Sunday Kutcheri in the Park completes 13 years

Spoorthi Rao presents a lively Kutcheri in the Park at Nageswara Rao Park

Launched on the first Sunday of February 2006, the monthly Sunday Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance completed 13 years on January 13. Around 1300 children have so far presented the Mikeless Kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park. To mark the occasion, 13 year old Spoorthi Rao, who is learning music from Guru Ranjani and Gayathri, presented a lively one hour Kutcheri in the Park, without mikes and speakers, at the Nageswara Rao Park in front of a big Sunday morning audience that had gathered around the chess square. She was accompanied on the Violin by Akilesh and on the Mridangam by A Rohith.

TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance said ‘When we launched the Kutcheri in the Park 13 years ago, our idea was to make this a stepping stone for budding musical talent and to help young ‘unsung’ children aged below 15 years shed the initial inhibition that we normally associate with stage performances by giving them a platform to showcase their talent in an informal environment. 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.’

On the Mikeless Kutcheri concept, Srinivasaraghavan said, ‘During these 13 years, we have had suggestions from the audience to convert this into the usual ‘Miked’ Kutcheri but we have resisted the temptation and stuck on to the ‘Mikeless Concept’ for we believed that an open-air kutcheri, amidst falling leaves and curious birds chirping around the park, would bring out the best in the children if they performed without the help of mikes and speakers.’ 

Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance presented certificates to the artistes.

Talented children from the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Pune and Bangalore have also presented mikeless kutcheri at the Nageswara Rao Park over the last 13 years.

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 has also featured in the Limca Book of Records as the longest open air Mikeless Kutcheri for children.

Group Mikeless Kutcheri Day 3 SFMF

10 students from Gaana Surabhi Music Academy presented a Group Mikeless Kutcheri  on the third morning ( Jan 12) of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival at the Nageswara Rao Park.

Geetha Raja's Students Kutcheri in the Park

Students of Smt. Geetha Raja presented a lively Kutcheri in the Park sans mikes and speakers on the second morning of the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival at the Nageswara Rao Park.

The students presented compositions that included Papanasam Sivan’s Kapali (Mohanam/Adi), Thyagarajar’s Tulasamma (Devagandhari/Adi), Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri’s Kanthamam (Sindhubhairavi/Ekam(Tisra gati)) and Paramacharya Shri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi’s Maitreem Bhajatha     (Ragamalika  / Adi).

 TT Srinivasaraghavan, MD, Sundaram Finance presented certificates to the artistes.

Sivaswami Kalalaya Mikeless Kutcheri in the Park

38 Students from Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya Sr. Sec School, Mylapore presented a lively group Mikeless Kutcheri this morning between 7am and 8am at the Nageswara Rao Park to kick off the 17^th Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival. No Mikes and speakers are used at the Kutcheri in the Park.

Accompanied by Shriya Desikan on the Violin and R Ramakrishnan on the Mridangam, the students presented songs that included Bharathiyar’s Paarukulley Nalla Naadu (Jompuri/Adi), Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s Mahaganapathim (Nattai/Ekam), Shri Saraswathi (Aarabhi /Rupakam) and Kamalaasana Vandita (Sankarabaranam/Ekam), Thyagarajar’s Vidajaladura (Jana Ranjani / Adi) and Gandhamu Puyyaruga ( Punnaaga Varali/Adi) and Papanasam Sivan’s Devi Neeye Thunai ( Keeravani / Adi). 

P Viswanathan, Company Secretary, Sundaram Finance Ltd., presented certificates to the artistes and a memento to the Music teacher H Sujatha.

The idea of the Kutcheri in the Park organised by Sundaram Finance 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 1200 children have presented the Mikeless Kutcheri to-date since the launch in February 2006.  Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes.