Enjoy Maithreem Bhajatha Performed by 47 South Indian Classical Music Vocalists

Maithreem Bhajatha, www.YouTube.com.

Sudha Ragunathan is a Carnatic vocalist and president of Global Carnatic Musicians Association (GCMA), an organization preserving and safeguarding the honor and reputation of the Carnatic (South Indian classical music) art form.

In April, Sudha thought about what she could do to be of benefit, and the result was a performance of the song "Maithreem Bhajatha" performed by forty-seven vocalists.

Maithreem Bhajatha - 47 voices as ONE - Conceptualized by Sudha Ragunathan & S.Mahathi

Watch "Maithreem Bhajatha - 47 voices as ONE - Conceptualized by Sudha Ragunathan & S.Mahathi" on Sudha Ragunathan's YouTube channel.

Sudha Ragunathan shared the story behind this video, writing in a May 20 Facebook post, "... Thanks to MT Aditya & Team on stringing it together and Embar Kannan’s unconditional support for editing and alignments. Together, this message of peace through music, I am sure will touch all your hearts, allowing peace and happiness to flow abundantly. Truly a labour of love, in solidarity, from our Carnatic music fraternity and a dedication to the nation and the world by my Samudhaaya Foundation.

"I have been living by the day, not ever having imagined that life would come to a standstill all by an invisible organism that is silently wielding power and having its way. When the lockdown was announced an extension on 14 April, 2020, it set me thinking as to how to get all musicians together to do something noteworthy. Mahathi happened to call me around the same time and put forth a similar idea - it was like telepathy!

"... Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati’s ‘Maithreem Bhajatha,’ penned by the Paramacharya Himself, sung by Bharat Ratna MS Subbulakshmi amma with music by Shri Vasant Desai, is today rendered in 47 voices, uniting as ONE to spread this message of peace across the world. May the combined notes and prayers ring in good health and resurgence.

"May peace, happiness and friendship prevail across communities, countries and continents. ‘Shreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam’ – May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous.

Maithreem Bhajatha, www.YouTube.com.

Maithreem Bhajatha

The song they perform, "Maithreem Bhajatha," was composed in Sakskrit by Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (1894-1994), the Paramacharya of Kanchi. The song was set to a Ragamalika by composer Shri Vasant Desai and performed at the UN in 1966.

Global Carnatic Musicians Association First Anniversary Festival

Paarambaryam, Global Carnatic Musicians Association Facebook.

GCMA invites you to its First Anniversary Festival 'Paarambaryam - Tradition.'

The 4 day musical festival 'Paarambaryam' will be presented online by 56 of our eminent Vidushis and Vidwans. They will present 14 hours of quality music with each concert focussed on a theme.

Please mark your calendars for the following dates:

July 25 and 26, 2020

August 1 and 2, 2020

The list of performers was announced on Facebook on July 11.

July 25

Mylai M Kathikeyan (Nadaswaram)
Gummudipoondi R. Gnanavel (Nadaswaram)
Mangalam MK Asan (Thavil)
Sivanvayal SM Rajarathnam (Thavil)

S Sowmya (Vocal)
Embar S Kannan (Violin)
Neyveli R Narayanan (Mridangam)
Chanrasekara Sharma (Ghatam)

Sikki Gurucharan (Vocal)
V Sanjeev (Violin)
Srimushnan V Rajarao (Mridangam)
S Venkataraman (Kanjira)

V K Manimaran (Vocal)
Nagai R Sriam (Violin)
Poongulam Subramanyam (Mridangam)
A S Krishnan (Morsing)

July 26

Kunnakudi M Balamurali Krishna (Vocal)
M A Sundaresan (Violin)
"Guru" Karaikudi R Mani (Mridangam)
Anirudh Athreya (Kanjira)

Nirmala Rajasekar (Veena)
M R Gopinath (Violin)
Thanjavur Murugaboopathi (Mridangam)
S V Ramani (Ghatam)

Saketharaman (Vocal)
L Ramakrishnan (Violin)
Vijay Natesan (Mridangam)
B Sundarkumar (Khanjira)

August 1

R Suryaprakash (Vocal)
L Ramakrishnan (Violin)
Mannargudi A Easwaran (Mridangam)
Madipakkam Murali (Ghatam)

Mysore M Nagaraj/ Mysore M Manjunath (Violin Duet)
Tumkur Ravishankar (Mridangam)
Sharath Kaushik (Ghatam)

Sudha Ragunathan (Vocal)
B V Raghavendra Rao (Violin)
Thanjavur Murugaboopathi (Mridangam)
N Guruprasad (Ghatam)

August 2

Sherthalai Renganatha Sharma (Vocal)
R K Sriamkumar (Violin)
J Vaidyanathan (Mridangam)
G Ravichandran (Ghatam)

Gayathri Venkataragavan (Vocal)
B Ananthakrishnan (Violin)
B Sivaraman (Mridangam)
Krishna Sriam (Ghatam)

Nityashree Mahadevan (Vocal)
M A Krishnaswamy (Violin)
Sherthalai Ananthakrishnan (Mridangam)
H Sivaramakrishnan (Ghatam)

Check the Global Carnatic Musicians Association - GCMA Facebook page for updates.

Introduction to Carnatic Music

My friend Sowmya is offering an online course "Introduction to Carnatic Music."

The course will be held on Fridays at 7:00PM IST. It begins on Friday, July 24, 2020.

Introduction to Carnatic Music.

Contact Sowmya with questions on WhatsApp 8884985855.

Register for the course by completing the Google Form.

Carnatic Music

"Carnatic music, Karnāṭaka saṃgīta, or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam, is a system of music commonly associated with southern India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, as well as Sri Lanka. It is one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu traditions, the other subgenre being Hindustani music, which emerged as a distinct form because of Persian or Islamic influences from Northern India. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style."

Continue reading about Carnatic music on Wikipedia.

Sudha Ragunathan

"As one of India’s leading Carnatic vocalist, Sudha Ragunathan has carved a niche for herself where the soul of her music effortlessly intertwines with the dynamism of her presentation. Sudha is a disciple of the legendary Carnatic vocalist - Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. ML Vasanthakumari. She also has the distinction of being the only Carnatic musician, second to Bharat Ratna Dr. MS Subbulakshmi, to have sung at the United Nations, New York. Her music echoed in the hall of the United Nations on 2nd October, 2016, the International Day of Non-Violence, 50 years after 1966, when Dr. MS Subbulakshmi performed."

Continue reading Sudha Ragunathan's biography on the Suamudhaaya Foundation website www.suamudhaayafoundation.org.

Follow Sudha Ragunathan on Facebook for more music and interviews with artists.