Bhushany Kalyanaraman - Toronto - April 11, 2010

[Abhishek]

April 11, 2010
Bharathi KalA Manram, Toronto

Vocal: Smt. Bhushany KalyAnarAman
Mridangam: Sri Toronto Gowrishankar
Violin: Sri V.V.S.MurAri
Kanjira: Sri. Karthik Venkataraman

1) Viribhoni (Bhairavi - Ata TAlam)
2) Kari Kalabhamukha (SAveri - Eka TAlam - MuthuswAmy Dikshitar) S at Pallavi
3) RAga Sudha Rasa (AndholikA - Adi - ThyAgarAjar) R
4) KailAsa NAthEna (KAmboji - Mishra ChApu - MuthuswAmy Dikshitar) RNS
5) Nee Daya RAdhA (Vasanthabhairavi - Rupakam - ThyAgarAjar)
6) Sri ChakrarAja (Sivasakthi - Adi - GNB) R
7) BAgAyanayya (Chandrajyothi - Adi - ThyAgarAjar)
8 ) ParamAthmudu (VAgadeeshwari - Adi - ThyAgarAjar) R
9) Enduko Nee (KalyAni - Adi - ThyAgarAjar) RNST
10) NeedAn Thunai (RAgamAlika - Mishra ChApu)
11) RTP (ShanmukhapriyA - 2 Kalai Khanda Jathi Triputa TAlam) Eduppu: After 2
Pallavi: MAthangi Sri RAjarAjeshwari
MadashAlini MAmava
RAgamAlika Swaras in: Valaji, HamsAnandi, Sri
12) Kannane (RAgamAlika - Adi)
13) Kanda NAl (Madhuvanthi - Adi)
14) TillAna (BrindAvani - Adi - S. KalyAnarAman)
15) Viruttam (Anandabhairavi, Arabhi) Followed by:
16) Ongi ULargal Anda (Arabhi - Adi)
17) Mangalam - PavamAna (Sowrastram, then MadhyamAvathy - Adi - ThyAgarAjar)

It was a wonderful concert. This was the starting concert of the Toronto ThyAgarAja festival this year. Smt. Bhushani was in great form from start to finish this evening. Swaram in Kari Kalabhamukha was beautifully sung, with some very creative phrases here and there. AlApanai for Andolika was uplifting, and so were the swarams in KailAsa NAthena. VVS MurAri's VAgadeeshwari alApanai was amazing. I was hoping this would be the main item for the evening, but it wasn't. Enduko Nee, the main song, was very nicely sung. Swaram patters once again were beautiful. Sri Gowrishankar and Sri Kartik Venkataraman played an interesting Tani. The concert had been going on for about 3 hours already when the artist started her RTP in Shanmukhapriya. The audience was so captivated with her singing that I don't think anyone got up and left. There was nothing too special about the AlApanai or the TAnam, but the beautiful Pallavi made up for it. Neraval was handled very well, and the rAgamAlika swarams were quite enjoyable. Throughout the concert, I noticed that her Korvais were very interesting. In particular, the one in Shanmukhapriya was quite unique.

When I went and spoke to her after the concert, I asked her who the composer of the BrindAvani TillAna was, and she told me it was the great S. KalyAnarAman. I told her that I was hoping she would sing one of his great ashtapadis, but I guess she couldn't do so because the concert was already well beyond 4 hours in duration!

All the accompanists supported the artist very well. Sri Gowrishankar and Sri KArthik Venkataraman played exceedingly well for the pallavi.

Overall, it was an excellent concert and a great start to the Toronto ThyAgarAja Festival.

-Abhishek Iyer.

[mohan]

Seems like it was a longer version of the Cleveland concert - reviewed here http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=12911

[Lakshman]

Items 10 and 13 are by N.S.Chidambaram. Item 12 is by Subramania Bharati.

[Abhishek]

Items 10 and 13 are by N.S.Chidambaram. Item 12 is by Subramania Bharati.

Thanks for the corrections! I'm not able to make the changes to the review somehow. Is there a way to edit my post?

[Lakshman]

Edit feature is always available.

[rajeshnat]

Edit is only available for three days (72 hours ) after the post, as per srkris

[Abhishek]

Edit is only available for three days (72 hours ) after the post, as per srkris

Yeah you're right. I can edit the post I made today, but not the one I made on Sunday.