Vidushi Neela Ramgopal - 08 Nov 2009 - Bangalore

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 08 Nov 2009, 22:19

Vidushi Neela Ramagopal - vocal
Vid Mysore K Srikanth - violin
Vid Nanjil Arul - mridhangam

08 Nov 09, 4pm, Essae Music foundation (chamber concert)

1. vanajaksha ninne namidi (varnam) - behag - adi 2 kalai (o)
2. mahA ganapathim - naatai - chatusra ekam - muthuswami dikshitar (s @ maha ganapathim)
3. sadA sAranga nayanE - ranjani - adi - H.Yoganarasimham (R)
4. sri sankara guruvaram - nagaswaravali - rupakam - mahavaidhyanatha sivan (R, S @ sri sankara)
5. inta parAmukham Edu - puri kalyani - adi - Shankardas Swamigal (N & S at nI oru silayO en murai kEttilayO)
6. ramA niyeda - kharaharapriya - adi 2 kalai - thyagaraja (R,N & S at tana saukhyamu tAnErugaka yorukalu tanu bOdhana sukhamA, tani avarthanam)
7. manda matiyu nAnu madana janakanu ninu - ? - kanda chapu - purandara dasa
8. RTP - behag - kanda jati triputa (2 kalai)
1/2 edam eduppu
pallavi - muruGa unai nAn maravA varam aruLvAi (arudhi)
tirumAl marugA vEl
rAgamAlika swaras in bAgesri and sindhu bhairavi
9a. ninnantha swami enaguntu ninagilla - ugabhOga - kApi
9b. parAku mAdadE - kapi - adi - purandara dasa
10. Erumayil Eri - hamsanandi - adi tisra nadai
11. pavamana - sowrastram - adi - thyagarajA

Another awsome concert by vidhushi. Started with rare behag varnam, sung beautifully in enjoyable kalapramanam. It was a wonderful start. This was followed by traditional ganesha invocation. Ranjani alapana was great, with nice karvai's in Ri, Dha and Sa. Alapana brought out characteristic pidis. Nagaswaravali alapana was also equally good, and keerthana was well rendered. Swaraprastara was excellent, with nice kuraipu. A rare composition in purvi kalyani, and neraval was very emotive and was choosen quite aptly. Kharaharapriya was main, mami sang some nice sangathis around nishadam, and it was very classical. She did graha bedam into chenchuruti, went back to kharaharapriya, and got back again to chenchuruti!! Srikanth played some exceptional phrases during his turn, and keerthana was well rendered. Nanjil Arul played very good, and supported excellently throughout concert. His strokes were gentle and nadham was good. Thani avarthanam was well appreciated. After a rare composition of purandara dasa (not sure about raga), mami took up behag in detail, followed by detailed thanam with mridhangam. Pallavi was rendered very well, had trikalam, and also sang pallavi in kanda nadai - two kalams. Ragamalika swaras were in bagesri and sindhu bhairavi, and in last avarthana she combined the ragas in reverse order and came back to behag. Then came a wonderful ugabhoga/virutham in kapi followed by purandara dasa song. She concluded with thirupugazh and mangalam.

The concert was very satisfying was for 3-1/2 hours, and i can't write my joy in words. The concert was well attended, inspite of other concerts in same time in Bangalore. There were quite prominent personalities like Prince Ramavarma, Sumitra Nitin, ceinu and family, Ramesh swami (of guruvayurappan sabha and unnati group) and his wife, K.Gayathri (who sang earlier in the day in Bangalore) and her mother, Mahadevan of Shruti worldspace among others...

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 08 Nov 2009, 22:34

s_hari wrote: 1. vanajaksha ninne namidi (varnam) - behag - adi 2 kalai (o)
...
8. RTP - behag - kanda jati triputa (2 kalai)
1/2 edam eduppu
pallavi - muruGa unai nAn maravA varam aruLvAi (arudhi)
tirumAl marugA vEl
rAgamAlika swaras in bAgesri and sindhu bhairavi
...
9b. parAku mAdanE - kapi - adi - purandara dasa

Hari
Kind of very very rare to hear behAg RTP, kudos to the artist vid neelA? How was your feeling when varnam and rtp is sung in the same rAgA,though it is an ariyakudi tradition. (of varnam and RTP in the same raga) I dont like it much as in varnam itself the raga is exhausted and for sure there would be repetition of sangathis by any musician which is inevitable.

I am assuming it is parAku mADade. Looks like most purandaradasar krithi it is sung in atleast 2 ragas kApi(that you heard) and kharaharapriya (this is Prof TRS special).

WOW 3 and 1/2 hours concert

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 09 Nov 2009, 05:17

Rajesh - For me, it didn't matter if RTP in same rAgA. Actually, i came to know it is RTP, as soon as she started the behag alApanA, thanks for varnam. While the varnam was sung as set to music by composer (TRS??), rAgA alapana for RTP gives lot of scope for one's own manOdharmA. Though it is ARI tradition, this was followed by other artists, like MS ammA too, i have heard her bhairavi varnam and bhairavi main - EnAti nOmu phalamu...I personally like the concept..

3-1/2 hours is really a WOW, that too with keeping audience spell bound! this vidUshi is looking younger and younger more I listen);-

-hari

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 09 Nov 2009, 06:08

Hari,
A miss on my part! She is one of my favorites too. Her 'so-young in her singing' energizes me no end. She is one of a kind among senior artistes who walk the traditional way extremely well no doubt, but do not venture into any rare rAgAs. I bet her behAg RTP was as impressive as her kharaharapriya.
She is a veteran navigator in unknown waters. She is at home with any rAgam, in any language. Her voice is an asset too. After MLV, she is the first vidUshi I know to whom imaginative singing is second nature. Her enthusiasm for music is boundless. It comes through in her singing.
Good to know that there was a gallery of VIPs too. I am sure Aishwarya and little Soundarya enjoyed Neela's music as much as you all did!
With the vidushi's and the Essae Foundation's permission, could we hear NR's own choice of a song?
Many on the forum do not have an idea about vidvat.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 09 Nov 2009, 06:15

Great review as always, Hari. Thanks. Behag RTP is indeed rare. NSG has sung a really concise, melodious one in a commercial release I have.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 09 Nov 2009, 07:08

This was a high quality concert. Mami's neraval in Purvi Kalyani was outstanding.
Kharaharapriya & Behag were explored in such detail.

The thanam was fantastic and Mysore Srikanth's responses were stunning. Nanjil Arul followed Mami during Thanam, (probably due to his Trivandrum background) albeit gently.

Srikanth and Arul lifted the concert to a higher level due to the high standard of their accompaniment.

The hospitatility of Vidya and Prakash was excellent. Prakash surprised me pleasantly by requesting me to honour the artists after the concert.

(Vikram Sampath along with his mother was also present for the full concert)

rajeevsid · Post by **rajeevsid** » 09 Nov 2009, 08:14

Great concert list hari.. A kharaharapriya main is always interesting.. Would love to hear her concert this December. Sad I could'nt be in Bangalore this weekend.. missed the TMK concert too...

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 09 Nov 2009, 08:33

cienu - thanks for chipping in. I forgot to write about felicitations to artists. Also thanks for reminding about Vikram Sampath. I forgot to mention, i have been meeting him atleast 3 times in last 3 weeks, and in two of mami's concerts.

Rajeev - Your wish may not come true this December.....

Arasi - Soundarya and my daughter pretty much seem to have enjoyed the concert, it drew them to sleep for a while (;- Each time i listen, my desire to hear her more grows....Easily she transport us few decades back, very similar to my experiences with Parasala Ponnamaal's music. Not only we can relate her music with MLV for imaginative singing, but also with DKP ammA, when it comes to bhAvam and layam. I am happy that atleast i could get glimpses of yesteryear's music live, and upto some extent compensating for not listening my favorites live...