Story-telling by Vishaka Hari

Sunday's evening rain was steady but it did not discourage rasikas from attending the final show of Sree Ramaseva Mandali in Chamarajpet.

On stage was Chennai-based Vishaka Hari with her 'Ramayana' themed musical discourse.

Vishaka chose to deliver in English and in Thamizh and as is her wont, peppered her discourse with contemporary anecdotes.

"The rakshashas are said to be ones who work at night,"she said. "In Bangalore, lots of young people now work till 3 a.m…sleeping at daytime and working at night!"

Hundreds of stories; under, outside and away from the Chamarajpet Big Tent

With 78 years of music and hosting a festival, the records of Sree Ramaseva Mandali can offer you and me a huge volume of anecdotes and events that make cultural history.

On the sidelines, the Varadaraj father-son duo who manage the mandali can share a few as can some senior team members.

Of that occasion when flutist Mali conveniently failed to take the train to Bangalore for the Mandali concert and Varadaraj's father sent a taxi and an aide to Madras to bring the maestro to the venue; the arrival was very delayed, a stand-in artistes performed and when Mali finally took the stage it was 10 p.m. and Mali played till dawn and many rasikas stayed on.

Or of the time when pro-Kannada supporters opposed the concert of MS and the Kannada poets expressing their support for MS. A huge continent of police had to be called to the venue as tempers boiled. MS though performed quietly and there were no nasty incidents. Later, it was found that the issue was blown up merely due to personal egos that involved the mandali's head!

Or the time when Semmangudi Srinivasaiyer threw a tantrum when he was paid less than agreed and he walked away in a huff. The artiste is said to have had a voice problem thence and was told that it would be good to say sorry to the mandali hosts. He did and soon, he regained his voice!

Photo featured here is of a display at the Chamarajpet venue

Aruna Sairam's evening . . .

It was vocalist Aruna Sairam's evening at Sree Ramaseva Mandali on May 7, Saturday. She was decorated with an award that recognises senior artistes.

Later, in her elements Aruna presented her concert in her style - high pitched and energetic. There were about 2000 rasikas under the Big Tent at Chamarajpet

Nasty summer, surprise rain..and music continues

Only two mandalis in Bangalore have carried through their music/dance tests into May.

And though the city experienced the highest summer temperatures, the skies grew dark and is rained this week.

At Chamarajpet and at Basaweshwaranagar, the hosts had already hoisted their tents  at the start of the festivals in anticipation of the rains.

It rained steady on Sunday evening and though the waters left some parts of the school campus of Sri Vani Kala Kendra wet, there were about 1000 people to watch a dance recital of the Rajendras of Bangalore.

Two big artistes on Sat, May 7 evening

Two big artistes on stage this Saturday - Aruna Sairam at the Chamarajpet Mandali at 6.45 pm and Chitravina Ravi Kiran at Basaweshwaranagar four Sri Vani Kala Kendra at 6.30 p.m.

Award for Kadri Gopalnath

Chennai-based saxophone maestro Kadri Gopalnath who hails from Mangaluru was decorated with this year’s S.V. Narayanaswany Rao National Award by Sree Ramaseva Mandali on May 1.

The guests included union minister Ananth Kumar.
Later, he performed under the Big Tent.

The award celebrates the founder of the mandali and given every year at the music festival.

Jayanthi Kumaresh concert cancelled; instead Akkarai Subbulakshmi's violin solo

NOTICE FROM SREE RAMASEVA MANDALI, BANGALORE :

DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES SMT JAYANTHI KUMARESH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING 

TODAY (MAY 2).

VIOLIN SOLO CONCERT BY AKKARAI SUBBALAKSHMI HAS BEEN ARRANGED. TUMKUR RAVISHANKAR WILL ACCOMPANY HER ON THE MRUDUNGA & TRICHY KRISHNA ON GHATA.

REGRET THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.

THE MANDALI PRAYS FOR THE SPEEDY RECOVERY OF SMT.JAYANTHI KUMARESH