Review of "Shivamayam" Concert of Sri.V.Shankaranarayan

[csuresh]

Review of Thematic Concert "Shivamayam"of Sri.V.Shankaranarayan on18th July 2010

Venue:Sri.Shivan Temple,Kalang, Singapore.

Violin.Sri.Mullaivasal.Chandramouli.

Mridhangam:Sri.Mannarkoil.J.Balaji.


Song List :

1. 'Sami Naan Un Adimai" Nattakurunji “Pada Varnam – “Papanasam Shivan.”

2. "Sababathiku”Abogi”-,"Nilakanda Shivan.(N,S)

3 ""Karanam kettu Vadi"”Poorvi Kalyanai”- Gopala Krishna Bharathi(R,N,S)

4."Arunachala Natham",Saranga - MD.

5."Arthanariswaram" Kumudhakriya - MD.

6."Aartha Piravithuyar", Saint “Manicka Vachakar “Tiruvembhavai “- "Shankarabharanam".(R,N,S,T)

7.Ragamaliga Slokham “Kara Charana Kritam” – “Adi Shankara “("Dharbari kanada","Hamsanandhi" and "Revathi" )followed by a Revathi Raga composition on Shiva by Tanjore Shankara Ayyar “Maha Deva Shiva Sambho”

8.Kapi raga keerthanai "Kanaka Sabaiyai" by Gopala Krishna Bharathi.

Concluded with”Mangalam”




“Vilaiyada Varthaiyum Pechi,Valai Silambu “is the line taken for Niraval from “Manickavachakar “Thiruvembhavai , “Aartha Piravithuyar” in “Shankarabharanam” by Sri.V.Shankaranarayan as he took this song as main item in the concert.

The meaning of this line is “let our mouth speak in glory of lord whose anklet and bangles makes sweet sound”

But after hearing the raga alapnai ,niraval and swaras what the rasikas present could hear was only the nadham and layam Sri.Shankar and his team presented., We were speech less (no varthai to pesa).Such was the magic effect the song left on us .The song took all of us including the artists to greater experience and to greater heights so close to the Lord Shiva.

Later the singer announced he had learnt that song form Smt. MSS. No wonder the song had Smt. MSS stamping and sure Smt.MSS would have blessed all those who were assembled there.

With Bhavam ,Sowkhyam and with dedication a song is presented even a simple structured “Thiruvembhavai ““can impact a listener the same way a structured keerthanai like “Sadasivam Upasmaye “or “Akshya Linga Vibho “ .Over all a very good team work form all the three artists.


After a brisk Pada Varnam Sri.,Shankaranarayan moved to "Abogi" ,”Sabapathiku Veru Deivam” on a request from a rasika. Niraval at “Oru tharam Shiva Chidambaram” followed by brisk swara prasthara.

Next was "Poorvi Kalyani" Alapanai,, against general expectation of "Anandha Nata", started "karanam keetu vadi"

Niraval at “karanam keetu” and followed by swaraprasthara..


“Saranga” keerthanai "Arunachala Nadham" one of the Pancha Bootha Sthala Song of Sr.Muthuswami Dikshitar"was presented next. .


“Arunachala Natham” was sung in a slow leisurely way , as he could bring full justice. Rare kumudakriya keerthani "Artha nareeswaram" of MD came as a filler before the main “Shankarabharanam” which was explained in the beginning of this review.


As I was still soaked in “Shankarabharanam “I could not really follow this two thukkadas.After Revathi sloka I thought he will move to “Bo Shiva Sambo” ,but what followed was a surprise.


Sri.Shankar has good breath control and voice carries lot of emotion with out strain. Now a days he carries lot of bhavam in singing and get himself immersed in what he sing. His Tamil as well as Sanskrit pronunciation was very perfect .

He has a good quality of presenting chowka kala keerthanais with full bhavam and sowkhyam which is becoming rare now a days. There is a very thin line between “sowkhyam” and “dragging” in singing chowka kala keerthanais .

In this concert he could have reduced tamil songs and one “Thyagaraja” keerthanai on shiva might have added variety. But as people say “Tamil” and “Sanskrit” are two eyes of Lord Shiva he would have chosen this two languages for this special concert on Lord. Shiva.

Sri.Mouli and Sri.Balaji gave a very good support and all three were encouraging each other in the concert. Over all a very satisfied concert from Sri Shankaranarayan and his team.

[mahakavi]

1. sAmi nAn undan aDimai
2. SabhApatikku: Composer--Gopalakrishna Bharathi

[csuresh]

MahaKavi,
Thanks for correcting me.

[rajeshnat]

3 ""Karanam kettu Vadi"”Poorvi Kalyanai”- Gopala Krishna Bharathi(R,N,S)
...
6."Aartha Piravithuyar", Saint “Manicka Vachakar “Tiruvembhavai “- "Shankarabharanam".(R,N,S,T)
..
8.Kapi raga keerthanai "Kanaka Sabaiyai" by Gopala Krishna Bharathi.
.

# ""KAranam kettu vAdi"”- Poorvi Kalyani”- sudhAnanda bhArathi(R,N,S)
# I have not heard this shankArabharanam krithi at all,having trained from Smt MS ammA and bringing it to concert is indeed very good.
# This kApi kanaka sabaiyai kanda piRagu was recently sung by sikkil gurucharan , infact I was not too sure of the composer . I am assuming he must have learnt this number from vaigAl gnanaskandan who was both his and gurucharan's guru.

[mahakavi]

rajeshnat:
kAraNam kETTu vADi : composer is GKB. Several sources point to that. Can you cite your reference for SNB as the purported composer?

[rajeshnat]

rajeshnat:
kAraNam kETTu vADi : composer is GKB. Several sources point to that. Can you cite your reference for SNB as the purported composer?

Even i was thinking that it was GKB for decades till Lji clarified when abhishek wrote in a recent review of smt raji

[mahakavi]

I have my own misgivings too about it because GKB is not known to have written padam-like kritis while SNB has done such semi-romantic devotional songs.
If SNB is the authentic composer of "KAraNam kETTu...." Lakshman should make the correction in Karnatik.com forthwith because many other sources quote that reference when they cite the song.
ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/நந்தனார்_சரித்திரம் also gives GKB as the composer perhaps relying on karnatik.com
Anyway it is good to have an independent confirmation, perhaps from Dr. Pasupathy of Toronto.

[csuresh]

Rajesh,
I also has heard Sikkil .Gurucharan 's song(kanaka sabayai) in a chansur album.Regarding "Karanam Kettu Vadi" and "Kanaka Sabayai" the singer him self announced the composer is "Gopala Krishna Bharathi"

[arasi]

I was listening to Raji Gopalakrishnan's AIR concert today and the composer's name for kAraNAm kETTu vADi is announced as Suddhananda Bharati.