amrutha venkatesh from raga sudha hall - live blog

[sureshvv]

svk birthday concert featuring all swati tirunal kritis

now singing paramapurusham in lalitha panchamam

[sureshvv]

simhendra madhyamam alapana now. Started with todi adi tala varnam, pahi sripathe mohanna murthe in hamsadvani with swaras at pallavi line, a short & haunting ka

[sureshvv]

kaanada overview and mamavasadha janani. Hall is overflowing & it seems a most fitting celebration of the late sri svk's birthday

[sureshvv]

kriti is rama rama guna seema. Very sensitive & bewitching unhurried rendition. Neraval & swaras @ muni manasa. Great accompaniment from padma shankar

[sureshvv]

& arjun ganesh. Amrutha in incredible flow in swara prasthara and made off like a veteran. Main item with thani more than 1 hour.

[sureshvv]

now aliveni in kurinji. Before main, arabhi alapana followed by 9th navarathri kriti "pahi parvatha nandini"

[sureshvv]

excellent aliveni packed with nalinam. If she had called "lokasundaran" one more time, Lord Padmanabha might have appeared. Now nama sudha rasa from ajamilovakyaanam in kapi

[sureshvv]

ragamalika tillana (kalyani, kurinji, saranga, nattaikurinji etc.) followed by bhujagashayino nama mangalam

[arasi]

That was a running commentary of a concert review!
Amrtutha Venkatesh IS going to be a future star singer, it seems.

[Nick H]

Yes, Arasi, she is, and not so very future, either... I could give her star rating right now!

She has a beautiful voice, which she employs with great skill and control.

My word of the concert: melody. It was a program full of beautiful tunes. Perhaps Sureshvv might have some idea why I had this impression so strongly: was it the ragas, the compositions, or the composer? I don't know, only that I spent most of the evening swating gently in my seat, physically moved by the music.

Padma Shankar always plays beautifully, and for the several-hundredth time I found myself realising how amazing the neraval and kalpana swara exchanges are in CM, with not even a split second being allowed to the accompanist, who must be right there all the time. Arjun Ganesh and Nermkunam Shankar contributed a very appropriate percussion content, always enhancinf without being too forward. The tani followed the melodic nature of the program in being really enjoyable to listen to.

I went tonight in honour of S V Krishnan. Even though I never knew him, except by sight, Raga Sudha Hall has been just about my favourite music venue since I first visited Chennai, and he did so very much for so many artists. The great thing, though, is that, on top of that, I have another artist to add to my favourites list.

[arasi]

Very nice sentiments, beautifully expressed, Nick! SVK and what he did to serve CM is not easy to emulate, from what I gather. What's more, his daughter and family continue the tradition without any hoopla but with a lot of devotion. Several of you in Chennai( from the rasikAs) have made it your favorite concert hall for the quality of music, accoustics and the no-fuss simplicity which pervades the place.
Your review shows how much you enjoyed the music. Were Bharath and Srikanth there too?

[Nick H]

Bharat looked in, and then soon disappeared again. He missed a treat!

[srikant1987]

I attended Bharathi Ramasubban's concert till the main (tODi) alapanais though. Will put up an Attendance Report for that.

[dikshitarbhaktha]

Very good potential...but if she retains her penchant for monotonous kalapramanam, the audience would fizzle out sooner or later.
At the end of the day, it is a 'kutchery' - I wish Amrita does not go down the line of several good musicians of the past (don't wish to name them for fear of digression and subsequent controversies)...several of them were very sound in their art but weak in their craft!!!

[sureshvv]

I find that she does very well in smaller halls like Raga Sudha, NGS mini etc. but has a harder time making an impression in the larger ones like petachi auditorium. Nothing to do with the acoustics at the venue.

[sureshvv]

[Nick H]

Suresh... I am sorry... I completely forgot about my photo and checking it out for upload. Also meant to off you a lift, but you had gone already

[sureshvv]

No probs nick... This one's off my 'phone - so quality is a little wanting. I missed my navigation post the other day but we'll do it soon

[rbharath]

i heard the main alone on this concert. very well rendered it was

[kssr]

Amrutha has won nine gold medals in the Bangalore University BSc. See report

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/ ... ccess.html

Unfortunately the University does not seem to have actual medals to these high achievers.

Amrutha anyhow is a winner where ever she goes. Our best wishes.

[cienu]

That is indeed wonderful news. Hearty congratulations to Amrutha
Sad that the university did not have "Gold" Medals and the winners had to be satisfied with certificates.

[sappri]

Apart from the 9 gold medals, she also stood first in the University! *All* the leading newspapers had her picture the day she rec'd the award from the Governor. She stated affirmatively that inspite of this huge haul, music remains her chosen field.....One hears she's also a wonderful athlete, having successfully represented her college on several occasions!