Playing the chords of unity

Suharshi Perera

She holds the veena close to herself. When her fingers run through the fine, smooth chords of the veena it plays the song of her heart, a melody which resonates in every human being transcending race, caste, culture and borders.

The artiste wearing a wide bordered Kanjipuram saree with a big red pottu on her forehead and hair made into a big round bun portrays her ethnic identity. But her universal language of music banishes all differences and

 becomes a celebration of diversity.

Dr. Arunthathy Sri Ranganathan, the universal artiste of Carnatic music of Sri Lanka, is a musical bridge that unites all communities.

“Understanding and appreciating the other’s culture and arts helps you to identify yourself,” Arunthathy observes. Respecting others is the platform for harmony and peace, she says.

She has produced many musical compositions to carry her message of peace to the world. She believes art is an ideal platform to bridge differences while appreciating diversity.

“As artistes we have to show unity in art. If we can create unity in art why not in society.”

Celebrating Seasonal Rhythms across the barrier is one of her attempts to promote peace through art. It brought together professionals of each music form. Arunthathy was the Artistic Director of this musical venture held as a mobile multi-cultural event in all six corners of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Galle, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Anuradhapura.

She was also the artistic director of ‘Harmony’, a multi-cultural concert held in Colombo and Kandy in 2005 under Norwegian aid.

Being the youngest in a family of five girls, Arunthathy never lacked the passion for aesthetics. Her father was attached to the Railway Department and he always encouraged his daughters to excel both in academics and art.

Abiding the father’s guidance and advice, Arunthathy excelled in academics by entering the Peradeniya university to study economics and specialised in banking.

However the undying passion for music still lingered in her heart which ultimately opened the door to her dream - music.

“When I was an undergraduate I participated in youth programmes of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation(SLBC). Gradually I became a music producer, musician, organiser and then controller and thus became a full time artiste. Despite all that my lecturer Prof. Wilson predicted that I would end up in the Central Bank one day as I was equally good at studies,” she laughs.

She excelled in all aspects as a musician. She became a vocalist, veena player, composer, choreographer and performer of light and devotional songs too. Her exceptional musical talents and dedication to work elevated to her the highest position in her broadcasting career with her appointment as Director, Tamil Service and Consultant at the SLBC.

“My academic credentials helped me a lot in carrying out administrative work as a Director. So that’s why I think studies never go waste,” she remarks.

She served for 29 years at the SLBC. “I don’t know why we are facing this unpleasant situation in the country. I never found difficult to work with other communities during my years at SLBC, a multi-ethnic institution. I have worked with the Sinhala orchestra and they were very friendly and cooperative,” she recalls.

She has travelled to all five continents to perform and promote music. “I had the opportunity to work with the cream of artistes across the globe. We appreciate and share music,” she says.

Her husband is a doctor and a great admirer of her work. “My sons too learnt music and perform too. But they are not full-time musicians.” Arunthathy’s flair for the art and her musical identity has fetched many honours and titles for her.

Locally she was awarded Kalasuri, Desha Nethru titles and many other awards. ‘Woman in Excellence’ awarded at SAARC women’s conference in 2002, ‘Award of Excellence’ given by the Cambridge Congress in 1997, ‘Decree of Merit’ by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge are some international awards.

She has produced many international level fusion shows and the ‘Afro Eurasia Multicultural Festival’ held in 2002 bringing together musicians of Norway, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

“More expertise is needed for fusion. It’s a dialogue which communicates and understands the other,” she added.

Her recent production was her duet with Pandith W. D. Amaradeva in Sumitra Pieris’s latest movie ‘Yahaluwo’.(See page 44)

Being a music maestro Arunthathy never hesitates to impart her knowledge and experience to the younger generation.

She is a lecturer in Carnatic music at the university of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo.

“Passing examinations will not bring you up in a field. One should have the talent too. Institutions and media have a very grave responsibility in promoting art and exposing students who study art. Parents should encourage children to develop their aesthetic senses but should not force them.

Everyone need not be a performer but they can appreciate art. For me art has always been inspiring my life,” Arunthathy says.

Her next step is to direct a symphony orchestra bringing together Sinhala and Tamil music. “Art is about uniting people.

I believe in devotion and respecting each other.

Then you are satisfied that you have achieved your aims,” she concluded.

Plant-based diet keeps breast cancer at bay

Dr. D. P. Atukorale

The article focuses on how Sri Lankans can reduce the incidence of breast cancer especially if breast cancer runs in your family. (Other common diseases which may run in your families are type two diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and certain cancers such as colorectal cancer).

If you are a female with a strong family history of breast cancer and if you have the breast cancer genes BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 (which run in some families) you may be a candidate for breast cancer especially if you take a diet high in animal foods and refined carbohydrates.

Blood test for above genes BRAC-1 and BRAC-2 cannot be done in Sri Lanka at present.

In US, one out of eight American women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their life times, one of the highest rates in the world.

Risk factors of breast cancer

There are at least four important breast cancer risk factors affected by nutrition:

(a) Early age of menarche. Diet high in animal food and refined carbohydrates lowers the age of menarche.

(b) Late age of menopause. A diet high in animal foods and refined carbohydrates is known to raise the age of menopause.

(c) High levels of female hormones (e.g. oestrogens and progesterone) in the blood. A diet high in animal products and refined carbohydrates raises female hormones.

(d) High blood cholesterol. A diet high in animal products especially diet containing red meat and dairy products and food items containing high cholesterol raises your blood cholesterol level.

There is evidence that oestrogens and other female hormone levels are a critical determinant of breast cancer risk and oestrogen directly participates in the cancer process and increased levels of oestrogens and other related hormones are a result of the consumption of typical Western diets high in fat and animal protein and low in dietary fibre.

When oestrogen levels of rural Chinese women were compared to Western women, it had been found that 17 per cent decrease in oestrogen level would account for a high difference in breast cancer rate.

Breast cancer centred on oestrogen exposure is profound, because, diet plays a major role in establishing oestrogen exposure. This suggests the risk of breast cancer is preventable if we eat well and keep the oestrogen levels under control.

Genes

Genes do play a role in the development of breast cancer and certain other cancers. Even if there is a family history of breast cancer, the risk of getting breast cancer can be minimised by taking a proper diet.

Among genes that influence breast cancer risk, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 have received most attention since their discovery in 1994. These genes when mutated confer a higher risk both for breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

These genes are not the only genes that participate in the development of breast cancer. The presence of BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 or any other breast cancer gene does not guarantee disease occurrence. Environmental and dietary factors play a central role in determining whether these genes are expressed.

About half the women who carry these rare genes do not get breast cancer.

women with a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to get regular screening for breast cancer. Facilities for mammography are available both in teaching hospitals and in private hospitals.

Unfortunately the genetic tests, cannot still be done in Sri Lanka and these facilities are available in India, Singapore and other developed countries.

Mammography definitely helps early detection of breast cancer and cancer treatment is more successful if cancer is detected at an earlier stage and survival for five years is higher if the cancer is detected early.

Non-nutritional prevention

For women who have a high risk of breast cancer due to family history and/or to presence of BRCA genes have several options such as (a) taking a drug called tamoxifen for several years.

Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen drug which has several side effects such as stroke, uterine cancer, cataracts, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism and these side effects are not common and tamoxifen is an expensive drug.

the other alternative is to start them on low-fat, low animal-based food diet from the age of eight to 10 years for seven years. A diet low in fat and high in whole plant foods and low in animal-based protein reduces oestrogen levels, thus reducing the risk of breast cancer.

US women with high risk of breast cancer are given four options (a) Watch and wait; (b) Take tamoxifen medication for remainder of their lives (c) Undergo mastectomy (d) Consume a diet free of animal-based foods and low in refined carbohydrates aided by regular monitoring for those at high risk.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increases breast cancer risk and HRT is taken by many women to alleviate unpleasant effects of menopause, protect bone health and prevent coronary heart diseases (CHD). Twenty six per cent of women who took HRT for 5.2 years according to Women’s Health Initiative Study and according to Oestrogen/Progesterone Replacement Study (HERS) 30 per cent of women developed breast cancer.

HRT did have a beneficial effect on colo-rectal cancer and bone fracture rate.

Thus women must make a decision whether to lower the risk of breast cancer by not taking HRT or to take HRT to avoid unpleasant emotional and physical symptoms of menopause.

In summary

(a) During the reproductive period hormone levels are elevated although levels among women who eat a plant-based diet are not elevated and are less prone to breast cancer.

(b) As reproductive years come to an end it is natural for women to get symptoms and signs of menopause especially if they have been on a meat-based diet.

(c) As reproductive years come to an end, hormone levels among plant eaters don’t crash as hard as they do among animal eaters.

(d) These abrupt hormone changes in the body are what cause menopausal symptoms.

(e) Therefore plant-based diet leads to less severe hormone crash and gentler menopause.

(f) A plant-based diet offers the lowest risk for both breast cancer, several other cancers and heart disease and it might just be the best of all worlds, something no drug can offer. A nutritional strategy is safer and more useful than taking drugs like tamoxifen, HRT use and preventive mastectomy.

Reference: ‘The China Study’ by T. Colin Campbel and Thomas M. Campbell. Benbella Books, Dallas, Texas.

What you don’t know about potatoes

We all love potatoes. But there are all those calories to worry about later. Luckily many recipes let us enjoy this addictive vegetable healthily.

Now experts say that potatoes can help prevent cancer, control high blood pressure and diabetes! Potatoes were stacked in Spanish ships in the olden days because they prevented scurvy.

A potato’s healing power is hidden inside its skin which contains an anticarcinogenic compound that keeps cancer away. One baked potato with skin will give us about 1,137 miligrams of potassium which helps to control high blood pressure. This will reduce the need for blood pressure medicines.

To help potatoes keep cancer away, eat them with the skin on. When you eat smoked foods, oily fried delights, add a baked potato or potato salad with it. Baked and steamed potatoes keep the nutrients inside them, while boiling removes most of them. But if you must boil potatoes, save the cooking water and add it to dhal or other curries.

Drape the saree the stunning way

Saree is back in fashion. Here are some tips on how to wear a saree for a wedding or a function in the proper way.

Skinny women should drape a sari made of a thicker fabrics like silk or crepe because it adds volume to the sari and gives a fuller look. Also, avoid dark shades. Thin girls can make the most of their petite frame and flaunt horizontal designs.

Free flowing, breezy yet structured chiffons and silks skim over the body to create sensuous silhouettes. So, invest in them. People who are blessed with good height can carry off big borders. But if you have a short stature, big prints and big borders are a total no-no.

If height is a problem, invest in a sari that is darker at the bottom and becomes lighter as you go upwards to look tall.

Heavy women must go in for saris with big prints.

If you have a shorter torso, you can drape the sari really low whereas if you have a longer torso, wear it high.

For those have the perfect figure to flaunt, wear a tight fitted satin petticoat underneath your sari to get a fitted look.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle