NAVARATHRI MANDAPAM CONCERT BY PRINCE RAMA VARMA

[Rasikapriya2013]

SEPTEMBER 27th 2014,
Navarathri Mandapam, Thiruvananthapuram

Vocal concert by Ashwathi Thirunal Rama Varma
Violin - Sri Aveeneswaram S.R.Vinu
Mridhangam - Sri Harikumar
Ghatam - Dr. S. Karthick
Morsing - Sri Govindaprasadh

Today's concert by Sri Rama Varma was very rich, calm, melodious, and Grand one!

The festival which is very old surely does have a divine intervention.The Mandapam is decorated with flowers, and lit by tall lamps which is the only source of light and reverberates with such strong and powerful vibration. The concert itself is a musical offering to the goddess with no claps, no talks, no walking out during thani and fills the quite mandapam making it all feel like a dream.

Sri Rama Varma started with the Ata thala varnam in Shankarabharanam 'Chalamela' with a very short alapana. This was presented with great nidhanam bringing in certain grandness to the song and to the concert for that evening.

Amazingly clear and melodious sketch of Reethigowlai followed. 'Paripalayamam' an M.D.R favourite was rendered beautifully with very nice kalpanaswarams too.

‘Anandavalli’ came with all it emotive grandeur. A Neelambari so sweet and nice with very nice swaram patterns was one of my favourite for that evening! I haven't heard Neelambari Swarams in a long time.

'Nandasutha' in Rohini was next.A beautiful and challenging Raga .

Another rare song 'Saraseeruhanabha' in Deshakshi followed. Though this was so short, it was so beautiful.

An exhaustive and Regal portrayal of Thodi was the main for the evening. With his subtle but imposing gamakas, stunning brighas he brought the Godess Thodi in all her glory. Being a Vainika he followed it with an even more beautiful Thaanam, bringing in certain calmness and Bhakthi in the mind of this listener !
‘Bharati Mamava' , the magnificent Navaratri kriti of Swati Tirunal was presented with very entertaining swaram patterns and a small Neraval too.
Sri Vinu's violin complimented to the mood of each song perfectly that was presented that evening.
The thaniyavarthanam was crisp, sweet and thunderous. The teams strength lies in their perfect camaraderie and is a treat to watch always.

Post main Sri Rama Varma presented 'Aliveni' in Kurinji. This was sung so softly and nicely!

He finished with 'japath japath Hari Naam'. A raga malika set to tune by the Prince himself!

The Concert was a Regal , Grand and a Sublime one!

[sanjaysubfan]

Thanks so much for that beautiful report on Prince Rama Varma's concert. I love watching his videos on Youtube.

[CRama]

I could not help posting this reply.
Nandasutha thava jananam is a beautiful composition in Kurinji giving a lullaby feel which has been sung by many famous singers of Kerala and also by SSI, KVN etc. We have been longing to hear this song for quite some time. Alas. it has been sung by Prince RamaVarma - the heir of ST himself-what more you can expect- but in a raga called ROHINI which probably only his fans and Balamurali fans may relish. Thank God. I did not hear.

[keerthi]

Crama, I too like the kuranji setting of nandasuta. It is a classical treatment of the rAga and is a dignified setting for the lyric. Also, it is a janmAStami staple in our household.

However, I am not surprised by this trend of retuning. This is only following in the footsteps of the pastmasters including the Vid SSI that you mention, and Harikesanallur Muthayya Bhagavatar.

bhOgIndrashAyinam was converted from dhanyAsi to kuntalavarALi, kalayE devadEvam from malahari to ranjani. The song sArasa-mRdupada went from sAveri to gaurimanOhari.

I have deep suspicions about the songs in NalinakAnti, sarasvatimanohari, bhavapriya, SaNmukhapriya, navarasakannada and hamsAnandi. Now we have songs retuned from GhaNTA to vAgadhIswari and some other period-appropriate rAga to vakulAbharanam.

We may listen to the rOhini version, and even appreciate its musical content, but only a few will see it as a case of a historical violence.

[sweetsong]

Keerthi ji, I was going to post something, but you posted exactly the samething and muchmore beautifully than I would have. Thank you.
While I love the Kurinjitune,(I can't thinkof a single song in Kurinji that I don't like.) I got to enjoy thespectacularly beautiful lyricsof this song, that describes the birth of Sri Krishna, only when I heard the Rohini version,where all the charanams are sung.

Here is the Thodi main from the same concert.
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/znu22yp ... l-2014.mp3

[HarishankarK]

Thiagaraja and Syama Sastri themselves were not spared of retuning, it is no surprise that Swathi thirunal's compositions are tampered with. I recollect that original version of Bhavayami Raghuramam was completely in Saveri before SSI came up with the more famous and appealing ragamalika version.

[sanjaysubfan]

Palayasada in Nalinakanthi was tuned by Sanjay sir. He has also made Visweshwara into a ragamalika by adding the ragas Pahadi and Kosalam to the existing Sindhu bhairavi.

[sweetsong]

On Swati Tirunal music and lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d1eDvAIKUk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2yf9EfzUsg