Book on Thanjavur S Kalyanaraman Thillanas Released at Arkay Convention Centre
A new book compiling the unique thillanas of the late Carnatic music maestro Thanjavur S. Kalyanaraman was recently released at the Arkay Convention Centre in Chennai. Titled 'SKR Gems: Volume 1 – Thillana', the publication was launched during a commemorative event celebrating the vocalist's 96th birth anniversary.
The book was compiled and released by Bhushany Kalyanaraman, who is the disciple and wife of the late maestro. The publication features seven of Kalyanaraman's thillanas complete with musical notation, showcasing his specific compositional expertise in weaving Hindustani ragas into Carnatic compositions.
These compositions feature Hindustani ragas such as Darbari Kanada, Sindhubhairavi, Brindavani, Dwijavanti, Kapi, Pahadi, and Gavati. Kalyanaraman chose these specific ragas to compose Carnatic thillanas, demonstrating his deep musical acumen and his ability to integrate the two classical systems.
Alongside the book launch, a video album featuring the seven thillanas was premiered on YouTube. The musical pieces in the video were rendered by Bhushany Kalyanaraman alongside her disciples, Madhuvanthi Badri and Archanashree.
The anniversary event also served as a gathering for fellow musicians and family members to share their memories of the virtuoso vocalist. Prominent classical music personalities, including Cleveland Sundaram, T.V. Gopalakrishnan, Nagai R. Muralidharan, and V.V. Subrahmanyam, spoke at the venue to reminisce about their association with Kalyanaraman. The maestro's nephew, Murali Iyer, also attended and shared his recollections during the gathering.
