Prince Rama Varma - Hamsadhwani - 13-Jul-08

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 13 Jul 2008, 23:18

Hamsadhwani 13th Jul 2008

Prince Rama Varma - Vocal
Varadarajan - Violin
Shertalai Ananthakrishnan - Mridangam

1. VatApi ganapatim - Hamsadhwani - MD - S
2. dEva dEva - mAyAmALava gowLa - ST - S
3. kAmAkshi ambA - bhairavi swarajati - SS
4. nannu kanna talli - sindhu kannaDa - T
5. pankaja lOcana - kalyAni - ST - R,N@brindAvanAnta krita vividha sukha vihAra, S,T
6. speech on SSI
7. tillAnA - kuntalavarALi - BMK
8. bhujaga sAyino - mangaLam - yadukula kambhOji - ST

I went in just before he started singing swaram for vAtApi ganapatim. So it is possible that I missed a varnam; probably there were R and N for vAtApi ganapatim as well. Others present kindly fill in. nannu kanna was started with the anupallavi (kanakAngi ramApati sOdari)

An enthralling experience. I found his kalpana swarams amazing. The kalyani rAga vistAram and reply were out of this world. His voice is sweetness personified. His speech on SSI with many first person accounts of SSI's sharp wit was highly entertaining. I do not know how to explain this, but I had pictures of SSI, MDR, MMI and BMK filling my mind at many parts of the concert. I am so glad I went for this concert. The prince has earned himself a die-hard fan today.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jul 2008, 03:27

Hoping to hear him during the season.
No song in tamizh? Or, was there a varnam and it was one?

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 14 Jul 2008, 07:31

Thank you sridhar_rang, that was definitely an interesting concert. Yes the Swara Kalpanas of Rama Varma are always a treat to hear.
Could any one who attended give a more detailed write up on the speech of Rama Varma on SSI with the anecdotes included ?

devi · Post by **devi** » 14 Jul 2008, 09:17

I went in just before he started singing swaram for vAtApi ganapatim. So it is possible that I missed a varnam;

He sang the Saveri varnam Sarasuda ninne. Varmaji's Saveri is something to be savoured!

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 14 Jul 2008, 12:04

arasi wrote:Hoping to hear him during the season.
No song in tamizh? Or, was there a varnam and it was one?

I thougt the tillAnA lines sounded tamizh...
"kuntalavarALi rAgamAnadu", "muralee gAna vinOdamAna tillAnA"

Unless it was something like "vinodamaina" "rAgamainadi" and hence telugu!

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 14 Jul 2008, 12:06

sridhar_rang wrote:I thougt the tillAnA lines sounded tamizh...
"kuntalavarALi rAgamAnadu", "muralee gAna vinOdamAna tillAnA"

Unless it was something like "vinodamaina" "rAgamainadi" and hence telugu!

Sounds like BMK's tillana, yes the sahitya is in Tamil.

malavi · Post by **malavi** » 15 Jul 2008, 13:55

Prince Ramavarma has got a special style and he has got total involvement in his singing.The way he splits the words we can makeout the meaning.mention must be made about the accompaniments. Varadarajan was equally good..he could reproduce the kalpanaswarams very well.his kalyani was excellent.shertalai Anantakrisnan was also very good.

samarasa · Post by **samarasa** » 15 Jul 2008, 21:20

Welcome to the club, Sridhar_Rang ! Shri Varma has been one of my top favourites for more than six or seven years now. It is a pity that he performs so rarely. But when he does- and that too with accompanists like Shri Varadarajan and Shri Ananthakrishnan....we are all in for a treat as we were on Sunday.

I got there just as he started to hum the first notes. And I was amazed to feel instantly that he was going to sing Saveri even before he gave a little picture of the raga. Maybe because it was a Semmangudi centenary concert, he sang the varnam slightly faster than he usually does. I personally love his vast and elaborate renditions of Ata Thaala varnams, two of which I have enjoyed thanks to youtube.

Viriboni
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JFOFN5uILMI

Sarasijanabha (Part 1 and 2)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SYGnY7HKdC4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SmMLYVd8uwk&feature=related

His voice as well as the clarity of his diction seems to improve each time I hear him. Vathapi was a treat in itself, even before the swarams started. For me personally, Amba Kamakshi was the crowning glory of the evening, where a truly Royal Bhairavi monument was built purely with the composition itself, note by note, word by word, syllable by syllable. It is always a delight to watch Varma's total rapport with his accompaniments and all of them seem to enjoy themselves so much. He always seems to bring out the best in them too somehow.

I won't go into the Kalyani since you've already said what is there to be said.

The speeches, both by the sabha secretary as well as Shri Varma were classics. Really warm, insightful, personal and funny, both revealing intimate acquaintance with their subject. The secretary called Shri Varma a "Chocolate Prince" since he apparently loves chocolates very much. He wished him a happy 40th birthday one month in advance since the concert was on July 13th and Varma's birthday apparently is on August 13th. He talked about the previous secretary the late Ramachandran's relationship with Shri Varma and said how Shri Varma was simultaneously a class act as well as a simple man.

Shri Varma spoke about how wonderful the late Mr.Ramachandran was and then went on to talk about his family's relationship with Semmangudi Mama. He did a perfect voice imitation each time he quoted Mama. I was curious to see what he would say since there seems to have been some sort of controversy vis a vis him and some Semmangudi fans. My respect for Shri Varma went up a hundred times because of what he spoke and how he spoke. Neither was he all milk and honey nor was he nasty or insinuating.

He said at first that from the time he remembered, Mama used to say "I am old. My voice is gone. I can't sing" and so on and yet his concerts during navarathri would eventually turn out to be the most succesful out of the nine. He said that once when he asked Mama a doubt about a note in Bhairavi which was best avoided, Mama said "Yes, you CAN sing like that. You CAN drink castor oil!" He said that they didn't always see eye to eye, but Semmangudi was still Semmangudi and the disagreements they had were like what a child would have.....'healthy sparring sessions', he said-- with a dear grandparent with whom one didn't always see eye to eye. He said that Mama had sung for every single function in his family from around 70 years back and that Mama used to tell him that he could die only after he sang for Shri Varma's marriage. Shri Varma said he was extremely happy to be single but missed having a Semmangudi wedding concert!

The mike sadly failed as he was talking and he said it was a sign to stop and abruptly wound up with a Thillana by his guru Balamuralikrishna whose star birthday he said it was, on Sunday. He said that once Mama heard him sing this Thillana and said that one would break one's teeth if one sang so fast! I really wish he had spoken more since the little he said was so enjoyable really ! He wound up reposefully with the Swathi Thirunal mangalam Bhujagashayino. Kudos to Hamsadhwani for having organized such a fantastic evening!

rain_of_nectar · Post by **rain_of_nectar** » 15 Jul 2008, 22:01

samarasa and devi have chimed in... now for wordpecker, sunaada, vedasaram and finally a suitably modest riposte from musique!!

wordpecker007 · Post by **wordpecker007** » 15 Jul 2008, 23:40

samarasa and devi have chimed in... now for wordpecker, sunaada, vedasaram and finally a suitably modest riposte from musique

Well rain of nectar, you seem to have left out malavi, skris and sridhar rang too!!!;)

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 16 Jul 2008, 06:23

Thanks a lot Samarasa

devi · Post by **devi** » 16 Jul 2008, 10:02

For me personally, Amba Kamakshi was the crowning glory of the evening, where a truly Royal Bhairavi monument was built purely with the composition itself, note by note, word by word, syllable by syllable.

Completely agree with you Samarasa. Each word of the composition was so beautifully rendered, they were shining like pearls.... I was waiting for a long time to listen to Varmaji singing Amba Kamakshi and feel blessed.

Always_Evolving · Post by **Always_Evolving** » 16 Jul 2008, 21:08

Nice to read about what seems to have been an evocative concert.

But I can't help wondering what's up with this "Prince" stuff?! Really peeves me to see this feudal obsquious tone.

The speeches, both by the sabha secretary as well as Shri Varma were classics. Really warm, insightful, personal and funny, both revealing intimate acquaintance with their subject. The secretary called Shri Varma a "Chocolate Prince" since he apparently loves chocolates very much. He wished him a happy 40th birthday one month in advance since the concert was on July 13th and Varma's birthday apparently is on August 13th.

Indulgent and flattering... We don't pay so much attention to the chocolate cravings and birthdays of our regular "non descendents of erstwhile royal lineages" musicians, i.e. the Sudhas, OSTs or TVSs do we??

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 16 Jul 2008, 23:39

But I can't help wondering what's up with this "Prince" stuff?! Really peeves me to see this feudal obsquious tone.

We've touched on this before, and i said then that, in my experience of meeting with him not often, but regularly, over the past decade (can it be?) he is much more interested in being a musician than a prince.

Whatever his wishes, though, I'm afraid that we live in a world where many people love that sort of thing, and I doubt that he'll be allowed to forget his 'position'.

But I see no harm in a birthday wish, and I'm sure that might be done for other artists too.

wordpecker007 · Post by **wordpecker007** » 17 Jul 2008, 00:25

The secretary called Shri Varma a "Chocolate Prince" since he apparently loves chocolates very much. He wished him a happy 40th birthday one month in advance since the concert was on July 13th and Varma's birthday apparently is on August 13th

.

We seem to be traveling over well-trodden ground. As one of the members of the audience, let me assure you that the speeches, by both Aswathy Thirunal Rama Varma (so much simpler to say the Prince) and the organizer, was neither cloying nor servile. Both of them spoke from the heart. In fact, residents of Chennai recognized that, as the organizer himself said, some of the matter was taken from an article on the Prince that had appeared in the Times of India (see the link below).

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Reposito ... kin-custom

The organizer had done his homework and taken the trouble to read up about the artistes. Is that a problem?
Moreover, take a look at the posts wherein Prince Rama Varma has posted matter on the Kuthiramalika festival. He does not call himself the Prince but just Rama Varma or Varma. Even his articles in the Hindu does not carry any mention of the Prince. So, I fail to understand the need for yet another discussion on this. Moreover, the organizer also spoke warmly of the accompanists. IN fact, his speech was so different from the usual speeches that one gets to hear. So, where is the question of servility or flattery. And by the way, may I point out that the right spelling is â€˜obsequious.â€™

And if you check the Hindu archives, you will find that there is an interesting article on TVS that talks about how the eminent musician enjoys PG Wodehouse a great deal. So, perhaps the next time some one wants to talk about him, that is an interesting bit.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 17 Jul 2008, 00:42

Any one belonging to Kerala having the last name Varma has royal connection. The modern trend in south is not to be known by your title, such as, iyer, nair, menon, prince, reddy, etc. and some take pride in keeping that title. How about you Varma?

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 17 Jul 2008, 03:04

As one of the members of the audience, let me assure you that the speeches, by both Aswathy Thirunal Rama Varma (so much simpler to say the Prince) and the organizer, was neither cloying nor servile. Both of them spoke from the heart.

I didn't really expect otherwise, and I hope I didn't imply so.

The modern trend in south is not to be known by your title, such as, iyer, nair, menon, prince, reddy, etc. and some take pride in keeping that title. How about you Varma?

So there are to be no more iyers or iengars on our concert stages, then? No marks that announce the fact, even if it is not in the name? Are those names to be removed from the tapes and CDs of elder and deceased artists? Certainly Kerala, and keralan NRIs seem to have many Nairs, Namboodiris, etc among their numbers, and Reddys (Telegu, I think?) seem fairly common in the world too.

So, in my admittedly limited experience, while the iyers and the iyengars may have disappeared from our Chennai street names, and be less used by the younger generation, the trend does not seem that general.

As to issuing a personal challenge to RV, that seems unnecessary and undignified. As do many of us, he carried the name he was given by his family (and how confusing to be born into a family that likes to call so many of its males by the same name). Furthermore, whatever the priorities of his life may be, he can no more avoid the fact of his birth into that family than you or I can our own.

It is a musician we are discussing here.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Jul 2008, 03:10

rAmA, Rama varma!
When is this 'back and forth' about the royal ancestry of the musician going to end? He has been asking folks to simply call him by his name. I do.
Besides, I address fellow seniors on the forum by their names too because I personally prefer being called by my name without the addition of a 'madam' or a 'ji', and apply the same rule for others. It makes things easier and is by no means a sign of disrespect. Disrespect comes in when we 'say' things which are not courteous!

Always_Evolving · Post by **Always_Evolving** » 17 Jul 2008, 06:30

Moreover, take a look at the posts wherein Prince Rama Varma has posted matter on the Kuthiramalika festival. He does not call himself the Prince but just Rama Varma or Varma.

That's what I keep hearing. Then how come you and so many other posters do? Pls. dont tell me you are abbreviating Aswathy Tirunal. I won't buy that.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 17 Jul 2008, 10:35

Always_Evolving wrote:Indulgent and flattering... We don't pay so much attention to the chocolate cravings and birthdays of our regular "non descendents of erstwhile royal lineages" musicians, i.e. the Sudhas, OSTs or TVSs do we??

Of course we do!... they are even more royaler

well... may be not OST... and TVS to a slightly lesser extent

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 17 Jul 2008, 10:57

Always_Evolving wrote:
Moreover, take a look at the posts wherein Prince Rama Varma has posted matter on the Kuthiramalika festival. He does not call himself the Prince but just Rama Varma or Varma.
That's what I keep hearing. Then how come you and so many other posters do? Pls. dont tell me you are abbreviating Aswathy Tirunal. I won't buy that.

Well A_E !

"Prince" Rama Varma is the last person to flaunt his Royal lineage. He prefers to be called Rama Varma. However that does not stop others from prefixing a "Prince" while addressing him. If you dont like it , I'm sorry you will just have to grin and bear it

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 17 Jul 2008, 11:34

Who are we to pass judgment on others? How do we know what the other person had in mind when using certain terms to refer to certain people? What sounds â€˜obsequious' to one may be just a convenient nickname to another, or simply a form of endearment, if you will.

<deleted>

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 17 Jul 2008, 12:35

His music always sounds princely to me....

Everyone has the right to call themselves what they want. Everyone has a right to honor others by putting titles before their name.

Why do some people have to get peeved about it? There is no law here mandating what someone should or should not be called as.

Lets not pull such a fine individual as 'The Prince' into all this.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 17 Jul 2008, 13:35

Well said, skris.

One thing I am sure of: if we do not bury the subject for once and for all, RV will not want to join us on this board. That will be our loss.

Always_Evolving · Post by **Always_Evolving** » 17 Jul 2008, 15:22

sridhar_nag: Point taken. I shouldn't pass judgement. I shall treat the fact that Rama Varma happens to hail from the family that ruled an erstwhile "princely state" as entirely coincidental to his nickname / prefix

Well it's not such a big deal, and I suppose a harmless thing. cienu is right -- I should grin and bear it!

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 17 Jul 2008, 16:21

Thanks and my handle is sridhar_rang! <deleted>

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Jul 2008, 19:36

I would just grin--it is no big deal for us to feel that we have to bear it too

What's in a name, anyway?

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 17 Jul 2008, 20:02

Nee naama roopamulaku, nithya Jaya Mangalam

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 17 Jul 2008, 21:05

Thanks Prince....

Always_Evolving · Post by **Always_Evolving** » 17 Jul 2008, 21:24

sridhar_rang wrote:Thanks and my handle is sridhar_rang! Not sure if I should read 'sridhar_nag' as a mere typo

Hmmm... will leave it to your guess!

Arasi: yes, when I hear the prefix in future I shall probably be doing more grinning than bearing. And Rama Varma: that was a nice touch. I missed the concert so I hope I get to hear an encore of the "royal" bhairavi some time

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 17 Jul 2008, 22:35

I think it's rather nice that Carnatic Music has its very own Artist Formerly Known As Prince

Even if the 'formerly' is a slight exaggeration....

(Can someone whisper a translation of Mr P's nugget for me, please?)

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 17 Jul 2008, 23:17

Nick,

That was a line from the Mangalam (Pavamana) sung at the end of a concert...."P" is suggesting that we close this debate (say Mangalam)! The literal translation would be (corrections welcome; my Teleugu is not good) "Mangalam to the the many forms (rupamulaku) of your (nee) name (nama)"

<deleted>

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Jul 2008, 23:37

ALa vandavar alla ivar--
kaigaLai ATTI mEDaiyil
pADa vandavar ivar--
pADi nammaip pOL
rasikkavum vandavar
pin--munnum pinnum
idaip pEsip payan Ethu?
ingE nammaip pOl oruvar
ivar--enRuNarndu viTTAl!

He did not come on earth to rule, no,
He came to sing with gestures of his hand
And like us, to savor music too--so,
Why all this talk then and now--if only
We realize that he is one among us?

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Jul 2008, 00:23

Thanks

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Jul 2008, 00:27

Arasi, that was nicely put.

nammil oruvarAi avar irukka ninaittAlum
irukka vidamAttOm enRU Oriruvar
'kankaNam kattikkoNdu adam pidittAl'
avartAn enna seyvAr?
summaA iruppadE sukham enRu
irukkvENdiyathutAN.

Even when he decides to be one among us
if one or two decide (with a determination)
not to let him be
what else can he do?
He has to to be 'JUST BE'
believing that it is more peaceful to keep quiet.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 19 Jul 2008, 01:42

Wow ! I am rendered speechless now

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 19 Jul 2008, 01:50

Happy that it is only speechless and not 'musicless or songless'.
Your music will speak.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 19 Jul 2008, 23:06

Punarvasu wrote:Happy that it is only speechless and not 'musicless or songless'..

Hehehe.

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 20 Jul 2008, 03:09

mannavanum neeyE vaLanADum unadE ena vAzhttavumillai
ennarumai iLavarasE ejamAnE enDrellAm pOTravumillai
innamuda isai aLittAi inbattAl kaTTunDEn
kaNNamudAi tittikkum gAnattil en vasam izhandEn

enna peyar unadenDru dinasariyil irundaduvum
innAr OriLavarasar enDravaicceyalar pagarndaduvum
sonnadu sonnapaDi ivviDattil ezhudi vaittEn
enna solla ! en nilaimai ingevartAm aRindiDuvAr?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 20 Jul 2008, 03:30

sridhar_rang,
'eiydavan irukka ambai nOvadEn' enbArgaL
AnAl ivvidattilO eiydavar pErilum tavarillai
ambin pErilum tavarillai
'ILavarasan (endra peyarilum) pErilum tavarillai
Um nilaimai,avaiccceylar nilaimai,avar nilaimai
ellAmE ellOrum arivomE
sankatattai vittu sangItam kEtpOmE.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jul 2008, 05:14

sangaDamAna peyar muRai maRandE
avar sangItam kETkap pOvOm... a la old time cinema song: sangaDamAna samaiyalai viTTu sangItam pADappOREN

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 20 Jul 2008, 07:52

Arasi, you got the hint; I borrowed my line from that song!

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 03 Aug 2008, 10:32

Here's rather a Semmangudish Varali by me, accompanied by Prof.V.V.subramaniam, B.Harikumar and Udipi Sridhar. It was heartbreaking that the people who took the video didn't record VVS's Raga Alapana or the Thani avarthanam though

Varali 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb4Eaq4noeo

Varali 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr1UdgtNXys

Varali 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLGDbMq_4uE

Varali 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZTKpYM4NG8

Hope some of you will enjoy this.

unni · Post by **unni** » 06 Aug 2008, 01:22

Beautiful

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 06 Aug 2008, 19:18

Thank you

Adidaivam · Post by **Adidaivam** » 11 Oct 2008, 01:53

if one can praise the present cultureless minister m.a.baby as the conoissuer of music then there is no harm in calling Shri Rama Varma as PRINCE... ANDRATHER A PRINCE OF MUSIC

Gowri narayanan living in Trivandrum for 17 years is not the licence to call m.a.baby an atheist cultureless text book guy as a conoissuer of music.. what a foolishness.. the marxist and communist party should be banned.. otherwise our culture is harmed by this creatures always.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 11 Oct 2008, 22:13

Thanks sir - that was a stellar effort! The only small thing is that the flow of the wonderful alaapana gets a little affected because it is split into 2 different clips. I am sure there are unavoidable technical constraints

Shree · Post by **Shree** » 12 Oct 2008, 23:58

I see that people go for any extend to get favours.But I really appreciate Varmaji to do no such things for his personal good.His lack of P R work is quite obvious.He has hardly any CDs or DVDs in the market though he is a brilliant performer as a vocalist as well as a Veena artist.His performance will be scrutinized more and even a microscopic mistake if at all is there will be highlighted just because he has a tag "Royal Blood". Its a pity, I feel.We must allow him also to grow like how we encourage any other new voice.His hardwork should be appreciated.
I became his fan about just 3 yrs back after attending his concert In Kerala.

It is not new that organisers go to extremes to praise the guest.Name a single human being who doesnot like praises and compliments.

If at all there is one, then I am sure that person is not a homo sapien:-)

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 13 Oct 2008, 02:03

Of course we all like praise, we are none of us immune or completely lacking in ego --- but I also think that artists must sometimes get really fed up of having to sit with a smile on their face, while the same stock phrases are churned out, or, even worse, a speech is read out which must have been written even before the concert!

devi · Post by **devi** » 13 Oct 2008, 09:04

Agree with you 101% Mr. Nick. Especially so in Prince Varma's case. I have been listening to him and attending his concerts for quite a few years now. I am a proud fan of the realistic and grounded person he is, sometimes wondering whether I am fan of his personality or of his music. Personally I feel it is his attitude and open approach to art should be appreciated first before anything else. I am very glad that people have started discussing and recognising Sir's music in forums like this and such other internet communities, yet I am sad to notice what Nick pointed out above... With absolutely no offence to any real Varma Fans (myself included)...many a times I have felt that people reel out praises left right and centre without any clue as to what Sir has tried express through his music or writing.