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.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Carnatic Music, Management and Life in General
Carnatic music is a wonderful subject/skill/art whatever you might call it.
It involves discipline and precision to a great extent, and at the same time
involves arbitrariness, imagination, voice control, feeling and emotion (bhaavam),
spirituality and other such intangible things. Thus, it is a combination of
tangible precision and intangible factors blending in together. And this is exactly
what makes it so beautiful..and difficult to comprehend for an new learner.
For a vocalist, it is well-nigh impossible to explain to a student how to get the
sruthis (frequencies) right. The seven swaras Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni are just
aliases to represent different frequencies. These seven frequencies have a precise
relation between them. But the starting frequency(Sa) itself is completely arbitrary and
can vary from one vocalist to another. But no matter what the starting frequency,
the vocalist must preserve the exact relationship between the seven frequencies, if
he/she is to meaningfully produce a raaga vocally. Preserving the relationship between the freqencies is the key to generate pleasing music.
The difference between a trained/talented singer and a non-musical person is the ability to preserve the relationship between frequencies.
This is the "precision" part of carnatic music. However, there is more to Carnatic
music than just precision. Western music is all about precision. While sruti precision is undoubtedly the basis of carnatic music, there are factors that go beyond this. For example, gamakas (or overtones) are used to embellish the notes. Without gamakas, the music would be very bland, even if grammatically precise. It would be like reciting inspiring poetry in the style of a newsreader. In addition to gamakas, there are factors like voice quality, raaga knowledge (depth or raaga gnana - which allows a singer to generate sangathis of wider variety for the same raaga)
And on top of all this, there is the most intangible of all factors - bhaava (or feeling). This is exactly what makes the difference between MS Subbulakshmi and yours truly. Also, this is the difference in character between different raagas - why it is pleasing to listen to Bhoopalam in the morning and Sahana at night. So there are several aspects to bhaava - the nature of the raaga, the nature of the singer and the nature of the listener.
A lot of this applies to management, as every manager would testify. Even for a technical manager, the work involves precise and intangible factors. Precise things are the ones that can be documented and clearly quantified. Intangible factors are like motivation (or the lack of it), frustrations, likes, dislikes, etc. which are often the most important things. Even a project plan can be seriously influenced (for good or worse) by unexpected factors and intangibles. It is important to act quickly and decisively on the precise things which can be clearly controlled. It is also important to manage the intangible ones.
And in both Carnatic music and management, a positive and happy mind maximizes results. And as in life itself, it is all about maximizing sowkyam.
It involves discipline and precision to a great extent, and at the same time
involves arbitrariness, imagination, voice control, feeling and emotion (bhaavam),
spirituality and other such intangible things. Thus, it is a combination of
tangible precision and intangible factors blending in together. And this is exactly
what makes it so beautiful..and difficult to comprehend for an new learner.
For a vocalist, it is well-nigh impossible to explain to a student how to get the
sruthis (frequencies) right. The seven swaras Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni are just
aliases to represent different frequencies. These seven frequencies have a precise
relation between them. But the starting frequency(Sa) itself is completely arbitrary and
can vary from one vocalist to another. But no matter what the starting frequency,
the vocalist must preserve the exact relationship between the seven frequencies, if
he/she is to meaningfully produce a raaga vocally. Preserving the relationship between the freqencies is the key to generate pleasing music.
The difference between a trained/talented singer and a non-musical person is the ability to preserve the relationship between frequencies.
This is the "precision" part of carnatic music. However, there is more to Carnatic
music than just precision. Western music is all about precision. While sruti precision is undoubtedly the basis of carnatic music, there are factors that go beyond this. For example, gamakas (or overtones) are used to embellish the notes. Without gamakas, the music would be very bland, even if grammatically precise. It would be like reciting inspiring poetry in the style of a newsreader. In addition to gamakas, there are factors like voice quality, raaga knowledge (depth or raaga gnana - which allows a singer to generate sangathis of wider variety for the same raaga)
And on top of all this, there is the most intangible of all factors - bhaava (or feeling). This is exactly what makes the difference between MS Subbulakshmi and yours truly. Also, this is the difference in character between different raagas - why it is pleasing to listen to Bhoopalam in the morning and Sahana at night. So there are several aspects to bhaava - the nature of the raaga, the nature of the singer and the nature of the listener.
A lot of this applies to management, as every manager would testify. Even for a technical manager, the work involves precise and intangible factors. Precise things are the ones that can be documented and clearly quantified. Intangible factors are like motivation (or the lack of it), frustrations, likes, dislikes, etc. which are often the most important things. Even a project plan can be seriously influenced (for good or worse) by unexpected factors and intangibles. It is important to act quickly and decisively on the precise things which can be clearly controlled. It is also important to manage the intangible ones.
And in both Carnatic music and management, a positive and happy mind maximizes results. And as in life itself, it is all about maximizing sowkyam.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Common Man
I always like to think of myself as an average guy..
This sets expectations low and takes the pressure off.
In fact it would even better to be an underdog.
A person who thinks of oneself as a high achiever expects
success all the time, and puts an unnecessary and undue
pressure on himself/herself. An average person is more
likely to treat success and failure with equanimity.
Personally, I think that an "average" guy has a better
life and long-term success than a dazzling high-achiever.
Sustainable success and a balanced life are more important
than flashes in the pan.
Abraham Lincoln once said "God must have loved the common men-
He made so many of them"
I am OK with success or failure. No issues.
This sets expectations low and takes the pressure off.
In fact it would even better to be an underdog.
A person who thinks of oneself as a high achiever expects
success all the time, and puts an unnecessary and undue
pressure on himself/herself. An average person is more
likely to treat success and failure with equanimity.
Personally, I think that an "average" guy has a better
life and long-term success than a dazzling high-achiever.
Sustainable success and a balanced life are more important
than flashes in the pan.
Abraham Lincoln once said "God must have loved the common men-
He made so many of them"
I am OK with success or failure. No issues.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Amruthavarshini
One of the most stunningly beauteous ragas of Carnatic music!
Muthuswamy Dikshitar's immortal krithi "Aandamrutha Varshini Amruthavarshini"
brought rains to a parched land. In such copious measure that the people of that land
requested him to modify his krithi slightly to stop the rain!
In my humble opinion, Ilayaraja is to Tamil film music, what the Carnatic trinity
were to that genre.
Here is a video of a film song set in Amruthavarshini.
Muthuswamy Dikshitar's immortal krithi "Aandamrutha Varshini Amruthavarshini"
brought rains to a parched land. In such copious measure that the people of that land
requested him to modify his krithi slightly to stop the rain!
In my humble opinion, Ilayaraja is to Tamil film music, what the Carnatic trinity
were to that genre.
Here is a video of a film song set in Amruthavarshini.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Kadhalikka Neramillai
For the uninitiated, this is the title of a Tamil movie made by noteddirector Sridhar. A gentle comedy involving two pairs of young lovers.I had the pleasure of watching this movie last weekend, and it left a very pleasant feeling in my mind. Doyen actor Balaiah plays the rich,mercenary father of two girls Kanchana and Nirmala. His son Nagesh is keen on getting his Dad to finance his obsession to make a movie with hisquestionable directorial skills. Muthuraman and Ravichandran are two young menwho are in love with the two girls.
Muthuraman is a rich young man, while Ravichandran is impecunious. The story is about how Balaiah's son and daughters get married to the partners of their choice.
Recently I had been reading some of P.G.Wodehouse's novels. Why can't I help thinking that this movie might have been based on one of his novels ?
Muthuraman is a rich young man, while Ravichandran is impecunious. The story is about how Balaiah's son and daughters get married to the partners of their choice.
Recently I had been reading some of P.G.Wodehouse's novels. Why can't I help thinking that this movie might have been based on one of his novels ?
Blogging is fun!
Blogging is a wonderful thing to do - a great vent for feelings, a great pastime that costs nothing and is totally harmless. There was a time when I thought blogging was done by loafers whohave nothing better to do. And therefore I had a really poor view of blogs and their creators.
But now my views have taken a U-turn. Blogging is an amazing anti-stress thing. Probably one of the best things to do when you are alone. Infinitely better than sitting in front of the idiot box.Develops your language. Relaxes you. Refreshes you. The sheer bliss of expressing whatever you wantwithout caring two hoots to what others think about you. I think everyone needs an outlet for theirthoughts. Some people get sloshed and blabber their hearts out. Some people rant and rave.Great poets express their sublime feelings through immortal poems. Modern poets write out their feelings in prose without regard for punctuation and grammar, and call it poetry. Great painters create masterpieces of art. Modern artists slash at their canvasses with brushes and then crumplethem up. Then they un-crumple the canvas, spit and stamp on it for good measure, and call it modernart. Their unquestioning aficionados go ga-ga over the modern art, and buy their works for millions.Bottom line is, everyone needs to unbottle their feelings.
But now my views have taken a U-turn. Blogging is an amazing anti-stress thing. Probably one of the best things to do when you are alone. Infinitely better than sitting in front of the idiot box.Develops your language. Relaxes you. Refreshes you. The sheer bliss of expressing whatever you wantwithout caring two hoots to what others think about you. I think everyone needs an outlet for theirthoughts. Some people get sloshed and blabber their hearts out. Some people rant and rave.Great poets express their sublime feelings through immortal poems. Modern poets write out their feelings in prose without regard for punctuation and grammar, and call it poetry. Great painters create masterpieces of art. Modern artists slash at their canvasses with brushes and then crumplethem up. Then they un-crumple the canvas, spit and stamp on it for good measure, and call it modernart. Their unquestioning aficionados go ga-ga over the modern art, and buy their works for millions.Bottom line is, everyone needs to unbottle their feelings.
Trav-e/ai-ls of a restless young man
It is barely September, and yet this year I have been in five countries - India, USA, Taiwan, Singapore and Macau.Endless hours of packing, unpacking, repacking, going over checklists to make sure everything is packed, calling hotels in advance to make sure they have the amenities I need, endlesstrips to and from airports! My passport reads like an atlas. I have been through http://www.lonelyplanet.com/a gazillion times, making a mental note of places I want to see in the countries I travel to, and checking them out with uncompromising efficiency and meticulous planning.
On one hand it pains..all the burden of travel. On the other, who would get an opportunityfor free travel at this age - undisputedly the best time of life for travel. And yet, why doI feel like a rolling stone ? Unable to buy the things I like much and can afford easily because I can't carry them around with me.
Travel is fun, travel is a friggin' pain. Like everything in life, it has its pros and cons. What a cliche! Why am I rambling!What the heck, this is my blog. Ah, this leads me to the topic of my next blog.
On one hand it pains..all the burden of travel. On the other, who would get an opportunityfor free travel at this age - undisputedly the best time of life for travel. And yet, why doI feel like a rolling stone ? Unable to buy the things I like much and can afford easily because I can't carry them around with me.
Travel is fun, travel is a friggin' pain. Like everything in life, it has its pros and cons. What a cliche! Why am I rambling!What the heck, this is my blog. Ah, this leads me to the topic of my next blog.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Ponniyin Selvan (Kalki)
I formally studied my mother tongue Tamil only upto class 5. After that I started learning Hindi till class 10. (All the way, I indulged in my first love - English) Since my formal Tamil learning was abruptly cut off at class 5, my skills in reading and writing Tamil dwindled to near non-existence. Those skills were barely kept alive by reading the titles of Tamil movie posters and cut-outs. To those who say big posters and cut-outs must be removed from Chennai, I say, guys, don't do the language a disservice.
Ah, I am digressing. To get back to my original thread of thought, my Tamil skills were dying out, and it needed a whopper of a miracle to revive my interest in Tamil language and culture. That happened when I was on a trip to SriRangam for my vacation after my first year of undergrad study. My dad got me the whole set of 5 books of Tamil writer Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan. The miracle was that I actually got started on that unprepossesing tome, notwithstanding the fact that my Tamil reading speed was about 2-3 words per minute.
But once I started, the book was simply un-put-down-able. (I can feel the grammar purists squirming in their seats here. But then language is merely a means of communication, and as long as I am able to put my point across, I don't give a damn. Ah, I am digressing again!)
By the time I had finished the first of five parts, my reading had improved from agonizingly slow to painfully slow. By the end of the second part, it was uncomfortably slow. At the finish of the third part, I was crawling. By the fourth I was trotting. By the end of the fifth (and largest volume), I was galloping!!
It helped that I was reading the book in SriRangam, which is an island on the river Kaveri aka Ponni, the lifebreath of ancient Tamil culture, and also the bedrock of the novel I am writing about. I would often spend my afternoons in the huge SriRangam temple sitting in some stone-pillared mandapam and imbibing the story of the Ponniyin Selvan, and in the process, the culture of the Cholas who ruled converted Tamil Nadu into a formidable power in South India and even overseas, extending their clout to Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Ponniyin Selvan is a magnum opus by Tamil writer, nationalist, historian, art connoiseur and poet - R.Krishnamurthy. Meticulously researched and wonderfully imagined, Ponniyin Selvan is a novel that seamlessly melds historical facts with beautiful fiction. Broadly, it deals with the life and times of the Chola royal family when Prince Arulmozhi Varman (later to become Emperor Raja Raja Chola - the mightiest ruler in Tamil history) was a youth. Specifically, it deals with a conspiracy of vengeance hatched by the survivors of the praetorian guard of the Pandya dynasty, which had recently been destroyed by the Cholas.
I won't go into the nitty gritty of the story - I will end up translating the Ponniyin Selvan here (unfortunately someone has beaten me to it ;-). In summary, the Ponniyin Selvan is a prolific tale of history, romance, intrigue and politics - which presents a justly flattering view of the Chola times, including their art and spiritual aspects.
Read the Ponniyin Selvan if you get the opportunity. Try to create an opportunity if you don't get it. It is worth it.
Ah, I am digressing. To get back to my original thread of thought, my Tamil skills were dying out, and it needed a whopper of a miracle to revive my interest in Tamil language and culture. That happened when I was on a trip to SriRangam for my vacation after my first year of undergrad study. My dad got me the whole set of 5 books of Tamil writer Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan. The miracle was that I actually got started on that unprepossesing tome, notwithstanding the fact that my Tamil reading speed was about 2-3 words per minute.
But once I started, the book was simply un-put-down-able. (I can feel the grammar purists squirming in their seats here. But then language is merely a means of communication, and as long as I am able to put my point across, I don't give a damn. Ah, I am digressing again!)
By the time I had finished the first of five parts, my reading had improved from agonizingly slow to painfully slow. By the end of the second part, it was uncomfortably slow. At the finish of the third part, I was crawling. By the fourth I was trotting. By the end of the fifth (and largest volume), I was galloping!!
It helped that I was reading the book in SriRangam, which is an island on the river Kaveri aka Ponni, the lifebreath of ancient Tamil culture, and also the bedrock of the novel I am writing about. I would often spend my afternoons in the huge SriRangam temple sitting in some stone-pillared mandapam and imbibing the story of the Ponniyin Selvan, and in the process, the culture of the Cholas who ruled converted Tamil Nadu into a formidable power in South India and even overseas, extending their clout to Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Ponniyin Selvan is a magnum opus by Tamil writer, nationalist, historian, art connoiseur and poet - R.Krishnamurthy. Meticulously researched and wonderfully imagined, Ponniyin Selvan is a novel that seamlessly melds historical facts with beautiful fiction. Broadly, it deals with the life and times of the Chola royal family when Prince Arulmozhi Varman (later to become Emperor Raja Raja Chola - the mightiest ruler in Tamil history) was a youth. Specifically, it deals with a conspiracy of vengeance hatched by the survivors of the praetorian guard of the Pandya dynasty, which had recently been destroyed by the Cholas.
I won't go into the nitty gritty of the story - I will end up translating the Ponniyin Selvan here (unfortunately someone has beaten me to it ;-). In summary, the Ponniyin Selvan is a prolific tale of history, romance, intrigue and politics - which presents a justly flattering view of the Chola times, including their art and spiritual aspects.
Read the Ponniyin Selvan if you get the opportunity. Try to create an opportunity if you don't get it. It is worth it.
Why this name ?
I am sitting here in the middle of Tainan City, Taiwan in a huge apartment, all by myself. Tainan city is not the easiest place in the world to find spicy South Indian Iyengar cuisine, and it is only a matter of time before I start craving after arriving here.
But as a matter of principle (and also practical convenience), I almost completely avoid Indian food whenever I travel outside India. Unless I am visiting my relatives outside India, that is. One reason is that Indian cuisine is complex hence very easy to screw up. Avoidance of Indian food cooked outside home reduces the risk of stomach upsets.
Well, the bottom line is, I am craving, and craving really hard. My craving at this point of time is for Molaga Bajji. Hence I simply decided to call my blog by that name.
But as a matter of principle (and also practical convenience), I almost completely avoid Indian food whenever I travel outside India. Unless I am visiting my relatives outside India, that is. One reason is that Indian cuisine is complex hence very easy to screw up. Avoidance of Indian food cooked outside home reduces the risk of stomach upsets.
Well, the bottom line is, I am craving, and craving really hard. My craving at this point of time is for Molaga Bajji. Hence I simply decided to call my blog by that name.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)