R K Srikantan Concert - Edison, NJ. May 22, 2011

[Ramaprasad]

R K Srikantan (Vocal)
R S Ramakanth (Vocal support)
Suhas Rao (Violin)
T S Nandakumar (Mridangam)
Akshay Ananth (Kanjira)

1. Sarasijanabha Maam Pahi_Natai_Adi. Swathi Thirunal/Paramesha Bhagavatar
2. Madhava Mamava_Nilambari_Adi. Narayana Thirtha
3. Ganamurthe_Ganamurthy_Adi. Thyagaraja
4. Manava Janma Dhoddadhu_Purvi Kalyani_Triputa. Purandharadasa [A, N, S]
Neraval at Enu Karana
5. Bhushanake Bhushana Idu_Kambodhi_Rupaka. Sripadaraya (?)
6. Mama Hridaye_Ritigowla_KTriputa. Mysore Vasudevacharya [A]
7. Sri Varalakshmi_Sri_Adi. Dikshitar [A]
8. Atharam Madhuram_Abheri_Adi. Vallabhacharya
9. Govardhana Girisham_Hindola_Rupaka. Dikshitar [A]
10. Venuganaloluni_Kedaragowla_Rupaka. Thyagaraja [A, N, S]
Neraval at Vikasitha Pankaja
11. Eke Brindavanadi Nenesiruve_Hindola [On Raghavendra Swamy)
12. Manasu Karagadhe_Kanada_Rupaka_Pranesha Vittaladasa
13. Ragi Thandira_Punnagavarali_Adi. Purandaradasa
14. Kandu Dhanyadha_Behag_Adi. Surapuradha Anandadasa [A]
15. Mangalam

I am jotting down here just a few thoughts on this concert (held May 22, 2011). Please pardon the length of this essay.

It is a sorry state of things musical when a musician of Srikantan’s caliber is visiting NJ, but larger and well established organizations in this area could not sponsor his concert. It was arranged under the auspices of Krishna Vrindavan Temple, Edison, NJ, a relatively new comer, in my opinion, to the birth-of-temples phenomenon here. The artist was also felicitated, which I thought was so enlightened on the part of the organizers.

Now about the concert. Beholding a 91 year old senior musician with a rich musical life behind him of the kind that Srikantan Sir has forged, you are first struck with a great presence on stage. And when without much ado, after all the introductions, he starts singing, with a kanta rich in youthful tonality and replete with bhava, you mentally prostrate to a living legend. You realize this is music at its most traditional, kritis at their best authenticity and a robustness that defiess his age

Even though I have indicated above parenthetical notes regarding alapana, neraval, etc, these were very short forays into these forms. A friend of mine remarked it is almost reminiscent of Ariakudi. The event was advertised as a 2.5 hr concert and the musicians thus had to fit their program into this time slot, I suppose. The loss in detailed elaboration was made up by the number and the diversity of the pieces that RKS sang.

Being held under the smiling face of Krishna next door, the theme naturally was Krishna. After the not often heard varnam composed by Swathi Thirunal/Paramesha Bhagvatar (you make your pick), the Nilambari piece, true to its nature, was slow, measured and easy on the mind. I have heard the Ganamurthe piece sung at a little faster pace than what RKS sang - a rendering that can be termed vistaram, it was truly moving.

RKS himself has tuned many Purandara and other Dasa kritis and the Krishna theme was a wonderful opportunity to sing many of them, as shown in the kriti list. For some of us, these were new indeed as a concert item and hence all the more delectable. Only someone of his caliber could pack in such great music into such a short time period.

The success of a concert (it is naïve on my part to repeat it here) is a result of team work among the musicians on stage. R S Ramakanth, a vocalist in his own right, was a great collaborator on stage with his father. Since the two of them alternated the alapana part of the kritis, each had ample occasion to express his manodharma. Both of them, interacting with the accompanists through their body language as the concert progresses, showed their very high level of musical maturity and a nurturing propensity.

As I mentioned earlier, the various improvisational sections of the program were brief, but within that, Suhas Rao was equal to the occasion, with a violin sound that was truly melodious and a rendering that brought out his inner talent, boding well for his future as a violinist. Just like the father-son team of vocalists on the stage were rightly paired as musical collaborators, the guru-shishya pair on the percussion was an added musical joy to the program. Their support was of the right kind and in the Thani portion of the program they had ample opportunity to demonstrate how mature was their art. Nandakumar, currently a NJ resident, with the right touches on the mridangam, ably gave percussion support to the vocalists. Akshay, who also plays the mridangam, brought in a percussion diversity with his kanjira that, musically, enriched the evening’s experience.

We can all pray that God will bless Srikantan Sir with many more years of musical outpouring. He has found his nada within. We want him around for a long time to help us find ours. Thanks, Sir, for being a towering role model for all us in showing what can be done and how well it can be done.

Ramaprasad

[gardabha_gana]

If there is a recording - can you please upload it to sangeethapriya ?

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Ramaprasad,

Thank you for a wonderful report!

Congratulations to the young accompanists too!

I can completely relate to the joy you have experienced in this concert. I have felt the same way, whenever I have listened to Sri. R K Srikantan's music, or whenever I have had the opporunity to spend some time with the senior vidvAn.

Sreeni Rajarao

[ShrutiLaya]

It is a sorry state of things musical when a musician of Srikantan’s caliber is visiting NJ, but larger and well established organizations in this area could not sponsor his concert. It was arranged under the auspices of Krishna Vrindavan Temple, Edison, NJ, a relatively new comer, in my opinion, to the birth-of-temples phenomenon here.

As far as I know, Krishna Vrinadavan Temple was just the venue. The concert happened mainly due to the personal initiative of some of Dr.RKS's disciples in the area. Shruti Laya was fortunate to have hosted his concert the day before, in Queens. It was almost the same team, except for Smt. Sandhya Anand, who played exceptionally well on the violin and earned a few "sabhash"es from the esteemed vidwan.

The concert was supremely satisfying. I can only echo Ramaprasad's words above: "You realize this is music at its most traditional, kritis at their best authenticity and a robustness that defies his age". I uploaded a short segment here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sk4I_5dlfs

Now for my rant on the "sorry state of things musical" in NY: Even for a maestro of this caliber, Padmabhushan Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. R.K. Srikantan, we had a very poor showing in terms of numbers - I would say 50-60 people in the audience! It was the same story a couple of weeks ago for Shashank's flute concert. There are several music teachers with several students learning - our composers day programs routinely attract more than 150 participants - but few seem to be interested in listening to anyone but their own kids sing!

- Sreenadh

[mahavishnu]

but few seem to be interested in listening to anyone but their own kids sing!

Very true, Sreenadh. I think this is a North American disease. Little do these parents realize that the best thing they could do for the music education of their children is to have them listen to legends like Sri RKS.

Ramaprasad, thank you for your lovely write-up. We are fortunate to live in the times of such a maha-vidwan.

[nadhasudha]

Now for my rant on the "sorry state of things musical" in NY: Even for a maestro of this caliber, Padmabhushan Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. R.K. Srikantan, we had a very poor showing in terms of numbers - I would say 50-60 people in the audience! It was the same story a couple of weeks ago for Shashank's flute concert. There are several music teachers with several students learning - our composers day programs routinely attract more than 150 participants - but few seem to be interested in listening to anyone but their own kids sing!

How true! This is my pet peeve as well. I guess this would apply to almost any North American venue. I just wish teachers and parents inculcate a love for music as opposed to focussing on performing for 5 mins in a Thyagaraja Aradhana or participating in competitions. With an over emphasis on result oriented learning, we are missing out on the joy of learning something just for the fun of it.

[arasi]

Very true! A pity, parents teachers and the kids are missing such golden opportunities!
Yet, when we discussed the same subject a few years ago, I heard teachers saying that it's during weekends that they teach and can't get away! My feeling is that they should make exceptions when it comes to such treasures of CM like Srikantan. As with school trips on a school day, take the kids (or meet in the hall) for such a learning experience! Such an exposure to CM is like being taken to a museum from the school.
Of course, parents and teachers have to cooperate on this. Hundreds of hours of music the kids (teachers and parents) can hear on the internet cannot match such a valuable live-concert experience.

[fuddyduddy]

It is indeed a pity state that people dont have their kids hear concerts. Kudos to Shrutilaya for providing so many concerts despite the fact that people dont show up to most of them..

It will also help if the NJ/NY/CT organizers have a discussion before setting up concerts, so that we dont have 5 concerts happening the same day. I understand other concerts in NJ also had very little crowd over that weekend so it might be worth it to discuss this when they arrange concerts.. Not sure how easy it is!

Also maybe teachers should insist that the annual day functions is open for only kids who have attended atleast 4-5 concerts that year Its as important as them insisting on voice practices.. Drastic indeed, but maybe it will help!

[Radhika-Rajnarayan]

Very true, Sreenadh. I think this is a North American disease. Little do these parents realize that the best thing they could do for the music education of their children is to have them listen to legends like Sri RKS.

Oh no, Mahavishnu - it is as much an Indian disease too. No youngsters turn up for listening sessions of archival recordings of great masters. And very often, music schools need to 'crack the whip' to make the students attend concerts by stalwarts. Maybe they need to do this, so that the music is imbibed willy-nilly- at least part of it - and remains in the subconscious till the youngster grows up and realizes what he / she has missed!
I do agree with the suggestion by fuddyduddy:

Also maybe teachers should insist that the annual day functions is open for only kids who have attended atleast 4-5 concerts that year Its as important as them insisting on voice practices.. Drastic indeed, but maybe it will help!

Maybe we can take a leaf out of the art colleges - at least the good ones - where the students have to compulsorily attend all exhibitions in the city every week. It does help them get a broader perspective.

[PUNARVASU]

I think in some music schools in Mumbai(chembur) give the students a card in which their attendance in the concerts held in their sabha is recorded.The children are given some marks for this during their exams.

[mahavishnu]

Radhika-ji: Glad to hear that the disease is not uniquely North American.

In our University, we make students get extra credit for attending public lectures; largely because student attendance for these things has declined drastically. In the short term, this helps fill up the empty chairs. But somehow when they stop earning course credit, they stop going

The hope is that eventually the students get a taste for these things and go voluntarily. They prefer to get their kicks from TED talks and youtube.

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
Yes, and from such sound experiences, they get bricks and mortar which stick and create the foundation for all that they're going to acquire along the way. What they learn and their taste for quality falls in place if they're exposed to things beyond what they learn in their classrooms. Even supposing an experience here and there disappoints, that gives them a chance to test the quality of what is presented--and also helps them shape their preferences. It is also possible that something which isn't agreeable today, might come back to them much later in life as something which they didn't realize the value of when they were young! Been there

[Ramaprasad]

Dear Fellow Rasikas,

I share with you deeply your concerns and opinions regarding attendane at music concerts (India or outside). Like all of you, I have pondered over the best way to induct our young people into our musical heritage. But such important discussions deserve a separate thread. This particular thread is about R K Srikantan Sir's NJ concert, and we have drifted far away from it. Let us stay focussed in all this intersting dialogue we are having spanning many continents.

Ramaprasad

[ramakriya]

Luckily, San Jose is comparatively free from this 'disease' - Most of the concerts get good audience, although if the concert is held on a Friday night, it may be somewhat limited.

[kssr]

Sri.Srikantan is a phenomenon. Besides the chaste overall music, the bhava that he can infuse into devarnaamaas even today, is to be seen to be believed. Today he is the oldest performing vocalist anywhere in the world. This includes all kinds of music. Pandit Ravishankar is a bit younger and he performs on far less occasions.

[srkris]

Regarding parents having narrow goals (leaving after their child's concert) please continue here.

[jalajakshi]

The RKS concert in NJ was not well advertised. Many hard core music lovers did not know about this. On the same day, several other concerts were happening, as someone already pointed out. Out of all the places I have lived in (including London), I can say with confidence that the youngsters in NJ are among the best concert goers. They are there (students of almost every teacher I know here) for concerts of senior musicians as well as their own peers. The really good students support the concerts, listen with great attention, discuss and analyze the music, talk about it among themselves as well as their teachers. They worship some of their favorite senior musicians and even follow them to nearby states (NY and PA). I would also like to add that there are kids in NJ (completely brought up in the USA) singing at very high levels (yes, including manodharma), and are comparable to some of the better upcoming musicians in India.

[rshankar]

In addition to what Jalajakshi says, NJ is one of the states with an active nandalAlA association, with many performances by these accomplished junior artists (a recent concert I attended was an amazing concert where the main performer, the violinist, and the khanjira player were graduating HS seniors, while the mRdangam and ghaTam were played by HS juniors) - always well attended by other students.

[Nick H]

It's nice to hear a vote of confidence in the youngsters