S Kasturirangan at Sri Ramaanjaneya Trust, 01 April 2017

[Sivaramakrishnan]

S Kasturirangan at Sri Ramanjaneya Trust, 01 April 2017
(for Sri Rama Navami Festival)
Ramanjaneyar Temple,
Tambaram Sanatorium, Chennai 600 047
01.04.2017, 07.15– 09.20 p.m.

Artists:
S Kasturirangan-vocal
Melakaveri K Tyagarajan-Violin
M S Varadan-Mridangam
Sruti (pitch): C (1 kattai) in e-box

Sri Ramaanjaneyar Trust on the GST Road at Tambaram Sanatorium manages a twin temple complex for Lord Shiva and Lord Rama with an exclusive Sannidhi for Anjaneya. RamaNavami and HanumadJayanti are celebrated in full religious fervour with cultural programmes in the evenings at the Ramanjaneya temple Praakaara.

Kasturirangan presented a concert on Saturday, 1 April as part of this year’s Ramanavami falling on 5 April.

Kritis:

1. Anandabhairavi : Ramabhadra Raa raa- Bhadrachala Ramadas
2. Pantuvarali: Apparamabhakti yento-Tyagaraja (R,S)
3. Yadukula kambodhi-Yaarendru Raaghavanai-Arunachalakavirayar
4. Hindolam-Ramanukku Mannanmudi – Arunachalakavirayar(R,N,S)
5. Kokilapriya-Kodandaraamam anisam bhajami- Dikshitar
6. Yeman kalyani-Ratnakhachita simhaasana-Abhang
7. Dvijavanti-Rama rama rama ramayenniro-Purandaradasa
8. Jaunpuri-Ramamantrava japiso-Purandaradasa
9. (Aabhogi)-Maaruti abhang - Tukaram
10. Hamsanandi Tillana- Muthiah Bhagavatar
11. Madhyamavati-Sri Ramachandranukku (Mangalam)

Kasturirangan, is one of the prominent sishyas of T N Seshagopalan.

It was an ‘all-Rama song’ package fitting the festival and enjoyed by a modest gathering and the visiting devotees at the temple. Ramabhadra raa raa was a good krirti to begin. Pantuvarali alapana that followed was happily in stark contrast to Anandabhairavi. Apparama bhakti was marked by swaraprastaras at the pallavi passage but for ‘Ramabhakti yento’ offering immense scope for laya exercises with the eduppu at ‘irandavathu adicku edam’ of Rupaka Taala if one wants to describe it colloquially!

Ramanaataka compositions of Arunachalakavi are a usual hit among rasikas and Kasturirangan presented two of them in succession with ‘Yarendru Raghavanai’ and ‘Ramanukku mannanmudi dharitthale’ with total involvement in conveying the sahitya bhava. The latter was the ‘main’ of the concert with a virutham-cum-alapana beginning ‘theemaiyum paapamum karaindhu theerume’ (if I remember it correct). Neraval was at the time-tested ‘Pattamkatta ethavandi’ with energetic swaraprastara with alternating Tisra and misra phrases in the kurraippu segment. The exercise was wound up with a precise korvai for a catchy ‘moonu aksharam thalli eduppu’

Violinist Tyagarajan followed with verve and good understanding.

Varadan played a brief and matching tani allowing a small initial break to tune the instrument perfectly.

The post tani session saw Dikshitar’s kriti on Kodandarama in Kokilapriya which I understand is a favourite of TNS especially for Ramanavami concerts. Two Abhangs found place among the tukkadas. Purandara dasa devarnaamas were rendered with clarity. A vasantha version of ‘Rama rama rama ramayenniro’ is also popular but Kasturirangan chose a leisurely Dwijavanti. Hamsanandi Tillana preceded the Mangalam. It was a good kutcheri for a Ramanavami season.

One of the organisers who spoke in praise of the concert mentioned that Kasturirangan and Varadan are Aasthaana vidwaans of the Trust.

[CRama]

Thank you for the erudite review Sivaramakrishnan. Like his Guru, Kasturi Rangan has presented an all Rama kritis concert. The first step for success. The slokam must be from Kamba Ramayanam-
Nanmayum Selvamum Naalum Nallkumay
Thinmayum Paavamum Sidhaindhu Thaeyumae
Jenmamum Maranamum Indri Theerumaey
Inmayey Rama Endra Irandu Ezhuthinaal.

In many radio concerts, I have mistook KR concert for an early TNS concert. He has imbibed the manodharmam and pidis of his Guru completely. Reg, Rama Rama enniro, I will remember to list out the ragams in which the song has been rendered by TNS. Astonishing- Vasantha, Pantuvarali, Hamsadhwani, Malayamarutam, …. May be I would have forgotten some. Now his disciple has sung it in Dwijavanti.

Guys, Sivaramakrishnan has retired from IOB as on 31 March. So let us hope to get many more meaningful reviews from him.

[rajeshnat]

I think appa rama bhakthi is one of the flagship krithi of s kasturirangan . I wish I was there I love the sequence of YK and Hindolam both very dear krithis . IF at all Arasi was there she would have gone gA gA as Arasi mentioned to me that Yarendru raghavanai in yk kambOdhi is one of her favourite krithis of all time but she also does not like the neraval line Pattamkatta ethavandi. Arasi would have heard her highest and lowest points if she had attended this concert .

I am glad to see the review of S Kasturirangan , in the last season due to overcrowd of too many youngsters he did not get many opportunities . Kasturirangan is one exaxmple that even If you are in Chennai that does not mean you get more opportunities in chennai

[Sivaramakrishnan]

A correction:
Kasturirangan rendered swaprastarara (@ 'Pattamkatta aetthavandi') with alternating tisra & khanda phrases in the kurraippu segment and NOT 'tisra and misra' phrases as I had given in my review inadvertently.