Kenyon College presents a concert of South Indian Carnatic Music

GAMBIER, Ohio (September 29, 2004) A unique instrumental ensemble featuring South Asian musicians from the areas of Tamil, Nadu, and Kerala will present a concert of South Indian Carnatic music at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 15, in the College's Rosse Hall Auditorium. "A Musical Odyssey in Rhythm Fantasies" will showcase the musical talents of Nagai Sriram on violin, Nemani Somayajulu on jalatharangam (water bowls), and ensemble founder Sri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, E. M. Subramanian, Mattanur Sankarankutty, and Unnikrishnan on a variety of percussion instruments. The repertoire will include musical exchanges between violin and water bowls as well as rhythmic exchanges among the various percussion instruments. The sanku (conch) will be blown and elathalam (cymbals) will be chimed to keep timing.

Carnatic music is the classical music of Southern India. The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are seventy-two basic scales on the octave, and rich variety in melodic motion. Both melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling. This is one of the world's oldest and richest musical traditions.

The performance will include an explanation of elements of Kerala orchestra, along with a demonstration of the thaniavarthanam, or percussion solo, that is typical of a Carnatic music concert.

Sponsored by the Asian studies Storer Fund and the Luce Professorship in Asian Music and Culture, the concert is open to the public at no charge.