After a long gap of fourteen hundred years Professor Subramaniam has brought back Buddhist themes into the performing arts in a substantial way. Coming from a family of Sanskrit scholars, poets and musicians, he was drawn early to Buddha and Buddhist lore. The three blended into musical and literary creativity by an innocent question from his son Gautam, some 40 years ago in Australia.
"Daddy, you are always telling me stories on Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Ganesha and singing songs on them. About Buddha you are telling me only stories; now, sing a song on Buddha. "there are no songs on Buddha". "if there are no songs, why don't you make some daddy?"
In this life time achievement, Subramaniam has composed 23 dance dramas on Buddhist themes which are included in his books Pancha Kanya Tarangini, Kinkinimala, Veera Kanya Vahini, Dima Panchakam and Arya Satyam. His dance dramas have been staged in India, Europe, South East Asia and North America by leading dancers, both in the Bharata Natyam and Kathakali styles.
Subramaniam composes each of his dance dramas integrally. He chooses the story and often modifies it substantially and composes the words and music of each song together using both Carnatic and Hindustani ragas.
Subramaniam has also pioneered the sociological study of the performing arts of India through a series of articles and his book The Sacred and the Secular in India's Performing Arts.
"Daddy, you are always telling me stories on Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Ganesha and singing songs on them. About Buddha you are telling me only stories; now, sing a song on Buddha. "there are no songs on Buddha". "if there are no songs, why don't you make some daddy?"
In this life time achievement, Subramaniam has composed 23 dance dramas on Buddhist themes which are included in his books Pancha Kanya Tarangini, Kinkinimala, Veera Kanya Vahini, Dima Panchakam and Arya Satyam. His dance dramas have been staged in India, Europe, South East Asia and North America by leading dancers, both in the Bharata Natyam and Kathakali styles.
Subramaniam composes each of his dance dramas integrally. He chooses the story and often modifies it substantially and composes the words and music of each song together using both Carnatic and Hindustani ragas.
Subramaniam has also pioneered the sociological study of the performing arts of India through a series of articles and his book The Sacred and the Secular in India's Performing Arts.
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