Chief Justice of Madras High Court Indira Banerjee said on Monday that music united differences and helped in bringing peace to a society filled with chaos and uncertainty. She conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi award on chitraveena maestro N. Ravikiran at the Sadas of the Music Academy.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Banerjee said, “No matter what language we speak, what creed or race we belong to, what political ideology we profess or what form of expression of love and faith we practise, music is capable of breaking boundaries. It is rightly said that when both words and letters fail, music is the way out.”
Mridangam exponent V. Kamalakar Rao and musician Radha Namboodiri were conferred the title Sangita Kala Acharya. Ghatam exponent Sukanya Ramgopal and leading representative of the Othuvar tradition Muthu Kandasamy Desikar were conferred the TTK Award. The Musicologist Award was given to T.S. Sathyavathi and the Papa Venkatramiah Award to Thiruvallur Parthasarathy.
Violinist T.N. Krishnan recollected how Mr. Ravikiran played in the same auditorium decades ago as a child.
Role of intellect
Accepting the award, Mr. Ravikiran responded to Ilaiyaraaja’s speech during the inauguration when he said music happened and was not made. Comparing music to the flow of a river, Mr. Ilaiyaraaja had said that the phrase or musical note that was in thought might not be the same when expressed.
Mr. Ravikiran said what Mr. Ilaiyaraaja said was more appropriate for intuitive forms like folk music. A performer has to have a clear knowledge of the boundaries, rules and aesthetics and then let intuition lead him or her. The performer will know how to control the flow of the river so he or she is able to channelise what best he wants of the river, he said. Mr. Ravikiran announced that he was setting up an endowment for ₹2 lakh in the name of mridangam exponent Palghat Ramchandra Iyer.
N. Murali, president, Music Academy, said Mr. Ravikiran’s insightful observations and comments during the morning sessions were as brilliant as his concert at the academy. “He has shown amply why he has been hailed as a child prodigy-turned-musical genius,” he said.
