Swati Sangeetotsavam - curtain raiser concert

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 08 Jan 2009, 10:07

Swathi Sangeetotsavam 2009 got off to a bright start on Tuesday 6 Jan at Kuthiramalika palace (as briefly reported in another topic) with Sanjay Subramaniam singing a full throated all-Swathi concert in the company of S. Varadarajan, Mannargudi Easwaran, Dr S Karthick and Payyanur Govinda Prasad. This event is marked by the absence of elaborate inaugural and felicitation speeches . Only a brief introduction of the artistes precedes the concert. The ambience is something that has to be experienced - the feeling that it was physically here that Swathi wrote his compositions, the huge courtyard where the listeners sit in the open air , the mildly chill air and a large number of European tourists who throng the venue..

{Photo Courtesy Prof. V. Hariharasubramanian, Management faculty @ Asian School of Business, Technopark, Trivandrum}

Song list:

Vandhe sadha Padmanabham - Navarasakannada
Paramananda Natana - Kedaram - (S)
Kalayami Raghuramam - Begada - (R)
Sree Ramachandra - Thodi - (R N)
Gangeya vasanadhara - Hamirkalyani - (R S Thani)
Seesa Ganga - Dhanasree
Bansi wale - Mohanam
Thillana - Anandabhairavi

The Kedaram rendering reminded one of MDR on three occasions. The Thodi song is not very familiar and Sanjay probably must have taken special pains to learn and present it on this occasion. Sanjay very wisely restricted the Thodi piece with only neraval and no swaras and the Hamirkalyani piece had only swaras and no neraval. Unlike Navaratri mantapam concerts, it is not mandated that only Swathi compositions should be sung in the Swathi Sangeetotsavam concerts. However , Sanjay chose to make the concert 100% Swathi and his wise choice could retain the interests of the listeners. Teamwork on stage was at its ideal best.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 08 Jan 2009, 11:19

gowri
Thanks for the review from that pristine place. By any chance did he sing a tAnam , usually I thought it was a practice to sing tAnam , I am just cross checking . Please also report other reviews with songlists from that place just in case if you are there to listen to other concerts.

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 08 Jan 2009, 11:25

Rajesh

No, he did not sing tanam. Singing tanam (with percusiion accompaniment) for the designated song of the day is practised only during the Navaratri mantapam concerts.

I am trying a way out to paste the picture along with the text.

A doubt on Bansi wale which I have listed as Mohanam as per books, but at least I heard streaks of hamsadhwani. By any chance is it a hybrid ragam? Expert members may please clarify.

HarishankarK · Post by **HarishankarK** » 08 Jan 2009, 11:31

Bansee wale is a khayal in Mohanam only. You can refer this site : http://www.swathithirunal.in

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 08 Jan 2009, 12:46

Thanks Gowri - I have been planning to attend the fest for several years now but have never quite succeeded...the ambience is something else!

sunaada · Post by **sunaada** » 08 Jan 2009, 20:03

Thanks for the review, Gowri. ParamAnanda natana (MDR's version particularly) is one of my most favourite Kedarams... can't wait to hear Sanjay's version. I remember hearing a recording of Ranjani-Gayatri sing it- probably at Kuthiramalika itself, and they were absolutely brilliant.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 08 Jan 2009, 21:46

Thanks Gowri
I am itching to hear the Begada Kalayami Raghuramam after reading Sanjay's blog.
Keep posting the daily progress with pictures if possible.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 08 Jan 2009, 23:09

Great picture Gowri and thanks for the review

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 08 Jan 2009, 23:14

CML: Is it Sanjay's bEgaDa or GNB's that you would like to hear?

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 09 Jan 2009, 00:27

Of course both. I understand GNB's is the all time best and Sanjay wanted to emulate. I actually want to see Easwaran in ecstasy playing for Sanjay for that Begada.
I am sure GBR will make available GNB's rendition when the site gets ready...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 Jan 2009, 00:56

I haven't heard kalayAmi raghurAmam sung in umpteen years! Or, was it in another life time? Who knows? I may get to hear it again sooner than I think...

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 09 Jan 2009, 07:47

I thought I have heard a version of 'bansI vAlE' in rAgam 'shankara'. Or is my memory playing truant?

Svaapana · Post by **Svaapana** » 09 Jan 2009, 08:16

We were lucky to be there too! and what an ambience and what a concert. It is worth going all the way to this place and listen to Sanjay's glorious music.

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 09 Jan 2009, 16:33

cienu wrote:Great picture Gowri and thanks for the review

As edited in the original posting, photo was made available to me courtesy Prof. V. Hariharasubramanian, faculty at the Asian School of Business, Trivandrum.

harisub · Post by **harisub** » 09 Jan 2009, 16:50

Thanks Gowri, for the photo credit .

samarasa · Post by **samarasa** » 09 Jan 2009, 17:18

Thank you Gowri, for the review and Prof. Harisubramanian for the photo. Sanjay's concert seems to have been explosive. I would just like to clarify that I am quite sure only Maharaja Swathi Tirunal's compositions can be sung during the Swathi Sangeethothsavam/Kuthiramalika festival.

I have attended this festival a few years back and would definitely recommend it to all lovers of music. If anyone attends Shri Prasanna Venkataraman's concert today please post a review.

harisub · Post by **harisub** » 10 Jan 2009, 10:06

Read about the genesis and history of Swati Sangeeth Utsavam at: http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/200801 ... hi2008.asp

More pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vihar7/Sa ... savam2009#

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 10 Jan 2009, 12:11

samarasa wrote: If anyone attends Shri Prasanna Venkataraman's concert today please post a review.

I was fortunate to attend Prasanna's concert because we had enough gas in our car - the attendance was thin thanks to shortage of gas in the city. Prasanna probably performing for the first time in the city gave a good account of himself and justified the level of expectation created from the reviews of his Chennai concerts. Before the concert commenced I could hear some in the audience referring to the artiste of the day as "she" !!

Song list:

Sarasijanabha varnam - Mayamalavagowla
Samodham - Udaya ravichandrika (S)
Jayajaya Padmanabha murare - Sarasangi (R S)
Narasimha mamava bhagawan - Aarabhi (R S)
Paalaya deva deva - Bhairavi (R)

Paalaya sadha maamayi maadhava - Nalinakanthi (S) { Prasanna mentioned that this has been tuned by his guru Sanjay - could not locate this song in the Swathithirunal site}

Paahimaam Sree Vageeswari - Kalyani (R N S T) - the second dayÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Navaratri kriti
Pani mathi mukhi - Aahiri
Reenamadhanutha - Behag
Visweswara darsana - Sindhubhairavi
Bujagasayino - Mangalam in Yadhukulakhamboji

One can safely predict that Prasanna will find a slot in this yearÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s Navaratri schedule. He seemed to strain himself a lot in trying to present his best. While it is pleasing to the audience probably he should give a thought to conserve his physical assets (the throat) and see if he can create the same effect with less strain on his part (as his guru is able to do). Avaneeswaram SR Vinu was on the violin, Chertalai Anantakrishnan on mridangam and Anil Kumar on the ghatam. Anil kumar was able to coax good bass effect similar to the thoppi side of the mridangam by deftly controlling the mouth of the ghatam. Elsewhere I had referred to the fact that Kerala produces a disproportionately large number (compared to its population) of competent ghatam and morsing artistes.

Sorry no picture this time

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 10 Jan 2009, 12:56

Thanks for your reviews - keep them coming. I would strongly recommend Amrutha Venkatesh as well if her concert is not already over. Two very bright prospects for CM - although very different in their approaches.

BTW no feedback from our crossword guru, Shadjam who, I think, is also based in Trivandrum?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 10 Jan 2009, 14:32

Very happy to read the review about Prasanna's concert. A very talented youngster who combines talent ,hard work and a very fine attitude.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 10 Jan 2009, 22:33

Thanks for the song list which are all the popular Swathi kritis.
I hope Lakshman will identify 'guru sanjay' for us (probably not a Swathi kriti0. What raga?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 10 Jan 2009, 22:41

cmlover wrote:Thanks for the song list which are all the popular Swathi kritis.
I hope Lakshman will identify 'guru sanjay' for us (probably not a Swathi kriti0. What raga?

CML, I think the kriti referred to is 'pAlaya sadA mAmayi mAdhava' in nalinakAnti.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 10 Jan 2009, 22:41

duplicate post. deleted.

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 10 Jan 2009, 22:43

cmlover

hope the proper indentation will remove your misunderstanding. When Prasanna mentioned that this kriti was tuned in Nalinakanthi by Sanjay we were wondering as to why a Swathi krithi needed tuning at all.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 10 Jan 2009, 22:45

Sanja probably retuned it in nalinakAnti.

pAlaya sadA. rAgA: darbAr. jhampa tALA.

P: pAlaya sadA mAmayi mAdhava pankajAta kOmaLa nayana
A: nIlAmbOdha ramEcakatara vidhi nIlakaNThanuta dAsa janAmara
sAlakalpa shrI padmanAbha shaurE jagadIsha murArE
C1: sArasara sarAgAmayahAni dApadAna sama sudha nikASha
vENugAna lOla vairi paritrAsa sAdhu tama krpArasa
2: vAraNavara tApa shamana caNadaya vArirAshi kalpita nija shayana

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 10 Jan 2009, 22:49

Vijay

Amrutha Venkatesh is scheduled for Monday 12 Jan. Will report on it as well.

Incidentally your comment on shadjam not being heard reiterates some means of members to recognize / identify - pink kurtas and pink turbans will not work. Why not a blue (MS Blue !) wristband as worn by tennis / badminton players?

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 10 Jan 2009, 23:18

Good suggestion Gowri..suggest you inaugurate it. I am sure it will catch Shadjam's attention. You will know when he mimes a clue about the ragam being sung

Look forward to your post on Amrutha's concert

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 11 Jan 2009, 01:28

Thanks Lakshman
But what is the word guru doing there? Is Prasanna a sishya of sanjay?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 11 Jan 2009, 06:42

cml-.Prasanna also learns from Shri Sanjay; his guru is Shri TK Govinda Rao in chennai now;earlier it was Smt Balamani of Mumbai

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 11 Jan 2009, 07:20

Thanks
That solves the mystery...

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 11 Jan 2009, 18:39

The song was probably retuned by Sanjay in nalinakAnti.

pAlaya sadA. rAgA: darbAr. jhampa tALA.

P: pAlaya sadA mAmayi mAdhava pankajAta kOmaLa nayana
A: nIlAmbOdha ramEcakatara vidhi nIlakaNThanuta dAsa janAmara
sAlakalpa shrI padmanAbha shaurE jagadIsha murArE
C1: sArasara sarAgAmayahAni dApadAna sama sudha nikASha
vENugAna lOla vairi paritrAsa sAdhu tama krpArasa
2: vAraNavara tApa shamana caNadaya vArirAshi kalpita nija shayana
mArakOTi sundara muni hrdaya vihAra Agaripu vAhana
3: bhUri mudita brndAraka hATakacEla shrIlOla gOpAla
cArubAla candrabhAla nava vanamAla sujanAvana shIla

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 11 Jan 2009, 22:50

Lakshmanji

I too thought it was a case of retuning the darbAr krithi you have quoted. But I felt I heard the phrase "Balarama sodhara" in the song which is not present in the above krithi.

Hopefully Musique4ever will clarify.

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 13 Jan 2009, 16:08

Deleted and opened as a new thread