VIJAY SIVA BSU 2014

[grsastrigal]

Shri Vijay Siva-Vocal
Charulatha Ramanujam- Violin
Manoj Siva-Mridangam
Chandrashekar Sharma- Ghatam

4th November 2014- BSU 2014

Sometimes, I think whether belated review of a concert is worthy for rasikas to read. But, honestly, this a concert merits to for reviewing.

Lot has been written by VS and his concerts, last being Sri.Sivaramakrishnan’s review at Bharathiya vidya bhavan, in this column. His review was another concert by VS.

When VS is performing, there is a quality, clarity and covering various composers and divinity surrounding the atmosphere. He inherited this from his guru and his concerts always have that aura of bhakti. This concert is no exception.

See his selection of songs composed by different composers. It is like collecting gems from each composer and giving us a “gem(s) of a concert”

Started with customary sadA bAla… followed by

mahA ganapathE- nata narAyani- Dikshitar, with beautiful chittaswaram was a prologue for a superb concert. A shodasa kriti on Ganapathy at Tiruvarur.

Danyu devvado dAsarathE- Patnam Subramhanya Iyer kriti on Malayamartutham. It was unheard for quite a long time and expected neraval in “vara mattala tAla” (s) to rejuvenate Manoj Siva.

rArA dasharatha rAjakumArA raghuvIra dhIra – Bairavi kriti composed by Walajapet Venkatrama bhagavathar. Swaram in “agaNitha lokAdhAra”. Very enjoyable Bairavi.

VAchaspathi-Sub main followed by “pAhi jagajjanani” of Swati TirunAl kriti. Neraval in “sOmabinbamataa pahasoomukee parilasa”.

ayyanE natanam Adiya porpAtha – Saveri- Muthu tAndavar

Begada-Main followed by nAdOpAsana. Thyagarajar. Neraval in “tantri laya svara rAga vilOlulu” (S)
Tani.

pArvathi ninu nE- kalgAdi- Shyama Sastri- His “pAAArvathi” and sukha pAAAni” …… Very catchy. I did not hear this and it
was first time. It was quite different and could not stop wondering the genius like Shyama Sastri’s power of creation.

"Ee enru nAn… Shanmukath tuyyamaniyE"- Pattinathar verse on kandha kOttam (Chennai) followed by (NadanAmakriya, amir kalyAni, Sindu bairavi followed by “kAntamAm kadhir kAmam tannil”- Mayuram Vishwanatha Sastri.
Mangalam

cheliyE netlu -Paras

Charulatha was at her best in vAchaspathy & Begada. I felt she was in hurry in playing violin.

Manoj & CS tani was short and sweet.

[Lakshman]

The sAvEri song is ayyanE naTanam ADiya porpAdA by Muttu Tandavar.

[harimau]

Shri Vijay Siva-Vocal

When VS is performing, there is a quality, clarity and covering various composers and divinity surrounding the atmosphere. He inherited this from his guru and his concerts always have that aura of bhakti. This concert is no exception.

Vijay Siva's concerts are imbued with two attributes: sowkhyam and gauravam. He proves time and again that there is absolutely no need for the laya acrobatics or gimmickry that are commonplace today to attract large crowds.

pArvathi ninu nE- kalgAdi- Shyama Sastri

Kalgada. One of the three known ragas from the 13th melakartha, the others being Kalavathi and Kalakanti. Sri Thyagaraja has composed krithis in those 2 ragas, leaving Kalgada to Sri Syama Sastri who set his krithi to a delightful tisra gati.

cheliyE to – I could not understand the lyrics.

Cheli Nenetlu - Paras.

The overall volume was rather low in the auditorium. This was the case with Ramakrishnan Murthy's concert too. I have a feeling that the sound technicians were more interested in getting the recording volumes right for a potential commercial CD.

[sankark]

Vijay Siva's concerts are imbued with two attributes: sowkhyam and gauravam. He proves time and again that there is absolutely no need for the laya acrobatics or gimmickry that are commonplace today to attract large crowds.

harimau, inspite of these two attributes, I seldom see full hall (except if it were RagaSudha hall) for his performances - be it MMA or Rani Seethai Hall or other venues. Forget overflowing.

[bhakthim dehi]

Harmau
Kalavathi is a janya of chakravakam(sampoorna paddhathi). There are three well known janyas of mela 13; Kalakanti, Kalkada and Jujahuli. Thyagaraja svamigal has composed in all three ragas. Sri janaka tanaye, Paraku and Samayamu e marake respectively.

[bhakthim dehi]

Soory kalkada krithi is Samayamu e marake

[hnbhagavan]

Crowd pulling is not to be considered while discussing the merits of concerts.Vijaya Siva is one such artist who gives maximum sowkyam.So was the case with artists like MDR,DKJ etc.There are select audience who attend such concerts.

[gardabha_gana]

VS proves that one can sing top class concerts without the drama. I hope he continues this way. Unfortunately he doesn't come much to bangalore . The positive side is one can go just before the concert starts get the best seat and listen to chaste music without any crowd noise... His MA concert last year still rings in my ear....

[gardabha_gana]

VS proves that one can sing top class concerts without the drama. I hope he continues this way. Unfortunately he doesn't come much to bangalore . The positive side is one can go just before the concert starts get the best seat and listen to chaste music without any crowd noise... His MA concert last year still rings in my ear....

[grsastrigal]

Thanks to Shri.harimau/Sri.Lakshman for the clarifications;

Lakshmanji. Please post the lyrics of Ayyane natanam. Somehow Ayyane, porpAtha...does not sync well. If I read the lyrics full, I can correct myself.

[Rsachi]

Gentlemen
Vijay Siva enjoys a uniformly good reputation among organisers, accompanists and audiences. That is saying a lot these days, combined with the fact of "no drama, pure music" approach.
we should celebrate such artistes as they are God's gift.
I feel we should not start a discussion of the ticket collection, hall crowding etc, in the same breath. It is like saying how Satyajit Ray made good movies but isn't it a shame that he doesnt have a fan following like Thalaivar or Shah Rukh Khan.Nature doesn't seem to produce such combinations.

I read an article once in the Economist. How the rose (originally from Persia) has had an evolutionary path that diverges into either fragrance or good looks. I read how the preference for one was at the cost of the other. It is only the corrupt human mind that wants gold to have fragrance. It is not Nature's way.

Sadly, commercial varieties of cut rose lack fragrance. This is because there is a trade-off between the energy that plants spend on making the complex, volatile chemicals that attract women and insects alike, and that available for making and maintaining pretty-coloured petals. So, by artificially selecting big, long-lasting flowers, breeders have all but erased another desirable characteristic.

[sureshvv]

@RSachi:

Wow.. from a marketing Guru, no less!

I think your comments may apply to CM as a whole - what with all the energy that is spent on how to make it more popular, accessible etc.