“A good-looking man, his hair slicked down in the traditional way, sang like an angel with a delightful voice, husky at times, but never heavy throated or loud” – exclaimed Lakshmi Viswanathan, the Vice President of Music Academy Madras in her tribute to KVN when he passed away in 2002. Kollengode Viswanatha Narayanaswamy a Carnatic musician par excellence, often referred to as KVN, was born on 15 November 1923 in Palghat in a family of musicians to fiddle Viswanatha Bhagavatar,…
Posts published by “Krithika Srinivasan”
Breath control is about so much more than just taking a deep breath. It is about maintaining a controlled, steady stream of air while singing. Many singers face the same question: Why do I run out of breath very soon though I take deep breaths? Breath control for singers is rarely about inhaling more. What matters is how you control your exhalation. Conscious breath control is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind. Healthy lungs,…
Everyone dreams of having a flexible body that can be twisted, turned anyway around. Well, this is possible with regular exercises in the gym and practicing yoga. Then why not aim for voice flexibility similarly, so that one is able to sing a song of any genre melodiously and attractively? This is possible by developing a flexible voice that is agile enough to render any kind of a song that has complicated passages, with good tonal quality, control and command…
All of us would love to go on a long journey in that favourite car of ours. However, the journey comes to a sudden halt because the engine seized. Why did this happen? Without oil and water, the engine suffered a wear and tear. This is a similar scenario with the human voice. Without proper vocal hygiene, the voice suffers a wear and tear after few years and the dream of a fruitful musical journey comes to an unexpected halt.…
“Human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play” – Richard Strauss. What is voice culture? Voice culture primarily refers to the methodology adopted to train or control the voice to sing effectively. Many musicologists and voice experts have accepted it as science. According to one of the voice experts Dr. T. Unnikrishnan, technique of voice culture is a branch of knowledge, which deals with the techniques of right voice production. Fundamentally, it…
“I was Nagarathna (precious jewel on the snake’s head) by birth, then became bhogarathna (jewel of pleasure) and now I am rogarathna (jewel of disease)” – this was how Bangalore Nagarathnamma jovially described herself during her last days. She may also be called ragarathna (jewel of musical ragas) and tyagarathna (jewel of sacrifice). This is an excerpt from D. V. Gundappa’s Jnapakachitrashaale translated from the original Kannada text. Bangalore Nagarathnamma was alive when he wrote these words. Hailing from Nanjangud,…
An illustrious and devoted disciple of a saint poet Thyagaraja, a prolific composer, a hatha yogi, – these should best describe Srimad Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar. Venkataramana Bhagavatar was born on February 18, 1781 in Ayyampettai of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu to Nannuswamy. He was born as an answer to…
“Music is a divine gift. Whatever you play, it should touch the soul. How does it come? If you enjoy what you play, then you can make others enjoy”. Career in the classical arts is not often remembered for courage. Too many other elements tend to intrude into the discussion, and to be prized heavily by purists: a stickler to tradition, for example, or the flourishes of genius, or capacious knowledge. But it is courage that most plainly marks out…
What next after the varases? This is one question that pops into the mind of every beginner. Once a student is through with the basic lessons i.e. sarale varase, janti varase, taggusthaayi varase, taarasthaayi varase, dhaatu varase and alankaara, before proceeding to learn the pillarigeethe and sanchari geethe, one litmus test to see if he/she is ready to learn different types of geethe is to sing the basic lessons in three speeds continuously. If possible, the three speeds can be…
“I was greatly influenced by Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. I do not want another life. But if there is one, I want to be able to sing like Ramanuja Iyengar” exclaimed the doyen of Carnatic Music, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar popularly known as Ariyakudi, was born in Ariyakudi, a town in Karaikudi district near Tamil Nadu, in 1890, to Tiruvenkatacharya, who was a famous astrologer and veda exponent. Music Initiation Ariyakudi started learning under Pudukoti Malayappa Iyer at the…