DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
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rajeshnat
Posts: 10121
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by rajeshnat »

DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010
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Vocal : DeekshitA
Violin : K J Dilip(disciple of MSG)
Mrudangam : NC bharadwaj (second generation disciple of Srimushnam-some one in the audience told me that, not sure?)
Concert duration : 2 hours and 35 minutes
Sponsors : Music Circle

1. nee manasu - gavathi - GNB
2. vArana mukha(R,S) - hamsadhwani - KI
2 mins alApanai with no violin return
7 mins swaras

3. shAntamu lEkA sowkhyamu lEdu(R) - shyamA - T
2 mins alApanai with no violin return
4. sundara tara dEham (R,S) - pantuvarAli - T
6 mins alApanai and 4 mins violin return
8 mins swaras

5. nee cittamu nishcalamu(raga sketch) - dhanyAsi - T
6. murugA thirumAl marugA (R N S) - harikAmbOdhi - TSI
7 mins alApanai and 5 mins violin return
6 mins neraval in "karunai kaDalE uNNai kanamum maravEN kandA"
and 7 mins swaras

7. renukA devi - kannadabanglA - MD
8A. etA unarA (R N S T) - kalyAni - T
11 mins alApanai and 5 mins violin return
9 mins neraval in "seethA gowri vAgEEshwari"
8 mins swaras
8B. tani for 8 mins

9. meragAdu rammanavE (padam) – sahAnA – kSEtragna
10A. viruththam "PAlinai ninaindhOOthum" - kAMbOdhi + moHanam + shanmughapriyA + ranjani + sindhubhairavi
10B. chidambaranai dhigambaranai - sindhubhairavi - madurai GS Mani
11. mA rAma chandrunikki subhamangalam - kEdAragowlai - ??

Deekshita is the student of two brilliant musicians ,one is performing rAji gOpAlakrishnan and the other retired Prof TR Subramaniam . SHe must be in her 12th standard or so. In the last concert that I attended she sang all compositions of GNB.

As I came late she was wrapping GNB's gavathi , so in the sense it was continuation of the first concert. A brief alApana in hamsadhwani rolled with vArana mukhA , her swaras and the speed that she delivered just reminded a lot of smt Raji. THe contrast of hamsadhwani with shyAmA had yes to both sowkhyam and shantham and was well done with a very moving T krithi .

Most youngsters stack up T's krithis in their early musical career , deekshita was no different and she delivered three T's in a row. The pantuvarALi had a nice alApana and the GNB popularized krithi with her swaras just reminded again of Smt rajee there. The pick of the day was indeed the TSI harikAmbOdhi krithi. I always used to wonder when harikAmbOdhi alApanA is taken if musicians sing in such a way that they donot make up their mind between khamas and kAMbOdhi for the whole alApana ;) . Well exactly it was nearly that way,the alApana had the right thrust and a lovely thamizh diction .The neraval and swaras oozed with slight aggression that goes well with hurry kAMbOdhi.

Smt raji came back again for the third time as renukA devi, it was a very poignant rendition with emote and the contrast was really good. Few years back when smt rajee took sArangA in early part of the concert I was confident that she would not take kalyAni then as main. When pantuvarAli was taken up yesterday, I was quite confident that it would not be kalyAni. Like Guru Like Sishya both of them came up with kalyAni as the main and proved me wrong. kalyAni was really well done her voice brought in lot of sowkhyam and she sang the krithi and neraval very well . Swaras could have had more patterns and towards the end of kuraippu swaras there was a bit noticable slip.

The contrast of sahAna and kalyAni could have been bit avoided , this padam was definitely slightly boring in the context of the sequence ( Not that I dont like this sahana). If harikAmbOdhi was the top pick , I would say the viruththam was really superb it was very elaborate liked the shanmughapriyA and mOhanam a lot , ended with GS mani's janaranjakamana krithi. For a change I liked the mangalam in kedAra gowlai.

The violinist dilip was bit off key during his play.Dilip can avoid lot of western style like playing ,for many krithis the western touch was indeed there . The mridangist bharadwaj played well , little more sound would have been better at times it was bit too feeble. Tani was just good.I felt both the accompanist could have played little more better to suit deekshitA.

Note:
----
1.As I entered bit late , the usual top two rasikas of mylapore (JS and TRS)were not there.At the end of hamsadhwani Smt jayalakshmi santhANam walked in and then when sundara tara deham was just getting started Prof TRS came inside the hall , his face was beaming with joy. I was thinking GNB popularized krithi (GNB being his idol), the rAga pantuvarAli which he has mastered ,and perhaps one of his youngest disciple taking up , with Prof TRS enjoying certainly a master card moment :clap: .

2. When deekshitA was finishing the viruththam in the fourth rAga ranjani after kambOdhi,mohanam and shanmughapriyA , she was taking an interesting line there some thing like "yAn unnai thEdi sikkana piddithEn",when she repeated that line again for a brief moment she landed back in shanmughapriyA(instead of sindhubhairavi) and rolled her eyes and stopped .

THen she came to sindhubhairavi and then sang gsmani's tukkadA. I was just thinking sikkana in thamizh means something like a knot and exactly in those lines she also got bit in a knotty tangle . At times in rAgamAligA the overlap of shanmughapriyA and sindhubhairavi hues confuses a bit , I have experienced that confusion as the listener for very brief seconds and deekshita landed bit in that sikku (knot) |( . Nevertheless despite that minor slip, the viruththam was really well done and she wrapped up well in sindhubhairavi.

Overall a very good concert for 2 hours and 35 minutes with nice selection of various composers.
Last edited by rajeshnat on 22 Jul 2010, 16:05, edited 1 time in total.

mahakavi
Posts: 1269
Joined: 29 Dec 2009, 22:16

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by mahakavi »

rajeshnat:
Very observant indeed!
The line is "yAnunait toDarndu sikkenap piDittEn..."
Now "sikkenap piDittEn" would not lend you to understand that it is in a knot in the context of the song. In the vruttam, MANikkavAcagar says that he was persistent in seeking the Lord and had a strong grip on Him (sikkenap piDittEn). He follows it up with "engezhundaruLuvadiniyE" which means "where else will you go, my Lord?"

Of course you tied (?) it up to reflect a knotty situation for the singer. :)

ragam-talam
Posts: 1896
Joined: 28 Sep 2006, 02:15

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by ragam-talam »

rajeshnat - thank you very much for bringing to our attention various upcoming or lesser known artistes. You are doing a great service to the rasika community.

If only we could have short audio clips to complement these lovely reviews...

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
Thanks for the review. You created the atmosphere too for us in Raga Sudha, the veterans walking in and so on.
r_t is right. You make it your mission to bring to focus young talents-- without being a relative ;) Many on the forum don't know you, but your passion for CM and the way you care about its continued health is something remarkable.
Will look out for Deekshita in the season schedule.
The way the vidushi (Deekshita's guru) spells her name--is it Raji or Rajee Gopalakrishnan?

rajeshnat
Posts: 10121
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by rajeshnat »

arasi wrote:Rajesh,
The way the vidushi (Deekshita's guru) spells her name--is it Raji or Rajee Gopalakrishnan?
Arasi,
I used to think she is rAji gopAlakrishnan , but in few hindu reviews she was written as rajee gopAlakrishnan. Not 100% sure of how her name is spelt. Oh I forgot to tell you some thing else , I used to think about one vageyakkara whom I knew for few years rajee krishnan , perhaps because of that subconsciously i spelt her name as rajee gOpAlakrishnan

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by arasi »

:grin: I know that the one you mention vinces when even those who know her very well spell her name with an 'i'. Years ago when I wrote your name as rajeshnath, you were not happy ;)
We have RG's students on the forum (there is Deekshita too) and they would know. I wouldn't go just by the reviews in The Hindu.

ragam-talam
Posts: 1896
Joined: 28 Sep 2006, 02:15

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by ragam-talam »

I can confirm RG's name is written as Raji Gopalakrishnan

kssr
Posts: 1596
Joined: 30 Nov 2009, 15:28

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by kssr »

So heartening to see good young talent springing up like never before from Canada to US to Chennai. Thanks for the review. Will listen to her when there is an opportunity.

Krishna55
Posts: 12
Joined: 18 Sep 2009, 09:41

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by Krishna55 »

Harikambodhi is a tricky raga to sing alapana. hence many of the yesteryear masters have avoided signing elaborate alapana. it can pull you down to Kamas , Natakurunji or Kambodhi.

One of the fan asked chembai Vaiydyanatha Bhagavathr why Harikambodhi alapana was not sung , he replied on both sides Natakurunji and kambodhi is creating trouble and in the front Kamas is threatening me. why to take risk.

Harikambodhi is an oldest raga and is neglected (may be the janya ragas Became popular) for some time. Saint thygaraja gave a thrust to same by composing many krithis.

It is very nice to hear that the Harikambodhi was been taken boldly for elaborate Alapana by the young musician Deekshita.

Neechita in Danyasi was quite unheard krithi.

ganeshkant
Posts: 963
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 11:59

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by ganeshkant »

Krishna,

You have nicely represented the feelings of fellow rasikas about Harikambodhi.There was a work shop on this fabulous raga followed by a concert of S.Sowmya a few months back where she sang all but one last no.in this raga.The last item was in Kamas.

Hearing this raga as sub main or main is like seeing your loved ones occasionally.

ranjanimalavi
Posts: 350
Joined: 17 Feb 2007, 06:15

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by ranjanimalavi »

nee cittamu nishcalamu - dhanyAsi - T

Listen to the rendition by V. V. Sadagopan mind boggling.

It was somewhere in sangeethapriya

Raman

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: DeekshitA@rAgasudhA on July 19th,2010

Post by arasi »

Ganeshkant,
Exactly my sentiments!
You say: hearing this raga as a main or sub-main is like seeing your loved ones only occasionally.
Exactly my sentiments. Add yadukula kAmbOdi too to the list ;)

ranjanimalavi,
Haven't heard that one at all by VVS :( Could someone please give me a link?

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