M.L.Vasanthakumari

Carnatic Musicians
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thanjavooran
Posts: 2972
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by thanjavooran »

A share from my friend

From G N B's brother


I would like to share an anecdote relating to MLV.

My brother GNB's eldest daughter Jayalaksmi's marriage was fixed, I think , in 1959/60. She was literally crazy of MLV. and MLV never left our house whenever she visited us for learning music, without spending some time with her. My brother, immediately fixed his MANASIKA Guru Ariyakydi's concert for the reception.

When MLV came to know of the marriage, she told my brother that she will sing for her reception. My brother had to tell her about the concert already fixed. She immediately said, " What if? Let him sing as usual at 6 PM reception and I will sing in the night at 9PM. My brother readily consented , to his daughters great delight.

Needless to say, both the performances were extra-ordinarily superb and when the function was over, when all of us, family members went to the Dining hall at 12.30AM, there was nothing left except for rice, Vathakuzhambu and Curd rice. The big pandal at Edward Elliot's road was overflowing with rasikas .

This is yet another instance to show her dedication to her Guru as also the spontaneous warmth and affection she had for all of in our family. A lovable personality indeed, whose memory we very fondly cherish.

sankark
Posts: 2321
Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

What a musician. Here she is at it again - seems a all GNB song concert @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IemyWwHVhSQ

Prakash Narayan Rao's youtube is a treasure trove indeed!

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

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by arasi »

Thanjavooran,
A big thanks! The lady (a true one) is remembered for her large heart and kind ways by many and this from her guru's family is precious...

Sankark,
We miss you and Sridharang in the KavithaigaL forum :( Thanks for bringing PNRao's offering here to us. Listening to it now...

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

Be back soon. Intend to continue with Kannan Kadhai Amudham

kedharam
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Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kedharam »

Devour this masterly amruthavarshini from one of the most compelling trailblazers of our time on her birthday, 3rd of July -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JunNQ4nLguE

K Nagarajan
Posts: 138
Joined: 09 Jul 2015, 22:19

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by K Nagarajan »

There was a video that runs for just 5 minutes of a performance of MLV of a composition of Sri.Muthuswamy Dikshidar 'Pahimam Parvatim Parameswarim' in the raga Mohanam and this was available in the YouTube for sometime but is not available now.

If anyone has a copy of this available with him, may please upload again and give the link.

K.Nagarajan

kedharam
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Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kedharam »

Remembering the legend - Oct 31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk1uCURBEYg

kartheeksharma
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Joined: 02 Nov 2015, 11:49

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kartheeksharma »

any Hindi Bhajans by MLV?

skbc1
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Joined: 09 Jul 2010, 23:50

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by skbc1 »

Did Smt. MLV ever sing "Eppo Varuvaro" (Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Jonpuri)? If so, if anyone could post a link, that would be much appreciated!

Sincerely,
Bhaskar

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »


varsha
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Joined: 24 Aug 2011, 15:06

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »


sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

varsha wrote:MLV is MLV !!!!
+1 (as many as possible again).

Ended up through this topic in one of MLV's concert. And the first song is thEdith thEdi - posted the lyrics @
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic ... 11&t=27890. Where did she find these gems? Did she tune/notate them or she learnt on her own from notations?

sarvAntaryAmi - perhaps MA concert for the centenary bi-centenary of Thyagaraja - again she seems to be the only one to have sung it in a concert. I haven't come across anyone else rendering that one.

Update: that is a Ambujam Krishna song.

CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by CRama »

What is the ragam of thedi thedi? I have not heard that so far.
Sarvantharyami- Radha Jayalakshmi has also sung that.
There is another rare song of Tyagaraja in that concert of MLV- Kshetrapalaka in Bilahari. I have not heard that song from any body else.

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

CRama wrote:What is the ragam of thedi thedi? I have not heard that so far.
thOdi

The link for the concert is available in the topic I have posted in Sahitya forum. You could download and listen. Starts with thOdi and a fantastic mOhanam + tAnam + yEn paLLi. Haven't yet listened to the rest of the concert.

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdDefl9E7AU from 1960

Any references to MLV's Huseni/Mukhari/Manji/Ahiri/Asaveri/Saveri/YKK/MMG?

kedharam
Posts: 419
Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kedharam »

Remembering the legend, Oct 31 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk1uCURBEYg

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

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

Any references to MLV's Huseni/Mukhari/Manji/Ahiri/Asaveri/Saveri/YKK/MMG?

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/bm94m59mzq8ag/mlv

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

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

Any references to MLV's Huseni/Mukhari/Manji/Ahiri/Asaveri/Saveri/YKK/MMG?
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/bm94m59mzq8ag/mlv
Remembering the legend, Oct 31
And what a fine one !!! Thanks

kvchellappa
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Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kvchellappa »


sivachinta1965
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Joined: 13 Dec 2007, 11:32

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sivachinta1965 »

Dear Rasikas

That 1960 concert of Smt MLV seems to be a concert of some later year. Her sound is seems to be more like that of late 70s and some voice to support her in the audio? Can somebody clarify?

Sivaprasad

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

varsha wrote:Any references to MLV's Huseni/Mukhari/Manji/Ahiri/Asaveri/Saveri/YKK/MMG?

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/bm94m59mzq8ag/mlv
thanks much varsha.


varsha
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Joined: 24 Aug 2011, 15:06

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »


kedharam
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Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kedharam »

Thank you :) :) :)

kedharam
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kedharam »

On MLV's Birth Anniversary :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AypG0sNBipE

:) :) :)


shankarank
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Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by shankarank »

Saw this come up hot out of the oven:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5JlLNHDVz8

shankarank
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Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by shankarank »

I listened to this in entirety. While I enjoyed the rAgam, I don't think MLV's music evolved enough to handle a 1/4th and a kriti like this. Her intonations simply don't measure up to express the grandeur of the kriti - where most of the musical investment is in the laya and to me gamaka is more laya than Sruti!

pattamaa
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Joined: 22 Nov 2009, 10:24

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by pattamaa »

varshaji - thanks a bunch for rare narayani alapana and keerthana !! great treat indeed.


SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

I should have come to this thread a very long time ago (it's almost an injustice that only after hundreds of posts I'm talking about this) -- I am a die hard fan of MLV Amma's music. I got introduced to her singing from a collection of old cassettes (I think the famous Baro Krishnaiya was one of the very first recordings I heard) and was (and still is) totally blown away by her vidwat, her unrestrained imagination and her melodious voice. Those cassettes have since then (fortunately) been converted. There was a time in high school where I was listening only to MLV for sometime. My violin guru is also a huge rasika of MLV and taught me quite a few krithis in her style.

Her Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai renditions are center piece on our family's list during Margazhi.

One of my special memories is when a family acquaintance asked for some collections of MLV. I later came to know that she had played them for a friend who was in the last stages of cancer and who very badly wanted to hear MLV amma's music in her final few days (it was almost her last wish) and that the music had been soothing balm to her.

One of the most amazing things I had read about was from V Sriram's Carnatic Summer about how her mother (Madras Lalithangi) and MLV painstakingly notated and learnt over a thousand padas of Purandaradasa and other dasar padas (MLV was 13 then). I wonder if any old copies of that book might be still around (it's the smartphone era, scanning might save an old treasure).

MLV was a complete musician. What stands out in all the recordings I have is the verve and racy energy in her singing -- there are songs that are taken at a tempo that I can only describe as "formidable" -- that adjective. Her kalpanaswaras were spectacular and the kind of patterns and endings that she found in them could have been patented as uniquely hers.

Here's a spectacular Shubha Panthuvarali Ragam and Tanam : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwF-qemHPlo (This raga was an MLV speciality)
And another one in Mohanam : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YPzF8lvE2U&t=1819s -- Watch for the Shruti bhedam to Hindolam at around 15:20

SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

And speaking of formidable, listen to this. It's what happens when you tear through the raga and krithi leaving scorched earth in your wake.

https://soundcloud.com/user461654480/an ... -sivan-mlv

I've yet to hear another rendition of Ananda naTam AduvAr thillai like this one -- like the fury of the Siva tandava itself, it hits you like a train.

(And yes, it's a step sharp on the pitch, but that's typical on private cassettes).

shankarank
Posts: 4042
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by shankarank »

Srinath, she is to GNB what somebody like Vijay Siva is to DKJ - even if style is imbibed the nAdam emission is not quite there! Speed is not the issue or even a solution to this. This is true of her attempts at traditional heavy weight compositions.

She shines on the lighter a bit slower side of the music!

Again in judging this - I don't bring in much of knowledge of music to bear! In this entire city of Dallas with many learned music people, only two of us appreciate Dr BMK - the other one actually sings like him - the rest of them don't even consider him, unless they are from Andhra and have some connection to him.

So I have not that much consideration for knowledge of methods of music, if you pardon me.

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

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

Here's a spectacular Shubha Panthuvarali Ragam and Tanam : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwF-qemHPlo (This raga was an MLV speciality)
and spectacular pallavi ....
https://archive.org/details/MlvRtpShubhapantuvarali
same track . complete .

melam72
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by melam72 »

SrinathK wrote: 19 Aug 2017, 00:11 I wonder if any old copies of that book might be still around (it's the smartphone era, scanning might save an old treasure).
Here you go:

http://www.ibiblio.org/guruguha/MusicRe ... A-0019.pdf

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

melam72 wrote: 19 Aug 2017, 10:49
SrinathK wrote: 19 Aug 2017, 00:11 I wonder if any old copies of that book might be still around (it's the smartphone era, scanning might save an old treasure).
Here you go:

http://www.ibiblio.org/guruguha/MusicRe ... A-0019.pdf
Thank you very much!

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

And here's one of my favourites : https://soundcloud.com/user461654480/ba ... shitar-mlv

I read somewhere on this forum that Veena Dhanammal taught this song only to MLV's mother, Madras Lalithangi (perhaps it was RaviSri who mentioned it).

The Bhairavi alapana is a tour-de-force in this recording (this was the first elaborate alapana of Bhairavi I had heard at the time I was just about capable of understanding alapanas and I was stunned). The swaras are riveting.

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Here's an old recording of endha vEdugO O rAgavA in saraswati manOhari from a film (1948). MLV must have been barely 20 when this recording was done, and it was for a film, but already all the signs of her energetic style are all in place :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM3ouTVDwt0

The early MLV had an effortless range in the upper octave. It was only in her later years when recalcitrant health and tragic circumstances got in the way that it got weaker (though never so much that it compromised the melodiousness of her voice - she found a way around it by using a fair amount of falsetto in her few years).

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

And another personal favourite : https://soundcloud.com/user461654480/un ... esigar-mlv

This raga is wickedly difficult - having R1 G2 M2 D1 and N2 with no panchamam, it's swaras are the most inconvenient and oddly spaced combination there is of any scale out there. If it were mapped to a C scale it would be all sharps or flats. But MLV handles it with no problems.

Govindaswamy
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by Govindaswamy »

This kriti starts as ఎంత వేడుకొందు రాఘవ/enta vEDukondu rAghava/ऎन्त वेडुकॊन्दु राघव/எந்த வேடு3கொந்து3 ராக4வ/ ಎಂತ ವೇಡುಕೊಂದು ರಾಘವ/എന്ത വേഡുകൊന്ദു രാഘവ
Courtesy Mr.V.Govindan

SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Govindaswamy wrote: 26 Aug 2017, 09:07 This kriti starts as ఎంత వేడుకొందు రాఘవ/enta vEDukondu rAghava/ऎन्त वेडुकॊन्दु राघव/எந்த வேடு3கொந்து3 ராக4வ/ ಎಂತ ವೇಡುಕೊಂದು ರಾಘವ/എന്ത വേഡുകൊന്ദു രാഘവ
Courtesy Mr.V.Govindan
Ok. It's enta vEDukondu rAghava

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Here's a vintage concert from 1960 (Song list copied from the link) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdDefl9E7AU&t=6112s

Venue: Perambur Sangeetha Sabha
Year: 1960

Accompanists: Unknown

01 EraNapai Todi Varna Adi Patnam Subramania Iyer
02 EkadantamBhajeham Bilahari Chapu Muttuswami Dikshitar
03 Mamava Sada kanada Rupaka Swati Thirunal
04 Lalisidalu Magana Yashode Arabhi Adi Purandaradasa
05 Begada Alapana
06 Neevera Begada Misra chapu Tyagaraja
07 Yagnadhulu Jeyamanohari Adi Tyagaraja
08 Kambodhi alapana
09 EvariMata Kambhoji Adi Tyagaraja
10 Kanda Vandarul Bhimpalas Tala PapanasamSivan -- The song list says Bhimplas, but note the D1 (these old variations are extinct species today)
11 Kannara kande achutana kanchi punya varALi Adi Purandaradasa
12 Todi alapana
13 Tana
14 Pallavi (sri rAma jaya rAma jaya rAma -- sItA rAma) tani
15 Paarkadal Ragamalike
16 bArO KrishNayyA MAnd Adhi KanakadAsa
17 Idhu Sakasamulu Saindhavi Adi SwathiThirunal
18 Mangalam

This is one of those rare recordings of MLV at her absolute peak -- not many recordings like this exist. It's a revelation for me personally, since virtually all other recordings I have are quite a bit after this period. The quality of this particular recording is also quite good.

The highlights are the alapanas of Todi and Kambhoji. MLV's alapana is as remarkable as her manodharma is effortless. Her voice is in impeccable form here and dispatches even the toughest phrases with aplomb - it's equally at ease in any sthayi with a huge range, tremendous brighas and climbs all the way up to the N2 above the upper Sa with no problems.

I'll update this after I'm done listening to the whole concert...

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by rshankar »

ARI-esque - same rAgam for the varNam and the RTP.

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

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

This is one of those rare recordings of MLV at her absolute peak
INDEED.A real gem.
Khamboji alapana has lightening , thunder , rainfall .. And after all that, sunshine peeping through.

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Speaking of lightning, the shruti bhedam from Thodi to Mohanam (via Kalyani by shifting up to R1) occurs in that alapana of Thodi -- it happens so fast and so naturally (at 2:02:19 to 2:02:35 in the video) that it seems like child's play.

Here's a documentary on MLV courtesy of DD (it has clippings from her last concert (bArO krishNaiya and mangaLam) and some vintage photos. There's even a demonstration of a shruti bhedam in kharaharapriya to kalyAni, along with footage from some other DD programs, and interviews from family, students and others)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJpZE3hjRsw&t=615s

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by rajeshnat »

She is a tigress in that ragamaliga parkadal alaimelE.

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

To all the people in small towns of Tamilnadu, MLV 's rendering of the 30 Thiruppaavai songs ,is , a treasure to be cherished for ever, though they may not know much of the intricate details of Carnatic music. Luckily, all the 30 songs are now available in the following link.
https://archive.org/details/Thiruppavai ... MLV_201612
As a lay-rasika, I have heard all the songs for so many years but am able to identify only about a dozen ragams. May I request SrintahK and other MLV rasikas to mention the raga of each song? It will be a good primer for all students to identify the ragam from well-known and sweetly rendered short-duration songs.
( Not that , I do not like MLV's classical songs like 'Apadhooru', 'Sangeetha Gnanamu' and other famous records) Kindly help in creating a site for MLV's Thiruppaavai records along with tamil lyrics. as bonus. Arasi madam will approve, I hope

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

@RSR, here you go.

1 01-Margazhi Thingal - 02:53 - nATa
2 02-Vaiyathu Vazhveergal - 02:54 - gauLa
3 03-Ongi Ulagalantha - 02:35 - Arabhi
4 04-Azhimazhai Kanna - 03:00 - varALi
5 05-Maayanai Mannu - 02:48 - shrI
6 06-Pullum Silambina Kaan - 02:53 - shankarAbharaNam
7 07-Keesu Keesendruengum - 02:51 - bhairavi
8 08-Kizhvaanam Vellendru - 02:49 - dhanyAsi
9 09-Thoomanimadathu - 02:46 - hamir kalyANi
10 10-Notru Chuvarkam - 02:58 - thODi
11 11-Katrukaravai Kanangal - 03:02 - husEni
12 12-Kanaithilang Katrerumai - 02:56 - kedAragauLa
13 13-Pullinvaai Keendanai - 02:45 - aTHANA
14 14-Ungal Puzhakkadai - 02:51 - Ananda bhairavi
15 15-Elle Elang Kiliye - 02:53 - begaDA
16 16-Nayakannai Nindra - 02:50 - mOhanam
17 17-Ambarame Thaneere - 02:54 - kalyANi
18 18-Unthu Mathakalitran - 02:50 - sAvEri
19 19-Kuthu Vilakkeriya - 02:42 - sahAnA
20 20-Muppathu Moovar Amararku - 02:48 - senchuruTTi
21 21-Yetra Kalangal - 02:56 - nAdanAmakriyA
22 22-Anganma Gnalathu - 02:57 - yamunA kalyANi
23 23-Marailamali Muzhanjil - 02:51 - bilahari
24 24-Andrivvulagam Alanthai - 02:50 - sindhubhairavi
25 25-Oruthimaganai Piranthu - 02:58 - behAg
26 26-Maale Manivanna - 02:47 - kuntalavarALi
27 27-Koodarai Vellum Seer - 03:03 - pUrvikalyANi
28 28-Karavaigal Pin Sendru - 02:49 - kambhOji
29 29-Sitransiru Kaalai - 03:00 - madhyamAvati
30 30-Vanga Kadal Kadaintha - 03:01 - suruTTi

SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

And also for thiruvempavai :

1. pOtri yen & Adiyum antamum - bauLi
2. aruNan indiran & pAsam paranjyoti - kEdAram
3. koovina poonguyil & muttana veNNa - bilhari
4. innisai veeNaiyar & oNNithilanagaiyAi - dEvagAndhAri
5. boodangal thOrum & mAlariyA nAn - yadukula kAmbhOji
6. pappara veeTirundu & mAnE nI - khamAs
7. adu pazhacchuvai & annE ivaiyum - reetigauLa
8. muntiya mudal & kozhi chilamba - dhanyAsi
9. viNNaga thEvarum & munnai pazham porutkkum - nATakurinji
10. bhuvaniyil poi & pAtAlam Ezhinum - shuddha sAvEri
11. moyyAr tadam poigai - pUrvikalyANi
12. Artha piravi - shankarAbharaNam
13. painguvaLai - sAvEri
14. kAdAr kuzhaiyADa - karnATaka dEvagAndhAri
15. OrorukkAl - husEni
16. munnikkaDalai - amrtavarshiNi
17. shenkaN avanpAl - vasantabhairavi
18. aNNamalaiyAn - sAmA
19. unkaiyil piLLai - hindOlam
20. poTTriyAruLuganin - maNirangu

kvchellappa
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kvchellappa »

Has MLV sung thiruvempavai all songs?

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