Manjunath VM Bhat Jugalbandi @ VV Mohalla

[matterwaves]

Mysore Manjunath
Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatta
Srimushnam Raja Rao
Ram Kumar Mishra

Items
1) Vachaspati
2)Kambodhi- Janjooti -- Tani
3)Bhajan in sindhu bhairavi

It was a wonderful line up of virtuosity. We all expected great music but this one turned to be a damp squib,nay farce!
Two facets to it; amplifiers and oneupmanship. The music was so loud and fast that it lacked any aesthetic value. VM Bhats instrument seems to have an inbuilt amplifier--it was blazing deafening sound. To be commensurate, all artists including Manju , tabla player and Mridangam were furiously asking the mikeman for more sound, so much so that the whole system broke down with the squeals that are a result of amplifying noise. It was still bearable when the strings were playing but when the tabla and mridanga started, it was unbearable.Some 20 mins into the concert, i developed a headache and I shifted to a safe distance from the speakers.
Srimushnam and Mishra were simply 'kutt'ing-- because no subtle playing could be heard-- At one point, one disgusted elderly person stood up and started shouting; that the sound was unbearable-- the concert was stopped for a few mins;Had tough time calming him down. He was adamant not to leave teh venue, much to be chagrin of the artists--
When the artists played drut gat in vachaspati, there was total commotion.
Verbatim was the case with Kambodhi and Jinjhooti. Thought jinjhooti was much different from Kambodhi(this was mentioned at the start of the piece also). It had ragamalika swaras in mayamalava gowla, hamsadhwani.

The tani was too loud. Sri Mishra who sparkled during the ragas struggled during the tani. My friend jocularly remarked that this is a mishra who knows no tisra!

Ended with a sindhu bhairavi bhajan.

Overall, the concert was a let down. There was no melody or fusion. Only confusion.

[srikant1987]

Thank you, matterwaves! I hope you attended Prof TNK's concert on the next day too?

It is heartening to see, however, that kAmbhOji and janjhUTi were played. Jugalbandis usually have only Northish rAgas (I mean Akhilandeshwari dwijavanti, kApi ... sometimes kAnaDa) -- or worse, the vAcaspati-simhEndramadhyama-kIravANi-cArukEshi bunch.

[bilahari]

You forgot kalyANi and hindOLam in that list, Srikant. Indeed, it is refreshing kAmbOdi and janjUTi were at least attempted.

[Ramam]

It was still bearable when the strings were playing but when the tabla and mridanga started, it was unbearable

I am still enjoying these lines. This happens when there 2 big names and that they forget that their cause is MUSIC.
Subtle nuances of both the systems escape in such experiments.

[gardabha_gana]

During the RSM Chamarajpet ramanavami festival, VM and GJR performed a jugalbandi which was quite nice.