Abhishek Raguram- Brahma gAna sabhA

[grsastrigal]

14th December 2013

Abhishek Raguram
Mysore Srikanth-violin
Ananata R Kririshna-Mridangam
Sundar kumar- Ganjira

Cho, famous editor of Tamil weekly and a famous critic, wrote about (late) kannadAsan another genius in Tamil film songs, like this.
“It is not that he writes songs whenever he thinks or producer wants. He comes to studio on a day. He sits and discusses many things, politics, social and so on. He never utters a song line, despite the situation is briefed (for the song) . Evening he goes. Next day, he comes and gives 10 songs in one shot. Words pour as rain.
It is not the creativity of Kannadasan or the situation. He is unpredictable. This is nothing but of “saraswathy katAksham”. He has it in his tongue. Saraswathy sits and simply exhibits Herself through the kritis. Nothing else”

Like this, Abhishek Raguram.

He sits and starts, Goddess Saraswathy sits in his mind and tongue and rest is there to see. What a genius ? A 25+ year old musician sings for 3 hours and 45 minutes and (concert started at 6.05 PM) and at 9.30 PM, he starts rAgam rEvathy.

What a rendition of rEvathy ? Half the crowd was not there at 9.30. The rasikas could not take this “duration” because of their own reasons, may be health or other. But AR, if necessary, was ready for one more RTP.

Normally, the accompanying artists take some slice in the timing. If we see two hour concert, 45 minutes, in toto, for violin and Tani, and balance is for the vocalist. It is the comfort zone for the main artist.

But AR is different, he never stops taking a rAga alapana. He takes more time for himself and less for violin but still brims with energy.

I feel – it is overkilling of the rAga sometimes. His shanmugapriya RTP is toooo long. He intertwined with Raga with so many “pudis” and some other rAgAs too. I also get irritated and 1 hour 15 minutes RTP is more for our “hearing”.

But, no one can question the “katAksham” of Goddess, incessantly showering on AR. I have heard Sri.Mali, Mandolin srinivas, prodigies, born to win. I don’t know AR is a prodigy or developed in the “gurukulam” of Sri. PSN.

Hindolam, bilahari, shanmugapriya- all ragams, kritis and swarams. A beggar , like me, goes for food and if he gets
kalyAna sAppadu……..

chalamEla- Darbar- Tiruvottiyur Thyagaraja
Mudhu mOmu-suryakAntham- Swaram- T
-
Interestingly, Saint narrates the handsome face of Rama is because of being worshipped by Siva. Very interesting thought.

-Hindolam-rAgam- rUpaka tAla kriti of Dikshitar- “gOvardhana kirEEsam smarAmi-anisham” and (s)

-Bilahari-rAgam- “IndakaN Ananda mEmi- Thiagarajar- Neraval in “nee japamula vELa nee jagamulu nee pai”

-rAgam for 3 min- sumasAyaka- Karnataka kApi- Swati TirunAl

-ShanmugapriyA – RTP- pallavi- “saravaNa bhava guhanE, siva shanmuganE, guhanE- ragamAliga-atAna, chala nAta.

-Tani

-Taruni njan- Dwijavanti- Swati tirunal

-Revati – rAGam- Agadi vEla- Annamacharya.

There were 4 Abhishek Ragurams in the concert. Real AR + 3 Accompanists. Everybody made the concert extra-ordinary. Tani was super.

Everytime, I come out of his concert, I shake my head in disbelief. (wodering AR). This time too.

[Rsachi]

Awesome!

[vs_manjunath]

grsastrigal-Thanks for your excellent report.

[rshankar]

sumasAyaka, classified by many as a padavrNam, but a varNam nevertheless at #3?!!! And nary a raised eyebrow? Is it because there was a tAna varNam as the first piece? Or, am I completely mistaken in the composition - Is there another sumasAyaka?

[mahavishnu]

Ravi: Sumasayaka was usually sung at # 3 or #4 more often than as a concert opener by folks like KVN (even at the Swati festival).
As with the justice system, I suppose precedence is everything.

Sounds like a terrific concert! 3hr45mins during the season in Chennai is amazing. Kudos to BGS for giving the artiste this freedom.

[rajeshnat]

Kudos to Abhishek for singing for 3 and 1/2 hours. Tx grs for your review.

[Rsachi]

I have heard KVN sing Sumasayaka in the middle of the concert, never as the first song. The mood of the song is intense rakti.

[parakal]

@grsastrigal : Do u have a recording of this concert by any chance. It would be great at least to hear a part of it.

[rshankar]

Ravi: As with the justice system, I suppose precedence is everything.

LOL
I have heard it at the beginning of a concert here in the US.

[Rsachi]

In the US they handcuffed an errant Indian diplomat and India cried "unprecedented!"

[mahesh3]

Shanmughapriya - so many octaves, all dimensions of voice, chockful of novel sangathis - he unfurled couple of select choice ideas that even the geniuses keep hidden in the closet for the most deserving of listeners. Knowledgeable and engaged audience plus galaxy of up and coming musicians plus a lot of well wishers with an open ended time and freedom to sing - am sure it made abhishek's mind willing to show his best.

Hindolam showed control of a genius at his best. He was able to generate speed and ideas at will - his versatile turns on gopikadi manoharam with superb bhavam still ring in my ears. Almost felt like watching Schumacher F1 racing in the rain.

Dwijavanthi - for the amateurs (such as me) - even listening to this "thukkada" and the raga ideas he presents and the pace - total opposite to how he presents ramachandra ithadu. Subtle - yet deeply thought through.

Revathi - Dr. Sastrigal said it better than me.

Srikanth, Anantha and Sunderkumar - I have not seen GNB, LGJ, Raghu - but this was some team that day. Felt like one was basking in the most glorious of sunshine.