Sikkil Gurucharan @ Lalitha Kala Vedika, Chennai (15 June 20

ram · Post by **ram** » 18 Jun 2007, 09:20

Venue: R.K. Swamy Auditorium, Mylapore, Chennai

Date: 15 June 2007

Organizer: Lalitha Kala Vedika

Vocal: Vid. Sikkil Gurucharan

Violin: Vid. Nagai Sriram

Mrudangam: Vid. Trivandrum Balaji

Ghatam: Vid. E.M. Subramaniam

List of songs:

1) vanajAkshi (varnam) - kalyANi - Adi - rAmanAthapuram srInivAsa iyengAr (O)

2) sarasa sAma dAna - kApinArAyaNi - Adi - tyAgarAja (OS)

3) mAyammA yani nE - Ahiri - Adi - syAma sAstri (O)

4) anudinamunu - bEgaDa - rUpakam - rAmanAtapuram srInivAsa iyengAr (ANS)

5) mOhanakara muthukumara - nItimati - rUpakam - kOTIshwara iyer (AS)

6) entamuddO - bindumAlini - Adi - thyAgarAja (O)

7) bhAvayE sArasanAbham - kIravANi - Adi - swAti tiruNAL (AST)

8 ) kSaNamadhunA nArAyaNam - valaji - Adi - jayadEva (O)

9) senthamizh nADenum - rAgamAlikA - Adi - subramaNya bhArati

10) chelinEnEtlu sahintunE (jAvaLi) - paras - Adi - paTTAbhirAmayyA

11) iyal isai (tiruppugazh) - dEsh - kanDa tripuTa - aruNagirinAthar

12) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) - saurAshTram - Adi - tyAgarAja

13) mangaLam kOsalEndrAya (shlOkam) - madyamAvati

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

R.K. Swamy Auditorium is one of the few auditoriums in the city where the sound amplification is often simply superb. I am sure this must be playing a pivotal role in the success of the concerts that are held there. Vid Sikkil Gurucharan's concert too had a good mic setting though the amplification level was a bit higher than usual.

The concert started with the kalyANi varnam "vanajAkshi" which I am hearing after a long time now. A short sketch of kApinArAyaNi followed. Kalpana swarams in "sarasa sAma dAna" were sung at "hitavu mATalentO ....." . "mAyammA yani nE" was started with the anupallavi "nyAyamA shrI ..." and was sung very well in a slow, moving way. The ragas taken for elaboration were bEgaDA and kIravANi and were dealt with very nicely by both Vid Gurucharan and Vid Nagai Sriram. Neraval and kalpana swarams were put in "anudinamunu" at "kanakanaruci nirupamu". Kalpana swarams were put at the pallavi line itself for "bhAvayE sArasanAbham", a kriti not sung that often in the concert circuit. Vid Trivandrum Balaji and Vid E.M. Subramaniam accompanied well for the songs.

Source: http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/2007/06/ ... a-chennai/

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 18 Jun 2007, 10:28

I agree - acoustics are really a class apart. Sabha secretaries would do well to give the organizers a call and get some tips before the season...

Sathej · Post by **Sathej** » 18 Jun 2007, 10:49

The acoustics are much better than other places,yes.However,sometimes,the amplification is a bit on the louder side,especially for the violin. And Maayamma starting from the Anupallavi.Interesting.Why?Does it make more sense lyrically?I don't see anything wrong in starting with the Pallavi from what little I understand of the meaning of the song.
Sathej

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 18 Jun 2007, 10:57

I have heard a different version of the tirupugazh by Shri OST. He sings it in huseni and in a weird thalam called rengabaranam (18 counts). The structure is like this: 1 k.capu (5) followed by 1 anudritam in tisram (3) 1 anudritam in catusram (4) and a normal rupakam (6). Hope I got it right!!
-bhaktha

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 18 Jun 2007, 12:31

Absolutely right!

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 18 Jun 2007, 14:35

Btw, That brings me to the following question: Were compositions like the tirupugazh, ashtapadi etc. set to some standard ragam and talam by the composer? Because I find each artiste giving his/her own version.
-bhaktha

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 18 Jun 2007, 14:39

Where in Mylapore is this hall?

ram · Post by **ram** » 18 Jun 2007, 15:09

Its bang opposite the office of RR Sabha (Rasika Ranjani Sabha) on Sundareswarar street. I think it is the part of a school complex .... IIRC, the school's name is Sivaswamy Kalalaya or something similar. If you come from Chitrakulam towards Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on East Mada St, take the first right and the audi will come on the left just after you cross RR Sabha's office.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 18 Jun 2007, 16:17

Uhhh seem to have got things mixed up....I was referring to the audi on RK Mutt Road in Mandavellipakkam....now what was that called???

ram · Post by **ram** » 18 Jun 2007, 16:45

I think its Swamy's Hall.

The streets of Mylapore now have some competition when it comes to confusing people.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 18 Jun 2007, 21:23

Which brings us to this question. When chennai vAsis (Chennai dwellers) have these problems, what about out of towners in the music season? Let alone choosing the concerts for the day (quite an excercise), finding the venues can be troublesome. Sabhas can make it easier by: not crowding sabha name, sponsor names, venue etc in an ad. At least, print the venue in bold print that it stands out from the rest. If possible, add a map in their one page ads which are published prior to the season AND give the name of a well known landmark near by. The number of stops one has to make to ask for directions! Well meaning but unreliable pedestrians, reliable but hard to stop auto drivers and one way streets make it more difficult. However early your start, you may get delayed.
Let the organizers lay out the format for their ads the way they want to, but display the venue and the landmark nearby, clearly.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 18 Jun 2007, 22:18

Or, if every one who attends concerts in Madras write a rough guide to Madras Sabhas the we can upload it some where for immediate reference .. just a thought.

We have some dedicated concert goers in Madras, maybe they can start jotting down bus routes, short cuts etc etc ...