i. Best Concerts
1. Sanjay at Vani Mahal
By far and away the season highlight for me. I will remember this concert for its spectacularly massive outpouring of imagination, especially evidenced by Sanjay and Nagaraj's efforts in the Charukesi RTP, though the Kharaharapriya was excellent as well. I know Sanjay generally does concerts with Varadarajan/ Nagai Muralidharan, but I would love to see him team up with Mysore Nagaraj more often.
2. Vijay Siva at KGS
My first time listening to this artiste and I was blown away by his excellently clean krithi renditions (I'm not a regular follower of DKP/DKJ, so a lot of the songs he rendered were very rare for me), and his bhava-laden music. I have officially become a fan. I will remember his Abhayamba in Kalyani and his superb Dhanyasi for some time to come.
3 (tie): Neyveli Santhanagopalan at MA
What sowkhyam! This is the single most important reason for my fascination with his music (and I have been listening to him right from the start of my CM interest two to three years ago). That Kalyani alapanai filled with imagination yet retaining the bhavam of the raga, the Saveri RTP, his style with Kedaram. His music is so rich in aesthetics.
3 (tie): Malladi Brothers at MA
The Kamboji presentation (Mari Mari Ninne) was just outstanding. The brothers rarely disappoint me. There is bhavam in their music, their enunciation is flawless, they frequently dust off rarer compositions... All their strengths were on display during their MA concert. My first time at the Academy, I now see in hindsight why Vijay and others have kept advocating for the Academy because it is indeed the place where artistes seem to put their best foot forward.
i (b). Forgettable Concert of the Season
TMK at YGP
It was by no means a bad concert, or even average, but there was just very little about this concert (except the rendition of Dakshinamurthi) that I will remember same time next year. Serves me right for missing what seems like an excellent rasikas.org meet at the chamber concert to remain faithful to my meticulously planned schedule I'd rather have died than abandon.
ii. Best Singular Renditions
1. Sanjay's RTP in Charukesi at Vani Mahal
Can I rave much more about this RTP? A lot of reasons added up to my enjoyment of this piece. I had really missed RTP's the first few days of my season and when a full-fledged one hour RTP was sung, I was immediately drawn to it. But less superficially, an RTP is all about displaying an artiste's manodharmam capabilities, and boy did Sanjay and Nagaraj pull out all their tricks. I was literally at the edge of my seat midway through Nagaraj's alapanai. It was amazing stuff. It is interesting that months or years after a concert, I will not remember a piece for its technical content but for the feelings I remember experiencing when the piece was sung. I will always remember the thrill I had listening to this RTP.
2. Mari Mari Ninne by Malladi Brothers at MA
Everything there is to know about Kamboji was rolled out that evening. A majestic performance of a majestic ragam.
3. Mariveragathi by TNK trio at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha
I cannot count the number of times I have heard this krithi by TNK alone, let alone by other artistes, but there is just something extra special about a TNK Marivera. The sowkhyam that carried the alapanai, the soft delicateness of the krithi and the swaras that ensued, all made for a sublime listening experience.
4. Bhairavi Ragam by GJR at MA
I didn't hear much Bhairavi, one of my top three favourite ragas, this season, but GJR more than made up for my disappointment by playing a richly imaginative Bhairavi with a soul stirring mandra sthayi exploration. Even LGJ would've been proud of this alapanai.
ii (b). Forgettable Renditions
Too many to list and I've mostly forgotten them already.
iii. Best Violin Accompaniment
1. Mysore Nagaraj for Sanjay at Vani Mahal
His raga alapanai for Charukesi set off a whole stream of ideas in Sanjay. He was supportive without being intrusive, he remained chaste to Sanjay's ideas while adding an imaginative flourish or two of his own, and was generally just all that an accompanist should be.
2. Padma Shankar for Gayathri V at KGS
I still remember some Dhanyasi touches she used in reproducing GV's sangathis during kalpanaswaras. I heard her three years ago and was really impressed. Now I'm extremely impressed. She really personifies the Lalgudi Bani.
3. Embar Kannan for Malladi Brothers at MA
His strong and full use of the bow I can still visualise and hear as I type this. Razor sharp responses to the brothers and a Kamboji of the highest order. Excellent, excellent stuff.
There were NO ordinary violin accompaniments for me this season.
iv. Best Mrudangam Accompaniment
1. Karaikudi Mani for Hyderabad Brothers at Parthasarathy Swami Sabha
Even Harimau would not grudge KRM of praise for his performance that afternoon. Electrifying stuff and probably produced one of the two best thanis of the season in my books.
2. KV Prasad for TNK Trio at MFAC
What sowkhyam. TNK was more in ARI mode this season, high on energy and a little less on sowkhyam, and KV Prasad was an excellent foil at MFAC, providing delicate accompaniment and playing the sowkhyamest thani I heard all season.
3. Mannargudi Easwaran for NSG at MA
Sowkhyam again. Nothing else can describe his play.
I thought Neyveli Narayanan wasn't all that great for Sowmya at MA, but am laya illiterate and thus will completely refrain from referring to his performance as ordinary. I was most probably mistaken.
Special Recognition for Best Ghatam/ Khanjira Player:
N Amrith on the Khanjira (heard him twice I believe). He plays with so much azhuttham one could even mistake some of his strokes for mrudangam! And he played very appropriately as well, not just banging hard at the khanjira and hoping to get his instrument heard over the mrudangam. BS Purushothaman was also excellent.
v. Congeniality Prize for Most Popular Ragam of the Season
Dhanyasi. Heard it three or four times this season and it still wasn't enough. Outstanding rendition was by Vijay Siva, with Sowmya pulling in second.
v (b). Raga I Missed the Most during the Season
My namesake, Bilahari. Was unfortunate to not even hear one alapanai in the raga.
vi. Concerts I Wish I had Attended
1. TMK at MA
After all the brouhaha, I wanted to be there live to hear the RTV.
2. Sanjay at YGP
Haven't heard a nice Saramathi for a whole year (not even on the internet) since TNK's rendition at Raga Sudha last year.
3. Abhishek Raghuram at MA
Did Neelambari live or die? I wanted to be there to call it for myself.
vii. Best Sabha Food (limited choices because I hate Dosai/Vadai/Idli)
MA Ponggal for breakfast
vii (b). Worst Sabha Food
NO FOOD at KGS two days in a row and not even tea one evening.
viii. Best Listening Environment
1. Music Academy by far
Good sound system, adequate view of the stage from most balcony rows, artistes singing their best, OK priced tickets, what more can one ask for?
None of the others impressed
viii (b). Worst Listening Environment
1. Parthasarathy Swami Sabha
Horrible acoustics; music sounds like noise. Only positive is quite good view of the stage from middle rows.
2. KGS
Real let down in so many ways. Can hardly see anything from the back rows, distracting switching on and off of fans.
3. MFAC
More like a noisy kalyANa maNdapam than a kutcheri hall.
ix. Word/ Name of the Season:
Sanjay
