Neela Ramgopal @ SRLKM on 12.2.2017

[kssr]

Smt. Neela Ramgopal- Yoga Kirtana (vocal support)- Trivandrum Sampath-Shertalai Ananthakrishnan- Ghatam Karthik

1. Virutham (ooga boga) - Purandaradasa in Kalyani
2. Neene gathi-Kalyani Varnam- Syama Sastri- 3+3+2 taalam?
3. Aarakimpave- Todi- Thy
N and S @ Saaramaina divyanamu shadrasamutha bhakshanamunu
4. Sub main. Jayanthasena Ragam- Padasaa nidhi naaku eanaadu galkuna ..... Sita
N and S @ Maattalladumaa intha kopama. Plenty of swaaraksharam. Composer?
5. Gnana Sabayil thillai - Saaranga-P.Sivan- Misra chapu
6. Main. Bhairavi Ragam- Raksha Bettare doraku- Thy. S @ pallavi
Thani
7. Baride hoyithu hoyithu hothu- Purandaradasa - Saalaga bhairavi?
8. Bhooloka Kumari- Hey amrutha naari - Ranjani- Bharathiar
9. Ragamalika virutham. Maanaada mazhuvaada - Shanmukhapriya- hindolam- mohanam- poorvikalyani
10. Naatyavaadu Nataraja Sakthi jotheyalli aado- poorvikalyani. Composer?
11. Thillana - karnaranjani- Lalgudi
12.Earu mayil eari viLayaadum mukham ondru - Hamsanandi
13. Mangalam

Humble comments
a. Once you listen to a concert of this standard, humility will automatically come to the audience. Simply brilliant.
b. SRLKM got the honour of awarding the "Sangeetha Vedantha Durina" to Neela mami, which consists of a purse, citation, silver medal, etc.,( Sri.Krishna Prasad's and Smt. GV Neela's father is Sri.Vedantham Iyengar )
c. In the concert every song is worth its weight in gold.
d. Youngsters (if they attend these concerts) can learn a lot as to how to structure a concert - ragams, sequence, emphasis,presentation and so on.
e. Mami sang each number with absolute clarity, beautiful sangatis, high manodharma and spontaneity. Never a sruti lapse. Never an apaswaram. Forceful voice. She is around 82. Just cannot believe when she sings.
f. I guess no other artist can present Jayanthasena so elaborately but beautifully. The neraval was something out of the world. Maattalladumaa intha kopama- was teasing, lilting, a playful game. Everyone on stage and audience became children- smiling and swinging in the beauty. What a grip she has got on the raga and its innumerable nuances.
g. There were several kannada songs, full of bhava and their own characteristic sweetness.
h. The award ceremony took more than an hour. But mami sang a full 2.5 hour concert, after the function. There was absolutely no sag during the entire period. Absolutely captivating. I did not want to miss the action. Had my bonda in a quick rush outside during one of the violin returns.
i. Bhooloka kumari lyrics were so wonderful and beautifully presented. Checked it out. Bharathiar of course. No wonder. Never heard it before.
j. Good supporting vocalist and pakka vaadhyams enhanced the effect of the vocalist. On a couple of occasions, the violinist and mridangam vidwan exchanged glances and smiles in admiration when mami made a twist in a sangati at an unanticipated place or a change in the gathi of the thaalam without much fuss.
k. She had an Ipad too !! Not used much as she knew most lyrics by heart and manodharmam just flowed. She is also techno savvy guru, as I have heard that she teaches many students abroad using skype!!
l. Feel blessed to have had an opportunity to listen to such a high level concert from such a high level artist. Sincerely thank SRLKM.

[gardabha_gana]

Raghavan Sir, thanks much for the review. This year, I have been a no-show at the festival Looks like a delightful concert. The varnam is in tisra matya talam. She sang it at Nada Inbam and thanks to parivadini listened to it.

[kssr]

I am unable to post pictures. The link from tinypic.com is not getting accepted in rasikas.org. Any solution?

[Sachi_R]

KSSR,
The least I can do is to copy-paste the photo I saw on FB.

Thank you for your review.

I am simply awestruck by the type of concert (which sadly I had to miss because I had overseas guests) that Neela Maami has given on this lovely occasion. Just to parse the data:
"Major" Ragas: Kalyani, Todi, Bharavi
"Star" ragas: Shanmukhapriya, Purvikalyani
"Mood"ragas: Ranjani, Saranga
"Odd" Raga: Jayantasena
"Dressed up" ragas: Karnaranjani, Hamsanandi, Salagabhairavi

Languages: Kannada, Tamil, Telugu...

Composers: PD,SS,T,PS, Lalgudi,?,?

SRLKM deserves a big round of applause for recognising and honouring a true धुरीणा

In Sanskrit, the word dhurINa means someone who is a born leader and is worthy of being entrusted with an onerous responsibility. I am reminded of the way Durga, or Shakti, was created by the Trinity for accomplishing a task none of them could handle.

May the kalAcAryA dhurINA viduShI NeelA receive divine grace in every way!

[arasi]

kssr,
Thanks! Was waiting for a review, and there you go, bringing us one to match the super concert we heard yesterday

I saw your going out for the bonda, but did not see your super-musical wife leave her seat

Forever young Neela (in her spirit and in her music), kept us enthralled as usual. When we listen to her, we know that her vidvat and imagination vie with each other in commanding our attention. Every concert has its own stamp. She is refreshing, because her discovering and rediscovering songs becomes our treat.

Yes, her toying with the 'inta kOpamA' was pure pleasure! Earlier, pAlAragimpavE got the same royal treatment. I savored bhairavi as much as you all did--this from a not so much of a bhairavi priyA.

Papanasam Sivan's song in sArangA was a new one for me.

Bharathis' bhUlOka kumAri, one of two (or three?) sanskrit songs penned by him, was tuned by Calcutta Krishnamurthy and Sanjay has been singing it. The viruttam which followed--mAnADa, mayilADa is also sung by him often.

As is her wont, Neela gave a new twist to nATymADO naTarAja which Sumitra Nitin (who was in the audience) has sung in her Arasi CD, volume 1! You may also know that Neela Ramgopal has sung my songs as well (CD Volume 2)...

It was great to see her being honored by one of Bengaluru's most dedicated music-loving family--carrying on the teaching of CM into the third generation (Jayshri Varadarajan in the US is doing a great job). And as for organizing concerts, well, Krishnaprasad's dedication is unmatched...

Made my day! Neela is an inspiration to us all

[arasi]

Sachi,
Our posts crossed...
Thanks for your elaborating on the word DhuriNa--fits her like a glove...

[rshankar]

Sri KSSR - thank you! By any chance, was this concert recorded?

#4 looks like a song on sItA - hopefully Lakshmanji can enlighten us about the composer, and even post the lyrics.

bhUlOka kumAri is a staple of Sri TNS and his students as well. They sing it in amRtavarshini, IIRC - I do not think I have heard this version.

Way to go, Arasi!

[kssr]

"As is her wont, Neela gave a new twist great to nATymADO naTarAja which Sumitra Nitin (who was in the audience) has sung in her Arasi CD, volume 1! You may also know that Neela Ramgopal has sung my songs as well (CD Volume 2)..."

Arasi

You have deeply hidden this good info in your message. Very pleased to know that you had penned it (not pencilled it-which may imply that it was something which may need correction ) The lyrics were beautiful. Never knew that you composed in kannada too. You can post it here for everyone's benefit.
Did not see you. I was looking in the first row to see you during Amrutha's concert as well. Could not locate.

rshankar
Will try to get the composer's name of Item 4. For full lyrics, we have to still bank on Sri.Lakshman.

[arasi]

Thanks, kssr! 'Penciling' suits an editor (good or not at it, I like editing!).
Now, I've edited a pesky 'great' out of what you saw and quoted--the word 'great' which doesn't belong there--an errant word escaping from my erratic typing

Ravi,
Thanks as ever. Will get in touch with you once I'm home--that is, soon!

[arasi]

Ravi,
You can hear Sanjay sing bhUlOka kumAri on You Tube.

[rshankar]

Will get in touch with you once I'm home--that is, soon!

Looking forward to it.

[rshankar]

You can hear Sanjay sing bhUlOka kumAri on You Tube.

I did. Not sure I like this version.

[kartik]

Sub main. Jayanthasena Ragam- Padasaa nidhi naaku eanaadu galkuna ..... Sita
N and S @ Maattalladumaa intha kopama. Plenty of swaaraksharam. Composer?

The great Mysore Sadasiva Rao.

[badari]

2. Neene gathi-Kalyani Varnam- Syama Sastri- 3+3+2 taalam?

4. Sub main. Jayanthasena Ragam- Padasaa nidhi naaku eanaadu galkuna ..... Sita
N and S @ Maattalladumaa intha kopama. Plenty of swaaraksharam. Composer?

10. Naatyavaadu Nataraja Sakthi jotheyalli aado- poorvikalyani. Composer?

2. Matya tAla

4. pAda sannidhi nAku - Composer - Mysore Sadashiva rAo
http://www.karnatik.com/c8874.shtml

10- Composer - our very own Arasi

[Lakshman]

Mysore Sadashiva Rao's song is pAda sannidhi mAku
Arasi's song is nATyamADO naTarAja nI mada matsara

[badari]

Natyamado naTarAja - A recording from Vid. Sumitra Nitin concert at Bharat Kalachar concert in Dec 2015 is here

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2eq3h2p31hh8d ... n.mp3?dl=0

[rshankar]

Thank you Badari.

[arasi]

Badari,
Thanks for bringing the song Sumitra Nitin prefaces the song witth Patanjali StOtra.

Ravi,
You may remember that Sumitra's sister Sunanda Narayanan's student Tara Krishnan danced to this in
her arangETRam in Boston. That is on You Tube too.

[rshankar]

You may remember that Sumitra's sister Sunanda Narayanan's student Tara Krishnan danced to this in her arangETRam in Boston. That is on You Tube too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu1_oFfTjP8