Random kutcheri notes Dec 2015

[pattamaa]

This is for concert hoppers

Listed tobTNK nama violin partially in academy 25 Dec

Natrakurinji, mamavacsada varade
Kambodhi RTP, ragamalika tanam, kapi, sahana
Jingle bell's
English note
Surati

[sureshvv]

Hattrick for ninuvinagamari poorvikalyani at the academy, all at #2. Time they used google docs.

[sureshvv]

Small explosion on the stage & something falls barely missing the artistes. Seems like a blown overheated lamp. Aishwarya Vidya Raghunath & team continue unfazed.

[sureshvv]

Closest I have seen of a standing ovation for an afternoon concert at the Academy.

The irony of the last two items back to back, the first by M.D.Ramanathan & the second by "Sangeetha Kalanidhi" T.V.Gopakakrishnan sir made the audience verklempt

[pattamaa]

Bharati sundar in BGS, soulful yadukula kambodhi, tunai purindarul , varamu, abd detailed mohanam for hagadeeshwari... Nagai Sriram, patri and KVG taking cncert to different plane

[pattamaa]

Jayanthi kumaresh in academy, Amma ravamma in kalyani, mayamna in natrakurinji, atu kadhara manoranhani, and shanmukhapriya RTP thisra Tripura 2 kalai, ragamalika tanam and swaras in sahana, hamsabadam, and saveri

[sridhar_ranga]

Small explosion on the stage & something falls barely missing the artistes. Seems like a blown overheated lamp. Aishwarya Vidya Raghunath & team continue unfazed.

Full credit to the brave young Mridangist (listed as K.H. Vineeth) for continuing unfazed, despite being hit by a falling glass piece (or a ricochet) that hit his wrist or forearm. I felt the stage should have been evacuated until declared safe again.

[sridhar_ranga]

The new sound system at Vani Mahal needs a serious and thorough check. During Abhishek Raghuram's concert last night, people at the rear right rows were hearing the speaker either at full blast or not at all...it took multiple protests for the situation to be attended to, and I don't think they got it right till the end. Marred the overall experience big time.

That said, it is about time they came up with a control and guidance sensor that can be strapped to Abhishek's chin, such that the microphone can follow him around a 180 degree horizontal arc between violinist and mridangam player - yesterday, they would have had to tweak it for 225 degrees, as the arc had to cover Chitraveena too!

[harimau]

Jayanthi kumaresh in academy, Amma ravamma in kalyani, mayamna in natrakurinji, atu kadhara manoranhani, and shanmukhapriya RTP thisra Tripura 2 kalai, ragamalika tanam and swaras in sahana, hamsabadam, and saveri

Natrakurinji? Smelly? Though natram in Tamil originally meant sweet-smell.

[arasi]

kaRpUramum kamalappUvum umakku nATRamE (modern sense) aiyyA

[Nick H]

Small explosion on the stage & something falls barely missing the artistes. Seems like a blown overheated lamp. Aishwarya Vidya Raghunath & team continue unfazed.

Full credit to the brave young Mridangist (listed as K.H. Vineeth) for continuing unfazed, despite being hit by a falling glass piece (or a ricochet) that hit his wrist or forearm. I felt the stage should have been evacuated until declared safe again.

Safe is not a word in the vocabularly of the local organisers. Eleswhere, halls would be closed and sealed for what is accepted as every-day normality here.

The new sound system at Vani Mahal needs a serious and thorough check. During Abhishek Raghuram's concert last night, people at the rear right rows were hearing the speaker either at full blast or not at all...it took multiple protests for the situation to be attended to, and I don't think they got it right till the end. Marred the overall experience big time.

Oh god, new systems and sabhas still can't get it right? It is not easy, but nor is it rocket science. I suppose it begins with someone who actually knows something about audio specifying the equipment, and someone qualified operating it. The average HiFi enthusiast could do better than some of these guys, for all their psychotic imaginings of the effect that cable price tags, etc, have on music, at least they usualy know how to put speakers in approximately the right place and get the volume comfortable.

That said, it is about time they came up with a control and guidance sensor that can be strapped to Abhishek's chin, such that the microphone can follow him around a 180 degree horizontal arc between violinist and mridangam player - yesterday, they would have had to tweak it for 225 degrees, as the arc had to cover Chitraveena too!

There are three answers to this problem.

1. Teach music students not to engage in antics: they are singers, not dancers.

2. Teach mic technique to prospective performers. Do it young, so they know it when they are seventy and nobody dares to correct them. It is a tool of their trade, for goodness sake.

3a. Do not us a single, unidirectional mic for a singer who often looks towards their accompanists --- which is hardly limited to antic performers.
3b. Use a clip on mic, and then it doesn't matter if the singer even wants to turn their back on the audience.

No new tech needed. It has all been there for decades. It just needs to be used and stage performers need to be taught the basics of stage craft.

[Nick H]

K Dharini[/i] at Arkay, yesterday.

Take the power of a locomotive, and use it with the training and sensitivity of RV school! An astounding performance.

This was the only concert that I have heard since the fateful December 2nd during which I could close my eyes and not see black water or start imagining flood-prevention measures. She made me forget the world entirely and think only of her music.

Wonderful. Thank you, Dharini. Please come back from USA and sing here at least once a month!

[sankark]

K Dharini[/i] at Arkay, yesterday.

Is this the one that sang before S Aiswarya in BGS on 25th? Amazing voice and a superb Vasanta (harihara putram) and pollAppuliyinum (mmg) that I recall.

Nick
If this is the one you are referring to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJSRyYkgbPg no, this is a different Dharini.

[Nick H]

I have a little trouble with my Firefox updates at the moment, so didn't see that link, but some days previously, my K Dharini told me, nothing until 26th, so I think... a Different Dharini.

Poor girl started with something like seven concerts booked, of which I hoped to see at least 3.5. I'm not sure what the final number is, but, if it is only one, at least I got to see it

[sureshvv]

Have been subject to various deviant pronunciations for Sanskrit & Tamil compositions. Young upcoming artiste sings the swars as "cha" as in cha ni da pa!

[sankark]

is that as bad as pronouncing sei as shey, seidhu as sheidu, sol as shol, etc. and making lot of s as sh in tamil. Have noted this tendency in well north of 50% of singers, especially in the fairer sex.

[sureshvv]

Not sure. But is this a race to the bottom?

[sureshvv]

Vasudha Ravi sings an elaborate alapana for a raga at the centroid of the triangle formed by Kalyani, Hamsanadam & Dharmavathy. Seems the raga is called Saranga tharangini. Follows it up with the GNB composition Samana Rahite which I have heard before. Wonderful effort & kudos!