Good Karma, Bad Tummy & Super Dinner: Ranjani & Gayathri Concert

[K Riyaa]

Why would a Bangalorean make a duty-forced visit to Mumbai, accept an illness-forced stay back, decline a dinner date with friends, choose to attend a concert instead, and then feel fulfilled with a sumptuous dinner?

Good Karma!

My bad tummy that evening was Good Karma. Things happen for a reason☺

Ranjani and Gayathri. In Chembur Fine arts on 15th August.

A super stupendofantabulously lovely concert!

I felt like crying, jumping, surrendering, smiling, and many other thinging during those 4 hours. The mama sitting on my right side didn’t bother to wipe his tears off some times. He would have said the same about the man to his left.

They delivered music with such Sruti shuddam, imagination, scholarly complexity wrapped in sweetness. I said ‘SCHOLARLY’. I realize that there is a club which considers that ‘scholarly’ has to sound anything between insipid and terrible. As if, sounding sweet should come with an apology!

Listen! Leave the regional biases and personal rules near the staircase and start listening. Really listen.

At the top layer is a perfectly delivered sahityam. Listen more. Then you hear the beautiful symmetries and asymmetries, perfect syncs and not so perfect human mis-syncs. You wonder whether a thing was done by design or that came by default. Sheer artistry!

Listen, you’d hear micro variations, emotions, bold and rich imagination, complete control. They seem to have written their own rules of their game.

I often think how difficult it would be for these phenomenal artistes to contain the temptation to go into an eccentric territory (which at that level of crowd engagement would be lapped up). May be, performing as a duo contains it. May be, they choose to stay in control. May be, they have designed a style for themselves to consciously avoid going overboard.

But you often get a feeling that Gayatri (in particular), would just release herself from some gravitational tether and launch herself into unbounded space, losing control!

But, she doesn’t. She effortlessly lands, better than any other…err …shuttle.


Back to Chembur, and this concert

Chronologically:

1. Bharat Matha sloka continuing with Maatae Malaya

2. Sharanu Siddi Vinayaka in Saurashtram

3. A Semmangudi signature Marubalka with Ranjani Gayathri stamp

Srimathi Ranjani explored Sriranjani’s swaras. Content rich, frictionless speed.

Audience couldn’t resist applauding, thrice!

That was speed with clarity, precision, purpose and rhythm, Exhilarating.


4. Mayamma – Ahiri

Impeccable, Bhava, absolute control of the sedate pace. Sowkyam.

5. Subramanya Bharathiyar’s Thondru Nighazhnda – Bhairavi

தமிழ் வாழ்க! தமிழ் வாழும்!

6. Sri Satya Narayana –Subhapanthuvarali

Subhapantuvarali. We were shown the raga swaroopam, in a way we have never seen it. Its emotions. colors. dimensions.

Then more…Gayatri’s Grahabedam.

Subhapanthuvarali to Brandavana Saranga in Alapana and a return. She did that so effortlessly. Like a walk in the park.

And twice again in the swaras. Once to Moon, sorry, to Mohanam. And then to Brindavana Saranaga.

7. Thaye Tripura Sundari – Suddasaveri

8. Thiruvadi Charanam Endru in Kambhoji
Emotional fervor. Kamboji. Feast.

9. Tri Raga Pallavi in Saraswati, Lalitha and Durga

Pallavi: Saraswati Veena Pustaka Dharini Harivaksha Sthalalaye Lalithe Mathe Kanaka Durgae


Mastery of Raga, Mastery of Laya . All while keeping it in melodic stratosphere.

10. A tailor made Virutham ‘Kulir Mazhai Kakka’:

This one was the definition for Virutham rendering.
Tamizh. Clarity. Words. Emotions and many captivated mortals with working ears and a beating heart.

followed by

11. Enna Solli Azhaithaal Nee Varuvayo’ in Kanada

12. Barse Badariya - Meera Bhajan in Meghmalhar. Its Monsoon time.

13. Ranjale Ghanzale - Abhang in ?

What is the Manodharma quotient in Tukkadas of Ranjani Gayathri?
= 1 (One)

14. Tirupugazh –. Rhythmic Words. Perfection.

15. Mangalam

I may have missed an item or two in the list.
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My eldest brother who had heard a Tri Raga Pallavi in the Music Academy years ago has been pestering me since then to find a recording of the same.

And by karma, I have heard it live now.

Can anyone help me find a recording, please, please?

[kvchellappa]

The description takes a non-listener to a listening experience. Come more often with your reviews, miss some dinners if that is necessary.

[arasi]

I'd modify it somewhat. Enjoy good dinners, live and work in good health and bring healthy reviews about other concerts too!

welcome to Rasikas.org!

[thanjavooran]

K Riyaa,
An excellent review filled with puns and funs. Keep engaging us. No doubt sisters are the best, and most sought after performers.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
24 08 2015

[HarishankarK]

K Riyaa, you can do very well in Advertising industry. This concert which was reviewed by priyashekar a few days back as a flop, you have tried to sell the same concert as very good and managed a bit of success as well.
Although i will go with priyashekar's review as i listened to the sisters here in Sydney a few days back and got a headache. It was quite bad. Despite the fact that i used to like them a lot a few years back.

No doubt your review has literary merit.

[arasi]

Do you also notice that even review threads sport titles with a twist these days ?!

Still, it's good to hear of different reactions to the same concert, even though it took two threads to review the same concert!

[kvchellappa]

A digression. We had a boss who was very unpopular. He was transferred to another place far off. I heard that he was popular there and told a colleague who worked with that boss, 'I hear that staff in such and such a place say that they have not seen a boss like him.' He retorted, 'We have also not seen one like him.'

[Venkataraman]

K Riyaa, you can do very well in Advertising industry. This concert which was reviewed by priyashekar a few days back as a flop, you have tried to sell the same concert as very good and managed a bit of success as well.
Although i will go with priyashekar's review as i listened to the sisters here in Sydney a few days back and got a headache. It was quite bad. Despite the fact that i used to like them a lot a few years back.

No doubt your review has literary merit.

Sir, your words though are harsh, are the truth in some ways. The so called popular music has taken over and will continue to rule since audiences want it and their tastes are now superficial at most. Where do you hear ragas like saveri, begada, atana, kedara goulai, mukhari, dhanyasi frequently in concerts nowadays? its the shanmugapriyas, dharmavathis, purvikalyanis that rule.. nothing wrong with these but the earlier list is really the essence of the depth carnatic music.

[KSJaishankar]

Berating choices of ragas of artistes seems to be the flavour of week here, and now getting carried to ridiculous extremes - Shanmukhapriya and Purvikalyani being classified as "non-Carnatic" or at a minimum "non serious Carnatic" ragas??????? Sir - what would you classify Kharaharapriya as? Given by one of the definitions going around on our forum here, a Carnatic raga is one that has material body of work by the Trinity (or other "respected" composers, whatever that means!) - well, 2 out the 3 in the Trinity did not touch Kharaharapriya!

A quote for our folks who believe that the future of Carnatic music is ONLY in the past....

Everything that can be invented has been invented.. -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Patent Office, 1899

[HarishankarK]

IMHO what ragas are chosen for concert is less important than how well they are sung. Shanmugapriya and PK are very much carnatic ragas but high speed, superficial singing does not appeal to me.
Abhangs can be sung in bhajan mandalis and not in carnatic concerts.

[Venkataraman]

Berating choices of ragas of artistes seems to be the flavour of week here, and now getting carried to ridiculous extremes - Shanmukhapriya and Purvikalyani being classified as "non-Carnatic" or at a minimum "non serious Carnatic" ragas??????? Sir - what would you classify Kharaharapriya as? Given by one of the definitions going around on our forum here, a Carnatic raga is one that has material body of work by the Trinity (or other "respected" composers, whatever that means!) - well, 2 out the 3 in the Trinity did not touch Kharaharapriya!

A quote for our folks who believe that the future of Carnatic music is ONLY in the past....

Everything that can be invented has been invented.. -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Patent Office, 1899

I did not want to respond to this at first but decided to in keeping with the spirit of debate!

I never said purvikalyani or shanmugapriya or for that matter even jog is not classical or serious. I merely said we dont hear much of the other set nowadays. I dont think we can have 2 opinions about that because that's the fact. You are taking me out of context!

When did we hear karu baru last. I heard from sowmya in a concert in December i think. Sowmya is a rare example of someone who gives the full range of offering. Of course purvi kalyani and jog are melodious ragas that one would live to hear. But Mukhari and kedaragoulai also need to be given their due is all i'm saying. and i dont propose to elaborate further on this thread

[arasi]

Venkataraman,

Another kAru bAru I heard live some years ago is available on Youtube. All the rAgas you regret as though they have vanished can also be heard, sung by Sanjay. One listen to that kArubAru which is an impeccable example of a bhAvA filled presentation will make you happy I hope, and will lead you to a kharaharapriyA and other rAgAs you long for...

[Venkataraman]

Venkataraman,

Another kAru bAru I heard live some years ago is available on Youtube. All the rAgas you regret as though they have vanished can also be heard, sung by Sanjay. One listen to that kArubAru which is an impeccable example of a bhAvA filled presentation will make you happy I hope, and will lead you to a kharaharapriyA and other rAgAs you long for...

Thanks arasi. i did listen to it now and its outstanding. I dont go to too many live concerts of Sanjay though. just a personal choice that i like slightly slower paced concerts. Was a big fan of Veenai Balachandar

Coming to veenai balachander .. just to lighten the spirits on a sunday morning .... there is a radio recording that someone gave me which starts with the announcement - veenai balachandar accompanied by Karaikudi Mani and Hari shankar. Balachandar played the ragam and we get an announcement mid-way .. "iduvarai ...."

[arasi]

Glad you liked the mukhAri.

Another slow one which I savor, by the same artiste: AdOLikA vAhanE, Swathi Tirunal in Ananda Bhairavi.

[natts1959]

Glad you liked the mukhAri.

Another slow one which I savor, by the same artiste: AdOLikA vAhanE, Swathi Tirunal in Ananda Bhairavi.

I heard this.. excellent. Must hear for everyone