Stree Gaanam
'Stree Gaanam' will be premiered on the eve of International Women’s Day on March 7 in Mumbai at the Mysore Association. Stree Gaanam is a research-oriented presentation on women composers in Carnatic classical music by Vasumathi Badrinathan, a performer of music and dance in
Mumbai.
It is a classical event in Carnatic music style and is an attempt to present the works of several women composers spanning the gamut of six centuries from the 12th century to the present day. Stree Gaanam is an effort to revive, salvage, preserve and present this work which, if not, will go completely unrecognised and lost to the music world, Vasumathi said.
Some of the key highlights of this event are:
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It is a unique effort to put forth the contribution of women composers to Carnatic music.
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This project is being supported by the Department of Culture, Government of India. The event will be staged on March 7.
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Sanjeevani Kutty, secretary, Culture & Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, would be the guest of honour for the event. To mark the International Women's Day, some of the women achievers from different walks of life would also be honoured. Some of them are: Dr Poornima Advani, ex-chairperson of the National Commission for Women; Dr Vijaya Venkat, a well-known nutritionist & health activist; Satya Saran, editor,
Femina.
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Some of the present-day women composers from Chennai are also expected to be present on the occasion and they would be felicitated during the event.
Vasumathi Badrinathan
Coming from a family with an intense musical background, Vasumathi has always been deeply inclined towards the arts. Vasumathi is an accomplished vocalist of Carnatic music. She was initiated into this art at a very young age by her mother, late Padma Seshadri, who was a talented singer. Subsequently, Vasumathi learnt music from T R Balamani, the reputed music guru.
Vasumathi has imbibed in her style the fine tradition as passed on by her mother - disciple of the late Yageneswara Bhagavathar and Balamani, disciple of the legendary late Musiri Subramanya Iyer and T K Govinda Rao. Vasumathi enjoys a rich traditional pathanthara by virtue of her training. Her distinct style, which stands for undiluted classicism, reveals itself in her rendition of kritis, raga contours and niraval passages. Endowed with a rich bass voice, Vasumathi uses it to explore the profound melodies of Carnatic music.
Vasumathi has been performing widely within and outside the country for several years and has toured extensively in Europe and Asia-Pacific countries. Apart from her concerts, her skill in presenting lecture-demonstrations and workshops has been well appreciated. Vasumathi is a recipient of the junior fellowship for music from the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India, awarded to outstanding young artistes.
Vasumathi is the recipient of the title 'Sur Mani' for her proficiency in music by the Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai. Her music is often broadcast over All India Radio, one of India’s strongest upholders of classical music.
Vasumathi has two classical music albums to her credit, 'Swara Dhwani' and 'Tamil Padams'. She is involved in research work based on the Divya Prabandham (Tamil poetry of the 5th-9th century) and its relevance to music. Vasumathi has also presented several papers in various seminars.
Besides music, Vasumathi is also an able Bharatanatyam dancer. She has been groomed in this art form by one of India’s s most revered and celebrated masters in the field - Guru T K Mahalingam Pillai, of Sri Rajarajeswari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir, Mumbai. Vasumathi represents in her style of dancing the pristine beauty of the Thanjavur school of Bharatanatyam. Vasumathi has many performances and choreographic efforts to her credit.
As an artiste, Vasumathi derives joy as a performer of music and dance. Her intense involvement in both these streams gives her an added advantage and helps her present her art with more feeling, awareness and aesthetic appeal. Vasumathi’s grip over music nourishes her dance endeavours and her dancer’s intuition invests her singing with feeling and sensitivity.
