Sanjay - Gayana Samaja - Bengaluru - Feb 11 2012

[gardabha_gana]

Vid. Sanjay Subrahmanyam Vocal
Vid. Nagai Muralidharan Violin
Vid. Mannargudi Easwaran Mridangam
Vid. Rajshekhar Morsing

1. Vanajakshi - Kalyani Varnam - Adi
2. Brocheva - Sri Ranjani - Adi (S)
3. Nadopasana - Begada - Adi (R, S)
4. Govinda Ninna Ananda Sakala Sadhanavu - Madhyamavati - M. Chapu (R, N).
Neraval @ Srishti Sthithi Laya
5. Mamava Jagadeesha - Saraswathi Manohari - Adi
6. Sri Kamakshi - Vasantha - Adi (R, S, T)
7. Shantamaha Kakshi - Yadhukula Kambodhi - Rupakam
8. Kalyani RTP - Adi - Khanda Nadai
Pallavi - Padavam Adum Tillai Natarajan Tajjam Takajam Takitajam
Ragamalika Swarams in Anandabhairavi, Varali, Kannada
9. Speech
10. Karunanidhim - HamirKalyani - Adi
11. Vanna Maadangal Tirukottiyur - Ragamalika (??, Kanada, Hamsanandi, Suruti) - Adi
12. viruttam pUththavaLE, followed by mAvUr vaLam peruga vanda...by HMB- Sindubhairavi - Adi
13. Pavamana

Sanjay and team gave a very memorable performance at the Samaja. He started off with the Kalyani varnam - which is rare given his track record of starting off with not-so-often-heard-beautiful varnams (the last couple at the Samaja were in Balahamsa and Narayanagowla etc). When I heard Borcheva and Nadopasana, both of them rendered beautifully I was wondering if this is going to be a rare Sanjay concert where I will not be hearing songs new to me After a detailed madhyamavati dasa krithi made me remember of a similar song by Santhanam (Govinda ninna namave chanda) in a different ragam - not sure if it is the same, maybe a variant. After a brisk Mamava Jagadeeshwara, Vasanta was the co-main and I enjoyed Sri Kamakshi - having heard it for the first time. Tani was extremely well received. He then in the tradition of the varnam-pallavi being in the same ragam, performed a wonderful RTP. The Tanam was exquisite and pallavi lines were apt and I sensed a lot of math which I hope some forumite who attended the concert will explain! The swarams in ananda bhairavi and varali were exquisite - and later I came to know the third ragam was kannada. After the speech, Vanna Maadangal (Azhwar Pasuram?) was rendered along with a Swati and HKB krithis. Nagai was splendid as usual - I enjoy his music a lot. Easwaran sir and rajashekar on the morsing gave very good support. A very memorable concert.

Another highlight was that I (finally) met our own forumite Arasi mami. Very nice to see her and Krishnan sir. I request all of our forumites to join me in wishing her a happy birthday, a significant one! Mami - looking forward to your wise words on this forum for many many years to come!

Disclaimer: Please correct the ragams/talam. Also if someone can fill in the laya aspects which I believe were in plenty that would be great.

[badari]

10. Karunanidhim - ?? - Adi
11. Vanna Maadangal Tirukottiyur - Ragamalika (??, Kanada(?), Keeravani(?), Suruti) - Adi
12. Pothavale Mavum(??) - ?? - Adi

10. Karunanidhim - ?? - Adi

- karuNA nidhAn - hindi composition.. of swathi thirunal in hamirkalyani

11. Vanna Maadangal Tirukottiyur - Ragamalika (??, Kanada(?), Keeravani(?), Suruti) - Adi


- Azhwar pasuram ragamalika ( originally composed for mohana and kuntalavarali ) however performed in in ??, kAnada, hamsanandi, surati

12. Pothavale Mavum(??) - ?? - Adi
- performed in Sindhubhairavi..

[sureshvv]

- Azhwar pasuram ragamalika ( originally composed for mohana and kuntalavarali ) however performed in in ??, kAnada, hamsanandi, surati

Mohanam is the opening raga.

[arasi]

RTP: tANDavam ADum tillai naTarAjan

vaNNa mADangaL sUzh tirukkOTTiyUr--this is in one of Sanjay's earlier live concerts , released by Charsur.

[sridhar_ranga]

Another highlight was that I (finally) met our own forumite Arasi mami. Very nice to see her and Krishnan sir. I request all of our forumites to join me in wishing her a happy birthday, a significant one! Mami - looking forward to your wise words on this forum for many many years to come!

Thanks for the review and this information Gardabhagana.

Wish you many more happy returns of the day Arasi. A significant birthday? It isn't proper to ask a lady her age they say but I assume it could be a 'bheemarathashanti' special!

[PUNARVASU]

Happy birthday arasi and many many happy returns of the day.

[arasi]

Thank you, Punarvasu and Shridhar, who makes me feel so young

Back to the concert--it made my day, and more!

As for the song list, I wished for vasanthA but wasn't hopeful because Sanjay had sung a delightful one in detail during the season. As if my wish came true, he sang vasanthA again, and the same tamizh kruti too!
While very predictable lists can tire rasikAs, familiar ones found here and there in a performer's concerts make us happy. yadukula kAmbOdi was there as well. The kalyANi RTP sparkled. What more could I ask for?

12: viruttam pUththavaLE, followed by mAvUr vaLam peruga vanda...by HMB.

[rshankar]

Arasi - many happy returns! Ap jiyO hazArOn sAl, sAl ke din hO pacAs hazAr!

It is great that this concert was your birthday gift!

[VK RAMAN]

Many more returns of this Happy day

[mahavishnu]

happy birthday, Arasi!

vaNNa mADangaL sUzh tirukkOTTiyUr - Yes, he sang this circa 2001-02. Has not been heard much since...

[arasi]

Thanks all for the wishes!

Any viruttam, pAsuram is refreshing--even mannu pugazh kOsalai which I heard only recently in Chennai

[Nick H]

More (we spoke only recently) Best Birthday Wishes from me too, Arasi. Hope you have many more, and perhaps each one, now, might be blessed by a concert

[arasi]

Wishing you the same, pal

[Sam Swaminathan]

Arasiji...my humble pranams to you on your birthday.....and many many more to come. Anna mentioned about you when I spoke to him yesterday. Regards

[annamalai]

vanna madangal - pasuram - was tuned by TM Thyagarajan (TMT) and he has sung this pasuram in the same ragamalika tune in concerts. (I would like to add TMT popularized, but I guess he was not a much of a crowd puller. A great vidwan. It is nice that Sanjay is rendering some of the pieces TMT used to sing - Maruvakudaya (Mohanam), Jagadeeswari (Mohanam), a composition of Tiruvarur Ramaswami Pillai. Sree Kamakshi (Vasantha) is another composition of Ramaswamy Pillai (manipravalam, many swarakshras) in my view, the best composition in Vasantha raga - many wonderful renditions - Ramnad Krishnan . T. Brinda ...

Similarly, Mannu Pugazh Kosalai used to be regularly broadcast in Isai Amudham on Radio @ 7 AM; sung by BV Raman and BV Lakshmanan.

[Ranganayaki]

Happy birthday, Arasi, and many many wonderful returns!

Thank you for the review, Gardabha_Gana!

[tiruppugazh]

vanna madangal - pasuram - was tuned by TM Thyagarajan (TMT) and he has sung this pasuram in the same ragamalika tune in concerts. (I would like to add TMT popularized, but I guess he was not a much of a crowd puller. A great vidwan. It is nice that Sanjay is rendering some of the pieces TMT used to sing - Maruvakudaya (Mohanam), Jagadeeswari (Mohanam), a composition of Tiruvarur Ramaswami Pillai. Sree Kamakshi (Vasantha) is another composition of Ramaswamy Pillai (manipravalam, many swarakshras) in my view, the best composition in Vasantha raga - many wonderful renditions - Ramnad Krishnan . T. Brinda ...

Similarly, Mannu Pugazh Kosalai used to be regularly broadcast in Isai Amudham on Radio @ 7 AM; sung by BV Raman and BV Lakshmanan.

Would like to know if Shanthamaaga (Yadukulakambhoji) and Maavoor valam (Sindhu bhairavi) has been sung by anyone in the past. TNS maybe ??
Mannu pugazh is a typical taalattu song sung by most mothers in villages. The general tune is in Neelambari and there is a nice rendition by TNS. Personally I prefer the TNS version.

[aish1986]

vanna madangal - pasuram-was sung by Sanjay at Nanganallur STSS on thursday 09/02/12. I heard that for the first time then. i was not aware of this song in his earlier Charsur release. Oflate Sanjay is singing more Alwar pasurams with Mannu Pugazh kosalai getting repeated.

[kssr]

It was indeed an amazing concert. Some comments:
1. The Madhyamavathi P.Dasa composition did not just have a similar opening but also had its neraval line as Srishti sritilaya kaarana govinda which is the same as the other song. Was a bit confused initially. They are however different songs.
2. The vasantha swarams had interesting kanakku and TNS usages were unmistakable.
3. the second shorter portion of the Kalyani ragam was rounded off with typical Hindustani Yaman style rendition dovetailing into thaanam. Very enjoyable. In pallavi swarams, Kanda nadai Adi was converted to Kandachapu for the second kaalam. Is it normal to change the thalam or an innovation.
4. During thani Sri.Eswaran was all enthusiasm. He normally plays sedate high quality thani. But today it was energy packed and the audience gave him a fitting applause. Morsing Rajasekar is unbelievably versatile with his tiny instrument. He can play all the beats without making any stroke with his right hand- just by using his tongue itself ( I guess).
5. VaNNa maadangal is Periyazhwar pasuram- Muthirai is Vishnu chithan (sung in tamil as vittu chithan)
6. The kali song in sindubhairavi was by Muthiah bagavathar (from his muthirai). Never knew of these numbers earlier.

My greetings to Smt. Arasi and her husband.

[lanupama]

I too felt the concert was magnificent, each piece having something interesting.

"10. Karunanidhim - ?? - Adi

- karuNA nidhAn - hindi composition.. of swathi thirunal in hamirkalyani"

I think this song was in Charukesi. It was lovely, a haunting melody.

[rshankar]

I think both Sri TNS and Smt. Nityashree have sung the HKMB kRti in sindhubhairavi.

[maduraimini]

Many Happy returns of the Day to Arasi. I think this was one of her memorable gifts. Thanks, Gardabhagana for Sanjay's concert review. Nice song list.

[MV]

Wishing you the same, pal

Many Happy Returns Arasi. Nick-does that mean you are to be wished as well. And wow, we are a few Feb-borns here.

[arasi]

Maduraimini,
Thanks. Many happy and healthy returns, another aquarius!

MV,
Thanks, a few Feb born ones, I see (you too? Happy Birthday!). Nick is not one. His day--a big one, but so much lesser in number, will come round in a few month's time. I think it's going to be another musical celebration. No more from me. Let Nick say the rest when the time comes...

Now, enough about birthdays and more about music

[Nick H]

There will be a musical celebration, come July, of my 60-year-baby birthday.

That is to say... it won't exactly be a celebration of my birthday but, primarily, a celebration of the music --- which is how I want to be spending my birthday evening. In fact, it will probably be barely noticeable that it is my birthday :$ --- we'll all be there for the artists, not for me. Maybe, when I hit 70 or 80, I'll go for something me-centric

Details to be announced...

[PUNARVASU]

Way to celebrate the 60th birthday.Awaiting details.

[arasi]

Punarvasu,
Ha! When the 'baby ' celebrates his birthday, musically of course, one of the largest nations will be celebrating 'its' birth with fireworks!

[PUNARVASU]

arasi, the cat is out of the bag.

[badari]

I too felt the concert was magnificent, each piece having something interesting.

"10. Karunanidhim - ?? - Adi

- karuNA nidhAn - hindi composition.. of swathi thirunal in hamirkalyani"

I think this song was in Charukesi. It was lovely, a haunting melody.

I think he sang in Ahir bhairav

[kunthalavarali]

karuNA nidhAn ia a dhrupad in charukesi by ST. http://www.swathithirunal.in/htmlfile/144.htm As the reference says it was originally sung in hamIrkalyAni.

[MV]

Its difficult to watch/hear the July 4 fireworks when the Pacific divides you.