Shri H.N.Bhaskar
Shri Trichur Narendran
Shri K.V.Gopalakrishnan
List:
1.Kandajoodumi - Vachaspati - Adi - T NS
2. Meenalochana - Dhanyasi - M chapu - SS - R
3. Oka pari - Kalavathi - Adi - T RS
4. Hameerkalyani RTP - Tisra Jampa kanda nadai
Pallavi line - Venkatasaila vihara- Brova radha
Ragamalika swaras in Saveri, Sama, Reethi gowlai and Surutti
5. Kanaka sabhai - Surutti - Adi - GB
6. Mangalam
The concert ended around 9 PM. Its 11 PM now and I am still searching for adjectives to write here. It was just an outpour of sublime brilliance by Ramaprasad. I had reached a bit late and joined the concert only when he was singing the neraval @alanadu sowmithri in Kandajudumi. It was flawless, imaginative and impressive. The last round of neraval where he would have sung around 100 avartanams drew generous applause. And the swara patterns were quite catchy. Full marks to KVG for catching every variation that Ramprasad had presented.
He then delved into Dhanyasi. It was ethereal. More than the brihas, the podi sangathis he sang which showcased the raga was extraordinary. HNB's response was noteworthy too. What followed was a classical rendering of meenalochana.(He sings it as meenalochani and not meenalochana for some reason). There were a few chuckles when Ramprasad finished the kriti and Trichur Narendran was still playing keezh kala nadai expecting him to sing neraval swaram, until Ramprasad prompted him to finish. He then quickly sang okapari in kalavathi and sang a quick set of impressive swarams. HNB's responses were excellent. I got a feeling that after beginning the swaras, Ramprasad struggled a bit to maintain the control of singing swarams in a rare ragam like kalavathi.
The piece de resistance was certainly the hamir kalyani ragam. He would have sang the ragam for atleast 10 minutes, drawing multiple applause in between his delineation. The brihas, the raga bhavam, the minute gamakams and glides.. It was certainly the pick of the season for me. I am sure it takes so much of practice to sing a ragam like hamir kalyani so elaborately. HNB also played very well too.
Towards the end of the violin turn, I could hear an old couple discussing whether he will sing thoomani madathu or Venkatasaila vihara. And when he started the thanam, the mami audibly exasperated with an "ada rama". And she promptly got up and left. (I don't know whether she shares an animosity towards pallavi singing). But she surely missed a great rendition. The thanam was a "ice and fire" experience. Ramprasad went for the slow bhavam laden kalapraman for thanam singing. HNB went for the quick, briha laden kalapramanam. HNB drew more applause as people naturally tended more towards fire. Ramprasad gradually increased the kalapramanam when he reached the mel shadjamam of his thanam and presented the rest of the thanam beautifully. It was very well received.
The pallavi was set to tisra jampa talam kanda nadai. The neraval and keezh kala swarams were exquisite. When he started singing the melkala swarams, he did something interesting. He sang melkala swaram for the pallavi eduppu which is in keezhkalam (venkata saila), then sang mel kala swarams for uthrangam in keezh kalam(brova radha), then sang melkala swarams for pallavi eduppu at melkalam and then sang for uthrangam eduppu in melkalam. All this in one turn. It takes immense laya control and imagination to sing somethting like this, especially in kanda nadai. It was just pure vidvath. And a special note of appreciation for HNB to have quickly built a small loop kanakku which helped him navigate the patterns easily. Then he sang four ragams for ragamalika and received applause for each one of them. Trichur Narendran's experience showed all the way through the pallavi. His support and the tricky tani avarthanam was well conceived and played. KVG's spontaneity was also commendable.
Ramprasad then wound up the concert with kanakasabhai tirunadanam in surutti and sang nee nama roopamulaku and ended it in surutti. Including the ragamalika swaram and the mangalam, the sang three suruttis in a row
All in all, it was an excellent concert. My pick of the season.
I was just thinking what would have Oscar Wilde said about Ramaprasad and his extremely low number of concerts this season.
Every musician makes you feel a bit let down and helpless. Some by being busy and some by not being busy. Ramaprasad is certainly the latter.
Regards
T