Abhishek Raghuram concerts

Kambhoji · Post by **Kambhoji** » 02 Jan 2010, 07:53

I have not seen any reviews of Abhishek Raghuram this music season. Could any one please post reviews of concerts you may have attended?
thank you

Rishikesh · Post by **Rishikesh** » 05 Jan 2010, 14:34

He is a musician's musician. The ordinary rasika may not be in a position to judge him. I love to listen to his music. He has his own group of fans/musicians as followers. The other day(3rd Jan I think) he performed at Asthiga Samajam, Thiruvanmiyur. Speed is his strength. He started with kanada ata thala varnam in madhyama kala and ended the charanam with 2 speeds. The other songs which he rendered were Evarinee(devamrudhavarshini), DhanyuDevvado(Malayamarutham), Nennarunchara(Simhavahini). The main was in kedaragowla(Samikku Sari Evare) which was out of the world. He was as usual supported by the experienced Mysore Shrikanth on violin and his cousin Anand on Mridangam. I left after Thani. I think he is THE No. 1 amongst the present class of singers extremely talented and great gnana.

Rishikesh · Post by **Rishikesh** » 05 Jan 2010, 14:36

I wonder why Abhishek is not figuring in Dec Season 2009 - 2010 schedule of MA.

Rasika911 · Post by **Rasika911** » 05 Jan 2010, 14:42

Rishikesh wrote:I wonder why Abhishek is not figuring in Dec Season 2009 - 2010 schedule of MA.

Maybe the expert commite dont have the same admiration for him that you do?
Or maybe time constraints....they cant give everyone a go.
Abishek isnt the only one missing out, there are many others like sandeep narayanan, swarna rethas, g ravikiran, v.pradeep kumar ect.

babaji · Post by **babaji** » 05 Jan 2010, 17:19

Rasika911 wrote:
Rishikesh wrote:I wonder why Abhishek is not figuring in Dec Season 2009 - 2010 schedule of MA.
Maybe the expert commite dont have the same admiration for him that you do?
Or maybe time constraints....they cant give everyone a go.
Abishek isnt the only one missing out, there are many others like sandeep narayanan, swarna rethas, g ravikiran, v.pradeep kumar ect.

Could'nt agree more rasika911. More than time constraints we all know how many factors influence such concerts not only from sabha side but from artist side as well.

Like you pointed out the other artists, there are some more artists that you have' not mentioned. Those that can perform at equally challenging and competitive levels. Today's youngsters are tommorow's destiny of carnatic music. Encouragement and appreciation of their talent is very much a necessity of today's music loving rasikas and the curious.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 05 Jan 2010, 22:21

BTW, calling Abhishek Raghuram "a musician's musician" does not do him any favors. First of all, he is too young for that. Second, at least as applied to stalwarts like MDR, there is an implicit meaning that he is not a mass-market hit.

prasanna.mr · Post by **prasanna.mr** » 05 Jan 2010, 23:02

Rasika911 wrote: Abishek isnt the only one missing out, there are many others like sandeep narayanan, swarna rethas, g ravikiran, v.pradeep kumar ect.

Sandeep Narayan sang in Music Academy on 31st december.He was given the 12-1:30 slot due to some last minute cancellation.

Kambhoji · Post by **Kambhoji** » 06 Jan 2010, 05:52

Thank you Rishikesh..Rasikas, please do write about any reviews that you attended. We, in other parts of the world, look for your reviews to know what is going on during the Music season.
Thank you.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 06 Jan 2010, 10:16

Will surely remember his "Aadamodi Galade" in charukesi with his pacy niraval and swaras "Mataladamodi Galade" for Nalinakanthi on 7th December 2009.
He is an artiste of high calibre with control over voice, brigas, laya and vyvaharam.
J.Balaji

Rishikesh · Post by **Rishikesh** » 06 Jan 2010, 11:14

To Vasanthakokilam: Why Abhishek is not a "Mass Market Hit"? He has perfect control over voice, brighas and layam as stated by mridhangam. He definitely has a good melodious voice, being still young than most of the present class of senior vidwans. And he was waiting to be promoted to the senior slot at MA this season.
To mridhangam: What is vyvaharam? Kindly explain.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 06 Jan 2010, 11:36

Vyavaharam is mathematical variations and laya variations done in a complicated way .... (in simple terms)

J.Balaji

Rishikesh · Post by **Rishikesh** » 06 Jan 2010, 11:41

Thanks for the clarification, mridhangam

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 06 Jan 2010, 12:09

Rishikesh, I have no reason to believe that he is not a mass-market hit. In fact, from what I watched online, he sings wonderfully. If you re-read my post you will understand what I am saying. It is about your reference to him as 'musician's musician'. No young person would want to carry the burden of such a lofty label.

balumridu · Post by **balumridu** » 06 Jan 2010, 12:29

http://www.imaindia.in/video-gallery.html

Watch this amazing performance of Abhishek in the Jalsa 2009 programme which was telecast on DD national last Sunday. Durga jasraj and Anu kapoor are the organisers of this event. Abhishek is one of the few carnatic artists to have performed in the event. To quote Mannarkoil Balaji, the concert where Abhishek sang "adamodi" was simply mindblowing, and i should appreciate Balaji sir for playing a nice thani which was "on the spot". It was a tough challenge which was managed very ably. Abhishek according to me is the future of carnatic music who no doubt will be a role model for youngsters.

Trivandrum.V.Balaji.

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 06 Jan 2010, 12:38

well said both Balajis. both celebrated mridangists.

rajeeram · Post by **rajeeram** » 06 Jan 2010, 22:13

Balaji,
Thank you for the pointer to the video of that wonderful performance. Abhishek with Patri and Vittal!! What a combination!

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 06 Jan 2010, 22:58

As someone has written before, this boy is a deva come on planet earth! He is simply mindblowing....especially in vyvaharam as our specialists have coined it!

The only caveat is he appears not to care abt the somewhat rigid basics of raga development...bringing people into his fold before showing the intricacies of his music can help...but at 23, its just refreshing that he does what he wants! Like any other field, its the way of this new generation..., and in a sampradayic community like carnatic it will not always be digested....

As for the people who did not give him a chance this year...I will offer that "short sighted bumpkins" still exist! One can only hope that "short sighted stubborn bumpins" no longer do....

Rishikesh · Post by **Rishikesh** » 07 Jan 2010, 07:50

Abhishek has his fans, as I already stated. There is always a sizeable/full crowd wherever he performs. He has something new to offer, whether singing the time tested krithis or a rare raga. The laya experts are always there to watch him weave his swara patterns and korvais, making them interesting to the interested listener/up-comimg musicians. It is as though he performs to a post-graduate classroom taking us thro the various inticacies of the raga during alapana, unheard of embelishments to sanghathis in krithis and of course, the vyavaharams to his swaras. Overall, a treat to an avid listener of CM.

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 07 Jan 2010, 11:18

Abhishek is an "extraordinary genius" amongst the upcoming and contemporary vocalists and is indeed blessed by God and his gurus including the late legendary Padmashri Palghat Raghu. His concerts are like a "startrek" journey into the musical galaxies with the excitement and wonder one has as to what next in each of his lines and phrases that he is going to come out with.

However, with due respects to his unlimited gnana, where I would like to bring his attention to if he gets to read this is, there needs to be a sense of proportion or balance on anything, even creativity or manodharma and that form has to be subordinated to function, not the other way around. Perhaps there is no more exemplary illustration of that principle in action than his own beloved grand father, who understood the nuances of "economy in playing or accompanying" - I used to enjoy Raghu mama's "pauses" (or non-playing) in between as much as his playing. He was a master on where and how to leave as much as how to play (to take a leaf from cricketing parlance). There is no point in trying to hit sixers out of all the balls, then the game would look quite insipid like Hongkong sixes than an absorbing test match.

This is just a very humble feedback to an immensely talented youngster who has a lot to achieve in the field of music and to enthrall all of us in days to come.

Concerts are also about "mellifluousness, subtle touches, rasas and bhaavas" as much as "vyavahaarams, tempo, kanakku and manodharma".

Regards,

Apasruthi

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 07 Jan 2010, 11:20

Apasruthi please change ur name to Perfectsruthi ....

J.balaji

balumridu · Post by **balumridu** » 07 Jan 2010, 14:32

Hahahahaha.. well said.. first of all Mr.Apasruthi should tune his name properly to perfect and give suggestions.

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 07 Jan 2010, 15:10

Thank you both Balaji(s) for your "Edam kai gumukkis" ("left handed compliment" crudely translated into mrudangam lingo) on my username. By the way, addressing me as "Mr. Apasruthi", is not in order as sruthi as well as apasruthi ought to be females no!

Hi hi!

Apasruthi

balumridu · Post by **balumridu** » 07 Jan 2010, 21:59

hahahahah thats nice too Mr. ApaSRUTHI. anyways keep posting nice things...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 07 Jan 2010, 23:03

AppA! Sruti!

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 08 Jan 2010, 10:11

Abhishek is young once, his voice is in cracker shape, his enthusiasm is unlimited, his passion unbridled, and imagination/knowledge/strengths unmatched...he can try to hit as many sixes as he can.....I say he goes for it now, coz if one takes Carnatic's own Sachin, TNS as alluded to by Sanjay, his voice is now a pale shadow of his youth....Just look at the confidence with which Abhishek sang the pallavi line, and such refreshing, unheard of sangathis in shanmughapriya! So innovative....who sings a pallavi line on National Television, when given 5 minutes to perform?

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 08 Jan 2010, 15:20

Sure enough Mahesh3 (whose admiration of Abhishek's singing also seems to be as unbridled and unlimited as Abhishek's passion and imagination)...

I too wish that Abhishek turns out to be indeed a Sachin Tendulkar of CM (as the years go by and in the way Sachin himself adapted and evolved his style of playing) and not be just a Sehwag!

Apasruthi

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 09 Jan 2010, 00:14

Well, apparently, Sehwag has turned out to be the foundation of our Indian team....enough with the cricket

!

By the way, Apasruthi, I just wanted to make some points in general on Abhishek. I like your observations.

Abhishek is a musician's musician...we need to appreciate his sadhakam, and encourage him now. Let us not get into semantics of bhaava and mellifluousness...because to me, Abhishek has those as well. In the video, note that he used just one phrase of Shanmughapriya alapana.....one phrase is all he needed to show the wonder, beauty, core dimensions and scope of that raga....and then he readily launches into melkala swaras!

The ragas he chooses to elaborate in his concerts, even a random sample of his recent concerts show original choices like Sri, Neelambari, Malayamarutham, Charukesi. This is not like attempting Patdeep, suddhadhanyasi, Hameerkalyani and Puriyadhanasri...or some jumbled up raga medley as an RTP...no slant to anyone, but just an observation!

As for complaints, lets go thru the laundry list:

I've heard individuals complain of his use of flat nishadams, lack of gamakams in singing ragams like Bhairaavi, northish sounds in ragas like Kalyani....the cribs are endless! If u take all of today's artists (all of whom I actively enjoy), lets see what we as an audience tolerate

Several ragas like Khamas and Kanada are literally not hearrd in thir original form, and even the diluted interpreations are questionable sometimes. TNS's Bhairavi and Mukhari are so clearly confusing, to me, it appears he sings alapana phrases in one raga and krithi in another. When the amazing MC plays the violin, I've noted he normally plays another krithi's sahitya in the same raga for alapana. Vijay Siva literally recites music, as if they were shlokhams. Bangalore Shankar has an attractive use of vocals, yet he regularly uses hindusthani prayogas in his alapanas - Kalyani initially sounds like Yamunakalyani. TMK's loudness/ottam is well characterized, and Sanjay's Kasiramakriya expositions are equally questionable. As for the Arunas and Nityashri's, lets not even go there. There are wannabes aplenty trying to sell pianos, saxophones, keyboards, mandolins, chitravinas as genuine carnatic instruments. And there is no need to get into the MDR, Balamurali discussions. By the way, my all time favorites are KVN and Semmangudi. So, why is there so much revulsion against a kid?

When Semmangudi was asked who had the most prodigious talent he ever saw, his answer was Mali without question. He clearly said there never was anyone like Mali. Chembai lifted Mali as a child on his shoulders, in a gesture to reflect how he rated Mali. Yet, the public wasted their time disputing Mali's abilities and musical choices, and way more was done to damage that great soul's ultimate capabilities. Lets not relive the past with our petty thoughts....every senior musician/musicologist I have met (and there are several I've asked, tho I will avoid names)....they're all taken in by Abhishek! Sure there are minor disagreements...but they are all onboard for the startrek journey! so, its not just my enthusiasm that is unbound....there is solid recognition and street cred that Abhishek brings....again while this might seem to be abt Abhishek, there are several other young artists that deserve mention and greater encouragement. Pandit, Sandeep, G. Ravikiran, Papanasam Ramani, Nanditha Ravi just to name a few. They are all passionate, not lazy and sacrificing a lot....and yet, I sometimes feel the carnatic music world does not cut them any slack.

Kambhoji · Post by **Kambhoji** » 09 Jan 2010, 03:09

My first encounter with Abhishek's music was at a live concert in 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts under the auspices of LearnQuest Academy. He was only given a 90 minute slot and numerous other performers were waiting backastage to enter the arena. He started the concert with a varnam, I think it was in kalyani and then launched into Hamsadwani and the evergreen Vatapi. I was expecting the usual elaboration of this wonderful song, saying to myself here we go again.. and instead what I heard was a highly original rendition both in the raga and the composition. One might ask what is so great about it. Many times today's audience, flooded with CM music by way of tapes, CDs and on line stuff, is looking for originality and creativity within of course the framework of a typical composition. That is where Abhishek stands out from the rest. Most recently, I happened to hear superb Karaharapriya raga alapanai followed an amazing rendition of Sreenivasa Thava charanam..

Abishek is a special gift to Carnatic Music. I am sure he is receptive to positive feedback and will fine tune his kutcheri presentation. Let me say that in decades to come, CM fans are going to have a special carnatic feast, thanks to the younger generation of musicians like Abhishek!

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 09 Jan 2010, 04:27

>So, why is there so much revulsion against a kid?

Mahesh: Where do you sense any revulsion against Abhishek? This thread is all in praise of him. I do not know a whole lot about him, I am learning a lot about him here. There have been some criticism of his style in a couple of other threads but I do not think that comes anywhere close to being characterized as 'revulsion'.

In all this high praise, my opinion is, adoration like "Musician's musician" is unnecessary and it only harms a budding great talent like Abhishek. This is nothing against Abhishek himself but fans sometimes do not know the bounds when caught up in the enthusiam. Hope you all understand what I am talking about. Let him sing, let us enjoy his music, let him grow over time as a great singer with a long term potential to become one of the all time greats.

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 09 Jan 2010, 21:57

VK, Its not this particular thread, but I've come across some people who are particularly vengeful against Abhishek, and ready to pillory him for singing in flat nishadams, foreign sangathis etc.

So, in your world, sly questions/comments that cast a doubt on young and upcoming artists undeniable talent and aspersions are not harmful, corrosive and toxic but high praise is harmful? Anyway, lets move on to other topics. The weekend is here, and I have a lot of music to catch up to.

By the way, just take a look at his viribhoni varnam in the Palghat Raghu lecture demo.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 09 Jan 2010, 22:30

Mahesh, my world is not what you portray it to be. Of course not. That is a false dichotomy. All the stuff you say on the negative side are harmful to a great new talent. No doubt. There also we need to distinguish between genuine and constructive criticism and just plain old haranguing from people who have not achieved what he could do already.

This 'musician's musician' level high praise is really not harmful to Abhishek directly but at least to me, if some one says that about a young great talent, I discount other things they say about him as hyperbole. That is the harm, if at all any. Second, Rasikas do have a role to play in cultivating a great yielding plant which is an 'AyirankAlattu payir', Let us not set the expectations so high that the best outcome is just meeting those lofty expectations. That is a huge and unnecessary stress on the artist-rasikas eco-system. And believe me, this comes from a place of wishing everything best for Abhishek in his long career as a CM vocalist.

I have listened to that viribhoni varnam by him and it is excellent, loaded with laya 'vyavaharam'.

Divya Gopalan · Post by **Divya Gopalan** » 10 Jan 2010, 08:47

Before adding my 2 cents, let me clarify that I have heard this youngster and really wish well for him. I personally favor artists who are talented and are not in the forefront due to various reasons. This youngster has a lot of potential and given the right kind of guidance, he can really marvel.

Having said that, to be able to make a mark, one should know where they stand, have an open mind to praises and criticisms alike. While praises can boost up one's morale and increase the self confidence, criticisms can be taken as pills for self improvement. Overdose of praise can prove to be as harmful as sly, critical remarks.
Sometimes criticisms come in quite harshly and can be difficult to digest. But we truly dont have control over other people or what they say.

As vasanthakokilam put it rightly, overdose of praise can create a lot on stress for the artist because the expectations are too high on him/her.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 10 Jan 2010, 10:47

Let this very talented youngster evolve without hassle. He comes from a musical family of elders and peers who are there to give him enough guidance, appreciation and criticism!

Rishikesh · Post by **Rishikesh** » 10 Jan 2010, 13:54

Commendations or condemnations do not affect Abhishek in any manner. He is passionate about carnatic music and appears to live in a world his own always planning, thinking, about music. He enjoys and loves his music as much as we love his. He is somebody like E.Gayatri, Shashank, Mandolin Srinivas, etc the prodigies in their own fields. None of them were ever affected by any of the so called hyperbolic critisms or accolades. It is not an understatement. Abhishek is a musician's musician whether anybody likes it or not.

Rishikesh

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 12 Jan 2010, 14:28

Dear Mahesh3 and others who tow his line:

Sorry for a bit late in my reaction to your elaborate reply to my last post on this. Since somewhere in the thread it was I who started certain "constructive feedback" (atleast that was my intention to be honest) to Abhishek with a concern for him to become indeed a great musician (let's not get over-board and declare him that he already is one. Yes he has great talent and potential, but to call him already a great musician and place him among the ranks of SSI or KVN who seem to be Mahesh3's all time favourites, requires some time to pass and track record to be established - not Abhi's fault though since he has just started off and is still very young), I thought it is important to clarify once again so that your passion and fervour does not distort the meaning and intent of my posts (and if I can take the liberty to add someone like Vasanthakokilam who seems to echo what I meant in my post).

I don't know if Mahesh3 has to defend Abhishek and himself against any other criticisms that is outside of this platform, but if he is careful enough to go through my feedback it is for Abhishek to consider for his own improvement, and am sure knowing Abhishek, he would be the last person to take objection to it.

Every great musician in the annals of CM had evolved over a period of time, had adapted his or her style as the time passes and more importantly kept learning till their very end (can't resist but mention MS here) and kept improving by each day, and knowing Abhishek he would do the same. So let us not deprive Abhishek of any possibility to go that path by such jingoistic declarations like "here he has arrived and has conquered all." If someone is truly a well-wisher of Abhishek he or she would think twice to do so.

Lastly on Mahesh3's comment on cricket and Sehwag, it appears in the way that he has justified Sehwag, he is more than happy if Abhishek turns out to be a Sehwag than a Sachin - what a pity if this is what a true well-wisher of Abhi is aspiring him to be!

Apasruthi

coolkapali · Post by **coolkapali** » 12 Jan 2010, 17:58

if i may add a bit here. This is with relevance to most of the younger generation artistes who populate the musical circuit these days in Chennai. I will also include TM Krishna and Sanjay within this. I guess as a musician really matures he reaches a stage where he sings from within, the music totally overshadowing his ego. This comes with years of sadhakam, Grace of God and a lot of discipline and devotion. Whether the musician totally loses himself in the music. Whether he is totally oblivious to the applause or criticism, whether there is Bhavam and lack of gimmicks that doesnt add value to the music but nevertheless wins applauses and mass popularity . Whether it touches your heart etc are some of the key parameters. Look at KVN, Semmangudi, Ariyakkudi, Chembai, Madurai Mani etc etc. When we listen to their concerts we can clearly make out that they were more interested in the music and its bhava than the celebrity status or media attention. Youngsters of today are really good, but the soulful singing being the primary goal is taking a back seat. I wont blame them, the media and internet forums promote them so highly that one thinks he is a superman hardly before he even reaches a music student status. I hope the youngsters really take up music as a lifetime penance than a short term mode for popularity or everything else that comes with it.

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 12 Jan 2010, 20:12

Apasruthi, I have no idea what you mean by jingoistic declarations, the verbage that u quote...no one has written so far about. Neither has anyone claimed Abhishek is the new answer to SSI or KVN....all anyone is offering is that its not upto us to say what he should do. Let us just enjoy what he offers at this stage in his musical journey....and refrain from strangulating him prematurely just because we are not familiar with what he offers.

There have been many misunderstood greats in the past..TR Rajarathnam Pillai, TR Mali, SKR, even TNS/BMK....and all of them have come to be admired years/decades after their work....while we are not saying Abhishek is in this league yet, his original music lends itself to comparison with some of the experimentation seen by these masters in the past...so, we as rasikas have the opportunity to appreciate him now, and encourage his attempts! Thats all...plain and simple....

Coolkapali said " hope the youngsters really take up music as a lifetime penance than a short term mode for popularity or everything else that comes with it."

Lifetime penance? You are kidding me right?

And what makes u think Sanjay and TMK dont sing from within?

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 12 Jan 2010, 22:11

Thanks mahesh3 for the clarification. I now get what you are trying to tell or are rather concerned about which is "let any feed-back or criticism or guidance, not restrain the limitless creativity of Abhishek so that he gets conscious of controlling it and thereby loses his own unique identity, worse still, deprive us all of more and more star-trek journeys, and let him decide or settle down on how he wants to take his career forward..."

I couldn't agree with you any more if that is your concern and I would be the last person to give any feedback to him if the consequence of that is going to be what is described above. If you notice all I wanted him to reflect upon was to have a sense of proportion or balance on anything, (and that includes taking in the feedbacks of his rasikas like us!!). The big assumption that I am making though is that "he is indeed matured or balanced enough" to take it in balance and yet not lose his identity. I don't deny that this assumption could be wrong and therefore he would really go to the other extreme and restrain himself to such an extent that he would feel strangulated!

Yes it could be possible.. in which case I don't want to do such a "maha patakam!"...

Apasruthi

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 12 Jan 2010, 22:37

apasruthi wrote:Thanks mahesh3 for the clarification. I now get what you are trying to tell or are rather concerned about which is "let any feed-back or criticism or guidance, not restrain the limitless creativity of Abhishek so that he gets conscious of controlling it and thereby loses his own unique identity, worse still, deprive us all of more and more star-trek journeys, and let him decide or settle down on how he wants to take his career forward..."

Apasruthi

Thats a mouthful, but sure

!