Padmasri Dr.
K.J. Yesudas
Portland Center for Performing Arts
1111 SW Broadway 224-8499
7:30 pm Saturday, July 24
$20-$40
Find out more about Rasika at www.rasika.org.
Most cities Portland's size would die to have just one association
dedicated to promoting the culture of India, let alone two.
With the advent of Rasika, though, the longtime India-boosters
of Kalakendra have company in their crusade to preserve the
subcontinent's culture through music and dance.
Is this town big enough for the both of them? After 13
years, Kalakendra is a well-established cultural force in
a metro area populated by more than 5,000 families of Indian
heritage, and leaders of the venerable group greeted Rasika's
formation with something less than welcoming fanfare. But
Jayanthi and Srinivasan Raman, the warm husband-and-wife
team at the core of Rasika, seem certain that their group
can thrive, augmenting Kalakendra's excellent work.
"One organization is not enough to cater to all of the
different people and needs," says Srinivasan. "India is
a collection of diverse groups of peoples and languages.
People forget that it is a continent as well as a country,
just like Europe."
Established only three months ago, this new association
already has one event under its belt, eight more booked
between now and the end of the year and 100 family memberships.
Rasika means "aficionado" or "fan." Jayanthi and Srinivasan,
true "rasikas" to be sure, glow with an incredibly sincere
dedication to Indian culture and their newly founded organization.
Over a home-cooked meal of vegetable biryani, crispy fried
Indian breads and a savory eggplant dish, the Ramans explained
their goals and aspirations to this well-fed reporter.
"One of our main intentions is to educate people about
the culture of India," explains Jayanthi. "We want to make
sure that we tell everyone about who these musicians are
and as much about the instrument they are playing. It's
not just, 'Wear your black suit and tie and go to a concert,
listen to something and come back home.'"
Driven by an educational approach that uses seminars, workshops
and other inclusive functions, the organization will try
to bring Indian culture to those who aren't already familiar
with it--in particular, children of all ethnicities.
The inclusion of children is very much a focus for Rasika--and
contrasts sharply with Kalakendra's preference that concertgoers
leave the little ones at home. In an American culture that
pushes assimilation, the Ramans say, it's important to expose
Indian-American kids to the traditions of the old country.
"The more you cut away from our children, the more they
are going to cut away from the culture," says Jayanthi.
"My daughter is 11 years old, and we've been taking her
to India, but we want to see how we can bridge that gap
between visiting India and truly knowing India," says Srinivasan.
"We want the best of both worlds for her."
To facilitate such goals, Rasika offers "meet the artists"
events the day after each concert and encourages families
to bring their children. A pizza party--that oh-so-American
institution--brought a large group of kids out to meet Shashank,
the amazing flute player who inaugurated Rasika's concert
series with his June 6 performance.
While they are quick to note that they appreciate the work
Kalakendra has done over the past 13 years, the Ramans point
out that most Kalakendra presentations feature North Indian
musicians. With this in mind, Rasika is dedicated to bringing
performers from all parts of India, especially those who
have never been to Portland and can offer something a bit
different from the usual fare of tablas and sitar.
Next on Rasika's hit parade is Padmasri Dr. K.J. Yesudas,
an acclaimed South Indian vocalist. His ability to sing
in all of the languages of India and provide a diverse repertoire
including music from films, light classical and traditional
Carnatic forms makes him accessible to all Indian music
fans.
With concerts like this, Rasika hopes to foster solidarity
within an Indian community that's as diverse as India itself,
while offering Portlanders a wider sampling of its cultural
traditions. Having two Indian cultural organizations is
a good thing, suggests Jayanthi: "It will provide a good,
healthy competition."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Willamette Week | originally
published July 21, 1999
|
