Sankaran Namboodiri @ Detroit, Sep 8 th

[nadhasudha]

Sri Sankaran Namboodiri - Vocal
Sri Jayshankar Balan - Violin
Sri Rajasekhar Athmakuri - Mridangam

Date: Sep 8 th, 2012

1.Sarasijanabha Varnam - Kambhoji - Ata - Swathi Tirunaal
2.Pahi Maam Shri Pate - Hamsadhwani - Adi - Swathi Thirunaal - RS, S @ Kanakaruchi Vasana
3.Jaya Jaya Padmanabha - Manirangu - Adi - swathi Tirunaal - RS, S @ Jaya Jaya Padmanabha
4.Paripaalaya Sarasiruha - Pantuvarali - Adi - A, S @ Sree Padmanabha
5.Gopalaka Paahi Maam Anisham - Revagupti - Misra Chapu - Swathi Tirunaal
6.Vihara Maanasa Raame Satchidananda Shyame - Kapi - Misra Chapu - RS, S @ Vihara Maanasa - Swathi Tirunaal
7.Sharade Veena Vadana - Devagandhari - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
8.Sangeeta Samrajya Sancharinee - Mohana Kalyani - Adi - Bangalore Ramamurthi Rao
9.Bhogeendra Shayeenam - Kunthalavarali - Kanda Chapu - Swathi Tirunaal
10. Raasa Vilasa Lola - Kambhoji - Adi - Swathi Tirunaal - A,N,S @ Madanatura Gopika, T
11. Ramachandra Prabho Tuma Bina Pyaare - Sindhubhairavi?- Adi - Swathi Tirunaal
12. Shankara Sri Giri Naada Prabho - Hamsanandhi - Adi - Swathi Tirunaal
13. Jalaja Bandu - Surati - Misra Chapu - Swathi Tirunaal
14. Mohana Mayi - Yadukulakambhoji - Misra Chapu - Swathi Tirunaal
15. Thillana - Bhoopalam - Adi - Swathi Tirunaal
16. Bhujagashayino - Managalam starting in Yadukulakambhoji seguing into Madhayamavathi

RS - Raga Sketch
S - Swarams
A - Alapana
N - Neraval
T - Thani

Sri Sankaran Namboodiri presented a thematic concert on Swathi Tirunaal compostions under the auspices of GLAC on Saturday, September 8 at Detroit. Sankaran Namboodiri has everything going for him - An amazing voice that is well cultured and is able to travel the octaves effortlessly, good manodharmam and very clear enunciation of lyrics. Having not heard much of his music, I was not sure what to expect. He started with the beautiful Kambhoji Varnam in Ata taalam and rendered it in 2 speeds. The Hamsadhwani and Manirangu krithis were rendered crisply with short rounds of swaras embellishing both the krithis. Paripaalaya sarasiruha in Pantuvarali was chosen as the sub main and was rendered with Alapana and Swaram. Gopalaka Pahi Maam anisham in Revagupti followed. Then came Kapi, Devagandhari, Mohana Kalyani and Kunthalavarali. I was starting to wonder if the main krithi had been skipped. Then came the main piece of the concert Raasa Vilasa Lola in Kambhoji - The krithi was rendered beautifully with alapana, first and second speed neravals and keezh kaalam and mel kaalam swarams. Of the post thani items, the Surati and Yadukulakambhoji pieces stood out for their exquisite beauty - especially the Jalaja Bandu a Malayala Padam.

Jayshankar Balan and Rajasekhar Athmakuri provided able accompaniment.

Overall it was a very good concert. I feel better planning would have it made it an excellent concert - it was very composition heavy pre main - Perhaps one or two compositions could have been cut out and more detailed treatment of one of the krithis would have made the pieces and the concert linger in our mind longer.

Corrections and Comments Welcome

[rajeshnat]

6.Vihara Maanasa Raame Satchidananda Shyame - Kapi - Misra Chapu - RS, S @ Vihara Maanasa
..
8.Sangeeta Samrajya Sancharinee - Mohana Kalyani - Adi - Swathi Tirunaal

nadhasudha,
VihAra manasA is by Swathi Tirunal.
sangIta sAmrAjya sanchAriNi in mOhanakalyAni is by Bangalore Ramamurthi Rao .

Nice to see a concert review of Sankaran Namboodhiri. If you do know about his US tour itenary, please help in posting .

[nadhasudha]

Thanks Rajeshnat.

I have edited my post with the corrections.

I am not aware of his US tour itinerary - I do know however that he is performing at Pittsburgh Venkateswara Temple as I saw a flyer about his concert at the temple when I visited it very recently.

[mahavishnu]

Thanks for your review, Nadhasudha. I heard Sankaran Namboodiri in the mid-80s at the Madras music academy when he was a newly discovered "prodigy". He was amazing as a child artiste, nurtured by Sri TVG. I still remember his "satre vilagi" in poorvikalyani from that performance.

I heard him after a long time earlier this year. He gave a concert here in Toronto in July. Here too, he packed the concert with many compositions. Perhaps he could have chosen a few and sung them elaborately. He sounds like a very humble, gracious and warm person.

Rajesh, I am not sure if he is actually on tour. He has a number of informal engagements, he plays with local accompanists where possible. I think he is also spending some time teaching in the NJ area. Srkris might know better. IIRC, Sankaran Namboodiri sang at Srkris's wedding reception in Chennai 2-3 years ago...

Nadhasudha, do you know anything more about the mridangist and his lineage? I presume he is a Detroit based artiste. I had not encountered his name till I saw this thread.

[nadhasudha]

Mahavishnu,

Sankaran Namboodiri's concert drove home the point that a sense of proportion is such a critical aspect to the success of a carnatic music concert. Contemporary great performers such as Sudha, Sanjay and Ranjani Gayathri seem to have an innate ability to not only discern audience taste and mix things up but also seem to be able to provide it in the right proportion to make it a very memorable experience. Sankaran Namboodiri's concert fell short on the sense of proportion. It is my fervent hope that he can work on it and rise to greater heights.

Rajasekhar is a Detroit based mridangam artist. He frequently accompanies local and visiting artists. One of our young forumites mridangamkid started his initial lessons from him.

Here is some info I found about him from an old concert flyer....

At a very young age, Rajasekhar Athmakuri learned under the tutelage of Sri Pedagandham Sathyannarayana of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. He comes from a family of artistes and art lovers, which influenced him greatly. He performed his maiden concert at the age of eleven.

Rajasekhar accompanies many celebrated musicians on the mridangam, both in India and abroad. He is a regular on the Indian classical music scene in Detroit, accompanying vocalists.Presently, he lives in Detroit and loves teaching the art of Mridangam to promising and talented youngsters. Sekhar is has a Master’s degree in Computer Science. He is a computer professional.