Sikkil Mala-7 May 2011-Auckland: Rasikas NZ

[rasikasnz]

Rasikas NZ: 7 May 2011 – 6 pm Selwyn Theatre – Kohimarama - Auckland

Flute: Sikkil Mala Chandrasekhar
Violin: H N Bhaskar
Mridangam: Palladam R Ravi

I am no carnatic music expert but have just jotted down some of my ‘feelings’ after the concert

Song List - courtesy friends:

1. Sami ninne - Sankarabharanam Varnam - Adi
2. Vinayaka - Madhyamavathi - Tyagaraja
3. Kanchadalayadakshi - Kamalamanohari - Muthuswami Dikshithar
4. Devi Brova - Chintamani - Adi - Syama Sastri
5. Dayarani - Mohanam - Kanda Chapu - Tyagaraja
6. Akhilandeshwari - Dwijavanti - Adi - Muttuswamy Dikshitar
7. Ninnu vina naama - Navarasa kannada - rupakam – Tyaagaraja
8. Raghunatha ninnu - Swararanjini - adi - Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar
9. Rama rama gunaseema - Simhendramadhyamam - adi - Swati Tirunal
10. RTP -Sankarabharanam - Trisra jathi triputa taalam - Mahima theliya tarama Sri Rama – Ragamallika swarams
11. Paluku thenela thalli - Abheri - khanda chapu - Annamayya
12. Venkatachala nilayam - Sindhu bhairavi - adi - Purandara dasa
13. Bhavayami gopalabaalam - Yamuna kalyani - khanda chapu – Annamayya
14. Bruhi mukundeti - Kurinji - adi - Sadashiva Brahmendra
15. Gurunaanak bhajan - Shankara ragam – adi
16. Ragamalika - where she played the snake tune in Punnagavarali
17. English note
18. Katrinile varum geetam - sindhu bhairavi - chaturasra ekam - kalki krishnamoorthy
19. Maitreem bhajatha - Yamuna kalyani - adi - Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
20. Mangalam

A superb concert from Sikkil Mala, H N Bhaskar and Palladam R Ravi on saturday, far exceeding all of our expectations. . . the Auckland carnatic music rasikas were enthralled, entertained and elevated by the purity, classicism, bhavam, dynamism and sowkhiyam in their music. What an amazing treat!

Mala definitely sings via her flute as every swara and gamakam just flowed like shimmering NZ Manukau honey. Kannan of Brindavan brought everything to a standstill with his venuganam . . . . .and Mala did similarly as time seemed to have stopped for all of us on saturday. My picks were Devi Brova (goose bump moments in the anupaalavi and charanam), Rama rama guna and of course the RTP with the ragamalika swara (amrithavarshini,malayamarutham,kannada – from memory and possibly not in that order) outpour in the 1st half; Bhavayami Gopala and the hypnotic punnagavarali in the 2nd half. Sikkil Mala has tremendous breath control and that was reflected in the beautiful gamakas and long strung swaras. At times one could feel the audience holding its breath as she held hers at a particular swara for a long time. The concert had several songs made famous by the great MS Subhalakshmi due to the requests she received previously from the rasikas and also on that evening from the floor.

Mala mentioned that it was traditional that the varnam in the concert should be played in the ragam taken up for RTP and hence she started with the Sami nine varnam.

Saturday was a very sunny and beautiful day in Auckland . . what with Mala being flanked with two suns (Ravi and Bhaskar) . . but close to the conclusion of the concert it rained heavily. . . Sunday was yet again another sunny day! Mala’s musical downpour definitely triggered the rains on Saturday night

Both the accompanists were in great form supporting the main artiste. The rapport and dynamics amongst the team was pretty obvious and positive. They all seemed like ONE and attuned to each other.

Bhaskar was brilliance personified in his play be it playing dynamic swaras or absolutely ‘sokkavaikum’ raga. His portrayal of mohanam, simhendramadhyamam as well as sankarabharanam left us yearning for more. His replies in the ragamalika swaras in the RTP were definitely amazing and proved his mettle as one of the best violinists of his generation.

Palladam R Ravi provided excellent mridangam support, following and enhancing the sahithyam and bhavam of the song being presented. His 15+ minute long tani was truly one of its kinds and needs special mention.

4 hours and 20 minutes later the majority of those who attended did not wish the concert to end. . . and that basically says it all. . . many have called to say that all they could hear even after going home and right thru the night was the lilting strains of Sikkil Mala's venu gaanam. . . and I had to agree as my family and I were also in the same state.

I am no expert. . . so if there is any wrong ‘carnatic music related word or phrase' usage. . . please do educate me.

Will post the Wellington concert song list soon.

[MV]

Nice one, Priya! Ragamalika swarams for RTP were in Hindolam, Valachi, Desh, Kanada and Amritavarshini (and I think in that order)
Instrumental music is slowly dying out. We in NZ have been lucky to have violin (Lalgudi siblings in March), venu (Sikkil Mala in May) and hopefully a veena before the end of the year. Any takers??

[rasikasnz]

Aah, yes, hindolam and then . . I thought the 2nd one was kalavathy. . but it was valaji. .

As for veena - spot on Malathy - we are working on it . . . God willing and with well wishers support it will happen in soon

[srikant1987]

nAdaswaram?

[mohan]

For veena why don't you invite the Iyer brothers from Melbourne? They are excellent artistes who perform every year in the Chennai season. Being based in Australia, the transport costs for you would be not that high!

[rasikasnz]

@srikanth1987 - Yes, thats on the 'pipeline' too . . .
@Mohan - Good suggestion - I agree - hopefully no expense and red tape involved for visa processing!

[rajeshnat]

4 hours and 20 minutes later the majority of those who attended did not wish the concert to end. . . and that basically says it all.

I do know few flautist like MAli used to go on if he gets into the mood. THis is the first time I am hearing a flute concert for 4 hours and 20 minutes.

[mahavishnu]

thanks for your report, RasikasNZ. Sounds like a wonderful concert.
I take it that No.2 in your list is Vinayakuni in madhyamavati? If so, items 2,3,& 4 are all about kanchipuram.

Maybe she was going for a Kanchi theme and then changed her mind? Look forward to your report from Wellington.

[rshankar]

Mala mentioned that it was traditional that the varnam in the concert should be played in the ragam taken up for RTP and hence she started with the Sami nine varnam.

That was the paddhati that Sri ARI instituted, when he changed the format of concerts. This paddhati calls for starting with a varNam (supposedly to warm-up and loosen the muscles of the vocal cord and larynx)...while many still follow this structure, the 'tradition' to sing/play the RTP in the same rAga as the varNam seems to have been dropped early on...

[Lakshman]

The composer of item #8 is Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar. Also brUhi mukundEti is by Sadashiva Brahmendra.

[rasikasnz]

@mahavishnu - Yes it was Vinayakuni - very well rendered
@Lakshman - Thanks - Corrected

[rasikasnz]

Also, please do check out the Lec/Demo feedback in the topic:

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=16389

It was one of the best lec/dem/multimedia presentation we've had in NZ.

[MV]

The composer of item #8 is Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar. Also brUhi mukundEti is by Sadashiva Brahmendra.

Lakshman, I think Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar is Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar. Do correct me if I'm wrong.