Category Archives: Carnatic Music

Brindavana Saranga

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Sandeep & Vijayagopal’s awesome Brindavana Saranga in yesterday’s concert has got me hooked to this raagam. T.N.Seshagopalan’s Soundararajam, MS’ Rangapuravihara, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s Vrindavani Sarang and now, Sanjay’s Brindavana Saranga RTP. Can’t have enough of enjoying the various shades of this beautiful raagam!

Btw, I got to know from here and here that Pushpalatika is the Carnatic equivalent of Vrindavani Sarang. I haven’t heard this raagam at all. So, as usual, I had to check this page to know the aarohanam and avarohanam of this raagam. I am planning to listen to some songs in Pushpalatika tomorrow…

Cascade by Sandeep Narayan & Vijayagopal

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Sandeep Narayan – Vocal
B.Vijayagopal – Flute
Arjun Ganesh – Mridangam
Nerkunam Shankar – Khanjira

Where & When? – At Music Academy (‘The Hindu’s ‘November Fest’) on 19th November

Concert Duration: 1 hr

Theme of the concert (if you could call it that): Desiya raagas – raagas originating from Hindustani classical & folk

List of Songs:

1. reeNa madanuta – Behag – brief alapana
2. Soundararajam – Brindavana Saranga – alapana; neraval & swarams at tumburunuta shrikaNtam duritapaha vaikuNTam – mini Tani
3. apaduru – Khamas – raaga outline

Ever since I saw the schedule of November Fest concerts, this was one concert that I wanted to go for, since the flute + vocal combo got me interested. And I am now happy that I went for it. This is the first time I am hearing Sandeep and Vijay and I should say that they both were brilliant.

Three very beautiful raagams, excellent singing, awesome flute – made my day! Complete silence at Music Academy created a perfect ambience to listen to this concert, making it all the more enjoyable. I really wished the concert could go on for some more time!

Brindavana Saranga itself was for some 45 minutes and every moment of it was pure bliss! I just loved the RMPN, NSRMPN, etc. swarams part of it sung in slow tempo.

I am really looking forward to attending more concerts of Sandeep & Vijayagopal in the future.

Bharat Sangeet Utsav Concerts

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It took me two long weeks to overcome my laziness and type the songs list and write a small post on the concerts. What I did was type it in a word doc and without saving it, cut and paste it to wordpress. Just as I clicked on ‘Save and Continue Editing’ button, there was some problem with the net and my post never got saved! 🙁 To think that I have to write the post again! Anyway, here goes.
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Carnatic Music & Me – Part 3

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During the December Season 2005, we again got Music Academy tickets, thanks to our neighbour. By then, Carnatic music had become a passion to me and my sister and we wanted to attend as many concerts as possible. My sister had her semester holidays and I had my semester exams at that time! But that didn’t stop me from going for concerts! I took my book along if I had to study something.
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Carnatic Music & Me – Part 2

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The year 2002 is special since it was only in September 2002 that I first went for a concert of Sanjay Subrahmanyan at Siddhi Buddhi Sameta Sri Karpaga Vinayagar temple in R.A.Puram. I am not sure but I think he sang some song in Ananda Bhairavi (Marivere?) in that concert. I liked the concert and that was all.

During the December Season that year, his concert was at R.R.Sabha at 10 (or was it 10:30?) on a Saturday morning. The fact that the concert was in the morning made my sister and me go for it. We both went in our cycles to that concert. How I used to hate riding my cycle in the ever-congested Mada Streets of Mylapore! Reaching the venue, we came to know that his concert was earlier scheduled on some evening but it was later changed to a morning slot since Sanjay was to receive some award in Bombay on the scheduled day of the concert. If I remember correctly, there was a Bhairavi, Mukhari, Todi and the song Haridasulu Vedale sung in that concert. (Am wondering if he really sung all those!) Apart from that, I don’t remember anything at all about the concert except for the fact we really liked this concert of his too! Nithyasree’s at R.R.Sabha was the only other concert that I went to during the season that year. The sounds of dosa vaatthufying and other sounds coming from the canteen used to always be a constant accompaniment to all the concerts at R.R.Sabha. 😉
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Carnatic Music & Me – Part 1

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As I was chatting with my friends over lunch yesterday, the conversation drifted to December Season and before I knew it, I was happily talking non-stop about the Season. None of my friends go for concerts or are interested in Carnatic music much. Despite that, the moment I get started about my passion, there’s no stopping me. 🙂 Talking about how excited I have been for the past two days ever since I saw Sanjay’s December Season schedule and talking about what an aural treat his concerts are going to turn out to be, etc., etc., I started reminiscing about Carnatic music and kutcheris. And born out of that reminiscence is this post – a post that I have wanted to write for a long time now.
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T.M.Krishna’s concert

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Since I now seem to be on a blogging spree 😛 , let me quickly post just the songs list of the concert of T.M.Krishna’s also that I went to a couple of weeks back.

Accompanists:
Akkarai Subbalakshmi – Violin
J.Vaidyanathan – Mridangam
B.S.Purushottaman – Khanjira

Where & When? – Sivagami Pethachi (on the occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations of ‘Shruti’ magazine) on 18th October

Concert Duration: 2 hrs

Songs List:
(Not the full songs list since I had to leave after the main)
1. Varnam – Narayanagowlai
2. ninne nera nammi – Pantuvarali – alapana, neraval at vedashastra, swarams
3. nenarunchinaanu – Malavi (This is the first time I heard him sing the chittswarams for this song)
4. Ksheenamai – Mukhari – alapana, neraval & swarams at eti jesina
5. Yochana – Durbar
6. O Rangasayee – Kambhoji – alapana, neraval & swarams at Bhooloka – tani Avartanam

It was great listening to TMK’s O Rangasayee after a really long time. Loved the Kambhoji alapana!

Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert

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This concert happened some 3 weeks back and as I am now getting ready to leave for Sanjay’s concert in another half an hour, I remembered that I didn’t post about this concert at all.

Accompanists:
S.Varadarajan – Violin
Guruvayoor Dorai – Mridangam
E.M.Subramaniam – Ghatam

Where & When? – Narada Gana Sabha (Papanasam Sivan Rasigar Manram) on 8th October

Concert Duration: 2 hrs

Songs List:
1. gAnarasamuDan nin – Begada – Swarams at gAnarasamuDan & manam kuLira
2. polla puliyinum – Mayamalavagowlai
3. kAntimati annai nee – Kanada – Alapana, Swarams at kAntimati, annai nee gati & nee gati
4. ADum deivam – Kambhoji – neraval at piri prapancham muzhudhum aaTTum thiru padam thanjam ena unai aDaindEn
5. Sri Valli Devasenapate – Natabhairavi – Alapana, Swarams at Sri valli – Tani Avartanam
6. thEril Erinaan – Kalyani
7. thookkatthile unadhu – Kharaharapriya
8. chittam irangadha – Sahana
9. KalpakAmbikai – Behag – Alapana
10. engum niraindhirukkum – Kurunji
11. manamE kaNamum – Bhimplas
12. Karpagame – Madhyamavati

Just that morning, I was telling a friend that I wished Sanjay sings chittham irangaadha since it had been a really long time since I last heard him sing it in a concert and guess what? Sanjay did sing it! Wouldn’t you feel so happy and elated if the singer sings the song that you wished he would sing in that day’s concert? 🙂

To me, the best part of the concert was the swarams in Kanada. 3 minutes of pure bliss it was!! Alapanas are what I look forward to in Sanjay’s concerts these days and needless to say, Kanada, Natabhairavi & Behag alapanas in this concert were absolutely brilliant.

Can’t wait to hear Sanjay sing today! 🙂

On Jambupate & My Favourite Raagams

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There are some raagams that have always made me forget everything else and lose myself in its beauty completely. 🙂 To name a few, here they are:

Dwijavanti, Nalinakanti, Sahana, Surutti, Reetigowlai, Kedaragowlai, Ananda Bhairavi, Begada, Nilambari, Behag, Poornachandrika, Andholika, Janaranjani, Hamsanadam, Khamas, Nattakurunji, Atana, Hamirkalyani, Yamun Kalyani, Shree, Madhyamavati, Manirangu, Kedaram, Desh, Kuntalavarali, Aarabhi, Abheri, Bhageshri (This raagam got added to the list after Sanjay’s Bhageshri RTP this season 😉 )
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