Special New Year Concert

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 02 Jan 2014, 00:12

Prince Rama Varma and Kum.Amrutha Venkatesh
sang together for the first time today, to celebrate
New Year at the Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira,
Bangalore.

They were accompanied by Sri S.R.Vinu,
Sri J.Vaidyanathan and
Dr.S.Karthick.

Here is the recording.

http://new.livestream.com/shaalelive/01jan2014

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jan 2014, 05:05

Thanks to technology and largeheartedness, you have the concert video before the rasika report!
Every time I attend an SRLKM concert, I have greater respect for their efforts in bringing good music and audiences together. I wish them a great 2014.
The Prince (as I think he loves to be addressed, I heard this address a dozen times in the concert) combined with the hugely talented Amrutha and SR Vinu, JV and Ghatam Karthik to regale an overflowing audience to a new version of CM called Chatty Carnatic Music (CCM). In this respect he reminded me of Pandit Chchannulal Misra who also speaks a lot before and after each song and sometimes in the middle too. Of course the Prince has added ready wit ("we will sing Simhendramadhyamam because we are surrounded by three lions on stage"- read Vinu, JV and GSK).

The song list is easy- Viriboni, Behag(Sankara-Neelakantha Sivan), Reetigowla (Janani -Subbaraya Shastri,whom the prince described as the luckiest man in CM for being tutored by all of the Trinity), Tilang (Ramakrishnaru-PD), Simhendramadhyamam (Rama Rama -ST), Nottuswaram-Pankajamukha, Thyagaraja's Utsava krithi Kshirasagaravihara in Anandabhairavi, BMK's Kuntalavarali tillana and Bhujaga Shayino-Mangalam. There was great manodharma on offer especially by Amrutha in Behag (also the Prince) and S'madhyamam. Vinu was melodious and sharp in his responses. JV and GSK presented a fine tani and carried the concert on their shoulders.

I now know the prince is the prince of what. The Prince of CM Lite. He makes a ready impact on the audience (especially since many have been attending his workshops) with his truly easy approach to CM, or CCM. and Amrutha is a famously talented recruit for CM Lite, but whenever her singing is brilliant, I find she digs into her reservoir of musical assets that go beyond CM Lite.

The only problem with CM Lite is that it's as filling as a dinner consisting only of Delhi Special Chaats.

All in all, a fine beginning to 2014- will it be the year of CM Lite and AAP?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jan 2014, 09:18

Forgot to say that the Prince switched on his BB and read out this in the context of his being a teacher to Amrutha, and how the teacher's Z (highest point) should be the student's A:

On Children
Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 02 Jan 2014, 10:16

Usually a concert to me have a bell curve effect. It would start slow in engagement (with the fellow artists and the audience), lifting to a greater effect as in the curve , stay there during sub-main, main, RTP, and post main it typically taper off .. However, yesterday's concert was a kind of "reverse bell-curve effect". It started on a high note and went to become a bit dull in the middle, recovered a bit in the end.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jan 2014, 10:21

Precisimo.

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 02 Jan 2014, 11:06

Excerpts from teaching session at the same venue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBeHZOWVJ50

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 02 Jan 2014, 11:40

Rsachi wrote: The song list is easy- Viriboni, Behag(Sankara-Neelakantha Sivan), Reetigowla (Janani -Subbaraya Shastri,whom the prince described as the luckiest man in CM for being tutored by all of the Trinity), Tilang (Ramakrishnaru-PD), Simhendramadhyamam (Rama Rama -ST), Nottuswaram-Pankajamukha, Thyagaraja's Utsava krithi Kshirasagaravihara in Anandabhairavi, BMK's Kuntalavarali tillana and Bhujaga Shayino-Mangalam. There was great manodharma on offer especially by Amrutha in Behag (also the Prince) and S'madhyamam. Vinu was melodious and sharp in his responses. JV and GSK presented a fine tani and carried the concert on their shoulders.

You probably missed the mAyAmALavagauLa .. mAyAtitha swarUpiNi.. which was the longest and most detailed piece upfront after varnam.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jan 2014, 11:56

Ohho. Yes. I apologise.

Friends, the second song in the concert was Mayatitaswarupini, sung brilliantly, with swaras. This song composed by Tanjavur Ponnaiya offers also his obeisance to his guru Sri a Muthuswami Dikshitar.

The raga Mayamalavagowla lends itself eminently to the style of singing employed by Sri Rama Varma. He sings beautiful flat notes, and many prayogas reminiscent of Veena gamakas. This was on splendid display. Surely the top edge of the inverted bell curve.

Thanks KPJ.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 02 Jan 2014, 12:24

Rsachi wrote: The Prince (as I think he loves to be addressed ...

Actually, I don't think he does. He would much rather be addressed as a musician than as somebody who happened to be born into a "royal" family. It is others that make it impossible to forget these things.

kssr · Post by **kssr** » 02 Jan 2014, 13:24

SRLKM's one more good experiment. One aspect a listener cannot miss is that Amrutha is a normal good CM singer whereas Sri.Rama Varma is quite special in many ways. I got a feel that he sees the music that he sings in a kind of three dimentional vision, which he wants to convey to the audience thro' his hand movements, head movements and voice. He keeps coming back to reminding people of aarohana- avarohana which is the building block of any raga or kriti. This method shows itself in even the ragam and swaram singing. May be the best of him is a guru and he definitely inculcates the bhava and swara positions to (the students) the audience.

His voice is extremely soft. He doesn't try to increase the volume and help the microphone to pick up something. As a performer on stage Amrutha is obviously head and shoulders above her guru (not just in physical height

). However the deep and vast understanding of CM and vidwat of Sri.RV comes through clearly in his presentation.

The talks were indeed a bit too much and the continuous attempt at jokes to make it a "jolly" event felt like an over stretch. Definitely Sri.RV is an easy going friendly person.

Overall a good beginning for the new year.

It was announced during the vote of thanks that Amrutha has been awarded the "Best Female Vocalist" by Music Academy during the 2013 series. Congrats. Definitely deserving.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jan 2014, 13:46

KSSR,
Good insight!

Here is something I have enjoyed very much, uploaded by Sri RV:
http://bit.ly/1cJPkMT

It's a wonderful Swati composition. Performed some years ago, it shows how RV eggs on the accompanists and how he enjoys the composition as he plays the veena.

kssr · Post by **kssr** » 02 Jan 2014, 14:30

One interesting observation:

Out of all the songs, they went on to give a word by word translation of "Ramakrishnaru manege Bhandaru" - a Purandaradasa song in kannada (for the webcast audience). Assumption here is that the webcast audience consist of pandits of telugu and sanskrit. For most (self included), I guess these are no different from greek or latin!!

Also, Ramakrishna was supposed to mean Balarama and krishna. Where does the brother come into the picture. It should either be meaning the two avataars (Rama and Krishna), although from two different yugas into this kaliyuga. Or it could even mean that Sri.Ramakrishna, an uncle (Athiber?!) of Purandara dasa is at the door. He is like kamadhenu (being cash rich!), etc.,... Just a freak thought ...... excuse.....

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jan 2014, 14:59

Rama= Balarama. Krishna and he are walking around Gokula, all decked up, having much fun. They are invited in at the doorstep for receiving hospitality.

The scene is from Bhagavata.
Thyagaraja sings of Rama and lakshmana similarly in Ela nee dayaradura (Sri Govindan's notes: According to the great hari kathA Exponent, Sri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal, zrI tyAgarAja sang the kRti on beholding the Lord zrI rAma and lakshmaNa as youths proceeding for yAga saMrakSaNa.)

My neighbours in the audience (thorough Kannadigas) weren't amused that there was a word by word translation.

This song was a staple in temples long back and even I used to sing it as a kid in Basavanagudi! But not in TRS Tilang tune.
This song is a favourite of Amrutha's.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 03 Jan 2014, 00:33

It may be just me but this combo of male and female did not work for me. It felt like they have to be quite conservative and restrained because they have to synchronize but even then, or may be because of it, they start with a small offset etc. In another sense, it shows how well the professional duos train to make it all feel seamless.

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 03 Jan 2014, 06:19

Looks like Rama Varma had to lower his shruthi and I felt that he was not in full form as a result. I have never heard Rama Varma take up a Kamboji or a Sankarabharanam or a Kalyani as a main or a sub-main item. Given his gurus, it's very surprising.

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 03 Jan 2014, 09:28

I think he saves them for his live audiences
than for his youtube fans

Kalyani
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LPaMg414ac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlX0YI0f_fI

Saveri lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onjmf5JZeo0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLWLeGs_WbY

Kamboji lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUmx8djtpz4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFQq6YjZToI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7hHvj12oRM

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 03 Jan 2014, 11:51

sweetsong, I attended 3 of his concerts when he was in California and have been following his concert reviews and listened to his recordings on sangeethapriya. I'm yet to find a Thodi, Kalyani or Kamboji main.

musiclistener1221 · Post by **musiclistener1221** » 07 Jan 2014, 19:36

vasanthakokilam wrote:It may be just me but this combo of male and female did not work for me. It felt like they have to be quite conservative and restrained because they have to synchronize but even then, or may be because of it, they start with a small offset etc. In another sense, it shows how well the professional duos train to make it all feel seamless.

I agree with you..... Somehow the duo did not click foe me.I think Amrutha Venkatesh is a very talented singer. This didnt come a across when she sang with prince rama verma.

Rasikapriya2013 · Post by **Rasikapriya2013** » 11 Jan 2014, 22:08

Often in the world of carnatic concerts, we are presented with music as a distant object that are meant to be admired instead of a living thing with which we can associate and relate. I do not see anything wrong with a Chatty Carnatic music. I like Pandit Channu lal misra and to me his interactive music adds a spark to his concerts and only shows his love for the music which is sadly missing in many of the concerts today. I do not see anything wrong when a musician talks in the middle of a song making it understandable to the audience, and in turn making you appreciate it better too. Music today has become a serious business. On the contrary it should be filled with joy and delight that it is absolutely irresistible.

kssr · Post by **kssr** » 12 Jan 2014, 10:53

Very true indeed. But normally our artists do not talk much because they lose concentration. If the artists can manage it, no problem. From the audience point of view, they too enjoy the middle middle talk

, if it is related to the song they are going to present. In the concert under discussion, Sri.RV, gave his view on how Shyama sastry's son was the luckiest composer, before he presented Janani. That was very well received. But if the main artist starts giving the biography of each of the accompanying artists- 5 minutes for each one, then it is a bit too much. May be that too is for the webcast (foreign?) audience. But as Sri.RV, is a humerous talker he could pull it off without any problem.

Rasikapriya2013 · Post by **Rasikapriya2013** » 12 Jan 2014, 12:23

Unlike Hindustani music, in our Carnatic music, accompaniments form an integral part of every composition presented, and they closely follow and augment the melodic phrases outlined by the lead singer. Some of the best concerts outshine not only because of the lead singer's rendition but also because of a good bit of interaction among'st the musicians, predicting and absorbing the musical phrases of the musician and playing to their style as well . I have noticed many foreigners come for our concerts not to listen to the lead singer but to enjoy the percussionists play. For them the melody of the violin and rhythm and the beat of the Mridhangam and Ghatam is more elevating. Some musicians enjoy the percussionists while they sing and express their happiness with a sabhash and Ahas. I think introducing these artists is a way of appreciating and acknowledging their importance as well. Just my opinion.

saverilover · Post by **saverilover** » 25 Jan 2014, 03:12

Thank god I saw/heard the concert before I read the above reports!

) I am not as knowledgeable as the rest of you seem to be on this site. However, as a music lover in general, here are a few observations:

There is a difference between being good at grammar and being able to use it to enthrall, move, be it writing, acting, and of course singing. With effort, practice, perseverance, and dedication, one can slowly transition from the former to the latter. Amrutha is in this phase where she has begun to transition from simply being good at the grammar to actually being able to "move" with her music. Rama Varma belongs to the latter, hands down. I have been listening to Amrutha for years now and yes, her foundation is very strong and she is very intelligent, but a true musician is one who can channel this to achieve something higher. And this is exactly what she has (thankfully) begun doing. This concert really warmed my heart. There is some sensitivity that only comes with all I mentioned above. I have heard some of her concerts where everything is perfect, but nothing that would leave a strong impression on my mind and make me smile. But now each note she sang is playing in my mind even after all these days. Her Behag notes were just superb! If you have followed Rama Varma and Amrutha closely, you will see that most the stuff that made people go "oooh" and "aaah" all through the concert are ALL what she has picked up/studied from Rama Varma!!! What I love is the way he always acknowledges her other gurus.

Coming to Rama Varma, he is one of those few that has recognized that Carnatic music actually has so much to offer and can easily be taken to even audiences that generally have no taste for this sort of music. Anybody can sing a Thodi or a Kalyani and make it enjoyable to a Carnatic music knowing audience and but over the years, he has been able to cultivate the same feelings in non-Carnatic music knowing audiences. In fact, I think he is someone that should be honoured by bodies like the Music Academy for spreading the love for Carnatic music so relentlessly. I recently purchased a CD of his (Omakarakarini) and gave it a chap in my office that is a guitarist for a rock band at Hard Rock here and he was just so blown away that he has begun to explore Carnatic music! He tells me that he generally assumed that Carnatic music was only for those that had studied it and this new love is going to add a new dimension to his musical abilities. (Waiting for the day I can give him a Chembai CD!)

Coming to CCM (that really had me falling off the chair for coining this new abbr.

)), it works for some of us!

I have heard many musicians who speak heavy stuff and I anticipate an even more engaging rendition and usually am left disappointed that their speech was the most engaging of the whole event!

In this case, Rama Varma's singing is anything but lighthearted. And that is what really matters, in my opinion.

Looking forward to many more wonderful interactions with everyone here!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 25 Jan 2014, 03:50

Saverilover,
Welcome!
You will find in rasikas.org a bunch of folks good at grammar of all kinds. And some who love CM, CCM, HM, and even HHM. HHM stands for Heavy Heavy Music. It doesn't mean music rendered with heaving, and heavy breath but a sub-genre requiring frequent recourse to SSP (call it the asafoetida of CM) and entailing frequent back-and-forth on comparative studies of what constitutes vivadhi as well as Vivaldi.

The best part here is nobody holds or allows a (vested interest/proxy) brief here on behalf of any musician living or dead. That does create an honest forum for me. :ymapplause:

Since you're a Saverilover, I suggest you please sign my petition http://chn.ge/Kpg9er. This will enable Amrutha to continue to sing and upload on YT Saveri and Sankari Sankuru which apparently are the copyright of some "labels".

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 27 Jan 2014, 10:53

Here you go, Saveri Lover Ji. I am a Saveri lover too, though I never cared for it much
until I started to listen to Varmaji's music. When I read your post, I felt that I was reading
something I might have written too. Here are a few clippings that I love, which I am kind
of sure you would love too

An intro to music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4AuqsDwVTI

An intro to artists

Sanjay Subramaninam and O.S.Arun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILraSJ1xgzA

Team Varadarajan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFvMZ_R6nbc

An intro to Saveri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onjmf5JZeo0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLWLeGs_WbY

And a thillana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f07Tgs83VDk

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 27 Jan 2014, 11:09

Sweetsong and Saverilover,
Did you please sign the petition?
Soon one will have to go on Saveri satyagraha as current copyrights stand

X(

saverilover · Post by **saverilover** » 27 Jan 2014, 13:20

Thank you, Sachi!

That was enlightening to know there are so many types of Ms!

) I guess I will enjoy all of it as long as the actual music is good. Let me go through the link you shared regarding the petition.

saverilover · Post by **saverilover** » 27 Jan 2014, 13:24

Sweetsong, thank you very much for these links! I can't wait to go through esp the saveri related ones!

saverilover · Post by **saverilover** » 01 Feb 2014, 01:40

Sweetsong, the lesson on Saveri was mind blowing! Thank youuuuu, a zillion times!

I have learned so much more about Saveri after watching this video.

rasikas.org

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