Date:11/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/11/stories/2006111103920200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

The Hindu Friday Review November Fest launched, with love

Gowri Ramnarayan

Attempts to bring to Chennai "music that is different, refreshing, and new" Attempts to bring to Chennai "music that is different, refreshing, and new"

CHENNAI: "If music be the food of love, play on!" A cliché? Not at the launch of The Hindu Friday Review November Fest on Thursday, the highlight of which was the performance by Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, who sang his heart out with love, about love.

The four songs he rendered at the ballroom of the Taj Connemara were in four languages. Subrahmanya Bharati's Tamil poem `Chinnanchirukiliye' poured out love for a child; Kalidasa's Sanskrit shloka described Sakuntala's love for her pastoral home as she leaves for the palace; the Telugu javali `Jaanaro' breathed sensuous fervour; while the finale by Bengal's Dwijendarlal Roy roused patriotic fervour with his adoration of the motherland. Krishna chose to dwell on the moods to bring out their depth and tenderness, using his voice to modulate not only the swaras, but also the myriad connotations arising from the poetry.

Accompanists Mullaivasal Chandramouli (violin), K.V. Prasad (mridangam) and S. Karthick (ghatam) did a magnificent job in blending with and highlighting the melodious flow of passion.

N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, welcomed the gathering, which included Kerala Minister M.A. Baby and music maestros M. Balamuralikrishna and Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman.

Mr. Ram said that the November Fest seeks to do two things. First, it attempts to bring "to our great metropolis a kind of music that is different, refreshing, and to some extent new." It does so by offering a platform for musical genres that do not receive much attention during the city's unique classical music season. Secondly, the November Fest brings diversity and variety, catering to all generations and tastes, both mainstream and niche. "This year's festival ranges boldly, perhaps even riskily, across genres," from ghazals and western classical to jugalbandis and fusion, he said.

The event was compered by P.C. Ramakrishna and attended by a large gathering of music lovers, musicians, and friends of The Hindu.