2015 April 27 AbhishekRaghuram HMSmitha ArjunKumar SundarKumar @ vANi School

[badari]

Vocal : Vid. Abhishek Raghuram
Violin : Vid. HM Smitha
Mridanga : Vid. Arjun Kumar
Khanjira : Vid Sundar Kumar

01 sAmi ninnE kOri varNa shankarAbharaNa Adhi vINa kuppier

02 telialEru rAma Bhakthi mArgamunu dhEnuka Adhi thyAgarAja (O, S)
swaras @ teliya lEru

03 srI rAmachandrO rakShatu mAm srIranjani rUpaka m.dIkshitar (O, N, S)
nereval @ bharatAgraja

04 pAlintuvO pAlimpavO kAntAmaNi Adhi tyAgarAja (A, S, T)
nereval @ pAlimpavO

05 rAmachandru niipuDu raghuvIruDu dwijAvanti aNNamAchArya

06 Sindhubhairavi AlApane followed by mangaLam kOsalEndrAya sindhubhairavi mandhyamAvati surUTi

07 nI nAma rUpamulaku nitya saurAshtra

It was an easy choice as I had to decide on the grand finale for the long season. Decided to attend Abhishek, and there could not have been a better ending.

A pristine srIranjani and kANtAmaNi with brisk swaras for both compositions were the highlight. Violinist rose to the situation. Arjun Kumar and Sundar Kumar provided apt support. While we are used to standard violin and mridanga accompaniment, it was nice to see a new combination and how the gelled well with the singer.

With this long rAmanavami season comes to an end. Will share a list of my personal hits and misses in a seperate compilation.

[arasi]

Please do, Badari.
Another of the young Abhishekh's concerts in Bengaluru to enjoy.

I think Smitha is really an up and coming young violinist.

[munirao2001]

I attended this concert, after 3/4 years of listening to his live concert. His sense of mind in imagination and creative flourishes in continuity, gained mastery over laya/svara kalpana and raaga aalapanam further strengthened with saadhana was clearly established. Sriranjani raaga covering its full scope and range with hints of its closeness to Abhogi and Karaharapriya was very skillfully delineated. But, I must share my unhappiness of the composition singing- Deekshita composition given the Thyagaraja compositional treatment. But for the mudhra of 'Guruguha' it would have passed as a Thyagaraja composition. AR's Kantamani was splendid in effort and mastery. The best Kantamani I have heard till date. It was very heartening when the event manager and the VIP did the harakiri of stopping the concert at the end of the raaga aalapana for honoring and thanks giving with speeches, maestro resumed with out showing any signs of disappointment and indignation.

HM Smitha's violin accompaniment to AR deserves special mention. She exhibited her enhanced skills both in the playing and also in manodharmam aspects, meeting the challenges very admirably, with ease.

I left the concert at the start of the taniaavartanam, with deep sense of disappointment at the 'deafening' loud volumes set as per the request of the main artist, as informed by the sound engineer on my request for corrective action. AR and Arjunkumar might have wanted their sound to bounce back and touch them to enjoy the voice and tonal modulations they have created. Sensitivity and visradhi was totally missing. The aesthetic of 'adbhuta' and 'aascharya' was given primacy over purity and santa rasas. It was planned and offered as 'applause' commanding performance. Rasikas did not disappoint AR and AK. I am very much hopeful that AR, after the roller coaster success of cutcheri, will reflect on the formula music, with will and determination, rest in the beauty of pure and pristine qualities of Karnataka Sangeetham, in the near future. AR has all the qualities to become one of the Great Maestros, with realization and attainment of highest values in Karnataka Sangeetham and its practice.


I am pained to post my anguish with the misbehavior of Sri Lakshmi Kesav, the event manager ( I know the compelling reason-patronage/funds release by Kannada & Culture Department ) a Senior Artist by himself and also by the VVIP, the Speaker of the Vidhana Soudha. With routine apology for the stopping the concert, they exhibited total disregard for the Sadas and the performing artists. I wanted to stand up and register and convey my anger and anguish but for the request to desist from my wife, also a Vidushi(disciple of RRK) and teacher of KM. I strongly feel that Rasikas must take effective action to end this serious malady.

[Rsachi]

If they interrupted the concert between alapana and kriti, they have insulted the artiste, the audience and the very spirit of CM! What are we coming to, these days?

[mahavishnu]

I think we should end the era of speeches in Carnatic music concerts worldwide.

[Rsachi]

i just heard that a leading vocalist has sent a contract form to an organiser to be signed before his concert which stipulates that there should be only a ONE SENTENCE speech introducing the artiste. Period. No other speeches at all.
I like this artiste!

[gardabha_gana]

Vijay siva at fort insisted that the speech was limited to one line mention of the sponsors.

[gardabha_gana]

Badari - thanks a bunch for your reviews. I think you are a very fine rasika - attending concerts and reporting them despite work, rains and traffic in bangalore. Kudos!

[munirao2001]

I also join gardabha_gana Sir in conveying thanks for the 'reports' of Sri Badari Sir.

Sri TMK, at the same venue and 23rd year festival of VKK, conveyed to Sri Lakshmi Kesav 'Beda' for the speech, when he rose to commence the speech and continued with the concert. I am also aware that Sri Sanjay Subramanyam and Sri Vijay Siva also had made similar requests to the event managers. I must mention here the good practice of MES Kalavedi by offering simple bouquet of flowers to the artists in the beginning of the concerts. Rarely, Sri T.Srinivasan, a Senior Vidwan and event manager indulges in speech 'performance'.

When Sri Lakshmi Kesav did request me to speak/thanks giving, I politely declined and instead accepted to offer garlands to the artists at the end of the concert.

munirao2001