Vasudha Ravi @ BTM Academy 25.1.16

[kssr]

Vasudha Ravi
Adithi Krishna Prakash
B.S.Anand
Srishyla- Ghatam
Prasanna Kumar-Morsing

PUNANDARADASA COMPOSITIONS ONLY

1. virutham -ragamalika starting with malahari
2. Saari bandane ganesha bandane- Vasantha
3. Kande Kande Kande namma kannuga ...bangaaru krishnane - Sahana Ragam
4. Hari naama kirtane - Fast bhajan style
5. Sub main- Hamsanandi Ragam- KuNidaado Krishna KuNidaado- Swaram
6. Mukhya prana moola guruve- saaramathi?
7. Main Charukesi Ragam- Saamaanyavalla srihariye seva paamara janarige- N, S @ sarvaantaryaami srihari endu
8. Thani
9. Rama rama paayasage- folk
10. Krishna ena baarade- ragamalika
11. Baagyaada Lakshmi baaramma
12. In dina dinave subha dinavu


Comments;
a. The concert is part of BTM cultural academy's weeklong festival, this time mostly featuring young artists. It concludes on 31st Jan with Thyagaraja aradhana. Very consistent good effort by Sri. Anantharamiah and team. Sri.A is 82 years old and running around and working like a bee.
b. Vasudha's concert was very good. She understood the essence of Purandaradasa which is SIMPLICITY. She did not unnecessarily complicate anything. PD ONLY concerts are normally a struggle for the artists as to how to make it a full formal concert. Vasudha did not suffer this problem. Except charukesi she chose lighter ragams as well which went well with the concert's concept of simplicity. She did not force fit PD into the rigours of a regular concert.
c. The earlier concert of Vasudha was at SRLKM where it was a totally complex affair handled to perfection. Pallavi was in adi taalam with the first half in chaturasra and later half in kanda nadais. Good to see this young artist is not only a good musician but also highly flexible and can perform to different needs of the situation.
d. Sruti was fairly low compared to other lady artists so that the rendition was easy both to render and to listen. Most songs were adi talam.
e. Vasudha also has a pleasant stage presence with an authentic smile towards accompanying artists and audience.
f. Aditi on violin gave good support. Talented young artist. The concert was also not too challenging.
g. There was a team of three percussionists. Following was adequate. Thani was lack lustre. The initial elaborate round itself was so flat in the case of mridangam that no one listened to the rest.
h. Overall a very enjoyable light concert, as a purandaradasa concert should be.

[srikant1987]

Except charukesi she chose lighter ragams as well which went well with the concert's concept of simplicity.

You mean except sahana, right?

[kssr]

Lighter ragams for the singer Vs Lighter ragams for the listener

[arasi]

Same BTM, Purnadara dAsara krutis, rAma nAma pAyasake too, sung by M.S.Sheela years ago--a memorable concert--the same very active Anantharamiah too, I might add

Yes, the simplicity of PD's songs--which essentially means easy to sing and to listen to, brimming with a depth of bhAvA.

[HarishankarK]

Vasantha, Sahana, Hamsanandi, Sri/Madhyamavathi, Saramathi
Really are the above light ragas? I don't think so.

Behag, bageshree, til ang, Kapi?, patdeep, pilu, maduvanti can be considered as light ragas. Again depends on how they are sung.
Maybe you are trying to say that she did not sing any of the popular main ragas- kalyani, todo, bhairvi, kamboji etc.

[kssr]

Probably true. In my mind, somehow, I never feel a vasantha, sahana and definitely hamsanandi as heavy ragams, from the listening point of view. There is probably an official definition of what is light. I am not sure.