Pakka Vadyam

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kvchellappa
Posts: 3598
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Pakka Vadyam

Post by kvchellappa »

Pakka vadyam

I have some silly doubts and am raising them audaciously.

Is the expression right or prejudiced?
Are all the artists on stage equal in the way the music is conceived and presented? Is it a medley where each presents his manodharma?
I heard in grapevine that a front-ranking violinist played differently from MMI and MMI pointed out that it was supposed to be pakka vadyam. TMK in his music appreciation CD points out how the violinist playing a phrase different from what he essayed is an aberration.
Is it not more challenging for the violinist to follow the manodharma of the vocalist extemporaneously than for him to launch into his own manodharma?
Is not some unity expected in a performance? Who decides that unity?
If seating sorts out equality issue, will it not be required that they sit in the centre by turns?
Do the accompanists (or co-artists) feel more at ease because they face the audience? Does it boost their performance? Have they been feeling deprived by the traditional seating?
Should the percussionist decide what tala the singer should choose?

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by shankarank »

This all stems from the Marxist definition of equality! This is how it will play! To seek something superficial and enforce it by convincing masses with a rhetoric! Kinder-Garten stuff!

The audience in this era - knowing what we know - can value Instrumental music on its own merits. Even as we lost the innate ( self sought) knowledge - but everything else we learn through formal means - we somehow are not willing to engage in / develop the same formality in many other important things!
Last edited by shankarank on 06 Jul 2017, 00:19, edited 1 time in total.

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by shankarank »

Here is a man raising a basic question: Why ragas are named as what they are ?

https://youtu.be/AQOr92Hi2vA?t=2877

And all we can mention in that response is kaTapayAti sankhya. The westerner called us primitive - so we respond that we have a systematic grammar book!

Is there a rhyme or reason anybody would name their baby with some divine name? There may not be a reason but there is a rhyme - called hymns - from which we pickup the names! because rAgas were viewed us divine!

When cultural sense and connection is lost - we are in front of a curator in a dead museum asking such questions!

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by arasi »

Wait! I really like the way you hover over this in fashion notion of 'all are created equal, aren't they?' notion, Chellappa :) It's also amusing to visualize their taking turns in appearing center stage :)

If I may add another question: sharing the limelight equally this way in a concert, do they take home envelopes which carry checks made out to the same amount?

varsha
Posts: 1978
Joined: 24 Aug 2011, 15:06

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by varsha »


vijay.siddharth
Posts: 358
Joined: 14 May 2017, 13:08

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by vijay.siddharth »

Well, in some concerts, the pakka vadhyam becomes a Paakkaa Vadhyam!!

(Paakkaa - unseen)

kunthalavarali
Posts: 425
Joined: 03 Mar 2010, 01:30

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by kunthalavarali »

Strangely enough, It is the vocalist(for that matter the main artiste playing Veena, Flute, etc) who is always accompanied!. When his turn comes the violinist is "unaccompanied" so is with the percussionist during solo. Only the vocalist does not get a chance to exhibit his talents independently :)

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by Nick H »

That's why he is accompanied!

Veena and violin artists do (and should, in my opinion) get to play without *another* violin.

TMK left out the percussion. Perhaps he would like to try leaving out the violin. I say this quite seriously: his concert with RKSK was wonderful. I too am attached (comfortable) with the standard forms, but there is room for experiment, and if we want to reject it we should do so after it is tried, not before.

hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by hnbhagavan »

The following lecture by Sri M Chandrasekharan points out the roles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7szJ5dOF7X

kvchellappa
Posts: 3598
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by kvchellappa »

With the violinist facing the audience, i did not see it as an improvement. The violinist, being an accompanist, feels the need to look at the vocalist and turns to the vocalist often.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Pakka Vadyam

Post by arasi »

engaL vITTil kolu vaithEn,adil emmaip pArthirundAn anuman, rAman pAdam pArkkAdu

எங்கள் வீட்டில் கொலு வைத்தேன்,
அதில் எம்மைப் பார்த்திருந்தான் அனுமன்,
ராமன் பதம் பார்க்காது!

In the kolu (navarAtri festival array) at my place, hanumAn faced us, not focusing on RAmA's feet :)

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