Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ STSVS, Chennai (18 June 2007)

ram · Post by **ram** » 19 Jun 2007, 15:42

Venue: Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam, Thiagarajapuram, Mylapore

Date: 18 June 2007

Organizer: Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam

Vocal: Vid. Sanjay Subrahmanyan

Violin: Vid. Nagai Muralidharan

Mrudangam: Vid. Guruvayur Dorai

Khanjira: Vid. Neyveli B. Venkatesh

List of songs:

1) yOcanA - darbAr - Adi - tyAgarAja (OS)

2) rAmA ninnu namminA - mOhanam - Adi - tyAgarAja

3) nE pogaDakunTE - varALi - kanDa cApu - tyAgarAja (ANS)

4) adi kAdu bhajana manasA - yadukulakAmbOji - Adi - tyAgarAja (A)

5) nIkE teliyakapOtE - Anandabhairavi - Adi - tyAgarAja

6) sattalEni dinamulu vaccenA - nAgAnandini - Adi - tyAgarAja (AS)

7) nI daya rAvalegAka - tODi - Adi - tyAgarAja (AST)

8 ) vandanamu raghunandana - sahAnA - Adi - tyAgarAja

9) sAgaruNDu veDale nidO - yamunAkalyANi - rUpakam - tyAgarAja

10) rAmacandra nI daya - suruTTi - Adi - tyAgarAja (O)

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

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

How would a Carnatic musician feel if fans in Chennai - the "Mecca of Carnatic Music" eagerly await his/her performance almost every time it is scheduled to happen? What a feeling it would be for him/her to see people of all ages assembled in large numbers, right from tiny tots to veteran rasikas to veteran artists themselves, just to hear him/her sing !!!! It is a privilege only very few chaste classical musicians enjoy and one among them is Vid Sanjay Subrahmanyan.

I don't even remember when I last saw such a huge turnout at the Samajam. Rasikas came in large numbers in anticipation of a great concert and Vid Sanjay delivered, the way he does almost every single time he performs.

Vid Sanjay started what turned out to be an exclusive Tyagaraja kritis concert with a outline of the darbAr raga and was just about to finish it when the organizers at the Samajam, an institution run by musicians, suddenly remembered they had to announce the name of the artists of the evening and a few other minute details that they deemed very important. Once all these formalities got over, Vid Sanjay launched into a fast paced "yOcanA" to some explosive but good accompaniment by Vid Guruvayur Dorai with Vid Neyveli Venkatesh following Sri Dorai like his shadow. KalpanA swarams were put at the pallavi line. A very good rendition of "rAmA ninnu namminA" followed suit. A detailed raga alapana of varALi came next. The close to 4.5 minute alapana by Vid Sanjay was a treat to the ears, as was the one Vid Nagai Muralidharan played later. "nE pogaDakunTE" was sung with neraval and kalpana swarams at "nIraja nayana shrI tyAgarAjanuta ...." in the caraNam. There were some simple but intelligent patterns used at the beginning of the kalpana swaram itself like G M P ; M P D ; P D nIraja , G M P ; P ; M P D; D; P D N ; nIraja and G M P ; P ; P ; M P D; D; D; P D N; N; nIraja.

The other ragas chosen for elaboration were yadukulakAmbOji, nAgAnandini and tODi and each one of them was a pleasure to listen to. I have been hearing a lot of tODis in the recent past but Vid Sanjay's tODi just stood out. It was a cut above the rest. Kalpana swarams were put in the nAgAnandini kriti at "sattalEni" and for the tODi kriti at "nI daya rAvalegAka". If I recall correctly, Vid Sanjay seemed to hold his breath at "ru" of "palumAru" in the caraNam of the nAgAnandini kriti for about 3 avartanams while Vid Guruvayur Dorai played his ending three times. This drew a lot of applause from the audience. The kalpana swarams in tODi saw Vid Sanjay doing a misra koraippu with varieties. This culminated in a kOrvai which was announced by Vid Sanjay as having been originally put by flute vidwan Sri N. Ramani who was present in the audience. The kOrvai was sung three times and its structure each time was as follows:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3; 3; 3; /5, 5, 5 = 32 aksharams i.e. within 1/2 Avartanam of Adi tALam - 2 kaLai in catusra gati

4 3; 4 3; 4 3; / 5;, 5;, 5 = 48 aksharams i.e. within 1/2 Avartanam of Adi tALam - 2 kaLai in tisra gati

4 4 3; 4 4 3; 4 4 3; / 5;;, 5;;, 5 = 64 aksharams i.e. within 1 Avartanam of Adi tALam - 2 kaLai in catusra gati

where,

; = 2 aksharam kArvai/pause
, = 1 aksharam kArvai/pause
/ = separator between pUrvAngam & uttarAngam

Total duration = 2 Avartanams of Adi tALam - 2 kaLai

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taniavartanam was played for Adi tALam primarily in the catusra and tisra gati. During the first round of catusra gati, Vid Guruvayur Dorai also played a small portion in kanDa gati. The same was also played by Vid Neyveli Venkatesh when his turn came.

Vid Sanjay wrapped up this wonderful concert with "rAmacandra nI daya" in suruTTi followed by the traditional mangaLam in saurAshTram.

The Gods too seemed to be delighted to hear the concert and they seemed to be expressing their happiness in the form of rains that lashed the city after the concert got over.

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

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 19 Jun 2007, 15:47

Sounds like this was a treat!!!

grsastrigal · Post by **grsastrigal** » 19 Jun 2007, 19:24

Vandanamu Ragunandana-sahana comes in No 8, where it should have come first... Why did he welcom Raghunandhan, when he had already arrived in "Darbar" ?

Why Sanjay is giving so much gap between two concerts ? Is he saving energy for a concert like this ? or December ?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jun 2007, 19:48

Ram,
What a song list! varALi, yadukula kHAmbOji and yamunA kalyAni--rarely heard kritis too.
nIkE teliyaka pOthE always brings to my mind Nedunuri's delectable version. Can imagine how 'vid' Sanjay would have done justice to the piece.

Prashant,
Hope yadukula khAmbOji still reigns the coming season, and yamunA kalyANi too. hari dAsulu is still ringing in my ears...

shishya · Post by **shishya** » 19 Jun 2007, 19:52

Isn't 'nE pogaDakunTE' in SubhapantuvarALi? Or is there another pAThAntaram in varALi?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jun 2007, 20:03

shishya,
As I hummed the song, I realized I had only heard it sung in subha panthuvarALi! Ram would clarify this, of course.

srinidhi · Post by **srinidhi** » 19 Jun 2007, 20:25

SAnjay always sings Ne pogadakunte in varaali.

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 19 Jun 2007, 20:30

arasi wrote:Hope yadukula khAmbOji still reigns the coming season, and yamunA kalyANi too. hari dAsulu is still ringing in my ears...

Don't worry arasi. A certain promise made by me regarding a request for this season has not been forgotten

shishya · Post by **shishya** » 19 Jun 2007, 20:34

It would be nice to hear a different version than what I had learnt. Is there any audio file available for this version?
Thanks

jnaanasoonyam · Post by **jnaanasoonyam** » 19 Jun 2007, 21:23

I was there at the concert too... 'underwhelmed' would be the appropriate word. And based on my experiences last night as well as a TMK concert sometime back, I'll have to take 'ram's reports with a generous pinch of salt!

Yes, I know tastes differ, but as far as last night is concerned, 'ram' and I seem far apart!

Yesterday's performance was far from Sanjay's best. Make no mistake about it, I respect his artistry and vidwat. But my main gripe, with Sanjay (as well as TMK) is that perceptible lack of sowkhyam. There was hardly anything in last night's performance that one would cherish and remember for a long time. Sruti-alignment went for a toss, especially during those melkala swaras. Yadukulakambhoji last night was a big let down for me... after a brilliant start, I felt he botched the latter half of the alapana; Varali & Anandabhairavi? Nothing to write home about. Todi alapana was excellent. Accompanists: one expects better from a sober, seasoned man like Nagai Muralidharan than to get carried away by a much younger vocalist's meanderings. I've never been a great fan of Dorai's style, so I'll keep mum about that!

Oh, BTW... 'nE pogaDakunte' was supposed to have been composed by Tyagaraja in Desiya Todi (acc. to TKG's book and other sources). There is a Subhapantuvarali version, but ARI is supposedly the guy who first sang it in Varali.

ram · Post by **ram** » 19 Jun 2007, 23:03

He sang it in this concert in varALi.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 20 Jun 2007, 00:13

I'll throw in my lot with Ram although I agree with Jnana that it was probably not Sanjay at his best - but even that is better than what most of the others are capable of. I must clarify though that my preferences do tilt towards an aggressive style which is probably why fans like Ram and me find TMK and Sanjay consistently appealing. Sowkhyam does have its charms for me but is not what I really go seeking for - and I have to concede that seekers of Sowkhyam are unlikely to find SAnjay's music appealing..

Just for the alaapanas in Thodi and Naganandini, this has been one of the best I've heard this year. I also enjoyed Nagai Murali's playing a lot - in fact more so than Sanjay's...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jun 2007, 00:33

A man of measured words, Vijay

I will take the liberty of introducing a few more words to your: seekers of sowkyam are unlikely to find Sanjay's music appealing. Seekers of sowkyam ALONE are unlikely to find Sanjay's music VERY appealing. This way, Gnana who likes Sanjay's music but not certain aspects of it is not misunderstood, and Sanjay who does not shun sowkyam can be spared too...

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 20 Jun 2007, 00:45

I wonder how one can be aggressive in singing CM !!
My measure to evalute a singer's style is like this. Though it is very hypothetical and may be not modern.
The composer (in this concert Saint Tyagaraja), will he be happy if he listen's to the way his compositions are presented. As all of you know, every krithi has a meaning and rasA associated with it. Singers should understand this and not get carried away. They can do all this in RTPs which is meant to show their vidwat. That is my personal opinion.

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 20 Jun 2007, 00:52

tyAgaraja being the tyAgabrahmam would enjoy ANY rendition - including rank amateur ones! But that would be just my personal opinion.

Arun

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 20 Jun 2007, 01:23

I second vsarmaiitm's comment. In CM we pay attention to sAhityam (or is it SAhityam!!!) and the spirit behind the context of the composition has to come out during the singing. Otherwise all the vidwat does not matter one bit.

What MMDD remarked once comes to mind when he demonstrated "tunbam nErgaiyil yAzh eDuttu nI inbam sErkka mATTAyA.." in dEsh as opposed to singing it in some other rAgam. It is the same when it comes to portraying the essence of the kriti.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 20 Jun 2007, 01:58

For song nE pogaDakuNTE, four different rAgAs are given.
The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja mentions dEshyatODi, in P.Sambamurti's Kirtana Sagaram it is janAvaLi, Kritimanimalai says it is varALi and BMK sings it in shubhapantuvarALi.

grsastrigal · Post by **grsastrigal** » 20 Jun 2007, 07:36

Do we really pay attention to Sahityam ? I do not understand any other language except Tamil in CM. So, all Telugu, Kannada, Marathi (Abhang) are like Mutrali's Doosra !!!!. I like the Raaga so I like the song. I like "Nee Daya raada" instead of "Un dayavillaya" (Remember the film Sindhu bairavi) because the Vasantha bhairavi carried me..
Vsarma- How do we ensure T is happy by listening to now-a-days Kritis sung by CMs. U mean to say all the CMs know the meaning of T, MD and SS kritis and sing ?
Mahakavi- I like the word "spirit". It may not be measurable but it is important. In our own group Jnanasoonyam and Ram differ in spirit...

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 20 Jun 2007, 12:01

Jnana, Vijay:

Thought Sanjay is definitely better off compared to TMK on Sowkhyam aspect. Sanjay can be giving sowkhyam if he wants, specially if he is singing Sahana, Begada, etc. Atleast that's what I feel. Ofcourse when he goes into the vocal acrobatics in the melkalam sangathis, sowkhyam disappears...

Apasruthi

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 20 Jun 2007, 13:09

I can only say understanding the meaning of the krithi enriches the singer and the audience (one does not need to be an expert in the language, one can look up at books like Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja which has a thesis on Tyagaraja) and similar other books. CM artists should have research bent of mind trying to unravel the mystery of the composer. There are many aspects to compostions. It is not just raaga, tala alone, there is much more to it.

How to ensure that the composer is happy. Well, by understanding the krithi and conveying the feelings of the composer !!!

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 20 Jun 2007, 14:40

Arasi your moderation of my opinion is, as always, very appropriate - thanks!

Maybe aggression is not the right word either - intensity/passion - call it what you like...and it is not necessarily lightning brighas/vocal acrobatics/racy swaras (although I have to admit that I am a bit of a sucker for such "gimmicks"). I find MDR whose music is devoid of these elements as intense as GNB. But the term "sowkhyam" immediately conjures up an image of perfection and restraint devoid of imaginativeness and verve with zero appetite for risk/creativity. I find such music plainly boring but I am possibly misinterpreting the term itself.

More on yersterday's concert - I found the Varali alaapana just about OK but the neraval/swaras section more than made up. I was disappointed with the kanakkus in the Thodi swaras though. After such a soulful alaapana, I would have preferred extended sarvalaghu swaras especially in 1st speed.

Alaaapana in Naganandhini was fantastic for the confidence with which the tricky Vivadhis were handled but the the rishabham and dhaivatham (N2/D3) seemed very similar to rishabham and nishadam in Brindavana Saranga while the krithi itself did not reveal such a usage. Maybe the experts can throw some light.

I also felt Ee Vasudha coming at the fag end a little odd. And Sanjay's characteristic zing (he's easily my favourite singer of Thyagaraja krithis), which was emply in evidence in the preceding krithis, absent.

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 20 Jun 2007, 15:50

Vijay:

I disagree with you, on your interpretation of "sowkhyam" as devoid of imagination (manodharmam) or creativity. Infact "sowkhyam", coming from the word sukham, literally and figuratively means the comfort the music provides to the listener and the aesthetic appeal it has in the context of CM.

When one talks about "sowkhyam", the music that comes to my mind immediately are of MMI (or his school - like TVS), Ramnad Krishnan, DKP/DKJ, and ofcourse the great SSI, MDR and KVN. Maharajapuram Santhanam also was not far behind on this aspect. All these stalwarts though different in their styles, had sowkhyam in their music..

By no stretch of imagination, would one say that the above greats lacked creativity because their music had "sowkhyam" in it.

Sowkhyam therefore in my opinion should be complementary to Imagination, creativity, intensity and what have you, as it is a fundamental pre-requisite for listening pleasure, as much as performer's pleasure, and not at loggerheads to other aspects of the music. Unfortunately, some of our contemporary artists seem to believe otherwise, while making sowkhyam a casualty to their demonstration of vidwat or vocal acrobatics..

Apasruthi

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 20 Jun 2007, 15:58

Vijay,
Associating english or thamizh keywords (sowkhyam vs aggression) and giving an explanation is sometimes as imperfect as attaching a CM keyword and giving an explanation.(I still dont understand that super hackneyed keyword bhAvam in CM).

My 2 cents on sowkhyam vs aggression/assertion is like any shade of gray mixed with white and black. I am at a loss of words , I better give examples and cover up.

Musician with a lot of sowkhyam with very little aggression or no aggression or very dormant aggression - MDR singing mamava pattabhi rAmA , a dikshitar krithi in manirangu.

Musician with near equal sowkhyam and aggression - KVN singing a neraval "maragatha mani varnan..." ,a Iraiyimman thampi's krithi karuNa ceivAnentu in shree rAgam.

Musician with more aggression and perhaps lesser sowkhyam - Prof TRS singing a pallavi in kAnaDA.

Musician with extreme aggression and fairly very less sowkhyam or very dormant sowkhyam - manakkAl rangarAjan singing a appan avatharitha in kharaharapriya.

All 4 are top notch .But there are occassions where any musician does not get a minimum prerequisite of sowkhyam, usually one feels when shruthisuddham goes for a toss and there is also kalapramanAm vOttam. I cannot talk anything on this concert as I was not there.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 20 Jun 2007, 17:58

Good examples Rajesh - and as you say all are top notch (and very pertintently, musicians I enjoy listening to)....but I find an intensity in all 4 styles although as you point out the level of aggressiveness (or exuberance if you will) varies...it is the lack of this intensity that puts me off.

As for Sowkhyam, I confess I am not too sure what it really means. If it is aesthetic appeal then I guess when we discuss a musician's sowkhayam, we are in effect discussing the quality of his/her music. If it is "comfort" I think I would prefer it in limited doses - the music that affects me most usually involves an element of agitation - a sense of discomfort actually. Be it a musician struggling with the tara shadjam, the dark disturbing depths MDR's bass, MMI's/SSI's struggles with their voices (of which I find echoes in Sanjay!) or the intense, almost scary taans(??) of Dhrupadiyas. Music that is "soothing" (possibly a closer relative of sowkhyam?) leaves me cold...

Anyway, I should probably not try to interpret a term that I do not fully comprehend. As Rajesh says, drawing parallels b/w english and tamizh words is often inappropriate!

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 20 Jun 2007, 18:41

May be Coolji should upload Tyagaraja's Intha Sowkyamani ne CheppajAla and we can discuss sowkyam further!!!

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 20 Jun 2007, 19:40

.......by KVN, of course! Right?

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 20 Jun 2007, 19:41

one possible explanation of sowkhyam:

sowkhyam is avoiding over-emphasis of any aspect of the singing. From the perception of a listener who looks for sowkhyam, in a performance that has sowkhyam, nothing appears over emphasized.

This is of course not the same as "toned down or under emphasized". It is tempting to also say sowkhyam is thus exercising restraint - but that could be prone to be interpreted such that sowkhyam means "restrained and inhibited". If one were to make a comparison in acting, Sowkhyam is avoidance of "over acting". And of course it has a subjective element to it.

My 2 cents

Arun

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 20 Jun 2007, 19:43

raga bhavam is sowkhyam to me!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jun 2007, 19:57

Vijay,
Appreciate your large heartedness in accepting my two additional words. One more substitution, if I may! The element of 'agitation' in a concert you speak about is really 'a better state of imagination' in the artiste at that moment of the concert. It is the exciting (agitating) part which pleases both the performer and the listeners. Your word conveys the meaning very well, but it may be misunderstood because it sounds as though it is the opposite of 'sowkyam' for those who only seek sowkayam in a concert. 'Search' is the word I am thinking of. Searching to reach imagination's heights, the process which one does not find easily in many concerts.

Rajesh,
You said it very well. Yes, a KVN concert is what I thought of too, as an example. Sowkyam? Yes! Search? That too.
You are spot on when it comes to our use of non-english words. How would one describe sowkyam? Pleasing in a meditative, soul satisfying way? I bet there is more.
I am not saying music would get stagnant with sowkyam alone, but for CM to flow and grow, we need flowing rivers as well as serene lakes...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:00

Just saw your more than two cents worth, Arun. Yes, rAga bhAvam, definitely!

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:17

but rAga bhAvam as such is not always fixed for a raga. Some ragas have different shades of bhAvam and artists can present them effectively. Perhaps krithi bhAvam is better?

For example, I remember getting all excited by an energetic kalpana-swara section for lalitA in a concert a while ago. I thought it was fabulous (and i wasnt alone). But my friend said "but it didnt match the raga bhava for the krithi - which is supposed to be more serene". In other words he thought it lacked sowkhyam. I could see his point and agree that that particular performance didnt have sowkhyam (as i interpret). I do love music with sowkhyam (HUGE fan of MDR) as well but in this case the lack of it wasnt a impediment at all. This of course points again to what some of you have been saying - we all look for things in different degrees, we are able to appreciate different facets differently etc.

Arun

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:19

My 2 Cents
I always tends to think of a Well balanced concert as something similar to the experience of driving a Car out of my city.The phase in which I snake my way through snarling traffic, the slow gain of momentum ,
the small halt for filling up my tank , crossing Poonamallee and cruising........ and then a phase comes when my mind is free of the nitty gritty of the driving stress and
I start taking in the atmosphere as I keep a watch on the road.

The huge spaces replacing deep rooted claustrophobic thoughts... a 100 kms later the nice purr of the engine that seems to be enjoying the ride too -after all it had not done more than 50 kms at a stretch for a few months at a stretch

And I Start wondering

From where is this soukhyam streaming in ??
The car or my Mind ?
Or the Hills and the Clouds ?

In a similar vein,

On days when I have been in turmoil , I have been irritated in Concerts by the razzle dazzle on display
and on other days I have been impatient with the artist's Soukhyam-
even felt like going up to the stage and shaking up the
artist a bit -just to enliven proceedings.

But over a long period of Concert going I have noticed that in TOP Notch Concerts , the artists do warm up to a particular point where it seems that everything that
transpired till then was JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THAT MOMENT-
The moment where something unrehearsed takes over the artist- and Soukhyam gushes forth.

It is only a question of how many times an artist can achieve that regularly.

MDR, Ramnad Krishnan, KVN ..probably got it right always.
Almost always.

Here is a favourite Soukhyam moment for me .One that softens me up even in my worst moments.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gek9f2

I must have listened to this bit atleast 100 times.

I have chosen a different artist just for the sake of elaboration.Something which came in handy easily.
(Nothing more should be read into it..please)
One could pick out such a track for any artist.And lots and lots of Sanjay, too.

Sarma
Looks like you are enjoying the Cool German weather.Maybe we should try and listen to samples of various artists renderings , drippings with soukhyam.

But as vijay said , Too much of soukhyam -always - may not be a very good idea for many.

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:27

arasi wrote:for CM to flow and grow, we need flowing rivers as well as serene lakes...

That was beautifully put!

Arun

jnaanasoonyam · Post by **jnaanasoonyam** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:28

Wow... my use of the word 'sowkhyam' seems to have stirred the cauldron here! Let me attempt another jab at my understanding and take on the term. Probably I can express it better as something that does NOT have a grating effect on my ears! In that respect KVN is king, so is Ramnad Krishnan... but I perceive a distinct sowkhyam even in GNB, for instance when he sings Yadukulakambhoji; try his Ninnu Sevinchina or Etavuna Nerchitivo. The rendition may be fast or even breakneck, but there is a lovely cadence to his raga movement - it does not grate on your ears in spite of the speed. MDR, the king of vilamba kala - another embodiment of sowkhyam to me even when he sings some extremely pacy swaras (Malavi for example). There can be sowkhyam even with an uncooperative voice - think MVI and his edge-of-the-seat eccentricities!

I don't get that warm fuzzy feeling when I listen to Sanjay or TMK when they go berserk at high speeds. I feel frustrated more with TMK because he has the god-given gift of a good voice; some of his loud, off-key, off-tempo phrases chagrin me no end. Why - I wonder endlessly - doesn't he take a leaf out of the KVN playbook and temper his natural proclivity for SSI-style hi-speed swara antics?

Bottomline: Sowkhyam to me does not necessarily mean restraint; it means control; it means having a grip on the basics (sruti & kala pramanam) even when you are trying crowd-pleasing stunts!

PS - My honest views on this sowkhyam aspect are in no way intended to personally hurt any artiste. I respect Sanjay and Krishna and appreciate several aspects of their music and am sure that they will evolve.

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:32

deleted

jnaanasoonyam · Post by **jnaanasoonyam** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:36

Done, arun... sorry I got a bit carried away!

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:37

energetic kalpanaswarams for a serene kriti is a matter of appropriate presentation... the kalpanaswarams, by themselves, if they have raga bhava I am satisfied.

a classic example is SSI's rendition of Shringaram Kshitinandini in the Kalki gardens Ramanavami concert... he sings Shantam in dhanyasi... but chooses to employ some "energetic" sangathis on the word "Shantam"... although its not appropriate, noone can deny that dhanyasi shines through!!

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 20 Jun 2007, 20:55

thanks gnaanasoonyam.

Talking about subjective element of sowkhyam, for me MDR is king. If you equate sowkhyam to raga bhavam, to me he gets promoted to emperor

. Actually I am not that as big a fan of KVN - his music does have the serentity, but more often I find it under-emphasized. Does his music have sowkhyam? I am pretty sure - but his brand seems not as flavorful as MDR or say Ramnad to me. I still enjoy his music though. Heck - i enjoy almost all artists!

Arun

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 20 Jun 2007, 21:00

de gustibus non est disputandum

---when it comes to sowkhyam and the specific artiste!

Suji Ram · Post by **Suji Ram** » 20 Jun 2007, 22:07

coolkarni wrote:Here is a favourite Soukhyam moment for me .One that softens me up even in my worst moments.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gek9f2

Too much of soukhyam -always - may not be a very good idea for many.

Very nice example!!
Thanks

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 20 Jun 2007, 22:30

Jnana, far from stirring up a hornet's nest, you have contributed to some very interesting discussions indeed - and a treat from Coolji as well. I've shed some of my prejudices against Sowkhyam!

Would also be grateful if you could contribute more regularly on your concert experiences - we certainly could do with some bold opinions here - otherwise this forum will become too full of "Sowkhyam" to be of any use!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 21 Jun 2007, 02:58

Yes, there are many shades of sowkyam, indeed.
Cool, this 'shade' you have posted is a favored one too. Thanks! Circa??

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 21 Jun 2007, 10:06

Jnana:

I completely agree with your last post on this, specially what you mentioned about some artists and that's exactly what I meant while saying that some contemporary artists are making "sowkhyam" a casualty in the process of demonstrating other skills. A master would never do that, and would build in the "sowkhyam" even while singing complicated maneuvres. In other words, in a true master's music like all these stalwarts under discussion, there is a "sowkhyam" even when they "agitate" (to borrow the word from Vijay).

Also "sowkhyam" does not per se attirbute to "slowness" as much as in the krithis like Intha sowkhya.. Even when you are cruising in break-neck speed of swaras of a Dinamani rendition by SSI, or Kaana kankodi of MMI, there is "sowkhyam" as much as when you are in cruise speed in a wide-bodied jet. But I'm sure no one would want to have turbulence then..

So "agitation" per se is OK, as long as it is not "turbulent". There could be an aesthetic way to agitiate and sing with punch as KVN or Ramnad or SSI handled them, therefore still rendering "sowkhyam"...

Those who are used to using the "Chart" tool in MS Excel would know, what I mean. It is the difference between, the "Line" graph that you choose versus "Smooth lines"...

Its really about how smooth the "curves" are in the music (pun intended)!

Apasruthi

P.S. If any of you had the good forthune of listening to a Mahavidwan, late Puthucode Krishnamoorthy, specially his Endaro Mahanubhavulu, they would exactly know what sowhkyam is...

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 22 Jun 2007, 20:00

The best Kapi I have ever heard, Intha Sowkhyamani Ne, by KVN (of course!): http://www.sangeethapriya.org/~rasika/T ... -%20Kapi)/

I was never formally introduced to the notion of sowkhyam, and from contextual evidence, have always considered it a reference to music that... sort of makes you at peace with yourself, and calms you. Something ragas like Anandha Bhairavi, Kaapi, Kaanada, Dwijavanthi, etc are inherently rich in. Sometimes, when I hear music brimming with sowkhyam, I think to myself: This is the music I will listen to when I die.

At the same time, as some have pointed out, sowkhyam is something that is built up in the span of a singular rendition, or even over the span of an entire concert. There are frequently specific magical, blissful moments I can pinpoint in a rendition (especially during elaborate swaras, for instance, those sung by SSI), and they are carefully built up by the artise, and make the entire rendition wonderful. That, to me, is sowkhyam.

And by that measure, I could not expect or even wish for a concert singlularly composed of sowkhyam (then it really wouldn't be sowkhyam). "Alavukku minjinaal amuthamum nanju," we say in tamil (beyond a certain amount, even nectar is poison). Similarly, sowkhyam is inherently limited in any concert. And of course, there are whole concerts without any sowkhyam at all.

And I really don't think the speed of the rendition varies inversely with sowkhyam.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 22 Jun 2007, 20:00

double posting; sorry.

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 22 Jun 2007, 20:19

there are times when SSI is singing swaras... i have to pause for a second and say, "hey, wait a minute! what ragam is this??" because, beyond a certain point, its no longer about the ragam, the swarams/phrases it can accomodate etc etc... its all about the mood he has created... and you get so immersed in that mood, that you forget what ragam it is... if it happens to conform to the raga's grammar, fine... but sometimes, even that is secondary to the mood created! lakshya over lakshana!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 22 Jun 2007, 20:31

Sowkyam, ah, that elusive word! Still, the word has elicited many responses--all valid. As we hear more and more, the word grows in meaning. It is something which has nothing to do with slow rendering alone. Sowkayam is part of bhAvam (another difficult word to define, as observed before!). Speedily rendered swarams can also have sowkyam sometimes! Sowkyam of a particular variety, as Bilahari points out, can be tedious if there are no sparks of imagination.
Is it acceptable to say, all quality CM renderings have sowkyam? May be it is too much of a generalization!

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 23 Jun 2007, 09:56

Arasi,

Looks like the thread wouldn't stop growing!! You are spot on when you said "sowkhyam" is part of "bhAvam", however, I won't dare to generalise like what you did in your last line..

Like BhAvam, sowkhyam is a feeling experienced by the listener, by the master's skillful portrayal of the piece, or to borrow from venkatpv, the creation of the mood or setting. When it is not there, one definitely knows - like when the artist overdoes on vocal acrobatics or goes out of control in any aspect, including the very basic like sruthi, thalam etc. like Rajesh pointed out..

So the "absence" of sowkhyam is paradoxically more conspicous than its "presence", in most of the cases...

To elaborate on the point I mentioned earlier about the smoothness of curves or the sowkhyam in even difficult maneuvres, I would take the example of an accompaniment, here mrudhangam.. Maybe it is easier to explain for me, or hopefully less controversial...

Those who would have seen some of my earlier posts, would agree that I'm a sucker for Shri. Palghat Raghu's mrudhangam playing and his style. Now everyone who knows a bit of CM would definitely agree that the least you would hear in his playing are the "sarvalaghus", which can be equated to a layman's understanding of "sowkhyam" in layam. Still, I find enough of "sowkhyam" in every "kanakku" in Shri Raghu's playing and his imaginative anticipation in following the artist, and even his measured agitation or agression and "giving it back" to the vocalist...Who would deny that his playing is bereft of Sowkhyam, and that's exactly what I mean..

Though a seeker of "sowkhyam", I could never scale the heights of enjoyment, listening to Shri.Ramabadhran's playing or Shri. Bhaktavatsalam's mrudhangam or Shri K.V. Prasad's, as much as I could do with Shri. Raghu's, (sorry, no offences meant to anyone, or any artists - this is my personal opinion)..though all these artists are full of "sowkhyam" in their playing..

So my final "two cents" are, - all the great artists have consciously balanced very well all the aspects and used them very timely, to create the mood and the experience for the listener. So the contemporary artists, who are still evolving ( a great fan following and overflowing attendance to their concerts currently for any of the contemporary younger generation artists, do not indicate that they have already evolved) better pay attention to this aspect as well, and take care to build it in, like those truly greats did, if they would like to be remembered like those greats, even after their time..

Apasruthi

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 23 Jun 2007, 10:14

The foll. are some artistes whose music I find is pure sowkhyam (very subjective):
Shri DKJ/ Smt. DKP , Ramnad Shri Krishnan, Shri SSI, Nedunuri Garu, Voleti Shri Venkateshvarulu, Shri KVN, Shri TNS (Yes!! I find his music extremely emotive), Shri OST, Neyveli Shri Santhanagopalan, Shri Vijay Siva (among the youngsters) and many more...This list is only meant to give an idea about my perception of sowkhyam....
-bhaktha

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 23 Jun 2007, 20:43

Apasruthi,
Yes, the accompanists! How their adhering to sowkyam results in a good concert! Innovative, yet sowkyam-minded pakka vAdyams lift a concert. Innovation or sowkyam on their own cannot wing it. In some inspired, serene moments of a concert, I have wished the artiste were not accompanied by that highly skilled accompanist who merely drones in. It all has to come together, each and every component of a concert. That's why I suppose a great concert is a magical forging together of excellent ingredients of not only skills but the coming together of all participants who blend in as a single force, breathing life into it.

Bhaktha,
Great list. But how diverse the performers are! Just as sowkyam is, I suppose...