A festival is taking place in Castle Rock tomorrow that celebrates the classical "Carnatic" music of Southern India. The 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Thyagaraja Utsavam will feature over 150 performers at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. "Utsavam" means festival, and the roots of this celebration trace back centuries to honor the music of Thyagaraja, an 18th century composer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest composers in the genre. We spoke with Priya Hariharan about the festival.
For more information about the festival, visit their Facebook page.
This Wikipedia article discusses Thyagaraja, the composer who's music is featured at the festival.
This YouTube video was filmed in Thiruvaiyaru, India, where thousands of people gather every year for the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival. This festival has been held for over 160 years and inspired the Colorado version as well as similar festivals across the United States.
[Photo: Sarmishta Ramesh]
