Category Archives: Carnatic Music

Rasaali

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Along comes a song like a whiff of fresh air – literally, since the music and lyrics make you feel as though you are the one who is on that fast, carefree, breezy drive having the time of your life!

வாழ்வில் ஒரு பயணம் இது
முடிந்திட…விடுவேனோ!

Seriously! One just doesn’t want either the music or the lovely voices and words to stop! Ever! Wish the song would just go on and on! I just love the way the word ‘viduveno’ is sung.

The lazy, leisurely pace at which the song starts doesn’t give you a clue on what’s in store as the song progresses. The song opens with the chirping of bird, distant and near, which again appears prominently when Shashaa sings

பறவை போலாகினேன் போலாகினேன் இன்று…

Apt, isn’t it?

Who would have thought that the charanam of the beautiful Valachi varnam replete with all the classical Carnatic musical accompaniments and my personal favourite Shri raagam chittaiswarams in it could so easily blend with a song like this! And did we foresee Arunagirinathar’s ‘Mutthaitharu’ on a foot-tapping instrumental making an appearance either? Wow! And not to forget the ‘Ninnu Kori’ replete with all the brighas that just pulls you even deeper into the song. Just love the blending of so many musical forms together!

முன்னும் இது போலே புது
அனுபவம்
கண்டேன் என சொல்லும்படி
நினைவிலை
இன்னும் எதிர் காலத்திலும்
வழியிலை…மறவேனே!

Lilting words that speak of the wonderful aspects of life, the most memorable and cherishable phases of life. Shashaa’s voice oozes with the perfect emotion needed for these words.

On the personal front, this song is a perfect cocktail of my own musical taste and preferences. It has been having me humming Valachi varnam non-stop the last few days, especially the Shri raaga swarams which is probably my most favourite part of all the varnams. This song made me realize that it has been ages since I last sang it – one of my most favourite varnams to sing. This song has made me get in touch with the old-me. I just had to come out of hibernation to write about the experience of ‘Rasaali’ here. I have been listening to this song non-stop for more than a couple of hours now and I still can’t have enough of it! Only you, Rahman, can connect with your fans this way!

– A crazy Rahmaniac lost completely in the music of A R Rahman!

Ethanai Koti Inbam Vaitthai Engal Iraivaa

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A lazy Sunday afternoon. Recording of Sanjay singing Bharathiar’s ‘Ethanai Koti Inbam Vaitthai Engal Iraivaa’ playing  on loop. The mind dwelling on how these very words, Bharathiar’s words, the Desh raagam on which it is tuned on, Sanjay’s singing and above all, music itself are themselves just a few of the crores of the joyful and beautiful creations of God. Indeed what’s life without music! 

    

Music amidst rain!

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Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert on 2nd January, 2011 at Jaigopal Garodia School, West Mambalam (Rasika Fine Arts)

Accompanists:
Nagai Muralidharan – Violin
Thanjavur Ramdas – Mridangam
Alathur Rajaganesh – Khanjira

Concert Duration: 1 hr 50 min

List of Songs:
1. valaci (varNam) – navarAgamAlikA – Adi
2. kAppaduvE – Anandabhairavi – rUpakam – rAgA outline
3. kanna tanri – nArAyaNi – Adi – AlApana; swarams at kanna tanri
4. nandagOpAla – yamun kalyANi –Adi – AlApana
5. srI valli dEvasEnApatE – naTabhairavi – Adi – AlApana; neraval and swarams at mAmava sadA
6. cittam irangAda – sahAnA – misra cApu
7. swara rAga sudhA – SankarAbharaNam – AlApana; swarams at swara rAga
Tani Avartanam
8. nI nAma rUpamulaku – sowrASTram
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Am super-excited!

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It’s a Friday today and weekend is just a few hours away! 🙂
There is a T.M.Krishna’s concert today! 🙂
It is Sanjay’s first concert of the Season tomorrow! 🙂

Today morning, I had so many things to be happy about and I was, indeed, so very excited that I thought it wouldn’t be possible for me to be more excited than I already was, when I saw in ‘The Hindu”s ‘Friday Review’ that Mani Ratnam is going to be one of the guests of honour at the release of the DVD of T.M.Krishna and Bombay Jayashri’s ‘Margazhi Raagam’!!!

The day in 2005 when I saw in ‘Metro Plus’ that DVDs of Mani Ratnam’s movies are going to be launched by Mani Ratnam himself still remains evergreen in my memory, while seeing Mani Ratnam and even getting his autograph still seems like an unbelievable dream!! Despite all the excitement, there is this big disappointment that my sister is not there in India now. 🙁 She wasn’t able to come for the DVD launch of Mani Ratnam’s movies itself! 🙁 Anyway, irrespective of whether I see Mani Ratnam this Sunday or not, I am super-excited!!! 🙂

The ‘Margazhi Raagam’ DVD launch is going to happen at Cafe Ashvita in Radhakrishnan Salai on December 6th (4 pm – 5 pm). I don’t think any invite is needed for this. So, all you Mani Ratnam fans out there, mark your calendar! 🙂

T.M.Krishna’s “Sri Raamam”

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I got this album (released by Rajalakshmi Audio last year) of T.M.Krishna last month. This has Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Krithis on Lord Rama. Check out the website of Rajalakshmi Audio for the list of krithis in this album. This has many not-so-often-heard raagas like mAhuri, kOkilAravam, rAma kali. T.M.Krishna has sung all the krithis with so much bhava! R.K.Shriramkumar plays the violin in this album, K. Arun Prakash the mridangam and V. Anirudh Athreya the kanjira. Everyone knows what a great combo TMK, Shriramkumar and Arun Prakash make. I would rate it as one of the best albums of T.M.Krishna till date!
The first song that I got hooked onto in this album is santAna rAmaswAminam in raagam Hindolavasantam. Every time I start listening to it, I listen to it atleast for a couple of times before moving onto the next song. The Nottu swarams in sankarAbharanam are very nice to listen to (rAmachandram is my current favourite Nottuswaram). I have only one complaint with this album: It would have been nice if T.M.Krishna had sung raaga alapanas for raagas like Hindolavasantam, nArAyanagowlai, mAhuri etc.
This one is a must-buy for all the T.M.Krishna and Dikshitar Kritis fans! If you haven’t got it yet, get it soon!

T.M.Krishna in Chennai Sangamam

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I went to a concert of T.M.Krishna after more than a month. The concert was at Nageshwara Rao Park, Mylapore, held as part of the ‘Chennai Sangamam’, a cultural festival aimed at highlighting Chennai’s cultural ethos (as ‘The Hindu’, had called it), that started yesterday. Though it was only a 1-hour concert, T.M.Krishna made sure everyone enjoyed every moment of it!
Accompanists:
Amritha Murali – Violin
Manoj Siva – Mridangam
Umashankar – Ghatam
Songs list:
1. Thoadudaiya – GambhIraNattai
2. Kaalai Thooki – Yadhukula Kambhoji
3. Aazhi Mazhai KaNNa – Varali
4. Nattakurunji RTP – (A quickie RTP – Surprise of the concert!)
5. Chinnanchiru KiLiye – Raagamalika
6. Suttum Vizhi – Raagamalika
7. Senthamizh Naadenum – ? (don’t remember)
8. Irakkam Varaamal – Behag
9. Eppo Varuvaaro – Jonpuri
10. Vaazhiya Senthamizh – Madhyamavati
Highlight of the concert:
Of course, the Nattakurunji RTP! I least expected him to sing a RTP in this concert. Though it was a quickie, Nattakurunji being my favourite raaga, I just loved it! He sang the pallavi ‘nAttakurunji enbaar engaLadhu sirandha’ in two other raagas too (Mohanam and the other one I forgot 🙁 (HamirKalyani?)).
Then, the way he sang Chinnanchiru kiLiye with bhava was too good. After that, someone asked him to sing Suttum Vizhi and he said he was not sure whether he remembered the lyrics! When the girl said that she knew it, he asked her to sit in front of him and tell him if he forgets the lyrics somewhere! If I am not mistaken, it was after the line, ‘vaalai kumariyadi’ that TMK sang ha-ha-ha-ha in a beautiful way instead of the word ‘kaNNama’ twice, before singing the word ! Irakkam Varaamal is yet another song that I like hearing T.M.Krishna sing.
On the whole, the concert was excellent as any concert of T.M.Krishna will be. By the way, it was a nice to hear the concert sitting in the park, surrounded by trees with a surprisingly cool breeze blowing.

Request from a fellow rasika

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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.

Prasanna’s Bliss Factor

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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

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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