Varalakshmi Anandkumar @ Naada Inbam on 22nd July 2008

jagan · Post by **jagan** » 24 Jul 2008, 09:51

Smt. Varalakshmi Anandkumar regaled the audience with delectable music in her concert for Naada Inbam at Raga Sudha Hall on 22nd July 2008
.
The accompaniments: Hemalatha, Melakkaveri Balaji, and Papanasam Sethuraman..

The song list:-
Jaya Jaya Swamin- Nattai- Adi- Narayana Theerthar
Nati Mata - Devakriya - Adi- Thyagarajar
Nannu Brovu Lalitha - Lalitha- Misra Chapu - Shyama Shastri
Janaki Pathey - Karaharapriya- Adi- Papanasam Sivan
Jambupathe - Yamunakalyani- Rupakam-Dikshitar
Kula Birudunu - Deva Manohari - Rupakam - Thyagarajar
Sri Subramanyaya Namasthe - Kambhoji - Rupakam - Dikshithar
Viruttham (Sindhu Bhairavi, Simhendra Madhyamam, Hindolam) folld by
Nambi Kettavar Evarayya - Hindolam - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
Maname Kanamum - Bhimplas - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
Mangalam

Gone are the days when her voice was muffled. Now it is pleasant and radiant., obviously the result of very hard and intelligent practice.

Singing with confidence in an open throated voice, she was ableto convey her musical ideas with aplomb. Presentation of solid classical
music with obvious self enjoyment and reaching out to the audience,
a hallmark of her Guru D K J , found an echo in her concert.

The kaleidoscopic colours of Karaharapriya were fully explored The ebullient Janaki Pathey with its excellent cadence followed.. By way of contrast, Jambupathe was sober and soothing , reflecting its mood and grandeur. Kambodhi was aesthetically explored in all the stayis. The Neraval and Swaras at Vasavadhi Sakala Deva were in the oft treaded path and brought to memory the great concert pattern of yester years

It was her Guruâ€™s birth anniversary and perhaps the selection of songs was with a view to rekindle memories of his music..

She could not have asked for better accompaniment than Hemalatha who by her unostentatious deft accompaniment.contributed to the success of the concert.
Familiarity with the songs was fully reflected in the soft and knowledgeable accompaniment by Melakkaveri Balaji ably followed by Papanasam Sethuraman on the Kanjira..

A fitting tribute to the Guru on his birth anniversary.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 24 Jul 2008, 10:38

Dear Sir,

Was it double mridangam concert ? I think Papanasam Kumar is a mridangist and Melakkaveri Balaji also a mridangist ? or was it Papanasam Sethuraman on Kanjira ?

J.Balaji

carnaticdasan · Post by **carnaticdasan** » 24 Jul 2008, 11:09

Is this the same Smt.Varalakshmi Anantkumar of Shanti FA.?

THe selection of songs clearly suggests and rekindles memories of the great vidwan-DKJ,especially the Devakriya ragam-Nati mata and Nambikettavar and not to overlook PS's Janaki pathey.

Next time I should try attend her next concert.

jagan · Post by **jagan** » 24 Jul 2008, 11:32

Thank YOU, Balaji.
What a bloomer!
It should have been Papanasam Sethuraman on the Kanjira.
I have since corrected the original posting.

Carnatic dasan,
Indeed it is Varalakshmi Anandkumar of SAFE.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 24 Jul 2008, 16:01

Jagan sir please correct in your "The Accompaniments line also".
J.Balaji

jagan · Post by **jagan** » 26 Jul 2008, 08:16

Thanks once again, Balaji. Since carried out the correction.
Incidentally i would like to add something very pertinent.

Smt. Varalakshmi did not even bring any slip of paper to her concert

I thought of mentioning this because It is a very rare thing these days to see an artiste singing without constantly referring to slips of paper, conveniently kept behind the electronic sruthi box . Quite a few brazenly refer to a notebook. This is the case even with the krithis of the Trinity.

It seems incredible that they could not even commit to memory the few songs that they render. Dont they realise that this would affect the quality of music offered by them?

Sri. A P J Abdul Kalam , who presided over the Semmangudi Centenary Celebrations , yesterday brought this issue into focus . He mentioned an instance where the Doyen, finding his accompanying disciple often referring to a piece of paper, .quietly took it away from him.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 26 Jul 2008, 08:47

Jagan,
Thank you for the review.
Balaji,
For your correction.

How nice that Kalam mentioned this incident about SSS. A pet peeve of many rasikAs is about singers bringing notebooks and volumes to the stage! Senior artistes are excused-- because I hear that some of them, even those who frowned upon this habit in their younger days, reluctantly resort to looking at the written sAhityA because of their forgetting some words.