O S Arun- Sanjeev Abhyankar - Songs of Surdas- Hindu Nov Fes

sivapriya · Post by **sivapriya** » 21 Nov 2009, 17:26

The joint ensemble between the two vocalists and their percussion team was combination of "STYLE" and "SOBREITY".

Style enhanced by OS Arun and Sobreity enhanced by Sanjeev Abhyankar. Both came together to sing Songs of Surdas on the stylised stage set by the Hindu Friday Review Nov' Fest.

On an overall note the concert was tuneful, soulful and brought out the various emotional aspects of desire, longing, wonderment, anger, pathos, dejections, joy, happiness that Surdas poured out for his Lord Krishna, through his compositions.

However, from an absolute analysis of the musical output of the duo on stage, one could clearly see the " diversity in unity " of two different individuals from different schools, different genres and singing patantharas.

O S Arun has , has over a period of time developed a separate style and evolved a genre of bhajan singing, which seems a medley of patterns from the carnatic-hindustani classical and devotional , ghazal, qawwali and folk traditions. His is a loud, voice sans melody and he sings with a certain aplomb and exploratory approach like that of a wild brook, touching various nooks and crannies and then landing on a surface.

Sanjeev Abhyankar, endowed with a mellifluous,soft, sonorous voice , shows a certain restraint, a restraint that allows a lot of manodharma but within seemingly classical traditional boundaries. He always stuck to the traditional approach like a steady stream , which explores but cautiously, with total devotion to the grammar of music. His voice and singing were so well tuned and it was as if he told the listeners , that , this is my patanthara and my approach to devotional singing.

This may have at time led to a feeling in many a mind , that OS Arun's voice was dominant, but not so, as Sanjeev did show his stamp when the stage was his.

Out of the songs rendered, they sang some on their own and shared some. With their own stamp of individuality, they brought the shared , combined melody fairly well bringing out the personality of that composition .

Sanjeev sang a song where Surdas has explained in very Vedantic terms his inner feelings and implores to Krishna to give him deliverance from all these.
In the song " Ab Mein Nachu bahut Gopal" , Surdas tells Krishna, that he has danced enough, with the base feelings of "kaam, krodh, moh, nindha and brahm maya" as ornaments and seeks deliverance from all these.
Sanjeev rendered this song bringing out the right spirit of emotion and received a thunderous applause for the dignity with which he sang it.

OS Arun similarly received a good applause for the song on "Mohe chuo nahi dhoor raho", which he announced as an off beat Surdas, because its one of the rare songs where Surdas has played the role of a angry "khandita nayika", angry with the Lord for His indifference towards him.

The grand finale came with the Rasa Lila song , a famous Surdas hit, "Gopi Gopala Bala", for which Arun has crafted a style over a period of time and the duo sang it with a lot verve and vigour. The interludes between the tabla and the singers in the line 'dhruma dhruma dhruma mridanga" was noteworthy.

Arun Gawai, Sai Shravan were on the Tabla, Milind Kulkarni was on the Harmonium, Kalaiselvam was on the Additional Percussion and all of them accompanied well, though sometimes one heard too much of one tabla and too little of the other.

The songs were : jasomati man abhilaash kare, ankhiyaan haridarsan pyaasi, sabse oonchi prem sagaai, mohe chuo nahin dhoor raho, ab mein naachu bahut Gopal, Gopi Gopala baal raas mandala maayi.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 21 Nov 2009, 17:43

sivapriya
How long was the concert?

sivapriya · Post by **sivapriya** » 21 Nov 2009, 18:21

Started off at 7.15 , ended at 8.50 , without any break.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 23 Nov 2009, 00:27

What did you think of the Novemberfest ambience? I found it overbearingly commercial. We were there the night before.

Given that we'd payed Rs350 each for seats, I did not expect, and certainly didn't welcome, being bombarded by video advertising before the program. This is like pay-to-view TV, where you still have adverts! Having stalls in the foyer is ok, I guess (I'm not about to suggest someone does something like Jesus's casting the traders out of the temple!

), but the Bose stall made far too much noise for pre-concert peace and chat.

I enjoyed the concert, though

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 23 Nov 2009, 05:45

>being bombarded by video advertising before the program.

Nick, tell us more about this commercial ambiance. This is certainly new for me. Is this a video screen on or nearby the stage showing advertisements? With audio? Related to music?

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 23 Nov 2009, 07:48

Nick: What was your most liked song?

sivapriya · Post by **sivapriya** » 23 Nov 2009, 08:21

Nick,

Yes I did comtemplate a lot about the "commercial ambience".

However refrained from voicing it, as commerce is today an essential component of any art form. Remotely or directly, art does get connected with commerce, as far as mobilising resources are concerned and hence its a " necessary bane".

What one can think of is "how to commercialise artfully " and yes there are ways of doing it.

The Bose speakers, were far too, noisy for pre concert or post concert mood.. Since the aisle space in the Academy is limited, the stalls were eating into one another, with people walking up and down, standing in groups and chatting, enjoying coffee, eating snacks, et etc. It created a "fair" or "jatra" kind of a feel outside. So much jostling and noise, thereby taking away from the overall ambience of serenity.

This bit about mood getting spoilt is something we Indians have by now resigned to. We have, at least I am practising the skill of switching off from ambient surroundings and just focussing on the concert till I reach home. From the Academy , I walk, as my house is just a stone's throw away.

There are far worse things , I need to jostle on the road, and I guess that has made me steely about all these.

Yet another experience , I face every year is outside of Krishna Gana Sabha. Especially during the Gokulashtami series, which is Aadi, month of importance for Devi worship too. Just as you come out, you will be bombarded with the loudest of speakers, shouting out all kinds of songs, from the Amman temple celebrations opposite the hall, in contrast to the nice concert you just heard a split second ago.

Again this is another walk down the road, to catch an auto, or take the car, which has made me a
"stithapragnaa" - single focussed individual !!!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 23 Nov 2009, 11:00

Review in today's metro
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/11/23/stor ... 710800.htm

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 23 Nov 2009, 15:51

I remember Behag, ??, Bagheshree, Madhuvanthi, Abhogi, Janasammodini and Gamanashramam. So there were 7 songs, no?

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 23 Nov 2009, 15:59

sureshvv wrote:I remember Behag, ??, Bagheshree, Madhuvanthi, Abhogi, Janasammodini and Gamanashramam. So there were 7 songs, no?

sureshvv,
As per hindu metro review in the previous post of mine, there is a mention of mishra bhatiyar as the 2nd number, the 3rd is rAgeshri.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 23 Nov 2009, 16:36

VK... a screen was hung in front of the closed curtain, and advertisment videos, with full loud sound, were projected. I have never seen such a thing at any classical concert here or in UK, and I really did not think it was acceptable. The stage was a poffessionally designed set, and it very beautiful and well lit in changing colours. There were no commercial banners. Perhaps they consider the videos to be the lesser of two evils, but I would disagree: banners make no noise!

VKR, we went to Pandit Channulal Mishra's concert, and I can only say that I really enjoyed the first, long piece, and not so much the shorter pieces thereafter. Mt wife loved it. His voice is superb. We did not attend the concert under discussion in this thread.

Sivapriya: anywhere in the world we cannot avoid the irritations of the general environment. Perhaps, in Chennai, we specialise in certain irritations, such as the blaring temple speakers: in London, you might have your post-concert serenity disturbed by a long wait for a train, followed by being pressed up close to a smelly drunkard or some noisy youngsters. I did not so much mind the stalls at the MA, with the exception of the Bose one: it is simply not acceptable to have that noise going on. There is no need for the concert promoters to ensure we suffer in-you-face intrusion immediately before and after the concert. This is music presented by marketing managers and accountants, not by music lovers. Nothing can be done without money, but let the boundaries be better set.

Always_Evolving · Post by **Always_Evolving** » 23 Nov 2009, 16:58

Nick this is really good feedback that I would urge you to write letters to The Hindu about.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 23 Nov 2009, 22:40

Nick, as A_E says, that is a good feedback to give through The Hindu 'Letters to the Editor" or to the organizers directly.

I fully understand how this blaring music from the Bose people and these video advertising can spoil the mood, especially given that it is a ticketed concert.

Were the advertisements music related or general ones?

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 24 Nov 2009, 02:48

You are right, and, although I probably should, but... I probably won't. I guess I let off steam here!

I don't remember the details of the advertisements now --- but I suspect that they were associated with the various sponsorship packages. It is true that the sponsors have to get their value, or there is no point. I was tempted to go to the Osibisa concert. I saw them in about 1974, in London, and remember it still. I can only say that I would have had just the same reaction to the video advertising at a rock concert! It is not about musical sanctity, or even about musical snobbery, it is about the environment for enjoying music.