Latest news with #Carnatic
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Chennai emerges as the capital of board game cafes in india
It's 10 pm, the eatery on the ground floor has closed, but the night has only begun on the third floor of The Board Room cafe. The tables are packed, and groups are setting up for hours of intense 'gaming'. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Only, in place of joysticks and consoles are meeple, dice, and tokens on a board. Phones are forgotten here. The game could go on till 5 am, but it doesn't matter to the players. "There is no limit to imagination in board games. It can become more immersive than video games," says Ashish Venkat, a hardcore board gamer. For many, the progression from video games to board games was natural once they got to know the variety and range, but others such as Ashish just walked into one of the cafés one day and got hooked. "During Covid, I got some free time and attended an online game session for beginners at The Board Room. Soon I started visiting the café every day. I'd play for eight hours a day, at times till 2 am," says the 34-year-old. In 2019, Chennai had just a couple of such cafes where a small group of regulars used to congregate. But today, there are more than 20, the highest in the country, says Phalgun Polepalli, founder of Mozaic Games and TTOX, one of the major board game conventions in the country. "The board game cafés in Chennai are also the most occupied in the country," he says. "The city has about 5,000 hardcore players today, and the games are available even in grocery and bookstores," says Suwetha Sundar, senior game guru at The Board Room, supposedly among the largest of such cafes in the country. "After Covid, youngsters wanted to connect in person, and to do something that doesn't involve screens," says Thara Srinivasan, game master, Dungeons and Dragons. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Masters are an indispensable part of a game café as they explain rules and often join teams. While it's mostly hardcore gamers and young adults who throng the all-nighters, in the daytime, the cafes see families coming in with children, solo players, beginners, and tourists who want to experience something new. Board game birthday parties are becoming the rage too. Most players are in the 16-35 age group — IT folk, lawyers, students — but there are also those who get introduced in their 40s, says Suwetha. "Adults want to get away from workplace stress, for young people it's mostly a form of bonding, as they don't have a space to meet up every week. " It was Carnatic vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam and wife Aarthi who introduced stand-up comedian Aravind S A to the world of board games, and now he does the same to new "minions" he says. "Sanjay has 1,000-plus games at his home and he's a patient teacher as well, which I'm not. So I take the newbies to cafes to get them acquainted with the rules, and then we all play together at my home. And no, these aren't Monopoly or Uno which most millennials grew up with but a massive range of 30 categories. Nature-themed games are among the most popular now, such as WingSpan where you set up bird trays, place the dice in the bird feeder, and play with egg tokens and bird cards, learning about species as you play. In Evolution, you score points by feeding rare species, boosting population as you progress. Gameistry, Egmore, and The Board Room have more than 1,000 games each, mostly imported. "People are also interested in strategy games these days," says Prashaunth Kamalakannan of Gameistry. The games can be expensive if one tries to buy them, costing from Rs 5,000 to Rs 26,000, which is a reason many prefer to pay the hourly rates at cafes, at Rs 150 per person. For example, 'Foundations of Rome' has 3D miniatures of Roman architecture, which users have to construct, is among those which costs above Rs 20,000. The cafes have now diversified to include workshops, quiz nights, events, and all-nighters. Also, Chennai is unique in that there's a culture of teaching games at these cafes, says Sriram Mahalingam, co-founder of The Board Room. They started out as a restaurant serving as a free meet-up group in Adyar renting out board games and conducting online gaming sessions. "There wasn't much of a game scene until 2019, but soon the community started growing, and today, we have three branches. " It takes 45 minutes or more to teach the rules for a new game, which is difficult in café hours, and that's when they hit upon the idea of an all-nighter, around two years ago, says Sriram. "We began hosting one every other week and it evolved into a community event. Many also use the workspace option to work and play." The best part of these cafes, says Thara, is the open table concept. "You don't need to bring your friends for teammates; you can pick them from the community. " Gamers get notifications on WhatsApp groups on what will be played where and when, and form teams before they arrive. "Board games are a great socialisation tool but work best for introverts too. You don't need to make small talk or open up about your life. You're all there for the love of the game," says Thara.
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Keeping old Hindi melodies alive
If you are in a mood for some retro Hindi music then head to Kaviko auditorium in Mylapore on June 29 at 4 p.m. There are no tickets for this show. A motley bunch of music enthusiastic promise to make it a nostalgia fest for lovers of old Hindi songs. Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi's melodious presentation of love in Saaz e dil chhed de from Passport will be the highlight of the evening. Twenty passionate singers make up ShreeDhwani, a music group that meets to rewind to good old Hindi songs. It started in 2013 when Mohan Krishnan and V. Sivasubramaniam met at a friend's son's wedding reception. The host wanted some old Hindi melodies to be sung and this music journey began with fanfare but quiet determination. 'The two of us managed to sing for close to three hours as requests after requests poured in from guests. That is when we thought: why not bring like-minded people together?' says Mohan Krishnan, who retired as general manager from Reserve Bank of India. In the initial years, the group would rent an auditorium for the performances. (Now, they meet at a school) ShreeDhwani continued without any hindrances until the pandemic, when the routine was disrupted. In 2023, ShreeDhwani was revived with a renewed focus. 'The coming event is special as it is the first anniversary of ShreeDwani 2.0,' says Mohan, who has a database of 500 songs and also anchors along with singing. Since this year, the group has started raising funds for a cause. The proceeds from the February show was given to Dignity Foundation's Dementia Day Care Centre. 'So far we have not raised funds through sale of tickets but we get sponsors. We plan to raise funds for old age homes and organisations working towards autism awareness,' says Mohan, a resident of RA Puram and a professional storyteller. Legendary singers Renditions of songs by Hemant Kumar, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt feature in the performances. Among themes based on musicians include an RD Burman show, artistes from Bengal and Mohammed Rafi (two events are held a year in his memory). The eclectic mix of the group makes the performance rich. 'We would have met either at a performance or on a common platform, and most of us are either retired or reaching retirement,' says Mohan, adding that they take karaoke support. There is Badrinarayana who retired from the Indian Institute of Fashion Technology; Sukanya, a student of Carnatic musician M.L. Vasanthakumari; Neeta, a medical administration professional; and Vishwa Padmanabhan, a practising chartered accountant. A. Surya Narayana Rao, an octogenarian and correspondent of Jawahar Vidyalaya Schools, and a connoisseur of music, gives the team infrastructure support by offering a space at the school at no cost. Sixty-two-year-old V. Sivasubramaniam says there is so much learning and sharing in the group and that makes every event special. 'I was not well-versed in Hindi when I started singing. I had the lines written in English. It was Mohan who mentored most of us,' says the cost accountant who retired from the Southern Railway. Sheettal Rayathatha, a storyteller-cum-psychologist, who is taking part for the second time, says the motivation that she got from the group when she sang her first song was a big moral booster to join the platform and quench her thirst for Hindi melodies. To connect with the group members, call 9840322236/ 8610888056/ 9840091290
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Naadha Vinodhini' title conferred on voco-violinist Jyothi Kalai
The title of Naadha Vinodhini was conferred on Carnatic voco-violinist Jyothi Kalai, a visually disabled artiste, by Naadhabrahmam United Gyan Academy on Saturday. Chairperson of the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal G. Chandrasekaran said that music was a part of our lives, from birth to death. The two cannot be separated. He said that he was startled by the range of music knowledge she had. Her achievements were astounding, and she has received around 30 awards at such a young age. Former Chairperson of State Human Rights Commission S. Baskaran appreciated Naadhabrahmam founder N. Subramanian for the services he is rendering to classical music. Jyothi Kalai's mother, he said, deserved much praise to have supported her daughter. Mr. Subramanian said that this was the 24th year of the organisation, which has been organising programmes in places like Delhi and Srirangam. The award ceremony was followed by a musical performance by Jyothi Kalai, accompanied by D. Badrinarayanan on the violin and Manikudi S. Chandrasekaran on the mridangam.
New Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Celebration of global harmony
In a world more interconnected than ever, music has become a universal language transcending geography and culture. What was once seen as niche or regional, now resonates with global audiences in real-time. Artistes across continents are embracing this fluidity, collaborating in bold, genre-defying ways, from Afrobeat-meets-K-pop anthems to Carnatic melodies flowing into jazz improvisations. These collaborations are no longer just artistic experiments; they are cultural dialogues. Thanks to streaming platforms and social media, the global music landscape has flattened. Influences cross-pollinate organically, allowing diverse sounds to merge and evolve. These partnerships do more than just boost chart positions, they open listeners to new worlds of rhythm, tradition, and identity. Our own Carnatic music, once reserved for sabhas and concert halls, is now finding a stage at global jazz festivals. Artistes like Ranjani-Gayatri and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa are proving how ragas can converse fluently with blue notes and swing rhythms. American jazz musicians, in turn, are collaborating with mridangam players and veena artistes, creating new harmonic frontiers. This is not fusion for fusion's sake. It's a deep, intentional exploration. Jazz's improvisational core aligns beautifully with Carnatic music's manodharma, its emphasis on creative expression. The tabla steps in for the snare, the tanpura hums in place of the bass line, and together they conjure a sound that feels both ancient and avant-garde. Technology, too, is a vital player in this cross-cultural symphony. Digital audio workstations, cloud-based production, and platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud have democratised creation and collaboration. Just as significant is the global diaspora, artistes of Indian, African, or Latin American origin, living abroad, who act as cultural conduits between their heritage and the contemporary sounds of their adopted homes. As political boundaries tighten, musical ones continue to dissolve. Young listeners, guided by curiosity and free of cultural bias, are fuelling the demand for these genre-fluid, borderless sounds. This World Music Day (June 21), CE speaks to eminent singers who have embraced this global rhythm.
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Mahesh Raghavan: iPad Meets Indian Classical Music Musical Innovation The Breakfast Club
Last Updated: Entertainment India In this special episode of The Breakfast Club, we sit down with Mahesh Raghavan — the digital maestro redefining Indian classical music. Known for his groundbreaking performances using the iPad, Mahesh shares how he blends technology with tradition, his musical journey, creative process, and how he's taking Carnatic music to global audiences in a whole new way. n18oc_entertainment n18oc_indiaNews18 Mobile App -
