Sikkil Gurucharan for Margazhi Maha Utsavam

[sureshvv]

Interesting theme!

Carnatic kritis from the movies.

1. Mokshamu galada from Swati tirunal
2. Panchanadeesa pahimam, poornachandrika from unnal mudiyum thambi
3. Jayantasena, Vennilavum vaanamum pola from kalyanam panniyum brahmachari
4. Ellaru maaduvadhu, sankarabharanam from kanakadasa
5. Brahma kadigina padamu, Mukhari from Annamayya
6. Pantuvarali, Amba manam kanindu from Sivakavi
7. Thani
8. Enadhu ullamey, Senjurutti
9. Aaduvomey pallu paaduvomey from naam iruvar
10. Nee matala mayanura, javali, from jing jang juk
11. Tillana dhanasree from swati tirunal

[HarishankarK]

Sivaji Ganesan sings Brova Barama in Kavarimaan, I think.
Kaalai thooki nindru song is mentioned several times in Sangamam tamil movie
Malayalam movies are full of carnatic songs - Paarukulle Nalla Naadu sung by Neyyantinkara in some movie
Thiruvengadu Jayaraman sand Arputha Leelaikale which is a movie song in Madhyamavati ragam

[sureshvv]

Sikkil G appeared to be quite a movie buff and even cited the scenes, the characters and the actors when presenting the songs.

The Jayantasena was absolutely spellbinding standing out from among its close peers (Suddha danyasi, suddha bangala, devamanohari etc.). The song (he pointed out that it was composed by Bharathidasan and sung by Radha Jayalakshmi) was even better. He mentioned that he learned it for this particular occasion.

Of course there was neraval and swaras and it was a full fledged carnatic concert. It was nice that he covered songs from other language movies also.

An immense talent with knowledge and an easy going way about sharing it.

[sureshvv]

Sivaji Ganesan sings Brova Barama in Kavarimaan, I think.

Not Sivaji. Mohan, malayalam actor, who was married to Lakshmi. ANd not sing (that was Jesudas). Lip sync

[rajeshnat]

Sivaji Ganesan sings Brova Barama in Kavarimaan, I think.

Not Sivaji. Mohan, malayalam actor, who was married to Lakshmi. ANd not sing (that was Jesudas). Lip sync

It was only sivaji in movies with KJ Yesudas singing the song . I just googled to find the youtube link. What a picturization with mrudangam and violin artists playing in sofa . Sivaji atleast had some vimochanam after paatum naane , but no one talked about this movie .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn3N_af6Hsg

[Rsachi]

Rajesh,
Thanks for the link. Beautiful picturisation and superb Sivaji! Wonder what brought the ensemble into the drawing room like that...
Did you notice Sivaji does namaskaram when singing Thyagaraja mudra first time?

[kvchellappa]

Why is creditfor song given to Panju Arunachalam?

[Vocalist]

Interesting theme!

Carnatic kritis from the movies.

1. Mokshamu galada from Swati tirunal
2. Panchanadeesa pahimam, poornachandrika from unnal mudiyum thambi
3. Jayantasena, Vennilavum vaanamum pola from kalyanam panniyum brahmachari
4. Ellaru maaduvadhu, sankarabharanam from kanakadasa
5. Brahma kadigina padamu, Mukhari from Annamayya
6. Pantuvarali, Amba manam kanindu from Sivakavi
7. Thani
8. Enadhu ullamey, Senjurutti
9. Aaduvomey pallu paaduvomey from naam iruvar
10. Nee matala mayanura, javali, from jing jang juk
11. Tillana dhanasree from swati tirunal

Thanks sureshvv! Was the violinist B. V. Raghavendra Rao? Also a bit confused about the movie name for #10? Also was any reference made to Jayalalitha? Was there a Q+A session?

This is a very impressive list - composers respectively are: Thyagaraja, Patnam, Bharathidasan, Kanakadasa, Annamacharya, Papanasam Sivan, Papanasam Sivan, Subramania Bharathiyar, Pattabhiramaya, and Swathi Thirunal.

It was a nice touch to add songs sung by M. S. Subbulakshmi (Ennadhu Ullame), D. K. Pattammal (Aaduvome Pallu), and Radha of RJ-duo (Vennilavum) - the latter composition which I understand was tuned by M. M. Dhandapani Desikar.

[sureshvv]

Yes. Accompanists were B.V.Raghavendra Rao, Bombay Balaji, and B.S.Purushottam?.

#10 was a recent movie with that title https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jil_Jung_Juk Apparently this song was in the movie. SG also gave a brief on the plot and the background for this song . Was quite amusing but don't recall much more.

There was a 1 minute silence as a tribute to Jayalalitha to start the program. Subhashree talked about her contribution to the arts and determination and achievements.

There was a Q/A session with some very interesting exchanges. SG was asked if he could give the full carnatic treatment for a movie song. He replied that it could be done for many songs as long as they were based on a single raga and adhered to the raga quite faithfully. As an example he mentioned a song in Kaanada from Sindhubhairavi, the movie. Another question was about picturization of songs. He recalled the scene from Nandanar with vazhi maraithurukkudhe and appreciated the way it was presented on screen. He also thought that the Bharathiyar song "Asai mugam marandhu poche" had a good scope for picturization.

Subhashree mentioned that the theme itself was suggested by SG and that she was not quite sure if it would work for a Carnatic audience initially. SG did a stellar job of presenting the songs, all in a refined elegant manner and stole the show.

[rshankar]

Are these telecast simultaneously? I am going to be on the lookout for the youtube links.

[sureshvv]

Telecast is between Dec 15 and Jan 14. They are not telecast in the same order and those dates are announced later.

Will keep an eye open for you

[Govindaswamy]

In brOva bhAramA song the original words had been changed in two places by somone probably thinking that he/she is superior to Thyagaraja.

bhuvanamella nIvai nannokani - bhuvanamella nIvaiyundaga

kukshiniyuncukO lEdA - kukshinipainiyundagA

The meanings of these two are as below,
• You being in and as entire Universe, is protecting me alone,
o Aren’t You keeping crores of Universes in Your stomach?
(Courtesy Sri.V.Govindan)

[sharda]

Movie songs and singers usually do not get much respect from the traditionalists. The artist tonight, did not pick popular movie songs that are based on Carnatic music, instead he picked popular Carnatic songs that appear in the movies. The first song was a tribute to Sri Balamurali Krishna. The artist then chose a movie that has classical songs but is a typical Kamal Hasan masala movie. Interestingly, Panchanedesa Pahimam is not listed in the song list of the movie. I guess it was just hummed . The artist then saluted Dandapani Desikar, who has even inspired a purist like Sanjay. Bramha Kadigina padamu, though popularised by Bala Murali, it was sung by Gantasala in the original movie and then by Anuradha Podwal and Chitra in the newer version of ‘Annamaya’. Another example of the Artist paying tribute to the movie makers. The next song was a tribute to Tyagaraja Bhagwathar. By singing Papanasam Sivam’s composition for the Tamil movie Meera, the artist paid a tribute to the great composer who was willing to write for movies. D.K.P Amma is known for her role in the freedom struggle. By singing her song, the artist again showed the audience how the movies have promoted classical music. The last but one song is from a movie that has nothing to with carnatic music, yet the artist picked a song (again not in the song list of the movie) that was used as a background score.
All in all, this was a concert by a carnatic singer who is definitely a movie buff.

[Vocalist]

The artist then chose a movie that has classical songs but is a typical Kamal Hasan masala movie. Interestingly, Panchanedesa Pahimam is not listed in the song list of the movie. I guess it was just hummed .

No, the full pallavi is sung; it is just listed under "Maanida Sevai".

The context as I remember it in the movie is that the character played by Haasan was born to a father who was a Carnatic music singer - who was also too rigidly strict in adhering to the class/caste system as it was, and very strict about sticking to just traditional compositions. The father is singing the Panchandeesa composition in a Carnatic music concert, but his son was preoccupied with thoughts about another person who was bleeding and in pain, suffering due to casting castes/classes. This gradually frustrates the father. After the pallavi is complete, he stops - covers the microphone - and asks his son whether he dares to have thoughts of helping society in the middle of Carnatic music, and tells his son to think of Saraswathi Devi and to throw out the idea of service/helping humans. (His father wanted his son to repeat/continue the Panchanadeesa composition). So the character played by Haasan sings the Panchanadeesa composition - except to different lyrics - the pallavi of line which asks Saraswathi Devi whether it is a sin to service/help humans. The father angrily storms out of the concert hall.

It is a significant thought-provoking scene and point in the movie from my perspective. I'd respectfully go one step further that it was an artist's responsibility to clearly capture this for those who were unaware when choosing the Panchanadeesa composition as it was from this movie for the theme around which this concert was based - whether or not the artist fulfilled this responsibility (or whether or not I am being too critical) may be a different matter.

[Vocalist]

Yes. Accompanists were B.V.Raghavendra Rao, Bombay Balaji, and B.S.Purushottam?.

#10 was a recent movie with that title https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jil_Jung_Juk Apparently this song was in the movie. SG also gave a brief on the plot and the background for this song . Was quite amusing but don't recall much more.

There was a 1 minute silence as a tribute to Jayalalitha to start the program. Subhashree talked about her contribution to the arts and determination and achievements.

There was a Q/A session with some very interesting exchanges. SG was asked if he could give the full carnatic treatment for a movie song. He replied that it could be done for many songs as long as they were based on a single raga and adhered to the raga quite faithfully. As an example he mentioned a song in Kaanada from Sindhubhairavi, the movie. Another question was about picturization of songs. He recalled the scene from Nandanar with vazhi maraithurukkudhe and appreciated the way it was presented on screen. He also thought that the Bharathiyar song "Asai mugam marandhu poche" had a good scope for picturization.

Subhashree mentioned that the theme itself was suggested by SG and that she was not quite sure if it would work for a Carnatic audience initially. SG did a stellar job of presenting the songs, all in a refined elegant manner and stole the show.

Thanks very much for providing these valuable details on my request sureshvv.

I think the theme has significant scope - but it is a matter of whether it can be handled properly as it is too easily to fall into the trap of trying to completely handle it in the same way it is done in the films. For the most part, I think this artist has worked quite impressively in his planning of this, presuming he did not have too much time to iron out a couple of kinks here and there. I'd encourage another artist to take up the same theme next year - but to find a different set of compositions to those used in this concert.

[kssr]

Very interesting indeed.
In fact some of my "reference" songs for raga identification are movie songs.
"Yaar tharuvaar indha ariyaasanam" from Mahakavi kaalidas for Atana
"Engo pirandavanaam engo vaLarnthavanaa eppadiyo en manathai kavarnthavanaam" in Bommai for Sahana

[rshankar]

"Engo pirandavanaam engo vaLarnthavanaa eppadiyo en manathai kavarnthavanaam" in Bommai for Sahana

Isn't this one a rAgamAlika?