Dual Singers - Where they sit in the stage?

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 May 2010, 15:34

Dual Singers - Where they sit in the stage?
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I have just noticed when two singers are singing , the more prominent or the one who excels more of the dual singers sits closer to the mridangist , though there are few exceptions .

1. Look at Hyderabad brothers.
Shri seshAchari sits closer to the mridangist
http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/music/article72892.ece

2. Look at carnatica brothers
Sashikiran sits closer to the mridangist
http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/music/art ... iewImage=1

3. In malladis , always sriramprasad sits closer to the mridangist
http://www.cmana.org/cmana/Fliers/malladiR.htm

4.In mambalam sisters ,the more prominent singer (I think her name is vijayalakshmi) sits next to the mridangist
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vLLWxdJ3GAo/0.jpg

5. One exception is ranjani gAyatri
As audience it is always ranjani to the left and gayatri to the right
http://www.rajalakshmiaudio.com/web/ind ... dex/page/2 (with a left handed mridangist)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/420 ... 3e72dd.jpg (with a right handed mridangist)

6. How about mysore brothers in violin, the more prominent nagaraj only sits next to the mridangist
http://www.imsom.org/events/20060624.html

7.How about vintage alAthur brothers, the more dominant srinivasa iyer sits next to the mridangist(correct me if I am wrong)
http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit0903200 ... r_bros.jpg

8 . I am not sure about rudrapatnam and trichur brothers as I have not heard them enough . Within them always it was difficult to know who is more prominent so pass them

As such I am assuming there is some advantage where in the more prominent singer sits next to the mridangist , possibly the layam control should only be lead by the more prominent artist . At the same time there is only one photo that I got wherein left handed mridangist plays for the duo(RG Sisters).Would have been nice if I had more left handed mridangist playing for the dual singers.

Any reasons that you can think of the seating order, please add more of your inputs?

semmu86 · Post by **semmu86** » 19 May 2010, 17:27

Rajesh, thats quite a very good analysis about the seating arrangements. I also had this doubt for many years but didnt consider giving it a thought.

rajeshnat wrote: 7.How about vintage alAthur brothers, the more dominant srinivasa iyer sits next to the mridangist(correct me if I am wrong)
http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit0903200 ... r_bros.jpg

But from whatever little i heard and read about the brothers, Subbier always had a better and commanding voice, and that Srinivasier had a soft voice and was reticent by nature too. So this could be one of the exceptions you are talking about. Maybe they thought that the violinist needs more clarity of the layam and thAlam going on than the mrudangam artiste (if the more dominant one sits near to the violinist) as regards to their style of music.

rajeshnat wrote: As such I am assuming there is some advantage where in the more prominent singer sits next to the mridangist , possibly the layam control should only be lead by the more prominent artist .

I also cant think of any other reason apart from the one stated above, unless there is an issue of seniority among the duo (esp if they are not twins, that the junior bro/sis should sit to the left of the other). But then there is also another case. I have seen UKS sir personally asking Sreeramprasad of the Malladi duo, (their names being Sreeramprasad and Ravikumar, not Sreeramkumar) to sit closer to him. (Might be a case of being comfortable with one's thAlam.).

rajeshnat wrote: At the same time there is only one photo that I got wherein left handed mridangist plays for the duo(RG Sisters).Would have been nice if I had more left handed mridangist playing for the dual singers.

Here is one.
http://www.thehindu.com/fr/2008/04/25/s ... 020300.htm
If we see here in tune with the previous Alathur bros' photo, again Srinivasier sits closer to PSP. Could be either an exception or the reason which i gave too. Maybe Uday/Cienu can add more.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 May 2010, 17:41

alathurbrothers wrote: I put this photo of alathur brothers, with right handed mridangist
http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit0903200 ... r_bros.jpg
You put this photo of Alathur brothers with Left handed mridangist
http://www.thehindu.com/fr/2008/04/25/s ... 020300.htm

In both cases am I right that srinivasa iyer is sitting next to the mridangist. I cant identify 100% in your photo if srinivasa iyer is sitting next to mridangist.

Would be nice if erode nagaraj and mannArkoil bAlAji , they may know some logic that we all dont know.

semmu86 · Post by **semmu86** » 19 May 2010, 17:42

Yes you are right. It is indeed Srinivasier who is closer to the mrudangam artiste in both the photos.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 May 2010, 18:13

With an assumption that mridangist has to sit next to the more prominent and concert stearing singer.(conjecture #1)

ONe more point, RG sisters are exception because possibly they want to be always identified as ranjani and gayathri by all rasikas when audience view them . Possibly say if they are just called Bombay sisters and not called ranjani gAyatri may be gAyatri(who is the more prominent) would have sat next to the mridangist.This point is my conjecture #2 . For all other artists they have names like brothers and sisters so the logic of #1 holds good.Others can add and refute with more points.

Also added priya sisters now (haripriya is the more concert stearing singer she sits next to the mridangist)
http://sites.google.com/site/ramaswamyr ... isters.jpg

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 19 May 2010, 19:07

In my experience, the singers seem to hold on to their preferred position regardless of the right/left handedness of the mridangist.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 19 May 2010, 19:10

Rajesh, have you been thinking about aspects of duo performers since we saw those two young sisters recently? I think it stimulated your mind on the subject.

semmu86 · Post by **semmu86** » 19 May 2010, 19:14

Any photos of Brinda-Muktha while performing? Because it is always Brinda to the left and Muktha to the right, in the couple of photos i have seen in papers and articles.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 May 2010, 19:30

sureshvv wrote: In my experience, the singers seem to hold on to their preferred position regardless of the right/left handedness of the mridangist.

Not too sure if your statement is right. We have very few photos of left handed mridangist with dual singers (one of RG sisters with arunprakash that I digged and the other of alathur with psp that semmu digged )

Would be nice to know for say today's left handed mridangist like arunprakash, kallidakurichi sivakumar and R sankaranarayanan when say mallAdi, mambalam sisters and priyA sisters engage these mridangist, where would they be seated(of course that day we have to safely assume there is no left handed violinist

).

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 19 May 2010, 19:40

I always thought the senior among the two sits on left as we view.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 May 2010, 19:53

VK RAMAN wrote:I always thought the senior among the two sits on left as we view.

Senior in age or senior in presentation is the question here?

Wrong VKR, in hyderabad brothers the younger brother seshAchari sits next to mridangist.
I think for priyA sisters I think haripriyA (not 100% sure)is younger seated next to mridangist.

I do know that left handed mridangist R sankaranArayanan was in the forum ? Would be nice if he has played with malladi , priya sisters or mambalam sisters and also can comment which musician sat next to him?

vanamali · Post by **vanamali** » 21 May 2010, 13:51

Lalgudi GJR Krishnan sits on the left and Vijayalakshmi sits on the right...
Ganesh sits on the left and Kumaresh on the right...

Both of the above are assuming a right handed mridangist. And both the artistes in the above cases sitting on the left are the Senior/lead among the two.

Curious, in the few duet concerts with TM Krishna and Vijay Siva together, who sat where?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 22 May 2010, 02:01

Vanamali,
Good question!

Rajesh,
I am not sure if Sankaranarayanan (who played for Sumitra Nitin in her Arasi CD release concert and sat on her left) is a RasikAs member.
The young vocalist Sankaranarayanan is a fellow-member.

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 22 May 2010, 06:43

Once in a small hall with a very narrow stage which can hardly accommodate not more than 4or 5 people depending upon their sizes,the mridangist was seated at the edge Poor man,. he had a horrible time. .He had to concentrate more about not falling down than playing the mridangam gobilalitha

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 22 May 2010, 06:56

of course it is irrelevant to the main topic of duel singers But a joke incidentally.gobilalitha

thenpaanan · Post by **thenpaanan** » 22 May 2010, 18:01

gobilalitha wrote:of course it is irrelevant to the main topic of duel singers But a joke incidentally.gobilalitha

In the same vein, may be the seating is decided by whoever is harder of hearing?

-Then Paanan

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 22 May 2010, 20:29

Does being strong in layam come into the picture--to be sitting next to the mrudangist to cope with complicated calculations--or the other way round, for the not so strong one being closer to the mrudangist for guidance?
If the mrudangist is loud, the one who is NOT deaf might want to sit away from him

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 23 May 2010, 11:20

arasi wrote: Rajesh,
I am not sure if Sankaranarayanan (who played for Sumitra Nitin in her Arasi CD release concert and sat on her left) is a RasikAs member.
The young vocalist Sankaranarayanan is a fellow-member.

Arasi the vocalist id is dikshitar. The mridangist (though he did not announce) had an id rsn.mridangam , he particularly put few posts related to mridangam , so I assumed he is also there, though not 100% sure

rasikas.org

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