Awards for Jerry Amaldev, Kaithapram
Sangeethika, a city-based cultural collective of arts lovers celebrating its 14th anniversary, will honour two eminent personalities from the world of music and literature with its annual Sangeethika Cultural Awards.
This year's recipients are music composer Jerry Amaldev and poet-lyricist Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri. The awards, which carry a cash prize of ₹10,001 and a memento, will be presented at the annual celebration scheduled to be held at at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan here at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday.
The awards will be handed over by Carnatic vocalist K. Omanakutty. Founded 14 years ago, Sangeethika brings together students, professionals, homemakers, retirees, and cultural enthusiasts from various walks of life. The group has been meeting every third Sunday for the past 167 months.
The Sangeethika Awards were instituted in 2014 to honour individuals who have made remarkable contributions in the fields of music and literature.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
A musical ode to Vithhal devotees with Maha's abhang tradition
1 2 3 Pune: Music often joins hands with devotion. And when it does, it erases divides of language, musical genre, background and religion, says Carnatic vocalist Ranjani. She is talking about abhang, a form of devotional poetry and singing in the Marathi tradition by Maharashtra's saint-poets, especially associated with the warkari sect and the worship of Lord Vitthal of Pandharpur. Ranjani adds, "Musicians from south India cherish and celebrate their love of abhangs, and so do rasikas." Timed in the afterglow of the warkari season, as Pune catches its breath after the rhythmic thunder of dindis and the saffron surge of devotion moved on toward Pandharpur, Bolava Vitthal concert returns for its 20th edition on June 28. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune To be held at Balgandharva Rangmandir, JM Road, this musical pilgrimage will offer the city a soul-stirring continuation of what the Palkhi left behind: faith, worship, and the sound of saints echoing through time. "This isn't just a performance," says Shashi Vyas, founder of Pancham Nishad Creatives. "The idea was born with Ganasaraswati Kishori Amonkar as a shared act of devotion. Over two decades, it grew from a small stage event into a movement of sacred sound while keeping its roots in musical and spiritual purity." This year's concert will feature Aarya Ambekar, for whomit's a personal journey through nostalgia. "I still remember the excitement of getting dressed in a white Nauwari saree with a typical varkari style gandh. We'd make thermocol Palkhis at home and carry them to school. Those small rituals as a child unknowingly sowed the seeds of a lifelong emotional connection with this tradition. So when I perform devotional music today, especially abhangs, it feels like I'm not just singing; I'm reliving those moments," said Ambekar. Siddhartha Belmannu and the Carnatic vocal duo Ranjani–Gayatri will also be performing in the are known not just for their virtuosity, but for how they channel the emotion behind abhangs. Accompanying them will be Prasad Padhye (tabla), Sukhad Munde (pakhawaj), Aditya Oke (harmonium), Shadaj Godkhindi (bansuri), and Suryakant Surve (additional rhythms). "Our childhood and growing up years in Mumbai gave us an early exposure to Marathi and abhangs, and it felt very intuitive to sing abhangs—both in terms of lyrics and musicality. The journey sensitised us to robust and melodious voice throw, the beautiful sounds and accent of Marathi, the spiritual message of the great saints, and the simple, raw yet profound renderings of songs by devotees," said Ranjani, adding, "Though the abhang originates in Maharashtra, this musical form captured the imagination of musicians and music lovers across boundaries—both throughout India and globally. The heady combination of powerful poetry or Santvani that is rendered with vigour, devotion, and universally appealing musicality erases all divides." Gayatri said, "Our style of abhang singing in concerts celebrates both Hindustani and Carnatic approaches. Music, no matter how aesthetically beautiful and melodious, touches the heart only when melody fuses with bhakti bhav, and this synergy of devotion and musical expression happens effortlessly during the time of Aashad. Singing here is not a task; it's a blessing." Siddhartha Belmannu, trained in the Kirana and Gwalior gharanas, finds deep resonance with the abhang tradition. "While one style keeps emotion at the forefront, the other explores technical expertise. Blending the two while maintaining the delicate balance is what makes my Guru Vinayak Torvi Ji's music special, and as his disciple, I try to carry the legacy with my music," said Belmannu.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Awards for Jerry Amaldev, Kaithapram
Sangeethika, a city-based cultural collective of arts lovers celebrating its 14th anniversary, will honour two eminent personalities from the world of music and literature with its annual Sangeethika Cultural Awards. This year's recipients are music composer Jerry Amaldev and poet-lyricist Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri. The awards, which carry a cash prize of ₹10,001 and a memento, will be presented at the annual celebration scheduled to be held at at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan here at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday. The awards will be handed over by Carnatic vocalist K. Omanakutty. Founded 14 years ago, Sangeethika brings together students, professionals, homemakers, retirees, and cultural enthusiasts from various walks of life. The group has been meeting every third Sunday for the past 167 months. The Sangeethika Awards were instituted in 2014 to honour individuals who have made remarkable contributions in the fields of music and literature.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
M.L. Vasanthakumari's melodious voice and innovative approach made her music unforgettable
She came, she sang, she conquered. July 3 marks M.L. Vasanthakumari's (MLV) 97th birth anniversary. It's a good time to look back at my guru and an extraordinary vocalist's life and art — a combination of melody, vidwat and dynamic stage presence. MLV was not only adept at singing both shudha Carnatic ragas such as Thodi and Bhairavi but also desya ragas like Behag or Sindhubhairavi. She may have imbibed this talent from her father vidwan Koothanoor Aiyaswamy Iyer, who was trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Along with her mother Lalithangi, he also specialised in Purandaradasa kritis. MLV followed suit. MLV expanded the repertoire she inherited by adding compositions by Kanaka Dasa (disciple of Purandaradasa) and other Dasa Koota composers. It could be said that the family brought Dasarapadas to the concert stage. Mysore University acknowledged MLV's efforts in this regard by bestowing upon her an honorary doctorate. A versatile vocalist, MLV was trained early on by none other than G.N. Balasubramaniam, who was also a close friend of her father. It was GNB who boldly ushered in a new voice-culture based on Hindustani akaaras and nagaswaram glides (jaarus), and lightning-fast swara clusters (brighas). She carried forward his innovative approach. She was one of the first Carnatic vocalists to sing abhangs. Her kutcheris often felt wholesome with the inclusion of padams, javalis, Tevarams, Tiruppugazh and complex RTPs. She was well known for introducing rare kritis in each and every concert. Rasikas waited with bated breath to hear a new song, alapanas of rare ragas such as Sekarachandrika, Gamansrama, Revathi and Natabhairav, a pallavi in a difficult setting or a Purandaradasa ragamalika. They also enjoyed the tukkadas she presented. MLV was adventurous as a singer. For instance, at the Sangita Kalanidhi concert in 1977 at the Music Academy, she courageously took up a tricky pancha nadai (five varieties of rhythm) pallavi and executed it beautifully. Her singing drew lavish praise even from one of the sharpest critics of the time — Subbudu (P.V. Subramaniam). I began learning from MLV in 1963 at the age of 12. My mother Alamelu Viswanathan took me to her house. The singer was then getting ready for a concert. I was awestruck by akka's (as I used to call her) personality. She was wearing a beautiful silk saree, diamond ear studs and stone-embedded gold bangles. Her long well-oiled hair was neatly braided and adorned with fragrant jasmines. She heard me sing a short kriti, paused for a moment and accepted me as her disciple. My mother was overjoyed. She had a cheerful-casual disposition as a teacher. It was a 27-year-long association between the guru and the sishya. MLV's music was different from that of her contemporaries — D.K. Pattammal and M.S. Subbulakshmi. Though MLV was younger than the other two legends, she rose to great heights and the three were referred to as the 'female trinity of Carnatic music'. They began their career as gramophone-record sensations and gained unprecedented popularity in the early 20th Century. MLV was just 12 when she cut her first vinyl with 'Sarasija nabha murare' (Charukesi , Swathi Tirunal). Later, the trio forayed into singing for the cinema, with M.S. even acting in a few. As for MLV, she sang for the top heroines of the time, including Padmini, who was also her neighbour. Both shared a warm relationship. MLV divided her time among kutcheris, travel and studio recordings. One often saw her practising during her commute or in the little free time she got. Despite her hectic schedule, she was always available for her sishyas, willingly sharing her knowledge and guiding them. MLV's music was three dimensional — she had a great voice, a creative mind and a generous heart. The writer is a well-known Carnatic vocalist.
