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Metro cultural round-up
Members of Creative Comedy Club (formerly Haasam Club) staging a play at Premasamajam.
Visakha Sahithi, in association with Visakha Saraswatha Vedika, Vijaya Thyagaraja Sangeetha Sabha and such other premier bodies of literature and music, organised a function to pay homage to the `queen of music and genius of song', M.S. Subbulakshmi, last week.
The sahithi president, Kolavennu Malayavasini, who chaired the session, traced in detail the history of the music career of Subbulakshmi and described her exposition of the Carnatic tradition as an ever enduring exploration of the frontiers of divinity embedded in the compositions she rendered irrespective of the language in which they were composed.
"We are all very fortunate that she was born and lived in the period where we have facilities of recording. So most of her soulful sojourns of the soul-stirring and soul-realising magnificence embedded not only in the compositions of Thyagaraja, Dikshitar and Syama Sastry but also all vaageyakaaras of the past and the subsequent periods, including the bhajans of Surdas, Meera and Kabir and the Abhangs of Sant Tukaram, are available today all over the globe in the form of discs and cassettes. It is no exaggeration that the various deities, along with their staunch devotees of the past who stand engraved on stone and installed in the temples all over the country, seem to wake up every morning with the play-back of `Melukolupu', `Ashtottarams', `Sahasranaamaas', `Bhajans' and other devotional songs recorded on discs, cassettes, etc.," Prof. Malayavasini said.
The Sri Vijaya Thyagaraja Sangeetha Sabha secretary, Doorvasula Bhasakara Murthy, informed the gathering that MS had sung for the sabha in the early 1950s, later for Bharati Gana Sabha, BHPV Employees' Cultural Association and the Music Circle of the HPCL Officers (then called as Caltex Oil Refinery) in Visakhapatnam. The sabha president, D.V. Gangadharam, considered himself fortunate that he was able to have listened in person to seven out of the eight concerts MS rendered in the port city. The Sankara Matham management committee secretary, Susarla Surynarayana Murthy, said that Rs.76,000 could be raised through her concert for the establishment of the matham in those days but she did not even take travel expenses not only for herself but also for the escort and accompanists who were brought all the way from Chennai. The Sahithi secretary, Jampana Kumara Varma, the Sadgurubrahma Sri Ramadoota Mandiram management committee secretary, Ganti Narasimha Murthy, and the noted vocalist, K. Vandana, narrated their own experiences of listening to MS in person and paid rich tributes to her memory.
The meeting held at Sankara Matham concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Varma.
* * *
The noted Haasam Club, which has been renamed Creative Comedy Club recently, as usual organised its monthly show in the Prema Samajam Hall last Sunday. the noted cine comedian, Kallu Chidambaram, welcoming the gathering, explained the need for having such lighter moments that provided a dose of hearty laugh at least once in a month.
"It is the best medicine for mental fatigue arising out of the routine and mechanical way of life and a tonic as well for the rejuvenation of the mind." he elaborated.
It turned out to be an evening of skits, telephone-hatya, jewellery shop, podupu and the likes instantly planned and enacted by some groups from the audience. There were also a couple of skits like `The cell phone meeting', `Gedela Daana', etc., presented by the club members.
About a score among the audience came out with cracking jokes and narration of such jovial instances from satirical plays, humourous parodies, etc. It seemed to be a session replete with hilarious comedy and evolvement of rib-tickling humour all the way. Seven of the 40-odd participants were selected for the cash awards that are given every month. Gudimetla Gopalakrishna judged the merit or otherwise of the performances.
The Deputy General Manager of Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation, A. Haragopal, who was the chief guest, lit the lamp to mark the commencement of the show, and the noted industrialist, D.S.N. Raju, the District Cultural Council member, Kosana, the editor of the 'Vidhi Vilasam' monthly, Ch. Prabhakara Rao, the reputed writers, Avasarala Ramakrishna Rao and Gundana Joga Rao, the poetess, Suguna, spoke enhancing the grandeur by their hearty indulgence on the stage as well.
The club secretary, Mastan Reddy, proposed a vote of thanks.
A. RAMALINGA SASTRY
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