Pantula Rama, CMANA, NJ Concert, Oct 25, 2014

[Ramaprasad]

Pantula Rama (Vocal)
M S N Murthy (Violin)
Patri Satish Kumar (Mridangam)

CMANA sponsored NJ concert

1. Gananathane_Saranga. Periasami Tooran

2 .Varuvaro Varan Tharuvaaro_Sama. Goapalakrishna Bharati. [A]

3. Nadadina mata nedu_Janaranjani. Thyagaraja [A, N, S]
(Neraval at Ila Bhakti Sagaramidajetunani

4. Adinamma_Paras. P Doraiswamy Iyer

5. Sri Kanthimathim_Hemavathi. Dikshitar. [A, N, S]
(Neraval at Hreemkara Bijakara Vadana)

6. Anathudanu_Jingla. Thyagaraja [S]

7. RTP in Kalvathi
Pallavi: “Sri Sakala Kalavathi Saraswathi Suswaralayambitha Mamava”_Adi tala (with
alternating Tisram and Chatusram in the same avartanam). There was a ragamalika illustrating
the three versions of Kalavathi – Thyagaraja, Dikshitar and the Hindustani version. Pallavi – a
creation of Patula Rama
Concluded with the Thani by Satish Kumar

8. Arabhimanam_Ragamalika. Tarangambadi Panchanada Iyer

9. Govinda Hari Govind_Mand. Annamacharya [Tuned by Pantula Rama]

10. Meragadu Vechi rara (j)_Athana. Pattabhiramayya?

11. Tillana_Brindavanasaranga. Balamuralikrishna

12. Mangalam

I was expecting that somebody would post an account of this program. Since I did not see any, I felt this musical event of yesterday deserved mention in the rasikas’ forum.

This was a music lover’s feast, rendered with an amazing vidwat and backed by very talented
accompanists. Pantula Rama, rasikas will agree, has a voice with an amazing range, great aural quality and a technical brilliance that enables her to glide over swara passages with amazing fluidity. I was talking to a couple of my friends after the concert, one in India, discussing Rama’s music. The unanimous opinion was that Pantula Rama has in her system echoes of the MLV bani (meager sampling, but I am sure there are plenty of other rasikas in music-land who will agree with us)

It was a well thought out program, with each piece receiving its due share of musical attention. Instead of commenting on all of them (each a pleasant rasika moment), I want to say a few words on just two of the items.

The Hemavathi kriti of Dikshitar is one of them. What an elaboration of the raga swarupa in the alapana, with sancharas that etched the beauty of this raga. The kriti was rendered with due bhava befitting a Dikhitar piece, at a pace that is apt for this composition. The neraval at Hreemkara impressed me a lot. During most of the neraval, she just chose just the three words - Hreemkara Bijakara Vadana. I was wondering how she was going to stretch it out over the whole avarthana. It was like play dough in her musical hands and what a result ensued! She is an amazing professional. Towards the end of the neraval, she added the second line: Hiranya Manimaya Shobhasadanam

The second piece I would like to comment on is the RTP. She explained what she was going to do with the raga, which has three versions. The professor in her came out and we all approached the RTP with a more enlightened mind (I am speaking mostly about myself, since there were musically well versed members in the audience, including teachers and practicing musicians). Thyagaraja version of Kalavathi was the mainstay of the RT part and its beauty was fully explored and exposed for our enjoyment. The tanam part had mridangam accompaniment (I am hoping this will become more prevalent, adding to the enjoyment of the music). In the pallavi portion (her own composition), the other faces of the raga (Dikshitar’s and the one that is in vogue in Hindustani music) were explored. What an education for me!

Pantula Rama and M S N Murthy make a nice pair on the stage also. A fine and sensitive accompaniment, with great fidelity to the vocalist’s lead, Murthy’s violin was an integral part of Rama’s rendering.

Patri Satish Kumar’s accompaniment on the mridangam richly deserves description from a more competent person than yours truly. Such life and verve in his playing, with the right decibel level for each section of the vocal music, as Rama meandered through her world of raga. Very enjoyable thani at the end of the RTP.

We will be hearing more from them and about them as this team progresses in its musical journey.

[rshankar]

Had to miss this due to another competing event. Thank you for the beautiful review!

[harimau]

Pantula Rama (Vocal)

3. Nadadina mata nedu_Janaranjani. Thyagaraja [A, N, S]
(Neraval at Ila Bhakti Sagaramidajetunani)

A refreshing change in the line taken up for neraval.

Most musicians take the line talakku vachinapadha thalapaka.... and somehow I get the strange urge to visit a well-known biriyani shop in Chennai!

[harimau]

Had to miss this due to another competing event. Thank you for the beautiful review!

There can be no compelling competing event.

Even if your daughter is playing at Carnegie Hall, you ought to miss that for Smt Pantula Rama's concert.

[tiruppugazh]

Pantula Rama sings Hindustani version of Kalavati. Is this Carnatic Music? Yet, Harimau says you ought not to miss this concert and Harimau is a team of honourable persons.

[sureshvv]

tiruppugazh: No need to get your knickers in a knot. It is just the Hindustani name for Dharmavathi.

[tiruppugazh]

Sorry sureshvv, Valachi/Valaji is the Carnatic name for Kalavati. Muthiah Bhagavatar came up with it based on the Hindustani raag. As for Dharmavati the closest is Madhuvanti though not strictly the same and not "just" the Hindustani name. Point is that "Hindustani version" is necessary in this case for the Pallavi to make thematic sense unfortunately for Harimau )

[harimau]

tiruppugazh: It is just the Hindustani name for Dharmavathi.

Nope. Hindusthani Kalavathi is Valaji in Carnatic Music.

Just FYI.

[sureshvv]

Thank you both. I stand corrected. My point was to not focus too much on the name and enjoy the raga which shouldn't be too hard as it has a Carnatic equivalent.

[Ranganayaki]

FYI All, we had a discussion a couple of years ago on the three different Kalavathies..
1. Thyagaraja's
2. Dikshitar's
3. Hindustani (Valaji)

I suppose it is no coincidence that it was in a discussion of Pantula Rama's concert at the SSVT here.

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic. ... ji#p222400

The link takes you to the start of the discussion about it, with my question.. Mahavishnu summarizes towards the end.

[meenaakshi]

Ramaprasad, thanks for your review.

“The unanimous opinion was that Pantula Rama has in her system echoes of the MLV bani”

I conveyed this message to her a few weeks back (didn’t know it is a unanimous opinion:)) when the team came here for their concert.
The nexus of her music is a harmonious system of out of the box ideas yet unerringly faithful to the core and a voice that facilitates her musings from low registers to celestial high ones with imaginative heft in any scalar or vector raga:), like the Dhenuka RTP she presented at BVB last season or the spirited rhythms in SS’s Talli ninnu in kalyani that preceded her Dhenuka. Her music like MLV’s, engages one’s intellect.
Her music doesn’t fit into the so called madi sangeetham or the glamorous sangeetham heavy on fanfares courted by Chennai sabhas. Yet, she holds court on her own terms (her terms being brilliance) with humility. Perhaps not lusting after these passing thrills of recognition and the solitude she seeks in Vizag facilitates focused introspection and keeps her music authentic. To me her music is like reading a book with lovely sentences, a paean to MLV nostalgia and I come out of her concerts feeling enthralled and inadequate to say the least.

[arasi]

I feel almost as if I had heard a bit of her music by all the posts--all pointing to the beauty of her music, however different the posters are

Ravi,
Yes, agree with Harima(v)u. How could you miss her concert?

Ramaprasad,
Thanks for the lovely review.

Meenaakshi,
Your poetic exuberance personifies Rama. I have to wait until I get to Chennai. Hope her schedule comes out soon.

This is the first concert where I see more than one tamizh kruti--three in a row and then one more?

[vasanthakokilam]

the spirited rhythms in SS’s Talli ninnu in kalyani

Oh, that krithi by Pantula Rama will be awesome to listen to. That is one of my favorite Kalyani krithis. I can imagine how Pantula Rama would have a natural attraction to that song with its built in laya which is quite phenomenal. (Btw, do we all agree that SS is the master of laya!)
That song also shines that much brighter if the mridangist also is extraordinary, a misra chapu specialist and has a good feel for how to play for that song.

[meenaakshi]

VK, it was the same team of Rama, MSN Murthy, Patri plus KVG. With rhythmic pep they glided through the SS opus bringing the buoyancy to the fore with an inexorable sweep, they almost had the caffeinated me (courtesy, Karpagambal mess:))on my feet:)

If you are a SS and kalyani lover, it is a must listen. Charsur has released the concert.

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks meenaakshi. I will look for that.

[mahavishnu]

VK: Spotify has pretty much the entire Charsur series, including the one mentioned by Meenaakshi ...
It is a delightful concert with a wonderful krSNam kalaya saki in mukhAri that I think you will especially enjoy.

[vasanthakokilam]

Found it: https://play.spotify.com/album/1YTFxxokBWZ0Ik2Nqic0nw

Spotify search was a bit spotty in the morning but after I saw your message went after it again with different search terms and got it.

Oh yeah! Awesome rendition. In general, I have to force myself to stay engaged with kalyani alapana but songs, especially great ones like thalli ninnu and great singing like this, are the opposite, they are at the top of my list.

Thanks Meenakshi and Mahavishnu.

Spotify does not get talked about much in our forum. I am not sure if it is available in India but wherever available it is worth checking out. It is all legal commercial releases, ad supported, or you can pay to remove ads. Just like binge watching with Netflix, it is too easy to get sucked into binge listening with Spofify.

[meenaakshi]

"I have to force myself to stay engaged with kalyani alapana"
VK, you are not being fair to my fav, kalyani:)

[vasanthakokilam]

I will meet you 2/3 of the way with Thanam plus pallavi/krithi and 1/3 of the remaining 1/3 of the alapana I realize it is strange because it is not that I don't like the raga. For example, In the talli ninnu referred above what is immensely attractive is the Kalyani that Pantula Rama packs into each elongation (kArvai?) however small it is. It is quite an intense experience.

[meenaakshi]

Alright. fair enough.
Peace:):):)

[HarishankarK]

Hi
Agreed she is a truly great singer. I listened to her Kannada Gowlai rendition of Annamacharya song Karunanidhim Gadadharam and was completed bowled over. This has become now my fav song in the raga.

I observe that she includes tamil compositions in her concert. How is her tamil diction, does it have lyrical clarity and bhava? Usually when non-tamil artistes include tamil compositions in their concert it becomes for just formality except BMK of course who sings with bhava tamil songs also.

[rshankar]

I observe that she includes tamil compositions in her concert. How is her tamil diction, does it have lyrical clarity and bhava? Usually when non-tamil artistes include tamil compositions in their concert it becomes for just formality except BMK of course who sings with bhava tamil songs also.

But no one makes egregious mistakes as tamizh-speakers make when enunciating telugu and kannada compositions.

[vasanthakokilam]

Ravi: I know that is your long-held opinion which I also can relate to some extent but I think the problem is the same, it is just a quantitative difference. That is a natural consequence of the fact that there are lot more tamil singers singing a lot more telugu compositions than the other way. ( i.e. #tamil_singers * #telugu_compositions is far greater than #telugu_singers * #tamil_compositions ). And speaking for myself, this equation is further distorted by the fact I am blissfully unaware of the mistakes singers make with Telugu compositions.

Of course this is not to determine who the numerical winner is Especially given the incredibly exhaustive work done by our V. Govindan, there is really not much of an excuse or reason for why Tamil musicians can not improve their telugu pronunciations (without even getting into intricacies of what kind of not-so-correct splits are musically acceptable).

As to the question, Rama is pretty good at singing Tamil compositions but BMK, as a total package, is in a totally different league, better than many tamil musicians singing tamil compositions.

[sureshvv]

I think the problem is due to the limitations of vanilla tamil script. When people learn kritis using this, they will find themselves in deep doo doo One of the young stars of today sings the anupallavi of pakkala nilabadi as "suthathee seethamma". And he has no excuse

[kedharam]

I remember her main piece Thiruvadi sharaNam at the Music academy, 2011 season with perfect diction. Bhava is a given in her music.