Smt Kiranavali Vidyashankar - Bharathi Kala Manram Toronto

[mahavishnu]

March 17, 2012

Smt Kiranavali Vidyashankar - vocal
Sri Jayashankar Balan - violin
Sri Toronto Gowrishankar - mridangam
Sri Kartik Venkataraman - Khanjira

1. Bhajanamruta - NAttai - OVK
2. Sambho mahadeva - Bowli - Neelakanta Sivan (S)
3. Ini Oru kanam - Sriranjani - Papanasam Sivan (RS)
4. Sri Kamalambikayam - Sahana - MD
5. Entanerchina - Suddha Dhanyasi - T
6. Swara Raga Sudha - Sankarabharanam - T- (RNST)
7. RTP - Shanmukhapriya - Khanta triputa (khanta gati)
Sendhil Vadivela unadhu padhame thunaiye, Orarumugane, Arugumugane
Trikalam + Swarams in Yadukulakambhoji, Bilahari, Kanada, Hamsadhwani, Nalinakanti, Hindolam, Behag
8. Tillana - Dhanasri - Swati Tirunal/LGJ
9. Koorvel Pazhitha - Madhyamavati - Arunagirinadhar (tiruppugazh)
10. Dasavatara mangalam - Madhyamavati - Purandaradasar

I like this time of the year for kutcheris. It is well after the December season and the spring/summer tours in N.America and the Cleveland festival are still a few weeks away. Most of us in the northern part of this continent have been fortunate to have a very early spring, bordering on summer-like weather.

To round off an excellent weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend a very competent performance by Smt Kiranavali and party. As is typical of her school, there was complete patanthara shuddam in the compositions, each sangati was precise and there were no excesses or frills in the music.

I have heard Smt Kiranavali's recordings over the last several years, but have not had the privilege of going to a live concert in a while... which made me think of the following anecdote.

The last time I saw her perform was circa 1986 at an inter-school cultural event hosted by my school (PSBB), where a very young Kiranavali and Shashikiran were the star performers. This was an interesting period in the Madras school scene; just after Vijay Siva/RKSK and probably when Sanjay Subrahmanyan was still singing as a Vidya Mandir contestant. Sowmya, Nityashree, Sriram Gangadharan, Unnikrishnan were just discovering their muses around then.

I must say that the brother-sister team (KNS and Kiranavali) representing KV-CLRI knocked the socks out of everyone else; their level of training was beyond anything people had seen. My guess is that they had just about started with Brindamma about then too. After they had finished, the audience was suitably impressed and all of us were rooting for them to win the top prize. Just then the redoubtable Mrs YGP stomps on stage and disqualifies them both since they were below the age required to perform in this competition! :devil: Of course, the siblings were visibly upset and most others in the audience were outraged. But no one messes with Mrs YGP and the afternoon ended in tears for everyone. Some poor soul walked home with the prize and probably at least three decades of guilt.

Fast forward 26 years and here is Smt Kiranavali: seasoned professional, successful teacher and an inspiring stage performer.

I found her version of OVK's saptaratna kriti to be quite extraordinary; wonderful piece reminds me of Entaro Mahanubhavulu in many ways. The Sriranjani alapanai was adequate, but I think the artiste found her way when she started hitting the high notes in Sankarabharanam. She was not very audible in the lower octaves, not sure if she had voice issues of if it was just amplification-related. The RTP was handled very well; I always get nervous when people begin doing trikalam in a complex talam, but she did it all with much ease. Sri Jayashankar's bowing was very sweet as was his overall performance. Sri Gowrishankar was very alert and crisp throughout. I wish he had employed more thoppi while accompanying the slower tempo pieces, especially the sahana kamalamba navavarnam. The tani was nice.

I was expecting a Padam given her lineage. I was disappointed when she moved to the tillana after the RTP. But she did sing for almost 3 1/2 hours and for that I am grateful.

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
Yes, my spring flowers are out already, catching up with the European early spring!

Sounds like a very good concert--and your reviews are always as welcoming as an early spring.
Thanks also for the remembrances of a dramatic event in the history of today's artistes!

Yes, school, school, school...

[rajeshnat]

Mahavishnu
In a fairly dry review week , nice to see yours .Your review has a lot of flashback of your "padma" school , unfortunately the "padam" school was forgotten