Priya,
Good to hear from you!
Hoping to meet you at least in a couple of concerts
Thanks for bringing the first (?) of December schedules of the artistes! Thanks to Gayathri Girish for the information.
Gayathri's 29th December concert is the one where many of us can meet and savor her music and of Suryaprakash. It's special to all of us because it's in memory of our dear GBL. Thanks to Mohan (Kamalamba on Rasikas.org)) and GBL's family for arranging these concerts by our fellow members.
Very good spectrum of venues and locations including Music academy and variety of programmes- thematic concerts, RTP concert, demonstrations etc. All the best to Gayathri Girish for a very successful season ahead. I will definitely attend some of them and will post the reviews.
Smt.Gayathri Girish Live at Arkay Convention Center for the 4th Anniversary, day 2. it is a lec dem by Dr.Nagaswamy where GG gives vocal support. here is the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zytcCkNDfc
First concert of The Music Season starts today for Smt.Gayathri Girish. Here is the schedule at www.gayathrigirish.blogspot.com. hope to read reviews here. Thanks.
Her thematic concerts on the Myriad forms of Siva are very well researched and insightful. Her singing has always been good. Her voice is very robust, no song of hers ever sounds light. I like her renditions of Om Namo Narayana (Karnaranjani), Aadathu Asangadu Vaa and Hamsanandi tillanna.
Gayathri Girish presented ‘Maa Ramanan- Umaa Ramanan’, a multi-media presentation based on the kritis of Papanasam Sivan. With an excellent team of supportive artists — Mysore V. Srikanth (violin), Poongulam Subramaniam (mridangam) and Kovai S.V. Subramaniam (ganjira), Gayathri took the audience through many kshetras with her visual and vocal presentation. As she sang the songs, the lyrics appeared on the screen with appropriate visuals. She presented Sivan’s three facets — a devotee, poet and a musician.
It was like a lec-dem, and an informative and enjoyable one at that. The time she spent on studying the kritis was evident in the way she classified them, giving examples of the different kinds of devotion, the songs represented. For instance, ‘Nee Indha Maayam’ for Madhurya Bhakti (the Lord as lover), ‘Karunaanidhiyae Thaayae’ (Maternal love), ‘Unnai Allaal’ (Atma samarpan-total surrender) and ‘Unnai Nambi Emaandhaen’ for Nindha stuti (veiled praise).
As a musician, Sivan has no parallel. The choice of the ragas and the sangatis matching the moods of the compositions bring out his mastery of ragas. He shines as a poet, particularly in some compositions.
In the song ‘Nambikkettavar Evarayya’, the word ‘Umai’ would mean ‘you’ the first time and Goddess Uma, the second time. In another composition, he plays with the words — ‘paadha kamalam’ and ‘Paadhaka malam. The former refers to the lotus feet of the lord and the latter to the evil vices.
Gayathri Girish began with, ‘Unnai Thudhikka Varam Thaa’ in Kunthalavarali on Thiruvarur’s main deity, Tyagaraja Swamy. This is said to be Sivan’s first composition. The famous chariot, Tyagesar’s ajapa natanam and the pond Kamalalayam were shown as visuals. ‘Kaana Kann Kodi Vaendum’ in Khambodi had excellent visuals of Pavazhakkaal vimanam, Karpagambal, in the form of a peacock, worshipping Siva and Adhikaara nandhi sevai.
Gayathri presented her main piece, ‘Maa Ramanan, Umaa Ramanan’ in Hindolam, after explaining how Sivan was inspired by Chidambaram Subbaiya Dikshitar’s slokam, ‘Maa Ramanam Umaa Ramanam’. This was followed by an interesting thani. Papanasam Sivan has composed nearly 2,000 songs out of which 60 are in Sanskrit. He has composed ‘Madhyama kala’ sahityams too, inspired by Muthuswamy Dikshithar, said Gayathri. The concert showed that it was possible to curate similar events based on other composers.
Gayathri Girish shines again! My association with her has not only been an endearing one, but a revelation about her skills, hard work and her yearning for excellence in her art.
What she has done even for a much lesser composer like me by singing thirteen songs of mine in her recent CD is something I will cherish. The interesting thing is, the more I hear her sing any song, the better it sounds. Shows her intuitive approach to any composition, the way she gets to the feelings expressed in the words of a song...
arasi wrote:Gayathri Girish shines again! My association with her has not only been an endearing one, but a revelation about her skills, hard work and her yearning for excellence in her art.
Having known her for a long time, I could not agree more!
Saw on Vidushi Smt. Gayatri Girish's page that she received the "Jnanananda Teertha" Ogirala Veera Raghava Sarma Endowment Award this year! I am sure she sang a few of his compositions in the concert that followed.
Congratulations to the Vidushi! Seems ultra-special, as his daughter is a member of this forum!
