This artiste was extremely clear that music was what he wanted to pursue and would have discontinued his studies after 12th Grade, had his Guru not persuaded him to complete his degree. “I had stubbornly refused to listen to my parents,” says L. Ramakrishnan who can be seen accompanying practically…
In the family I was born into, sugar tolerance is very high. As a friend put it a long time ago, “your family needs sugar as a side for desserts.” I was the only exception. “I just wish it was less sweet,” was my stock comment to my mother. Of…
My paternal uncle, my chithappa, died almost exactly 24 hours ago (not COVID-related) – he was my father’s immediate next brother and the fifth of the eight siblings. The word ‘chithappa’ in tamizh, and equivalent words in many other Indian languages, indicates a younger father – literally speaking. My chithappa…
Procrastination is so much easier now. For time has lost all sense of identity. Every day is like the other – a state of suspended fluidity. To postpone is a very common tendency for one born human, but some do so more than others. My husband is one who NEVER…
The self-inflicted death of a healthy, young man is always a tragedy. Following the suicide of the young and successful Indian actor, Sushant Singh Rajput, I have seen several social media posts in the vein of (self-paraphrased) “If you need someone to talk to, I am here. You are never…
Smt. Vishakha Hari, noted Harikatha exponent, concludes this podcast by bringing in a philosophical perspective. She talks of a ‘jvarA’ (fever) mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam, and other anecdotes from the scriptures, to make sense of the malady we are currently amidst. She suggests programs resume in green zones, with adequate…
Death, Birth. Marriage, Widowhood. Sickness, Health. Music, Silence. Vignettes of utter contrasts back to back all within 18 hours. Life itself, in fact, encapsulated in a nutshell. Last night, I ‘attended’ a wedding online. Today, an online memorial meet for my husband’s schoolmate. Right before, I caught what I could…
Smt. Vidya Subramanian, rasika, entrepreneur and vocalist, gets into listeners and musicians, supply and demand, income streams and more, in this candid conversation. She says listeners and musicians fall in two broad categories and that, for the vast majority of listeners, physical concerts will take a back seat, for now,…
Sri. A.S. Ramakrishnan says listeners are eagerly awaiting resumption of concerts and that he is ready to begin conducting them. He discusses the modus operandi he would follow and also a different idea, should rules for gathering be very restrictive. This video is part of the Melodies during Maladies podcast.…
Smt. S. Mahathi categorically states that online concerts can never be a substitute for physical ones, making her point with a simple analogy and discussing the elephant in the room – artistes’ compensation. She thinks it is too early to get back to live performances, however, much as she would…