Bombay Jayashree@ Narada Gana Sabha 30 Dec 2011

[atanasahana]

A 100/ 100 just for the masterpiece main piece ' Meenakshi Memudam'. A few more marks for the RTP. A few more marks for the accompanists. A few more marks for the soul and bliss in the air. Some more for the thillana. Overall More than Centum out of hundred.[update][/update]

[squims]

Could you please post the entire song list? Which raagam(s) was the RTP in?

[atanasahana]

Date: 30 December 2011, yesterday
Venue: Naradha Gana Sabha
Vocal: Bombay Jayashree Ramnath
Violin: Embar Kannan
Mridangam: Patri Satish Kumar
Kanjira: Anirudh Athreya


I must admit that I was distracted by those sitting next to me, constantly chattering and talking and me unable to capture the Kritis I was not familiar with-Usually I do it on pen and paper. So here is what I can remember, will talk to people and get the whole list soon.

There was an opening piece on Goddess Saraswati (name not captured)-It was in Sahana according to my friend who reported it. There was "Ananda Natana Prakasam", in Kedharam by Dikshitar. There was a Thyagaraja composition called called "Enthuku Nee Dhaya", there was an elaborate aalapana in Thodi. The main piece was in Poorvikalyani -The raaga expansion was so subtle and beautiful....I was waiting to hear what was going to be the song, when I was completely floored by "Meenakshi Memudam" (Dikshitar). The RTP was in typical BJ style of dual raagas, the first being Sindhu Bhairavi. The Pallavi was with the lyrics "Kandana Kangal...Kalandhana Nenjam...Kandhanai" (OH-Whattey Sindhu Bhairavi!!). Following was a Hindustani piece in Marathi. And the thillana was in Yamuna Kalyani.
I know that is not a complete list, I should have noted down, thanks to my ever-chattering neighbors I lost focus on the details, but completely dissolved myself in the music. Accompanists were FANTABULOUS.

Will try and get the complete list soon-I hope someone else will post it here in this forum.

[atanasahana]

Point to note is -There was no Mangalam not sure if it was because of the time factor or because the audience chose to give a wild uproar of applause, that the artistes themselves could not get themselves to perform a mangalam after that.

Those who missed this concert, the other pieces are fine to be missed, reheard etc...but the Meenakshi memudam and the Poorvikalyani nuances.....Im just not sure if Bombay Jayshree herself can replicate it elsewhere. The mainpiece was THE concert itself (is my humble view) !

[Rajagopalan_V]

Well, here's the list of songs from my notes --
1. Devi un paadham paNindhen -- Devagandhari?
2. Enduku Nirdaya -- Harikhambhoji
3. Ye naadinomu palamu - Bhairavi (a,n,s)
4. Ananda natana prakaasam -- Kedaram
5. Meenakshi memudham dhehi -- PurvikalyaNi (main - a,n,s,t)
6. Pallavi - "KaNdana kaNgaL kalandhana nenjam" - RTP the raga sounded like Sindhu Bhairavi but couldn't say for sure. Experts can clarify - (is there a 'Hindustani' style of singing this raga? or did what she sing an allied raga?) Followed by ragamalika in Malayamarutham(was it?), HamirKalyani, One more raga?, Dwijavanti and Revati(?)
7. Rumu jumure bhajaare baasuri - Hindi bhajan?
8. Thillana - Yamuna Kalyani?

Informed rasikas/experts -- kindly ratify the above list and ragas as the above are based on my limited knowledge of ragas/songs.

It was all round sukham and sowkhyam yesterday. To paraphrase the term used by a section of Christians in TN, it was a 'aRpudha sugamaLikkum concert'

One of the phrases in the Bhairavi kriti was 'sukhamanubhavinchi' -- hope it was the feeling experienced by the whole audience. All the more enchanting was the silken alapana emanating from Embar Kannan's violin. Prompting one to say "Kuzhalinidhu Yaazhinidhu enbaar Embaar Kannan violin isai keelaadhaar"! (for non Thamizh speaking members - a take on an ancient saying which roughly conveys the following -- one will praise the flute and yaazh (Veena like ancient instrument) as being melodius until the time they listen to Embar Kannan's violin playing).

Jayashree had infused a 'meditative serenity' into her PuvikalyaNi alapana and the 'bhava laden' swaraprasthara (yes, have I not grown up feeding on scores of concert reviews on Jayshree by Shri. SVK of the The Hindu (almost all of them possibly reaching hagiographic heights?). One could literally visualize the PurviKalyani raga devata descending on the stage from heaven. Followed by Goddess Meenakshi, one who likes to reside at 'kadambavanam', choosing to descend on NGS for an hour or so -- beating the heavy traffic and pothole filled TTK Road (and being a busy schedule for Her during the music season, with PurviKalyani being the favorite of several vidwans/vidhushis).

I could go on to add phrases such as dignity, devotion, dedication, piety, purity and such to describe the 'wholesome' concert experience it was. 'Mesmerizing' is the word that aptly describes the post pallavi ragamalika segment leading a rapturous response from the audience.

The 'thani' segment with Patri Satishkumar on the mrudangam and Anirudh Atrya on the Kanjira was a bit louder to my liking. Especially Shri. Patri. The audience seemed to enjoy it though with Anirudh producing spirited and fitting responses to Patri's overtures. (confession - with my extremely limited laya exposure, look forward to knowledgeable rasikas' postings for nuances)

Jayashree rounded up the concert with a sumptuous thillana in the raga Yamuna Kalyani (to my knowledge). Still keeps ringing in my ears.

Bottomline : as an expert had opinied elsewhere in this forum, audiences belonging to the 'Sowkhyam brothers' brigade (as the name indicates - those who look for 'sowkhyam'/listening pleasure as the primary aspect in a concert), Jayashree proves to be the best bet as always. (again, as they mentioned 'the transistor sisters' come close too )

A 'wholesome-ly awesome' concert.

[atanasahana]

Thanks so much, Thillana was YamunaKalyani, am 100% sure about that. Oh yes, it was sure like Madurai Meenakshi descending down to earth for the time Bombay Jayashree invoked her.

[babusri]

Point to note is -There was no Mangalam not sure if it was because of the time factor or because the audience chose to give a wild uproar of applause, that the artistes themselves could not get themselves to perform a mangalam after that.

Those who missed this concert, the other pieces are fine to be missed, reheard etc...but the Meenakshi memudam and the Poorvikalyani nuances.....Im just not sure if Bombay Jayshree herself can replicate it elsewhere. The mainpiece was THE concert itself (is my humble view) !

Regarding Mangalam, it seems it is sung only if it the final concert of the day. Maybe that is why Jayashree didn't sing Mangalam. Alarmel Valli's dance performance (though not a concert) followed at 7:30 pm. Even Sanjay didn't sing Mangalam at NGS as he was followed by Shashank. But when Shashank didn't play Mangalam, a relative of mine said "This is the last performance of the day, he should have played Mangalam". Let's see what TM Krishna does today NGS.

[Rajagopalan_V]

Well, didn't someone say that he is gonna start the concert today with MangaLam and finish it with a VarNam? (in line with his recent 'Krish-novations'?)

[dhanurasi]

Mangalam is sung only if it was the last event on the stage for the day.