Kunnakudi M.Balamuralikrishna - Pallavi Darbar - Raga Sudha Hall

[MaheshS]

Kunnakudi M.Balamuralikrishna - Pallavi Darbar - Raga Sudha Hall

Published on Jul 9, 2017
Carnatic Vocal by Kunnakudi M.Balamuralikrishna
Accompanist:
Sri. Akkarai S. Subhalakshmi - Violin
Sri. B. Sivaraman - Mridangam
Sri. B. Sree Sundarkumar - Kanjira

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDq3nxvafnQ

Neranammithi - Kanada Varnam [S] - PSI
Varasiki Vahana - Supradeepam - T

Ragam Thanam Pallavi - Thodi
Thanam in Thodi, Kalyani, Karakarapriya [?]
Chandha thalam - Kchapu, Tisrachapu, Kandachapu, ??
Nelatha Marulukontini, Vanipai Chala Sadhanandha
Thani

Parulanamata - Kapi - Dharmapuri Subbarayar
Mangalam

[narayan]

Superhuman effort in the Todi raga alapana. Reinforcement of the fact that maximum number of compositions are in Todi - almost boundless in exploration possibilities.

Restless personality of the singer, fully reflected in the body language.

I could just not keep up with the faster version of the talam in the pallavi!

[shankarank]

Listening to Todi - a monumental measured effort. Sometimes you hear shades of other ragas as he tries out.

A Sindu Bhairavi around 56:00 : https://youtu.be/xDq3nxvafnQ?t=3353

Much earlier I think I heard a fleeting denuka ! Need to find the timeline.

<<Found it! : Around 37:27 there after : https://youtu.be/xDq3nxvafnQ?t=2225 - also like gAnamUrthi shade>>

I am not saying this is faulty - just recording my observations which may be wrong!

[shankarank]

Once more at https://youtu.be/xDq3nxvafnQ?t=3722 around 1:02:06 - a Sindhu Bhairavi flash. enna HM/CM collborationa chennyilEyE toDangiyAcca? Bombaynnu yArO sollikiTTirundAppula

[Sachi_R]

Shankarank,
I did not listen/study the Todi sung in such detail as you have done.
But I also heard those shades. Even Sundarkumar was watching with astonishment.
I think one artiste who could and would explore ragas like that was Balamurali.
I think KMBMK combines the effervescence of Kunnakudi and the creativity of BMK.

The only danger for such unbridled acrobatics is the wear and tear on the voice (not to mention the whole physiology). That could cut short, god forbid, a singing career. I have read in Yoga treatises that such superhuman efforts require a recharging of the system by yogic sadhana constantly. I credit KMBMK with enough intelligence for him to know and follow this.
God bless.

And by the way, I found Akkarai to be a wonderfully refreshing breeze balancing this searing conflagration of creativity. God bless.

[shankarank]

Sachi, no worries! A tODi of this magnificence cannot go without some fun on this board! Agree on Akkarai!

As regards Dr BMK recalling an anecdote I heard : In Houston he started tODi with a phrase that violinist could not respond correctly! Dr BMK gave him a bowing abhinaya - the abhinaya king himself - with a characteristic smile! - basically telling him to just bow!

Here it is: A Sruti-prati-bhEdam : https://youtu.be/xDq3nxvafnQ?t=5931 back to tODi from kalyANi on the niShAda!

[shankarank]

Another Sruti prati-Bhedam from karaharapriya to kalyANI ( the prior rAga) from gAndhAra here: https://youtu.be/xDq3nxvafnQ?t=6222 and Sruti-prati-prati-bhEdam karaharapriya to tODI from rishaba here : https://youtu.be/xDq3nxvafnQ?t=6236

[fuddyduddy]

Even Sundarkumar was watching with astonishment.

I took the liberty and pinged Sundarkumar and asked about this astonishment, and he clarifies - undoubtedly 'only' amazement at Balamurali's music that brought so many flavors to the Thodi, and that it was beyond normal/usual imagination of what one can comprehend as the age old Thodi..

(Just clarifying as we are getting into making up others opinions too, not just posting our own opinions )

Apart from that, the thodi got its best that day, explored to the max in all its 'pure' form. Common notes in many ragams is a known fact for carnatic music. The hall that day beamed thodi and resonated and adhered to those swarams only, with a delineation that was logically correct as the flow and kalpanai of the artiste kept growing.

Yes true, it was hard to keep up with the thalam, forget trying to sing in that thalam and doing anulomam/prathilomam!!

[Sachi_R]

"watching with astonishment". Thanks for confirming it, sir.
Since when did astonishment become an opinion? I always took it for an expression.

Todi- KBMK did a comprehensive delineation with true mastery.

[shankarank]

tOdila bhAshangam pottukuTTu (breach and gush) bhairavikku(HM) sindhina (spill over) : sindhu bhairavi

[shankarank]

In the tALa setting, for vANi pai cAla , the lower kAlA kkaNDa cApu is reckoned with a 4 + 6 where 4 is reckoned with a tAp and a kai-ppUdi ( translated as a handhold - referring actually to a pressing of lower palm ends ) with 6 reckoned as triSra cApu or rUpakam with a 2 taps and a wave.

Interesting!

He did caturaSra triSram in the naDai variation.

[shankarank]

The chanda tALam is kriya centric and produces beat hugging through out. Music seems to have moved beyond that with sUlAdi sapta tALas with their distinction of saSabda and niSabda kriyas and resulting subtle-ment that matches the Sruti subtle-ment by the gamakas.

Instead of mapping a random pallavi set to a sapta tAla instance to chanda tALam of tiruppugazh , the musicians should rather focus on bringing the tiruppugazh to sUlAdi sapta tALam structure. This could be done by elongating the syllables where possible , if not compose a derivative composition based on it.

The original chanda tALam will remain at the hands of devotees spawned by tiruppugazh maNi Sri Raghavan referred to as Guruji by scores of women who have learnt it and still disseminating it in places as remote as Ravanasamudram ( something I came to know recently via family circles)!