SAKETARAMAN AT DAKSHINAMURTHY AUDITORIUM- 18/7/16

[CRama]

P.S.Institute of Music, Arts and Culture in association with Brahma Gana Sabha is conducting a week long series titled Nalli Aadi Isai Vizha. Saketaraman presented a highly enjoyable concert on 18 July along with Akkarai Subbalakshmi on the Violin, Tanjavur Murugabhoopathy on the Mridangam and Sreesunderkumar on the Ganjira. List of songs.

• Nanmayum selvamum- Virutham- Mohanam
• Raamanai kannaara kandaane-Mohanam- AK (S)
• Uyyalaloogavayya- Neelambari- T (R)
• Varanarada-Vijayasree- T(S)
• Tulasijagajanani- Saveri –T (R,N,S)
• Tani
• RTP- Desh
Pallavi- Paarukkulle nalla naadu Engal Bharatha naadu- Khanda Triputa 2 kalai
• Virutham- Oru taram saravana bhava enru

Saketaraman is one artist who consistently provide good music steeped in tradition and vidwat and exhibiting his manodharmam liberally while singing RTPs. I have greatly been impressed by his pallavis in Pallavi Durbar and in a few concerts in Mudhra that I have attended. He has got firm grounding in the Carnatic music thanks to the training under Maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman Sir. The Ashta Gowlantya ragamaliga pallavi he presented in the recently concluded Pallavi Durbar was a sample for his manodharmam. Some people have reservations about his singing in a higher sruti, though. In some concerts, I have heard his breathing sound coming high frequently. But today it was not there.

Today’s concert started exactly at 6.45 P.M. The start with the virutham from Kamba Ramayanam was solemn that too in Mohanam, not in Hamsadhwani or Nata. The song of Arunachala kavi depicting the scene of Vibheeshanan meeting Sri Rama was well presented in the patantharam popularised by Ariyakudi/KVN/DKJ etc. Liberal doses of swaras at the pallavi provided the gusto to the opening number. Saketaraman rendered many swara combinations with interesting poruttams. After this, he sang a soothing alapana of Neelambari for 3 minutes and followed up with Uyyalalogavayya. I don’t know why he took up this song at this juncture. This would be more appropriate in the later half of the concert. After the song, he quickly started Varanarada and decorated with liberal doses of cracker second kala swaras at prakatam buga keerti.

Saketaraman, skipping the submain, immediately leashed out an elaborate alapana of Saveri, the main ragam of the day. The ragam was presented with all its characteristic pidis with the right mix of long akara phrases, jarus, janta prayogams and gamakams and brighas. The alapana went on for ten minutes and it was a testimony to his imagination and vocal power. The song was Tulasi jaga janani- not very much frequent in concert stages. The song was rendered in a strict kalapramanam with emphasis on the sahithya and sangeeta. Elaborate neraval at Charanayugambulu nadulaku in two kalams and the following swarams were well received by the discerning audience. This was followed by the tani for 15 minutes.

When the main song was taken at such an early stage, I anticipated a pallavi and I was right. Immediately after tani, without any filler song, Saketaraman rendered a splendid alapana of Desh for 5 minutes. Akkarai also took equal time for the alapana after which the tanam was rendered. Saketaraman chose Bharati’s words Paarukkulle Nalla naadu Intha Bharatha naadu for the pallavi. These lines of Bharatiyar are a favourite for pallavi singers of the present generation especially if their concert happens to be on Independence Day or Republic Day. But we can be proud of our country on any day of the year. A very early instance was TNS singing in Tamil Isai Sangham some twenty years back in the ragam Madhyamavathy when he presented a full concert of Bharatiyar songs. Saketaraman sang not one- but four pallavis in four ragams-
reflecting the same theme in four south indian languages.

Paarukulle nalla naadu engal Bharatha naadu- Desh- Tamil
Ilalo Manji desamu mana Bharatha desamu- Bhairavi- Telugu
Desagalalli sreshta desa namma bharatha desa-Khamas-Kannada
Lokathile valare nalla desam ente bharatha desam-Hamsanandi-Malayalam

Neraval and kalpana swarams were done for all the four pallavis in their respective ragams. Plus there was also a garland of ragamalika swaras in the following ragams. Ranjani,Sreeranjani,Kapi,Thodi,Nalinakanthi,Bindumalini,Dhanyasi,Kedaragowla,Ritigowla,Nata,Arabi, Varali and Sree.
It was a very enchanting show of vidwat by Saketaraman. His manodharmam in neraval in all the ragams, swarams, ragamalika swarams, trikalam, all were commendable. I don’t know if any body else has attempted this pallavi in four languages. After the pallavi he started the virutham Oru taram saravana bhava endru in Kambodi. Since I was getting delayed, I left the concert.

Akkarai Subbalakshmi provided very good accompaniment. Her alapanas of Saveri and Desh were commendable with judicious mix of vallinam, mellinam and characteristic phrases of the ragam. Her swara returns was a reflection of her vidwat and experience. Tanjore Murugaboopathy embellished the concert with his deft strokes, anticipation and sunadam. Sreesunderkumar in Ganjira enthralled the listeners with his dynamism and timing. Their tani received continuous applause from the full house. An excellent concert for nearly two and half hours.

[kvchellappa]

Thank you, sir.

[rajeshnat]

4 ragas in neraval in 4 different languages . Swaras in ragamaliga in more than 4 ragas. Looks he only sang ragam and taanam in only one raga - Desh . May be one of the days in future saketaraman can add all 4 ragas and 4 taanams and I can add that in the chatur 4 raga topic post. Thank you crama for the review

[kvchellappa]

Has he not done more than that in Pallavi Darbar?

[CRama]

4 ragas in neraval in 4 different languages . Swaras in ragamaliga in more than 4 ragas. Looks he only sang ragam and taanam in only one raga - Desh . May be one of the days in future saketaraman can add all 4 ragas and 4 taanams and I can add that in the chatur 4 raga topic post. Thank you crama for the review

I am eagerly waiting for that.

[badari]

He sang this RTP in Bangalore at SPICMACY concert on 25th Jan 2016. I believe he announced it as a composition of TNS.

[CRama]

In the above series, daily from 4.45 to 6.45 there is a junior vidwan/vidushi concert. Prior to Saketaraman's concert, there was a very good concert of one upcoming vidushi named Vidya Ganesh. She must be in her thirtees, looking very simple sans any make up or costly silk saree or jewellery. I don't know who is her Guru. When I went she was singing Sankari ninne in Panthuvarali as the main song. Her singing was very good- with melody and manodharmam and poise. After the thani, she sang a Bharatiyar song- which impressed me a lot. Varuvay varuvay varuvay Kanna in a ragamlika of Durbari kanada, Revati and Bagesree. I have heard many versions of this song. But this tune was very much impressive. She then concluded with a MD Nottuswaram. Such artistes should get more opportunities and we should also attend whenever it is convenient.