‘Thureeyam’ musical extravaganza turns 12

KOZHIKODE: The month of July is literally the month of music for the people of North Malabar. It is during this month, the internationally-famed ‘Thureeyam Sangeetolsavam’ is conducted at Payyannur, where a large number of music connoisseurs throng to witness concerts by eminent musicians from across the country. With the festival entering the twelfth consecutive year, it has become one of the biggest and most prestigious stages for musicians in India.

‘Thureeyam Sangeetolsavam’ is conducted under the auspices of Ananda Bhavanam at Peringome, Payyannur led by Swami Krishnananda Bharathi, a familiar name in classical music circles. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Swami Krishnananda Bharathi said that the fest was getting a positive response from music lovers from the very first edition in 2004.

“The fest has grown to such a level that the musicians consider the stage as a prestigious venue to perform their art and there is no place whatsoever for the material benefits from the concert. It has become a habit among noted musicians to be here during the fest on invitation, if dates are available,” he added.

The list of musicians who have performed at this venue over the years would enthrall any musical enthusiast- Hariprasad Chourasya, Ramesh Narayanan, T. N. Krishnan, Kudamaloor Janardanan, Kadri Gopalnath, R. K Sreekandan, Rajan Misra & Sajan Misra, T. M. Krishna, Sanjay Subramanyam, Kannatika Brothers, Vani Satheesh, Rudrapatanam Brothers, Malladi trio and Dr. Pandula Rama are some of them. One of the pioneers of Carnatic music on the saxophone, Kadri Goplanath, holds the record for attending all the 12 Thureeyam fests. This year the fest is 11-days long and started on July 9 and will go on till June 19.