Concert of Vid Neela Ramgopal on JAN 10th Saturday

sappri · Post by **sappri** » 09 Jan 2009, 11:48

As part of the Spring Festival, Sree Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, Banashankari is organizing a music concert series, which commenced on Thursday (8th)

On Saturday the 10th of JANUARY, at 0530 PM is the concert by VID NEELA RAMGOPAL, accompanied by Smt Charulatha Ramanujam on the violin and Sri V Krishna on the mridangam.

Sorry about posting this so late.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 09 Jan 2009, 12:55

Would love to be there, if there is fuel in my tank till tommorow.

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 09 Jan 2009, 13:25

Cienu, It is on 10th FEB .. Not in Jan.

The festival started on 8th Jan is Sankranti Festival, at their premises. Here is the details.
Sankranti Festival - Rama Lalita Kala mandira 8 - 13 January 5:30 pm

Venue : Rama Lalita Kala Mandira , Banshankari II stage

8th Jan : Bombay sisters - S.P. Anantha Padmanabha - B. Ganapathi Raman - H. Shivarama Krishnan

9th Jan : S. Shankar - C.N. Chandra Shekar - B.R. Srinivas

10th Jan : Seethalakshmi Venkateshan - Charulatha Ramanujam - V. Krishna

11th Jan : T.P. Vaidyanathan - Lalgudi Rajalakshmi - N.G. Ravi

12th Jan : D.N. Gurudatt - Nalina Mohan - A.V. Anand

13th Jan : Jayalakshmi Santhanam - Prema Vivek - N. Vasudeva

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 09 Jan 2009, 13:41

Oh! thanks braindrain

From Sappri's post I presumed it was tommorow, especially the last line apologising for the late posting !!

sappri · Post by **sappri** » 09 Jan 2009, 20:27

Sorry everyone - it is indeed TOMORROW - 10th of Jan - Vid Seethalakshmi Venkatesan is unable to make it.

Apologize again for all the trouble - just to reiterate - it is TOMORROW - 10th of Jan at 0530 PM

Btw - there is temporary abatement in the fuel situation too - it is partly called off

tmtfan1 · Post by **tmtfan1** » 09 Jan 2009, 20:29

Smt Neela ramgopal is performing on 10th January because of Smt Seethalakshmi,s inab ility to perform .Smt. charulatha ramanujam on violin and V.Krishna on Mridangam and Guruprasanna on Khanjira.at5.45 P.M. at Sri rama lalitha kala mandir.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 Jan 2009, 20:51

We got the month. How about the time? 5-30 or 5-45?

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 10 Jan 2009, 10:00

Thanks Sappri, I did not know the changes, I had attended the first concert of Bombay sisters.

Arasi Ma'am : Its at 5:45. Being a small hall, reaching early makes the best sense.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 10 Jan 2009, 21:30

Oh ! Just now opened the mail and found that status quo ante had been restored

Well, I was destined to miss this concert !

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 10 Jan 2009, 23:03

Well ..I did not. And what a concert it was !! Thank you Sappri for the alert.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 10 Jan 2009, 23:08

I missed it too, but what a concert it was, in Brahma Gana Sabha where I heard her during the season! I also heard that she is being (or has been?) honored in Chennai...

eppramod · Post by **eppramod** » 10 Jan 2009, 23:38

I did not miss it

...yes it was indeed a great concert!!!

sappri · Post by **sappri** » 11 Jan 2009, 07:26

It was amongst the most *brilliant* concerts in recent times - will post the detailed song list in a day or two - but highlights - a rare Behag varnam (awesome) to commence the concert, a most wonderful shuddha dhanyasi (A, S, N) followed by Swatitirunal's SAmodham (was a lesson really on how shuddha dhanyasi should be sung) - the main was a truly rare and captivating Kalyani(A, S N) - the swaraprastharas in Kalyani really kept the audience on its toes - of course the dessert really was the RTP in Nattakurinji - ragamalika, inter alia - Mohanam, Kapi, Shanmugapriya, Sindhu Bhairavi....
The audience was spellbound for more than 3 hours...WHAT A CONCERT!!!

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 11 Jan 2009, 10:49

Sappri, list , I can post. Do post your review.

Vocal : Neela Ramgopal

Violin : Charulatha Ramanujam

Mrudangam : V Krishna

Ganjira : Guruprasanna

Song list :

01 vanajAksha ninne nammiti (Adi) - behAg - TRS ( edited as confirmed by others below)

02 samayamidE nannu - kEdAram - Patnam Subramanya Iyer ( S )

03 divAkara tanujam - yadukula kAmbOji - Dikshitar

04 sAmOdam chintayAmi - sudha dhanyAsi - Swathi Tirunal ( A,N,S )

neraval & swara @'syanAndura nagarI shObhAyamAnagEham'

05 pArvati ninnu - kalgaDa - Shyama Shastry

06 entukO nI manasu - kalyANi - Thyagaraja ( A,N,S )

Neraval & swara @ 'sharaNAgata vatsala nammiti tAraka nAma parAtpara' ( swara @ tAraka nAma)

main item , lasted nearly an hour. There was a quick discussion between the main artist and Krishna, which I guess to move the tani avartanam after the RTP.

07 bhOgindra SAyinam - kuntaLavarALi - Swati Thirunal

08 RTP - nAttakurinji - Khanda Triputa

Pallavi line " murugA unai maravAi varam aruLvAi tiru mAlmarugA vEl-'

rAgamalika swaras in mOhanam , shaNmukhapriya , kApi, sindhu bhairavi, nAttakurinji

08b tani Avartanam

09 slokam ( entiha taruni..?) - nAthanAmakriya - Purandara dasa ?

nInE anAdhabandhu - nAthanAmakriya - Purandara dasa

10 Erumayil ( tirupugazh) - bhAgEsri ?? - Arunagirinathar

11 mangaLam - saurAshtram - Thyagaraja

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 11 Jan 2009, 13:24

Another exciting list of songs! looking forward to her concert next month under the auspices of the same sabha...

sappri · Post by **sappri** » 12 Jan 2009, 10:02

Thanks Brain Drain.

(As I key this in - I am smiling to myself thinking of Ms.Arasi's comments yesterday when we met for Sanjay's concert

)

The centrifugal part of the concert - right thro' was high energy, amazing kalapramanam, adherence to the highest standards of classism and great gamakams - for someone 70+, to be able to give a high voltage, sustained performance for over 3 hours - well, what can one say!
As an accompanyist, Charulatha Ramanujam, is well-respected - she did - as always -prove her mettle for this concert too - though she came into her own, truly in the RTP...was respectful to Neela Mami until then.
I am not repeating my earlier comments.....Kedaram was a treasure, with brief swaraprasthara. Divakara tanujam - was apt for a "Saturday" (Shani).
Samodam - was an awesome choice....this is where the senior artistes score over the current generation artists - my humble opinion - every piece of creativity - Alapanai, Neraval, Swaram - have their rightful places - today's artists tend to browbeat the neraval - Neela mami had in rightful proportion - A,N,S - leaving the audience content without being stretched to any limits.
Kalyani was solid and chaste - the kriti rendition also good - the Neraval was moving - with "taraka nama" and "sharanagatha" bringing the poignance of bhakti that all thyagaraja kritis boast of.
The piece-de-resistance was of course the natakurinji pallavi - again, my opinion - natakurinji brings such peace and joy to the listener - it was indeed joyous to listen to the brief alapanai and tanam - the pallavi took the cake - the ragamalika was truly wonderful- with Charulatha being brilliant in the replies.
Thani was good - with good rapport between the mridangist and the young kanjira vidwan.

ganeshkant · Post by **ganeshkant** » 13 Jan 2009, 15:58

After reading this thread I was quite eager to listen to this artist and the chance came yesterday when she sang for Nadha Sudha@Velachery,Chennai.

I was prepared to go for a request for Samodham,when telepathy worked and the artist sang it with an alapana showing all its contours in an elegant way.The entire kriti was unfolding like a lotus and I thanked Sappri since I wouldn't have attended the concert but for his/hers review.

The main in Kalyani -Nijadhasa Varada was equally good.

A very memorable concert.I have marked this artist's name in my memory and will not miss to hear her in future when she performs in Chennai.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 13 Jan 2009, 18:14

ganesh kant,
Can you post where this velachary sabha is(sachidananda ashram ????) ., I tried the mobile no but could not contact the sabha I wanted to attend this concert too , preferably give directions from velachery bus stand or guru nanak college. I want to slowly show patronage for sabhas in adyAr, thiruvanmiyur and velachery areas during week days as it is closer to work .

ganeshkant · Post by **ganeshkant** » 16 Jan 2009, 19:07

rajeshnat,

This is 2kms.from Vijaynagar B.S on the Tharamani Rd.U have to get down at BABY NAGAR( ON THE RHS WHEN U COME FROM VIJAY NAGAR B.S) and just follow road signs that will lead to GANAPATI SACHIDHANANDA ASHRAM.

Its a beautiful hall with good acoustics and good seats.

rasaali · Post by **rasaali** » 18 Jan 2009, 02:03

braindrain wrote:Sappri, list , I can post. Do post your review.

Vocal : Neela Ramgopal

Violin : Charulatha Ramanujam

Mrudangam : V Krishna

Ganjira : Guruprasanna

Song list :

01 vanajAksha ninne nammiti (Adi) - behAg - Veenai Kuppaiyer?

Sounds like the varnam is a composition of Prof TRS. If the Charana line was 'Saati leni marakoti sundara rupa', it surely is his compostion.

tmtfan1 · Post by **tmtfan1** » 18 Jan 2009, 22:07

Yes, The varnam is by T.R.S. only.

kmrasika · Post by **kmrasika** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:30

04 sAmOdam chintayAmi - sudha dhanyAsi - Swathi Tirunal ( A,N,S )

neraval & swara @'syanAndura nagarI shObhAyamAnagEham'

Did she render the jatisvaraM after the anupallavi?

Nice review and a very reputed vidushi but unfortunately she doesn't get many performing opportunities.

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:36

tmtfan1 wrote:Yes, The varnam is by T.R.S. only.

Thanks, edited.

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 19 Jan 2009, 09:54

The varNam is very much by vINa kuppayyar and appears in 'Pallavi Swara Kalpavalli' the compilation of his and tiruvOTriyUr tyAgayyar's works [I have forgotten the editor since I don't have the book handy]. The TRS version has just a couple of words changed in the anupallavi section, and is otherwise identical to the vINa kuppayyar varNam.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jan 2009, 11:09

kmrasika,
She does get enough opportunities to perform, but not as many in Chennai, perhaps. She is busy as a performer and a teacher (which is even better) who is very active in her contribution to music.

tmtfan1 · Post by **tmtfan1** » 19 Jan 2009, 15:05

Kmrasika,Do,nt worry. She will get recognised vey well at her mid eightees,likeSmt.Parasalai Ponnammal.

tmtfan1 · Post by **tmtfan1** » 19 Jan 2009, 15:08

KMrasika,Do,nt worry.She will get recognised very well in her mid eightees like Smt.Parasalai Ponnammmal.

tmtfan1 · Post by **tmtfan1** » 20 Jan 2009, 12:03

Arasi,Smt.Neela ramgopal will get recognised in her mid eighties vey well like Smt.Parasalai Ponnammal.

jagan · Post by **jagan** » 21 Jan 2009, 08:44

The concert of Vidushi Neela Ramgopal at Velachery on 12th Jan seems to have been linked to this posting.

She was accompanied by Padma Shankar ,Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar and Madipakkam Murali.

It was, as expected an astounding concert.

To me, the high point of the musical offering was Kedaragowlai.
Venugana Loluni, the delectable neraval at Vikasitha Pankaja Vadanulu and the manodharma in the swaras still linger in the memory, after more than a week. The subtle glowing facets of KedaraGowla, normally not presented was testimony to her musical profundity.

Padma rose to very great heights, drawing inspiration from Neela. She was at her musical best. Limpid beauty marked her raga essaysof Kedaragowla and Kalyani. Her slightly different but excellent returns to the swaras in Kalyani were applauded by the main artiste. It was a heartwarming gesture.

Sivakumar showed his mettle in handling the jalas in the neraval . Along with Murali, hias contribution was just brilliant.

Music satifying to the heart and the head.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 21 Jan 2009, 10:03

Jagan,
How well you have pointed out the merits of Neela Ramgopal's singing! Her music is lively without being just that. It has imagination and a curiosity to explore more but by containing it in the classical frame all the same. She must be a store house of songs.Even without all this, she is so very pleasing to listen to, with that voice of hers.

jagan · Post by **jagan** » 21 Jan 2009, 14:37

tmtfan 1,

She is going to Cleveland this year, if that is the yardstick by which one measures recognition.

Ofcourse, it would be nice, if great music is recognised widely and duly honoured. But such musicians have never bothered about recognition. They care more for Athma Tripthi.

Neela Ramgopal was respected , even decades back, for her Vidwat, extensive reportoire and weighty classicism.

And she has inspired many who had come to learn under her.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 21 Jan 2009, 14:50

Very true Jagan . Concur with your views.

kmrasika · Post by **kmrasika** » 24 Jan 2009, 11:14

tmtfan1 wrote:KMrasika,Do,nt worry.She will get recognised very well in her mid eightees like Smt.Parasalai Ponnammmal.

I think this statement is true. Take for example the Bombay Sisters (C. sarOjA and C. lalitA), who have only recently been recognized by sabhAs despite the fact they've been in the field for many decades.