Vid Vijay Siva - Vocal
Vidushi Charulatha Ramanujam-Violin
Vid Neyveli Narayanan - Mridangam
Vid Amrit - Kanjira
17 Apr 2008, Rama Seva Mandali, Fort High school, Bangalore
Song list
1. Chalamela - Darbar Varnam - Adi - Tiruvotriyur thyagayya
2. Sugunamule - Chakravakam - Roopakam - Thyagaraja
Neraval @ shrI nAyaka kSimiyincumu and Swarams @ Sundara raghurama (part of pallavi line!!!)
3. Venkata saila vihara - Hamir Kalyani - Adi - Subbaraya Sastri (Ragam, swara @ pallavi line)
4. Iko Namma swami - Manirangu - Aadi - Purandara Dasa
5. Dakshinamurthe - Shankarabharanam - Misra Jhampa- MD (Ragam, Neraval & Swaram at
akshaya suvarNa vaDa vruksha moola sthi- tE and Thani)
6. Etu nammina - Saveri - Aadi - Patnam Subramanya Iyer
7. RTP - Ananda Bhairavi - Misra jaati triputa
Pallavi line - Kamala vadani kamala dala nayani kamala sadani
Ragamalika swara - Nalinakanti, dhanyasi, kamas
8. sloka - konji konji vaa guhane - kamas - Periaswamy tooran
9. Krishnam kalayasaki - Mukhari - Narayana theertha
10. Sloka - Bare panduranga - Mand - Tukharam
11. Ittarani meedu - Asaveri - Tirupugazh
12. Bhujaga sayino - Yadukula kambhoji - Swati tirunaal
13. Swasti prajabya - slokam - Yadukula Kambhoji
Detailed review in next...
-hari
Vijay Siva @ Rama Seva Mandali - 17 Apr
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s_hari
- Posts: 872
- Joined: 20 May 2007, 18:45
Okay, here it goes...
* The concert was jump started with darbar varnam. This was rendered in madhyama kala, and so no 2nd speed singing. 1st avarthana of chittaswarams were sung twice, other swaras were not (just an observation, nothing special). Vijay started with perfect sruti alignment, as a perfectly tuned tampura, he didn't need any warm up. His voice was in perfect shape, and he set the tone for the day.
* Chakravakam song - Was rendered very melodiously. Nereval line was aptly choosen (Sri nayaka kshaminchu) and he choose a different line (part of pallavi) for swara prasatara, which didn't begin in samam (obviously!!). This was a refreshing change
I observed he didn't keep the taalam some time, and during those times, his legs were at work, doing the tala!
* Hamir kalyani - What a raga alapana it was!! It is still fresh in my mind, i am trying recollect the sangathis, and scribbled some notes also. i will try to put them together later on. He clearly brought out raga bhava, and cleverly used both nishadams and two madhayamams. He could touch upto tara styai Pa in sanchara M G P- M G R in tara stayi. The keerthana was sung in 2 kalai choukkam. While singing swaras, some of the avarthanams ended with both M1 and M2. I liked the sancharas in tara sthayi in particular - M- G P- M G R and then M G M P D S-. Charulata followed like shadow and also used both Ma's effectively, and used little different prayogams than the vocalist.
* Iko nama swami is one of my favorite, and he sung it nicely as per DKP, DKJ school tradition. The keertana was sung in madhyama kaalam. In few places, i noted that he couldn't complete the sahitya (breathlessness???) (for example while singing 2nd time during Mukthi guru dhyana) and violinst filled in. This happened 4 to 5 times during rest of the concert.
* Shankarabharanam had lot of vishranti and was sung elaborately, and was for just 10 minutes. But he captured most of the standard well known prayogas. He developed the raaga step by step, most of the places ending with one particular swara, and next time ending with next subsequent swara. While he was winding up the ragas, some of the sangathis from swara raga sudha came, and i felt as if he may sing that keerthana. But after a nice reply from charulatha madam, vijay sang dakshinamurthe. The kalapramana was just right for the song and was enjoyable. The neraval was out of the world, as far as i am concerned, and line choosen was the right one for neraval. Thani was enjoyable, and was about 22 minutes. I can't comment on any of the aspects here!! Sorry. Except for obvious thing like narayanan used only toppi briefly for some time.
* RTP was in Anandha bhairavi. Ragam for 5 minutes, and thanam 5 minutes. He did one round of raga alapana, but ended that with Pa giving enough indication that he is going to present RTP, but instead of 2nd round of raga, thanam was presented nicely. The eduppu for pallai is at 3/4th aksharam, and it was presented in 2 kalai. While doing swara prasthara he shifted to 1 kalai. Trikalam was done. I had some unwanted disturbance phone calls from my office (!!!!!), and i was just ignoring them, hence couldn't note more details.
* Sloka rendering seem to be his strength and was sung very well. It was little fastish, and not like a slow viruttam.
* Mukhari is one of favourtie ragam in my household, and vijay didn't disappoint me either here, with a beautiful tharangam.
* Bare panduranga and sloka was rendered well.
* Ittarani meedu was one of my favourtie thirupugazh too (focus on salvation, mukthi!!!!!) and a choice of DKP amma school too.
* Swathi tirunaal mangalam & his usual swasthi prajabhya during ending as a prayer for well being of every one!!
Thanks Sri Vijay for this wonderful concert!! Hoping to hear you again in 2 days in Bangalore!!
Disclaimer - These are my personal views, and i could be very well wrong, as i have very little knowledge in music. If there are any mistakes, i stand corrected =)
yadakshara-padabhrashhTaM maatraahiinaM cha yadbhavet.h |
tatsarvaM kshamyataaM devi prasiida parameshvari
-hari
* The concert was jump started with darbar varnam. This was rendered in madhyama kala, and so no 2nd speed singing. 1st avarthana of chittaswarams were sung twice, other swaras were not (just an observation, nothing special). Vijay started with perfect sruti alignment, as a perfectly tuned tampura, he didn't need any warm up. His voice was in perfect shape, and he set the tone for the day.
* Chakravakam song - Was rendered very melodiously. Nereval line was aptly choosen (Sri nayaka kshaminchu) and he choose a different line (part of pallavi) for swara prasatara, which didn't begin in samam (obviously!!). This was a refreshing change
I observed he didn't keep the taalam some time, and during those times, his legs were at work, doing the tala!
* Hamir kalyani - What a raga alapana it was!! It is still fresh in my mind, i am trying recollect the sangathis, and scribbled some notes also. i will try to put them together later on. He clearly brought out raga bhava, and cleverly used both nishadams and two madhayamams. He could touch upto tara styai Pa in sanchara M G P- M G R in tara stayi. The keerthana was sung in 2 kalai choukkam. While singing swaras, some of the avarthanams ended with both M1 and M2. I liked the sancharas in tara sthayi in particular - M- G P- M G R and then M G M P D S-. Charulata followed like shadow and also used both Ma's effectively, and used little different prayogams than the vocalist.
* Iko nama swami is one of my favorite, and he sung it nicely as per DKP, DKJ school tradition. The keertana was sung in madhyama kaalam. In few places, i noted that he couldn't complete the sahitya (breathlessness???) (for example while singing 2nd time during Mukthi guru dhyana) and violinst filled in. This happened 4 to 5 times during rest of the concert.
* Shankarabharanam had lot of vishranti and was sung elaborately, and was for just 10 minutes. But he captured most of the standard well known prayogas. He developed the raaga step by step, most of the places ending with one particular swara, and next time ending with next subsequent swara. While he was winding up the ragas, some of the sangathis from swara raga sudha came, and i felt as if he may sing that keerthana. But after a nice reply from charulatha madam, vijay sang dakshinamurthe. The kalapramana was just right for the song and was enjoyable. The neraval was out of the world, as far as i am concerned, and line choosen was the right one for neraval. Thani was enjoyable, and was about 22 minutes. I can't comment on any of the aspects here!! Sorry. Except for obvious thing like narayanan used only toppi briefly for some time.
* RTP was in Anandha bhairavi. Ragam for 5 minutes, and thanam 5 minutes. He did one round of raga alapana, but ended that with Pa giving enough indication that he is going to present RTP, but instead of 2nd round of raga, thanam was presented nicely. The eduppu for pallai is at 3/4th aksharam, and it was presented in 2 kalai. While doing swara prasthara he shifted to 1 kalai. Trikalam was done. I had some unwanted disturbance phone calls from my office (!!!!!), and i was just ignoring them, hence couldn't note more details.
* Sloka rendering seem to be his strength and was sung very well. It was little fastish, and not like a slow viruttam.
* Mukhari is one of favourtie ragam in my household, and vijay didn't disappoint me either here, with a beautiful tharangam.
* Bare panduranga and sloka was rendered well.
* Ittarani meedu was one of my favourtie thirupugazh too (focus on salvation, mukthi!!!!!) and a choice of DKP amma school too.
* Swathi tirunaal mangalam & his usual swasthi prajabhya during ending as a prayer for well being of every one!!
Thanks Sri Vijay for this wonderful concert!! Hoping to hear you again in 2 days in Bangalore!!
Disclaimer - These are my personal views, and i could be very well wrong, as i have very little knowledge in music. If there are any mistakes, i stand corrected =)
yadakshara-padabhrashhTaM maatraahiinaM cha yadbhavet.h |
tatsarvaM kshamyataaM devi prasiida parameshvari
-hari
Last edited by s_hari on 18 Apr 2008, 00:13, edited 1 time in total.
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mahavishnu
- Posts: 3341
- Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56
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sankirnam
- Posts: 374
- Joined: 07 Sep 2006, 14:18
Thanks for the review, hari, i guess i will get a first-hand review of the concert either tonight or tomorrow...
Amrit is a simply ridiculous kanjira player now - he is easily my favorite now, after I heard him in December. He has picked up the hand facility of his guru Harisankar sir. I heard him in a talavadya concert in Astika Samajam organized by KRM sir, Amrit played an hour long thani with Palghat Rajamani (PMI's son). In that, he played Harisankar's immortal korvai (tha dhi tha kitakitatharikitathom, dhi tha kitakitatharikitathom, tha kitakitatharikitathom, etc.) both in chatusram and tisram just like his guru!
Is there a recording available of the concert, or just the thani? Since it was a misra jampa thani, perhaps it could be posted in the jampa thala thread in the thalam section.
Amrit is a simply ridiculous kanjira player now - he is easily my favorite now, after I heard him in December. He has picked up the hand facility of his guru Harisankar sir. I heard him in a talavadya concert in Astika Samajam organized by KRM sir, Amrit played an hour long thani with Palghat Rajamani (PMI's son). In that, he played Harisankar's immortal korvai (tha dhi tha kitakitatharikitathom, dhi tha kitakitatharikitathom, tha kitakitatharikitathom, etc.) both in chatusram and tisram just like his guru!
Is there a recording available of the concert, or just the thani? Since it was a misra jampa thani, perhaps it could be posted in the jampa thala thread in the thalam section.
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arasi
- Posts: 16873
- Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30
Hari,
Thank you for the review. Very nice. If I can attempt one, you are definitely qualified to write one.
You must have typed Mani in a hurry. It was Charulatha Ramanujam, I am sure. Yes, one of the very busy accompanists these days and an expert in shadowing the vocalist . She is adept when it comes to playing on her own too.
Sounds like a typical Vijay Siva concert. Very satisfying, sweet and serene.
About your observation of Vijay Siva's tALa keeping: Being poor in tALA, I have noticed it, of course. I need to see the tALam on stage in order to maintain my own tALam and occasionally I have even seen VS sing with folded hands! Others may not mind, but the tALam impaired rasikAs notice it, I suppose. No, I am not saying you are one!
Thank you for the review. Very nice. If I can attempt one, you are definitely qualified to write one.
You must have typed Mani in a hurry. It was Charulatha Ramanujam, I am sure. Yes, one of the very busy accompanists these days and an expert in shadowing the vocalist . She is adept when it comes to playing on her own too.
Sounds like a typical Vijay Siva concert. Very satisfying, sweet and serene.
About your observation of Vijay Siva's tALa keeping: Being poor in tALA, I have noticed it, of course. I need to see the tALam on stage in order to maintain my own tALam and occasionally I have even seen VS sing with folded hands! Others may not mind, but the tALam impaired rasikAs notice it, I suppose. No, I am not saying you are one!
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s_hari
- Posts: 872
- Joined: 20 May 2007, 18:45
Additional notes..
* for a 2-1/2 hour contact, exactly one dozen songs, two raga elaboration (one pratimadyama & one suddamadyama, variety of composers, talas), one RTP (condensed one though!!!), and is indeed a good concert planning.
* I generally get upset if there is no keerthanas in misra chapu. I belive that if a keerthana with misra chapu sung as 3rd or 4th item in concert (per ARI school), it helps to improve success of concert. But, in this concert, there are two items with Misra gati!!! What more i can expect?
* for a 2-1/2 hour contact, exactly one dozen songs, two raga elaboration (one pratimadyama & one suddamadyama, variety of composers, talas), one RTP (condensed one though!!!), and is indeed a good concert planning.
* I generally get upset if there is no keerthanas in misra chapu. I belive that if a keerthana with misra chapu sung as 3rd or 4th item in concert (per ARI school), it helps to improve success of concert. But, in this concert, there are two items with Misra gati!!! What more i can expect?
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s_hari
- Posts: 872
- Joined: 20 May 2007, 18:45
Slokas
1. One sung on muruga - in kamas - manivadanam ada .... makarakundam ada .... vizhi ada....karunya meni aada ..... malai ada....... charanara vindangal ada .... vetrivel ada..... mayil ada... vilayada.... odi varuvai....
Can someone help me with exact text, and also help in identifying the sloka...
2. one on pAndurangA in Maand, before Bare Panduranga...- from pAndurangAshtakam of Adi Shankara
Maha Yoga Peete thate Bheema Radhya,
Varam Pundarikay Dathum Muneendrai,
Samagathya thishtanthamanandakandam
Parabrahma lingam baje pandurangam.
3. After kamas ragamalika swara in RTP, he immediately did a brief outline in kamas, started viruttam of sloka.. This has become kind of tradition to finish last ragamalika in RTP in a raga, and then continue to on to sing a piece in same raga..
4. As i wrote slokas were little fastish.. If i am to provide an analogy, it is like Anil Kumble's fastish leg breaks, where as traditional viruttams are more like shane Warne's flighted leg spin.. Since IPL is launching today, thought of giving this analogy!!!!!!
-hari
1. One sung on muruga - in kamas - manivadanam ada .... makarakundam ada .... vizhi ada....karunya meni aada ..... malai ada....... charanara vindangal ada .... vetrivel ada..... mayil ada... vilayada.... odi varuvai....
Can someone help me with exact text, and also help in identifying the sloka...
2. one on pAndurangA in Maand, before Bare Panduranga...- from pAndurangAshtakam of Adi Shankara
Maha Yoga Peete thate Bheema Radhya,
Varam Pundarikay Dathum Muneendrai,
Samagathya thishtanthamanandakandam
Parabrahma lingam baje pandurangam.
3. After kamas ragamalika swara in RTP, he immediately did a brief outline in kamas, started viruttam of sloka.. This has become kind of tradition to finish last ragamalika in RTP in a raga, and then continue to on to sing a piece in same raga..
4. As i wrote slokas were little fastish.. If i am to provide an analogy, it is like Anil Kumble's fastish leg breaks, where as traditional viruttams are more like shane Warne's flighted leg spin.. Since IPL is launching today, thought of giving this analogy!!!!!!
-hari
Last edited by s_hari on 18 Apr 2008, 07:32, edited 1 time in total.
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sowmya
- Posts: 92
- Joined: 29 Nov 2006, 22:19
HamirKalyani and Shankarabharanam were both superb. And an excellent team of accompanists. But I confess I was a little disappointed with the RTP. When he finished the main piece at 8.00, I was looking forward to a detailed pallavi, with something special. But the RTP, and the pieces afterward, were all very hurried. Concerts here, usually, go on till 9.30-9.45, and he wrapped up at 9.00. I wonder why...
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Vocalist
- Posts: 1030
- Joined: 19 Feb 2006, 18:53
I couldn't help but notice Bombay Jayashree (at least, in 2004 Margazhi Mahautsavam on Jaya TV) hardly put any tala. For a long time, I didn't understand why for example, with the exception a few beats, she'd sing an entire song without tala.arasi wrote:About your observation of Vijay Siva's tALa keeping: Being poor in tALA, I have noticed it, of course. I need to see the tALam on stage in order to maintain my own tALam and occasionally I have even seen VS sing with folded hands! Others may not mind, but the tALam impaired rasikAs notice it, I suppose. No, I am not saying you are one!
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s_hari
- Posts: 872
- Joined: 20 May 2007, 18:45
Sowmya - You are 100% right in your observations! There is an opinion in some schools that there are plenty of keerthanas composed by various mahans, and it is more than sufficient if those are sung properly with alapana, neraval, swarams etc. RTP may not get equal weightage.
RTP is more like a showcase where one brings out vidwat both ragha bhava & laya aspects. This is more done on a platform where lot of vidwans and learned audience are present. And not much importance to sahitya (i heard that tiger used to sing funny pallavi lines!! see here http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit08192002/musicarts1.asp) . Don't we hear such RTP's more often these days? If the concert duration was fixed as 2-1/2 hours (not sure about reason), then my 2 cents is that definitely there was justice.
-hari
RTP is more like a showcase where one brings out vidwat both ragha bhava & laya aspects. This is more done on a platform where lot of vidwans and learned audience are present. And not much importance to sahitya (i heard that tiger used to sing funny pallavi lines!! see here http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit08192002/musicarts1.asp) . Don't we hear such RTP's more often these days? If the concert duration was fixed as 2-1/2 hours (not sure about reason), then my 2 cents is that definitely there was justice.
-hari
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maithree
- Posts: 36
- Joined: 18 Feb 2008, 16:13
Actually, I'd interpret Hariharan's "jumpstart" in another way as well. VS strode so fast on the stage and the way he "leapt" on the dais looked like a real "jumpstart" 
. Puns apart, VS's shruthi shudham was something really stunning. What adherence to sruthi and swarasthanam !! You can tune any instrument with his singing.
The concert like every VS concert is very meticulously planned. In fact one of the violinists in her interview (I think it was Gayathri) had mentioned different styles of artistes. With reference to VS, she had mentioned that he was an extremely meticulous concert planner. Despite that I wonder how the concert was just for 2.5 hours. The Hamir Kalyani was genuinely out of the world. The RTP was a little bit of a let down considering the time remaining. Typically for Rama Seva Mandali concerts, most of the songs would be on Lord Rama. Vijay Siva's concert was different in this aspect as well.
Charulatha Ramanujam was exceptional in her accompaniment. As Hariharan mentioned, the responses for the Hamir Kalyani swara prastharam's were extremely beautiful.
. Puns apart, VS's shruthi shudham was something really stunning. What adherence to sruthi and swarasthanam !! You can tune any instrument with his singing.The concert like every VS concert is very meticulously planned. In fact one of the violinists in her interview (I think it was Gayathri) had mentioned different styles of artistes. With reference to VS, she had mentioned that he was an extremely meticulous concert planner. Despite that I wonder how the concert was just for 2.5 hours. The Hamir Kalyani was genuinely out of the world. The RTP was a little bit of a let down considering the time remaining. Typically for Rama Seva Mandali concerts, most of the songs would be on Lord Rama. Vijay Siva's concert was different in this aspect as well.
Charulatha Ramanujam was exceptional in her accompaniment. As Hariharan mentioned, the responses for the Hamir Kalyani swara prastharam's were extremely beautiful.
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braindrain
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mahavishnu
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