Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSG Tech on Jan 10th,2026
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Vocal : Saketaraman, He is a PSG Tech Alumni
Violin : Dr Nishanth Chandran
Mrudangam : NC Bharadwaj For all songs
Mrudangam for one Song : Padmanabhan (PSG Tech Alumni Mrudangist 1984 Outgoing Batch)
Ghatam : Ghatam Karthik
Concert Type : Nirvana - No concert to follow , Free
Day : Friday
Duration - 1 Hour only,
Sabha/Hall : PSG Tech, Peelamedu , Coimbatore
Occasion : PSG Tech Platinum Celebrations , 75 Years
01.mallAri - Gambheera Nattai - Saketaraman
02. calamElarA - MargaHindOlam - Tyagaraja
03.manaiviyiN uppumA marakka mudiyumA - Saranga??? -sAketaraman is the tunesmith, I am yet to know the lyricist
04A.Sriranga pura vihAra (R,S,T)-brindavanasarangA - Muttuswami Dikshitar
2 mins alapana and 1 mins violin return
4 mins swaras
04B.tani for 2 mins
05.Enna thavam - kAPi - Papanasam sivan
Padmanabhan, alumni of PSG Tech played for the above coffee song
Speech by Saketaraman before and after coffee
06. Thillana - shivaranjani - Violin Maestro Lalgudi G Jayaraman (Saketaraman Prime Guru)
07. mangalam
Saketaraman is my junior by a decade. Obviously we did not know each other in college. I studied engg and had gone to my college to celebrate my college PSG Tech Platinum Jubilee 75 year celebrations . When i studied (It is a lie i only went to college and hostel), at that time our Carnatic music is just restricted to some devotional bhajan or may be there was some paddhati concert that i missed. I recollect once there was a Gandhi jayanthi celebrations . At that time in college then in 90s, since I came from madras after hearing few live concerts of especially Maharajapuram Santhanam( prime school Carnatic idol), I had minimal acclimatization to concert and may be there was some prayer and bhajan .
When i was there at Coimbatore then in 1990s ,there was significant gap and lacuna for students/faculty to get acclimatized to CM . I recollect some thing like SPIC Macay was held or some thing , i think some instrument concert or hindustani was on. Memory fades, I cannot recollect now. All i recollect i heard once in Coimbatore Ramanavami where i heard some concert in Ramnagar. All said Coimbatore in my 4 years was either bone dry or some fusion was wrongly camouflaged as Carnatic concert.
Fast forward to 2026, I am glad to participate in a concert of eminent accomplished artists. Saketaraman studied in PSG tech MSC software engg and works in goldman sachs. Saketharaman is surely a prodigy , his prime guru is Violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman and his elder sister is more known for some thing connected to carnatic music <<Let some Psg tech student find out who his sister is>>.Possibly this is the first and only person whom i know who has studied in MSC software and a serious performing Carnatic musician who is in the circuit . Saketaraman is surely our college pride , putting that pride aside . I as a rasika has consciously and considerably evolved in this oceanic experience of Carnatic Music over the three decades and this review is more of a reflection of that window of 1 hour.
Apart from Saketaraman, I submit this review keeping in mind Late Dr S Jayaraman who was my respected professor of my engg ECE branch. I came to know much much later say in 2005 to 2010 when Dr S Jayaraman told me that i read sangeetham and rasikas.org. I knew he had some inclination to carnatic but some time in that circa he also told me about some reviews by rajeshnat without knowing that i was the same rajeshnat. Most importantly i came to know that Dr S Jayaraman grandfather is the emminent TK Jayaraman when he told me that . TK Jayaraman was a reputed violinist who also got the very prestigious Sangeetha kalanidhi from Madras Music Academy in 1960. TK Jayaraman another grandson is Vinay , who is a performing violinist settled in USA.
Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSG Tech on Jan 10th,2026
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rajeshnat
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Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSG Tech on Jan 10th,2026
Last edited by rajeshnat on 14 Jan 2026, 16:09, edited 4 times in total.
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rajeshnat
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Re: Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSG Tech on Jan 10th,2026
OK OK not much to write as it is just an hour concert. Does my above 4 paras appear like a college exam paper. Let me find some way to clear the exam from now on.
Saket was introduced along with Nishanth Chandran. Nishant Chandran is the student of most prolific Guru of violin - A Kanyakumari. Nishanth works in Microsoft research (I am assuming it is hyderabad) and is a phd. Ghatam Karthik is a Dr. The youngest and the most prolific youngster NC Bharadwaj is rocking with the most important instrument of CM -Mruduangam <<Without Mrudu angam concert every cm concert will be a bhajanai>> . The ubiquitous and omnipresent mrudangist NC Bharadwaj , is a student of the doyen Umayalpuram K Sivaraman now and in early years and is also a second gen disciple of Late Guru Karaikudi Mani
Sakethraman is a good communicator,he intelligently showcases his skill , giving right touchpoints of speech to contextualize each number. He said i am starting with mallari where he spoke few words of nadaswaram and temple . <<For those who dont know mallari ,it is a brilliant masterpiece and is usually played by nadaswara vidwans as long as the temple procession goes around the temple 4 walls, at times even an hour plus >> .Saketharaman mallari was his own composition and he did well , it is in the ragam gambeeranattai. Post mallAri ,he said we just recently concluded tiruvayaru Aradhana and he sang a fast maarga hindolam- chalamelarA,a number from sadguru thyagaraja the most reverend composer for all musicians .I wish he sang swaras but he did not .
He then brought a drama novelty and sang his upppuma tunesmith composition. I heard the same in season, the uppumA impact of Mylapore was higher than impact of Peelamedu <<I am assuming since many are hostellers ,uppumA does not stick to their heads>>. This contemporary song with uppuma was in the ragam saranga. As of now i felt this composition is a bit of HIT - NOT HIT number <<Many years before Nithyashree Mahadevan tried on rasam, we will see how Saketaraman goes with UppumA>>
Time for main krithi. He sang a nice alapana in brindavana saranga . short violin return followed and he sang the Dikshitar master piece sriranga pura vihara. Swaras were well done but at many points his voice caved in behind the accompanist slam dunk of hyper volume . He also announced DIkshitar 250 years occasion prior to the rendition of main . There was absence of neraval in brindavana saranga . Then he was honoured and he also gave a short speech. Saketaraman main professor is Dr Nadarajan who was my hostel warden . I was seated next to Dr Anitha Nadarajan, who took classes to me . Both Dr Nadarajan and Dr Anitha are highly respected in our college and they are helping post their retirement
Enna thavam seidhanai in kapi was a great choice and crowd lapped . For this song another alumni Padmanabhan played the mrudangam and he played very well. Saketaraman said he will end up with desh thillana but forgot to sing Desh , but it was double BEsh as the thillana that he sang was in ragam shivaranjani. Shivaranjani thillana was by his guru Lalgudi Jayaraman .Shivaranjani is the most emotive ragam , i assume that even stone will hear sivaranjani and he sang very well to give a great closure .
The accompanist all would have played better if the master volume knob was moved 45 degrees anticlockwise .At some point i had to silently empathize my junior as he was slam dunked by excess amplification by co-artists and sound system that was possibly adjusted for the light music . I also introduced myself at the concert post nee nama roopamulaku to Saketaraman, Saketharaman did not connect my face , he only knew my id in rasikas. The youngster NC Bharadwaj knows me ,i said to him you are there everywhere.
Few notes for PSG
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I came to know that PSG Institutions conducts an yearly festival by name Kadambari . This Kadambari is an annual event A week back it was held in PSG Medical college auditorium . Then SudhaRagunathan sang on first day. ON the second day Aishwarya-Saundarya(Great granddaughters of MS Subhalakshmi)also sang . The sisters also got an award <<Congrats to them>>
All said for Saketharaman ,The hall had a 800 to 1000 participants. I would humbly say many of them came for the next Light Music called Tek Music that is understandable . IT was a floating crowd but a rich harvest of future eyeballs. It will be a mystery how many will come in future to a kovai sabha and hear a live concert .
This was just an hour concert , saketaraman did well to select a great range of compositions. Saketaraman voice was bit uneven and rough for some significant pockets even discounting the relative volume .The relative volume balance of Vocal vs Accompanists needs correction in future.
I would love if PSG TEch or Kadambari has future concerts where some one reports from there in this lovely website rasikas.org . Best wishes for them to taste intense Carnatic classical concert, the key is Carnatic classical with minimal tukkadas. Kudos to few teachers in college who are college patrons that saketharaman knew, whom i dont know .
I would also love to see PSG Tech also having say a one day concert in PSG Tech as part of Kadambari , I am not sure how many engg students will go to PSGmedical college campus to hear Carnatic music.
Apart from music concerts they can conduct say atleast one morning lecdem session like the Parthasarathy sabha and Music Academy in madras. At times lecdems will be more or equally interesting than a Carnatic live concert, as for many minimal handholding is needed.
This family of PSG institution is very big - cutting across schools,colleges etc , even if it can groom say 10 % that may easily reach 1000 year on year. When i say 10% -1000 that could be not just students or teachers but also many post middle age rasikas related to coimbatore who are 50 to 70 in age . The truth is bulk of rasikas generally start carnatic music bit late that is what it is/was/ and will be the gestalt of Carnatic classical music rasikas.Best wishes to PSG Institution and also future artists . The city of Coimbatore is growing multifold , I am sure carnatic music will not fall behind.
Overall a very good concert for 1 hour.
Saket was introduced along with Nishanth Chandran. Nishant Chandran is the student of most prolific Guru of violin - A Kanyakumari. Nishanth works in Microsoft research (I am assuming it is hyderabad) and is a phd. Ghatam Karthik is a Dr. The youngest and the most prolific youngster NC Bharadwaj is rocking with the most important instrument of CM -Mruduangam <<Without Mrudu angam concert every cm concert will be a bhajanai>> . The ubiquitous and omnipresent mrudangist NC Bharadwaj , is a student of the doyen Umayalpuram K Sivaraman now and in early years and is also a second gen disciple of Late Guru Karaikudi Mani
Sakethraman is a good communicator,he intelligently showcases his skill , giving right touchpoints of speech to contextualize each number. He said i am starting with mallari where he spoke few words of nadaswaram and temple . <<For those who dont know mallari ,it is a brilliant masterpiece and is usually played by nadaswara vidwans as long as the temple procession goes around the temple 4 walls, at times even an hour plus >> .Saketharaman mallari was his own composition and he did well , it is in the ragam gambeeranattai. Post mallAri ,he said we just recently concluded tiruvayaru Aradhana and he sang a fast maarga hindolam- chalamelarA,a number from sadguru thyagaraja the most reverend composer for all musicians .I wish he sang swaras but he did not .
He then brought a drama novelty and sang his upppuma tunesmith composition. I heard the same in season, the uppumA impact of Mylapore was higher than impact of Peelamedu <<I am assuming since many are hostellers ,uppumA does not stick to their heads>>. This contemporary song with uppuma was in the ragam saranga. As of now i felt this composition is a bit of HIT - NOT HIT number <<Many years before Nithyashree Mahadevan tried on rasam, we will see how Saketaraman goes with UppumA>>
Time for main krithi. He sang a nice alapana in brindavana saranga . short violin return followed and he sang the Dikshitar master piece sriranga pura vihara. Swaras were well done but at many points his voice caved in behind the accompanist slam dunk of hyper volume . He also announced DIkshitar 250 years occasion prior to the rendition of main . There was absence of neraval in brindavana saranga . Then he was honoured and he also gave a short speech. Saketaraman main professor is Dr Nadarajan who was my hostel warden . I was seated next to Dr Anitha Nadarajan, who took classes to me . Both Dr Nadarajan and Dr Anitha are highly respected in our college and they are helping post their retirement
Enna thavam seidhanai in kapi was a great choice and crowd lapped . For this song another alumni Padmanabhan played the mrudangam and he played very well. Saketaraman said he will end up with desh thillana but forgot to sing Desh , but it was double BEsh as the thillana that he sang was in ragam shivaranjani. Shivaranjani thillana was by his guru Lalgudi Jayaraman .Shivaranjani is the most emotive ragam , i assume that even stone will hear sivaranjani and he sang very well to give a great closure .
The accompanist all would have played better if the master volume knob was moved 45 degrees anticlockwise .At some point i had to silently empathize my junior as he was slam dunked by excess amplification by co-artists and sound system that was possibly adjusted for the light music . I also introduced myself at the concert post nee nama roopamulaku to Saketaraman, Saketharaman did not connect my face , he only knew my id in rasikas. The youngster NC Bharadwaj knows me ,i said to him you are there everywhere.
Few notes for PSG
---------------------
I came to know that PSG Institutions conducts an yearly festival by name Kadambari . This Kadambari is an annual event A week back it was held in PSG Medical college auditorium . Then SudhaRagunathan sang on first day. ON the second day Aishwarya-Saundarya(Great granddaughters of MS Subhalakshmi)also sang . The sisters also got an award <<Congrats to them>>
All said for Saketharaman ,The hall had a 800 to 1000 participants. I would humbly say many of them came for the next Light Music called Tek Music that is understandable . IT was a floating crowd but a rich harvest of future eyeballs. It will be a mystery how many will come in future to a kovai sabha and hear a live concert .
This was just an hour concert , saketaraman did well to select a great range of compositions. Saketaraman voice was bit uneven and rough for some significant pockets even discounting the relative volume .The relative volume balance of Vocal vs Accompanists needs correction in future.
I would love if PSG TEch or Kadambari has future concerts where some one reports from there in this lovely website rasikas.org . Best wishes for them to taste intense Carnatic classical concert, the key is Carnatic classical with minimal tukkadas. Kudos to few teachers in college who are college patrons that saketharaman knew, whom i dont know .
I would also love to see PSG Tech also having say a one day concert in PSG Tech as part of Kadambari , I am not sure how many engg students will go to PSGmedical college campus to hear Carnatic music.
Apart from music concerts they can conduct say atleast one morning lecdem session like the Parthasarathy sabha and Music Academy in madras. At times lecdems will be more or equally interesting than a Carnatic live concert, as for many minimal handholding is needed.
This family of PSG institution is very big - cutting across schools,colleges etc , even if it can groom say 10 % that may easily reach 1000 year on year. When i say 10% -1000 that could be not just students or teachers but also many post middle age rasikas related to coimbatore who are 50 to 70 in age . The truth is bulk of rasikas generally start carnatic music bit late that is what it is/was/ and will be the gestalt of Carnatic classical music rasikas.Best wishes to PSG Institution and also future artists . The city of Coimbatore is growing multifold , I am sure carnatic music will not fall behind.
Overall a very good concert for 1 hour.
Last edited by rajeshnat on 14 Jan 2026, 16:20, edited 1 time in total.
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rajeshnat
- Posts: 10252
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04
Re: Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSG Tech on Jan 10th,2026
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Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSGTech on Jan 10th,2026
------------------------------------------------------------------
Vocal : Saketaraman, He is a PSGTech Alumni
Violin : Dr Nishanth Chandran
Mrudangam : NC Bharadwaj For all except 1 song
Mrudangam for one Song : Padmanabhan (PSG Tech Alumni Mrudangist 1984 Batch)
Ghatam : Ghatam Karthik
Concert Type : Non Nirvana - Light Music concert to follow , Free
Day : Saturday
Duration - 1 Hour only
Sabha/Hall : PSG Tech, Peelamedu , Coimbatore
Occassion : PSG Tech Platinum Celebrations , 75 Years
GLICSPAWES 2026 "Goto LIve Concert Show PAtronage Without Excuses Series" concert #D of Z(hopefully Z(26) is goal) . D stands for Desh(it was announced but we did not get it)
www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=385480#p385480
Saketaraman@Coimbatore-PSGTech on Jan 10th,2026
------------------------------------------------------------------
Vocal : Saketaraman, He is a PSGTech Alumni
Violin : Dr Nishanth Chandran
Mrudangam : NC Bharadwaj For all except 1 song
Mrudangam for one Song : Padmanabhan (PSG Tech Alumni Mrudangist 1984 Batch)
Ghatam : Ghatam Karthik
Concert Type : Non Nirvana - Light Music concert to follow , Free
Day : Saturday
Duration - 1 Hour only
Sabha/Hall : PSG Tech, Peelamedu , Coimbatore
Occassion : PSG Tech Platinum Celebrations , 75 Years
GLICSPAWES 2026 "Goto LIve Concert Show PAtronage Without Excuses Series" concert #D of Z(hopefully Z(26) is goal) . D stands for Desh(it was announced but we did not get it)
www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=385480#p385480