Balaji Shankar

Carnatic Musicians
Post Reply
mridhangam
Posts: 976
Joined: 04 Dec 2006, 13:56

Post by mridhangam »

Vow thank you. Actually in the article mentioned above I am playing for him. anyone noticed ? thank you. I got a pic too.

JB

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

Post by vijay »

I suspected it was our Balaji sir - good to see the two Balaji's in action!

I know he was in Polaris. One of my friends was working with him but has lost touch now. He said it was more to do with Disillusionment that losing voice/confidence etc. Wonder if he is still with that company...

Balaji's was one of my first (in fact my first) carnatic concert and deserves a fair bit of credit for winning me over to CM althogh I had already been hooked to a few records by then. This was at the Tamil Sangam in Delhi, summer 1998 - I had actually gone to attend Sudha's performance - Balaji's concert was more of a curtain raiser - but the fantastic Kambhoji (I was too much of a greenhorn to remember krithi - in fact in those days I used to get bored after the alaapana!), managed to eclipse Sudha that day.

Fast forward to Chennai '99 when I walked, wide-eyed, into the bustle of the Music Season...alas, while it was a very enjoyable first season, my idol, Balaji Shankar, was nowhere to be seen...I will have to live the Kambhoji main piece at Tamil Sangam as my only live experience of Balaji Shankar...but who knows...

mridhangam
Posts: 976
Joined: 04 Dec 2006, 13:56

Post by mridhangam »

Members

Actually Subbudu Wrote in one review about Balaji's concert at Mylapore Fine Arts (1.30) way back where i played. I can only transliterate :

"Rendu Balajiyum stage la Alamelumanga thayarum perumaalum pola kai serthu dance aadina pola effect irundudu"

J.Balaji

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

Post by prashant »

I was just listening to some of Sri Balaji Shankar's music this morning. What a voice!!! Incredibly silky with great depth especially in the lower octave. He's performed in Mumbai several times - wonder if I can dig up some recordings of those concerts. Will check on getting back home.

sureshvv
Posts: 5523
Joined: 05 Jul 2007, 18:17

Post by sureshvv »

And the stacatto brigas - I remember a concert in the late 90s where the accompanying young violinist was pleading with him to go easy on the briga laden passages!

samanth
Posts: 15
Joined: 16 Oct 2007, 23:52

Post by samanth »

Prashant: If you can really dig up some new recordings, I know that I for one would be indebted forever. The same five studio albums have been doing the rounds for some time now, and a few live recordings would be incredible.

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

Post by vijay »

Let's list the albums Samanth mentions:

Double cassette album released by HMV from Season 98 featuring Kalyani and Kharaharapriya
Kalavardhini release (not sure of the songs now)
An album featuring Tholijanmamu in Bilahari and Seethamma Mayamma in Vasantha

There's probably one more that I have stacked away somewhere but I cannot recall which. So that leaves at least one more album that I am not aware of.

Anyway, I second Samanth's request...

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

Post by prashant »

samanth wrote:Prashant: If you can really dig up some new recordings, I know that I for one would be indebted forever. The same five studio albums have been doing the rounds for some time now, and a few live recordings would be incredible.
Will check as soon as I get back to Mumbai in a couple of days.

List of recordings - there's also the AIR recording that's popular - daya jUDa / bhaktuni CAritramu / karuNAkaranE / talli ninnu nEra nammiti / Adena pADuvE

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

Post by prashant »

OK Balaji Shankar fans - looks like I might have some 'Bombay halwa' for you :-)

Watch this space in the hours [and days] to come...

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

Post by vijay »

Drooling already....

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

Post by prashant »

Here's a nice kharaharapriyA AlApanA - https://download.yousendit.com/108120641D108B88

rbharath
Posts: 2326
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Post by rbharath »

aah.
i thought prashant was gonna announce his(balaji) return to the music field...

:(

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

Post by prashant »

I wish I had the magical powers to do that, bharath! :-)

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

Post by prashant »


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

Post by vijay »

Many thanks Prashant! Keep em coming....

ram
Posts: 705
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:48

Post by ram »

Thank you so much Prashant!

rbharath
Posts: 2326
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Post by rbharath »

thanks a ton prashant.
does it also have a preceeding alapanai?

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

Post by rshankar »

Prashant, it was a treat - (Balaji) Shankar singing ShankarAcAryam in ShankarAbharaNam!

On a more serious note, it was very, very nice! Thanks!
Last edited by rshankar on 27 Jun 2008, 23:01, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by arasi »

and Shankar enjoyed listening to it...

PUNARVASU
Posts: 2498
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Post by PUNARVASU »

Arasi,
For Shankar,by Shankar ,on Shankar(AchAryA),in shankar(AbharaNam).
BTW, I am a Shankar too.

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

Post by rshankar »

Welcome to the club!

Arasi :)

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

Post by prashant »

tAnam in kharaharapriyA - http://www.sendspace.com/file/dopra5

cienu
Posts: 2387
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40

Post by cienu »

Fabulous Sankaracharyam.. thanks a million, Prashant.. :)
BTW , pardon me , but kindly elaborate on who is the violin vidwan DSS ?

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

Post by prashant »

Cienu: it is Delhi Sri Sundararajan.

Here is the SankarAbharaNam AlApanA for bharath and all other Balaji Shankar fans: http://www.sendspace.com/file/splm9z

Pallavi coming up...

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

Post by prashant »

... and here it is: http://www.sendspace.com/file/43ywpx

Such a beautifully sung pallavi - first popularized by Sri Balaji's great Guru Sangita Kalanidhi Sri DKJ.
Last edited by prashant on 28 Jun 2008, 09:54, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by prashant »

tulasammA - dEvagAndhAri - http://www.sendspace.com/file/kbib4g

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

Post by prashant »


rbharath
Posts: 2326
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Post by rbharath »

thats awesome prashant...

waiting for the rest..

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

Post by prashant »


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

Post by prashant »

A rollicking AbhOgi. shrI mahA gaNapatE - http://www.sendspace.com/file/0e5ufd

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

Post by prashant »


ragam-talam
Posts: 1896
Joined: 28 Sep 2006, 02:15

Post by ragam-talam »

Wow, thanks for all the wonderful music uploads of Balaji, Prashant.
The Abhogi piece is especially delicious.

Here are a couple of video clips of DKJ where you can see a young Balaji Shankar providing vocal support for the maestro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Q9dqFSVyA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtlPDY0Wouo

rasaali
Posts: 172
Joined: 05 Feb 2007, 10:08

Post by rasaali »

vijay wrote:Balaji's was one of my first (in fact my first) carnatic concert and deserves a fair bit of credit for winning me over to CM althogh I had already been hooked to a few records by then. This was at the Tamil Sangam in Delhi, summer 1998 - I had actually gone to attend Sudha's performance - Balaji's concert was more of a curtain raiser - but the fantastic Kambhoji (I was too much of a greenhorn to remember krithi - in fact in those days I used to get bored after the alaapana!), managed to eclipse Sudha that day.
Vijay
If you are referring to the concert held in Tamil Sangam on April 4 1998 the main was Sri Raghuvara Prameya in Kamboji. Just to jog your memory this particular concert started with Neelayadakshi in Parasu and he also sang Parandamavati (Dharmavati). Does that ring a bell? Are we talking about the same concert?

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

Post by prashant »

Enjoy the tAnam - pallavi tomorrow - http://www.sendspace.com/file/5ifec3

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

Post by prashant »

Kal kya hoga, kisko pata - abhi zindagi ka le lo mazaa. Ergo, here is the pallavi - good night all! Will be back tomorrow with a few more goodies. Sadly, will run out of stock very soon,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4k6bkt

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Thanks Prashant. Great stuff. His voice especially on the Kharaharapriya pallavi is so smooth and effortless.

1) Is the thala of the Ranjani pallavi Misra Chapu?

2) In the Kharaharapriya pallavi, I counted 25 for one avarthana and I can fit that with Khanda Eka. I have not heard any pallavis in Khanda Eka before so I do not know what the convention for the Arudhi position etc. for that thala is so I am not sure. If I go with arudhi on the first beat of Khanda Eka the eduppu is on the third beat. Enough of my speculation, what is the thala for the Kharaharapriya pallavi?

Thanks.

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

Post by rshankar »

prashant wrote:Kal kya hoga, kisko pata - abhi zindagi ka le lo mazaa
Reminds me of a small part from one of those inspirational poems that are usual parts of the curriculum in schools:

kAl karE so Aj
Aj karE so ab
pal mein parlay hOyEgI
bahuri karOgE kab?

(Should there be (hOyEgI) a deluge (pralay/parlay) this very second (pal mein), when (kab) will you complete (bahuri karOgE) your tasks - So, please finish (karE) what is scheduled for tomorrow (kAl karE) today (Aj), and what is slotted for today (Aj karE), immediately (ab)!)

Should be the mantra for people like me who have advanced degrees in the science and art form of procrastination! :)

Prashant, thanks (anantakOTi thanks) - in the comments section of the ranjani pallavi track the tALa is mentioned as chaurAsra jhampa (khaNDa gati) - Please explain!

Ravi

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Thanks Ravi for mentioning about the comments section of the mp3. I did not notice it before.

I can see now count wise why both misra chapu (7) and chathusra jathi jampa (7), khanda gathi (5) = 35 fits. Prashant, now I am also curious why it is the latter and not the former. Thanks.

I latched on to misra chapu since it fit the count and also felt comfortable with the built-in layam matching with the misra-chapu stutter step pattern. But I felt that something is not right since it took 5 avarthanams of Misra chapu to complete the line which is unusual.

After I learnt about the khanda gathi, now I can comfortably keep the thalam in khanda chapu as well. There are enough stresses in the song to fit both khanda and misra chapu pattern and also work in the thala structure of chathusra jathi jampa, khanda gathi. Quite amazing. The number 35 provides a convenient way for all these three to meet in a natural way.

Now, while on the gathi bandwagon, I have to go back to the Kharaharapriya pallavi and put in the possibility of Misra Jathi Jampa, Khanda Gathi as a better fit. It fits nicely with the arudhi stress falling on the usual fulcrum point of the thala and also the built-in layam of the pallavi matches the thala structure.

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

Post by prashant »

Let me try my hand at explaining and let's go with the ranjani pallavi first.

As per what I have learnt, pallavis should not be sung in misra CApu since there is no arudi to the tALam. Therefore, vasanthakokilam, what you mention here as misra CApu is actually tisra rUpaka [misra gati] here. Let me post the calculations of the pallavi:

'paramEshwari kripAkari shankari pAhi mAm, ranjani niranjani'

pa - 1 ra - 1 mE - 2 shwa - 1 ri - 2 [1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 7]

kri - 1 pA - 2 ka - 1 ri - 2 [1 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 6]

shan - 2 ka - 1 ri - 2 [2 + 1 + 2 = 5]

pA - 2 hi - 1 [2 + 1] = 3

mAm - 4 [arudi] = 4

ran - 2 ja - 1 ni - 2 [2 + 1 + 2 = 5]

ni - 1 ran - 2 ja - 1 ni - 1 [1 + 2 + 1 = 5]

Total aksharas = 7 + 6 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 5 = 35

Therefore, as correctly mentioned by vasanthakokilam, this can be sung in tisra rUpaka [misra gati] i.e. [3 + 2] x 7 = 35 or chaturAsra jhampa [khaNDa gati] i.e. [4 + 3] x 5 = 35

Why I feel this is in the latter tALa [apart from a few places where the beats fall exactly as per this :-)] is that the eDuppu comes 1 aksharam before samam in this structure [atIta eDuppu] which gives a nice feeling of 'tautness' in the pallavi structure. If you sing this pallavi in tisra rUpaka [misra gati] the eDuppu is at samam from the laghu and does not have the same 'taut' feel to it.

That's only my personal feeling however, and of course it is eminently possible to sing in this tALa!

Sorry for the overly long [and possibly redundant :-)] explanation!
Last edited by prashant on 30 Jun 2008, 09:43, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by prashant »

kharaharapriyA:

vasanthakOkilam - you are spot-on! This pallavi is in tisra rUpaka [5 - kaLai] where the arudi falls on the first beat of the drutam. Let me post the calculations:

'mA pazhanimalai magapatiyE nI vA, vEl mayiluDanE'

mA - 2

pa - 1 zha -1 ni - 1 ma - 1 lai - 1

ma - 1 ga - 1 pa - 1 ti - 1 yE - 1

nI - 1

vA - 5 [arudi]

vEl - 2

ma - 1 yil - 1 u - 1 Da - 1 nE - 1

Total = 25 aksharas

Therefore the eDuppu will be on the 3rd akshara in the laghu [each beat = 5 aksharas] and arudi will therefore be at the first beat in the dhrutam.

As Sri Balaji Shankar sings, this can be reduced to tisra rUpaka [khaNDa gati] and further to tisra rUpaka [khanDa laghu - perhaps incorrect terminology - maybe Balaji Sir or sankIrNam can correct].
Last edited by prashant on 30 Jun 2008, 09:44, edited 1 time in total.

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Prashant: Thanks very much. You are a great teacher. This is the kind of elaboration that is needed for interested rasikas like me.

This thisra rupaka with a non-chathusra gathi opens up a lot of possibilities. I am catching up.

A question. Arudhi stress normally falls on the anga somewhere near the mid point of the thala avarthana and not samam, right? ( that may be a wrong assumption ). If that is the case, the structure of the ranjani pallavi is 3+2 ( misra gathi ) rather than 2+3 (misra gathi ). Rupaka is traditionally drutham followed by laghu ( 2+ laghu count), being the only one to start with a drutham. That may be another reason to go to chathusra jampa, khanda gathi.

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

Post by prashant »

vasanthakokilam wrote:A question. Arudhi stress normally falls on the anga somewhere near the mid point of the thala avarthana and not samam, right? ( that may be a wrong assumption ). If that is the case, the structure of the ranjani pallavi is 3+2 ( misra gathi ) rather than 2+3 (misra gathi ). Rupaka is traditionally drutham followed by laghu ( 2+ laghu count), being the only one to start with a drutham. That may be another reason to go to chathusra jampa, khanda gathi.
I agree on arudi as well as the 3 + 2 (misra gati) structure of ranjani pallavi.

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

Post by vijay »

Hi Rasaali - thanks for jogging my memory...I arrived only when the kambhoji was being sung, maybe towards the end of the alaapana...it was definitely April 98...also it might have been Hyd Sisters after Balaji and not Sudha...

Really felt good to go back to that concert after all these years...many thanks!!

rasaali
Posts: 172
Joined: 05 Feb 2007, 10:08

Post by rasaali »

vijay wrote:Hi Rasaali - thanks for jogging my memory...I arrived only when the kambhoji was being sung, maybe towards the end of the alaapana...it was definitely April 98...also it might have been Hyd Sisters after Balaji and not Sudha...

Really felt good to go back to that concert after all these years...many thanks!!
Vijay,

You're welcome. It was indeed a good concert. Was a special one for me too. :)

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

Post by vijay »

Yeah...10 years back...whew! Really whizzed past!

rasaali
Posts: 172
Joined: 05 Feb 2007, 10:08

Post by rasaali »

vijay wrote:Yeah...10 years back...whew! Really whizzed past!
Indeed! Anyway, I pressed submit halfway through my post. The concert was spl for me as I had the privilege of providing violin accompaniment to Balaji Shankar.

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

Post by prashant »

Wow!!! It's a privilege to have you here, rasaali. That's incredible that you accompanied Sri Balaji. Would definitely like to know more about you and your musical journey if you do not mind posting here.

rasaali
Posts: 172
Joined: 05 Feb 2007, 10:08

Post by rasaali »

prashant wrote:Wow!!! It's a privilege to have you here, rasaali. That's incredible that you accompanied Sri Balaji. Would definitely like to know more about you and your musical journey if you do not mind posting here.
Prashant- Time to let the cat out of the bag, I suppose. You and I have met. And I am a regular chota-mota (pun intended) aadmi, an amateur violinist and fellow rasika. :) As for my "musical journey", it started in Delhi and continues (by God's grace) on the weekends in the US now.

I learnt violin from Smt Vanaja Aravamuthan, Sri V. Janakiraman (guru of Delhi Sunderarajan) and continue to learn from my uncle Sri Kovai B. Dakshinamurthy of AIR Chennai.

The concert in question was organized by Music Education Trust's Delhi chapter and Vijay's repeated references to the same motivated me to provide more details as it was special for me to accompany an artiste of this calibre.

Fortunate as I was to hear the good Kamboji from close quarters, I guess I should also feel happy (lucky??) that I did not do sufficient damage on stage to put our friend Vijay off from CM for life. :) :)

Best,
KVS Vinay

PUNARVASU
Posts: 2498
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Post by PUNARVASU »

Rasaali,
I have heard Kovai Shri B.Dakshinamoorthy long back and also his sister Kovai B.Gnanambal(I hope I remebered the name right.) Of late I have not heard them;was wondering about it. I used to like thier music.
Last edited by PUNARVASU on 01 Jul 2008, 04:05, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by arasi »

rasaali,
Another vidvAn among us! Your 'vidvat' is out of the bag now :)

Ravi,
Wish I had heard and followed the wisdom in the verse a long time ago. At this point in my life, how much more meaning it carries!

Post Reply