Sunday Kutcheri completes 11 Years

1100 Students have presented Kutcheri todate at the Nageswara Rao Park Launched in February 2006, the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance has completed 11 years today. On the occasion of the 11th anniversary, also the final morning of the 15th edition of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival, over 20 students from Vidya Mandir, Mylapore presented a Group Mikeless

Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park in front of a big audience that gathered around the chess square. The group presented compositions that included Mooladara Moorthi (Hamsadvani), Sriman Narayana (Bowli), Govardhana Girisham (Hindolam), Bantureeti Kolu (Hamsanadam) and Radha Sametha Krishna (Yamuna Kalyani) TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance who is the man behind the Mikeless Kutcheri concept was present on the occasion and handed over certificates to the artistes.

He also presented a memento to Shobha Raman, Principal and Nithya Ramesh, Music Teacher, Vidya Mandir. Srinivasaraghavan said ‘When we launched the Kutcheri in the Park, we had wanted this to be a stepping stone for budding musical talent. I would like to think that the Sunday Kutcheri in the Park has played a small role in helping young ‘unsung’ children aged below 15years shed the initial inhibition that we normally associate with stage performances by giving them a platform to showcase their talent. 1100 children have so far presented the Mikeless Kutcheri since the launch in February 2006. Many have gone on to the next level in their musical career. That for us is very heartening; those for whom we provided a platform, blossoming and moving on.’ No Mikes and Speakers are used at the Kutcheri. The monthly Kutcheri in the Park is restricted to children aged below 15 years. A committee from Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. The Kutcheri in the Park also entered the Limca Book of Records last year for the longest open air Mikeless Kutcheri for children.

Gaana Surabhi presents Mikeless Kutcheri

Students from Gaana Surabhi Music Academy presented a Group Mikeless Kutcheri on day 3 of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2017.

Ganapriya School present Mikeless Kutcheri

Students from Ganapriya School of Music presented a Group Kutcheri on the 2nd day of the 15th Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival.

Tala Vadya Kutcheri Vikku Vinayakram Students

1st Ever Tala Vadya Mikeless Kutcheri at Nageswara Rao Park Vikku Vinayakram’s students present group concert to kick off the Mylapore Festival 2017 Special Konnakol Presentation by Shivapriya

20 Students from Jayaganesh Tala Vadya Vidyalaya, disciples of legendary Sri Vikku Vinayakaram presented a group Tala Vadya Kutcheri this morning at the Nageswara Rao Park to kick off the 15th Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival. This is the first time that a Tala Vadya Kutcheri has been presented in over 10 years of the Mikeless Kutcheri series that Sundaram Finance has been organizing. Vikku Vinayakram sat alongside the students at the Chess Square and guided them through the kutcheri. The students presented a combination of Mridangam and Ghatam in the Adi Talam which was then followed by a solo effort from the budding Mridangam artistes. Konnakol Presentation The big highlight of the Tala Vadya Kutcheri was a brilliant Konnakol presentation by V Shivapriya, a student of Sri Sankara Sr. Sec School, Adyar. Konnakol is the art of performing percussion syllables and is the spoken component of Solkattu, which refers to a combination of Konnakol syllables spoken while simultaneously counting the Tala with the hand.

With her Guru Vikku Vinayakram by her side, Shivapriya presented with two different thalams on each hand, a very special skill and not a common feature. She received big round of applause from the audience who had gathered around the Chess Square of the Nageswara Rao Park. On the concept of morning Mikeless Kutcheri, Vikku Vinayakram said, ‘This is indeed a very special initiative by Sundaram Finance to organize an early morning Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park without mikes and speakers. It is a great opportunity for young children to perform in such an open park environment with the audience sitting around them.” Sundaram Finance presented certificates to all the artistes at the end of the Kutcheri. The company also presented a memento to Guru Vikku Vinayakram. Earlier Vikku Vinayakram lit the lamp to launch the 15th edition of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival.

No Mikes and speakers are used at the Kutcheri. The idea of the Kutcheri in the Park is to provide opportunities to young budding talent aged below 15 years to present in front of an informal park audience amidst chirping birds and falling leaves. Over 1000 children have presented Kutcheri to-date since the launch in February 2006. Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes. Media Contact: S Prabhu @ 94440 40748

Vidyuth presents December Kutcheri

13 year old KC Vidyuth, a Class VIII student of National Public School presented a lively Mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore this Sunday (Dec 4) morning between 7am and 8am. No Mikes and Speakers were used at the Sunday Kutcheri.

Vidyuth, who is learning music from Sri Chitravina N Ravikiran, was accompanied on the Violin by Parur Ananthalakshmi (Disciple of Sri Parur M S Anantharaman) and on the Mirudangam by Vadavalli R Sriram (Disciple of Sri Poongulam S Ramakrishnan and Padma Bhushan, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Sri TV Gopalakrishnan). Appreciated through the one hour by morning walkers and kutcheri regulars who gathered around the chess square, Vidyuth presented compositions that included Annamacharya’s Shreeman Narayana (Bowli/Adi), Oothukadu Venkata Kavi’s Prema Swaroopa (Ananda Bairavi/ Adi), Thyagaraja’s Idi Samayamura (Chayanata/Adi), Muthuswami Dikshithar’s Mamava Meenakshi (Varali/Misrachapu) and Bharathiyar’s Bharatha Desam Endru Subramanya (Ragamalika/ Adi). Hari Krishnan, GM, Sundaram Finance presented certificates and mementos to the artistes.

Varshini presents September Mikeless Kutcheri

S Varshinhi, a class VI student of Shankara Mat HSS, Thiruvanmiyur presented a Vocal Carnatic music performance this Sunday (September 4) morning between 7am and 8am at the Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore. Varshinhi, who is learning music from Guru Smt. Vallinayaki, was accompanied on the Violin by R D Shyam Ragav (Disciple of Chertalai Sri R Shivakumar) and on the Mirudangam by Indhalur R D Adharsh (Disciple of Kalaimamani Guruvayur Dorai). Varshinhi presented compositions that included Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s Maha Ganapatim, Thyagarajar’s Gurulekha and Sobilli Sapthaswara and Oothukadu Venkatasubbaiyer’s Maragathamani Maya and Aalavadhennalo. TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance presented certificates and mementos to artistes.