Abhishek Raghuram @ Detroit

[venkatpv]

Abhishek Raghuram
B.U. Ganesh Prasad - Violin
Neyveli Narayanan - Mridangam

1. Karunimpa - Sahana
2. Muddumomu - Suryakantam (S @ muddumomu)
3. Raga ratna malika - Reetigaula (R,N,S @ bhagavatottamulu)
4. Venkataramana - Latangi (R,N,S @ alarmel mangai manaala)
5. Nenarunchi naanu - Malavi
6. Nee daya rada - Vasanta bhairavi (S @ rama rama)

7. RTP - Kapi- Adi
Mohana muralidhara Gopala murahara giridhara jagan
Ragamalika - Thodi, Janaranjani, Ananda Bhairavi, Hamsanandi
Thani avarthanam
8. Srinivasa Tiruvenkata - Hamsanandi
9. Appalam ittu paaru - Ragamalika
10. Pavamana - Saurashtram

In the beginning it seemed like his voice wasn't quite in the best of shapes. And given the relative restraint with which he sang Sahana and Suryakantam, I was hoping that Abhishek would dig deep and come up with some soulful, contemplative stuff. With the Reetigaula, however, all caution was thrown to the winds. It was high octane stuff. The pallavi was an unintelligible (to me) concoction of Khanda nadai and Chatushra nadai, which he explained in detail before singing. The ragamalika section had some great transitions. The post pallavi portion had the Appalam song that was discussed here a few weeks back. Quite liked it, but the uruttal sangathis didn't help with the lyrical clarity...

[nadhasudha]

Abhishek Raghuram - Vocal
B.U Ganesh Prasad - Violin
Neyveli Narayanan - Mridangam

Date: Oct 19 th, Saturday, 2013

1. Karunimpa Varnam - Sahana - Adi - Raga Sketch of Sahana
2. Muddumomu - Suryakantham - Adi - Thyagaraja - RS, S @Muddumomu
3. Raaga Rathna Maalikache - Reethigowlai - Rupakam - - Thyagaraja - A,N,S @ Bhagavatothamula
4. Venkata Ramana - Lathangi - Rupakam - Papanasam Sivan - R,N,S @ Alarmel Mangai Manaala
5. Nenarunchinaanu - Malavi - Adi - Thyagaraja - Started from the anupallavi
6. Nee Daya Raada - Vasanthabhairavi - Rupakam - Thyagaraja - S @ Rama Rama
7. RTP - Adi Taalam (Laghu in Khanda Nadai and rest in chatusra nadai) - Thani
Mohana Muralidhara Gopala (starts 4 counts after samam)
Murahara Giridhara Jagan
Ragas - Kapi,Todi,Janaranjani,AnandaBhairavi and Hamsanandhi
8. Shrinivasa Thiruvenkatamudayan - Hamsanandhi
9. Appalam Ittu Paaru - Ragamaalika - Sri Ramana Maharishi
10. Pavamana

It has been a three year long wait to listen to Abhishek live. It ended today and what an evening it turned out to be! Abhishek gave an exceptional concert at Detroit. He excelled in all aspects - manodharmam, aesthetics, raaga bhavam, laya aspects. The Pallavi was my favorite piece and it was an excellent intertwined display of both melodic and laya intricacies and it left everyone awestruck! To manage the different nadais and to weave in and out of raagams while not sacrificing the bhaavam requires gnyaanam/skills/training of the highest order and Abhishek has all of it in abundant measure. He does it all with panache and makes it look like it is easy. Creativity, innovation and sophistication are the hallmarks of his music. No amount of words can do justice to the music he provided today!

The accompanists, Ganesh Prasad and Neyveli Narayanan supported Abhishek well. Abhishek's excellent display spurred them both to give their best and they rose to the occasion! All in all a memorable concert!

[knrh05]

Second that! A sedate start that lit up from Latangi onwards.

[rajeshnat]

nadhasudha/venkatpv
Great to see a review of Abhishek kind of having two different viewpoints. For a change the kApi was main course and appalam was the desert.

[mahavishnu]

Nadhasudha, Glad that you got to enjoy Abhishek's downpour with excellent accompaniment.
Muddumomu, raga ratna malikache, Nee daya radha are all integral items in Abhishek's special repertoire.

[nadhasudha]

nadhasudha/venkatpv
Great to see a review of Abhishek kind of having two different viewpoints. For a change the kApi was main course and appalam was the desert.

Rajeshnat - That is a good one

[nadhasudha]

Nadhasudha, Glad that you got to enjoy Abhishek's downpour with excellent accompaniment.
Muddumomu, raga ratna malikache, Nee daya radha are all integral items in Abhishek's special repertoire.

He should be singing in your neck of the woods as well. Looking forward to reading your eloquent review soon. I , for one was lost for words after hearing his music

[rshankar]

Interesting that he included both venkaTa ramaNa and SrInivAsa tiruvEMkaTamuDaiyAn in the same concert..the two to me are very similar, sentiment-wise...alarmElmangai maNALA ambujanAbha dayALA in one, and jagam pugazhum Ezhumalai mAyavanE tirumagaL alarmElmangai maNALanE in the other..

[Lakshman]

Does anyone have the lyrics for the appaLam song? Thanks.

[manisubramaniyan]

Nearest I could find is this:
http://www.arunachala.org/newsletters/2 ... ttu-paaru/
But I do have some of the song books by Muruganar,sadhu Om, and Ramana Maharshi ; let me look through and post the full lyrics

[Lakshman]

Thanks.

[sriramganapathy]

Check out some reviews and pictures from the event at

https://www.facebook.com/events/559045677482262/

[RaviSri]

Here is the appaLa song of Sri Ramana Maharshi

appalamiTTu pAru
athai shApiTTun Ashayai tIru (appalamiTTu pAru)

1) ippuvi tannil Engi tiriyAmal
sadbOda sukha satguruvAnavar
cheppAdu shonna tattuvamAgira
oppuyarvilla Or mozhiyinpaDi (appalamiTTu pAru)

2) tAnallA aynkOsha kshEtramidil vaLar
tAnennum mAnamAm dhAnya uLundai
nAnAr enjnAna vichAra tirigaiyil
nAnalla venrE uDaithu poDithu (appalamiTTu pAru)

3) satsangamAgum piraNDai rasathoDu
samadamam Aginra jIraga miLaguDan
uparadiyAm avvuppODuLLa nal
vAsanayAm perunkAyamum shErthu (appalamiTTu pAru)

[Lakshman]

Thanks very much RaviSri.

[RaviSri]

I am sorry Mr.Lakshman, I had missed the last two verses. Here they are:

4) kannenjil nAn nAn enru kalangAmal
uNmukha ulakkaiyAl OyAdiDithu
shAntamAm kuzhaviyAl samamAna palagaiyil
santatam shalippara santOShamAgavE

5) mOna mudrayAgum muDivillA pAtrathil
jnAnAgniyAl kAyum narbrahma neyyadil
nAnaduvAgavE nALum porithu
tAnE tAnAga bhujikka tanmaya

[manisubramaniyan]

Sorry for the delay in posting this reply; was out sick for about a month now..
And thanks to Ravi for posting the song.
There is a downloadable free eBook from http://worldstore.sriramanamaharshi.org/ - title: Five hymns to Sri Arunachala. Appala song is in page 130 of that book.
Looks like I can't upload pictures here. So please follow the link and get to the original book. Page 130 has the Tamil song while page 131 has the English translation. And Ravi has given the English transliteration above.

Thanks