Gayathri Girish @ Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple, Adyar

[Sathej]

Smt Gayathri Girish - Vocal
Shri HN Bhaskar - Violin
Shri Poongulam Subramaniam - Mrudangam
Shri Anirudh Athreya - Kanjira

Date : February 27, 2010
Venue : Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple, Adyar

1) Deva Deva - Mayamalavagowlai - OS
2) Adathu Asangathu - Madhyamavathi - O
3) Kolam Kaana Vareer - Nattaikurinji - AS
4) Ranganayakam - Nayaki
5) Kalyana Rama - Hamsanadam - S
6) Vinarada Na Manavi - Devagandhari
7) Balagopala - Bhairavi - ANST
8 ) Srinivasa - Hamsanandi
9) Sita Kalyana - Kurinji
10) Adithalathil - Neelambari - Ranganathar Unjal
11) Virutham (Pasuram) followed by Thillana - Chandrakouns
12) Mangalam

The Mayamalavagowlai was a very nice start to the concert. The song rendition here was particularly wonderful. The Nattaikurinji Alapanai was classical and the Ambujam Krishna song that followed was rendered well. The Swarams were sung at Thiru Kalyana Kolam Kaana at leisure in the first Kalam in line with the mood of the Krithi. The Nayaki was soothing followed by Kalyanarama with a brisk round of Swarams.

The Bhairavi Ragam exposition was touching. The Dikshithar Krithi was rendered with all its intellect and the Neraval was quite elaborate. Swarams were sung at two Eduppus - Neela and Sharira (in the line nIla nIrada sharIra).

The accompanists provided excellent support throughout. The violinist's responses were very good throughout. Liked the percussionist's playing especially for the Madhyamavathi (the Charanam in particular) and Nattaikurinji pieces. The Tani was nice as well.

In the temple Brahmotsavam series, yesterday was apparently the Tirukalyana Utsavam and Oonjal utsavam. And the songs were aptly chosen for this occasion.

Overall, a nice concert with the opening Mayamalavagowlai Krithi rendition and the Bhairavi Alapanai touching me quite a bit..

Sathej

[arasi]

Yes, the songs were chosen aptly by GG for the occasion.
Singing Ambujam Krishna's kOlam kANa vArIr has become a tradition in human weddings as well! It is a lovely song about Rama's glory from his birth to his paTTAbhishEkam.

[rajeshnat]

10) Adithalathil - Neelambari - Ranganathar Unjal

Any pointers to this song, any recordings anywhere?,Who popularized these songs first?, this is new to me.

[ravisk]

I was there at this concert. the atmosphere was festive like. Smt gayathri's voice was good, but I felt there were too many slow songs. the third, fourth and sixth songs were all at the same speed, there could have been more variety.

[ksrimech]

Any pointers to this song, any recordings anywhere?,Who popularized these songs first?, this is new to me.

Rajeshnat,

This pAsuram comes under SrI ranganAthar uSal tirunAmam by the 17th cent. tamizh poet divyakavi piLLai perumAL ayyangAr svAmi. He is supposed to be from the family lineage of SrI tiruvarangattu amudanAr, the direct disciple of SrI kUrattAzhvAn, who composed the prapannagAyathri, irAmAnusanuRRandAdi. The divyakavi has composed 8 poetic works collectively known as aSTaprabhandam.

This is the same work under which tiruvAzha tiruvAzhicchangam vAzha comes under. Of course what Smt MS sings is a combination of SrI ranganAthar uSal tirunAmam and SrI ranganAyaki uSal tirunAmam. The latter was composed by the grandson of piLLai perumAL ayyangAr svAmi, kOnEri appan ayyangAr svAmi. The prabhandams, a treasure house of language and (pure) viSiSTAdvaita sAmpradAyic arthAs (concepts), were in oblivion expect for there usage by SrIvaiSNava vidvAns of the 18th. 19th and 20th centuries.

During the SrIrangam rAjagOpuram mahAsamprokSaNam (a.k.a. kumbAbhiSEkam) SrIvaiSNava AchAryas and vidvAns like SrImad azhagiya singar (44th paTTam), SrI vELukkuDi varadAchAriar svAmi (father vELukkuDi kRSnan svAmi), SrI puttUr (tirucchi) kRSNamAchAriar svAmi, and others, under the grace (direction) of SrIranganathan-SrIranganAyaki decided to popularize these works and requested SrI T sAdASivam to make Smt MS sing this at the SrIrangam rAjagOpuram mahAsamprOkSaNam concert telecasted on DD and AIR on March 25th, 1987. Both these concerts are available on http://www.sangeethapriya.org Since then others like SrIman vijayaSivA and SrImati gAyatri giriS have sung it (often?).

Assuming Smt Gayathri Girish sang only one stanza, here are the lyrics.

SrI ranganAthar uSal tirunAmam
nUlAsiriyar : divyakavi piLLai perumAL ayyangAr svAmi
ASTaprabhanda pAsura eN - 356
usal pAsura en-27
rAgam: nIlAmbari

aDitalattir paripuramum silabum ADa
aNimArbir kavuttuvamum triuvum ADath
toDitalattin maNivaDamum tuLavum ADath
tuNaikarattir sakkaramum sangum ADa
muDitalattir karungkuzalum surumbum ADa
mugamadiyar kuruvEvum kuzhayum ADak
kaDittalattil arainaNum kalaiyum ADak
kAvirisUzh arangEsar ADi Usal.

If you need the other stanzas sung by Smt MS or their meanings, I would be happy to provide them to this forum.