Sriranjani Santanagopalan - Abu Dhabi

[HarishankarK]

Ms. Sriranjani Santanagopalan and team gave a very good concert this morning.

Vocal - Ms. Sriranjani Santanagopalan
Violin - Trivandrum Sampath
Mridnagam - Delhi Sairam
Kanjira - Anirudh Atreya
List

1. Brief Saveri raga shloka - Apaara Karuna Sindhum... and Sarasuda Varnam
2. Hamsadhwani raga sketch - Vatapi Ganapathim -MD- detailed swaraprastharas - some very nice swara combinations were explored, violin his return was good but not fully settled yet
3. Huseini - Eppadi Manam thindaaro - Arunachala Kavi's composition from Rama Natakam - sung well with a lot of bhavam and in a leisurely kalapramanam
4. Nijamarmamulanu - Umabharanam - Thyagaraja - Song was sung well with the intro of some new sangatis and swaras were sung. Swaras were really good.
5. Todi raga alaap - very good alap of Todi by Sriranjani and very good violin return. Raju Vedala -Thyagaraja - Neraval in charanam line Sevalu Gani - Neraval done in 3 speeds and was effective and received with applause by audience. Detailed swara exchange.
6. Kandavarkku Kalam ellaam - Kuntala Varali - composer??
7. Kamboji - Main - Detailed overstretched raga alaapana but not so effective as Todi alaap although Todi was sung for a little less time. I felt little exhaustion in her voice. Kamboji did not have the effect that usually comes from Suryaprakash or Sanjay or GV etc., Evari Mata - Thyagaraja - krithi sung well. Neraval at Bhakta Paraaadi and detailed swaras. Swaras were just okay and i felt as though too much kanakku.
8. Tani - was good - mridangam was too loud IMHO and i felt kanjira guy was not able to cope with the aggression of mridangist. There were a few instances where kanjiran guy paused while the mridnagist was continuosly playing for i dunno 10 cycles or 20 cycles etc., Also towards the end of the tani the mridangist did not end the tani as anticipated by kanjira guy but he immediately realised and continued playing but it was quite obvious that kanjira missed a beat or two.
9. Felicitations
10. Dhanasri Tillaanna - Swathi Thirunal
11. Maand vrittam - briefly sung maybe 2-3 mins but raga came out instantly - Ramanai Bhajittaal - Maand - Papanasam Sivan
12. BhaKta jana vatsale - Megh/Brindavani - Namdev- was just okay this number is better when heard from OS Arun or Aruna Sayiram or Ranjani-Gayatri. For Ms Sriranjani's sareeram this was a bad choice. Nevertheless she sang all the usual sangatis and also did some fast vittal vittal bhajan thing in the end to which as usual audience got along and clapped.
13. Niraimadi - Hamsanandi - Thiruppugazh - sung fast and totally lacklustre.
14. Pavamaana - Thyagaraja - Mangalam

This was my first live concert of Sriranjani and based on all the youtube videos i had seen she had become one my favorite artistes amongst the younger generation. But today's concert was disappointing for me.
Mridangam - too loud and too much banging. Kanjira was forced to bang also and he managed to cope with the mridangist more or less but towards the end could not. These two occasionally drowned the artistes voice. Maybe this affected her performance in some way because usually from what i have seen she is superb and very effortless.

[Rsachi]

Have seen and heard Delhi Sairam beat it up a bit earlier also

[rshankar]

#3 - the rAma nATaka kRti should be 'eppaDi manam tuNindadO' - sItA's question to rAmA when he comes to take leave of her to the forest. We discussed the kRti (at least with the just the first caraNam) here

[harimau]

Ms. Sriranjani Santanagopalan and team gave a very good concert this morning.

Vocal - Ms. Sriranjani Santanagopalan

6. Kandavarkku Kalam ellaam - Kuntala Varali - composer?

The composer is Sri Swarna Venkatesa Deekshithar. Several of his compositions were set to music by Sri KVN who sang them in his concerts.

[rajeshnat]

6. Kandavarkku Kalam ellaam - Kuntala Varali - composer?

kandavarkku kanavilum kAla bhayam Edhu - kuntala varAli -Swarna Venkatesa Deekshithar

Tx, Harishankar for your review, where in abu dhabi the concert was held ? Was it in a big hall or a home concert?

[HarishankarK]

The concert was held in Sudanese Social Centre. It is a big hall.

[priyaram78]

Wish more concerts are held in the UAE. Carnatica brothers are scheduled to perform here in Dubai. Hope to see more musicians in the future.

[grsastrigal]

Harishnakar

Delhi Sairam is the disciple of Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam. The only difference is DS does not have the "dangerous" smile, TB has after/while beating.
If you stand next to you, be careful, he will also beat you.. !!!

[HarishankarK]

Oh yes ! Even Delhi Sairam had the same mean smile full of pride after each song. He was like quite full of himself and his over confidence came out as arrogance.