A former judge recalls a MFAC anecdote . . .

Justice K. Chandru was not only a kind of activist-judge when he sat in Madras High Court but also set a path that has a record. 

Today, in his retirement he speaks his mind at public meetings - for he is a popular speaker invitee.

On December 9 evening, as chief guest at Mylapore Fine Arts Club sabha he said that while people debated if the Season must go on or not, he said he supported the first thought because the arts had a way of comforting people.

And then he recalled an anecdote. An incident in the Madurai Bench of the High Court some years ago where a state officer was charged in a case.

The officer's lawyer, as part of his plea said that his client had among things been felicitated by Mylapore Fine Arts for his service and this must be considered by the court.

Said Chandru at the sabha event as people began to guffaw. "Only then did I realise the value being attached to these felicitations…however I couldn't pardon that officer for the crime was serious."

Photo shows the guests and artistes at the sabha's flag hoisting event that is part of the launch tradition here.

Why SKGS fest has been delayed . . .

So why has Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in T Nagar postponed its fest to December 20?
Delays in the major renovation, upgrade and re-positioning the arts place.

Work got delayed because a sponsor for the big ticket plan was not easy to find. Rs.1.5 crore was the target. Shriram Capital then came forward to fund the renewal plan

But rains from October end and programs held through the mid-year affected the major works.

Secretary Y. Prabhu says that when the sabha opens on Dec.20 for the delayed Fest you will have a brand new Bose audio system, cushions on cane chairs and renovated stage, besides other touches.

Hopefully, the delay was worth it.

Guitarist Prasanna presents one of his USA-based sishyas

As the curtains went up at Bhavans in Mylapore on December 8 evening, the audience of about 100 people craned their necks - keen to identify a boy who sat beside the main artiste - guitarist R. Prasanna.

This was Prasanna's first concert of the 'season' ( the USA-based artiste who now lives in New York had skipped the last season). He had landed here, airport-hopping some 14 hours ago.

And now beside him was 12-year-old Raghav, one of his students who is based in Los Angeles. Raghav was jet-lagged but he accompanied his guru on a few songs and smiled lightly when he saw his parents, Ram and Vishnupriya in Row 1 and a fast-asleep sister!

Raghav has been learning Carnatic music for just over a year and since he decided to travel to India this December, Prasanna invited him to be on stage at Bhavans.

Bhavan's head, Ramaswamy felicitated Raghav with a ponnadai and gifted a Tirupati laddoo that had been sent to Ramaswamy by violinist Kanyakumari this 'prodosham' day.

There are more guitarists flying in to play this season. Prasanna's sishyas, all. Five in total.

Quiet start to fest in Luz' verdant corner

In that quiet and verdant corner in Luz of Mylapore sits the Raga Sudha auditorium - the landmark created by late S V Krishnan.

His daughter has carried on her dad's vision and on Monday, Vijayalakshmi quietly launched their own, Naada Inbam's music festival that will stretch across December, interspersed by concerts and events hosted by other arts bodies.

Vijayalakshmi says they never have a formal launch and will not cancel concerts unless the weather turns really bad.

The Fest has a great lineup of artistes but it relies on donations to keep the music flowing - donors get tax exemptions for being large-hearted.

If you want to make a quiet contribution, contact Vijayalakshmi at 044-24992672.

The hall is alongside the well known Nageswara Rao Park, Luz.

Krishna Gana Sabha cancels concerts till Dec.20, launches fest that evening

All leading sabhas confirm the Fests will go on, but be offered a prayer and tribute to the Chennai deluge affected. 

Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha launches its fest on Wednesday evening.

Sri Krishna Gana Sabha has cancelled Dec 11 to 20 concerts and will hold its launch on Dec.20 3 pm.

Narada Gana Sabha's pre-Fest concerts, cancelled this far start today ( Dec.8).

Sanjay Subrahmanyam's first Season 2015 concert

The hall was not packed on Monday evening for Sanjay Subrahmanyam's first concert of the Season. But he went about it the way he does - choosing songs that alluded nicely to the effects of the deluge and the prayer for relief and grace.

The concert was at Narada Gana Sabha. For Kartik Fine Arts.

Dancers float relief fund; seek donations

Assn. of Bharatanatyam Artistes ( ABHAI) with its base in Chennai and headed by dance guru Chitra Visweswaran has launched a fund-raising drive and it is catching on well, with donations listed on social media page.

Here is the FB page link - https://www.facebook.com/abhai.memb?fref=ts

Artistes create social groups and help in city relief

Artistes were quick to support our get involved in relief work.

Vocalist Rithvik Raja, just back from a long USA tour, joined hands with artistes and alumni at Vidya Mandir school campus to start relief efforts ( venue visual seen above).

They used social media well to reach out for support and co-ordination.

Dailies carried photos of the Carnatica Bros.-led group visiting colonies and granting materials - with support from the likes of P. Unnikrishnan and Aruna Sairam.

Sanjay Subrahmanyam was seen lending a hand at the relief camp set up at P. S. School campus while the Kuchipudi Arts Academy of late guru Vempati Chinna Satyam gave its space for relief work too.

Dancer Swarnamalya and team reached out in areas where they reside.

Dancer Priya Murle joined a team working out big from a Kodambakkam wedding hall, saying."I am not in the frame of mind to dance or ask people to come now and see dance. We must postpone recitals."

She and her group-associates have cancelled their recitals.

Some artistes call off recitals; 'Bombay' Jayashri is one of them

Mohiniattam dancer Gopika Varma has said she and her Dasyam troupe will not be performing this 'season'.

On Monday, Bombay Jayashri posted on her FB page that she was canceling all her concerts.

Many musicians who live in the suburbs and whose life has been torn apart or under stress due to the deluge have been crying off for concerts they were booked this past week.

If the city situation turns wet all over again, with monsoon rains expected to continue, some accompanists will find it hard to hop from sabha to sabha.

Will Season fests go on?

There is a debate going on now - must the December Season go on?

Or can symbolic concerts and fund-raising be apt events for a time in the city of Chennai which has been deluged?

Sabhas which have good facilities and have started the fests are going on with their concerts.

But news that some artistes will cancel concerts will make sabha managers re-think in some ways.

The evening Chennai was deluged . . .

Are you having a party?,  I asked the Trichur Brothers afar they were decorated by Kartik Fine Arts with awards on the evening of December 1.

"We can but not in this rain."

It had been raining all evening and as the opening evening's function closed with a play on saint Thyagaraja at 10 p.m. the streets outside the venue, Narada Gana Sabha were flooding.

The deluge was on. And from that night on, the city, most parts went under water.

And so did the schedules of a few sabhas who were preparing to launch the Season festivals.

Kartik cancelled its concerts, Narada Gana Sabha cancelled its pre-Fest concerts and Brahma Gana Sabha managers who use a school's hall in Alwarpet cried off since water had seeped into the hall.

By that weekend, it was clear sabhas would be thinking hard as to how they would manage the festival ahead.

< Photo featured here was how the campus of one performance venue - Sivagami Petacchi Auditorium, M Ct M School, Alwarpet looked 2 days ago

( This is a delayed post since communication lines were down due to the deluge in Chennai, where we are based).

Season tickets sale at Music Academy

There is always a such to get tickets to concerts at the Music Academy.
The tickets are on sale on Dec.2, 9 am onwards. 

Rasikas/their reps must possess a ID card/ reps must carry a authorization letter and copy of ID. This means people who reside outside Chenai can also arrange for buying tickets. Season tickets alone are on sale.

Rate - Rs15500 at top end - Rs.1750 at the bottom end - pay by cash.
Usually, rasikas queue up in the MA campus 4 am onwards, are given tokens and sales happen in mini hall.

Carry a flask of hot coffee and an umbrella - the rains could continue on Wednesday. Its been a wet start to the week.