The Palghat Fine Arts Society (PFAS) organised its 13th national music festival here last week. The week-long festival saw several stalwarts of Carnatic music performing at Palghat Fine Arts Society auditorium at Tharekkad.
The Palghat Fine Arts Puraskaram 2023 was awarded to Mridangam maestro Parasala Ravi. Well known Carnatic percussionist Yella Venkateswara Rao inaugurated the festival. He also gave away the Palghat Fine Arts Puraskaram to Mr. Ravi.
When the inaugural day marked a flute recital by Mysore A. Chandankumar with Mysore Karthik on violin, Dr. Rao on mridangam and Guru Prasanna on kanjira, the following days saw vocal recitals by such artistes as Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran, Suchitra Balasubramanian, Madurai T.N.S. Krishna, C.S. Sajeev, Bharat Sunder, and G. Ravi Kiran.
Started in 1960, the Palghat Fine Arts Society has played a great role in shaping up the cultural firmament of Palakkad. “Palakkad is a border town where people from different cultural backgrounds reach and interact with others. This variety has enriched the town in many ways, from food habits to cultural aspirations,” said P.N. Subbaraman, Palghat Fine Arts Society secretary.
Apart from its annual music festivals, the Fine Arts Society has been conducting Carnatic music concerts every month.
Almost all known Carnatic musicians in the country have performed for the Fine Arts Society. They include Semmangudi Srinvasa Iyer, Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Trichy Sanakaran, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, M.D. Ramanathan, M.S. Subbalakshmi, K.B. Sundarambal, D.K. Pattammal, P. Leela and K.J. Yesudas.
“Take any big or small name in Carnatic music, they have performed for us,” said Mr. Subbaraman. Apart from vocals, maestros of violin, mridangam, ghatom, kanjira, moorsing, flute, veena, nadaswaram, thavil, harikatha, saxophone, clarinet, and mandolin have performed for the Fine Arts Society.
Although the Fine Arts Society staged its programmes at Chembai Memorial Government Music College here in the initial years, it constructed its own auditorium in 2008.
