Sikkil Gurucharan at London Murugan Temple 25-Sept-2009

[Rishi Sharma]

Vocal: Sikkil Gurucharan
Violin: Bangalore Balu Raghuraman
Mridangam: M. Balachandar
Ghatam: Bangalore RR Pratap
Morsing: Sidambaranathan
Venue: London Murugan Temple, East Ham... between 8 and 10.25pm.

01 Marivere Gati - Anandabhairavi - Misrachapu - Syama Sastri
02 Ma Mayura - Bilahari - Adi - Mazhavai Chidambara Bharathi (S)
03 Shankaram Abhirami - Kamala Manohari - Rupakam - Muthuswami Dikshitar (R, S @ Abhirami)
04 Manasuloni Marma - Varamu - Adi - Tyagaraja
05 RTP - Madhyamavati - Adi (2 Kalai) (Tani)
(Pallavi: "Bhayada Lakshmi Baramma Nammama Nee Sow")
(Raagamalika Niraval: Varali, Chandrajyoti, Nalinakanti, Malayamarutham)
(Raagamalika Swaram: Varali, Chandrajyoti, Nalinakanti)
06 Irakkam Varamal - Behag - Rupakam - Gopalakrishna Bharati (short outline of Behag)
07 Jagad Janani - Ratipatipriya - Adi - Ganam Krishna Iyer
08 Viruttam - Nayaki Nanmukhi Nalina Panca Sayaki - Sindubhairavi followed by
Chinnan Chiru Pen Pole - (I dont know the composer!)
09 Nee Dhan Thunai Neelambari - Sapta Raagamalika - Adi - Tanjavur S. Kalyanaraman
(Neelambari, Vasanta Bhairavi, Gowri Manohari, Saraswati, Sriranjani, Durga, Jyotiswarupini)
10 Tillana - Basant Bahar - Adi - Maharajapuram Santanam
11 Iyal Isai (Tiruppukazh) - Desh - Arunagirinathar
12 Mangalam Kosalendraya followed by Pavamana... finish in Madhymavati then Surutti.

It was a very good concert overall... I entered the hall at the near-end of the Anandabhairavi piece.

The swarams for Bilahari showed his mathematical prowess. I particularly enjoyed the Kamalamanohari kriti and the Madhyamavati RTP.

I have only heard Balaji Shankar sing Shankaram Abhirami in his studio concert with swarakalpana at Shankaram. Gurucharan leisurely trawled through Kamalamanohari with Balu Raghuraman providing good support. The Kamalamanohari alapana altogether lasted 10 minutes. The swarakalpana at just 'Abhirami' rather than 'Shankaram Abhirami' was amazing and apt given it was the 7th night of Navaratri.

The Madhyamavati was the jewel in the crown. I heard Gurucharan sing Devamanohari last year and also read another review where he sang Suddha Saveri as the main, where it took the rasika some time to decipher which raga he was singing (it just maybe my ignorance!!). I heard him speak to the violinist deciding which raga to take for RTP. Even though I heard him say Madhyamavati, it still took some for me to figure it out.

The raagamalika niraval was beautiful with the transition from Chandrajyoti to Nalinakanti sublime. He performed raagamalika swarams in the same raagas and order taken up in the niraval.

Unfortunately, the violin mic cut-out on itself during the swara vinyasa and the Morsing vidwan was kind enough to switch mics temporarily. The tani was enjoyable except for the double-mic for the mridangam which was too loud for the temple "auditorium" which could only seat about 150 people..

He explored Sindhubhairavi fairly well given its place in the post-tani section. It was 10pm when he outlined Nilambari for the SKR Nee Dhan Thunai. Im sure most of the children and some of the adults thought it was a thalaattu and hence time for bed!!

The Tillana in Basant Bahar was executed brilliantly with the percussionists accompanying the solkattus wonderfully. I have heard the Iyal Isai tiruppukazh sung only in Huseni not in any other raga; to hear an outline in Desh before the tillana made me think he was going to take up Lalgudi sir's tillana, then I remembered that he had already sung the tillana!!

Overall, a very good to excellent concert. I spoke to Gurucharan afterwards and congratulated him.

PS: This is my first post and review. Please forgive me for any mistakes committed accidently and intentionally("Kara Chara Krutam Vak Kayaja Karmajam Va Shravana Nayajam va....") and ("Kallaa Pizhaiyum Karudaa Pizhaiyum Kasindu Uruha Nillaa Pizhaiyum Ninaiyaa Pizhaiyum....")

[Rishi Sharma]

Sorry folks... I should correct the following:
In the penultimate para, "to hear an outline in Desh before the tillana made me think he was going to take up Lalgudi sir's tillana, then I remembered that he had already sung the tillana!!"

It should have been "to hear an outline in Desh before the tiruppukazh" made me think he was going to take up Lalgudi sir's tillana, then I remembered that he had already sung the tillana!!

[bilahari]

Rishi, that was a great review! Thank you very much and looking forward to hearing more about London concerts from you. I have never heard this kamalAmanOhari krithi before-- it would've been a treat.

[Nick H]

Rishi Sharma, welcome to the site, and thank you for news from London!

[arasi]

Rishi,
'Once a Londoner' saying, what a good review! Look forward to more from one of world's (of CM too?) capitals.

What a good assortment of songs from Gurucharan!

[cmlover]

I just wish there were more such concerts at London just to be able to read your fine reviews.
Since this is your first post Rishi! I cannot call it the best post since Nick will will pick me for my grammatical error

Keep writing such splendid reeviews!

[arasi]

I like his name too!
Rishi, Is your family from LAlguDi? Merely asking because of the lA sa rA
connection with the name...

[rajeshnat]

08 Viruttam - Nayaki Nanmukhi Nalina Panca Sayaki - Sindubhairavi followed by
Chinnan Chiru Pen Pole - (I dont know the composer!)

Rishi
Very nice and great debut. Keep them coming. I liked you listing out all ragamAliga,that is very very appreciable that too being your first.
Chinnan Chiru peNNn pOLe- Sindhubhairavi - Ulundurpettai Shanmugam. This no was made famous and was rendered in one movie by sirgazhi govindarAjan

[Rishi Sharma]

Administrator.. Please forgive me for posting this under the Kutcheri Reviews & Recordings section. Please let me know where I should post the following comments from now on:

Dear Bilahari, Nick H, Arasi, cmlover and RajeshNat... mettha nandri (many thanks) for your kind words.
I have a confession to make... although this is my first post, I have been actively reading all your reviews and comments on this website for the past 3 years. I have used your reviews as the benchmark and hope to reach that standard one day.

Arasi madam, you are right... My family does hail from Lalgudi. My sarman is actually Saptarisheeswaran taken from the Lord of the Lalgudi temple. My family lived 2 doors away from Sri Lalgudi G Jayaraman in Lalgudi and was next door to Sri La Sa Ra. I visited Lalgudi temple in July after its Kumbhabhishekam in April. The Pancharatna of Sri Tyagaraja can be read as inscriptions in the Amman Sannidhi.

I visited India from June 25th - Aug 10th this year. I had the Bhagyam of receiving the blessings of 4 Jambavans:
Sri SR Janakiraman, Sri Manakkal Rangarajan, Parur Sri Anantharaman and Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman. I was really suprised at their adakkam / vinayam. Lalgudi sir was talking about my grandfather and the greatness of Lalgudi town.

My family has always been interested in carnatic sangeetam but it was meeting member Jayaram from this forum about 3 years that my interest deepened. Jayaram and I are very good friends and have spent many a weekend listening to concerts and discussing them.

Thanks for all your comments. I hope to be an active participant of this great forum.

BTW, Im only 25. I completed my primary schooling in Tambaram, Madras before settling in London. I just finished my CA qualification here.

[vijaysrl]

Hi Rishi,

Thanks for such a good review of the COncert. I was there too. It was good to see the House Full. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Nick H]

cmlover... would I dare to correct your grammar?

There are many concerts in London. It is probably one of the better cities, outside India, for the Carnatic music lover. They are relatively expensive, especially for a student --- but now Rishi Sharma is a CA (congratulations), of course that won't be a problem

[arasi]

Rishi,
My! Your ancestral family WAS surrounded by music and the muse! No wonder. I was going to ask why we don't hear from Jayaram at all.

Nick,
lA sa rA--an outstanding tamizh story teller. A James Joyce of a tamizh writer.

[Rishi Sharma]

Arasi Madam,
Jayaram is currently in Australia on work commitments. He will be back in London on Oct 12th.
He felt terrible at missing all of Gurucharan's UK concerts as Gurucharan and him are friends.
He has been given increased responsibility at work and that has taken its toll on him in terms of contributing to this forum.
I have told him to review concerts in Australia during his sojourn. We hope to hear from him soon.

Rishi

[arasi]

Thanks. Please call me Arasi!

[cmlover]

As I always say
madam is arasi madam
whichever way (forwards or backwards you look at Her Majesty!

[anandabhairavi]

Am already waiting for Gurucharans concert on 9th October in Shanmukahanda hall and 10th october in Bhandup finearts in Bombay !!. 2 days of musical bliss.

[Nick H]

Very good, CML

[rajaglan]

Rishi,

Thanks for the reporting from london. And your review is very good and we can hope that with such
great background, we maynot miss any concert from London.
This site is going global. And let us issue some shares for all of us before we go public in India...(just joking).

[radhavchary]

I understand it is a very old post. I'm looking for the lyrics and chittaswaram of the krithi Ma mayura in Bilahari. I've listened to Sikkil sir's version before. I really love this song. With very little knowledge of music I'm unable to pick the sahityam & swara and also the meaning if possible.

Thanks and Regards
Radha

[gajaa]

I understand it is a very old post. I'm looking for the lyrics and chittaswaram of the krithi Ma mayura in Bilahari. I've listened to Sikkil sir's version before. I really love this song. With very little knowledge of music I'm unable to pick the sahityam & swara and also the meaning if possible.

Thanks and Regards
Radha

Hi Radha,

Find here DKJ Sir's version of the song from youtube. Hope you're able to decipher at least some of the lyrics from this one.
I tried searching for a link of the actual lyrics but in vain. Hope it helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M46097a ... lf=mh_lolz

[mohan]

Lyrics are available at http://www.karnatik.com/c1153.shtml but the chitta svara is not given there

[radhavchary]

Thanks to both of you. I was very thrilled to listen to DKJ sir's version. I'm very happy. I'll try to decipher the chittasvaras and post them here. could be useful for someone in the future.

Regards
Radha

[rshankar]

The lyrics on karnatik.com need a lot of work...If Lji has access to the publication with this song, he can help. Sri DKJ sings it superbly, but it is a bit too fast to get the words...I did get that the last word in the anupallavi should be sadRSa/sadruSa - catruca, the word given at karnatik.com (which means something entirely different from sadRSa!) is typical of what happens when lyrics are written in tamizh by one individual and then copied/read/sung by another!