Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam-Kapali Temple-14-4-2010

[mridhangam]

Smt.Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam
M.R.Gopinath-Violin
Mannarkoil J Balaji-Mridangam

The concert was organised as part of MLV Rasikar Mandram on Tamil New Year's day on 14th April 2010 at Kapali Temple, Mylapore from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm.

Vijayalakshmi's concert included the following items :


Varnam - Eranapai – Todi – Adi –Patnam Subramania Iyer
Mahaganapathim -- Nattai -- Ekam-- MD

Kanda Joodumi – Vachaspathi – Adi – Thyagaraja – N , S
Chidambara Nataraja - Kedharam - Misra Chapu - Muthuswami Dikshitar

Karpaga Manohara – Malayamarutham – Kanta Chapu – Papanasam Sivan - R ,N, S

Ka Va Va - Varali - Adi - Papanasam Sivan

Kapali – Mohanam – Adi (2 Kalai) – P.Sivan– R, S, T
Virutham (Saveri, Hamsanandi, Vasanthi, Behag) followed by Karpagambikai – Behag – Rupakam – Papanasam Sivan
Muralidhara Gopala – Mand Adi - Periyasamy Thooran
Thillana – Brindavai – Adi – Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna

Nice selection of songs and precise renditions marked vijayalakshmi's concert . Her topical renditions on lord kapaleeswara had very good impact on the audience. Good turn out of audience in the concert mandapam was an encouraging aspect of this concert and Vijayalakshmi utilised it fully. The songs were a careful mixture of popular ones with not-so-often-heard. This made the concert on the whole very interesting and the participation from the audience was very enthusiastic with their applauses for neraval, swaras and also end of kriti. The heat was terrible but the mild southern air which flew now and then came as a relief but the audience were treated with ISAI MAZAI and they were all drenched in the Bhakti and Bhava laden renditions of Vijayalakshmi.

M.R.Gopinath's compsure on stage and his elite accompaniment has always attacted a larger listeners and he was outstanding in Mohanam.

There was a short thani avartanam in Kapali piece.

The concert was followed by two dance recitals which was also part of the MLV Rasikar Mandram's schedule of events.

Mannarkoil J Balaji

[Sam Swaminathan]

Balaji

It has been over 40 years since I attended a concert in Kapali Koil. In those days concerts used to be held opposite to the Navagraha sannidhi, by the side of Saneeswarar sannidhi. They used to put up a wooden stage and that position seemed to give a lot of room for people to sit as well as provide space for those who wanted to do their circumbulation with out hinderance. I wonder how and where the stage is set nowadays. Please do provide some details... let me atleast imagine the scene!! Thanks

[ragam-talam]

Kapali – Mohanam – Adi (2 Kalai) – Thyagaraja – R, S, T

Isn't Kapali in Mohanam a composition of Papanasam Sivan??

[sureshvv]

Cut-and-paste strikes again!

[mridhangam]

Sorry .. Duly corrected. ....

Sam the stage was set on the southern side of the temple .... that is left hand side of the temple if u enter the temple from East side or from Rasi Silks side ...

JB

[saianamika]

To the side of Saniswaran sannithi, almost directly opposite the navagraha sannithi. Almost exactly where it used to be except the stage seems to be bigger now.
I had to leave on the day of Thirukalyanam and missed my favorite music season - the vasantha utsavam.

[rshankar]

Sam - you bring back memories of the days when there used to be a lot of sand (maNal) - it had a beach-like feeling to it!

[Sam Swaminathan]

Shankar, you are correct....God, how did I miss mentioning that! Best thing was when the kutcheri was going on, you could step out thru the main entrance on the eastern side where you could buy hot varuththa peanuts...went beautifully with a long alapana of a gana raaga.

[rshankar]

you could step out thru the main entrance on the eastern side where you could buy hot varuththa peanuts...went beautifully with a long alapana of a gana raaga.

Oh yes!! Those were the days!

[Sam Swaminathan]

It appears both Balaji and Saianamika are at the opposite ends.....what gives?

[mohan]

This is indeed an auspicious venue - where GNB gave his first concert. An account of that first concert is available at http://www.gnbalasubramaniam.com/Bio-Career.htm

[saianamika]

Mohan sir,

Thank you very much for the link of Sri GNB. My thatha Sri A K Ramachandra Iyer introduced many young talented artists who went on to become great musicians.
And yes, I too remember those days playing in the sand, waiting for the kutcheri to be over (thatha would never allow us to go home early). Now I look back and think how fortunate we were to be privileged to imbibe such beautiful music without realising it.
I think Balaji sir and I mean the same spot, except in different words

[Sam Swaminathan]

Saianamika....I am not being difficult, but, when you come from the east/rasi silks entrance, Saneeswarar and Navagraha sannidhis are on to your right, but Balaji in his mail states that the stage was set on the left of the entrance....can you see the confusion here?

But then this is not an important thing so let us leave it at that....It is just a matter of detail!

[mahakavi]

Well, it takes a little perspective to visualize the stage location. Balaji said it is on the southern side (towards South Mada Street direction). Sainanmika meant the same area except when she said opposite to the navagraha sannidi she meant when you come around from the west side (prakAram) to the navagraha sannidi you will be facing the southern direction. At that point it is at the far side going south(opposite in sainamika's parlance). Is it clear as mud now?