Vishnudev Namboodiri at KGS Gokulashtami

[vijay.siddharth]

Shreya Devnath
Ranganathapuram Akshay Ram

Viriboni - Bhairavi

Grand opening

[vijay.siddharth]

Guruvayurappane Appan - Reethigowla - Ambujam Krishna

Voice in fine form. Mridangam and violin bringing out the best in the music. An aural feast

[vijay.siddharth]

s@Guruvayurappane Appan

[vijay.siddharth]

Paramapurusham Hrdaye Bhavayeham - Lalitapanchamam

[vijay.siddharth]

Firecracker S@pallavi with able support from Shreya and Akshay

[vijay.siddharth]

Kedaragowla alapana
Saraguna Palimpa in the offing?

[vijay.siddharth]

Venuganaloluni after a superb Kedaragowla by Shreya!

[vijay.siddharth]

S @ Vikasita

Gopanandana - Bhushavali
Are we getting ready for Navaratri Mandapam?

[vijay.siddharth]

Thodi

[vijay.siddharth]

Sri Krishnam Bhaja - Thodi

[Sachi_R]

Shreya. Kedaragowla. Sri Lanka. Sridhar.

[vijay.siddharth]

NS@Sri Krishnam Bhaja

[vijay.siddharth]

Tani
Kannanidam Eduttu Solladi - ragamalika
Mandamathiyonanu - Pahadi

[vijay.siddharth]

@Sachi_R: I couldn't help thinking the same when Kedaragowla began!!!!

[vijay.siddharth]

Bhaja Bhaja Manasa

[CRama]

Shreya. Kedaragowla. Sri Lanka. Sridhar.

What is this?

[CRama]

Attended this concert and immensely enjoyed the concert with the staple fare for a Gokulashtami concert. Sitting with Vijay Sidharth enhanced listening experience.

Elaborate swarams for Lalithapanchmam not usually heard was very relishing.

The alapana of two ragams- Kedaragowla and Thodi was sumptuous with the characteristic prayogams covering the vast canvas.
All the songs were rendered very well with the authentic sangathis in tact and with the right kalapramanam pepped with abundant manodharmam.

For Sree krishnam bhaja manasa, the neraval at the pallavi- was not to my liking. Semmangudi, MS, TNS all will render at Sankha chakra gada Padma vana malam. Thrissur Ramachandran used to render at Venuganalolam kripalavalam. Some others will take up the Madhyamakala sahihtyam for neraval. Leaving all these and taking up neraval for the pallavi- which already had enough sangatis- I did not like it.

The post thani items had enough bhakthi quotient in them.

Sreya Devnath excelled in her alapanas and returns. The Lalgudi bani was much evident. Mridangam by Akshaya Ram was a good support.

An excellent concert for two hours.

[Sachi_R]

Shreya. Kedaragowla. Sri Lanka. Sridhar.

What is this?

Pls ask Siddharth

[rajeshnat]

Shreya Devanath along with Ramkumar and padma sugavanam conducted a retreat in srilanka . Sachi attended that, based on this thread looks like vijay siddharth may have also attended . sridhar I dont know who that is??

[Sachi_R]

Rajesh,
You're too much. You should help TN govt. solve unexplained crime cases.


Shreya played Kedaragowla for Siddharth, me and 24 others during the In Harmony Sri Lanka trip. It was a request from a diehard music rasika Mr. Sridhar Kalyanaraman, a close mutual friend.

[kvchellappa]

Some ten years back, as I was approaching the Siva temple, I heard an arresting Ritigowla. My legs took me to the pandal area and I saw this singer. No surprise that he is shaping well.
On the lighter side, TN Govt. may not like sleuths who will expose the culprits!

[advaitin]

Hi CRama , SSI has sung neraval and swaras for the Pallavi. Music academy concert i guess, MSG, PMI and Swaminatha Pillai. the youtube recording of this concert unfortunately does not have that one song.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Hi CRama , SSI has sung neraval and swaras for the Pallavi. Music academy concert i guess, MSG, PMI and Swaminatha Pillai. the youtube recording of this concert unfortunately does not have that one song.

Whatever be the case, Neraval at Pallavi cannot be enjoyable.

Pallavi colloquially means something which is repeated.
By and large the Pallavi of any composition will have a variety of Sangatis.
So it would be appropriate to choose other sahitya passages for niraval.
If you don't get good passages for niraval, go straight to swara prastara if you must.

[kvchellappa]

I think that musician must have the freedom to create music. All that matters is whether he creates music, something the audience at large can enjoy. Is it that no new sangati not possible in pallavi or new manodharma is not possible? Pallavis are chosen for neraval by many musicians. The question then is whether he is repeating or bringing new ideas. Often our enjoyment may be constrained by expectation. So long as the musician works within what is genuine carnatic music, why should we not listen without our own mental restrictions?

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Singing Neraval for Pallavi passage is rather a recent trend.
It could be a very very rare instance of SSI handling it so.

Madurai Mani Iyer was famous for Neravals at 'time tested' passages and rasikas looked forward to it every time.
Innovative Neravals at other than time tested points have always been outside Pallavi lines.(Eg.GNB in Sreesubrahmanyaya-Kamboji)

Evolution in classical arts is more towards refinement.

[Sachi_R]

I see SiRaKri's point. Genenally the pallavi is designed with a solid take-off starting at Sa or Ri or Ga, and building up the theme of the song. If it has already been rendered with many sangatis, again doing niraval will involve either repetition or "spoiling" the mood of the pallavi.

A good Carnatic song has in-designed niraval points in charanas and sometimes even anupallavi. Both melody and rhythm that afford good take-offs and no repetition of the pallavi theme. Those will allow for a good niraval and swara prasthara.

Also generally the niraval and swaras raise the tempo and mood of the song from a sedate pallavi zone.

In Chakkaniraja, the point would be kantiki sundara...
In Kartikeya Gangeya, it would be Malmaruga Shanmuga...
In Sarojadakanetri, Korivacchina
In Kamalambam Bhajare, Nirvishesha...

[ram1999]

Singing Neraval for Pallavi passage is rather a recent trend.
It could be a very very rare instance of SSI handling it so.

Madurai Mani Iyer was famous for Neravals at 'time tested' passages and rasikas looked forward to it every time.
Innovative Neravals at other than time tested points have always been outside Pallavi lines.(Eg.GNB in Sreesubrahmanyaya-Kamboji)

Evolution in classical arts is more towards refinement.

All of those who have commented on the wrong spot for nereval...

How many times have you heard VN singing nereval picking the same spot.

It could well be one off case in this concert that he selected the pallavi for nereval. So be it!
I have heard him sing this masterpiece in at least 2 concerts and the pallavi line was not taken for nereval. I have one of the recordings too.

Let the artist have the freedom to sing how they wish to. Perhaps it was the mood of the artist to select this passage for nereval on that day.

Overall if the concert is good, that requires an appreciation..

we expect manodharma sangeetham and the moment the artist does something different, the mental block of ours tend to reject it

It is more a nitpicking, IMHO !

VN is one of the most classiest singers of today.

[Sachi_R]

Ram1999,
Honestly you could have not missed the dozen plus positive comments and appreciation for VN. Overall I think even VN will be very pleased with the responses to his concert here.

There was ONE comment about niraval at pallavi line. And a couple of opinions and statements. Period. Nothing to tarnish the artiste. It was about niraval and not about VN.

Glad you clarified VN sings niraval at different points for the same song in different concerts. Speaks volumes tor the artiste.

We wish VN a great future.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

ram1999,
No doubt VN has emerged as one of the finest singers and the the concert under review has been one of bis best.
The point of discussion (not criticism) is just about the selection of passage for Neraval which could have been better and appropriate if it was other than the Pallavi sahitya. This need not be construed as 'questioning the artist's freedom to sing'.

I must also thank Sachi for his most objective views on the issue.

[ram1999]

ram1999,
No doubt VN has emerged as one of the finest singers and the the concert under review has been one of bis best.
The point of discussion (not criticism) is just about the selection of passage for Neraval which could have been better and appropriate if it was other than the Pallavi sahitya. This need not be construed as 'questioning the artist's freedom to sing'.

I must also thank Sachi for his most objective views on the issue.

Point well taken