Sangeetha Sivakumar_NJ concert_October 23, 2011

[Ramaprasad]

Sangeetha Sivakumar (Vocal)
Akkarai Subbulakshmi (Violin)
Melakaveri Balaji (Mridangam)

1-Entho Prematho Ne Pilachite (tv)_Surati_Adi. Thiruvettiyur Thyagaraja
2-Raghuvara Nannu_Kamavardhini_Adi. Thyagaraja [N, S}
Neraval at Manasuna
3-Cheta Sri Balakrishnam_Dvijavanthi_Rupaka. Dikshitar
4-Brochevarevarura_Khamas_Adi. Mysore Vasudevachar [A, S]
5-Sevikka Vendum Ayya_Andolika_Adi. Muttu Tandavar
6-Enduku Dayaradura_Thodi_Triputa. Thyagaraja [A, N, S]
Neraval at Thyagaraja Vinuta
7-R T P in Ritigowla. Pallavi: Tamarasadalanetri Thyagarajunimitri. Adi.
Kalpanaswara ragas: Kalyani, Sahana and Urmika
8-Poonkuyil_ Kapi_Eka. Kalki Krishnamurthy
9-Baro Krishnayya_Ragamalika_Adi. Kanakadasa
10-Mangalam

Sangeetha Sivakumar is on a concert tour of US and since I did not see any posting on her concerts, I thought I will write briefly my impressions of the one I attended.

Planning the concert schedule of visiting artists from India who have to crisscross the country to meet the slots provided by local organizations is a nightmare, I concede. So, sometimes, an artist gets what is not the ideal spot. The king of such a time slot is the 6-9 pm part of a Sunday. I call this the black hole of the week.

But, last Sunday (Oct 23, under the CMANA banner), at the Bridgewater temple venue in NJ, Sangeetha Sivakumar walked into this time, bringing with her a great team of accompanists, and infusing into the kritis she sang, a refreshing robustness that made the three hour concert a most enjoyable evening.

The program she chose had fragrances of both the GNB and Semmangudi schools. Representing the GNB sisyaparampara were the Kamavardhini, Andolika and Ritigowla ragas, and specifically the Khamas piece whose rendering stands out historically as one of the markers of this school. Whereas the style of rendering of these reminded one of the GNB musical lineage, the Dikshitar kriti, with a leisurely expansion of the song was more reminiscent of the other school. These are just the undercurrents, but what came out was a musical soiree filled with Sangeetha’s own manodharma. And it came through from varnam to mangalam. At the back of my mind, I am more in tune with MDR’s meditative rendering of Raghuvara, and so the fast paced version of it as sung so well by Sangeetha Sivakumar reminded me right at the start that I was listening to a different “gharana”.

Thodi alapana was handled deftly and with great bhava befitting this raga. The Thyagaraja kriti received a very moving treatment. That Sangeetha had the professional’s inner musical balance to include an RTP in spite of the late hour speaks volume about an accomplished artist. She even included a short ragamalika section in the kalpana swara phase of the RTP. She did not forget the thukkadas either. All the three artists on stage are to be applauded for keeping a steady tempo of the concert even late into the evening

Akkarai Subbulakshmi, cool and collected, with a confidence emanating out of her inner musical talent and hours spent on concert stage, gave a violin accompaniment that added immensely to the enjoyment of this weekend concert. Not only was she supporting Sangeetha’s rendering, her own individuality had enough opportunity to manifest itself and it did with encouragement from her musical mates on stage.

Melkaveri Balaji’s mridangam accompaniment, needless to add, was laya support at its best. I was wondering, as I was listening to his percussion support, whether Balaji was one of those few whose playing draws even the laya-illiterate ones like myself to take notice and enjoy the multi-facets of a great instrument. The sound of his gumiki is so vocal and clear that you can almost sing with it.

A good team, great collaboration, an enjoyable musical evening.

Ramaprasad

[srikant1987]

Thank you for the elaborate review, Ramaprasad!

Next, I'm eagerly waiting for her San Diego concert, which I expect Bilahari will attend.

Thodi alapana was handled deftly and with great bhava befitting this raga. The Thyagaraja kriti received a very moving treatment.

I have listened to her endu dAginaDo in a Mylapore Fine Arts concert, and it was very moving too.

Her kriti renditions are very neat and clean and at the same time bhAvam-filled. That, with briga-laden AlApana phrases (when appropriate), and capable neraval and swarams make her concerts very complete and fulfilling. I haven't come across a tAnam by her, so lucky you! In rItigauLai, that too!

[annamalai]

Her kriti renditions are very neat and clean and at the same time bhAvam-filled.

Yes, i do remember her rendition of Emi Neramu (Sankarabaranam) @ Music Academy a few years back. Even spaced phrasing of alapana like GNB, and the lightning brigas ...
There is a wonderful Kalyani padam - Iddari sanduna - Brindaesque rendition by Charumathi with Vocal support by Sangeetha
http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit01282002/musicarts1.asp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nhwbXFlF34