CM in metro

[kvchellappa]

Strains of the Carnatic to rend Namma Metro's air
Times of India‎ - 5 hours ago
By treating its commuters to the strains of Carnatic classical music. ... The musical strains will first rend the air at the underground stations on ...

[arasi]

Chellappa,

Good news! Still, it'll be like trying to listen to a kalyANa cachEri?

[VK RAMAN]

With 80-90 decibels within the train and mike blaring very often at Stations, it will turnout turnout tobe a joke or nuisance. Good luck at this attempt. A head phone attachment like the one provided in airplanes may help.

[shankarank]

Nope, with U Srinivas accompanied by Sri Palghat Raghu - I could listen away in the din of a self serve (counter take out) Indian restaurant filled with people - being called out with token numbers to pickup their orders. Unless you believe that sounds and their clarity make for music.

[arasi]

Point taken--and appreciated, coming from the generation which is particular about sound quality

Having lived in times when radio concerts meant listening through crackling sounds, and then sound 'enhancements' of all kinds in listening to tapes, VKR and the rest of us of our generation are 'train'ed to be tolerant listeners, I might add

[vasanthakokilam]

Let us reflect on what types of songs will work in such environments, consisting of general audience of diverse tastes and distastes, noisy or otherwise.

I think it can still be made to work by careful choice of singers and songs. In the West, if in doubt and want to get as main stream as possible to add some sophistication, Mazert or Vivali always come to the rescue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb0UmrCXxVA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6NRLYUThrY ) I am sure a lot of us have heard these not just in the quiet of Barnes and Noble but also in the noisy mall environments.

How about some songs by Madras Quartet. That will be a straight equivalent.

How about some film songs in carnatic ragas( say the more modern ones not the 1940s-50s ones ), the likes of 'en vIttu thOttathil' or 'sundaran ngyAnum sundari nIyum' or 'inda vInakku theriyAdA idai seidadu yarendru'. We are used to listening to film songs in any environment and have the option to take it or leave it.

And may be mix it up with Sankaran's favorite or some Chitti Babu or the modern versions from Rajesh Vaidya. High energy Raghu Vamsa Sudha or 'English Note' will always be a good sell.

if we want to take just a little bit deeper, two song came to my mind as prototypes. Two of Sanjay's songs from one of his albums: 'Brochevarevare' ( Sri ranjani ) and 'kaNmaniyE sollaDi' (Saranga) for the sheer energy of those songs with appropriate high energy mridangam accompaniment.

And there are now quite a few bands in Chennai who play carnatic themed music with a modern aesthetics that will appeal to the younger generation. Srimushnam Rajarao's son who is now a competent music director seems to have composing talents with such diversity.

These are just some templates for a mixture of varying energy levels and styles that will typically work for such environments consisting of general audience of diverse tastes and distastes.

[Nick H]

With 80-90 decibels within the train and mike blaring very often at Stations ...

They'll have to get that guy from Shastri Hall controling the sound.

And we'll all get deafer faster.

[shankarank]

Having lived in times when radio concerts meant listening through crackling sounds,

Yeah! very much missed the absence of stereo transmission for a long while with toppi not audible - especially for ladies - Smt. Vedavalli et. al. Could not listen to them in all the grandeur! It was the metallic sound of a non metallic music that made it very insipid! Had to wait for the spool tapes! And did not realize until then why it did not sound so good

And that is somewhat a contradiction to what I said earlier

[shankarank]

TMK's JambhupatE - if handled with a post modern thinking by a more dramatic Mridangist like somebody from Shri KRM's school or somebody like Patri - with a completely new overlay that is post modern - that isn't just supportive or special effect like what Arun does - but allows the mridangist to pick his own Varma points or Acupuncture spots - with dramatic sounds - still allowing the melody to speak - that doesn't sound like Western drum beats - but not the cliched nadais and sollus either - and finally no fusion and no tabla - will be a good candidate.

And throw in all we got - a multi Sruti pot array - Kanjira - Morsing - even konnakol in metalic voice.

Shri KRM's old productions - with Bombay Jaishree singing Bhajans of Ganapati Sachinadananda swamiji will be good as well.

Did somebody hear his "One" yet?

[rajeshnat]

What will happen when the tani avarthanam is played ? Will the metro be empty

[shankarank]

Wow! - A proto version is already here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1MCnn2uSMA

[vasanthakokilam]

What will happen when the tani avarthanam is played ? Will the metro be empty

LOL.. I look at the bright side of it, we will then find a place to sit as the rest flees.

[Purist]

It was said only instrumental carnatic music will be played.

[vasanthakokilam]

I get why Metro will do that, instrumental is lot more palatable to a wider and general audience. People throng to Rajesh Vaidya's 3+ hour concerts where he plays just the pallavi of hundreds of film songs. Interesting contrast...we hear that the CM fan base is mainly for vocal as seen by concert attendance.

[braindrain]

We have a similar set up in our office elevator. But I've heard only 'bantureeti kolu' so far. Fine instrumental piece starting 'bantureeti kolu' before the vocal announcement of 'minus two'.

[VK RAMAN]

15 seconds in elevator and 15 seconds bantureeti - unless you the elevator breaks down in the middle due to power off!!!!

[arasi]

Oh, no! Then Jayan has to cry out: I've Been Marooned
(I've Been Moved!--was once an expression among IBM-ers!)

[kvchellappa]

It seems till now the streaming has not started and that the metro western line is very crowded - hope they stream thani soon!

[shankarank]

the absence of stereo transmission for a long while with toppi not audible - It was the metallic sound of a non metallic music
....
And that is somewhat a contradiction to what I said earlier

To put this in perspective - here is an example.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqoLSzkQY7Q

I can deal with disturbances in between - claps from adjoining room - but cannot deal with the fact that the toppi has not been picked up well by the mikes.. for a serene kriti which has so much flow to it..

Interested to know how our esteemed member "Mridangam" feels about it?

[VK RAMAN]

No personal under the rug pulling!!!

[shankarank]

Nothing personal. Mentioned to underscore the fact that a musical output that does not balance the bass aspects is undesirable - especially where that aspect is a differentiator with other musical genres.

A confirmation from a practitioner will boost it's importance - as most auditoriums this is the single deficiency that plagues us - unable to handle correct volumes for the bass - resulting in howling etc..

I know that the example I cited makes people suspicious and that is a credibility deficiency that I have to bear.

[arasi]

Yes, Mridangam (Mannarkoil Balaji), Trivandrum Balaji, Erode Nagaraj, Mahavishnu and more members at Rasikas.org. Khanjira Goplakrishnan too,,,?

[Nick H]

A confirmation from a practitioner

Do remember that the performers on stage have little idea how their music is actually sounding to us in the audience --- as is painfully obvious in those frequent scenarios when they cannot hear each other but the audience is in pain!

[varsha]

Geting back to memories of travelling by suburban trains , I have always found it a bother to get a sniff of the approaching stations. In mumbai my eyes would be glued to plate fixed overhead with a map.
Well, with technology, I thought of a list of songs that could be piped through the systems , minutes before approaching respective stations. Fell free to modify / expand the list




0 Entry-reservation counter Odi barayya vaikuntapati - bhairavi - Purandara Dasa
1 Attiguppe ....ati sundaram - simhEndramadhyamam - muthayya bhAgavathar
2 Baiyappanahalli ..Nindakarirabeku - hindustani kApi - purandara dAsar
3 Banashankari.....mandirake bA bA_Surapura AnandadAsaru_Manushi KaNavi
4 Central College ....guruvina gulAmanaguva thanaka - pantuvarALi - purandara dAsar
5 Chickpete ...Chikkavane ivanu - shuddhadhanyAsi - purandara dAsar
6 City Market hannu Bandide - hindOLam - Dasar
7 City Railway Station ...E dAri sancarinturA - Srutiranjani
8 Cubbon Park....sutti sutti bandarilla_dvijAvanti-Allama Prabhu
9 Dasarahalli....dAsana mADikO enna - nAdanAmakriyA - purandara dAsar
10 Deepanjali Nagar .... diya jala jag magh - saigal
11 Halasuru....hAlAsya nAtham - darbAru - dIkshitar^
12 Hosahalli....thAraka bindhige - tilang - purandara dAsar
13 Indiranagar....indira ramaNa - khamAs - mysUru vAsudevAcAr
14 Jalahalli....Jalam Seivatheno
15 Jayanagar...jaya jaya - nATa - vijaya vittala dAsa
16 Jayaprakash Nagar ..... jayatu yayatu vittala
17 Krishna Rajendra Market .... ida KoLLi - kAmbhOji - purandara dAsar
18 Kuvempu Road ..... Teredide mane O bA atithi
19 Lalbagh......Lal chadee maidan khadee, kya khub ladee kya khub ladee
20 Magadi Road ..... mAgathai - anandabhairavi - aruNagirinAthar
21 Mahalakshmi..... mahA lakSmi jaganmAtA - shankarAbharaNam - pApanAsam shivan
22 Majestic...... rAja bhOga - kannaDa - yOgAnarasimham
23 M.G. Road...Mahatma mani Mozhi Vazhi Nadappom-rtp by mm iyer
24 Mysore Road....ahaa mysuru mallige
25 Nagasandra .... nAga lingaM namAmi - mOhanam - dIkshitar^
26 National College....vandE mAtaram - rAgamAlika - subramanya bhArati
27 Peenya....pinAkinE mahA - brndAvanasAranga - muthayya bhAgavathar
29 Putennahalli ..... Putta Putta Hejje Ittu
30 Rajajinagar......kurai onrum illai
31 Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road .... jayati jayati - khamAs - mAyUram vishwanATha shAsthry
32 Sampige Road .... hUbEke - rAgamAlika - vidya prasanna thIrtha
33 Sandal Soap Factory .... Chandan Sa Badan
34 Sir M. Visveshwarya ..... indina dinave Subha dinave - madhyamAvati - purandara dAsar
35 Swami Vivekananda Road... bhArata sAmrAjyam - dEs - mAyUram vishwanATha shAsthry
36 South End Circle dakshiNA mUrtE - shankarAbharaNam - dIkshitar^
37 Srirampura ....SrI rAma jayarAma shrngAra - madhyamAvati - tyAgarAja^
38 Trinity ......sangIta trimUrtigaLai - kEdAragauLa - pApanAsam shivan
39 Vidhana Soudha....ullavaru shivalaya maduvaru
40 Vijayanagar.....vijayAmbikE - vijayanagari - muthayya bhAgavathar
41 Yeshwantpur....yashomati maiya se bole nandlala
42 Goreguntepalya .... Ye kaali kaali aankhen Ye gore gore gaal
43 Exits .........ennaDO rakshhincitE - saurASTraM

[Purist]

@24 Varsha.. I could not discern # 30 Rajajinagar. If you meant something related to Rajaji (CR),
I think 'Kurai undrum illai' would be even more appropriate. Anyways your suggestions are quite interesting.

[varsha]

done

[VK RAMAN]

Wow varsha!!!!