Sri Ravikiran Sir's composition on M.S.Subbulakshmi amma.

[KVasundhara]

Namaste,
Very happy to share a beautiful composition of Sri Chitravina Ravikiran Sir, on Smt.Bharata Ratna M.S.Subbulakshmi.
This is a Ragamalika in Samskritam with ragas Devamanohari, Hameerkalyani, Lalita, Chintamani, Nasikabhooshani and Vardhini woven in.
This composition is rendered by Kumaris Anahita and Apoorva Ravindran.
https://youtu.be/wKpwJ13dxOE
Regards,
Vasundhara Kikkeri.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks for the post KVasundhara!
That's a fitting and scholarly tribute by Sri Ravikiran. Apart from the personal attributes of MSS, the composition 'Bhavayami sadaa sangita subhalakshmim' also covers the singular contribution of the legendary singer to music like 'Sri Venkateswara sevaa maneem', 'Mitrataaposhineem' etc. Inclusion of Chintaamani in the raagamaalika is another wonderful idea.The Jewel in the Crown is 'Ravisasisama saaswathaam' which beautifully combines the composer's mudra with a supreme message!
The sisters have rendered so nicely as usual.
Wish Sudha Raghunathan sings this at the UN on 2 Oct!
Thanks and pranaams Sri Ravikiran!

[shankarank]

Very nicely composed! kanda cApu I suppose or some other 10/20 Akshara tala?

[pattamaa]

so nice, brilliant composition.. nice tribute..

[ganeshkant]

Really marvelous.the selection of ragas,the aesthetic chittaswarams and above all the raga mudras embedded naturally and not delibarately.Addding beauty is the sisters' mellifluous voice.very nice rendering.A 9+ minutes song that gives you the satisfaction of having listened to a 3 hours concert.
Pranams & kudos to Ravikiran.

[sureshvv]

Great tribute! Heartening to hear Sanskrit as a live and thriving language.

I suppose or some other 10/20 Akshara tala?

Can you explain how you deciphered this?

[shankarank]

I did kanDa cApu - and it was a pretty fit almost - but the way of singing and elongations felt like they had something else in mind when they sang. It was not compact-ified at the edges that kanDa cApu will entail.

[rajeshnat]

Wonderful ravikiran. The choice of ragas is bit offbeat and I love that too , apart from using the ragamudra especially I was wondering how would you incorporate hameer kalyani where you intelligently used meera and kalyani . Wish more musicians take up this song , love to hear with mrudangam . Certainly the lovely voice and diction of the sisters anahita and apoorva added a great start .

[arasi]

What a fantastic composition on MS by none other than our brilliant Ravikiran! A great tribute, beautifully strung together in the most fitting way--a rAgamAlikA gem which Anahita and Apoorva bring to life. Starting with dEva manOhari and winding its way back to it!

A superb tribute! Love it

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Folks: Got to listen to this by students of Kiranavali @ the MSS centenary tribute function held in outskirts of Philly on Saturday--this was organized and hosted by Smt. kamakshi Mallikarjun(Grand Niece of MSS and daughter of Thangamma the niece of TS). It is a beautiful piece and what wa most redeeming was how the 2 young students of Kiranavali(one of them her daughter) rendered it.The "Sol Nayam",the lyrics,the ragas chosen and the chitta swaras that brought to light the richness of the ragas--all were excellent.

This celebration was a private one arranged by Kamakshi--to which we were invited(myself and my wife Nirmala). Besides us Kiranavali made a beautiful analytical presentation choosing several difficult Pallavis that MSAmma had sung-- primarily to rebut the criticism against MSAmma in those days(compared to DKP and MLV) that she was shunning Vyavaharam in Pallavis. Each one Kirnavali chose(there is s link that she took it from) was a gem. The painstaking manner in which Kiranavali had explained the nuances of each of the Pallavis that MS Amma had sung--how difficult the pallavis were--explaining the need for the balance between the Purvangam and Uttarangam--how critical the Aruthi is and how the whole "grammar" of Pallavi rendering has to be observed and how well MSAmma had mastered the same was very illuminating to us. Coming as it does from a young Vidushi like Kiranavali--who may not have had the opportunity to listen to MSAmma in hr prime--it was all the more illuminating and what does not need a better validation than Kiranavali. The composition itself--hats off to Ravi Kiran showed his respect for past masters and the scholarship and diligence he puts into--be it a Thirukkural or Uttukkadu or MSAmma or the Dhanammal School--is worthy of the highest accolades.INSTITUTIONS can ignore his contributions only at their PERIL!!!!

Kamakshi then made a beautiful powerpoint-like presentation in true Management Seminars style highlighting the various attributes that MSAmma possessed ,outlining the various mentors that MS Amma had tutelage under. As a person who grew up virtually in Kalki gardens and being witness to all the epoch-making events and being one of MSAmma's favorite Grandnieces(nay Grandaughter!!),she brought out several subtle qualities of MSAmma that she had noted when she was growing up. It was a heart-warming,heart-felt and sensitive homage from an younger member of the family who had spent 365 days of every year she grew up in Kalki gardens and who had witnessed the several facets of the Kohinoor Diamond nee MSAmma.!!!

Altogether it was most enjoyable for myself and my wife for the chance to reminisce about Kalki Gardens and its cast of Characters-- of which Kamakshi's mother Thangamma--one of my favorite elder sisters-- was principal!!!!

[rshankar]

Mama - thank you for sharing this. Is there any chance that a recording was made of the proceedings?

[arasi]

MKR,
The 'Gold' that surrounded (always) the Kohinoor, your favorite Kalki Gardens family member had also mothered Kamakshi I see, who hosted this special event.

If Ravikiran is one of the gems in practicing CM, his siblings are commendable too. The way the family lives in music--being surrounded by it, the patriarch still taking an active part in guiding them--is all another special musical family story in CM. It doesn't surprise me at all that Kiranavali is capable of grasping so much knowledge about music, in teaching it, orchestrating it.

So glad to know you and Nirmala could be part of the other legendary family's tribute, your being after all, part of that family

Any recordings you can share??

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Arasi/RShankar: Thanks for the kind words. YES--we "pinch" ourselves everyday whether we lived in the same era and too so close,qualifications notwithstanding!!!

Kamakshi has seen my post in the forum and I will follow-up with her. There should be no problem. Of the three presentations,that were made,myself/Nirmala.Kiranavali and Kamakshi the ones that truly merit attention are the last two. I say this not out of modesty but honesty. Myself and my wife felt that despite the generous time allotted we did not bring out the facets with the forcefulness that the topic deserved. Put in a nutshell there was too much rambling(by yours truly!). more than made up by Kiranavali and Kamakshi with their crisp presentations.

I will follow-up.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Ramasubramanian Sir!

[CRama]

That programme about pallavis of MSS is truly admirable. For in many programmes conducted over the year, reference to pallavis was almost nil. I would request Cienu, to try to stage that programme in Chennai even after the Centenery date of Sep t 16 is over. It will be revelation to many.

[shankarank]

The lines and the ciTTa swarams occupy a full AvartA of 10 akshara. In most cases and very specifically in the case of hamIr kalyaNi passage the tAlam suggested is miSra jampa. Finally the stress on the end of ciTTa swarams is appropriate for the tail of miSra Jampa - a anudRtam, and a dRtam.

So miSra jampa it is.

But even vIna pustaka dharaNim is sung in both kanDa Ekam and miSra Jampa. You can watch the two ways in the carnatic Jam video where Riwik Raja does it with kanDa Ekam , but Thiruvaroor Girish does it in miSra Jampa when they sing together. In a Lec Dem SRJ mentions it as kanDa Ekam.

So you can have either here - but Avarta length and some structure suggests this is miSra jampa.

There were also some good atIta eddupus - there is one in the last passage udAra.

[shankarank]

And I am amazed that a SRngAra tone just fell out with rAga mudra in the hamIR kalyAni passage when Shanmuga vadivu and MSS' role in the mIra film are covered. That is our way of saying MSS is sexy!

Fit enough to be a prelude into a vaRNa or a jAvali!

Just like how MDR explains in his lecture on Tiger composing a vaRNa on Smt Rukmini Devi Arundale ( on her 60th !!!) incorporating a SRngAra line - as per sampradaya!

Nick H, I am not shocked! Rather I am in tears!!

[shankarank]

And that is no different from an young actor in his twenties who walks up to HemaMalini in her 60s and admires her beauty (with lot of respect of course) in a film festival!

[shankarank]

to rebut the criticism against MSAmma in those days(compared to DKP and MLV) that she was shunning Vyavaharam in Pallavis

The handling of "purANi Suka pAni madhukara vENi sadha Sivuniki rANi" - whether she did it or she received via a pAtantaram - does not matter - will equal about 1000 pallavis with vyavahArams - as I dwelt on it in the TNS@Parvati 1984 thread in KR&R forum. The fact remains that many stalwarts who are pallavi experts ( or their pAtantarams) did not get this line into a shape to do justice to Syama Sastri and his layam!

Incidentally it is also a self referential line for herself. purANi ( a woman representing an old tradition) , Suka pAni ( as our old timers say she looks as beautiful as a Suka - kiLiya irukkirAl ) , madhura vANi ( in one of her versions - a nectar filled voice) or madhukara vENi still referring to her beauty - sadaSivuniki rANi ( consort of sadaSivA which she was ).

The UN Concert - where she finishes the last korvAi to reach the summit with TKM's crisp landing - that should be a treat to any laya rasika!

If a Guru teaching a student says she is not classical enough - just don't go by her appeal - the guru is correct - for, the tendency can be, to just imitate her end product. This should be taken as an instrumentality of pursuing the method laid down by traditionalists. It has happened to me - an entire eco system of people took me out of listening to MVS and KJY including my teacher because I was seeking to learn music. But it is because of them ( MVS, KJY, BMK etc. ) that I was in a position to have that discussion. In retrospect though all of them did me a big favor!

But unfortunately it seems, this discussion mixed into rasikatvam and public domain due to a school and a sabha co-existing - a conflict of interest!

But really this is not in conflict with millions of rasikas tuning into her brand name expositions of Govindam and Gopalam. Based on Russell's logic - both can be right in their context.

[shankarank]

And this is all born out of the myth that the Pallavi is the most creative thing in carnatic music - a drum beat that is still being beaten about. A reactionary position to break the perception that traditional music is some blind repetition of the same thing. Due to all this creativity mania of the modern era!

It is time the kalpita / kalpana dichotomy is revisited and done away with. Kalpita is only in the classes! Rest is kalpana! And what is considered kalapana as per definition of the forms - can also sound like kalpita depending on the approach taken.

[cienu]

That programme about pallavis of MSS is truly admirable. For in many programmes conducted over the year, reference to pallavis was almost nil. I would request Cienu, to try to stage that programme in Chennai even after the Centenery date of Sep t 16 is over. It will be revelation to many.

Dear Sri C Rama and all other Rasikas,
I am glad to inform you that we will have a special programme on "RTP's of MSS" on Dec 18th 2016 (Sunday) at Raga Sudha Hall between 10 am to 12 noon.
Smt Kiranavali Vidyashankar has kindly agreed to make this presentation on the lines of what was done at Philadelphia to celebrate MSS birth centenary.
There will be short Q & A session after her presentation.
This programme will be conducted under the auspices of the Suswaralakshmi Foundation for Classical Music and Performing Arts.
Closer to the date will I shall post the invite in "Events and discussions".

[kvchellappa]

That is a balm to the troubled mind.

[CRama]

Thanks Cienu.Looking forward to it.

[pattamaa]

so happy to hear this event.... count down starts !!

[rshankar]

Great!!!
Best wishes!!!
Cienu - as always a plea to make a recording of the event available for those less fortunate souls who cannot be in Chennai in December!!

[shankarank]

I was wondering how would you incorporate hameer kalyani where you intelligently used meera and kalyani

Diskhitar did it partially in parimaLa ranganAtham bhajE"ham"-"vIra"nutam.

[melam72]

...And here is the RTPs of MS lec-dem, featuring the composition as an invocation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujbj_Yf9SxE