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Get ready to embark upon a journey & experience different facets of Chennai Music Festival!
The love for Carnatic music brings me & my brother to the annual Chennai Music Festival every year. Growing up in the countryside of Tamil Nadu, listening to the enchanting Carnatic music was our favourite thing to do. The way Tamboori, Mridanga, Violin, Harmonium, Flute, and a slew of other instruments come together in harmony to form a symphony is nothing short of magic. No wonder we listened to Carnatic music like a clockwork. Listening to it on a stereo speaker and listening to it live are two completely different experiences; which is why our annual trip to the music festival in Chennai, the mecca of Carnatic music, feel like a tribute to the artists we admired. Back in the 90s, our trips to the festival not only offered a break from our monotonous routine but also provided an opportunity for our parents to relax and meet their friends. However, now that our parents are not around, it is up to my brother and me to carry on the tradition. As the MGR Chennai Central SF Express departs on a pleasant winter noon in Mumbai, my brother and I recollect our last visit to Chennai to enjoy the Chennai Music Festival.
After the dreadful pandemic & two long years of waiting, the music festival was organised for the first time in 2022 and people embraced it. We were expecting a huge crowd and sure it was, the place was packed with music aficionados geared up to listen to an amazing line-up of astounding artists. Greats like Sanjay Subrahmanyan, RaGa Sisters Ranjani and Gayatri, kanjira artist and vocalist Abhishek Raghuram, Sriranjani Santhanagopalan, Sandeep Narayan, Gayatri Girish, and S. Somya made the festival memorable. My brother recalled how we had to struggle to find a spot for the scintillating performance by Vijayalakshmi and GJR Krishnan, the brilliant violinists famously known as 'The Lalgudi Sisters'.
It is heart-warming to see, Chennai become the centre of Carnatic music concerts and classical dance recitals every year. Along with the eminent names of Carnatic music the young, budding artists, all participate in the event, making it a month-long festival with thousands of people attending it yearly. Chennai Music Festival serves as a diverse platform for musicians from all walks of life. So, if you plan to attend the Chennai Music Festival this year, you are in for a treat. As the train reached Wadi Junction, we were discussing how eminent names like Padma Shri Bombay Jayashri and the Magsaysay Award winner T.M. Krishna who were not a part of the festival last year and wondered if they are going to grace the Chennai Music Festival this year.
The next morning, the train arrived at a quaint Razampeta station sharp at 6.00 am, which woke us up. As we freshened up and had lip-smacking idlis made as per my amma's recipe, my brother shared an interesting anecdote. He talked about how Social Media, Instagram reels and YouTube videos are all the rage now – but attending a live music concert will always have a special place. Back when we were young, we listened to Carnatic music all day but it was a trip to Chennai every December, which came as a breath of fresh air. The festival acted as a gateway to our cultural heritage and tradition of the city while treating the senses with soul-touching music. If you are a fan of Carnatic music or just classical music and dances, you must be part of the Chennai Music Festival.
One of the aspects that makes Chennai Music Festival truly unique is that there’s something for everyone. The music festival is mostly, but not exclusively, Carnatic. As someone who frequents the Chennai Music Festival, I am sure you’ll love the fact that artists usually go for the kutcheri format to put up their performances on stage. In this format, the performances go on for two hours. The songs and compositions, termed kritis, are the backbone of every performance. These are almost holy most of the time. The musical ensemble at the festival comprises one principal performer (usually a vocalist), percussion (mridangam), a melodic accompaniment (mostly the violin), and a tambura (the drone-like musical instrument which serves the musicians with tonal cues). Thavil (percussion), Nadhaswaram (wind), and Veena (string) are other instruments that are very commonly used.
As the train stopped at its destination - Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, we exited only to witness a small food vendor outside skilfully crafting the thinnest dosas ever. As he poured the batter on the hot tawa, we couldn’t handle the sizzle and found ourselves at his food stall. As we devoured countless dosas, I thought about how food and festivals are perfectly linked. Festivals in India feel incomplete if there’s no mention of food. With so many performances lined up one after the other at the Chennai Music Festival, canteens in and around the sabhas to the local food joints, one can find all the places crowded all day and night from mid-December to mid-January. If you are attending the festival this year, be prepared to treat your taste buds with some of the best delicacies in the city. While unique food fusions will grab your attention, the simple and comforting idli-sambhar will steal the show for you. While you are at it, do not forget to try the delicious and famous filter kaapi that people enjoy every day of the festival. Apart from the canteens, some of the popular and cult-favourite eateries are: Malgudi and Karaikudi at the Radhakrishna Salai, Banana Leaf, located in Besant Nagar, Annalakshmi on Mount Road for excellent vegetarian meals The Saravana Bhavan food chain, Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Vasantha Bhavan, and Biryani stalls around Wallajah Mosque.
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