Ramakrishna Murthy-NGS

[grsastrigal]

Ramakrishna murthy
R K Shriramkumar
Arun prakash
V Suresh-Ghatam

Narada Gana Sabha- 21-12-2016- 7 PM

RKM has been allotted 4 PM slot in many sabhAs and I am available only after 6 PM for concerts. At least, I wanted to attend one of his concerts during December and I grabbed this 7 PM slot, despite Malladi duo singing in 5 minutes distance at MA.

RKM’s music is like “சர்கரைப் பந்தலில் தேன் மழை பொழிவது போல”. His voice is magical. Like a flute. His association with RKS is truly wonderful.

RKM speaks about his Guru in RKS in “sruti” magazine (Nov 16)

My guru and spiritual guide:

“My guru RKS has been the single biggest influence in my life both musically and otherwise. It has been my greatest fortune in life, the Almighty’s greatest blessing to me that I have the opportunity to associate with him, observe him, and of course learn from such a multifaceted musical genius. From Shriram Anna, I have learned what it truly means to be “principled” and to have “conviction” in one’s values. These two terms are used loosely but they can truly apply to only a select few. In this day and age, in our music field, in which professional and personal gain is prioritized over musical integrity and time-tested values, Shriram anna has been an exception and remained uncompromising and unwavering in his adherence to these ideals, no matter what. My being swells with gratitude and a sense of pride, even, when I think of how fortunate Iam to be the student of such a person” end ..

Some artists, when you see, you think of folding your hands and wish him “good luck” and always pray to Almighty to give him good health and long “musical” years. RKM is such a person.

He had rendered one RTP yesterday. I have not recovered from that “RTP fever” yet, Let me take it first.

It was in HarikAmbodhi. In Tanam, he shifted to Gowla, bahudAri, NalinakAnthi & Shanmugapriya and returned to HKM.
The pallavi was set by RKS “mA harikAmbhoji bhavabhdhinutE, lalitE, mAmavara”. In pallavi, he again shifted to lalithA, yadhukulakambodhi, nAyagi, HindOlam, one more raga, Sindubhairavi.
At the end, he took the swarA pattern, in the reverse order and finished in HKM.
The RTP started at 8 PM and finished at 8.45. Enough space for beautification. RKM did a fabulous job.

The beautiful background decoration (“agal viLakku“ type set) added to the divine atmosphere of the hall.

Let me come to the list

• Started with Subbarama Dikshitar’s (grand son of MD) master piece in surutti, (chauka varnam).
“sAmi Endha nee”. In the second part, “neerajAkshi”, he took it in “dhurita kAlam” and swaram flew like “honey”. RKM announced he learnt it from “prasanna venkatraman, senior musician”
Overall a wonderful swarams embedded with brilliant RKS’ closely capturing the essence of surutti.

• bAlE bAlEndu bhUshani-Ritigowla-Thyagarajr (S)

• KalyAni- rAGa followed by “talli ninnu nEra”- Shyama sastri, (N) in shyAma Krishna paripAlini bhUshani”

• Mini tani for 4 minutes

• kalAvathi kamalAsana yuvathi- kalAvathi- MD

• RTP as explained above.

• Tani

• “AdhAramilEn aruLaipperavE” (I think it is viritham from Kandhar alankAram) followed by pOOnguil kOOvum – Kalki

• TillAna-ravichandrika (I think)

• Mangalam

Tani- Arunprakash is always a “puzzle” for me, He played mridhangam by not even disturbing a sleeping child in the hall. For kriti, sometimes he suddenly he blasted his instrument. In future Tani’s can be divided in two AP Tani and others Tani.

“God save Tani”

V Suresh is always good.

I thought to exchange Patri’s mridhangam (dOlki) to Arunprakash so that rasikAs will have long “ears”

No word to express RKM and his music. Many rasikas discussed at length about his music. What I tasted here is a drop from his “musical ocean”

[jodha]

Soon KAP will accompany without his instrument and when needed will start beating the back of the vocalist.that way you can hear a bhava laden mukhari!

[jodha]

Soon KAP will accompany without his instrument and when needed will start beating the back of the vocalist.that way you can hear a bhava laden mukhari!

[Rsachi]

Let me try my hand at splitting the words and meaning of the Pallavi line
ramA-
harikAmA-
ambhojA-
bhavAbdhinute
One word, with a string of nouns in a compound samAsa meaning (sambodhana-prathamA vibhaktI) =(oh) Lakshmi, beloved of Hari, born of the sea, worshipped by all creation
lalite - Oh Lalita,
mAm ava - Protect me.
The last syllable ra gets moved to the beginning to join mA to become ramA.

Interesting!

[Rajani]

RSachi-ji, I would think it is "O Lalita, praised (nute) by mA(Lakshmi) , Hari, kA(Sarasvati), ambhoja-bhava(lotus-born, Brahma) , Adi (and others), protect me"!

ramA also means Lakshmi, like mA. These words remind me of "sEvita ramA hari kA vidhAtrE " in the Ahiri kriti of Kamalamba Navavaranam

[Rsachi]

Rajani-ji,
Interesting.

I saw a mention of "abdhi" and also a "ra".


I think lalitA, ramA, ambhOjA.. all mean lakshmI...

[grsastrigal]

Thank you so much for the meaning. May be in some or other day, I will upload the recording of the pallavi to drink the nectar of this beautiful pallavi "live"

[Rsachi]

Please do!

[grsastrigal]

Jodha- I cried after reading your mukhAri.

He started the pallavi as mA harikAmboja... not as "ramA".

[Rsachi]

that's fine, mA and ramA both mean Lakshmi. I saw ra at the end of the pallavi line in the first post. That can be joined to mA cyclically.