The daily “programme list” (as they call it) at the Music Academy is as follows: from 9:15am-11:45am a “Senior” artist performs; from 12noon-1:30pm a “Junior” artist performs; from 1:45pm-3:45pm a “Sub Senior” performs; and there are two “Evening Senior” performances at 4:15pm-6:45pm and 7pm-9:30pm (the last two are not free shows). It should be noted that the “Junior” performers are still very good musicians, but there is, of course, a difference in skill (chiefly due to experience, and not necessarily to raw talent).
This afternoon, I went to a “Junior” performance, which included a flute, violin and mridangam. (You’ll notice in the photograph and videos that there is a fourth instrument, a tanpura, which is a drone. Tanpura players are never credited in the music programs; and I always thought drummers were the least respected musicians!)
For the first time in India, I saw a female percussionist. A girl, probably about eighteen years old, was playing the mridangam; and she was very, very talented. While there have been many Carnatic female vocalists, I have never heard of any female drummers - which is not to say they don’t exist. The girl, named Rajna Swaminathan, is actually from a family of mridangam players.
Her father, Madirimangalam Swaminathan, is a very accomplished player: that evening, he performed at the Music Academy, just like his daughter had earlier that day. I think it was pretty neat that the organizers scheduled today’s program in this manner.
The evening performance was a typical Carnatic show: mridangam, violin, flute and ghatam. I must admit that I had never heard of the ghatam before: it is a drum, entirely made from clay. It could easily be mistaken for a cooking pot; but, apparently, they are made specifically for Carnatic performances. That is to say, it is not just some guy banging on a cooking pot. Hopefully, I can locate a ghatam crafter, because I am very curious how they determine the pitch and whatnot. In the second and third videos, you cannot see the ghatam; but the ghatam player is in white, but blocked by Madirimangalam Swaminathan. The third video is a composition called, “Siva Siva Siva,” a devotional piece. Enjoy!
This composition is called "Siva Siva Siva"
1 comment:
Hi:
This is Rajna's mother. Thank you for your posting about her concert at the Music Academy. Actually, her father is Dr. P. K. Swaminathan, a scientist in Maryland, USA. Rajna was born and brought up in Maryland. She studied Mrudangam under Maestro Sri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. She just turned 17 in early January. She got the "Best Junior Mrudangam Artiste" award from the Music Academy.
Lalitha Swaminathan
Maryland, USA
Post a Comment