Heavy overnight rain did not deter morning park walkers and music enthusiasts to gather in large numbers around the Chess Square of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore this morning to watch 13 year old V. Akshara, a student from Kuwait, present her first mikeless Kutcheri.
Last month, another student from Kuwait (Raghavi Vishwanath) had presented her maiden Kutcheri in India at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance. Incidentally, both Raghavi and Akshara study in the same class in Kuwait.
Lively Performance
It was sweet music to the ears as Akshara, who completed her Arangetram at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai last year, unmindful of Television camera in front of her (NDTV Hindu was present on the occasion to cover Akshara's first Kutcheri in India), displayed great confidence and poise presenting some of the popular keerthanais and compositions.
Jegadhanandakaraka (Pancharathna Keerthanai- Naattai), Vathapi Ganapathim ( Hamsadvani), Sobillu (Jeganmohini, Roopakam) and, Sri Valli Deva Senapathey ( Nata Bairavi- Aadhi) drew loud round of applause from the audience.
Akshara even had the audience tapping in to her presentation of Sabaapathikku Veru Deivam and Bhaaro Krishnaiya.
Commenting on the Mikeless Kutcheri concept, Akshara said, “When I heard about the Mikeless Kutcheri concept organised every month by Sundaram Finance in Chennai, I was not too sure about my capability of singing without a mike as it is not easy for every one to perform sans mike. However, my father convinced me to send the CD to Sundaram Finance as part of my audition process and to give it my best shot at this different kind of a kutcheri.”
“The kutcheri this morning turned out to a new experience for me. Though I was initially apprehensive, I actually quite enjoyed the mikeless kutcheri in this very informal setting of the park and in front of this big crowd that had gathered to watch my performance.”
Akshara, who has been learning carnatic music for the last 6 years, was accompanied by Mavelikkara Satheeschandran (Disciple of Sri Krishnapuram Ramakrishnapillai) on the Violin, Peruna Harikumar (Disciple of Changanassery Gopakumar) Mridangam and Manjoor Unnikrishnan (Disciple of Allepey Chandrasekara Nair) on the Ghatam. Akshara’s Guru is Sangeetha Vidwan Smt. Jayanti Siva.
T. T. Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., presented certificates and mementos to the performing artistes.
Organised by Sundaram Finance on the first Sunday of every month, the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park provides a platform for young children below 15 years to display their musical talent. Mikes and Speakers are not used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park. Sundaram Finance audition committee conducts an audition to select the artistes to perform at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.
For registration and audition, contact: 94440 40748
Good Morning !It was a pleasant experience today at the park I thank Ms Sandhya for the information about the blog and immediately I logged in so happy I felt when I saw the contents
ReplyDeletebut to my dismay audio which I was looking for ,I was told ,is not availble .I request you to do consider my request to add audio for all the kutcheris ......ptch I have nothing else to say
than a little disappointed to miss all those programmes of singers of tomorrow