WOLF PACK

Wolf Pack refers to, a group of wolves that live, feed, and travel as a family group.  They perform almost all activities in the company of fellow wolves. Wolves travel and hunt in a group and perform almost all other activities in the company of fellow wolves.

The core of a pack is a mated pair of wolves - an adult male and female (called the Alpha Male and Alpha Female) that have bred and produced young. The other members of the pack are their offspring: young wolves ranging in age from pups to two and three-year-olds.  

 

Pack sizes vary, most packs have 6 or 7 members, although some may include as many as 15 wolves. The size depends on many variables including the current numbers of the wolf population, the abundance of food, and social factors within the wolf pack.  Within each pack is an elaborate hierarchy.

Individual wolves in a pack play different roles in relation to the others in the group. The parent wolves are the leaders of the pack - the alpha male and alpha female.

The alpha male and female are the oldest members of the pack and the ones with the most experience in hunting, defending territory, and other important activities.

The other pack members respect their positions and follow their leadership in almost all things, The alpha wolves are usually the ones to make decisions for the pack when the group should go out to hunt or move from one place to another.

The other Pack members all have positions in the hierarchy inferior to those of the alpha male and female. The young adult wolves, who are the grown-up offspring of the alpha pair, have their own special roles under the leadership or their parents. Some of them me able to "boss around," or dominate, their sisters and brothers because they have established themselves as superior in some way. This superiority might be physical-larger size or greater strength - but it can be based on personality Dominant wolves in the pack usually have more aggressive and forceful personalities than their relatives of the same age.  The juveniles and pups-wolves under two years old do not occupy permanent positions within the pack hierarchy. They all take orders from their parents and older brothers and sisters, but their relationships with each other change frequently. During their play and other activities, they are constantly testing one mother to find out who will eventually be "top wolf" in their age group.

This video shows how affectionate they are, not only among themselves but also with human beings (at times).

 

There is a lot to be learnt from the Wolf Pack as we are all now living and working in groups.  We live in a family and we work in a team.  Understanding the group dynamics and playing the role well in the team whether at work or in personal lives is extremely important for our day to day living.

T.P.Anand

Dubai, U.A.E.

25th June 2012

KING OF LIGHT MUSIC - MELLISAI MANNAR

Shri.M.S.Viswanathan (MSV) is one of the greatest living legends of Indian Cinema.  He is turning 84 on 24th June and I wanted to salute him on his birthday for the wonderful contribution he has made through his music.  I pray to God to give him good health and a very long life.

Mellisai Mannar is a title that is fitting and most appropriate only to MSV.  He has given some of the greatest compositions in the Golden Era of the Indian Cinema.  I heard in one of the speeches of Kannadasan that MSV knows only music.  He does not know anything other than music.  He immersed himself into music at a very young age and went on to become one of the greatest Music Directors of Indian Cinema.

In 1952 Shri.M.S.Viswanathan and Shri.T.K.Ramamoorthy came together and composed music for films.  After composing music for several films for 9 years they were conferred the title "Mellisai Mannargal" (Kings of Light Music) in 1963.  This video below is one of the greatest compositions of this legend and you can also see him in action conducting the orchestra:




He has produced some evergreen songs along with Shri.T.K.Ramamoorthy and later when he started doing the Music alone he has created marvelous music. 

The songs that have been created by the trio MSV, Kannadasan and Sivaji Ganesan will live for several centuries.  He has produced some memorable evergreen songs in Sivaji Films, viz., Aandavan Kattalai, Aalayamani, Bale Pandiyaa, Baagapirivinai, Baabu, Karnan, Gnana Oli, Gouravam, Deivamagan, Thangapadakkam, Raamu, Nichaya Thamboolam, Pachai Vilakku, Padithaal mattum poduma, Paavamannippu, Paalum Pazhamum, Paar Magale Paar, Paarthaal pasi theerum, Paasamalar, Pudiya Paravai, Pattikkaada Pattanamaa, Uyarntha Manidan, Thirisoolam.......

MSV has also done wonderful music for some MGR pictures and to name a few we have Padagotti, Urimaikkural, Ulagam Suttrum Vaaliban, Uzhaikkum Karangal, Rickshaakaaran, Raman Thediya Seethai, Enga Veettu Pillai, Naan Aanai Ittal, Anbe Vaa.

MSV has composed songs in different genres and how can we forget some of the other films like Billa, Varumayin Niram Sigappu, Bhama Vijayam, Sarvar Sundaram, Andha Ezhu Naatkal, Aval Oru Thodarkathai, Kaadalikka Neramillai, Paadha Kaanikkai, Ninaithale Inikkum, Thillu Mullu, Solathaan Ninaikiren, Simla Special, Policekaaran Magal.

MSV has sung for Oscar Winner A.R.Rahman in Sangamam.  He has also acted in several films and the notable performance was in Kamal Hassan super hit film "Kaathala Kaathala".

MSV has inspired every single music director in Tamil Film Industry and will continue to be a great inspiration for others over the next several centuries.  We should all feel proud and happy that we have also lived in the same age when this legend has lived and produced some wonderful music.

Long Live Shri.M.S.Viswanathan.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E
21st June 2012

STHREE THAAL THARANG

I received the invitation from Indian Fine Arts, Dubai for a musical program "Laya Raga Sangamam" an instrument ensemble of women artistes titled "Shtree Thaal Tharang".  I decided to attend this program after reading about the Group and their individual brief musical profile.  The Musical Rain was showered on Sunday, 17th June 2012 at the Auditorium in the Consulate General of India, Dubai.

The Auditorium was packed with music lovers.  The musical rain was showered on the audience for about three hours non-stop.  It was a wonderful feeling to have been part of this musical rain and I thoroughly enjoyed.

Smt.Sukanya Ramgopal is the founder of the Group "Shtree Thaal Tharang".  She is a renowned Ghatam Artiste and has mastered the art over the last 35 years.  She is a disciple of Ghatam Wizard Padmasri Vikku Vinayakaram.  She performed with several ghatam artistes wherein each artiste played the ghatam with a different pitch.  This prompted her to think of a unique idea of playing several ghatams of different pitch all by herself.  She transformed this idea and conceptualised the "Ghata Tharang".  She gave a few solo performances by creating the melody with the six ghatams of different pitch.  She further embelished this idea by forming a group in 1995 "Sthree Thaal Tharang" with women artistes playing the Veena, Violin, Mridangam and Morsing.

Smt.Sukanya played the Ghatam, she also played the "Ghata Tharang" with six ghatams each set on a different shruti and she also did the vocal percussion Konnakkol.  It was a real treat for the eyes and ears to watch her perform.  Her hands were moving very swiftly across the six ghatams and the melody that she produced was truly amazing.  It really showed the years and years of practice and the mastery that she has developed on the instrument.  This level of perfection and mastery is possible only with utmost devotion and love for music.

The Group comprises of "5 Star" artistes namely Smt.Sukanya Ramgopal on Ghatam, Ghata Tharang and Konnakkol; Smt.Yogavandana on Veena; Smt.Soumya Ramachandran on Violin; Smt.Ranjani Venkatesh on Mridangam and Smt.Bhagyalakshmi Krishna on Morsing.

Each of them is a Star on their own and can perform a concert in the lead.  The mastery of the art and the ease with which they perform is a real treat to watch.  The 5 Stars performed exceedingly well in their "thani avartanam" and as a group when they performed together they were simply awesome.  These five artistes where shining bright all through the three hours of concert.  I am very fortunate that I got the opportunity to listen to this concert live in Dubai.

If you have not watched this group in a live concert you could see a sample of how they perform on this video which was taken in Bangalore:



If they perform in your town please do not miss to watch the concert of this great group.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
19th June 2012

WALLENDA WALK

Nik Wallenda is the bravest man in the world as he has done the tight rope walk over the Niagara Falls last Friday Night.  He took 25 minutes to walk on the rope 550 meters from the US side of the Niagara Falls and arrived on the Canadian side.

I have been to the Niagara Falls on the US side last year and it is a huge water fall and the very sight of it is dreadful.  I do not understand how this man was able to walk over the Niagara Falls that too on a 5 centimetre cable.  He did this "to inspire people".  When asked to comment on his walk he said "That mist was thick and it was hard to see at times".  When asked about the greatest challenge he said "Wind going one way mist another.  It was very uncomfortable for a while".  He felt the walk physically tiring and said at one point his hands were hurting from holding the balance pole.  Thousands of people watched the "Tight Rope Walk" and cheered Wallenda.  The sounds of the falls blocked out noise from the crowd, he said.

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More than 150 years ago French aerialist Charles Blondin walked a high wire strung farther down the Niagara gorge, but a trek over the brink of the falls had never before been attempted.  There has been a ban on similar stunts over the famed falls after the Charles Blondin walk.  Wallenda has spent two years to convince the US and Canadian Officials to let him try the feat.

Wallenda Walk on the Niagara is over and he is now preparing to Walk on the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Walking is a very good exercise for every human being and is highly recommended by doctors.  We struggle to keep up the schedule of every day walk and there are the Wallendas of the world who dare to walk on a tight rope by risking their lives that too over the Niagara Falls.

Nothing is impossible.  I am sure this Wallenda Walk will inspire several millions in the world in several ways.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
17th June 2012

WORK IS WORSHIP

Work is enjoyable for some and highly stressful for some.  Irrespective of the work that we engage in if the work is liked it will be enjoyable.  If we respect the work and give it due importance and attention then the we would obviously excel in the work that we do.

Some people choose what they like the most as their profession and hence for them work is a pleasure.  An Actor or a Musician or a Sportsman has a passion for what they do and then convert that into full time profession and a means of earning and living.   When the work is done with total devotion, attention and concentration it becomes worship.

My parents have been worshiping God and have been visiting temples.  They have embarked on a work of creating ornamental dresses for the temples.  They have been doing it for more than seven years now and it is keeping them completely engaged and occupied throughout the day.  They have found a way of combining work and worship which is great.

When we look at our work as a burden or as a ritual then it becomes stressful.  When we say "I can do this" then the work that we do really becomes enjoyable and wonderful.



T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
16th June 2012