‘Natya Tarangini’ Raja Radha Reddy Institute of Kuchipudi Dance is back to city with ‘Parampara 2008’, a National Festival of Music and Dance. To be held from the 3rd to 5th October 2008 at Ravindra Bharathi auditorium, Hyderabad, Natya Tarangini started the ‘Parampara’ series as a movement to preserve and enrich the cultural mosaic of our everyday life in 1976. Parampara 2008 brings to the audience of Hyderabad, scintillating performances by artists such as Parveen Sultana (Hindustani Vocal), Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod), Geeta Chandran (Bharatanatyam), Jayant Kastuar (Kathak), Ganesh and Kumaresh (Carnatic Violin) and a special production in Kuchipudi dance by Gurus Raja Radha Reddy and their disciples.

Natya Tarangini, is an institute of excellence devoted to the Kuchipudi dance. It’s run by Padma Bhushans Raja and Radha Reddy & Kaushalya since 1967, with the aim of propagating the rich Indian heritage of glorious music and dance tradition.

Natya Tarangini, has been successfully spreading quality arts among its audience through the annually organized National Music and Dance festivals titled ‘Parampara’ for last ten years in Delhi. Today Natya Tarangini’s name has become synonymous with this overwhelmingly successful festival series.

The world-renowned dancing couple, Padmabhushan Raja and Radha Reddy and disciples will perform a Kuchipudi Dance. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan exponent on Sarod will also perofm on 3rd October at 7 PM at Ravindra Bharathi. Geeta Chandran will perform Bharatanatyam and Parveen Sultana Hindustani Vocal on 4th October. On the last day on 5th October Jayant Kastuar will perform Kathak Dance. Ganesh and Kumaresh the world-renowned Violin duo, known for their scintillating and spirited Violin recitals will also give their performance on the final day. The invitation is open to all for all the performances.

In continuation of its efforts, last year in 2007 Natya Tarangini organized the Parampara series titled ‘Andhri’ for the first time in the city of Hyderabad from 31st August to 2nd September 2007 at Ravindra Bharathi auditorium and was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Natya Tarangini started its branch last year in Hyderabad and they have been teaching Kuchipudi dance since then in Jubilee Hills.

The festival was a thumping success and is once again slated this year for the 3rd, 4th and 5th October 2008 in Hyderabad. Previously in Delhi the Parampara series has been inaugurated by Hon’ble President of India, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Hon’ble Prime Minster of India Dr. Manmohan Singh. (See: www.rajaradhareddy.com)

In these difficult times, Arts especially Dance and Music bring peace and happiness to the people. Your support will be of great encouragement to our endeavors, appealed Raja and Radha Reddy in a press note issued in city today.

Parampara performance will continue in Delhi from October 24th to 26th.

The detailed note on Artists ishereunder

Raja Radha Reddy

World renowned dancing couple, Raja and Radha Reddy have given a new dimension to the age old art of Kuchpudi Dance without compromising the traditional poetry or dramatic sensibility. With rare excellence and perfection of technique, they have earned the credit for Kuchipudi’s high ranking among the major dance forms in India. They hail from the state of Andhra Pradesh, the birth place of Kuchipudi style of Indian Classical Dance.

Through their togetherness and perfect unison, Raja and Radha Reddy portray the masculine vigor and lyrical charm of the classical pairs of Hindu mythology such as Shiva-Parvati, Rama-Sita and Radha-Krishna thus identifying themselves with the twin concept of Purusha and Prakriti, the male and female concept in Hindu mythology. In precise postures and refined patterns the duo enlivens the magnificent sculptures chiseled in the ancient temples of India.

The unique art of Raja and Radha Reddy found befitting official recognition through the award of the PADMA SHREE, PADMA BHUSHAN and the prestigious Sangeet Natak Award, individually but simultaneously. Raja Radha Reddy have also been decorated with the Nritya Choodamani by the Krishna-Gana Sabha of Chennai.

Kumaresh & Ganesh

Ganesh Kumaresh, the world-renowned Violin duo are known for their scintillating and spirited Violin recitals since three decades. Their music is laden with pure virtuosity and brims with novel surges of soul stirring creativity soaked in Classicism.

Their creative idiom is international and their communication through music crosses all physical boundaries. Their trysts both at home and abroad have not been with just audiences of Indian origin but also have captivated audiences across the world keeping them spell bound and enthralled with electrifying energy.

Trained by their father, Shri Rajagopalan, Ganesh and Kumaresh completed their hundredth stage appearance before the younger brother was ten years of age! By the time they reached their teens they were rubbing shoulders with veterans in musical field. In 1983, Sri M.G.Ramachandran, the great leader of Tamil Nadu, had occasion to hear a television concert of the gifted brothers and made them State Artistes of Tamil Nadu. Ganesh and Kumaresh have been honoured as Asthana Vidwans of the Sri Matam of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.

Begum Parveen Sultana

Begum Parveen Sultana was born in Gowgong in Assam in 1950. She was steeped in the lore and lives of the great musical masters by her father, Janal Ikramul Majib, a classical music devotee and a great admirer of the legendary vocalist Bade Ghulam AliKhan.

From an early age her father took her to music festivals, and encouraged her to follow her instincts for melody. She debuted on stage at the age of nine. In 1965 she recorded her first EP for EMI India, and in 1967, at the age of just seventeen recorded her first LP for the same label. She trained with Chinmoy Lahiri for ten years before failing health necessitated him to suggest a replacement in the form of Bombay-based Dilshad Khan. She balked at the prospect initially, only accepting him as her guru in August 1974. They married on August 26, 1975.

She has been awarded several prestigious titles including the Gandharva Kalanidhi, Mia Tansen Award, and Sangeet Samragni Award and has been the youngest performing artist to receive the Presidential Award of "Padmashree" in 1976. Blessed with a voice that spans three-and-a-half octaves, its sweetness has been compared to that of the Rabab, an ancient Persian string instrument, which the young Parveen was often exposed to as a child.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

He was all of 6 years old, when Amjad Ali Khan gave his first recital of Sarod. It was the beginning of yet another glorious chapter in the history of Indian classical music. Taught by his father Haafiz Ali Khan, a musician to the royal family of Gwalior, Amjad Ali Khan was born to the illustrious Bangash lineage rooted in the Senia Bangash School of music. Today he shoulders the sixth generation inheritance of this legendary lineage.

After his debut, the career graph of this musical legend took the speed of light, and on its way the Indian classical music scene was witness to regular and scintillating bursts of Raga supernovas. And thus, the world saw the Sarod being given a new and yet timeless interpretation by Amjad Ali Khan. Khan is one of the few maestros who consider his audience to be the soul of his motivation.

In the matter of awards, Amjad Ali Khan has the privilege of winning the UNESCO award, Padma Vibhushan award, Unicef’s National Ambassadorship and The Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum amongst others.

Geeta Chandran

A celebrated artist and a star-performer, Geeta Chandran is synonymous with the Indian classical dance: Bharatanatyam. She began learning Bharatanatyam from the tender age of 5 years under the tutelage of Smt. Swarna Saraswathy, who hailed from the traditional Thanjavoor dasi parampara. Subsequently, Geeta continued learning diverse aspects of the classical dance from a galaxy of eminent Gurus.

Today she is a renowned artist who has synthesised the knowledge she received from her Gurus to imprint Bharatanatyam with her personal vision of the dance. In her dance presentations Geeta Chandran skilfully weaves abstract notions of Joy, Beauty, Values, Aspirations, Myth and Spirituality.

She is recipient of several awards including the Lady Shri Ram College Illustrious Alumna Award, the Dandayudhapani Pillai Award, the Bharat Nirman Award, the Natya Ilavarasi, the Indira Priyadarshini Award, the Media India Award, the National Critics Award, the Sringar Mani and the Natya Ratna. In recognition of her vast and varied contribution to Bharatanatyam, Geeta was awarded the prestigious national award -- the Padma Shri -- by the President of India in 2007.

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