Carnatic Music - Programmes on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 04 Jul 2012, 18:52

Raga Todi - Madurai Somasundaram sings Koluvamare Gada in his inimitable style.
One Raga One Kriti programme on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 04 Jul 2012, 18:52

A feature that explores songs with anecdotes or legends behind them. Several compositions were composed for specific reasons - on the request of a patron, to prove the composer's capability, or, as anecdotes go, to help cure certain illnesses. Some songs are credited with having brought about certain occurrences, like rain. In this feature, we present some kritis that have such legends or anecdotes associated with them on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 06 Jul 2012, 19:30

Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage and was a cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD. The Pandyan King Kulasekara built a great temple and created a lotus shaped city around the temple. The temple town of Madurai today is synonymous with the Meenakshi Temple. A kshetra feature on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 06 Jul 2012, 19:30

Kamboji - this charming and popular raga it is one of the major ragas in Carnatic music and more popular than its parent raga, Harikamboji. Starting with an ata tala varnam, the programme also includes some rare compositions in raga Kamboji on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 06 Jul 2012, 19:31

Popular Melodies - A selection of a few evergreen classical compositions. This programme presents a few such “all-time favourites” such as Brochevaarevarura , Muddugarey Yashoda on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 06 Jul 2012, 19:31

M Balamuralikrishna is known for his unique music as both musician and composer. As a musician, Balamuralikrishna is known for his unusual, sometimes quirky renditions of alapanas and kritis. He has composed over 400 compositions in various languages like Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil. At the age of 81, he is still going strong, with his voice as rich and fresh as ever. A highlight on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 08 Jul 2012, 18:01

A concert by Sumithra Vasudev, a young musician in the traditional mould.
She has been a student of Sangita Kalanidhi R Vedavalli for over two decades. She has her guru's uncompromising approach, and her music exhibits a similar depth, and concentration on the fundamental and technical aspects. Listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 08 Jul 2012, 18:02

Koteeswara Iyer was the first to compose songs in Tamil in all the Melakarta ragas. The songs are dedicated to his family deity, Muruga, and hence the compendium's title ‘Kanda Ganamudam'. Like Tyagaraja kritis, his songs have simple structures and also have many sangatis. But like Dikshitar, his songs also have chittaswaras, raga and vaggeyakara mudras. Listen to selection on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 08 Jul 2012, 18:02

Raga Shanmukhapriya - Lalgudi GJR Krishnan plays an RTP in the 56th Melakarta raga on www.radioweb.in

Shyamala Rangarajan · Post by **Shyamala Rangarajan** » 08 Jul 2012, 21:17

As a subscriber and user of this radioweb, I have the following feedback to share

1. The audio quality of the music as well as the announcements is generally of high standard.
2. In the one hour music stream, there are some breaks sometimes, for reasons unknown, and I need to restart from the beginning and not from the point where the break occurred. It is irritating for the user.
3. There is no provision for choosing a particular song in a concert and listen to it. Likewise, we cannot take breaks in between - have either the whole concert or none. We cannot fast forward and choose from the middle of a concert.
4. List of songs in a concert is not available to the listener.
5. While the information provided by the announcer is generally useful, I feel the time spent for this has to be reduced. So many words uttered is distracting.
6. The same concert is offered for days at a stretch. There should be more variety.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 09 Jul 2012, 07:34

4. List of songs in a concert is not available to the listener.
5. While the information provided by the announcer is generally useful, I feel the time spent for this has to be reduced. So many words uttered is distracting.

Useful? List of songs would be useful information. As would names of accompanists. I feel the latter ought to be compulsorily announced.

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 18:39

Shyamala Rangarajan wrote:As a subscriber and user of this radioweb, I have the following feedback to share

Thanks for listening and for the feedback

2. The problem is being caused when the internet connection to your home drops momentarily i.e. less than a couple of seconds.This can and does happen occasionally with nearly all the service providers.
When that happens , the player loses the connection to the server and the stream stops. When the connection is restored , as the player does not have "memory" of where it stopped earlier , it returns to the beginning. We recognize the irritation that this causes. While we don't have an immediate fix to this problem , we are exploring solutions where you can resume playing from where it stopped
3. This feature is there in our roadmap as a priority. We need to make changes to the underlying architecture of the platform, so will take a little time
4. There must be some element of surprise no ?

6. We keep programmes up for a few days in the todays' shows section , so that people who miss listening on a day have easy access later. We will take your input on greater variety and see how we can address it.
Your other inputs are also noted.

Thank you once again
Krishnan

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 18:44

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 18:46

srikant1987 wrote: As would names of accompanists. I feel the latter ought to be compulsorily announced.

We do normally do announce the names of the accompanist, except where we don't have the information of who the accompanists were.

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 19:23

Alapana is the most abstract of improvisational forms in Carnatic music, with no words or underlying rhythm. It is totally free-form, and hence is able to reflect the gamakas and bring out the raga's character in the best possible manner. This edition has alapanas and songs in ragas Mohana Kalyani, Ranjani, Hindolam and Kasiramakriya on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 19:23

Unnikrishnan is one of the few musicians who have made a name in both classical and film music. He was a student of S Ramanathan, who was known for his strictly traditional music.
Listen to hour of music of the mellifluous voiced vocalist on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 19:24

Subrahmanya, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is revered as Murugan in Tamil Nadu. Muruga epitomises youth and beauty. Composers in Carnatic music have made kritis on his various aspects - the commander of the armed forces of the Devas, the Guru, the handsome hero, and so on. This feature presents some kritis on the various facets of Subrahmanya on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 10 Jul 2012, 19:24

Parassala Ponnammal has been in Carnatic music for nearly eight decades. But the larger world got to know her and her hauntingly chaste music only after she became the first female musician to sing at the Navaratri Mantapam in Thiruvananthapuram. Her music, existing in and of itself, is a throwback to a different time. listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 12 Jul 2012, 19:04

Most of Tyagaraja's compositions are in praise of Lord Rama. But he has also composed on other deities at specific kshetras, on the essence of music, and other subjects. In this feature, we have a few kritis of Tyagaraja that are not addressed to Rama or about Rama, but about other deities or themes or topics on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 12 Jul 2012, 19:04

Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri who have made an outstanding contribution to carnatic music. Among the trinity, there are interesting associations of their mudras with their life stories and we take a look at these through a well known composition of Tyagaraja, a Dikshitar composition that incorporates an unusual mudra and two compositions in rare ragas for Syama Sastri. Listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 12 Jul 2012, 19:05

Musiri Subramania Iyer and his students are known for their rendition of Patnam Subramania Iyer's composition, Nee Paadamuley, in Raga Bhairavi. Suguna Purushottaman and Suguna Varadachari were both long-time students of Musiri, and their styles match seamlessly. Here, these veteran traditionalists who are known for their erudition and also their nuanced understanding of aesthetics, present this classic in Bhairavi. Listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 12 Jul 2012, 19:05

Prof S R Janakiraman occupies a rarified realm indeed, adept as he is at musicology, music performance and music teaching. Listen to a highlight on http://www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 13 Jul 2012, 19:07

Madurai T N Seshagopalan is an acknowledged master of pallavis, and is known to put together pallavis on the spot, often cleverly weaving the name of the raga into the pallavi. He has performed pallavis not only in the traditional ragas, but also in ragas such as Desh and Dwijavanti. One of the popular parts of Seshagopalan's pallavi renditions is the extensive ragamalika section that he sings as part of the kalpana swaras. Listen to him singing a RTP in Raga Malahari on www.radioweb.in.

askn · Post by **askn** » 13 Jul 2012, 19:07

O S Arun has established himself as a Carnatic musician and maybe even more so as a musician whose renditions and interpretations of bhajans have captured the imagination of the public. He is active in cross-genre musical projects, collaborating with jazz musicians and composing music for classical dance, documentaries and modern ballets. Listen to a highlight on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 14 Jul 2012, 19:00

V R Dileep Kumar is one of the most exciting young musicians from Kerala, and he has been attracting a lot of notice in the last few years. He is a student of senior musician Mangad Natesan, a student of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. An unassuming person, Dileep Kumar lets his music speak for him, and quite eloquently at that. Listen to a two part concert by the exciting and adventurous young musician on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 16 Jul 2012, 19:32

Gopalakrishna Bharati composed mostly on Nataraja, and his magnum opus is the opera Nandanar Charitram, on the life of the great devotee, Nandanar. A feature on the life and works of the devotee of Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 16 Jul 2012, 19:33

Kalpana swarams as part of Manodharma sangeetham are a real test to grade an artiste in various parameters like swara shuddhi, adherence to laya, raga jnaana, and most importantly the creativity the artiste brings to the music. This is a selection of kritis being sung with swara elaborations in the ragas Pantuvarali, Shankarabharanam, Mohana Kalyani and Varamu on www.radioweb.in.

askn · Post by **askn** » 16 Jul 2012, 19:33

The Rudrapatnam Brothers, R N Taranathan and R N Thyagarajan, are part of the family of stalwarts that include R K Venkatrama Sastry and R K Srikantan. They are deeply influenced by the great masters of yesteryears, and this is reflected in their music, which is chaste, classical, and adheres to the tradition of Carnatic music. A highlight on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 16 Jul 2012, 19:33

Bhairavi is a raga with a rich feel and with a deeply classical flavour. This janya of the 20th melakarta Natabhairavi is one raga whose popularity outshines its melakarta raga. The anya swara, Chatushruti Dhaivata, contributes to the beauty of Bhairavi in no mean measure, and makes it a Bhashanga raga. Some popular and some relatively unknown compositions are part of this programme on Raga Bhairavi on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 17 Jul 2012, 18:09

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder - or, the composer!

There are many hundreds of references to the eyes of deities. They have been likened to a flower or its petal, mostly the lotus, innumerable times. Here is a selection of some kritis that are descriptive in nature, and also begin particularly with phrases describing the eyes on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 17 Jul 2012, 18:11

Palghat K V Narayanaswamy's concert career spanned almost sixty years. He was a disciple of Ariyakudi Ramauja Iyengar, but unlike his guru who excelled in madhyamakala, KVN specialised in vilambakala as well. He was influenced by the styles of Musiri Subramania Iyer and the Veena Dhanammal family. These influences gave a soft, soothing touch to his music and enhanced the bhava or emotional element, aspects in which KVN remains unsurpassed. Listen to an hour of music by a musician unsurpassed in saukhyam and proportion on www.radioweb.in

Also read an article on KVN : http://www.radioweb.in/narayanaswamy-3

askn · Post by **askn** » 18 Jul 2012, 18:41

Many instrumentalists in Carnatic Music learn to sing; this is true in the case of percussionists too. Many vocalists also learn to play instruments, as it enhances their understanding of music. Of these, a few reach the level where they become equally adept at both and are able to give full-fledged concerts on their second choice, whether it is vocal or instrumental. This feature presents renditions of a few such multifaceted artists, who are capable of holding their own both in vocal music, and on the instruments they play on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 18 Jul 2012, 18:42

This programme pays tribute to Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, the last maharaja of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore, who is among the well known composers of Carnatic music. The programme carries extracts from an interview with author Vikram Sampath, whose first book ‘Splendours of Royal Mysore - The Untold Story of the Wodeyars’ , is hailed as one of the most definitive accounts of the Wodeyar dynasty in recent times. Listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 19 Jul 2012, 19:30

The Alapana feature is an occasional theme where all the songs have a full-fledged alapana preceding them. This edition has alapanas in ragas Purvikalyani, Athana, Madhyamavati and Rasikapriya. Listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 19 Jul 2012, 19:31

Tanjavur district has a great tradition of carnatic music, and has been the birthplace of several eminent musicians. The district is also known for its ancient temples, which have been praised in several carnatic music compostions. This feature presents compositions on some temples in the city of Thanjavur. listen on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 20 Jul 2012, 19:11

Ramanathapuram "Poochi' Srinivasa Iyengar came in the Tyagaraja shishya parampara, and was a disciple of Patnam Subramania Iyer. He was a versatile composer of over 100 songs, and his compositions include tana varnams, a pada varnam, kritis, javalis, tillanas, kavadi chindus and ragamalika pieces. Listen to a selection of his compositions on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 20 Jul 2012, 19:11

The tender face of the child-Krishna has inspired a thousand and more beautiful verses in Indian literature. The way in which the infant Krishna was dressed, the way he crawled, his love for butter - everything about him is lyrical and musical, from the way it has been illustrated, particularly in Carnatic Music. Haridasa sahitya dominates when it comes to its share of songs on Krishna. There’s a flourish of Oothukkadu’s songs about Krishna’s various exploits and his description of the Lord, the shringara-laden Jayadeva’s Ashtapadi, and Sadashiva Bhahmendra’s songs with deep philosophical undertones among the many who wrote about him.
Here is a selection of popular kritis by various composers, mostly about Balakrishna on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 22 Jul 2012, 18:41

A concert by Ramnad V Krishnan -a musician known for his sensitive and nuanced music on www.radioweb.in
Ramnad Krishnan's music was marked by an ease of rendition that often belied the effort that went into making the vidwan, and made musical nuances seem like an easy thing to accomplish. Krishnan was a student of Ramnad Sankara Sivam, and that’s when he became Ramnad Krishnan.

askn · Post by **askn** » 22 Jul 2012, 18:41

The renowned brother of D K Pattammal, D K Jayaraman had his musical training under many stalwarts like Papanasam Sivan and his own sister. He had a sizeable repertoire and is credited with popularising several masterpieces with his crisp rendition. One hour of music of DKJ, known for his extensive repertiore and strict classicism on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 22 Jul 2012, 18:42

One Raga One Kriti programme on www.radioweb.in
Raga Mayamalavagaula - S Sowmya sings Muthuswami Dikshitar's Neelotpalamba Vibhakti kriti

askn · Post by **askn** » 23 Jul 2012, 19:30

The earlier part of the twentieth century saw quite a few composers who contributed significantly to the Carnatic music repertoire such as Papanasam Sivan, Mysore Vasudevacharya and Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar. In later decades, more composers have come to the fore, and a few of their compositions have captured the imagination of listeners. This programme presents a few such composers from the second half of the twentieth century on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 23 Jul 2012, 19:31

The Ragam Tanam Pallavi has for long been the showpiece of performance, calling attention, as it does, to the technical competence of the artiste. The tala often becomes important in exhibiting one’s prowess, and the pallavi too is suitably selected so that it retains its integrity even when intricate mathematical combinations are performed. The Pallavi on this programme, by Lalgudi Jayaraman and Lalgudi GJR Krishnan, is in Raga Shankarabharanam and set to Khanda Jati Triputa tala (Mishra Nadai) on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 24 Jul 2012, 19:29

The origin of the word ‘rakti’ is hard to trace, but the term is used commonly to denote a manner of singing that is of a highly appreciated quality. It carries with it a sense of intense involvement or engagement. That which is pleasing, which engages the mind joyfully may be called rakti. Compositions in Rakti Ragas Yadukula Kamboji Huseni, Anandabhairavi, Mukhari & Natakurinji on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 24 Jul 2012, 19:29

Apart from numerous songs dedicated to Lord Padmanabha of the temple at Thiruvananthapuram, Swati Tirunal composed Navavidha Bhakti kritis, Utsava Prabandha songs, bhajans, padams, javalis, thillanas, khayals, drupads, slokams and upakhyanams.This feature presents songs from the Utsava Prabandha and the navavidha bhakti groups, and some kshetra kritis along with interesting information and anecdotes on www.radioweb.in

kathakali · Post by **kathakali** » 25 Jul 2012, 12:45

@askn, great service , and i enjoyed the site

apart from himself , King Swati Tirunal he had one of the most prestigious court, which was dominated by musicians and poets.. Many of the Tyagaraja's s disciple were there and the great musician Shadkala Govinda Marar. Though not so famous outside kerala his chief poet Irayimman Thampi had written and composed some of the evergreen numbers. His lullaby 'omana thinkal kidavo' a trademark for any lullabies in Kerala, no child can escape from it's joy and beauty. Thampi also had written /composed 3 famous attakadhas ( kathakali sahityam ) which is still very popular among kathakali (and it's music ) enthusiasts.

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 25 Jul 2012, 14:17

Krishnan was a student of Ramnad Sankara Sivam, and that’s when he became Ramnad Krishnan.

1. Of the siblings in that family, four prefixed Ramnad to their names, though none of them were born there. Most were born in Allepey.

2. The family moved to Madurai eventually, and the eldest son V. Lakshminarayana got employment at the Ramnad palace. He moved there and took along his brothers, who went to school at Ramnad. Eswaran and Krishnan learnt from Lakshminarayana's friend Sankarasivam, and Raghavan learnt from Eswaran, but there is little evidence to say that they prefixed Ramnad to their names because of the teacher.

The full list of the siblings is given here -
Lakshminarayana (1911-1990) - violinist,
Ramnad Eswaran (1913-1985) - mridangist,
Ramnad Venkatachalam - violinist,
Ramnad Krishnan(1918 - 1973) - vocalist,
C.V.S.Mani - Gemini Studios,
Ramnad Raghavan (1927 - 2009) - mridangist (USA)

askn · Post by **askn** » 25 Jul 2012, 20:32

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was one of the most influential personalities in the field of Carnatic music in the last 60-odd years. Whether it was his music, his opinions, or his decisions, they all had a profound impact on the musicians and musical atmosphere around. This programme pays tribute to Semmangudi on his birth anniversary with soundbytes from musicians and others, and also some of his most popular compositions on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 25 Jul 2012, 20:33

The foundation of the current character of Carnatic music was laid by the Trinity of composers, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. This programme presents a few of the Trinity's relatively lesser known and heard kritis, which have been composed in some rare ragas too. There is also a rendition of a composition by Vedavalli in the original form of raga Ritigaula, which uses the shuddha dhaivata on www.radioweb.in

askn · Post by **askn** » 27 Jul 2012, 07:43

kathakali wrote:@askn, great service , and i enjoyed the site

Thank you !

askn · Post by **askn** » 27 Jul 2012, 07:44

The GNB school, starting with GNB himself, has for long been known for its comprehensive treatment of Tyagaraja's Tiruvotriyur Pancharatna kriti in Raga Shuddha Saveri - Daarini Telusukonti. The way GNB, and later MLV, decked the pallavi and anupallavi with a series of cascading sangatis was exhilarating. On this programme, GNB gives an elaborate treatment to the raga and the composition. Listen on www.radioweb.in