Sudha Raghunathan - ICC, California, USA - July 13, 2008

xxjavahtmlxx · Post by **xxjavahtmlxx** » 14 Jul 2008, 12:01

The concert started at about 4:20 PM, and I don't know when it ended, because I left at 8:00 PM, and Sudhaji was still taking requests for krithis.

Date: July 13, 2008
Venue: India Community Center, Milpitas (California, USA)

Vocal: Sudha Raghunathan
Violin: Embar Kannan
Mridangam: Thiruvarur Vaidyanthan
Drone: Sangeetha Swaminathan

1) Jalajakshi varnam - Hamsadhwani - Patnam Subramania Iyer
2) (Swara Kalpana) Siddhi Vinayakam - Shanmugapriya - Muthuswamy Dikshitar
3) Endaro Mahanubhavulu - Sri - Thyagaraja
4) (Alapana, Swara Kalpana) Sudha Madhurya Bhaashini - Vandanadharini - G.N. Balasubramanian
5) (Alapana) Meenalochana Brova - Dhanyasi - Syama Sastry
6) Malmaruga Shanmuga - Vasanta - Papanasam Sivan
7) (Main Piece) Chakkani Raja - Kharaharapriya - Thyagaraja
8) Marugelara - Jayanthasree - Thyagaraja
9) RTP - Kambhodi, Mohana, Brindavan Sarang
10) Kanda Naal Mudhalaay - Madhuvanti - S. Chidambaram

Numbers 1 to 7 were preplanned by Sudhaji, and numbers 8 and on were requested by the audience. The pallavi line for the three-ragam RTP was "Boolokha Vaikunta Pathe Mohana Muralidhara Mukunda Brindavana Sarangendra". Like some other rasikas, I am only a high school strudent, and this is the first time that I have attended a professional Carnatic vocalist's concert, so I'll try my best with this review.

Sudhaji made great use of janti and daatu prayogas in swara kalpana, and really demonstrated her prowess with coming up with varying swara combinations. Having listened to Sudhaji's renditions on online videos, I personally think that alapana is her strength. I was very much enchanted by her briga-toned voice, and really loved how she effortlessly went up and down the scale of all the ragas she portrayed via alapana. I never heard of the ragam Vandanadharini before, so after hearing her rendition of Sudha madhurya Bhaashini, I am a fan of this raga! For some reason, that song reminded me of Sadapalaya in raga Mohana. As a Tamilian, I really enjoyed listening to Sudhaji's immaculate Tamil pronunciation for Malmaruga, and hence enjoyed her rendition thoroughly. The way Sudhaji rendered the three-ragam RTP reminded me of the way her guru M.L. Vasanthakumari would do RTP (I was reminded particularly of the song "Saamagana" in Raga Kamavardhini by Thyagaraja).

Embar Kannan, as usual, provided EXCELLENT accompaniment for Sudhaji, and I especially enjoyed his work for Chakkani Raja. I was also impressed by Thiruvarur Vaidyanthan's unique style of concluding the krithis, and really enjoyed his work for Siddhi Vinayakam and Chakkani Raja.

To anyone else who attended this concert: I wasn't able to listen to the entire concert, so if anyone did stay for the whole concert, could you please state here the other songs that Sudhaji sang after Kanda Naal Mudhalaay? Also, if I made any technical errors with raga and/or composer names, please correct me!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 14 Jul 2008, 18:50

xxjavahtmlxx: Welcome to the band of reviewers, and thanks for the review.

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 14 Jul 2008, 19:22

Nice review. Sounds like a great concert with top accompanists.
Am I reading this correctly that Sangeetha Sivakumar played the tambura for a Sudha concert? interesting coincidence...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jul 2008, 19:32

Great to see reviews from teens. This is the second one in the last few days.
xxjavahotmailxx,
We are proud of you that you not only enjoy the music of your ancestors but also take interest in attending concert s and in reviewing one too. You are learning CM, aren't you?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 14 Jul 2008, 19:49

This Sangeetha Shivakumar is a stundent of Sudha living in the Bay area I think.

Jayashri · Post by **Jayashri** » 14 Jul 2008, 19:51

I think her name is Smt. Sangeetha Swaminathan and not Sivakumar. Smt. Sangeetha Sivakumar is a disciple of Smt. Charumathi Ramachandran and wife of Sri TM Krishna.

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 14 Jul 2008, 20:11

thanks, Jayashri. That makes more sense.
Sangeetha Swaminathan is a very talented vocalist herself, who has not been very prominent on the concert circuit since her relocation to the bay area. I remember listening to her when she sang under her maiden name Sangeetha Krishnamoorthy.

Popular name for people from the MLV bani.

Jayashri · Post by **Jayashri** » 14 Jul 2008, 20:17

Sure. Yes, I remember hearing her under her maiden name as well. Now I don't hear her name that much in the concert circuit.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 14 Jul 2008, 20:52

Post RTP songs:
kaNda nAL mudalAi-madhuvanti
vishanmakkAra kannan
a viruttam- vAdinEn vAdi varundinEn in karNaranjani followed by Om namOnArAyaNA
TandanA nA-
chinnanchiru kiLiyE
SaI bhajan-man ke AnkhEn kOlO
She started a slokam in sindhubhairavi I think-I had to leave.
She must have sung for almost 41/2 hrs I think.What energy and tempo from the start to finish!
The pallavi was in kaNda jAti ata tALa, 'rendu kaLai' then she went on to 'oru kaLai' and then sang in misra chaapu.
The way she sang swarams for the 3 parts of the pallavi in the three ragas was amazing and Shr Embar Kannan played with equal ease.
Mridangam by Shri Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan was very good.
I got the name wrong I think-it was Sangeetha Swaminathan and not Shivakumar.
Altogether a very enjoyable concert.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 14 Jul 2008, 20:54

I really appreciate you -xxjavahtmlxx- to have gone home and posted the review immdly. That shows your interest. Keept it up and all the best.

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 14 Jul 2008, 21:14

The pallavi was in kaNda jAti ata tALa, 'rendu kaLai' then she went on to 'oru kaLai' and then sang in misra chaapu.
.

(;- You can call whatever you want 1 kalai kaNda ata or mishra chapu.. Hope the pallavi words fell in proper place in tala cycle..

-hari

revanthv552 · Post by **revanthv552** » 15 Jul 2008, 21:13

Thanks a lot for the review...
i would like to know if anyone has recorded this concert..
i wanted to listen to the vandhaanaadhaarini ragam dilineation by her....
and also i love the bhajan mann ke ankhe kholo which is really mesmirising,...

xxjavahtmlxx · Post by **xxjavahtmlxx** » 16 Jul 2008, 11:33

Thanks to everyone else on this thread for your warm comments!

This is the first time that I've seen a professional artist perform a traditional concert, and to see one of my FAVORITE Carnatic vocalists perform was a dream-come-true for me! I've listened to Sudhaji's renditions online and in two of her CDs, but I always wanted to see her in person, and at last, I did! She really surpassed my expectations by sustaining her voice for MORE THAN FOUR HOURS and accepting so many requests from the audience! I didn't even know that she was open to singing requested songs!

Arasi, yes, I have been learning Carnatic music throughout my childhood.

For me, the name "Sangeetha Sivakumar" was strangely familiar, so I wasn't entirely sure if she would have accompanied Sudhaji, but my doubt has been clarified here. I've editted the first post to make the last name correction.