A total of 1,063 video entries were received from Carnatic and Hindustani music enthusiasts for The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest.
The video links have been sent to the judges, who are at present watching the presentations, checking if raga, krithi, and thala are perfect and selecting the winners based on marks.
The panel of judges has two new faces this year – Mridangam vidwan Sridharan Sankaran and Carnatic vocalist Sajeev Chandramana.
Mr. Sankaran, a software engineer by profession, started learning mridangam from Thiruvarur S. Janakiraman in the Palani Subramanya Pillai lineage and later underwent advanced training from Mannargudi Easwaran. He is a recipient of various titles including Laya Yuva Ratna and Mridanga Navodaya.
Mr. Chandramana, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, started learning music at the age of 4, and had advanced music from 1985 – 2003 under Varkala C.S. Jayaraman. He has performed in several sabhas and during music festivals. He was awarded the Ustad Bismillah khan Yuva Puraskar in 2009, Akashavani Award from All India Radio in 1992 and Thulasivanam Purasakaram in 2004.
