Book fete in Ongole from August 15
Laxmaiah and Manohar Naidu, president and secretary of the Vijayawada Book Festival Society respectively, announced the details here on Wednesday. As part of the preparations, Collector Thameem Ansariya unveiled the official poster for the Book Festival at the Collector's Chamber on Wednesday.
The Book Festival will take place at the PVR High School grounds, running daily from 2 pm to 9 pm. Organisers stated that about 100 stalls will be set up by prominent publishers, offering a wide array of books.
In addition to the book exhibition, the festival will feature literary, cultural, and educational programmes every evening. A science exhibition is also being organised to complement the event. The primary objective of the Book Festival is to foster a greater love for reading among the public.
Municipal Commissioner Dr Koduri Venkateswara Rao, CPI State Executive Committee Member Gujjula Eswaraiah, Andhra Pradesh Praja Natyamandali State President Nayak and Secretary R Ramakrishna, Prakasam District Writers' Association president Ponnuru Venkata Srinivasulu, CPI District Secretary ML Narayana, APUWJ State Secretary Alugula Suresh, and other dignitaries participated.
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Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
Book fete in Ongole from August 15
Ongole: Ongole is set to host its third annual Book Festival from August 15 to 24. This grand event is being jointly organised by the Vijayawada Book Festivals Society, the Andhra Pradesh Cultural Department, and the Libraries Department. Laxmaiah and Manohar Naidu, president and secretary of the Vijayawada Book Festival Society respectively, announced the details here on Wednesday. As part of the preparations, Collector Thameem Ansariya unveiled the official poster for the Book Festival at the Collector's Chamber on Wednesday. The Book Festival will take place at the PVR High School grounds, running daily from 2 pm to 9 pm. Organisers stated that about 100 stalls will be set up by prominent publishers, offering a wide array of books. In addition to the book exhibition, the festival will feature literary, cultural, and educational programmes every evening. A science exhibition is also being organised to complement the event. The primary objective of the Book Festival is to foster a greater love for reading among the public. Municipal Commissioner Dr Koduri Venkateswara Rao, CPI State Executive Committee Member Gujjula Eswaraiah, Andhra Pradesh Praja Natyamandali State President Nayak and Secretary R Ramakrishna, Prakasam District Writers' Association president Ponnuru Venkata Srinivasulu, CPI District Secretary ML Narayana, APUWJ State Secretary Alugula Suresh, and other dignitaries participated.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Watch: Umayalpuram explains how to play for the stalwarts of Carnatic music
Mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman shared his experiences of accompanying great musicians — each possessing exceptional mastery in their respective fields — and said that it became easier for him after undergoing rigorous training. He likened the experience to visiting a sweet stall. 'You will be bewildered about what to buy,' he said during a conversation with CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby at The Hindu office. 'You should have the reflexes to play immediately. Whatever is in your brain should come out through the mridangam. Through hard work, you reach the top and maintain your place by constantly improving. Otherwise, others will overtake you,' he said. Recalling his experience with Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, he said the veteran often sang in madhyama kalam, and sometimes the mridangam player had to establish the tempo before he began the kriti. 'I wanted to accompany him in one desadi thalam, but for a long time, we didn't get the opportunity. Then one day, he sang it, and I said, 'Today I am very happy, mama.' He replied, 'Only today do I have the confidence that you will play well,'' Mr. Sivaraman recalled with a smile. Mr. Sivaraman said one could never deviate from kaala pramanam (sense of timing) while playing for Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. 'He would say, 'Ennathu? Odapidathe. No running. Nothing.' And you had to play with abandon because his voice was so powerful,' he said. In one programme, to showcase Mr. Sivaraman's scholarship, Chembai gave him five thani avarthanams in a single concert. 'After that, he asked me to drink Horlicks from a flask. He said, 'I will not stop singing, and you should not stop playing.' At the end of the programme, he said, 'I have earned name and fame. I also got money. You should earn all that too.' Then he sang the Mangalam,' Mr. Sivaraman reminisced. Playing for Madurai Mani Iyer was a different experience. The mridangam player could never deviate from shruti. 'The great T.R. Mahalingam said of Madurai Mani Iyer: 'If you want to worship Swara Devatha, here is Mani Iyer's music.' When Madurai Mani aligns with the tambura, there is no dichotomy. You have to tune the mridangam accordingly. If it's not in tune, he will look at you,' Mr. Sivaraman said. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was known for sarva laghu singing. 'It is like the running of a horse. You won't have time to tune,' he said. G.N. Balasubramanian was famous for brigha-laden music, and Sivaraman had to adapt his playing accordingly. 'The Alathur Brothers were pallavi experts. When you ask them, they would say, 'There's nothing you don't know.' But then they would sing something I wasn't familiar with. While singing Thiruppugazh, if you didn't play aruti, they would ask why hadn't I played it,' he said. He added that while accompanying Musiri Subramania Iyer, he had to play the niraval properly and also provide the aruti. 'If you accompanied flautist T.R. Mahalingam, you would never know what he was going to play. He might play a misra gathi adi tala varnam. You had to be ready,' he said, and even demonstrated by singing Viribhoni Varnam. With Viswanatha Iyer, Sivaraman said he had to embellish his playing because Viswanatha Iyer himself knew mridangam well. 'These are all the ways I learned so many things. Everyone is great,' he said. Mr. Sivaraman also shared his experience of playing Simhanandana Thalam with 128 beats for Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer at the Music Academy. 'He had a tuft. He would keep the thalam correctly. Sometimes, his tuft would come undone — he would stop to tie it back, but he never missed the thalam. You also had to play thani avarthanam in that thalam. So when you go through all these drills, it becomes easy. You really have to pass through all this,' he said. Asked whether playing for T.N. Seshagopalan was tough, Mr. Sivaraman said he was a very great musician in all aspects — composition, niraval, swaram, pallavi, and Thiruppugazh. 'When you play for Seshagopalan, he will also put you to the test. The thing is, you have to really prove your worth and create something great in the concert so that he will appreciate it,' he said. Reporting: B. Kolappan Video: Johan Sathyadas, Thamodharan B, Shiva Raj Editing: Shiva Raj
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Watch: MGR and Sivaji Ganesan possessed unique music knowledge: Umayalpuram Sivaraman
Mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman said that the musical knowledge of the late Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and the late thespian Sivaji Ganesan was unique. Recalling his association with MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, for whom he played in the film Mridhanga Chakravarthy, Mr. Sivaraman said that when there was a controversy over who should play for the lead role, producer Kalaignanam, music director M.S. Viswanathan (MSV), Sivaji Ganesan, and director K. Sankar selected him, 'though there were many applications and missions from the music fraternity.' 'I went there, and the crescendo was recorded in one take. MSV couldn't believe it was done in one take. He said, 'You can play one more time.' But I said no. Then he said, 'Super,'' said Mr. Sivaraman in a conversation with CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Babu at The Hindu office. He also shared the experience of playing for a romantic scene in which the heroine, fascinated by the mridangam playing of the hero (played by Prabhu), runs upstairs. As MSV was not satisfied with the other mridangam player, he asked Mr. Sivaraman to play 'something romantic.' 'I had not tried romantic before. But he said, 'You have to play and make it sound passionate.' It was the first time I was seeing her. I played something, and he said it was romantic. Then I said, 'I will follow romanticism in all my concerts,'' he quipped. He also spoke about the humility of Sivaji Ganesan, despite being a great actor. 'Sivaji Ganesan used to call me Vathiyar (teacher). Before every shooting, he would ask whether Vathiyar had come. He would ask if his fingering was right. He could do anything—he was a great artiste. But look at the humility with which he asked me,' he said. MGR was also a fan of Mr. Sivaraman and would attend his concerts with journalist Manian and collect his recordings. He recalled how MGR received him warmly at Sathya Studios. 'Once, I was passing through Sathya Studios with my wife. I went in and gave my card to the watchman. He walked slowly. But when he came back, he was running. I asked him, 'Why are you running?' He said MGR was angry. He said, 'A great artiste is waiting and you behaved like this?'' When he met MGR, he asked, 'What do you want me to do for you?' I said, 'I don't want anything. I just want your love.' Inside the studio, there was a big simmhasanam (throne), and MGR asked Mr. Sivaraman to sit on it. 'I asked him, 'Why?' He said, 'You are the Chakravarthy (Emperor) of mridangam. I just apply grease paint and act.' Will anyone say something like that? The thing is—they truly enjoyed music,' he said. Mr. Sivaraman also recalled the presence of MGR and Devaraj Urs at the Music Academy to attend a concert by M. Balamuralikrishna, the year he was conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi award. 'Both of them were enjoying the concert. After it was over, we went and thanked both Chief Ministers. MGR came to me and said, 'You played well. But he prepared the pallavi at home. You played on the spot. You are great.' Will anyone say that? That shows how deep their musical knowledge was. The musical understanding that these actors had was something truly unique.' Reporting: B. Kolappan Video: Johan Sathyadas, Thamodharan B, Shiva Raj Editing: Shiva Raj
