S Aishwarya in Detroit April 16th 2016

[Sreeni Rajarao]

S Aishwarya - Vocal
Jayshankar Balan - Violin
Vinod Seetharaman - mRdanga

It was a beautiful, sunny morning here in Detroit.

Aishwarya, Jayshankar and Vinod made it even more beautiful with their music in a temple hall.

The auditorium was a simple setting without any flashy displays or distractions, and the music we heard was rich and engaging.

It appears the concert was not well advertised and therefore it was a small audience. That did not deter the dedicated performers - the music they gave us was special indeed.
(I enjoy small setting live performances better than big, flashy auditorium settings).

After the concert, I enjoyed an additional bonus of a nice conversation with Cienu and Aishwarya.
I was touched by their humility and warmth.

They are on their way to Chicago for a concert in Naperville tomorrow afternoon.

Some pictures for now...... I will write details later today.

[arasi]

Sreeni,
Good that you could listen to her in person! Please do post the details.

Hope Chicago area rasikAs are going to fill the hall! Waiting for a review from there. Spring is here, the birds are astir. Song birds too

[rshankar]

Sreeni
Beautiful pictures. Thank you. Look forward to your write up.
Arasi
I hope one particular cuckoo heard your call - one of the spring variety! Alternately, you can take a leaf out of ANDAL's book and send him a message along the lines she sends in the tiruvAi mozhi painkiLi vaNNan!!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Sorry for the delay in writing more about the concert!

1. Om nama pranavarthaya shloka followed by valachi vacchi - -Navaragamalika varna - Adi - Patnam Subramanya Iyer
Aishwarya sang ragamalika swaras at the end - I understand that this is atypical.

2. Rama nannu brovara - harikambodhi - rupaka – Tyagaraja
Included Alapana, neraval at meppulakai kannatAvu and swara

3. Sri Kanthimathim Shankara Yuvathim – Hemavati – Adi – Muthuswamy Dikshitar
Alapana (Vocal and Violin), neraval at Shuddha Thaamraparnee Thatasthithaam and swara

4. Shobillu sapta swara – Jaganmohini – rupaka – Tyagaraja

5. Sri Chamundeshwari – bilahari – Adi – Mysore Vasudevacharya
Alapana (Vocal and Violin), neraval at raakanishaakara sannibhavadane raajeevalochane
Included a tani by Vinod that filled the hall with rich, vibrant rhythmic sounds for about 4 minutes

6. Poonkuyil Koovum – Kapi – Tala? – Kalki (Cienu helped me with the words of this song)

7. Angai Kodu Malar "Thoovi – chenchurutti , nAdanAmakriya ( Cienu helped me with additional information on this song. It’s a Tirupugazh. Smt M S learned this song in the year 1934 from Khanjira Vidwan Sri Dakshinamurthy Pillai)

8. pibare rama rasam – yamuna kalyani – Tala? – Sadashiva Brahmendra (Cienu explained to me that this is MS version, tuned by Semmangudi. Usually we hear this song in ahir bhairavi)

9. Dasana madiko enna – nadanamakriya – Tala? – Purandaradasaru

10. maitreem bhajata – Yamuna Kalyani - Chandrasekharendra Saraswati


I have referred to sources on the Internet for some of the information I have typed up above. Please make corrections as needed.

Hemavati and Bilahari items were elaborate. As Bilahari alapana was unfolding, I was hoping it would be Sri Chamundeshwari. As if she read my mind, Aishwarya offered the song I was hoping to hear!

Aishwarya obliged with my request for a Purandaradasa song as well!

Detroit’s own stars Jayshankar Balan and Vinod seemed to be enjoying the team performance.

To borrow from Rajesh’s scale, it was an Excellent concert and an Excellent experience for me!

[rshankar]

Sreeni! Thank you for sharing!
I see some pieces that are unique to Aishwarya: Like the varNam and the Kalki Sri Krishnamurthy composition. I do not seem to remember these pieces sung by her grandmother and great-grandmother.

[rajeshnat]

Sreeni! Thank you for sharing!
I see some pieces that are unique to Aishwarya: Like the varNam and the Kalki Sri Krishnamurthy composition. I do not seem to remember these pieces sung by her grandmother and great-grandmother.

Ravi,
Great observation - I mentally had what you wrote when Poonkuyil was sung which is a DKP popularized number . I was not sure about navaragamaliga valachi till you wrote. I do know MLV has sung this number . We can perhaps say Aishwarya gave a early touch of MLV and a late touch of DKP .Best wishes to young Aishwarya.

[cienu]

Thank you Sreeni for the review
It was indeed a great pleasure to meet you at Detroit.
Thank you Arasi, Rajesh and Ravi.
Just to add a few more points.
Song No 7 is Angai Kodu Malar "Thoovi."
Also for the NRM Varnam, Aishwarya sang ragamalika swaras at the end.
With regard to Poonkuyil, Aishwarya has learnt from my mother. Though it is a part of the MSS repertoire, this was not sung in concerts. There is also "Chinan Chirikiliye Kannamma" (in Khamas ragam) which was well known by Grandmother and mother but not sung on Concert stage, but as children we have heard them sing in the house between practice sessions.

PS: Arasi, Ravi & Sreeni - Met the Spring Cuckoo in today's Chicago concert

[rshankar]

Thank you, Cienu for your clarifications. You're mother and grandmother had such an enormous repertoire (based on what was presented on stage), that it is unbelievable that they had songs they had learned but not presented! Amazing...
Hope to hear the khamAs version of cinnanciru kiLiyE from Aishwarya!

PS: VK - we expect a review from you too!!!