Veena Navaratri

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 07 Sep 2007, 19:53

One of the scheduled performers are our members, Jayasri and Jeyaraaj. Would be nice if some of the other members attend the concert and review it for us!
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/09/07/stor ... 090100.htm

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 08 Sep 2007, 08:48

It is sickening to see someone who is a pathetic veena player to get regular slots in such reputed festivals where the best of them are supposed to perform. Just because he/she is related to some important person. It is a corruption of the highest order. By the way at which venue are these concerts held.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 08 Sep 2007, 09:04

Ravi,
Though I rarely go to vInA recitals, a couple of seasons ago I heard Jayalakshmi Shekhar in concert since I had some free time. Didn't have a clue about her, but her playing was very pleasing.

veenajj · Post by **veenajj** » 08 Sep 2007, 10:58

vsarmaiitm wrote:Just because he/she is related to some important person.

:) Before anybody reading this gets any ideas.... we are only related to each other!!!!

Would like to take this opportunity to invite all for our concert, and all other concerts in the Festival.

The venues are different for different days.

11th and 19th - Narada Gana Sabha
12th, 15th and 17th - Sri Krishna Gana Sabha
13th and 16th - RK Swamy Auditorium, Sundareswarar Street
14th - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
18th - Bharatiyar Memorial House, Triplicane

Regards,

Jeyaraaj & Jaysri

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 08 Sep 2007, 21:28

J&J,
I like that! The quip about your relationship, I mean!
Hope I can listen to you when I am in India.
Good luck with your performance.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 09 Sep 2007, 01:51

J&J... I don't think vsarmaiitm had you in mind when he vented above. I have heard/watched you on DD Podhigai and found your playing very enjoyable.

veenajj · Post by **veenajj** » 09 Sep 2007, 07:29

Thanks, arasi and sureshvv. We are sure vsarmaiitm did not have us in mind..... our comment was in pure jest!

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 09 Sep 2007, 09:12

Jeyraraaj and Jaysri ji,
I have not heard you before ! I look forward to hearing you soon though.
Do you use the electronic veena for the concerts ?
regards
Sarma

veenajj · Post by **veenajj** » 10 Sep 2007, 07:18

Sarmaji,

We have been using the electronic veena for the past 3 years now for our concerts. However, for AIR, TV and such other closed door recordings, we use the acoustic veena without the contact mike. We look forward to having you in the audience soon!

Regards,

Jeyaraaj & Jaysri

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 11 Sep 2007, 00:21

veenajj: Are electronic veena and an acoustic veena with a contact mike one and the same? Just curious. A few recordings I heard of electronic veena sounded a bit like the sound of an electric guitar like the one Prasanna plays.

veenajj · Post by **veenajj** » 11 Sep 2007, 08:49

If we could put it this way - the electronic veena is a modified and standardized version of the acoustic veena with a contact mike, with some logistical advantages.

Soundwise - the moment one attaches a contact mike to an acoustic veena, it ceases to be an acoustic instrument, and the mike here distorts the natural sound as opposed to amplyfing the original sound of the veena. Before the electronic veena was manufactured, we did not have any other go but to use the acoustic veena with a contact mike, even though we were not at all happy with the output that we got, despite spending endless amount of time and resources. And what is more, the veenas would sound different in different auditoria because of the way the hall was built and such other factors. Now we have an alternative, and the electronic veena gives a more wholesome uniform sound whereas the acoustic veena with a contact mike would sound, as our Guru Late Anantharama Iyer would put it, "thondai kattina pole irukku."

Of course there is nothing that can ever match the original veena naadam. So we use the original veena with its acoustic properties in places where there is no live audience, and we do not have to fear if the rasika is straining his ear to listen to the music. Might be worth a mention here though, that in Kolkata we have played with the original veena without a contact mike in auditoria like the GD Birla Sabhagar, Kala Mandir, etc, where we would reach at 3 pm for a 6 pm concert and the sound engineers would take the stress off us completely about "ellarukkum ellam seriya kekardaa," and those were with the 60-70 year old veenas that have been given to us by our revered Guru, and not with the ones recently made.

The advantages that we also have with the electronic veena is the portability (we have to carry two veenas!!), it dispenses with the wax, so you do not need to redo the melam every once in a while, it has an inbuilt tambura too, and stringing is easy. Most importantly, the vadya dharma does not change at all.

Vasanthakokilam, We would not know how far back are the recordings that you might have heard of the electronic veena, but the manufacturers have made a lot of adjustments since they brought it on first, based on the feedback that they have received from artists like us and rasikas like you.

Regards,
Jeyaraaj & Jaysri

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 11 Sep 2007, 10:10

Jeyaraaj & Jaysri : Thanks very much for the explanation. A few more Qs

1) Is there then a vibrating sound chamber at all?

2) Is the sound synthesized?

3) What makes it portable? Is it portable because it can be disassembled or the veena itself light weight and hence portable?

Thanks.

The recording I heard is fairly recent. To be correct, it did not sound like Prasanna's guitar or like any other electric guitar but there was some similarity to those two sounds. I could easily tell it was Veena and not guitar, the sound was deeper and full like the acoustic veena but I could also tell that it was not quite the same sound as an acoustic veena. One gut feel observation I had when I first heard it was it had even a fuller sound than an acoustic Veena.

vsarmaiitm · Post by **vsarmaiitm** » 11 Sep 2007, 19:24

Jeyaraaj and Jaysri ji,

My wife (Sujana) also uses (since last one year) electronic veena. You can listen (if you have not already) at this site.

http://mme.iitm.ac.in/vsarma/personalweb/music1.html

The concert in mat science was using electronic veena. There are different views of people on its tonal quality. The fact is she likes and enjoys playing on it. But at the same she is concerned whether the listeners are liking it or not. So there is some sort of confusion to use it or not in concerts ! We will discuss this seperately. pl. send me your e-mail to vsarma@iitm.ac.in

regards
Sarma

veenajj · Post by **veenajj** » 11 Sep 2007, 20:30

Vasanthakokilam, thank you for sharing your positive observations about the electronic veena sound.

On your queries,
1) There is no vibrating chamber in the electronic veena.
2) The sound is not synthesized in the electronic veena. However, the same manufacturers have made and patented what they call a digital veena, which has synthesized sound.
3) The portability is on account of the fact that it can be dismantled.

If there is anything else that we could help you with, do feel free to let us know.

Sarmaji, we will get in touch with you.

Regards,
Jeyaraaj & Jaysri

gnjb · Post by **gnjb** » 11 Sep 2007, 21:23

dear jeyaraaj and jaysri ji,
do you teach veena in chennai? my daughter has learnt veena for a couple of years and then had to discontinue due to certain reasons. she is very much interested to improve herself. If you do teach, is it possible for you to give her lessons during the time she comes down to india for vacations?
i would also like to know whether you could suggest any violin teacher for my son to learn during his vacations in india.
thank you.
regards.

veenajj · Post by **veenajj** » 12 Sep 2007, 07:31

Dear gnjb sir,

Please write in to us at veenajj@hotmail.com. We would be happy to provide the relevant details.

Regards,
Jeyaraaj & Jaysri