Ramakrishnan Murthy, Seshadripuram Rama Seva Samithi, Bengaluru, 01, Apr, 2015

[prahalad_rag]

Ramakrishnan Murthy - Vocal
Charumathi Raghuraman - Violin
Patri Satish Kumar - Mridanga
Giridhar Udupa - Ghata

Song List:

1. Viriboni - Bhairavi - Ata tala varna
2. Samaja varada - Shuddha Saveri (S)
3. Budhamashrayami - Nattakurinji
4. Dachukovalena - Todi (A,N,S,T)
5. Rama naama payasakke - Anandabhairavi
6. RTP - Begada, Tanamalika. Pallavi and swaras in ragamalika as well (Begada, Gowla, Shahana, Shanmukhapriya, Surutti may have missed one or two. There was a flood!)
Pallavi line - Lokavana chatura maam pahi in chaturashra triputa 2 kalai.
7. Tani (Yes, second)
8. Rangapura vihara - Brindavana Saranga
9. Shloka in ragamalika followed by Venkatachala nilayam - Sindhu Bhairavi
10. Tillana and Mangalam

Detailed report later. But brains were blown away! Years later I can gloat saying "I was there!".

[mahavishnu]

Sounds like a dream team! Is there any chance of a recording?

[arvenky]

Wah !! Impressive list. Last year same team ( K V Prasad was on Mridangam) gave a stupendous concert there.

[badari]

Me too..I was there.. Not regretting anything I missed elsewhere in the flood of rAmanavami concerts.

I was blown away by the rAgamAlika in tAnam and last set of swaras in pallavi.

[prahalad_rag]

Detailed report:

RKM has transitioned to greatness and keeps improving all the time. It is good to seem him draw big crowds wherever he sings.

After micasura put his mandatory attendance, RKM started off with a few snatches of Bhairavi, immediately bringing back memories of last year's concert at Vani Kala Kendra where he hit first ball sixer with Upacharamu jesava. But here he chose a forward straight bat defence with Viriboni. Pallavi and anupallavi were sung in single speed. Charana and ettugade swaras were in two speeds with a not often heard ettugade swara phase before the last one.

KVN was perhaps honored on his death anniversary with Samaja varada (it was KVN's guru who popularized it, correct?). Brilliant swaras, matched expertly on the violin was very refreshing.

Dikshitar's navagraha krithi was aptly sung on a Wednesday. No embellishment, but I thought he forgot lyrics in the charana and smartly did not repeat the line.

Todi came in next; saw, conquered us all and left! Brilliant alapana, violin return, neraval and swara prasthara. It went along the time tested sangathis but it is Todi! One can listen to it for hours. What was exceptional was RKM's sense of proportion. Just when you were hoping that he sings a little bit more, he used to finish. It is easy to get carried away and singing long alapana and neraval but RKM showed restraint. Krithi rendition was fabulous too with lot of bhava.

It was also good to see Tani played out in the first half of the concert itself. It came in barely after an hour into the concert. It was played out superbly on both mridanga and ghata for a tricky tala.

After a quick filler in Anandabhairavi came the pièce de résistance of the concert! Begada alapana in 2 phases, first with an outline and then exploring the raga bringing forth the entire gamut was a real treat. This was followed by a fabulous tana which he sang in different ragas, switching between them so effortlessly. I can't even THINK so fast let alone sing them. And then to remember the sequence and traverse back in reverse, all while sitting on stage is no mean feat. I am pretty sure it was not rehearsed as there was a breif exchange between RKM and Charumathi when she perhaps asked if she can play tana in another raga on her turn to which RKM whole heartedly gave consent.

Pallavi was simply presented in sama edupu. No trikalam was done. But the swaras in the same ragas that the tana was presented in and then traversing them back in reverse for the final crescendo was simply exhilarating.

Opportunity for a second tani was provided, this time for adi tala and both excelled in it, although I felt it could have been a little shorter giving time for the vocalist to sing more.

Vote of thanks was short, crisp and read out from a prepared speech.

Rangapura vihara (audience request I think) was, like before, trance inducing. Ragamalika shloka, Venkatachala nilayam and a brisk thillana concluded a wonderful concert. I am an even bigger fan of RKM now!

[Rsachi]

RKM is my #1 singer and Begada #1 raga. Had to be away 40 km from Blr and missed it. Going to Vyalikaval today.

[pattamaa]

super !! seem to be concert of the year ! congrats RKM