Sanjay Subrahmanyan's concert day turned out to be a clear day, but music rained in the Chinmaya Center Hall--an intimate hall which for some reason reminds me of the Museum Theater of yore in Chennai. Strange, it was a huge hall, but having been in sabha halls and outdoor concerts, it came across to a child as something special and cozy, I suppose.
We like to be early for a concert, but it seemed as if we would reach there only minutes before the curtain. Just as we walked in, we heard the announcement : the concert will begin in five minutes! Sanjay's concerts start promptly as a rule, but this gave us time to settle down in our seats when the lights were already dimmed.
Sanjay came into view with his two trusted warriors of support on either side, and on the sideline, a children's brigade of music students seated in two rows, ready to absorb whatever they could from the master and the duo, all of them ready to keep tALa.
As is his wont, Sanjay started the concert without any delay. Ahiri varNam in kanTa jAti aTa tALa varNam of Tarangambadi Panchnada Iyer was the opener (this is a correction from someone with vidvat. Thanks! I was all flustered, arriving just on time, to pay proper attention
). Bharathi's vandE mAtaram enbOm in kEdAram came as an invocation to bhArata mAtA with swarAs.
Before I could think, he was singing sAvEri. No rAgA
but he started durusugA (quickly)! durusugA krupa jUci santatam. Were there some swarAs, neraval at parama pAvani? Please add to this report, those who were there.Sri rAmachandrO rakshatumAm in Sriranjani of MD followed with rAgA. A new one for me.
evaritO nE delpudu rAmA with rAgA. Sanjay's mAnavathi was pleading, pleasing and set the scene for an excellent concert to unfold, not forgetting that the duo by his side were throwing in their share in the process. SwarAs at pallavi line, if I remember.
The main nATTaikuRinji was absorbing as usual. The choice this time was ST's JagadISa. An excellent exercise no doubt, but I have to say I have heard even better NATTaikuRinjis from him!
Venkatesh's tanis are tani (one of a kind). They appeal even to novices like me. We too can see his expertise, his versatality in evoking different rhythm instruments in the course of his playing a single instrument.
Varadu's notes are nectar drops. There is no me or why not a bit more of me among the three of them. Sanjay makes music, and other things recede to the background for him-also for his team and for his audience. Their appreciation for each other fires them up, and we benefit.
Then came a sweet huseini with that little song nETRandi nERathilE. Charming.
We then got ready for the big time mOhanakalyANi RTP. A leisurely journey through the twists and turns of this Gangi-Gowri (siamese twins, once famous in India) rAgA with the lilt of mOhana and the gait and depth of kalyANi. There, Sanjay perhaps pleased two fans in a go who asked for mOhanam and kalyANi! A lovely journey meandering at times but taking brisk turns as the rAgA demands. mOhana rangA vandaruL, varam tandaruL (jagan) was the pallavi line. The whole thing just did shine...
Then followed swaras and a cascade of rAgamAlikA swaras. An endless but enchanting garland of many flowers in rAgAs, ghana rAgAs and exotic ones--you name them if you wish, they were there! (need help again on recollecting them all). A glut of them, but cloying? Not at all!
Please explain the tALa part with all details, laya pulis(tigers)
CharanamulE nammiti was also sung so well. kApi, Bhadrachala Ramadas
There was a virutham-orumaiyuDan ninadu padam ninaikkinRa. Or, was dreaming?
A bit disappointed that a lyrical piece of tiruvAi mozhi or of bharathi wasn't sung. But how the guided tour of Udipi kshEtra by Purandara Dasa thrilled us! Taking us from the maTas, to the seaside and riverside, and finally to Krishna himself, his greeting us with the jingling of his pAda sara!
kaNDe na uDapiya krishnana. The rAga sounded like durgA to me. May be not. This is it. When you get absorbed in the lines and the bhAva, what little you know recedes to the background. I am too old to run and garner them in. Rajesh would be disappointed ('you should have noted them down pronto, asked around:(').
Tillana in Dwijavanti. How did the four hours go?
Now that the lights were on, missed a number of the regulars who travel from afar. One couple, organizers from another state had their own concert that day. Almost always there, folks from Canada and the west coast were missing. Surprise , a pair of friends from Canada appeared! They were also at Philadelphia, it seems. Kedhaaram obviously wasn't there, otherwise we would have had an immediate review, and how we all miss it! Any hope for the remaining two concerts? Keeping my fingers crossed...
Rajesh, you are a go-getter, and you got this. Now, be nice to me, beware
