CARVA RAJASEKAR
Shri C.A.Rajasekar is an embodiment of elegance and versatility, a true source of inspiration. His simplicity and altruism further pronounce his oratorical, organizational and intellectual skills. With a good sense-of-humor, which is an Utopian dream in recent times, he carries his responsibilities with a ever smiling face.
Family pedigree:
Born to Shri Chittoor Appanna Bagavathar and Smt. Madurambal, Shri C.A. Rajasekar has a rich musical pedigree. His grandfather Shri Vedachala Iyer was adept in playing both the violin and the flute. His father Shri Appanna of Chittoor was a renowned violinist himself, and so were his brothers.
The family at the cause of promoting music:
Shri C. A Rajasekar’s family has been rendering yeoman service in the patronage of music by arranging music festivals and poojas every year. Those days, they used to arrange the Shri Purandarasa festival at their native city every year. Noted contemporary sangeetha vidwans used to participate and perform at the festival. ‘Aganda Gaanam’ of Thiyagaiyar’s kirthanas was held as an annual feature at which singing of Thiyagaiyar’s kirthanas lasted 24 hours at a stretch. As a boy, Shri C.A. Rajasekar participated with great enthusiasm in such activities. This has, no wonder helped him develop a deep sense of service to the cause of music.
Tutelage and Performances:
Shri C.A. Rajasekar learnt his first vocal lessons at the age of four from his father. It was soon followed by violin lessons under the watchful eyes of his illustrious father. He played along with his father from an early age at the latter’s performances.
To further hone his skills, he had been under the tutelage of the distinguished violinist Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri. M.Chandrasekaran and had also undergone lessons from Shri V.S.Narasimhan for a broader understanding and appreciation of western classical genre.
Shri C.A.Rajasekar, also known as the backbone of CARVA Trust, received the “Isaikalaimani” title from Adyar Music College. Not the one to stop there, he proceeded to complete his M. A in Indian music and was awarded a Gold Medal by the University of Madras. He also completed his M.Phil at the University of Madras. Here, his final thesis explored different violin teaching methodologies, particularly, his unique teaching methodology.
In 2007 he was honoured as ‘Aasthana Vidhwan’ by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He was also conferred with the ‘BEST GURU’ award by VDS Arts Academy in recognition of his accomplishment in tutoring violin to numerous students for 25 continuous years. Shri C.A.Rajasekar has also been nurturing students of other countries through the internet. Through this, students at different parts of the world receive an opportunity to learn violin. This is a blessing to students around the world who share a passion for music and his online classes are well appreciated for the same reason.
Apart from his solo concerts, he has been playing as an accompanying artiste for many vocalists at various sabhas in India as well as abroad. He is involved in performances for many social causes. One such special occasion, which he remembers till date is when he played with his Guru Shri M. Chandrasekar, in Malaysia.
CARVA TRUST
Shri C.A.Rajasekar has been teaching violin for the past 25 years. With well over a hundred students under his guidance, he has been orchestrating regular performances to a wide audience. From being known as the ‘group of hundred+ violins’ the need for an identity resulted in formation of the Chittor Appanna Rajasekar’s Violin Academy – CARVA Music School in 2000, which later grew into being administered under the name of the CARVA Trust.
While keeping up with the traditions of classical music, Shri C.A.Rajasekar ensures to incite enthusiasm into the eager minds by virtue of the zeal and energy with which he organizes activities with flair. Given the pushing nature of the teacher and arduousness of the students, every single performance to date has been very well received.
One amongst the acclaimed of their performances was on the Independence Day (in the year 2002), which was broadcast on ‘Podhigai T.V.’ under a program titled “Isai Aruvi”. Over a hundred CARVA students rendered popularly known patriotic pieces on their violin with pride, grace and confidence. Another such performance was given on Jaya T.V. in 2004 as part of their Pongal Special programs and was acclaimed by all. CARVA students regularly perform at the Ashramam of Poojya Sri Muralidhara Swamigal in Malapattu Village under aegis of the saint. Also, their performances at MUSIC ACADEMY as a part of “Svanubhava” by these amateur violinists had a great acclaim. Also, CARVA performs in batches of 25+, 50+ violins and in various combinations as and when required and in accordance to the occasion (Temples, Sabhas & Marriage occasions) and also to the audience needs.
This is the driving motive of the CARVA Trust – to instill greater enthusiasm by providing incentives (of stage ascensions and such) that trigger a sense of accomplishment and pride giving way to their appreciation and aspiration for deeper knowledge of Carnatic music.
Annual Activities of CARVA TRUST
CARVA Music Festival, now a tradition of the academy is arranged wherein every single student gets to stage their performance along with their peers accompanied with the rhythm of percussion artists. The motive behind such program is to instill confidence among young budding artistes and to provide them a priceless opportunity to learn more in this field of specialization. This is done by teaching each student the most generalized of songs, which when played or heard by them boosts their morale. The program, sectioned for pupils of different levels of learning – from Geetham to Krithis, are orchestrated, practiced (for over 30 - 40 sessions) and rendered for an ever houseful audience. As a grand culmination of the event, students of almost all levels perform for a Grand Ensemble in unison, rendering Bhajans and popular songs of the public patrons.
This festival provides a great opportunity for the students to display their deftness and skill to a huge audience, a near impossibility to organize otherwise. As customary to the festival, renowned musicians are invited to grace the occasion adding to the enthusiasm of the students. The satiating experience and smiles in one and all – students, teacher, parents, distinguished guests and audience alike, is what CARVA hopes for, making every wee bit of the effort spent well worth.
The first festival was conducted in 2000. With a modest 50 students the program was presided by Violin Maestro ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’shri M.Chandrasekaran and was acclaimed a success by one and all. By the subsequent year around a hundred students participated in the event, with a much wider media attention, appreciation and laurels to CARVA.
Great musicians and personalities have graced this function including Poojya Shri Muralidhara Swamigal and Ghatam Maestro Vikku Vinayagaram, Renowned Musicologist Dr V.V.Srivatsa, ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’ Sri T.K.Govindarao, Madurai Sri G.S.Mani, ‘Nadha yogi’ Sri V.V.Subhramnaian, Western Giant Sri V.S.Narasimhan. The applause and appreciation by these music Vidhwans have been a morale boost for many of these young tiny tots who are hardly the size of the violin bow. With years of successful deliverance in series, the appreciations are now converting into expectation from a crowd that come to witness the bravado of the amateurs, agility of the seniors and the grandeur of CARVA.
Pilgrimage to Thiruvaiyaru is one amongst the greatest privilege and a spiritually elevating experience for any student of Carnatic music and patrons alike. The annual Thiyagaraja Aaradhanai festival brings every leading and aspiring musician and patrons from all over the world. CARVA students are given the privilege to render musical homage at the shrine of the great saint every year during the month of May. The students get to perform along with their Guru right in front of the shrine as offerings and prayers are made to the saint. The students along with their guru perform a Nadhaharam (garland of music) for the saint by playing a piece on Lord Rama forming a garland as they sat around the shrine in a chain. With the parents of Carva students also accompanying the trip, visits to nearby temples are also organized. The pilgrimage has been taken up for the past nine years and is definitive for the years to come. The idea behind this trip is to instill confidence in these young brigades in accordance to our strong ethnic and edifying practices of India.
For the cause of the society: To invoke the blessings of the rain-god and seek rains to overcome the water scarcity, CARVA involves itself in Varuna-Prayer (a group performance) at various places in the city. A special piece in Raagam Amruthavarshini composed by Sri C.A.Rajasekar is played in total more than 108 times culminating in a grand Pooja towards the objective.
The trust has developed its own website www.carvatrust.org and flashes all its activities there.
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