Sruti and Jayshree Sarathy present mikeless ‘Kutcheri’ in Madras

First Kutcheri in India for the Calif based sisters

January 2008: California, US based sisters, 13 year old Sruti Sarathy and 11 year old Jayshree Sarathy, presented a carnatic music performance at the Mikeless Kutcheri organized by Sundaram Finance at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. This was their first ever Kutcheri in India.

Sisters Sruti and Jayshree have been learning Carnatic music, for the last 6 years at the Trinity Center for Music from Smt. Anuradha Sridhar, daughter and disciple of Lalgudi Srimathi Brahmanandam.

Says Mrs. Vatsala Sarathy, the mother of Sruti and Jayshree, "We heard, from our friends in the US, of Sundaram Finance’s Kutcheri in the Park and the platform they were providing for young musical talent in Chennai. I was keen that my kids participate in this prestigious and very different kind of Kutcheri.

We approached Sundaram Finance in November 2007 and sent them music audio files of Sruti and Jayshree via the internet. The audition team at Sundaram Finance was happy with their presentation of songs.”

On their first performance in India, Sruti and Jayashree said, “When we think of Chennai, we only think of kutcheris in the Sabhas. We have never heard of mikeless kutcheris and open air park kutcheris.”

“While we have given several music performances in the US, this is the first time we have performed in India. Also, this is the first time we have sung without mikes and speakers.

This was a different kind of experience for us. The audience was very close to us. Without the mike, we had to put in more effort and I think our voice came out much better.

We were really surprised by the big crowd that was present that early in the morning (630am) and their encouragement really motivated us to perform even better."

T.T. Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and presented certificates and mementos to the performing artistes.

Sivaswamy Kalalaya Student performs at the Sunday Kutcheri

As part of the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’, G Vishwanath, a class 9 student of Sri Sivaswamy Kalalaya Senior Secondary School presented a vocal music performance, sans mike and speakers, this Sunday morning (7th October 2007) at the Chess Quadrangle of the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore.

Vishwanath was accompanied by R Priyamvadaa on the Violin and by Gohidayan on the Mridangam.

He has been learning carnatic music for 6 years. He is now learning music under Guru – Shri. Delhi Muthukumar, a disciple of TN Seshagopalan.

The idea behind the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is to provide a launch pad for budding artistes aged below 15 years to showcase their musical talents and to encourage them to perform without inhibition.

For registration, email : sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Mikeless Kutcheri by Shrihari

On a pleasant December(2nd December 2007) morning, S Shrihari, a class 7 student at PS Senior Secondary School, Mylapore presented a brilliant vocal music performance in front a big audience at the monthly mikeless ‘Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ at Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore.

Shrihari’s rendition of Vanajakshi, Mahaganapatim, Balla Kanakanya, Ninuvina and Enna Ganura drew special applause from the music connoisseurs and park walkers who had gathered at the park to watch the Sundaram Finance Sunday Kutcheri.

Shrihari has been learning carnatic music since the age of 5 under Guru - Sri S P Ramh. Shrihari was accompanied on the Violin by Ananthlakshmi, a class 4 student at National Public School, Gopalapuram and on the Mridangam by P V Srivathsa, studying in class 10 in PS Senior Sec School, Mylapore.

T. T Srinivasaraghavan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd., was present on the occasion and presented certificates to the performing artistes.

The idea behind the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is to provide a launch pad for budding artistes aged below 15 years to showcase their musical talents and to encourage them to perform without inhibition.

No mikes and speakers are used at the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park.

Sundaram Finance’s audition committee conducts an audition to finalise the artistes


For audition and registration details, email: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Sunday Kutcheri in the Park completes one year

Badrish presents mikeless kutcheri

In the first ‘Sunday Kutcheri’ of 2007, 14 year old S. Badrish of Jain Vidyalaya School, Triplicane presented a lively carnatic music performance for an hour on Sunday (5th February 2007) morning at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. Badrish was accompanied on the Violin by Shiva Kumar and on the Mridangam by Venkatraman. He has been learning music from Guru Sulochana Sampath, Triplicane.

It was exactly a year ago that Sundaram Finance launched the concept of Sunday Kutcheri in the Park with a group kutcheri by Vandalur Vishwa Vidyalaya students. The speciality of the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is that no mikes or speakers are used and the Kutcheri takes place in an open air environment in the early morning hours amidst the chirping of birds.

The ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is intended to promote budding youngsters to showcase their talent and is open to children aged below 15 years.

'Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ is organised on the first Sunday of every month between 630am and 730am at the Nageswara Rao Park. An audition committee, set up by Sundaram Finance, conducts an audition to finalise the artistes.

Summer of 2007-Mikeless Sunday Kutcheri

Shruthi presents carnatic Music at Chess Square

Shruthi S. Kumar, a Class VII student of Vidya Mandir, presented an hour of Mikeless Kutcheri at Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore, on Sunday (6th May 2007) as part of the `Sunday Kutcheri in the park' organized by Sundaram Finance.

Shruthi was accompanied by R. Ram on the Violin, Madurai B. Sundar on the Mridangam and S. Krishna on the Ghatam.

Sunday Kutcheri in the Park is organised on the first Sunday of every month between 630am and 730am. An audition committee set up by Sundaram Finance selects children below 15 years of age to perform as part of the series.

For registration: sundaykutcheri@gmail.com

Muralidhara Guruji Vidyalayam students present Group Kutcheri

Six Students from Shri Muralidhara Guruji Vidyalayam, Perambur presented a Group Kutcheri on Sunday morning (11th November 2007).M Shwetha Murlidharan, S Aishwarya, P K Ranjith, C Ashwin Parthasarathy, Sri Bhargavi and Vardhini were accompanied by R. Swathi on the Key Board, R.Raghavendran on the Ghatam and Sai Narayanan on the Tabla.

These 6 students have been learning music under Guru Mrs. Uma Murali.

The November 2007 edition of the ‘Sunday Kutcheri in the Park’ organized by Sundaram Finance at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore was postponed by a week (to the 2nd Sunday) because of the monsoon rains on 4th November. This was the first time that the Sunday Kutcheri has had to be postponed because of the rains.