Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Richmond

[kedharam]

Sanjay Subrahmanyan
Varadarajan
Venkatesh

Varnam- navaragamalika
Citta ranjani – nAdha thanumanisham, T, S
Devagandhari – kShitijA ramaNaM, MD, R
Malayamarutham – chandiran oLiyil, R, N, S, Bharathi
Nalinakanthi- manavyAḷakinca, T
Kosalam - Indu sruti smriti galasi, PD
Bhairavi – koluvaiyunnade, T, R, S
Thani
Vakulabharanam – sAdhu tada, ST
RTP – behag
Pallavi – thamizhukku amudhendru pEr
Inba thamizh engaL uyirikku nEr

The evening began with the navaragamalika varnam.
Devagandhari - with his pensive vocal writing firmly moored in the melody, sanjay stretched the ragam’s expressive range and Varadarajan echoed his musical impulses. Then MD”s, kShitijA ramaNaM took on new life in Sanjay’s interpretation with supple lyricism and emphatic accents.
In the organic build-up of the nocturnal melody malayamarutham, creativity was nudged, boundaries pushed and every note was carefully considered in capturing its essence. And this phase culminated with the strings taking refuge in the melody setting the mood for the ethereal evocation of Bharathi’s ‘chandiran oLiyil avaLai kandEn’ wielding his voice to expressive effect as the narrative flow came through, choosing melodic subtlety over showiness with inward reverence. Building on the work of Bharathi, sanjay moved on to neraval with sure command of rhythm at the beautifully calibrated phrasing, ‘payan eNNAmal uZhaikka choNNAL’ and the ominous undercurrents flowed in dramatic arcs evolving into an impassioned torrent of kalpanaswarams with varadarajan and venkatesh playing off each other with an admirable collegiality.
.
Then came the Dasar pada, ‘Indu sruti smriti galasi’ in kosalam making the pungency of the agitated notes beautiful and transfixing the audience with his riveting delivery. And they sailed majestically through ‘manavyalakinca’ with buoyant energy. After this interlude, came Bhairavi -
Imbuing his voice with emotional depth sanjay jostled, caressed and gracefully steered the stately melody thus giving an organic shape over the 20-minute span where time was suspended and Varadarajan countered with poise setting the stage for the interpretation of the MMI ish ‘koluvaiyunnade’ with perfect intonation, leading to a span of rhythmic swara patterns where his technical prowess came through with Varadarajan and Venkatesh nestling inside his creativity followed by venkatesh’s thani demonstrating his impressive command of rhythm with interpretive sensitivity leading into the RTP, one of the finest moments of the concert.
Behag unfurled conjuring aesthetic subtleties and exploring new vistas by stretching the possibilities with immaculate control and Varadarajan aided in his solo in bringing out his fanciful flights. Thanam unfolded with hymnal simplicity buttressed by the melody building up momentum in tiny increments thus creating and dispelling tension to hushed stasis, drawing in the listeners - a labor of love… Pallavi emerged from the preceding meditative trance over misra chapu, uncannily weaving the melody with a firm structural grasp of rhythm and wondrous lilt by joyfully digging into the rhythmic elements as his endless imagination came across as playful and virtuosic in equal measure followed by the swara ragamalika in kanada, kunthalavarali, simmendra madhyamam, and surutti with scintillating color play with Varadarajan and Venkatesh finishing each other’s phrases with ebullience to an enthusiastic ovation...

I will post the post RTP list tomorrow.

[arasi]

kedharam,
Another speedy review from you, written in your inimitable style

payan 'eNNAmal' uzhaikka chonnAL for neraval, a power-packed line--gItOpadESam in that one line..

[kedharam]

The post RTP part –
Theertha karayinilE followed by NinnayE rathi enru, bageshri, Subramanya Bharathi
Petra thai thanai followed by Chidambaram pOgamal- senjurutti, composer, Gopalakrishna Bharathi i think, ManamE rAmanai pAda- sindu bhairavi, MDR
Laisadalu magana – desh, PD
Velum mayilumE – sucharithra, Koteeswara Iyer (request)
Kamas - thiruvaLar mayilaiyin, Papanasam Sivan

Bharathi’s NinnayE rathi enru came as a searching rumination with sensual allure teasing out the emotions and portraying the interior torments of longing with his yearning vocal lines followed by MDR's expressive interpretation of 'manamE rAmanai pAda maravAdE', immersing himself in the narrative lyrics with impish joy ... And what a lovely tribute it was as April 27th 1984 being the day MDR left for a better dwelling… and the evening concluded with the explosively joyful composition in kamas of the fav composer of Mylapore by the favorite son of Mylapore:)
and the ovation went on and on…

[mahavishnu]

And what a lovely tribute it was as April 27th 1984 being the day MDR left for a better dwelling…
and the evening concluded with the explosively joyful composition in kamas of the fav composer of Mylapore by the favorite son of Mylapore:)
and the ovation went on and on…

Yes, the same Mylapore that was extremely kind to both Sivan and MDR [-x
Sorry, couldn't resist.

[kedharam]

If we go by history none of us will ever step into the Music Academy. One fine example - the way they mocked at SK for his lec/dem and now how mediocrity is celebrated there with bells and whistles.

Well, history sucks and sucks big time.

[mahavishnu]

Kedharam: Agreed 100%.
So, in my book being the "favorite" son of Mylapore is no compliment. I think Sanjay is where he is despite Mylapore and its fickle value system, as much as he is a cultural byproduct of the general milieu. Remember they were the same folks who said: enna saar, voicey illa.

[Ranganayaki]

I was lucky to be able to attend this concert too . Looking at the list of songs I realize it was quite long, but it was all too short. I didn't want to leave and was a little disappointed that he was winding up.

The varnam was not sung "raw", he enlivened and owned it with his manodharma.. adding his sangatis, expressing the features of the ragas a little more. The swaras of nada tanum anisham were brisk and there was a moment when he seemed to konjify that nishadham and stay with it before returning back down to finish at "Naada.." Malayamarutham alapana was breathtaking with highspeed sancharas leading delightfully into middle-speed ones. I expected a Thyagaraja kriti to follow, but this delightfully romantic song followed. I had never heard Chandiran Oliyil Avalaikkanden.. A romantic song of surrender to the beauty of an woman who teaches the singer to lead a life of disinterested duty and devotion, rising above attachment and sensory attractions, bringing great joys to his existence... Neraval on the lines:

Payanennaamal Uzhaikka sonnAL
Bhakti seidu pizhaikka sonnAL


Swaras at this line too.. the longer kalpanas finishing first at Payanillamal and then more swarams for about an avartanam to finish at Uzhaikkachonnaal.

For me, the Behag alapana was moving, and the Pallavi was particularly enjoyable as it had just recently occurred to me that that song (Thamizhukku Amudendru Per) by Kannadasan was worthy of being included in a carnatic concert. There were a couple more ragas in the ragamalika of kalpana swarams, Chalanatta after the Kuntalavarali, finishing off with Surutti following the Simhendramadhyamam.

The viruttam preceding MDR's song Maname Ramane Paada Maravaathe Diname in Sindhubhairavi was

Oonin meyaraavi nee uRakkamodu unarchchi nee
aanil(?) meya aindhum nee avatruL nindra thooymai nee
vaaninodu mannum nee valankadal payanum nee
yaarum nee adhendru embiraanum nee raamane

(please correct mistakes)

There was a request for a kannada song, and he launched at once without a second's thought into Purandara Dasa's Laalisidalu Magana Yashoda. There was a request for Revathi ragam (I almost groaned when they specified "Bo Shambho", thinking, "What! You can't ask SANJAY that!!") and Sanjay reflected my own mood by expressing reluctance in his facial expression and shaking his head. Someone else requested a Vivadi ragam and he kindly sang his vrittam in Revathi first and then in Sucharitra before beginning Velum Mayilume.

There was a viruttam in Khamas on Kapaleeshwarar before beginning Tiruvalar Mayilaiyin Iraivan. I'm afraid I did not note the lyrics for this one or the previous one.

It was only my second live concert by Sanjay, having attended one before at Bharat Kalachar, but I know I have heard the accompanists before. In a world of drum bangers, it was great to listen to Neyveli Venkatesh who sounded like he was playing on cushions. He played with clarity and sensitivity, as did Sri Varadarajan on the violin.. a great support to Sanjay, playing without ever interfering in our experience of Sanjay's music and aptly supporting him at all times.. his Malayamarutham alapana greatly reflected Sanjay's..

The experience was moving, enjoyable and I did not hear any of the mannerisms that Sanjay is criticized for. Richmond has some serious, hard-core rasikas and it was great to meet some of them. Would have been lovely to meet you, Kedharam .

[kedharam]

"So, in my book being the "favorite" son of Mylapore is no compliment".

mahavishnu, I mentioned the ‘mylapore’s fav son’ in an endearing way, almost along the lines of this ThirukuraL:

“Eendra pozhudhin peridhuvakkum thanmakanaich
chaandron enakketta thaai”
Nothing more. Nothing less. :):)

[kedharam]

Thanks ranganayaki.

I went thru my notes and tried to decipher my writing and this is what I came up with:)
This viruttam Sanjay sang in kamas:

Akila charA chara pasupathiyAgiya
Amara parAthpara sadAshivA
BhagavakapAra niravathi kripAkara
parama kapAli swayambhava
Thiru mayilai vaLar iraivan kapAli swayambhava

Before Velum mayilumE in Sucharithra he sang this viruttam:

Revathi –
UrilEn kANI illai uRavu matroruvar illai
pAril nin pAda mUlam patrilEn parama mUrthi
kAroLi vaNNanE en kaNNanE kadarugindrEn of Thondaradipodi Azhvar

Sucharithra –
Vizhikku thuNai thiru men malar pAdhangaL
meimaikundrAm mozhikku thuNai murugA enum nAmangaL
munbu seidha pazhikku thuNai avan panniru thoLUm
bayandha thani vazhikku thuNai vadivElum sengOdan mayUramumE of Arunagirinadhar I think

Corrections welcome.

Yep, it would have been lovely to meet you too:)

[kunthalavarali]

The Thirumazhisai Azhwar Thiru-chandha goes something like this:

Unin mEyavAvinee urakkamOduNarcinee
AninmEya vaitnthunaI avatulnindra thUimainee
vAninnOdumaNunee vaLangadarpayanunee
Yanuneeyathandri embirAnumnee irAmanE

[kedharam]

kunthalavarali, thanks a lot.

[arasi]

Ranganayaki,
A tremendous review! Not that I'm surprised. You do not write frequently--unlike someone you know but whatever you write is meaningful and your reviews make us feel as if we were there too. Kedharam (that guy in white kurtA and a notebook in hand--you didn't see him?). He doesn't wear pink, like Dame Barbara Cartland (who could have borrowed some awesome adjectives from him).

About tirumazhisai AzhvAr's tiruchanda viutham: it's inspiring. You have got it all right but for the last line:
yAnum nI, adanRi embirAnum nI, irAmanE!

Yes, one of the qualities of Sanjay's concerts--whether he sings for three hours or four, you feel that the concert was too short.

Another thing: chandiran oLiyil, whenever I read the lines or hear it being sung, I have the image of sarasvathi or Sakti pervading my mind. Another quality in Sanjay's singing surfaces: every time he sings a song, it necessarily doesn't sound like the way he sang it the last time you heard him. You may find another concert clip on Youtube when he sang it at Shanmukhananda Sabha. That payaneNNAmal uzhikka chonnAL bhakthi seidu pizhaikka chonnAL with Varadu and Venkatesh playing is something to hear...

[Ranganayaki]

Arasi,
Thank you.. I've been mostly silent for the past year, hardly logging in very much except in the last couple of months. I've attended concerts, taken notes each time with the intention of sharing them here, but something or the other took away my enthusiasm to share.. often failed korvais, forgotten sahitya and things.

I am not sure whom you mean who writes more frequently whom I know!! I know less than a handful of us here. Your wink.. did you mean yourself? A little thrown off, because I thought you meant someone I know in person. I don't think I even need to tell you how lovely you are in the way you come across .

Thanks to you and Kunthalavarali for the corrections, but I like your punctuation (spacing) better because it is easier on me.

*****
Arasi, I was aware that I was putting forth my own interpretation of Chandiran Oliyil: "Aval" could have been a goddess.. It would also be the default meaning for a Carnatic Concert. I chose my interpretation for some good reasons after looking at the lyrics again.. but the goddess one is nice too..

*****
And Kedharam in a kurta.. most guys wear kurtas for concerts these days .. there was someone who made a speech introducing the artists.. I think he was in a very light colored kurta.. may be white.. was that you Kedharam?

[kedharam]

Ranganayaki, I was wearing yellow. Next time when I visit DC area we will meet.

[arasi]

Not in white? Yel-low is not a color to lie low in.

Ranganayaki,
Yes, I was talking about the most-posted motor mouth on the forum. Thank you for liking me May I now ask what your favored colors are?

You and I are not far off in our imagery. Just so because the gods came down and mingled with us on earth (with their incarnations). Our seeing them as child and sakhA (as with krishnA), and BhArathi taking it even further with his seeing KrishnA as you name it, guru, servant and more. He made it possible even to us, frail mortals, to expand our perspectives with the gift of his visionary ways and with his amazing word power. He gave us a peek into a world we could barely imagine before...

[Ranganayaki]

Ranganayaki, I was wearing yellow. Next time when I visit DC area we will meet.

Great! But I am still not sure if you were the one who spoke. Do let me know!

Arasi, does EVERYONE have a fav color?!! I've never had a favorite..

[arasi]

True Even if we do, we may change our preferences, like kedharam. I doubt if the speaker was Kedharam because a local would have spoken at the event. Kedharam says to you: next time I'm in the Washington DC area...

Yes, when 'athanai ulagamum varNak kaLanjiam--why choose one color over the other?

[sureshvv]

For me, the Behag alapana was moving, and the Pallavi was particularly enjoyable as it had just recently occurred to me that that song (Thamizhukku Amudendru Per) by Kannadasan was worthy of being included in a carnatic concert.

I think the original lines were by Bharathidasan.

[kedharam]

Ranganayaki, I was sitting in the last row and left right after the concert.

[Ranganayaki]

Suresh,

I remember looking it up during the concert by googling the song title/first words. I looked then at only one result.. But I checked again after seeing your response.. Several websites offer the same information.

But I just thought of googling again with the song title adding "Bharatidasan", I got several responses showing me you could be right. I cannot judge based on the style.. I have never paid attention to movie songs as works of specific composers. You and others can weigh in and inform further.

Kedharam,

I saw your review of the Atlanta concert by Sanjay, so may be you are attending several of his performances and you are not from Richmond. (Thank you for your other review too.. ) (if anyone saw the laughing emoticon here, it was inadvertent, a typo. Sorry, meant no offense to Kedharam.)

Arasi, as a DC area local, I thought he meant that we could meet when he drives over from Richmond (which to me while I am here is not DC area though it makes sense when one is very far away to include Richmond as DC area. I drove over 2 hours to get there.

[rshankar]

Ranganayaki and Suresh - slave of kRshNa or slave of the mahAkavi - who cares! They are simply beautiful!
Kedharam and Ranganayaki - reading your 'straight-from-the-heart' reviews reminded me of some other phrases from the song - 'anda tamizh, inba tamizh yengaL uyirukku nEr' (that tamizh, the bliss-inducing tamizh is our very life), because the concert seems to have induced very strong feelings of bliss. Or maybe, 'tamizhukku madhuvenRu pEr' (tamizh can be called 'intoxicating nectar'), given how intoxicating you found the concert to be??

I am glad that you guys are sharing your bliss with the others (yAm peTRa inbam.... and all that)!

Ranganayaki - Our school-mate (Smt. Gayathri Girish) and her guru (Sri TNS) sing candiran oLiyil in candrakauns (tuned by Sri TNS) - a haunting rendition. This composition/poem is also one of those dedicated to the dEvi (parASakti) - he says he sought refuge in her (SaraNam enRu pugundu koNDEn).

[arasi]

tamizhazhagai Suvaithu, kaviyin SoRkaLai rasithu,
porul kURi, rasikariDai adan maNam parappum

ravi,

Well said! I thought at first it was the dAsan of the mahAkavi who wrote it. KaNNadAsan was capable of writing such lines too. As you say, makes no difference. To hear meaningful and inspiring lines repeated in a concert moves us. If you are going to be at the NJ concert, wonder what you are going to hear! Waiting for a review from you, of course. Itinerent reviewers may join you perhaps. Who knows?

[kedharam]

rshankar, ‘'straight-from-the-heart'”?. Nope. Straight from the feet:)

That kamas - the way he barrelled from the pensive viruttam into Sivan’s ‘thiruvaLar mayilayin iraivanin adipaNI’ evoking the fantastical world of the composer in projecting visual images of kapAli dancing around the streets of Mylapore and kindling a feeling of nostalgia…especially at

“azhagum uruvum ezudhariya thureeyaa dheedha jadathimira dhivAkarA
mazhu thirisoolam puliyadhaL boodhi mayangezhil vadhana nisAkarA
unai maravAdharuL una dhadiyArodum uravu marAdharuL kapAliyE
enai yunadhathpudha charaNa malarpadha nizhalinil vaiththaruL kapAliyE”

What a way to bring down the house! Too bad vanity prevented me from taking the floor and joining the fun:) I hope he sings this in New Jersey so you too can waltz to it and “(yAm peTRa inbam.... and all that)!” 

[VK RAMAN]

Very interesting discussion and the rasikas who attended and wrote the reviews are multifunctional; enjoying the music with their ears and eyes emotionally involved and then hand write even the lyrics as the artist sings. Kudos and hats off.

[arasi]

VKR,
I appreciate your appreciating the appreciation of a concert by Kedharam and Ranganayaki.

Well, rasikAs tend to get carried away when they see a good thing. The rasanai in us makes us appreciate excellent singing, able accompanists, the lyrics and the music.That's why.

No complaints, but there are a few rasikAs who are more into looking at a performance clinically, almost separating it from their rasAnubhava Then there are others--scientists they may be, very analytical too, but their enjoyment of music is seen running throughout their writing. Mahavishnu is a good example. Passionate writers some are, but they come in different shades! We have Kedharam and Rajesh to name a few.

Our being familiar with each other on the forum as comrades who have the same interests make us joke around a bit, get a bit personal (where we know each other quite well), and it's only natural. We are not working for a newspaper or a magazine. This is a sharing place and yet the reviews sometimes are better than the ones in the publications in their content. We have many different kinds of reviews too.

Well-written reviews are a learning place as well (my own experience). A song list makes unknown songs familiar, forgotten ones are brought to light. We correct each other to make information more accurate.

Thanks for your positive comment. Yes, and all the banter went on without highjacking the thread!

[Ranganayaki]

Thank you all for the lively discussion. Ravi, thanks! Mm, we do pay great attention to composers here and I think it is important that we should attribute that song to the right composer. I would love to know which of the two composers it was.

I did look carefully at the rest of Chandiran Oliyil because of that line "sharanam yendru.." I really feel it could refer to a surrender to this wonderful woman who is a mortal. The joys referred to are definitely at a higher plane, and I like the notion that it is a celebration of her at that level.. I do not think the goddess interpretation can be excluded. I think the question is left open. Anyone who thinks it is a goddess is equally right.

Vk Raman and Arasi, you say such nice things! I love Rajeshnat's and Mahavishnu's reviews too and so many others.

Kedharam, thanks for those lyrics.. It was sung way too fast for me to understand.

[kedharam]

I wrote down the viruttam in kamas during the concert. The Sivan composition i got from my guru, ‘Google’:):)

The kudos belongs to the artiste for his perfect diction.

[Ranganayaki]

Thanks, Kedharam..

Ravi, I tried to find Gayatri Girish or TNS's Chandiran Oliyil in Chandrakauns.. I couldn't.. do you have a link or could you upload? Thanks so much!! Would love to hear it.

[vasanthakokilam]

The Sivan composition i got from my guru, ‘Google’:):)

sarva-jño jagad-guru jagad-īśvaraḥ

[sureshvv]

Thank you all for the lively discussion. Ravi, thanks! Mm, we do pay great attention to composers here and I think it is important that we should attribute that song to the right composer. I would love to know which of the two composers it was.

After some serious navel lint analysis, I have come to the conclusion that "Tamizhukku amudhenru per" was the original Bharathidasan composition, and the corresponding rip-off "Avalukku tamizhenru per" was Kannadasan's.