Sanjay Subrahmanyan at the Crossroads Festival, Mumbai

[keentolearn]

I'm not sure if this is the way to make a post - do correct me, if I err.

I'm just back from this concert - no review, I don't have the knowledge for it. Just a quick note to say what a satisfying three hours - 7 to 10 pm - it was. The audience was actually quite meagre, compared to what is usual at other venues; the hall was just about half-full. But Sanjay sang as he always does - sincerely, with utmost involvement and imagination - how he gets the pulse of the audience so right!

The crowd was mixed, because the festival is Hindustani and Carnatic. A younger musician, Abhishek Borkar, very talented, had played the sarod for an hour-and-a-half, from 5. Many were Hindustani aficionados. But the concert captivated everyone, apparently, because when it was over, everybody seemed to have a dreamy smile on their face. Many seemed reluctant to leave!

I had a great time - my personal favourite was " teertha karayinile", followed by "paayum oli": incredible bhavam, the tenderness, the romantic longing and celebration - how well Sanjay's voice evoked it. I could hear whispers from behind adadaa, yenna madhiri padran...apaaram... my Tamil, as you can see, is a bit shaky.

Whatever Sanjay's quirks - I don't think of them as gimmicks - no concert of his can leave anyone unmoved, and no concert of his is shoddy, or un-engaging. When I look around, and see musicians who're singing the same songs over and over, or making a big event of every little thing they do, or boring you to tears, I think Sanjay is, as someone said recently, here, quite a gem. A gem with a great work ethic, a sense of adventure, curiosity and eagerness.
Good night!

[arasi]

keentolearn,
Reviews are appreciated, so are impressions about a concert one enjoys listening to. Thank you for your sharing your joy. It may be a momentous day when an elephant garlands the best of the best musicians in a gathering (to indicate the best man who is fit to rule the land, in the old story).No big deal. Meanwhile, many of us are happy listening to so many highly talented musicians of today--among them, particularly Sanjay...

My guess is, there wasn't any RTP. Songs in sanskrit? Any hindi bhajan?

[keentolearn]

arasi,

no elephants, garlands or a best man; i'm just reacting to some the comments that have appeared here, the last of which wondered if sanjay's popularity may actually be because of his gimmicks, rather than in spite of them. just saying that it doesn't appear to be like that: most people get the music

sure, i know what you mean about being happy to listen to many highly talented musicians - i do, too

from a tweet, i gather that sanjay sang sahana, mohanam, nilambari, reetigowla
RTP? there was, no? wasn't "dasharatha bala ramachandra" a pallavi?
no hindi bhajan - two murugan songs, maybe because of sashti? - sami mayuragiri vadivela and another one

[arasi]

Mmm...obviously, you didn't get my drift (generation gap? ). Even the biggest of weddings were simpler in our days. Only royalty had elephants in theirs! I meant the old story where a ruler was chosen that way--the ultimate, perfect candidate. What I meant was: there won't be one in CM or any other art form for that matter. The goal is to strive for perfection. I hope I'm making myself clear.
Thanks for providing the partial list. You do seem to know more than what you say you do, from your list...

[keentolearn]

Dear Arasi,

I did get your drift! And was agreeing with you by saying that there was no elephant and garland and no "best man" in my earlier comment, which is to say that I was in no way suggesting that Sanjay, or anyone else, is "the best". You put it well: striving for perfection is what we as listeners also look for and respond to. We're in complete agreement there.

As for knowing, you can't even begin to guess how ignorant I feel, but I'm learning, thanks also to all of you, here.

Wonder if anyone can help me with this song that Sanjay sang; the lyrics have completely gone out of my head, I only remember that it has the words senthamizh and tiruthani ...that's too little, no? I'll try and recall at least a line.

[priyashekar]

Sanjay Subramanian/ Varadharajan/Neyveli Venkatesh/ Alathur Raja ganesh

Vanajakshi - Kalyani
E vasudha Sanhana S at e vasudha
Janani Ninnuvina - Reeti gowlai - RN
Swami Mayura - Khamas - S
Kapali - mohanam - R
Anandavalleem - Neelambari
RTP kalyana vasantham - Dasaradha bala ramachandra dayanidhe Krupanidhe- s Durga , jog, sindhu bhairavi
Rama krishanu manege -P tilang
Viruttam Veenayadi neeyeneakku - desh
Muruganai bhaji - Jonpuri
Pavamana -mangalam

A beautiful concert as usual from Sanjay

Crowd hardly 100 in a 900 seater giving a reality check to Sanjay . You see mumbaikars dont buy tickets even for Sanjay.

Neelambari , sahana mohanam and khamas were superb so were the tamil songs in the end.

Janani was a bit of a let down.

His tup tup swaras were there which was jarring today. More so he started using it even in few lines which made it difficult to understand words in some songs.

I read in a interview that he reads whatever is written about him in media. Hope he reads this and limits his tup tup.

Also he attempted to sing janani a bit faster and when he attempted to sing the words Thamasammu seyakane faster in his typical fashion it was jarring and fell flat .

Varadharajan was as usual brilliant.

Venkatesh and Rajaganesh were good in a short thani

Except for the tup tup and janani in parts the concert was typical superb Sanjay concert.

[arunsri]

The main reason for the low audience turnout was the venue and the time. Venue was quite far away and a 7 pm start did not help. in addition to that, tickets had to be bought for both the concerts. Despite Google Maps, it was hard to locate the auditorium due to the narrow road and one-way. Metro rail work also makes travel hard these days

[sirsub11]

With reference to this particular concert, here's a link to a very interesting review by Shanta Gokhale for India Times. It is notable for the fact that the reviewer is avowedly not au fait with Carnatic music, which gives the write up an altogether fresh perspective from what we are accustomed to.

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/opi ... 421281.cms

[arasi]

The festival, as the writer says, aims at coaxing rasikAs out of their rigid listening habits, it seems. Expanding the ken of HM rasikAs so that they can taste a bit of CM and find out for themselves. The review is so refreshing. She is not only a seasoned writer but is open-minded to savor that which intrigues her but also pleases her no end. Funny, here's my musical grandson, eleven, who plays the piano very well, dabbles in other instruments, knows a bit of the basics in CM, who has never been to a regular concert. After listening to Sanjay at Andover for three hours, he says--Yes, I liked the concert. It wasn't one bit boring--which says a lot! The music in him welcomed the new experience. The absorbing book he brought along as a 'just in case', was open on his lap which he glanced at every now and then, but the music absorbed him. All the three on the stage hooked him in as the concert progressed!
Coaxing rasikAs out of their rigid listening habits is no mean feat, we all know

Kudos to the Crossroads Festival!

[kvchellappa]

Sanjay posted it in his status, but it was unreadable. I read it from the link and what a review! I like such reviews that describe the feelings rather than the technicalities or jargon. I liked the way she related the mannerisms to his intense personalised musical experience, rather than as unsightly as some connoisseurs dub it as.

[arasi]

kalaigaLil abhinayamum onRAm! Dance too is fine arts

[kunthalavarali]

I read it from the link and what a review! I like such reviews that describe the feelings rather than the technicalities or jargon. I liked the way she related the mannerisms to his intense personalised musical experience, rather than as unsightly as some connoisseurs dub it as.

Thanks for your comments Mr KVC.
Once you go into the technicalities the brain takes over and searches for both positive and negative qualities and endless arguments begin. As some one said "Brain has no answers and heart has no questions"

[bhaskaran19]

Identical views expressed in this -BUOYANT MUSIC OF SANJAY SUBRAHMANYAN
Mumbai Mirror | Updated: Nov 2, 2017, 11.13 AM IST

Buoyant music of Sanjay Subrahmanyan By Shanta Gokhale

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/opi ... 421281.cms

[kvchellappa]

It is the same as post 8 above.