SIKKIL GURUCHARAN- CHENNAI 2000+ 15/8/19- 6.15 PM.

[CRama]

ACCOMPANISTS- KUMBAKONAM M.R GOPINATH- VIOLIN
N.C. BHARADWAJ- MRIDANGAM

CHENNAI 2000+ has organised Aadi Isai Tiruvizha from 5 Aug to 18 Aug in the basement of the hotel Absolute Arusuvai in T. Nagar- in the Somasundaram Street near Joy Alukkas, North Usman Road. The concert of Sikkil Gurucharan was named Tamizh Isai Ulaa. Accordingly, instead of packing the concert with tamil compositions of various composers, Sikkil presented the concert in a different format- tracing the evolution of Tamil Isai starting from the Sangam Period and presenting compositions of tamil composers in that order- not following the regular concert paddathi. Many of the songs were unknown to me. It was a very good attempt that yielded success due to the sincerity and dedication of Sikkil Gurucharan suitably embellished by his team of accompanists. There was good audience turn out and every body stayed till the end of the two hour concert.
List of songs.
• Kongu ther varthai- Mohanam- Kurunthogai. Sangam period.
• Yaadum oore yavarum kelir- Shanmukhapriya. (R,N,S) -Purananooru.
• Naanalam ennum - Reethogowla Tirukkural-65 sol vanmai.
• Maipayantha onkan madanallar- Sama- Tirugnanasambandar Thevaram on Chennai kapaliswarar- virutham
• Yaama maani yaamaamaa yaazhi - Palindrome malaimatru- Sama - Chatusra dhruvam- Tirugnanasambandar Thevaram
• Ambarame thanneere- Kalyani -Thiruppavai -(R,N,S).
• Ponnin oli poovin veri -Khamas -Kamba Ramayanam
• Marukkulaviya-Poorvikalyani. Thirupugazh (R,S)
• Kaanaamal veenile- Neelambari. Muthu thandavar
• Parvai ondre podume. Suruti. Oothucaud Venkatakavi.
• Aadiya paadame gati endrengum -Varali -Adi 2 kalai -Gopalakrishna Bharati (R,N,S)
• Tani avartanam
• Aduvome pallu paduvome- Maund - Bharatiyar
• Thamarai ppootha thadagamadi- Ragam- Hindustanigandhari- Composer- Tiruchi G. Thyagarajan
• Needan tunai neelambari – Ragamalika- N.S.Chidambaram
• Karumukil vannanukku mangalam- Madhyamavathy – Ambujam Krishna
• Vazhiya senthamizh- Bharatiyar

Some additional information given by Gurucharan.
• In the Purananooru poetry, the karma theory is mentioned- Theethum nanrum pirar tharavar
• The Kamba Ramayanam poem describes the walking beauty of Seetha as she comes to the Kalyana Mandapam.
• The present kriti format evolved in the times of the Seergazhi Moovar- Muthu Thandavar, Marimutha Pillai, Arunachala kavirayar.
• Nee than tunai Neelambari- Sikkil announced as a composition of Tanjore S.Kalyanaraman. But it is a composition of N.S. Chidambaram tuned by S. Kalyanaraman.

The notable omission in the list is Papanasam Sivan – whose contribution to Tamil Isai is unparalleled.

M.R.Gopiinath provided unobtrusive violin accompaniment. His raga alapanas were brief but brought out the essence of the ragam. N.C.Bharadwaj embellished the concert with his deft strokes and sensitive accompaniment.
A very enjoyable programme by Sikkil and his team.

[grsastrigal]

Oophs. How did i miss Did it come in Hindu (ad) ?
PS is, yes, notable omission.

[CRama]

Yes. It came in the daily engagements column.

[HarishankarK]

Arunachala Kavirayar also omitted
I didn't know Arunagirinathar was born after Andal. Always thought of him to be a v v old guy

[CRama]

Arunachala Kavirayar also omitted

Muthu Thandavar, Marimutha Pillai and Arunachala kavi are together called Seergazhi moovar who llived in the same period. Out of that, he sang one composition of Muthu thandavar- Kanaamal veene in Neelambari.

[rajeshnat]

in the basement of the hotel Absolute Arusuvai in T. Nagar- in the Somasundaram Street near Joy Alukkas, North Usman Road.

Hope this hall becomes the next ragasudha or arkay . Mambalam needs a recurrent concert venue in ragasudha/arkay scale .
Crama- Thank you , nice sweep of songs from gurucharan and thanks for your review.

[rshankar]

CRama - thank you for your review. The concert seems to have been unique.

Sri Kamban's description of sItA coming to the marriage hall is priceless, and one of my all-time favorite verses. In the kamba rAmAyaNam, it appears as if sItA walks to the hall by herself, emitting the luster of gold (ponnin oli), enveloped by the fragrance of flowers (pUvin veRi), anointed with cool sandal paste (sAndu podi sItam), putting celestial damsels and swans to shame, etc., while in the AdikAvya, vAlmIki describes her as being escorted to the marriage hall. Much after the kambarAmAyaNa, Sri Arunachala Kavi evokes the same visual image in his kRti, annai jAnaki vandALE ('poNNin oLiyum pU maNamum koNDu' in the anupallavi).
In one of the earliest commentaries on the AdikAvya, apparently there are verses that describe sItA as 'sarvAbharaNa bhUshitAm' (similar to 'ponnin oli'), and as 'vidyutprabhAm' (similar to 'minnin oli annavaL tan mEni ezhil mAna').

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Sri TNS and his Sishya parampara sing 'ponnin oli' in kurinji? I remember Arasi mentioning that Sri VVS had tuned it in kurinji. Do you know who tuned it in khamAs?

Looking at the list made me realize that ANDAAL predates Kamban by several centuries (I had to look it up)...

[CRama]

Yes. Ponnin oli is sung by TNS in Kurinji in his Kamba Ramayanam album. I dont know who tuned it in Khamas.

Sikkil Gurucharan informed the time period of various composers. I did not write it down. The songs were presented in that order only.

[CRama]

in the basement of the hotel Absolute Arusuvai in T. Nagar- in the Somasundaram Street near Joy Alukkas, North Usman Road.

Hope this hall becomes the next ragasudha or arkay . Mambalam needs a recurrent concert venue in ragasudha/arkay scale .
Crama- Thank you , nice sweep of songs from gurucharan and thanks for your review.

The hall resembles Arkay- slightly bigger. Accoustics is good. Chairs OK. Only approach is slightly chalenging for elderly people. There is one bike show room.You have to go inside- from there, stairs are going to the basement. The steps are inconvenient. Tapering to the one end. So we have to climb very carefully. Parking can be done on the road. In between Joy Alukkas and Murugan Idli bus stand.

[arasi]

Kudos to Gurucharan. A list of a variety of songs drawn from many poets and composers over the centuries. CRama, yes, no PS song, but even regular concerts which are time restricted, can't manage to include three of the Trinity! Sometimes, trying to do justice to all the main composers might result in a hurried, no elaborate rAgA, neraval or swarAs concert. Also, we need a few of the contemporary, not well-known composers who need to be included in concerts.

In 1950 (1951?), professor VVSadagopan's Kamba RAmAyaNam concert was the very first one to be performed exclusively from the kAviyam. Each verse was wrought with bhAva and was based on the full understanding of the beauty and majesty of Kamban's verses on the part of VVS. A shame, we do not have any recording of it, as far as we know. Spool recorders had just made an appearance around that time. Kalki and TKChidambaranada Mudalyiar were the ones who encouraged VVS to present a concert of this kind.
Some of us in the family sing those songs to this day and not a wedding goes without ponnin oLi and aNNal RAmachandranuDan being sung at Unjal time in weddings in my maternal and paternal extended families. Ravi, you remembered!
Had Gurucharan known that version, he would have sung it, is my guess. His grandmothers, the Sikkil Sisters might have known that meTTu?