Smt Vegavahini Vijayaraghavan Cleveland: April 30 2011

[mahavishnu]

Smt Vegavahini Vijayaraghavan (daughter of Smt T Brinda) - Vocal
Vocal support Smt S Sowmya & Tiruvarur Girish
Violin Kum Amrita Murali
Mridangam Mannargudi Easwaran

1. Veena Pustaka Dharinimasraye - Vegavahini
2. Sanatana - Phalamanjari
3. Tyagarajaya Namaste - Begada (R, S)
4. Satre Vilagi irum pillAi - Purvikalyani (R, N, S)
5. Amba Neelayadakshi - Neelambari
6. Gajavadana sammodhita - Todi (R, N, S, T)
7. Valapu dacha - Varali
8. Sakhi Prana - Chechurutti
9. Thiruppugazh - Madhyamavati

You can see just from the song list that this concert was an amazing treat, especially if you are into the music of T Brinda.

This concert was like being in a strange time travel machine that put you back in a tiny street in North Madras at the turn of the last century where you can hear the extremely soul-stirring music of the Dhanammal school.

I first heard Smt Vegavahini providing vocal support for Smt T Brinda as a young boy in the late 1970s. I had not seen or heard her since. Till today. She has aged considerably and her voice quality has deteriorated, but today she showed that to produce good music, everything is secondary to true bhavam and musical gnanam. And she did that with such grace today.

The very first note in Veena Pustakadharini reminded everyone about the beauty in this kind of sangeetham. It had the resonance of a beautifully tuned veenai. Every alapana had her mother's touch. I saw several old-timers wiping tears off their eyes when she got just 30 seconds into the begada. The concert flowed gently with every piece leading to the other without any fuss, as they though it was just meant to be.

Although the senior Vidushi's voice is not what it used to be, Sowmya and Girish were very sensitive in the vocal support and only chimed in when absolutely necessary. They also guarded the shruti with so much care, harmonizing elegantly on the panchamam and upper shadjam.

Every piece was just right. No frills looking to for a place to land, no unnecessary notes, no long algebraic calculations searching for a home. Even the elaborate Gajavadana was done with such mimimalist ideals. Of course, the kutcheri would not have been complete without Sakhi prana.

Amrita Murali was stunning. She would take the senior vidushi's ideas and present them in her returns with the same emotion and general affect. I would put this as one of her best accompanying gigs ever.

Mannargudi Easwaran was sensitivity personified. He embellished all the songs with his patiently unobtrusive accompaniment. His thoppi became more seasoned after the second song and his playing for Tyagarajaya Namaste, Gajavadana and the javali after that were a lesson in how to play pakka vadyam.

Please keep in mind that this kind of music is not everyone's cup of tea. Listening to a musician that is past her performing prime requires a lot of responsibility on the part of the rasika. But after an experience like this, you walk away with a sense of connectedness with music itself.

Just to give a glimpse of what this could have been like, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gYUmoGanpI

[narayan]

Thanks very much for this review.

[PUNARVASU]

Looks like a concert that I would have enjoyed immensly.Thanks for posting the review.
I used to wonder why I am not hearing about Smt Vegavahini Vijayaraghavan.

[cmlover]

Ramesh
That is a super review. You are right about the time-machine effect. VVS also commented about the Mukta amma BaaNi and how the 2012 Cleveland will honour her memory with Vegavahini attending to embelish.

Just notice how non-standard the song selections are and the Paddhati itself. Those against changes in Concert Formats should take note to see what old times were and look wistfully at what we have lost!

[cienu]

Thank you for the review , MV.
What a lovely list. The songs a tribute to the great lineage of Dhanammal.

[gardabha_gana]

It would be great if someone has recorded the concert and releases it with artist's permission to rasikapriya

[tyagarajadasa]

Dear Shri Mahavishnu,

Thank you for the review. I can totally understand how beautiful it must have been! I have been fantasizing about this concert for long! And the ambA nIlAyatAkshi should have been a treat!

Thanks!

--Gokul--

[mahavishnu]

Sri Gokul, You would have especially enjoyed this concert given your profound interest in this school and bAni.
Your chittappa was there also. I managed to spend a little bit of time with him. He is a truly wonderful person.

[tyagarajadasa]

Sri Gokul

:$ :$

Chittappa definitely is a wonderful person and a great fan of Brindamma's music too.

--Gokul--

[vidyaarthi]

surely it was an elevating experience;and i had the great fortune of interacting with her after the concert was over.

and she was gladly sharing with me so many incidents and was discussing in depth about the greatness of the Dhanammal paani.

she was praising Ramnad krishnan sir under whom she had learnt for quite some time;she was saying his laya sense was also so aesthetically fulfilling.

and she herself had given some befitting. musically rich mukthayis in her concert.

i am planning to go and meet her when she is at Chennai.

i will share my experiences in this forum with you all.

thanks,Mahavishnu for the true reflections of the concert.I also was listening to her with the same reverence.


neyveli anbudan.

[mahavishnu]

Neyveli sir, thank you for continuing to grace this forum with your wisdom.
If time permits, please share anecdotes from your interactions with the artiste, your experiences with this bani and its influence on your own sangeetham. It will be truly educational for us rasikas worldwide.

Ramesh Balasubramaniam
Toronto, Canada.

[arasi]

vidyaarthi but guru personified!
Your concert and your music and lyrics to the Ramayanam were such a treat! Wish I had been there. However, the streaming made it almost real to those of us who were glued to our computers. Sirranjani must have made you proud. It was good to hear you play the khanjira. As I said in the Cleveland thread, it's not possible to catch up with you. You are one of the busiest people I know! Your special sense of humor which some may not be aware of was fully evident in the informal session on bANi, paddati--would be great if you can bring your thoughts to us on those still rather ambiguous words. Thanks!

[erode14]

What a list and music! I would love too, if someone uploads the concert.
Thank you mahavishnu.

Dear Neyveli Anna,

Namaskaram. I have no words other than saying, "I miss you"
thANda vallAr, vEdhiyarO neengaL.. ellAmE ringing in the ears.

[vidyaarthi]

adade, santhosham that you all had time to view the events.

Ramesh avl,Arasi avl and Erode avl,in fact it was Sowmya ji who suggested my name for composing Ramayana dance drama for Cleveland.

Now after much hardwork,I now know that like sithiram(painting) and senthamizh,composing also comes by practice(Arasi avl,hope you will agree with this).

I want to continue this composing work in my own humble way contributing to the concert performers;what I have in mind is to try composing krithis in thalas that are not available to us from the galaxy of our divine vaaggeyakkaaras;for example,if only there is a krithi in ,say,kharahapirya or thodi in Desadi(is there one?),how helpful it will be for concert planners who are keen on thala varieites in their concerts.

Let me see how it is going to take shape.

I would feel only too glad to share those compositions through this forum as and when they are composed.

Regarding the bani,paddathi and paathantharam,there is much to be discussed;i would love to do it when we all meet sometime so that our viewpoints can be happily shared with each other.

I feel that much work has to be done towards discussing,understanding and documenting the Dhanammal bhani as it is a singular source to visit and revisit for any musical aspirant to develop his or her taste to the highest level and also for any performer to develop a chaste style of his own.Personally this stlyle,the absolute style if I may call it,has influenced me deeply to evolve my way of approach to music;

thanks for all your affectionate responses.

neyveli Santhanagopalan.

[rshankar]

Sri Santhanagopalan avi,

We look forward to your compositions - I am sure they will be gems..... Is there any way to listen to the songs that you composed for the rAmAyaNa series?

[doyoucare]

vidyaarthi but guru personified!
Your concert and your music and lyrics to the Ramayanam were such a treat! Wish I had been there. However, the streaming made it almost real to those of us who were glued to our computers. Sirranjani must have made you proud. It was good to hear you play the khanjira. As I said in the Cleveland thread, it's not possible to catch up with you. You are one of the busiest people I know! Your special sense of humor which some may not be aware of was fully evident in the informal session on bANi, paddati--would be great if you can bring your thoughts to us on those still rather ambiguous words. Thanks!

arrgggh!! |(

[vidyaarthi]

Shankar ji,I myself has not got the recording at my hands.there is a proposal to record the entire dance drama in the near future;i will let you know ,sure.

[mahavishnu]

Here is a picture of the concert (from the official Aradhana photographer). Notice the concentration/intensity with which Sowmya and Girish are following the veteran Vidushi...



Neyveli sir, Look forward to seeing your wonderful production again. I especially liked the vAli vadham and how you brought out the ethical quagmire it represents and the idea of "dharmathin theerpu". All are very relevant in today's world of complex geopolitical intrigue.

[ramanathan]

More pictures from Cleveland Aradhana 2011: CLICK HERE

[mahavishnu]

thank you, Ramanathan. Beautifully composed and shot.

[rshankar]

Ramanathan,
Excellent picture. Thank you! The captions were very useful for me - I can now recognize forum members like Tvm Balaji, Sri Easwaran, Ms. Sriranjani Santhanagopalan etc. It was also very lovely to see yet another side of vidyarthi (Sri NSG) - a proud parent.
A request: Can you also caption the pictures of the dancers?

[cienu]

Excellent pictures Ramanathan .