Smt Sudha Raghunathan gave a wonderful concert on Saturday at Infosys Foundation (SGBS Trust).
Violin - Sri. Mysore Srikanth
Mrudangam - Sri. Neyveli Skandasubramaniam
Ghatam - Smt. Sukanya Ramgopal
Tanpura - Sri Sitaram
Items as below:
1. Ninnukori - Mohanam - Varnam
2. Swaminatha Paripalayaashumam - Nattai - MD - Swaras
3. Hari Narayana Hari Narayana - Kedaram - PD
4. Saakshaathkaara (Mokshamugaladaa) - Saramathi -T
5. Sharanam Bhava Karunamayee Kuru Deena - Hamsavinodini - Narayana Teerthar Tarangam-RS
6. Yetiyochanalu - Kiranavali - T
7. Dayamado Ranga Dayamado - Kalyani - PD - RNST
8. Speech and Felicitation
9. RTP - Karaharapriya - Madhava Keshava Mukunda Govinda Hare, Narayana Hare Hare - Ragamalika Swaras in Valachi and Pantuvarali
10. Teeradha Vilayattu Pillai - S.Bahiravi, Kamach, S.Priya and Mandu - Bharatiyar
11. Pujaya Raghavendrayaa + Tunga Teera Virajam - Yaman - Kamalesha Vittala Dasar
12. Abhanga with prelude in Marathi - Amrutahuni Godha - Bhimplas - Haridas
13. Kurai Ondrum Illai - Sivaranjani, Kapi and S. Bhairavi - Rajaji
14. Pavamaana
The whole concert was very good and it started in time. Overwhelming crowd - main hall full, ground floor and 1st floor also occupied.
Sudhaji's voice was in very good form. She took some time to settle in the Varnam but on the whole it was good. Till the very end her voice cooperated well.
She has let her music mellow down a bit and also pace of songs rendered were slower than her usual style and therefore had a lot of emotional content.
Nattai song swaras were done at Vamadeva Parvati Sukumara alternating between Vamadeva, Parvathi and Sukumara which was good and effective.
Kalyani alaapana was as usual but the song selection was slightly disappointing (I thought Dayamado was a bhajan song). Was expecting Pankaja Lochana or Etha Vunnara. Neraval was done at Iha PAra Gathi neene Indira Ramana - Aalapana was about 15 mins, violin reply 10 mins, Neraval - 12 mins, Swara 10mins and Tani - around 30 mins.
Best Items
Mokshamugaladaa - sang full of emotion and less brighas and Valachi swaras in the RTP (loud applause from audience)
The taniavartanam - very ably executed by Neyveli sir and Sukanya ji. During completion of each ofb their playing they derived huge applause from audience. Particularly Sukanya ji for the mindboggling stamina and clarity in playing she demonstarted. The sawaal jawaab was also good . Best part very very few got up and went out during tani.
The speech was for about 20 minutes most of it devoted to information about Unnati and Samudaya and coaxing the audience to donate. Personally i feel that this was totally out of context and it hampered the smooth flow of the concert. 80% of audience had arrived by 5:15 pm itslef. The talk about Infosys foundation etc could have been completed between 5:30 and 6:00 pm when the audience were restless. Between 5:00pm and 5:30pm one uncle and a boy chanted Rama Nama which was nice.
Sudha ji started at about 6:05 pm and sang upto around 09:45 pm. Tani was for about 30 minutes and and Speech 20 minutes.
Smt Sudha Raghunathan @ SGBS Trust 08Aug09- Bangalore
-
HarishankarK
- Posts: 2217
- Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55
Last edited by HarishankarK on 10 Aug 2009, 11:18, edited 1 time in total.
-
Shalu
- Posts: 61
- Joined: 24 May 2009, 22:17
Thanks Harishankar for detailing so much. I was also at the concert, where to make my Saturday evening at Banglore worthwhile, just checked the concert calendar and was pleasantly surprised to know there was the Gokulashtami festival at Unnati Centre
It was Sudha Raghunathan and I thought I should check it out. Well, I must say, the swelling crowd, as Harikshankar put it, really made me think twice, if I could ever get in. I really don’t know if this festival always draws such crowds as I was there only on Saturday. The Banglore rasikas are a real passionate lot and I am sure every artist would enjoy singing for such a disciplined and learned audience. Carnatic concerts do draw such large crowds in this fashionable cosmo city, I must say!
Apart from the songs mentioned above and the break and a speech, I didn’t know she had a Foundation, Samudhaaya, where she gave a cheque for Rs.12000, for sponsoring meals for four days for students of Unnati. Truly a noble gesture. There was also some priced note pads autographed by her @ Rs. 500 each, the collection of which she gave back to Unnati. This I think was impromptu cos there was no mention of it at the venue entrance where such stuff is usually displayed. But I felt it was a very thoughtful way of getting music lovers to participate in the act of giving"¦after all what is life and money if one does not lend a helping hand!! Am sure there must be a large number of them among us forumites who share the same vein. Are there any other artists who work simultaneously for the causes? Artist play such a large role in bringing about harmony and healing through their music, that they can very well use the power to generate funds from the privileged to the underprivileged!! This is my humble submission"¦and yes, to answer the questions you may have in mind, I did my bit though I could not get hold of the note pads..they were simply sold out in a jiffy, which again made me feel overwhelmed at the generosity of the Banglore makkalu.
It truly was a WOW concert I must say"¦the yardstick for great music is that it must linger"¦well after all is over"¦and here it simply lasted and lingered. I missed the following day as I had to leave.
It was Sudha Raghunathan and I thought I should check it out. Well, I must say, the swelling crowd, as Harikshankar put it, really made me think twice, if I could ever get in. I really don’t know if this festival always draws such crowds as I was there only on Saturday. The Banglore rasikas are a real passionate lot and I am sure every artist would enjoy singing for such a disciplined and learned audience. Carnatic concerts do draw such large crowds in this fashionable cosmo city, I must say!
Apart from the songs mentioned above and the break and a speech, I didn’t know she had a Foundation, Samudhaaya, where she gave a cheque for Rs.12000, for sponsoring meals for four days for students of Unnati. Truly a noble gesture. There was also some priced note pads autographed by her @ Rs. 500 each, the collection of which she gave back to Unnati. This I think was impromptu cos there was no mention of it at the venue entrance where such stuff is usually displayed. But I felt it was a very thoughtful way of getting music lovers to participate in the act of giving"¦after all what is life and money if one does not lend a helping hand!! Am sure there must be a large number of them among us forumites who share the same vein. Are there any other artists who work simultaneously for the causes? Artist play such a large role in bringing about harmony and healing through their music, that they can very well use the power to generate funds from the privileged to the underprivileged!! This is my humble submission"¦and yes, to answer the questions you may have in mind, I did my bit though I could not get hold of the note pads..they were simply sold out in a jiffy, which again made me feel overwhelmed at the generosity of the Banglore makkalu.
It truly was a WOW concert I must say"¦the yardstick for great music is that it must linger"¦well after all is over"¦and here it simply lasted and lingered. I missed the following day as I had to leave.
-
sumanachandrashekar
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 09 Oct 2006, 10:12
Yes, great concert indeed. And superb stamina the whole team had !!!! WOW!!!
The tani was fabulous...Actually that goes without saying - Sukanya ji is undoubtedly one the top percussionists of the country.
But i was quite amused and annoyed by what Mr Ramesh Swamy said during his 20-minute schpeel. Saying that the audience was being driven by a gender bias in giving a bigger applause to Sukanya ji was quite bizarre!!!! And to an artist of that stature, I think, it was a rude humiliation. I mean, what was he trying to say?? That the applause came undeservedly? That the audience was carried away only because it was a woman playing the ghatam?
Having said his first line, Mr Swamy's second line - ' She is one of the greatest vidwans......' and so on actually means nothing. That Sukanya ji is a star needs no accreditation from him.
What I simply fail to understand is this - If its the gender that matters, then why did the audience applaud for the main performer? Was it for the music or was it because it was a woman??
Ok, granted that in the field of percussion, gender still matters....(although i would think that this theme is now cliche ! ) But who is he talking about? Somebody like a Sukanya ji - who is a pathbreaker - Who has been on top slot for more than a couple of decades?
I just think it was highly irresponsible, foolish and absolutely uncourteous of Mr Swamy to have made this remark. The second sentence was perhaps, at the most, only a poor attempt at a whitewash !
The tani was fabulous...Actually that goes without saying - Sukanya ji is undoubtedly one the top percussionists of the country.
But i was quite amused and annoyed by what Mr Ramesh Swamy said during his 20-minute schpeel. Saying that the audience was being driven by a gender bias in giving a bigger applause to Sukanya ji was quite bizarre!!!! And to an artist of that stature, I think, it was a rude humiliation. I mean, what was he trying to say?? That the applause came undeservedly? That the audience was carried away only because it was a woman playing the ghatam?
Having said his first line, Mr Swamy's second line - ' She is one of the greatest vidwans......' and so on actually means nothing. That Sukanya ji is a star needs no accreditation from him.
What I simply fail to understand is this - If its the gender that matters, then why did the audience applaud for the main performer? Was it for the music or was it because it was a woman??
Ok, granted that in the field of percussion, gender still matters....(although i would think that this theme is now cliche ! ) But who is he talking about? Somebody like a Sukanya ji - who is a pathbreaker - Who has been on top slot for more than a couple of decades?
I just think it was highly irresponsible, foolish and absolutely uncourteous of Mr Swamy to have made this remark. The second sentence was perhaps, at the most, only a poor attempt at a whitewash !
-
DhwaniB
- Posts: 30
- Joined: 07 Jan 2009, 19:51
Yes, the WOW factor indeed permeates.....I was quite overwhelmed by the overflowing crowd..I was having a word with Mr. Ramesh who is known to us and sumana, your have a point...I too feel strongly about his statements. It will be conveyed to him. Probably his intentions were, as you also rightly pointed out, that it is not usually a woman's domain...but then communication is a double edged sword...
Regarding the concert in total, Sudha was at her best and i found the eve quite magical.Harishankar, I think the RTP raga was not Panthuvarali but Hamsanandhi. Also the Hamsavinodhini raga alapana was very impressive...have never really quite heard anyone else this way..or may be there are others, i dont know! And again Theeratha vilayattu pillai was very fresh and differently handled...honestly, it brought pictures of little Krishna in the mind's eye...deliteful. Thats what music is supposed to do to ones soul, is it not...inscribe pictures of the divine, within!
Mr.Ramesh had also expressed regret that there were very few of those notepads and the moment he announced that the money collected would go in as donations, the booklets just disappeared....Yes, Bangloreans are generous and the music was complete with a cause embedded...
A satisfying evening..
Regarding the concert in total, Sudha was at her best and i found the eve quite magical.Harishankar, I think the RTP raga was not Panthuvarali but Hamsanandhi. Also the Hamsavinodhini raga alapana was very impressive...have never really quite heard anyone else this way..or may be there are others, i dont know! And again Theeratha vilayattu pillai was very fresh and differently handled...honestly, it brought pictures of little Krishna in the mind's eye...deliteful. Thats what music is supposed to do to ones soul, is it not...inscribe pictures of the divine, within!
Mr.Ramesh had also expressed regret that there were very few of those notepads and the moment he announced that the money collected would go in as donations, the booklets just disappeared....Yes, Bangloreans are generous and the music was complete with a cause embedded...
A satisfying evening..
Last edited by DhwaniB on 10 Aug 2009, 22:21, edited 1 time in total.
-
arasi
- Posts: 16873
- Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30
One common feature when it comes to speeches: most people get carried away and say things they don't mean to! Unfortunate, but at least, I wouldn't assume that he is gender-biased. Sukanya is a super percussionist that in her case, gender does not come into it at all!
We had talked (!) about long speeches in the same place in another thread just a few days ago. We do it often, hoping things would change a bit for the better??
A few ideas to avoid all this: print outs about their work. I haven't seen anyone waiting for the start of the concert not reading the printed material given to them. Serves as a fan too, if necessary.
Your suggestion about speaking to the waiting audience before the performers come to occupy the stage, is a good idea. A good opportunity in a crowd-puller concert like this.
By the way, if the main artiste herself had given a speech, I wouldn't have minded at all. She is a fine speaker! Nice to know about her donation and her adding to it by signing autographs.
As for daya mADO ranga in kalyAni--why not? Just because some songs become popular in the bhajane circles does not mean that they are not worthy of detailed singing!
We had talked (!) about long speeches in the same place in another thread just a few days ago. We do it often, hoping things would change a bit for the better??
A few ideas to avoid all this: print outs about their work. I haven't seen anyone waiting for the start of the concert not reading the printed material given to them. Serves as a fan too, if necessary.
Your suggestion about speaking to the waiting audience before the performers come to occupy the stage, is a good idea. A good opportunity in a crowd-puller concert like this.
By the way, if the main artiste herself had given a speech, I wouldn't have minded at all. She is a fine speaker! Nice to know about her donation and her adding to it by signing autographs.
As for daya mADO ranga in kalyAni--why not? Just because some songs become popular in the bhajane circles does not mean that they are not worthy of detailed singing!
-
sumanachandrashekar
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 09 Oct 2006, 10:12
arasi, "most people get carried away and say things they don't mean to! Unfortunate, but at least, I wouldn't assume that he is gender-biased. Sukanya is a super percussionist that in her case, gender does not come into it at all!"
Arasi, are you saying that getting carried away is an excuse for saying things irresponsibly? Anyway, am not concerned about who is gender-biased and who is not. I only wish people could be more sensitive and sensible when they say things like this!
Arasi, are you saying that getting carried away is an excuse for saying things irresponsibly? Anyway, am not concerned about who is gender-biased and who is not. I only wish people could be more sensitive and sensible when they say things like this!
-
cienu
- Posts: 2392
- Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40
Very true Arasi.arasi wrote:One common feature when it comes to speeches: most people get carried away and say things they don't mean to!
The secret to any public speaking is preparation and practice. One should never underestimate the stage, whether to sing or to speak
It is better to keep notes and talk to the point.
I particularly dread speakers who walk to the stage without notes in their hand, totally unprepared for the pearls of wisdom which would flow without their intending to say so. It is indeed a pity to see them struggle to get off the mike.
"Unspoken word is your slave and spoken word is your master " - (Solomon Ibn Gabirol ben Judah)
Last edited by cienu on 11 Aug 2009, 12:56, edited 1 time in total.
-
Sreeni Rajarao
- Posts: 1288
- Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:19
-
rajaglan
- Posts: 709
- Joined: 29 Dec 2006, 21:34
I Agree with this very much. I have seen Ramesh perform his speeches and organise events here. The cause that he is driving only can make him more humble not rude. I am very sure he didnot mean what some people interpret though he said that.cienu wrote:Very true Arasi.arasi wrote:One common feature when it comes to speeches: most people get carried away and say things they don't mean to!
The secret to any public speaking is preparation and practice. One should never underestimate the stage, whether to sing or to speak
It is better to keep notes and talk to the point.
I particularly dread speakers who walk to the stage without notes in their hand, totally unprepared for the pearls of wisdom which would flow without their intending to say so. It is indeed a pity to see them struggle to get off the mike.
"Unspoken word is your slave and spoken word is your master " - (Solomon Ibn Gabirol ben Judah)
I guess having notes is not just sufficient but we also need to think through to make sure that we donot mean anything
different than what is intented between words and lines.
-
srinivasrgvn
- Posts: 1013
- Joined: 30 Nov 2008, 07:46
-
Ragjay
- Posts: 208
- Joined: 12 Oct 2006, 17:10
DwaniB said...Also the Hamsavinodhini raga alapana was very impressive...have never really quite heard anyone else this way..or may be there are others, i dont know! ...Her guru was a great exponent of this raga and krithi Probably the best version of this ragam was a RTP by Dr.Balamurali in the company of Lalgudi Jayaraman and Sivaraman sang in1963 at Mumbai. The best part were the Ragamaiika swaras and the responses of the great master Lalgudi It is probably the best exposition of that raga..... Ragjay
Last edited by Ragjay on 11 Aug 2009, 20:39, edited 1 time in total.
-
DhwaniB
- Posts: 30
- Joined: 07 Jan 2009, 19:51
Ragjay, thanks for the information. Will check it out. Arasi madam and Rajaglan's magnanimity in seeing the view point of Ramesh is also right. Just that noble intentions are not necessarily interpreted the same way by all. Here there is no lateral thinking but just focussed observations...People come to listen and leave and the entire responsibility is on the artists' shoulders to carry the performance through.
When it comes to crowd pulling concerts like Sudha's it is a painful moment of truth to have such interruptions, and that too some statements without diplomacy, thereby unnecessarily bring ire to an otherwise meditative audience.Which is what has irked sumana. Even public speaking has a guideline and a decorum and its imperative for orgnanizers to take cognizance of this. There will soon be a day when the public is going to ask at every concert to include the time when these lengthy extolling happens, and then promptly take a compulsive break at that time!
When it comes to crowd pulling concerts like Sudha's it is a painful moment of truth to have such interruptions, and that too some statements without diplomacy, thereby unnecessarily bring ire to an otherwise meditative audience.Which is what has irked sumana. Even public speaking has a guideline and a decorum and its imperative for orgnanizers to take cognizance of this. There will soon be a day when the public is going to ask at every concert to include the time when these lengthy extolling happens, and then promptly take a compulsive break at that time!