Parivadini: Chinnamanur Vijaykarthikeyan - Nagaswaram

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Parivadini and Nada Inbam

Chinnamanur A Vijaykarthikeyan &
Idumbavanam V Prakash Ilayaraja -- Nagaswaram
Nangur N K Selvaganapathi &
Idumbavanam KSK Manikandan -- Tavil

@ Ragasudha Hall, Mylapore, Chennai.
22 July 2018 (Sunday)
10 am-12.35 noon
e sruti-2.5 kattai (D#)

Thanks to the live-streaming and YouTube I could catch up with the excellent Nagaswara concert of the young brigade led by Chinnamanur A Vijaykarthikeyan.

1 Sumansesaranjani-Varnam -Aadi- Dharmapuram Govindaraja Pillai
2 Sourashtram- Sreeganapatini-Tyagaraja
3 Begada-Kadaikkan vaitthennai-Misrachapu-Ramaswamy Sivan
4 Ragavinodini-Aindhezhutthil-Aadi-Dandapani desikar
5 Aahiri-Maayamma-Aadi-Shyama sastri
6 Kannadabangala-Renukadevi-Dikshitar-Khandachapu
7 Kamboji-Ragam & Pallavi- Aadi (2-kalai) covering two cycles
8 Ragamalika alapana suit of 38 ragas followed by Chandrasekhara Easaa (Sindhubhairavi)
9 Huseni-Tirupugazh
10 Madhyamavathi for Mangalam

I hasten to describe the exquisite garland of a Raagamaalika consisting of 38 familiar ragas rendered by Karthikeyan and Ilayaraja in about 10 minutes (briefly yet clearly and duly providing ample time for the Rasika to identify correctly) preceding ‘Chandrasekhara Easaa’. The complementary raga phrases played by the vidwans were enchanting. The ragas were:

1. Sindhubhairavi 2. Hamsanandi 3. Goula 4.Ranjani 5. Mohanam
6. Anandabhairavi 7. Kedaragoula 8. Shanmukhapriya 9. Reetigoula 10.Neelambari
11.Bhoopalam 12.Mayamalavagoula 13. Malayamarutam 14.Bilahari 15.Dhanyasi
16.Saveri 17.Kedaram 18.Suruti 19.Asaveri 20. Saama
21. Behag 22. Bagesri 23.Revathi 24.Arabhi 25.Darbar
26. Natakurinji 27 Varali 28. Kadanakuthuhalam 29.Kaanada 30.Bahudaari
31.Vasantha 32.Purvikalyani 33.Atana 34.Yadukulakamboji 35.Bhairavi
36.Hamir Kalyani 37.Maund 38. Madhyamavathi

On discussing with Lalitharam (Parivadini), I understood that the ragamalika is traditional and played in temples. When the Utsavamurthy enters the temple after completing a procession and on the way to the ‘palliyarai’, a series of ragas are rendered during ‘padi etram’(climbing the steps) – say a raga per step. Thus the Nagaswara vidwan has approximately ten seconds for a step to bring out the raga in quintessence!
What a sweet challenge for the artist and a feast for the devotees and music lovers!

Regarding other compositions, the varnam in Sumanesaranjani and the kriti in Ragavinodini were perhaps being heard by Chennai rasikas for the first time. Begada was nice with sahityasuddhi and perfection in swaraprastaras. Aahiri (maayamma) was quite evocative.

Ragavinodini can be explained colloquially as Ábhogi with Antaragandhara’ taking it near to Ravichandrika!! The duo executed this rare Dandapani desikar composition having a chittaswara with ease.

I was hearing the Dikshitar kriti ‘Renuka Devi’ in a Nagaswara concert for the first time.
The Pallavi (the Thatthukkaara type) rendered after an expansive alapana of Kamboji was typical of the Nagaswaram style presented in temples during Swami purappaadu (when the deity is taken out in procession). The Pallavi covered two cycles of the 2 kalai Aadi talam (with eduppu at samam). The swaraprastaras rich in sarvalaghu sacharas interspersed with different gaits and attractive kurraippu-s ended with a solid korvai matchingly covering two Taala avartas.

The Tani in Tavil by Nangur N K Selvaganapathi & Idumbavanam KSK Manikandan was demonstrative of various laya patterns typical to the vadyam. The package did not deviate from the mode of the Pallavi.
(There are many left handers in Tavil and that comes in handy to pair them in concerts suitably with right handers adding to the symmetry on the stage. This concert was no exception!!

The concert ended with the traditional Tirupugazh in Huseni followed by a sketch of Madhyamavathi.

The Nagaswara melam (as in the case of vocal music) is safe in the hands of the younger generation.

[HarishankarK]

yesterday my friend fwded me link to the ragamalika piece and I got below ragas
1 sindhu bhairavi
2 hamsanandi
3 gowlai
4 ranjani
5 mohanam
6 ananda bhairavi
7 kedara goulai
8 shanmukhapriya
9 reetigowlai
10 neelambari
11 bowli
12 mayamalavagowlai
13 malayamarutham
14 bilahari
15 dhanyasi
16 saveri
17 kedaram
18 suruti
19 Asaveri
20 sama
21 Bageshree
22 Behag
22 Revati
23 Arabhi
24 Darbar
25 Nattai Kurunji
26 Varali
27 Kadhanakuthoohalam
28 Kaanaada
29 Bahudari
30 Vasantha
31 Poorvikalyani
32 Athana
33 Yadukula Kambojhi
34 Mukhari
35 Hamir Kalyani
36 Maandu
37 Madhyamavathi
38 Sindhu Bhairavi

Their playing of all these ragas just for a few seconds one after the other was just amazingly wonderful and clearly all the ragas came out so well !
I think I heard Mukhari and not Bhairavi after Yadukula kambojhi - can someone confirm?

[Sachi_R]

The Sindhubhairavi alapana followed by the Ragamalika starts here:
https://youtu.be/A2a-hNli8xs?t=2h17m29s

Sir I also think it is Bhairavi that comes between Yadukula Kambhoji and Hamir Kalyani. (this point is at https://youtu.be/A2a-hNli8xs?t=2h29m10s)

[HarishankarK]

The Sindhubhairavi alapana followed by the Ragamalika starts here:
https://youtu.be/A2a-hNli8xs?t=2h17m29s

Sir I also think it is Bhairavi that comes between Yadukula Kambhoji and Hamir Kalyani. (this point is at https://youtu.be/A2a-hNli8xs?t=2h29m10s)

Heard it again - agree that it is Bhairavi and not Mukhari - my bad !

[Sachi_R]

Sirs,
Sri. Sivaramakrishnan and you have done well to highlight this concert.
The artistes, Parivadini-Nada Inbam/Ragasudha, rasikas like Sri. Sivaramakrishnan, people like you and me, (and I believe many very well known artistes appreciated this concert)
.... Truly a virtuous cycle. I am reminded of Shakespeare: "It is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes".

[gardabha_gana]

Brilliant.... one of the finest nagaswaram concerts that I have heard in recent times.

[lavendra15]

Anyone has REnukadevi - Ragam Kannadabangala Carnatic notation?

please email to lavendram@outlook.com

thank you