Category Archives: Music

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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A.R.Rahman’s ‘The Live Life Concert’ – When dream came true!!!!

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February 10th, 2007 – Till then, the only dream that we (my sister and I) had was just to get a glimpse of the man whose music meant the most to us. On that day, it got fulfilled!!! We are yet to believe that it wasn’t a dream after all! 🙂

February 9th, 2008 – Little did we expect that exactly a year later, we will get to see A.R.Rahman again and that too see him perform live in a concert!
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Yayyy!!!!!

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My sister and I have got the passes for today’s A.R.Rahman’s concert!!!! 🙂 This being the first-ever concert of Rahman’s that we are going to, we are EXCITED!

Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert

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Accompanists:
Nagai Muralidharan – Violin
Mannargudi Easwaran – Mridangam
Gopalakrishnan – Khanjira

Where & When? – Narada Gana Sabha on 5th Feb

Concert Duration – 2 hrs 35 minutes

Songs List:
1. Viriboni (Varnam) – Bhairavi
2. Ninnada – Kannada – Raaga outline, Swarams
3. Shobillu – Jaganmohini – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at Dharariksa
4. Ranjani niranjani – Elaborate Ranjani Alapana
5. Annai Janaki – Saveri
6. Shankaracharyam – Sankarabharanam – Alapana, Neraval & Swarams at Parama (Main piece)
7. Shritvaguna (Sloka) – Raagamalika (Hindolam, Madhuvanti, Bhageshri, Mohanam)
Bansiwaale – Mohanam
8. Mukti aLikkum – Navaroj?
9. Tillana – Sindhubhairavi – Raaga outline
10. Mangalam – Sowrashtram

Unlike during the Season, there was complete silence in the whole auditorium during the entire concert. There was not much of a crowd either at the balcony. All these made for a perfect ambience to listen to the Ranjani, which according to me, was the best part of the concert. Listening to the Ranjani alapana that was a sheer beauty and the rendition of the line kanchdaLa lOchanI kAmAkshI in ranjani niranjani, bringing out the beauty of the raaga and the lyrics, was bliss!

Concerts last week

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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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Sanjay, Chidambaram, Nandanar, Tirupungoor – The Experience

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The first time I listened to Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Aadum Chidambaramo was the few seconds clipping of the song that was played in the background during his interview on Radio Mirchi in 2003 or so. After that, I listened to the whole song in Sanjay’s concerts. I went to his Margazhi Mahotsavam concert on the theme, ‘Tillai’ in 2004. I got his ‘Tillai’ CD only in 2006 and liked it a lot. But it wasn’t until January 2007, when I heard Sanjay sing Vazhi Maraitthirukudhu at Asthika Samajam, did I get fascinated by Nandanar Charitram. The main reason for that was the moving rendition of that song by Sanjay. It was soaked in bhava and he sang each and every word of the song so clearly like never before that I was left wishing the song would never end! He sang Aadum Chidambaramo too in that concert. From that time, Chidamabaram has been there on my list of temples to visit. But it was just there in the list along with many other temples.
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Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s Concert

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Sanjay Subrahmanyan – Vocal
S.Varadarajan – Violin
Neyveli Venkatesh – Mridangam
Trichy Murali – Ghatam

Where & When? – Anjaneyar Temple, Alamelumangapuram on 23rd January

Concert Duration – 2 hrs

Songs List:
1. Valachi (Varnam) – Navaragamalika
2. Hanumaane – Malayamarutam – Swarams at Hanumaane
3. Ninna nambide – Mukhari – Alapana, Swarams at Ninna nambide
4. Enduku nirdaya – Harikambhoji – Alapana, Neraval, Swarams at Enduku (Main piece)
5. KaayaarohaNesham – Karnataka Devagandhari– Raaga outline
6. KaaNa Vendum Laksham kaNgaL – Surutti – Alapana
7. Maasil Ayodhiyil – Ragamalika
8. Shree Raama Jaya Raama – Yadhukula Kambhoji
9. Mangalam – Sowrashtram

From start to finish, all the raagams in this concert were my favourites! The 7-min Mukhari alapana, 9+ min Harikambhoji alapana, 5+ min Surutti Alapana were all excellent! Awesome Mukhari swarams. I absolutely enjoyed his rendition of KaayaarohaNesham, KaaNa Vendum Laksham kaNgaL and Enduku nirdaya – If I remember correctly, he did a brief neraval for each of the 5 charanams and the anupallavi of Endukku nirdaya! I don’t think I have heard this one before. What a great composition it is! I did a bit of Googling today & got to know the meaning of this song.

Yet another excellent concert by Sanjay & Varadarajan! Looking forward to Sanjay’s next concert on Monday!

Sanjay’s Anandanatana Prakasham

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As I was listening to Khwaja instrumental, I was so lost in the music that I didn’t realize that my music system had started playing the next CD in it – Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s ‘Kshetra Chidambaram’. On hearing Sanjay’s Kedaram sloka, I didn’t have the heart to go back to Jodha Akbar even though that’s what I wanted to do! Dikshitar’s Anandanatana Prakasham in Kedaram – the first song in the CD – is my most favourite in it. I love Sanjay’s neraval at the line, Sangeeta vaadya vinoda taandava jaata bahutara bheda chodhyam in this song. Arun Prakash’s mridangam & Shriramkumar’s violin for this is excellent! This one is a must listen!

Even as I am listening to the neraval now, to put an end to the confusions in my mind as to whether I should listen to Sanjay’s Kedaram or Rahman’s Jodha Akbar, I am now off to sleep. Good Night!

Jodha Akbar – CD Cover, DVD & the Songs

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As I reached the shop on Saturday and looked at the CD, I loved the green colour in the front of the CD cover and the beautiful portrait of Hrithik and Aishwarya, along with the golden sun and the army in the background. As I paid the money for the CD, the person at the billing counter told me, ‘Excellentaa poatturkaar! Songs ellaam super!‘ I broke into a big smile. After all, when have I not been happy on hearing someone praise Rahman’s music? 😉

If I found the CD cover on the outside to be beautiful, the portraits of Hrithik and Aishwarya on the inside were even more stunning! What beautiful costumes, accessories and dark, deep, rich colours! I loved the stills from the movie on the lyrics book too. The one word that came to my mind on seeing the colours and the costumes was – GRAND – and that’s how the music is!

Before listening to the songs, I wanted to check out what was on the DVD and I was disappointed by what I saw. Couldn’t the DVD have had atleast all the trailers and stills from the movie? Anyway as my sister said, we got one more beautiful still from the movie on the CD cover because of this DVD. 😉

Moving on to the music, well, what can I say? First Lagaan, then Swades and now, Jodha Akbar – each and every song in all the three movies are brilliant compositions by Rahman! We can now confidently say that A.R.Rahman – Ashutosh Gowariker is a combination to look out for like A.R.Rahman-Mani Ratnam. 🙂
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T.M.Krishna’s 4-hour 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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