Dikshitar Akhandam @ PSHSS, March 26 2017

[sureshvv]

This is an all day annual event conducted by ""Bharathiya Sangeeta Vaibhavam" for the past few (creeping up on 10?) years with various artistes singing/playing all Dikshitar kritis from 9AM to 9PM. Lunch & refreshments included. I was able to attend part of this event this year & it turned out to be quite memorable.

When I arrived the artistes for the following concert were already seated on stage. As it turned out this was the first post lunch concert and they were waiting patiently for the audience to return from the dining room. After what seemed like a long interval which the artistes stoically braved through the concert started. The main artiste was unfamiliar to me & I had seen the accompanists before but could not place them at that time.

So imagine my shock when the concert starts out with an alapana of this rare raga (kantamani with R3) delivered with the golden throat of Dr. BMK. This was followed by a tribute to Dikshitar sung with great clarity. This was an amazing start to an impressive hour and half of dikshitar kritis.

Later I found out that the main artiste was Raghav Manian, a student of Dr.MBMK. The accompanists were Sai Rakshit & Burra Sriram. But this one concert made the afternoon memorable in itself.

[sureshvv]

Raghav Manian's concert was followed by Vasudha Ravi's. Vasudha has one of the most melodious voices in Carnatic Music with the added ability to deliver stunning brighas effortlessly at will. She sings many rare ragas with utmost clarity bringing out the full raga swaroopa. She sang a kriti in the asampurna mela raga which is the M2 counterpart of Dhenuka.

[melam72]

She sang a kriti in the asampurna mela raga which is the M2 counterpart of Dhenuka.

That will be Shivapanthuvarali.

[sureshvv]

That doesnt sound right. Let me check the names of the ragas again from 37 to 55.

[Rajani]

I attended two lovely programs in the morning. Guru Seetha Rajan and her disciples sang around 15 Ganesha Kritis of Dikshitar. Next was Sri G Ravi Kiran's concert, with Dr Hemalatha and Sri K Arun Prakash. He sang the following Kritis:

1. pavanatmajAgaccha - cala nAta
2. narmadA kAverI - nAmadesi (R,S)
3. pancabhUta kiraNAvalim - kiraNAvali
4. nIlakanTham - kEdAra gaula
5. SRngAra rasa manjarIm - rasamanjarI
6, SrI viSvanAtham (14 rAgamAlikA)

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Could anyone give the list of the 15 kritis on Lord Ganesha sung by Seetha Rajan group?
I missed the event.
Any recording?
I understand CRama was out of station that day; otherwise he would have posted a complete report as in previous years.

[shankarank]

The main artiste was unfamiliar to me & I had seen the accompanists before but could not place them at that time. So imagine my shock when the concert starts out with an alapana of this rare raga (kantamani with R3) delivered with the golden throat of Dr. BMK. This was followed by a tribute to Dikshitar sung with great clarity. This was an amazing start to an impressive hour and half of dikshitar kritis.

Later I found out that the main artiste was Raghav Manian, a student of Dr.MBMK. The accompanists were Sai Rakshit & Burra Sriram. But this one concert made the afternoon memorable in itself.

He had sung in Cleveland - 2004/05. He has not just the intonation - but also some of the time signature of Dr BMK. If you had to listen to Dr BMK version of evari mATa - he was the only recourse even then

I think he is an IITM alumni - IIRC.

[sureshvv]

He has not just the intonation - but also some of the time signature of Dr BMK. If you had to listen to Dr BMK version of evari mATa - he was the only recourse even then

I am sorry I fall short once again. Pls. explain the joke

Is it that there is no recording of evari mAta by MBMK?

I think he is an IITM alumni - IIRC.

An electrical engineer no less! We schmoozed a bit along with a couple of other engineers in the audience, the father in his 90s & his son in his 60s at the coffee counter & I found Raghav very personable.

[shankarank]

Well thanks to MSN Murthy you may find one (evari mATa) now! I have not looked. Good time to check.

[shripathi_g]

There are a couple of very good Evari Maatas by Dr.BMK. IIRC, there's a commercial version for 30 minutes with neraval at Shakti Kala and another version with Annavarapu at Buffalo that runs for 50 minutes.

[CRama]

Find below the link to the concert of Raghavan Manian uploaded in the you tube. Enjoy. Very good concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blHiW2ukmZc