Sri Abhishek Raguraman for SIFA, San Jose, Nov 3 2013

[tanapp]

Sri Abhishek Raguraman - Vocal
Sri BU Ganesh Prasad - Violin
Sri Neyveli Narayanan - Mridangam

The following was the song list:

1. Shankarabharanam - Chalamela - Ata Tala Varnam - Maharaja Swati Tirunal
2. Asaveri - Ra Rama Inti - Adi - Sri Tyagaraja
3. Chakravagam - Yadukula Tilaka - Adi 2 kalai - Garbhapuri Vasar
4. Simhendra Madhyamam - Ninne Nammiti Naiiyya - M Chapu - Mysore Sri Vasudevacharya
5. RTP - Adi Talam 2 kaLai - Samam Eduppu - Mohanam -Bhushavali - Chandrajyoti - Shubhapantuvarali - Durga. The pallavi line was instroduced as swarakshara theme, with S R G P D S ragas. Pallavi line was very evocative:

sadA pada sarOjamula nammiti sariga deivamu gadA

6. Bhairavi - ElarADAyanE kAmini - jAvaLi - Adi - Tanjore Chinnayya?
7. Behag - Irakkam Varamal - Sri Gopalakrishna Bharati
8. Sindhu Bhairavi - Piravi Alai Aatrinil - Adi - Tiruppugazh - Sri Arunagirinathar
9. Mangalam

This was the fall season's final concert for SIFA and it was a 'stampede' concert compared to Sri Ravikiran's concert 2 days back. For one, all the Deepavali festivities are over and the start time being 3:30 pm, lot of people showed up for this one with much expectation.

Admittedly, this is my first live Abhishek concert. I was quite thrilled to see such a young man rise to such dizzying level with much practice and having been nurtured blissful Music by none other than his own grandfather Palghat Sri Raghu. That he has mastery over laya was evident from the ata tala varnam that Abhishek began with a brief sketch of the raga.

Ra Rama was soulful with swarams at the line dikku nIvanuCu.

The next one - Chakravagam - was apparently a main piece since Abhishek requested / signaled Sri Narayanan to play the tani. However, after two quick start pieces, I was waiting for a raga alapanai. When he started Chakravagam, I was elated. But Abhishek did not dwell much on it, and neither did he give it to Sri Ganesh Prasad to build the mood. I kept looking for Chakravagam for the rest of the time and before then, manOdharma express had arrived and taken off at full speed from the "varamuni nuta pada vAnchita phala prada." It was a scale and not raga that came out of the whole manodharmam exercise.

Simhendra Madhyamam's alapana was brief as well and the song started and ended before the raga bhava could be developed, sustained and enjoyed.

Mohanam - RTP. It was the crowning glory of this concert. Abhishek played a sound loop skin to a swar mandal (used in Hindustani concerts) to evoke Bhoop/Mohanam. The raga alapana showed the vocal prowess of the young Abhishek - but alas, it was not until Ganesh Prasad started playing the tanam that for the first time in the concert, I sank myself comfortably into my seat and enjoyed a raga, emanating from the azhuttam and easy bowing of the violin. I give the credit to the violinist for saving the day for self-proclaimed purists and arm chair critics like me.

The pallavi line was beautiful - really as Abhishek explained and built the suspense around what ragas were to come in the swarAkshara theme. And then I was totally taken aback by the agility and clarity of the brilliant mind that was weaving a rich tapestry of rhythm and melody, going criss-cross yet making so much sense. The ragas chosen were very apt for the pallavi line and Abhishek's creativity matched the lyrics and the evocative power of the notes. Chandrajyoti - a vivAdi raga - was very masterfully handled and was used to set the stage for 2nd speed neraval. All other ragas was very apt except probably bhUshAvaLi, which was a contrast. Perhaps Abhishek chose that to highlight the emotive power of the other ragas that he chose. My day was done with the RTP.

How do you stop an 18-wheeler traveling at 80 mile/hour in a few seconds? Irakkam Varamal in Behag continued with his briga express snaking along the mountains of creativity. And also continued with the Tiruppugazh as well and ofcourse, that segwayed into mangalam.

Sri Ganesh Prasad was very good. He could have been given more melodic airtime. Sri Neyveli Narayanan's style is very like-able and enjoyable when kriti driven artistes sing (like Sowmya). He did his best playing for this concert and I enjoyed every bit of it, although I must admit I have enjoyed his live performances in the past more.

If it takes a vocal prowess (with a reasonable bhava) to bring so many people to attend a Carnatic concert, then so be it. I can absolutely live with that. To that effect, Abhishek must be commended. May he bear the torch of Carnatic Music high and for a long time to come. :ymapplause:

[mahavishnu]

It is no secret that I am a huge admirer of Abhishek's music. Even I was floored by what he had to present today to an audience of about 1000+ people in Menlo Park, CA. And before today, I thought I had heard it all. If you are an Abhishek buff/collector, this was up there with the 2010 MMA concert and the cult-quality concert at the RatnagirIswarar temple from 2011. What a concert!

Although anything I write cannot even remotely do justice to capture the amazing music that we encountered today, I have to write a few words before I recover from the awe and sheer excitement of having witnessed an event like this.

Much of what we define as creativity in the context of Carnatic Music is based on post-hoc sophistry. For me, Abhishek's embodied creativity breaks the boundary conditions that any one has imagined could be possible. We saw the scaffolding of layers of new insights emerge in real-time.

In my four decades of listening to Carnatic music, I have heard a handful of "original" voices. Abhishek ranks among the very finest of those. Seeing Abhishek through the humdrum lens of the tried, tested and safe (as many conservative rasikas might) would be the equivalent of seeing a world of rainbows on a black & white screen.

The chakravAkam canvas he created was spectacular and (as I said before) just when you think you've heard it all, he painted the historic mOhanam RTP. The rAgam structure he created had the meditative start of the Dhrupad of Sayeeduddin Dagar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQSiPHLtKDY: thanks Varsha for this link, I am eternally grateful to you) and proceeded with the brighas of MVI combined wit the richness of the Lalgudi school. And I don't use the word "historic" carelessly.

BUG and Neyveli Narayanan were not just spectators at the Abhishek-fest. They were true contributors to this musical feast. BUG's tAnam in mOhanam and Narayanan's tanis were both extraordinary.

And a special word about Neyveli Narayanan. His accompaniment was excellent, as we have come to expect from an artiste of his standing and calibre. But today, he outdid himself. The second tani had embedded in it, phrases and rhythmic structures from the pallavi. Abhishek being well-versed in the percussion arts spotted these patterns and sang the rhythmic arrangements from the pallavi line as though he was accompanying the tani. To novice listeners of the art of tani Avartanam this demonstrated that the rhythmic exercise that a good mrigandist engages in is not some random affair. It is actually contiguous with the music that was presented preceding the tani.

And the applause from a thousand. I could sense the elevated spirits in all of them. You should have been there to feel that energy.

This is one for the history books. :ymapplause:

[rajeshnat]

Mahavishnu/tanapp
I want to know bit more about RTP. The raagam and taanam was in mohanam right, the pallavi neraval was in all the ragas right and what about swarams?

[mahavishnu]

Rajesh: The swarams were in all those ragas too, in true Abhishek style with the koraippu combining all of them.

[rajeshnat]

Mahavishnu,
Raagam and taanam only in mohanam right?

How long was the entire pallavi?

[tanapp]

Mahavishnu/tanapp
I want to know bit more about RTP. The raagam and taanam was in mohanam right, the pallavi neraval was in all the ragas right and what about swarams?

The swarams were handled per raga at first with a certain rhythmic pattern for every raga but then he went into a koraippu pattern with a riot of swaras interweaving one raga to the other, and still making the most sense since the frequencies were quite far apart, except the vivAdi..but that was the contrasting choice.

RTP was the awesomest moment in this concert. Brilliant.

To add to Mahavishnu's point, during the Bhoop alapana, Abhishek used his head voice to touch the (3rd octave higher Shadjamam..or did he stop at the Panchamam only?)

[mahavishnu]

Yes Ragam + Tanam in Mohanam only (45 minutes). Pallavi + tani (55 minutes).
Abhishek and BUG have been trading off the ragam exploration and tanam on this entire tour (so it appears). Abhishek does a very detailed alapanai and instead BUG playing the ragam he jumps into the tAnam. My only regret is that we don't also get to hear Abhishek's tAnam (especially mEl kAlam) which is to die for.

TanApp: I believe he touched the upper shadjam on a couple of occasions. Pity that I missed seeing you today. I didn't see your message till much later. Perhaps at the next event in the spring...

[Sindhuja]

Quite spectacular indeed.
Chakravagam was more Ahir Bhairav-ish, and I was all the more thrilled. It was beautiful.
As tanapp said, I think each raga in the RTP was paired to a nadai... and I think I heard tishram, khandam and chaturshram. I remember Chandrajyothi was chaturshram but don't remember the other pairings. And the Durga to Mohanam Gruhabhedam was top class. It wasn't until he sang the long swaram in (the transposed) Mohanam that I realized it though. Until then it sounded like a madhyama shruthi ragam (since ma of Durga was taken as sa) and I thought it might be Pahadi or something, and was wondering about the idea behind it.
Overall, brilliant concert.

[rajeshnat]

Abhishek and BUG have been trading off the ragam exploration and tanam on this entire tour (so it appears). Abhishek does a very detailed alapanai and instead BUG playing the ragam he jumps into the tAnam. My only regret is that we don't also get to hear Abhishek's tAnam (especially mEl kAlam) which is to die for.

mahavishnu,
I personally prefer the two step raga alapana where vocalist sings raagam and then violinist plays briefly then second round alap by vocal and then jumping to taanam - like a typical semmangudi typecast route. I am assuming in this concert, it has to do with vocalist reserving energy and pounding in neraval and swaras.

[Rsachi]

Personally I have come to accept the innovation of the violinist's starting off the Tanam in response to an elaborate vocal Alapana. It gives room to the violinist to present his own ideas proactively, and the audience gets its share of Ragam and Tanam within the time frame.

All in all the oohs and aahs of Tanapp, Mahavishnu and Sindhuja are regulation responses to a typical AR concert!

(We are reaching out to AR for the first of a Rasaanveshanam- Concert @ Home series:))

[tanapp]

(We are reaching out to AR for the first of a Rasaanveshanam- Concert @ Home series:))

Chamber concerts present a very up, close and personal interactive experience both for the rasikas and the artists. Does rasa anvESHNam mean a theme where the 9 rasas are explored and expounded one by one? Or it is a general rubric?

[nadhasudha]

Nice review tanapp and mahavishnu!

Wish I could have been there

[Rsachi]

Tanapp,
Rasaanveshanam is a group we created with the intention of
1. Travelling to the sanctified places of Carnatic music to experience the vibrations of composers, their inspirations and influences first hand
2. Getting together to enjoy music and have interactions with musicians and experts up close in a great ambiance.
3. Delving deeper into Carnatic music.

The group is coming together (albeit slowly). We decided on Concert @ Home to start off item 2. in the list. We have a superb venue and a core group. We are reaching out to musicians.....
The effort so far is Bangalore-centric.
(You will find my mention of Rasaanveshanam- first referred to as the Lonely Planet tour in rasikas.org from some time ago).

You're most welcome to join!!!

[tanapp]

You're most welcome to join!!!

How I wish! When I am in B'lore area, I will drop you a note. But please do keep us posted about the concerts and the travelogues to the sacred places. Good luck with your effort!

[MV]

Thanks for the reviews. I totally believe the 'awe' that pervaded through every one. He truly is the 'torchbearer', I think. Can't wait to see/hear what the next 10 years brings with maturity and balance and such like. One small question-didn't see the RTP thalam mentioned anywhere-I can almost hear the 'play' with Sada Pada!!

[Sindhuja]

RTP was Adi thalam, sama eduppu.

[S.NAGESWARAN]

On a side note, I have given a pen drive filled with the Ragga " Durga " sung by various Hindustani Artists to Sri Abhishek Raguram after his concert at KGS before he left for the USA concert.

I like the Durga ragam very much and I am in the habit of giving the Durga ragam collections to a few artists [Sri Injikudi Subramanyam,Nadswara vidwan etc].

I am happy that he had sung this ragam in the RTP RMK. I would be happy if any of the rasikas who attended concert to give a brief note.

I would like to listen to Sri Abhishek Raghuram sing this ragam elaborately in some Chennai concerts in future.

S.NAGESWARAN.
05.11.2013.

[CHIGO]

Already there are some wonderful critics of Abhishek calling him hindustaniish and some even with an assumed role of vaggeyakkar stoop to heckle his style and coming out with lyrics of mockery on him. Now Sri Nageswaran wants him to sing Durga elaborately little realizing that the pseudo-vaggeyakkar is waiting!!

[HarishankarK]

I like the Durga ragam very much and I am in the habit of giving the Durga ragam collections to a few artists

If you like Durga ragam, i would like to share with you that there is a recording of 'Jaya Jaya Durge' Narayana Teerthar tarangam in ragam Durga by Smt Salem Gayatri Venkatesan in Sangeetapriya.
This durga is very different from the usual light Durga (hindustani) style of singing. This is pure carnatic Durga. Pl hear you will like it and there is alap and swaram too.