Prince Rama Varma

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 10 May 2015, 10:45

Four songs sung at Trivandrum during Maharaja Swathi Thirunal's 202nd birth anniversary

Kripaya Palaya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxhN6MBWoxQ

Bhavaye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hd-Zl_XnAg

Reenamadanuta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9cLiO9OruE

Baajat Murali
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak3MkEDogwk

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 20 May 2015, 11:32

Playlist of more than 40 Swathi Thirunal compositions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-w4-yr ... TRo9B4vfSZ

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 28 May 2015, 21:57

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 06 Jul 2015, 00:13

Playlist of Telugu Songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUy__kz ... oCkOI8n1Y4

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 09 Jul 2015, 20:59

Interview in Gemini TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBkw96J3uV8

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 15 Jul 2015, 17:28

Excerpts from a lecture at Music Academy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lbv4Jj9VMU

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 27 Jul 2015, 22:16

Varma ji's tribute to The Best President we have had.

RIP Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGD571nNZD4

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 06 Aug 2015, 01:47

Interview in Tamil on Peppers TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E_UJuReYtE

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 20 Aug 2015, 03:10

Western Nottuswarams and other cute songs that small kids (and many adults) love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek8pnuG ... YokGE-w1UA

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 27 Aug 2015, 00:23

Extraordinary analysis of a Hindi film song by Varmaji.

Chingari koi bhadke is one of those miraculous songs where Everything comes together just Perfectly.
The poetry, the music, the orchestration, the singing, you name it. Though the visual is tastefully done too, when I listen to this song and even when I watch the video, I can only imagine the scene happening in the studio during the recording, rather than let my imagination take flight into abstract dimensions or
restrict myself to watching Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore being gently rocked in a boat, which is what they show in the film.

There are few songs that set the mood so brilliantly right from the word go, as Chingari does. Though there are dozens.....probably hundreds.....of film songs set to Raag Bhairavi, (many of which are complete masterpieces in themselves) few come close to Chingari in sheer depth, in the brilliance of the orchestration and in all round perfection.

Rahul Dev Burman who always experimented with new sounds, opens the song with a minor chord strummed on a guitar, which gives the rhythmic pulse as much as it does the melody.
This hauntingly beautiful chord gets repeated again and again throughout the entire song and goes on increasing in it's hypnotic quality as the song progresses and as we hear it again and again.

Chingari
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpM0jPd6-7w

The same "Krrrrrrr ch ch" sound made by a comb on a broom after "Arey HEY !
Lalala lalala lalala lalala laaaa!" in Mere Samnewali Khidki Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM3vA9rrIVc
takes on a different dimension altogether in Chingari, while giving a subtle undercurrent to the guitar. One hardly notices it in fact. The highlight of the entire song, apart from Kishore Kumar's stunning voice and incomparable depth of expression, is surely the flute as far as I am concerned.
(I automatically remember the similarly Mind Blowing use of the flute in Kishore Da's song Ki Ashae Bandhi Khela Ghor from the Bengali film Amanush. I don't remember who the music director was for this.)

Ki Ashae, which is an epic in itself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eUfoCFyLn8

Raag Bhairavi, in it's lighter avtaar, is one that allows the use of all the twelve notes of the scale.
The flute hits the Sudhdh Ni straightaway and this, combined with the mournful pulse created by the dark chords of the guitar, goes straight through one's heart, even before the singing starts.
The flute plays a beautiful passage for around 20 seconds when a "kling" happens.....twice.....like a warning bell, heralding even better things to come. (Remember the "Klinggg" used charmingly by Kumar Sachin Dev Burman in Aise To Na Dekho "Kling" Ke Hum Ko Nasha Ho Jaaye" ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t_hrxOirX0 )

Kishore Kumar's diamond like voice Explodes on the scene even when he is singing in a relatively subdued manner.....Subdued, by his standards, that is. Being a Saigal follower, he always uses the "H" sound rather than sing a plain "Aaa" or "Mmm." (Hey Hey ! Ho Ho ! Hmmm Hmmm ! and so on.) His H sound has a punch that remains unequaled by anybody else in any system of music from the world over, that I have ever heard. "Hmmm" he begins, resting on the Sa. Before he starts "Chingari", the magic flute plucks out another mournful "Riii sa" with the Komal Ri.

Even if I write pages and pages, it wouldn't do justice to just How vital a role the Flute plays in this song and how exquisitely the gentleman has played it. Just listen to the same "Chingari" Live at BBC (or Any other Live version by him)
and you will see what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AksD5sGO01c
Though Kishore da tries to add a few more ornamentations, changes the lyrics a bit here and there, repeats a few phrases for greater dramatic effect and so on and though the orchestra plays as beautifully as they can, the keyboard which tries to replicate the flute in the original, simply doesn't Do it ! Though Kishore da in his amazing career, has sung many a song on stage even more beautifully than he sang the original, this Chingari is an exception, largely because of the vitality of the Orchestra in general and flute in particular, in the original. The live version seems to be more or less a lost cause, even before the singing starts.

In the original, Kishore da sings "Chingari koi bhadke...." and leaves it hanging in the air, when the divine flute takes it up and plays a sublime little passage, generously utilizing the Teevra Madhyam. I don't think there would be many Bhairavi songs which use the startling Teevra Madhyam....either in the orchestration or in the singing.....as much as Chingari does. From the SEY in "Saawan uSEY bujhaaye" the sombre waves of Theevra Madhyams
start, creating a mood like very few other songs do. From the time the singing starts, violins play in the background. Generally speaking, the screech of the violins, especially in the higher octave, is second only to the screech of female voices in the Indian film music field, from the late 1940s onwards. In Chingari though, the sound of the violins is mercifully muted, though they are There for sure.

After the first stanza they come alive, albeit briefly and leave off with a "Sa Ri Ga" phrase in the higher octave, taken up immediately by another instrument which goes "Sariga, Sariga, Sariga" creating an echo effect, promptly leading to a string instrument coming down the octave with a bif of an Afghan flavour and finally landing sublimely on the flute, which remains nothing less than sublime right through the entire song. One of the most startlingly brilliant phrases played by the flute is almost inaudible, because it happens in the background.
Listen to what happens immediately after Kishore da sings "Logon ki baat nahin hai."
The flute holds the Dhaivath in the higher octave for a long time, almost as though it is Wailing "This is the maximum pain that I can take ! I am trying to hold on somehow but know that I will fall any second now !" ......and then falls....
and how ! A heartrendingly beautiful passage that winds it's way down an entire octave and a half and ends only when Kishore Da sings "Koi" from the next line, "Koi Dushman."

In the interlude between this stanza and the next, "Na Jaane" the Arabic sounding string instrument plays yet another charming phrase, signing off with a striking Shudhdh Ga this time, the cellos make a brief and welcome appearance, the violins screech a bit and it is the magical flute maestro who leads us once again to the next stanza. By this time, the guitar chord that opened the song in the first place, has become part of our body and soul and we wait for it to appear each time, in it's achingly beautiful way and it does.

The same pattern continues in the next stanza too. The flute makes it's musical representation of one's descent into alcoholic oblivion the moment Kishore da finishes the line "Peete to zinda hai" and continues until the end of the next line. By now, we the listeners are totally drenched in the beauty of the song. In the musical interlude that follows, a violin like instrument that almost sounds like a Shehnai (The same instrument that is used in Mukesh's Saranga Teri Yaad Mein) drives the point home with an intensely painful and beautiful phrase of it's own.

The final stanza goes the same way as the ones that preceded it and the song ends with Kishore da humming Mm Hmmm.....Mmm Hmm... and fading away, leaving us in a stupor more effective than that which any alcohol in the world can cause in us. I find it impossible to listen to this song just once and stop and with each round of repeated listening, the beauty of the song only keeps increasing. One can safely presume that songs like this will last long, long, long after our time.

Varma

ramavarma.yolasite.com

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 27 Aug 2015, 08:01

Varma-ji
Too much. Too much to take in, in one go. Shows how forum posts are too linear and unidimensional to dialogue effectively.

Chingari is a classic. My guess - the flute was played by Hari Prasad Chaurasia- wasn't he very active in Bollywood at that time?

Right that this scene doesn't look anything compared to the imagery of the recording studio. Also, Rajesh Khanna's moves are singularly dangerous for a boat- true safety comes from a film set with a shallow tank with all the boat rocking and waves lapping just the work of a mechanical contraption

What do you say, sir?

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 28 Aug 2015, 15:03

I found it very technical too, but as I read it again and again and listened to the
song again and again, it became more and more fascinating and beautiful each time

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 29 Aug 2015, 12:24

Here is Mohammed Rafi's Suhani Raat;
but a video this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FLkl-65-wM

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 31 Aug 2015, 02:54

Chat with Prof.T.V.Gopalakrishnan about the beauty of lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DC62eywh0c

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 07 Sep 2015, 15:26

Rare video forwarded to me by Varmaji.
I could recognize only a few musicians in this like Ustad Bismillah Khan,
Pandit Ravishankar and Ali Akbar Khan.
It would be nice if someone could identify the others too, especially the
veena playing couple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptFuQWfsQ9A

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 16 Sep 2015, 17:08

Varmaji to sing at this beautiful theatre in Metz, France,
on September 18th.

http://arsenal-metz.fr/fr/musique/le-ch ... ce_-d.html

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 16 Sep 2015, 18:18

I chanced upon this looking for maname ramanai pada by MDR and it is a wonderful read.
http://viji-occupationmothering.blogspo ... perla.html

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 21 Sep 2015, 00:47

How nicely written! I love the Perla videos

Here are some.

Lunch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txwdm7styfo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDbUkYky1s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3L9tizMqLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G50suT-e9bY

Anthakshari
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-4a4locr7w

Music Class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6-VTy7lExU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZRq8jZKApc

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 24 Sep 2015, 20:42

Varma ji at France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmHTIO ... e=youtu.be

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 27 Sep 2015, 03:15

At Veena Utsavam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QW4Xv9bi8I

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 30 Sep 2015, 19:50

Mysore concert review

http://www.starofmysore.com/searchinfo. ... ialnewsnew

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 02 Oct 2015, 23:04

Yadukulakamboji Lesson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVx8tFV ... e=youtu.be

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 05 Oct 2015, 00:02

Yadukulakamboji song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrHYcae_zHA

Rare Telugu song by Etla Ramadasa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3uYBc_neiw

Asaveri Lesson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRNh8xVR9WQ

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 09 Oct 2015, 12:39

Some videos by Varmaji

Navarathri Mandapam and Sri Sanjay Subrahmanyan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvSgs2XtRlo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rjTQ_j0SEU

Ananthapura Temple - Kasargode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htPhJynWSnQ

Drive to Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-i-CpL3yoY

Article
http://ramavarma.yolasite.com/resources ... 20Devi.pdf

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 12 Oct 2015, 12:14

Kharaharapriya Pada Varnam on Lord Vinayaka by Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83mIwpT ... e=youtu.be

Behag Thillana on Sri Guruvayoorappan by Sri M.D.Ramanathan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdr2ZoD ... e=youtu.be

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 18 Oct 2015, 00:28

Huseni and Kalyani from Navarathri Mandapam uploaded by Shri Teeveegee

http://www.sangeethamshare.org/login.ph ... am_2015%2F

venu sundar · Post by **venu sundar** » 19 Oct 2015, 09:02

Madurai Mani Iyer Musical Evening - Sruti, A Monthly ...
www.sruti.com/index.php?main_page=events&events_id=1184
Oct 1, 2015 - Madurai Mani Iyer Musical Evening. Madurai Mani Iyer ... Chitti Venu Vishnu. ALL ARE ... Contact: Mr.S.Venugopalan – Mobile : 98413 13527.
0 x

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 20 Oct 2015, 17:08

Interviews over the years.....from BBC to Dutch TV to Asianet
to Peppers TV to Gemini TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MScv3K ... TdTkJTdHBd

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 28 Oct 2015, 10:35

Latest videos from the Navarathri Mandapam, taken by Varmaji.

11 songs by Prof.Parasala Ponnammal, Prof.Venkataramanan and

Kum.Amrutha Venkatesh

https://www.youtube.com/user/musiquebox/videos

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 29 Oct 2015, 22:53

All Telugu Concert at Hyderabad on October 31st

http://www.saptaparni.in/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=58

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 04 Nov 2015, 14:47

Radio and other concert links from Sangeethapriya

http://www.sangeethapriya.org/list_albu ... 0Ramavarma

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 08 Nov 2015, 21:59

Prince Rama Varma felicitates Vidwan Guruvayur Dorai

at the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple, where Dorai Sir was given

the Chembai Award at the Chembai Sangeethotsavam this year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ricK6D98MRs

and sings M.D.Ramanathan's Thillana on Lord Sri Guruvaoorappa

in Raga Behag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPShrbzaeOI

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 11 Nov 2015, 23:10

Varma ji gets the Sangeetha Ratna award and dedicates

it to a host of musicians whom he holds in high esteem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e8u3Jq ... e=youtu.be

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 11 Nov 2015, 23:56

Can you please post his schedule of Season concerts, ie now until January '16?

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 12 Nov 2015, 12:30

This is the schedule given in his site
http://ramavarma.yolasite.com/forthcomi ... rammes.php

and this is the festival he talks about in his speech
http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/music/ ... -vaibhavam

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 15 Nov 2015, 22:02

Childrens Day Special.

Report from Varmaji's fanpage on Facebook

Mr.Bean flies solo ..In His first ever Carnatic music workshop for kids.

Guess the child behind the Mr.Bean mask..none other than Prince Aswathi Tirunal Rama Varma..

Prince Aswathi Tirunal Rama Varma is a member of the Royal Travancore family and the direct descendant of Maharaja Swati Tirunal and Raja Ravi Varma.Ranjani fine Arts,Bangalore had organised a music workshop for children by Prince Ravi varma as part of their Children's Day festival yesterday

The great Prince,a renowned Musicologist ,vanika (veena player) ,accomplished vocalist is very well known for his wealth of musical knowledge and clear diction of lyrics with immense insightful understanding of the lyrics of every song that he renders with so much freshness ,enthusiasm and authenticity.

Yesterday's workshop was such a joy to experience for not just the kids but also the parents.
Prince Rama Varma commenced the workshop with swara exercises in he raga Hamsadhwani, working his way and guiding the children effortlessly through beautiful swara patterns with lot of jantai and dhattu patterns. He encouraged the children to build and execute the patterns and explained beautifully how the regular practice of these exercises would help in singing kalpana swaras swaras wih ease in a later stage of music.
I was pleasantly surprised at the humility of this great Master when he encouraged the children saying "at your age I could not sing these swara patterns.It is so good that you are all singing so well.at such a small age".
Following the hamsadhwani exercises Prince Rama Varma taught the children a beautiful composition "Sri Rama Namam Maruvam Maruvam " by Bhadrachala Ramadas in the ragam Shankarabharanam. He beautifully explained the Tisra nadai of the song to the children and proceeded with the song.
The audience was soaked in the beauty of the compostion for the next one plus hours and time just flew and we never wanted the music to.end.
Prince Rama Varma very beautifully explained the meaning of the song and with utmost sincerity made sure thag every child learnt the sangatis the right way.
He also humorously taught the kids to show some actions to match the meaning of the song.For example there was this word MOUNAM in the charanam which means silence.Rama Varma sir taught the children how to mellow down the voice while siging the word MOUNAM and also asked them to close the mouth with their hands when they sing that line so that there is total silence when that porrion surfaces in the charanam.

The highlight of the workshop was when Prince Rama Varma took out a mask of the popular cartoon character Mr.Bean ,wore it and started singing along with the kids like a little child .The kids were amused and were joyous beyond words and were giggling and singing the song with so much enjoyment.
What a beautiful workshop by this beautiful Master Prince Rama Varma with such great wealth of knowledge ,transforming into a little child on stage ,translating his knowledge into a language that kids understood..truly no.words. ...
Thanks to Ranjani Fine Arts for organising this workshop.
Truly ..Prince Rama varma ..not a Prince but a King with the heart of a beautiful child..
Pranams

Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwi5pfRD6CQ

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 19 Nov 2015, 02:09

Pictures of Legends of Indian Classical Music.
(A track from Varmaji's CD "Thaanam. The Pulse
of The Veena" in the audio track.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA50Skp7-es

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 20 Nov 2015, 19:57

SPECIAL PROGRAMME AT SRI RAMA LALITHA KALA MANDIRA on

21-11-2015 , Saturday at 5.30 p.m.

Lecture Demonstration by Prince Rama Varma on the
Subject: "Complementary Aspects of Vocal and Instrumental Music." Illustrations about how the knowledge of an instrument would aid a singer, in any form of music and how the knowledge of singing would help an instrumentalist too.

Venue:
SRI RAMA LALITHA KALA MANDIRA (Regd)
9th Main Road, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560 070.
www.srlkmandira.org
Mobile: 7760907939

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 22 Nov 2015, 13:03

Prince Rama Varma
Sri S.Varadarajan
Sri B.Harikumar
Dr.S.Karthick to perform at 4;30pm
tomorrow (Monday. November 23rd)
at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore.

http://www.bhavanchennai.org/programmes.htm

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 27 Nov 2015, 11:47

Varmaji honoured with the title Sangeetha Kala Sagara at Visakhapatnam

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vis ... ref=tpnews

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 29 Nov 2015, 22:40

sweetsong, take a break for the next two weeks. I shall take over from you and accept the responsibility for keeping this thread on top.

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 29 Nov 2015, 23:00

Very kind of you Madam, but I really don't need your help, thank you very much.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 29 Nov 2015, 23:24

Kipling: For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Lady Harimau:

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 30 Nov 2015, 15:46

Rsachi wrote:Kipling: For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Lady Harimau:

You forgot the earrings!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 30 Nov 2015, 16:01

Harimau, nobody dare go near a tigress to pierce her ears. Her fangs snarl ear to ear remember!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 30 Nov 2015, 18:21

Powerful sweetsong! Smoothly effected a gender change. And Harimau accepts it gracefully; only missing the ear rings. Not fair to refuse his simple demand.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 30 Nov 2015, 23:40

Harimau vyaaghrini roopa vishesha
Kaanana kundala vanchita vesha

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 01 Dec 2015, 18:52

Interview at Kakinada
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a ... ref=tpnews

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » 04 Dec 2015, 11:12

Review from Vizag
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp ... 946129.ece

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 05 Dec 2015, 15:37

What with no power and no Internet in Chennai for the last 5 days, I couldn't keep my promise to sweetsong that she could take a break and I would take over the responsibility for keeping this thread on top.

I guess Varuna didn't want me to do this so I shall leave it to sweetsong to do this forever.