Dancers from Pakistan

Most classical dance-forms in the sub-continent emerged from the temples. While the Government and the peoples of India like to emphasise this aspect in promoting dance as an essential part of Indian culture, it is precisely for this reason that Pakistan has sought to distance itself from this art-form. Yet I believe that we Pakistanis have to define our identity in continuation with the past, glorying in our rich and diverse heritage, known from 5000 BC, acknowledging the contributions made by each period and moving ahead from there. This past is a joint legacy shared with our fellow  men and women across the border, in common with the languages and traditions, the raga-s and tala-s of classical music, the arts and crafts, and in many cases family ties. Prior to Partition, Kathak was the most popular style in the north of India. Tara Chaudhry was the first northerner to perform Bharatanatyam in Lahore, in 1944.

A Visit With Kunnakudi

Once I had gone to a studio in Madras to play the violin. Bhagavatar had also come to that studio to shoot a film. I learned that Bhagavatar was staying in the room next to mine and decided I would somehow meet him. I picked up my violin and played Bboomiyil maanida janmam, one of the songs he had made famous. When I finished, someone came and told me that Bhagavatar wished to see me. Full of excitement I ran to his room. He patted me on my back and blessed me. He said: In spite of your young age, you have practised playing on the violin so well. You have an excellent future. That was a truly memorable day. Later I bad the opportunity to provide violin accompaniment to Bhagavatar in his recitals.

Harmony Between Lakshya And Lakshana Of Music

A number of views expressed by R. Visweswaran on the lakshya and lakshana of music [Sruti 111, Pp. 24-25) are indigestible. Visweswaran defines lakshana as the enunciation and description of the contours and the characteristics of the ingredients of contemporary music in practice. The usage contemporary music in practice is misleading because it implies that different lakshya-s and the corresponding lakshana works had existed during different times. This further leads to a misconception that it is this process that had led to the preparation of a series of lakshana grantha-s which are different from one another in their concepts, grammatical contents and rules.