Sumitra Vasudev for Madhuradhwani, 3/Sep

[sankark]

Sheer blind luck that I found this recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTAj-2jMBj0

Akkarai Sornalatha (v), Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar (m)

On the 3rd item right now.. The first 3 items - Gowlai varnam, Sri Saraswati (arabhi) & Sarasiruhanana (mukhari) - don't recall ever having heard them before. So good music and unknown items - double whammy for me personally. The mukhari doesn't appear to be the overtly nelivu/kuzhaivu/pathos filled version one gets to hear often but a bit more gambheeramana/un-sad version. All purely subjective IMO.

Is it just me or do Sumitra, Amrita et al's concerts don't get much publicity here in this forum whereas there is a gushing of praise for certain other, er.. male artists?

[Rsachi]

Sankark,
i for one enjoyed this concert of Sumitra Vasudev an also around the same time that of Amritha Murali.

[satyabalu]

All in good proportions.Surati and Bhairavi are superb.I will place Surati above all.For the weighty Bhairavi I expected one of Thaiagaraja.Akkarai Swarnalatha kept pace .Thanks for the link.

[Jigyaasa]

The mukhari doesn't appear to be the overtly nelivu/kuzhaivu/pathos filled version one gets to hear often but a bit more gambheeramana/un-sad version.

It's interesting in the context of tailoring the flavor of a rAga in an AlApana preceding a certain song. The lyrical content of sarasIruhAnana includes shrI tyAgarAja's lament on "those who, coveting others’ wives, provide for them, and frolic with them day and night." He also says "As they abandoned the right method of living stipulated for brahmins, their way of life has become that of mean people; further, in this Kali Yuga, people flourish having learnt vocabulary connected with the Supreme Lord." So it's definitely more sad than "un-sad"... As against kArubAru sEyuvAru which is often cited as an example for an "un-sad" song in mukhAri since it describes the people of ayOdhyA which received "three spells of rains every month, attaining proficiency in all spheres of knowledge and attaining a long life".

[sankark]

All in good proportions.Surati and Bhairavi are superb.I will place Surati above all.For the weighty Bhairavi I expected one of Thaiagaraja.Akkarai Swarnalatha kept pace .Thanks for the link.

I liked Surati very much; the nereval though could have had a little more tightness (for lack of a more appropriate word). As for Bhairavi - her school seems to be the only one to perform this beauty of a song. So, very much happy with that song selection.

Jigyaasa - "a bit more gambheeramana/un-sad", not totally un-sad.

[Rsachi]

yes, the Bhairavi song has many memories for me of the Kalakshetra school where such classics were taught in dance.

[hnbhagavan]

Some artists are not going to be popular.Senior artists like Smt R Vedavalli,Sri G S Mani give wonderful concerts.But these are appreciated by select few.They will never draw crowds as in the case of say sudha Raghunathan ,Nityasree or sanjay.But in a place like Arkay Convention,the hall will be full.
Sumitra Vasudev a disciple of Smt R Vedavalli is well on her away to be a great singer,but just that popularity will elude them.
Even among male artists Sri KY Jesudoss draws the maximum crowd at Ramanavami concerts in bangalore,much more than say Palghat KV Narayanaswamy of earlier days.
Some things can never be explained.The concert of Sumitra is of high order and I enjoyed it very much and shall look forward to such concerts.

[kssr]

Sumitra Vasdev is a deep rooted traditional singer. I recall that a couple of years back when Vedavalli Mami came to Bangalore to conduct a workshop series, she categorically said " I have taught EVERYTHING in our school of singing to Sumitra" That is some certificate from the maestro. She will be accompanying Mami on 16th November concert in Bangalore.

[Nick H]

I wish I could come! But I mustn't be greedy, as I think I will have the chance to see Vedavalli at least twice this month here in Chennai.

Sumithra (she has an 'h') might be the most recognised of Smt RV's students. Much less in the limelight are Usha Padmanaban and Sumathi Krishnan, who also give wonderful concerts in the spirit of their guru. Then there is Ashwin Anand, who expresses her subtlety on the veena.

I haven't mentioned the many younger students, as I am yet to properly discover them in my ongoing delightful "research" into the Vedavalli school of music