Violinist Nagai Sriram is no more

[SrinathK]

I have received the news of the demise of violinist Nagai Sriram on FB from Sh. Sriram V.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 0872040591

A brilliant violinist and accompanist, and who I have heard live many times, but from what I have heard, a troubled genius. He was only 41.

[rajeshnat]

In one of the reviews i wrote about Nagai Sriram with this snippet

# Nagai Sriram is perhaps the best manaseega sishya of Lalgudi Jayaraman . He has the near same Carbon copy blot memory of Lalgudi in returns . Everything he played was superb and his returns typically start with a slight less than one second smile in his face and then he gets every gamaka and brigha curves that the vocalist did. Paricularly kalanil silambu neraval immaculate returns were heavenly, his press with azhuttam particularly in todi lifted the concert.

[hnbhagavan]

So sad.Really a great loss to Music world.Extremely talented.Very good in accompaniment and also as duet partner to his uncle Nagai Muralidharan.

[SrinathK]

@rajeshnat Very true at that Lalgudi esque ability in his accompaniment. It was uncanny how he could effortlessly reproduce even very complex patterns.

First Mandolin Shrinivas and now Nagai Sriram. Yet another incredible talent is no more. Many of these gifted truly brilliant musicians must simply be resuming from where they left off in their last life and they go soon because it's only the remainder of their life, maybe....

[rajeshnat]

Such a sad news about this genius . What sruthi suddham and what a press and azhuttam he had extremely sharp return skills . He certainly never showcased even an iota to bring in any fusionish sangathis ever, he stayed to sampradaya purity. How many concerts i have heard him. So many random ones i recollect of his right now. I also attended two or three of his exclusive violin concerts with his chittappa - Nagai Muralidharan.

Nagai Sriram was a genius in excellence and presentation having seen him as early as 2000 plus , i thought he was like Mandolin Srinivas. I have personally talked with him and he knows me quite well and he has personally talked with me with my few reviews even in late sangeetham days. He was also quite candid in assessing so many of his fellow vidwans and vidushis , i always felt to pass the test of Nagai Sriram as a critic is quite an achievement for any performer. I remember silently whisperince once in his ears nee nejamaavE antha kaalathu tanjore vidwan and critic . It is very unfortunate that he had to die at such a young age. Violin lost a great artist of impeccable purity

Om Shanthi Nagai Sriram

[arasi]

Oh, no! So young, talented to a degree which didn't go with his meek presence. It was around the year 2000, Rajesh. You remember how I would hop from sabha to sabha all day during the season, listening with just a dozen people gathered in a hall, from BV mini to the cavernous NGS which for some reason held a junior concert in it at times. One such concert, and I forget who the young woman was whom he accompanied. It didn't matter at that time. This little young man was producing such music as an accompanist, and I sat there wrapped up in it. Everything that he played became the main fare. In the meager audience next to me was a woman who was all attention in the manner a parent is to a performer. Then I said, 'indap piLLai eppaDi vAsikkiRAn (how well he plays)! Is he your son? She said, no he's the violinist (the young woman singing was her focus). I waited until they came off the stage and told Sriram, 'ennamA vAsikkiRAi, inda vayadilEyE! (How well you play even at this age). A faint smile with a nod was his response.

I used to wonder why he wasn't that visible for all his talents. He was so low key that it made me realize that he was extremely shy. Thanks to Cleveland, we saw him a lot over several years, yes, with such super duets with his uncle and also, as it happens at Cleveland, playing for many seniors and juniors. Yes, he was almost invisible for a highly capable performer that I used to wonder why he wasn't seen more, playing for the stars. So, I was happy to see him play for Sanjay once at the Margazhi festival (not the Maha Utsavam but something else that year at the same venue) in person,, not on the screen. His pakka balam (side support) as a supporting artiste is mighty, I used to think, for this shrinking violet. He wasn't 'a flower born unseen', was quite visible, but how almost invisible but significant on stage

Again, thanks to Cleveland, I got to hear him more. I remember writing about him during the streaming, especially of the super performance of the uncle and nephew's duets. Even there, occupying center stage with his uncle, in deference too, how diminutive his presence was, however sweet his playing sounded!

Snatched away in his prime, alas! My deep sense of sympathy to all his family--especially to his uncle who has lost a nephew and a fellow-player, a veritable Sishya...

Om ShAnti...

[shankarank]

Shocked! Remember the memorable concert in 2015 or so with his Uncle at Dallas, with many a sampradaya kritis like cEtaSri.

Heartfelt condolences to his family. It is indeed an unbearable loss.

[nadhasudha]

I have received the news of the demise of violinist Nagai Sriram on FB from Sh. Sriram V.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 0872040591

A brilliant violinist and accompanist, and who I have heard live many times, but from what I have heard, a troubled genius. He was only 41.

Shocking and sad to hear. I have had the pleasure of hosting him a couple of times and always found him quick witted. On stage, he excelled. Heartfelt Condolences to his family and rasikas. Gone too soon. Om Shanti

[thanjavooran]

Heartfelt Condolences to his family and rasikas. Om Shanti

[rajeshnat]

Small tribute to this great vidwan Nagai Sriram with his solo concert. What conviction with azhuttam and sampradaya suddham. If you dont see him, you may easily mistake him for few of the greatest violin maestros one or two generation back .Violin accompanist/solo artist of such high quality is just too rare to find. Om Shanthi to Nagai Sriram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a799SSYhjRc
The above link has the following ragas
sahana- hamsadhwani -anandabhairavi- varali - raagavardhini??- kadanakuthuhalam - kaapi (Inta sowkhya as main)- kamas -maand - sivaranjani thillana - thirruppugazh

When i have time , let me look at the archives of few that i have . I want to put some ragamaliga returns or a RTP .

I urge others to write more and also put relevant urls

[rajeshnat]

Writeup by Saketharaman from The Hindu dated April 15th,2022 as a tribute to Nagai Sriram
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 320839.ece

[Sundara Rajan]

I am shocked beyond belief at the loss of a such a brilliant violinist at such a young age. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and rasikas.