The 39 year art festival of Kartik Fine Arts got underway in the city on Sunday.
The title ‘Isai Peroli’ was conferred upon Carnatic vocalist Nisha Rajagopalan and ‘Nadanamamani’ upon Uma (Nambudiripad) Sathya Narayanan.
Madras High Court Judge Chitra Venkataraman, who conferred the titles, said music had a mystifying effect on human beings, animals and even plants. She said that the each of the Sapthaswaras had a colour, feeling and Chakra attributed to it. The seven notes lift the inner mind to a higher status. “Like the song of the Cuckoo, which is never tired of its song… rasikas too are never tired to listen to the same song again,” she said.
Ms. Venkataraman lauded Kartik Fine Arts for organising programmes for 47 days during the December music season. She also commended the Sabha for recognising another sabha’s secretary as best cultural organiser.
The Isai Peroli and Nadanamamani titles carry an award of Rs. 25,000, a medallion and a citation and an additional cash award of Rs. 1 lakh by Sri P. Vijayakumar Reddy and Dr. Preetha Reddy in memory of Sri. P. Obul Reddy and Smt. P. Gnanambal Trust.
Ms. Venkataraman also presented the Kartik Rajagopal Golden Jubilee Committee Award for the best cultural organiser to Y. Prabhu, Secretary, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha and the D. K. Pattammal Award of Excellence (instituted by Nithyashree Mahadevan) to Carnatic vocalist Vasudha Ravi.
Ms. Venkataraman also released the DVD of Uddava Gita choreographed and presented by Bharathanatyam dancer, Bala Devi Chandrashekar.
Kartik Fine Arts chairman and director, The India Cements Group Companies L. Sabaretnam, said that recently Kartik Fine Arts had expanded to the USA. This was based on the interest of rasikas and non-resident Indians there. in North America. This expansion will provide a platform for Carnatic musicians to perform in the USA.
KFA has also tied up with Carnatic Indian Music Association of North America, which is based in New Jersey, to webcast 20 music concerts by eminent musicians during the 2013 music season, he said. The webcasting will be done be Swathi Solutions, he added.
MLA Pala Karuppaiah said that sabhas were necessary to retain the purity of Indian classical art forms. He said that to enjoy Carnatic music and Bharathanatyam one does not need in depth knowledge of these arts, anybody with an ear for music can listen.
Kalakshetra Foundation director Priyadarsini Govind said that art organisations were crucial for nurturing the arts and were essential to shape culture and the society and therefore the country. KFA, she said, had a talent for nurturing talent and recording their talents through awards.
year art festival of Kartik Fine Arts on Sunday. L. Sabaretnam, Chairman Kartik Fine Arts looks on.
