South Florida Tamil Sangam- Sept 19th 2009

Performing on stage and coordinating an event are two different skills and it is difficult to juggle both these tasks at the same time without diluting the focus on one of them. I myself let my husband handle all the organization and coordination work while I focus on the performance part. There are very few who manage both these tasks well and one of them is Ainkaran. I have done several successful Tamil shows with him and after every one of them I have come back with a feeling of satisfaction thanks to Ainkaran’s meticulous attention to detail whether it is in the coordination of the orchestra, preparing the song list or working with the organizers on logistics. His ability to juggle the dual tasks of performing and coordinating were evident last weekend at the South Florida Tamil Sangam show on Sept 19th.

The audience was wonderful and was strapped to their seats till the end of the show. I have always enjoyed performing in smaller towns where the crowd may be smaller but display tremendous enthusiasm, energy and appreciation of the artistes. The hospitality was simply awesome and we were really touched by the efforts of Dr Appu Ratnavelu and his team. Special thanks to Usha for the mouth-watering lunch and to Vanitha, Lavanya and Anbuselvan for their wonderful hospitality.

To view photos click http://picasaweb.google.com/kri.anitha/FloridaTamilConcertSEp19th_2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCKC3nbSE7b6TRA#

Sept 12th 2009 -Asha for Education fundraiser at Kansas City

It was almost like the climax scene from a Bollywood potboiler. Drama and high tension all the way but a very happy ending! The flight to Kansas City on Friday 9/11 was canceled due to inclement weather- we were rerouted on a different airline via North Carolina but missed the connection to Kansas and were stranded in Charlotte Friday night. The show was scheduled for Saturday at 5 PM. and we had to be at the auditorium by 2 PM. The earliest flight out of Charlotte to Kansas was the next morning at 9:45 and it was overbooked. After some haggling and pleading, Ramani got the team of five on that flight. We reached Kansas at 11:30 and were in Viswamohan’s home by 1 PM. After a quick lunch the team was on stage for the sound check. The stress did take its toll and I was pretty sick and throwing up.

Happier tidings soon followed, though. We were told that the show was sold out and online sales were closed at noon. Around 100 people had to be turned back at the gate. The 850 capacity auditorium was completely packed. The caterers ran out of food. Although, this can be an event organizer’s nightmare, honestly for the artistes it sounded like music to the ears :) . This was one of the well organized shows that I have been to, and the music itself was wonderful. The 6 piece orchestra was completely manual and very well synchronized. Chundu (Sundaresan) from Virginia was a revelation. He was on the keyboard for the most part, but his beginning interlude on the violin for Thaaye Yashoda (Morning Raaga), was simply amazing- not sure if there are many in the US who could play that complicated piece with such perfection. Looking forward to the video from Viswamohan- who had his put his heart and soul to this event and his efforts paid in a big way!

I also got to meet Jitesh Nair , a key coordinator for ASHA and an old friend, after a gap of nearly ten years. Kudos to the Asha for Education team at Kansas City.

Indo-American Fair, New Jersey

There were scores of stalls parading Indian wares from jewelry and clothing to mehndi. The air was waft with the delicious aroma of roasted dosas and Indian spices. It was almost like a scene from a mela, in the rustic heartland of India. Mela it was – except that this was smack in the middle of New Jersey. First organized in 2003 and held during the Labor Day weekend every year, it has witnessed increasing turnout every year and has had a couple of celebrity visits in the past.
There was a constant stream of dance and music ranging from tiny-tots to local celebrities and as expected the scheduling went completely out of control. Under the guise of promoting local talent, many organizers have been packing events with numerous group dances and music that would ensure the presence of the performer’s near and dear( Most times, half the performers leave soon after they complete their performance J).
The highlighted event of the evening was a group that went by the name of RDB from UK. Had never heard of them, but when I checked them out on the Internet, they seem to have composed music for a few films including the Bollywood blockbuster-Singh is King. Accompanied by a group of Bhangra dancers, they belted out Punjabi songs to perfection- but I have a sneaky suspicion that they were lip-syncing. I guess that Ashley Simpson does have her fans in Bollywood.
Music is divine but the music business is not.