Carnatica Brothers Concert - Cleveland 9th April 2012

[shruthicarnatic]

Violin: Nagai Sri R. Muralidharan
Mridangam: Thiruvarur Sri Vaidyanathan
Ghatam: Dr S. Karthick

I was very fortunate to attend a back to back concert of the Carnatica Brothers, immediately a week following their concert in Houston Tx.
This time, it was in the Cleveland Aradhana festival 2012. I had huge expectations, especially after a wonderful experience in Houston and I was again not disappointed. The brothers started the concert with the ata tala varnam in Kalyani followed by a song in Kalanidhi ragam. Each time I go to their concert, I tend to look for something unique and the kriti in Asaveri ragam, set to Chatusra matyam, reconfirmed my conviction. The next kriti in Lalitha ragam was preceeded by an excellent alapana rendered by Shashikiran. It set the atmosphere reverberating for more to follow. The kriti was also embellished with neraval and swarams rendered beautifully by both the brothers. Excellent coordination between the brothers and it was a delight to watch Ghatam Sri. Karthick and Sri. Vaidhyanathan support the artists in their unimitable style.

The surprise element of the concert was an RTP that started in the usual Shashikiran style in Sri ragam. Shashikiran started the alapana in a very soothing tone and Ganesh took over from Shashikiran beautifully. This was followed by a soulful rendition of the thanam by Shashikiran and Ganesh took it to a faster swifter pace before the brothers rendered the pallavi "Entharo Mahanu Bhavulu..". The brothers then turned this into a ragamalika, adorning the pallvi with swarams based on ragams in which the other pancharathna kritis are componsed (Nattai, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali) connecting to "Entharo Mahanubavulu" beautifully using the "S SSS, PPP, RRR, GRSN" pattern. When they rendered the pallavi and swarams, they demonstrated their adept in laya aspects as well. The swarams were rendered in 2 kalais starting at 3/4th count after samam and the swarams followed a yati pattern in multiple speeds, which is way different from what I have heard, and from half point they switched to tisram. I noticed they employed pratiloma, which again is not a very common thing that we get to see in concerts. Overall, this is undoubtedly a very difficult RTP to render on stage and one requires lot of concentration when dealing additionally with multiple laya aspects. The RTP also included a thani by Sri. Thiruvarur Vaidhyanathan and Sri. Ghatam Karthick and both were absolutely at their best, undoubtedly. Especially with the brothers handling varying laya aspects, the ghatam and Mridangam added more flavour to the RTP making it one of the best RPTs I have heard in the recent times. The brothers should be appreciated for taking the pains to incorporate something unique into their concert and demonstrating their true caliber par excellence.

Nagai Sri Muralidharan on the violin, as usual, was unmistakably the best. His spontaneity has never failed to amaze me. Especially his support on the kritis in Lalitha and Asaveri ragam and on the RTP was an out of the world experience.

Below is the list of songs sung during the concert:

01-Ata Thala Varnam - Kalyani.
02-Chinne Nadena - Kalanidhi - Adi.
03-Chandram Bhaja - Asaveri - Chaturasra Matyam.
04-Nannu Brovu Lalitha - Ragam Lalitha - Misra Chapu.
05-Sarasa mukhi muthaih bhagavathar gowdamalhar Rupakam.
06-RTP
07-Thillana - Purnachandrika