Margazhi always comes with plenty of excitement in the air. For many, this month is associated with the city’s annual giant music, dance and drama extravaganza.
This year, with the restrictions in place for COVID-19, The Hindu brings to you rasikas, an exciting competition for young classical vocalists, instrumentalists and percussionists. The videos of the finalists will be uploaded for rasikas to watch and enjoy online.
The Hindu Margazhi Classical Music Competition will be open for musicians of up to 40 years of age in three categories – child talent (below 12 years of age), juniors (13 to 19 years of age) and seniors (20 to 40 years of age). Winners will also be chosen among them in each category, based on the decision of the judges, which will be final.
The last date for submission of entries is December 12, 2020. Those selected for the finals would be intimated separately and will be given certificates of appreciation.
A jury of persons trained in the arts, including senior artistes, will examine all entries and decide on the winners. Participants can upload their videos on to their Google Drive or DropBox account and send it to the following email ID: thmargazhi@thehindu.co.in.
For each video, mention: category, contestant’s full name, age (as on December 1, 2020), postal and email address, phone number, number of years of training and details of rendition (raga, tala, krithi, composer, etc.)
Making the video/audio segments
Video
- Use a single camera. It could be a phone or a DSLR.
- Make sure that the background is neutral. Too many objects in the background might take the attention away from the subject.
- Use a room that has enough light.
- The camera should be stable i.e. mounted on a tripod or placed on support. Handheld shots will not be considered.
- If you are using a DSLR, please make sure that the focus is maintained
- For the performance, use a full shot, with enough head room.
- Make sure that the camera is not slanting.
- For the intro, use a medium close-up
- Video can be in MP4 format. A minimum of 1080*720 resolution is required
Audio
- Please use a mic. For this series, the audio is more important than the video.
- Adjust the levels accordingly. The audio shouldn’t be too loud that it distorts or too low that it’s inaudible.
- Make sure fans/AC is turned off during the performance. Try to keep the ambient noises as low as possible.
Category | Details ofvideo to be submitted for first round | Duration |
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Vocal /Instrumental: Krithi | Solo rendition of any krithiof a well-known composer | 5 minutes (max) |
Vocal /Instrumental: Thukkada | Solo rendition of compositionsof saints like Annamacharya, Purandaradasa, Bhadrachala Ramadasa, Sadasiva Brahmendra, Meera, Kabir, Surdas, Tulsidas, Jayadeva and others, Tamil pieces like Thevaram, Thiruppavai, Thiruppugazh and compositions of Subramanya Bharathi and others or tillanas,padams, javalis, bhajans, abhangs and similar semi-classical compositions | 5 minutes (max) |
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Percussion:Solo | Perform a solo in one talaof your choice. | 5 minutes max |
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Rules:
- Contestants can participate in only one category.
- Melodic instruments allowed: Veena, Nadaswaram, Flute, Violin, Chitravina, Viola, Mandolin,Guitar, Keyboard and Jalatarangam
- Percussion instruments allowed: Mridangam, Thavil, Khanjira, Ghatam, Morsing, Konnakol
- Only individual participation is allowed. Duos and groups will not be allowed.
- For vocalists, instrumentalists and percussion solo, shruti box / tambura should be the onlyaccompaniment in the video.
- For percussion accompaniment, the audio rendition of the krithi should be heard clearly.
- The decision of the judges will be final and binding.