Aparna’s Blog

There is a saying in Tamil that goes ‘vilagi poanaal virumbi varum’. Well that’s how it has been with me and T.M.Krishna’s Todi! Todi turns out to be the main raagam in most of his concerts that I go for. And the worst part is that I miss many of his concerts where Todi is not the main. I missed the concert where he sang Sahana RTP too! Before you start off saying that his Todi is excellent, etc., etc., having listened to way too many Todis of his, I know it very well too. Yet I am just not interested in listening to Todi in every other concert! Just last Saturday, he sang a RTP in Todi in a concert, which, by the way, was superb (That concert deserves a separate post. I will write about it soon). So I least expected Todi to be the main raagam in yesterday’s concert. But when that is exactly what happened, I left the concert the moment he started the Todi alapana.
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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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Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert

Accompanists:
Nagai Muralidharan - Violin
Srimushnam Raja Rao - Mridangam
T.V.Vasan - Ghatam

Where & When? - Asthika Samajam on 28th January

Concert Duration - 2 hrs 15 min

Songs List:
1. Rama ika nannu – Sahana - Swarams at Rama ika nannu
2. Deva Deva Jagadeeshwara – Purvikalyani – Neraval & Swarams at maahimiya
3. Siva Chidambarame – Nagaswarali – Alapana
4. Mohanakara – Neetimati – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at Ninadhu paadame
5. Swamikki Sari – Devagandhari – Raaga outline
6. Korisevimpa – Kharaharapriya – Swarams at Korisevimpa (Main piece of the concert)
7. Haritasuluvedale - Yamun Kalyani
8. Shrutvaguna Bhuvana (Viruttam) – Darbari
PootthavaLe (Viruttam) – Nattakurunji
Aadum mayilai (Viruttam) – Behag
Kalpakaambikai – Behag
9. Tillana – Dhanyasi

The concert started with my favourite Sahana But the speakers at the venue were so pathetic that I couldn’t enjoy it at all. I don’t want this post to become yet another raving about Sanjay’s concert. So I will just stop with saying that you should have been there to see what great a concert it was.

T.M.Krishna’s Concert
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T.M.Krishna – Vocal
R.K.Shriramkumar – Violin
Trichy Sankaran – Mridangam
V.Suresh – Ghatam

Where & When? – Infosys Hall (Mudhra) on 13th January

Concert Duration – 4hrs 15 min

Songs List:
1. Varnam – Kalyani – Ata taalam
2. Meru Samana – Mayamalavagowlai – Short alapana, Swarams at Meru Samana
3. Epaapamu – Atana – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at Rajasekhara sannutaanga
4. Devi Bhrova – Chintamani – Raaga outline
5. Paridaanamichite – Bilahari - Alapana
6. Nenarunchinaanu – Malavi
7. Baalagopala – Bhairavi – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at MaaNikya makuta (Main piece)
8. Raagam Taanam Pallavi – Purvikalyani
Pallavi: Chintita manorata purvikalyani amba devi – Chatushrajati Jampa Taalam (4 kalai)
Swarams in Sankarabharnam, Sri Ranjani, Kalyani, Sama
9. Shringaram (Viruttam) – Raagamalika (Khamas, Kambhoji, Karaharapriya, Hamirkalyani, Dhanyasi, Kapi) - followed by Inta Sowkhya – Kapi
10. Aliveni – Kurunji
11. Santatam – Behag – Raaga outline
12. Mangalam – Sowrashtram
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Yesterday I went to both Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s and T.M.Krishna’s concerts. I am so happy that I got to hear my favourite singers back to back.

Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert
Accompanists:
Mysore Nagaraj - Violin
K.Arun Prakash - Mridangam
K.V.Gopalakrishnan - Khanjira

Where & When? - Bharat Kalachar on 27th December at 4:00 pm

Concert Duration: 2.5 hrs

Songs List:
1. Varnam - Kalyani - Ata Taalam
2. Parakela - Nattakurunji - Swarams at Parakela
3. Bhuvinita - Sri Ranjani - Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at padamule
4. Aadum Deivam - Kambhoji - Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at thirupaadham thanjam ena unai adaindhaen (Main piece)
5. Raagam Taanam Pallavi - Subhapantuvarali
Pallavi: ambikai jagadambikai varaaLidho srutiyodu layamum tharaaLidho - Ata Taalam
6. Jaanati Raamam followed by Raamani Bhajitthaal - Maand
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T M Krishna - Vocal
Akkarai Subhalakshmi - Violin
Arun Prakash - Mridangam
B S Purushottaman - Khanjira

Where & When? - Sivagami Pethachi Auditorium (Brahma Gana Sabha) on 5th December

Concert Duration: 2.5 hrs

Songs List:
1. Terateeyagarara - Gowlipantu - Swarams at Terateeyagarara
2. Sri Valli - Natabhairavi - Started at Anupallavi (Devata saarvabhouma)
3. Amba Neelayadakshi - Nilambari - Alapana
4. Sabapathikku - Abhogi
5. Enduku Dayaradura - Todi - Alapana, Neraval & swarams at Tyagaraja Vinuta taaraka charita (Main piece of the concert)
6. Bogeendra Sayeenam - Kuntalavarali
7. Janaranjani RTP - Pallavi: Paahimaam Sri Rajajeshwari in Kandajathi triputa Taalam - Swarams in Varali, Sahana, Mukhari, Janaranjani
8. Rama Jogi - Khamas
9. Pittham theLiya - Senchurutti
10. Vande Mataram - Desh - Raaga outline of Desh
11. Mangalam/Nee Naamarupamulaku - Sowrashtram
12. Shriya Kaantaaya - Surutti
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T M Krishna - Vocal
Ganesh Prasad - Violin
Mannargudi Easwaran - Mridangam
Purushottaman - Khanjira

Where & When? - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on 3rd December

Concert Duration: 2 hrs

Songs list:
1. Nada Tanumanisam - Chittaranjani - Swarams at Sadyojatadi
2. Paahi Sri - Ananda Bhairavi - Raaga outline, Swarams at Paahi Sri
3. Manavyala - Nalinakanti
4. Tyagaraja Palayasumam Sri - Gowlai - Alapana, Neraval at Yogadi Sri
5. Sevikka Vendum - Andolika
6. Mohanam - Ra Ra Rajeeva Lochana - Alapana, Swarams at Ra Ra (Main piece of the concert)
7. Shatakaram (shloka) - Ragamalika (Varali, Kapi,?, Behag)
Smarajanaka - Behag
8. Kaana vendaamo - Sri Ranjani
9. Krishnam Kalaya Sakhi - Mukhari
10. Vaazhiya Senthamizh - Madhyamavati
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