Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023

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rajeshnat
Posts: 9931
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023

Post by rajeshnat »

Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023
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Veena : Ramana Balachandran
Mrudangam : Patri Satish Kumar
Ghatam : Vazhapally Krishnakumar - Student of Got Him V Suresh

Concert Type : Non Nirvana - concert to follow , Ticketed concert
Day : Saturday
Duration -2 hours and 15 mins

Sabha/Hall : Parthasarathi Sabha
Time : 04 PM to 06 20 PM

01. rAma bhakthi - suddhabhanglA - T
9 mins swaras
02. gAngeya vasana - hameerkalyani - ST

03. Elavathara (R S T) - Mukhari - T
12 mins alapana and 8 mins swaras

04. RTP in kalyani for 1 hour plus
21 mins ragam , 10 mins taanam
Pallavi line —>> SAgari undan Thiru pAdamE gathi , aRul puri shivashankari karunA
Kalyani + malayamArutham??? + varAli
05. Abhang - kaayari hi pandari aatama - ?? - ??

rajeshnat
Posts: 9931
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023

Post by rajeshnat »

This is the first time I am hearing this prodigy in a live concert . Many times I have seen him in a distance seated for the Abhishek raghuram concert . Certainly that aura did rub him where he modelled this concert like that . There were two irritants for sure in this concert , but that will wait

Ramana has possibly longer fingers and he may likely use the second panchamam string so there is a lot of continuity of ragam throughout each concert . Veena is an intense instrument to master and certainly like Shrinivas was blessed by mandolin , Ramana is blessed by Veena

The joy to hear suddabhangla is a wonderful start . What did Sadguru do and what a wave did Madurai mani create magic of this kharaharapriya janta kid . All things intensely appears perfect with layman ingrained so much of sudddbhangla raga Bhavan. The rare hameerkalyani came in next it is hindustanized hameer Kalyani trying to reach a carnatic angle of sangathis .

Mukhari alapana was sublime each note plucked with right Ramakam and with he using may be the second string too often he sustained and appeared gayaki perfect . Nice Thyagaraja krithi elavathara was detailed

The RTP came in next and it came in a ragam that I prefer not to hear . But hey Kalyani is a great ragam if handled somewhat like say vasudevayani of GNB. Ramana and Kalyani were totally not distracted , lot of anther Kulathu Sannathi typecast . Lot of madhyamakalam squat and in taanam he crystallised distinctly both the madhyamkaalam and the durita Kaalam creating a great intense carnatic soundscape.

Pallavi was done well with a relaxed play and in the swarakalpanas I could bit spot the legend veena Balachander like strength , infact that plucking strength was like the late legend .the maliga swaras of malayamarutham and varalı were intense . I hope I got evening breeze raga right and it is not valance. The reverse return was well done with sufficient Rasa to backup without a feel of not losing any balance. The last abhang was a bit of Aruna Sairam in action, I had to leave to canteen to eat before the next concert and I am assume only that was the last song. he was singing the abhang almost fully

Patri is always a star and I was noticing another star in the making for the first time . Krishnakumar was certainly playing ghatam suresh , in fact he and I stayed for next concert too . Both of them did boost up the energy for the concert.

Few dislikes
——————
1. Master Volume of Ramana veena was high

2. I donot know why should he sing so much and so often . He has a good voice and he may even learn hindustani meend . I agree some what I will give some lax when he say sings a Pallavi line . But to sing every song in Pallavi , anupallavi , start of charanam in ramabhakthi was mildly distracting . IN the mukhari song for the whole Pallavi he was singing bit mumbled as he was not directing that well to microphone, some where I heard the Pallavi line. For every song he first sings a line ,then he and veena are in tandem with dropping intensity and fade of vocal can go well with some festival of unwashed masses in Edinburgh ,UN general assembly etc … Why should that happen in parthasarathi sabha that too for Rama Bhakti sAmrajyam- classicism is all about making a rasika be totally in attention to the artist , just like how the great saint of tiruvannamalai used to say Naan Yaar.

Ramana is so deep in carnatic nuances , the influence of having fewer numbers with a more polished RTP excites me more . He did not sag anywhere even the sag prone Kalyani .Gamakams are so well rounded with right sustained pluck without too much of wastage sangathis .Best wishes for him to not sing that much during his concert.

Overall an excellent concert for 2 hours and 15 mins.
Last edited by rajeshnat on 25 Dec 2023, 10:41, edited 1 time in total.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9931
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023

Post by rajeshnat »

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Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023
-----------------------------------------------------------
Veena : Ramana Balachandran
Mrudangam : Patri Satish Kumar
Ghatam : Vazhapally Krishnakumar - Student of Got Him V Suresh
Sabha/Hall : Parthasarathi Sabha


GLICSPAWES 2023 "Goto LIve Concert Show PAtronage Without Excuses Series" concert #11 of 12 is done.

www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=381037#p381037

gardabha_gana
Posts: 1033
Joined: 24 Dec 2006, 07:44

Re: Ramana Balachandran@Parthasarathy Sabha on Dec 23rd, 2023

Post by gardabha_gana »

I have the same gripe. Singing with the Veena playing has become more common and I don’t like it. Singing the first line in an RTP is ok or for a rare song. Please leave the Veena alone. For me, it is a deal breaker. Maybe I am in the minority.

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