Carnatica Brothers-Vani Mahal-25th December

[arabhi01]

Vocals- Shashikiran & Ganesh
Violin-Nagai Sriram
Mridangam-Anantha R.Krishnan
Ghatam-Udupi Balakrishnan

1.Varnam-Kalyani-Ata
2.paritapamu-manohari-tyagaraja-rupakam (n s)
4.karuna ela-varali-adi-tyagaraja(r)
5.marivera-anandabairavi-m.chapu-shyama shastri
6.chantane sada-kuntalavarali-adi-tyagaraja (s)
7.edayya gati-chalanata-adi-koteeshwara iyer
8.RTP-Jaganmohini-Adi
9.idi neeku-begada-m.chapu-??
10..azhagiya mayilinil-basant-adi-madurai somu
11.vishweshwara-sindubairavi-rupakam-swati tirunal
12.thillana-bindumalini-adi-Chitravina Ravikiran

I enjoyed the concert so much. It was a pleasure listening to such high quality Carnatic music. Ganesh sang a soulful varali alapana. ChantaneSada in Kuntalavarali was refreshing with high speed swara exchanges. Shashikiran sang a superb Jaganmohini followed by tanam in various ragams. The best part was, the ragas were chosen by the audience. The ragams were saramathy, kalyana vasantam, mukhari, kumudakriya. Such an interactive format of concert. The pallavi line was "shobikkum saptaswaram tyaga bramha gana sabayil". They sang the pallavi in different speeds and did pratilomam. The swaras were sung in various ragams again....shankarabharanam, chittaranjani, arabhi, kalyanavasantam. The concept was, each of these ragams had a kriti in it that was related to music....like Swara raga sudha, nada tanumanisham, nadhasudha rasa, nada loludai. Highly innovative and an excellent presentation! Thani was played together by the mridangam and the ghatam vidwans. Vishweshwara was sung unhurried. The brothers concluded the concert with Ravikiran's thillana in bindumalini !

[tiruvarur]

I caught them in a couple of venues this season but didn't have time to post a detailed review. One of the most under-recognised artistes in my reckoning. The maintain high standards of padantaram, sing a very varied repertoire and exhibit the kind of manodharma that you have mentioned here on a consistent basis. Most artistes (esp duos and women artistes) pre-plan everything to the point of predictability and boredom, the versatile R & G included. Kudos to the Carnatica brothers and here is wishing them a lot more of the recognition they richly deserve!

[CRama]

Turned on by the review of their concerts in the forum and the interview in the media, I opted to go to their concert in Vani Mahal. Also to escape from OS Arun's concert in Mudhra for which I hold a season ticket. This was the frist time I am hearing them. But the concert appeared lacklustre to me till the Pallavi. Varali alapana by Ganesh was slightly good. The rendering of the other items were never impressive. They try to win the audience by asking for their preferences. Even then when they asked which ragam shall they sing, there was little response from the audience which I think that many people, like me, did not connect with the music. I also shouted for tanam in Neelambari which they obliged. WE WANT TO BE THE BEST DUO IN THE WORLD. I read them saying. They have to work a lot to achieve that goal.

[mohan]

Didn't see this thread and had started a new one. Am moving my post here:

KN Shashikiran and P. Ganesh (Carnatica Brothers) - vocal
Nagai Sriram - violin
Ananta R. Krishnan - mrudangam
Udupi Balakrishnan - ghatam

25 December 2011
Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha
@ Vani Mahal

1. vanajakshi, kalyani, khanda ata, Pallavi gopala ayyar
2. paritapamu ganiyadina, manohari, rupakam, Thyagaraja (N,S)
3. karuna elagante, varali, adi, Thyagaraja (R by Ganesh,S)
4. marivere, ananda bhairavi, misra chapu, Shyama Sastri
5. centane sada, kuntalavarali, adi, Thyagaraja
6. edayya gati, chalanattai, adi, Koteeswara Iyer
7. RTP , jaganmohini, khanda triputa (Sobhillu Saptaswara .... Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabhaiyal)
Ragamalika tanam (listeners' raga selection)
Ragamalika swaram in chitta ranjani, sankarabharanam, arabhi, Kalyanavasantam)
8. Idi Neeku Mariyadaga (javali), begada
9. azhagiya mayilinil, basant/anandam, Madurai Somu
10. vishweswara, sindhu bhairavi, rupakam, Swati Tirunal
11. tillana, bindumalini, adi, N. Ravikiran

A pleasing concert by the Carnatica Brothers at Vani Mahal. Nice song selection including some lesser heard items like paritapamu ganiyadina and centane sada (sung in recognition of Hanumant Jayanti). The alapana on varali by Ganesh and the violin return was particular well done.

The highlight of the concert was the ragam tanam pallavi in jaganmohini. We rarely hear this raga elaborated. I understand Smt DKP has sung pallavis in this raga. The bulk of the alapana was handled by Shashikiran. Ganesh joined in for the upper registers. After a brief tanam in jaganmohini, Shashikiran asked the audience for suggestions for ragamalika tanam. I can't recall all the ragas but my choice of saramati was sung.

The pallavi line was built on Thyagaraja's sobhillu and adapted to incorporate the sabha name. After neraval in jaganmohini the brothers sang the anuloma in a different fashion splitting the pallavi line into four parts and then singing each part in three speeds and tisram. This was followed up by pratiloma (singing the pallavi line while 'putting' tala in three speeds). The ragamalika swaram built on the theme of pallavi taking swaram from Thyagaraja kritis where he has mentioned the saptaswaras (eg Nada Tanumanisam, Swara raga sudha, nada sudha).

The concert concluded with a javali (apparently a request from mrudangam player Anand) and tillana in bindumalini.

Nagai Sriram is a very talented young violinist who always provides sweet accompaniment. Ananta Krishnan is a chip off the old block (His grandfather Palghat Raghu) and the authoratative Raghu style was clearly evident throughout. Balakrishnan provided subtle support on the ghatam.

[ganeshkant]

They try to win the audience by asking for their preferences.

This seems to be quite unnecessary.Some times even RK does that.Probably it is some what o.k with RK but the carnatica bros.are yet to be recognized and they may ask after establishing themselves.Mah.SantAnam used to ask and invariably the answer was mOhanam and how irritating it was for a discerning listener. Last week when a man from the audience requested Thrissur bros.to sing a ShankarAbharanam main they politely turned down the request.

[Madhavamanohari]

I would like to make a few comments here on the concert of Shashikiran and Ganesh. Firstly, it takes a lot of guts, immense hours of practice, courage and confidence to be able to ask the audience and perform according to the choice of a listener. Not many artists these days oblige to all the requests of listeners.

The intention is definitely to make the listener happier and also motivate him more towards Carnatic Music. And those whose requests are turned down, typically are dejected and find fault with the artist just because his wish did not come true. But I am awfully surprised at this plight of an artist being blamed for singing all the requests??!!? So what should an artist do? just sing his wish on the stage without caring about the requests he/she receives?? We seem to have a problem with everything....

Now, talking about recognition.... Just because an individual(such as you) thinks that they are not recognized or he/she have not heard them enough cannot question the reputation of an artist. Well, that only shows the ignorance of the individual. Given all the buzz about music season and chennai, almost every artists name and review is all over the place on the newspapers, magazines etc. If you have not read about an artist and question his recognition just because you have not heard enough, you are at loss, not the artist. Ironically, Carnatica brothers have been performing 30 years now and people who do not know about it can question their own familiarity with carnatic music instead of questioning the artists recognition!

Well, artists are unique entities. Just because Shashikiran and Ganesh are related to RK and also happen to be his disciples does not mean that they should or should not do anything that he does. Every artist is entitled to his/her freedom on stage just like you are entitled to comment on artists. For that matter, every individual is entitled to his/her freedom, we cant question why they did or why not? It is simply not our business, we definitely need to give every artist his freedom of expression. After all we are talking about such an expressive art - Carnatic Music