|
 December
in Chennai means much more than a break from the relentless heat.
It's the festival of music and dance. No other Indian extravaganza
offers such a platform for artistes of all levels - from young debutants
to seasoned maestros, the Chennai Music and Dance festival showcases
all.
The month long extravaganza is marked by music lovers hopping from
one sabha after another, attending concerts of their favourite artistes.
Mamis in silk sarees and gold jewellery, Mamas in Veshti and kurtas
add to the glamour of the season. Most of the sabhas arrange for
a makeshift canteen for those rasikas who do not want to miss any
concerts. Food has now become an integral part of the season. One
can often see rasikas discussing the concert and the musician in
detail over coffee or over lunch.
 The
origins of this festival can be traced back to the December of 1927,
when an All-India music conference was held as part of a conference
of the Indian National Congress party. It was held at the Music
Academy, thus starting a tradition, which has endured the test of
time. Generations of musicians from M S Subbulakshmi, M L Vasanthakumari,
Ariyagudi Ramanuja Iyengar, D K Pattamal, Palghat Mani Iyer, Maharajapuram
Santhanam then, to Nithyashree Mahadevan, Sowmya, Unikrishnan,
Sanjay Subramaniam today, have been and are proud to be part
of this grand celebration of Carnatic music and dance.
During this period, Chennai plays host to several musicians and
musicologists and to an audience which comes from all over the world
to Chennai, to live this experience. To cater to a growing population
of rasikas, the sabhas are also growing steadily in numbers. Media
coverage and corporate sponsorship has proven to be a boon for the
festival.
 The
Season provides a great opportunity for the audience to listen to
several performers at the same time. Since many people come from
outside Chennai, performing for a varied audience becomes a great
experience for the artistes. It is an opportunity for the artistes
to exhibit their technical skill and talent and also an opportunity
to add to their knowledge.
On the flip side is the thought that with so many Kutcheries, inconvenience
is caused to the musicians, because some of them have about 12 concerts
during the season. How can their voice stand? That is the real concern.
It is understandable that because of the difficulty of transportation,
some areas have their own sabhas.
Some of the prestigious awards that are bestowed on the performing
artistes by the various sabhas in the city are
- Sangeetha Kalanidhi by the Music Academy
- Naadha Brahmam by Narada Gana Sabha
- Isai Peroli by Karthik Fine Arts
- Viswa Kala Bharathi by Bharath Kalachar
- Isai Perarignar by Tamil Isai Sangam
- Sangeetha Kalai Sikamani by Indian Fine Arts
- Sangeetha Kala Nipuna by Mylapore Fine Arts
- Sangeetha Choodamani by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha
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8:44:58 AM 
