TADEPALLY LOKANATHA SARMA IN NAGESWARAN SIR’S HOUSE

[CRama]

Greatly impressed by the performance of Tadepally Garu in the Bangalore concert (KALA SAMVADA), the good Samaritan Nageswaran Sir wished to provide the same enjoyment to the rasikas in Chennai. He organized the concert of Tadepally Garu in his house on 22 July with the Violin support of Satish Kumar and Mridangam support by Sivaraman. The concert was to start at 6 P.M. Tadepally Garu reached in time, but Violinist Satish Kumar reached by 6.25 and Mridangam Sivaraman arrived at 6.35. Nobody told any reason for their late arrival. Neverthless, on a Sunday evening, there would be no traffic jam to blame. Till their arrival, Tadepally Garu went on to explain many subtle nuances of our music as also many philosophical thoughts on our life. It was more of a lec dem than a concert. Three songs were rendered in full. They are.

 Vathapi Ganapathim bhaje- Hamsadhwani (R,N,S)
 Bhavanutha-Mohanam (R,S)
 Hanumantha theerchunu naa chintha.- Yamunakalyani

Lokanatha Sarma Garu sang with a robust voice and a firm conviction of his renditions of the time tested compositions of the great Vaggeyakaras with his own bhava and insight. Sarma Garu places paramount importance on a grand, leisurely style of singing eschewing speed and vigour, savouring each phrase of the compositions to extract maximum bhava true to the composer's intent. His voice is very powerful and explores mandra sthayi quite comfortably. The long experience, vidwat and manodharmam got revealed in the alapanas and swara prastarams.

Some of the points he mentioned I am reporting below.
• Tadepally explained about the power of sound. He mentioned about the seven syllables (swaras) in our Music and demonstrated the swara sthanams.
• A good musician should have voice felicity to reach Mandra panchamam. Mel sthayi is not that important. Many times, it is used to show vocal gymnastics. There is no room for circus in our music.
• He came down heavily on the present day musicians who show unwanted aggression in singing with scant regard for the sahithyam or the mind of the composer. Our great composers have composed the kritis filled with their bhakthi. With the aim of entertaining the rasikas and garnering applause, our musicians do all acrobatics and compromise on the bhakthi element of the composition. The accompanists also join in this fervor. He chided the musicians for their penchant for brighas, laya pyrotechniques, false voices. He also accused of wrong splitting of words that will mutilate the sahithyam.
• We should do upasana of the Swara devathas, cajole them and not abuse them. He jokingly said- “ Why Tsunami and flood are coming- Because of the curse of the swara devatas on the musicians who assault them”
• Real Sangeetham got lost when the Sabha culture came up.
• At 6.25, Tadepally Garu started Thodi alapana. Though initially the Violinist found it difficult to accompany, later he joined. The problem may be because of non checking of the sruti before the concert.
• Thodi ragam was sung for about 5 minutes – left abruptly and snatches from Mokshamugalada, Nadopasana, Nadathanumanisam, Nidhichala sukhama were sung to explain Nadopasana of the composers and the way the song is mutilated by the musicians.
• After the arrival of Mridangam at 6.35, the concert started with the detailed alapana of Hamsadhwani followed by the kriti Vathapi Ganapathim Bhajeham. He showed the right splitting by singing Bhaje Aham. He added that “there is no assurance that tomorrow I will sing the same”. He presented neraval at Pranava swaroopa and elaborate swaras in two kalams.
• After this, he commenced a sedate alapana of Mayamalavagowla but during the course Prati Madhyamam crept in. The Violinist was visibly shocked. Tadepally Garu said- “ Why are you shocked. Why Prati Madhyamam shouldnot come in MMG or what. There is no such hard and fast rule.” Then he sang a few sangatis with Prati madhyamam. “You can call this Maya Varali.” The raga was left there.
• He chided musicians singing korvais and complex swara prastarams. He said “Once I asked my Guru Chittoor Ayya that I am not able to sing vyvaharam swaram like him. He said Why should you sing. You listen to Mani Iyer singing swarva laghu swaram and sing like that. I am doing all these things to cover up my voice deficiency.”
• Thyagaraja has not grouped any Pancharathnam. All his compositions are rathnams only. Musicologists have made these various Pancharathnams.
• He sang the Annamacharya kriti Nanati braduku in Subhapanthuvarali and told that considering the message conveyed in the song, he found this ragam more suitable for the song. He sang a composition of Bhadrachala Ramadas in the same ragam which was also very soulful.
• As per the request of Nageswaran Sir, he sang the song Bhavanutha with a brief alapana of the ragam. He sang all the charanams and the violinist utilized the opportunity to present appropriate swara replies. A brief Tani followed.
• Next he started Yamuna Kalyani in same sruti. The Violinst felt uncomfortable. He said- You can sing Yamuna Kalyani in this sruti also. But later he switched to Madhyama sruti and sang a emotive composition of his father in this ragam- Hanumantha theerchunu naa chintha.
• I presented a brief Vote of thanks.
• The concert ended at 8.35 P.M
• From the Forum, myself, Sivaramakrishnan, SureshVV and Kulkarni with family attended.

I do have reservations on two things. (1) Import of Prati madhyamam in Mayamalavagowla. His words- “there is no such strict rule”. I have never heard of the raga named Maya varali. (2) “Yamuna Kalyani can also be sung without Madhyama sruti”. I want learned musicians to respond to this.

A well spent evening. Thanks to Nageswaran Sir for arranging the programme.

[Sachi_R]

CRama,
Thanks!

[ram1999]

" He chided musicians singing korvais and complex swara prastarams. He said “Once I asked my Guru Chittoor Ayya that I am not able to sing vyvaharam swaram like him. He said Why should you sing.."

Not sure what he would have said for pallavi singing

[Sivaramakrishnan]

1.When Sarmaji brought in a Pratimadhyamam in the alapana of Mayamalavagoula, I felt I have heard something of the sort, but long long ago.

It dawned upon me that it was a Bhajan popularised by Dr M Balamuralikrishna in the seventies, the Pallavi of which was 'Nav Mohana Muraari'. But here the case was just the reverse :the composition was in the pratimadhyam dominant Pantuvarali but Suddha madhyamam showed up frequently but beautifully throughout the composition.

Later I googled and located a rendition of this Bhajan(in YouTube) by Prince Rama Varma, a disciple of Balamuralikrishna. He says this is one of his Guru's creations in Raga Manorama - a combination of Kamavardhini (pratimadhyama) and Mayamalavagowla (suddhamadhyama). Similar to Lalit Gouri from the North.
'MaayaVaraali' of Tadepally would be much welcome in music circles.

2. Though it is quite possible that the trinity might not have composed the kritis the way they are sung now (as observed by Sri Tadepally), it may be in general interest to accept the varnamettu (version) which has somewhat stabilised as of now and the best we can do is to prevent further amends.

It is but a fact that the Pancharatna kritis of Tyagaraja (though he did not group them) stand to unite carnatic musicians across the Indian diaspora, thanks to the Tiruvaiyaru Aradhana and other major congregations.

3. As regards the present unsavoury trends pointed out by Sri Sarma, it is strongly desired that opportunities arise for the young-stars to listen to doyens on the do's and dont's of presentation.

Evolution of classical arts must result in refinement and not in 'modernisation'.

[thanjavooran]

CRama,
Thanks. Excellent review as usual.
Thanjavooran
23 07 2018

[bhakthim dehi]

@Crama
Yamunakalyani can /should be sung in our regular shruthi. It is not a madhyama shruthi ragam. The raga lakshana too is much different when we listen to the older versions. Jambupathe of Deekshithar is a good example to understand Yamunakalyani.
Krithis of Saint Tyagaraja, i mean the older versions too resemble the lakshanam portrayed in Jambupathe. An old version of a krithi of Bhadrachalam Ramadasar follow the suit.
What we hear now is not the Yamunakalyani picturized by our composers.

[CRama]

Thanks for the clarification, bhakthimdehi.

[sureshvv]

But Yamunakalyani is also frequently clubbed with other Madhyama sruti ragas like Punnagavarali, Senjurutti, Nadanamakriya etc,, especially in ragamalikas.

So I guess it is amenable to be sung in both srutis.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Yamunakalyani can /should be sung in our regular shruthi. It is not a madhyama shruthi ragam. The raga lakshana too is much different when we listen to the older versions. Jambupathe of Deekshithar is a good example to understand Yamunakalyani.

Jambupathe has upper sthaayi (sahitya) passages like Ánirvachaneeyaananda' in the Charana which may be difficult to access if sung in Madhyamasruti. May be it is the reason for being sung in Samasruti.

As Suresh has noted, Yamunakalyani is mostly grouped under madhyamasruti ragas and it quite suits.

[bhakthim dehi]

@sureshvv
Yes. Even when sung as a separate krithi, it is sung mostly in madhyama shruthi. Also, it resembles Kalyani a lot.
But in the past, it was not so.
Even Nadaramakriya had prayogam till tara sa or ri.
Everything got standardized.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Even Nadaramakriya had prayogam till tara sa or ri.

Well, Nadanamakriya sung in Madhyamasruti does not go beyond tara Sa or Ri of the Samasruti.

[nsridhar22]

Thanks a lot for the review.

[arunsri]

vidhichakrAdulaku of thyAgarAja is a very weighty kriti in yamunA kalyANi and is sung in normal sruti.

SSI sings many viruttams in yamunAkalyANi in regular sruti.

[sureshvv]

Some photos from the event

[sureshvv]

" He chided musicians singing korvais and complex swara prastarams. He said “Once I asked my Guru Chittoor Ayya that I am not able to sing vyvaharam swaram like him. He said Why should you sing.."

Not sure what he would have said for pallavi singing

Actually he said, there was a time and place for that. "Pallavi singing" would definitely be a right place.

[CRama]

Thanks to Sivaramakrishnan for taking the photos and SureshVV for uploading them.

[bhakthim dehi]

@shivaramakrishnan and @sureshvv
Can you please name the members present there?

[rajeshnat]

In the last uploaded photo, from left to right
Coolkarni (Blue Kercheif), Kedar (son of coolkarni ) with handkerchief, CRama (Blue and White T shirt), HMV Raghu (I think so not 100% right), nageswaran (gray Shirt) and SureshVV (seated in the floor in violet and red T Shirt).
In the 4th Photo the two ladies are Mrs Cookarni (green salwar kameez) and Mrs Nageswaran (red sari). Rest I donot know.

[ram1999]

In the last uploaded photo, from left to right
Coolkarni (Blue Kercheif), Kedar (son of coolkarni ) with handkerchief, CRama (Blue and White T shirt), HMV Raghu (I think so not 100% right), nageswaran (gray Shirt) and SureshVV (seated in the floor in violet and red T Shirt).
In the 4th Photo the two ladies are Mrs Cookarni (green salwar kameez) and Mrs Nageswaran (red sari). Rest I donot know.

It is indeed HMV Raghu, Dr S Ramanathan’s Son-in-Law.

[bhakthim dehi]

Thank you rajeshnat.