Sanjay Subrahmanyam @ Venugopala Krishnaswamy temple, Blore

[prahalad_rag]

Vocal: Sanjay Subrahmanyam
Violin: S. Varadarajan
Mridangam: Neyveli Venkatesh
Khanjira: Venkataramana

Brief set list:
Ninnu Sevinchina - Yadukula Kambhoji
Nannu Palimpa - Mohana (RNS)
Enna Rakshiso - Shubha Pantuvarali (R)
Bhogeendra Shayeenam - Kuntalavarali (O)
RTP - Bhairavi "Enakkavar sondamadi parandaman govindanadi mukundanadi" - Started 1 akshara before samam.
Taala was basically rupakam in 2 kaLai. Switched over to regular rupakam after the tani for the ragamalika swara prastharas. Could not track the raagas.
Tamil songs in Hammer Kalyani, ragamalika
Thillana
Mangalam

I reached the venue when he was finishing a kriti in Navarasa Kannada. Was pleasantly surprised to see that there was lot of room right in front of the stage on the floor. Immediately made myself comfortable and what followed was 2.5hrs of absolute bliss. Beautiful phrases in the alaapana of Mohana with exellent return by Varadarajan. The kriti was very pleasing but what I liked the most was the magnificent swaras. The patters were very intelligently sung.

A couple of fillers later, Sanjay went into a detailed alaapana of Bhairavi in the true GNB style. A brief outline of the raaga with violin return was followed by a step-by-step buildup of the raaga culminating in magnificent brighas. Varadarajan did justice to the raaga in return.
The anuloma-pratiloma was sung brilliantly with some mind boggling calculations/ I thought the violinist missed a couple of aksharas a few times, but hey!

The percussion came into their own in the tani, especially the mridangam. I was disappointed that there were no ragamalika swaras (these are my favorite part of the RTP), but Sanjay soon launched into them after the tani. I could track Kapi, then Sanjay announced a raga called Saranaga Malhar (basically Shankarabharanam without Ga), SindhuBhairavi and another that I can't recall now.

The customary speeches followed with some random people being felicitated. Sanjay was asked to sing 3 more songs and that was all the invitation he needed. The thukkudas were sung beautifully.

A fantastic concert altogether. Only wish I had reached the venue earlier to listen to him sing another rare varnam (if he did).

P.S. To the person who stole my shoes, my wife says she will give you Rs. 200 for doing so. Please send your address, I will MO.

[Rsachi]

Well, well, prahalad_rag, you're a true front-seat Rasika.
And the temple shoe-picker seems to have noticed it to boot. Just remember that it takes another true Rasika to fill the shoes of a true Rasika. (jokes apart, my commiseration on your loss).

I googled and found that Sanjay sings the Shubhapantuvarali PD song often. His YouTube clip shows how much pathos he packs into the rendition. I would be grateful for someone's clarifying the composer's reference to 'pAShANava caraNadi' in the lyric.

[arasi]

Rsachi,
I understand the line as Ahalya re-emerging from her petrified form. pAshANa meaning a stone...experts correct me if I'm wrong.

Prahlad,
Thanks for the review (have listened to many concerts in that venue). The priest speaks well, and briefly, if I remember. More speakers this time, perhaps...
I loved your PS and your wife's sense of humor! How ratty were the shoes?

Can't think of any other tamizh song except thUmaNi mADathu (tiruppAvai). Someone who was there from the start can give us the complete list, and thanks in advance.

[kunthalavarali]

List of songs
1. Varnam - Todi (Eranapai), PSI, Adi
2. Vande sada padmanabham_Navarasakannada, ST,Adi, (S)
03.Ninnu Sevinchina_Yadukulakambodhi, Subbaraya Sastri, MChapu, (R)
04.Nanu palimpa nadachi_Mohanam, T, Adi, (R, N, S)
05. Enna rakshiso ninu_Subhapantuvarali, PD, R, (R)
06. Bhogindra sayinam gurukuchala_Kunthalavarali, ST, Triputa
07. RTP - Bhairavi (pallavi Enakkavar sonthamadi parandhaman govondhanadei mukunthanadi - Tisra Ekam(?) Kapi, Sarangamalhar and Sindhubhairavi
Tanam was sung with percussion accompaniment
08. Avan seyalandri aNuvum_Hamirkalyani, HMB, Adi
09. Mannu pugazh kosalai_Ragamalikai, Kulasekara Azhwar, Rupakam
10. Thillana - Khamas, PSI, Adi
11. Mangalam, T, Adi

[arasi]

Thanks, kunthalavarali. How could I not think of avan seyalinRi Or aNuvum asaiyAdu which Sanjay sang in his mArgazhi mahA utsavam concert?
I guessed that the navarasa kannaDa song at the very beginning would have been the zesty vandE sadA padmanAbham. Two ST compositions. No surprise at a gOkulAshTami concert at the Venugopala swamy dEvasthAna. Coming to think of it, a vishNu gIta mAlA it turned out to be!
I do not know all the lines of avan seyal--is it a non-denominational song?

[prahalad_rag]

Thanks, kunthalavarali, for the song list. So, Era napai, it was. Another favorite of mine.

[Rsachi]

Thanks Arasi! pASANa means stone as well as poison, and the line as sung was not very distinct.
Your meaning is perfect..further research shows the lines should be:
pASANava caraNadi yOSANava mADida dOSa saMhAra nirdOSa gunapUrNane
(you're the blemisheless embodiment of virtue who turned by the touch of your feet a stone into a woman=Ahalya, removing her blemish/curse).

[MV]

The RTP "Enakkavar" was sung by TMK in Dec 2010 in Narada Gana Sabha. I wonder if its an older RTP sung by some past master?

[espras]

A few words about Venkataramanan, the khanjari artist. He features in a number of concerts of Sanjay although this is the first time for him at this venue in Bangalore. He seems to have a demeanour of calm and quiet about him; his play though was robust, especially during the tani avarthanam when he traded exciting exchanges with Neyveli Venkatesh. The percussion artists quite enhanced the excellence of Sanjay’s concert.

I understand Venkataramanan is the son of C. K. Shyamasundar, who taught the art of playing mrudangam and khanjari to students in a music college in Chennai. CKS was also well known in concert circles.

It is nice to see so many young artists of great talent like Venkataramanan coming up playing this particular instrument.

S. Prasanna.

[varsha]

P.S. To the person who stole my shoes, my wife says she will give you Rs. 200 for doing so. Please send your address, I will MO.

Nice one Since hIlarity is accepted as part of proceedings here , here are two similar jokes ( courtesy Readers Digest )

Announcement over the MIke system in a theatre at the interval of a movie :
The administration has come across a purse with 500 $ , found on the floor near the ticket counter . Request the rightful owner to form a queue at the office at the earliest .

****

The sermon was just over and the parish priest was preparing to collect his articles when a desperate man clung to him saying : Father ,Thanks for the great sermon . You saved me from committing a grievous sin. You see I had lost it in the morning and could not bear to face my wife without it . And so I dropped in here , just to steal an umbrella. But you saved me.

The Priest accepted his compliment but added : Son , I dont remember talking about stealing . May I know what was it exactly that impressed you so much.
Pat came the reply :
No Father you did not speak about stealing . But when you came to point of " Thou shall not commit adultery ", I remembered where I had left my own umbrella.

[kssr]

The RTP "Enakkavar" was sung by TMK in Dec 2010 in Narada Gana Sabha. I wonder if its an older RTP sung by some past master?

With the number of DI s used (vaadi podi,etc)', it could be arunachala kavirayar but as the theme is Krishna , it seems unlikely!!

[Rsachi]

Googled and found a few instances of TMK and one of KVN having sung this line in RTP:

Govindanadi Mukundanadi Enakkavar Sondamadi

Could be an Ariyakudi or Semmangudi line?

[arasi]

I remember it from my childhood, sung by the oldies, Ari in particular--very much so because of the frequent 'Di's in the delivery. The mrudangam player has a chance to bombard us, if the vocalist gets carried away with the resounding 'Di'. Wonder how it was in this concert. Last time I heard Sanjay take up the line, I was relieved to hear him sing the 'Di' as an integral part of the line, and softly, not highlighting the impact of the a(Di) refrains!

kssr,
How many 'aDi' and 'aDA's bhArathi uses in his verses! They all blend in beautifully with the rest of the words.
Even the song 'about' him, pATTukkoru pulavan bhArathiyaDA! by MMD has very sweet 'aDA's to listen to...

[Rsachi]

Arasi, Remember all music begins with da da Di da. Even Morse borrowed it from Tamil. Hence I would say:
Di beauty of Di lines are as much Di poet's design as the Di rasika's receptive depth; Di impact of Di and Da can be adada.

[arasi]

aDaDA!
I'm sure you meant aDaDA.
I have problems with typing transliterations at times--sometimes I type in capitals instead of in small case because my mind is thinking ahead of a forthcoming syllable or I'm still staying with the previous capital one! I'm rather intolerant of such switch in speech, but am still making mistakes while typing! Mail sent unedited indicate my mistakes to me on rereading what I've typed. Recently, a nalla (good) word like nalla came out as naLLa, and I'd have frowned upon anyone 'pronouncing' it that way

[Lakshman]

arasi: Here are the lyrics for the HMB song.

avan seyalanri. rAgA: hamIrkalyANi. Adi tALA.

P: avan seyalanri Or aNUvum asaiyAdAgaiyAl vidhi iyangu ArukkumisaiyA
A: tava munivarum tozhum sajjana bAlan uvamaiyillA engaL vENugOpAlan
C: madamum garvamum koNDAr vAzhvenna vAzhvO vanjakam asUyaiyAl vandiDum tAzhvE
nidam harikEsan padam ninaindiDuvOrE gati peruvar idiul kaNDiDum nErE

[Rsachi]

Yes, I call Dat type of transliteration a camel procession. I am yet to find a resonable transliteration scheme which I like although Di Kyoto convention is being heavily subscribed to. What I wrote in post #14 should ALL be taken to be Di more respectable and Demanding D. Like a true music loving Bombay Pharisee (former true latter false in my case) I elevated Di humble Definite article also to Di status of a Tamil Di Dat has hijacked Dis thread.

[arasi]

I did get your humor, but I did read your adadA as adadA!
I like the camel procession, thanks to Arun. At first, it is a bit odd to look at it for many. Yet, it is much more suitable for transliteration, in my view.
Of course, no method of transliteration is perfect yet. tamizh can really make it difficult, as we all know.
Arun may frown on me, but I still use ch and s for say, cholla, solla. For me, it depends on the placement of the word in a line. Or, am I being whimsical?
Until all is perfected, I'm happy with the caravanserai scene;)

[arasi]

And, thanks for the lyrics. avan seyal is about vENu gOpAlan, the deity in the temple.

[Rsachi]

Arasi!
All in all, we have to thank the modern maestros like SS who unearth a variety of kritis and present them so well. All we pay is with our charana+karana seva and some times with paaduka daana.

[prahalad_rag]

Gahahaha! This and all too much. Having fun with my misery. I demand entertainment tax.

[priyashekar]

Sanjay sang same RTP in Fine Arts mumbai in February 2012 in the Indradhanush festival .What a concert and what a RTP it was ,which he sang for almost 45 mins.Loved his left hands movements to wards neveli Narayanan when he finished every line with his "adi" with Varadharajan smiling and bowing .
by the way RTP also means Repeat The Pallavi

[sridhar_ranga]

Prahalad avarE,

May be if you sing this kriti a 100 times, focussing your mind on the shoe thief, you will get it back:


(with profound apologies to Arunachala Kavirayar)

Ragam: Mohanam TAlam: Adi

P:
En koNDu SendRIrayya? Shoe tiruDarE nIr
En koNDu SendRIrayya!!

A:
Ambal pootta mallEshwara naDuvilE
azhagiya vENugOpAlar kOvililE

C:
Bus-saip piDikkum avasaramO? iruTTil
Cellphone olitta kalavaramO?
Cutchery kETTa madi mayakkamO? KAsu
miccham piDikka en shoe udavumO?


ப: ஏன் கொண்டு சென்றீரையா? ஷூ திருடரே நீர்
ஏன் கொண்டு சென்றீரையா!!

அ: ஆம்பல் பூத்த மல்லேஸ்வர நடுவிலே
அழகிய வேணுகோபாலர் கோவிலிலே

ச: பஸ்ஸைப் பிடிக்கும் அவசரமோ? இருட்டில்
செல்போன் ஒலித்த கலவரமோ?
கச்சேரி கேட்ட மதி மயக்கமோ? காசு
மிச்சம் பிடிக்க என் ஷூ உதவுமோ?

[prahalad_rag]

LOL! Good one, Sridhar.

[MV]

Lol.. Kavirayar lives still... in person and in his poetry

[kssr]

Maybe a more fitting and truly Kavirayar style should be:

P:
En koNDu SendRaayadaa? Dai shoe tirudaa nee
En koNDu SendRaayadaa

[arasi]

Great, Sridhar!

Except, once 'Ambal pUtha'. Now, angaDi Suzhnda MallEswara naDuvilE (once lily pond, now, shops flourishing).
saivamAm mallEsvaran UrilE (in SivA--MallesvarA's town) is also apt...

[Rsachi]

Prahalad,
We jest at your unshod feet, who never(?) lost our shoes.

(He jests at scars, that never felt a wound - Shakespeare)

[arasi]

kssr,
Our posts crossed.
A good one!

rsachi,
Prahlad might have exclaimed 'NArAyanA!' for helping him to spot his shoes in the scattered footwear mess and so, VenugOpAla did not not budge.
If the srimathi was happy about the loss of the shoes and even wanted to reward the DEi thief, the shoes were either falling apart or were not a pleasing sight to her.To him perhaps they were:
kANa vENum laTcham kaNgaL en KAlaNiyai
avani mEl illai IDu, avaikku avaiyE jODu

Prahlad,
Sorry for jesting around you!

[prahalad_rag]

Absolutely, fellow rasikas. All taken in good humor. @arasi nailed it. Missus was not really happy about my choice of footwear (they were one of those heavy Woodland boots). Had fun reading all the comments here.

[arasi]

And now, hope the merit of the concert isn't lost in all the woodland of our banter!

[Ragjay]

The same Pallavi has been sung in a commercial release of a concert by KVN accompanied by MSG and Palghat Raghum 1984 SKG concert. What a wonderful rendition.I had the privilege of having heard it in person.(I hope I am correct about the year)