Tirupati: All set for Thyagaraja annual fete

Princess of Travancore to open the 10-day festival on July 30

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32 concerts involving more than 60 artistes to be presented

Festival committee appeals for better response from public

Plans to develop Thyagaraja trust on the lines of MMA

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TIRUPATI: Music and dance loving denizens of the temple city are in for a bonanza as the 64th annual Festival of Music and Dance being organised by the Sri Thyagaraja Festival Committee is set to get under way here on July 30.

The fete will be inaugurated by Princess of Travancore Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmibai while N. Murali, Managing Director of The Hindu , who is president of the Music Academy, Chennai, will preside.Thirty-two concerts have been planned for the 10-day fete involving more than 60 artistes drawn from southern States and West Bengal. The festival is being co-sponsored by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

According to M. Krishnaswamy, chairman of the festival committee, meticulous care has been taken in the selection of programmes and artistes so that it will be a good blend of all forms of music and artistes of all ages.

Besides vocal concerts, there will be veena, solo violin, flute, mandolin, sitar and nadaswaram concerts, not to mention Harikatha. The concert will begin with a `Mohiniattam' dance performance by Gopila Varma.

Some of the leading artistes who will perform during the festival are: T.N. Krishnan and N. Ramani — violin and flute maestros, `Mandolin' Srinivas, Sudha Raghunathan, Kadiri Gopalnath, Bombay and Priya Sisters, Hyderabad Brothers and T.T. Seetha.

Lacking encouragement

Mr. Krishnaswamy expresses anguish that for all the pains that the committee has been taking every year to get leading artistes for the festival, the response from the public could have been a little more forthcoming. He says that it is his wish to develop Tirupati Thyagaraja Trust on the lines of the Madras Music Academy (MMA). He hopes that the TTD fulfils its commitment to help the trust. The trust will confer `Sapthagiri Sangeetha Vidwanmani' title on Carnatic singer T.T. Seetha at a special meet on August 6.

Accompanied by K.V. Ranganathan (secretary) and V.S. Narasimhachary (treasurer), Mr. Krishnaswamy released the programme sheets of the festival on Thursday.

Courtesy: The Hindu