How would you reflect being called a Feminist?

Well, I wouldn’t mind as long as my views are heard and I am content with placing my point across.
There was this usual irksome statement that I heard yest which pushed me to blog this. "Hey dont cry like a gurl!" WTH does that mean? How do I even counter, there is even a movie carrying this "Boys dont cry" which features a gurl getting converted 'coz she wants to be treated a "boy".

"Look there, this lady in the car has blocked the traffic". "Comeon gurl, give way, do not walk on the road". "No wonder shes in for this post, she used her charms and not her brain."- Why do the index fingers easily point to a gurl at every case, in every site?

If we put on weight, it is coz we are lazy to work out. If the guys do, the blame shift is on the fast food place down the street and their heavily loaded job schedule which doesn’t let them take time off to gym.

And why juggle with numbers, giving 33% ,40% seats/reservations. Btw, what rights do the givers have? We are no minority to take permission from them, to get a concession from them. A lady being a home-maker can well balance work at an outside firm; Girls outdo boys in many competitive examinations, at variety sports, workplace, arts etc.
This being the case y still discriminate?
A tall gurl is often blamed by her parents for not being able to match a guy's height during marriage-hunt. If the guy is tall, the term used is "Handsome".
If a gurl concentrates on her career, she is termed "work-o-holic" ;if its a guy- “he is smart and career oriented”. A gurl wishes to go to the distant states for further studies- people would declare she s escaping marriage with creative stories unfolding. If a guy wishes to continue his studies, people call him studious, intelligent and goal-oriented.

People speak of feminists’ acts, discrimination laws with pride, but nothing seems to change this fractured society.
It would do lot good not to hear statements like “You can’t do it, you are a gurl”! “Why don’t you give time to the family, let him concentrate on his career”! “It is better you relocate, he can’t think of changing his job now”!
Keeping away from these sweeping declarations would help gurls get out of the chilly home climate and think of a warm world outside. Reservation for women is just a distasteful remedy; the need of the hour is to remove the discrimination from the minds than from the roots.

Charukeshi

I had no topic to blog till a friend shared a "Charukeshi" piece sung by Unnikrishnan. I am any day biased to Unni’s renditions, but keeping that aside too it is indeed a beautiful presentation.

Can’t believe one can elaborate on such a raga to this vast extent. Charukeshi, the 26th ragam of “Carnatic Sampoorna melakartha” scheme is a recent import to Hindustani music.
Chatushruthi rishabham, anthara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham, kaishiki nishadham frame its scale.
(Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N2 S ,Av:S N2 D1 P M1 G3 R2 S)
Uttaraanga(first 4 notes S,R,G,M) is Shankarabharana’s import . Madhyama, panchama and Daivatha are accorded dominant notes in Charukeshi.

A ragam which is known to incite emotions of grief and devotion is handled with vigor in the kalpana swara sancharam by Unni. A 35 minute rendition of "Adamodi galadhe" is a brilliant package of the needed Nidhanam in aalapanai, expected vegham in swara kalpana and a clear, placid rendition of the krithi.
The alapanai gliding through the notes gives a sorrow appeal which is the emotion of the Raga. In the krithi section he displays the virtuosity but within the boundary of Thyagaraja’s composed work. Swarakalpana in “Chaduvulanni” is as gleaming as it could be. The final swara hides in it a variety of combinations,tisra sancharams, janti-swara usages,a beautiful korapu and a simple yet powerful mukthaya. The swara sancharam in 3 octaves , reaching daivatha in the higher octave takes us to a musical crescendo and only speaks for Unni’s unswerving dedication .

It’s impossible for such a rendition without mental and emotional commitment. The sophisticated patterns leave behind an unsophisticated expression - soothing to the ears.

One needn't get into the intricacies and technical complications of the theory of the ragam or lyrics. It is true music beyond the precincts of words and technicalities.

Must listen for any mind that craves for true music:
http://www.sangeethamshare.org/manjunath/Carnatic/Audio/032-UnnikrishNan-VOcal-Augusta_GA-2007/

Revathi Sridharan