R. Suryaprakash, Balaji Temple, Aurora, IL, April 29, 2012

[yemvee]

SAPNA Presents a Grand Vocal Carnatic Concert
Sunday, April 29, 2012 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple, Aurora, IL
Admission: $10/person

Sri. R. Suryaprakash (Vocal)
Sri. Nagai Sriram (Violin)
Sri. Tanjore Murugaboopathi (Mridangam)

[hameerk]

I did attend this concert a few hours back at Aurora Temple , IL and it was a great concert to say the least. I probably missed abuout 45 min - 1 hr of the initial concert and Vid. Surya Prakash was in the middle of Bhairavi Main . After that he sang Soundararajam Aasraye in Brindavana Saranga. One of the best renditions of this krithi I heard. There was a quick filler Saravanbhavaguhane followed by an excellent RTP in Kapi with ragamalika swarams in Kalayanavasantam & Hamsanandi. Vid Nagai Sriram's responses were very good in the RTP. Kapi Alapana was so melodius, it is still ringing in my ears. After this there was a brief sketch of Hindola & Hamir Kalyani Ragas followed by Deva Devam Bhaje in Hindolam. This was followed by Viruttam with very nice Mukhari & Suddha Sarang followed by Teertha Karai Idile. Brief Virutham again in Sindhu Bhairavi followed by Endru Varuva No in Kalayana Vasantham and then Mangalam. Sri Surya Prakash made a special mention of Kalyana Vasantham Krithi , that it was composed by Smt Arasi our fellow forumite. Most of the carnatic concerts I have attended at this venue usually have a minimum of 150- 200 people & this concert's attendance was less than 20. It was such a shame because Sri SuryaPrakash was in such great form & sang so beautifully. During the speech at the end the Organizers apologized for the lack of attendance to which Sri SuryaPrakash commented that he was not at all concerned and just sang as if it was fully packed hall. The Violin accompaniment of Sri Nagai Sriram was high class and the mridnagam was the usual loud banging fare of Sri Murugabhoopathy. This was the first concert I attended of Vid SuryaPrakash & I certainly returned back with great satisfaction.

[arasi]

hameerk,
Thank you for the review. I am happy you made it to the concert, and you thought it was worth your while. We tend to cancel going to a concert if we think it's too much to travel a long distance for just part of a concert. I'm assuming you had to drive quite a few miles.

A pity, such a good concert was poorly attended Nagai Sriram plays so well. I'm surprised that Murugabhupathy was loud--because I haven't heard him play loudly so far. Then again, even some veterans give into noise at times!

Suryaprakash,
Thanks for singing inRu varuvAnO, nALaiyO? You sing it so well!

Your NJ concert will be SRO, I 'm hoping. Those who had heard you at Cleveland (or had heard aboutyour singing), are all going to be there, I hope...

[vasanthakokilam]

hameerk: The concert started a bit late, so you did not miss too much. The bhairavi is not quite the main but the second song of the concert. That is an annamacharya composition. It made sense given the concert was organized by SAPNA. Suryaprakash sang very well with great emotion. The concert opener was Vinayaka in Hamsadhwani. If I see any other songs missed in your list, I will post later. Mukhari was indeed great. Crisp delineation of the raga for a couple of minutes, a good return by Nagai Sriram and his own tuning in Mukhari and Sudda Sarang of the Bharathi song. Very nice.

Sri. Nagai Sriram on the Violin and Sri. Tanjore Murugaboopathi on the Mridangam provided great enhancement and support to the concert. The thani was succinct and crisp and well done.

As you stated, Suryaprakash sang the brindavana saranga quite beautifully and with great bhava. The Saravanbhavaguhane in kannada was rocking and rolling from beginning to end and it afforded a nice change of pace, both from the rhythm and melody point of view. Kannada is quite a catchy raga. I also enjoyed the Kapi RTP, especially the ragam part. I heard Suryaprakash was all along planning on Intha Sowkya but changed it in the last minute to the RTP in trisra jathi triputa in 'before samam' eduppu.

An excellent concert and the team did a great job.

The folks running SAPNA are great people. One of them is actually a descendent of Sri. Annamacharya. They are all quite humble and well meaning and highly respectful of the art and tradition. All the best in their continued efforts to preserve and promote the cultural heritage.

[mahavishnu]

I'm glad that Suryaprakash passed VK's impossibly high standards for Mukhari

and the mridnagam was the usual loud banging fare of Sri Murugabhoopathy.

I think Tanjore Murugabhoopathy is a very skilled accompanist. I would go on to say that his playing is almost never of the loud banging variety. So I am quite surprised by this comment.

[rajeshnat]

The bhairavi is not quite the main but the second song of the concert. That is an annamacharya composition.

So what was the AnnamachArya bhairavi krithi.Cannot recollect any in this combo

[vasanthakokilam]

alamElumangA nI abhinava rUpamu

I did not know this song. I found a priya sister's version in youtube. Suryaprakash's version is nothing like that. His is full on Bhairavi in her majestic form, along the lines of Upacharamulanu or keechu keechenRengum, starting at the high note.

Mahavishnu, Yes, indeed. Suryaprakash put one of the main Mukhari characteristic phrases on the flourishes for the 'Kannamma' line. It makes one sit up and take notice!

The other elaborate song Suryaprakash sang was Visalakshi Visveshi-MD-Pantuvarali ( R-N-S ). The RTP with Thani was close to an hour and so I will consider that as the Main and the pantuvarali as the sub-main.

[vasanthakokilam]

The song list. ( 2 hours and 50 minutes )

1. Vinayaka - Hamsadhwani - E.V.Ramakrishna Bhagavatar (S)
2. Alamelu Manga neevabhinava roopamu - Bhairavi - Annamacharya
3. Visalaksheem - Pantuvarali = MD (RNS)
4. Soundarararajam - Brindavana Saranga - MD (N)
5. Saravana Bhava Guhane - kannada - Papanasam Sivan (S)
6. RTP Kapi - ragamalika swaram in Chandrakouns, Hamsanandhi
7. Virutham - Anbaavai ...Nalayira Prabhandam - Hamir Kalyani, Hindolam followed by Deva Devam Bhaje
8. Theertha Karayinile - Mukhari and Sudda Sarang - Bharathi - Tune by Suryaprakash
9. Virutham - pachai maa malai - in sindhu bhairavi and kalyanavasantham
followed by Inru Varuvano - Kalyanavasantham ( Arasi composition )
10. mangalam

[rajeshnat]

1. Vinayaka - Hamsadhwani - Veena Kuppayyer(S)

vinAyakA ninnuvinA brOcuTaku (S)-hamsadhvani--E.V.Ramakrishna Bhagavatar

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks Rajesh. Info corrected in the song list above.