suryaprakash- Nagpur - Nov 01 , 2011

[chandraiitm]

Scintillating carnatic music by Surya Prakash
Motibaugh Sri Skanda Samaj, Nagpur celebrated 45th Skanda shasti festival that concluded on 1/11/11. The Samaj, since its inception in 1967, has been promoting, during the six day festival, various arts, like music, dance, and pravachan. This year was no exception and vocal carnatic music was one of the attractions. On the penultimate day Shri Surya Prakash, a renowned vocalist from Chennai, took the audience to the pinnacle of joy by his brilliant performance.

2. The performance started right on time at 7’0 clock. The artist had planned his performance so very well that the audience were welded to their seat mesmerized by his music. The first song Swamintah paripalayamam, in raga nattai, set to adi tala, was sung in good style and set the tempo for the evening. This kirtanai has been rendered by many greats in the past but Surya Prakash was very unique in his approach. Harmonious and fast tempo. This was followed by a kirtani “Muruga Muraga endral urugada ullam” in raga saveri set to chapu tala, rendered smoothly. The next was Jalandhara supithaste japa kusuma bhasure, a kirtani, by Harikesanallur Muthaiaya Baghavathar in raga valachi set to Roopaka tala. The raga alapana, neraval and swaraprathara proved that he was a virtuoso. Mayama in Ahri was very pleasing. Next came Sevikka vendum ayya in Andolika which he rendered in such speed yet with clarity of words and perfect surti and talam. The Chidambaranathar could be visualized while sanagthis came forth like sparkling lights.

3. Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Shanmukha priya, with Pallavi “Saravana bhava guhane shanmukhane” showed that Surya Prakash is a great vidwan and surely will be honoured with Sangita Kalanidhi in some future date; but the other honors will come to him sooner than that. Beautiful Thanam. While nowadays hardly any one sing RTP, this young man appeared to have perfected RTP rendering and his accompanists lifted themselves to a higher level and the whole team made those 45 minutes a heavenly bliss; Shanmukha was occupying everyone’s jivathma.

4. His rendering of virutham in ragamalika starting with kedaragowlam, and the bhajan in Marathi b, were moving. He had brought Palani and Tiruchendur Murugan to the Skanda Samaj through his music and the audience were moved and all were in smiles as if intoxicated after drinking honey. Audience were swaying with delight. The concluding songs that audience wished, Ka va va in Varali, eppadi padinaro, kandan kauraunai, reminded the older generation of the greatest master Sriman Madurai Mani Iyer. However, Surya Parkash sang the same songs in his own mano dharma and it was joy to hear them in different kalpana. The audience brought to earth from musical heaven after 2 and half hours. As the time was restricted by the Samaj, he had to stop although he was willing to go on for another 2 hours.

5. The special feature of his music is his sruthi sudhham. Even in higher octaves he maintained sruthi and his accompanists are very comfortable. His swarakalpana manodharma was bestthat one cannot express in words. Surya Prakash has carefully mastered Sarvalaghu swara rendering and has been influenced by the style of the great master Sriman Madurai Mani. But there is absolutely no imitation of the Master. He is one musician with all round ability, rich voice, and clear pronunciation of words.

6. Surya Prakash was ably supported by Shri P Nandkumar on Violin, Shri P Jayabhaskar on Mridangam, and Shri KV Ramakrishnana on Ghatam. The Thani avartanam was very good and Jayabhaskar showed creativeness and very pleasing and he reminded one of vellore Ramabhadran and his sarva laghu as well as Umayalpuram in quality of sound.

7. Surya Prakash, now about 40 years old, has emerged as top class artist who should be bracketed with the Greats of CM of the present.

8. We, the Nagpur CM lovers wish Surya Prakash to reach the pinnacle of CM and do hope that he should visit Nagpur often to enthrall us with his lovely voice and creative music.

G.Chandrasekharan
G Jayalakshmi
C.Ranjani

( Carnatic Music lovers)

[gobilalitha]

W e are all ardent admirers of Suryaprakash, especially my son Mohan of SINGAPORE (kamalamamba for forumites). we read the review with great pleasure. yes, it is time he is bracketed with topmost artists.
para4, you are right . he is always ready to oblige the rasikas to continue as long as they wanted . in fact in a recent kutcheriin Bangalore the organiser had to request him to end as he had to catch atrain!!

[VK RAMAN]

Very nice to have report from rasikas at Nagpur. Thank you.

[ganeshkant]

Where is Motibagh ? Is it near Ramnagar?By the by is C.Ranjani the disciple of late Smt.DKP?I know a Mrs.Ranjani who lived in Nagpur in 94-'95 very close to Ramnagar Shivan temple.(that had a special name which I forgot).I have heard a few kutcheries in a hall nearby those days.The ones I remember are by Mharajapuram rAmachnadran and Smt.Vedavalli.

[rajeshnat]

Motibaugh Sri Skanda Samaj, Nagpur celebrated 45th Skanda shasti festival that concluded on 1/11/11. The Samaj, since its inception in 1967, has been promoting, during the six day festival, various arts, like music, dance, and pravachan. This year was no exception and vocal carnatic music was one of the attractions.

...
3. Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Shanmukha priya

Chandraiitm
Like GaneshKant I am also little interested in knowing about Nagpur Sabha . There are few historic records especially of Somu,Lalgudi G Jayaraman Etc in Nagpur which are soul stirring .Is this sri skanda samaj the same sabha.??

In the last 10 or so years with more second generation of southindians coming back to South , I was atleast assuming cities like Nagpur , Jamshedpur etal (other than Bombay,Delhi , Kolkata and Pune), CM is only ticking in south india.

Also demographically do non south indians attend CM concerts in Nagpur(I am talking about those anna hazare type white cap folks), bit color on demography??

Was RTP in shanmughapriya a single raga RTP or was there raga mAliga swaras?