SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT BSU-8/11/16

[CRama]

Thank you kunthalavarali and others who have given the list in another thread. However, I could not resist from sharing my thoughts about this wonderful experience. LIST OF SONGS.

1. Varnam_Kedaram_Ata, TV
2. Siva Chidambarame_Nagaswarali_Adi_ MT (S)
3. Ithi samayamu brova_Natakapriya_Rupakam MV- (R, N, S)
4. Velayya dayavillaya_Saveri Adi, KI
5. Anandavalli-Neelambari_Adi_ ST (R S)
6. Hari dasulu_Yamunakalyani_Adi_T
7. RTP_Bhairavi_ Pallavi Velavane Kolahalane Unadhu padam thunaiye Orarumugane Arumugane , Khanda Triputa- Khanda nadai.
8.Tani
9. Kannanai kanbadeppo_Ragamalikai_Adi_SB
10. Nirupama_Behag_Rupakam, RSI
11. Mangalam,

It is nearly an year that I attended a Sanjay concert. I had gone to Bangalore for some personal work and hence missed a major portion of the BSU. But not a great miss for me- as I do not appreciate the weird combinations hosted in the utsav this year. But I felt so happy that I returned yesterday and could attend this concert and get soaked in the heavenly downpour of music that Sanjay presented yesterday.

The Ata tala varnam in Kedaram was new to me. I will honestly give the credit to Sanjay for introducing many rare varnams to the sangeeta rasikas. The next kriti Siva Chidambarame Darisikka maname in Nagaswarali is also unheard so far. Sanjay has brought many unknown Tamil kritis also into the concert platform which rasikas whole heartedly welcome. While singing the kalpana swarams he made sruti bhedam to Hamsadhwani (from Ma of Nagaswarali). The first ragam was Natakapriya. The raga, which bore resemblance to Kokilapriya, Chakravakam etc was rendered with passionate intensity devoid of any ambiguity or trespassing into the territories of the allied ragams. The kriti is a masterpiece in this ragam and a brief neraval at Paramapurusha Vasudeva and measured swarams added much lustre to the rendition.

After the quick filler Velayya Dayavillaya in Saveri, ragam Neelambari was taken up for a very elaborate exposition. The most striking thing about a Sanjay Subramaniam concert is the investment he brings into his music. The song was presented with utmost fidelity to the patantharam and showcasing the beauty of the chittaswaram. He certainly brought in a lot of intense carnatic idioms in the alapana of Neelambari for five minutes which was immensely enjoyed by the audience. The song has a very attractive chittaswara passage (which is parallel to the Song Sringaralahari) and Sanjay appended a large volley of kalpana swaras at the charanam line Sambhuvadana Saraseeruha madhupe which culminated in a long passage of first kala swaram with raga bhavam dripping in the each phrase of the swaram and he wisely eschewed the second kalam. There was never a single moment of dullness in the entire concert.

Sanjay next embarked on a sojourn into the wide contours of the majestic Bhairavi ragam. The ragam was explored in a step by step method for 15 minutes, with pause overs at key junctions and weaving enchanting phrases around the key notes. Sanjay’s exposition of Bhairavi was breathtaking – chaste, detailed and unswerving from the idiom of tradition. I was expecting Balagopala or Kamakshi Swarajati or Sari evvaramma. But I was taken for surprise when tanam followed. That too Ragamalika tanam comprising Begada, Subha panthuvarali and Mohanam with few pockets of his sanjayesque mannerisms. (But he intelligently avoided tu, tu, tu and tup tup tup etc.) Then the pallavi coined by Alathur Brothers in Khanda Triputa, Khanda nadai was presented in a scholarly manner with Anulomam, Pratilomam etc rendered with razor precision and with consummate ease of delivery followed by elaborate swaras. I left after the tani. Now when I saw the list, I felt the missing of Kannanai kanpatheppo.

The accompanists- In the current musical situation, only Sanjay has followed the pattern of a SET- which was ,much prevalent in the early days. For Varadarajan and Neyveli Venkatesh know the pulse of Sanjay and they played with great anticipation and understanding. The alapanas by Varadu was most refreshing following the pattern of Sanjay but interspersing with his own manodharmam. His mellinam vallinam was also adorable. Neyveli Venkatesh embellished the concert to a great extent by his anticipation and filling up of gaps at many places. The tani with Alathur Rajaganesh received repeated applause from the housefull audience.

The NGS hall was overflowing with rasikas seated on every possible space available including steps and some people standing in the ailes. Shashikiran and his committed volunteers helped the rasikas to find out seats. Mostly the audience were senior citizens. I will rate this one of the many excellent concerts of Sanjay. To me personally, it was an enchanting experience as Neelambari and Bhairavi- my favourite ragams were given royal treatment today with full justification into the kalpana and kalpita sangeetam aspects. The dedication and hard work that Sanjay puts behind every concert is something that needs honest appreciation and if this concert can be taken as a sample, the thousands of rasikas appreciated and went into raptures in this concert of Sanjay. The audience were never tired of giving their applause at various junctures. Waiting for the next concert of Sanjay.

[kvchellappa]

Thanks. The second best is reading reviews like this.

[grsastrigal]

It was another stellar performance by SS. I came at 6.40 and could not find a place and settled in Balcony. He already started varNam,to my surprise !!!
I cannot write more than what CRama had written. Reading his review itself is "sukham". I am with Sri. KVC's comment.
In pallavi, I observed= OrarumuganE, arumuganE. For me, both are same. Is it a deliberate repeat for fitting into talam..or for something else. ?

[rshankar]

In pallavi, I observed= OrarumuganE, arumuganE. For me, both are same. Is it a deliberate repeat for fitting into talam..or for something else. ?

Same question....

Question to both CRama and Kuntalavarali - Shouldn't the nATakapriya composition be 'idi samayamu brOva rAdA'??

[kvchellappa]

In Tamizh, when we write 'ithu' we pronounce it as 'इदु'. So also with ithi.

[arasi]

Gsastrigal,
'OrArumuganE' is also tradition. An addition which is also part of tradition in singing that pallavi line:)

CRama,
Your review on Sanjay's concert comes as sangIta pAyasakke 'rAma nAma' sakkare 'tup tup', 'tat tat', 'tarallallA's, the fleeting, irrelevant bits in his concerts were highlighted by the great cat repeatedly that they gained attention to an extent which is superfluous. That Sanjay is a serious singer,trying to bring the best he can in every concert is often taken for granted. Your review comes with appreciation of the merits of a concert--of someone whom you have listened to after a gap of a whole sangIta kalAnidhi year! Here's a vibrant musician who works hard at his trade, pleasing his listeners in the process

Anandavalli...isn't it 'indu' vadana rather than 'Sambhu vadana'? Sambhupriya indu vadana, of course...

[arasi]

Ravi and KVC,
One more reason for its being considered harsh sounding (iniya tamizh) is using thu (as idu is written as ithu) for soft sounding words. Sri lankans who speak inimaiyAna tamizh, do this in their writing. Most of their names for instance, are written that way. Prathip, for example.

[CRama]

Arasi Madam, Sanjay sang as Sambhu vadana. I checked up the net. There also I got it as Sambhu vadana only.

Reg the vanished great cat's observation, I also shared his views in this respect (only in this respect) and I am very happy that Sanjay has eshewed it recently.

[MaheshS]

Ravi and KVC,
Sri lankans who speak inimaiyAna tamizh, do this in their writing. Most of their names for instance, are written that way. Prathip, for example.

Boon in one way, bane in another. They actually mess up Sanskritised words in "inniya tamil" which makes NO sense if you look into it closely. It's been proven time and time again, no Tamil without Sanskrit. After seeing and hearing a lot, I think it's just a myth that Sri Lankan Tamils have a "purer / original / better" version of Tamil. It's just another vernacular, nothing more, nothing less.

I blame all this on the so called "Dravidian" idiots who baught all this into the scene without proper thinking or research. And in hind sight it's pretty clear they had nothing in mind but just power and / or money. Nothing to do with the langauge, literature, culture or the people.

/ rant over

[rshankar]

In Tamizh, when we write 'ithu' we pronounce it as 'इदु'. So also with ithi.

Yes, in tamizh இது is pronounced as इदु, but when written in English script, 'iti' and 'idu' are pronounced differently - that was the point I was making.

In Arasi's example, the Sri Lankan's do expect Prathip to be pronounced as प्रतीप and not as प्रदीप which I expect will be spelled as Pradip or even Pradhip, even though in tamizh 'தீ' will be used for either of those pronunciations....

[arasi]

CRama,
Mea culpa. Yes, I checked after reading your post, and she is Sambhu vadana flower's madhupe! Thanks for correcting me.

Mahesh,
What I meant about sri lankan tamizh is that their tamizh hasn't been corrupted by tEyvu (shortening of words). Some words are the ones from ancient usage (at that time, of current usage--which were taken with them when they left for the new land).They may sound a bit odd to us , since they are usages of yore. We speak tamizh faster because of lopping up words as we go along. sAppittAchA is sATTAchA? and so on. The slower rendition sounds a bit alien too, to those of us who practice a shortened version of words, I feel!

[arasi]

One more thing comes to mind. Most Sri lankans had migrated from Nellai area where tamizh is spoken in an elongated way (just the opposite of Madras paTTaNa fast parlance).

[grsastrigal]

Long time back, I uploaded pulavr keeran's discourse, (available in youtube too), in which he mentions the "rationale" of chanting "Ohm". Srilankans pronounce "AAm (in tamil, which means yes) as Ohm. People will not have time to chant "ohm" separately, but they may have to say "AAm" many times in their life. So Srilankans use "ohm" -to inculcate bhakthi unknowingly from their childhood.

Though iam not debating whether srilankan tamil is good or not, the above concept is great.

[kvchellappa]

Aam.

[arasi]

"Om" enRIrA?
Did you say "Om"?

[MaheshS]

Long time back, I uploaded pulavr keeran's discourse, (available in youtube too), in which he mentions the "rationale" of chanting "Ohm". Srilankans pronounce "AAm (in tamil, which means yes) as Ohm. People will not have time to chant "ohm" separately, but they may have to say "AAm" many times in their life. So Srilankans use "ohm" -to inculcate bhakthi unknowingly from their childhood.

Though iam not debating whether srilankan tamil is good or not, the above concept is great.

From what I've seen, the reverse is happening, Pranavam that has been expounded by all the sages now simply means Yes and that's it

[MaheshS]

CRama,
Mahesh,
What I meant about sri lankan tamizh is that their tamizh hasn't been corrupted by tEyvu (shortening of words). Some words are the ones from ancient usage (at that time, of current usage--which were taken with them when they left for the new land).They may sound a bit odd to us , since they are usages of yore. We speak tamizh faster because of lopping up words as we go along. sAppittAchA is sATTAchA? and so on. The slower rendition sounds a bit alien too, to those of us who practice a shortened version of words, I feel!

I beg to differ, just because *some* of the words they use have not been corrupted does not mean ALL the words they use are authentic. And regarding speed, have you actually heard the speed in which they speak Tamil? They are as bad / good as any Chennai person. Just because we are not familiar does not mean we should put them on this glorified pedestal.

[arasi]

MaheshS,
You have to bear with me. What you say might be more true. The reason? I am speaking of the tamizh I heard among my classmates at college eons ago! I realize, just as TN's own spoken tamizh has deteriorated over the years--tv being one of the bad influences
and also tam-indi-english kalappaDam (admixture)--sri lankan tamizh also might have suffered changes...

[Vocalist]

They actually mess up Sanskritised words in "inniya tamil" which makes NO sense if you look into it closely. It's been proven time and time again, no Tamil without Sanskrit.

Although I appreciate you marked your post as a rant, for the benefit those of us who may be ignorant to what you are referring to, could you please provide a couple of examples (or a link to where it has been proven time and time again)?