Aishwarya Venkataraman@Parthasarathy Sabha Dec 25th, 2009

appu · Post by **appu** » 27 Dec 2009, 18:23

Accompanied by Shri Vellore Ramabhadran (Mridangam)
Vinod Venkataraman (Kanjira)

I left Music Academy after the Bhairavi ragam and Kirtanam rendered by Shri TNK, got lunch and headed to Parthasarathy Sabha. I was early and sat through the end of Shri Saketharaman. The hall was 80% full with Mannargudi Eashwaran starting his tani on a Misra Chapu kriti. Sakhetaraman has a full throated voice but falls short on the layam side. Why do I say this? The tani avartanam had Shri Easwaran and KVG (Kanjira) in a frenzy and they were setting up for the eduppu of the kriti which was one pulse before the Samam. Sakhetaraman missed the talam a couple of times and Easwaran had to abandon the Koruvai. He then tempered it down and playeds a simple ending to his tani avartanam. The tillana that followed and the kriti were rendered well. Saketharaman has good voice culture and is somebody to be watched closely.

I probably deviated from my initial title. so here goes. The hall emptied out with the audience scrambling out for the autorickshaw. Aishu started with Nattakurunji varnam with crisp swarams and a 2 line outline of the ragam. Of course many of the audience who left returned as no auto's were available and parked themselves on the seat. By the end of the varnam the hall was 60% full. I even overheard a telephone conversation where in a mami in a madishar podavai told her husband that lunch was ready on the table and it would be best if he served himself as she did not plan to come home till the end of Aishu's concert. Aishu's strong and crisp bowing brought back many of the rasikas who were in the cafeteria.

I AM SURE THAT AT ABOUT THIS TIME OUR ARASI WALKED IN. I HAVE NEVER MET HER BUT HAVE SEEN PHOTOS TO RECOGNIZE HER. ARASI, PLEASE CONFIRM.

The main was a ragam tanam pallavi in ragam thodi with elaborate exposition of Nilambari, Mohana, either bowli or bopalam, and Kapi. The return back to Thodi was a classic TNK sangati. This was followed by Raghuvamshasudha with some super intricate and melodic phrases.

Here I have one gripe with the organizers of PS Sabha. get rid of the guy who drops the curtain. He has no idea of when the concert ends. He prematurely dropped the curtain for both Saketharaman and for Aishu. The concert was left wanting with may be a Surati or a Madhyamavati or Sourashtram.

All the way through I have spoken well of her accompanists and Shri Ramabhadran at 80+ treats the music the way he did at 40. The tani was enjopyable. Once again 2 thumbs up. I have to go back and look at my notes to remember the other pieces that she played at this concert. Any one else who remembers please fill in the blanks.

laks1972 · Post by **laks1972** » 28 Dec 2009, 10:39

At this young age, Aishu shows lot of promise. For some phrases, if you close your eyes, you may say TNK is playing . She has imbibed TNK's style very well.

Her choice of neelambari-bowli-kapi in succession gave the impression that she put us to sleep with neelambari, woke us up with bowli and served us coffee (kapi)

Worth mentioning that there was not a single slip of note in what she played

Her father Vinod Venkataraman should curtail his expressions on the stage. On the stage, he is a kanjira player and NOT Aishu's father.

He should view the video of concerts that he has accompanied to identify the extra expressions that he gives on the stage that are much more than what other upa-pakkavadyam players do

appu · Post by **appu** » 07 Jan 2010, 07:46

appu wrote:
I AM SURE THAT AT ABOUT THIS TIME OUR ARASI WALKED IN. I HAVE NEVER MET HER BUT HAVE SEEN PHOTOS TO RECOGNIZE HER. ARASI, PLEASE CONFIRM.

Arasi,

I see you are back on the web posting and discussing. Did you attend this concert. I so wish I came up and said Hi to you. That pin idea that floated around, may be a good time to implement it.

madhyamar · Post by **madhyamar** » 07 Jan 2010, 10:28

She came in Pudhu punal Podigai Program. Her nattai ragam + jazz number was enjoyable ....... very promising

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 07 Jan 2010, 11:42

Appu,
I'm sorry we could not meet. Wish you had said hello. I wouldn't have found you even if you were sitting next to me, of course!

Yes, it was an impressive performance by Aishu. She is a true student of TNK. Even at this age, she sounds like him. At Nageswaran's place, I had to leave soon after she had played a couple of songs. I made it a point to listen to her at Partha. It was a treat to hear her, VR accompanying her on the mrudangam and he father playing the kanjirA.

laks1972,
About the kanjirA player's expression on stage, yes, it would have seemed excessive for an accompanist, but as a father, it was fine--you have to see a few parents of very grown up performers jumping out of their chairs in appreciation of the output of their offsprings! No big deal there, either. Wonder how I would behave if one of my grandsons were up on the stage

Seriously, however talented a youngster is, he/she needs all the encouragement (not pushing or demanding) from the parents--especially while performing away from one's own country, in the Season, in age old sabhas.
To me, it was a joy to see daughter and father together on stage. Vinod Venkatraman's expressions were meant to encourage Aishu and to make her feel confident. I met the family for the first time at Nageswarans. I admire Aishu and her parents (let me not leave out the mother force) for what Aishu is accomplishing.

appu · Post by **appu** » 07 Jan 2010, 23:58

Arasi,

Thank you for confirming. The next time I see you I promise to come up and say Hello. I saw you take notes. Could you fill in the blanks on what Aishu played after the Nattakurunji varnam. I misplaced my notes and cannot remember.