Ravikiran in Rochester

[rajanb]

Ravikiran Chitravena

Vocal support Kala Ganapathy

Rohan Krishnamurthy- mridangam

Ravi Balasubramaniam- Ghatam



Ravikiran gave a two hour concert at the Eastman School of Music as part of their World series concerts. I was told by the organizers that this series is the most prestigious concert series organized by the University. It was well publicized and marketed (that is how I came to know about it!), and yet there were only a handful of Indians like me among the 400 odd audience. I tried to remember all the pieces but could only manage to remember few. The following did feature

oothakadu song ( I didn’t know the sahityam)
nannu kana tali- sindhu kannada raga
ninne neranaminu- panthuvarali
intermission
paramatmudu- vagadeeswari + thani
hamsadwhani javali
mangalam

This is the first time I am visiting the Eastman School and the auditorium was fabulous. In the flier provided only the bio of Ravikiran and Rohan Krishnamurthy was mentioned. I feel they were marketing Rohan who is a PhD student there to showcase themselves! I wasn’t clear why there was a need for a vocal support given that she had hardly any role to play. It could have been avoided. The concert as a whole was of high quality and the thani lasted for 20 minutes. Perhaps out of the ordinary for normal Carnatic concerts but the audience appreciated it by giving a 4 minute standing ovation. The sound quality was splendid.
One advise for the ghatam player. He looked quite talented but needs to know the role of upapakkavadhyam rather well. There is no need to play all the time with the main pakkkavadhyam but he should know when to enter and when to retreat. That exercise was a bit annoying.

[ganeshkant]

I also wonder the role of a vocalist here.In chennai a couple of weeks before he kept Ms.Anahita ,his disciple on stage and announced that she is not part of the congregation.Then why, U may ask! She sang a kriti in the last minute composed by RK in Shankarabharanam in praise of the kanchi Maha Acharya.RK himself would have sung that. But the girl's parents want her on stage it seems.It is not wrong though.Any parent would wish that.

[Always_Evolving]

She sang a kriti in the last minute composed by RK in Shankarabharanam in praise of the kanchi Maha Acharya.RK himself would have sung that.

Presumably it is easier for Anahita to sing at 5.5 kattai than for Sri Ravikiran. I don't know which kattai chitravina was played in Rochester but vocal support imo serves to highlight the "singing tone" of the instrument, and adds sahityam value. As long as it does not distract from the main music...

...his disciple on stage and announced that she is not part of the congregation.Then why, U may ask!

It is very common for disciples to form part of the team on stage; they help pour out beverages, tune tamburas and so on. In fact I have often wondered why some singers have not one, but 2-3 disciples behind them who are not giving vocal support! I suppose Sri RK made the disclaimer as Anahita has provided vocal support on several occasions and some of the audience might be expecting her to on that occasion as well.

[rajeshnat]

Vocal support of a sishya certainly adds more rasikas count(especially a sishya like anahitA who has a lovely voice ) for a chitraveenA concert, that may be the prime reason.

[ganeshkant]

A_E,Rajesh

I was not complaining.Just thought that 'if she is going to sing that one kriti RK himself would have sung it'.There are kutcheries where Anahita has supported throughout.The previous kutcheri of RK that I attended a couple of weeks before this one @ Sastri hall,she sat on the floor in front of the stage and was maintaining thalam for the performers.RK played a splendid RTP in Dharmavati,a chaste one because there was no raga malika in tanam or pallavi.Great accompaniments Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi and Mannargudi Easwaran.Thanks for giving me a chance to mention this.