Gayathri Venkataraghavan @ Palghat Fine Arts Society 311012

[sraja]

Date 31st October 2012

Gayathri Venkataraghavan Vocal
Avanaseewaram S R Vinu Violin
Umayalpuram J Mali Mridangam
Kottayam Unnikrishnan Ghatam

Sarasajinabha Varnam Adi Nattai Palghat Parameswara Bhagavathar
Vallabha Nayaka Rupakam Begada Muthuswamy Dikshitar S
Gurulekha Etuvanti K Chapu Gowrimanohari Thyagaraja R,N,S
Pahi Parvata Adi Arabhi Swathi Tirunal S
MaaRamanan Rupaka Hindolam P Sivan R
VaraRagalaya Adi Chenchukambodhi
Nijadasavarada Adi Kalyani Patnam Subramanya Iyer R,N,S,T
Sarasamukhi Adi Gowda Malahar HMB
Mayamma Adi Ahiri Shyama Sastri (Request from Sabha Secretary)
Viruttam Kambodhi, Kedaragowlai Shanmughapriya
Saravanabhava Adi Shanmughapriya P. Sivan
Tillana Adi Dhanasree Swathi Tirunal
Mangalam

SHE CAME SHE SANG SHE CONQUERED--That sums up the concert! At the outset she said she was dedicating the concert to two of Carnatic Music's greatest ever performers--Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and M.L.Vasanthakumari whose anniversary day it was.
Starting off with varnam by a Palghat composer, she ventured into a brilliant alapana of Gowrimanohari preceding the Semmangudi trademark Thyagaraja Krithi Gurulekha. The song was embellished with a fine neraval at Tatvabodha and swarams. Next followed a brisk Pahi Parvata in Arabhi marked by crisp swarams. A leisurely and majestic Hindolam alapana was followed by a lovely rendition of Maa Ramanan with some amazing sangathis. A quick fire VaraRagaLaya preceded a simply outstanding alapana of Kalyani in which she sang Nijadasavarada which had been rendered so many times and so brilliantly by MLV. The neraval at Bhujagadi was thrilling and the swarams were very very lively. This was follwed by a short but very melodious thani in which Mali brought out some of the trademark UKS sollus and nadam. Unnikrishnan on the ghatam was an able ally.
After the thani Gayathri sang Sarasamukhi and reminded the audience that it was MMI Centenary Year. At this stage the Sabha Secretary requested for Mayamma in Ahiri which she rendered very movingly --the audience heard in rapt attention--and broke out in thunderous applause as she finished. A viruttam ragamalika followed by Saravanabhava in Shanmughapriya and the Dhanasri Tillana brought to the end what was a simply outstanding concert.
Avaneeswaram Vinu provided wonderful accompaniment --his sweet tone and outstanding replies to every sangathi of Gayathri was a delight.

At the end the audience departed feeling elated at having heard such a delectable concert but feeling sad that "All good things have to come to an end"

[mohan]

Looks like a great concert and very well planned. Thanks for the review.

[mahavishnu]

Thank you, SRaja. Looks like Palghat is the place to be these days.
Wonderful song list representing several major composers.

[VRV]

Gayathri is a very erudite performer. I love her style, bhavam and her choice of songs from various composers.

Vinod Venkataraman

[bilahari]

A beautiful list - thank you for the report, sraja.

I've surprisingly never heard gurulEka eTuvanti from SSI, and didn't know it was a staple of his. Does anyone happen to have a recording? I absolutely love MDR's interpretation of this kriti.

[sureshvv]

Viruttam Kambodhi, Kedaragowlai Shanmughapriya

Do you remember which one it was?

[sraja]

Sorry I should have mentioned it--the first line of the viruttam was "oru daram saravanabhava endru sonnal" popularised by MLV

[srikanthj]

I've surprisingly never heard gurulEka eTuvanti from SSI, and didn't know it was a staple of his. Does anyone happen to have a recording?

There are a couple of good recordings in sangeethamshare.org. I like the version from SSI's MA 1968 concert here. Wonderful accompaniment by LGJ as well.

[Sivakumar2012]

I told Gayathri and Dr. Venkataraghavan, her husband, last year in BVB, Mylapore after her kutcheri where the main piece was in ' Bilahari " with extensive alapanai that next to KVN, the only artist who has never disappointed the audience in all kutcheries be they in Chennai, Cleveland, NJ, Toronto, Canada etc is Gayathri Venkataraghavan. She was as usual extremely modest with her cryptic trademark smile despite her very proud accomplishments with a Kural similar to the late MS Amma, captivating, sweet full of melody.

I won't be surprised if she moves to the " top number 1 position " if she hasn't already moved in the yearly musicians' ranking in Chennai.

God Bless her with long health and continued good " Kural' so she could entertain, enlighten and ennoble the audience around the globe for many decades to come.

By the way, I have a recording of her Kalyani song-Nija dhasa ( Pattinam Subramanya Iyer) which I don't know how many times I have already listened.

Gayathri, Way to go. God Bless you.
Prof. Sivakumar
Washington, DC.

[bilahari]

Srikanthj, thanks for that link. A really crisp rendition, and I loved the second round of neraval especially, with SSI's trademark brigha flourish.