Armando Orbón
The Embassy of Spain in Delhi invited the Spanish classical guitarist Armando Orbón to perform in India. The Hon. Consulate of Spain in Chennai helped the Embassy conduct the event in Chennai. Chennai surprised the organisers with its enthusiasm. The audience was a unique mix of Consuls, jazz lovers, students of music (especially guitar), Spanish and other foreign nationals, Chennaiites with a Spanish connection and so on. The programme was held at the Music Academy. The Chief Guest, CVK Maithreya and the Hon. Consul for Spain, Vijay Sankar of The Sanmar Group, formally lighted the lamp to inaugurate the programme.
Armando Orbón, took the audience along into a magical world with his wonderful music. He was totally in sync with the audience, even accommodating their adhoc requests for specific numbers. He played several notable classical pieces. The rendition of Asturias was specially enthralling which he played a second time without any sound enhancements, leading the audience on a musical waltz with his strumming. Finally when he played La Bamba, he had the audience dancing to his tunes. It was indeed an astounding performance.
Vijay Sankar, Hon. Consul lights the lamp
Chief Guest, Maithreya lights the lamp
It is quite a feat for any magazine to flourish for 25 years – Sruti – a niche magazine, was launched in October 1983 by the late N Pattabhi Raman, a connoisseur of the arts. It was a proud moment for Sukanya Sankar, Trustee of the Sruti Foundation and the ‘Sruti parivaar’ when the magazine celebrated its silver jubilee in mid-October this year.
It was a five-day splash of Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, dance theatre, drama and exhibitions of rare photographs from Samudri (Sruti’s archives). Celebrity artists like Aruna Sairam, Anita Ratnam, Sudharani Raghupathy, T M Krishna, and Bombay Jayashri, seasoned instrumentalists like Jayanthi Kumaresh, R K Shriramkumar and K Arun Prakash, as well as gen-next musicians presented thematic programmes. The grand finale was on 18 October at Sivagami Pethachi hall where the first copy of the special Silver Jubilee issue of Sruti was presented by Editor V Ramnarayan to Leela Samson, Director – Kalakshetra Foundation. Sruti presented a purse and honoured veteran musician and teacher O V Subramaniyan (father of O S Arun and O S Thiagarajan). N Sankar, Chairman – Sruti Foundation, presented Long Service Awards (silver medals) to more than 20 members of the Sruti family. S Janaki, of Sruti compered the proceedings.
Sruti’s core team
N Sankar honouring S Rajam - with Sruti for 23 years
T M Krishna’s concert with Gowri Ramnarayan as narrator at Sivagami Pethachi Hall
Young musicians performing at Alapana, Sruti’s birth place
V Ramnarayan presenting Silver Jubilee issue to Leela Samson
Dinner event at The Park - Kanimozhi seen with Sukanya Sankar