Calling young Mylapore musicians to contribute to a theme song!

A theme song for the Sundaram Finance MYLAPORE FESTIVAL 2012 is to be produced.

We are looking for young, talented Mylaporean artistes who will give their talent freely to the song and for interludes to be used in a dance-visual production on a Mylapore theme.

We now need 2 violinists ( classical), 4 voices ( trained in classical), one mirdangam artiste, one tabla artiste . . We prefer youngsters who are training in music for 2/3 years and enjoy this collaboration.

The song will be posted on the Fest web site and used in a  dance production for the Fest.

Those selected will have to devote 2/3 hrs for 3/4 practise sessions in Nov and one/two recording sessions in the city. 

All of them will get certificates and acknowledgement on the screen.

Keen to be part of this creative team? 

Call Sridharini at 98412 33120.

Come. Design a Tee for Mylapore! Win!!

This is a contest for everybody - doodlers in school, kolam drawing experts, design/fashion students . . For creative people.

Show your creativity in designing a T-shirt for the annual MYLAPORE FESTIVAL ( to be held in Jan.2012). The design should reflect the spirit, uniqueness of Mylapore.

The design can be done using Adobe / CorelDraw design software.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY:

Submit your design as a jpeg file or a PDF file (700 x 700 pixels size of minimum 150 dpi.) You may submit your design as a jpeg file through email to - mylaporefestival@yahoo.com

Please retain the original hi-res design with you. We will need it if your design wins the contest.

Please state your full name, address, email ID and contact phone number and a statement saying the design is your own creation.

Last date to submit your entry - Nov.29, 2011

PRIZES: The BEST DESIGN will WIN Rs.2000 AND A CERTIFICATE

TWO OTHER ENTRIES of good quality with get Certificate and a Gift.

The BEST submission for this contest may be used on a T-shirt planned for the Sundaram Finance MYLAPORE FESTIVAL 2012. Or, the best designer will be invited to create a unique design for future use.

( You can locate the winning 2011 Fest T-shirt design on the web site - www.mylaporefestival.com to give you some inspiration!).

We are back! Fest dates are Jan 5 to 8, 2012

Yes, we are back for the 2012 edition of the Fest.

Things have been rolling for some time but I haven't made time to jot them down here.

The dates to mark in January 2012 are 5, 6, 7 and 8. The kolam contests will be on 7th and 8th.
And we are rolling our first event soon. The Fest T-shirt contest.

Thanks SF!

Time to say Thank You to our sponsors, Sundaram Finance.
Team SF was led personally by its chief exec, T T Srinivasaraghavan (TTS) and Vice President, Sivakumar.

It is that extra effort that SF puts into this Fest that we curate and host that makes things a tad easy.

Sunday's events ran smooth which enabled TTS to decorate the promoters of Dubba Chetty Store, Mylapore with the Pride of Mylapore award and hop across to the temple to take out the gold ther in a procession, a Fest idea that has been maintained all the years.

Thanks SF.

Calling Creative People - for 2012

Yes, You are welcome to send us creative ideas, your production details and the rest for Fest 2012.
Now. Because plans roll out 2 days after a Fest closes. And surely you don't want to be late.

We have already signed up 3 new volunteers who just came back from the USA. And 2 artists who have an idea to share along the way.

A production for kids will float in mid year.
On the cards is a video fest of films made by youths and kids. Shooting will start in June.

Our email - mylaporefestival@yahoo.com

Sold Out!

The cloth bags promoted by sponsors Sundaram Finance were a big hit.
So were the Tees.

Till late on Sunday night, visitors checked out for bags at the Info Booth but by then the bags had been packed.

The demand for black Tees, with the peacock motif was high. Bookings have been made and a lot of 100 has been ordered.
If you want to grab the peacock motif black Tee, reserve one now. Or drop into the Mylapore Times office ( 2498 2244) next week after your Pongal festivities and buy one here ( Alwarpet).

I think we should have had more souvenirs. People love them.
Give us your ideas!

Thank you kids!

The Kids Zone had a nice start this year.
On Sunday, about 60 children signed up for various art/craft learning sessions at Lady Sivaswamy School hall. Magician Baba Prasad treated them and their parents to a magic show, real close!

Time now to think of raising the level of this act, threading it to other events for children and getting dozens and dozens of them to sign up.
We have some nice ideas for 2012.
Do share yours too. Write to us!

A Kolam Art Show?

This is being posted after the curtains came down on the 2011 Fest.

The focus was again on a few areas.

1. Kolam. The quality of kolam are Day 2 were very high. Judging was tough and the best got the prizes.
A thought came up - plan for a Kolam Art Exhibition whereby the road is barricaded and floodlights set up so that the 100 plus kolams can be viewed by the public from 5 pm to 11 pm.
What do you think of this idea?

2. A Saturday Night Fest - on the cards. If the Kolam Show gathers pace then small shows will run from 9.30 pm to 11 pm and the art and food streets will remain open late. The idea is to get Madras to come over to Mylapore and soak in late!
Good idea?

Send us yours!

Drizzles do not dampen the spirit

The clouds gathered on day two of the fest.
Dancer Premnath and his 35 young artistes were engrossed in their dance drama 'Andal Kalyanam' when tiny droplets started falling from the sky. But the little Andal went on inviting her friends to see the Lord through Tiruppavai.
The audience looked for a shelter for a few seconds but were back to their seats within no time. The finale was wonderful.
These challenges are common in fests in the open. Artistes understand. Audience co-operate.
And that makes the festival more colourful and enjoyable.

Sober start

Day One was cool and sober. Perhaps its nice to start a Fest this way. People settle down, things fall in place.
Day one needs time to settle volunteers, artistes, craftspeople and participants so that the streets come alive.
They did as the buzz got around.
And there was a nice round of applause for the first big dance drama show on the main stage by Revathi Ramachandran and her dancers.
If you are at the Fest, do mail us pictures and words. Or send us links of your blogposts.

Long, long walk down Edward Elliots Road

Writer-historian V. Sriram says that he will need 21/2 hours to cover his Sunday Walk for the Mylapore Fest 2011.
That is because he has over 40 personalities to talk about on this Heriatge Walk ( Jan 9, starts 6 am at Gandhi statue on the Marina).

We've told him to keep going - if you are joining Sriram do carry some juice and biscuits!
No free breakfast here!
Or maybe we could have planned a breakfast sit-around.
What say you?

Thamizh please!

We heard this loud and clear and have responded.
Fest schedules were printed in English and that was not enough.
So we printed a set in Thamizh and imagine the feedback thats come the way of our young volunteers who are doing the rounds of the lanes from 6 a.m.

They have been inviting families who live in the inner colonies to come for the Fest and enjoy it. People loved the steps that the volunteers took to personally invite them.
Communicate in Thamizh too - we got the message Mylapore !

Good feedback on Discover Mylapore!

25 teams took part in this year's Discover Mylapore contest we held on Sunday.
And the  feedback is so strong that we feel good about hosting it.
School students said they enjoyed the trip and got to know a part of Mylapore better.

We plan to host this event in a different format for 2012. Families will have to sign up.
And there will be a picnic feel to it.
Thanks folks for making us feel good about this event.
Special thanks to Suri K J who lends a hand always.

Look for the Cloth Bags!

SF, the Fest sponsor will continue its 'lets go green' campaign through this Fest the way it did last year.
So all those who carry plastic bags in the Fest area will have to part with those for new cloth bags.
They look great in design. Ask for one, for free.

Stella Maris' PR Team is Out!

We are happy to have a team from the PR Studies Dept of Stella Maris College.
Their Head, Prof. Sundari was glad to let her girls work on this event.
A set of girls are doing the rounds of the mada veedhis distributing the Fest invites to all the stores and households. A personal touch here.

Another team will invite women who design great kolams but never get to read about the Fest, to sign up this year for the grand Kolam Contests (Jan 8 and ( afternoon).
A promo on a bullock cart and some nadaswaram would have made a huge impact this margazhi - we may think of this next year.

If there are other creative college groups who wish to work alongside this Fest, buzz us now.

Want to Volunteer?

The volunteers are having a meeting on Sunday, Jan.2.
We always get a cheery bunch of 60yearolds, 30yearolds and the odd teenager.

If you want to devote 3 hrs a day for four days at the Fest sign up at - mylaporefestival@yahoo.com
Revathi is the co ordinator.
You get a Tee and a cert. No big cash!

Two Contests on January 2. Come over!

We just finished fine tuning the clues for the Discover Mylapore contest.
Could we have made it a tad tough?
You tell us after the test on Sunday afternoon. Lets meet at 3.30 p.m. at Nageswarar Rao Park, Luz.

Three to a team. Come in with your friends - this can be fun when you bike around with a clue sheet to check out landmarks and pop spots in the area and find answers to our queries.

There is another contest at the Park. For kids who draw well with kolams.
A sit-design-think-colour kind of creative test.
We were astonished at the creative juices that came up last year.
Come over and watch this event.

A Green T-shirt. And another with a Peacock Motif!

There will be two Tees on sale at the Fest.

One created using the prize winning design, a orangy blue peacock.
And another that our sponsor, Sundaram Finance has created with a green, green theme.

Both should appeal to you. So when you are at the Fest buy both.
The peacock motif will be available in black and in white base colour.

We have not decided on the prices. But you can afford them. And your friends abroad would love them as gifts!

Walking with Kids! And GSLV goes up in flames

I didnt have a decent Christmas party!
I always celebrate it with Pongal or thereafter - well after the 'season' and the Mylapore Fest is done.

We had a Photowalk for Kids on Christmas Day.
Eleven kids came along - with their cameras.
We started off at the 16-pillared mantap outside Sri Kapali Temple, with Revathi as the team leader.
And the kids soon found that there was a lot to shoot.

Then suddenly, we caught up with a group on Ponnambala Vadyar Street which gazed at a huge spiral of smoke and fumes in the skies. Word came in that the GSLV launch from Sriharikota had been aborted and the launch vehicle destroyed. Some of the kids captured this on cam.

Whew! What a slow walk it was. And what a wonderful end at a heritage house on South Mada Street where Kalathi's rosemilk was served and the best pictures downloaded on to a Mac.

Look out for the photo exhibition at the 'theradi' during the Fest.

Please Note: The senior Chennai PhotoWalkers are offering some of their best photos (framed) as souvenirs at the Fest. Classic pictures taken in Mylapore. Check them out at the Info Booth.

Slow start on Blog

Now why did I neglect this blog when the Fest preparations had rolled 2 months ago?
I dont have an answer.
Perhaps we got swamped with the December season ( www.kutcheribuzz.com).
We pulled up the Fest dates because we felt margazhi is the best time to have such a Fest.
We hope we are right.
And we are harrdly a week away and cant think of a decent New Year celebration!