Smt. Neela Ramgopal @Unnati, Bangalore, on 02/02/2011

[squims]

Vocal: Smt. Neela Ramgopal
Violin: Smt. Akkarai Subbulakshmi
Mridangam: Sri. Arjun Kumar
Kanjari: Sri. Vyasa Vittala

1. Satata Gananaatha [S]- Mohanam - Khanda Chapu - Purandaradasa
2. Ninne bhajana [S]- Naatta - Adi (2 kalai) - Tyagaraja
Swarams @ sIta nAtha
3. Emaanathicchedhivo [R S] - Sahana - Rupakam - Tyagaraja
4. Srikaanta neeyeda [RNS] - Bhavapriya - Adi - Tyagaraja
Neraval and Swarams @ shrIkarAdvijulai dArEruga lEni
5. Chentane sada [R] - Kuntalavarali - Adi - Tyagaraja
6. RTP - Keeravani - Tishra jaathi Jhampa (Mishra gati) - Ragamalika swarams in Hindolam, Valachi, Sindhu Bhairavi - followed by Tani
Pallavi line: jagannAtha sahithE nAtha sahithE, hithE tE namastE
7. Aparaadhangala Kshamiso - Kapi - Adi - Purandaradasa
8. Erumayileri (Tirupugazh)- Hamsanandi - Adi - Arunagirinathar
9. Mangalam - Sourashtram - Adi - Tyagaraja

Wow! Just wow! Man, what a concert! I have been rendered literally speechless after this evening of some of the finest music I've heard. Music of the class of Neela maami's performance today is rare now a days.
Since the occasion was of Tyagaraja and Purandaradasa aradhana, most of the pieces rendered were of these two composers.
The Mohanam piece served as a nice opener, followed by the kriti in Naatta. The swarams were kept simple, but lovely to listen to.
The Sahana aalaapanai was immensely enjoyable. Some really nice phrases. Loved the krithi rendition and the unhurried swarams as well.
I'm unfamiliar with Bhavapriya raagam, so it was nice when maami announced the name. I looked it up and realised it was the pratimadhyamam equivalent of Todi. I usually take some time to warm up to raagams I'm not aware of, but I took an instant liking to Bhavapriya. As far as I could tell, maami performed it with the utmost proficiency. The krithi was rendered well, with apt neraval and swaraprasthaaram. Some of the kanakku in the swarams left me with a broad smile stretched across my face.
A short Kuntalavarali aalaapanai followed. Even though it was short, the raagam's essence was brought out beautifully. I'd never heard the Tyagaraja kriti that followed. Actually didn't sound much like a Tyagaraja kriti at all. So, was surprised when I heard the ankitanaaman. Some nice chiitaswarams in the charanams. Very pleasing.
I requested for a RTP and maami was kind to acknowledge it. The Keeravani raagam and taanam were perfection itself. The pallavi was complicated (in a very good sense). The ateeta eduppu(on the last aksharam of the taala cycle) gave it beauty. She even switched from the tishra jaathi jhampa taalam (mishra gati) while singing the pallavi, instead, replacing it with two cycles of tishra jaathi triputa taalam (tishra gati), all done with consummate skill.
The tukkuda section was very short. Wish it went on a while longer.
On the accompanists:
Subbulakshmi was very competent, matching everything that maami sang. Was very impressed by her raaga renditions.
Vyasa Vittala was very good on the kanjari. Loved his phrases in the tani.
Now... Arjun Kumar... People who read my review of TMK's concert last night would know that I wasn't too pleased with Arjun Kumar's playing. When I saw that he was an accompanist today, I was really apprehensive, but thankfully, he did fine! While I still do consider him a bit too loud for my liking, there were no unwanted intrusions during kritis/neravals/swarams. I actually enjoyed his tani today as well. I wish he plays this way in all his concerts.

Overall, was extremely pleased with the concert. I'm glad I skipped my last class today to be able to listen to Neela maami!

[sramaswamy]

Thanks for the wonderful review about a wonderful singer.

Now... Arjun Kumar... People who read my review of TMK's concert last night would know that I wasn't too pleased with Arjun Kumar's playing. When I saw that he was an accompanist today, I was really apprehensive, but thankfully, he did fine! While I still do consider him a bit too loud for my liking, there were no unwanted intrusions during kritis/neravals/swarams. I actually enjoyed his tani today as well. I wish he plays this way in all his concerts.

Looks like Arjun Kumar read your earlier review and decided to mellow down.

I'm glad I skipped my last class today to be able to listen to Neela maami!

Hope your parents are not reading this post!

[arasi]

Thank you squims for your review. Not surprising, knowing the quality of Neela Ramgopal's music(okay, I'm a fan too).
If I were as young as you are (cutting classes, eh?), I would have sprinted across the suburbs of Benda kALUru to listen to her Dash across traffic-plagued BengaLUru, you ask. In our vidyArti days, we could
Can't wait to hear her in Chennai on the 19th!

sramaswamy,

[gardabha_gana]

Was the concert recorded and if so, can some one share it ?

[pattamaa]

What a concert it was...great review by squims for a great concert!! Soulful sahana, beautiful bhavapriya, cute kuntalavarali, and killer keeravani RTP!!

Nice warm up in mohanam and naatai...swarams were sung for both pieces, with nice laya patterns. Sahana rendering was very moving, contained some nice fast phrases also. Nice sancharams on bhavapriya, well elaborated. It may be prati madhyama equivalent of more famous todi, but no hints or todi phrases in it... Neraval and swarams were nice and enjoyable. Kuntalavarali alapana was in right proportion, wasn't too short either considering raga scope. keeravani main was in all splendor and colors, i was expecting a keerthana to follow..But what a complicated pallavi - rendered extempore!! A chit was being passed earlier in the concert, apparently it was request to sing any RTP, and vidhusi choose to sing this one, as no RTP was planned by her earlier for this concert. Accompanists supported her wonderfully in the pallavi, not an easy task to do without practice - it is like walking on thorn - easily can slip. She did trikalam, and did sing in two speeds after switching to 2nd talam also. Tani was in main talam (misra nadai). 2nd ragam in ragamalika swaras was valachi, and not malayamarutham, paraku madade is in pilu, and hamsanandi piece was tirupugazh - erumayileri.... Wish the concert lasted little longer!!

[squims]

Thanks for the corrections. All I could make of the Hamsanandi piece was that it was some kind of Tamil verse. So I just put it down as Shlokam.
And I always have this doubt about Kaapi. We have Hindustani Kapi and Peeloo. How different are they? And when main pieces of Kaapi are sung, they sound a lot like Peeloo. So what exactly is the theory here?

P.S. That chit was mine, with RAAGAM TAANAM PALLAVI written all over it! Haha.

[gardabha_gana]

squims: thanks for the wonderful reviews. Where are you in bangalore - and are you planning on showing up for sanjay tomorrow ? Sorry for the spam - the new bboard does not allow me to send a private msg.

[squims]

It's my pleasure!
I'm put up in J.P. Nagar. Will definitely try to show up for Sanjay's concert. The trouble with the Gayana Samaj concerts are that they start at 5:45 itself. And we have to get there REALLY soon if we have to get places.

[sappri]

Squims - thanks so much for requesting Neela mami to sing an rtp, which was truly glorious...as was the ENTIRE concert - the nice thing about Unnati Center is also the excellent acoustics...
(I may be entirely wrong - but I think, Pilu is Kapi sung in Madhyama-sruti)

[pattamaa]

Complete concert is available in the link below after checking with artist, quality of both music and recording is great a must to listen concert..

http://www.mediafire.com/?dww25w7juzl4b

[rshankar]

Complete concert is available in the link below after checking with artist, quality of both music and recording is great a must to listen concert..http://www.mediafire.com/?dww25w7juzl4b

Thanks to Smt. Ramgopal for her generosity and you for the trouble!

[kssr]

Thanks to Smt. Ramgopal for her generosity and you for the trouble!

For a moment I did not know who this Smt.Ramgopal was. Seldom is mami addressed by her husband's name alone

[arasi]

We can't forget Sri. Ramgopal's sweet presence, even if the mami tag is used often!

Pattamma,
Thanks for the recording. You made my disappointment of not being there disappear. Listening to the concert now.

[squims]

Thanks so much for the recording!

[gardabha_gana]

Thanks much to pattamma and Vid. Neela.

[gardabha_gana]

It's my pleasure!
Will definitely try to show up for Sanjay's concert.

squims: can we have the review please Also can you send me your private email (this bboard does not allow me to send msgs) to [email protected].

[venkatakailasam]

I think it will be useful if an image of the artist is pasted to enable visualization.

Smt. Neela Ramgopal





Is it v Deepika on Thambura?

venkatakailasam

[pattamaa]

I think it will be useful if an image of the artist is pasted to enable visualization.

Here is more visualization for you from this concert..
- bhavapriya raaga alapana - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBX03DXq19E
- parts of misra nadai pallavi - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A9ePSnKYjA

Tanpura support is Ms. Priyanka

[squims]

Is there a full video recording of the concert as well? And judging from the angle of the camera, you must have been sitting very close to where I was pattamaa. Were you by any chance?

[sappri]

The picture is one of mami's concerts at the Music Academy, couple of years ago. (in this picture, the tambura is by Vrinda Acharya, disciple of Vid Neela Ramgopal and an up and coming artiste - she also gives vocal support to Vid Neela Ramgopal for many concerts, incl this year at the Academy)

In the concert at Unnati (youtube) - as pattamma mentioned - the tambura support was by Priyanka C Prakash

[kallu_rasigan]

wah wah wah wat a keeravani maami has sung !!! full of bhaavaa !!! the keeravaani raagam and tanam are jus out of this world.... akkarai has done a wonderful job as always...her tanam is so refreshing .... hats off to the team !!!