Ranjani & Gayatri, Sharada Cultural Trust, Secbad, 2 Feb,11

[revanthv552]

I just love talking about the Sharadha Cultural Trust! Hyderabad's "All-Women" organization for promotion of Carnatic music. There annual festival is some thing I look forward to. The concerts conducted by them are always amazing and we get to listen to artistes who do not perform in the City of Hyderabad often. However, Ranjani and Gayatri showed up in Hyderabad, after the span of three months and once again casted the magical spell of music on the rasikas. The concert hall was full, despite the fact that it was a weekday. Many people stood back till the end of the concert which is a very uncommon sight for us here in Hyderabad (where most of the audience walk out as soon as the thaniavarthanam starts). The song list is

Vocal duet-Ranjani and Gayatri
Violin-Sri H N Bhaskar
Mridangam-Sri Neyveli Skandasubramanian
Ghatam-Sri Madipakkam Murali

1.Navaraga malika varnam
2.Sakala graha bala neene-Atana-Purandaradasar[S]
3.Theliyaleru Rama-Dhenuka-Thyagaraja
4.Korinavaramosagumayya-Raamapriya-Patnam Subramanya Iyer[R,N,S]
5.Eppadi Manam-Huseni-Arunachala kavi
6.Marakathavallim-Khamboji-Dikshitar[R,S,T]
7.Vara naradha-Vijayasri-Thyagaraja
8. RTP-Reethigowla
Tisra Triputa thaalam Khanda nadai
Ragamalika swarams: Nata, Mohanakalyani, Kaapi, Madhuvanthi
9.Bhaavayami-Yaman kalyani-Annamacharya
10.Slokam
Sagara Sayana Vibho-Bhagesri-M D Ramanathan
11.Sakha maza narayana-Lalit-Swami Swaroopanandha
12.Mangalam-Sowrastram

Unlike all the times, concert started off very much on time with the Navaraga malika varnam. But there was hell lot of trouble with the sound system that they had to stop twice and continue. After the piece, Ranjani inquired the audience about the sound quality. They got a positive answer and they proceeded with the concert. Yesterday being the puNya thithi of Purandaradasa they sang the song "Sakala Graha" followed by a short round of kalpana swarams at the pallavi.

The song Theliyaleru Rama was rendered very well. Especially the pronunciation they had and the effect they gave to the song was totally enjoyable.The alapana of Raamapriya by Ranjani was outstanding. The alapana was very decent and the violinist provided perfect support! The song "Korinavaramu" was rendered very well. The neraval and kalpana swarams were done at the line "Saarivarilona".

After this, they sang Arunachala kavi's situational song. Ranjani narrated the scene behind this song and they sang it very well. "Eppadi manam" was the song. The main piece was Khamboji. It was great to listen to Khamboji after a long time. If I am not wrong, the last time I heard Khamboji main was two years back when Sanjay visited Hyderabad. The alapana was by Gayatri. She is an amazing singer. The Dikshitar's krithi Marakatha Vallim came up as the main piece which was followed by an enjoyable thani avarthanam. The filler was Vijayasri. The sangathis they sang for the anupallavi of "Vara naradha" was amazing!

The best part of the concert was the RTP in Reethigowla. One thing I love about the sisters is that they always sing an RTP! So they never disappoint the rasikas who want an RTP in the concert. And of course, in the city of Hyderabad we hardly get to listen to concerts and expecting an RTP in them is something which will end you in disappointment. But in the case of Ranjani and Gayatri it proves different. They always enthrall the audience with their RTPs. And this time, it was "Reethigowla". I just cant put it into words, the amazing way they rendered this ragam. The sisters took alternate turns and entertained the audience. They won loud applause for this. The verse for the pallavi was taken from Tirukkural. The swarakalpana was directly in the madhyama kaalam and they did an amazing job. The patterns they used were simply amazing! The raga malika swarams were in Nata by Ranjani and Mohana kalyani by Bhaskar. The next raga was Kaapi which was sung by Ranjani. It literally moved me to tears of joy. Madhuvanthi followed this.

The post main items included an abhang based on raga Lalit and also a few other famous compositions.
The few among the many points I liked about the music is

1. The concert began right in time and continued for more than 3 hours. It hardly happens this way.
2. The concert did not have any interruptions for announcements, speeches etc. nor was their a need to wait for the arrival chief guest's.
3. The concert hall was full, the audience enjoyed every bit of the song they sang.
4. The rapport the sisters share was amazing. They enjoy and sing the music. That enhances the effect I feel. The way they appreciate each other while singing I did not observe in many other duos.
5. Choosing of ragas like Raama priya which are uncommon for audience of Hyderabad was wise, unlike the general convention where in people sing just the common ragas and consider thats enough for the standards of Hyderabad.
6. Addition of RTP, that too in a raga like Reethigowla was a total total surprise!

The concert was a very memorable one. Really a memorable one.

[ranjanimalavi]

The same kambhoji main, and rtp reethigowla (thirukural ) they sang in NBG in the music season.

Raman

[arasi]

Revanth,
As soon as I saw RTP in the list, I knew you would have been happy, parched as you are for concerts and for RTPs.

Ranjanimalavi,
What was the tirukkuraL line for the RTP?

[ranjanimalavi]

978. பணியுமாம் என்றும் பெருமை சிறுமை
அணியுமாம் தன்னை வியந்து.

paNiyumAm enRum perumai siRumai
aNiyumAm thannai viyanthu.

[vasanthakokilam]

Great choice of kuRaL by R&G for RTP. 'The great ones are always humble, the lesser ones indulge in self-admiration'.. Human nature has indeed been constant over millenia, hasn't it?

How did they distribute the words on the thala? There are indeed quite a few syllables and the choice of kanda nadai is apt, it gives them the necessary space.

[Sundara Rajan]

I wonder at the choice of a tirukkuraL verse for RTP in Hyderabad ! Even Chennai rasikas would be struggling to understand/appreciate a kurL. How did it go in Hyderabad ? Personally I do enjoy tamil viruthams, kuraLs & slokAs in sanskrit. The first time I heard a kuraL in a concert was by MM Desiakr in the 1940's.

[arasi]

Sundara Rajan,
Good to hear from you.
I have a feeling there is a considerable number of tamizh speaking rasikas in the area--among the organizers too. Let alone in other states, even in tamizh nADu, there are those who do not comprehend even a simple line of verse in tamizh. More the reason for introducing such lines in pallavi because the lines are repeated umpteen times and it will stick in the minds of those who hear it. All the more the reason why a meaningful line is desirable than a nAm ke vAste one! The sisters have also chosen a soft flowing verse.
Glad to see today's performers choosing a good line for a pallavi.
Have you not been to any of the local festival concerts in Bengaluru so far?

[Sundara Rajan]

Arasi: I have no qualms about using a kuraL for an RTP or for that matter any meaningful line in tamizh, telugu , kannada or sanskrit or even hindi. My question was about how the kuraL RTP was received in Hyderabad. I remember reading in the press about a decade ago when BalamuraLi sang a tamil composition in Hyderabad, some in the audience raised objections and BalamuraLi chastised them and taunted how many of them understood completely ThyagarajA's or AnnamAchAryA's compositions and silenced them. As I mentioned earlier, I do like simple meaningful lines in any language for an RTP as opposed to long winding lines sometimes used by Jesudas. In answer to your other question, I spent a few years in Bangalore and never missed RAma navami concerts in sEshAdripuram and chAmarajpet. I don't know if Hyderabad is as comsmopolitan as Bengaluru.

[revanthv552]

@ arasi, In deed arasi! I was very very very happy listening to an RTP!
@ Sundara Rajan, the RTP was well received by the audience. Ranjani and Gayatri explained the lines of the thirukkural and then proceeded for the singing. Even the ones who were unfamiliar with the kuraL and the ones who could not follow tamizh did enjoy the RTP very much.

[Sundara Rajan]

Thank you for the information, Revanth552. It is heartening to learn that rasikas in Hyderabad enjoyed the tamizh Kuarl RTP. It is a welcome trend.

[mridhangam]

No one attended the excellent concerts by TNS and Vijay Siva the previous two days ... i thought some one from rasikas would hv come because both the days the hall was full.

J Balaji

[revanthv552]

I would have attended those if i didnt have my exams going on! Luckily my exams ended on the day this concert was! So I made it to this one