Music Guide to concerts posted online; do use it!

The annual Guide to the Sri Ramanavami Concerts Guide is out.

It is being packed!

But we could post online the entire copy - some 24 pages of concerts at leading venues across one month. 

We clipped off a few recitals by the juniors - we feel bad doing that by funds are also think for such ventures and we have to cut out coat accordingly.

Someday, we hope to feature all the mandalis across Bengaluru and all their concerts.

We made half a dozen calls to the mandali in Malleswaram, which has a huge history behind it; but failed to get their schedule.Can someone help get a copy and mail it to us please? We could still insert the key recitals in our Guide.

Appreciate such community efforts! Thanks!

Where are the funds, sponsors?

If there was one issue that kept coming up since January this year as mandalis and samithis drew their music fest plans, it was all about getting funds.

Demonetisation had put the squeeze and that knot was still tight.

So hosts fell back on the faithful funders and seem to have curated their festivals.

But clearly, they have cut down on the number of concerts and some, chosen to not invite the big big names among artistes.

Some mandalis are pushing online donations - from supporters living abroad.

Would this work if the fest is branded well?

Tell us what you think.

Mail - kutcheribuzz@gmail.com

Weloome to Festival 2017

Welcome to yet another Sri Ramanavami season of music. And dance.

2017.

Over the past few years we at KutcheriBuzz ( www.kutcheribuzz.com) based in Chennai have been in Bengaluru to cover the festival; for we think it is a good arts festival to report on, and is an event that now drives more patrons, from rasikas and artistes.

So, we hope to tell you the stories, post pictures and share the buzz from this evening.

We cannot claim to do a 100% coverage by ourselves; so we always invite people like you to share pictures and reportage. Just one picture of a concert you attend; 5 lines on the mood there.

The mail ID to use is - kutcheribuzz@gmail.com

Join us / tag us too - #RN2017fest.

Let us make this coverage a community driven one.

Do share this web link with friends here and around the world.

Welcome to the festival.

Saying good-bye on a pleasant rainy night

And so, on a rainy Sunday night the curtains came down on the 2016 edition of the Sri Ramanavami music festival in the garden city.

At Chamarajpet, rasikas slipped out to have a cup of coffee during Vishaka Hari's discourse - the gentle chill must have made them do that.

Hari's high- pitched sharp singing floated beyond the Big Tent so you could sip coffee and enjoy the musical discourse.

The Old Fort School ground had puddles of rainwater. It was close to 9 p.m. and traffic had died down.

It was time to say good bye.

30,000 hours of archival music

Imagine the fund of archival music that will be available to rasikas from the storehouse of Sri Ramaseva Mandali when it goes public.

30,000 hours of music of the maestros, the young and the great talent. From the 1940s to the 2002 period.  Since then, concerts are not being recorded because of several issues including copyright and payment.

Some 30% of the archival music has been digitized we are told and once in place, this will be offered for online listening to donors of the Mandali who pay Rs.50,000 in one go.

After the fest, time to raise funds

Sri Ramaseva Mandali's campaign to garner funds, online and off has had a slow start. Much of the campaign will have to target NRIs.

The mandali's managers now realize that they cannot expect to tap just the Bangalore corporates and well wishers because the costs are spiralling.

Varadaraj says that his dad started the Ramanavami fest with one rupee, 78 years ago. Today, the budget is above two crore rupees.

Donors to the new fund will not only get tickets to the music fest but also access to archival music.

Dancing in the rain; in Basaweshwaranagar

Rain greeted us as we headed to Basaveshwaranagar on Sunday, May 8 evening. This nagar and its neighbour, Rajajinagar are alive most parts of the day and night, rain or no rain.

Classical dancers, the Rajendras were to perform on the last day of the seasonal fest of Sri Vani Kala Kendra.

The large canopy of metal and cloth saved the show; though rain battered the quadrangle and rendered some seats wet, there were some 500 people under the canopy where the rain created its own music.

And yet, the rainy evening was a nice setting for a dance recital as Nirupama launched into a Bharatanatyam solo on a lord Krishna theme - performing on a stage bathed in blue and red lights, the rain now down to a drizzle.

Then came the second part of the recital - Kathak in Harikatha style by her and Rajendra in a show themed 'Ramaneeyakam'.

Among the musicians seated safely on the side, it was a study to watch the mridangist, a large man vibe with the dancer's movements, his facial contortions creating a movement of their own!