Sanjay S @ SPSS 30/12/15

[MV]

1) Siddhi Vinayakam Shanmukhapriya KS
2) Vande Mataram Kedaram
3) Meenalochana Brova Dhanyasi R N@ Samaja Gamana KS
4) Velum Mayilume Sucharitra Kavi Kunjara Bharati
5) O Rangashayee Khamboji RN @ Bhooloka KS Thani
6) RTP Mayamalavagoulai Adhi ;;; Sivaloga Nathanai Kandu-Sevithuduvom Vareer
just moved to Sahana and a Hindustani ragam before going directly to...
7) Nadasudha Kapi by Swathi Tirunal
8) Kani Nilam Vendum
9) Pavamana

With family affairs to handle, my Season had almost halted. But couldn't say NO to a Sanjay concert-specially as this one turned out. Just suffice to say that both Dhanyasi and Kambhoji are great ones to end the Season with. His team was also in great form-Varadu had some lovely Kambhoji in his bag and the tani was smart.

[kunthalavarali]

4) vElum mayilume is by KI the Hindustani raga mentioned was jOg

[akishore87]

Wholesome concert....couldn't attend Sanjay sir's other concerts due to unavoidable reasons but after listening to him at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, had a feel of listening his Season's 4 to 5 concerts put together. Melting Dhanyasi and a captivating Kambodhi with extraordinary violin accompaniment by Sri.Varadarajan not to forget the perfect Mridangam and Ghatam support.

[CRama]

God! I could join the season by the fag end. Yes. My health is now better. I wanted to attend one concert of Sanjay. So yesterday I decided to go for this concert and happy that I ventured out.

When I reached the venue, the man at the gate told that all tickets sold out. But I was in no mood to relent. I was just pulling conversation with him, asking for tickets of Rs 500, Rs 1000. (Not that I will pay Rs 1000 for a concert- I was mentally prepared to shell out upto Rs.500- for this is the last concert of Sanjay in this season.) Then one samaritan came and offered a ticket to me. Told that he had purchased three tickets, but one friend could not turn up. I thanked that friend, and happily grabbed the ticked – a Rs.200 one.

The concert was an excellent one- by his usual standards. I immensely appreciated his selection of songs- for Sidhivinayakam- I have not heard for years in a live concert, Meenalochana, O Rangasayi, and RTP- Mayamalavagowla- my long awaited RTP -all in one concert- I cannot wish for more. Three ragams, Dhanyasi, Kambodi and MMG all very well and elaborately rendered in his inimitable style. In spite of this being his tenth or so concert, his voice was in good form. He could touch upto mel dha in Kambodi alapana and neraval. I thought he will skip neraval at Bhooloka Vaikuntam. For he had already done elaborate neraval at Samajagamana neevu for Meenalochana brova and time was running. But he did not disappoint his avid fans. Elaborate neraval at Bhooloka Vaikuntam and two kala swaras. The cascade of half avarthana swaras in first kalam seamlessly morphing into second kalam was very enjoyable. His ample manodharmam came to the fore in this. The entire song took one hour and five minutes excluding thani.

After the Kambodi, he sang Parengum parthalum- a padam by Ghanam Krishna Iyer in Kalyani on the Sarangapani Perumal of Kumbakonam.
I was longing to hear a pallavi in MMG for many years. Yesterday Sanjay fulfilled my wish. It was well presented with RM swaras at Sahana, Jog and Kapi.
Certain I things I did not like.
• While finishing off the alapana of MMG, he sang the phrases of the famous film song- Poongathave thaal thiravay. That does not suit a man of his stature.
• There were certain unmusical prayogams like pppp,,,, dddd,,,, in Kambodi which was not aestheticaly pleasant to me.
• He could not avoid tu tu tu in one place.

But the frenzied fans highly applauded at all the above junctures.
The accompanists - his regular team played with zeal and fervour. Varadarajan’s returns and alapanas were excellent. An excellent concert for three hours plus.

[kvchellappa]

Thanks Sri CRama. Wish you sound health. Nothing like reading your comments on a concert.

[arasi]

We missed your reviews, CRama.
Good to know you are feeling better.

See, I do not know the film song, and would have wondered what it was--I have heard him do that kind of a finish with a CM song line before.

[rajeshnat]

Crama
Like you wanted to atleast hear one concert of sanjay. But I was not sure tickets would be there . I also like MMG as RTP , i guess with KAmbOdhi full throttle MMG is a great choice to go for pallavi and also to precede with dhanyasi submain is a great choice to ears - not sure how that was as I did not hear. Great to hear that you are back to writing - hope you feel better.

[grsastrigal]

Nice to see Crama's review.
You are right. My wife, who had been to this concert, did mention that he hummed...the film song. My wife liked because she is IlayarAjA's fan !!!
But I don't. Same way, even in vani mahAl concert, he hummed a film song.. That is not good for Sangeetha kalAnidhi designated. That is not good carnatic music.
rasikas.org- we can do something to share the tickets among ourselves. Sometimes, I have extra ticket and don't know who to give that time I think of rajeshnat and other colleagues here. Paucity of time and office pressure refrain from proceeding further. Even today I have VIP ticket for Trichur brother at vAni mahAl. Instead of sending mails-shall we have any exlusive e-counter here.. I don't know as Iam not IT wiz.
Another point- how to meet rasikas.org contributors in the hall. Sometimes I feel many of us in the same concert but could not meet !!!!!

[CRama]

Another point- how to meet rasikas.org contributors in the hall. Sometimes I feel many of us in the same concert but could not meet !!!!!

grs. you pointed to this. I have felt that many of our members are not keen on disclosing their identity and meeting other rasikas members. Because in Rasikas meets, many Chennai rasikas dont come. When we discussed the idea of having a logo or something, there are very few takers. Today I would have grabbed your offer. But I have to go to Abhishek Raghuram today. Another singer I wanted to hear at least one concert this season.

[bharathi]

I thoroughly enjoyed this concert.. a word or two of the crowd behaviour..
It took a whole 45 mins for the crowd to settle down.. the organisers squeezing in plastic chairs.. for their favourites..
The mamis ans mamas kept talking adding to the din.. I wish the sabha could move to some decent surroundings..

Ultimately the wonderful concert made up for all the minuses. Beautiful Meenlochani, calming Velumayilume, Brilliantly presented Kambhoji and the excellent MayaMalavaGowlai was a nice of wrapping up the December2015 season for me.

[CRama]

Yes bharathi, reg crowd indiscipline, I fully endorse your views.

[bhakthim dehi]

Regarding identifying our forumites, is it possible to build our profile in this site facilitating to upload our pictures?
I don't know whether this is feasible;just a suggestion.

[ramarama]

Have not heard much of Sanjay but did attend this performance and was glad I did - I now get why he has become such a superstar, with some comparing him with some of the greats of yesteryear in terms of flair and flourish at least. Not saying that the comparisons are justified just that he clearly had the pulse of the audience and there was not a lacklustre moment in the concert, which is tough to maintain for a 3 hour plus period. Very few left before the RTP and most seemed to stay until the very end.

Separately, those superfast phrases pppp and dddd that an earlier poster referred to - they (and other phrases in the swara passages) felt like they were "instrumentalist-inspired" phrases, especially those performed by flute and violin players. Dr M Balamuralikrishna's swara singing also sometimes is evocative of an instrumental style. They're fun to listen to, as an occasional flourish in a vocal concert. But instrumentalists seem to go "nuts" (just saying) with some sangathis, and some swara passages (with very short and fast phrases, or jumping octaves rapidly, or doing some ultra-jantai prayogas) - in a way that vocalists rarely do. I wonder if that is because of voice limitations relative to instrumental possibilities, or if they are just not considered aesthetically pleasing by most vocalists.

The entire team on stage seemed to enjoy each other's music so much that it truly felt like a team performance - that does not happen often enough I think in kutcheris today? Are there other teams (TMK, RKSK, KAP for example) that work very well together? Would love to hear your opinions on other such long-standing collaborations that show great anticipation and enjoyment of each other's music.

[PUNARVASU]

CRama, I have read somewhere that 'if you desperately want/desire something, the whole world will conspire to get it for you'.
Yes, you anecdote proves that. Happy to read your review.
Hope your health is ok now.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Oh no ramarama, MB is beyond compare!