Trichur Brothers - San Diego - 28th Mar 2010

[bilahari]

Trichur Brothers - Vocal
M.S. Narasimha Murthy - Violin
Trichur Mohan - Mrudangam
Cleveland Balu - Khanjira

Duration: ~2h

Approximate Songlist:

01. chalamEla (varNam) - shankarAbharaNam - khaNDa aTa
02. siddi vinAyakam anisham (S @ pallavi) - shaNmugapriya - rUpakam
03. sUryamUrtE - sowrASTram - chatuSra druva
04. sItamma mAyamma (S @ dharaija bhAgavatA) - vasanta - rUpakam
05. dAsukObalEna (R, N @ sowmitri tyAgarAju) - tODi - miSra jhampa
06. bOgIndra sAyinam - kuntalavarALi - khaNDa cApu
07. RTP - jOg - Adi[2] (sama eDuppu)
Pallavi: cEta SrI rAmam cintayE jImuta SyAman
Ragamaliga swaras in Ananda bhairavi, kApi, hindOLam, and two other ragas I didn't catch
Thani Avarthanam
08. kandu kandangirikkum - rAgamAliga
09. slOkam - madhyamAvati

The brothers began their concert with a madhyama kAla rendition of the beautiful aTa tala varnam in shankarAbharaNam, with their treatment of the flat note sequences in the uttarangam immediately demonstrating their fidelity to pitch. The concert heated up in the next piece, where the brothers rendered fairly elaborate swaras for siddi vinAyakam anisham. Of note were the oscillating stops at the madhyamam and the sequence of phrases ending with the dhaivatam (e.g. NGRSD,,,,). The rapid back-and-forth between the brothers during the kalpanaswaras was very intense, preparing the audience for what was to come.

After the intense, fast-paced shaNmugapriya, the brothers intelligently chose to present sUryamUrtE in vilamba kalam. Their enunciation was very good, they communicated the raga bhAvam effectively, had good control over kala pramanam, and their gamakas all fell into place, resulting in a very moving rendition of the song (which I've mostly heard in madhyama kala from MMI). I especially loved the gamaka they gave to cAyAdipatE in the krithi's pallavi.

At this juncture, I was expecting the brothers to launch into the submain, but they immediately started singing sItamma mAyamma. While I was disappointed that no raga alapanai had been offered four songs into the program, the brothers sang kalpanaswaras with very good poruttham - e.g., they sang ascending sequences leading up to the eDuppu, which is descending, thereby providing a nice contrast, etc. An elaborate tODi followed, with the brothers using gamakas very intelligently. For instance, they sang RG,, RG,, RGMG,,RS, with a beautiful slide to the madhyamam after building up the anticipation with the elongated RG,, phrases. There were also SS(madhya)-SS(tara) phrases, which were treated differently from the usual S->S jArus. Of note in the brothers' alapanai was the variety of brigha sangathis. They used both rhythmic (thanam-style) and arrhythmic (the normal kind) brigha sangathis to good effect in their raga alapanai. Additionally, the brothers are the only duo I have seen who do not appear to have rigidly prepartitioned roles in manOdharma. They rapidly alternate during kalpanaswaras and raga alapanais and consequently, there is always an intensity and verve to their music which cannot but rub off on the audience.

Thyagaraja's krithi followed the stellar alapanai, and neraval was taken up at sowmitri tyAgarAju. The neraval would easily be one of my (several) highlights of this concert. The brothers sang it thoroughly in two speeds. Some beautiful sindhu bhairavi type patterns were sung in the first speed (GMDNS), and an evocative NG,,, (tara sthayi) appeared as well. The second speed was sung first in thanam style and then R,GRSN G,MGRS type asymmetric patterns were used. The neraval was so thorough that kalpanaswaras weren't left wanting, and I thought the brothers made a very wise decision to close the piece after the neraval.

The brothers moved on to the main piece of the concert - an RTP (no, you read correctly... main piece... RTP) in jOg. I was apprehensive the moment they announced the raga, since I've not been very enamoured by Hindusthani raga RTPs of late, but the brothers rubbished my concerns with a delectable alapanai in the raga. While jOg is a Hindusthani raga, I felt that the brothers' use of gamakas made the presentation seem almost Carnatic, which is no meagre feat. The brothers used N,PMG phrases very nicely during the alapanai, and they dealt with shatshruti rishabam exceptionally. As Dr. CMV mentioned during his vote of thanks, they did not merely treat R3 as G2 but illustrated its unique character through appropriate gamakas. Specifically, phrases like MGMR,,, were used wonderfully. Also, there were some patterns like PMP PMMP PMMP N,,,PM with a slide to the nishadam which were executed very well. There was also a beautiful kArvai at the tara gandharam, and an almost brindAvana sAranga-esque MPN,N,S to reach the tara shadjam. The alapanai, as you can sense, was really one of a kind.

A concise thanam was sung with mrudangam accompaniment. While the thanam paled slightly in comparison to the alapanai, it still had its moments - like the R,GRSN SRG,,, - G,MGRS RGM,,, type patterns sung. The pallavi was somewhat of a let down for me since a neraval was not done and the brothers merely sang the pallavi twice and then embarked on kalpanaswaras. After a few minutes of swaras in jOg, one of the brothers transited ever so smoothly into Ananda bhairavi, drawing appreciation from a receptive audience. The Ananda bhairavi swaraprastharam was excellent, with N3 used very nicely. It was unfortunate that the brothers went on to sing other Hindusthani ragas (or in Hindusthani style) in the ragamaliga, since I think it would have been a nice contrast after the jOg to sing only classical CM ragas. Nevertheless, the ragamaliga swaras were not all that bad and they were creative for kOrvais based on the arohanam of each of the ragas presented (which offered a nice contrast).

Trichur Mohan (the brothers' father) played a very brief thani avarthanam here (Cleveland Balu declined an opportunity to play). Obviously, there is good understanding between the brothers and their father, and his accompaniment throughout the concert was very fitting. His playing is deft but sensitive, and I even enjoyed his accompaniment for the thanam (I generally do not like mrudangam accompaniment for thanam). Cleveland Balu was unobtrusive in his accompaniment.

M.S. Narasimha Murthy (husband of Dr. Pantula Rama) was adequate on the violin. I especially enjoyed his thanam returns this morning, and his raga alapanais and swara returns were standard.

The brothers were thoroughly impressive this morning. Chiefly, their strengths are their excellent shruti alignment, vocal range, voice culture, creativity, mutual understanding, singing that does not compromise on bhAvam, good sense of layam, and good enunciation of lyrics. I have very few misgivings about this concert. I do feel that one more neraval should have been presented in the concert, and that an elaborate item with alapanai should have been presented in the first few pieces. Additionally, while the brothers alternate rapidly during manOdharma segments, I wish they would punctuate their music (especially raga alapanais) with the occasional silence, which would go a long way towards increasing that X-factor of a sowkhyam component in their music. Of course, I could use this space to complain again about ragamaliga swaras in short pallavis, but I somehow suspect that my constant complaining will in no way alter reality, so I will keep mum.

This was undoubtedly an excellent concert and the organisers are already trying to get the brothers back to San Diego for a full three-hour concert, which is an opportunity they richly deserve (and which the rasikas desperately want as well).

P.S. A big thank you to Rajesh who continually urged me to not miss the brothers' concert (it was at 8AM). Rasikas.org recommendations are the best!

[rshankar]

Bilahari,

What a lovely and thorough review. Thank you! Awaiting your take on Pantula Smt. Rama's concert.

A minor correction to the pallavi - 'cEta SrI rAmam, cintayE jImUta SyAman' (jImUta means a cloud...).

[bilahari]

Thanks for the correction, Ravi. What is the meaning of the pallavi?

I am working my way chronologically and will reach Pantula Rama tomorrow! People in lab must be wondering why I keep disappearing uncharacteristically early...

[VK RAMAN]

richly deserve - both the brothers are rich too musically and financially.

[arasi]

Bilahari,
Tell them you are fooling them on 'All Fools Day'!
Thanks for another excellent review. I have not heard the brothers in person yet. However, I was impressed with what I heard of their conert on the web where they sang a JOg RTP as well! Not a rAgam I relish much and it makes me wish how much more cheerful it would be if it were a nATTai or gambhIra nATTai!

[bilahari]

Arasi, or even better - an RTP in a rakthi raga like sahAna or kEdAragowLa! Now that would have elevated this concert to the extraterrestrial. But for someone who's never heard a jOg before, it was something new and interesting.

[arasi]

You are right. A sahAnA or K.gowLai. The reason I went for nATTais was because in my younger days, whenever I heard a detailed jOg from HM singers, it sounded to me as if they were singing nATTai with a sad heart Are the rAgams related?

[rajeshnat]

08. kaNDu kaNDen (?) - rAgamAliga

I googled to find out :
kaNDu kaNDen. rAgamAlikA(bhAgeshri + nAdanAmakriya +shubhapantuvarAli). T/Eka tALA. Composer: Poondanam.
Possibly it is the same
bilahari - You jogging with every number in your review is excellent.
Arasi - I used to think if there is a tinge of Major nAttai and a minor thillang in jog

[eppramod]

08. kaNDu kaNDen (?) - rAgamAliga

Assuming they sang a malayalam verse (I don't want to call them Slokam or Virutham) and if
Poonthanam is the composer ...

then it should be like
"Kandu Kandangirikkum Janangalae Kandilennu varuthunnathum Bhavan
Randu nalu dinam kodangoruthane, Thandilethi naduthannathum bhavan"

This is from his famous "Jnana Pana"

regards,
Pramod

[bilahari]

It was indeed the Malayalam verse, Pramod. Thanks.

Arasi, indeed Jog is very similar to nATTai. Jog's scale (as announced by the brothers for their RTP; they said there are many different interpretations of the scale) is SRGMPNS - SNPMGRS.

[kssr]

Kandu Kandan- Malayalam song was sung practically in each one of MSS's concerts, just like her oft repeated Kurai Onrum Illai, Sriman Naarayana, etc.,

[cienu]

You are absolutely right kssr.

Incidentally this was the second song which Kadayanallur Venkataraman tuned for MS, the first being Nagendra Haaraya of Adi Shankara.
This is a story of how Kadayanallur Venkataraman was introduced to MS & Sri Sadasivam in Kalki Gardens.
Around 1975/76, Nagendra Haaraya was first set to tune by Semmangudi, which was more in the Carnatic mode. But apparently Sri TS requested Semmangudi to tune this Siva Panchakshara Slokam with a bit of Hindustani touch as the LP , "Kasi Rameshwara Suprabatham" was being released in Kasi (Benares).
It was then that Semmangudi said " Yen Sishyan Kadayanallur re Anaparen".
Set to tune in Yaman Kalyani and Sivaranjani, Nagendra Haaraya captured the hearts of the Sanskrit scholars of Varanasi & the rasikas too.

[arasi]

Cienu,
Thanks for sharing the incident with us.That was serendipity!
Our thoughts are with your family now, what with your mother and all that that she stands for are going to be honored in Cleveland!
Will be thinking of her and Aishwarya too, and their concert.

[rshankar]

Cienu,
Thanks for sharing - and again, I am impressed by your grandfather's almost prophetic prescience. In her talk 'The Shy girl from Madurai' Smt. Gowri mentions that when she went to haridvAr, she was surprised and touched to hear the predominantly NI crowd there join her in rendering the pancAkSaram in the way the Smt. MSS had immortalized it. BTW, any idea if Sri SSI's carnATic version of the pancAkSaram is available to listen to?

Very happy to learn that your team is safely in Cleveland! We will certainly be thinking of all of you!

What is the meaning of the pallavi?

Bilahari,
The pallavi is 'cEtah SrI rAmam cintayE jImUta SyAmam' which is a sort of cEtAvani (an alert) - it means, 'Oh mind/consciousness (cEtah)! Think (cintayE) of Lord SrI rAma, who is as dark (SyAmam) as a cloud (jImUta)'.

[arasi]

A dark cloud rains and in Rama's case, he rains mercy. kALa mEgam is an endearment one would find in the works of AzhvArs besides karu mANikkam.
Now, to krishna for a quote!

[ksrimech]

Arasi,
The following pAsuram in the padigam by nammAzhvAr for tirumOghUr kALamEghapperumAL starting tALa tAmarai is the pAsuram which influenced SrImati ambujam kRSNa to compose the brilliant kIravAni composition, kanDu kali tIrndEn. Its would be an injustic with just one quote though. periyAzhvAr himself say "karuvuDai mEgham kanDAl unnai kanDAL okkum". Other azhvArs have used the words nIlamEgham, kALamEgham, etc. with direct references to perumAL as well as through indirect references to His dayai surakkum guNam (His quality of showering His mercy)

tALa tAmarai taDa maNi vayal trumOghur
nALum mEvi nangamarndu ninRu asurarai tIrkkum
tOLum nAngumuDai suri kuzhal kamalakaN kanivAy
kALamEghattaiyanRi maRRonRilam gatiyE. (tiruvAymozhi 10-1-1)

[cmvenkat]

Dear Cienu
Delighted to hear about Sri Kadayanallur Venkataraman. I have a deep regard for his work. Has anyone compiled a list of all songs that he tuned?
Thank you
Venkatachalam (San Diego, now in Cleveland till Monday)

[bilahari]

Thank you for the translation, Ravi. A peculiar but common line for pallavi, no? I mean, this comparison to a dark cloud almost indicates impending doom.

[kssr]

I mean, this comparison to a dark cloud almost indicates impending doom.

There no doom possible by cloud- dark cloud leads to good rains- good harvest- prosperity.
There is a Tirukkural on Vaan Sirappu (Rain)
"Keduppathoovum, kettarkku Saarvai ....Edupathoovum ellam Mazhai"- Rain has the power to make or break lives.

In Indian/ Hindu literature and mythology, there are two kinds of darkness. Exemplifying it is popular Kambaramayana seyyul

"... Mai (carbon black) vannaththu arakki (Thaadakai) poril (in the war), Mazhai (benevolent cloud) vannaththu aNNale(Rama), Un
Kai vannam ( here vannam means power of your kai-arm) angu kanden- kaal vannam ingu kanden."

[rshankar]

KSSR, excellent!

Bilahari - this is the dark, rain-bearing (rain - irrigation - crops - plentitude - therefore, very auspicious) cloud - In Sri TVR's concert I think one of his nerevals (going by your review) was at 'nIla nIrada SarIrA' - one with a body/complexion (SarIrA) of a blue (nIla) water-laden cloud (nIrada). Or the other OVK composition - 'nIrada sama nIla krishNA' - Oh krishNa who is as blue (nIla) as (sama) a water-laden cloud (nIrada). So, this is a very common motif - kArmugil vaNNan, nIla mEgha SyAmaLa gAtran etc, if you want more examples in tamizh...

[bilahari]

Ah, I interpreted it incorrectly. Thanks, KSSR and Ravi!

[kssr]

What are the names of the brothers? Who is elder? Approximate how old?

[bilahari]

Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan. I don't know who is elder. They are in their mid twenties and chartered accountants as well.

[mohana]

The doom's day depiction with dark clouds are in movies/books like 'The lord of the rings', etc.. As kssr and rshankar have already mentioned, dark clouds or rain bearing clouds in Indian literature/mythology indicates prosperity... and also messengers of love and bringing life to thirty souls.(Meghadootha is prime example of that).

Also "Lord SrI rAma, who is as dark (SyAmam) as a cloud (jImUta)" - is equivalent to Meghashyama (another name for Lord Krishna).


That aside - I was truly blown away by this concert. This was THE best concert of the 4-day SD Indian fine arts festival, for me. Great display of vidwat, synchromization and enthusiastic singing by the brothers.


After the concert the brothers were walking around and mingling with the concert attendees - an endearing quality I thought. I would have thought of them just as two cool dudes hanging out, if I hadn't just watched them perform before that!

Dr.CM Venkat sir asked the brothers at the end of the concert and clarified this for us - the older brother is Shrikrishna Mohan(I think he also goes by his other name Seetharam Mohan) and younger brother is Ramkumar Mohan.

[sridhar_ranga]

In the dry, hot and often parched land where Tamil is spoken, dark clouds are any day a welcome sight! Especially now in our summer (April/May), nothing "cools" the heart (uLLam kuLirndadu!) more than finding a sudden cooling of the air around you and hearing a clap of thunder or two, and smelling the fresh earth as the first drops of 'kODai mazhai' (summer rain) play their pitter-patter music. In a year we have 300+ days of blazing sun, and perhaps 40 or so days when dark clouds shower their mercy.

In the cold, rainy land of the English speaking people, it was perhaps the opposite (I'm using the past tense to indicate the times when English expressions associating dark clouds with ominous portents would have evolved). The skies were grey for a majority of the days in a year, and they needed to search for a silver lining or two amidst them. The choicest English God would be merciful as Sun's rays and bright hued as daylight.

So let's offer a "cool" welcome to dark clouds, and hued-as-a-dark-cloud gods, and the musically talented devotees who sing praises of such gods, if need be by sprinkling cold panneer (rose water) on them and extending a cooling bowl of sandalwood paste to them

[keerthi]

'cEtaH SrI rAmam cintaya jImuta SyAmaM'

This is the pallavi of an eponymous kirtana of the savant sadAshiva brahmEndra, which was popularly sung by Dr.BMK in Sindhubhairavi.


MLV has used the same pallavi for some of her RTP-s. I remember reading about one in NaTabhairavi in a sruti back issue.

[kssr]

Just now, I saw a Youtube clip of the brothers singing Revathi Thanam concluding with Bo- Sambho- Siva sambo- Swayambu, being popularised by Maharajapuram Ramachandran (and previously Santhanam). Quite impressive. Will attend their concert when they come to Bangalore next.