ThamarakkAd Govindan NambUthiri@rAgasudhA on Dec 24th,2011

[rajeshnat]

ThamarakkAd Govindan NambUthiri@rAgasudhA on Dec 24th,2011
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Vocal : ThamarakkAd Govindan NambUthiri
Violin : Avaneeshwaram Vinu
Mrudangam : Trichur Narendran

Concert duration/Day : 2 hours and 25 mins/Saturday
Concert Type : Nirvana (prime evening concert , no concert to follow)
Sabha/Hall : nAdaInbam /RagasudhA

1. missed varnam - heard it was bhairavi
2. gaNapathE mahApathE (S) - kalyAni - MD

3. vidulaku mrOkedA (N,S) - mAyAmAlavagowlai - T
neraval in "kamalA gauri vAgeeshwari" for 4 mins
swaras for 4 mins

4. karunajudu ninnu nammina(R,N) - shreerAgam - SS
5 mins alapana and 4 mins violin return
neraval in "shyAmakrSNa paripAlini shUlini" for 3 mins

5. padmanAbha PAlitebha (R N S) - malayamArutham - ST
7 mins alapana and 4 mins violin return
3 mins neraval in "tAmasa krudAlaya ???"
6 mins swaras
6. paramapurusha - vasantA - ST

Dec 24th and Dec 25th are mayhem days of carnatic music at chennai. I used to think last year that page 4 engagements of the hindu will be filled with music events(last year it was just short two vertical column short) . Alas this year, we touched full page of concert announcements for 2011.

Also in the last 12 months there is a new way of premium advertising that has come in page 4 , you see ,advertisements in colored boxes too and the usual plain vanilla advertisement of TGN@rAgsudhA is tucked perhaps escaping ones eyes. All said , after Tiruvarur girish concert that I attended that day in afternoon, I and Knandagopal (Smt brindAmmA's student from kolkata) walked to TGN concert , infact knandagopal has not heard his name .

We missed the first bhairavi varnam , and as I settled kalyAni krithi got started with gaNapatE of MD , I was quite happy to hear it for two reasons , one was his delivery and the other feeling that it may not be elaborated as a main.

TGN's style has a lot of introspection in delivery,he does not rush and at times there is always an extra dwelling for few sangathis that creates a more persistent classicism in our senses. MM gowlai was very well done , it was front to back mmgowlai, the earlier concert of Girish singing mAyatheetha and now TGN vidulaku mrOkeda . This one is a wonderful T krithi , and he sang a lovely neraval kamalA gauri with very measured swaras in mmgowlai, getting that muse right.

The next was another karuna joodu , I and nandagopal looked at each other as it was the same number sung before in Girish concert . This was very good rendition with a lovely neraval, at times I did notice that TGN did not have much vocal power but there was definitely that often misunderstood bhAvam

A rare malayamArutham alApana rolled , I was tongue tied for few sangathis and I did ask nandagopal was that malayamArutham , dont tell me the answer is valaci , he said indeed and it was . mAlay amrutham (gentle breeze with nectar) was his malayamArutham. I have not heard this rare ST krithi and he surprised with three neravals in row and it was pretty good. Swaras were measured and I liked it.

The paramapurusha did not suit this avatara purusha much , as there was not much throw in his voice , he tried to have it as a quick filler , the quick was missing that too in absence of swaras.

[rajeshnat]

7. E pApamu jEsiti (R) - atAnA - T
6 mins alapana and 3 mins violin return
8. AnandAmritha -amrithavarshini- MD

9A. ema niNNE (R N S T)- mukhAri - subbarAya sAstri
13 mins alapana and 7 mins violin return
neraval in "sAmaja gAmini sArasa lOchani ambA" for 7 mins
9 mins swaras
9B. tani for 8 mins

10 . sankara shree girinAtha (R) - hamsAnandi - ST
11. taruNinyAn - dwijAvanti - ST
12. thillAnA "karuninchu nannu shree"- shuruTTi - MV
13. nee nAma roopamulaku

The concert was wonderful with a fairly rare elaborate atAnA alapana and I like it , there were so many sangathis in the pallavi of E pApamu , perhaps sadguru sang to clear so much of pApam in earthly life to his beloved shri rAMA and I liked it . Amrithavarshini passed quickly not much to rave about.

The best of best was indeed the main in mukhAri.I am not a spiritual person and I always think CM should atleast have in its fabric a touch of divinity. I guess the RAga Mukhari fits wonderfully to sustain that elusive spiritual - fabric at times that is missing in CM.

SubbarAya sAstri must have understood the most of trinity and he must have been the first devotee of trinity and we are continuing this rightful adolation of trinity. This composition of subbarAya sastri was wonderul , short syllables like ThyagarAja, few drops like ambA to remind ShyamA sAstri and few cittaswaras like how dikshitar adores for few compositions, a wonderful cocktail of trinities (T+ MD + SS)/3 = SubbarayA sastri.Swaras were well done with quite a lot of mandara sthAyi touches.

Tukkadas were all exceptional . The sankara shree girinAtha in hamsAnandi is something I heard only from this season and he sang it very well. The pick of tukkadas was indeed taruNinyAn in dwijAvanti , and this rendition had a lot of shri kvn touch(he generally had KVN touch). The rare shuruTTI tillAnA was memorable too.

The violinist did play well and I am unable to recollect much as it is a review after a week . But Trichur Narendran(fellow forumite) played beautifully, eventhough he is a sishya of PMI ,at times I wonder if he is a sishya of vellore rAmabadran , he had nice nAdham and went without overbanging like in vellore mode and it suits that too being the 2nd consecutive concert. Cannot recollect how shri narendran played the tani now.

I would like to particularly thank shri rama verma who used to write few years back,with his id musique4ever . He made a passing mention about TGN in one of the posts and that was the only thing I know about TGN till I heard his music for the first time in that super overdose day of Dec 24,saturday @ chennai season.

Overall an excellent concert .

[bilahari]

I was quite happy to hear it for two reasons , one was his delivery and the other feeling that it may not be elaborated as a main.

I sometimes feel this way when tODi is sung early in a concert!

Thanks for the review. I would've liked to have attended this concert. A mukhAri main too!

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks Rajesh for the excellent write up of the concert.

This year seems to be the year of Mukhari. We will have to take stock at the end of the season if that is indeed true or just my perception based on song lists posted here. That is an interesting characterization of Mukhari bhava, Rajesh. I think I agree.

>"..and the other feeling that it may not be elaborated as a main"

Yes, very relatable. I like kalyani songs any time but a full and elaborate alapana is a different story. Have to be in the right mood for it.

[srikant1987]

Thank you, rajeshnat.

Sri Govindan Namboodhiri's krti renditions are meticulous ... very neat and rigorous. His AlApanais too are made up with each phrase sung with absolute clarity.

[sindhu29]

Thank you, Rajesh, for the nice review. I recently found "Gopala Bhaktim" of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal by TGN and it has become one of my all-time favourites now. The unhurried pace and the bhava with which he sings evoke a very pleasant feeling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWTtwoP5wd8

[mahavishnu]

thanks, Rajesh. Find of the season for me.
would love to hear his Amritavarshini.