Abhishek Raguram-Thyaga Brahma Gana sabha-18-12-17

[grsastrigal]

Abhishek Raguram (AR)
H N Bhaskar-Saxophone
Anantha krishnan-mridhangam
Sree Sunder kumar-Ganjira

18-12-2017

Venue-Thyaga brahma gana sabha

I wanted to write this review, though belatedly, primarily, because of H N Bhaskar.

1) varNam-begadA (I was told )
2) alagalalla laDaga – Madhyamavathi – T
-Neraval “samayamuna thyAgarAja vinutuni” (S)
3) asAvEri- raagam-Chandram bhaja mAnasa - MD
4) MandAri rAgam -Ninnu cheppa kA- Patnam SI- (Swaram)
5) MukhAri-followed by “ksheenamai”-T. He started this kriti from “vAnA nAtakA” (anu pallavi)
6) RTP-kannada-
சதா பாலய சாரசாக்ஷி சமான ரஹித மோகனாங்கி
sadA pAlaya sArasAkSi samAna rahita mOhanAngi
This was the pallavi from the song of GNB in mOhanam

Review:

I salute the great artist AR. "Ramanujam" of Carnatic music. His on the spot Talam for Pallavi, along with Anantha Krishnan, during RTP, was a delight to watch.

I don't whether any other artists have got the "guts" to venture into on the spot "improvisation" of various talAs. Another beauty is, he does not repeat the same tAla second time. He will go to another tAlA. It is like reading Agatha christie novel. My God !!!

I feel UNESCO award was given by the UN, after listening to AR’s “nerve-breaking concert !!!

Why I went to AR’s concert ?

I would rate -Malladi, Sikkil, Vijay Siva, Ramakrishnan murthy, - as “parama sowkyam” artists. Sanjay is different and let us leave this. Sometimes, you also need buffet like AR, Kunnakkudy BMK etc., So, I thought of going to AR.

Iam of “sowkyam” kind. I close my eyes, sometimes, and search where the artists bring “ahA” while singing. Like yesterday’s Bombay Jaishree’s bairavi, Sanjay’s Shankarabaranam at BGS or Ramakrishnan murthy’s sedate surutti at IFS

Let me divide the concert in to two-Pre-MandAri and Post-mandAri.

His slow asAvEri kriti and SSI-brand ksheenamai was wonderful. Though, his neraval in madhyamaavathy, as usual, fast

Let us take RTP first –

He started kannada and while singing the ragam, he went to laltha, mohanam, amir kalyani and so one…. He is genius in shifting the gears in panchamam. But beyond an extent, as rasikas, we were unable to digest the speed. Roller coaster ride is only pumping our adrenaline. Beyond 4-5 raagas, I could not get the rAgAs, but he went on..

As usual, he could not complete the RTP “package” properly and he completed the pallavi swaram so fast for Tani.
Ananthakrishnan, while playing tani at 8.50 PM started playing without any pause and I don’t know what was he doing ? It is my fault not understanding his tani technique..

I left..

Let us take mandAri.

I don’t know why he started an elaborate MandAri. What did he achieve by going on “full-throat”-high-octave mandAri. For three minutes, I liked his magical mandAri. Then, he became brutal to that raga -sort of “unleash” the raaga.

I wanted to close my ears for some time and to become gAndhaari (closing my eyes and ears) while listening mandAri.

Why H N Basker and saxophone ?

To add to my woes- H N Bhasker had played the instrument without sruti. He was playing the violin like saxophone. First we though the mic was the problem and we also told the co-ordinator. Then, we realized it was not the mic, it was the instrument. He did not set the violin. One lady said, violin was defective. It was a pathetic show by HNB. How come, he could not get this corrected (throughout the concert) !!!.

If anybody attended the concert, please tell me what went wrong with HNB ? Iam in a state of Vikramaadityan-vEdhaal (ambulimaama) story.

conclusion

If I say, “Overall- an excellent 2 hours and 30 minutes concert, then Iam lying…

While returning, I though even AR sings “Jana gana mana” as pallavi, he will sing it high octave, high speed with half a dozen raagams and create national disintegration!!

I slowly started disconnecting myself from going to Abhishek’s concert and his way of presenting the concert does not concur well with my mind set.

[kvchellappa]

This morning I heard him sing for MMU. He brings some superhuman force in what he sings and that seems to cut into melody.

[Sachi_R]

To what do I liken an Abhishek Concert?
To a walk down a stormy beach?
To a peak you can't get off after you reach?
Or an unbreakable code no one can teach?
Or a deluge of thought beyond all speech?
Or a car at 220 that doesn't yet screech?
Or a god berserk whom "Oh Stop" you beseech?

[grsastrigal]

Your "kavithai" is easy to understand than AR's music

[rajeshnat]

GRS
I did not attend this concert . Vasanthakokilam attended it and he told me that kannada itself with tani was for 90 minutes or so (I am assuming tani was there at the end of RTP or was it at ksheenamai). Way back in 2005 or 2006 i heard him sing RTP in kannada in SKGS, i recollect that experience and it was one head turning experience (I still dont knew then if he sang begada or kannada as I was not sure). That day he ended with an asaveri thillana of his (i came to know his late mother may have also played a part in it) - I asked that abhishek kid then who was the composer then , he turned and rolled his eyeball and said it was him. .It was one of a kind that day to hear Kannada RTP as I had never heard elaboration of alapana of kannada, so perhaps GRS you did not get that much of kannada in you. Also Sundar Kumar KanjirA and Anantha Krishna Mrudangam Tani would have been too much of fireworks . I think your points are quite valid as at times he racing and at times singing in boundary of more than one raga gets tiring. He has to take these negatives and do a bit of fine tuning .

Interesting when a violin is not tuned you call it saxophone , if saxophone is not tuned , I am assuming you may call it keyboard.