Injikudi EM Subramanian@Parivadini, Dec 1,2016

[sankark]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SF9ZfomvLg

To my knowledge, first ever time listening to Nadaswaram with Violin + Mridangam + Ghatam

What a kIravAni with dEvi nIyE tuNai. Nadaswarathukkunne undana ragamo?

[CRama]

Injikudi has presented many concerts with Violin Mridangam. This concert was very good with an elaborate Karnaranjini, Keeravani and his USP Hindustani ragam Madhuvanthi.

[Nick H]

Had to watch this one on youtube due to weather.

A delight.

sankark, I'm surprised this is your first time: must be my third, at least. I'm sorry to say that nadaswaram and thavil, at least indoors, is not my favourite music, but the softness of Injikudi's play, and the violin/mridangam accompaniment makes it accessible for me. More than accessible: really wonderful!

[parivadini]

This is the fourth time we have featured Shri. Injikudi with violin and mridangam (in the four times we have conducted a music series). All the concerts are available in our youtube channel.

[sankark]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClaVobG1bK8 from 2015

[parivadini]

2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GWizyL9XZU

2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67J82alXyA

[sankark]

I'm sorry to say that nadaswaram and thavil, at least indoors, is not my favourite music,

Outdoors, outdoors that's where they work their magic. Recently heard a super nadaswaram thavil performance in a temple in open air atmosphere. What an intoxicating auditory experience!

I easily imagine an unamplified performance in NGS or MA main halls.

[CRama]

There will be a Nadaswaram festival in KGS- Pongal Nadaswara vizha. featuring famous Nadaswaram-Tavil combos. After KGS, there will be one such festival in Sivagami Pethachi Hall under the aegis of Brahma Gana Sabha.

[rajeshnat]

Injikudi Subramanian@ParivAdhini On Dec 02nd,2016
-----------------------------------------------
Nagaswaram: Injikudi Subramanian
Violin : Dr Hemalatha
Mrudangam : J Vaidyanathan
Krishna : Ghatam
Concert Type : Nirvana - no concert to follow
Day/Duration : Thursday 2 hours and 25 mins

Hall : ragasudha hall
Sabha : Parivadhini


1. shree pathe (R,S)- nagaswarAli - T
6 mins alapana and 4 mins violin return
7 mins swaras
2. maravAiri ramini - nAsikAbhooshani - T

3. vanchathonuna(R) - karnaranjani - HMB
14 mins alapana
4. mandAri ???

5. devi neeye thunai (R S T) - keeravani - Psivan
6. kanda nAAL mudhalAi (R) - madhuvanti - NS Chidambaram
6 mins alapana

[rajeshnat]

Injikudi nAgaswaram of Parivadhini feature is becoming a fairly regular occurence for parivAdhini yearly series.With injikudi usually pairing with mrudangam instead of tavil, to an extent the little overdose of sound from tavil is kind of mitigated.

Pluses of concert
-----------------
1. The keeravani was really the best . Keeravani and nagaswaram blend beautifully and with one of the finest krithis - devi neeye thunai , i really enjoyed it that too with the arresting start of this sivan masterpiece.

2. nadaswaram transforms to shenai and with a lovely alapana , the haunting madhuvanti with the skr popularized kanda naal mudhalai was surely a top pick. This was a ustad bismillah khan drop.

3. The nAsikabhhooshani (I am assuming maravairi was played) was played well .

Injikudi does adequate fingering for almost all of the krithis so the raga bhava gamakams are fairly intact

Minues of COncert
---------------
1. I was lost with the little meandering and possibly little excess repetition in karnaranjani(I am assuming the popular hmb krithi was played) . May be there is scope or may be there is not much scope for karnaranjani for an elaborate alapana elaboration. I did not like it that much.

2. NAgaswaram will have more aural brownie points if the artist possibly decide to blow with more power and may be lift the nagaswaram by taking it round and round . But injikudi style is to almost keep it rested and play more like shenai . I usually expect the little anthakalathu extraordinary raga bhavam elaborations where I come out with a feeling that nadaswaram has produced some magic that a human voice has not produced yet . Unfortunately i did not get that feeling

Dr Hemalatha has lovely shruthi suddham and her play was very balanced . Both JV and Krishna played with lot of controlled aggression and they did pep the concert .

Overall a very good concert for 2 hours and 25 minutes.

[parivadini]

fourth one was indeed a super fast ninne jeppa karana in mandari. It is interesting how opinions can vary. I personally thought Karnaranjani was the most enjoyable piece of the concert. The raga seemed to rule over the artist, arresting him and never allowing him to finish. Even the sangatis that may have sounded repetitive to your ears seemed to glow (at least to my ears) in brighter sheen as he kept traversing the raga-scape.

Lalitharam

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Outdoors, outdoors that's where they work their magic. Recently heard a super nadaswaram thavil performance in a temple in open air atmosphere. What an intoxicating auditory experience!

I easily imagine an unamplified performance in NGS or MA main halls.

Nagaswaram music with Violin and Mridangam accompaniment of course falls sweet on ears but takes away much of its originality and robs of its scope because of 'Adakkivaasitthal'.

The instrument is supposed to be played in gay abandon. Vaadyattha 'Sutru Sutri vaasickanaum' - Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer put it thus while speaking at a function in memory of Tiruvengadu Subramania Pillai several years ago in Chennai. 'Aakaayattha paartthum vaasickanum' (for higher octaves) he added jokingly. All these techniques are necessary to bring out what is expected of the melam. TNR just experimented with violin and mridangam but never advocated it. And nothing like the wooden box for Sruti, leave alone the extinct 'Otthu', he pointed out amid roaring laughter from the seniors! (I was young then) (IIRC, composer Ilayaraja also spoke at the function endorsing the Pitaamaha's views.)

I ventured to discuss the issue (may be a non-issue!) with Injikudi himself last year (after a friendly meet at Nageswaran sir's house in Mambalam) taking advantage of my humble friendship with him; but the modest Vidwan in him said he would not be against the combination if the rasikas asked for it. But let us not make it a practice!

[parivadini]

Sivaramakrishnan - There is more to it than what meets the eye. While Nagaswaram artists are open to perform with local violin and mridangam artists they are keen on performing with "their set" only as far as othu and thavil are concerned. An entire set including second nayanam, two thavils and a talam from a town distant from Chennai is a logistical and financial challenge for an organiser (In our limited experience we have once featured Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman with his set and Thirumeignanam brothers with their set). In Parivadini, we wanted to do an exclusive Nagaswara, series. It turns out that we have to more than double our budget and other resources to make this happen. If the rasikas who long for hearing Injikudi with the usual mangala vaadyam accompaniments come out to sponsor for the event, I will be happy to feature it that way in our series next year.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Your points well taken, parivadini.