Abhishek Raghuram: Sydney Music Festival -12Jun11

[sreecons]

Abhishek Raghuram - Nagai Sriram - Patri Satish Kumar
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Theme: Rama Bhakthi
Chosen ragas: To suit the afternoon - his concert was from approx 1.30pm onwards.

1. Viribhoni
2. Rama nee pai
3. Needaya radha - Vasanthabhairavi - RS - fantastic
4. Emaiya Rama - Khambhoji - he just brought the vision of the Lord in my eyes . . too good . .
5. Bhajare manasa - Abheri - RNS - OMG! even as Patri started his thani the audience was still applauding for the song/swarams. . . Patri looked as stunned as we felt (i thought!). . . at the end of the main the applause was deafening. . . I rushed out in the din to get to the airport I can well imagine what the standing ovation would have been like at the end of the concert. . .

I believe he completed the recital with the following:
6. Ramanai Bhajithal - Mandu
7. Rama Rama Rama Sita Rama eni

Was fortunate to have heard both his concerts in this part of the world

[mahavishnu]

Thanks, Sreecons.
Glad to hear of Abhishek's successes in the southern hemisphere.

[mahesh3]

I can imagine how the concert must have felt. At the academy last year, the Thodi he performed elicited a similar musical frenzy....he'd start a sangathi, a new idea, and as u were pulled in, he'd build another one onto it...and so on and on it went...endless, imaginative, novel, surefooted and melodious....there was a point in that Thodi alapana, where the musical notes in the air were just so soul stirring to everyone there that spontaneous applause itself was stifled for fear of disturbing the bliss..one could not imagine the depth, breadth and beauty with which thodi was being demonstrated....and the sounds, whistles, croons, akarams, brighas - fellow member Chalanatta once said this boy has a musical harp in his throat, and honestly, tht is the same way I feel every time I watch him perform. God bless him to keep up his love of this divine form of music....

[rajeshnat]

This combination of artists is very rare. Must have been a great treat.keep it going team

[sreecons]

It certainly was a great treat. . . the three artistes were dynamic together creating an unforgettable concert. Nagai Sriram excelled in the raga sketches and swaras . . brilliant in the neraval. Patri Satish Kumar's play was a perfect foil to Abhishek's resonant voice. His tani was superlative

[mahavishnu]

Yes, it is a terrrific combination like Rajesh and Sreecons have said.

I think the wonderful Nagai Sriram has had three excellent accompanying gigs in the same festival; Sanjay, Abhishek and Gurucharan.

Patri, in my opinion, is the top mridangam artiste of his generation. And he gives 100% no matter who the main artiste is.

[arasi]

Yes, even to someone who is as dense as I am with the technicalities of mrudangam playing, it's obvious. Until a few years ago, I had no clue about Patri when a fellow rasikA spoke so highly of him. I heard him soon enough and realized how good he is. His playing has energy without exertion and his strokes and patterns are very pleasing to the ears.

[ramanathan]

More photos from the Sydney Fest:
CLICK HERE

[hsp]

Dear All,

Seems a great concert. Does someone have a recording.

Thanks,
Prashanth

[dhanurasi]

All,

When Abhishek is quoted as a 'boy', I hear a tone of condescension. Pandit Ustad Vidwan Abhishek sirji is probably about 25+ years old with over 20 years of concert experience and with music that seems to have been honed for 100s of years.

He is humble and delivers just great music. No PR stunts, staying in news through 'smart' controversies or acting 'superior'.

Thanks,
D

[pvs]

Couldn't agree more!

His music belies his age. He seems to have escaped the 'idiom trap' of learning and regurgitation of voluminous, well established repertoires without pushing the boundaries!

[anandasangeetham]

when with much pursuasion from my uncle sri O S Sundar i attended a concert of Abhishek. i found traces of Maharajapuram Sri Santhanam, Dr BMK, Madurai Sri Somu, Sri. SSI Bani and I asked under whom does he get trained. I asked him in tamil "yaar kitta kathukuran? for which he replied Baghavan kitta..illana ipdi pada mudiyathu....

A truly mesmerising musician.....once Ghatam Karthik remarked when someone praised Abhishek (he was the upa pakavadya artist for that concert) epperpatta paramabara..athana vidvathum enga than pogum. what a lineage ..where will all the vidwat go....

he has the great goodfortune of representing the lalgudi and palghat lineage....also representing a shishya parampara of lalgudi..I understand that Sri.LGJ is a direct sishya parampara of sri. thiagaiyar

[mohan]

he has the great goodfortune of representing the lalgudi and palghat lineage....also representing a shishya parampara of lalgudi..I understand that Sri.LGJ is a direct sishya parampara of sri. thiagaiyar

I think you mean Semmangudi not Lalgudi. Abhishek is grandson of Palghat Raghu and disciple of P. S. Narayanaswamy (senior disciple of Semmangudi).

[mahesh3]

When Abhishek is quoted as a 'boy', I hear a tone of condescension. Pandit Ustad Vidwan Abhishek sirji is probably about 25+ years old with over 20 years of concert experience and with music that seems to have been honed for 100s of years.

Thanks,
D

Sorry for any misconception - there is no intention of condescenion. i was quoting a review of member Chalanatta from 2007, and I am sure he was referring to Abhishek as a "boy" based on just his numerical age at the time! He did however go on to use many other superlatives in the same review, so maybe my random remembrance of that quote came across as out of context.

[anandasangeetham]

Dear Sri Mohan,

I meant only LGJ. He is also the grandson of Smt Bramanandam (or padmavathi ananthagopalan am not sure).

[mahavishnu]

No he is grandson of Lalgudi Smt Rajalakshmi, also sister of Sri LGJ.

For the record, I did not note any condescension at all. In fact, much of this thread has been unilaterally supportive of Abhishek. And for many people in the forum, the term "boy" does not have overtones of the pre-civil rights American south. It is a mere translation of the word "paiyyan" in Tamizh, which is a term of endearment.

Also, from the little that I have interacted with Mahesh3, I know that he (like myself) is a big admirer of Abhishek's creativity and music.

And let's face it. At 25 he is still very young. I, for one, am very happy that we can expect many more decades of good music from this "lad"; shaped and seasoned by concert experience.

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
Agreed. At times, performers are dealt out harsh words about their very music! Here it was the opposite--something which went with words of appreciation, like 'Atta boy!'
The word 'lad' is endearing too--if it does not sound offensive, that is

[rshankar]

Ramesh, so he is Smt. Jayanthi Kumaresh's nephew, right?

[mahavishnu]

Yes. That is correct, Ravi.
And a very proud "chitthi" she is

[kssr]

.endless, imaginative, novel, surefooted and melodious....there was a point in that Thodi alapana,
the depth, breadth and beauty with which thodi was being demonstrated....and the sounds, whistles, croons, akarams, brighas - ....

Hero worship can be a curse especially in the development of young artists.

As someone on this string has mentioned it cannot be deciphered if he sings like Dr.BMK or Somu or... I have put MHO elsewhere, that his music will be much more enjoyable if there is a solidity and firm footing on a single good style of singing, instead of being Bhagavan's sishya

[mahesh3]

KSSR, Did u listen to the thodi? Were you there in the concert? I have heard it pretty often these past 6 months since that concert - its not about hero worship, I like to listen to what I enjoy, and express it on this forum, if I want. You?

Now, KSSR's "MHO" (which I gather is acronym for "my honest opinion") - its a fair opinion you have, but it could very well be that Abhishek is at a stage in his musical journey where he enjoys the process of exploring different schools of music, rather than ascribing to just one - so is it not better to enjoy the point in his journey with a flexible mindset, as opposed to voicing rigorous, ineffective rigid views. Over time, he may decide to stick to one solid school, as you prescribe, Dr.

I should hasten to caution that carnatic rasikas have already hurt hundreds of aspiring, gifted musicians - not least GNB, TR Mali, S Kalyanaraman, Balamurali, TN Seshagopalan, Mandolin Srinivasan, Shashank with our crude, rigid, almost oppressive, opinionated views on what/how they should perform.

In "MHO" - carnatic music is much more than solidity on a single good style of singing, especially if it is based on techniques such as blind memorization - memorization of any single style takes away from spontaneity. It is one reason why vidwans who have a style of "memorized recitation" perform to empty halls, while spontaneous musicians like TNS, Sanjay and now Abhishek are basking in the musical affection of discerning audiences everywhere they perform.

Finally, none of this is to say that everything Abhishek does is to be blindly worshipped, only time will say whether his musical choices are accepted broadly or not - but he has crossed the tipping point where he no longer has to fight to get a "chance" on the concert list to showcase his skills.

[kssr]

MHO- M Humble O