Ajith Ranganathan's concert in Madurai Ragapriya

[sitaky]

Dear Rasikas, A happy new year to all. Though an ardent Rasika , reviewing a concert is beyond my scope. I was waiting for someone from Madurai to review it. It was not to be. Nevertheless it's a pleasant duty to tell you what I gathered in the three hour concert.The New Year at Ragapriya opened with mellifluous notes from Ajith's flute. The entire concert in the chamber music hall of Ragapriya reverberated with soothing notes flowing from the flute. A close friend and my student at school, I remember him as a young boy walking along with me from school to Sri Sankarasivam's house to learn mridangam from his nephew Palani. Later, I have attended a concert when he was learning flute from Kesi. When he came under the tutelage of Sri Ramani , I had the chance to listen to a webcast and a few recorded CDs.I used to be filled with pleasure to see him in the webcasts seated beside Sri Ramani playing at Cleveland for the Pancharatna Kritis .
In this concert,he was accompanied by M.Vijay Ganesh on the violin and M.Ashwin Sridharan on the mridangam.Ajit opened the concert with valachi varnam of Lalgudi.Next came ' Pranamamyaham ' by Vasudevacharya.The listeners were then soaked in the vintage music of Kanchadalaya Dakshi. The rapt attention of listeners were caught by the caressing notes of Kamala Manohari. Thyagaraja's 'Entaro Mahanubhavalu' followed next.In quick succession came 'Rama nee Samana Evaro and Marivere in Latangi by Patnam Subramanya Iyer.
When he started the Kamboji for the main it was anybody's guess that
the boy from Srirangam would play O Ranga Sayee. The flautist and violinist vied with each other in delineating this emotion laden song.The violinist's returns were equally stirring.The keen play of the mridangam throughout the concert reached a crescendo in the captivating Thani.A thillana composed by Sri Ramani in Nalinakanti and Enna thavam Seithanai concluded the concert. All the three musicians hail from Madurai, my own native town. This small town boys have not only done well in the IT field but also have given their heart and soul to music after their hectic hours at office.
My insight into music does not warrant even a description of the concert , but Ajith is known to many in this forum as a friend and member and it was my keen desire to share the pleasure of listening to his concert.I wish to say that we can mark the coming of a flautist worthy to be Sri Ramani's disciple.

[srikant1987]

Thank you for this straightforward report of the concert It is very refreshing and endearing. Of course, I get interested just like that about instrumental concerts. This M Vijay Ganesh isn't M Vijay, student of S Varadarajan, is he?

[rajeshnat]

Best wishes Ajit - many years before Ajit said in our forum meet some thing like " I donot know if there are concerts ever happening in my home town in madurai .There is no writeups any where in the forum . That was his pet peeve then ". After few years, here there is his own concert and a follow up review from madurai. It takes a lot of stamina to play flute for a 3 hour concert. Best wishes to Ajit and thanks sitaky for the review.

[mahavishnu]

Very nice to see a concert review of Sri Ajit. Thanks Sitaky.

[ajit]

M. Vijay Ganesh is a disciple of Sri A.G.A.Gnanasundaram(disciple of Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman).