Pantula Rama @ Srngeri Sadhana Center, Stroudsburg

[chandrajothi]

Pantula Rama
MSN. Murthy
Patri Satish kumar

Kalavathi – kalAvathi kamalAsana yuvathi, MD
Abhogi – manasu nilpa, Thyagaraja, R, S
Kapi – intha sowkya, Thyagaraja, R, S
Hamsanandhi – Shankara srigiri nath prabhuke, Swati Tirunal, R, N @ tathai takit tak sruthi gati rAjE, S
Anandabhairavi – nee madhi challaga, Kavi Matrubhootayya, R, S
Shankarabharanam – manasu swAdhinamaina, Thyagaraja, R, N@ rAjarajEsa niranjana nirupaama, rAja vadana, S
Thani
Sindhu bhairavi – venkatAchalanilayam, PD
Behag – vagalADi bOdhanalaku, Tirupathi Narayanaswami
Ranjani Mala - Ranjani, Sriranjani, Megharanjani and Janaranjani - .Ranjani mrudu pankaja lochani , Tanjavur Shankara Aiyer
Kamas – thillana, PS
Concluded with her masterpiece nI nAma rUpa mulaku in sourashtram

I am too tempted to cut and paste mahavishnu’s review of this team’s concert in the Bay area as he has said it all.

From the original Rama infused kApi to neraval at ‘tathai takit tak sruthi gati rAjE’ in hamsanandhi getting the audience on its feet with her built in rhythmic voice to obvious crosscurrents of Voletti garu’s influence in vagalADi bOdhanalaku echoing the longing, melodies cascaded like the Poconos Waterfalls at Stroudsburg along the way carrying us aloft. Her music is an assemblage of influences but unmistakably her own with a voice that gleams in all the registers. One can only gasp at her music making.

The organizer announced that Dr. Rama is a Reiki master. With her graceful presence radiating positive energy through and around her and with her intellectual music that exudes sowkyam she can give all the Reikis a run for their money. What a breath of fresh air she and her music is, a far far cry from all the glitz and glamour of diamonds, silks and endless yards of mallipoos of Chennai.

[arasi]

Chandraj(y)othi,

Welcome to Rasikas.org!

Loved your review. The Poconos waterfalls imagery that you employ in describing her singing is very pleasing and does her music justice.

Look forward to more reviews from you

[mahavishnu]

What a breath of fresh air she and her music is, a far far cry from all the glitz and glamour of diamonds, silks and endless yards of mallipoos of Chennai.

Very nicely summarized, Chandrajothi. Needless to say, I totally agree

[rshankar]

Although not in this context, I do have to 'fess that diamonds, silks, and navamallikA do have their place!

[Ranganayaki]

Thank you, Chandrajyoti and a warm welcome from me too.. Like Arasi, I too enjoyed the scenic imagery .. sounds like a lovely concert.

[rajeshnat]

Thanks chandrajothi - Liked the selection of songs , being a tier II city perhaps she skipped the RTP and went for a ranjani ragamaliga instead .Keep writing more- if I recall right this is the first review that has come from stroudsburg in PA.

[chandrajothi]

Manasu swAdinamaina was a request. So she might have changed her mind abt RTP.

Dr. Rama lavished all the pieces from a rich swath of many composers with delicately ornamented raga alapanas. The artistes were served coffee and as we were drooling she dished out a luxurious brew and thus came intha sowkya. So many variables to take into account.

My most fav was Swati Tirunal’s Shankara srigiri nath prabhuke in hamsanandhi. With her lilting voice traversing the octaves and seizing every phrase highlighting the composition’s rhythmic intensity, with Murthy’s agile, nuanced touch and with Patri delighting in the rhythmic scaffolding of the composition, it was simply a jubilant riot.

“Although not in this context, I do have to 'fess that diamonds, silks, and navamallikA do have their place!”

When this reaches a toxic level (as it does during the season) then they seem to become the point of focus than the music:(

[arasi]

"nava rAga mAlikA" and mallikA", you mean