|
| Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana
- Saturday April 19, 2003 |
 Where does a little seven-year-old girl get to whisper a song into a vidwan’s ear? If you are Anjana Mangalat,, from New Hampshire, you get to do this at the Cleveland
Thyagaraja Aradhana. Little Anjana was miffed that only her older sister got to sing in the competition. When I asked her to sing for me, she would only do so if no one else could hear her. She reaches up with a cupped hand and
croons softly - “Saami ninne kori” in Sankarabharanam. Just a few lines and then bursts into a big happy smile. I had expected a nursery rhyme and certainly not a varnam with sruthi alignment and distinct pronunciation. Now who should walk by but pallavi maestro, Vidushi Suguna Purushottaman. Little Anjana scampers up to her and without a hint of self-consciousness
gives a repeat performance.
 Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Cleveland festival is the informal and up-close interaction between artistes and aficionado. Also the children who are around add another dimension. Whether it is Raja Rao encouraging a young contestant and helping her with small corrections,
P.S. Narayanaswami autographing a book for a reverent fan, Ravikiran watching boys playing cricket in front of the campus, or Sanjay Subramaniam relaxing on a couch in the motel lobby and chatting with friends and fans alike, there is an intimacy and warmth here that pervades all aspects of the festival.
 Lunch for 2000 or more persons is served by groups of volunteers who manage the two long lines effectively and everyone eats together in the large dining hall
in the Cleveland State University Campus. Everyone eats together in batches. The food, prepared in homes by volunteers, is excellent South Indian fare including
aval, vadai and payasam.
 The inaugural day is a rich mélange of events. It begins early with
the vidwans singing Pancharathna Krithis along with local talent in the beautiful auditorium. The audience filters in as the 75 plus voice ensemble pounds out the music to the accompaniment of an exuberant Raja Rao on the
mridangam.
The music fest is now on. Individual singing is followed by the first concert by Lalgudi Jayaraman, GJR Krishnan and Vijayalaksmi. They play to a packed hall of intent listeners. The aisles are full of people young and old. It is surprisingly quiet considering the numbers and the children who are among the crowd. Each item receives enthusiastic applause.
 The brief afternoon awards ceremony adds another layer of richness to the day. The chief guest is Indra Nooyi, President and CFO of the snack foods conglomerate Pepsico. In a warm, yet inspiring speech Indra spoke of her early experiences in the United States. With a touch of humor she shares the story of her first job interview. She then opened up and shared her core values with the audience -
aim high - be yourself - remember your family, your friends and your faith; her confession that she travels the world over with her thayir saadam and pickles brings laughter and applause. Delivered with a mixture of punch and serious purpose she effectively straddles the dual culture and loyalties of Indians living in the United States.
R. K. Srikantan’s concert is a rich, traditional kutcheri that would fill the heart of any purist. The baritone voice belies his frail frame. Beginning with Navaragamalika Varnam followed by Diwakaratanujam
- the concert lives up to its billing and the audience remains glued to their seats.
 The children keep doing their part to add to the warm intimacy of the Cleveland Festival. A five-year-old girl comes up to me quietly as I sit writing in the lobby. She is curious and wants to know what I am doing. I stop writing and ask her name. “Anjani” she replies softly. “Anjali?” I ask. “No.” she replies “Anjani who is the mother of Hanuman”. Then, with a deadpan expression she adds “Anja Nee also means five knees”. She pats her knee to make sure I get the joke.
More Photos
|
