This is the next in my series of conversations with filmmaker Michael Wood, where we discuss some of poet C. Subramania Bharati's most famous and important contributions as a champion of women's rights. Bharati believed that women should be leaders, writing, in a poem entitled  "Pudumai Penn," that the "new kind of woman" he imagined would "write all the laws" for society. No advocate of women's rights has been more impassioned, in India or elsewhere, during Bharati's times or since - or more convincing. 

Episode 4 features A. Kanyakumari's "Melting Aura" played by her  Carnatic String Ensemble. She writes: "This piece as the name suggests melts the listener's mood with its beautiful structure and scintillating Raga – the Charukesi. Though the piece is Indian Classical in its tone, the arrangement gives it another dimension without compromising the authenticity of the respective genres." 

It also excerpts a scintillating performance on the ghatam, a traditional clay pot used as a percussion instrument in South Indian classical music, by leading ghatam maestro Suresh Vaidyanathan.

Executive Producer & Host: Mira T. Sundara Rajan

Engineer: Emma Markowitz

Producer: Bradley W. Vines

Music Credits for "Melting Aura":

Composed by Sangeetha Kalanidhi A Kanyakumari

Arranged By Raghavasimhan Sankaranarayanan

Performed in Octaves by: Guru A Kanyakumari, Kalaimamani Embar S Kannan, V Sanjeev, Anuthama Murali, Raghavasimhan Sankaranarayanan, Sayee Rakshith

Live Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Raghavasimhan Sankaranarayanan

Music Credits for Ghatam Solo: Drums of India, V. Suresh On Ghatam - Bickram Ghosh

Bickram Ghosh writes:

"Ghatam is one of the most ancient percussion instruments of South India. It is a clay pot with narrow mouth and its soothing sound takes you to a different world.

"Experience the tranquilizing sound of Ghatam in the live performance of famous percussionist V. Suresh."

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