Performed in Chicago for the Memorial day music festival at the Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam.
Before plunging into a review, I first want to say that it was a pleasure and delight to see a "humble" and pleasing Gurucharan. Apparently, on the stage they had some disturbance in the feedback or something like that. It was perfectly clear in the audience. So, he finished his first song and instead of throwing tantrums that we see from some artists, he pleasantly asked the audience in simple and humble tone, "is it ok for you? because we are hearing some buzz". Then, the sound engineers did some adjustments. Not sure if it helped the artists, but for us, audience, it was perfectly fine.
Please remain like that 20 years from now so that your concerts are a pleasure for the audience.
Gurucharan sang a perfect concert that was going over 3 hrs. However, since a dance program was planned and time was running late, the organizer requested him to wind up as he started the RTP alapana. He demonstrated superb knowledge and maintained the integrity of carnatic music while showing his expertise. For a piece in Sindhu Bhairavi composed by Shri N.S. Rao before starting the piece, he informed that audience that he would touch two other ragams, behag and something else, while maintaining the Sindhu Bhairavi structure.
Thiruvayur Vaidyanathan elevated the concert by another 200% with superb accompaniment. The mridangam was a pleasure to enjoy and the patterns that he stroked throughout the concert were so apt and the listening pleasure for immeasurable.
Nagai Sriram was also very good and showed his skills and technicality.
The end result was, the audience wanted to hear Gurucharan sing more, the artists were in very good spirit and in their peek, however, the organizers were running out of time. So, the organizers promised to bring him back next year at the same time.
Song list:
Kanada ata tala Varnam
Arabhi - palimpa ravadelara, Swaram
Paraloka Bhaya Mulake - mandhari - Tyagaraja - Niravel
Sahana Alapana - Emanavichevo eminchinavo - Swaram
evvarE rAmaiyya--sari evvarE - Swaram - Gangeyabhushanani (he announced this after the song, must have noticed all of us wonder what ragam this was
) )Bhairavi alapana - Upacharamu - Niravel, Swaram
sevikka vendumaiyya (chidambaram) - Andolika
RTP - Simhendramadhyamam - Nannu Brova Rada Sri Rama Chandra - Tisra Triputa (had to be cut short by organizers due to lack of time)
Kandanin Azhagil Bhakthan Mayakkam - This song was written by Guru Surajananda (Guru KaraiKudi Mani's guru) and tuned by Thanjavur Sri. S. Kalyanaraman.
Pallavi - Sindhubhairavi
Anupallavi - Tilang (sruthibedam with S. Gandharam as Sadjam)
Charanam - Behag (surthibedam with S. Gandharam as Sadjam)
Thillana in Khamas - Mudra Venkatesa