ALANGKAR
SIFAS Chennai Festival 2018 


Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) will present its annual offering, ALANGKAR 2018, at Chennai during the iconic season of Indian Classical Music and Dance Kutcheri in December from 7-9 December 2018. 
 
Founded in 1949, SIFAS is Singapore’s pioneer academy in imparting the knowledge of Indian traditional and classical music, dance and arts. SIFAS makes an effort to include junior and upcoming talented performers along with talented artistes and provides a platform for SIFAS students and alumnus to perform and be a part of the Chennai Kutcheri.
 
The festival is presented by SIFAS in collaboration with Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore, Chennai. Alangkar will be inaugurated with the lighting of the lamp by Mr. Roy Kho, Consul-General on Friday, 7 December, 2018, at 6.00pm SIFAS is grateful to them for all the support afforded to SIFAS for this Festival,  
 
This year for the first time, Alangkar will present a concert, Laya Sangamam. The opening highlight of Alangkar, conceptualized and conducted by Guru Sreekanth, Laya Sangamam, is inspired by the diverse and multi-cultural influences that enrich the land of Singapore. It marries the strength and depth of Indian Ragas with the rich palette of musicians and sounds from across Indian, Chinese, Malay and Western instruments, and makes them dance to Indian classical rhythms.
 
As another first, Algkar will present both South Indian and North Indian genres of Hindustani Sitar and Kathak along with Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music on its second and third full day day programmes.
 
All are Welcome. Free Admission.

For details write to: chennaifestival2018@sifas.org

LAYA SANGAMAM
A tribute to the rhythms of Indian Ragas

The language of music and its rhythms and beats are brought together in this concert Laya Sangamam. A gathering, the musical offering is the confluence where Raga meets rhythm in an unusual mix of instruments.
Conceptualized and conducted by SIFAS Guru Tripunithura Sreekanth, Laya Sangamam offers a ratnavalli, gems of music and dance, woven and blended in a Singaporean and Indian kalasha.
The multi-racial diversity of Singapore offers a rich palette of musicians, and the strength and depth of Indian Ragas invite and absorb sounds from across Indian, Chinese, Malay and Western instruments, and make them dance to their own rhythms.
Laayah pita... rhythm is the Father, it is said in Carnatic music. Laya Sangamam is a small tribute to the master rhythms of Indian Ragas.

The following describes the segments of the pieces performed in Laya Sangamam.
MALLARI
To start the concert, SIFAS Guru Sreekanth came up with a very own Singaporean concept of a Mallari. Mallari is a unique musical form usually composed in raga Gambeera Nattai and is played on the nadaswaram, the mangala vadyam during the auspicious moment of procession of the presiding deity in a temple. This musical form does not have any words or sahithya. Instead, it has a basic structure made up of a collection of sollu kattus which is then elaborated into different rhythmic patterns which seem to match the swaying motion of the deity in procession.
With this in mind, this mallari is set to misra jathi triputa thalam which is a 22 beats cycle. The multi-racial
diversity of Singapore has been blended and woven into this complicated piece to produce a musically and visually pleasing sangam.
 
KUANZHAI XIANGZI (2018)
Composer: Tony Makarome Kuanzhai Xiangzi is an area in Chengdu, China that dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD).
The name “Kuanzhai Xiangzi” translates as “Wide and Narrow Alley”. It is an ancient area in Chengdu (composer Tony’s wife’s hometown) covering two alleys that has become a tourist attraction in recent years.
This composition is in Misra Chapu and is a western tune influenced by Tony’s love of carnatic music and his attachment to the city of Chengdu. The composition has 3 distinct sections: the main melody of the A section is in Mohanam Raga but modulates to a different sruthi for the B section. There is also a third section employing Mohanam Raga again in the sruthi of the B section.
Rhythmically, A section sounds as if it is in 2 phrases of Rupaka Chapu, 2 phrases of Chatusra Jathi Eka Tala, and 2 phrases of Misra Chapu. This is outlined by the catchy bass line. There is also a middle section that features a saxophone solo played over 8 avarthanams of Misra Chapu that repeat.
 
BENGALI FOLK MUSIC
Based on the evening raag Khamaj from Khamaj Thata, traditional folk tune of West Bengal. Composition set to Kaherwa Taal followed by Sawal Jawab and concludes with Jhala in Teen Taal. Composed by Guru Susanta Chowdhury.
 
PALLAVI
In Carnatic music, Pallavi forms a part of the musical form called Ragam Thanam Pallavi or RTP. The pallavi
will be performed in Adi talam which is a cycle of 8 beats. Just like the mallari, the pallavi will also be sung in various rhythmic patterns and elaborated up on.
The pallavi consists of sahitya or lyrics composed on Lord Vishnu in Raga Hindolam. The Singapore flavour is brought into this pallavi, making it a beautiful fusion
of the classical art forms of all the major races in Singapore.
 
WESTERN NOTE
Ragam: Shankarabaranam. Talam: tishra gathi 
This is a popular number composed by the 20th century vaggeyakaara Sri Harikeshanallur Muthaiya Bhagavathar. Styled like a string-quartet based on Shankarabaranam Ragam. This resembles the major scale in the western music. The composer, being greatly influenced by the Carnatic trinity, has passionately conceived this swara-laden ‘English note’ popularised by none other than the yester years doyen of Carnatic music Sri Madurai Mani Iyer. This composition is set to tishra gathi.
 
MANGALAM
Bhujaga Shayino
Ragam: Yedukula Kamboji. Talam:Rupakam
This is a short mangalam song in the Ragam Yedukula
Kamboji and Rupaka talam composed by the Kerala
Composer Sri Swathi Thirunal.
Any good concert needs to conclude on a happy note and a mangalam is a simple traditional composition that denotes an auspicious ending.

PROGRAMME

7 Dec 2018
Friday
5.00PM
Mangala Isai
6.00pm
INAUGURATION
Welcome Address
Vidhya Nair
Opening Remarks
Narayanan Balasubramanian
Lighting of the Lamp
Guest of Honour:
Mr. Roy Kho 
Consul-General
Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore, Chennai
6.30pm
Laya Sangamam
Led By: 
Guru Sreekanth
Featuring his students:
Cheryl Ong
Riduan Zalani
Tony Makarome
Tim O’Dwyer
Supported by SIFAS Gurus & Alumni:
Guru Chaitanya Kumar
Guru Jyotika Joshi
Guru Mihir Kundu
Guru Susanta Chowdhury
G Lakshmanan 
Meera Balasubramanian
Rajalakshmi Nageswaran
Sharadh Rajaram
8 Dec 2018 
Saturday
9.00 - 9.40 am
Carnatic Vocal
Anuradha Rajaraman
Swathi Kumar
Muthusubramanian
9.45 - 10.25 am
Carnatic Vocal
Sreeranjani Muthusubramanian
Shruthi Kumar
Muthusubramanian
10.35 - 11.15 am
Bharathanatyam
Netra Easwaran
11.20 am - 12.20 pm
Bharathanatyam
Muskan Anshuman Rao
Break
5.00 - 6.15 pm
Carnatic Vocal
Swathi Kumar & Shruthi Kumar
Sharadh Rajaraman
Srinivasan
6.25 - 7.55 pm
Hindustani Sitar
Susantha Choudhury
Mihir Kundu
8.05 - 9.05 pm
Bharathanatyam
Sneha Srinivasan
 
9 Dec 2018, 
Sunday
9.00 - 10.15 am
Carnatic Vocal
Aarthi Ravichandran
Shruthi Kumar
Srinivasan
10.25 - 11.40 am
Carnatic Vocal
Sandhya Ramachandran
Swathi Kumar
Balasubramanian
  11.50 am - 12.50 pm
Bharathanatyam
Meenalochani Anandan
Break
5.00 - 6.30 pm
Carnatic Vocal
Sudarshan Narasimhan
Srikanth Radhakrishnan
Muthusubramanian 
Shankar Rajan
6.40 - 7.40 pm
Kathak
Hetal Chauhan
7.50 - 9.00 pm
Bharathanatyam
Shalini Mohanakannan