Violin: Smt. Jyotsna Srikanth
Mridangam: Sri. Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma
Kanjari: Sri. Guruprasanna
1. Saami dayachooda (Varnam) - Kedaragowla - Adi - Tiruvotriyur Tyagayyar
2. Raa raa maa [S] - Asaaveri - Adi - Tyagaraja
swarams @ dikku nIvanucu
3. Sri Raama paadama - Amrutavahini - Adi - Tyagaraja
4. Paritaapamu ganiyadina - Manohari - Rupakam - Tyagaraja
5. Eti Janmam idi [R N S] - Varaali - Mishra Chapu - Tyagaraja
neraval and swarams @ sAgara Sayanuni T
6. Atukaraadani - Manoranjani - Adi - Tyagaraja
7. Nee paadamule gatiyani - Navarasa Kaanada - Adi - Poochi srinivasa Iyengar
8. Bhajare Sri Raamachandram [S] - Malavi - Mishra Chapu
9. RTP - Kharaharapriya - Adi [2 kalai] - followed by thani
pallavi line: rAma nI samAnamevaru, samAnamevaru, samAnamevaru
10. Marugelara - Jayanthishri - Adi - Tyagaraja
11. Sadaa enna - Behag - Rupakam
12. Naadupai - Madhyamaavathi - Khanda Chapu - Tyagaraja
13. Mangalam - Sourashtram - Adi - Tyagaraja
The concert started half an hour late. I was scared that this is going to lead to a rushed performance. Thankfully I ended up being only partly correct.
Most of the varnam was spent in trying to figure out mic issues. I have no idea when this is going to be done right...
Asaaveri swarams were brisk and lasted just a few aavarthanams.
Two fillers! I was feeling restless.
Finally, an aalaapana. Varali. OST sir sung the aalaapanai very well. In the taara sthaayi he sung some phrases that I've never heard in Varali. Knowing the occasion, 'Eti janmam' was expected and so it was. Great kriti sung beautifully. Neraval was succinct. Swarams were really nice. Some really nice kuraippus.
THREE more fillers! It seemed like the concert was to be filled with fillers! The swarams in Malavi were exactly for three aavarthanams.
I was feeling let down by this stage. We were around an hour and ten minutes into the concert, and there had only been one piece that had left any lasting impression.
But then came the Kharaharapriya. A heart warming aalaapanai that lasted about half an hour. I was thinking 'Raama nee samanamevaru' would follow. Instead, as a pleasant surprise, taanam did! A lovely unhurried taanam it was. OSt sir took the time to build up the raagam around all the appropriate swarams. And I guess a 'Raama nee samaanamevaru' of sorts did follow! The pallavi was basically taken from the kriti, with 'Raama nee samaanamevaru' sung in sama kaalam, 'samanamevaru' sung in second speed, and 'samaanamevaru' again sung in third speed. An eduppu(7 maathras in to the taalam) for which it was a pleasure to put the taalam and anticipate the beginning of the pallavi every time! Detailed, unhurried swarams. The RTP had lasted a satisfying hour and a half! I guess this is why OST sir had kept the rest of the pieces brief. He wanted to really give us a full blown main piece. It totally turned around the concert for me.
Marugelara as a tukkuda on audience request!
The rest was routine, but pleasant nonetheless. Enjoyed the Behag.
On the accompanists:
Jyotsna has always been impressive in my eyes. Today was no different. She kept her raaga aalaapanais short. In fact, her Kharaharapriya lasted only 5 minutes as opposed to the vocalist's 30 minute extravaganza. But this took nothing away from her performance. Whatever she played, she played with aplomb.
Shivu sir(Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma) is an institution by himself. He played very aptly throughout. The tani was very enjoyable. Loved the tishram phrases as always.
Guruprasanna was very good. It was a day where all the artistes gave their best.
Overall, the Kharaharapriya isn't something that I'm going to forget soon!
P.S. To add to all the Kanjari/Kanjira talks, one of the organisers seemed to have invented an all new name for the instrument. It was referred to as 'can-jeera'. Make of that what you will!
