Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

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iamsundar
Posts: 44
Joined: 24 Feb 2015, 00:08

Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

Post by iamsundar »

Dr. Rama Pantula (Vocal)
MSN Murthy (Violin)
Kotipalli Ramesh (Mridangam)

Pantula mesmerized Bay Area with a bhakti-soaked 3.5 hr concert.

She started off with ksheera sagara (Devagandhari), followed by a hidden Koteeswara Iyer gem in Gaayakapriya - nAda nilai kanDuruga.

Her rendition of Thyagaraja’s vinatA suta vAhana in Jayantasena (one of my DKJ favorites) in keezh kaalam was quite distinct and showcased her Telugu diction. Given the Navathri season, Pantula sang Dikshitar’s Poorvikalyani master piece Meenakshi memudam dehi, with an elaborate neraval at Veena Gaana. This was followed by a brisk Manjari - paTi viduva Radu.

Murthy accompanied Pantula like a shadow all through - well done. I felt Ramesh on the mridangam was a bit patchy - while his Sarvalagus provided soukyamaana support, deviations routinely got him into landing troubles.

Pantula treated the audience with 2 RTPs (since this was the last concert of her tour, she announced). The 1st one in Aarabhi was a real treat. The Pallavi was set to Aanandha Thala (Venkateswara Stotram “Kamala kucha choochuka kumkumatho” mettu). Pallavi lyrics - "ParamAnandha ParamAnandha Anandha Anandha nandha nandha nA, sanAthana". Mohanam, Shankarabharanam notes & Suruti served as icing on the Pallavi cake… And all that was just the first RTP. I've to add - Ramesh's Thani here was brilliant; playing for ad-hoc thalams is always tricky. The second shorter RTP was in a Kapi? sounding raga (expert to fill in), with Pallavi - “Hare ram Hare ram Hare ram, sree pathe”, with follow on in Amir Kalyani and Darbari Kanada.

Thukadas and audience requests - Palukavemi Na (Poornachandrika), Anupavamu (Atana), Paras Javali, Kaanada Thillana and a good old solid rendition of pavamana Mangalam completed the concert.

Kudos to Sankrithilaya - yet another concert well organized, with superior acoustics that started on the dot.

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

Re: Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

Post by arasi »

Imsundar,
Thanks for yet another solid review from the bay area. Keep them coming!
The experience of listening to quality music of seniors and of listening to dedicated young aspirants needs to be shared with rasikAs to remind us that we gather here for the love we have for CM, and how happy we are to listen to them.
A short tour of Panthula Rama and her sakhA in the US it seems, and how she has been written about here is an attestation both for the quality of her music and for our capacity for relishing it.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

Post by rajeshnat »

Two RTPS in kapi and Arabi, very nice . I recollect way back 10 years or so , some other artist sang two RTPs. Few more have done it in say pallavi exclusive concert ,my memory bit slips right now , in a non pallavi concert only this two has happened .

Sifas and Sankrithilaya - you are indeed a great enabler for great concerts , while the next gen of Mylapore , mambalam,matunga and malleshwaram critcal mass is gathered in Bay Area, the music is also dense there. kudos to the team of pantula-msnmurthy -KotipalliRamesh in giving great concerts.

Thank you IamSundar , these kind of reviews with atleast these kind of 2 RTPS are indeed very very special to iamRajesh.
Last edited by rajeshnat on 09 Oct 2018, 09:09, edited 1 time in total.

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

Re: Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
You remembered that concert, but here are a few corrections, if I remember :) It wasn't ten years ago. That would make me even older! 2012 February it was--K's 'surprise' gift for me. We are very low key about celebrations and thus, a grand gift it was. The idea of course was to share a gift with as many people as possible, and need I say? The hall was full...
G_G wrote the review? What a concert, what a kalyANi. A doulble pallavi, you call it? A rich fare, no doubt. Every piece was worth listening to. Nagai and MAE made it even more special...

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

Post by rajeshnat »

I made a mistake, Sanjay only sang only one RTP which was Krishnan sir 's gift to his wife Rajee Krishnan(Arasi).I have corrected my #3 post where i wrongly mentioned that sanjay sang two RTP's

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

Re: Dr. Pantula Rama @ SF Bay Area Oct 7, 2018

Post by thanjavooran »

Great ! Stalwarts like Mahavishnu, Natarajan and Imsundar are there for the extensive coverage of the Bay Area concerts. Please keep us enlightened with such impressive reviews in future too.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
09 10 2018

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