I was reading Robin Cook’s ‘Crisis’ sometime back and there was this line ‘Three things that never failed to rile him were bureaucracy, incompetence and stupidity, especially when they occurred together, which they often did.’ Isn’t this a line we all can relate to? Made me wonder if there would be anyone who doesn’t get vexed up when these three occur together?

The book by the way, though not unputdownable as some of the other Robin Cook’s, is pretty good till now. I still have a little more than 100 pages to read….

Excellent! This one is a must listen! It has been nearly a month since I listened to it first and with each listening, I seem to like it more. 🙂

Isn’t Jaya TV’s new music channel, Jaya Max, good? Finally a channel where there are no irritating VJs and endless telephone conversations between the callers and the VJs. Besides songs from latest ones to late 70s ones are shown. But that was how SCV channel was earlier, before it became Sun Music. Hope atleast Jaya Max remains this way!

Sangeetha Sivakumar – Vocal
R K Sriramkumar – Violin
Sherthalai R. Ananthakrishnan – Mridangam
Purushottaman – Khanjira

Where & When? – Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall on 8th December

Concert Duration – 2 hrs

Songs List:
1. Varnam – Sri
2. Raama nannu – Harikambhoji – Neraval & Swarams at Mepula kai
3. Devi Brova – Chintamani
4. Ninnu vina – Poorvi Kalyani – Swarams at Paramalo
5. Nenarunchinaanu – Malavi
6. Sree krishnam – Todi – Neraval & Swarams at Shankachakradhara
7. Alaipayuthey – Kanada
8. Bare panduranga – Mand
9. Nee naamarupamulaku – Sowrashtram

This was one of the concerts that I felt was good in parts. Except for a slip in Purvi Kalyana swarams, Sangeetha sang well though I felt that her concerts that I attended last season were much better than this. But considering the way some of them sitting near me were enjoying the concert, I am not sure how many will agree with me. R K Sriramkumar was as usual excellent on the violin. Sangeetha’s Todi alapana was pretty good.

R Prasanna – Guitar
Mannargudi Easwaran – Mridangam
Purushottaman – Khanjira

Where & When? – Dakshinamurthy Auditorium (Naadabrahmam) on 7th December

Concert Duration – 2 hrs
Speech before the concert – 20-25 min!

Songs List:
1. Varnam – Begada – Syama Sastri
2. Maha Ganapate – Natanarayani – Dikshitar
3. Nada Tanumanisam – Chittaranjani – Tyagaraja
4. Deva Deva – Mayamalava Gowlai – Swati Tirunal – Alapana & Swarams
5. Marivere – Latangi –Patnam Subramania Iyer – Swarams
6. Karpagame – Madhyamavati – Papnasam Sivan – Swarams
7. Charanam Bhava – Hamsavinodini – Narayana Teertar
8. RTP – Bhairavi – Pallavi (Tyagarajanani endrendrum vaNangi poattriduvaen) composed by Prasanna – Adi
9. Radha Sameta – Misra Yaman
10. ? – Bilahari
11. Mangalam/Nee Naamarupamulaku – Sowrashtram
12. Raaga outline of Madhyamavati
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I came across this tag in SK’s blog. For a change, a tag that had questions that interested me. Here goes the tag.

Q1. Are you happy/satisfied with your blog, with its content and look?
Yes about the look part of it. I like the theme of my blog so much that I don’t have the heart to part with it and give my blog a new look. 😛 As for the content, well, I wish I had more time so that I can write much better and write more.

Q2. Does your family know about your blog?
Yes.

Q3. Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing?
Nope. My blog has only the things that I discuss with friends. Besides, all my close friends already know about my passion for Carnatic, Rahman’s music and Mani Ratnam’s movies, which are the primary contents of my blog. But still, I wouldn’t tell everyone about my blog.
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• Why is it that every time I want to catch a MTC bus, I reach the bus stop just in time to see the bus leaving?

• Why is it that every time I go to a shop where a sale upto 50% is on, the dresses I choose have only a 5% discount or worse, no discount?

• Why is it that some people forget that two people are actually supposed to sit in a two seater in a bus? If you are sitting on the window seat and move a little to give place, they sit so comfortably that you will eventually find yourself squeezed in narrow space.

• Why is it that some people who have their umbrellas open, hold it at such a low height that every time a person under an umbrella passes by you, you need to bend down in fear of getting hit by it?

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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T M Krishna – Vocal
Sriram Parasuram – Violin
Umayalpuram K Sivaraman – Mridangam
Sree Sundarkumar – Khanjira

Where & When? – Narada Gana Sabha on 2nd December

Concert Duration: 2 hrs

Songs list:
1. Varnam – Sri Raagam
2. Munu Ravana – Todi – Raaga outline – Swarams at Raja raja
3. Tyagarajaya Namaste – Begada – 7 min Alapana, Swarams at Tyagarajaya
4. Velaiyya Dayavillaya – Saveri
5. Upacharamulanu – Bhairavi – 11 min Alapana, Neraval at Kapata nataka (Main piece of the concert)
6. Modijesi Velara – Khamas
7. Sringaram (viruttam) – Ragamalika – Mayamalavagowlai (Veeram), Sahana (Karunyam), Hamir Kalyani (Hasyam), Atana (Rowdram), Jonpuri (Shantam)
Sapashya – Jonpuri
8. Nadandha KaalgaL nondha – Sindhu Bhairavi
9. Was a raaga outline of Surutti sung by TMK at the end??
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