Swaranjali 2007 Concert of authentic classical music
Ranga Chandrarathne
Swaranjali 2007 classical sitar concert will be held at the
Elphinstone Theatre on December 07, 2007 at 6.00p.m. The concert will
feature Dr. Nirmala Kumari Rodrigo and her students.
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Dr. Nirmala Kumari Rodrigo |
Dr. Nirmala Kumari's forte is North Indian Classical music which she
has mastered in India. Nirmala and her students are exploring the ways
and means of propagating North Indian classical music in Sri Lanka. It
is an attempt to bring classical music to the public arena in a spirit
of uplifting the popular taste and expose Sri Lankan music lovers to the
best of the classical music in North Indian tradition.
Dr. Nirmala Kumari, an acclaimed Sitarist, is an exponent of North
Indian Classical music. Referring to her extra-ordinary talents, Ustad
Illyas said, "Your music filled my soul with happiness.
"She is steeped in music and totally devoted. With fine understanding
of raga and tala and the techniques of Sitar, she has capabilities to
rise to any heights in the field of performance" said Prof. K.C Gangrade,
former Dean, Faculty of Music and Benares Hindu University.
Nirmala is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Visual and
Performing Arts and teacher of Sitar at the Indian Cultural Centre.
Shawathi, a non-profitable organization which organized the
Swaranjali, is dedicated to the promotion of Eastern Classical music in
Sri Lanka. Shawathi is headed by Nirmala.
In this concert, she is accompanied on Tabla by Dharshanapathi
Chanaka Peiris and Shastrapathi Chandralal Amarakoon, Lecturer of the
University of Visual and performing Arts.
One of the important facets of Nirmala's outstanding career in music
is her extensive exposure to diverse traditions of music such as Western
Classical music and her experience as a teacher of music.
It should be mentioned here that after earning her PhD from Benares
Hindu University, she had the opportunity of teaching at the University
of Cologne in Germany. For two years, she taught North Indian Classical
music at the University while attending workshops on diverse music
traditions.
Apart from being a brilliant academic, Nirmala has proved her mettle
as a performing artist. Her music recitals were not only aired over the
All India Radio and Durdarshan TV but she also performed at diverse
Indian festivals of music. She also took part in public competitions and
earned a name and awards including the coveted award of Sarva Shreshtha
Vadak (Best Performer) in 1980.
She has toured extensively and held concert in important venues in
Europe such as in Paris, Bonn, Wuppertal, Dusseldorff, Cologne, Munich,
Koblenz and Hanover.
One of the significant aspects of Nirmala's performance is her
distinct style which is steeped in North Indian Classical music.
Her style is unique which is quite different from Pradeep Ratnayake's.
While Pradeep engaged in an attempt to bring Sitar out of its
traditional milieu, Dr.Nirmala is propagating the North Indian Classical
music among her students and among Sri Lankan audience.
Swaranjali will offer a novel and rich experience to Sri Lankan music
lovers and would be a concert that is not to be missed.
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