..And the Award Goes to....

[grsastrigal]

As the music season comes to en end, I thought of summing up this season. I attended quite a few concerts and could not write the review because of paucity of time. Office-concert-review...is a difficult one.

Music Academy and all the sabhas give awards right, left and centre, I though why can't rasikas, like me, give some awards. So, I thought of nominating the award to the artists. The yardstick of this award- some I attended and some I heard from my close friends. Enjoy..

Let me start with "auspicious" (like Nadaswaram recital) award as it always is.

Sri.Venkatakailasam (our) award goes to Malladi Brothers. for singing a beautiful “Vritham” on mahA periaVa followed by a kriti on mahA periava composed by Srinivasa sharma in pUrvi kalyAni.- on last Sunday at vAni mahAl in rememberance of HisA jayanthi. Co-incidently the hall was named after mahA periavA and there is a beautiful portrait of Him holding a “golden veena”. VKM's article on mahAperiaVa in "Bhakthi" segment is a revelation and makes me more humble. So, MB deserves this award.

• Sangeetha kalA “vidhi” – goes to Sudha Ragunathan for messing up all her concerts besides cancelling a concert. Rasikas cursed their “vidhi”.
She is also credited with another award “GururipiyA” award for her affinity to her Guru. She took "bhavapriya" RTP (in MA) and in ragamalika pallavi took vAsanthi rAgam sang the verse started with “vasanthi” amidst thunderous applause.
(P.S -vasanthi is the pet name for MLV)

• “bAro krishnayyA “ award goes to T.M.Krishna as every alternate person in the rasikas fraternity yearning for his return through letters, mails and in person, TMK had already decided to stay away and reached “point of no return”. He also threatened, if rasikas pester him, that he would write one more book with 1500 pages !!!

• Bold & Pitiful award goes to N.Murali, President of the Music Academy for making a statement on TM Krishna- “Time for sabhas to assert themselves. They must act when artists cross the Lakshman Rekha. It is time sabhas bite the bullet”
But TMK got overwhelming response from the crowd wherever he performed.

• “Mrs. Vocabulous” award goes to Bombay Jaishree for her pronunciations problem. She sang Vethapi (for vAthapi), kEmakshi (for kAmakshi).

• “Jingles all the way” award to Trichur Mohan for accompanying his sons Trichur Brothers in all the concerts.

• “EntharO mahAnubhavulu” award to those two foreigners who fought with the NGS volunteers for the first row (non-VIP) seats and at last succeeded. This was for Bombay Jaishree concert .Within 10 minutes they slipped into coma and woke up when Patri satishkumar blasted them with his mridangam during his tani and started video shooting.

• “Food for thought” award for NGS canteen (Jnanambika catering service ) who charged Rs. 200 for a full means (Rs. 300 for parcel). Rs.50 balcony tickets for some programme were not sold in NGS but food tickets were sold fully everyday.

• ‘Saviour of Tamiz mozhi” award goes to Sanjay for rendering (creating the pallavi), during his Harikambodhi RTP in NGS, “pAmAalik inayundO subramanya bhArathiyE nEE bhakthiyudan”= famous Papanasam sivan kriti- after seeing Kanimozhi (daughter of former CM karunanidhI) sitting in the first row”

• “Thillana mohanambal award” goes to Trichur Brothers who were allotted 4 PM slot at Petachi Auditorium for Brahma Gana sabha. They performed beyond their allotted time. The 7 PM slot allotted for a Bharatha natyam. The Dancer troup with full make up standing at the side waiting for TB to wind up. It looked like “NalandAnA” song was about to come. They wound up the concert at 7.10 PM. (Today, the review has come in "The Hindu"

• “Mr.Perserverence” or “MLA award” goes to Brahma Gana sabha secretary for folding his hands for more than 30 minutes to Trichur brothers to close the concert. Real MLAs to take a lesson from him how to fold hands for such a long time.

• “Love at every sight” award goes to Trichur Brothers for touching “Mridhangam” every alternate kriti to take the blessings from his father (who was playing mridangam) for all of us to see his “pyAr”

• gOra kavi award or “Dr.Radhakrishnan award” for the best music teacher” award goes to Vijay Siva for singing “kanninil siru” pAsuram for 8 th time in December concert. Even a die hard Vijay Siva fan (pregnant lady) delivered a baby yesterday which, instead of crying.. kwA kwA, sang this pAsuram.

• Bhaktavatchalam award for best mridangam- goes to “of course” Arunprakash. (everyone knows the reason).

• “Anniyan” award goes to Patri satish kumar for his hairstyle, (same as the Actor in the film “Anniyan”) who also looks calm and hits whenever he encounters “Tani”.

• “kolai”nial cousins - award goes to Abhishek-anantha Krishna as the real cousins went on a rampage whenever they performed together.

• “Singing pressure” award goes to Gayathri venkatragavan for making many mistakes while singing Sanskrit kritis thereby increasing the pressure of
language-known-rasikas.

(one can listen “Sri bAlasubramanya-bilahari MD kriti in Jaya TV or mAdhava mAmava kriti uploaded by me in this forum a month’s back)

• “Come alive comrade” award goes to Aruna Sairam, the most “sought after” person in the December season but could not perform because of personal
reasons. Hope she comes next year and sing “mAdu meikkum kaNNE”

and finally,

Dr. “No” award goes to MahesS for conferring me the Doctor title therby making me invent the medicine for the disease – how to cure “December music fever”

[Rsachi]

:ymapplause: Shastrigal, some may go GRGR..but I thoroughly enjoyed your list.

Do you have a Trichur connection?

[vasanthakokilam]

Very good and funny grs

"..Within 10 minutes they slipped into coma and woke up when Patri satishkumar blasted them with his mridangam during his tani and started video shooting..."



(ps. you may want to reword the Nithyasree comment, it does not fit in that sequence of the overall good humor )

[gardabha_gana]

I didn't understand the Arunparakash comment - can someone tell me the reason?

[CommonMan]

I didn't understand the Arunparakash comment - can someone tell me the reason?

I would in fact rephrase the award as "Mahaa Nishabdha Shironmani" for hardly playing the mridangam, and thus producing the least sound, in TMK's concert at KGS.

[Nick H]

It must be tough to be a mridangist.

I can only guess. They either play too quiet or too loud; too much or not enough. They either talk to much or... well, OK, I'm not a great fan of mridangists picking up the mic! But then, I'm not a great fan of anyone speechifying in concerts.

Pick you favourite, most subtle, most musically appropriate mridangist. Whoever it is, you will find, somewhere, someone slagging them off for "bashing."

That's life, I suppose.

[rajeshnat]

Dr. “No” award goes to MahesS for conferring me the Doctor title therby making me invent the medicine for the disease – how to cure “December music fever”

Funny and really engaging it is . Grs meant Mahesh3 user id who called you Dr Sastrigal.

[kvchellappa]

Very interesting and imaginative. His reviews are also very eminently readable.
Thanks.
Bhaktavatsalam beats hard whereas Arun Prakash is a Gandhian (non-violent) and the award is proposed in irony, I believe.

[gardabha_gana]

Very funny. I get the AP comment. I listened to both during my week long stay. Bakhtavatsalam for Vijay Siva at KGS and Arun Prakash for Vedavalli at MA.

[mahesu]

Though looks Hilarious / Funny, one should accept that there is a lot of truth in it.

[cacm]

[quote="Nick H"]It must be tough to be a mridangist.
I can only guess. They either play too quiet or too loud; too much or not enough. They either talk to much or... well, OK, I'm not a great fan of mridangists picking up the mic! But then, I'm not a great fan of anyone speechifying in concerts.
Pick you favourite, most subtle, most musically appropriate mridangist. Whoever it is, you will find, somewhere, someone slagging them off for "bashing."
That's life, I suppose. NICK,

I AGREE its not just tough but VERY TOUGH. I have been privy to P.R.'S PRIVATE COMMENTS AFTER THE CONCERTS to several mistakes in LAyam part MAJOR artists committed in the concert which HE had to COMPENSATE FOR & they got away because the audience either does not notice them or is not knowledgeable. BEST WAY to start is to listen to MMI & V.R. who stuck to Savalaghu style OR MALI (who could do anything) & compare etc. I am NOT SAYING others are no good......VKV

[cacm]

I didn't understand the Arunparakash comment - can someone tell me the reason?

THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT ARUN PRAKASH knows when to keep quiet instead of BANGING AWAY; Actually in my opinion he is ONE of the top CURRENT day vidwans JUST FOR THIS REASON. It is generally said the TREES in one's yard controls everything about a house-Books have been written on the subject- & in a similar fashion the MRIDANGIST sets the TONE for a concert. PMI used to emphasise the NEED for silences & ALL GREAT musicians inc. LGJ have pointed out the IMPORTANCE OF SILENCES ETC. VKV

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

To paraphrase VKV's comment about PMI about the need for silence,PMI used to say in his Malayalam-accented Tamil--EPPO KAIYAI(HAND) EDUKKANUM THERIYANUM"(You should know when to take your hands off the Mridangam").Likewise he used to say about the beginning of the concert, how to pause,reflect about the audience,acoustics,vocalist;s voice "status" BEFORE he "drums" the First sollu--his way of putting it in Tamil "ARAMBA SOORATHANAM KOODADU"(not wise to show heroics in the beginning itself!!0
GRSastrigal's quotes are really well-crafted and humorous!! I for one enjoyed it thoroughly!!

[cacm]

I loved GRSastrigal's KNOWLEDGEABLE BUT FUNNY way of expressing himself. MKR has expressed himself well in the MKR STYLE!. VKV

[mahesu]

Mani Iyer's silence / pause was divine and musical, however overdoing that does not add any musical value ("Alavukku Meerinal Amirthamum visham"). So let us not pull in that genius mahavidwan here to justify someone taking accompaniment to a lower level by overdoing it.

[sagars]

No emerging player award ?

[hnbhagavan]

Dear friends,
I observe that people flock for popular names and chose to ignore a very high standard concert such as that of Lalgudi siblings.I understand from reviews of Mahavishnu that lalgudi siblings played in the ever melodious form of lalgudi bani.
The song selections were also very apt and had emotional appeal.
It is very sad to note that several popular female singers attract higher crowds.
This is indeed very sad.

HNBhagavan

[cacm]

IS IT SAD OR BAD? VKV

[hnbhagavan]

Dear VKV,

I meant that irrespective of the quality of concerts,people flock at the sabhas for popular female artists.This is not to say that all such concerts are bad.But at the same time even for some highly consistent artists say GJR Krishnan,the halls do not fill.I have observed this in Bangalore and similar observations were made by Mahavishnu with regard to a concert by Lalgudi siblings.This is true in the case of a number of artists.
I feel that this tendency does not augur well for the future of carnatic music.

[Nick H]

And the award for lousy acoustics, lousy sound system, lousy sound man, goes to...

(pauses, black envelope in hand, as the audience holds its breath in anticipation)

P K Mahal

Who all but destroyed the performance by our own M V yesterday.

[CRama]

Nick, there are many sabhas who compete for this coveted award. I propose to start a thread soon.

[Nick H]

I suppose that my process of natural selection has resulted in filtering out the worst of those halls/sound-systems. I'd forgotten that it can be this bad.

[hnbhagavan]

My post regarding attendance for good programs -ex Lalgudi siblings ,Mrs Narmada etc who are the torch bearers
Of respective tradition is diluted.Out of sheer regard for Sri lalgudi sir,there should have been good attendance at music academy.As perMaha Vishnu and MKR,the lalgudi siblings gave a good concert.
As per what is reported,several concerts by popular artists were not good including certain pronounciations.
These are my views and there're is no way to implement such thoughts.

[rshankar]

I find that many members of this forum (and probably from the larger body of rasikas of CM) want something rather strange (sort of 'my way or the highway approach'): Everyone says that they want the attendance at CM concerts to increase, BUT (a very important 'BUT'), this has to happen only with respect to 'good' or 'worthy' concerts. Now, who decides on what's 'good', or what's 'worthy'? We could either say that people will listen to what floats their boats (now, that's a very reasonable approach, and for that reason alone it is probably not the right one, huh?), and we do not have the right to pass judgement on either the choices, or the people, or we can rant and rave about it, or, each one of us could say that people who appreciate something/someone that doesn't appeal to us, or is not 'good' enough in our opinions, are not really people, but 'sheeple'... )
I'm just saying!

[Rsachi]

Ravi,
Heartily second your thoughts. TMK often makes this point about youngsters and empty halls.

The only milieu in which CM can flourish is one of
respect for all musicians, an intrinsic empathy for creative musical effort, and a willingness to invest one's time and effort as rasikas and give musicians a "listen". Trashing others' tastes is boorish.

Preconceived "this alone and no other" acts as a slow poison. Guess what, the aesthetic experience from "this" also changes with time! And being closed to "all else" kills rasikatva.

Someone said it without any pomp or accent long back: lOkO bhinnaruchiH.

[cacm]

My post regarding attendance for good programs -ex Lalgudi siblings ,Mrs Narmada etc who are the torch bearers
Of respective tradition is diluted.Out of sheer regard for Sri lalgudi sir,there should have been good attendance at music academy.As perMaha Vishnu and MKR,the lalgudi siblings gave a good concert.
As per what is reported,several concerts by popular artists were not good including certain pronounciations.
These are my views and there're is no way to implement such thoughts.

LALGUDI'S CREATIVITY,GENIUS,GREATNESS AS WELL AS HIS PRE-EMINENT PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CULTURE AND MUSIC IS FORTUNATELY NOT RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO SHOW UP AT THESE CONCERTS. IT IS INDEED SAD ( AS YOU PUT IT) OR TRAGIC THAT AS Dr.Padma Subrahmanyan pointed out if LGJ had been born in USA HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ACCLAIMED, RECOGNISED AS SUPREME :-BD & GIVEN AN AWARD AS A NATIONAL TREASURE. Actually I introduced Sri.S.Rajam in Los Alamos & Denver as well as LGJ IN SALT LAKE CITY AS INDIA'S NATIONAL TREASURES. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO INTRODUCE OR THINK ABOUT THESE GENIUSES&GIANTS AND I CONSIDER MY SELF LUCKY TO HAVE LIVED & EVEN INTERACTED WITH THEM. VKV :-BD :ymapplause:

[musiclistener1221]

I just read through shri grsastrigal's post - and it was very entertaining! I agree with most of what he said

My two cents on the concerts of the artists that grsastrigal's has posted about. These are based on the concerts that I have heard this season:
(a) Trichur Brothers: They are good performers, but they do have a severe problem with maintaining time. This seems to be the talk of this season. It was also highlighted in their reviews that appeared in the Hindu and Dinamani. A certain discipline is expected of all artistes during the music season when all concerts are scheduled back-to-back. If senior artistes can stick to their time slot, I wonder why the trichur brothers can't!
(b)I did not understand the comment on shri arunprakash, but I just wanted to mention that I have a very high regard for his playing and he is probably one of the few vidwans that plays with a sense of proportion. I do feel that he underplayed when he played for TMK - Perhaps this could be because because he was asked to play that way by TMK? I don't know.

[thanjavooran]

Quite interesting and funny. Enjoyed every line. As regs to Tiruchur bros, once they ubruptly stopped the concert on displeasrure at Ragasudha few years back.
Thanjavooran
08 01 2014