Abhishek Raghuram for SU11 5/6/11-NZCMS

[MV]

Violin - Nagai Sriram
Mridangam - Trivandrum Balaji

Song List
1)Valachi - Varnam in Ragamalika
2) Ganasuda - Nattai - Dr BMK (KS)
3) Balakanakamaya - Atana - Thyagaraja (brief ragam, KS at Raara)
4) Saarasaksha - Pantuvarali - Swati Tirunal (R, N)
5) Sri Rama Jaya Rama - Yadukula Kamboji
6) Thaye Yashoda - Thodi - OVK (R, KS & T)
7) Kan Kalangude, Manam Mayangude -Saranga-composition of violin maestro Kumaresh
8) RTP Kanada in Tisra Triputha
Seeta pathe nee kabhi manamu leda
Ragamalika neraval and swaram in ofcourse Kamas, Bahudari, Kalanidhi and Chandrajothi

9) Rama Rama - Misra Tilang - PD
10) Sarasija - Kamboji - Swati Tirunal
11) Ramachandrudithadu
12) Pavanaj Stuthi patra
13) Tiruppugazh in Sindhu bhairavi
14) Pavamana

[arasi]

sItApatE nIkabhimAnamu lEdA? seems to be the pallavi line.

[MV]

Abhishek was in sublime form. It was a lovely, sunny day- almost a spring day in the middle of winter and he turned up in full white. He could barely contain himself as he went through sound-testing and I knew he meant business. And he did, with the first outline of Kedharam that he started the varnam with. I could talk about the lovely Nattai or the brisk swarams, or the profound Balakanaka, but I will save my superlatives for later.
Pantuvarali alapanai was unique to say the least and the brisk song and neraval set the hall alive. The sharp crack of his thalam as the sliding brighas landed unerringly were unbelievable. To hear that rich, bristling voice then eke out a soulful Yadukala Kamboji was beyond belief.

The Thodi ragam was something else. He found nearly 20 minutes of 'never-before-heard' Thodi. As he stopped to explore 'Dha', some 100 phrases later, he sang 'DP,GM.. NNPD,' And I thought, yeah I know that one. Kan Kalangude was such a beautiful composition and he sang it so, so well.

He then found the energy to sing another 20 minutes of Kanada. To sing the oft-heard, oft-sung Seethapathe in Kanada, I thought itself was an achievement-the temptation to slip to Kamas... He sang the pallavi line to Thyagaraja songs, Brovabarama, Chinnanatena and Baagaya nayya weaving in and out seamlessly between the ragams. He then set Lalgudi's Kamas thillana 'mgm-pdp-dns-Snd' as his phrase to sing KS in kamas. There was no need for a thillana in the end, the whole concert was an exercise in bhavam, layam and sahityam. I left with the feeling to have that unbeievable creativity matched by a magical voice which can interpret each of his thought-processes is surely more than knowledge, practise-there is divine grace here.

Balaji and Sriram sat as much in entertainment as in accompaniment. All three were freely encouraging and complimenting each other and it was a pleasure to watch their camaraderie. Special mention for Sriram, who found the ability to not only put bow to violin, but to hold his own corner- albeit traditionally- in the presence of the huge energy that was Abhishek Raghuram on the evening of 5/6/11.

[mahavishnu]

thanks, MV. sounds like an amazing concert.
I heard the kan Kalangude composition at Krishna Gana Sabha during the December Season, as part of Jayanthi Kumaresh's musical called sri rAgam.

And LGJ's thillana in kamas is very special. That and Patnam's kamas thillana are both topnotch.

Nagai Sriram is one of the most talented violinists in his generation. I can imagine that he was a great match for Abhishek. TVM Balaji is almost like a family member for Abhishek, so the Palghat Raghu style must have been just right for the complex kanakkus.

Nice to see good quality music being heard at the other end of the world (from where I am at least).

[mahavishnu]

#10. surely, he didn't sing the ata tAla varnam in Kamboji here à la TMK
Do you have any further details on this song?

[sreecons]

Excellent list. Great concert. Good review MV

[mahesh3]

Thanks for the review! Was great...

[gardabha_gana]

Where is this being held - city ?

[sreecons]

@gardabha-gana: Auckland - New Zealand

[Sreeni Rajarao]

MV,
Thanks for the list and the review!

Was item # 9 rAma rAma rAma sItA rAma enniro?

[MV]

Thanks everyone.. it was an electrifying concert. Arasi, yes you are right. I must try and write the sahityam like you have so it reads properly in English. Mahavishnu.. sorry to disappoint you but #10 was not the ata varnam. It was not Kamboji either, it sounded more like Yadukula Kamboji but I didn't think he'd sing the ragam twice in the same concert. I meant to ask him yesterday but didn't get a chance. It was more a padam style-slow and beautiful.

[Sam Swaminathan]

In a typical efficient fashion, MV has done her job perfectly, as much as she does her EC role with in NZCMS...well done MV. I was a bit lazy but it is time you youngsters took over the mantle from me.

I would have thought that one of the ragas in the RTP was Ganamurthi rather than Chandrajyothi...well the jury is out there, from the looks of it!

Yes, MV, Nagai is a very busy and "on the alert" violinist. Both AR and Nagai compliment each other in every department, no quarters given and none taken. Every challenge thrown by AR ( Boy, there were so many ) was accepted by Nagai with glee and returned with compliments back to AR which only invigorated AR furthter.

In the end a delightful concert with lots and lots of power and melody which would serve the younger audience a challenge to emulate Abishek in their own personal musical careers.

[MV]

Sam, that sounds like 'retirement talk' Not happening...Never fear, we know where you live and we will hound you. You are a 'Life' member of NZCMS! And yes, the concerts were so good, I had to talk about it..

[MV]

MV
Was item # 9 rAma rAma rAma sItA rAma enniro?

Yes, it was

[keerthi]

# 10 could be sarasijAkshulu jaLakamADuTa - the kAmbhOji shabdam, which also TMK has sung in concerts.

It is heartening that concert musicians are taking up dance pieces, [again].

[sreecons]

#10 - not the shabhdham you have mentioned
It sounded more like a manipravalam piece . . as i noticed malayalam, sanskrit and tamil phrases. . . MV may please correct as I was seated right at the back and it was getting noisier at the end (!) it was interesting how he linked Ramachandru with #10

[mahavishnu]

Is #10 Saradindu sumukha an Utsavaprabhandam in kambhoji? There is an audio clip here (http://www.swathithirunal.in/htmlfile/307.htm).

And, did anyone record this concert?

[rshankar]

# 10 could be sarasijAkshulu jaLakamADuTa - the kAmbhOji shabdam, which also TMK has sung in concerts.
It is heartening that concert musicians are taking up dance pieces, [again].

Keerthi, As I understand it, Sabdams are simple, both from the point of view of the music, as well as from the point of view of bhAva/abhinaya. Given that, where should it find a place in the list - as a build up to the main (as in a dance mArgam) or as a tukkaDA (or, am I indulging in that 'gift horse' thing?)?

[MV]

sreecons (do I know you?) I am unable to correct/comment on the Sarasija piece since I was a bit occupied when he sang that and didn't pay full attention :tmi:

[MV]

@Mahavishnu... Kan Kalangude is a composition that needs to be sung since the words were so powerful as well. Yes, it was good quality music Down South after you have had a big tour out in Toronto. Recording... similar situation to you I should say... nothing available for circulation.

[sreecons]

#10 - I have got this clarified with Abhishek - It was actually: Tharuni jnan enthu cheyvu - Dwijavanthi - Padam Of Swathi Thirunal - Was sung a lot by KVN I believe. I think he started this from the charanam maybe. . . . following this Dwijavanthi Abhishek sang part of Ramachandru - nice.

I could find it on you tube: only veena though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwldAtEuOlk

[MV]

sreecons... gotcha!!! Thanks for clarifying that.. have been busy last 2 days. cu in Akl

[eppramod]

I think anu-pallavi starts with "sarasi jagattine".
Pramod

Here is the lyrics

taruNijnyAn (mp). rAgA: dvIjavanti. cApu tALA.

P: taruNijnyAn endu ceyyu hanta mAmakadayinennE marannO
A: sarasi jagattine vellum Ananam kANmadum sarasa vacanAmrtam kEbadumennujnyAn
C1: IvaNNam varumennayyO nidraiyil pOlum Edum ninaccavaLallE
I vasumatiyadil vAzhum mAninimAri lEvamO mama shirasi vidhi likhitam
2: mAntAr saharan shoriyum sAyakangalkku madhu mozhi sankhya illE
svAnadattiluLvAgum khEtamitayE matta sAmajagamanE njyAn ArODu collENDu
3: allalitakilavum shrI padmanAbhanODu anboDu cennucollE
allittAr shara samanAgiyoru kaNavan allAdArenik-kavalambam kOkilavANi

[mahavishnu]

Sreecons: Thanks for the clarification.
Yes, this is a KVN classic. And how beautifully he sings it!

And Eppramod: thank you for the lyrics.

[rshankar]

sarasijagattine vellum Ananam kANmadum sarasa vacanAmrtam kEbadumennujnyAn

shouldn't it be sarasijagattine vellum Ananam kANbadum sarasa vacanAmRtam kETpadum ennu jynAn? I assume it means "when will I be able to see (kANbadum) the face (Ananam) that rivals/beats (vellum) the lotus in beauty, and hear (kETpadum) (his) amorous nectar-like speech again?"

[keerthi]

rshankar,

regarding the shabdam; I've heard SangeetakalAnidhi T.viswa sing one, and he sang it in an absorbing style. It was as nuanced as most of the kAmbhOji pieces his family has sung.

How simple or complex a piece is, may also have to do with the artistic vision of the performer - musician or dancer, tunesmith or choreographer.

mArgam can never be a tukkaDa. tukkaDa-s shouldn't be tukkaDa-s, songs like lAvanya rAma and chinnanAde nA and nATimATa are not tukDE. If anything, they are tukDa-s of heaven or amrta or somesuch.

[arasi]

Keerthi,
Spot on!

[advaitin]

i think it should be sarasijattine vellum Aananam KAnmadum sarasa vacanAmRtam kETpadum...
kANuka in my knowledge , would become kANmadu depending on the usage, the "b" does not come in normal malayalam anyways
and sarasijagattine? it should be sarasijattine , right?

the lovely lines would be the 3rd charanam - slightly more splitting of words to make it clear i hope
allal ithu akhilavum sri padmanabhanodu anboDu cennucollE
allittAr shara saman Akiyoru kaNavan allAde Arenikku avalambam kOkilavANi

Pramod

thanks for the 1st two charanams. Have not heard them before. I will remember this song all my life. KVN as part of SPICMACAY tour, came to my college - the Govt Engg college trichur and we met him before. He was asking what to speak about and communicate etc. We just asked him to sing with a brief into - on request he sang this malayalam piece as well as the todi piece of Swati - PankajAkshanAm Ramesan lovely afternoon for us

[MV]

Now I wish I had paid more attention. I hope I get to hear it again somewhere with better understanding of lyrics and meaning and so on.

[eppramod]

i think it should be sarasijattine vellum Aananam KAnmadum sarasa vacanAmRtam kETpadum...
kANuka in my knowledge , would become kANmadu depending on the usage, the "b" does not come in normal malayalam anyways
and sarasijagattine? it should be sarasijattine , right?

the lovely lines would be the 3rd charanam - slightly more splitting of words to make it clear i hope
allal ithu akhilavum sri padmanabhanodu anboDu cennucollE
allittAr shara saman Akiyoru kaNavan allAde Arenikku avalambam kOkilavANi

Pramod

thanks for the 1st two charanams. Have not heard them before. I will remember this song all my life. KVN as part of SPICMACAY tour, came to my college - the Govt Engg college trichur and we met him before. He was asking what to speak about and communicate etc. We just asked him to sing with a brief into - on request he sang this malayalam piece as well as the todi piece of Swati - PankajAkshanAm Ramesan lovely afternoon for us

I agree with you,since it is manipravalam (mentioned mp).I got the lyrics which Shri Lakshman had send in some forum.

Pramod

[sreecons]

@eepramod - Thanks for the lyrics. What a composition!
@MV - Yes - I hope you (and me too again) get an opportunity to listen to this. . .