Bombay Jayashri

Carnatic Musicians
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rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Post by rshankar »

Interesting ideas!
Jayashri wrote:1. I don't love God more than I love music, as I do not come from a very ritualistic or religious background. The song may be about the composer's love for Krishna, but my love is for the raga.
2. I am just a traveller, one more musician who will do her bit for as many years as is destined and then, there will be another one to take my place. What is bigger than all of us and will stay on is the Art.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/04/06/stor ... 580300.htm

vijay
Posts: 2522
Joined: 27 Feb 2006, 16:06

Post by vijay »

Her honesty is refreshing even if I don't completely agree.

Even an agnostic can't be untouched by the Bhakthi bhava in a Thyagaraja composition although it is certainly possible to appreciate his compositions without being aware of his devotion.

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

Post by arasi »

These articles help us give a glimpse into the minds of a performer, and that's all. A conversation with an artiste is carried home, on a tape recorder, I would think, and is randomly quoted, dependent upon the interviewer's impressions, the word count allotted for the article by the editor and so on. I have heard musicians complain that they were misquoted, there were errors in information, not much attention given to what they really meant and so on.
But publicity is publicity and the negative aspects of it should be taken in stride by the
'publicized' ones, I suppose. I bet Jayshri herself felt the same way when she came across her being quoted as speaking of God and music in the way it came out in print...
Last edited by arasi on 08 Apr 2007, 07:37, edited 1 time in total.

Sundara Rajan
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Joined: 08 Apr 2007, 08:19

Post by Sundara Rajan »

A careful reading of Jayasi's views will reveal that she DID NOT MEAN that she did not love God but only that she loved Him/Her only as much as she loved music. That is NOT agnosticism.

coolkarni

Post by coolkarni »

A famous set of entries of Graffiti on a rock
(Source - A very old Readers Digest)

Day 1
TIME IS GOD ------ Sd Einstein
Day 2
GOD IS TIME ------ Sd Tolstoy

After a few days , the next entry was seen.

COME SUNDAY TO MY CHURCH , AND I WILL SHOW YOU GOD

Sd Billy Graham


Immediately the next day , the final entry came up.


WHO IS BILLY GRAHAM ?? ----- Sd GOD

:P

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

Time is linear and leads to greater disorder since entropy is time's arrow---- Modern Science.

Time is cyclic and will lead to order through disorder--after the deluge new creation comes up---- Hindu religious edict.

God is NOWhere as time passes by.
Last edited by mahakavi on 08 Apr 2007, 10:18, edited 1 time in total.

krishnan rangi
Posts: 1
Joined: 08 Apr 2007, 11:08

Post by krishnan rangi »

I totally agree with Sundara Rajan's view. I am a great fan of hers. I am sure as time goes by, even her rhetoric would change. raga is God, god is Raga.

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

Post by arasi »

Whatever they say or are quoted as saying, so long as Jayshri and other able practitioners of CM deliver the music that pleases us, why delve into an interviewer's interpretations?

Cool,
If only they knew the service the unknown warrior has been rendering them, Reader's Digest should have rewarded you handsomely for spreading the word about their publication. Your amazing memory and apt quotes make me want to confer a title on you: sAramum (even of the essence) uNDumizhum (one who ingests and brings out) viththagar (expert) :)

Sub,
Yes, the NOW (especially from my vantage point)!
Last edited by arasi on 09 Apr 2007, 01:15, edited 1 time in total.

Vikram_Sampath79
Posts: 12
Joined: 25 Apr 2007, 15:00

Post by Vikram_Sampath79 »

Hi all,

As the someone who actually wrote the article that is being discussed here and also as a student and family friend of Smt Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, let me state that all that was there in print was what she said. I dont subscribe to Arasi's views on journalistic filtering---atleast not in this case! And as Shri Sundara Rajan and others have pointed out, there is nothing too iconoclastic about what she has said and neither has she mentioned that she is an atheist. She just meant that the music is more overbearing for her than the deity in whose praise the composition may be composed. As it is how many musicians really go into the depth of the lyrics, their meanings or pronounciation to actually feel the way a Thyagaraja Swami felt for Lord Rama? What about instrumental music? arent the notes more important there than the words? That was all was the message conveyed...and i have not misquoted or added my own interpretation to the same!

Wish we spoke less derisively of journalists and interviewers :-) not everyone has agendas to follow!

Regards
Vikram

coimbatorerasigan
Posts: 30
Joined: 25 Feb 2007, 23:29

Post by coimbatorerasigan »

Arasi,

There you go, into trouble again. You have good intentions in your thoughts, but your output manytimes comes across as plain wrong...

for eg:

"Whatever they say or are quoted as saying, so long as Jayshri and other able practitioners of CM deliver the music that pleases us,"

what does this really mean?

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

Post by arasi »

Me and my big mouth and my poor expression!
First of all, since you personally know Bombay Jayashri, Vikram, convey my apologies to her if I came across as being insensitive to her thoughts or art. The same to the writer, if I was not clear in conveying my thoughts.

Coimbatore rasigan,
Thanks for stopping me in my tracks. Sometimes, my enthusiasm gets carried away. In this instance--now, without any disrespect to interviewers and writers of articles (I was one of them, years ago)--all I meant was that there are plenty of articles written about musicians (not as many as those written about film stars, though there are signs of 'filmy' writing slant of late in articles about young vidwans and vidushis). That is why I take some of the writing with a pinch of salt. I have absolutely no idea about BJ's thoughts other than what the writer says. I merely meant that I do not take all that I read to be gospel truth. That's all. As a woman too, I am proud that Bombay Jayashri has established herself as a first rate vidushi who has a beautiful voice and is capable of investing her rendering with such emotion. And some day, she would even sing one of my songs, I hope :)
Last edited by arasi on 25 Apr 2007, 20:29, edited 1 time in total.

Vikram_Sampath79
Posts: 12
Joined: 25 Apr 2007, 15:00

Post by Vikram_Sampath79 »

Hey thats perfectly fine Arasi...just wanted to point out that not all writers are as hideous as is made of them!!...

and since you missed out again--let me restate that the writer of this article was 'yours truly' and somehow i dont like to ascribe hideous motives to myself and what i write ;) in my view neither was she trying to belittle the devotional aspect of CM, nor was i trying to put words in her mouth...what u see is what she said and she beleives in...and i guess we all need to respect another's freedom of speech irrespective of whether it contradicts our beliefs or not!

regds
Vikram

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Post by rajeshnat »

Vikram_sampath
YOu have created history where you have written an article in THE HINDU, realized that there was not enough space in print media to reclarify , where you could come to internet media .

Welcome onboard gentleman!This subtlely means that we@rasikas.org have achieved a significant milestone . I welcome you to write more and more....
Last edited by rajeshnat on 25 Apr 2007, 20:53, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by arasi »

Vikram,
You mean, I missed out in 'tense'? Well, I meant second person though I said it in third (!) and you, the first person acknowledged it. Great!

jayaram
Posts: 1317
Joined: 30 Jun 2006, 03:08

Post by jayaram »

Really, it shouldn't matter to god (if he/she/it exists) whether we believe in it/her/him.
Unless it's the anthropomorphic version of this entity that's so popular amongst the religious.

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

Post by arasi »

Jayaram,
Did you inadvertantly post this here? Looks like it belongs to the gender and brahman thread...

jayaram
Posts: 1317
Joined: 30 Jun 2006, 03:08

Post by jayaram »

arasi - I was responding to the chatter about Jayashri loving god or not...

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

Post by arasi »

Jayaram,
Interesting--how everything is connected :)

coolkarni

Post by coolkarni »

What is bigger than all of us and will stay on is the Art.

She just meant that the music is more overbearing for her than the deity in whose praise the composition may be composed.
Some ehoes of these thoughts in GK Chestertons words
WE talk of art as something artificial in comparison with life. But I sometimes fancy that the very highest art is more real than life itself. At least this is true : that in proportion as passions become real they become poetical; the lover is always trying to be the poet. All real energy is an attempt at harmony and a high swing of rhythm; and if we were only real enough we should all talk in rhyme.
If we were only real enough , we should all talk in Rhyme.Such a beautiful thought !!

catchhoney
Posts: 75
Joined: 08 Mar 2008, 16:15

Post by catchhoney »

how cum there r no concerts of jayashree on sangeethapriya??? very surprised...

s_hari
Posts: 872
Joined: 20 May 2007, 18:45

Post by s_hari »

Jayashree is one of the artist who is very conscious of copyrights, hence you can't see her concerts online..

saipadmanabhan
Posts: 2
Joined: 10 May 2008, 22:11

Post by saipadmanabhan »

Exactly! She is very conscious about people buying her albums. They have to be commercially hits and I do not see anything wrong with that....

sankirnam
Posts: 374
Joined: 07 Sep 2006, 14:18

Post by sankirnam »

albums i can understand, what about live concerts? 90% of live concerts are not recorded/commercially released anyway...

sammukeshav
Posts: 56
Joined: 21 Jan 2008, 05:01

Post by sammukeshav »

vijay wrote:Her honesty is refreshing even if I don't completely agree.

Even an agnostic can't be untouched by the Bhakthi bhava in a Thyagaraja composition although it is certainly possible to appreciate his compositions without being aware of his devotion.
i totally agree with that statement, the raga and the way he has designed his compositions just makes it as mesmerizing.

Samrakshana

vpadmana
Posts: 46
Joined: 23 Sep 2006, 05:08

Post by vpadmana »

I think the operative word is "believe". Some believe in God. Some believe in music (the rAgA). Many others believe in themselves ...their hard work and effort.

As long as they believe passionately in something, I think it is irrelevant what that "something" is. It is that passion that shines through from musicians. Rasikas in the audience view that through their own lenses - bhakthi, bhavam etc.

11 Years ago I started a thread on RMIC (during the usenet days) called Gnana & Bhakti to discuss this conundrum - Can one fully appreciate Carnatic music without Bhakti? At that time, my stance was that, Yes!, we could. But I am not sure any more. I think that there is this mystical level of appreciation that one gets if he or she, in addition to all the Gnana, has Bhakti in his/her heart. I've personally heard the great Shrimathi DK Pattammal speak about this to me and my family and the way she explained with an example, I couldn't argue it.

bilahari
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:02

Post by bilahari »

vpadmana, how did Smt. DKP explain this? Could you elaborate please?

Shivadasan
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 07:52

Post by Shivadasan »

Dear vpadmana,
Carnatic Music can be appreciated at various levels according to the knowledge, experience and interests of the listener

Lay persons - appreciation of tunefulness rhythmic patterns
Acquainted with ragas & kritis - Happiness in recognising of ragas and kritis and remembering earlier experiences
Experienced listener - going into raptures over good rendition, sticking to tradition etc.
Knowledgeable listener - keenly watching technical features and expertise of the artist in handling difficult portions
Performing musician - Appreciating the level of expertise of the musician in maintaining purity, exploring fresh approach to ragas and laya, ability and expertise in performance, stage presentation etc.
Listeners involved in Bhakti - All the above experiences will be increased several folds in each of the category.

One can very well enjoy without being a believer. The experience would be limited. That is all .

How can any one state with certainty that Bhakti or any other factor is essential to appreciate CM ?
Shivadasan

vpadmana
Posts: 46
Joined: 23 Sep 2006, 05:08

Post by vpadmana »

Dear Shivadasan,
If you read my post carefully, I did not claim that Bhakti is essential to appreciate CM. I chose my words carefully and deliberately. I said "full" appreciate, not just appreciate. I said "I think" there is a mystical level of appreciation that one gets.

I am not stating things in black & white; more like shades of gray - and with good reason. I absolutely know how personal some of these emotions are and that there's no right or wrong answer to the question.

Regards,
Venkatesh.

vpadmana
Posts: 46
Joined: 23 Sep 2006, 05:08

Post by vpadmana »

Dear Bilahari,

I will try and narrate to the best of my memory (there are portions in Tamil, hope you don't mind).

It was a very interesting experience. I was visiting her (I am related through marriage) a few years back in Kotturpuram. Ishwar Iyer mama was sitting outside reading Hindu paper. After paying respects to him, I went inside to meet Pattammal (everyone fondly calls her that - from the very young to the very old).

After pleasantries were exchanged, she asked me if I was still singing and practicing my violin. I said, Yes. So she asked me to sing a song. I chose to sing Shri Mutthuswami Dikshitar’s Kamakshi Shree Varalakshmi in Bilahari (as in your id ;-).

She listened very carefully, nodding her head from side to side and gently keeping talam with her hands. There was a subtle smile on her face when I missed a sangati and an appreciative nod when I got a complex gamakam right.

At the end, she asked if I understood the meaning of the song. I said that I understood the meaning to a large extent. She asked what I was thinking about when I was singing and I said, "Honestly, I was thinking about how not to make a bad mistake in front of you!"

Shivadasan
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 07:52

Post by Shivadasan »

Dear vpadmana,

Your experience with DKP is moving. Thank you for posting it.

The comment on Bhakti was included my post just as a general statement. I had been following the TMK threads and had been wanting to make a comment on that and it happened in the present instant ! It had nothing to do with your statement. I sorry for creating a misunderstanding.
My experience is similar to yours. I feel that bhakti can come to us only if Divine Mother turns her Grace on us.
Regards, Shivadasan

sramaswamy
Posts: 366
Joined: 24 May 2006, 22:29

Post by sramaswamy »

Translating the following for the non-tamil members .....

[quote="vpadmana"]Dear Bilahari,

.....

To this, she replied, "nee kamakshi ya dhyAnichindu pAdinA sangati thAnA varum. atha patthi nee kavalai pad vEndiyathu illai. TL Venkatrama Iyer thAn yenakku intha pAttta solli kudutthAr. appa nA ithe thAn panninEn. avar sonnAR, kAnchipuratthula irunthundu nee yEn kAmAkshi ya dhyAnichindu pAda mAttEngara? aduttha tharava nA manasula kAmAkshiya dhyAnichindu pAdinEn, Venkatrama Iyer ku kannula thanniyE vanthudutthu. Yethukku sollavarEnnA, yenna namba sAdhagam pannAlum, bhagavAna dhyAnichindu pAdinA, athOda tripthiyE thani."

bilahari
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:02

Post by bilahari »

vpadmana, thank you for recounting your meeting with DKP. She does have a very good point!

vpadmana
Posts: 46
Joined: 23 Sep 2006, 05:08

Post by vpadmana »

Dear sramaswamy, thanks for posting the translation.

prashant
Posts: 1658
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:01

Post by prashant »

[quote="vpadmana"]
To this, she replied, "nee kamakshi ya dhyAnichindu pAdinA sangati thAnA varum. atha patthi nee kavalai pad vEndiyathu illai. TL Venkatrama Iyer thAn yenakku intha pAttta solli kudutthAr. appa nA ithe thAn panninEn. avar sonnAR, kAnchipuratthula irunthundu nee yEn kAmAkshi ya dhyAnichindu pAda mAttEngara? aduttha tharava nA manasula kAmAkshiya dhyAnichindu pAdinEn, Venkatrama Iyer ku kannula thanniyE vanthudutthu. Yethukku sollavarEnnA, yenna namba sAdhagam pannAlum, bhagavAna dhyAnichindu pAdinA, athOda tripthiyE thani."

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by rajeshnat »

Bombay Jayashri reviewed by SVK whose favourite is always sadguru thyagarAja
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/07/16/stor ... 390400.htm

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by venkatakailasam »

'E'-SWARA-07-Mumbai Jayasree - Engu nan selven ayyah-Dwajanthi
click on the image-You can hear the song.

Image



' 'E'-SWARA-05-Mumbai Jayasree - Thottu Thottu pesa varan-Behag -
Image



venkatakailasam

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by venkatakailasam »

The song kAmAkSi-varalakSmi--bilahari referred to above rendered by Shri DKJ can be listened here at post #149

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic. ... &start=125

venkatakailasam

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by rajeshnat »

A week before there were lots of ads for this concert , like 5 days to go, ... 3 days to go, 1 day to go. I was wondering about the concert , here is the review of BJ's concert.
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2949793.ece

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by rajeshnat »

hmmm ...the gamut of musical experiences
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article3746093.ece

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by venkatakailasam »

Here is another interview by her...

I am always going to be a rasika: Bombay Jayashree....

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/inter ... ee_1716475

She is a melodious singer over which there is no doubt..

Whether she she loves God or Raga or wants to be a rasika....we always love her music..But what she has done for rasikas?

Are there any concerts of her available for us..for free..??

Her name does not appear in Sp archives...which were removed on her request..if I remember correct..

I do have some of her songs possibly downloaded earlier to her request for removal..

I am not sharing them..

She is more commercial minded..no offense meant..

There are some songs here from an album..

http://ww.smashits.com/collections-of-b ... -7130.html

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by rajeshnat »

May be one can hear music in dance , how can one see music - perhaps only in internet forums
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 570678.ece

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by rajeshnat »

Bj and abhishek are pairing and performing in november fest. Writeup on nov 02 2018

https://www.thehindu.com/november-fest/ ... epage=true

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by rajeshnat »

Writeup post Bombay Jayashri getting the Padmashri award . From The Hindu dated Jan 28 2021
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 686595.ece

Sachi_R
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Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by Sachi_R »

Bombay Jayashri was extremely impressive as the director of the Children's Choir under Bhoomija Trust in Bengaluru some years ago. Here is a video they had uploaded:

https://youtu.be/MJ0TeAGbPvE

Of course the children had been carefully chosen for their musical talent but their grooming and coordinated performance under her direction was very impressive and a most wholesome experience.

All this shows how the present-day stars have multidimensional talents.


Also Bombay Jayashri was simply outstanding in that movie Margazhi Raga along with TMK.

A well-deserved honour indeed. Congrats to the Vidushi

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

Re: Bombay Jayashri

Post by shankarank »

Congratulations to the vidushi. Lot of great work and following that she developed in an era that was challenging for CM.

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