The Cleveland ArAdhanA and Festival 2015

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2015, 18:59

The festival of music festivals, The Cleveland ArAdhanA and Festival starts tomorrow!

Fortunate are those who can be there in Cleveland even for a few days to savor the fruits of the gigantic efforts of the committee and community. Thanks to the streaming by ICarnatic, many of us will be able to catch many hours of it. Even those in India and in other distant lands have become attached to it. Not that there aren't other festivals. The history of how rasikAs can make the impossible happen, all for their love of music--is the gist of this particular festival.

As many life stories in this land go, "from a day's happening in a basement of a house to a huge festival happening for days on end in spacious halls"...that's the story of the Cleveland ArAdhanA which makes musical history.

May the gods grant another wonderful festival this year, so that the organizers can feel fulfilled, and rasikAs get filled with good music...

The other achievement of the festival of course is the story of the torch bearers. What a long way we have come--instilling the love for CM in the coming generations! That to us is the most precious part of the Cleveland phenomenon.

I do hope some of the youngsters and other rasikAs who are at the festival and those who see the streaming take part in commenting on the twelve day festival here at Rasikas.org. Also the musicians who are members, however busy they naturally are going to be.

And photographs please, your best from your phones. Hoping for more from ace photographers like Minaakshi and others...

As for me, I'm looking forward to as many hours of streaming as I can catch. God bless technology...

The count is on. The festival begins--tomorrow

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 31 Mar 2015, 20:09

I second Arasi's sentiments and compliments. Live streaming by iCarnatic is indeed a boon to home bound oldies like me. When I lived in upstate New York, I used to drive to Cleveland to enjoy the festival. Now living in central Florida, I could neither drive all the way there nor would my health permit to fly and stay there for several days. I do look forward to a very lively and pleasant festival that we can enjoy from afar. Best wishes to the organizers.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2015, 07:43

Sundararajan,
Thanks for joining the 'attendees' through the magic of technology.Hope you will add your comments here.

Another reason for us to be in the cheering line: Lakshman is being honored this year at the festival as SevA maNi

And a special member, star of a vidvAn, M.A.Easwaran is being feted too! Personally, I can't thank him enough for playing in Suryaprakash's recent CD of my songs

VKV will very much be there, bless him.

Meenaakshi will capture all our members who attend I hope, and gift us with her candid shots...

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 01 Apr 2015, 08:25

Arasi: Counting on you for the ringside view and reviews of the webcast! Unforunately, I am entering another busy phase at work and I don't think I will be able to catch any of the proceedings

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 Apr 2015, 08:36

Last year it was arasi who wrote 90% of the posts , hope more people share her load this year. In general would love to hear live reports where people attend concerts just like what mahavishnu did in CA and VK did in IL in their recent posts and post in seperate threads.Best wishes to aradhana team and participants.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 01 Apr 2015, 15:27

Last year it was arasi who wrote 90% of the posts

And she wasn't even there!

But I am sure she will be attending to the webcast again this year.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2015, 18:45

I will, Nick, but how much of it, I don't know, getting 'younger' every year!

Mahavishnu,
I do hope several others join in this year to take up the commentary.

Rajesh,
You are right. The past few years, the thread was filled with about 90% of my covering the events. You are right. While the concerts can be mentioned here, the ones fully attended by rasikAs can be written about separately in the Reviews Section.

So, rasikAs, young and not so young and musicians, please bring your impressions about the festival and photographs here, please!

Sundararajan,
Please chime in, whenever you can...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2015, 05:12

The festival started with the concerts of the day, no time wasted on inaugural speech and such which some other festivals find essential

Murugabhoopathy was already seen tuning his mrudanagam as we saw the stage on screen. Nagai Sriram and Khanjira Gopalakrishnan joined him. Manimaran was about, adjusting the sound (Multi media is recording and showing the festival in India this year too, I guess).

V. Sankaranarayanan, the first performer of the day came on stage. I have been keen on hearing him as usual--more so because I could not listen to a full concert of his this season due to personal commitments

I do not know how it was in the hall, but the streaming was barely audible initially. The signalling by artistes on the stage meant that the hall had some problem too. The very first hour it was, and the sound folks were busy getting things ticking, I guess.

Anyhow, I settled down to a low sound.

karuNai seivAi gaja mukhA was the first kruti after a brief slOkam. Hamsadhvani, PApanAsam Sivan's.
A hearty panthuvarALi AlApanA followed. ennagAnu rAma bhajana. Neraval at prEma mIra.

AbhOgi rAGA followed. Sri lakshmi varAham was nice to hear.

A leisurely sankarAbharaNam AlApanA and enduku peddala with neraval at vEda shAstra tatvArthamulu.His neraval was very good.

A sivaranjani gIta gOvindam was the finale.

I was glad I could hear Sankaranarayanan's whole concert this time!

Murugabhupathi and Goplakrishnan gave a very pleasing tani.

Nagai Sriram could have played a little more it seemed, but folks, my hearing and the sound system might have played a trick.

When Sundaram spoke, I could hardly hear a word

Streaming problem?

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 02 Apr 2015, 06:11

The 15th Ashtapati was samuditha madanE ramaNi vadanE. It is listed as in sAvEri in the books; but I was not sure.

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 02 Apr 2015, 06:18

Next Madurai Sundar started with a slokam Anandamayam dEvam and followed with PattaNam's panthuvarALi varNam.
Usual vAthApi gaNapathim followed.
After a brief AlApana in kAmbodhi presented Rathnakanjudhri of HMB that was new to me.
Sethamma mAyamma in Vasanta
A short RTP in ShanmukapriyA. The pallavi lines were: vA vElavA mayUramathilE vA vA unathu padam paNivOr payanadaiya
Finished with kANa vEndum laksham kkaNgaL in Surati.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2015, 07:34

Thanks Sundararajan for taking time to post about the concerts. Hope you are listening to the Malladi Bros now

Waiting for Maduraimini and others in our 'being young by listening music' set and of course all others who will share their experience with us.

Heard Madurai Sundar who surely seemed like he had a cold, but gave a very good account of himself. As VVS pointed out, he is scholarly and is a true student of his guru TNS but he also has his own stamp. He also grew up around and had been taught by his aunt Ananthalakshmi Sadagopan as he was growing up.

I had heard him for the first time when he was at college, and over the past twenty years during the season, of course. Another serious musician in our extended family. He had a sweet singing voice and still has it, but it has deepened and has gained more depth and bhAvam over the years. For instance, in the gambhIramAna kAmbOdhi of HMB he sang, the neraval' sundarAnga vihAriNi, indu shekhara harikEsa' was very emotive.

His quick but quintessential pallavi in ShaNmukhapriyA with the beautiful lines vA vElavA mayUramadilE, Va vA un pAdam paNibavar payanaDaiya--vA vElavA.

He sang that vasantha, sadA enna hrudayadalli in BehAg, and with suraTi (kAna vENum latcham kaNgaL) he finished the concert. In a way, he remembered perhaps another musician in the family whose centenary it is this year (Prof.V.V. Sadagopan) who popularized the song by cutting a record in the forties!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2015, 18:45

It was good to hear nearly all of the Malladis concert.

Nice of Sundararajan to write a review on it (as Rajesh 'commanded'--write individual reviews

).
Hope we get more individual reviews from Cleveland, at least for the major concerts...

When I switched on, Embar Kannan was playing sAvEri. Then, Malladis sang my favorite sAvEri kruti of T, daridApu lEka vEDithE--neraval at valaci padamula nammitE, and svarams at the end of the song. I used to be dumb enough (getting better?) to look upon svarAs-singing mostly as a pleasant exercise, display of one's ability to showcase a rAgA and further decorate a song. When I started paying attention to it, it struck me some years ago that an expert in the craft can bring a lot of rAga bhAvA too into it. It does not strike me often, but it happened with their svarA singing with sAvEri. A short but pleasant experience.

Then came balahamsA--another rAgA the beauty of which I hadn't realized until a few years ago. The rAga was enchantingly sung, with its folk music touches (experts, chide me if I'm wrong).

The sahAnA was good, but I would have preferred a bit more lingering on with the rAgA. Then a phalamanjari, something of a stranger to me still.

Come dhanyAsi, I was ready for an RTP (why not?). It did not turn out to be so, but the neraval 'guruvE' brought nEdunUrigAru to focus.

iCarnatic,
VVS said some very nice things about the vidvAns, but we can barely hear what he says! Considering the fact that golden years viewers make up most of the audience, please avail us of increased volume. From the sound of it (ha!), we did miss some precious anecdote about gAru it seemed

(Sorry, I meant to type this para at the end,and yes, he spoke at the end as always).

The tani was very good. Neyveli narayanan and papanasam Sethuraman gave us a lively one. Laya
folks can jump in. I can also run this by you. I have heard NN enough times to say I like his playing, but why did I hear the rest of his playing before that as if I was hearing a tablAchi? Higher tuned? How do you say it? Or, was it the mic or was it heard so in the streaming? Mahavishnu et al, please educate...

kApi parama dayAlO, hamIr kalyANi muthyAla, another tyAgarAja one (no AnnamAchAryA this time, or was one sung at the beginning?)

No RTP, and for me, that does not make a perfect concert when it comes to front line musicians (a mere matter of taste, of course). So, a precis though it was, Madurai Sundar's RTP did make the evening of three concerts complete

However, the brothers made up for it by singing a lovely mangalam composed (by whom?) for honoring their guru. NEdunUrigAru is proud of his desciples, no doubt...

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 02 Apr 2015, 20:51

The tani was very good. Neyveli narayanan and papanasam Sethuraman gave us a lively one. Laya
folks can jump in. I can also run this by you. I have heard NN enough times to say I like his playing, but why did I hear the rest of his playing before that as if I was hearing a tablAchi? Higher tuned? How do you say it? Or, was it the mic or was it heard so in the streaming? Mahavishnu et al, please educate...

Arasi: Not sure about what you mean. But here is a hypothesis (an oversimplified one at that). Artistes that play for a G sruti or higher (and have a good bass to the thoppi) can sound more tabla-esque, especially when they accompany tukda pieces. So, perhaps you heard NN with Sowmya in the past? He frequently accompanies her.

However, NN's style is very much classic ThanjAvUr. If you heard a tabla accent when he accompanied the Malladis, it was probably due to the mixing. His UKS-style arrai chapu along would be sufficient to distinguish his unique nAdham.

Folks like Patri and several Andhra mridangists have deliberately borrowed tabla elements in their playing (and not merely reflecting gumki usage), but that is another topic.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2015, 21:18

Ramesh,
How simple can you get for this simpleton in laya

You are so right about my hearing him mostly for Sowmya, and a few times for others, and the Malladis once. And no, thissound was more so in the first part of the concert. So, mixing it was, perhaps. Also, do they tune their mrudangams slightly differently to cope with the cold weather? This could be a dumb question

Yes, whenever I heard him, he sounded classy, whatever I mean by that!

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 02 Apr 2015, 23:53

It appears that Abhishek Raghuram"s concert this evening WILL NOT be web cast, as per the artist's wish !

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 01:44

I was looking forward to it

Day Two of the festival started with honoring MSG. I heard Purna Prajna Bangeri of MO playing the violin. His hamsadhvani spoke og his pUrna pragnya (full awareness) of the MSG school. He sounded very good with his vAtApi. I have no idea about him. Is he Dr. Narmada's student? A very good Ranjani rAgA followed, but I had to go out of the house leaving my maDik kuzandai (lap top baby), so missed the rest of his playing. Did others hear the full concert?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 03 Apr 2015, 01:49

>maDik kuzandai

Loved it!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 06:07

Advanced Pallavi Competition Winner
..............................................

Ashwin Srikanth, the winner of the competition gave a concert earlier today. What an agreeable voice, I thought as he began his concert.

HMB's 'siddhi vinAyakam' in mOhan kalyANi was the opener. his glide from sAhityA to cittasvaram was very pleasing. A pleasing voice, bhAvam to it.

Then came his RTP, in varamu. He sang the rAgam with bhAvam, and Trivandrum Sridhar whom I haven't heard before, played so well, making it all even better (I have heard the other Sridhar--from Chennai?). The tAnam was as good too. Then came his announcement: my guru Charumathi Ramachandran composed this pallavi which we present now. It's in Nandi tALA. The pallavi line is:
'nandi vAhana SivanE, naTarAjanE'.

An aside...Harimau, I hope you don't take umbrage because the pallavi wasn't in kAmbOdhi or Bhairavi. In the still lingering winter (when spring should be here), the rAgA was a varamu (a boon), was like the cuckoo's sound (spring cuckoo, make a note) and I was thankful. Yes, kAmbOdi and bhairavi are like thayir sAdam and kIraik kuzambu for folks like me, Tinnaveliyans, but why not dust up a few rAgAs, polish them up and display them here and there, a kind of stock taking and discovering?

Back to the concert, with TVM Sridhar's support and his fellow TVM-er Balaji's playing along and then tani, Ashwin brought the rAgA alive. Kudos to his guru.

Radha SamEtA krishNA put a GNB stamp on it and all were happy. As I find it these days, the NA kids are almost perfect in their pronouncing words in a song. Even better than some of their indian counterparts. Only the word 'SObhita' was sung as sHObhita. Other than that, full marks for Ashwin.

Charumathi's vidvat and creativity cannot be questioned. VVS emphasized it by some examples. Thanks to iCarnatic, we can hear him well on the streaming now. Years ago, he was driving her from Cleveland to Chicago for a concert, with Ramnad Raghavan on board. He was mentioning a tough pallavi (even for stalwarts like Lalgudi and PM?), and she wanted to know what it was. She wanted to hear about it again, and again. Then there was a silence. She was internalizing it, because that was the pallavi she took up for that concert!

Then the story about hr guru MLV's Sangeetha Kalanidhi concert. Charumathi at some point picked up the pallvai and sang it in trikAlam. The story is that MLV told her later that she saved the day! Not surprising, knowing MLV's generosity...

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 03 Apr 2015, 06:43

I was late subscribing to the Aradhana and I missed the first day. Also, my computer went on strike and I could not see anything. I could see only the afternoon Hindustani concert. I was very disappointed I could not hear Abhishek. I will try to see as much as I can- But with the computer problems and my schedule, don't know how much I will get to see.
I always look forward to the Cleveland Aradhana, where they bring good artists for us and the competitions where we hear the wonderful talents of the younger generation, who are raised here in the U.S. Looks like the youngsters are getting smarter every year. Like Arasi points out even their pronounciation are good- I will say better than some of the Tv hosts I have seen on Indian TV. Nice to see that the Carnatic Music Idol winners have a chance to show off their talent as a budding artist s here.
Thanks to the Aradhana committee for bringing us this Carnatic Songfest for us. If we don't have the Aradhana, where can we hear so many seasoned vidwans and budding artists in one place? Also, for older people like me, who cannot go there to Cleveland, we can sit home and see all the festivities from our home. I wish more success to the Cleveland Aradhana Group.

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 03 Apr 2015, 07:02

Abhishek-Akkarai-Anantha-Chandrashekara Sharma

Ninnu kori (mohanam), Merusamana, Mundu venuka, Sangeetha gnanamu, Sadinchene, Balamu kulamu (Saveri), Sattaleni..

Thodi alapana in progress...

highlight so far: MMG kalpana swarams at galamuna shobhillu

first time live reporting

(thanks CSU's free wifi!)

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 07:13

Thanks venkatpv. Good to hear from you and to get a taste of the concert we cannot hear/watch in streaming

mEru samAna too...Wonder what the RTP is going to be...

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 03 Apr 2015, 07:15

bizarrely ended thodi with a grahabhedam to S'bharanam without coming back to Thodi. wonder if this has been done before?

also ended arabhi alapana at Ri. very unusual, i thought.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 07:19

Had there been an ottu, the shaDjam would have been played, I suppose!

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 03 Apr 2015, 08:47

Kaddanuvariki. N,S at paddu tappaka... sadly had to leave during the thani. (hunger beckoned)

it's astonishing that the whole concert was all speed and dazzle and high-octane. all very difficult and no doubt requiring many years of practice. some restraint wouldn't be unwelcome, though.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 08:57

Hope you had a good dinner!

Read recently that one of his concerts in Bengaluru (?) was low key. Wanted to know how it was going to be this time. Thanks for the list.

What was for RTP?

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 03 Apr 2015, 10:08

Thanks Arasi for the review of Ashwin's concert. Some of you know that he is Sydney boy before his family moved to California.

Interested in knowing the structure of the tala for his Pallavi.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 18:51

Mohan,
Didn't know that! Anyhow, glad to see your post after a spell. Was he your student too?

I forgot to mention another thing. He seemed very well mannered too.

Shame on me. My laya gnAnam (or lack of it) is indeed a

Perhaps Ashwin or someone who was there can elaborate on that?

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 03 Apr 2015, 20:44

Listening to the competition. Missed the Nadaswaram. The youngsters are doing good- ready for the challenge. The judges ask them difficult (for me!) questions, but they are not fazed and answer them. Some of them seem to have cold and sore throat, because of the cold weather. I feel so good seeing the youngsters doing so well.

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 03 Apr 2015, 21:19

Maduraimini: I am sure you are aware that whatever you missed or whatever you want an encore of, you can watch in the "on demand" site till the end of the month.
You didn't miss the Nadaswaram; Nadaswaram and kolattam etc are only at 4:40 to 5:15 p.m. today, Friday.

ekrishnaprakash · Post by **ekrishnaprakash** » 03 Apr 2015, 22:46

I am also listening to the competition from India. The quality of the webcast is great and it is heartening to see the quality of the presentations by the participants. Kudos. Lot of questions and on-the-spot improvisations asked by the judges have been dealt with aplomb by most of the participants.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 22:54

Yes, M&M, you didn't miss the nAdasvaram when Sri TyAgarAjA's portrait is brought in a procession to the hall, kOlATTam happening in the foyer. Young Sahana Samraj who impressed me no end last year is singing for it, I see.

Then two S-es (Aces?) Sonal Mansingh and Sowmya

A very good evening ahead...

The children are doing very well this year, as usual, thanks to their efforts and support of parents, grandparents and friends--not forgetting their gurus, certainly. Besides, they are the torchbearers of tomorrow. Even if some of them don't get down to it with other things demanding their time in the future, we still have a crop of new rasikAs who may also encourage their children to learn CM! But for a few pushy parents, it's delightful to see the children focus on CM so intently, which is seen in their presentations.

iCarnatic,
How nice it will be, if you can put under the screen the names of artistes! That will make us remember them better. I know, it's not easy to get to it several times a day, but please do try. Thanks!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2015, 22:57

ekrishnaprakash,
I was just wondering how comparable ours are to the competitions held in India, and I get the answer pronto from you!

icarnatic · Post by **icarnatic** » 04 Apr 2015, 00:21

Dear Rasikas,

thanks for your support. Glad you are able to join the festival via iCarnatic. Noted your comments about audio. We will try our level best to make sure you hear Sri. Sundaram as well.

Regards

Team iCarnatic

icarnatic · Post by **icarnatic** » 04 Apr 2015, 00:39

arasi wrote:
iCarnatic,
How nice it will be, if you can put under the screen the names of artistes! That will make us remember them better. I know, it's not easy to get to it several times a day, but please do try. Thanks!

Hello Arasi,

Great suggestion. As you know, iCarnatic is run by few volunteers. If any one of us make any inadvertent mistake, you know how the reaction would be

Thanks for your and all the rasikas for your support.

Team iCarnatic

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 04 Apr 2015, 02:06

arasi wrote:Mohan,
Was he your student too? I forgot to mention another thing. He seemed very well mannered too.

Shame on me. My laya gnAnam (or lack of it) is indeed a Perhaps Ashwin or someone who was there can elaborate on that?

Arasi - Yes, Ashwin learnt from me for about 5 years as a kid. I'll check with him about the pallavi tala!

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 03:21

I am old and hence may be old fashioned. It is my humble opinion that such TahamashAs as the current jazz festival do not belong in a festival named as Thyagaraja Aradhana. Why not call it as Indo American Jazz festival instead ?! Was it really Mohanam?

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 03:52

The Sankarabaranam piece chorus has been choreographed and presented well despite the orchestral interruption . Rajesh did a good job on Mandolin. So did the violinist Raghvendra Rao. AndOLika RTP is also somewhat enjoyable, but I could not make out the pallavi line.

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 04 Apr 2015, 04:30

I was a little hesitant about the Jazz festival, but was relieved to see it. This is the first time I am hearing the Marimba with CM. But Prof Stone and his team did well. It was nice to hear Thyagaraja's 'Swara Raga Sudha' after a long time. Andolika was good, but I didn't catch the words. It is hard to hear them talk- I can hear them sing, but the tallk seems to be in very low tone. I could hear Vidushi Sudha Raghunathan and I guess it was Vidwan Sri Shashikiran who spoke. The mandolin by Rajesh and percussions were good. It was very interesting to hear Thyagaraja kritis with the jazz. I liked Sikkil Gurucharan and Anil Srinivasan on the piano and liked it. This is more- a whole ensemble. But was very enjoyable.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 04 Apr 2015, 05:13

The kOlaTTam like last year was colorful and tuneful, bringing our childhood days back! the girls all looked lovely and seemed to enjoy themselves.

Then the kolAhalam!
I was hoping to concentrate on the scene and the sounds. The entrance of the nAdasvara vidvAns was nice to see and hear as they entered, but it seemed to me that even the pipe sound got drowned in all the talking, sankeerthanam singing their bits. The entrance into the hall for tyAgarAjA would have been more beautiful with just the mangala iSai without the din. Then again, we are going to hear the Meignanam bros in concert. So, no complaints...

Sundararajan,
I am more like maduraimini in that many forms of music appeal to me. I had my share of disappointment too during the earlier part of the program. Last year, the CSU jazz ensmble and the CM group pulled off a super program. This year (was it lack of enough practice time together?), it doddered along a bit in the beginning.

Was it the prima donna effect? Last year, equals occupied the stage it seemed (of course, none of them are Sangeetha Kalanidhis or Padma Bhushans!). Sudha R is of course sportive and enthusiastic and is very keen on being part of the Cleveland scene.Still, a star of her magnitude stands out.

My own view is that the meshing between the music group was just right last year. No dilly dallying, no well, prima donna there. Gayathri V did so well then (even with the little that she sang was good today). The children were more involved, and Shashikiran conducted the whole thing admirably. It was something to watch, from beginning to the end.

Well, once the sindhubhairavi bit came, things settled down this afternoon. Again, though billed, Ganesh didn't play the chitravina this year too, but Rajesh did a great job--a fitting tribute to his brother. Raghavenra Rao was very good too. Vaidyanathan and crew were as good as they can be, but were not given time to show more of their prowess. The CSU ensemble was as keen, caring and was keener on making it all a worthwhile concert. The falsetto voice singing of Sri Professor percussionist was a surprise element. We know his zeal and capacity with many percussion instruments. Was it a visiting professor who was a new addition? He played a small african percussion instrument we could hardly see.

The program got better and better as it reached AndOLikA, but I had to go away from my computer...

I really like this concept, more so because it's a true expression of the relationship between the university in a city (Clevelandwhich even declared a Tyagaraja week some years ago), a venue where in its spacious halls, the festival has gone on for years. And, our children grow up in a country which also has its musical culture--of classical music, jazz and so on.

SankarAbharaNam is always a good choice because it's the ghat of the confluence of both classical systems...

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 05:31

I am not against experimentation in carnatic music, fusion, jazz etc., but not in a Thyagaraja Aradhana. What next, Rolling Stone's Pop music + Thyagaraja composition ? Imagine such a confluence in Thiruvayaru on BahuLa Panchmi day ! That's my feeling. Tastes do differ, I agree. I too did like the SankarabaraNam and AndOLika pieces; but the Mohanam item was butchered !

I note that you were unable to complete you sentence, Arasi. I hope it was a only compute problem.

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 04 Apr 2015, 05:47

I must have missed fellow Floridian Madhu Chandrasekhar's Namasankeerthanam today. Can anyone who saw that tell me how it was. I have seen and heard Sri Chandrasekharan teach and sing Bhajans with local Indian children and it was very good. I have not heard his Namasankeerthanam. I am sure it was very good. Hope to hear that in the end. He works hard to bring the concerts to Miami.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 04 Apr 2015, 08:24

arasi wrote:Mohan,
Was he your student too? I forgot to mention another thing. He seemed very well mannered too.

Shame on me. My laya gnAnam (or lack of it) is indeed a Perhaps Ashwin or someone who was there can elaborate on that?

mohan wrote: Arasi - Yes, Ashwin learnt from me for about 5 years as a kid. I'll check with him about the pallavi tala!

Mohan,
Congratulations that your student is selected as pallavi winner and had a chance to sing in an exclusive slot. Can i also assume he learnt from both mohan and sangeetha ayyar.Ashwin's first guru Mohan was born in africa , having learnt in australia and then gives a performance in america, truly a global vidwan. How old is Ashwin?

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 08:46

SOWMYA-Vocal, Narmada-violin, Mridanam- Ewaran,Chandraseara Sharma-Ghatam

The program started quite late at 9:05 p.m. instead of the scheduled time of 7:30 p.m.
As a result I had to be up past my curfew time to watch the program till the end !
Well worth it and enjoyed the presentation. Good team work. Rarely Sowmya has disappointed me.

1. ViribOni-Bhiravi varNam
2.Etu nammina O manasA-sAvEri-pattaNam's-A,S
3.Chani ThOdi-HarikAmbOdhi-T's-N,S
4.kAnthimathi-kalyANi
5.HusEni AlpanA & violin return 7 + 4 min
enna puNNiyam seithEnO-sivanAma YOgi's
6.BhogIndra sAyinAm-kunthalavarALI-Swathi's
7. Main; SankarAbharaNam-AlApana & Violin return: 13+ 9 min
SundarEswaruni jUci-one of Thyagaraja's KOVUR pancharatnam (first time for me) A,S 10 min
Thani- 8 min
8. OsOsi- mukhAri-KshEtragna
9. Nee mAtalE mAyanUra-Poorvi kalyAni- T.PattabirAmayy
10.Ramachandra Prabho-Hindi Bajan in Sindubhairavi- Swathi's ?
11. PavamAna-sowrAshtram mangaLam

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 04 Apr 2015, 09:33

Sundararajan,

Night owl as I am, I didn't have to make an extra effort. I am glad you stayed awake till the end.

Yes, a superb concert, the finesse in Sowmya's execution of every line, phrase was so appealing. Her mulling each note with precision translated into joy for the listeners. I did not leave my seat. The music came, every song chiseled to bring its beauty out. Many rAgA sketches, but each worth listening to. In elaboration, her husEni haunting, eTu namminA a treat after a lapse of how many years for me, HarikAmbOdi, always my favored rAgA, kAnthimathi a super KalyAni, that husEni AlApanA a treasure, SundarEsvaruni jUci a find, OsOsi and nI mAtalE inimitable, and what more can I say, except 'thank you Sowmya'!

As VVS remarked, I was wondering and was curious too as to how the two Drs would gel, both from two different gharAnAs as it were. The MSG kid, the erudite doctor played so well for the other doctor, indeed.

The more I hear MAE, the more I admire him, this tALA impaired rasikA.His presence on stage is nothing but encouraging for the artistes as well--and his playing!

The young ghaTam artiste Chandrasekhara Sarma sounded very good.

A concert to treasure for me. Waiting to hear it again when iCarnatic brings the concerts to us again after a few weeks, to hear them on demand.

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 18:01

Saturday morning; Joined late. 8:30 a.m.Very good Neelambari by the Nagaswaram artists
9:25 a.m. Pancharatna singing is about to start. I could recognize all in the front row except the lady between the roof top jasmine garden and Sowmya.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 04 Apr 2015, 18:24

Missed it, but look forward to their concert.

Now, the children singing bhajans, so many tiny tots, and the mazalai (very young saying/singing of words) sounds sweet...

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 04 Apr 2015, 18:56

Aradhanai about to begin !

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 19:02

Ramani seems to have some difficulty. Luckily his son Thyagarajan is providing support.

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 19:12

No sound relay ? I Couldn,t HEAR anything.

Sundara Rajan · Post by **Sundara Rajan** » 04 Apr 2015, 19:15

Is that just me or others too ?