Balamuralikrishna Jr@rAgaSudha(NAdaInbam) on Aug 20th,2006

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 22 Aug 2006, 14:35

There were just 3 performers in the stage from 6:10 pm to 8:20 pm ,their collective age must be just 60. Accompanying BMK Jr was S.Karthik -Violin and Mridangam - Rajana Swaminathan.

1. Sami dayajuda(RS) -Kedaragaula (varnam)-Tiruvettiyur Thyagayya
2. Intha parAka (S) - MAyamAlavagowlai - thyagarAja
3. evarani nirNayincirirA -dEvaamrutavarshani -thyagarAja
4. sati leni guruguha (R,N,S)-poorvikalyAni - ponnayya pillai
5. kanna taNDri naapai - devamanOhari - thyagaraja
6. maara vairi ramaNi - nAsikabhooshaNi- thyagaraja
7. daacukO valenaa (R,S,T)-tOdi- thyagaraja
8. muruganin marupezhar azhagu - behAg - SurajAnanda
9. tillana -dhanasri - Swati Tirunal
10. pavamAna in saurAshtram + slokham in shuruTTi

Hearing after nearly a years break , BMK started with a clean kedaragaula rAgasketch , predictably sang the popular varnam quite well.Intha parAka and swarams was very good . The next evarani a popular SSI number was sung quite good . The poorvikalyAni alApanai was detailed and to me was the best in the concert. One cannot ask a more rare poorvikalyAni number than sati leni guruguha , BMK delivered well with a nice neraval in the lines "koti manmadha rUpude sadguru chandrude".Swarams in poorvikalyAni was average .

The devamanOhari was ok and I could spot a bit of valachi in the nAsikabhooshani number .The popular number sung by alAthur brothers in tOdi had a good alApanai by BMK,again the punch was missing in swarams,the neraval absence was felt. An excellent behAg followed .

My frame of reference of dhanasri tillana by SSI is fast and racy,but BMK was bit slow and when he added a little rAga alankAram , the dhanasri tillana had too much of bhimplas written all over it .That way tillana was poor (corrections welcome to improve my dhanasri knowledge).Rest was customary finish.

The violin lad S.karthik (hearing for the first time)played well when he had to play slow. Whenever the kAlaprAmanam was fast, I noticed a bit of scratch and struggle.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 22 Aug 2006, 14:36

Rajana Swaminathan(Can I say a girl trying to rewrite history in mridangam???)
Few decades before the MLV,MSS and DKP must have struggled to get a top class male mridangist and here is rajana (NRI artist from US who is disciple of shri UKS)who must make the entire carnatic music ecosystem proud .

Excellent usage of toppi, paying total attention totally to the vocalist and violinist , adjusting the speed of her play for both vocalist and violinist was wonderful. If there is one negative in her play , that is her ability not to play quick few quick strokes whenever vocalist gasp for little lung space , which her guru Shri UKS has amply demonstrated (But how could shri UKS teach that???).Her tani was in mishra jampai today and was quite good , though would have loved little more aggression like shri UKS.

Incidentally S.Karthik and Rajana were playing for the 4pm to 6pm slot too.I heard the preceding concert for 15 minutes where one young singer by name Smt BhAvana who sang a shuruTTI ,maru bAri(khamAs) and siva siva Om in nAdanAmakriya to wrap her concert.Smt Bhavana was just average.

At the end of daacukO valenaa, SVK MAma spoke very well(wonderful orator and owner of RAgaSudha hall), but everytime he tells the artist to wrap up with 2 more tukkadas (that too at 8:10pm), (un?)fortunately,I always see every artist following that dictum.

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 22 Aug 2006, 15:31

Nice list. I've heard a similar story about the mridhangist previously - I'm guessing @ the BBoard.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 22 Aug 2006, 16:33

IIRC, Rajana's dad who is a physicist at Johns Hopkin's is also one of her gurus. Dr. Swaminathan runs the Umayalapuram School of Mridangam in MD. Rajana has become the mridangist of choice of several visiting artists (Mala Chandrasekhar for one). It is nice and unusual to see a girl playing the mridangam! I am sure she will go places.

baz1908 · Post by **baz1908** » 22 Aug 2006, 16:48

Has anyone got a recording of her playing?

Thanks

Barathan

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 12 Sep 2006, 07:00

Baz1908,
Check out Kum. Rajna's home page (www.geocities.com/rajnaswam). It has some nice samples.
Ravi

meena · Post by **meena** » 12 Sep 2006, 09:42

shankar
thanks for the link, Rajna is just awesome

For a change its so nice to see a girl play the mridangam. Wish her all the best!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 13 Sep 2006, 04:55

Yes. It was wonderful to see the clips. We do wish her the very best!
Ravi

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Sep 2006, 07:31

All the best, Rajana!

vrbadri · Post by **vrbadri** » 13 Sep 2006, 19:45

Another Clip of this young girl....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 2007898229

I believe it is her mother who comes and sings SudhAmayI before the song starts.....

lswaminathan · Post by **lswaminathan** » 23 Dec 2006, 23:38

It is happening again due to a impromptu schedule change.
Kum. Rajna Swaminathan is to accompany M. Balamuralikrishna at Nada Inbam on Dec 24 (4-6pm)

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 23 Dec 2006, 23:55

That is great! Congratulations, Rajna.
To clarify, she is accompanying SK, Sri. M. Balamurali Krishna, right, and Not Balamuralikrishna Jr.?

lswaminathan · Post by **lswaminathan** » 24 Dec 2006, 03:22

rshankar,
This is the upcoming vocal artist that she accompanied during the summer that this thread covers - often known as BMK Jr.
(She has not yet got a chance with the great BMK - I think the maestro heard her by chance only once, more than a year ago)

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 24 Dec 2006, 03:27

Great opportunity in any case!
Good Luck to her!