Layatharanga and Madhumita Parmar in Scotch Plains, NJ, May

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 May 2009, 23:59

I am sorry for this late posting - I had misplaced my notes and thanks to a memory that is becoming sieve-like these days (pre-Alzheimer's?), I was lost without them.

This was the first US tour, and first performance in NJ of the Bangalore-based Layatharanga group consisting of (in alphabetical order of their last names):

1) Sri Pramath Kiran - tabla, mOrsing, congo drums
2) Sri Arun Kumar - Drums
3) Sri Rajakamal - Flute
4) Sri Shadrach Solomon - Keyboard
5) Sri Vinod Sitaraman* - mrudangam
6) Sri Giridhar Uduppa - ghaTam, kanjira

(Detroit-based Sri Sitaraman substituted for Sri Jayachandra Rao who could not make it with the rest of the team)

Kumari Madhumita Parmar is an accomplished bharatanATyam dancer (arangETRam in 2006 at BVB, Chennai) in addition to her varied musical interests, and a freshman at the local magnet school (allied health stream). She chose to dedicate the performance to raise funds for Autism Speaks after completing a related school project.

The event was sponsored by Shubanjali run by Scotch Plains based bharatanATyam artist and guru, Smt. Suba Parmar. The Layatharanga team (LT) performed with Kum. Madhumita Parmar on several numbers allowing her to showcase pieces in many different genres. The letter in the parentheses indicate who performed the piece LT for Layatharanga, and MP when Madhu performed with them.

The list:
1) nATTai - catuSra Eka - mahAgaNaptim - MD (LT)

2) cArukESi - Adi - Ada mODi galadE rAmayyA - T (MP CM Vocal)

3) kAnaDA - Adi - alaipAyudE - OVK (LT)

4) naLinakAnti - ?? - Anandam - LT (MP saxophone)

5) ?? - ?? - Forget me not - LT (LT)
6) valaci - Adi - LT (LT)

7) ?? - ?? - E rI Ali piyA bin - ?? (MP HM Vocal)

8) dES - tIn - hEy gOvind hEy gOpAl (MP Bhajan)
9) ?? - ?? - baiyyAn nA dharO (MP Light Classical)

10) Amazing Grace (MP)

11) madhyamAvatI - Adi - bhAgyada lakshmI bArammA - PD (LT)

The performance

The LT group began the evening with a conventional invocation to Lord gaNES. Sri Rajakamal began the evening very propitiously by invoking the rAga devatA for nATTai with a very simple outline, followed by an energetic rendering of the kriti. The rhythm support was great from the get go. Being laya challenged as I am, I am sure many of their superb skills I am sure passed me by, but I was struck by the lovely set of triplet beats they played for this kriti set to c.Eka tALam (I assume it was 3 beast and a pause/kArvai). I did find some of the sangati's played to be unusual.

Madhu was introduced at the next number - Sri Rajakamal gave a very succinct sketch of cArukESi and Madhu began ADa mODi galadE. After a very good rendition (ducking at the missile from U_S!), Madhu took up the final iteration of the pallavi to sing some very nice svarams to round off the number.

After this, Sri Rajakamal played a detailed AlApana of kAnaDA (and for once, it was followed by a kriti I had guessed correctly), followed by Sri OVK's lovely alaipAyudE - very apropos for the tidal wave of rhythm that the team was creating - not mere waves (as taranga implies) but a veritable tsunami!

LT has composed a special piece in naLinakAnti, and titled Anandam, this is the main track in an eponymous CD of theirs. For this evening, this piece had been adapted, and Madhu joined them on the saxophone (jazz). I have absolutely no credentials to review this number, except to say that it was very pleasing - the sax bits in the much lower Sruti were a great contrast to the others. Sri Rajakamal, Sri Solomon, and Madhu took turns for solo improvisations, and the rhythm support was awesome as usual.

LT then played a quick number titled 'Forget me Not' from another of their albums, and this was followed by the centerpiece of the evening - an untitled composition of theirs in valaci. Sri Rajakamal played a short AlApanai of valaci, after which the group explored complex rhythms. The piece has been composed to show-off an impressively explosive tani, and it lived up to that expectation - it was one of the most energetic and invigorating tanis I have ever heard, and felt the truth in Smt Balasaraswati's statement (that rhythm disciplines the mind) for the first time. The highlight and climax of the tani was the konnakkOL segment - Sri Pramath Kiran, Sri Giridhar Uduppa and Sri Arun Kumar participated in it, with each one egging the other on. When the tani ended, we felt like a refreshing tidal wave had washed over us.

Madhu rejoined them immediately after for the HM part of her music - she started with an AlAp and then went on to render a khayAl (with interspersed AlAp - anchored by the tablA - this concept of rhythm support for AlAp is explained very well by Smt. N. Rajam at the start of her concert in Sri Musiri's house - uploaded by Sri Nageswaran) - it was very well done - once again, I am totally out of my depth here. After this, Madhu went on to render the MSS-trademark, hEy gOvind hEy gOpAl - it was simply superb. Her version was different in that she sang the part that goes 'dvArkA mein sabad gayO' with completely different sAhityam which made as much sense as that in the MSS-version. This was followed by baiyyAn nA dharO - I felt that Madhu came into her own in these last 2 numbers. Her Sruti was amazing, and enunciation was clear. She concluded her part of the evening performance with a powerful rendition (another duck!) of Amazing Grace.

The Layatharanga team wound up the evening with a spirited mangaLam - bhAgyada lakshmi, like Kadri Sri Gopalnath.

Somewhere in between, there was a short appreciative speech from Dr. Jill Harris, a psychologist who is the Director of Psychological Services at the Children's Specialty Hospital, NJ and a parent of a child with autism, as well as an interlude to honor Madhu's gurus.

Things I liked

The very awesome percussion through out the evening without any sagging, or boring repeats. The team managed that by very nicely using different 'drums' for different pieces, or different combinations of 'drums'.

Madhu left us wanting more after each of her numbers

The konnakOL performance was stunning and remains in my memory even after all these days

The numbers were arranged very well, and all members of the team contributed equally and in concert - a true team!

Suggestions to the LT team

To use percussion-free breaks to highlight and elevate the impact of their rhythm - a typical situation would have been to render the line - 'kaninda un vENugAnam kATRil varugudE in the kAnaDA kriti, totally sans rhythm support to heighten the impact, especially since it was being played on a flute!

The konnakOL segment can be laid out like a trikAla jati - I always feel that much of the beauty and nuances in the first and second speed are lost when one focuses solely on the explosive delight of the third speed! The team's konnakOl recitation was entirely in the 3rd and possibly even 4th speeds!

Overall, an excellent evening! The performers from LT are all very young, supremely talented, and very enterprising artists. I wish them all the very best.

Madhu was successful in raising more than $5000 that evening for Autism Speaks. Hearty congratulations to her, and Best Wishes in successfully accomplishing her heart's desires!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 May 2009, 08:47

Young ones and good causes--a wonderful mix, and all those artistes from India! The only one whom I have listened to is UDupa, and he is a very talented ghaTam player. Did not know he played khanjira too.
It is also heartening to know that someone who performed her arangETRam in 2006 continues to dedicate her time to the art and did it all for the speciality hospital children as well.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 31 Aug 2009, 22:09

Here are some clips from this concert that were recently uploaded:

baiyyAn nA dharO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiWQ-cfREXc

hEy gOvind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNYxa_hC ... re=channel (the lyrics are very similar to that sung by Smts. Ranjani and Gayatri)

Anandam - naLinakAnti:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chUb_b-N ... re=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWY9M-m2 ... re=related

knandago2001 · Post by **knandago2001** » 02 Sep 2009, 13:24

ravi: nice review! thanks.. was E rI Ali piyA bin sakhi sung in yaman? it used to be one of Hhimsen Joshi's favorites

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 02 Sep 2009, 13:26

Thank you for bringing this wonderful review Ravi. Happy to know that the funds are going towards a worthy cause.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 02 Sep 2009, 18:42

Nandagopal - I think so, but I am not 100% sure. I will check with Madhu and get back to you.

tkb · Post by **tkb** » 02 Sep 2009, 18:53

rshankar - thanks for the detailed review and wishing the the LT team all the very best.