Sowmya for Rajalakshmi Arts, Cbe - Sept 6

sivakumar_natarajan · Post by **sivakumar_natarajan** » 22 Sep 2008, 09:52

Happened to be in Coimbatore on work earlier this month and heard about the September series conducted by Rajalakshmi Fine Arts. Lots of wonderful concerts, but I had a chance only to sneak in for a few mins at the duet concert by the two Suguna Mamis! Attended Sowmya's concert for a longer duration. It was excellent, especially the lovely song selection. I unfortunately couldn't hear the entire concert. There was this review (http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/09/19/stor ... 500300.htm) in last Friday's Hindu that jogged my memory. They seem to have missed the grand rendition of the main piece in Bhairavi 'Chetulara', not heard very often except as opener in Tiruvayyar. Here's a belated post of what I remembered of the song list.

Sowmya, RK Shriramkumar, Arun Prakash, Purushottaman
Rajalakshmi Series, Cbe, Sep 6

Kanakangi - Todi Ata Tala Varnam
Parvata Rajakumari - Sriranjani (S)
E Papamu - Ataana (R, S)
Ardhanareeswaram - Kumudakriya
Kadale Vadu - Narayanagowla (R)
Chetulara - Bhairavi (R, N, S, T)
RTP - Rasikapriya
-------------

Overall a great concert. RKSK was good, Arunprakash was ok but seemed a bit unfamiliar with Sowmya's pace, BSP was very good with some subtle timely touches.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 22 Sep 2008, 10:59

Good to see Chetulara being chosen for Bhairavi....the only other artistes whom I've heard taking this up as main are SSI/MLV....a fine kriti let down by the ambuguity surrounding the raga it was composed in!

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 22 Sep 2008, 15:23

vijay wrote:Good to see Chetulara being chosen for Bhairavi....the only other artistes whom I've heard taking this up as main are SSI/MLV....a fine kriti let down by the ambuguity surrounding the raga it was composed in!

Rightly said. A great kriti is unfortunately left out in concert circuit.
N Ramani gives us a classic rendering every year at Thiruvaiyur,
that for sure keeps it afloat.

rupavati · Post by **rupavati** » 22 Sep 2008, 23:30

Oooh, Chetulara... hope Rajalakshmi Audio brings this out as a commercial release.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 23 Sep 2008, 00:16

a fine kriti let down by the ambuguity surrounding the raga it was composed in!

Vijay: Can you elaborate a bit? Thaks.

sankirnam · Post by **sankirnam** » 23 Sep 2008, 02:01

Chetulara is originally supposed to have been set to Karaharapriya

knrh05 · Post by **knrh05** » 23 Sep 2008, 02:31

sankirnam wrote:Chetulara is originally supposed to have been set to Karaharapriya

I read somewhere that Smt Vedavalli renders this in Karaharapriya but have never heard that version.
Semmangudi's version was in Natabhairavi. MLV sang this in Bhairavi.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 24 Sep 2008, 11:25

The version at the Thyagaraja Utsavam is also Bhairavi I think...would be good to have the usual clarificartions of sources for competing claims about the original raga

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 24 Sep 2008, 11:26

I meant Araadhana not Utsavam!

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 24 Sep 2008, 17:57

Smt. Vedavalli indeed renders it in kharaharapriyA. I have heard her render it as a main piece at some special concert. She also says that the kriti was rendered in khpriyA originally and later on adapted to bhairavi even at the Aradhanai.