The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Festive spirit aglow at the Pongal Kalai Vizha 2006

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 16, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Festive spirit aglow at the Pongal Kalai Vizha 2006

Staff Reporter

Artists gave music and dance performances

CHENNAI: R.K. Vichitra and R.K. Jagadambal, in a black and gold dress inlaid with snakes, swung and twirled around the stage in a snake dance balancing a `Karagam' pot on their head at the same time.

Thanjai Raja appeared on stage dressed as a mighty bull for a `Kalaiattam' performance while E. Vinayagam skilfully twisted a heavy `kavadi' around his shoulders and arms the moment he began his `Kavadi Attam' with a silent prayer. Not stopping with the usual Kavadi Attam moves, he also performed several acrobatic feats such as emptying the contents of two soft drink bottles into glass tumblers, drinking them together at one go, lighting camphor placed on a bottle with a matchstick held between his teeth, lifting the fiery piece with his tongue, and breaking a coconut placed on another dancer's head blindfolded, all while balancing the `Kavadi' on his shoulder.

Pattukkottai Veerachamy's group gave a folk dance and music performance at the Pongal Kalai Vizha 2006, organised by the Department of Art and Culture of the Tamil Nadu Iyal, Isai Nataka Manram.

Soulful music

Nithyashree Mahadevan, accompanied by M.A. Krishnaswamy on the violin, Shivakumar on the mridangam and A.S. Krishnan on the morsing, gave a concert with soulful renderings of Vatapi Ganapatiye in Sahana, Ramanukku Mannan in Hindolam, Manasa Etulo in Malayamarutam and songs in Bilahari and Shanmugapriya, besides a couple of light pieces.

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, member-secretary of the Manram, while honouring the singer, said Nithyashree had agreed to sing for the Pongal Kalai Vizha though she had not been singing much at concerts during the December music season.

P.A. Ramaiah, Secretary, Department of Tamil Development, R. Kasinathan, Commissioner, Department of Art and Culture, and P.B. Sreenivoss, chairman of the Manram, also spoke.

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