Vijay Siva @ Sankritilaya SF Bay Area Sept 17, 2016

[mahavishnu]

Vijay Siva - vocal
RK Sriram Kumar - violin
J Vaidyanathan - mridangam

1. Viriboni varnam - bhairavi
2. Vidulaku mrOkeda – mayamalavagowla – N, S @ kamala gowri,
3. sari evvarE mA jAnaki – sreeranjani, A
4. kAmAkshi swarajati –yadukulakAmbhoji – SS
5. kamalAmbikE – tODi – MD N, S @ viyadAdi bhUtakiraNE
6. bhOgIndra sAyinam – kuntalavarALi – ST
7. RTP – vAcaspati – Adi 2 kalai samam (trikAlam, N, S, Tani)
Pallavi line: dEvi srI tripurasundari dheena dayApari jagadIswari
Ragamalika swarams in: naliNakAnti, amritavAhini, mAnd
8. kuvaLayAkshirO – gaulipantu – kshEtragna
9. ArA amudE arasE –rAgamAlika – thAyumAnavar
10. Viruttam - pAlninait tUTTum tAyium shAlap parindu: bilahari, MMG, abhEri segue to…
11. manamE kanamum maravadE – AbhEri – P.Sivan
12. shAnta ahimsA mUrthy – Sindhubhairavi – composer = Vijay Siva?
13. nirAmayapurAdhana (virAlimalai)– dhanyAsi - thiruppugazh - aruNagirinAdhar
14. swajana hrukamala sarOvara vikasita – (ends in jayashri mAdhuri ramaNA...sung in the tune of jana gana mana, composer?)
15. nI nAma rUpamulaku – sowrAshtram – T - Mangalam

Vijay Siva is one of the most principled of today's musicians: uncompromising musical standards and unimpeachable personal integrity. Vijay's stagecraft combines the best elements of the DKJ school with its strong pedagogical roots, adherence to the best techniques for vocal and lyrical enunciation and a deep repertoire with a strong foundation in the compositions of the musical trinity and Papanasam Sivan.

Today, despite having some voice issues (or so it seemed) VS managed to produce three hours of wonderful music. A quick glance at the concert list can tell you that there were no lightweight pieces. Everything had its place. No misplaced sangatis, no unnecessary phrases, no excessive vocalizations. If one were to archive Carnatic music from this period and put it in a time capsule to be discovered several millennia later, I would pick Vijay's music as one of my top choices of music to be preserved.

Despite a capricious sound system, VS developed significant momentum in the first few pieces as he built the edifice for this concert. Vidulaku was beautifully presented and so was sari evvarE, a piece that I haven't heard in quite a while. After a breezy yadukulakAmbhoji that showcased the majestic swarajati of SS, he moved on to the main piece in tODi. I have heard DKJ sing this with his disciples in the late '80s. This version of the song that DKP and DKJ learned from TL Venkatarama Iyer is indeed special (sung in tisra Eka 2 kalai as opposed to rupakam).

The pallavi was interesting, but a tad simple in these days of hypercomplex showy pallavis. And each of the post-pallavi pieces were so carefully chosen. All truly classical, even the ones that had non-carnatic origins. VS excelled in the gaulipantu padam!

RKSK was solid and played his part as a strong accompanist. His accompaniment style is always that of being the second voice; quite different from several other contemporary violinists who complement the vocalist in other ways. Today, he blended seamlessly with VS's music. The deep familiarity with the DKJ tradition made the merging of two voices (VS and RKSK) as miscible as two fluids diffusing into each other. There were times when he played in the upper octave in perfect sync with VS and it almost sounded like the octave switching that Pattammal and Jayaraman used to do when they were once a singing duo.

JV's nadham is spectacular. I wish JV were amplified better today, and I think he was quite frustrated with the sound system in the early part of the concert. I felt like we only heard a small percent of the great harmonics that his kappi vAdhyam produced. JV played like how a mridangist should play, with great dexterity and anticipation. And of course a thorough understanding of the music. The tani was very restrained, but full of sowkhyam.

I have been following VS's music for over four decades since the early 70s when we were both in elementary school at PSBB. Although I can say that this was not the best concert of Vijay that I have been to, it will still be an extremely memorable one. The production values that emphasize soulfulness, sincerity and dignity makes VS's music evergreen. In Vijay's book, there are no good days and bad days. There is just good classical music every day.

P.S: There were two young men Pramod Gokhale and Niranjan Krishna who served as pin pAttu (vocal support) today. Reminded me of DKJ with Vijay and Balaji Shankar (and occasionally his daughter Sukanya) behind him as his understudies.

[dhanurasi]

Happy to know you enjoyed the concert so much.

You remember and mentioned Balaji Shankar!

[thanjavooran]

Shri Mahavishnu,

' Vijay Siva is one of the most principled of today's musicians: uncompromising musical standards and unimpeachable personal integrity '

Yes you are right. This is one the reasons why he is not encouraged/appreciated by organizers and few rasikas. An excellent review. His selection of songs used to be good as his guru. Really glad you attended and shared your views with us. Your comments on RKSK and JV 's performance are very apt and nice. Expect more reviews from Bay Area concerts in future.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
18 09 2016

[rshankar]

Ramesh: great to hear from you after a long time! And a lovely concert to report on!

[arasi]

Ditto!

A classical fare, and your review

Shanta ahimsA mUrti, on Gandhiji? Is perhaps a Guhan song, if I'm not mistaken. DKP of course, sang his other compositions like: karam chandra mOhanadAs gAndhi and SAnti nilava vENDum?? Would like to know.

[sureshvv]

Shanti nilava vendum composed by Sethumadhava Rao

[arasi]

Thanks, Sureshvv.

Here's what we sang in the AIR children's program after the Mahatma left us:

Guhan (Radio Mama as we called him) wrote this song for us to sing:

SAnta svarUpi, satiya jOti, sAtvika mUrti mahAtmA gAndhi in brindAvana sAranga, I recollect...

One verse of it I remember is:

namakkena vAzndE namakkena iRandAr
namakkE ulagil tani madippaLittAr
tamakkena vAzhA tava muni avarai
santatam ninaindE darumathai vaLarpOm!

[mahavishnu]

Thanks all!

It turns out the composition in question is by Mayuram Vishwanatha Sastri.
https://youtu.be/qbrSRaeST-c?t=38m10s

I also just learned that this was the first concert as part of a 6 week US tour by Vijay Siva and team. Here's wishing them the very best for the rest of their concerts!

[rajeshnat]

Today, despite having some voice issues (or so it seemed) VS managed to produce three hours of wonderful music.
........
........
I have been following VS's music for over four decades since the early 70s when we were both in elementary school at PSBB. Although I can say that this was not the best concert of Vijay that I have been to, it will still be an extremely memorable one. The production values that emphasize soulfulness, sincerity and dignity makes VS's music evergreen. In Vijay's book, there are no good days and bad days. There is just good classical music every day.

Mahavishnu,
Not to challange you at all that too I know you in person and I look up at you. At times as a rasika , is the connection from young days that too from the PSBB school makes you believe that the concert is already great even before the first sangathi is sung .Possibly is that Ramesh's Book. Just teasing with a small rupakam question , in the midst of your lovely review


Personally the joy in this concert even without me hearing is the point where he begins the swarajati of yadukulaKAmbOdhi and segues into kamalAmbikE in todi.This is rajesh's book. Vijay is singing in dallas, wish he also sang in Austin (My Bad luck). Best wishes to Vijay,RKSK and JV.

[rajeshnat]

JV's nadham is spectacular. I wish JV were amplified better today, and I think he was quite frustrated with the sound system in the early part of the concert. I felt like we only heard a small percent of the great harmonics that his kappi vAdhyam produced. JV played like how a mridangist should play, with great dexterity and anticipation. And of course a thorough understanding of the music. The tani was very restrained, but full of sowkhyam.

Perhaps I can add a bit more Adi talam assertion here , I have personally seen and heard there is a really wonderful charge in JV's play and not an iota of overbang . JV is surely the complete vArissu of TK Murthy Sir. With vidushis Raga sisters singing today at Bay area, can I assume this concert was restricted to 3 hours.

[vanajan]

Lovely review Ramesh! Thank You.
IIRC, there was a slokam preceding the swarajathi.
Enjoyed the concert. It was a calm, dignified and unhurried concert!

Vanaja

[mahavishnu]

Vanaja: You are absolutely right. He sang this slokam preceding the swarajati.

"KAnchI-nUpura-ratna-kankaNa-lasat-kEyUra-harOjjvalAm
KAshmIrAruNa-kanchukAnchita-kuchAm kartUrikA-charchitAm
KalhArAnchita-hasta-yugma-lasitAm kAruNya-kallOlinIm
KAmAkshIm kalayAmi kalpa-latikAm KAnchI-purI devatAm"

[rshankar]

Where is this verse from?

[mahavishnu]

I wonder too. I searched for it and got a topic hit from an old thread on this forum (circa 2008), which credits it to Muthuswamy Dikshitar which I believe is incorrect. Rajani on this thread thinks the composer is "shree-mada-prauDha-kavi"

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5801

Ravi: You have participated in that discussion too!

[Rsachi]

They aired on Blr FM a lovely concert of Vijay Siva this morning.

The Kamakshi Stotra is so wonderful, indeed!

I delved into a BIG book of shlokas and stotras I have with me, and came up triumphant with the answer to who is the composer of the stotra:

|| ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ಶ್ರೀಮದ್ ಪ್ರೌಢಭಕ್ತವಿರಚಿತ ಕಾಮಾಕ್ಷೀಸ್ತೋತ್ರಂ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣಮ್||
which basically translates as
" Amen Srimad-Advanced Devotee-composed Kamakshi Stotram"


PS Dennis peeks over his dad's shoulder as he is entering the computer password, and exclaims, "Dad, Now I know your Password!"
The worried dad asks him, what!? Dennis replies it is "*******" !!!

[rshankar]

Ramesh - I vaguely remembered a discussion, but want sure it was here. Thank you for digging that up.
Rajani - is there a book with this verse (and if my memory is correct) aren't there a few more verses?

[Lakshman]

Here are the lyrics for shAnta ahimsAmUrtE:
shAnta ahimsAmUrtE. rAgA: hindustAnibhairavi. Adi tALA. Mayuram Vishvanatha Shastri.

P: shAnta ahimsAmUrtE samudita samarasa kIrtE sandisha mE shAnti shAnti shAntim
A: parama hita karOhi bhavAn patita janAvana bhagavAn nirupama sukhadOsi mahAn nirmala hrdayE sthitavAn
C: bhArata dEsha pitA bhAsi ajnAna timira savitA bhAvita janasamatA sutarAmbOdhitAhi bhavatA
sAra sakala shubha dAtA sukrtakha rAjya vidhAtA mAtA dhAtA pitA sakalamasi mAnita vishvanEtA

[thenpaanan]

Today, despite having some voice issues (or so it seemed) VS managed to produce three hours of wonderful music.

Oh no! Voice issues? VS is, in my mind, one of a handful of male singers of his generation who are/were able to produce mellifluous sound across the range and that too at a shruti of 2 kattai (D)! I used to speculate that he was better than the rest at voice projection because of his experience in amateur dramatics. The last time I heard him in Phoenix his voice did sound a bit tired and scratchy, but I ascribed that to a heavy travel schedule and Phoenix dust. I certainly hope the voice issues were just passing and not a longer standing issue.

I thoroughly agree with the other comments -- he is one of the most sincere and high aesthetics vocalists I have listened to.

-Thenpaanan

[mahavishnu]

Thenpaanan - I think it is probably travel related fatigue. Fortunately, nothing to worry for the long term!

[uday_shankar]

I used to speculate that he was better than the rest at voice projection

You nailed it ! I have spoken to him about this, and projection is something he consciously strives for, not a lucky accident due to experience in another arena ! He sits well back from the mike and the tonal experience of his concerts are superb.

[mahavishnu]

PS Dennis peeks over his dad's shoulder as he is entering the computer password, and exclaims, "Dad, Now I know your Password!"
The worried dad asks him, what!? Dennis replies it is "*******" !!!

Priceless!