Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions

Sponsored by the UF chapter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture amongst Youth (SPICMACAY).

The event will begin with a short lecture demonstration on padams and javalis. These love songs, composed in Tamil and Telugu, are replete with erotic imagery and were composed both for courtesans and for deities. Some of the best known exponents of padams and javalis have belonged to the musical lineage of Vina Dhanammal (1867-1938). Nirmala Sundararajan and Subhashini Parthasarathy, the vocalists in Sunday’s concert, have learned padams and javalis from Mrs. T.Mukta who belongs to this family.

Suggested donation is $15; checks should be made out to SPICMACAY

Nirmala Sundararajan and Subhashini Parthasarathy: vocalists
Gomathi Sundaram : Violinist
Vikram Vasudevan: Mridangam player

Dr. Nirmala Sundararajan and Dr. Subhashini Parthasarathy, mother and daughter, are vocalists in Carnatic music. Both have done doctoral work in music and Dr Parthasarathy’s research focuses on padams and javalis. They have been trained in a rich tradition of Carnatic music by Sangeeta Kala Acharya T. Mukta and Sangita Kalanidhi T. M. Thyagarajan. They have both performed widely in India and abroad and are the recipients of many awards. Subhashini Parthasarathy is an ‘A’ grade artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Drs Sundararajan and Parthasarathy have given thematic concerts in Madras. One of the best known series was the set of nine concerts devoted to compositions on the “navagraha” or “nine planets” in which they presented 225 compositions in 200 ragas by nearly 100 composers. Both singers are well known for their rendition of padams and javalis.