Sowmya - A musical tour-de-force on Nandanar!

gopalank · Post by **gopalank** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:25

S. Sowmya, R. K. Shriramkumar, Neyveli Narayanan
Jaya TV Margazhi Maha Utsavam, Chettinad Vidyashram,
Dec. 13Th, 6.30 pm

Theme: Nandanar Charitram

List of Songs:

Tiru Nalai Povar â€“ Khamas
Pazhana Marai â€“ Nondi Chindu
Varirirukkudu Tolirukkudu â€“ Anandabhairavi (Folk tune)
Adanuril â€“ Navaroj
Sivaloka Nathanai â€“ Mayamalavagaula (S)
Talam Vandu (savAi) â€“ Kedaram
Vazhi Maraittirukkude â€“ Nattakurinji (R)
Satre Vilagi â€“ (Original Hamsadhwani 'mettu' followed by popular Purvikalyani tune)
Kudittar (Kadukkai)
Shambho Gangadhara â€“ Ishamanohari
Tadakam Ondru â€“ Mohanam
Kanamal Irukkalagatu (Anandakalippu) â€“ Nadanamakriya-based
Varungal Varungal â€“ Nilambari
Nyayam Tano - ?
Misai Naraichu Poche â€“ Nadanamakriya
Peria Kizhavan Varugiran â€“ Sankarabharanam (R, brief N, S & T)
Viran Irulan Katteri - Yadukulakambhoji
Hara Hara Siva Siva (Khatki?) - Mohanam
Namakkini Yama Bhayam â€“ Gaulipantu
Tillai Sthalam Endru â€“ Sama
Sedi Solla â€“ Dwijavanti
Adiya Padattai â€“ Surutti
Chidambaram Pogathe â€“ Nadanamakriya
Chidambara Darisanam (One line sketch) â€“ Mukhari
Chidambaram Pogamal â€“ Senjurutti
Yarukku Tan Teriyum (One line sketch) â€“ Devamanohari
Ayye Mettakkadinam â€“ Punnagavarali
Eppo Varuvaro (One line sketch)
Varugalamo â€“ Manji
Tillai Vazh (Viruttam)
Pangaiyar Manavar (?) - Viruttam - Madhyamavati
Adi Madhyantanukku (Mangalam) - Asaveri

It was an amazing presentation - well researched, meticulous, entertaining - a combination of concert, lec-dem, storytelling... and I'm totally floored by the vidvat and presentation. This deserves a long post, with details and I'll do it soon after collecting my thoughts into a cogent posting. Even then, I know I wouldn't do justice to the massive effort that she would have put into this. Apologies to the artiste for any errors I've made. Folks, when this gets telecast on TV, pls don't miss it for the world!

Gopalan

gundakriya · Post by **gundakriya** » 14 Dec 2007, 23:56

Wow... impressive. Wish I'd been there. Gopalan, looking fwd to your detailed post.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Dec 2007, 03:13

Sounds delectable. Wonder when it will be aired!

n_anush · Post by **n_anush** » 15 Dec 2007, 07:47

if any one has recorded the kutcheri . can u please upload it.

thanks
anush

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Dec 2007, 07:59

No! It cannot be u/led here. But eventually sangitapriya will carry the video of Jaya TV program. Keep watching!

ashok ramani · Post by **ashok ramani** » 15 Dec 2007, 10:33

Hi,
i wish Gopalakrishna bharathi had written more songs.Kudos to Sowmya.

ashok ramani

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 20 Dec 2007, 08:12

Hope the more rare songs are telecasted like sedi solla, rather than the more common compositions like vazhi maraittirukkude

gopalank · Post by **gopalank** » 28 Dec 2007, 23:40

Back on the forum after a longish layoff, thanks to work pressures and sorry I didn't keep my promise of a longer post on this concert. Also missed a large part of the season already

Today's Hindu Friday review has done a good job of encapsulating this concert:

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/12/28/stor ... 460300.htm

kamavardhani · Post by **kamavardhani** » 05 Jan 2008, 19:15

Saw the edited version on TV earlier this week. Awesome! Brilliant effort backed by lots of thought band hard work. As arasi said in another thread, the folk tunes and the Satre Vilagi in Hamsadhwani mettu were delectable.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 29 Mar 2008, 01:44

Here is a link to watch this delectable feast:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... 24EF5FED5B

Absolutely fabulous! There seems to be a tiny glitch with the numbering of the videos because of which clip 4 plays before 3.

Can someone please help with identifying the rAga of the noNDi cindu (clip #3)?

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 29 Mar 2008, 12:45

Check out the video on tha "baanis" from 2o06. An absolujte treasure!

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 29 Mar 2008, 12:47

Here is the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyatl51pNs8

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Mar 2008, 01:36

She is quite a teacher, isn't she? Not a teacher in the theory sense which I am sure she knows everything to know about but here she explains the musical and contextual aesthetics in such a lucid manner. That is the kind of thing audiences of different tastes and levels can latch on to. She has a strong musical mind and heart. And above all, she gives off the vibe she is a rasika of the music first and foremost.

In that 'satre vilagi' rendition, the melody is relatively simple and the bhava is carried more in the laya ( nadai ). The simplicity of the melody affords the scope for the laya to carry the weight of the bhava. Nicely done.

The nandanar kind of program appraches the story telling in the oppostie direction to the kathakalakshebham genre: If I may, Vishaka Hari, a Story Teller-Musician and Sowmya, a Musician-Story Teller. Different strengths, different emphasis but great all around.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Mar 2008, 02:44

VK,

Did you get the rAgam of the noNDi cindu?

rupavati · Post by **rupavati** » 30 Mar 2008, 02:55

Nondi Chindu, Kavadi Chindu, etc. are basically folk melodies... it is hard to pin them down to a specific ragam. The name 'Nondi Chindu' is because this particular tune is always sung by the one-legged / lame (noNDi in tamizh) character that appears at the beginning of the koothu (play) to introduce the theme. If I remember, Sowmya spoke about this during the Nandanar concert; it was probably a victim of TV editing...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Mar 2008, 03:15

Ravi: That tune sounds similar to other such Chindu folk songs like 'Nadavanathil Or Andi' like what Mali used to play, before and after the so called 'pAmbu Pattu'.( that magudi sounding piece is sandwiched between the Chindu sounding tune, in his rendition ) Those initial and final portions, Nadavanathil Oru Andi segments, use swaras that map to Chakravakam.

So, with some hesitation, I will stick my neck out and at the same time cover my behind and call it 'Misra Chakravakam'.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 30 Mar 2008, 07:07

VK,
Isn't nandavanattil Or ANDi more akin to nAdanAmakriyA?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 30 Mar 2008, 07:42

vasanthakokilam wrote:Ravi: Those initial and final portions, Nadavanathil Oru Andi segments, use swaras that map to Chakravakam.

So, with some hesitation, I will stick my neck out and at the same time cover my behind and call it 'Misra Chakravakam'.

Yes, I also feel it sounds like chakravAkam sung in madhyamashruthi; it correspondas to Ahir Bhairav of the HM style I think; if there is still some alien notes,probably ,as VK said, we may call it'misra Ahir bhairav'.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Mar 2008, 08:19

Thanks, VK.
It also sounds very similar to another kAvaDi cindu that Smt. Sowmya sings - 'cekkacivanda vizhiyAL, ayyE vanjI, sempavazham tanai nagai Seiya tarattAL'....

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 30 Mar 2008, 08:20

As one who is an admirer of Sowmya's talents & brilliance and even more one who considers Gopala krishna Bharathiyar the ultimate in composing apart from Thyagabrahmam himself IT WOULD BE VERY NICE IF THIS CONCERT IS RELEASED to the public as at least as audio CD'S. Especially those like me who live abroad are not privileged or lucky enough to listen to some one with the creativity& originality of Sowmya in bringing out the Nandanar theme which Gopalkrishna Bharathiyar has at least equalled Sekhizhar an IMPOSSIBLE FEAT! VKV

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Mar 2008, 08:47

Sri VKV,

Were you able to play the clips from the link in post # 10?

Ravi

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 30 Mar 2008, 08:52

I think he mean he wanted the whole concert released?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Mar 2008, 08:58

arasi wrote:VK,
Isn't nandavanattil Or ANDi more akin to nAdanAmakriyA?

Arasi: Chakravakam and Mayamalavagowla (nAdanAmakriya) share the same notes in the poorvangam. The poorvangam dominates the nandavanattil Or ANDi song ( especially the tune for starting two lines which repeats often ). So that portion does sound like nAdanAmakriya. And when the tune goes higher for the words 'Adai kUththaDi kUththaDi' the swaras sound more like Big D and Small N. So I went with Chakravakam to account for all this together. I have to admit that my identification skills of Chakravakam is very limited even in mainstream CM songs, and more so in folks tunes like this.

A case for nadanamakriya can also be made. The song spends only around 1/8 of the time in uttarangam ( and as is usual with NNK, the song does not normally touch the high SA ). So it may be considered predominantly nadanamakriya. May be it can also be characterized as 'predominantly nadanamakriya with a brief foray into harikambhdhi' or 'Misra Nadanamakriya'. I will defer it to the experts to clarify all this.

I found two links for nadavanathil Or ADNI.

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/h4X ... As1NMvHdW/ On Jalatharangam - Ananyampatti S Ganeshan

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/DUQ ... As1NMvHdW/ On flute - Ramani - The tune in question starts one minute into the song and then it leads to the punnagavarali magudi tune and then at the end come back to this Chindu tune, in the same template as Mali used to do.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 30 Mar 2008, 10:19

Re: Sowmya - A musical tour-de-force on Nandanar!I think he mean he wanted the whole concert released?

Y ES. I am confident she would have done full justice to her Guru The late & truly great Prof. S.Ramanathan who had done quite a bit of work & published also in the area of NANDANAR CHARITRAM. vkv