Salem Shriram - SRUTI's Thyagaraja Aradhana - March 13, 2010

[musicapriya]

Salem Shriram performed with Sandhya Srinath and Rajna Swaminathan at SRUTI - Philadelphia's Thyagaraja Aradhana yesterday. Here is the concert list:

1. Chera ravademira - Reetigowlai
2. Muddumomu - Suryakantham
3. Neevada Negana - Saranga
4. Ksheenamai - Mukhari
5. Slokam followed by Elara Krishna - Kamboji
6. Sangeetha Gnanamu - Dhanyasi
7. Marubalka - Sriranjani
8. Sri Rama Jaya Rama - Yadukulakamboji
9. Ramachandra Nidaya - Surutti

It was a fantastic concert with Shriram offering a very deep Mukhari and an even more thorough Sriranjani. The neraval for Marubalka at Darinerigi took you into a trance. The Elara Krishna was another welcome piece not very often rendered.

Sandhya and Rajna provided excellent support and the trio had a good rapport on stage.

All in all a very exhilarating concert that left me wanting more.

[karaharapriyajanyam]

Yes, Salem Shriram is a fine singer and he should perform more in Chennai. Very talented, has a lot of potential and promise.

[rajeeram]

Exhilarating is the word indeeed! What a concert! Salem Shriram held the audience completely captive for the full two hours.

Sri.Shriram has everything going for him, great voice with very good adherence to sruti, bhava-laden and briga-laden in the right proportion. The ragas chosen for the day, speak for themselves - Reethigowla, Saranga, Mukhari, Kambhoji, Sriranjani, Surrutti etc. Incredible creativity, be it alapana in sriranjani, neraval in Mukhari, swarams in Sriranjani- the flow was superb and the patterns he weaved were at times magical.

Sandhya Srinath brought her A-game to the concert... Enough can not be said about the accompaniment of Rajna Swaminathan - such anticipation and clarity in her playing. The Umayalapuram stamp was so obvious in her Thani. She, and Sandhya, elevated the concert considerably.

A concert that would linger in my memory for some time to come.

It's such a travesty that for such a creative musician, a three hour slot could not be allotted that would have allowed him to sing an RTP.

One wonders whether a musician of Shriram's caliber has gotten the laurels he deserves.

To add to the concert list:

1. Chera ravademira - Reetigowlai - Ragam Sketch, Swaram
2. Muddumomu - Suryakantham
3. Neevada Negana - Saranga - Ragam, Swaram
4. Ksheenamai - Mukhari - Ragam, Neraval, Swarams(both slow and fast)
5. Slokam followed by Elara Krishna - Kamboji -Swaram
6. Sangeetha Gnanamu - Dhanyasi
7. Marubalka - Sriranjani - Ragam, Neraval, Swaram (slow, fast and tisram)
8. Sri Rama Jaya Rama - Yadukulakamboji
9. Ramachandra Nidaya - Surutti

[rajeshnat]

I have had one chance only to hear salem shriram , last concert season , I made a passing mention that this sriram has so much of semmangudish touch . WIth marubalka and ksheenamai combo that touch must have been omnipresent . Also rajna must have added partial uks touch to this concert , in short there is a big chance that this concert must be a miniature SSI-UKS combo

rajeeram/musicapriya
I thought the evening is open , he could have gone for 3 hours instead of 2 hours.

[rajeeram]

Yes rajeshnat, definitely an SSI touch could be perceived, especially in neraval, swaram etc. The concert was sandwiched between individual participation by the local crowd and was hence limited in time.