, several of my friends who were present called me and told me about this element of doubt, confusion and surprise regarding the declaration of winner. Raga Ratnam Junior was a show which consistently kept the quality element throughout it’s entire journey and it was really surprising to notice a surprise factor at the final moments of it’s culmination.

It is in our blood to criticise whatever good things happen in this world. It starts from a simple sadhya we attend cribbing either salt was little bit more or Aviyal was too thick or even the cherupazham was too small. It is very easy for us to judge from outside what really happened. However, here in this case, when we are looking at consistency of the performers and the judges in their final judgement.

Doing a post-mortem of the final day’s scores given by all the 7 judges we clearly notice something irregular.

Marks scored in the Kacheri round added with the Marks given by the external judges clearly shows a consistency element leading to the best performer amongst the three gem. I am not under-rating Arjun’s capabilities and fighting spirits, but when we consider the performance on the final day as well as the penultimate episode, it was Harishankar who performed better among the two. A rewind of the recordings will clearly highlight the differences and shortfalls on those two days. If we consider also a grading system based on the performances by the three, we will see a different set of winner for this title.

Here again, this is one outstanding programme, which was not ruled by highly prized gift packet and/or sponsored by publicity seeking Reality sponsors and so I do not want to add an element of confusion to the awards already declared.

My disappointment is how on earth Sri Kavalam Sreekumar ji, who happened to be their in-house groomer for this show, managed to give entirely different set of marks for the 1st and 2nd place? Was it an addition mistake or was it an after-effect of some unhappy incident during the grooming sessions cribbing in his mind and creeping above board over and over. Or is it an opportunistic exhibition of a professional rivalry with one of the family members of this young talent, who happened to be born in a legendary musical family, which obviously not his fault. Whatever the case may be, we all have seen in our epics like Mahabharatha that undue favouritism amongst disciples to make way for one to become a leader over duly deserving other has finally created in self destruction of the Guru himself and we sincerely hope it will not be the case here. If mistake has been committed, it is time to do a self analysis by those involved as it is happening too many times and nature is one thing which has immense amount of patience, but when it loses it’s patience, the destruction will be too strong to defend.

This is an exceptional case where Amrita TV cannot be held responsible for the errors made and congratulating once again all the three gems and all the 15 finalists who participated in this wonderful programme for their outstanding efforts to promote real and soulful music. They are very young and have already covered a lot of miles in terms of knowledge, publicity and popularity which their peers could never even dream about.

Special mention to Sri Dakshinamoorthy Swamy and K L Sreeram for their detailed judgements and Sri Binny Krishnakumar, Sri Sankaran Namboothiri, Sreevalsan J Menon, Anuradha Krishnamoorthy, Sri Jagannatha Varma (excuse me for all others who participated) for their dedicated support. I take this opportunity to thank once again the producer of this show, presenter and accompanying artists who performed exceptionally well throughout the entire duration. God bless you all to continue your dedicated work to promote true talents.

Raga Ratnam Junior – final marks

Posted on June 8, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

Soorya – India Festival Abu Dhabi – 20th May 2008

Posted on May 20, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015