Trivandrum Navaratri Mandapam Concerts 2017

[arasi]

I ask for a favor (of the song list) and get extra, extra. Thanks! Ashok Ramani's sentiments are genuine. From my years of watching him (on streaming) in Cleveland, it wouldn't have been just alankArap pEchu (mere dressed up praise).

Vasantha is a new number, I guess. In sanskrit as well
Of course, there's no Sivan celebration without kaRpagAmbikai or kapAli...

[kvchellappa]

Thanks Suresh.
Sriram had tweeted about ihaparam as it was being sung mentioning that it was sung by Saraswathu Bai first and by MS in Sevasadanam. Sanjay has a knack of feeding the nostalgia of people like he did it with Oho kalame.

[sureshvv]

You are welcome.

Have filled up some details that I could not remember before.

[Sriram SL]

September 29 , Friday (Final Day)

Vocal - Sri Vishnudev Namboothiri
Violin - Sri Trivandrum Sampath
Mridangam - Sri Nanjil Arul
Morsing - Sri Payyanur Govindaprasad

Krithi List:
1. Sarasijanabha - Kambhoji - Ata Tala (Varnam)
2. Paripahi Ganadhipa - Saveri - Adi
3. Paramananda Natana - Kedaram - Adi
4. Bhavati Vishvaso Me Bhavatu - Mukhari - Misra Chapu
5. Pahi Jagajjanani - Vachaspati - Adi
6. Paramapurusham Hridaya - Lalita Panchamam - Khanda Chapu
7. Pahi Parvata Nandini Mamayi - Arabhi - Adi
8. Manasi Dussahamayyo (Panimatimukhi Bale) - Ahiri - Misra Chapu (Padam)
9. Kalaye Sri Kamalanayane Charane - Chenchurutti - Rupakam
10. Itu sahasamulu - Saindhavi - Adi (Javali)
11. Jamuna Kinare - Misra Pilu - Adi

I feel that singers should give a little more attention to the Sahitya of the Krithi and go for judicious word-splitting.
In the krithi 'pAhi parvata nandini mAmayi', the anupallavi line is 'vAhinItaTanivAsini kEsarivAhanE ditijALividAraNE'.
Most of the singers sing the first line as 'vAhinItaTanivAsini kEsari' and then repeat this line with sangatis. One wonders whether its about a lion (kEsari) who resides on the banks of the river (vAhini) OR is it about the Devi who rides on the lion (kEsarivAhanE) and resides on the banks of the river (vAhinItaTanivAsini).
I understand that sometimes it becomes a bit difficult to split the lines/words strictly adhering to the meaning (which often results in sounding odd), but the singers could be smart about it and have a workaround.
I think Vid. Amrutha Venkatesh deserves accolades in this department; she has set herself an excellent example for giving importance to the sahitya, exhibiting clarity, exercising snesible word-splitting, all the while maintaining the aesthetics cleverly.

[arasi]

Yes, sAhityA bhAva and meaning diminishes with one not paying attention to the meaning of the words and in pausing at the wrong places. As you observe, at times,it is difficult to do. Breath control is needed in other instances to achieve it. He's young. I'm sure he will get better at that. After neraval too, I like to hear the phrases go back to anchoring words which makes sense--not half-gobbled up word (s) which turn out to be nonsensical ones!

[Sriram SL]

I completely agree with you, ma'am.
I also wish to point out that in the above case particularly (a case of mere overlook), breath control does not pose an issue at all, since one could simply stop the first line at 'vAhinItaTanivAsini', sing a few rounds of sangatis, then proceed to sing the next line as 'kEsarivAhanE ditijALividAraNE' and then singing both lines together for the final rounds of sangatis.
I think this is because of the way it is taught by the gurus and students blindly following it without caring to pause for realization. I say this from my own experience, as I used to sing the same wrong way. Earlier, when I began learning music, singing Telugu krithis meant memorizing the words as I had been taught (since I did not speak/understand Telugu back then, now I can understand the basics of the language) without taking an effort to understand what I am singing. I was very young and did not know about the do's and dont's. Later, I became conscious and began to look for the meanings and all. It was then I embarrassingly realised that I was singing many words wrongly (putting it mildly) and splitting the words senselessly; if a Telugu speaker happens to listen he would stab himself, figuratively. What is the point of packing as many sangatis as possible in a line, when the sahitya of the line is being slaughtered
Arasi ma'am has given another important point about Neraval singing.
These are definitely some areas of refinement as far a singer is concerned and I wish more effort is made towards such small, albeit important things.

[gardabha_gana]

க ல க் கி ட் டீ ங் க அ ர சி அ வ ர் க ளே !

Was at a Sivan tribute concert by Sanjay yesterday. 2.5 hours of bliss as only Sanjay can. Ashok Ramani's vote of thanks was heartfelt and each line applauded raucously by the standing audience.

Am I confused? The title and discussion so far was about Navaratri Mandapam concerts... .why have Sivan and Sanjay crept in? Let's keep to the topic - and please start a separate thread for this worthy discussion.

[kvchellappa]

That is why Suresh says 'க ல க் கி ட் டீ ங் க அ ர சி அ வ ர் க ளே !'

[arasi]

kalangAdIr, sridharE, kalangAdIr!
I am still with kaLakaNTi and talapu tAla vaSamA?, the songs I love listening to, and they were sung at Navaratri Mandapam this year...
Still, one thing leads to another (happens as rasikAs are sharing). Here, it strictly stayed with music, and took a detour only to another concert of the same vidvAn in Chennai, soon after his Thiruvanathapuram concert.
Hope we get reviews of other TVM concerts too from those who attended them or listened to them on the web...

[hnbhagavan]

Posting#35

Hey- What is this i wonder?Japanese?

[srkris]

Posting#35

Hey- What is this i wonder?Japanese?

Spam, now deleted.

[pattamaa]

I was fortunate to attend three concerts this year, Prof Venkatraman (Pantuvarali), Padmashri Parassala Ponnamaal (Suddha saveri) and Sarvashree tamarakkadu govindan namudhiri.

Just one one observations... Prof Venkatraman sang several new compositions, which i didn't note down, one of them was behag.. Interesting concert... Ponnammaal amma was pure gold as ever, with restrictions related to voice, old age etc. She sang chaste purvikalyani, nattakurinji and suddha saveri. And what can i saw about tamarakkadu ! just soaked in divine music... as prince rama varma would put it, it was punyaham sprinkled all over navarathri mandapam.. and i could hear MDR music through his music.. Such nidAnam in music... Waiting for Decemeber to hear him again in Naada inbam...