R K Srikantan , Nadasurabhi annual Festival 26 Nov 2010

Vocal  : Sri R K Srikantan

Vocal Support : R S Ramakanth

Violin : H K Venkatram

Mrudangam : Umayalpuram Sivaraman

Ghatam : Giridhar Uduppa

Songlist:

( I came in very late, missing first 5-6 kritis)

I understand he sang a Sri Raga Varnam, Bilahari , Karnataka behag , rItigauLa and nAyaki)

07  rAga sudhA rasa – AndOLika – Thyagaraja ( A,S,T )

08  Isvari rAjEshvari Sankari – Sudha DhanyAsi  – Muthiah Bhagavathar’s composition

09  japava mADidarEnu – hindOLam – Purandara Dasa (  Short Alapana)

10  samsAravemba sAgara – sudhasAvEri – Kanakadasa

11  thillAna ( takiTa thOm tadana dhIm dhiraNA) – mohana kalyANi – ??

12  slOkam ( mangaLam kOsalEndrAya) – srI

nI nAma rUpamulaku – saurAshtram – Thyagaraja

This final concert of this years nadasurabhi festival. I could not reach for the earlier felicitation function, in which Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman was awarded the ‘sangeetha surabhi” title. My efforts to attend the concert on time was also suffered a set back.  As a result, I realise, that I missed the most interesting part of the concert. I was told that there was an outstanding reetigaula ( raga ratna malikache) and a beautiful bilahari.

I entered the hall during the Andolika alapana by Ramakanth. Krithi was very good, but it did not have neraval. Swara was also moderate. Tani avartanam was brilliant, and undoubtedly, the best in this series.  I couldnt decipher the kriti post main, but remember listening to the harikEsha mudra. A devarnama and a sudhasaveri krithi followed before the thillana and the mangalam.

Being a late comer and not part of most of the concert, I refrain from any comment. But I understand this was one brilliant concert.

 

R K Srikantan at Essae Music Foundation , 14th Feb 2010

Vocal : Dr. R.K.Srikantan

Vocal Support : R S Ramakanth

Violin : Nalina Mohan

Mrudangam : Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma

Songlist:

01 vanajAksha ninne kOri (varNam) – mandAri – Mysore Vasudevachar?  ( O )

02 varasidhi vinAyakam – nAtta – Ambi Dikshitar ( S )

03 vanajAksha  ninnE nammiti – gambhIranAttai – Mysore Sadashiva Rao?  ( A )

04 pAlayamAm srI pankajanAbha – nAyaki – Swathi Thirunal  ( A,S )

05 srI mAthrubhUtam – kannaDA – Muthuswami Dikshitar

06 subramanyena rakshitOham – sudha dhanyAsi – Muthuswami Dikshitar ( A,S )

07 bhArati mathiSna – dEvamanOhari – Muthuswami Dikshitar

08 parama pAvana rAma – pUrvi kalyANi – Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar ( A,N,S,T )

       neraval & swara @ ‘kanakAmbaradhara karuNAnvitavara’ 

09 rAga sudhA rasa -AndOLika – Thyagaraja

10 chintayAmi jagadambam – hindOLam – Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar ( A )

11 angE irabEku samsAradalli – mOhanam – Purandara Dasa ( A )

12 ellA rUpavu tanandE shivA –  ? –   ??   ( A )

13 nIne ni karathane mArasundara – behAg – ??   ( O )

14 thillAna (dhIm nadru dhIm ) – kApi – ?? 

15 mangaLam kOsalEndrAya – SrI

      nI nAma rUpamula – saurAshtram – Thyagaraja

This is one venue, I cherish. Every concert I have attended here  was very good. This time was no difference.  A fantastic concert by the 90 year young maestro.  One of the reason for such a high standard concerts here could also be the audience. There is no general public, only those who really care for music and willing to take all that was given. As most of the performers here suggested ( including Sri Srikantan), it is the audience that makes the artist to perform to this level.

Everything was in place yesterday. Almost every krithi, preceded with an alapana ( albeit short for few).  As the concert progressed, he was visibly getting very excited and was brimming with energy. As Prakash noted later, he would have continued singing for another 3 hrs, if time permits.

Nayaki was the first major raga for the evening for a not often heard palayamam. Sudha Dhanyasi was exceptional, with some beautiful sets of swara singing.  A quick devamanohari krithi before the grand pUrvikalyani, where both RKS and Ramakanth shared the alapana to some great effect. Nalina Mohan too pitched in with some good phrases during her turn, winning accolades from the main artist as well as the audience. Parama pavana rama was in all its grandeurs.  Neraval at kanakambaradhara wsa very good, so was the swaras that followed.  Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma , summed it up with an excellent tani avartanam. He was at his usual best, aptly supporting the main artists.

Post main continued with lot many alapana for almost every krithis. very emotive raga sudha rasa and few devarnama continued before he finished the concert with the thillana , taking it over 3 hrs. One is awe stuck by his dedication and his ability to continue enthral the listeners at this age.