What an Honor for Shri MSG on NPR

[suma]

http://www.theworld.org/2013/01/remembe ... akrishnan/

[karaikurichi]

A sure sign of Indian classical music going global. Cause for celebration indeed!

[gnb]

What a pity that we still want a pat on our back from the white man, despite the fact that we sent a rocket to the moon!

[sreebeecane]

What a pity that we still want a pat on our back from the white man, despite the fact that we sent a rocket to the moon!

On the contrary gnb, it must be a pride that NPR decides to remember Shri MSG and none of our media channels mention the news even in passing. 'Honor' is a bit too much, I agree.

[ramarama]

Incidentally, did the late MSG ever play a Carnatic-Hindustani jugalbandi with anyone from the northern tradition? The NPR piece carries a bit of a jugalbandhi with the late Sultan Khan on Sarangi to illustrate the narrator's observation that MSG was only open to collaborating with Hindustani musicians (in a comparison with Ravi Shankar who collaborated with non-Indian genre musicians), but I think MSG was also playing in the Hindustani style in that piece. I can't remember ever having heard of MSG playing a north-south jugalbandhi like TNK used to play with N Rajam and Lalgudi with Amjad Ali or L Subramaniam with Ali Akbar. If he did, I would be very grateful for a link to an online recording or to a CD release. Or even just reminiscences of such a concert from the forumites. There is a youtube version of another north-north jugalbandi with sitar player Balram Pathak -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWc5I2lvYMI

[KMH]

[quote][/quote]Or even just reminiscences of such a concert

ramarama,

Recording or disc, no, but reminiscence, yes, just one that may interest you. Not exactly along the lines you mention,but interesting nevertheless.

It was a concert in South Extension Part II, Delhi, in the late 70s. The hall was a small one, with a motley crowd of a hundred odd people. It started with MSG playing carnatic style, with TVG accompanying him on the mridangam. After about an hour and quarter of blissful music, the organisers announced a short interval, a trend we Delhi-ites had been recently introduced to by BMK in one of his concerts. The audience was slightly upset - who wants a break when MSG is dishing out ladelfuls of pure honey? But the post intermission surprise was indeed refreshing - in walks TVG in a hindustani style kurta pyjama (he had a veshti on before). MSG, of course was in his patented pristine white veshti and shirt as always, pattai vibhuti included. TVG took centre stage, and sang heartily in hindustani style with MSG accompanying brilliantly as only he can do, matching phrase for phrase in pure hindustani tones. I was too young to have understood the uniqueness of the event. All I have now are fading memories, and no idea of who organized the event, and whether that concert was recorded. May be someone reading this post...

[Nick H]

none of our media channels mention the news even in passing.

I don't watch TV: Is that true? I only query because it seems unbelievable. If it is so, then all I can say is, "Unbelievable."

gnb: absolutely appreciate your feelings (despite being "white" ) but, notwithstanding the fact that the organisation may be very much non-Indian, is the name "Arun Rath" an entirely "white" name? No idea, to be honest, because I don't know where "Rath" might come from, and I suppose there are many, international, forms of Arun/Arron/etc.

But, as to the "honour," I think sreebeecane has the balanced view: it is recognition, and given the stature of MSG, that recognition should be international. (Must check if the BBC has covered it.*)

KMH: what a wonderful experience. Now that's an "honour," --- just to have been there!

The closest I can come is to have heard MSG give two concerts on consecutive evenings. If I remember right, the first was Hindustani and the second was carnatic.



*It seems not, but I might have missed it. I don't regularly look at the BBC's India news page, as I have, err 'issues' with some of their attitudes to this country. But that's a whole other story.

[gardabha_gana]

Incidentally, did the late MSG ever play a Carnatic-Hindustani jugalbandi with anyone from the northern tradition?

I remember as a boy attending a V.G. Jog and MSG jugalbandi in Seshadripuram, Bangalore - when I got to know that they play hindustani on violins too. I cannot be one hundred percent sure - alas, my dad whom I could have asked is with MSG now.

[varsha]

Then again, there is a story of how once actor Pahari Sanyal had reacted after listening to a Calcutta Music Circle concert in 1967. "I had invited the violinist M S Gopalkrishnan to perform at this concert and had requested him to play a raag that would be identical to a raag from the North Indian classical music. He had played a raag that resembled our 'Puriya Dhanashree'. And it was absolutely phenomenal. After the programme got over, an overwhelmed Pahari Sanyal walked up to the stage and said: "Jog (V G Jog) ko bolo apna violin ko tod ke Hooghly mein phek de!" The point I'm trying to make here is that the audience then was hungry for good music," says Pt Vijay Kichlu.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... layat-khan

[sr_iyer]

Incidentally, did the late MSG ever play a Carnatic-Hindustani jugalbandi with anyone from the northern tradition? The NPR piece carries a bit of a jugalbandhi with the late Sultan Khan on Sarangi to illustrate the narrator's observation that MSG was only open to collaborating with Hindustani musicians (in a comparison with Ravi Shankar who collaborated with non-Indian genre musicians), but I think MSG was also playing in the Hindustani style in that piece. I can't remember ever having heard of MSG playing a north-south jugalbandhi like TNK used to play with N Rajam and Lalgudi with Amjad Ali or L Subramaniam with Ali Akbar. If he did, I would be very grateful for a link to an online recording or to a CD release. Or even just reminiscences of such a concert from the forumites. There is a youtube version of another north-north jugalbandi with sitar player Balram Pathak -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWc5I2lvYMI

Please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3bxEdYqZWg

[Rsachi]

In 1989 or so, I attended in Bombay Shanmukhananda Hall a jugalbandi of VG Jog and MSG. MSG represented CM.
Like in most such jugalbandis, CM had decidedly an upper hand in my perception.

There is also a reference to this combination on the Internet:
From: [email protected] (Haddukhan)
Subject: Info on VG Jog/MS Gopalakrishnan Duet
Date: 1996/01/11
Message-ID: <4d3k36$[email protected]>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 134820100
sender: [email protected]
organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
reply-to: [email protected] (Haddukhan)
newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical

Recently I came across recordings of Jog/MSG duet performance. In the
beginning, MSG plays Hansadhwani and I believe Panthuvarali. This is
followed by Mr. Jog who plays raag Puriya Dhanashri. Afterwards there is a
duet (Kalyani and a sort of a raagmala).
I would very much appreciate if anyone lets me know the particulars of
this program in terms of date, place, accompanying artists etc.

[KMH]

Nick H,

Thanks, it was indeed an honour, as I think by then I had become a total MSG addict.

Varsha,

Your post reminded me of something else worth reminiscing about (and feeling honoured about). Just a few kilometers from Howrah station of Calcutta, they hold a yearly concert week , called the Uttarpara Festival. Programmes start after dinner, around 9pm and go on through the night, with the senior most artistes getting the last slots (to help retain audience!). I heard from a friend that MSG was staying in a hotel in central Calcutta. I had never met him before that, one on one. Egged on by my wife who knew how much I worshipped him, I made bold to go to the hotel and introduce myself. I expected a fair crowd, but he was all by himself. Conversation was not easy - he was never given to loose talk, and I was unusually tongue-tied. But I managed to ask him if he would mind my taking him to the concert venue that evening. He readily agreed! After an impatient few hours at home, my wife and I went to pick him up and drive to Uttarpara. From the moment we parked, the organisers treated him - and, by default the two of us (they actually mistook us for his disciples), with the utmost respect. The number of people who came up to touch his feet (greeting him with a "guruji" with their hands to their ears) was countless. Any number of them prostrated themselves before him, making my wife and me a little uncomfortable - we had settled for a dull "namaskaram saar". Raees Khan's sitar concert was on as we were led to the front row plumb centre. MSG listened attentively, declining the tea and biscuits that were offered. He was to play the final session. If I don't recollect what raag he played, it is only because I was in a dream-like state all the way through that evening.

In the wee hours of the morning, as we drove him back to his hotel, I sought his permission to play a Kalyanaraman - MSG concert with one of the finest Panthuvaralis ever in my collection. There was an exceptionally long korvai in the swarams, and then, a few seconds of silence, followed by MSG's response. He was surprised - Oh, enakku marubadium chance kuduttirukkara?""Later he asked me to make a copy of that piece - he said he wanted Ms Narmada to hear that bit. Imagine my delight! An unforgettable day for the wife and me, as long as we live.

[cacm]

KMH, Thanks for sharing the precious memory.....vkv

[mahavishnu]

KMH, that is a lovely anecdote. Thanks for sharing.

[Nick H]

KMH, you have been heaped in honours! A wonderful story.

[sreebeecane]

[
I don't watch TV: Is that true? I only query because it seems unbelievable. If it is so, then all I can say is, "Unbelievable."

Shri Nick, as far as I could see the sites, none of the Indian news channels covered this. The least they could do is to mention it. But, no.

[kapali]

In 1965 or so there was an AIR National programme featuring a jugalbandi violin concert of MSG and SS Jog which I recorded in my reel tape recorder but over time the tape was not traceable. The concert featured a superb Hindolam/Malkaus and Hamsanandi which were both played in detail which still keeps ringing in my years. Perhaps has any one else in our forum by chance got a recording of the same?

[sreebeecane]

Or even just reminiscences of such a concert

ramarama,

Recording or disc, no, but reminiscence, yes, just one that may interest you. Not exactly along the lines you mention,but interesting nevertheless.

It was a concert in South Extension Part II, Delhi, in the late 70s. The hall was a small one, with a motley crowd of a hundred odd people. It started with MSG playing carnatic style, with TVG accompanying him on the mridangam. After about an hour and quarter of blissful music, the organisers announced a short interval, a trend we Delhi-ites had been recently introduced to by BMK in one of his concerts. The audience was slightly upset - who wants a break when MSG is dishing out ladelfuls of pure honey? But the post intermission surprise was indeed refreshing - in walks TVG in a hindustani style kurta pyjama (he had a veshti on before). MSG, of course was in his patented pristine white veshti and shirt as always, pattai vibhuti included. TVG took centre stage, and sang heartily in hindustani style with MSG accompanying brilliantly as only he can do, matching phrase for phrase in pure hindustani tones. I was too young to have understood the uniqueness of the event. All I have now are fading memories, and no idea of who organized the event, and whether that concert was recorded. May be someone reading this post...

Shri KMH, I am not sure if this is from the same concert in Delhi, but, there was a recording of a small khayal in Rageshri sung by TVG and MSG on the violin. Unfortunately, looks like it has been deleted. It was uploaded by vintageaudio54 on Youtube

Here is a delightful tarana in Darbari Kanada by MSG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0U81Ypk1eE

And, an out of the world ShubhapantuvaraaLi. Sounds more Hindustani Todi-ish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va-FVPEV1ss

[varsha]

An unforgettable day for the wife and me, as long as we live.

Beautiful !!! Thank you so much

[ramarama]

Thanks a lot sr_iyer for the link to that lovely clip!

[eesha]

Incidentally, did the late MSG ever play a Carnatic-Hindustani jugalbandi with anyone from the northern tradition?

ramarama, it appears you are not following sangeethapriya.org . If so, you are missing something substantial. I urge you to become a member of the discussion groups of sangeethapriya to know what new concerts get uploaded on a daily basis.

Recently a Jugalbandi of MSG with Hariprasad Chaurasia was uploaded to sangeethapriya. There is another Jugalbandi of MSG with VG Jog available in the site.

visit http://www.sangeethapriya.org/down.php and filter by Concert Type as Jugalbandi.

[ramarama]

Thanks a lot, eesha! Will check them out.

[sureshvv]

FM Gold played hindustani recordings of MSG sat night.

[akriti53]

Dear All,

I read all the posts with a lot of interest. I have heard a Hindustani jugalbandhi concert of MSG with Ustad Abdul Latif Khan on Sarangi with Mohammad Akram on the tabla in Delhi under the aegis of Ustad Sheik Dawood music festival. I was also personally informed by MSG sir that he has played Hindustani Jugalbandhi concerts with Pandit Ram Narayan ( Sarangi maestro)as well. It is interesting to note that he has played Jugalbandhi concert with Pandit Balram Pathak ( sitar artiste) with Kishen Maharaj on the tabla. In case of his concert with Balram Pathak , he played a typical alap, jod jhala and gat in Yaman. In case of concert with Latif Khan saheb, he played the vilambit 'ek tal' composition in Yaman. Very rarely one comes across a rendering in Hindustani music where an artiste presents both the instrumental and khayal style compositions in the same raga. I have seen a photo of MSG sir with Pandit Omkarnath Thakur along with his father and another Sarangi maestro Pandit Gopal Misra ( Uncle of Pandit Rajan and Sajan Misra). I have not heard that recording but we can at least imagine that he might have played with Gopal Misra ji as well.

Recently I had contacted the relatives of Balwant Rai Bhat saheb in Varanasi who is one of the distinguished disciples of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur ji. He has accompanied Omkarnath Thakur ji along with MSG on concerts to Kabul. The reverence with which the family members of Bhat saheb, told about MSG is something to be experienced.

Many of the present day tabalchis proudly state they have accompanied him and his name is always mentioned in their websites as having accompanied him

When Ustad Amjad Ali Khan saheb hosted his first Ustad Hafeez Ali Khan festival in Kolkota way back in 1973-74?, his first choice was MSG sir and Mali sir. MSG sir played Hindustani and Mali sir played to the talam of Ustad Karamatullah Khan saheb ( Great Tabla artiste from Kolkota). Similarly in one the concerts in Mumbai in 1973, which had Ustad Amir Khan saheb as a host, MSG was invited along with Vellore Ramabhadran sir for a carnatic music concert.

I have also heard a jugalbandhi concert with Ramani sir. MSG sir played Hindustani music in that concert.

With warm regards