Ashvin Bhogendra & Neyveli Ramalakshmi_N J_Nov. 13, 2011

[Ramaprasad]

Ashvin Bhogendra (Vocal)
Neyveli Ramalakshmi (Vocal)
Vittal Ramamurthy (Violin)
Trivandram V Balaji (Mridangam)
Akshay Ananthapadmanaban (Kanjira)

1-Viriboni Ninne Kori (Varnam)_Bhairavi_Ata. Pachchimiriam Adiappiah
2-Vatapi Ganapathim Bhajeham_Hamsadhvani_Adi. Dikshitar
3-Nada Loludai_Kalyanavasantha_Rupaka. Thyagaraja [A, S]
4-Sharavana Bhava Samayamidira_Pashupathipriya_Adi. Mutthiah Bhagavathar
5-Bhajare Re chitta_Kalyani_M/Eka. Dikshitar. {A, N, S]
Neraval at Devim Shakti Bhijodvhava. Thani.
6-RTP_Karnataka Devagandhari. Pallavi line: “Paha Uruhu Nenje Pankaja Kannanai
Ninaindhu” in Tisra Triputa, composed by T R Subramaniam
Kalpana swara included ragas: Rasikapriya, Behag and Kapi
7-Chinnam Chiru Kiliye_Ragamalika_T/Chapu. Subramania Bharathi
8-Thillana_Rageshri_Adi. Lalgudi Jayaraman
9-Kadi Modi Vaadaadu (Thirupugazh)_Shubhapantuvarali. Arunagirinathar
10-Bhagyadha Lakshmi Baramma_Madhyamavathi_Adi. Purandara Dasa

Whichever way you look at it, this was a very successful event. It was the first event arranged by K G Foundation, a new non-profit association in NJ. The auditorium in the acoustically splendid Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick was packed with rasikas. And the music, that was another dimension.

Though they are well known local artists. Ashvin and Ramalakshmi have not sung together on stage to my knowledge. But listening to their music, you would not have guessed it. The musical effort was shared equally and seamlessly between Ashvin and Ramalakshmi. Singing one octave apart, the aural experience was different from that in concerts of other musical pairs on stage we are familiar with. In my limited concert experience, I have heard MSS and Radha Viswanathan sing in different octaves in some sections of their program.

The Sunday afternoon concert (November 13, 2011) could be called ‘harmony in the confluence of several lineages’. The product of five different schools were collaborating to weave a musical mood for the rest of us [Lalgudi, Vairamangalam, O S Thyagarajan, Palghat Raghu and Subash Chandran].

The concert started with the Ata tala varnam, rendered with a gravitas befitting this piece. Next followed the familiar Vatapi Ganapathim Bhajeham. I have a feeling that someday soon this kriti will enter the Guinness book of world records as the most often sung work on Ganapathi to commence a concert.

The extraordinary pathos that could emerge from rendering the Thyagaraja kriti in Kalyana Vasantham was fully realized when Ashvin and Ramalakshmi sang it and the equally nuanced support from the senior violinist from the Lalgudi school made it even more moving.

Sharavanabhava was the right composition for the evening’s program, sandwiched between the highly emotional Kalyana Vasantham and the tranquil exploration of Dikshitar’s Kalyani kriti. The chittaswarams, therein, as all rasikas know, is a call to verbal gymnastics. It was rendered flawlessly with a tuneful gusto that was truly impressive.

After a leisurely and expansive sojourn through the Dikshitar kriti which ended with a very nicely executed kalpana swaras, Karantaka Devagandhari was chosen for the RTP. Again the emotive possibilities here were fully explored, with the TRS pallavi being the icing on the cake.

I thought that with Vittal Ramamurthy on stage, perhaps a Lalgudi thillana would not be a bad idea and I had guessed right.

One could write an equally detailed impression of Vittal Ramamurthy’s violin during this program. This veteran musician and teacher, one of the inheritors of the great Lalgudi tradition, truly lived up to his musical heritage. Meditative, supportive and original, he blended into the music of the vocalists in the true Lalgudi style, making each kriti sung reverberate in our mind even more.

As one of the speakers pointed out, Palghat Raghu was with us through the mridangam accompaniment of Trivandrum Balaji. His percussion support was in no small measure a great component of the afternoon’s musical happening. Akshay is active locally in the music scene (playing the mridangam), but he has made forays into another percussion instrument. Trained under Subhas Chandran, his kanjira playing was very good, and his collaborative effort, sitting next to the senior vidwan, speaks much about his musical maturity.

[rajeshnat]

Ashvin Bhogendra (Vocal)

I was not knowing Ashvin Bhogendra and I have heard DB Ashvin , and that is how he is more known here in chennai. Googled to find his website http://www.ashvinbhogendra.com/
Looking forward to hear DB Ashvin(Ashvin Bhogendra) , I also see his maternal grandfather is SHri TK Rangachary.

[rajeshnat]

One could write an equally detailed impression of Vittal Ramamurthy’s violin during this program. This veteran musician and teacher, one of the inheritors of the great Lalgudi tradition, truly lived up to his musical heritage. Meditative, supportive and original, he blended into the music of the vocalists in the true Lalgudi style, making each kriti sung reverberate in our mind even more.

Ramaprasad
I like your writing on Vittal.THere is a touch of nidhanam in return but really gives rock solid support .