CHENNAI, August 9: It was the concluding day of the six-day Svanubhava II. But there was no dearth of vigour, vibrancy and vitality. The Music Academy was full of colour, as enthusiastic students actively took part in the exciting `treasure hunt’ game, held just prior to the formal end to the highly successful second edition of Svanubhava.

It was a grand festival of music for the students and by the students. It turned grander when the living legend of the Carnatic music Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna appeared on the stage as a special guest of honour. And, the student community was mightily pleased to see in its midst "the greatest musician that the planet has produced’’ as T.M. Krishna said. As Krishna and Bombay Jayashri, who were instrumental in converting the Svanubhava event into an experience, ushered in the stalwart on to the stage, there was a standing ovation. Offering his pranams to the tallest of the living musicians, Krishna said, "we all are proud to live in the era of Dr.Balamuralikrishna”.

The veteran singer himself appeared thoroughly pleased to be amongst the children. "I feel I have missed the inaugural festival,’’ he said. "I will come back next year,’’ he added. "I always want to be at a place which is full of music students,’’ he said, betraying his feelings.

He appreciated the selection of the name Svanubhava for the event. "You can’t explain how sweet is sweet. You have to experience to know how sweet is sweet,’’ he said.

The name Svanubhava was very appropriate for this musical event, he said. "If we go to a concert and enjoy it, one can’t explain it unless you yourself actually hear it. The experience is a nice one .But we can’t explain how and why of it? Can we explain the sweetness unless we actually taste it? Like this, we have to experience or Svanubhavam alone can tell us what it is,’’ he said.

"I have been with the music for four generation. I have been with the musicians of four generations. I know how the times were then. And, I also know how the times are now,’’ he said. The musicians of former times had established music and popularized them, he said. "But few had time to think of the future,’’ he added. In this context, he praised the "very sincere work’’ of Jayashri and Krishna. "I promise I am with them,’’ he went on to assert. Though they (Jayashri and Krishna) were young in age, they were old knowledge-wise, he said. Dr. Balamuralikrishna lauded them for taking the lead in organizing an exclusive event for the students of Carnatic music. "They not only look after their profession as artistes, they also think of the future generation. I like this,’’ he said.
Dr. Balamuralikrishna never was short of wits. He said people made him feel old when they touched his feet in obeisance. " I always thought I am a Bala -always interested in knowing better, serving better. The prefix to my name (bala) comes very useful for me to think in this way,’’ he said. The indefatigable Krishna informed the veteran vocalist that the signature tunes for Svanubhava were composed by mridangist Arun Prakash. After playing the tunes for Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Krishna requested him to honour Arun Prakash with a memento on behalf of the Svanubhava team. Dr.Balamuralikrishna also distributed certificates to volunteers from the three music institutions, which played host to the musical festival second year in a row. Well, blessed were these students to receive the certificates from the legend!

The morning session saw dancer Swapna Sundari give an exemplary demonstration of her Vilasini natyam. There was no dip in the energy level post-lunch. The afternoon session re-commenced with namsankeertanam, a chorus singing of bhajans by the students of Dr. Sundar. It was absorbing. And, it was presented aesthetically by the young girls. They began with “Om Ganesha”. They followed it up with "Govinda Radha Rama’’, "Srihari Gopala Radha Ramana’’ and "Vittala’’. Finally, the group singing concluded with a fast-phased bhajan on Lord Hanuman.

Then there was a treasure hunt. A game designed to test the music knowledge of the students. It was well conducted by Krishna. Rewards in the forms of music CDs and magazines were presented to winners. Though the treasure hunt was the last item of the Svanubhava II, the mood was still upbeat and the energy levels very high. And, the game perked up the enthusiasm further. There was high degree of participation in the game by the students.

There were these three girls - Alisa, Olga and Rita – from Russia among the audience. They have come to India to learn music and dance at Kalakshetra. For them, the Svanubhava experience was very useful, as they picked up some nuggets on talas and instrumental music. Sangeeta, a final year student from the Government Music College, felt happy to participate in Svanubhava II, too.

This year also volunteers had come in large numbers from the three music institutions. Dharini, Ramya Kannan, Ethirajan, Rithivik Raja, Madhavan, Chaitra , Karthika, Poornima, Abinaya, Keerthana, Krithika and many others had lent their helping hands to Krishna and Jayashri to make Svanubhava a bench-mark music event. Well, Svanubhava 2009 came to an end with a vote of thanks by the correspondent of The Teacher’s college of Music, Music Academy, Dr.Malathi Rangaswami, who showered praise on Jayashri and Krishna for working in unison to make Svanubhava a significant annual event in the Mecca of Music i.e. Chennai. It was like organizing a wedding in a family, requiring care for every minute detail. Like the maiden edition, this time too Jayashri and Krishna had to give in to the wishes of the audience and bring the event to a musical end by singing “Maithreem Bhajatha”, made most popular by late M.S. Subbulakshmi. It was composed by the Paramacharya of Kanchi Sri Chandrasekara Saraswathi. M. S. Subbulakshmi sang this at the U.N. Assembly during its 50th anniversary.It dealt about universal brotherhood and peace as enshrined by the Sanathana Dharma.

As Smt.Seetha Ravi, the Editor of Kalki magazine, said, Svanubhava is set to become an "Augustil December event’. From a mere event to an experience, Svanubhava has come a long way in just a couple of years. Today, Svanubhava has become a brand, symbolizing a new renaissance in Carnatic music.


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Svanubhava-II off to a colourful start
Kids and veterans in a musical dialogue

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