Anniversaries, great and small, in the season of Margazhi

As the December Music Season progresses, immoderate of those down the scenes look to person reached important landmarks successful presumption of years of work to the arts. There is, of course, the Music Academy, hosting its 99^th yearly league and concerts, though that does not mean it volition implicit a 100 adjacent twelvemonth – that landmark volition beryllium successful 2028. The confusion, arsenic acold arsenic the league number is concerned, is owed to the agelong past of the institution. I anticipation to explicate that conundrum person to the (actual) centenary.

The Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (SPSS), the oldest surviving organisation of its kind, turned 125 this year. Interestingly, and successful opposition to the Academy, it whitethorn beryllium older than what it claims to be, for it was successful 1896 that its genitor body, the Sangita Vidwat Sabha, was founded successful Thiruvallikeni. The SPSS was registered successful 1900 and traces its origins to that date. What is absorbing is that the Sangita Vidwat Sabha did not vanish arsenic an idea, for successful 1926, it gave commencement to a Musical Academy. That seems to person been short-lived and past successful 1928 came the Music Academy, which calls itself successful the vernacular arsenic the Sangita Vidwat Sabha! It each seems astir confusing. But erstwhile we work successful R. Rangaramanuja Iyengar’s Musings of a Musician, the alternatively cryptic remark that the contiguous Music Academy is the 3rd of its kind, we look to spot the logic down it.

The SPSS has since moved from Thiruvallikeni to Mylapore but staying enactment wherever it was founded is the Sri Tyagabrahma Gana Sabha (STGS), of Vani Mahal fame, successful T. Nagar. It is celebrating its 80^th twelvemonth of founding. The premier mover was the histrion Chittoor V. Nagiah, whose cognition of euphony was profound. Begun fundamentally to supply amusement to the residents of the recently processing country of T. Nagar, the Sabha had different salient founding members, including Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao, V. Rama Iyengar, S. Soundararajan of Tamilnadu Talkies, S. Ramaswami Naidu (later Mayor of Madras), and P.B. Annangarachariar, starring doctor, proprietor of Vani Pharmacy, and municipal councillor. The Sabha held its archetypal programmes astatine the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha earlier acquiring 10 grounds of space, belonging to T.A. Rangachari, advocate. The building, constructed by V. Ganapathy Iyer, was named Vani Mahal. The inauguration was by C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, connected November 18, 1945.

Unlike galore others of its kind, the STGS was financially savvy. It wisely invested successful onshore erstwhile prices were inactive debased and enjoys a information contiguous that galore others, the SPSS included, bash not have. Even the formidable Tamil Isai Sangam sits connected leased land, owned by the government, and has to negociate each clip renewal comes around. The Narada Gana Sabha is the lone different institution, similar the STGS, to person saved aboriginal and purchased its ain spot and enactment up an auditorium. And that was successful the 1970s/1980s. It is simply a telling communicative of the authorities of Carnatic euphony finances that cipher has since managed this feat.

Which brings maine to the latest of the important anniversaries. The Margazhi Maha Utsavam (MMU), promoted by Maximum Media, has completed 25 and is successful its 26^th year. Even astatine inception, the founders, Subhasree Thanikachalam and V.K. Manimaran, were wide that the assemblage was not successful the Sabhas but connected a wider level comprising cablegram television, and aboriginal net audiences worldwide. The existent performances, however, took spot astatine a venue, successful the beingness of a unrecorded audience, arsenic successful the presumption of Subhasree, thing tin adjacent show that has the nationalist successful person. Impromptu engagement with the main performer by mode of questions posed by members of the audience, with prizes for the queries selected, added to the magic and soon, the in-person performances began drafting ample crowds. The tv channels, that initially scoffed astatine the thought of featuring Carnatic performances, soon changed their presumption and today, isolated from what MMU generates, determination are Carnatic Idol benignant of events successful practically each 1 of them. It was a quiescent gyration that MMU brought astir and possibly an indicator of what was to travel later. But the MMU’s spot is not onshore and building, but a immense pursuing worldwide.

The pandemic saw a fewer artistes experimenting with direct-to-viewer benignant of performances and it astir seemed arsenic though the Sabha arsenic a conception was dead. But aft a fewer years, the audiences look to beryllium coming back, though however it translates to summons income is anybody’s guess. Barring a couple, Sabhas are cagey astir publishing their accounts. But 5 years aft the pandemic, exertion remains a disruptor. The Sabhas person survived the gramophone, cinema, TV, cablegram and Internet, arsenic determination is inactive nary alternate for a live, in-person experience.