M S Sheela, Sandhya Srinath, Shivu : Detroit Apr 27 2012

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Vid. M S Sheela - Vocal
Vid. Sandhya Srinath – Violin
Vid. Aanoor Ananthakrishna Sharma (Shivu) – mRdanga

Apr 27, 2012 Concert in Southfield, MI


1. varNa : karuNimpa idi – sahana – tiruvettiyUr tyAgayya

2. dEva dEva kalayAmi tE – mAyAmALava gowLa – sWati tirunAL
neraval @ jAtarUpa, followed by kalpana swara

3. sRi cAmundESwari pAlayamAm – bilahari – Mysore vAsudEvAcArya

4. rAma nI samAnamevaru – Karaharapriya – tyAgarAja
AlApane (Smt Sheela and then Smt Sandhya)
neraval paluku paluku, followed by kalpanA swara
tani

A mesmerizing 50 -55 minutes of Kharaharapriya

5. gAnamUrtE – gAnamUrti – tyAgarAja

6. ugABhOga : Ena OdidarEnu Ena kELidarEnu followed by hAnge irabEku samsAradalli -mOhana rAga - purandara dAsa

7. gOvinda gOpAla – rAga mAlike in kApi, hamsAnandi and rEvati – vAdirAja

8. SringapurAdhIshwari SArade – kalyANi – padmacaraN (A V kRiShNamAcAr)

9. ugABhOga : dIna nAnu samasta lOkake dAni nInu followed by toredu jIvisabahude hari ninna caraNavanu – sindhu Bhairavi – kanaka dAsa

10. buddimAtu hELidare kElabEkamma – madhyamAvati (not sure) – purandara dAsa (a friend tells me this is a composition of purandara dAsa’s son varada purandara dAsa)

11. Alisu kRShNana koLalina kare – sindhu Bhairavi – pu ti narasimhAcAr

12. Bhagyada lakshmi bAramma – madhyamAvati (was it SrI?) – purandara dAsa

13. mannAru kRShNage mangaLa – madhyamAvati

(You can very clearly see from the list above that I am completely lacking in the tALa aspect of our music!)

I consider myself fortunate that I was able to attend this concert!

It was evident that Smt Sheela, Sri Shivu and Smt Sandhya are in great form, having been performing together for the last four weeks, on their current tour of the U S.

It was a GREAT concert from the first moment until the very end. The concert duration could be termed “short” but the music I soaked in will stay with me for the rest of my life.

The concert was well balanced - with the first half of the concert focusing on traditional concert items, while the second half of the concert provided items that the audience wanted to hear.

Smt Sheela treated the predominantly kannaDa speaking audience with carefully chosen dEvaranAma-s of purandara dAsa, kanaka dAsa and vAdirAja.
(I was happy that there was no venkatAcala nilayam or tamburi mItidava and such predictable songs that we usually hear)

I felt dEva dEva was a bit slower paced compared to what I have usually heard, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

sRi cAmundEshwari was delightful.

The 50-55 minute performance of rAma nI samAnamevaru was the best with
Smt Sheela, Smt Sandhya and Sri Shivu excelling both in their individual segments, and the segments where they performed in complete harmony.

Smt Sheela had full control over the range of her voice and looked effortless while she was in upper octaves.



I consider it my good fortune that I had the opportunity to sit there right in front of these eminent artistes and soak in their music.

I am glad it was a small audience, House-concert setting. This is where I get to watch the performers closely and become one with their involvement in their music. And the warmth exuded in such a setting is not easy for me to describe.


Bonus points for me:

1. I had made a mental note to request for a kRti of Mysore Vasudevacharya, if there was an opportunity to make a request. As if She had read my mind,
Smt Sheela had chosen sRi cAmundEshwari pAlayamAm. It would be an understatement to say that I was delighted!

2. It was a treat to sit right next to Vid.Bangalore Shankar and watch his involvement in enjoying the pristine music of the evening.

When Smt. Sheela started SrigapurAdhIshwari Sarade, some of us in the audience felt a special connection. As many of you would know, Sri Shankar has popularized this composition of one of his mentors Sri. Padmacharan
(A V Krishnamachar). Smt Sheela received a wholehearted approval from Sri Shankar.

3. As always, it was heartwarming to see my friend Shivu, and a privilege to connect with Vid. Sheela, whose music I have always enjoyed.


They will be performing in Pittsburgh today Apr 28, 2012 and somewhere in N Carolina tomorrow, Apr 29th (Sorry, I do not have more information).

I hope we have forum members who can attend these concerts and share their experience with us.

[Lakshman]

re: the neraval for dEvadEva kalayAmitE - It is jAtarUpa.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Lakshman-ji,
Thank you! I have made the correction.

[arasi]

Sreeni,
I see what you mean. In an intimate atmosphere like that, the concert would have sounded even better. I do not miss M.S. Sheela's concerts, ifthey take place anywhere near me. I missed listening to her this time. Shivu is such good support. I'm surprised Sheela didn't sing any tamizh songs. She often does, to an audience which has thamizh speaking folks in it, and her tamizh pronunciation is very good. By the same token, I wish thamizh artistes sing at least one kannaDa song in every concert of theirs in Karnataka!
Solid fare, her concerts usually are. She's an intelligent and imaginative singer, and gives a lively performance every time.

Now, I'm wondering if it's the same Sandhya that I've heard before. Is she from Washington DC area and her husband is a mrudangist? If so,that's a musical family!

[nadhasudha]

Yes Arasi ji. it is the same Sandhya - She used to live in Maryland Area and her husband is a mridangist. She has since relocated to Bangalore,India and is currently touring with MS Sheela.

I was wanting to put my thoughts on this concert. However Sreeni Rajarao beat me to it. Enjoyed MS Sheela's presentation. Her Kharaharapriya alapana and kriti was my favorite. Sandhya's alapana for kharaharapriya stood out. There were no tamizh songs - Also I felt the need for a small pratimadhyamam sub main. However due to the short duration of the concert possibly it was not rendered. There was a kalyani later down in the sequence though. Enjoyed the mridangam accompaniment by Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma as well. The audio was well balanced.

I got to listen to some Kannada compositions I have never heard before and I liked them. buddimAtu hELidare kElabEkamma seems to be a secular composition - My kannada friend translated it for me - It is advice given to a newly married girl as to how she should conduct herself in her in-laws house. Not to gossip, not to talk much with neighbors etc. That was the first time I was hearing it and liked it.

Sreeni - For number 7, the raga in between was Hamsanandi.
For number 9 the ugabhoga started in Sindhubhairavi.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Nadhasudha,

Thank you! I have updated my post #1.

[arasi]

Nadasudha,
I have heard Sheela sing it too! It reminded me then of HMB's nalla peNNaip pAr nI dhUthA!

[rajeshnat]

For the few concerts that I attended I feel MS sheela impresses me big time when she either takes keeravani or kharaharapriya as main. There were few recordings that I had access , there is a lot of depth and assertion in her music. very nice to see a review of hers. A great and definitely underrated musician.

[gardabha_gana]

Also her concerts are usually filled with songs that are uncommon - including heavy melakartha ones.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

.......... , there is a lot of depth and assertion in her music. very nice to see a review of hers. A great and definitely underrated musician.

Rajesh,
You have said what I wanted to say in my post #1. Thanks!

[squims]

Nice to see a MS Sheela concert review here. It's very rarely that we hear about her on rasikas.
I recently went to her Fort High School concert at RSM, but it was cancelled and replaced by Mamabalam sisters' concert. It has been ages since I've listened to her, and recordings of her concerts are very hard to come by too. Glad to know of such a nice concert. Would love to listen to the Kharaharapriya. Any chance of a recording?

[nadhasudha]

Nice to see a MS Sheela concert review here. It's very rarely that we hear about her on rasikas.
I recently went to her Fort High School concert at RSM, but it was cancelled and replaced by Mamabalam sisters' concert. It has been ages since I've listened to her, and recordings of her concerts are very hard to come by too. Glad to know of such a nice concert. Would love to listen to the Kharaharapriya. Any chance of a recording?

I know it was being recorded by at least a couple of people. If I manage to get a copy (provided the source has checked with the artists and no violations etc), I will pass it on to you.

[squims]

Thanks a lot!