Pandit Samta Prasad - Resonance unlimited

If each year is a beat, today the second cycle of the twelve beat Ekthal is completed, after the demise of the Maharaj of Thaal- Pandit Samta Prasad (Gudai Maharaj). Of course, his life was not different from his own words: "The whole life of a tabla artiste is dedicated to finding a special beat with the tali and the khali. They reside in his heart, because his soul rests and throbs with the thaala of measured matras".

He is a musician who had dominance over both the baayan and tabla. He was an illustrious soloist and accompanist. In Pandit Kishan Maharaj's ( tabla exponent ) opinion, "Tabla in Gudai ji's hands seemed like a fish trapped in an eagle's claws". He had such an astonishing control over the instrument. It is said that in those days, the organizers felt like- without Gudai Maharaj the concerts were incomplete and they will first attest to the date of Gudai Maharaj before they finalize the main artist ! He was awarded the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979 and the PathmaBhooshan, the third highest civilian honor given by Govt. of India in 1991.

Pandit Samta Prasad and Ustad Amjad Alikhan

Not too many artists had the blessing of leaving this material world after a concert on the same day like Gudai Maharaj. 1994, May 31st was such a day. From the ultimate Tali to the richness of Khali !

Pranaams to the Legend.

Written by
Nambiar Sooryavamsha Kshathriya

Get updated!
Visit and Like our fb page at : www.facebook.com/wocue

Comments

Steve AleyJune 1, 2018 at 12:37 AM
Nice to see such Legends are remembered
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Nrtya Techniques in Mohiniyattam; book released

R enowned 'Mizhavu' artist and Guru - Padmashri P.K. Narayanan Nambiar released a book ( Malayalam ) - 'Nrthya Sankethangal Mohiniyattathil' written by Dr. Geetha Sivakumar at Palakkad, Keralam. Over the years, different 'Baanis' or 'Traditions' had contributed a lot in the nourishment of Mohiniyattam. This book -'Nrtya Sankethangal Mohiniyattathil' focuses on 'Kalamandalam baani'. ”Mohiniyattam, a lyrical dance form of Kerala, has a well structured 'prayoga' style in Kerala Kalamandalam Kalaries. This book tends to analyse the techniques of Mohiniyattam adopted by Kerala Kalamandalam so as to consider it as a Lasya Nrtya form. The queries on the techniques of nrtya such as what, why, where, when are the basic thought of this study. It is analysed on the basis of Sanskrit texts, which give us more scientific explanations and principles. ...

Infinite Ocean in a Cup! Savour of music from Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh

W ith its vastness and depth beyond the sight, Music is often referred to as 'Anantha Saagaram' ( the Infinite Ocean). "Cup O' Carnatic" by Vidushi Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, a video series which influenced a lot of viewers, was an effort to handover the flavors of the infinite ocean with the piecemeal approach at the best. "So many people write to me with queries on Veena and Music. Though initially I tried to answer them individually, due to time constraint, it became difficult. So I thought it will be nice to have a public platform to attend such queries so that every one can access it", Dr. Jayanthi explains the path that lead her to the creation of "Cup O' Carnatic". To motivate young rasikas into enjoying and appreciating Carnatic music, the videos are purposely kept to a shorter duration. Apart from its rich content and the effective presentation, what was so special about the series was its short duration. This in-fact had ins...

!da Dance Fest 2019 at God's Own Country - Third edition

T hird edition of ida dance fest was organized on 14th and 15th December 2019 at 'The Land of Lords and Looms' -Kannur, Kerala, a region famous for the Theyyams and Handlooms. On the first day, Kathak by Richa Guptha, Bharathanatyam by RLV Anand, Harinie Jeevitha & Bhairavi Venkatesan, Kuchipudi by Ruchi Krishna and Aavani Rakesh were presented. An item that depicted the story of Lord Ayyappa in Ragamalika set to Aadi thalam was presented by RLV Anand. Harinie Jeevitha & Bhairavi Venkatesan started their performance with an invocation to Lord Ganesha. Through their next item 'Ananada Natana Prakasam' of Shri Muthuswami Deekshithar, both Harinie and Bhairavi captured the attention of the audience. Due to the deviation from the Bharathanatyam's traditional style of music in the background, their next item 'Janani Jagathkarini' did effect the 'classical mood' of the performance. It is not that the choreography or performance ...

Soorya fest - 'Parampara' series

P arampara series of performances in Soorya fest 2018 this year will be conducted from Nov 1 to 10 at Thiruananthapuram, Keralam. The venue of performance will be Ganesham and will begin at 6.45 PM on all days. 1 Nov - Dakshina Vaidayanathan ( Bharatanatyam ) 2 Nov - Pratiksha Kashi ( Kuchipudi ) 3 Nov - Sreelakshmi Govardhan ( Kuchipudi ) 4 Nov - Divya Unni ( Bharatanatyam ) 5 Nov - Abhayalakshmi ( Odissi ) 6 Nov - Reddy Lakshmi ( Kuchipudi ) 7 Nov - Deepti Gupta ( Kathak ) 8 Nov - Shweta Prachande ( Bharatanatyam ) 9 Nov - Lavanya Ananth ( Bharatanatyam ) 10 Nov - Uthara Unni ( Bharatanatyam ) Time : 6.45 PM - all the above performances. November 1 to 10 Workshop on Dance by Guru Bragha Bassal Hamee 11-Inch Tabcase Tan Brown Leather Tablet Case / Sleeve / Pouch for Toshiba ...

Where the Artist Disappears, the Art Lives On - Dr. Sunanda Nair

W hat does a five-decade sadhana give to a practitioner? The sadhaka disappears, and the art speaks through the artist. What Dr. Sunanda Nair gave at Rose Theatre Brampton was a riveting 30–40 minutes of performance. The program, held on November 17, was part of the Umang Festival – Light of Hope, organized and curated by Mrudanga by Enakshi Sinha from Canada, supported by the Department of Heritage Canada and the Ontario Arts Council (OCAF). Sunanda Nair brought 'Adharam Madhuram' and 'Kubja' to the stage. When the artist speaks about what she is bringing to the stage, it feels better than an emcee reading it out. It is the emotions of the artist about the item, in their own voice, that come out, thereby giving life to the item even before it starts. Adharam Madhuram began by beautifully expressing Krishna's sweetness, slowly transporting us to the details. When he came to conso...

Pristine purity with traditional hues - Dr. Bombay Jayashri at Margazhi

S he came she sang she conquered. Bombay Jayashri performed scintillating concert at Music Academy today prime slot. For 150 minutes several ragas ( Carnatic music does not have concept of Ragini ) wafted. Thodi, the central piece, descended from Heaven and embraced in its aura the entire audience of 1500 passionate music lovers. After a soul stirring Alap,she chose Shyama Sastri Swami’s masterpiece Ninne Namminanu Sada for her characteristic treatment. The music was sublime and emphasis was pristine purity with traditional hues. Acute poverty of expressions come in the way of describing her concert in words. Heard melodies are sweet but the reverberations are sweeter because of the joy of recollections in tranquility. Today’s fulfilment of a dream for me reminded me of a place in Scotland which I visited last year where Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy were said to have stayed for some time . The poet wrote The Solitary Reaper in 1815 at that place and I q...

The Second ‘WOCUE Rasa-Navam’ ( something special captures )

F rom the set of pics that came under our consideration, we selected this beautiful capture of Smt. Shashwati Garai Ghosh in landacape orientation as the second WOCUE rasanavam – something special captures. Photo by : Debojyothi Dhar, Captured at Mukteshwar Fest, 2017 In this picture, the Dancer is positioned like a wonderful sculpture. The color of her costume is well blended into atmosphere of the stones on the Temple structure in the background. Lights on the Temple structure are nice and the other structures goes into darkness slowly into the infinity. (Announced on 29th May 2017) About the Artist : SMT. SHASHWATI GARAI GHOSH Smt. Shashwati Garai Ghosh, is an Odissi Dancer from Kolkotta. She is a Disciple of Vidushi Sharmila Biswas. Shashwati has performed several times at the Konark Festival, the Mukteshwar Festival, and the Ananya Festival in India. Besides, she has danced at Menaka Thakkar’s group production (Toronto, 2004), Maximum India...

A New Dawn for Mohiniyattam : Smt. Pallavi Krishnan's Lasya Akademi to Open in Kolkata

M ohiniyattam enthusiasts in Kolkata have reason to celebrate as renowned dancer and choreographer Pallavi Krishnan is set to inaugurate the Lasya Akademi of Mohiniyattam in her hometown. This new institution promises to be a beacon for the art form, offering a platform for dance lovers to immerse themselves in the nuances of this classical dance. With Pallavi's dedication to preserving the traditions of Mohiniyattam while bringing in new ideas, this academy is set to become an important cultural center in the city. Pallavi Krishnan is a celebrated Mohiniyattam performer, choreographer, and teacher with a career marked by artistic excellence and global impact. Trained under eminent gurus at Kerala Kalamandalam and Santiniketan, she has mastered the delicate balance of tradition and innovation, making her performances both deeply rooted and uniquely expressive. Her dedication to the art form has earned her numerous accolades...

Nrithya Seva Mani by Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival to Kalasree Dr Sunanda Nair

C leveland Thyagaraja Festival's Nrithya Seva Mani award will be presented to the renowned Mohiniyattam exponent Dr. Sunanda Nair. The title of Nrithya Seva Mani is bestowed upon an individual who has made a lasting contribution to Classical Dance through propagation and demonstration. Senior disciple of Pathmabhushan Dr Kanak Rele, Dr. Sunanda Nair is one of the foremost exponents of the art today. She is the first student to complete Masters Degree in Mohiniyattam in India. She has completed her PhD from University of Mumbai for her thesis "Intrinsic Lyrical Feminism in Mohiniattam". She was in high school, while she started the Srutilaya Institute of Fine Arts, which trains students both Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam, in 1980. She had performed all around the globe in prestigious venues and had received somany awards such as 'Kalarathnam’ from Kerala Kalamandalam(2016), 'Kalaasree' from the Kerala Sangeetha Natak Akadem...

WOCUE

Search This Blog