Sanjay Subrahmanyan @Gayana Samaja, Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira Concert, 23rd Feb 2020

Vocal : Sanjay Subrahmanyan

Violin : S Varadarajan

Mrudangam : Neyveli Venkatesh

Ghatam : N Guruprasad

Morsing : B Rajashekhar

List :

01 kAmajanaka ripuguNA – gauLA – Adi – Swathi Thirunal

02 rAmA ika nannu brOva rAdA – sahAna – rUpakam – Patnam Subramanya Iyer ( S )

03 EkAmranAtHam bhajEham – gamakakriya / pUrvikalyANi – Adi x 2 – Dikshitar ( A )

04 kOri sEvimparArE – kharaharapriya – Adi – Thyagaraja ( A,N,S )

neraval & Swaras @ ‘( paramAtmuni haruni) kOri sEvimparArE kOrka lIDEra’

05 ambara cidambara – janaranjani – Adi – Muthu Tandavar

06 kaLabEDa kolabEDa – gOpikAtilakam – khaNDachAp – Basavanna ( A )

07 RTP – nATakurinji – caturashra tripuTa , 2 kaLai , 2 aksharam eDuppu

pallavi line ‘ nATTaikurinji enbAr siraindu engaLadu’

rAgamalika swaras in nATa, kurinji, sAma , navarasa kannaDa and jOg

tani Avartanam

08 nArAyaNa tE namO namO – bihAg – Adi – Annamacharya

09 viruttam ( tIrthakaraiyinilE ) – rAgEshrI

ninnayE rati enru – rAgEshrI – mishra chAp – Subramanya Bharathi

10 kaLilO hari smaraNa – kApi – Adi – Muthaiah Bhagavathar

11 nI nAma rUpamulaku – saurAStram – Adi – Thyagaraja

The concluding concert of the long Annual Festival of Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, scheduled after almost a month after the series. And what a way to finish.  Sanjay ( and the team) once again gave a fitting finale to the festival, to an overflowing audience.  This being the weekend of Shivarathri, there were many compositions on Shiva in the menu.

Beautiful start with the gauLa composition of Swathi Thirunal, nice rounds of swaras for sahana. Hearing the poorvikalyani/gamakakriya composition for the first time from Sanjay – alapana was very good.  Kharaharapriya alapana was in a different terrain. Some of the not so usual phrases, and he also ended with some stylish hop-skip-jump mode. Kori sevimparare ws classy. Neraval at the pallavi line,  a couple of times he ‘prefixed’ the last lines of the charanam. Liked it. Good swaras too. Ambara chidambara, I think, was set to tune by Sanjay himself in janaranjani.

When he started gOpikatilakam, the hopes went high. I thought he is taking this up as main and predicted Shudhananda Bharathi’s  ‘Ananda naTanam’ or so to follow. The alapana was for 7-8 minutes and he chose to sing the Basavanna Vachana, instead. Beautiful lyrics, dense in meaning.. one needs to give credit to the artist to bring such gems to the forefront.

When he started the Natakurinji alapana, I was dividing the remainder of the time to fit in a main and a pallavi.  Long alapana and as is his wont, a fabulous tanam. Parring the main artist, Varadarajan played exceptionally well through out the evening. Stanard setting for a pallavi, but he did try  trikalam or something of that sort. Again, as expected some memorable ragamalika. The 4-5 minutes of jOg, indeed stole the show. I guess, it is jog from the short ‘pramadavanam’ like phrase played by Varadarajan.

Tani Avartanam started with Venkatesh playing out the entire ‘phase one’ on the thoppi side. Guruprasad, who was the star of the evening, couldn’t fall behind, unbuttoned himself and played out his turn with ‘closing the aperture’ of the mouth of the Ghatam with his body, to an outstanding result. Now, Rajashekhar had to measure up and he did the same by blowing / without using his fingers for the same take. In fact, he was deploying the same technique for larger part of the evening, blow into the instrument rather than plucking. Noisy conclusion to the tani avartanam, overall excitement and decibel increase as well as the swaying of heads prevailed. But there was thunderous applause and a few cat-calls. All is well which appeals to the audience.

Quick formalities by the organiser ( used up 2-3 mins maximum) before Sanjay concluded with 2-3 short pieces. It had already over 3:15 hrs since the start.

 

Vijay Siva @ Gayana Samaja for Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira , 25 Jan 2020

Vocal : Vijay Siva  ( supported by Arun Shankar & S R Vikneswaran )

Violin : R K Sriramkumar

mrudangam : Manoj Siva

Ghatam : S Krishna

List :

00 shLOkam ( sadA bAla rUpApi )

01 nIlAyatAkSi – paras – tishra tripuTa – Shyama Shastry

02 dinamaNi vamsha – harikAmbOji – Adi x 2 – Thyagaraja ( N,S )

neraval @sharva vinutA nanu samrakSincunu

swaras @ dinamaNi vamsha

03 prEma svarUpA sarasa lOcana – Anandabhairavi – mishra chAp – Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi ( A,S )

04 shrI cAmuNDEshvari  – kannaDa – Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar

05 kOrinavara mosagumayyA –  rAmapriya – rUpakam – Patnam Sbramanya Iyer ( A,N )

neraval @ sarivArilOna nanu chauka sEya valaDu nIdu’

06 cinna nADEnA – kalAnidhi – Adi – Thyagaraja

07 akSayalinga vibhO – shankarAbharaNam – mishra chAp – Dikshitar ( A,N,S,T )

neraval & swara@ badarI vanamula nAyikA sahita’

08 RTP – jayantasEna – chturashra jhumpa, 2 kaLai , samam eDuppu

pallavi line : sEnApatE shaktipANE jaya jayAnanta-‘

tani Avartanam

09 shLOkam ( kalyANOllAsa sImA ) – bihAg, dhanyAsi, yadukulakAmbOji

svAmi mukhya prANA – yadukula kAmbOji – rUpakam? – Purandara Dasa

10 verses from Narayaneeyam(rukmini kalyanam) – rAgamAlika – Malpattur Narayana Bhattathiri

11 mAlE maNivaNNA – kuntaLavarALi – Adi – Andal

12 tirupugazh (kUrai pagutha?? )  – madhyamAvati – Adi tisragati -Arunagirinathar

13 nI nAma rUpamulaku – surAStram- Adi – Thyagaraja

shLOkam ( swasthi prajabhyA paripAlayantAm)

There was a person standing at the gate, handing out a paper to every one. It did not look like a typical paper insert of an advertisement. Curious enough, I collected a copy for us. Interestingly, it had the list of ragams in sequence and the composers listed, which one would be listening in the evening’s program. now, that is an interesting development. Since, it did not reveal the composition, it is not a 100% give away, there is some amount of suspense maintained. For example, it said Shankarabharanam and Muthuswamy Dikshitar. While, one can still narrow it down, it still has a few possibilities. Does this also mean that, in case I did not like what is expected in the list, I can turn back and go ? In any case, the paper did not mention ‘kalyANi’ as main anywhere, and I did not back out 🙂

Leaving that aside, it indeed was a very fulfilling concert by Sri Vijay Siva and the team. Shankarabharanam was a super duper affair. I loved every bit of it.  The tarasthayi phrases ( where he is very strong ) in the alapana were very very good. That arguably, overshadowed the other parts to some extend. Brilliant neraval and badarivana. Very elaborate, fabulously constructed and expanded, some breathtaking singing at the higher octaves. The swara patterns, followed the neraval, was stupendous. Some of the early slow speed takes were of shear excellence and beauty. Sriramkumar added his bit to it with some innovative returns. That probably was the best of the evening.

Jayantasena pallavi was a shortish affair, lasting around 20 odd mins. Short alapana, decent tanam. There was an attempted trikalam, but did not extend it, and there was no ragamalika swaras.

Earlier in the evening, he had a detailed neraval and swaras for dinamani vamsha, which sort of set the things in motion.  nice little alapana of Anandabhairavi followed, for Oothukadu composition, added with a few rounds of swaras.  Submain in the form of Ramapriya was again a stellar affair. Solid alapana bu both, Patnam’s composition was very good. He sang a neraval at sarivarilona as expected, which was splendid.

Post pallavi had a devarnama preceded with a ragamalika shlokam ( dhanyasi part was awesome) and few verses from the Narayaneeyam. It was presented in a unique way , I thought.

Fabulous concert , especially the shankarabharanam, rAmapriya and Anandabhairavi. I find his music is ‘rushing to me’ ( not sure if I make sense here), similar to what I find with Saketharaman’s singing.  That aside, the concert was very very good.

 

Abhishek Raghuram @ Gayana Samaja, Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira Annual Festival , 15 Jan 2020

Vocal : Abhishek Raghuram

Violin : Vittal Ramamurthy

Mrudangam : N C Bharadwaj

Gnjira : G Guruprasanna

List:

01 tyAgarAja gurum AshrayE – kEdAram – rUpakam – M D R ( S )

02 budhamAshrayAi satatam – nATakurinji – mishra jhumpa – Dikshitar

03 ennaDO rakSincitE – saurAStram – Adi – Thyagaraja ( O )

04 nI bhajana gAna – nAyaki – Adi – Thyagaraja ( A-vocal,S )

05 suguNamulE – cakravAkam – rUpakam – Thyagaraja ( O,S )

06 durmArga carAdhamulanu – ranjani – rUpakam – Thyagaraja ( A )

07 rAkA shashivadana – takka – Adi – Thyagaraja ( A-vocal )

08 nijamuga nI mahimulu – sahAna – Adi – Thyagaraja ( A,Nx2, S,T )

neraval @ ‘bhajana sEyu maNi palikiri dAni’

and @ ‘buddhiyanu talli nI viSaya viTulaku’

09 sItAnAyaka shrtajana pOSaka – rItigauLa – mishrachAp – Thyagaraja

10 balamu kulamu – sAvEri – Adi – Thyagaraja

11 gItArthtHamu – suruTTi – Adi x 2 – Thyagaraja

12 nI nAma rUpamulaku – saurAStram – Adi – Thyagaraja

On the ‘Thyagaraja Aradhana Day’, you cant give a better tribute to the Vaggeyakara, than what was offered by Abhishek, yesterday at the Gayana Samaja.

He was in an exploratory mood yesterday.  Despite stretching my limits, at many times, I thought he gave a splendid concert.  Started off with MDRs salutations to the Guru – an apt way on this specific day  followed by the ‘vAra kriti’ of Dikshitar. The rest was all the way of Thyagaraja. Many of the shorter alapanas were done only by him, starting with nAyaki.  First major ‘break out’ happened with the chakravakam swaras, some brilliant takes and a tremendous karvai to finish. Percussion duo, lead by Bharadwaj, reproduced the same in his ‘theermanam’ to conclude. I loved that.

Ranjani alapana ( and the kriti) was done in a changed shruti and sounded very different. Nice little alapana of Takka was also interesting, but difficult to decipher ( beyond a janya of Mayamalavagaula ) while it was sung.

The evening belong to the grand sahana. Very loooooong alapana, stretching in every possible way, many a times beyond the ‘comforts’ of my sahana imagination, but again bringing out some of the beautiful sahana phrases that I am familar with. Which is why, I repeated it as an exploratory mood of the artist. I was expecting a Giripai to come. Very surprised with the choice of the kriti, listening for the first time in a concert.  Detailed neraval at two places, at the anupallavi and the first line of charanam’ one after the other, both superbly done. Fabulous swara prasthana too. N C Bharadwaj and Guruprasanna were on sublime form. The Tani Avartanam was very very good.

 

 

 

Mysore Nagaraj& Mysore Manjunath @ Gayana Samana, Sri Rama Lalitha Kala mandira Annual Festival, 12 Jan 2020

Violin Duet : Mysore Nagaraj & Mysore Manjunath

Mrudangam : Umayalpuram K Sivaraman

Ghatam : Giridhar Udupa

List

01 chalamElA ( varNam) – nATakurinji – Adi – Rangaswamy Nattuvanar

02 mAravairi ramaNi – nAsikAbhUSaNi – rUpakam – Thyagaraja ( A,S )

03 kanjadalAya dAkSi kAmAkSi – kamalA manOhari – Adi – Dikshtar  ( O )

04 nAdupai balikEru – madhyamAvati – khaNDachAp – Thyagaraja ( A,S )

05 niravadhi sukhadA – ravichandrika – Adi – Thyagaraja

06 O rangashAyi – kAmbOji – Adi x 2 – Thyagaraja ( A,S,T )

07 nAnoru viLayaTTu bommayA – navarasa kannaDa – Papanasam Sivan

08 RTP – brindAvana sAranga – khaNDa tripuTa, chaturashra naDai, + 1 eDuppu?

pallavi line ‘ kamalAsani sundari candravadani karuNArasa vilOcani’

rAgamAlika swaras in Anandabhairavi, jayantashrI ?, kannaDa , sindhubhairavi

09 krSNA nI bEganE bArO – yamunAkalyANi – mishrachAp – Vyasaraya  ( A )

10 nI nAma rUpamulaku – saurASTram/madhyamAvati – Adi – Thyagaraja

Back to their exhilarating style. Too much of adrenaline rush to the artists as well as the listeners. It was a riot out there – musical riot.  Too much to my comfort at the end. There indeed was good music, aplenty.  No taking away that. But..

The memory of the kApi and bhairavi at Nadasurabhi is still active in my memory cells. Hence expectations were in those lines. There were moments in yesterdays concert which is reminded of those, but the other aspect has taken over at most part.  There is no doubt about the skills and mastery they have. The excitement started with the swaras of nasikabhooshani. With the legendary UKS at the percussion, there was ample ‘strike rotation’ , especially with Manjunath, during kalpana swaras, They were, as expected with UKS, were exemplary.

Madhyamavathi alapana had moments of beauty, especially with Nagaraj’s turn. The alapana itself was very very long, alternating between both the artists. Nadupai was nice, so was the early takes of the kalpana swaras before the speed took over. Kamboji too, went in a similar fashion.  The duality of mellifluous phrases with those aggressive takes continued, repeated during kalpana swaras.

The tani avartanam was really grand. Done in multiple smaller rounds with the characteristic brilliance of UKS, humbly followed on ghatam by the disciple. There was no loud strikes this time. Short pallavi was announced, in brindavana saranga. Nice little alapana, good tanam and a pallavi suggested by UKS ( as mentioned). Kalpana swaras followed the same pattern of the evening, concluding with sindhubhairavi. Interestingly, they did stop after singing the swaras in sindhubhairavi, without either going back to the main raga swaras or concluding with singing the pallavi line.

Felicitation of UKS by Ex-CM S M Krishna, a short speech ( very short by his standard) by UKS followed, before they concluded with a devarnama, indicating to the dignitary as a homage to him.

 

Amrutha Venkatesh @ Gayana Samaja , Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira Music Festival, 11 Jan 2020

Vocal :  Amrutha Venkatesh

Violin : L  Ramakrishnan

Mrudangam : Nanjil Arul

Morsing : Bhagyalakshmi Krishna

List:

01 mAtE malayadhwaja ( varNam) – khamAs – Adi – Muthaiah Bhagavathar

02 mUlAdhAra kSEtra stHita – mAyAmALavagauLA – rUpakam – E S Sankaranarayana Iyer ( O,N,S )

neraval & swaras @ ‘vimala kamala mrdula caraNa vighna haraNA suguNAbharaNA’

03 lALisidaLu maganA – Arabhi – Adi – Purandara Dasa ( A,S )

04 kUDArai vellum (tiruppAvai) – pUrvikalyANi – mishrachAp – Andal ( O )

05 niravadhi sukhadA – ravicandrika – Adi – Thyagaraja ( S )

06 dEva dEva mAm pAlaya – thODi – mishrachAp – Swathi Thirunal ( A,N,S,T )

neraval & swaras @ ‘vAraNa bhayahara vanajanAbha mAdhava’

07 RTP – bihAg – chaturashra tripuTa x  2 kaLai , 1 beat / 4 aksharam  eDuppu

pallavi line ‘ navanIta cOra pAhimAm, nanda gOpAla’

rAgamAlika in valaji/ malayamArutam, nATakurinji , navanItam, shivaranjani

08 ugabhOga ( dIna nAnu samasta lOkake dAni nInu ) – durga

manda matiyu nAnu madana janakanu nInu – durga – khaNDachAp – Purandara Dasa

09 muddugArE yashOda – kurinji – Adi  – Annamacharya

10 thillAna ( tOm tanana dhiraNa dhiraNa dhiraNA) – hamsAnandi – Sreemushnam Rajarao

11 nI nAma rUpamulaku – saurAStram / suruTTi – Adi – Thyagaraja

A brilliant concert, moved from strength to strength as it progressed. Wonderful team effort, with the percussion and the violin jelling well to the overall experience.

She started with an aplomb, with the daru of HMB and the mayamalavagaula composition. Early neraval will always win me over. Not a regular composition, but had a nice tempo to it, especially the neraval line. She did use the wordplay with repeated consonant in the line to some great effect.  Next couple of them were a bit dampener for me. Arabhi was ok , so was the tiruppavai in pUrvikalyANi.

I wasn’t all moved until she started the ravichandrika composition. It was brisk and have all that needed to wake you up from the slumber. But what was most impressive was the chitta swaras she sang. I’m not sure if artists in general sing this regularly. Some of them were , for sure, aren’t often heard in the concert. That definitely needed to be applauded. She also added few short rounds of kalpana swaras at the end.

Thodi alapana was very good. Early stages weren’t super, but it did pick up very well. Her voice was impeccable and she used it to some grand result at the upper octave during the alapana with some mesmerizing takes. Deva deva mam palaya was a pleasant surprise. Long composition, very elaborately sang.  Neraval was superbly done. I loved the way she concluded the neraval peaking at the typical high octane singing, and returned to the normalcy by singing the line again easing both the exhilaration and the tempo, before the start of swaras at the first speed. It avoids the sudden change in the tempo from the neraval  to the first speed swaras. Good rounds of swaras as well.

Nanjil Arul, who replaced B S Prashant as the lead percussion suopprt had a tremendous day. His anticipation, his interludes, the  refrain were notable. The duo aso played an impressive tani avartanam. On the same note, L Ramakrishnan, whom we hardly see in Bangalore, also was super impressive, be in his return for alapana’s or the repeat of neraval or swaras.

Bihag pallavi was again grand. The alapana was fabulous , by both vocal and violin. Nothing to talk about the tanam, nor the pallavi. Simple tala, no great shakes with the pallavi line, no trikalam  to make it as a structurally complex and innovative. However, she made it up with some impressive ragamalika swaras, each of them were very good.

Standard fair towards the end which included a thilana by Sreemushnam Rajarao, after an ugabhoga and devarnama.  3rd time in a row, the concert here had been over 3 hours. Each artist is giving enough time to each of the compositions and include a pallavi in their concert. Sri Krishnaprasad,on his part makes the felicitation interlude super short, to give more time to the artists and the audience. I appreciate this gesture.