SAketaraman@Nadopasana on May 01st,2012

[rajeshnat]

SAketaraman@Nadopasana on May 01st,2012
---------------------------------------------------
Vocal : SAketaraman
Violin : S Varadarajan
Mrudangam : Neyveli narAyanan

Concert duration/Day : 2 hours and 15 mins /Tuesday
Concert Type : Nirvana (prime evening concert , no concert to follow)
Sabha/Hall :nadopasanA/ PS High School, Mylapore

1. sAveri varnam
2. vandAn vandAn vandAn varadA?(or bharata? )(RS,S)- mohanam - AK - edited on May 05,2012 as not sure if it is varadA or bharatA
7 mins swaras

3. calamElarA sAketarAmA - mArgahindOlam - T
4. idhu bhAgya (R) - brindAvana sArangA - PD
8 mins alApana and 6 mins violin return
5.Emani pogaDudurA(S) - vArunapriyA - T
3 mins swaras

6A. tiruvadi saranam (R N S T) - kAmbOdhi - GKB
15 mins alApana and 11 mins violin return
neraval for 9 mins in aDuttu vanda ennai taLLalAgAdu ara-harAvenru shonnAlum pOdAdO
15 mins swaras
6B. tani for 12 mins

Being a public holiday (Labour day), had a chance to attend a cm concert in this latest metro road dig menace of chennai city.Saketaraman started with sAveri varnam and I just heard his last sangathi . The second number was bit rare as a drop , i cannot immediately recollect any concert where mohanam is dropped as #2 . Saketaraman sang a lovely alApana at that right pace (mohanam should have that right pace , not either slow or fast) and he sang a rare AK number vandan vandan and it was a nice rendition highlighting his usual high shruthi suddham

He moved next with anupallavi and his name sake rendition of calamelara sAketarama krithi and it was just good . THe next alApana in brindavana saranga was rendered with such precision and the emote never slipped in brindavana saranga. A rare krithi of PD started well some how the krithi just did not keep me that interested as much as say Muthuswami Dikshitar krithi of brindAvana sArangA .Nevertheless saketaraman definitely zoned into an intensely classical rendition.

The filler of emani pogaDudara just did not come out that well, I could feel he was not able to carry out with the right layam cut where in narayanan the mridangist was not able to give a sustained excellence . KAmbOdhi as a main that too with a colossal tiruvadi charanam with the most vociferous neraval line and pounding swaras needs an exalted voice power.

Saketharaman had a lovely plot to open more frontiers of kAmbOdhi but did find a bit of vocal power mismatch to give that expressive hA hAA hAAAA kAmbOdhi effect . An alapana traversed well with more softer touches which was lovely and his alApana kind of waxed and waned in sustaining vocal power. He made up well with the krithi , the neraval had the same effect of alApana , felt bit more vocal power would have given a better polish. Swaras were well done and there was a high dose of creativity not aping few masters of yesteryear who have excelled this krithi.

[rajeshnat]

7A. viruththam "anjiLE oNrAi thAvi" ??? - Anandabhairavi + bahudAri + madhuvanti - ????(Any idea about the composer)
7B. aNumanai aNudianam ninai - madhuvanti +sindhubhairavi + revati - guru surajAnanda
8. dheem tadana ... mangalakara mahadeva shankara - pahAdi - LGJ
9. pavamAnA

The viruththam was a lovely rendition and certainly the best pick , the same lines anjile oNrAi thAvi was taken in very emotive scale of Ananda bhairavi and madhuvanti with a layer of bahudAri sandwiched was exceptionally well done . Saket sang with packed emotive intensity and I loved it .

The krithi that followed just kept up with the muse . It was a ragamAliga of madhuvanti , sindhubhairavi and revati . I did feel in the beginning of the revati he may have slipped to shivaranjani , nevertheless this viruththam and guru sarajAnanda ragamaliga krithi was very very soothing .

LGJ thillana followed and it was in pahAdi and I just felt he sang well.pahAdi always gives a feeling of folksy lightness.

Varadarajan is a brilliant violinst , he played exactly replicating the thin voice of Saketaraman and his returns during krithi especially the mohanam return in swaras was top notch. For the first time ,I also noticed varadu bit faltering on proportion , for kAmbOdhi alapana it was way too long return.

Neyveli narayanan played well ,I found most of his aggression centered on full blooded kAmbOdhi and he did support well. Tani was also very good , narayanan has generally fast fingers and it did come out well.

IF there were few things that could have worked better:
-------------------------------------------------------
Saketaraman has a class where there is a lovely dose of emote and few ragas and krithis that were centered on emote were handled wonderfully by him . Having said that Saketaraman should build up bit more vocal power and has to watch out for sustenance of sangathi weight which I think does make any carnatic musician more classical.

It was a holiday and PS high school potentially has the best infrastructure as every rasika can drive and park . Also this concert was ticketed .The crowd was 75+(IPL indeed cannibalizes , atleast he was lucky there was no chennai match that day) . I would have been far more happier if he had sung a pallavi instead of precisely wrapping at 08:45 pm.

Overall a very good concert for 2 hours and 15 mins.

[arasi]

Rajesh,
2: vandAn vandAn bharathA, raghu rAman vandAn vandAn bharathA--not varadan.

Of course, Varadan very ably supported ( saketa) Raman on stage

And, I like your giving both the sabha name and the venue. Good thing for all the reviewers to make a note of. During the season, the jumbling up of Sabha names with venues is confusing for many.

[rajeshnat]

vandAn vandAn bharathA, raghu rAman vandAn vandAn bharathA--not varadan.

Tx I have changed the krithi

[appu]

Arasi,

Is there a kriti in Mohanam that goes Vandan Vandan Varadha..... I have heard TN Krishnan announce it that way when he plays this song. Never as a main. TNK plays it as a ending piece normally clubing it with Madhyamavati.

[ubari]

Emani pogaduthura - Is it varunapriya ?? I thought it was veera vasantham.

[mahavishnu]

Varunapriya = Veeravasantham (normally used in Dikshitar's scheme/school).

[arasi]

Appu,
I don't know of one. Lakshman would know, for sure.
Since Rajesh wrote that it was by Arunachala kavi, I thought it was the BharathA one. TNK would have played this song along with Ari many times, earlier.

[Lakshman]

I don't have any listing for vandAn vandAn varadA.

[kssr]

7A. viruththam "anjiLE oNrAi thAvi" ??? - Anandabhairavi + bahudAri + madhuvanti - ????(Any idea about the composer)

If you are referring to
"Anjile onru petraan (Vaayu) anjile onrai thaavi (Water)
anjile ondraaraaha ( aakaasam)aaruyirkkaha ehi
anjile onru petra (bhoomi) aNangai kandu ayalaar ooril
anjile onru (fire)vaiththaan avan emmai aLiththu kaappaan"

it is a part of KambaramaayaNam but listed as a "Mihai Paadal" (Extra song) and not attributed to Kamban. It is a very popular song and part of the daily aaraadhanam sequence of vaishnavaites. They say that besides the five elements concept, the meaning is much deeper with several "fives" which are part of vedanta. But the basic concept appeals to me best

[sahithyan]

Sakethraman is a very promising talent.i had the ''bhagyam ''to attend his academy concert last year.what a mastery of RTP BRINDAVANA SARANGA N KAMBODHI.i wish i cud attend more of his concerts.if any of his concerts cumin up let me know.am really glad tat he is among the few artists who do not compromise on the quality of music for the sake of publicity.