Smt. Seetha Narayanan @ Ragasudha 18.12.2015

[semmu86]

Smt. Seetha Narayanan- Vocal
B. U. Ganesh Prasad- Violin
T. K. Ramakrishnan- Mrudangam
Trivandrum Rajagopal- Kanjira

1. Varnam?? It was just getting over as i came.
2. Shri gambhIra nATya ganapathE- gambhIra nATTai- adi
3. KshEErasAgarA-dEvaghAndhAri- adi, R
4. JAlandhara supITa, valaji, thisra ekam, RNS
5. nAda nilai kanDuruga ,khanDachapu, gayakapriya
6. Sri bAlasubramaNya, misra chapu Bilahari, R
7. KaligiyuntE-keeravani, adi, RNST
Had to leave post this.

Only a concert should need reviews. Experiences like these may never need one. It was that kind of an experience at Ragasudha at this concert. As always the case with mami's concerts, this was another brilliant one. So deceptively simple the music looked and sounded. Such irresistible gowravam and artistry one can normally associate with her concerts. The rarely heard valaji krithi of Muthiah Bhagavathar was masterfully rendered, highlight of the evening for me, having heard vidwans B.V. Raman & B.V. Lakshman sing this years ago.

Core audience remained about 15-20 people. Such a shame that there were hardly any takers for such kind of sangeetham and concerts. Indeed an extremely worrying trend.

[pattamaa]

so glad to hear about this concert... measure of crowd is inversely proportional to suddha sangeetham... so, i am not surprised..

[jodha]

U find hardly one or two in an exclusive diamond jewellery shop.But it is always maddening crowd in Rathna stores.The Valaji kriti is a MMI favourite.TVS sings this often.

[raviraj]

semmu86

1. Seetha Narayanan announced the adi tala tana varnam she sang as being in the raga Karpurabharani, a derivative of Dharmavati. The Gambira natta kriti in sanskrit had an attractive anuloma/viloma cittasvara. She said both these two compositions were the creations of her guru, PangyAnAdu Rajagopala Iyer.

2. Hardly an hour & half into the concert a front bench rasika( was he one ?) stood up & requested her to sing "kurai onrum illai". I felt sorry for the vidushi & fervently wished that she was a Brindamma & a Semmangudi rolled into one or a Vedavalli or TMK, for such would be their forbidding personality or even if somebody dare ask asinine stuff , they would simply be tongue lashed. I only feel sorry that such is the state of rasikatvam today. And that was not the end. As soon as she wound up the main, another worthy goaded her to sing either Malkosh or Chandrakauns as if it was a Hindustani concert . She was goodness incarnate to the effect that she sang to please both these dudes. Its immaterial whether I like tukkadas or not but i feel its a serious waste of artistes talent and the time, when they can produce such sublime music from the their very heart.

In the last year outing, IIRC she sang a brilliant vintage Karaharapriya and followed it up 'satatam tAvaka'. I guess its up to us rasikas to grow up, move up the chain- hone/sharpen our aesthetic sense and demand the very best. And we also seem to get stuck with individuals - performers and composers & not with the content they produce, for after all its the music that is the subject matter.

And which makes me add this - In the today afternoon 1:30 PM concert @ the Meccademy, this young artiste unleashed the cat amongst the pigeons with her version of Karaharapriya- alapana and tanam. And a long time member of the Academy spewed venom at me for having sat through that & was ruing his fate of having been consigned to listen to all this. Hearing him I was reminded of our fellow member - ramki/vainika's post ( rant?) on the Nilambari he happened to hear at the Academy some years ago . Tastes differ and some might come back & post about this today afternoon concert as a tour-de-force. I have no intention of getting flamed . Peace !

Ravi

[prashant]

I guess its up to us rasikas to grow up, move up the chain- hone/sharpen our aesthetic sense and demand the very best. And we also seem to get stuck with individuals - performers and composers & not with the content they produce, for after all its the music that is the subject matter.

Thumbs up for this!

[Rsachi]

Semmu86,
Jalandhara supeethasthe is heard in these parts often (even today on the FM radio )
there was a fine rendition of this song a week or so ago by Gayathri Girish on the same FM station. It might have been a record album.

Many of Muthiah Bhagavatar songs were related to Srividya as this was the deity of Mysore royalty.

Thanks for your impassioned coverage, given your own busy performing engagements pls your work scene. You're a role model for many!

[harimau]

A bit of clarification.

One gentleman requested -- if it was convenient for the artist -- to sing either Malkauns or Chandrakauns. I would assume those are some of his favourite ragas. Smt Narayanan said she would sing Chandrakauns. After the concert, the gentleman went near the stage and said he has somehow overlooked her all these years and would she accept an engagement to sing at Ramana Kendra. A better approbation cannot be found.

Kurai Ondrum Illai has reached cult status and one must admit that the requester stayed till the end, at least to hear his favourite song. One has to respect his patience!

[harimau]

Drop everything else you have on your platter.

The lec-dem on Sunday by Sri SRJ at Raga Sudha Hall has been cancelled.

In its place, Smt Seetha Narayanan will be presenting a lec-dem on Hindusthani bhajans by Muslim devotees of Krishna and a comparison with Alwar pasurams.

Having spent a considerable part of her life in Northern India due to her husband's postings, Seetha Mami is in an ideal position to talk on this subject.

[harimau]

Smt. Seetha Narayanan- Vocal


1. Varnam?? It was just getting over as i came.
...........
7. KaligiyuntE-keeravani, adi, RNST
Had to leave post this.

Priye Charusheele - Jayadeva - Darbari Kanada
Hari Darshan ke Pyasi - Surdas - Yamankalyan
Kurai Ondrum Illai - Rajaji - Ragamalika

All were sung movingly and literally brought tears to my eyes. Well, maybe not the last.

As to the rasikatvam of the average Mylapore mamas and Mamis, all I can say is that they should pick the brains of Lars Fredriksson, our Swedish visitor. He unerringly picks all the fantastic concerts that feature Carnatic music at its glorious best.

[semmu86]

1. Seetha Narayanan announced the adi tala tana varnam she sang as being in the raga Karpurabharani, a derivative of Dharmavati. The Gambira natta kriti in sanskrit had an attractive anuloma/viloma cittasvara. She said both these two compositions were the creations of her guru, PangyAnAdu Rajagopala Iyer.

Smt. Seetha Narayanan- Vocal


1. Varnam?? It was just getting over as i came.
...........
7. KaligiyuntE-keeravani, adi, RNST
Had to leave post this.

Priye Charusheele - Jayadeva - Darbari Kanada
Hari Darshan ke Pyasi - Surdas - Yamankalyan
Kurai Ondrum Illai - Rajaji - Ragamalika

Thank you

[sureshvv]

And which makes me add this - In the today afternoon 1:30 PM concert @ the Meccademy, this young artiste unleashed the cat amongst the pigeons with her version of Karaharapriya- alapana and tanam. And a long time member of the Academy spewed venom at me for having sat through that & was ruing his fate of having been consigned to listen to all this. Hearing him I was reminded of our fellow member - ramki/vainika's post ( rant?) on the Nilambari he happened to hear at the Academy some years ago . Tastes differ and some might come back & post about this today afternoon concert as a tour-de-force. I have no intention of getting flamed . Peace !

Ravi

I was there. I did not think the concert measured up to the previous two concerts of hers that I was able to attend. But I attribute it more to the Meccademy's stiff shirt environment. In spite of that I thought her Kharaharapriya was creative and original. For some reason that seems to foment a lot of venom in the Academy circles.

[semmu86]

Thank you for your kind words @ Rsachi.....