Carnatic music

"Shyama Sastry, born in 1762, a scholar, well versed in Sanskrit and Telugu, was an ardent devotee of Mother Goddess Sri Kamakshi. He was a person who spoke to the Goddess and to whom the Goddess spoke. His mastery over Tala and Laya was indeed exceptional. He composed in intricate time-measures and signed as Syama Krishna...He was also architect of the musical form called Svarajatis, which was originally a dance form converted into an attractive musical form."

"The second jewel of the Musical Trinity, saint Tyagaraja, has been immortalized by his Pancharatna Kriti. An author of both music and Sahitya (literature) or an Uttama Vaggeyakara, his compositions mostly emanated from him as a Dhatu-Matu-karu (one who is the author of both music and literature) during his inspired moments. His kritis are noted for their musical content and beauty of language and presentation....Perhaps the supremely divine quality of his music emanated from his spiritual prowess and devotion to Bhakthi as also his irrevocable faith in Lord Rama."

"The lyrics of Tyagaraja are often in the form of a “dialogue”, where he converses with God and solicits divine response. Some of them are also in the form of “exercise” in self-introspection, “discourses” on God’s glories , and “philosophical expositions” highlighting the impermanence of human existence and of worldly possessions."

"The songs of Thyagaraja reflect the spiritual climate of the Vedas and the Upanishads and also implied teachings of the epics and the puranas."

"To Thyagaraja one sure method of purging one’s mind of all evil and of purifying the mind is through music, remembering God and reciting his glories. To him music was not a source of sweet sounds; it was verily the path to God. Thyagaraja clearly says that those who do not understand music do not qualify for salvation. He goes to the extent of saying that music itself is in the form of God. . **Venugopal, in "I Want To Be In The Creative Field", 3E (1 November 2009), P.xxxiii"

"The greatness of Tyagaraja seems to lie in the fact that here was a man who lived close to our times, but still was able to realize and express the ancient spirituality of the Hindus to us in a form we could understand easily and appreciate."

"The sheer range of ragas and talas of these ‘simple’ divyanama compositions [of Tyagaraja] with their repetitive structure must have taught the people around the great composer the essence of Carnatic music."

"Muthuswami Dikshitar, the third of the Musical Trinity, composed Kritis and Raga Malikas. A wanderer in search of spiritual bliss and a master in Sanskrit literature, famous are the Tiruttani Kritis that he composed in praise of Lord Subramanya. Later, while on a pilgrimage to Kanchipuram, presided over by Goddess Kamakshi, several master pieces were composed by Dikshitar in praise of the Goddess."

"Many royal personages adorn the pages of India’s musical history and amongst them the position of Swati Tirunal, a versatile genius, a linguist, a gifted musician and composer in as many as six languages Sanskrit, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi and Urdu, it was during his time that Travancore became an important centre for music."

"M. S. Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattammal and M.L. Vasanthakumari are widely considered the 'Female Trinity' of Karnatic Music. They performed in an era in which the Karnatic world was male-dominated."

"The annual Music festival season in Chennai is a felicitous reminder that music continues to be a way of life for hundreds of performing artistes and thousands of ordinary people."

"The kutcheri form itself is not older than 200 years. Historically, there are any number of examples in Carnatic music of interaction with, and adaptation from, other musical systems (the adoption of the violin in the 19th century being the earliest and most obvious instance)."

"If millions cherish this music, it is because of the power and beauty of its imaginative and emotional appeal."

"Great musicians such as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi and M.S. Subbalakshmi, were not afraid to innovate and respond to modern times. A failure to come to terms with change runs counter to the spirit of creativity. The Chennai festival is the world's largest cultural event, larger than the Woodstock festival in Edinburgh."

"Acoustic quality is a real concern to artistes, since the overall impact of a performance depends on the symmetry between appropriate amplification and feedback on the stage. Debate on some of these wide-ranging issues will shape the future of Carnatic music in the 21st century."

"It is vital for the mega event — the extraordinary Chennai music season — to retain the character of a self-regulating enterprise, something it has managed to do over many decades."