Rama Ravi, Nada Inbam

[rbharath]

Rama Ravi - R Hemalatha - K Arun Prakash

Nada Inbam
27th Dec 2011. 6:15 pm

sAmi ninnE - srI rAgam
paramAtmuDu - vAgadIsvari
guruguhAya - sAmA - Adi - MD (sketch S)
mInalOchana brOva (RNS)
hastivadanAya
bhajana sEya rAdA - dharmavati (NS)
siddarinam uNDO - suddha danyAsi - rUpakam
saraguNa pAlimpA (RST)
mEragAdu - aTANA - Adi
OsOsi - mukhAri
bAyarAni - kApi - rUpakam
hari smaranE mADO - yamunakalyANi - Adi
nI nAma rUpamulaku

[bilahari]

It was a very nice concert. In particular, I loved the sheer clarity with which RR sang every composition. I especially enjoyed guruguhAya, hastivadanAya, mEragAdu, OsOsi, and bAyarAni. RR's emotive rendition of OsOsi would easily rank as the highlight of the concert. Again, it was no-frills sangItam all the way.

Interestingly, for the sAma kriti, RR sang the song's pallavi, then launched into kalpanaswaras to the pallavi, and then returned to finish the song.

Hemalatha, who I'm hearing for the first time, was fantastic! Impeccable shruti shuddam, and her raga essays were dripping with sowkhyam. She gave beautiful replies for neraval and swaras too, reproducing with nonchalant ease almost exactly the patterns RR sang. Who is her guru?

KAP played beautifully too, and he accompanied especially well for the compositions. His playing was a lot more strokeful last evening than it was for Smt. Vedavalli, but it was appropriate. His tani was crisp.

It was heartening to see a full hall including several younger musicians for Smt. Rama Ravi's concert.

[mahavishnu]

Bilahari: Dr. Hemalatha learned from Sri K. Sivaraman (AIR violinist) and later from Sri TS Narayana Rao. Dr. Hemalatha is a PhD is music from Madras University and did her dissertation on post-Ratnakara desiya ragas. She is also a leading authority on the raga structures in the SSP and a walking encyclopedia on the document itself (unlike many contemporary musicians who claim that on their bios). She is a top-class music theorist in addition to being an excellent concert violinist. She teaches at the Madras University, Music dept and at the Music Academy.

She is the younger sister of the Mambalam sisters and daughter of khanjira vidwan Sri KS Rangachary.

[bilahari]

Thank you for the information, Mahavishnu. I wonder if Sri K. Sivaraman is the same vidwan who now teaches in Singapore: http://www.sifas.org/about-teachers.php

[mahavishnu]

Bilahari: I believe it is the same person. Good find.
I did not know that he was in SGP. His bowing style is very reminiscent of TNK.

[bilahari]

Yes, mahavishnu. My cousin learns from him in Singapore, and he is rated as really good teacher!

[srikant1987]

The way Sri Nellai Ravindran is holding the bow (not the violin, though) in the SIFAS webpage photo also looks like TNK.

[arunsri]

She did not sing swaras at the Pallavi of Sama kriti. She sang it at the anupallavi line - which is incidentally having the same starting words - guruguhAya...

whose kriti is the suddha dhanyAsi one and the aTAnA javali? Excellent concert! I loved the N at niravadi sukhadAyakuni when she added the line - bhajana sEyarAda - to complete the full meaning of the line (Dharmavati kriti)

Arun

[arunsri]

She also sang the kApi jAvaLi - OSA should come and listen and learn how to sing the piece. If not, it is good to keep shut and not reveal one's ignorance.