Smt. Parassala Ponnammal at Shanmukhananda Sabha -Mumbai

shriranjani · Post by **shriranjani** » 18 May 2009, 01:14

Vocal-Smt.Parassala Ponnammal
Vocal Support:Bhama K
Vioin-K.Sivakumar
Mridangam-Rajesh Srinivasan
Kanjira-disciple of Rajesh Srinivasan-(did not catch his name-would be grateful to any rasika who could supply his name)

It was a great experience seeing the very graceful,dignified.veteran on the stage and listening to her very satisfying,peace-exuding concert.She defined the word 'classical'.

List of songs:
Varnam-NAttakuranji-Ata
Siddhi VinAyakam-Chamaram-Dikshitar-R,S
sAmOdaM cintayAmi-Suddha Dhanyasi-M.Chapu-Swati Tirunal-R,N,S
lOkavana chatura-Begada-Tyagaraja
Rave-Thodi swarajati-Syama Sastri-Todi alapana was beautiful with lovely touches-the entire essence of Todi was brought out without any frills and flourishes.
SudhAmayi-Amritavarshini-Rupakam-HMB
ShankarAcaryam - Shankarabharanam- Subbarama Dikshitar-RNS-Shankarabharanam in all its grandeur;Neraval at parama..& swarams indicated her vidwat.-Tani by Rajesh & his student was very good-
TyagarajaswAmi-Atana-
Satatam-Nilambari-Swati Tirunal
sAnandaM kamalAmanohari-ragamalika-Swati Tirunal
ParulannamAta-kapi javali-Dharmapuri Subbarayar
Viruttam-sAyankAle-Ananda bhairavi(wonderful)Mohanam,Dhanyasi,Surutti foll.by
NIlavanna pAhimAm-Surutti-IrayamAnthambi
Tillana-Dhanasri-Swati Tirunal
BhujagashAyinO- Yadukulakambodi-(mangalam)

Smt.Bhama K.'s solid vocal support,the chaste,restrained violin accompaniment by Sri K. Sivakumar & the deft,soft strokes on the mridangam and kanjira added to the overall impact of the concert. It was amazing to see her singing with such a full-throated voice continuosly for 3 full hours,at this age-it was sad that people did not come in large numbers for this very rare kucheri-the loss is entirely theirs!

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 May 2009, 06:21

The kanjira player was Shri Easwar.
Yes ,it was such a wonderful experience listening to this veteran, seeing her and be part of the whole proceedings.Indeed we were all blessed to have been there.
I hope Prince Rama varma uploads some video clippings for the listening /seeing pleasure of all the rasikas.
We will savour this experience for days to come- like
asi pODuvadu'.
The song on ThyAgarja in aTANA was very good.
My pick of the day was 'rAvE himagiri kumAri'-it was rendered very beautifully.
Altogether a very very satisfying concert.
Our praNAms to the veteran and our prayers for her long,healthy and music filled life.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 18 May 2009, 07:01

Punarvasu,
I am so glad you were there. Prashant did not miss it, I hope.

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 18 May 2009, 07:12

Thayagaraja swami in atana is by ambujam krishna

-hari

jeyaar · Post by **jeyaar** » 18 May 2009, 07:58

wonderful concert-chaste music -amazing how she performed for 3 hrs -no twisting,turning,effortless-
Arasi-prashant was not to be seen?he did miss something!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 18 May 2009, 08:11

Hari,
Thanks for pointing it out. How did I miss it? Of course, her other song on T is 'pAnam Seyya vArIr!' in simhEndra madhyamam.

Jeyar,
I merely asked Punarvasu if Prashant was there. He would have been there unless he was out of town. Wish I were there too, but to cross the ocean once is far enough, let alone a few

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 18 May 2009, 08:36

I had out-of-town visitors at home this weekend and therefore couldn't make it... a bad but unavoidable miss for me.

shankarabharanam · Post by **shankarabharanam** » 18 May 2009, 12:37

Missed it again...I don't know when will get an opportunity to hear this veteran...Elections forced me to work over the weekend and actually returned home pretty late...I think this is the fourth instance where i made plans to attend her concert but missed it due to official committments

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 18 May 2009, 15:06

How come no one ever sings or plays rAvE himagiri kumAri when I'm listening to a concert?

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 18 May 2009, 17:47

Which was the Ata tala varnam in natakuranji..? kuppayyar's..? How did it go..

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 May 2009, 18:01

Sorry keerthi, did not note down the words.

rajeevsid · Post by **rajeevsid** » 18 May 2009, 20:23

It was'nt Chalame .. It was Saami Ni Vegame and rest of which I dont remember.. I think it is by Patnam Subramania Iyer. Prashant, Vignesh or experts can confirm..

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 18 May 2009, 22:00

Is it Samini vega rammanave - ata talam of Patnam subramanya iyer? Charanam is like Dayajesi nannelu...

-hari

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 18 May 2009, 22:23

sAmini vEgamE rammanavE. rAgA: nATakuranji. k/aTa tALA. Composer: Patnama Subramania Iyer.

P: sAmini vEgamE rammanavE sArasAkSirO I vELa
A: shrI mAnyuDaina shrI venkaTEshvaruni shelvamunu dalaci marulaitini
(alt A): shrImantuDaina shrI koTTasAmi bhUpAluni cennu dalacitini
(muktAyisvara sAhitya)
nammika gala celi nIvani ninu nammitinamma komma nimmaLa mukha baliki
marmamu telusu karammipuDu bommu samayamura mA tanayuDEyu virisharamulu
karamUlanguriyucu nA yUramuna tagilidura muganu nADiccanakA migula noccitini teliyi
C: dayajEsi nannElu kommanavE nApai

shriranjani · Post by **shriranjani** » 19 May 2009, 00:04

Yes-it was Sami ni vegame rammanave (Patnam Subramanya Iyer)-it was sung beautifully!

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 19 May 2009, 03:53

Lakshman wrote:
(alt A): shrImantuDaina shrI koTTasAmi bhUpAluni cennu dalacitini

Did paTnam subrahmanyayyar sing about his benefactors too? In other words, did he do nara stuti? Any other references Lji?

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 20 May 2009, 19:03

My impressions on concert by PP (I hope that acronym is not taken?!). I rather think she wanted to sing a little Begada alapana, but she was probably distracted by some loud audience chatter and retreated to Lokavana Chatura (which I am hearing for the first time). Fine song.

Violin was good, especially in swaram reply, but the shadowing in the alapanas was more than necessary and intrusive and PP kept colliding with the last phrase of the violin trying to duplicate everything of the previous phrase (you get what I mean), so it was very edgy and only in Sankarabharanam, PP could get the flow going.

Even in well worn Siddhivinayakam, PP presented some neat flourishes and overall, her assurance in neraval especially and in controlling the pace of the concert was noteworthy. Todi swarajathi was good, except that I wish she had sung only in the lower octave as in the song. A few lower octave rendering of high lines were also there in some of the other songs, which I don't mind so much. Raave Himagiri has
powerful lower octave lines and PP's voice and chosen sruthi did permit full justice to it, actually.

Apart from these minor complaints, I enjoyed the concert a lot. Very strong song renderings and solid raga music.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 20 May 2009, 19:35

The only other reference is here:

shrIman mahA mEru samAna dhIruDaina shrI ugra pANDya bhUpAla gAnalOla
(in the aThANA varNa sAmi ninnE kOri)

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 21 May 2009, 03:11

Thank you Lji.

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 21 May 2009, 11:07

ksrimech wrote:
Did paTnam subrahmanyayyar sing about his benefactors too? In other words, did he do nara stuti? Any other references Lji?

There is a thodi/sindhu bhairavi tillana attributed to both patnam and sheShaNNa which has the words ugra pandya bhupala..

I think patnam S.ayyar felt deeply sad, about having to do narastuti and refers to this often..

in the Kannada piece, intakanTE he says, "poTTa sakute panigA.. nalugurilO nadu guTTu bayalu jaesitivI.."

"That I have taken to these mean resorts, to fill my stomach; you have made this public knowledge and shamed me.."

In the keeravani varamulosagi, he says - UdarapOShaNArthamai norula manasu karagabalkinadi"

To nourish my stomach, I melted strangers' hearts, with speech/music..

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 21 May 2009, 11:17

Thank you keerthi. I can understand the pain which paTNam ayyarvAL felt.