Thanks to the support of Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam is glad to present an Abhang program by Tukaram Ganapathi for the Ekantha Sevai program in Aug 2013.
Date: Sunday, 11 Aug 2013
Time: 7 PM Central
Venue: HTGC Temple (in front of Lord Rama Sannidhi)
Tukaram Ganapathi is an excellent Bhajan singer of Maharashtrian Bhajans and I remember being moved to tears with his soulful singing when I attended one of his Bhajan programs a few years back. Like Azhwars and Nayanmars of Tamil Nadu, we have great saints from all parts of India including Maharashtra.
The most notable among them are Saint Gnaneshwar and Saint Tukaram who like Saint Tyagaraja chose to sing in praise of their Ishtadaivam Lord Krishna and Rukmini of Pandarpur. Their poems over the years have been set to music by great musicians and they are called Abhangs.
In recent years, Carnatic musicians like Aruna Sairam, Ranjani & Gayatri, O.S.Arun and many others choose to sing one or two abhangs at the end of their concerts.
Tukaram Ganapathi is another artist devoted to Bhajans. He chose to specialize and devote his life for Abhangs in his native place, Kadayanallur, Tamil Nadu.
Incidentally, Kadayanallur Venkatraman, a distinguished music composer hails from the same village. Please note that many compositions (Bhavayami Gopala Balam, Kurai Onrum Illai) immortalized by M.S. Subbhalakshmi were set to music by Kadayanallur Venkatraman.
Kadayanallur is one place were Carnatic music meets Hindustani music for common musical idioms. While we should maintain the identity of both systems we need to appreciate what is great in the other system and Abhangs are giving excellent opportunity for such an entry point. CTU has conducted Hindusthani concerts (including Jugal Bandi) by distinguished Hindustani musicians like Jasraj, Shashank & Abhyankar, Gundecha Brothers, Shrinivas Joshi, Balamurali Krishna & Ajay Chakraborty to name a few.
I would like all of us to go with an open mind to appreciate what is good and great in different musical systems and at the same time fulfill the main tenets of Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam – namely elevate us into Bhakti via music.
Regards,
T.E.S. Raghavan
President.