Sudha Raghunathan@Toronto, Apr 12, 2015

[Lakshman]

A 3 hr 50 mts. concert. with B.V.Raghavendra Rao-violin, Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan-mridangam, Karthik Venkataraman-kanjira and N.Guruprasad-ghatam.
Songlist. Corrections welcome:
ninnu kOriyunnArA (tv) - vasantA - T.Singaracharyu
namAmi vighna vinAyakA - hamsadhvani - Krishnaswami Ayya - S
sarasvati namastubhyam varadE - shlOka followed by
sarasvati namOstutE - sarasvati - G.N.Balasubramaniam - S
gAnamUrtE - gAnamUrti -Tyagaraja
shrI satyanArAyaNam - shubhapantuvarALi - Dikshitar - A, N@matsya kUrma, S
nambi keTTavar evarayyA - hindOLa - Papanasham Shivan
nannu pAlimpa - mOhana - Tyagaraja - A, N@karamuna shara - A, S, tani
shrI vEnkaTa girIsham - suraTi - Dikshitar
RTP kIravANi - namastE namastE namastE rAma bhakta tyAgarAja gurum - k/tripuTa tALA
svarAs: amrtavarSini, Anandabhairavi and rEvati
koNDal vaNNanai kOvalanai - viruttam followed by
enna tavam seidanai - kApi - Papanasham Shivan
ettanai kOTi inbam - ahIrbhairav - Subramania Bharati
AdhAram amdhuram - shlOka followed by
bhAvayAmi gOpAlabAlam - yamunAkalyANi - Annamacharya
hari mAdhava hari mukunda - shlOka followed by
vishvEshvara darshan kar - sindhubhairavi - Svati Tirunal
tillAnA - brndAvanasArangA - Balamuralikrishna
pavamAna sutuDubaTTu - saurASTra - Tyagaraja

[arasi]

Lakshman,
What a list! I should say, what a mega concert! kIravANi pallavi too, the one with which she stunned me with the very first concert of hers that I heard of the then rising star, MLV's true disciple.

A very long concert at that. Toronto rasikAs were treated. Great to hear this...

[Sundara Rajan]

Yes, it is a long list lasting for almost 4 hours ! Toronto audience must have exhibited good rapport with/ appreciation of the artist for her to deliver such a long program.
I am also pleased to note that she spared the Toronto rasikas of her Sai Bhajans ! I hope she does so in Tampa,FL also next week.

[harimau]

I am also pleased to note that she spared the Toronto rasikas of her Sai Bhajans ! I hope she does so in Tampa,FL also next week.

The Blind Monkey has not been sighted since the demise of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Actually, it was sightless even before and hence the name "The Blind Monkey".

[Sundara Rajan]

Not so quickly, Harimu ! The snake did raise its head in Cleveland, in what form, I don't know. Please read Arasi's follow up of Maduraimini's review.
I do remember noticing that here and there in reviews of her concerts in India too. God save us form the serpent .

[VK RAMAN]

What is wrong with Sai Bhajan? There are millions who like Sai Bhajans and your ridiculing is inappropriate.

[gardabha_gana]

How was her voice? It has disappointed many listeners including her SK year.

[Sundara Rajan]

Agreed, Mr. V.K. Raman. However, one man's food could very well be another person's poison. Tastes do differ too. I am free to express my likes as well as my dislikes.

[VK RAMAN]

Freedom of speech at play. Well said. Let Sudha express her right too at concerts.

[kvchellappa]

It was only a hope that she does not use that freedom. I too like her soulful singing of Sai bhajans as they sound sweet and she has a reason for her singing them. But, I see no need to contradict a hope and taste expressed.

[arasi]

VKR,
Yes, she can do that. In that sense, yes, one sai bhajan would have been fine with me, but it was a bit long, the bhajanS at the end. The effect of her singing that Bhairavi somewhat dissipated, so to say. Just wondered. If Toronto had a Rajesh-favored (ours too) looong concert with no tail piece, why did Cleveland not get it? Would she have sung it that way in the Music Academy? I don't think so, though she loves singing them.

It's possible that there were many Sai bhakthAs in the audience. Plus, she was jet lagged?

I also want to add that she extended her goodwill by making a return trip to Cleveland after just one week, having gone to India to receive her Padma Bhushan award. Mighty considerate of her...

[arasi]

Gardabha_gAnA,
It was fine in upper octaves, the rest was okay, but was very good when she sang that Bhairavi.