Celebrating Carnatic melodies

Certain months offer very little to make holidaymakers happy and November is one. Day-long fun is restricted with continuous days at work, with a measured weekend or weekly off falling in between. At the same time, the scene is getting livelier in Kochi with the Edappally Sangeetha Sadas offering its once-in-a-year extravaganza, the Carnatic music festival all through a week starting on Wednesday. The music lovers’ forum is turning 13 this year and the anniversary event brings together many noted names in the music world. The Edappally Music Festival will be inaugurated by Prof K. Venkataraman on November 15. Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma would be the guest of honour on the occasion.

“Such a star-studded musical event is so uncommon here and in my knowledge, a fest as extensive as this has not happened here in the past 20 years. There are Carnatic music forums though and no fest would extend for more than three or four days. Ours was a six-day-long fest until last year. We have tried our best to bring in the best names in the industry from Chennai,” says Ramdas, joint secretary of Edappally Sangeetha Sadas. The 140th birth anniversary celebration of Harikeshanallur Muthaiha Bhagavathar is also conducted on the sidelines of it.

This year's highlight performers are Ranjani and Gayatri. The sisters from Chennai are the most in-demand vocalists-cum-violinists in the Carnatic music circuit. Last year’s star performer was Carnatic ace T.M. Krishna.

Following the inaugural ceremony, the opening concert at 6 pm on day one is by Prof. Venkataraman himself. Ramakrishnan Moorthy, Padma Sugavanam, Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna, Nisha Rajagopal and Jayanthi Kumaresh are the other artistes to show up on the rest of the days.  On all days, the programme starts at 6 pm and the concluding day begins at 6.30 pm on November 21 at Changampuzha Park in Edappally.