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Why compose new songs, asks Semmangudi

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai Dec. 1. The annual arts festival of the Kartik Fine Arts opened here today with the Carnatic music veteran, `Semmangudi' R. Srinvasa Iyer, cautioning vocalists against the latest fad of churning out original compositions.

``When the pristine treasures of saint-composers Thyagarajar and Muthusamy Dikshitar which match the Upanishads are available, why should we compose our own songs full of flaws. It is wrong,'' Mr. Srinivasaya Iyer said.

Carnatic music, he said, would sustain for eternity and lauded the young performers for ``spreading its glory'' across the globe. However, the proliferating Carnatic music schools should ensure quality.

At the inaugural function, vocalist T. M. Krishna was conferred with the Kartik Fine Arts' annual ``Isai Peroli'' title and danseuse, Priya Murle, presented the ``Nadamamani award''. Both artistes received a cash award of Rs. 15,000 and a medallion each.

Vocalist, Visalakshi Nityanand was chosen for the D. K. Pattammal award for best young, talented, musician.

Inaugurating the arts festival and the birth centenary celebration of musician Varahur Muthuswami Ayyar, the Union Home Secretary, N. Gopalswami, noted that no city offered so much encouragement to arts and dance as Chennai did for Carnatic music. Chennai was India's cultural capital with a confluence of all forms of arts, commended

M.S. Ramachandran, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation, the sponsor of the festival said the company had created a Rs. 25-crore corpus for fostering art and archaeological monuments in the country.

The Kartik Fine Arts festival committee, chairman, L. Sabaretnam, dancer, Sudharani Raghupathi and T. L. Jain, Executive Director, IOC were among those who participated.

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