Hyderabad brothers at Vani mahal, Dec 19,2011

[Neeraja veni]

Hyderabad brothers @ Vani Mahal, Dec 19th,2011

Sri .D.Sesha Chary & D.Raghava Chary – Vocal
Sri.Nagai Sriram- Violin
Sri.Thiruvananthapuram Balaji- Mridangam
Sri.K.V.Gopalakrishnan- Kanjira

1.Era Napai –Thodi Varnam
2.Manasu Karuga- Hamsadhwani- Rupakam- Patnam Subramaniya iyer (R, K,S)-
3.orajupudu-Kannada gowlai-Adi-Tyagaraja – Sung with a lot of emotion and repose. (K)
4. Seethapathe - Khamas-Adi-Tyagaraja(R,K,S)
Sri Sesha Chary’s alapana was brief but with the wafting aroma of the khamas essence. Nagai sriram in his return, proved that brevity can bring out the beauty of the ragam most often. The kalpana swarams were very good. The brothers hovered around the PNDP-D, PSDNPD prayogams which were very enticing.

5. Brova samayamidhe, Ramayya - Gauri Manohari- Adi- Garbhapuri Srinivasa Iyengar (R, K, N,S)

After MDR’s rendition of Gurulekha, I could not hear anyone else’s rendition of this ragam.( I grew up with a brother who would, on hearing anyone else sing this ragam , would switch off the floor level music system with his great toe, in utter irreverence and defiance !)

But this Gowri manohari was awesome, awesome, awesome!

The sruti, the voice, the mood, the people, the still atmosphere , the soul all merged in to one. Sri Sesha Chary started the alapana and set the gentle tone and poignant mood. and Sri Raghava Chary handled most of it thereafter. So Soulful, no shouting in to the mike, no trying to impress, no `look-at me,I-am- the -great shot¬- guy ‘ attitude. It was gentle, melodious , no frills . The kriti itself was lovely. The niraval was at ` Karunakarudu neeve gaadha’. Soul stirring.
This kriti is a perfect candidate for the Ramayya thread elsewhere in this forum.
6. Dayajuchutakidi velara –Ganavaridi- Adi-Tyagaraja- (K)
7.Rama bhana- Saveri-Adi-Tyagaraja (R,K,N,S)
This was the main piece. Sri Seshachary’s alapana progressed in ripples and slow gentle waves (and Bilahari, I was reminded of your San diego review a few years ago on his saveri). The voice traversed all octaves freely . Gentleness and azhuththam were appropriately interspersed. Sri Sesha Chary traversed the road from lower shadjamam to tara sthayi panchamam with ease, exploring all the sparkling beauty of Saveri. Nagai Sriram played an equally enjoyable saveri and it was good. Sri Sesha chary jokingly commented that if Kaveri water was drunk, saveri will come perfectly.
Neraval was at bhama kasapadu Ravana. Kalpana swaras followed.
Thani was played with briskness and verve .Sri Balaji and Sri Gopalakrishnan were in their elements. Sesha chary was frequently embellishing with his solkattus while encouraging them.
8.Akhilandeswari- Dwajavanthi-Adi-MD. Lovely
9.viruththam in telugu( my guess is that it is a translation of thiruppavai. I may be wrong.) In Hindolam followed by Garuda gamana in Hindolam by annamacharya.
10. Enna thavam seidanai- Kapi- Adi-Papanasam sivan
11.Mangalam-Neenaama rupamulaku

[rajeshnat]

I do know that Hyd brothers sing this Manasakuruga in hamsadhwani, a brilliant no very recently CRama put up a trs rendition. Tx neeraja for your review . GowrimanOhari in general is a wonderful rAgA to entice any one to attend the crt.

[bilahari]

Neeraja Veni, thanks for the review.

I am also of the opinion that MDR's interpretation of gowrimanOhari (and Ananda bhairavi and kEdAragowLa and kEdAram and yadukulakAmbOji and... the list goes on for a while) cannot be equalled. But if anyone can put up a good fight, it's Hyderabad Brothers! Actually, NSG sang a great gurulEka in San Diego some years ago.

I haven't been able to attend their concerts so far, and according to kutcheris.com, they don't have any concerts next week, which I find surprising. Do you happen to know their season schedule?

Oh, and thanks for reminding me of that gorgeous sAvEri in San Diego. I listen to that concert frequently, and PM if you'd like to hear it too.

[Neeraja veni]

Bilahari,
I found out that they have completed 8 or more concerts already and will be singing at Parthasarathy Swami sabha on Christmas day and at the Music academy on 27th december.

I would of course love to listen to the ``San Diego Saveri''.

[fuddyduddy]

One of the best saveris I have heard this season!!