Lalgudi Jayaraman For SICA

It's a hat-trick - Lata on Saturday, Paresh Rawal with his hilarious play on Sunday, and the living legend of Carnatic on Monday!

As part of SICA's 42nd Annual Festival of Music and Dance, eminent artists like Lalgudi G Jayaram (father), G J R Krishnan (his son) and Vijayalakshmi (Jayaraman's daughter) will perform on the first day. The talented trio will present a violin ensemble on the day. A detailed profile of the performers (family) is below:

Lalgudi Jayaraman

In the sphere of Carnatic music, Lalgudi Jayaraman is a name that is instantly associated with melody, rhythm, masterly technique in violin playing and musical excellence. Born in the lineage of an illustrious disciple of the great saint musician Thyagaraja and meticulously trained and brought up in an atmosphere of music by his versatile father late V R Gopala Iyer, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the very essence of Carnatic music.

At the early age of 12 he started his musical career as an accompanying violinist. Being endowed with rich imagination, quick grasp, an uncommon ability for adapting to the individual styles of the leading maestros in Carnatic music while accompanying them in their concerts, he reached the forefront in rapid strides. The rich concert experience he thus gained, coupled with the strong urge to give original expression to the musical ideas surging in him, culminated in his emergence as a solo violinist of rare brilliance. He has made his mark also as a unique and extraordinary composer having to his credit several thillanas and varnams, which are a scintillating blend of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty.

He participated in the Edinburgh music festival in 1965. Astonished by his melody and masterly technique, Yehudi Menuhin, the renowned violinist, presented him with his Italian violin. He extensively toured the US and Canada in 1971 and gave as many as 24 concerts followed by lectures and demonstrations under the auspices of East West Exchange Program.

He introduced a new concept of violin, venu and veena in 1966 and gave several outstanding concerts. His recordings submitted to the International Music Council, Baghdad, the Asian Pacific Music Rostrum and the Iraq Broadcasting Agency by AIR New Delhi have been adjudged as the best and accorded the first position out of 77 entries received from the various countries during 1979.

Recently, the famous operatic ballet 'Jaya Jaya Devi' composed by Jayaraman won him a special place in the field of music as a composer. This ballet was premiered in Cleveland, Ohio State of America, and then staged in more than 25 key cities all over the USA. In this connection, the Mayor of Maryland made Lalgudi an honorary citizen of Maryland in 1994. Subsequently, the 2nd of April 1994 was declared as Lalgudi Day in the State of Ohio. He was honored as "Sangita Kala Ratna' by Bangalore Gayana Samaja in October 1997. In September 1999, Lalgudi gave a millennium concert at New York Lincoln center hosted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to a packed house. After the scintillating concert, he was honored with the title "Bharatha Jyothi".

His services to Carnatic music have earned him several titles including the Padmashree by the Government of India in 1972.

Lalgudi G J R Krishnan (Son)

In the sphere of Carnatic music, the name Lalgudi G J R Krishnan is instantly associated with melody, rhythm, masterly technique on the violin and overall musical excellence. He was meticulously groomed to musical perfection by none other than his father, Lalgudi Jayaraman. Raised thus in an atmosphere redolent with music, Lalgudi Krishnan has imbibed the very essence of Carnatic classicism.

Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi (Daughter)

The daughter of Lalgudi Jayaraman, the legendary musician and composer, she is a leading exponent of the Lalgudi style, which is characterized by boundless innovation while strictly adhering to the tradition and eloquently capturing the mood and essence of any composition.

Please contact Chakrapani, SICA, at 761-4374 for further details.