CFA Ramblings

Why am I taking the CFA?

Seems a good question to ask since it is consuming a fair amount of my time (which I could have judiciously used to do this and that with these and those people). Not to mention the effort and the money (Eeeps ! 55 grand !)

To state it simply, it is the gold standard for finance. The curriculum is very very good. It is comprehensive (and alas, vast!) and is the best introduction to finance one can get. However, the low pass rates and the challenging syllabus make it a tough nut to crack. But one, being a conservative south Indian, has been cracking betel nuts ever since one remembers and this too should, one hopes, be no different (apart from the requirement of a very strong pair of dentures)

One used to wander around the world of finance scared and lost. Suddenly a lot of things seem to fall into place. NPV, IRR, bonds, derivatives, Balance Sheets – terms which hitherto used to make me feel like “a cat in a strange alley with brick throwers around” (not my words – Wodehouse) now make one grin and say “Hoy! I know you!”. One feels the birds are singing and the bees are buzzing and the sun is diffusing a warm glow. One now loves finance.

I have always had a tendency to study only a couple of days before exams (an old and alas, incorrigible habit!). While this has its advantages (one can go to a movie two days before the exams with a new-born-babe clear conscience), one does have to admit that it does screw up the subject knowledge.

Through the former exemplary method, one does pass exams, but if questioned later, one just gapes like a baboon and wonders “What? Have I heard that before ?.....No Wait… I have heard it before….Dash it ! I can’t remember !”

Not so with CFA. It demands complete concentration. And in return, it makes sure you a slave. A slave to the wondrous world of finance.

But our cerebral cortex can take in only so much abuse. Even it, the poor thing, needs a break.
So one blogs. And blogs. And reads books. One hears that a shot of Jack Daniels would ease the strain, but alas, that way is not open to me.

Wish me all the best in my endeavour O Ye Fair Visitor and pray that I come out successful and unscathed.

Amen.

On Carnatic Music

“Music is a Divine Ocean” – Rajaji

India has a great musical heritage. Be it South Indian Carnatic music or Hindustani Classical music and Gharanas, India’s music is steeped in rich tradition and heritage.

Being a South Indian, I’m partial to Carnatic Music (also called shastriya sangeetham).

I guess I inherit a taste for classical music from my parents. They are big Carnatic Music buffs and have a huge collection of gramophone records, cassettes and CD’s. Ever since I can remember I have woken up to the strains of “Venkateshwara Suprabhatam”, “Tyagaraja Pancharatna Krithis” and “Tatvams”.

The essence of Carnatic music can be traced back to Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Syama Sastrigal. These three greats are also known as “The Trinity of Carnatic Music”. They have made beautiful compositions (also called krithis / keertanalu).

The rendering of songs in Carnatic Music involves a feat of eight things simultaneously:
1) Continuous adherence to Sruti (the basic pitch)
2) Mastery over laya (rhythm)
3) Remembering the sahityam (lyrics)
4) Playing out the bhavalu (emotions)
5) Correct use of gamakalu (ornamentations)
6) Correct pronounciation
7) Deep understanding of the meaning and
8) Comprehending the special features of the raga

None exceeded Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulaksmi (MS) in this.

She was a peerless vocalist and brought life to all the songs and ragas.

My parents have attended her kutcheris and tell me that they were held spell bound by the sheer beauty of MS’s renditions.

To my everlasting regret, I could not attend any of MS’s kutcheris. She stopped performing after her husband T Sadasivam expired.

To avid Carnatic Music buffs, I would recommend the book “MS - A life in Music” by T S George. It is a good autobiography and also traces the origins of Carnatic music.

Another Carnatic Musician I am extremely fond of is Dr Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna. He has a rich voice and has composed numerous ragas. His renditions of Bhadrachala Ramadas Keerthanams and Tyagaraja Krithis are beyond compare. “Endaro Mahanubhavulu” and “Jagadanandakaraka” are my favourites.

Carnatic music is entire South India’s heritage and should be encouraged and preserved. Sadly, it is largely confined to Madras. All great recitals happen there at the Madras Music Academy.

Kalatapasvi K Vishwanath deserves a huge round of applause for bringing Carnatic Music and Classical arts to the masses.

As I have written before, I am in complete awe of his sheer talent. His films beautifully blend classical Tyagaraja krithis and ragas. Gems like “Sri Gananadham”, “Aanathineeyara”, “Pranathi Pranathi”, “Brochevarevarura”, “Aadibhikshuvu vadini edi koredi” stand out for their sheer beauty.

I hope that all South Indian states take an active part in spreading the glory and richness of this beautiful beautiful form of music.

(Hindustani Classical Music also has a rich tradition. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Bismillah Khan and others have taken it to new heights. But like Carnatic Music, it is largely confined to a few music lovers. Our government should take steps to promote such a rich heritage)

On K Vishwanath

K Vishwanath is the best Telugu cine director ever. Period.

All of his movies are gems. Brilliant music, screenplay and sahityam. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen Sankarabharanam, Swathimuthyam & Swarna Kamalam.

The beautiful use of language, the finely tuned nuances, the emphasis on classical arts and the ethos......brilliant !

The legendary K V Mahadevan (fondly known as Mama) arguably gave his best music for KV's films. Balu, Suseela, Vani Jayaram and my favorite - S Janaki: all gave their best for KV's films. No wonder, the songs are all animuthyalu !

Vishwanath has introduced and given big breaks to the best artistes in the industry, be it Sitarama Sastry in Sirivennela or S P Balasubrahmanyam in his first ever carnatic foray in Sankarabharam.

No other director in telugu has brought about the best in his actors like KV did with Kamal Hasan in Swathimuthyam, Chiranjeevi is Swayamkrushi or Venkatesh in Swarnakamalam.

My favorite song from his films is "Raama Kanavemira" from Swathimuthyam. It recounts the seetha swayamvaram from The Ramayana. The song is a rare blend of a Harikatha, Kolatam and a Chekka bhajana and is beautifully rendered by Balu.

I have been fortunate enough to interact with him. As an interesting anecdote, he told me that K V Mahadevan made Balu practice for seven hours a day for a week for Sankarabharanam ! No wonder the movie fetched Balu a National Award for "Omkara Nadhalu" !

What many also do not know was that Dr M Balamuralikrishna was originally considered for singing the songs of Sankarabharanam. But he was adamant that he also be cast as Shankar Sastry. Vishwanath demurred and brought in Balu.

The rest as they say, is history...

My photos and memories with him are among my most treasured possessions.

On Filter Coffee

What better topic can I chose to start my maiden post ? I swear by my filter coffee and cannot think of starting my day without it.

To illustrate how fanatical South Indians are about their coffee, let me cite an incident. R K Narayan once went for a book launch to New York. He went to a hotel there and asked for coffee. The waiter came up to him and asked "Sir, black coffee or white coffee ?".To this Narayan memorably replied back "Brown coffee, as all authentic coffee should be !"

I get my coffee beans (strictly Tanjore Arabica beans only) from Mysore Coffee works, Matunga. Matunga, incidentally, is a as close to South India as I can get staying in Mumbai. Aaah ! the smell of roasted beans....

The rhythmic sound of the coffee being poured from the tumbler to the dubarah and back....no sweeter sound...heaven !

I have always looked down in disdain attempts to call Bru, Nescafe or Cappuchino as coffee. Milk and instant coffee powder does not a coffee make !

For the really fanatical filter coffee addicts like me, even a steel tumbler will not do. I sip my cuppa from a brass dubarah (yes brass !) my mother's remarks about the difficulties in cleaning brass not withstanding !

Heaven..Sweet Heaven !