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The world faced problems today due to spiritual illiteracy and not lack of knowledge, said B K Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coimbatore, while inaugurating the 77th Annual Conference of the Music Academy in Chennai on December 18, 2003.
In a thought-provoking address, Vanavarayar said the world has seen a knowledge explosion in the last 150 years. But knowledge for the sake of knowledge could be dangerous and destructive, he said adding that if there was a mismatch between knowledge and wisdom, the world will face probems and continue to face problems.
The world faced several challenges due to political conflicts, social degradation, cultural threats, threats from terrorism, economic marginalisation and so on, resulting in bloodshed. "Can we face the challenges? It is for us to face them and convert the challenges into opportunities", he said.
India has made considerable progress since Independence but it could have achieved more, he said adding that "we have abundant resources and a culture of over 5,000 years". The problems faced today were due to lack of character and leadership.
"We have lost our moorings to the culture and heritage. We have forgotten the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, that is service and sacrifice. Follow Vivekananda and India can become a superpower", he said.
"We are not aware of the divinity that lies in us. We should realise that music is not just about fine arts or entertainment in India. It is meant to elevate society as a whole, and a means to reach God", he added.
"Men may come and men may go but the Music Academy shall go on for ever", he said. Was it a veiled reference to the goings-on in the Academy, one wonders.
 The Academy president, T T Vasu, said a 15-day festival would be on in the Academy from December 18. The choice of Vidwan T V Sankaranarayanan to preside over this Conference was warmly received by the world of Carnatic music. TVS is a vidwan who, with a glorious musical lineage and his own hard work, marched from success to success till he reached the top where he continues to stay. Sankaranarayanan took a law degree and was called to the Bar in 1967, but the lure of music was too strong to be resisted. As the nephew and disciple of Madurai Mani Iyer, one of the greats of all time, music is in his blood, and he fully imbibed Mani Iyer's enchantingly beautiful style and the emotion-laden pronunciation of sahitya. Mani Iyer's singing of kalpana swaras was inimitable and
Sankaranarayanan adapted it to suit his voice of wide tonal range.
It was Sankaranarayanan who, at the age of 14, read out the Conference President's speech in 1959 when his late uncle Madurai Mani Iyer was conferred the title of
'Sangita Kalanidhi.
The Academy will also honour this year five eminent musicians and a Natyacharya for their valuable services to music and Bharata Natyam, he added. Vidwan M S Anantharaman and Natyacharya Adyar Lakshmanan will receive the title of 'Sangita Kala Acharya', Vidwans S R D Vaidyanathan and Guruvayur Dorai will receive the T T K Award, Vidushi Kanyakumari will receive the Papa Venkataramiah Award and Vidwan Madurai Srinivasan the Vaggyekara Award.
Vidwan Anantharaman is the son of the late Parur Sundaram Iyer who shaped a unique style of violin playing which came to be known as the 'Parur Style'. Sundaram Iyer was, perhaps, the first Carnatic violinist to play both the Carnatic and Hindustani styles with equal facility. Groomed by such an illustrious father, Anantharaman is a true interpreter of the Parur Bani and has had a distinguished record of performing and teaching for over five decades.
Adyar Lakshmanan is a veteran Natyacharya, highly respected for his expertise not only in India but abroad too where his disciples are legion. Joining the Kalakshetra as a teenager, he had the benefit of being groomed by a galaxy of teachers and graduated in 1954 in Bharata Natyam, Carnatic music and Nattuvangam. He taught in Vyjayanthimala Bali's Natyalaya for over a decade and acquired excellent skill in producing dance dramas. He never looked back and is in great demand abroad where he stays for long spells
S R D Vaidyanathan is the grandson of Semponnarkoil Ramaswami Pillal, a Nagaswaram legend and the earliest to be recorded by the Gramophone Company. Vaidyanathan's father, Dakshinamoorthi Pillai, continued the glorious tradition and handed it over to his son with Rakti Melam, difficult pallavis, et al. As the torch-bearer of this precious tradition, Vaidyanathan has been preserving it over the decades for the music world to cherish.
Vidwan Guruvayur Dorai had his training in Mridangam under Palghat Subba Iyer and
Palani Subramania Pillai, but he had the good fortune of being blessed by the large-hearted Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar who taught him vocal music and also allowed him to accompany him in his concerts. Dorai became a role model for accompanists and he always kept a Iow profile. He has widely travelled and was visiting Professor at the University of Washington during 1977 -78.
Vidushi Kanyakumari has carved for herself a niche as a violinist. With a diploma in Carnatic music, she had special training under Vidwan Chandrasekharan, but the turning point in her life was when she started accompanying M. L. Vasanthakumari from 1978 onwards. Her interaction with that great vocalist opened her eyes to many subtle aspects of music and she emerged as a mature and innovative violinist In addition to a hectic schedule, she had a teaching assignment at the University of San Francisco.
Vidwan Madurai Srinivasan comes from a family of musicians and his two brothers were eminent vocalists. He himself is a Mridangam maestro in his own right with an extraordinary knowledge of the intricacies of rhythm. Apart from this, he is a talented composer of musical forms for Bharata Natyam and this has earned for him the appreciation of dancers. Recently, the Department of Culture of the Government of India awarded him a Senior Fellowship for writing down his dance compositions in notation and he has completed this assignment.
The passing away of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer on October 31 and C V Narasimhan two days later was an irreparable loss to the music world in general and to this Academy in particular, Vasu said. Srinivasa Iyer attended the first conference of this Academy in 1927 and till his demise he was its well-wisher and and adviser. With his death an era in Carnatic music came to an end. C V Narasimhan was closely associated with this Academy as a Trustee for many
years ane played an active role in its programmes, Vasu recalled.
"In addition to our usual festival recitals of music and dance, we have drawn up an interesting programme of lecture-demonstrations for our morning sessions to be held at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall. As this is the Rukmini Devi Centenary year, a lecture on the choreographic specialities of Rukmini Devi will be presented by Kalakshetra artistes on 20th December", Vasu added.
The name of T V Sankaranarayanan was proposed and seconded as the President of the conference this year. Among those who felicitated him were Dr V V Srivatsa, Secretary of the Academy.
Replying to the felicitations, Sankaranarayanan expressed his gratitude to his uncle Madurai Mani, parents, gurus and rasikas for the encouragement given to him.
RR
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