35th Cleveland Thyagaraja festival
Dr. Sriram awarded the Kala Seva Mani
The Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival is arguably the
largest Indian classical music festival held outside of
India. One must attend the festival to appreciate its
sheer magnitude and grandeur.
Dr. Sriram received the Kala Seva Mani award for
bringing accomplished artists, hosting them at his home,
performing percussion support at the concerts,
delivering lectures, conducting quiz contest and
inspiring younger generation to participate in the
program.
The title of Kala Seva Mani is conferred on individuals
who have made an enduring contribution to the Carnatic
arts in the United States and Canada. Dr. Sriram has
made outstanding contribution bringing quality music to
Atlanta and GA under the banner CAMAGA (Carnatic musci
association of GA).
All this is made possible due to the indefatigable
efforts of the Aradhana Committee, headed by
R.Balasubramaniam and a band of dedicated volunteers. In
fact, the Cleveland Aradhana organizers work closely
with various other Carnatic music organizations in the
United States and Canada.
They are responsible for bringing artists to Cleveland
to perform at the annual festival and the artists
thereafter continue with their North American tour.
The Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival was first celebrated
in the year 1978 and has now grown in enormity to be an
11-day festival with more than 8,000 attendees with
2,000 appearing for the opening weekend.
The present year2012 marks the Festival's 35th year.
Taking place in Ohio, the aradhana attracts more than a
thousand people a day people from all over the world.
The festival now hosts over 60 performances. Indian
classical dance and music/dance workshops have since
become added features.
The Aradhana committee has also instituted awards to
recognize the achievements of artistes and gurus across
the globe for their dedication to Indian classic music.
Awards are given for achievements in both music and
dance and the committee is particular about regional
representation and selects artistes from States apart
from Tamil Nadu.

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Dr. Ram Sriram
Philosopher Extraordinaire

An exponent of mridangam, Ram Sriram is the disciple of
Padma Bhushan Sri T. V. Gopalakrishnan. He has been an
accompanying artists in concerts from his boyhood years
and has shared the dais with most of the stalwart
musicians visiting the US including Sangeetha Kalanidhi
T. N. Seshagopalan, Dr. N. Ramani, Neyveli
Santhangaopalan, Chitraveena Ravikiran - amongst others.
It would be difficult to state in words the prodigious
talent and the commendable expertise Ram Sriram has in
playing the mridangam. True to his personality as a
mild-mannered and soft spoken gentleman, Ram Sriram is
continually aware that mridangam is a complimentary
percussion instrument that should never overshadow the
performing vocalist. A mridangist of few words, Ram
Sriram would sit on the dais all attention to the
vocalist - a picture of dignity and composure.
His presentations have always been imaginative,
expressive and extroverted and yet sublime. The
mridangam of Ram Sriram has a certain magnetism about it
that makes his listeners sit up and listen to his
concerts with rapt attention.
Fundamental rhythmic patterns can be mastered by anyone
in a Garaba vasam (nine months) but it is in the
alignments and realignments that the mridangam artist’s
mastery revealed. Ram Sriram is indeed the master of
percussion and the dexterity of his fingers are an
unforgettable visual treat to the audience. Ram Sriram
cast a spell over the true lovers of Carnatic music
quietly demonstrating the subtleties of mridangam in his
own inimitable style. Ram Sriram packed his rhythmic
patterns with emotional content and there was his genius
in full play in his thaniavarthanams.
Born in Chennai (then known as Madras) to Vijayalakshmi
and Sreenivasan, Ram Sriram had his early education at
M.Ct. Muthia Chettiar High School and Presidency
College, Chennai. He obtained his MBA from the
University of Houston and later PhD from the University
of North Texas. He is a Distinguished Professor at
Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University,
Atlanta. Ram Sriram is happily married to Rama Sriram
and has a son and a daughter.
Ram Sriram is the Founder-President of CAMAGA that was
established in 1997. During the last fifteen years
CAMAGA has to its credit a string of successes and is
today recognized as one of the premier carnatic music
associations in North America. In 2011, CAMAGA
(co-sponsored with Jaya TV), the Carnatic Music Idol
Junior that was broadcast internationally. CAMAGA also
hosts a Great Composers’ day every year in February that
gives a stage for over 200 of the young kids learning
music in Atlanta area to show case their talents.
Ram Sriram is the mastermind and moving spirit behind
CAMAGA and all the accomplishments of CAMAGA bears ample
testimony to the dynamism and innovation of Ram Sriram.
Ram Sriram’s evangelical zeal to perform at consistent
levels, and his quiet dignity and humane character are
some of the attributes that have contributed to make Ram
Sriram an adorable person and a familiar name in Georgia
We all occasionally need to retreat to a spiritually
conducive place to recuperate, re-energize and
rededicate ourselves for spiritual upliftment. Attending
the musical concerts of Ram Sriram has always helped us
experience that unique soothing of nerves and calmness
of mind.
“Music is highest philosophy “said Plato and measured by
that yardstick, Ram Sriram is the Philosopher
Extraordinaire of Georgia. |