Bombay: 4 Mar 2005/Sawf News Service/ -- Women have been making music since time immemorial, on par with men. However, when it comes to acknowledging their works or their contributions to the cause of music, they share only a small space. It is intriguing to note that most of the composers dealt with, heard, are men. Which makes us believe that women hardly made their presence felt in this domain; however they have very much been part of the music-making tradition.

Stree Gaanam is an attempt to present the works of such women composers spanning several centuries. These women hail from Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and their polyglot compositions are an interesting revelation of the poetry of their times, an insight into the feminine mind. Stree Gaanam will feature some of their compositions in a multi-media format with an all women accompanying artists in Carnatic Music style. Stree Gaanam is an effort to revive, salvage, preserve and present this work which if not, will go completely unrecognized and lost to the music world.This is one-of-its-kind attempt by a Carnatic musician to bring forth the contribution of Women composers in Carnatic Music. Stree Gaanam will be premiered by Vasumathi Badrinathan on the eve of International Women's Day on 7th March 2005 in Mumbai.

Stree Gaanam is supported by the Deportment of Culture, Government of India & co-sponsored by The Mysore Association, Bombay. Sincere thanks to Sangita Kala Acharya Sri. T. S. Parthasorathy for all his guidance.

Visit http://www.vasumathi.net/event.htm for more details.

News Copyright © South Asian Women's Forum. May not be reporduced without explicit written permission