ARTS ALWAYS FINE
Bharatanatyam, Tamil Nadu's Traditional Dance
Bharatanatyam is one of the very popular and oldest among all the classical dances of India. It is mainly a dance of Tamil nadu. The dance is usually done with a Classical Note. This dance is absolutely traditional and is known for its grace,actions and postures.
This dance contains mainly stories of Gods and Goddesses. The Abhinaya is the most exclusive feature of this dance form, where one can witness perfection in the movements of the eyes and hands.
The meaning of Bharatanatyam is:
BHA = Bhava (Expression)
RA = Raga (Music)
TA = Tala (Rhythm)
NATYAM = Dance
It is mainly considered the Dance of Women, the perfection brought in by them cannot be done easily by men. The dance is the manifestation of the ancient idea of the celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of the material body. The dance is basically important. It changes body shape and gives the dancer a good outlook.
Kathak - The Dance of Uttar Pradesh
The dance, Kathak has its roots mainly with a band of storytellers who used to narrate stories from epics. Mimes were later added to form a beautiful dance and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions. It was done using instrumental and vocal music along with stylized gestures, to enliven the stories.
Kathak means 'katha' or story in Sanskrit. The Kathak dance has a format mostly concentrating on Tatkar, Paltas, Thoras, Amad and Parans. Life is depicted in these dance forms. Natural movements and poses, true in life are portrayed.
Life of Lord Krishna and Radha are taken as the major themes of the dance. This dance is majorly seen in Uttar Pradesh.
Kathakali..the dance drama of kerala
This classical dance-drama noted for its colorful make-up of characters and detailed gestures, originated in the southern state of kerala.It has been updated over the years with improved looks and gestures,besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.
Kathakali consists of two words:"Katha"(story) and "Kali"(drama).
Expressions,enactment,dance,instrument accompaniment and vocal accompaniment comprise the basic five elements of this fine art form.
The three leading kathakali styles(known as sampradayam)are:-
1. Vettathu Sampradayam
2. Kalladikkodan Sampradyam
3. Kaplingadu Sampradayam
Manipravalam is the most popular language used for the songs of kathakali.
MUSIC OF THE OLDEN DAYS !!!!!
The Kings of the olden days created sangams for Iyal Isai Nadagam (Literature, Music and Drama). Music plays a major role in sangams. Music in Tamil Nadu had different forms. In villages where farming was the primary work, the ladies who work in the fields used to sing kulavai songs. Odhuvars, Sthanikars or Kattalaiyars offer short musical programmes in the temples by singing the devotional Thevaram songs.
In sharp contrast with the restrained and intellectual nature of carnatic music, Tamil folk music tends to be much more exuberant. Popular forms of Tamil folk music include the Villuppāṭṭu, a form of music performed with a bow, and the Nāṭṭuppur̲appāṭṭu, ballads that convey folklore and folk history. Some of the leading Tamil folk artists in the early 21st century are Pushpuvanam Kuppuswamy, Dr Navaneethakrishnan, Chinnaponnu, Paravai muniammal etc.
Carnatic music is the classical music of Southern India. The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are 72 basic scales on the octave, and a rich variety of melodic motion. Both melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling. This is one of the world's oldest & richest musical tradition.
Carnatic music abounds in structured compositions in the different ragas. These are songs composed by great artists and handed down through generations of disciples. Three saint composers of the nineteenth century, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, have composed thousands of songs that remain favourites among musicians and audiences. The composers belonging to the Tamil Trinity of Muthu Thandavar (1560 - 1640 CE), Arunachala Kavi (1712-1779) and Marimutthu Pillai (1717-1787) composed hundreds of devotional songs in Tamil and helped in the evolution of Carnatic music.
TODAY.........
Today, Tamil Nadu has hundreds of notable carnatic singers who spread this music all over the world. M. S. Subbulakshmi, a renowned carnatic singer, had the honour of singing a song in the UN Security Council.
In terms of modern music (light, film, pop, etc.), the music of Tamil Nadu is praised very highly. Ilaiyaraaja was the most prominent composer of film music in Tamil cinema during the late 1970s and 1980s. His work highlighted Tamil folk lyricism and introduced broader Western musical sensibilities to the South Indian musical mainstream. Tamil Nadu is also the home of A.R. Rahman who is recognised worldwide and has composed film music in both Tamil, Hindi films, English and Chinese films .