Ideas & Views

First, here is a link to Sanjay's blogs and podcasts: http://sanjaysub.blogspot.com http://sanjaysub.libsyn.com/index.php?post_category=podcasts With the 'Vande Mataram Enbom' for a second song, Sanjay (ji understood) took me by surprise. It was a good reminder of the recent August 15th. After all, the Indian embassy at DC was closed down for Indian Independence Day without even a flag hoisted proudly. It took me 3 songs to actually start enjoying the concert. Even the Ritigowla didn't make any difference to me. Just another rendition with no bhavam . But, when he elaborated Kamalamanohari, I understood the previous 3 songs were only jetlagged. I haven't heard an alapana for kamalamanohari before by anybody and the only song I knew in this raga is Kanchadalayadakshi. I have only heard it being sung as a thukada . The beautiful sancharas of Sanjay brought out the deep inner flavor of the raga - neraval at "raga sashivadanae"- unhindered by the obvious limi...

Carnatic Vocal: Sanjay Subramaniam Violin: Nagai Muralidharan Mridangam: K.Arun Prakash Date: Sept 05, 2008 Venue: SSVT, Maryland Here's the list of songs sung: 1. Sami Ninne Kori, Sri raga Varnam 2. Vande Mataram Enbom , Sankarabaranam 3. Nannu vidachi, Ritigowla 4. Kanchadalayadakshi, Kamalamanohari 5. Enathu Manam kavalai enum erul soozhndal, Harikamboji, Papanasam Sivan 6. Gajavadana sammohita veera, Todi, Maharaja Kumara Ettendra (not heard of this name ?) 7. Oho Kalamae un pol evarkku undu indra jalamae, Sahana, Mayuram Vedanayakam Pillai 8. Needhu mahima, Hamsanandi, Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavatar 9. RTP Bahudari: Pallavi: Kandhanadi Avar enakku sondhamadi Valli manaalanadi 10. Kundrin Meedhu Nindru Kanden, Kamas, Bharathidasan 11. slokam: sruthva guna ..... song: Bansiwale Hey Man Moh, Mohanam, Swati Tirunaal 12. kanDu dhanyanAdenO Udipi Krishnana, Behag, Purandaradasar 13. Nijagadasa yadhu nandhanae, Sindubairavi, SriJayadeva 14. Arumo Aaval, Mand, T.K.Kalyanam (Kar...

Where do I start and how do I start? I have never been so emotional in a concert. The alapana of Kalyani pulled a drop of tear at the tara sthyai Ni . I could describe only the Kalyani and nothing else. But, are there words? Few weeks ago, I realized (during one of those thinking sessions - don't ask me details) that Language is one of the marvels of man's creative spirits. Nay. Language is a barrier. Music conveys more emotions that no language could. To describe this Kalyani, language fails me. Krishna -vin Kalyani oru penn endral, atthnai amsangaludan sarithiram kandiratha perazhagi-yai eruppal . Kallum karaiyum Kalyani Krishna KalyaNee-yil sethukiya azhagae thaNee Kalyani-yil oru oviyam Adhuvae Krishnavin Kaviyam Krishna(ji) is truly a musician with immense training in researched voice modulation techniques. The way he sang the usually- impossible lower octaves and very tough higher octaves are excellent examples of vocal chord training. The restrained playing of the mridan...

Carnatic Vocal concert of Sri. T.M.Krishna Violin: Sriramkumar Mridangam: Arun Prakash April 25, 2008 @ SSVT , Maryland Song list: 1. Intha chalamu jesithae - Begada varnam 2. Kiravani, Varamulosaki, Roopakam, Patnam Subramaniya Iyer 3. Nilambari, Amba Nilayadakshi 4. Kapinarayani, Sarasa samadana 5. Main piece - Kalyani - Kamalambam Bhajare Manasa 6. Ahiri - Amba Maatladhara Maayamma 7. RTP - Sahana - Pallavi in Kanda jaathi Triputa talam: Vadivelani Nidham Potruvom, Vaiyamellam Arul Purindhu Kaakkum Ragamalika of the RTP: Amruthavarshini and Lalitha - Lyrics as well as music composed by the Mridangist Arun Prakash 8. Varali - KaVaVa 9. Viruttam in Ragamalika - Karaharapriya, Sankarabranam, Kamboji, Bilahari, Chalanatai, Atana, Kapi Lyrics of the viruttam was a verse that describes Navarasa starting with Sringaram ...(a piece from Ramayanam) Viruttam followed by: Kapi - Janaki Ramana Dasaratha Nandana of Sri Vanamamalai Jeeyar 10. Yamankalyani - Krishna Nee Beganae 11. Kamas - Tillana...

Vocal: Sikkil Gurucharan Violin: Nagai Sriram Mridangam: Skanda Subramaniam April 12, 2008, SSVT , Maryland Enthralling, exhilarating, etcetera, etcetera, .........well, exaggerating !! Sonorous voice, humble rendition (borrowing this word from a friend), scholarly choice of krithis, especially Kosalam and Natabairavi, too good a violinist, captivating everyone. What a Padaantharam! On the other hand, it took a few krithis for GC to rev up his confidence level. Could say this from one instance. Though he drove his Mohanam alapana towards Tara sthayi Ga, Ri , he could not push his attempts to strike those chords. So, he ended up in circumlocution for a while. The violinist deserves a special mention. Usually the violinist does not play the entire sequence the vocalist sings. But, Sriram is too smart to let the opportunity slip. He definitely stole the thunder. The concert was simply superb. Needn't and couldn't say more. Here's the list of krithis: 1. Kanada - Ada thala ...

A link for learning few krithis taught to the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana performers: http://www.aradhana.org/sampradaya/2008/Prahlada%20Bhakti%20Vijayam/index.htm This is very resourceful of the organizing committee to host online and make them available to all learners for free. The lessons are precious especially because they are being taught by accomplished gurus like Smt. Suguna and Sri. P.S.Narayanaswamy.

Vocal concert of Sri. Sreevalsan Menon Violin - Sri. S.K.Narasimhamoorthy Mridangam - Kumari. Rajna Swaminathan March 29, 2008, SSVT , Maryland First, here's the list of songs: 1. Todi Varnam - Eranapai, Adi Talam 2. Atana - Sri maha ganapathim bhaje hum, Adi 3. Jaganmohini - Dayapayo nidhae mampahi, composition of Sadasiva Brahmendrar 4. Kannadagowlai - Sogasujuda tharama, Roopakam 5. Mandari - Ninnujeppa karanamemi manasa 6. Hamirkalyani - Kangeyavasanadhara Padmanabha 7. Varali - Ka Va Va 8. Sankarabaranam - Akshaya linga vibho, Misrachapu Neraval at "nayika sahitha...badari vanamoola" 9. Bairavi - RTP (45 minutes) Pallavi - "Govindanadi Mukundanadi Enak(kku) Avar Sondhamadi" Ragamalika - Behag, Hindolam, Sahana, Patiyar 10. Sankarabaranam - Karuna seivan endhu thamasam krishna, -a composition on Guruvayoorappan 11. Desh Bhajan - Harinarayana Govinda -a composition of his Guru Smt.Rajalakshmi Krishnan 12. Senjurutti - Sri Guruvayoopurae ...