A couple of years back, one of my close friends started writing a blog.
I had been an avid reader of other people's blogs on the internet. But I subliminally thought it was something done by those who had a lack of
better things to do. (There are so many things in life that everybody
condemns but also patronizes isn't it ?)
However, when this friend of mine started blogging, my view of
bloggers changed abruptly. I realized it was something really worthwhile.
Further I saw that it was an easy way to develop and maintain good written
English skills. Blogs are fun and free.
So I started thinking about what to blog on. A wonderful idea hit me.
Why not write about communication itself ? Succintness in communication
is something everyone admires, except when it is so terse as to be rude.
As a keen reader of the great Hindu epics, one of the characters I admire
most is Hanuman - the hero of the latter half of the Ramayana. Among his many
strengths, Hanuman is portrayed as a person who doesn't waste words. His words
pack as much punch as his fists. When he returns to Kishkinta after finding Seeta's
wherabouts, Hanuman says to Rama "Found Seeta, the personification of chastity".
While this sentence may sound a little odd in syntax, it is a gem as far as brevity
is concerned. With his very first word, Hanuman conveys that Seeta's location is
known. In the second phrase, Hanuman confirms that Seeta is still loyal to, and
longing to be re-united with Rama. This one sentence is enough to put to the love of
life back into Rama's sorrowful heart.
A former President of the USA, Calvin Coolidge was well-known for his succintness.
So much so that his nickname was "Silent Cal". A story goes that a presumptuous
reporter sat next to the president at a dinner. She told Calvin, "Mr.President,
I made a bet that I could get you to speak more than two words to me tonight".
Calvin replied "You lost" and continued eating!
Recently I prepared a report for one of my senior co-workers. A month later,
I still hadn't heard from him, so I called him up and checked on its status.
He said, "You know what Sriman, the report has so many text paragraphs
that I couldn't bring myself to sit down and read it". This comment got me
thinking.Personally I myself feel very discomfited reading emails that are more two
paragraphs long. Would it be fair to expect others to do what I loathe ?
Since then I've made a conscious attempt at brevity. (My blogs are exempted ;-)
Invariably you'll find that a verbose person also has trouble getting to the crux
of problems quickly.
Coming to think of it, conciseness is not just easier on the reader/listener - it
is also an unmistakable sign of mental clarity on part of the speaker/writer.
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Friday, April 8, 2011
Tribute to a legend
Recently a great man passed away..he has tremendously influenced the childhood of almost every member of my generation in my family.
Wonder who he is ? He is Anant Pai – the man who was the brain behind the Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle comics. As a child, I spent countless hours reading, re-reading, re-re-reading these cute little books. They were the best gifts I received as a child, and my knowledge of our culture and my English vocabulary grew simultaneously thanks to them. Even today, I love reading these.
Also, some of us might recall the Indrajal comics (Phantom, Mandrake, etc etc). Anant Pai was part of the Times of India team that produced these. Later he quit to start his own company that gave birth to Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle. His comics have sold over 300 million copies.
Anant Pai was a very savvy businessman while at the same time being culturally sensitive. He passed away on Feb 24 2011 at the age of 81.
More details about him in these webpages:
http://www.answers.com/topic/anant-pai
http://www.hindu.com/yw/2004/10/09/stories/2004100900080400.htm
EndarO mahAnubhAvulu andhariki vandanamulu…
Wonder who he is ? He is Anant Pai – the man who was the brain behind the Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle comics. As a child, I spent countless hours reading, re-reading, re-re-reading these cute little books. They were the best gifts I received as a child, and my knowledge of our culture and my English vocabulary grew simultaneously thanks to them. Even today, I love reading these.
Also, some of us might recall the Indrajal comics (Phantom, Mandrake, etc etc). Anant Pai was part of the Times of India team that produced these. Later he quit to start his own company that gave birth to Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle. His comics have sold over 300 million copies.
Anant Pai was a very savvy businessman while at the same time being culturally sensitive. He passed away on Feb 24 2011 at the age of 81.
More details about him in these webpages:
http://www.answers.com/topic/anant-pai
http://www.hindu.com/yw/2004/10/09/stories/2004100900080400.htm
EndarO mahAnubhAvulu andhariki vandanamulu…
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Three stalwarts who brought Carnatic music to the masses
Ever since I started learning Carnatic music formally, I have been
thinking occasionally about its evolution and history. Carnatic music
is very ancient - sages like Matanga have defined
the characteristic of a Raaga. A raaga may be defined as a set of tunes that
conform to a particular frequency pattern. In Tamilnadu,India, the name given to a
"raaga" was "pann". Many of the 63 Saivite saints (Naayanmaars) were musicians
and many of the Thevaram hymns(pasurams) were set to specific "pann"-s.
For a very (unreasonably) long time, carnatic music
remained the preserve of a small minority. It was confined to
the temples or the royal courts. Music was practiced only by certain
communities like the "oduvaars" who sang devotional songs in the temples
or the courtesans who entertained the royalty. Outside of these groups,
nobody had any inclination to learn and practice music. Even if they did,
they weren't encouraged. Even if they were encouraged there was not much of
structure to musical training. In the absence of structured training,
only those with exceptional natural talent could sing well.
Enter Sri Purandara Dasa (1484-1564 AD). A gemstone merchant and pawnbroker by
profession, he had no leaning towards anything other money until the age of 30.
At that age, he suddenly had an epiphany, gave up all his wealth and spent the
rest of his life in devotion. His abrupt transformation was accompanied by
a happy blossoming of music knowledge in his mind.
Purandara Dasa's greatest contribution to the field of Carnatic music training
was the establishment of a set of exercises for beginners. The first set of
exercises - the varisais, were designed to give a beginner control over sruthi or
frequency. The second set of exercises - the alankarams, were devised to help
the beginner develop control over taalam or speed. Together, the varisais and
alankarams helped the learner to get a grasp over the two fundamental aspects
of carnatic music - namely sruthi and laya. In addition, Purandara Dasa also
composed a few geethams - simple songs that gave the student a clear understanding
of how a carnatic music song (krithi) could be built up through the building
blocks of sruthi and laya.
The true beauty of Purandara Dasa's exercises lies in their simplicity.
Anyone with interest in carnatic music and even a very modest amount of musical
talent could learn to sing tunefully by repeated practice of the simple varisais,
alankarams and geethams. Suddenly, the gates to musical training were thrown
open to all. Music was no longer an esoteric science!
The second great stalwart in the field of Carnatic music was Sri Thyagaraja (1767-1847 AD).
He took the next step in bringing Carnatic music closer to the masses. He introduced
the concept of "sangathi". Through his compositions, he captured the main phrases in raagas.
Thus, by singing a major krithi like "Kadhhanu vaariki", an artiste can capture
the essence of the raaga Thodi. In addition, Thyagaraja's krithis also allowed
the singer to explore the nuances of a raaga according to the singer's manodharma(intellectual
capacity). For example, the pallavi of the krithi "Chakkani Raaja" can be repeated
many many times with variations that capture the essence of the raaga Kharahara Priya.
Thus, Thyagaraja's krithis provided a very convenient platform and medium for raaga
exploration.
Another major contribution from Thyagaraja was a set of songs that are categorized as Utsava
Sampradaya Krithis and Divya Naama Krithis. In a musical sense, these krithis were simpler
than his other compositions. These were mainly intended to allow lay people to sing and express
their devotion. Also, they might have been intended for children. The beauty of these krithis was
that, they allowed even people with meagre (or no) musical knowledge to sing raagas without
violating the syntax. For example, Bhairavi is a very complex raaga. A non musical person will
find it hard to understand Bhairavi's patterns, leave alone sing Bhairavi correctly. However, one
of Thyagaraja's Divya Nama krithis "Rama Kothanda Rama" set in Bhairavi, allows everyone
to sing and produce grammatically correct Bhairavi (though not at a very deep level)
The third great stalwart who brought Carnatic music closer to the masses was Sri Ariyakudi
Ramanuja Iyengar (1890-1967 AD). The manner in which he changed the kacheri (concert) format
was truly revolutionary. Pre-Ariyakudi, Carnatic music concerts used to be incredibly long-winded
affairs - often lasting 7-10 hours. Musicians focussed on the raagas and not on krithis. They
expatiated at great length on raagas, often repeating sangathis ad nauseam, never bothering about
audience interest or taste.
Carnatic concerts placed a ridiculous strain on the musicians' physical ability and forced the
audience to lose sleep. It was a lose-lose situation. The audience,
stymied by the shackles of tradition, never demanded shorter concerts and crisper
aalapanas. Nor did any Carnatic musician question this. It was just the way things were done.
Non-musical people who were even remotely interested in Carnatic music were repelled away by the
tedium of attending a concert.
Into this state of affairs strode Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. He combined genuine musical genius
with an astute marketing mind and a very persuasive personality. He was the first Carnatic musician
who thought about what really made the audience happy. In marketing terms, he was the first
Carnatic artiste without "marketing myopia". He shortened the Carnatic music concert to around 3-4
hours. Aalapanas became more succinct, and krithis were given their due importance. A concert would
typically begin with a short and brisk krithi/varnam, immediately creating an atmosphere of
enthusiasm and sowkyam. Ariyakudi continually checked the pulse of his audience. Whenever he realized
that interest was flagging, he would rev things up with a fast-paced krithi. Two or three raagas would
be expanded upon, towards the middle of the concert, followed by a series of lighter krithis.
The audience loved this pattern. They liked being able to get home sooner, relaxed, refreshed and
enthused. More musicians follwed suit, appreciative of the diminished strain on their physique. The
purists grumbled, but simply had to give in to the overwhelming common sense of the new pattern, and
the power of Ariyakudi's personality. The shorter (and sweeter) concerts began attracting wider
audiences, and encouraged budding Carnatic artistes to perform earlier and more frequently. Today,
there is a widespread interest in Carnatic music. The origin of this interest can be traced to the
shorter concert pattern that Ariyakudi pioneered.In my opinion, the way in which Ariyakudi brought
about this revolution is worthy of becoming a case study in marketing and change management in the
Harvard Business Review.
Carnatic music is said to have originated from God Himself. These three stalwarts brought it down
from Him to the ears and minds of lay mortals like you and me.
thinking occasionally about its evolution and history. Carnatic music
is very ancient - sages like Matanga have defined
the characteristic of a Raaga. A raaga may be defined as a set of tunes that
conform to a particular frequency pattern. In Tamilnadu,India, the name given to a
"raaga" was "pann". Many of the 63 Saivite saints (Naayanmaars) were musicians
and many of the Thevaram hymns(pasurams) were set to specific "pann"-s.
For a very (unreasonably) long time, carnatic music
remained the preserve of a small minority. It was confined to
the temples or the royal courts. Music was practiced only by certain
communities like the "oduvaars" who sang devotional songs in the temples
or the courtesans who entertained the royalty. Outside of these groups,
nobody had any inclination to learn and practice music. Even if they did,
they weren't encouraged. Even if they were encouraged there was not much of
structure to musical training. In the absence of structured training,
only those with exceptional natural talent could sing well.
Enter Sri Purandara Dasa (1484-1564 AD). A gemstone merchant and pawnbroker by
profession, he had no leaning towards anything other money until the age of 30.
At that age, he suddenly had an epiphany, gave up all his wealth and spent the
rest of his life in devotion. His abrupt transformation was accompanied by
a happy blossoming of music knowledge in his mind.
Purandara Dasa's greatest contribution to the field of Carnatic music training
was the establishment of a set of exercises for beginners. The first set of
exercises - the varisais, were designed to give a beginner control over sruthi or
frequency. The second set of exercises - the alankarams, were devised to help
the beginner develop control over taalam or speed. Together, the varisais and
alankarams helped the learner to get a grasp over the two fundamental aspects
of carnatic music - namely sruthi and laya. In addition, Purandara Dasa also
composed a few geethams - simple songs that gave the student a clear understanding
of how a carnatic music song (krithi) could be built up through the building
blocks of sruthi and laya.
The true beauty of Purandara Dasa's exercises lies in their simplicity.
Anyone with interest in carnatic music and even a very modest amount of musical
talent could learn to sing tunefully by repeated practice of the simple varisais,
alankarams and geethams. Suddenly, the gates to musical training were thrown
open to all. Music was no longer an esoteric science!
The second great stalwart in the field of Carnatic music was Sri Thyagaraja (1767-1847 AD).
He took the next step in bringing Carnatic music closer to the masses. He introduced
the concept of "sangathi". Through his compositions, he captured the main phrases in raagas.
Thus, by singing a major krithi like "Kadhhanu vaariki", an artiste can capture
the essence of the raaga Thodi. In addition, Thyagaraja's krithis also allowed
the singer to explore the nuances of a raaga according to the singer's manodharma(intellectual
capacity). For example, the pallavi of the krithi "Chakkani Raaja" can be repeated
many many times with variations that capture the essence of the raaga Kharahara Priya.
Thus, Thyagaraja's krithis provided a very convenient platform and medium for raaga
exploration.
Another major contribution from Thyagaraja was a set of songs that are categorized as Utsava
Sampradaya Krithis and Divya Naama Krithis. In a musical sense, these krithis were simpler
than his other compositions. These were mainly intended to allow lay people to sing and express
their devotion. Also, they might have been intended for children. The beauty of these krithis was
that, they allowed even people with meagre (or no) musical knowledge to sing raagas without
violating the syntax. For example, Bhairavi is a very complex raaga. A non musical person will
find it hard to understand Bhairavi's patterns, leave alone sing Bhairavi correctly. However, one
of Thyagaraja's Divya Nama krithis "Rama Kothanda Rama" set in Bhairavi, allows everyone
to sing and produce grammatically correct Bhairavi (though not at a very deep level)
The third great stalwart who brought Carnatic music closer to the masses was Sri Ariyakudi
Ramanuja Iyengar (1890-1967 AD). The manner in which he changed the kacheri (concert) format
was truly revolutionary. Pre-Ariyakudi, Carnatic music concerts used to be incredibly long-winded
affairs - often lasting 7-10 hours. Musicians focussed on the raagas and not on krithis. They
expatiated at great length on raagas, often repeating sangathis ad nauseam, never bothering about
audience interest or taste.
Carnatic concerts placed a ridiculous strain on the musicians' physical ability and forced the
audience to lose sleep. It was a lose-lose situation. The audience,
stymied by the shackles of tradition, never demanded shorter concerts and crisper
aalapanas. Nor did any Carnatic musician question this. It was just the way things were done.
Non-musical people who were even remotely interested in Carnatic music were repelled away by the
tedium of attending a concert.
Into this state of affairs strode Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. He combined genuine musical genius
with an astute marketing mind and a very persuasive personality. He was the first Carnatic musician
who thought about what really made the audience happy. In marketing terms, he was the first
Carnatic artiste without "marketing myopia". He shortened the Carnatic music concert to around 3-4
hours. Aalapanas became more succinct, and krithis were given their due importance. A concert would
typically begin with a short and brisk krithi/varnam, immediately creating an atmosphere of
enthusiasm and sowkyam. Ariyakudi continually checked the pulse of his audience. Whenever he realized
that interest was flagging, he would rev things up with a fast-paced krithi. Two or three raagas would
be expanded upon, towards the middle of the concert, followed by a series of lighter krithis.
The audience loved this pattern. They liked being able to get home sooner, relaxed, refreshed and
enthused. More musicians follwed suit, appreciative of the diminished strain on their physique. The
purists grumbled, but simply had to give in to the overwhelming common sense of the new pattern, and
the power of Ariyakudi's personality. The shorter (and sweeter) concerts began attracting wider
audiences, and encouraged budding Carnatic artistes to perform earlier and more frequently. Today,
there is a widespread interest in Carnatic music. The origin of this interest can be traced to the
shorter concert pattern that Ariyakudi pioneered.In my opinion, the way in which Ariyakudi brought
about this revolution is worthy of becoming a case study in marketing and change management in the
Harvard Business Review.
Carnatic music is said to have originated from God Himself. These three stalwarts brought it down
from Him to the ears and minds of lay mortals like you and me.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Two years
It is now just past the two-year mark since I started this blog.
Not that this is a very big landmark - it is not the 175th day celebration of a superhit Rajnikanth movie or anything like that ;-)
Anyway it has been fun writing this blog. It is a wonderful form of relaxation,
and I even enjoy reading my old blogs occasionally. The rare comment from those who read this blog makes things even more interesting.
Also, I was looking at a couple of passport size photos of myself -one taken about two years back and one taken two weeks back. Quite a bit of difference actually..I think I look more mature and gentle now ..some of the innocence in my face two years back is now gone..replaced by maturity and worldly wisdom! ..well well, that's a polite way of putting that I have grown older ;-)))
Not that this is a very big landmark - it is not the 175th day celebration of a superhit Rajnikanth movie or anything like that ;-)
Anyway it has been fun writing this blog. It is a wonderful form of relaxation,
and I even enjoy reading my old blogs occasionally. The rare comment from those who read this blog makes things even more interesting.
Also, I was looking at a couple of passport size photos of myself -one taken about two years back and one taken two weeks back. Quite a bit of difference actually..I think I look more mature and gentle now ..some of the innocence in my face two years back is now gone..replaced by maturity and worldly wisdom! ..well well, that's a polite way of putting that I have grown older ;-)))
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A quick succession of blogs
I think the blogger in me has been denied outlet for too long now, so there is a quick succession of blogs. Blogging is a great way to let out feelings. After all, a blog cannot talk back at you. And it is free ;-)
Half-Bohemian, Half-Bourgeois
Is it possible to be half-artistic and half-materialistic/capitalistic ?
An artistic person has moments of great joy - moments whose joyous intensity
can never be reached by a materialistic person. At the same time, a highly
artistic person can never be assured of the steady and respectable life
of the bourgeois.
Is it ever possible to strike a perfect balance between these two ?
If someone does manage to achieve such balance, his/her life would be
infinitely blessed.
Is it possible for one person to achieve excellence in both the material
and spiritual domains ? I personally know of a few people who have effortlessly
achieved this happy marriage of success in both domains. And I think there is a
really simple way to achieve this.
An artistic person has moments of great joy - moments whose joyous intensity
can never be reached by a materialistic person. At the same time, a highly
artistic person can never be assured of the steady and respectable life
of the bourgeois.
Is it ever possible to strike a perfect balance between these two ?
If someone does manage to achieve such balance, his/her life would be
infinitely blessed.
Is it possible for one person to achieve excellence in both the material
and spiritual domains ? I personally know of a few people who have effortlessly
achieved this happy marriage of success in both domains. And I think there is a
really simple way to achieve this.
Mohanam - the aural delight
One of the more famous carnatic ragas is Mohanam. The grandest of
the Carnatic ragas are the so-called ghana ragas - Kambodhi, Todi,
Kalyani, Bhairavi and Shankarabaranam. These ghana ragas lend themselves
to elaborate alapanas and are vast in terms of the potential for
exploration. On the other extreme are the so-called vakra ragas like
Anandabhairavi, Sahana etc, which are limited in their potential
for elaboration, but are nevertheless quite pleasing to the ear.
Mohanam is somewhere in between on this scale, if I may call it so.
It is a pure carnatic raga, but has a "light-music" flavour to it.
Shankarabaranam and Kambodhi are majestic in a royal sense, Todi and Bhairavi are
soul-stirring, Kalyani is majestic in a sweet way, Sahana is sensuous,
Subapantuvarali is melancholy, Mukhari is plaintive, Bilahari is brisk,
Nilambari is soporific, Kedaram is lively.
As opposed to all these wonderful ragas, Mohanam is joyous. The key word
that comes to mind upon listening to Mohanam is JOY. Pure sowkyam and
santhosham.
the Carnatic ragas are the so-called ghana ragas - Kambodhi, Todi,
Kalyani, Bhairavi and Shankarabaranam. These ghana ragas lend themselves
to elaborate alapanas and are vast in terms of the potential for
exploration. On the other extreme are the so-called vakra ragas like
Anandabhairavi, Sahana etc, which are limited in their potential
for elaboration, but are nevertheless quite pleasing to the ear.
Mohanam is somewhere in between on this scale, if I may call it so.
It is a pure carnatic raga, but has a "light-music" flavour to it.
Shankarabaranam and Kambodhi are majestic in a royal sense, Todi and Bhairavi are
soul-stirring, Kalyani is majestic in a sweet way, Sahana is sensuous,
Subapantuvarali is melancholy, Mukhari is plaintive, Bilahari is brisk,
Nilambari is soporific, Kedaram is lively.
As opposed to all these wonderful ragas, Mohanam is joyous. The key word
that comes to mind upon listening to Mohanam is JOY. Pure sowkyam and
santhosham.
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