Skirmishing in Enemy Territory -- Dec 27, 2008

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 29 Dec 2008, 07:58

There are portents that warn you to stay home and not venture outside yet there are siren calls that one cannot ignore and one inexorably marches to one's doom. That is Fate and Fate took me to the Music Academy on Dec 27.

As I switched on TV that morning, I saw Aruna Sayeeram on the Z-Tamil channel. I switched to Jaya-TV hoping to get different (the operative word is "different", not "better") fare but hit the jackpot as Aruna Sayeeram was featured there too. And I saw the first instance of taking the war to the enemy's camp.

I was under the impression that Sudha Raghunathan had the lock on "Vishamakkara Kannan" in Raga Chenchurutti to counter Aruna's "Maadu Meikkum Kanne". Just like Pakistan retaliated with its own uranium-based nuclear weapon when India tested its plutonium device, Aruna has come up with her own version of "Vishamakkara Kannan"in a folk tune and someone in the family said that the folk tune for this song was also known to exist.

Now, this was the portent I was talking about. I should have stayed home but wanted very much to listen to the lec-dem at Academy on Konnakkol so off I went to the Academy.

After the konnakkol lec-dem and after fortifying myself with tiffin at the canteen, I entered the main auditorium to listen to one of the more intelligent and intellctual singers we have today: Charumathi Ramachandran. This concert provided the next evidence of taking the fight to the enemy.

Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi was being rendered in Atana. The pallavi line chosen was "Mohana Rama, Lavanya Rama, Rama Rama Guna Seema, Dasaratha Nandana, Dasarathi" in Kanda jati Ata talam, khanda nadai. Hearing the pallavi line would have been the right time to escape from the scene but one is tempted to stay and watch the inevitable which is what I did. The inevitable arrived after a short time in the form of "Mohana Rama Mukha jitha Soma Mudduka palkuma" in Mohanam. More inevitable followed in the form of "Lavanya Rama" in Purna Shadjam, "Rama Rama Guna Seema" in Simhendra Madhyamam, "Dasaratha Nandana" in Asaveri and "Dasarathi" in Todi. No, the original pallavi line was not sung in the various ragas; the pallavi lines of these songs were sung replacing the original pallavi.

After witnessing this attempt at poaching into Aruna Sayeeram's territory, I returned home to ponder the alternatives for the day. This was when I heard about T M Krishna's plan to sing "Viribhoni" in the middle of the concert and again, like a moth being drawn to the flame, I was drawn to the idea of listening to this unique concert. (Actually, it is not so unique, T M Krishna having sung "Nera nammithi" in Kanada after an elaborate alapana as the third item at Mylapore Fine Arts a couple of years back). Knowing that there was no hope of getting any seat despite holding a ticket, I figured that the best way would be to sit thru Aruna Sayeeram's concert so that I can continue to sit for a solid six hours in the same seat and watch this new nuclear experiment by T M Krishna unfold at the Academy.

I securely planted my butt in a seat and watched the phenomenon called Aruna Sayeeram. The song list is:

Chalamela - Nattakurinji Varnam
Sri Maanini - Pushpalathika
Narahariyai Vandhan - Simhendra Madhyamam
Raghuvira Ranadheera - Huseni
Meenakshi Me Mudham - Purvikalyani
Raka Sasi Vadana - Dacca
R-T-P? - Todi
Brindavanam Enbathu Ivaiyo - Chenchurutti
Abhang - Malkauns
Viruttham - Shanmukhapriya, Hamsanandi, Neelamani, leading to
Enna Kavi adinalum - Neelamani.

When one leads a good life, God does take care of one; it is thus that I fell asleep during the alapana of Todi and woke up with a start when the ragamalika began. I have to assume that a pallavi was sung because of the ragamalika that followed. I don't know the pallavi line but the talam seemed to be chatusra jati rupakam.

The ragamalika was rendered in Nattai, Gowlai, Arabhi, Varali, Sri, Kambhodi, Kalyani, Brindavana Saranga, Bhairavi, Saveri, and Ahiri. After swarams in each raga, the line rendered was not the original pallavi which seemed to be "Thyagarajaya Namasthe" but "Jagadanandakaraka", "Dudugu kala", "Sadinchane", "Kana kana ruchira", "Endaro Mahanubhavulu", "Sri Subrahmanyaya Namasthe", "Kamalambham Bhajare", (with my head reeling, I don't remember a couple of kritis she chose the pallavi line from), "Kamakshi Anudinamu", "Mayamma" from the appropriate kritis.

Now, you folks should know what I meant by skirmishing in enemy territory!

I only wish that at the canteen they did not filter the tea so well. Then one could have read the tea leaves (Come on, I KNOW they use tea dust but it is only a figure of speech anyway) to realize what was in store but what do you say to me when I ignored the portents on TV at 6:30 in the morning to put myself thru this?

At the end of Aruna's concert, some European yo-yo got up and applauded. He then turned to the audience and said, "Up, up" and the crowd got up and applauded too. I was thinking that if only I could "Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon" but there was a roof overhead that would have prevented my using a balloon to get to the bathroom by flying over the milling crowd.

sraja · Post by **sraja** » 29 Dec 2008, 08:19

Brilliant stuff! Keep them coming. Hopefully our overglorified modern singers will see the sarcasm and reform themselves with some sane music at least in the future. Or is that a lost hope? All said and done with all the gimmicks in force today barring literally a handful of singers, Carnatic Music presentation is sadly not the same anymore.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:04

Harimau - awesome stuff!!!

Raja, yours is a forlorn hope indeed!

jagan · Post by **jagan** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:23

The fault is not with the musicians but with the crowd that goes to listen to them. Why not shun them and go to listen to some good music instead?

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:31

Jagan - pretty much correct. I am trying to do follow as much as possible like you suggested! I was in academy on the day aruna sairam & TMK sang, but left before aruna's concert - after attending suryaprakash. I couldn't take my car out, as incoming traffic was too much, and there were many double (or tripple?) parking. Thanks to vallet parking system, i could retrive my car after waiting for 30 minutes. Or else, i would have been forced to come at 10pm to drive my car home. It looked like entire chennai came to MA on that day!!!!!

-hari

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:39

I went on that day @8:30 AM to buy TM Krishna ticket (my favourite bhairavi as a main). But since it was a combo ticket with ArunA sayeerAm, could not get any tickets . ArunA is a phenomenal crowd puller , all are distant second to her.One of my relatives who went to attend ArunA's concert called me to trade her ticket for TMK, but I was caught up with paNtula ramA. One has to give it to ArunA , I recollect 20 years before when she was in 3pm with very few rasikas .

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:40

I am just pasting the tidbit of my review in SKGS in 2006 that had the same pallavi line from arunA. Unfortunately this post is in erstwhile sangeetham.

9. RTP - TOdi "thyAgarAja yana namaste guruguhAya shyama krishnAya" + swara rAgamaligai
About RTP:
tOdi alApanai and TAnam was average (felt she could have elaborated more).I have heard thru forums a lot about this famous pallavi line paying obesiance to the trinity, so I was preconditioned somewhat that it will appear very good . But alas I did not find much depth in the pallavi rendition . After her Todi swarams she goes quickly from nattai,gowlai(very shaky),arAbi(ok),varAli (distinct and good, but every musician gets varAli that way) and shree rAgam. Then she traverses the swarams back in the reverse and surprisingly ends with phrases jagadAnandaka,duddugu,sAdhinchane,...upto shree rAgam ,ends with thyagarAja namaste.

She starts with kAmbodhi + kalyAni + BrindAvana saranga with short swarams up and a more detailed swarams down and then ends with SubramanyAya Namaste + kamAlAmba + rangapura phrases and then ending up with guruguhAyo namaste .Then she takes bhairavi + sAveri + ahIri and ends with short swarms up and a little longer swarms down , and then ends with kAmakshi ,dudusugA and mayAmma phrases and ends with shyamakrishnAya namaste.

Finally she takes all the rAgamaliga swarams in a reverse order and ends with tOdi swarams. Another short tAni follows up.It was 8:20 pm then after the concert started at 6:05 pm.In first pass it may appear as a great pallavi with her obesiance to trinity appearing perfect , but a little introspection , you can spot cracks in the musical depth of each rAga and also you may question like me as to whether singing phrases of popular krithis without a convincing swara pattern is partially empty and void.

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:42

My two cents.

Me too not a fan of Smt Aruna sairam. But I am a great fan of her Abhang. I have heard abhangs in namasangeerthanam and
also in MS and MLV albums. But I never remember any of those abhangs until Aruna came in to picture. She is THE one who popularised the
abhang to this level in CM platform. Last year a concert on Abhang sponcered by Hindu.

But consider this: at this age, travelling on a very regular basis for giving concert ,
even abroad and keeping good health, learning on a regular basis, not disappointing the majority
of the rasikas, balancing the family is a great accomplishment.

Glorification : CM artists now are at the right time at the right place and hence they look like
glorified. There are some artist who are overrated too. There is a boom now in CM unlike
1990-2000 where there was a lull period.

sankark · Post by **sankark** » 29 Dec 2008, 09:45

harimau

harimau wrote:When one leads a good life, God does take care of one; it is thus that I fell asleep during the alapana of Todi and woke up with a start when the ragamalika began

Au contraire, guess God deserted one.

If you had slept through ragamalika it would have been real taking care of one

. Me thinks the Thodi alapana would have been better (based on just one listening way baaaaaaaaaaack of a Thodi @ KGS followed by Ninne Nammi Nanu). Haven't listened to her live for long. Nowadays I don't bother either knowing only too well that the tickets would be sold out.

kvn_bhakta · Post by **kvn_bhakta** » 29 Dec 2008, 12:30

I think Aruna Sairam occupies the same space today as Maharajapuram Santhanam did for many years - talented and with a highly appealing voice, and mass appeal. While purists may look down on their music, both Santhanam and Aruna sing genuine carnatic music - even if it is somewhat simpler and blander than a purist might like - and I am glad she is able to achieve mass appeal without Kunnakudi-like gimmicks.

Santhanam was the first carnatic musician I enjoyed - I still love his Mohanam and Shanmughapriya. Still, I was soon bored with his music and moved on. Im pretty sure Aruna Sairam also has introduced many thousands to carnatic music, let us be thankful for that.

rajumds · Post by **rajumds** » 29 Dec 2008, 12:37

kvn_bhakta wrote: Im pretty sure Aruna Sairam also has introduced many thousands to carnatic music, let us be thankful for that.

Well said. KJY, KV and Aruna Sairam have done yomen sevice to CM by brining in new rasikas and yet get blasted by the so called highly eveolved rasikas.

If you can't enjoy thier music leave it at that. Don't try to belittle them.

You can't deny the fact these musicans sing with perfect sruthi and don't multilate ragas.

saptaratna · Post by **saptaratna** » 29 Dec 2008, 13:11

I always shun listening to Aruna at a concert hall. But this i went , to see what is this magic wonder that ties down every walk in to sit?

She has evolved simple recipes for simple folks.

Like HArimau has quite interestingly pieced together, she sang the pallavi with Tyagarjas pancharatnam lines, Dikshhitars cople of songs, sastri's swarajati etc.

The simple recipe is bring down the listening capacity of the listeners, to pure entertainment and "edutainment".

Yes there have been some great past masters who have done this and drawn huge crowds. Aruna joins the list. She has booming voice well in control, given her growing age and other pressures. She makes no bones about singing swara based sangatis . Just give folksy tunes, mass entertainment and see how many lap it up.

Her abhang renditions are decently good and appeal to simple minds.

People looking for classicism, weight, laya and learning should not be there and then criticise her.

What is interesting however is that , evry singer who is interested in drawing mind boggling crowds and want them to eat out of his/ her plate, adopt the same technique.

So is there some merit int it ??? Are all the masters who count tisram misram and sing gamakas and old style sangatis soon to fossilised ??? Dont know, cant say.

saptaratna · Post by **saptaratna** » 29 Dec 2008, 13:14

Should read "not edutainment"

rajumds · Post by **rajumds** » 29 Dec 2008, 13:33

Are all the masters who count tisram misram and sing gamakas and old style sangatis soon to fossilised

They will indeed be but for the likes Aruna Sairam who bring in new rasikas who mature over time and start enjoying tisrams and misrams

Jigyaasa · Post by **Jigyaasa** » 29 Dec 2008, 13:48

I don't think so... They start going to the concerts for the abhangs and tukdas and continue going for just that. I still remember a dialogue that I happened to overhear between a couple of mamis at the Academy abt an Aruna Sairam concert one of them had heard the previous day...
mAmi 1: ennA pADinA?
mAmi 2: Edo pADinA... nyAbagam illa... AnA kaDasiya oru abhang amOgamA pADinA! bEshA irundudu...

And I definitely don't think an abysmal memory was the reason for mAmi 2 having forgotten what the artiste had sung... She just hadn't cared to listen... Her interest apparently lay only in the after tani segment, which as a matter of fact is substantial in this artiste's concerts, cuz that's what the crowds want...

kedharam · Post by **kedharam** » 29 Dec 2008, 16:06

harimau,

sridrect · Post by **sridrect** » 29 Dec 2008, 17:50

From my own experience, I would like to add the following:

It is an undeniable fact that people like Unni, Maharajapuram, Aruna Sairam, Sudha Raghunathan have provided "good music" which definitely act as an excellent initiation into CM. It is entirely upto the rasika to realize the "monotony" of their music and look to elevate their listening taste. It is a gradual and long process (especially for people without any formal classical music training) and the onus for that should come from the individual rasikas. Some make it and most do not make it. It calls for lot of effort, time and patience and many may not be willing to put in the effort.

On the other hand, it is entirely upto the artistes to decide as to which "category" they want to be identified with. Is there any point in expecting "great music" as provided by MSV and IR from the current crop of cine music directors. It is very similar.

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 29 Dec 2008, 18:08

harimau, this was a riot!

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 29 Dec 2008, 19:13

sridrect wrote:From my own experience, I would like to add the following:

It is an undeniable fact that people like Unni, Maharajapuram, Aruna Sairam, Sudha Raghunathan have provided "good music" which definitely act as an excellent initiation into CM. It is entirely upto the rasika to realize the "monotony" of their music and look to elevate their listening taste. It is a gradual and long process (especially for people without any formal classical music training) and the onus for that should come from the individual rasikas. Some make it and most do not make it. It calls for lot of effort, time and patience and many may not be willing to put in the effort.

On the other hand, it is entirely upto the artistes to decide as to which "category" they want to be identified with. Is there any point in expecting "great music" as provided by MSV and IR from the current crop of cine music directors. It is very similar.

I have to agree with you , nothing less than 100%. We once discussed this sometime back in this forum in some other thread. You can add MSS, Kunnakudi too.
But the sole exception is Mandolin U Srinivas, a very good balancing act.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 29 Dec 2008, 23:24

MSS and Kunnakudi?!!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 30 Dec 2008, 00:56

The world's music offers us variety of weight, variety of depth, variety of complexity, variety of effort required to listen, or to become a listener.

Why should carnatic music be any different?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Dec 2008, 01:13

You can add MSS, Kunnakudi too.
But the sole exception is Mandolin U Srinivas, a very good balancing act.

:rolleyes:

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 30 Dec 2008, 06:41

I remeber the days when towards tukkada time musicians (MS, DKP, GNB, NCV,...) sing cine songs especially their own famous ones (since those used to be CM based tuned mostly by PSivan). The crowds used to go crazy. Even TNR and Mali have played MKT songs to the delight of the masses. Being away from India for a long time when the cine music has evolved

I wonder whether anybody ever sings any of IR or ARR which are CM creations? Will the masses react to such an innovation though the die-hards will walk out (like a caste brahmin encountering an untoucable

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 30 Dec 2008, 08:16

CML, The lyrics, laya blandness and crooning style of singing are the probem, I think. The songs you refer to were essentially CM thukkada style songs sung in full throated style.

For example, Marutha malai mamaniye murugayya will definitely work but not this song ( tajmahale ): http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/zq7 ... As1NMvHdW/ .

But what will be the problem with this one? http://www.musicindiaonline.com/p/x/w4p ... As1NMvHdW/ ( Malare Mounama )
Definitely lyrics are not that far from the sentiments expressed in a javali, in fact this is much more metaphorical. The melody can be considered to be in the javali style of "slow and steady".
If some one slaps some flowery telugu lyrics ( viriboni mounama

) and remove the crooning and make it more CM vocalization and make a javali out of it, we can see how many CM folks in Chennai will consider it proper for a thukkada.

It sounds preposterous even as I write it ( ah.. that word of the season again ) but unless some creative genuis tries it and makes something out of it, we have to reserve judgement.

Svaapana · Post by **Svaapana** » 30 Dec 2008, 08:23

harimau,
Ramanathapuram Krishnan used to sing Sri Maanini in Purnashadjamam.

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 30 Dec 2008, 09:38

cmlover wrote:I remeber the days when towards tukkada time musicians (MS, DKP, GNB, NCV,...) sing cine songs especially their own famous ones (since those used to be CM based tuned mostly by PSivan). The crowds used to go crazy. Even TNR and Mali have played MKT songs to the delight of the masses. Being away from India for a long time when the cine music has evolved I wonder whether anybody ever sings any of IR or ARR which are CM creations? Will the masses react to such an innovation though the die-hards will walk out (like a caste brahmin encountering an untoucable

One of my first concert experiences was in Meenakshi temple Madurai - Navaratri used to be the time for concerts...on this day the artist (KJY) started the tukkada section with "adisaya raagam" - the crowds lapped it up! Crowds that filled two of the 4 "ADi veedi's" numbering in thousands. At the end of the day several hundred cassettes of his latest tiruppugazh album got sold. I am sure at least a few new rasikas of CM were born that day.

grsastrigal · Post by **grsastrigal** » 30 Dec 2008, 11:03

I have few interesting points to make:

Today Aruna Sairam is performing in MFAC. THE HINDU says "it is "housefull". Complimentaries suspended."

Today Sastri Hall, Luz, TNS is performing. THE HINDU says "All welcome, tickets @ Hall." (!!!!)

Today, TVS is supposed to perform at MA today. He is not performing, Instead, Vasundara rajagopal is performing.

kartik · Post by **kartik** » 30 Dec 2008, 12:34

Where did the Kalinga Narthana Thillana go?Dont tell me an Aruna Sayeeram concert didnt end with this one?
Can we safely conclude that the mangalam was the best item of the day?

blackadder · Post by **blackadder** » 30 Dec 2008, 15:54

I saw her (sorry, heard her) perform it on Jaya TV last week. As someone said about our cricketers, can we not play the second innings first?

kartik · Post by **kartik** » 30 Dec 2008, 17:51

how about that thillana for a main?:-(
RTT-Ragam,Thanam,Thillana
If a varnam can be a main,why not a thillana I wonder....

musicfan_4201 · Post by **musicfan_4201** » 30 Dec 2008, 18:19

kartik wrote:how about that thillana for a main?:-(
RTT-Ragam,Thanam,Thillana
If a varnam can be a main,why not a thillana I wonder....

Perhaps that will be order of the sometime.
Start the concert with a mangalam and end with a varnam. By that audience who do not appreciate will have an opportunity to leave soon after mangalam (first song).

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 30 Dec 2008, 19:23

musicfan_4201 wrote:
kartik wrote:how about that thillana for a main?:-(
RTT-Ragam,Thanam,Thillana
If a varnam can be a main,why not a thillana I wonder....
Perhaps that will be order of the sometime.
Start the concert with a mangalam and end with a varnam. By that audience who do not appreciate will have an opportunity to leave soon after mangalam (first song).

and boast to others that they stayed till mangalam.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 30 Dec 2008, 19:40

LOL Punarvasu! And technically they wouldn't walk out in the middle of the thani as well!

kaapi · Post by **kaapi** » 30 Dec 2008, 21:44

I can understand the despair of Harimau. His basic question is "You Too Charumati ?"

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 30 Dec 2008, 22:16

For generations now, catholic schools...particularly in Southern India have successfully anglicized the Indian culture rather mischievously...by ensuring that girls in schools dont wear bindi, school attire as frocks have become the norm in our culture...resulting in a generic generation that has forgotten what indian attire really stands for.

Our music too shall meet this fate....aruna and her inane followers will ensure this! I agree with Jigyaasa..in no way can it be said that she is bringing new rasikas to carnatic music. The crowd she brings to the table just does not count! Just ask the European yo-yo

ganeshkant · Post by **ganeshkant** » 31 Dec 2008, 12:29

Harimau,

U have written Enna Kavi Adinalum instead of padinalum.Is it delibarate ? Even the trinity may come down in jeans & tops for AS & CR 's concerts and dance with guitar in hands.

Once TKMurthy told at Thiagaraja Vidwat Samajam ," If thygarajar comes today,our vidwans will go tell him,'listen !how I have improved your kriti and embelished it "

This was told before 15 years.What a foresight!

HarishankarK · Post by **HarishankarK** » 31 Dec 2008, 15:00

Aruna Sairam's concert does have dilution to some extent but she has also mass appeal.
However Charumati Ramachandran does not fall under this category - she usually preserves classicism in her concerts very well.

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 31 Dec 2008, 15:08

[quote="kaapi"]I can understand the despair of Harimau. His basic question is "You Too Charumati ?"

saptaratna · Post by **saptaratna** » 31 Dec 2008, 15:20

" Vishamakara Kanna" is doing so much Vishamam, that he has entered the Bharatnatyam territory also this season, with so many of them dancing to his tune and he dancing to theirs. The reviews in the papers will give an idea for a statistical analysis.

Maybe a good (jobless) !! effort to catalogue the number of times this has done its rounds this season , both in the dance and music circuit. !!

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 31 Dec 2008, 15:26

I too heard it yesterday at Priya Govind's dance....

musicfan_4201 · Post by **musicfan_4201** » 31 Dec 2008, 17:50

Innovations at this rate will bring in sometime Surangani into CM scene and it might get accepted with WHY NOT.
And become a box office hit

Amruthavarshini · Post by **Amruthavarshini** » 07 Jan 2009, 19:02

May be all of us will also discuss, whose rendition of surangani was better!!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 07 Jan 2009, 20:45

mahesh3 wrote:For generations now, catholic schools...particularly in Southern India have successfully anglicized the Indian culture rather mischievously...by ensuring that girls in schools dont wear bindi, school attire as frocks have become the norm in our culture...resulting in a generic generation that has forgotten what indian attire really stands for.

Our music too shall meet this fate....aruna and her inane followers will ensure this! I agree with Jigyaasa..in no way can it be said that she is bringing new rasikas to carnatic music. The crowd she brings to the table just does not count! Just ask the European yo-yo

Oh right, that'll be why the uniform continues to be salwar kameez with modest duppatta uniformly draped in Chennai style, I suppose? Or perhaps nothing less than the half-sari, albeit rather less modest, would satisfy you, the salwar coming, as it does, from some other part of India! (Have to admit I don't know the origin of the half sari).

I'll let you know when I start understanding any of Aruna's songs, as it will mean she has started singing in English!

Until she does, your argument, or at least the way that you put it, is simply...

(all together now...)

Preposterous!

*

So, school uniforms having nothing whatsoever to do with this forum...

Generally, I think there is a lot of bitching about an artist who satisfies a large audience. Each to their own.

A lighter approach to carnatic music is not something that is going to infect the more serious and heavy-weight performers. If it does become lighter over decades to come, that will be a response to audience demand, to which organisers must respond if they are to fill seats. Yes, of course I too would be sad to see that happen, but there is no way that any one or two (or any) artists can be blamed.

Of course, I have my music snobbery too: my wife was listening to the lady in question today on CD. I caught myself thinking that I was glad that, at least, it was not film music! But I am talking about the music in my house: not the music in other people's houses.

============================

*Rasikas.org Word of the Year, 2008

.

drohit · Post by **drohit** » 08 Jan 2009, 07:47

Smt. Charumathi Ramachandran who is very innovative like her guru MLV scomposed pallavis by joining opening words from krithis a long while back (before Aruna had crashed into the carnatic music scene!)

I have listened on a tape Smt. Charumathi's 1988 or 89 academy concert where she sang a lovely Kambodhi followed by the pallavi:
Bala Gopala Santhana Goapala Sri Rajagopala Sri Venugopala

In Austin, I have heard her do in Hamsadhwani:
Vinayaka Vallabha Nayaka Gajananayuta Gananayaka Siddhi

And, while rendering these pallavis, she chooses the ragamalika swaras from the krithis without getting into rendering complete lines of these krithis i.e sticking to the pallavi line!

saravanan · Post by **saravanan** » 08 Jan 2009, 13:13

I guess Aruna Sairam has something in her vidwat and presentation to get all the crowds to her even if singing same RTP/ songs in her concerts.
If singing film songs or MKT songs wil make an artist popular then Suryaprakash should have been the most popular guy.I remember him making an annoncement in Mumbai saying he is going to sing carnatic based s MKT /MLV songs.Still whatever crowd was there they vanished in the middle. So it has to be a package as to how to present I guess .( now SUryaprakash fans dont start a thread!!)

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 08 Jan 2009, 13:30

The number of people that show up for a concert is a very poor measure of an artiste's vidwat...

anandabhairavi · Post by **anandabhairavi** » 08 Jan 2009, 14:38

Vijay sir I too went to Priyadarshini ( or is it Priya ) Govind and I was doubting if I was in a Aruna Sairam concert!!She danced to kanthamam /maadu meikum/Na kalinga thillana.I was expecting enna kavi padinaalum in between .Luckily I was spared.And she gave credit in her speech to Aruna sairam completely forgetting to mention who was the poet !!

HarishankarK · Post by **HarishankarK** » 08 Jan 2009, 15:19

vijay wrote:The number of people that show up for a concert is a very poor measure of an artiste's vidwat...

Just want to give my humble opinion - Carnatic classical Music is not like Masala movie. In the examples of masala movies we can say that 'The number of people that show up for a concert is a very poor measure of an movie's quality'...[/'
but in case of carnatic music i hope we agree that even now 80% of the audience are people of slightly elite families and educated and decent people and people who have some falir for culture and music and also know-how to some extend. Hence just because Aruna Sairamji's concert get great crowds it also does not mean that she has no vidwat.
Moreover it is my humble opinion that this forum should not be used for making sarcastic and demeaning remarks against any music artiste.
A new forumite and listener of carnatic music may form an opinion that Aruna Sairam ji always sings the same songs and her music is not very classical.
There have been very many great artistes and are still there who sing the same 3-4 songs repeatedly in their concerts as thukkadas (assuming it is a public request or as a respect for the singers who immortalised these songs).

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 08 Jan 2009, 15:49

Afraid you've got it wrong Harishankar - I said that crowds are a poor indicator of vidwat...that works both ways - it does not mean that the artiste has vidwat - nor does it mean he/she does not. To me it is a statistic that has no relevance in forming an opinion on anyone's musical abilities. Many of my favourites such as Sanjay and TMK are also huge crowd pullers.

I have not made any specific reference to Aruna Sairam or her music other than to say that huge crowds cannot be used to support claims of her vidwat...No one reaches the top without a certain amount of ability and I am sure that applies to Aruna Sairam as well. The rest boils down to personal preferences which cannot be explained. Personally, my reaction to her music is not as negative as some of the others in this forum although I can't say I find anything special about it either...

In fact, in case of Masala Movies the crowds are actually a good indicator of a movie's success - the primary objective being mass entertainment. Also education/elitism is no guarantee of aesthetic sense although the environment at home can foster refinement in taste to some extent.

Finally I don't think there is demeaning about the remarks on this thread. We are free to express opinions on artistes and their music on this forum as long as it does not get personal or slanderous although not all of it may be to everyone's taste. Similarly, Aruna's fans have the freedom to rebut the claims on this thread or to just ignore them and move on...

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 09 Jan 2009, 01:49

Nick, I referenced uniforms for catholic schools and their subsequent impact on anglicizing Indian wear...not the uniforms at all schools

!

And as for the bit about you starting to understand Aruna's music and/or her beginning to sing in english...its not something I am particularly bothered about, irrespective of whether these events occur individually or in unison.

Aruna's musical followers dont really contribute to help build carnatic music awareness. Thats where I will rest my case...preposterous or whatever the word it is that you choose to use.