Kalaimamani G. Harishankar rememberence Day

[thanjavooran]

Kalaimamani G. Harishnakar's rememberence day on 11 02 2017 @ 18 10 hrs
Venue Ragasudha Hall.

The programme started exactly at 18 10 hrs.with invocation song by Akshay Padmanabhan.
Sri sankara guruvaram Nagaswaravali Maha Vadihyanathar

The following are some interesting points noted.

Welcome Address by Nerkunram Dr.S. Shankar.

Dr.S. Sankar

Remembrance day is conducted since 2008
Every year a percussion artiste is identified and Award is given.
This 10th year function is honoring Morsing Vidwan A.S. Krishnan.
The following artistes are awarded.
S/Shri
Mayavaram Somasundaram Kanjira
Tiruchi R. Thayumanavan Konnakol
Thanjavur R. Ramamoorthy ?
E.M. Subramaniam Ghatam
Nagai Soundararajan Mirudhangam
Srirangarajapuram Jayaraman Mirudhangam
Avudayar koil H Subramaniam Gethu
Madras A. Kannan Mirudhangam
I would have omitted few recipients.

An Audio visual presentation for 40 mts featuring thani .Dr MBK with Umayaluram 1997 at KGS
Along with Karaikudi Mani 1984
Solo with Ravikiran Chithra Vina
Solo with Zakir Hussain. At the end Zakir snatched the Kanjira and played a beat/stroke.

Ravikiran

This Kanjira is a family member of Western Frame Drum.
All western Musicians are admirers of percussion art.
Rasikas should also involve themselves by putting thalam closely following the Thani Avarthanam without disturbing the Artiste's imagination.
Layam should be enjoyed not only by mind .
Body should also capture the thoughts of the mind.
He has learnt from Maestro Nagarajan, kanjira for few months.
Nagarajan used to admire Harishankar's skill in performance
Dwaram Venkatasami Naidu once mentioned to a question for avoiding accompanying the vocal artistes, that if he plays to his satisfaction Vidwan will not like and if in vice versa himself and rasikas will not get satisfaction.
He has travelled more than 12 yrs along with Harishankar and the discussion will be only about layam for the three quarter of the journey.
He was an impact player. Most of the time will be sitting idle enjoying the Mirudhangam and suddenly will flash a korvai in the middle enhancing the beauty of rhythm.
During a tour for 4 months along with UKS, Harishankar and Subramaniyam in Paris a memorable mikeless concert was admired by everybody.
One should enjoy how he follows the song and sharing with Mirudhangam
He has not tried with Morsing as that will clash with his stringed instrument.
He mentioned that KV Prasad a colorful performer.

K V Prasad

Ravikiran already explained the different facets of Harishankar.
Himself and H born in the same year 1958.
He was closely associating with him during his services at AIR
He plays with both hands. His playing sometimes resemble Thavil Nadham
Nagarajan used to mention H as Asuran in vadhyam
H will feel difficulty in playing with Vellore because of sarva lagu proyagams
and mentioned this several times.
' Vittu vasippathilum adakkama vasippalithum ' an expert
This cannot be explained. But should be experienced.
He was in the company of THV,Zakir, H on a foreign tour for 4 months.
His last concert was at Thiuvaiyaru in 2002 .
In the office room he used bring a big pack of betel nut with vetrilai for all to enjoy.
In the absence of the packet one can definitely understand H has not turned up for duty that day.
Had H been living would have retired next year along with him.

A citation was read by Nerkunram and presented along with a cash award of 10,000/= to Vidwan A.S. Krishnan

A.S. Krishnan

In 1978 H played Kanjira along with him on a chamber concert.
Himself was a Mirudhangam player initially.
Later switched over to Morsing.
He was a Stenographer by profession.
Manikantan brother of H honored Dr. Shankar with golden shawl.

Vote of thanks by Krishnamachar [ a disciple of H ]
He thanked each and everyone who made this function a successful.
There will be no more printing of invitation and only E vites in future.
His special thanks to the Mike Sekhar was the highlight.

Ravikiran Chithra vina
Akkarai Subbulakshmi Violin
K.V. Prasad Mirudhangam
G. Harihara Sharma Kanjira

Amma Raavamma Kalyani
Kiravani R T P and Thani Adhi thalam 2 kalai
Thillana Sunadha vinodhini
Mangalam

Apoorva on Tambura closely followed Chitra vina.

My observation

A well organized function with full Hall till the end. The program started exactly at the scheduled time. The concert was excellent as usual. Harihara sharma played well co ordinating with KVP. Senior citizens were more. To name few Chithra vina Narasimhan, Mirudhangam V. Rajasekhar [ a former disciple of TVG now under THV] were present. Kudos to organizers for such meticulous planning. I would have omitted some important points invite for correction.

Thanjavooran
12 02 2017

[Nick H]

Thank you. I was hoping to get the benefit of somebody translating/remembering the content!

A couples of points from my understanding, which might be mis-... (and personal comment/response in brackets(

Solo with Zakir Hussain. At the end Zakir snatched the Kanjira and played a beat/stroke.

I've seen this clip a couple of times (probably at this same function) and have understood what happened as...

The skin on the kanjira broke, Harishankar, with no interruption in the flow other than a couple of missed strokes, simply put it down and picked up another one. Zakir picks up the kanjira to show the audience what happened.

Ravikiran

This Kanjira is a family member of Western Frame Drum.

Did he say Western? I think that the idea of the simple wooden frame with stretched skin is worldwide. (From the west, I particularly recall the amazing rhythms played by Irish folk artists, on their version of the instrument, using a short, double-ended stick.)

All western Musicians are admirers of percussion art.

I thought he was mentioning audiences, but your ears are almost certainly better than mine. I've often seen the western enthusiasm for Indian percussion. (In fact I find it irritating that some simple tabla tekka will get them clapping and cheering! )

Layam should be enjoyed not only by mind .
Body should also capture the thoughts of the mind.

My ears could not let me hear all the words. He mentioned something about rhythm being universal, in the literal sense (of the whole universe) and about laya being so much more than simply being able to keep the beat in music, but being the ability to recognise the periodicity in everything. (I was reminded of Pandit Birju Maharaj saying, "for me, everything is rhythm.")
He said something along the lines (heavily paraphrasing) that the mind has to master the rhythm; it has to master being always ahead in the thought process, but that is only one thing: even after having mastery in the mind it takes huge amounts of practice to actually express it with the body. I think he said that Harishankar spent 3/4 of every day working, thinking, talking, practising laya?

It was indeed a good function, and Ravikiran, with limited time, gave us a wonderful concert afterwards.

I have missed this function for last year or two. Once again, I was reminded just how incredible Harishankar was

[thanjavooran]

Shri Nick H,
I too sail on the same boat. Besides less hearing ability do have poor vision also. I request Rasikas who attended may further clarify. I agree with your statement.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
13 o2 2017

[Nick H]

Thank you. Of course, I cannot comment on the Tamil content. For the English that Ravikiran spoke, I think we have it covered, at least in spirit, between us

Don't remember seeing any other rasikas.org members known to me.