SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
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CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by CRama »

Accompanists-
H.N.Bhaskar- Violin
Neyveli Venkatesh- Mridangam
Guruprasad- Ghatam.
List of songs.
• Sidhivinayakam- Chamaram- MD (S at Pallavi)
• Parasakthijanani- Hamsadhwani-PS (S at Pallavi)
• Sivananda kamavardhini- Panthuvarali- GNB (R,S at Bhavani Pavani)
• Pahimam Parvathy- Mohanam-MD (S at Pallavi)
• Talli Ninnu nera- Kalyani- SS (R,S at Syamakrishna)
• Tathvameruga tarama-Garudadhwani- T
• Ninne Nammi nanu- Thodi-SS (R,N at Kamakshi Kanjadlayathakshi,S)
• Thani
• Jagatjanani – Ratipatipriya
• Mookambika Stothram- Kanada
• Karunai deivame- Sindubhairavi- PS
• Malayalam song on Mookambika – Saramati
• Karpagame kann paray- Madhyamavati-PS
• Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma-PD- Bhowli
• Thillana- Mohanakalyani-LGJ
• Mangalam


I have heard that Maestro Ilayaraja has been conducting Navarathri Music concerts in his house since many years, but restricted to his family members. I got an invite from Sankaran Namboodiri for this concert and it is very near my house. That is all the more good for me.

About the Kolu in Ilayaraja’s house. When you enter the huge house, in the first drawing hall, a big kolu is kept. With huge bommais accumulated over many decades and arranged in an aesthetic manner in seven steps and some other huge bommais kept in the near by slots, it was very artistic and the religious fervour maintained. They had kept the kalasam- which has been given a go in many of the kolus in present days. We do keep the decorated kalasam in our house kolu. When I tried to take photos of the kolu, the Lady of the house gently told me not to take photo and delete the photos already taken. We also follow the same system in our house. I met the vidwans before the concert and had chat with Sankaran Namboodiri in connection with the article I am writing about him for publication in the Sruti magazine. The Maestro himself came and greeted us before the concert. All of us did Namaskarams and took his blessings. I did a brief introduction of myself. This is the first time I met him in such close vicinity. There were very few outsiders like me in the audience apart from the family members and vidwans like S. Vardarajan. Forumite Sivaramakrishnan and his son also joined.

The concert started at 6.30 P.M.

The atmosphere was serene and religious. The acoustics were good. There were a few chairs, sofas for people to sit. But we all sat in the floor. We all were served with coffee and one water bottle before the concert. Maestro Ilayaraja was sitting in a nearby room and listening the concert.

Sankaran Namboodiri presented a concert exclusively of Devi kritis (with one exception). His voice was in good form. Started the concert with Sidhivinayakam and plethora of swarams in the pallavi added weight to the concert from the opening song itself. The next song Parasakthi janani- I have heard in a cassette of Santhanam, but rarely heard in the concerts. Three ragams- Panthuvarali, Kalyani and Thodi were presented in detail with gushing manodharmam – authentic format, combining long akara prayogams, brighas and well rounded gamakams. His voice and style had enough shades of Yesudas in certain places. The krits were presented in the medium tempo with the authentic sangatis and decorated with imaginative neraval and swara prastarams which had in built vyavaharam in them. The post thani pieces were presented with appropriate sahithya bhavam and bhakthi bhavam. The two Mookambika songs deserve special mention. Bhagayada Lakshmi baramma was rendered following the Bhimsen Joshi style in the ragam Bhowli. It was an excellent concert that lasted for two and half hours.

After the concert, we all went inside the Puja room, there was Aarti and honouring of the artistes with garland, prasadam, and shawl by the Maestro. We had a photo session also.

H.N.Bhaskar provided commendable support on the violin extracting the maximum musical value from his bow, through palpable modulation. His high manodharmam, follow up of kritis, swara returns and tone of the violin enriched the concert to a great extent. His musical interludes for the Mookambika song in Saramati added lustre to the song.

Neyveli Venkatesh with his long experience enriched the concert with his superb dexterity and fingering speed and embellished the concert with many nice patterns while filling the gaps in the course of the various kritis. There was no over banging and the tani with Guruprasad was lively.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by rajeshnat »

So glad to see this post -Crama and SRK . You were in the house of God Of Music to attend the divine CM concert.

Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

It was a happy coincidence of my meeting Sankaran Nambudiri at Trivandrum airport (during my return to Chennai after attending the initial days of Navaratri festivities) that enabled my attending the concert as he extended a warm, personal invitation to me. Thus I was at the venue for the concert which CRama has reviewed in detail.

Nambudiri has got an energetic style of rendering that doesn't miss out on the niceties and essentials. He must be getting more chances in Chennai. I was hearing him in person perhaps after long interval.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by rajeshnat »

Crama
If by any chance do you have a photograph of say artists or you with GOD of Music in his own abode, please do post it here .

rbharath
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Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by rbharath »

Rajesh,
The kalasam aspect is also part of the family tradition. It is not mandatory. When it is not part your family pazhakkam, it is not necessary to be practiced. We keep golu every year, but, we don't have the vazhakkam of keeping kalasam. It's not followed in many houses of my extended family. Only people who do navavarna poojai install a kalasam compulsarily.
bharath

MaamiAtHeart
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Joined: 28 Dec 2011, 23:03

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by MaamiAtHeart »

You are so lucky! What was the Maestro like in person? (I am a really big fan!)

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by CRama »

MamiAtHeart. This was the first time I was meeting Maestro Ilayaraja. I am not a film song buff. But I do like many of his film songs that came in the 80s-90s. I have written an article about Sankaran Namboodiri which is published in the November issue of Sruti magazine. In that connexion, Sankaran Namboodiri invited me for this concert for some chat. Thus, I happened to be in the house of the Maestro.
I went slightly early and we were chatting in the drawing room. Then Maesto Ilayaraja- clad in splotless white veshti and jibba came out and invited all of us for the concert. He was very courteous but not very much social with all the small people. I introduced myself and told about the articles I am writing in Sruti. After the concert he again came to us, took us to the Pooja room had arti and he honoured the vidwans and gave them prasadams. He appreciated all the vidwans for the excellent performance they had given. When many of us wanted to take photos, he never hesitated. Thus he maintained decorum and treated us well- at the same time never engaged in small talks. An occasion to remember for long.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by rajeshnat »

CRama wrote: 02 Nov 2018, 18:52
. I introduced myself and told about the articles I am writing in Sruti.
Crama
U should have said i write mostly in rasikas.org and also occassionly very rarely in sruti magazine. U could have invited maestro to rasikas.org

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by CRama »

I did not get enough space to present myself in detail. And he was not keen on extending conversation individually.

CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by CRama »

I also told him about some of my favourite Ilayaraja songs

Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: SANKARAN NAMDOODIRI IN ILAYARAJA’S HOUSE-12/10/18

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

The 'Isaignaani' was on a virtual 'Mouna vratha' and whatever few words he spoke to those around were hardly audible.

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