Month: September 2003

Renowned American Actress and Malayalam Cine Star Inaugurate Amritavarsham50 Cultural Presentations 24 September 2003 This evening, American actress and environmental activist Ms. Linda Evans and Malayalam cine star Padmashree Mohanlal formally inaugurated the Amritavarsham50 cultural celebrations with passionate words in support of Amma and Her mission. These cultural presentations include traditional music, songs, dance and…

Traditional Kerala Art Forms Delight Audience 25 September 2003 A treat was in store for dance fans early in the morning on the second day of Amritavarsham50. Two of Kerala’s traditional dance forms were performed by two different Malayali troupes. Kanniarkali, an old traditional dance, was led by a male troupe from Palakkad. Usually held…

Tewa Native American Dancers Tewa Native American Dancers The Native American dance troupe known as the Tewa Dancers From the North, from New Mexico, U.S.A. performed for Amma on the main stage on the evening of the 25th. Their dance is considered a prayer and a duty, performed to help the seasons flow and to…

Spreading Joy Through Dance The reggae bhajan group from the U.S.A., led by Sulma, one of Amma’s American daughters, bridged many cultures. The group is a large one with electric guitars, tabla, snare drums, saxophone, harmonium and lots of singers with a lot of energy. Sitting with friends from Granada, Spain, I happened to glance…

Layasangamam, as the name suggests, was a harmonious confluence of music belonging to the eastern and western parts of the world. Layasangamam Led by the young and talented Shri. Karunamoorthy on thavil, the group of musicians featured other renowned names in the field, like Rajesh Vaidya (Veena), Mattanur Sankarankutty (Chenda), Swiss multi-instrumentalist and recording artist…

Lion Dances for Amma 26 September 2003 Once again, two lions danced for Amma. Even though treated to a preview of the Malaysian performance at Amritapuri last week, it did not prepare devotees for the beauty, acrobatic skill, and expressive nature of the art that was shown tonight. The Wong Low Shen Shee Chee How…

Flamenco for Amma Flamenco dancer As Amma gave darshan to thousands on the evening of 26 Septmeber, Amma’s children got to experience the vibrant and emotional expression of the Carvajales flamenco dance troupe. The dance troupe from Spain consists of musicians with guitars and percussion, a female singer, and a female dancer. While one thinks…

Good Morning, Amma! The day starts as any in all lands on this planet. The sun starts its climb upwards into the sky from the eastern horizon, interrupting the sleepy world. A certain rhythm, an energetic of morning is felt by all creatures. This, the morning of the 50th anniversary of Amma’s birth starts just…

When the compere introduced Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the audience quietened in expectation of a musical journey to Sri Krishna’s haunts in Vrindavan, so sublime is his playing known to be. Recipient of many awards including the Padmabhushan, Pt. Hariprasad’s ensemble also featured another flutist (Rakesh, his son), a tambura player and a tablist. As soon…

Sri. Jagjit Singh’s Bhajans, Begin the Morning of Amma’s Birthday 27 September 2003 Not long after the sun rose on the morning of Amma’s Birthday, the distinctive bassy voice of Sri. Jagjit Singh drew the massive crowd into a devotional mood. Singh has thrilled audiences across the world with his original renderings of classical ghazals,…