Priyanka Prakash at Naada Inbam, 13th July 2015

[thenjasatta]

Priyanka Prakash,
Mysore Sangeeta,
Akshay Anand

This youngster is making tremendous waves in the carnatic music world with her mellifluous , shruti sudhham voice. Her intensity of practice is very evident from her renditions. I will not be surprised if she overthrows Sudha Raghunathan from her throne very soon. Naada Inbam must be commended for encouraging such great talent. In addition to the singing talent, Priyanka looks very presentable and beautiful on stage. This should be commended too. Jayalakshmi maami, who is the organizer of this concert, has gone to great lengths in encouraging such talented youngsters. Being in Chennai, it is not easy for her to spot talents from Bengaluru. She must be commended.

Now, the concert details

Priyanka started with a thrilling Nattai. Her rendition of Jaya jaya reminded me of T.V Sankaranarayanan's rendition in Narada Gana Sabha a decade back. It brought tears to my eyes. Mysore Sangeetha must also be commended here for impeccable bowing. Akshay Anand is a very good, upcoming youngster who needs a little more focus on laya. He was struggling to finish the tala a little bit at the end of the nattai kriti. At one point during the kriti, she did a great nadai while putting the tala that Akshay struggled to play for. So, her grip over laya had been established then and there itself.

Next was Varali. Her rendition of Mamava Meenakshi reminded me of the great Nedunuri gaaru. What feeling and shruti sudhham. She again brought tears to my eyes. Her neraval singing is her forte. At one point in the concert during Varali, I felt that it was the Goddess Kamakshi herself singing the kriti. Such pure bliss it was!

Next was Subbaraya Sastri's magnum opus Janani ninnu vina. When Priyanka sings Ambal krithis, the feeling or emotion that she lends to the kriti is multifold. Maybe her ishta devata is Kamakshi. She adorned the kriti with kalpana swaras at Tamasamu seyaka, a very challenging place for anyone to sing swaras. Her illustrious training under Neela maami was very evident here. I personally felt that it was very close to GNB's rendition of reethigoulai.

The next raga that was lucky to be handled by Priyanka was Harikamboji. It is not very easy to sing this raga. Sometimes this may lead to Khamas if not handled correctly. Her rendition here reminded me of the great DKP.

Neelotpalambikaya was handled with grace and poise. Kalpana swaras at Kannadagoula was so blissful to the ears. She brought the entire beauty of the raga devata before the audience in that kriti.

Next raga was Bhairavi. There were some very rare, unusual and pristinely beautiful sangathis that no vidwan has yet tried. Such was the grandeur of the Bhairavi that Priyanka elaborated. What better kriti than the magnum opus of Dikshitar Balagopala. I could see the Neela neeradha shareeraa before my eyes when Priyanka rendered that krithi with so much devotion. Must say that it reminded me of the great MS amma.

At this stage of the concert I had to leave due to unavoidable circumstances. Parivadini has recorded this great concert by the youngster. Hopefully, someone else will complete the rest of the review.

This is the youtube link to the concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5MFA5G-_2U

Accompanying artists :

The tani by Akshay was excellent. Mysore Sangeetha followed the main artist like a shadow. Excellent job by both artists.

I am convinced that Priyanka Prakash will be the Priyanka Chopra of carnatic music soon.

Overall, an excellent to outstanding concert. Two hours of pure bliss. She took me to all Kshetras around India through her renditions.

[devan]

her bhiravi was just horrible.it will take 20 years even to come near sudharagunathan.

[Kartike]

Thenjasatta - your review sounds so one-sided and rather biased favourably to the artiste to me ... It would do much better justice to the upcoming artiste to NOT post such an overwhelmingly cloyingly sweet review. Priyanka Chopra indeed ! Hmph !! Post a balanced review please ...

[anonymous999]

Thenjasatta, how can you even write this kind of review considering how the artiste has sung in this concert? "Shruthi shuddam voice" may not be entirely applicable. It takes a lot of practise and experience to be 100% shruthi shuddham in a concert. Is this justified? Just because you know the artiste very well and want to promote her, this kind of review can't be written. Also, every raga she sang reminded of greats like GNB, DKP and MS amma. Does it even make sense to say this? To summarise, whatever has been written is so fake and made up. Can people be more realistic?

[prashant]

Tongue firmly in cheek - the music needs a lot of plastic surgery, kinda like Priyanka Chopra

[gardabha_gana]

Without commenting on the music - I haven't heard it; it serves no useful purpose to write with such hyperbole on any performance let alone of an youngster. Balanced reviews please! I find Nedunuri, TVS, Sudha, DKP, NeelaR and MS all rolled into one!!

[prashant]

Perfectly right gadarbha_gana.

[thenjasatta]

Mission Accomplished !

[pperumal]

is it just me who thinks thenjasatta's review was an exercise in sarcasm?

- PP.

[cacm]

He is a guy who writes under at least one other name in this forum. I spent time to track down the ISP ETC TO find out who he is. He is another of the ANONYMOUS GUYS in this forum who claims to be a big professor like person writing mostly rubbish as he is frustrated at success of others but not his blood relative whose career he single handedly is derailing.... I know who he is but its PURE WASTE OF TIME to even expose who he is.FOR A GREAT PROFESSOR ETC AS HE CLAIMS he is quite ignorant of how easy it is to locate these anonymous persons VERY EASILY .....VKV

[harimau]

Priyanka Prakash is a student of Smt Neela Ramgopal.

While I missed this particular concert, I have heard her singing backup vocals with her guru and have found her to be pretty good. She may have a long way to go but then she is only starting out on her own just now.

Give her time and she may turn out to be a good musician.

I noticed the reviewer had nothing good to say about another youngster, Brinda Manickavachakam.

One wonders why.

If he is comparing these youngsters to famous artists and finds them somewhat short, he could take a break and listen to them after a couple of years to see if they have improved.

But then, he may not be living in Kansas where "seldom is heard a discouraging word".

[thenjasatta]

That is not true. I like it that how very selectively you read my posts here on rasikas. I also wrote very good stuff about artists such as Vignesh Easwar and Ramakrishnan Murthy. I call a spade a spade. I cannot stand mediocre performances. Priyanka's and Brinda's performances were below par compared to the hype that was generated here on rasikas. In the current lot, I have only good things to say about artists such as RKM, Vignesh, Amrutha Venkatesh. I get frustrated by mediocrity and not by success. Success belongs to the artists that I just mentioned above and a very select few who work hard and it shows in their performances. As a music critic and as a Professor of music (Doctorate in music), I have the right to voice my sincere opinion here.

[kvchellappa]

Dear Professor, True there is hype, but is it alright to put down an upcoming artist by such sarcasm (first I too fell for the trap and wondered why such unmerited praise), the other extreme? Would it not have been sufficient to point out the defects gently?

[arasi]

Priyanka is a talented young singer.
She has a long way to go, yes.
That's what she wants to do too.
So, what's the big deal here?

Some believe in encouraging youngsters--
Others need not, if they don't wish to--

What's odd though is to write about one
In glowing terms, just to have a laugh-AND
Generate more posts for no avail--so sad.....

[cacm]

It happens & will continue to happen if MORE persons are not outraged & put down the fakes & impostors masquerading to blatantly write LIES under anonymous names claiming to be WHAT THEY ARE NOT.....VKV

[kssr]

Humour, satire and mockery are indeed powerful tools. Amply demonstrated by the number of posts this string has attracted. But I feel it should to used more in taking on powerful senior "holy cow" musicians ; not the young and upcoming boys and girls. Priyanka is a good girl and a decent singer. We wish her good (better) luck in future concerts.

[pperumal]

Dear thenjasatta,

I wonder if you claim to be an authority on music, then why hide behind a pseudonym pls?

- PP.

[arvind.brahmakal]

Criticism is fine provided the intent is constructive and genuine....after all, art is subjective. Disdainfully running down any artiste who has spent years and years on saadhana, has to be deeply reflected - are we all not part of one eco system ?

[gardabha_gana]

Terrible.... didn't realize then it was sarcasm. I don't think you should do this to any human being.... Please provide constructive balanced feedback or stay quiet.

[arasi]

g_g,
You were not the only one who was led away from the actual intent of the reviewer

The chasm between a sabhAsh and bashing an artiste (whatever the age or stature of her/him) is vast..To mislead folks is a sad thing, without doubt.....

[vasanthakokilam]

>I get frustrated by....

thenjasatta, what I get frustrated by is your total lack of proportion. I know in other threads you have taken major exception to criticism of artists who you think highly of. I would expect you to show similar sensitivity here. But what do you do? Pick an artist at random and using satire bring them down to the point it is really hard to assess how good they are at their stage in professional development. This is not about your right to provide constructive criticism ( so do not get on the high horse of how you are the only who calls a spade a spade etc.), but it is about your method which is ridiculing an upcoming artist. You may be frustrated with other members here in their praise of artists who you do not think highly of, but that should not be the reason to victimize other artists.

Now what is the prayachiththam/parihar? I have the option of closing this thread and quarantining it in the interest of protecting this artist from being totally put off and discouraged. But let me try another method. Someone please listen to the Parivadini concert and provide a balanced review that is consistent with the values we hold as CM rasikas (without getting biassed by the writings thus far in this thread about this concert). That is the only useful thing we can do to this artist.

[mridhangam]

There was a Practice adopted by the Great Critic Shri K S Mahadevan, who used to listen to an artiste for nearly 8-10 concerts for consistency of performance and then if he feels that artiste is upto a calibre then only he will review. May be we should give more time to this artiste in question. Also audience taste and the level of Sangita Gnana differs. A music for one will be of high order whereas the same might be a crap for another one.

Under these circumstances my personal feeling is neither to come down heavily on an youngster like Priyanka Prakash nor to praise and compare one with the likes of GNB, MLV etc. Restraint should be the catch phrase.

Moderators should also play a vital role here to see that that reviews are genuine ones from real rasikas and not from Mamas and chittappas. Please don't misread me here that mamas and chittappas cant be good rasikas. They can be good rasikas too but they need to make a self-restraint while projecting their own kith and kin. If not checked these sort of reviews could become a dangerous trend. While I know the difficulties of checking such relationships, mods can always look for duplicate IDs and things like that ...

My earnest appeal to concert reviewers especially those who are close friends and relatives to the artistes to write positively and also highlighting their strength and also giving unbiased opinions about them. this will go a long way in enabling the artiste to develop and nurture into a refined artiste. Over-praising though can boost the artistes confidence initially can lead to complacency ultimately.

Mannarkoil J Balaji

[harimau]

That is not true. I like it that how very selectively you read my posts here on rasikas. I also wrote very good stuff about artists such as Vignesh Easwar and Ramakrishnan Murthy. I call a spade a spade. I cannot stand mediocre performances. Priyanka's and Brinda's performances were below par compared to the hype that was generated here on rasikas. In the current lot, I have only good things to say about artists such as RKM, Vignesh, Amrutha Venkatesh. I get frustrated by mediocrity and not by success. Success belongs to the artists that I just mentioned above and a very select few who work hard and it shows in their performances. As a music critic and as a Professor of music (Doctorate in music), I have the right to voice my sincere opinion here.

I glanced at the number of posts referring to Priyanka Prakash. The search yielded 3 pages. Looking at the headings, primarily they were announcements about her upcoming concerts or her participation in akhandams and such events. I don't think there was anyone praising her extravagantly for you to take it to an extreme and make fun of her.

You say you are frustrated by mediocrity and not by success. Is she a successful musician in the sense that she is singing 7 days a week? No. She has had very few concerts, making her someone who is trying to enter the field. You chose to attack her at random. This is nothing but random drive-by shooting.

You claim to be a professor. I expect that soon, with your frustration occasioned most probably by the lack of success of some relative whom you consider an extraordinary musical genius, you will be making history: you will be the first professor who shoots up students and kills 7 and wounds 23. Usually, it is a frustrated student who does that in the US but what the heck, there has to be a first time for everything.

[harimau]

Humour, satire and mockery are indeed powerful tools. Amply demonstrated by the number of posts this string has attracted. But I feel it should to used more in taking on powerful senior "holy cow" musicians ; not the young and upcoming boys and girls. Priyanka is a good girl and a decent singer. We wish her good (better) luck in future concerts.

That is why my targets are the Duelling Abhangists, the tup-tup artist, the Proprietress of Ye Honourable Olde & Originale Abhangerie, and the like!

[pperumal]

harimau - touche!!!!

- PP.

[arasi]

kssr,
There! You have inspired the pot (calling the kettle black) to have a moment of self analysis and also for it to coin a new title for the old abhangist ??

[vasanthakokilam]

Humour, satire and mockery are indeed powerful tools. Amply demonstrated by the number of posts this string has attracted. But I feel it should to used more in taking on powerful senior "holy cow" musicians ; not the young and upcoming boys and girls. Priyanka is a good girl and a decent singer. We wish her good (better) luck in future concerts.

That is why my targets are the Duelling Abhangists, the tup-tup artist, the Proprietress of Ye Honourable Olde & Originale Abhangerie, and the like!

Sure, i see the humor part occasionally which I had acknowledged but what is not cool is the total and unbridled animosity, very thinly veiled as sarcasm, you show towards them. And over time any iota of moral superiority you exhibited that you are doing it for saving CM from the clutches of these popular artists has worn thin. What you do is not along the lines kssr talks about. This may be a good opportunity for some reflection.

[kvchellappa]

Yes, the necessary precondition for humour (even sarcasm) is absence of hard feelings or spite.

[narayan]

That is not true. I like it that how very selectively you read my posts here on rasikas. I also wrote very good stuff about artists such as Vignesh Easwar and Ramakrishnan Murthy. I call a spade a spade. I cannot stand mediocre performances. Priyanka's and Brinda's performances were below par compared to the hype that was generated here on rasikas. In the current lot, I have only good things to say about artists such as RKM, Vignesh, Amrutha Venkatesh. I get frustrated by mediocrity and not by success. Success belongs to the artists that I just mentioned above and a very select few who work hard and it shows in their performances. As a music critic and as a Professor of music (Doctorate in music), I have the right to voice my sincere opinion here.

Dear thenjasatta,

This is certainly one of the low points in the recent history of the forum. If this is the only way you can be constructive (or perhaps you didn't even mean to be constructive?) and uphold high standards, it is very sad. From a Professor of music, I would expect better. Anyhow, all the best to you your students and also best wishes to the musicians who are trying what they can.

Narayan

[gardabha_gana]

I second that.... I personally feel very low that we have descended to such a level while discussing a fine art. I request the moderator to yank this whole thread out. Shame on us.

[arasi]

gardabha_gana,

Yes, around gAna, gardhabhas chorus!
arasikAs forum it now seems to be

Your forum name, a sign of your humility
But their braying hurts the innocents

Get off, you old fools they said first--
Now, off with the young too? Pray,
What will remain, if negativity rules
In the name of supreme rasikatvA?

[kvchellappa]

Just now priyanka is accompanying Neela mami at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKCYdjDIrzE

[gardabha_gana]

Yeah.... watching it... Igo Namma swami - reminds me of DKP indeed - have heard her sing that as a kid in bangalore
And also, just watching - jayantasena - i think the pattammal clan owns this beautiful ragam. Vijay Siva just did a RTP on it.

Very nice poem m'am - will not go away... there was another thread going on - i know you know which one it is.. between these two I felt hurt. At least in the other one - the author has expressed regrets.

[cacm]

gardabha_gana,
Yes, around gAna, gardhabhas chorus!
arasikAs forum it now seems to be
Your forum name, a sign of your humility
But their braying hurts the innocents
Get off, you old fools they said first--
Now, off with the young too? Pray,
What will remain, if negativity rules
In the name of supreme rasikatvA?

VERY NICE& APPROPRIATE POEM BY ARASI! WHO ELSE CAN PIERCE THE BANANA WITH A NEEDLE SO APPROPRIATELY? VKV

[kssr]

"VERY NICE& APPROPRIATE POEM BY ARASI! WHO ELSE CAN PIERCE THE BANANA WITH A NEEDLE SO APPROPRIATELY? VKV"

Where is banana and needle. Sir. It is sending down a hammer on Dr.Honey's (Then) soft head.