Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma | May 17, 2019 | IFAASD, San Diego

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
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bhasi
Posts: 89
Joined: 19 Nov 2018, 13:41

Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma | May 17, 2019 | IFAASD, San Diego

Post by bhasi »

Last Friday evening, I wrapped up work early and headed out to the quiet seaside community of Encinitas (where Pandit Ravi Shankar spent his last days) for a kacheri by Shri Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma, whose music I was unfamiliar with. I looked forward to enjoying a nice evening of music by a fellow Malayali, one who had successfully made it to the Carnatic mainstream.

Artists
  • Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma - Vocals
  • Thanjavur Murugaboopathi - Mridangam
  • B U Ganeshprasad - Violin
Setlist
  1. entO prEmAtomu ninne kOriti - bahudAri (R)
  2. jaya jaya swAmin - nATTai (R)
  3. manavyALa kincharAthaTE - nalinakAnti (R)
  4. sAramEgAni - pantuvarALi (R, N, S)
  5. vnarasimha mAmava bhagavan nityam - Arabhi
  6. muripEmo galigE - mukhAri (R, N, S, Thani)
  7. rAma rAma - rAmakali (R)
  8. muruganin peyar azhagu - behAg (R)
  9. rAm nAm mErE man basiyO rasiyO - Ahir bhairav
  10. pavamAna mangaLam
Concert duration

From 7:45 PM to around 10:15 PM: Around 2.5 hours.

Thoughts and Ruminations

As Ranganatha Sharma strode in onto the stage, I noticed that he had a very impressive stage presence thanks to his patrician looks and quickly formed a positive snap judgement about his singing style. Comforted by this assessment, I dug in and began listening.

The opening Bahudari composition was a pleasant surprise - it wasn't until close to the end that I was able to discern strains of Brova barama in the song and thereby identified the ragam. I can't remember if any concert I'd been to had opened with a Bahudari, so I thought that was pretty nice - as was the non-Brova barama composition.

The next two songs in Nattai and Nalinakanthi proceeded along familiar lines. The energy level of the concert was very tepid thus far, and I wasn't feeling the sense of excitement and awe I usually do at this point in a concert. As Manavyalakim came to its conclusion, I found myself wondering, for first time in my life, whether it was possible for a song's aesthetic impact to be dullened by repetition.

As the Pantuvarali alapana commenced, I made my usual mistake and thought it was Purvikalyani, only to be proved wrong later by Google later. It seemed like Sharma had warmed up properly by this point, and he sang in his stentorian full throated voice, which was when I finally began paying attention. The neraval was at "sAmagAna lOludau", followed by swarams.

The Arabhi kriti was to acknowledge Narasimha Jayanti, which happened to be on that day.

Next was a very underwhelming Mukhari. The alapana sounded very much like the prayogams in this recording of Naishadhan Ivan thaan, a famous Kathakali padam, but somehow lacked the typical Mukhari feel. The violinist maintained the same level of emphasis in the raga elaboration, so as to not outshine the vocalist, I guess. The neraval was at "goodina kaveri malayalamaruta", followed by swarams and a very satisfying thani. I enjoyed discovering a new Mukhari song to enjoy on Youtube.

Somebody (Shekhar?) had passed along their request to Sharma via that most quaint and uniquely Chennai method, the "chit". Turned out that the song that was requested was the famous Ramakali song. Somehow this, too, didn't quite do it for me - there was none of the doleful pathos bordering on the mournful.

I had heard the beautiful Muruganin Peyar Azhagu only once before, and the last line, "thuraviyum virumbiya thurave" really caught my imagination - I have listened to many versions of the song on Youtube since. But such was the impact of that single listen that I could perceive with a touch of irritation that the sangatis I was expecting weren't being sung, and the laavanyam of the ragam wasn't coming through all that much.

The concluding piece was a bhajan (abhang? not sure) which I had to google and identify. It was a really nice song, and I enjoyed it very much.

Overall, it was kind of an underwhelming concert. The mridangam and violin were lovely and adequate, however. I guess Sharma had an off day or something; he has a gorgeous voice. I'm not sure why the publicity ad mentioned the title of the concert as "Majestic Traditions from Kerala" because there was nothing Kerala specific in the concert - I felt let down a bit. And given that the artist is from Kerala, is the "Sherthalai" in his name just a Tamilization of "Cherthala"?

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

Re: Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma | May 17, 2019 | IFAASD, San Diego

Post by rajeshnat »

bhasi,
i am assuming you missed a change in tempo. bahudari varnam that you heard is by lalgudi jayaraman.By any chance did you eat enough before the concert or was it an empty stomach concert.

shertalai or chertalai is indeed the same place. He also did a stint as a faculty out of madurai music college.

Tx for your review.

bhasi
Posts: 89
Joined: 19 Nov 2018, 13:41

Re: Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma | May 17, 2019 | IFAASD, San Diego

Post by bhasi »

@rajeshnat Yes, I read about the varnam that it was by LGJ, very cool. Not sure what you meant by missing a change in tempo.

I made it a point that day to eat well before the concert as I usually miss out on doing that. I get what you're trying to say, and I do get all antsy on an empty stomach, but in this case, we can safely rule out hunger from the factors that influenced my listening experience! :)

HarishankarK
Posts: 2216
Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55

Re: Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma | May 17, 2019 | IFAASD, San Diego

Post by HarishankarK »

Heard this varnam in YouTube by same artiste - it does establish Bahudari quite clearly in the start

Another Bahudari varnam is a composition of Vid A Sundaresan, Guru of Gayathri Venkataraghavan. I remember she has sung it in one of her concerts. Nice lilting one -much better to my liking than the one here.
Bahudari opening song is Bhaja Manasa Vigneswaram by Tulasivanam. Nice composition in a medium warm up tempo ideal as a first starter especially if sprung with a liberal dose of swaras.
When it comes to varnam I feel all the traditional varnams in Ganamrutha Varnamalika by the composers of yore, then comes GNB varnams, then Swathi Thirunal varnams and only then Lalgudi. The verve and thundu-thundu sangathis that are supposed to be there in varnams are found in the first three composer's varnams but not in Lalgudi's - his are more like putting to sleep kind of varnams. Amboruha Ranjani and Nee Daya Rada Andolika by GNB are excellent. Lalgudi varnams are never sung in second speed - or are they??

hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Re: Sherthalai Ranganatha Sharma | May 17, 2019 | IFAASD, San Diego

Post by hnbhagavan »

Harishankark is entitled to his opinion.If a Varnam composed by Legend lalgudi Sir is sung by a great scholar musician
Shertalai Ranganatha Sharma is enough proof of its richness.

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