KVN's Concert Link and a Related Quiz

[RaviSri]

Here's a link to KVN's concert at a house in London. The violinist is Lalgudi Jayaraman. The quiz is, identify the mridangam player and the ghanjira player.

I don't know how many people have this concert because it is supposed to be rare and has not made many rounds. But to those who have this concert and know the accompanists my request is, please don't reveal the names. Let the guessing game start.

http://archive.org/details/K.V.Narayanaswami_489

[Rsachi]

Swamine mama mangalam.
Thank you for the posting, I also got it from Mahavishnu who told me who the accompanists are!

[RaviSri]

Rsachi, delightful isn't it?

[uday_shankar]

Just listened to varnam and tani and I believe I got it ! However, I think I must have known this due to some previous exposure which I can't recall now...on a blind listening, I would have pinpointed the "bani", which is so obvious, but then would have floundered about as to the exact identities. For example, on listening to the start of the varnam, I immediately thought mridangist was - of course - the "great one" himself! Then got confused at the charanam with the excellent khanjira accompaniment (preceded by some old man in the audience muttering something) and then listened to the tani (noticing it started with the khanjira !!), and then suddenly everything fell into place !

[varsha]

son - mridangam
father - khanjira

[RaviSri]

uday_shankar, brilliant analysis. I thought of deleting the ghanjira beginning of the tani, for I thought it was a definite giveaway, but left it because I felt some clue was necessary. Didn't expect it to be cracked so soon. varsha, yes, you and uday_shankar are right.

This concert was held in the year 1972 in London at the residence of Sri.K.V.Ramakrishnan (the old man uday_shankar points out; actually he was six years younger to Mani Iyer who was 60 then). Sri.K.V.R. was the bureau chief of the Press Trust of India in London.

T.R.Rajamani is the mridangist and his father Palghat T.S.Mani Iyer is the ghanjira player.

[Rsachi]

It is an excellent concert, because there is a lot of bonhomie. Thanks RaviSri.

[mohan]

A big clue for me was London. KVN, Lalgudi, Mani Iyer and Rajamani went to the UK for Edinburgh festival. I guess the London concert was part of this tour.

[mahavishnu]

Mohan, The Edinburgh festival was in 1965. There are multiple references to it, including the headline from the Hindu here: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2834299.ece
And here http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/01/18/stor ... 490700.htm The original invitation to participate was to PMI and he requested that KVN and Lalgudi perform with him on the tour. Here's a lovely picture from then.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/arti ... epage=true

As you say, it would make sense that they performed in London on that tour. I know that they did perform in Glasgow around then.

However, Ravisri says that the concert was in 1972, when Mani Iyer was 60. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think PMI went abroad again (specifically to the UK) after the Edinburgh festival. Ravisri, are you sure the concert was from 1972?

[RaviSri]

mahavishnu, you are right. I don't know how the year 1972 entered my mind with regard to this concert. I spoke to Sri. T.R.Rajamani just now over the phone and he confirmed it was 1965, when they travelled for the Edinburgh festival. Sri. K.V.Ramakrishnan hosted them at his house. All of them stayed in his house in London and it seems almost everyday they used to have an impromptu practice session. Sri.KVR specifically requested Mani Iyer to play the ghanjira for a change one day and recorded it. This is the concert.

[mahavishnu]

Thanks for verifying the date, RaviSri.

[cacm]

However, Ravisri says that the concert was in 1972, when Mani Iyer was 60. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think PMI went abroad again (specifically to the UK) after the Edinburgh festival. Ravisri, are you sure the concert was from 1972?[/quote]
PMI TOURED N.A. AFTERWARDS WITH THE VIOLIN TRIO. VKV

[mahavishnu]

Thanks for the additional clarification, Sri VKV. Yes, come to think of it, PMI spent a lot of time with LS and brothers during the late 70s. He told my grandfather that he had immense respect for their layam abilities.