Neyveli Santanagopalan at Kakinada

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 19 Jan 2007, 09:44

Neyveli R.Santanagopalan, Pakala Ramadoss and Mannarkoil J Balaji
for Kakinada Sangeetha Sabha on 17-01-2007.

List :

01-Begada Varnam-Adi-Veena Kuppaiyyar
02-Meru Samaana Mevaru-Mayamalavagowla-Adi-Thyagaraja
03-Saarasa Samadana-Kapinarayani-Adi-Tyagaraja
04-Budhamasrayami-Natakurinji-Jampa Tala-Dikshitar Navagraha Kritis
05-Parathpara-Vachaspathi-Ad-Papanasam Sivan
06-Entha Muddo-Bindu Maalini-Adi-Tyagaraja
07-RTP-Hamir Kalyani
08-Virutham-Govardhana Giridhara-Darbari Kanada-Adi
09-Saramaina Maata lentho-Jaavali-Rupakam-Swati Tirunal
10-Tiruppugazh-Mangalam

A highly talented and highly natural artiste Neyveli Santanagopalan sang after a long time for the Kakinada sabha to an intent audience. It was an excellent begada. Varnam itself taking about 14 minutes with swarakalpana in the charanam. His adherence to sruti and also production of perfect Gandhara and Madhyama in begada gave ethereal experience to the listeners. His swara varieties ending with Ga and Ma were intricately brought out. He was just enjoying himself with the laya varietes ending in Gandhara providing ample scope for the accompanists to explore them further creating a big effect. Then came a short alapana of Mayamalavagowla and Meru Samaana of Tyagaraja followed providing great vigour in swaras. The best of NRS is that he catches you off guard with intricate laya patterns intervowen with aesthetic patterns, masking 5 with 6 and 7, suddenly singing tisram, which only a knowledgeable few can understand and he has the trick of conveying them effectively too. After that came Sarasa Sama dana in Kapi Narayani with niraval at "Itavu Maata lentho Baga Balki teevi" with excellent reply from Pakala Ramadoss. Then he enquired me which day it was and took up Budhamasrayami with explanation to the audience in brief terms about the significance of that kriti of Dikshitar. Most unexpected came next. He just sang the raga alapana of Vachaspathi very briefly and took up parathpara. Sang niraval and swaras at Hari Ayanum Kaana Ariya Jothi. he sang lot of sarvalaghu swaras and i was enjoying along with him by playing sarvalaghu too. Suddenly there was a gap of about two three avarthas and i continued my sarvalaghu and he requested me to play my solo there itself. though it was a big surprise, given the artiste temperament and his practice of treading on the unexpected, i instantly played a tani with misra nadai and tisra nadai with a mohara and korvai bordering more on sarvalaghu patterns than on kanakku as the atmosphere was one of unison with the Raga Devatha. Then he sang "Entha Mudho" in bindumaalini as a filler but replete with rasanubhava and musical flavour. He then took up Hamir Kalyani (Actually he requested me which raga he can take up for singing RTP and having heard him sing dwijavanti a few times and a curiosity to listen to a different raga i offered my suggestion to sing Hamikalyani) and what a choice it was. he sang a fairly elaborate raga with ragamaalika in Taanam with ragas Anandha Bhairavi and Hamsanandhi. He sang tanam and wanted me to accompany also for the tanam. He sang a fairly simple pallavi in Adi Tala (eduppu 1 beat after samam) "Saravana (3) Bhava (2 1/2) Guhane(1 1/2) (Arudi) - 3 1/2 beat Karvai - Shanmukhane (2 1/2) Dayaparane (3) " where he concentrated more on niraval aspect of the pallavi than on trikala aspect of it giving him ample scope to elaborate on the beauty of each of the ragas. Then came other items like Virutam, Jaavali, Tiruppugazh and Mangalam. It was a wholesome concert and an artiste of high calibre like NRS can bring out such high aesthetic value of our music and give proper direction.

The geinus is one who can bring out the best in others. I have always wondered how manipulative he is in concerts that even with unknown artistes he provides best as he is able to tap the best of others instead of hitting on their Achilles' Heel. This makes the concert platform a pleasant place to stay on and on for the accompanists. This was very vivid in Pakala Ramadoss essays of Mayamalava gowla, Vachaspathi and Hamir Kalyani. both of us on stage were intently listening to a great artiste in action and providing accompaniment to him without spoiling the tone and tenor of the concert.

JB

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 19 Jan 2007, 10:00

JB
Thanks for that Review / Report.This is certainly a New genre of reporting , from the ringside.Please do keep these coming.
I am an unabashed admirer of his style of singing- especially the pace at which he delivers.
My Mind goes back to the days when I kept playing Amir Khan stuff for him and Tanjore Sankara Iyer in my humble paying guest accomodation at KK Nagar.-in 1983 / 84.
With a delighted Mom serving Chapathis after Chapathis, to all of us.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 19 Jan 2007, 10:24

JB,
That was a great review.

ram · Post by **ram** » 19 Jan 2007, 10:36

It is so nice to read Sri Balaji's posts as they express the views of an artist about a concert he performed in and are quite educative !!!!!!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 Jan 2007, 11:14

Balaji
Excellent review !! YOu almost made me visualize the concert.Was the "darbaari kaanaDa" viruttam that preceded gOvardhana giridhara of "nArayAna theerthAr" in the lines kAdhalAki kasindu kanneer melgi oduvAr(thevAram).The javaali is in "behAg".

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:16

I echo everyone's views - it is a privilege to get an artist's perspective...especially from a place like Kakinada. How was the audience turnout and response? I hope Carnatic Music is alive and well in the rice bowl of the south...

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 19 Jan 2007, 16:25

That was just superb reading! Thank you, Sri Balaji.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 19 Jan 2007, 18:20

Member Vijay Audience turn out was excellent more than about 300 to 350 and the cream of them stayed till the end. for the information of the rasikas@org this Kakinada sangeetha sabha is one of the oldest existing sabhas i think about 104 years old.

Member rajeshnat the virutham "Kasturi Tilakam Lalata Palake" and thanks for filling the gap of the raga of the kriti also. Though i knew the raga i missed to mention it.

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 19 Jan 2007, 18:36

I can't stress enough on the "superb reading"...Balaji sir, you are a superb and meaningful addition to this forum. Welcome, welcome, welcome!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jan 2007, 21:25

Balaji,
I look forward to your reviews. From your vantage point, you present them with verve.
I do know that the Kakinada sabha is old (the old lady that I am--though not as old the sabha!). I was eight years old and remember listening to an afternoon concert there of a young man with a beautiful voice. He wore an 'alpaca coat' ( as any black jacket was called in those days, whether it was made of alpaca wool or not). It was adorned with gold medals. The young singer was BMK!

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 19 Jan 2007, 21:34

vow great! member arasi. really astounding to have travelled along with great Chowdiah and other accompanist. Before the start of the concert the secretary of the Sabha was telling that he has seen stalwarts like Tiger, Musiri and other sing in that sabha as a 8 or 9 year old boy. He is now in his late eighties and what a listening experience he must have. truly blessed those elders are. we have only some CDs but nothing like listening to those live concerts. My mom and uncles used to travel from Chenglepet (about 60kms away from chennai) to chennai to listen to those excellent concerts of the Music Academy at PS High School and then stay over night at some place in chennai, then return to chenglepet next morning. really feel missed out on those days.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jan 2007, 21:54

I am not in my eighties YET! Still, I appreciate youngsters who think they missed out on the good old days...
My! I edited out parts of my post--pronto, but you seem to have had a glimpse of it!

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 20 Jan 2007, 02:47

Balaji Sir

Your reviews are like a breath of fresh air ! There is an insight in these reviews which is conspicous by its absense in other reviews done by people who are not musicians in your catagory. i.e a regular accompanist like yourself. Therefore, this forum would be willing to give an "arm and a leg" to read your reviews of other concerts which you are able to attend, in your otherwise busy schedule. Hope you will oblige us. Regards...Sam

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 20 Jan 2007, 10:00

i will try my level best to review other concerts also. but these days because of triple commiments of concerts, home and office i am not able to attend concerts frequently though i would love to listen to concerts and observe deeply the musical soul in other artistes. anyway thanks for all your deep concern and affection shown towards me.

manakkalsriram · Post by **manakkalsriram** » 20 Jan 2007, 20:43

Hats Off to Balaji. To take part as a successful percussionist for a concert , then to enjoy the concert, then review the concert and share the experiences with the rasikas is truly amazing. This shows Balaji's deep involvement in the art. Sakshaatkarani sathbhakthiyu sangeetha gnana vihinilagu Mokshamu galada. Our Balaji is blessed and endowed with both gnana and devotion.

humdinger · Post by **humdinger** » 20 Jan 2007, 22:15

Thanks a lot Balaji for that wonderful review. And for a great heart and dedication in posting a review of the concert held in Kakinada.
Sri Saraswati gana sabha in kakinada is one of the oldest sangita sabha's in AP which was nurtured under the aegis of Rajah Suryaraya Bahaddur of Pithapuram. It has its own auditorium named Sri Surya Kala Mandiram. I read somewhere that Nedunuri garu got his first break here when he filled when Flute Mali didnt turn up.

More info here...
http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/20030919/centenary.asp

erode14 · Post by **erode14** » 22 Jan 2007, 20:40

True.....

Neyveli anna is one of his kind.

I enjoyed his concert at govt. college of music with UKS sir. After the concert, I told anna, "lot of people sing:but, you are one among vidwans who had dharshan and anugraha of swara devethas".

Girish (on hearing me saying this), told "un vaaikku sakkara dhaanyaa podanum".

I would like to say, Neyveli anna can sing any keerthana with bhava and wieight, because, he goes with the swaroopa of raga itself and when one realise the swaroopa of raga..... it can be expressed in any forms like keerthana rendition, alapana, niraval, swara and thaana....

As an explanation to a sloka,

"agamyaaranya sadhrusam laya vidhyaam vibajyayaha
chakaara sangeetha maargam sulabham tham gurum
pranamaamyaham"

(Salutations to the Guru, who by imparting the gnana of rhythm, makes one easily go further and farther in music, which is a dense forest. )

{I am sorry if it is a bad translation...}

he has immense knowledge of layam.....

I am a rasika of him and his bakthi for periyava too....