Abhishek Raghuram@MFAC(pallavi DarbAr) on Aug 09th,2013

[rajeshnat]

Abhishek Raghuram@MFAC(pallavi DarbAr) on Aug 09th,2013
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Vocal : Abhishek Raghuram
Violin : Akkarai subbulakshmi
Mrudangam : Neyveli Narayanan

Concert duration/Day : 1 hour and 23minutes / Friday
Occassion : Exclusive Pallavi Concert
Sabha : Carnatica and Parthasarathi swami sabhA

Abbhishek Raghuram is one of the most creative artist .His music is clearly anchored with his rich voice and personally in this concert he created a lot of brahmippu effect (WOW), at the same time there was also a very noticable lakshanam trespass where two intense carnatic ragas were mixed. The 3 ragas that were sung as pallavi were kAnadA ,varALi and khamAs

RAgas Rendering (28 mins inclusive of 7 mins violin return):
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Every musician have a very special strength . Personally to me I look at his alapana as his greatest strength . He started with a very meditative feel of KAnadA .I have few observations to make on KAnadA where the lakshanam trespass was evident . For first few mins he coasted very well and with his really superb voice he put us all in the brahmippu vehicle. After about 6 mins , the next raga that he moved from kAnadA was varAli. The contrast of KAnadA and varAli was lovely . Then he moved to khamAs . KhamAs was very detailed as much as KAnadA . Overall his voice was in fine fettle and for nearly 21 mins the alapana just rolled with intense classicism . akkarai return was concise , thank god she did not overstretch her proportion which at times she does it . Nevertheless for the alapana cycle the rasikas got hooked.

Tanam Rendering (14 mins):
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With three ragas which were lovely choices (kAnadA ,varaAli and KhamAs), the taanam got started with varAli.varAli has a deeper intonation and I liked him his start .He moved from varAli nto khamas in taanam and continued his very impressive manodharmam .Then he moved to the really pleading rasa of KAnadA . Some time half way point of taanam he moved to 2nd speed and i think he alternated with all three ragas. THe entire taanam was non metered with mrudangam and I liked it immensely, though a touch of mrudangam tap interest me a lot. Particularly akkarai return was very very impressive.

[rajeshnat]

Pallavi Rendering (for 29 mins) with a brief tani in between for 4 mins :
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If raga started with kAnadA , the taanam started with varali The pallavi started with kamAs . The lines for each of the pallavi raga were half different with a common phrase and a distinctily different phrase.

The khamAs line was "vA guhA murgA shanmughA vaNNa mayiL meedhu". For varALi it was "uNadhu pAdamE thunai vA guhA murgA shanmughA" and for kAnadA it was "kanindu eNmeedu karunai kaata vA guhA murgA shanmughA" .Initially the neraval was done for 5 mins each for each of the pallavi line. The galloping move from one raga to another was extremely good(infact I have seen him doing for even 4 ragas ,this is just 3 RAGAS) . The tani was brief and he did a very nice trikAlam

Swaras Rendering (for 12 mins):
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Being always a swara phile ,Abhishek sang more single avartAna swaras. I generally find in pallavi ABbishek does not give that dose of longer ragamALigA swaras like say sanjay,suryaprakash etc but he keeps it noticebly short. I meant more like singing longer patterns , possibly that is his style. Nice swara poruttam and aesthetics was indeed there and he wrapped up well . I particularly liked few avartana patterns where there was lovely voice modulation where gentle caresses in kAnada and a little different mood for kamas and varali was lovely aesthetics.

Accompanist:
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Akkarai was exceptionally good . THere was a post about AAA (abhishek ananta and akkarai) from some one here. Certainly when akkarai focusses on not going overboard on proportion , she is indeed a brilliant and very accompolished artist. I have a little more liking for anantha krishnan because I get in my ears that kind of palakkad raghu more intense mrudhu angam tapping and sound .Two years back when anantha played in pallavi darbar it was slightly in the loud side.Neyveli narayanan a replacement for anantha was very noteworthy, he did not over bang at all and his patterns were very accomodative . INcidentally in this concert I did not find any kind of excess freewheeling where I found it bit more disconcerting . Also with overall less proportion of tani i welcomed it.

Lakshanam trespass :
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In general ABhishek has such a lovely voice . WIth his brahmippu effects(especially his alapana), i find in general rasikas go into a kind ha ha tchu tchu mode(even i do that) . IN his first 6 minutes or so after few kAnada sangathis which were lovely , i found he anchoring with so many sangathis in the rAgam shuruTTi in alapana rendition. KAnadA was very shuruttish and it was very glaring to me . I am pretty sure I am right , though a very very overwhelming majority may not have spotted it. I have had few experiences in the past where for quite a few intense carnatic ragas abhi goes into hindustani mode . To an extent I would even think that is ok. But when KAnadA has distinct shuruTTi sangathis , I get very easily put off.Our music should also go with lakshana gnanam and that is the responsibility of only the musician .Quite frankly for a rasika like me who has only lakshyam trained ears , even when i can that easily spot KanAdA having the knots of shuruTTI , Abhishek has to surely watch out.


Conclusively:
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I incidentally went at 4 pm thinking that was the time . But the start was at sharp 04:30 pm . The good and great news is Abhishek created a real brahmippu effect and there was a long standing ovation. One has to give it to this young and extraordinary vidwan Abhishek.
While swara singing with longer patterns in pallavi is a conscious style that he has taken for opting out- i have no qualms there only a wish . But Lakshanam trespass he has to watch out(Dear Abhishek for heavens sake dont take Dr BMK route).

Overall an excellent concert for 1 hour and 23 mins

[ganeshkant]

Yes.I too heard Surati in kAnaDA.But it must be within the grammar which we have never heard bEFORE.

[CRama]

The three pallavis were structured in such a way that their poorvangam is common -Vaa Guhaa Murugaa Shanmughaa. Utharangam was different-
KhamAs - vanna mayil meedhu". For varali it was "unadhu paadame thunai and for kaanada it was "kanindu enmeedu karunai kaatta .
While finishing the pallavi (final) he finished with varali singing pazhani malai yuraur muruga.
The utharangam of varali pallavi alone was in tisra nadai.
ON the whole a fabulous performance.

[mahesh3]

Rajeshnat - do you know who composed this pallavi?

[rajeshnat]

Rajeshnat - do you know who composed this pallavi?

No idea mahesh, possibly abhishek himself had composed it.

[jodha]

I think that was composed by late Palghat Raghu or by Dr.Pinakapani.

[tanapp]

Am not well versed in this topic..but Surutti creeping into Kaanada - could it be a case of a clever shruti bhedam? The parent raga of these two janyaas are shruti bhedam derivatives.

[sureshvv]

wow... nice deduction!

May be someone can explain what notes could be commonly extracted for this effect.