Monthly Archives: January 2007

Global Rhythms at Saarang 2007

The show which was supposed to start at 7.00 pm started only at 8 and concluded at around 9.45.
1. Navaragamalika Varnam
Played by Carnatic musicians Embar Kannan (Violin) and U.P.Raju (Mandolin) along with Poongulam Subramaniam on the Mridangam, Ghatam S.Karthick on the Ghatam and one more person on the khanjira.
2. A piece of music named Ecstasy
Played by the same team along with musicians from the Global Rhythms.
3. Jeff Queen of Global Rhythms played some percussion instrument.
Pat Hernly from Global Rhythms who compered the whole show called the one played by Jeff as American music.
4. Raagam Taanam Pallavi in raaga Revathy
This was not like the usual RTP in Carnatic Music concerts. The ‘Konakkol’ by Pat Hernly was awesome.
5. Srinivas Krishnan sang a medley of some raagas used by A.R.Rahman in his compositions with a few words from the songs which are based on the raaga that he was singing. The songs included Lukka Chuppi (the line ‘Kya bataoon Maa’), Yeh Tara Woh Tara (the humming in the beginning of the song and the line ‘Bood Boond’), Oru Deivam Thanda Poove, Ghanan Ghanan and Mangal Mangal
6. An Italian piece of music played in Saxaphone by a member of Global Rhythms.
7. James Sparling of Global Rhythms played some percussion instrument.
8. Pat of Global Rhythms called this one as a tribute to Mridangam/Tani Avartanam. This one was amazing! The percussion artistes from Global Rhythms as well as Poongulam Subramaniam and Ghatam S.Karthick played this one.
9. Again a Carnatic music composition, Shobillu in Jaganmohini raaga.
10. A.R.Rahman’s Shakalaka Baby (Bombay Dreams’ version)
11. A.R.Rahman’s Thaiyya Thaiyya sung by Rahman’s sister Rehana and Palghat Sriram with Srinivas Krishnan also joining once in a while.
12. A.R.Rahman’s Dol Dol.

On the whole, the show was pretty good. But I somehow didn’t enjoy it that much. This is one show that made me feel I wouldn’t have missed much even if I had not attended it.

Request from a fellow rasika

Dear Next-Seat-Maama/Maami,
I know that you are a highly knowledgeable person as far as Classical music is concerned and you know all the songs/raagas that the musician is singing / playing. But, should that make you sing the song or the raaga alapana along with the musician? I have come to the concert to hear the artistes on the stage perform. Not to hear your voice. You may be a good singer. But, if you want to show-off your singing skills, this is not the place for you. Why is it that in almost all the concerts that I go to, I find someone like you sitting next to me/behind me? I am not able to enjoy the performance of the musician completely as your singing keeps distracting me.
– Kaadhil Panjudan,
Aparna
P.S: I wrote it in this way after getting inspired by Prabhu’s writings.

Shopping in Bangalore

Last year, I happened to stay in Mysore for some months. During my stay there, on a Sunday I had gone to Bangalore with my friends. There were four of us, three girls and a guy (poor fellow). We reached B’lore at around 10 o’clock in the morning. We had taken the Volvo bus from Mysore. These KSRTC Volvo buses are so comfortable. You don’t feel the strain of traveling by bus. Wish there were Volvo buses in TN too.
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Prasanna’s Bliss Factor

I listened to ‘Bliss Factor’ from Guitar Prasanna’s album ‘Be the Change’ for the first time only day before yesterday. I liked it in the first listening itself. But, yesterday when I listened to it again, I became totally crazy about it and listened to it continuously for about 15 times! I love Shalini’s singing in this one especially when she sings the swarams ‘R R G M P M…’. I just can’t stop myself from listening to it! Even before starting from home today morning, I listened to it for some 4 times. Those who have not listened to it, please do.

Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert

I went to Sanjay’s concert today at Anjaneya Temple, Alamelumangapuram. Sanjay was accompanied by Varadarajan on the violin and Arun Prakash on the Mridangam. Look at the combination. Do I need to even say how the concert was! Here’s the list of songs:
1. Ninnu joochi – Sowrashtram
2. Bala Kanakamaya – Atana
3. Tolijanma – Bilahari
4. Raama neene – Narayani
5. Kaa Vaa Vaa – Varali
6. Maa Janaki
7. Bantu Reeti – Hamsanadam
8. Kori Sevimpa – Karaharapriya (Main piece)
9. Manadirkkugadadu – Sindhubhairavi
10. Maavalla Gadamma – Mand
11. Mangalam – Sowrashtram

Concerts – Part 6 (The last part)

T.M.Krishna’s concerts
I went to 9 concerts of T.M.Krishna in the past one and a half months. I initially thought if I should even write about some of them since it’s already very late and many of you must have read about these concerts. But I am finding time to write it only now (Am not that busy and all but blame it on my laziness). Anyway, this is going to be a long post. Read it if you have the patience.
In TMK’s website, in his profile it is written, “His renditions of vilamba kalam (slow tempo) compositions are soaked with bhakthi (devotion) and bhava (emotion) are a treat to every listener.” In almost all the concerts he proved it. I just love it whenever he sings a slow song with bhava.
On 16th December, at Asthika Samajam, TMK started the concert 15 minutes late since it took him a long time to tune the Tamburas. Many got impatient. In fact a person sitting behind me said loudly, ‘Paadu pa’ (Not sure if TMK heard it). But, when he started singing, the audience was in for a treat. Starting off with Tanavaari Tanamuleda in Begada, he then sang Nagumomu in Abheri and Mokshamu Galada in Saramathi for nearly 40 minutes each with Maakelara in Ravichandrika raaga in between the two songs. I am sure not even a single person would be there who wasn’t moved by TMK’s singing on that day. Well, I got so moved by the concert that I couldn’t stop myself from going to his concert the very next day even though I wanted to go to Sanjay’s concert. The next concert was at Bharat Kalachar. There he sang Janakipate in Karaharapriya as the main piece. In this concert, the ones that I loved were the Mukhari and Karaharapriya alapana, Swarams in Manavyala in Nalinakanti raaga and Tillana in Poornachandrika.
The next concert that I went to was at Music Academy. After reading the review of this concert at Hindu, I actually feel happy that I don’t have in depth knowledge of Carnatic Music. It was written that he didn’t sing Todi alapana in the usual way it is sung and also he sang Anandeshwara in Ananda Bhairavi a bit too slow and there was an exodus of audience after he started singing both these. But, I thoroughly enjoyed both. But more than these two, I liked the RTP in Saraswathi, Brocheva in Khamas and Adineepai in Yamun Kalyani even more.
At Dakshinamoorthy Auditorium on the 29th December, TMK sang O Rangasayee in Kambhoji as the main piece. It was superb. But the highlight of this concert was Enna Thavam in Kapi that he sang in a very slow pace soaked with Bhava. This one is the best rendition of Enna Thavam that I have heard.
The next one happens to be the last concert that I went to in 2006 on the 31st at Jaigopal Garodia School (Rasika Fine Arts). It was just a 2-hour concert. There was a very good selection of songs in this concert: Ekkalatthilum in Nattakurunji, Padavini in Karaharapriya, Nannupalimpa in Mohanam (the main piece), Vishweshwar Darshan in Sindhu Bhairavi, Karapooram Naarumo in Khamas and Sri Ramachandra in Yamun Kalyani.
The first concert of TMK that I went to in 2007 was on 5th January at Vidya Bharati (Sri Bhairavi Gana Sabha). In this concert too another superb Mukhari alapana followed by the Tyagaraja krithi Ksheenamai with neraval and swarams at the line Etijesina Jagannathudu Shriramuna. The raaga chosen for elaboration in this concert was my favourite Sahana! The song was the Tyagaraja kriti, Giripai. M.A.Sundaresan played the violin for this concert. Sometimes, it was difficult to say whether it was Sundaresan’s violin or TMK’s singing that was better! The surprise in this concert was the Kambhoji Raagam Taanam Pallavi. The Kambhoji raagam and taanam were awesome.
The last concert that I went to was on 6th January at Raaga Sudha Hall that was conducted by T.N.Krishnan Foundation. TMK started the concert with Deva Deva in Mayamalavagowlai and then sang Kripajoochutaku (Chayatarangini raga) and Sumasaayaka (Karnataka Kapi). He was about to start singing RaamachandreNa in Maanji when T.N.Krishnan asked him to sing the raga alapana. So after an alapana of Maanji, he sang the song. Here’s what I liked the most in this concert: Maanji and Surutti alapana, his rendition of the songs Kripajoochutaku, Ramachandrena and Sapashya in Jonpuri. The main song of the concert was Endukku Pedale in Sankarabharanam.
Today, I am going to the launch of the book, ‘Voices Within Carnatic Music’ written by T.M.Krishna and Bombay Jayashri with Mythili Chandrasekar. There is going to be a ‘unique music presentation’ by the two of them according to the ads. Let me see how it is.

Just a thought

A friend of mine was searching in Google for some articles that her nephew could submit to his school magazine. Guess in which class her nephew is studying in? LKG!! When I was in LKG, I don’t think I even knew about computers. It’s another fact that there was no Google at that time. But, jokes apart, aren’t all these done in schools so as to encourage the children to bring out their creativity? Besides, what is a kid in LKG going to submit to a magazine?