Sudha Ragunathan is very popular in Austin

[Enna_Solven]

among mothers with wailing babies & cranky 5 year olds in tow. They just cannot let go her concert even if their kids insisted on joining Sudha in her Bhairavi alapana or remonstrate her handling of Shanmukhapriya by wailing & running.

The auditorium was fairly full by the time the concert started.

GNB Birth Centenary Remembrance Concert, Austin - April 10 2010
Helms Fine Arts Center Auditorium - St. Stephens School

Sudha Ragunathan - Vocal
Vittal Ramamurthy - Violin
Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan - Mridangam
His disciple Surendar, from Toronto - Morsing (watch out for him)
Another young girl artist from Houston, Tanpura

Duration: 3/12 hours, Stars: 5

1. Era Napai - Thodi varnam
2. Sharanu Siddhi Vinayaka - Saurashtram
3. Swaminatha Paripalaya - Nattai (N landing at vama deva, parvathi, sukumara,S)
4. Raghuvara Nannu - Panthuvarali (N at manasuna neeke, S)
5. Sri Chakraraja Nilaye - Shivashakthi (R)
6. Vidajaladura - Janaranjani
7. Bala Gopala - Bhairavi (main, R NS @ nIla nIrada SarIra)
8. Nee Irangayenil - Atana (started at nikhila jagannathan)
9. RTP Shanmukhapriya - Adi Tisra Nadai (GNB's pallavi Gana Lolane Karunalavalane, Ragamalika swarams in Ananda Bhairavi, Revathi)
10. Dikku Theriyadha - Ragamalika
11. Man Ki Aankein Kholo (I don't like this song for obvious? reasons, but the reach of her voice has to be appreciated.)
12. Sonnadai Seidida - tuned by GNB, Ragamalika (She said that even GNB's direct disciple TVR doesn't know who composed the song.)
13. Baro Krishnaiya - Ragamalika
14. Thillana - Hamsanandhi
15. Mangalam (Pavamana) - Saurashtram, Madhyamavathi

There was a short presentation on GNB before the concert. Sudha followed it up with a short speech paying tribute to the legend.

She started the concert with the stately Thodi varnam. The way she started made sit up and realize that I am in for a long treat. However, I started to feel that she was straining her voice to reach the highs; but it was feedback issue. She kept asking the recording engineer to increase the feedback. It took time but the way she soared during Shanmukhapriya alapana and the Sai Bhajan showed nothing was wrong with her voice today.

Both Nattai and Panthuvarali were rendered very nicely. The latter neraval at manasuna neeke was immensely pleasing.

She mentioned the Shivashakthi song and ragam beforehand, I would have had no clue but it had shades of Hindolam.

She got her second round of big applause after a brief but delectable Vidajaladura.

Bhairavi, two weeks in a row!! Last week, it was Vijay Siva with Raksha Bettare.
Her phrases at the upper half were so beautiful.

Main was followed by thani by Vaidyanathan and his disciple from Toronto. The Toronto artist flashed his brilliance during thani and Vaidyanathan immediately started encouraging him with newer phrases to reply. Both got big applauses. Sudha kept smiling big, saying Besh, Besh.

It was 9:20pm when she started RTP. It was a surprise as most concerts in Austin are not this long. Shanmukhapriya alapana and thanam were excellent. In particular the thanam was soothing. The thukkadas that followed capped an excellent concert.

The highlights of this concert for me were Bhairavi, Thodi, Shanmukhapriya and Janaranjani; and Sudha's poise throughout the concert in spite of audio feedback issues well into the concert and poor audience behavior. The auditorium looked like a train station with people walking in and out all through the concert. It is not just elderly people that have restroom issues in Austin, it is everybody. Dudes, don't drink water before a concert. You are not going to sing.

Both Ramamurthy and Vaidyanathan was very supportive of Sudha in their playing. I liked Vaidynathan's soft but authoritative strokes.

While I was driving back on the broadly curved, steeply graded and nearly empty Capital of Texas highway, I thought Sudha's music was like this today, flowing majestically.

[rshankar]

Hey - Harimau can sleep in peace after reading the reports of his (?) favorite 'monkey' song... he may even be able to close the eyes of his mind too!

[arasi]

Enna_ solven,
Nice to get a very review from you.
Ravi is hinting at the 'man ke AnkhEn khOl', of course!

[sridhar_ranga]

His disciple from Toronto - Morsing (sorry forgot his name, but watch out for him)

Surendar, by any chance?

[Enna_Solven]

Sridhar: yes it is Surendar. I just checked with Mr. Nagarajan of Austin IFA.

Arasi: I don't like the song because of the living object of this song, who is just another modern guru, and hence the song amounts to narastuti.

[rshankar]

Sridhar: yes it is Surendar. I just checked with Mr. Nagarajan of Austin IFA.

Arasi: I don't like the song because of the living object of this song, who is just another modern guru, and hence the song amounts to narastuti.

Well in that case, it should extend to the Subbarama Dikshitar's masterpiece in SankarAbharaNam (SankarAcAryam) on Adi Sankara and the melting P. Thooran composition in kIravANi (puNNiyam oru kOTi) on the kAnci paramAcArya - the latter was composed and performed many times while the latter was still alive.

[mohan]

enna solven I have to agree with you!

[Jigyaasa]

Last week, it was Vijay Siva with Raksha Bettare.

Could you please post a review or song list from this concert? Thanks...

[Enna_Solven]

Could you please post a review or song list from this concert? Thanks...

I wanted to write a review for this concert as I liked it very much; however work was too tight and I lost mental bookmarks after a couple of days. Anyway, I have the song list.

Vijay Siva - Vocal
R.K. Sriramkumar - Violin
J. Vaidyanathan - Mridangam
Tribute to D.K.Pattammal & D.K.Jayaraman
Jones auditorium, St.Edwards University, Austin - April 3, 2010

1. Vanajakshiro - Kalyani varnam
2. Rama nannu - Harikambhoji
3. Iti Neeku Nyayama - Gamanashrama
4. Ikanaina - Pushpalatika (Vijay sang this very, very well, but unfortunately I have MSS's Carnegie Hall concert.)
5. Divakara Tanujam - Yadukula Kambhoji
6. Neelayatakshi - Paras (it was very crisp)
7. Bhairavi main - Raksha Bettare. (Relaxed, grand rendition but it had some flavor of bhairavi that I have not experienced before. I need to listen to this song from others to understand bhairavi for this song better.)
8. Entha Cheluvage - KD
9. Viruttham - Madhi vadanamada followed by Konji Konji Va Guhane
10. Kavadicchindhu - Villinai Muritthu
11. Thoondir Puzhuvinaipol - Ragamalika
12. Thiruppugazh
13. Shanta Ahimasa Murte

[Jigyaasa]

Thank you... raksha beTTarE is a DKP school staple...

[Sundara Rajan]

It is blaspheme to compare (post #6) Adi Sankara and kanchi paramAcharya to present day charlatans !