Secbad-Vishnubhatla Sisters –vocal duet -12th feb 2015

[sivakami]

Shri Chandrasekharendra Sangeetha Educational Society
16th Annual Cultural festival & Aradhana of Sri Satguru Thyagaraja Swamy

12.2.2015
Place: The sofa-type seats of the front row in the shamiana pandal in Keyes High School for girls at Secunderabad.
Time: It is around 10PM or so…The occupants of those above-said seats are overwhelmed and dazed even to get-up and leave the venue. Can you guess who were all present?

Padakavitha Pithamaha Annamacharya: “avunayya thyagarju, just like we thought, in order to sit leisurely and thoroughly enjoy our compositions, we have to come to such kutcheris only. Due to the thin crowd in the audience, we got the seats that were so convenient. Otherwise if we were to go the so called popular-crowd-puller-artistes, we would have been crushed by the large number of fans competing for these seats; also we would have to witness the fuss, the pandemonium and what not which would have prevailed all around. Today it was great to listen to your compositions peacefully, being rendered flawlessly by these little-ones, the sodharimaNis from the beautiful banks of the river Krishna, while retaining the in-depth bhavam, and at the same time focusing on the intricacies of each ragam…….

Saint thyagaraja: “Anthaa Aa ramuni kataksham”…

All the other great composers such as Dikshitar, Syama Satry, Narayana theertha, Puranadardasa (to name a few)…., reply in chorus” Yes, Yes, very true, Baabai Annamayya garu, like you rightly put it, it is one of those very rare events that we come across. It was wise that all of us decided to come together here today…..”

This is how we felt in the audience. We even mentioned this to the Artistes, for which their reply was just a broad smile.

Now, over to the details of the concert

Vishnubhatla Sisters Smt. Saraswathi & Smt.Krishnaveni –vocal
Sri. R. Dinakar – violin
Sri. BVS Prasad – mridangam
Sri. P.V. Ramanamurthy – ghatam

1. Rasikapriya varnam ?
2. Sri Mahaganapathe- Abhogi
3. Maapala Velasina -Asaveri
4. Chede Budhi Manaraa -Atana – S@ chede budhi
5. Ganamoorthey
6. Samsarulaithe Nemayaa -Saveri –
7. Bantureethi Koluveeyavayya - Hamsanadam -R -11min, vio: 5min, N&S@ rama namamane
8. Amba neelambari - Neelambari
9. Emi Jesithenemi Ramaa –thodi – R, S@ varamantramanyulaku
10. tani
11. navanIta cOra dEvaki vasudEva nandana - Shenjurutti
12. Baalulu koodi rama smaranam chesukundhamaa – Yamuna kalyani - composer?
13. Gandhamu Puyyarugaa. Punnagavarali
14. Pavamana -mangalam

When I entered the venue around 7 PM, they were almost concluding the Asaveri kriti. Someone told me it was the 3rd item after a varnam in rasikapriya and the ganesha stuthi. Next they started off with the Atana kriti “chede budhi maanura” in which the duo filled with brigas and interesting patterns of swaras. They also mentioned about the specialty of the 3-akshara ethugada usage even in pallavi and anupallavi in this kriti (As a lay-rasika, I am not able to elaborate further). Ganamoothi kriti was another delight, where the sisters emphasized on the charanam line ‘Navaneetha Chora Nanda Satkisora’ beautifully. Before singing ‘Samsarulaithe Nemayaa’, Smt. Krishnaveni explained how Thyagaraja has composed the kritis, where he questions Lord Srirama, by using those interrogative words set to tune in the appropriate ragams, such as, ‘evarura ninnuvina’ or ‘Samsarulaithe Nemayaa’ and so on…She also explained further about the meaning of the kriti. The tongue-twisting pallavi lines were rendered in one go, perhaps to complete the sentence. This was the first time, I was listening to this fast-beat kriti and enjoyed thoroughly. Hamsanadam alapana was rendered by both of them alternating, with a final, very-melodious finishing touch for 5min. by Krishnaveni. Needless to speak about the clear diction during the kriti rendition, with the appropriate pauses and punctuations. For me, this was the highlight of the whole kucheri. Next, after the slow, filler ‘Amba nIlambari’, the main item in thodi was presented with all its grandeur. The neraval that I was expecting to rejoice, went missing, possibly due to the further dwindling of the audience. Tani avartanam was good. Tukkada section was short, but very sweet. Gandhamu puyyaruga was rendered in two alternating speeds very mellifluously, enabling the listener to picturise the details that were being described. Thus, the Sisters, dressed in that gorgeous mango-yellow attire, treated us to nice feast just like getting to eat a ripe and juicy, organic Banganapalli mango. Ramaraju Dinakar on the violin did an excellent job, by covering every small gamakam that the sisters brought out, even within the shorter time-frame allotted for him. A great concert, which I will cherish forever!

[rajeshnat]

All the other great composers such as Dikshitar, Syama Satry, Narayana theertha, Puranadardasa (to name a few)…., reply in chorus” Yes, Yes, very true, Baabai Annamayya garu, like you rightly put it, it is one of those very rare events that we come across. It was wise that all of us decided to come together here today…..”

Sivakami
I think I have got all your other telugu phrases . What is baabai mean , did not get? Tx for the review sivakami , keep them coming.

[isramesh]

Baabai (pronounced as bAbAyi) means younger brother of one's father. It is also used to call someone elder to you affectionately.

[Lakshman]

# 12 is the caraNa from the song 11 - bAluragUDi nAma smaraNa jEsukondamA ... by Tyagaraja.

[sivakami]

Lakshman Sir, Thank you very much, for the correction.
But I am not able to edit the post...