Chennai's "Echoes of Colour" festival celebrated Holi

Chennai-based Sruti magazine recently held an event called "Echoes of Colour" to celebrate Holi through music and dance. The performance aimed to convey the vibrant spirit of the festival. Chaitrra Sairam, a student of the famous singer Bombay Jayashri, led the musical segment. She has worked with children with autism and teaches music in rural Tamil Nadu. For the event, Chaitrra selected various ragas to represent different colors associated with Holi. She began with "Shyamale Meenakshi," a composition by Muthuswamy Dikshitar, to symbolize the color white. Chaitrra's young students, Shakti and Priya, joined her to sing this raga. She then used the raga "Hamsadhwani" with the song "Tunga tarange" for the color yellow, showcasing the beauty of her voice. A key moment of her performance was when she demonstrated grahabhedam, which involves changing the tonic note to explore different ragas. Starting with "Mohanam," she shifted to "Madhyamavati," "Hindolam," and "Shuddha Dhanyasi," presenting a mix of melodies for the audience. Her session concluded with a bhajan about Krishna celebrating Holi. Following Chaitrra, Bharatanatyam dancer P. Sundaresan showcased his skills. He trained under renowned dancers and has a Master's in Bharatanatyam. His first dance presented Krishna playing Holi with Radha and the gopis, filled with confidence and technique. He then performed an abhang inspired by Sant Chokhamela, depicting Holi celebrations in Pandharpur. Sundaresan's final piece was a Kuntalavarali thillana. After the performances, artists and audience members joyfully played with colors, embracing the festive spirit of Holi.