Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by P. K. Doraiswamy
Impact of California Fires on Local and Regional Air Quality: The Role of a Low‐Cost Sensor Network and Satellite Observations
1 Introduction Wildfires, or uncontrolled forest fires, in California resulting from long, dry summers are becoming annual events initiated by both natural and human activities. Between 2007 and 2016, there were 2,434 to 3,672 fires annually, burning anywhere from 25,438 to 434,667 acres (Pimlott et al., 2016). Increasingly, more people are now living in high‐risk areas, where fires can claim lives, destroy homes and properties, and impact the climate.
What is ‘depth’ in Carnatic music?
I have always been mystified by the word, ‘depth’ used in concert reviews. Statements like “Mali used a thicker bamboo for his flute which produced more depth” or “The Karaikudi style of veena playing with its thicker strings and firmer plucking with a plectrum had more depth than the Emani style which used thinner strings and finger nails for soft plucking” create the impression that ‘depth’ had something to do with the timbre.
Down-to-earth appeal of Tyagaraja's songs
Apart from the great music in which they are drenched, Tyagaraja’s kritis have also several interesting similes and metaphors. Sample these: From ‘Balamu kulamu (Saveri): “Neeti kaki meenu munuga niratham udaya snanama, theta kanula konga gurchaa deva deva dyanama? Gahana munanu kothulunte ghanamau vana vasama ? Patramulanu meyu meka balamaina upavasama? (Crows and fish always dive into water. Can we say that they are doing their morning ablution?
Impact of California Fires on Local and Regional Air Quality: The Role of a Low‐Cost Sensor Network and Satellite Observations
PM , or fine particulate matter, is a category of air pollutant consisting of particles with effective aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 μm. These particles have been linked to human health impacts as well as regional haze, visibility, and climate change issues. Due to cost and space restrictions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitoring network remains spatially sparse.
What’s kutcheri darmam?
During the past music season, in one of the morning sessions of the Music Academy, there was a panel discussion on Katcheri Dharmam. Kutcheri paddhathi and kutcheri format are usually discussed, but not so ‘kutcheri dharmam.’ The root of the word dharmam is ‘dhru,’ which means ‘to hold.’ In other words, dharmam is the principle, which holds the world together. Extending this to music, can we say that kutcheri dharmam is what holds a concert together ?
Jugalbandi - what’s the charm?
The literal dictionary meaning of jugalbandi is ‘entwined twins.’ Non-musically, the term has been used in many interesting ways.
Play with ragas
Muthuswamy Dikshitar inserts the raga mudra in many (but not all ) of his compositions whereas Tyagaraja and Syama Sastry not at all. Two of Tyagaraja’s compositions have a raga mudra — ‘Ganamurthe’ (Ganamurthy ragam ) and ‘Sarasiruha nayane’ (Amrutavarshini ragam ) but the authenticity of these compositions is doubted by many musicologists.
What connects the raga and the kriti?
Once I heard a couple of senior vidwans expressing the view that a raga alapana should reflect the kriti to follow. Two questions arise: (i) is this essential, and (ii) if not, is this desirable?Prima facie, there is no obligatory aesthetic connection between a raga’s form (swarupa) in the alapana and its structure in the kriti to follow. The main purpose of an alapana is to delineate a raga as comprehensively and attractively as possible.
Vivadi can bring joy
(Note: The three varieties of ‘ ri’ are referred to as ‘ra , ri and ru,’ the three varieties of ‘ga’ are referred to as ‘ga, gi and gu,’ the three varieties of ‘dha’ are referred to as dha, dhi and dhu and the three varieties of ‘ni’ are referred to as ‘ni, na and nu ‘). The word ‘vivadi’ has two meanings — ‘controversial’ (generating vivadam) and ‘dissonant’ in an acoustic sense. In the case of vivadi melas in Carnatic music, both meanings apply.
Bend it like Balamurali
Raga is the soul of Carnatic music. The conceptual jump from tune to raga is a quantum jump almost equivalent to the conceptual leap from gravity to relativity. But what is a raga? Can we define it unequivocally and definitively?
Evolution of the music rasika
How does one become a ‘bitten’ rasika of Carnatic music? Is it a case of “love at first sight” or is there a process of progressive evolution? I do believe that there is a process of evolution here. Musical listening is aesthetic cognition. This cognition passes through five different stages identified and described below. It does not mean that every listener will pass through all the stages or at the same speed. Like personality, rasikatva may also get fixated at any of the lower stages.
From casual appreciation to informed listening
How does one become a ‘bitten’ rasika of Carnatic music? Is it a case of “love at first sight” or is there a process of progressive evolution? I do believe that there is a process of evolution here. Musical listening is aesthetic cognition. This cognition passes through five different stages identified and described below. It does not mean that every listener will pass through all the stages or at the same speed. Like personality, rasikatva may also get fixated at any of the lower stages.
How does a musician face criticism
Concert reviewers have to take themselves seriously. It is this very seriousness that makes some reviews amusing, even controversial, the latter evoking spirited responses from the affected musicians. Here are a few examples culled out from published reviews and the reactions of musicians in some cases: “The musician next took up Charukesi for alapana. What is this? Isn’t charukesi a south Indian girl ?
Will the real Abheri stand up please!
n ‘Aberration’ may perhaps be too strong a word for what is proposed to be discussed here.
RTP should come together as an aesthetic gestalt
Classical music, by definition, and in contrast to folk music, is intellectualised music. The intellectual elements can either supplement and strengthen the musical element or suppress and supersede it. Of the various aspects of Carnatic music, one element that is intellectual and also the most apt to run away with itself is rhythm.
How can a raga be identified?
Is there a central, unceasing aim of Carnatic music? Raga being its soul, its central aim, therefore, is showcasing raga bhava. Raga bhava is an aesthetic-emotional landscape painted by brush strokes called sancharas. Can we prescribe rules for doing this? A rasika’s perception of music quality depends on his subjective preference and listening. At this level, therefore, no rule can be prescribed.
Remembering Lalgudi Jayaraman - The Hindu
The first time that I saw him was in Coimbatore in 1951 at the Ramanavami music festival organised by the late Binny Subba Rao. Papa Venkataramaiah who was supposed to accompany Alathur Brothers did not turn up and the tufted 21-year old Jayaraman was asked to take his place. The other two accompanists being the stalwarts — Palghat Mani on the mridangam and Palani Subbudu on the ganjira — Jayaraman had to sit next to the tambura player without even his name being announced.
Is it possible to popularise classical music?
One hears frequently that steps should be taken to ‘popularise’ Carnatic music among the younger generation as the present concert audience consists mostly of senior citizens which may dwindle in the future. (This has nothing to do with making Carnatic music ‘inclusive’) What does ‘popularising’ mean? Popularising normally means ‘making something appealing to and wanted by’ a large number of people. In management, this is known as marketing.
A take on Tyagaraja’s musicianship
“Dear son of memory, great heir of fame” – this is how Milton described Shakespeare. How aptly this fits Tyagaraja! How else does one explain, why even after 250 years of his passing away, we still admire and discuss him and his music. Musical experience is highly subjective and any views expressed about music or musicians are also bound to be subjective except those relating to the grammatical aspects like scale, sruti or tala.
The beauty of lyricism
“Carnatic music is raga-centric and the kritis are only a peg to hang the melody and rhythm on.” From a musical point of view the above statement is valid. In Hindustani music, the lyric is almost inconsequential . But Carnatic lyrics are in a class by themselves and in many cases are adorned with different types of alankaras. Not being aware of this is no great loss for one who wants to listen to and enjoy the music alone.
Carnatic music was essentially an art form which could also be practised without bhakti
The place of bhakti in Carnatic music is a topic of recurring debate. The fact that the Trinity and earlier composers like Annamayya, Ramadas and Jayadeva had all been intense devotees and composed songs has led to the argument that bhakti is the sole fountainhead, if not the goal, of Carnatic music. While devout believers are entitled to enjoy the bhakti aspect, it is untenable to say that there cannot be good Carnatic music without bhakti.
The grammar of Carnatic music
It’s all about striking a balance between grammar and aesthetics. In a morning session of the Music Academy, there was a panel discussion on lakshana and lakshya. The panel strongly supported the view that lakshya was more important than lakshana, sounding at one stage almost as if lakshana did not matter at all. A few voices tried to make the point that lakshana was also important. Ultimately, there was no strong consensus either way.
Balamuralikrishna reigned as a Markandeya of music
The Markandeya of music is no more. No more shall we listen to his tantalising alapanas making the listener wonder for the first few minutes what the raga was going to be. Mo more the thrill of his innovative but instantaneously composed kalpanaswara patterns . It was his Bhakti Ranjani programme on AIR Vijayawada that got me and many other listeners hooked to his music and to rare kritis such as ‘E dhaari sancharinthuvao,’ ‘Maara vairi,’and so on.
Like an ancient river
The performance content may change but not the identity as Carnatic music. No issue on art can be resolved entirely by logic, but analysis may throw more light and invite fresh viewpoints. The following analysis is done in this spirit. There is no central authority to prescribe what is tradition or to enforce it.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with P. K.
Contact P. K., search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack