Category Archives: Music

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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Good Morning!

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Waking up feeling super fresh. Humming O Rey Chori from the moment I wake up till now. Window seat. Cool breeze caressing my face. Reading one of the most beautiful love stories, Erich Segal’s ‘Only Love’, for the nth time. What a great start to the day! Looking forward to the rest of the day being as great as the beginning! 😉 Good Morning & Happy Weekend to you all!

Bliss!

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pudhu veLLai mazhai, kummi aDi, uyirum neeye, thenmaerkku paruva kaaRRu, en veeTTu thoaTTattil, mellisaiye, azhage sugama, tu bin bataye – Pure Bliss!! Listening to tu bin bataye on a loop now! 🙂

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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Rahman Rocks!

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Today has been a musically very very satisfying day since I started the day with Rahman’s songs and till this moment, I have been listening to Rahman’s songs at every free moment I could get. Even though you know you keep saying this so very often, yet there are moments when you are completely lost in Rahman’s blissful music and all you can say is ‘Rahman, you rock!’ No words will ever be enough to express the magic of Rahman’s music and no words can do justice to the brilliant music he creates. These are moments when I feel so happy and proud to be a Rahmaniac. Now is one such! 🙂

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! 🙂

kaNgaL iraNDaal

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More than 3 months it has been since I first listened to this song and liked it instantly and still my liking for this song has not reduced even a bit. If anything, my liking for it has only grown more. 🙂 It’s not often that non-ARR songs continue to enthuse and excite me even after listening to it umpteen number of times over a long period of time.
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Tu Meri Dost Hain

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I listened to all the songs of Yuvvraaj once on Saturday and liked all the songs on the first listening itself. 🙂 I again listened to the first 4 songs alone on Sunday. After that, I got the time to listen to the songs again only yesterday. Tu Meri Dost Hain was the song that I listened to first and got hooked to instantly. I have been listening to it on repeat mode for more than 2 hours now! What a beautiful song! Captures your heart right away!

The initial humming, the interlude between the humming and the opening lines aaja main hawaon mein, Awaaz hoon main in varied tunes, the entry of Shreya’s beautiful awaaz singing raat mein chandni, the line main khayalon ki mehek hoon, the lovely interlude at 4:14, Rahman’s amazing singing, the swaras RSRSSRSR right after sargam par chalti hain, ….the list is endless! Love every moment of this song sung so amazingly by all the singers!

I am in no hurry at all to listen to the remaining songs. I am going to take my time and get immersed in the beauty of the songs one by one. 😉