Ashwath Narayanan@SKGS on Aug 04th,2013

[rajeshnat]

Ashwath Narayanan@SKGS on Aug 04th,2013
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Vocal : Ashwath Narayanan(disciple of Shri KVN and Smt Padma narayanaswamy)
Violin : R Raghul
Mrudangam : Kumbakonam Ramakrishnan

Concert duration/Day : 1 hr and 5 minutes/Sunday
Concert Type : Non Nirvana (concert/function to follow)
sabha/Hall : SKGS
Occassion : Shri KS Mahadevan centenary day(shri MKR's dad)

This concert preceded the function where many dignataries spoke about SHri KS mahAdevan and was also followed later by vidushi Nithyashree Mahadevan concert.

1A.slokham "sadA bAlaroopApi " - hamsadhwani - AdishankarA (subramanya bhujangam)
1B. vAthApi(neraval sketch) - hamsadhwani - MD
neraval sketch for 2 mins in the usual pranava swaroopa vakrathundam
2. sAmajA varadA(S) - sudda Saveri - Poochi Iyengar
3 mins swaras

3. rAManakku mannan Mudi (Raga Sketch) - hindOlam - AK
4. Anupama gunAmboothi (S) - atAnA - T
brief swaras

5A. dEva dEva jagadEEshwara (R N S T) - poorvikalyANi - ST
9 mins alapana and 4 mins violin return
4 mins neraval in "dArita magadha mahipa "
4 mins swaras
5B. tani for 3 mins

6. vishweshwaru (R) -sindhubhairavi - ST
5 mins alapana and 3 mins violin return
7. tOm tOm... needu mahima - poornachandrikA - Poochi Iyengar


For definitely few years in 90's I have heard shri KVN. WHile the general consensus in KVN's music is that he is really soul filling and usually they say rasikas go into some kind of trance and never even talk post KVN's concert . Personally 99% of the time I dont talk to any one as there is usually no one to talk, but his music is certainly has a far lingering taste that takes its time .His music within me does not get easily flushed out of my head .

One thing that is extremely impressive of Shri KVN is a kind of sustenance where from his initial hum of nattai/hamsadhwani to the last pavamAna he magically holds that nadia comaneci kind of "stentorian pitch".As shri kVN belts sangathi after sangathi with that stentorian pitch- the music lingers and stays in my head (I am atleast thinking of KVN's solo concert not may be the last few years where his music when joined by his family members were certainly not giving me that comfortable pitch)

I am listening Ashwath for may be the third time , the first when he paired with Pattabhirama pandit few years back where he gave a glimpse of that Stentorian pich and another when he appeared in a tanishq TV show where he sang a nalinakanthi pallavi to clinch the prize. When he sang few lines of Adishankara's slokham in this concert ,he certainly had nearly the same stentorian pitch. The impressive hamsadhwani rolled with vathAPi and he sang very well and it was nice also to hear a mini neraval .

Moved on to a bit more laya centric number where he presented samaja varada in sudda saveri and I liked it somewhat , this number is not a head turner to me . When he sang a ragasketch of hindOlam and sang AK's ramanukku mannan mudi the stentorian pitch of shri kvn was in full flow. Nice krithi that was very well delivered , this krithi has few colloqial lines like pattam katra etravandi , suddenly those few lines just resembles a court room case , blame it on arunachala kavirayar more than any of the performing musicians.

The fast filler atAnA he could not start well but did finished it quite well. The main was lovely, KVN has a special place in singing few ST krithis , and loved his PK rendition. Alapana flowed beautifully no PV confusion at all.The neraval was very nice , it was a hour + concert so one cannot expect a more detailed expansion. The swaras had the distinct karuna rasa of a typical poorvikalyani

The pick of the day was his alapana of sindhu bhairavi . Sindhubhairavi and my appreciation of the raga has taken a complete change in my taste of appreciating the raga . Barring few violin interludes like shri msg , i personally felt this raga did not ooze with that carnatic zing ness , kind of style where it becomes too easily light and filmy . Possibly deep inside after i heard two pallavis from abhishek raghuram in sindhubhairavi , i have turned 180 degrees in appreciating this raga . What an alapana by Ashwath superb aakara sudham every sangathi just fell in that classical place . I personally think shri KVN is one musician who was incapable of singing any non classical sangathis and Ashwath was very much in that zone. With the sindhubhairavi alapana he sang a lovely vishwesharu .The last thillana in poornachandrika was a quick closure for the funciton.


The accompanist R Raghul was superb , bit stiffness in his play for first few krithis , but his poorvikalyani and sindhubhairavi was very very MC'ish . Special mention to his extreme sowkhyam in poorvikalyani which will fell so much in line with the swati's pearl. I could also spot his guru shri MC was there from the beginning .I am hearing this mrudangam artist kumbakonam ramakrishnan for the very first time .He had very good patterns and backed up well.The mrudangist is a disciple of kumbakonam rajappa iyer (who is equivalent to Shri PSN in vocal or even more, producing so many disciples)

Ashwath has a very paddandara suddham of carrying KVN legacy. In the present market there is one pattabhi rama pandit who faithfully follows KVN but I am finding it difficult to hear him as he has less opportunities in chennai. THere are two hemmige's whom i have not heard yet, but certainly this young ashwath , who is just may be 21 or 22 (he is studying engg or something in sastra university )is gifted with a very high stentorian pitch.

It was just an hour concert and ashwath is gifted with such lovely stentorian pitch . At this age of 22 , I dont know how shri KVN sang , infact may be he was just taking baby steps in learning the 15th todi krithi from his guru shri ariyakudi and not had a concert yet (Shri KNV , may I know at which age Shri KVN gave his debut), ashwath is impressive.

Overall an excellent 1 hour and 5 minute concert. Wish he had more time.

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

I agree with Rajeshnat although I could catch only glimpses as I was shuttling around welcoming the guests and practising other "civil formalities and protocols . alien to me!!

The "kid"(being a septuagenarian I should be indulged for such 'seemingly condescending" references!!!!!) has a bright future.

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

I agree with Rajeshnat although I could catch only glimpses as I was shuttling around welcoming the guests and practising other "civil formalities and protocols . alien to me!!

The "kid"(being a septuagenarian I should be indulged for such 'seemingly condescending" references!!!!!) has a bright future.