SANKARAN NAMBOODIRI IN KGS- 30/8

[CRama]

K.J. Jesudas is conducting a Music Festival in memory of his revered Guru Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar in KGS for three days. The concert of Sankaran Namboodiri was held in the 5.30 P.M slot on 30 Aug. The accompanists were Akkarai Sornalatha on the Violin, Melakkaveri Balaji on the Mridangam and Guruprasanna on the Ghatam. List of songs.
• Mooladharamurthey-Hamsadhwani- PS (S)
• Guruvayoorappaney Appan- Reetigowla- Ambujam Krishna (R)
• Neerajakshi Kamakshi- Hindolam- MD (R,S)
• Bagayanayya-Chandrajothi- T (S)
• Thodi- RTP- Khanda Matyam
• Pallavi-Vaathapuraadheesa daasanaam Vaidyanathan
Vaathaabdhiyil theerthu Sangeeta saarasutha
• Maname kanamum maravathey- Bimplas-PS

Sankaran Namboodiri came as a prodigy in the 80s and rode high in the concert circuit for a few years. I have heard many of his concerts in Bangalore and he was a regular performer along with TNS. TVS, Rajkumar Bharati etc in all the festivals. He has a strong, melodious and pliable voice with a tinge of Yesudas which can traverse all the three octaves with consumable ease. His training under TVG gave him a wide repertoire and his patantharam is authentic. His voice still retains the old timbre and melody. Of late, the fresh crop of young singers has pushed him to the back ground and I heard he is settled in U.S except for a few sporadic concerts in the south. But I have heard he is even now very popular in Kerala, more specifically regular in the festivals in interior Kerala.

The concert had a brisk start with the kriti in Hamsadhwani and the long kalpana swaras brought the desired gusto in the beginning song itself. The alapanas of Reethigowla and Hindolam were in the traditional mode developing the ragam in a step by step method and weaving attractive patterns around the key notes lasting for 5 minutes each. The kritis were rendered in an appropriate kalapramanam maintaining fidelity to the mood of the composer. Swaras in Hindolam had lot of vyavaharam in that and were delivered with aesthetics in mind- not simple dry arithmetic. That Thodi for 10 minutes made my day. The alapana was majestic. It contained long akara passages, gamakams, kampita and jaru prayogams, flashy sangathis all given in the right proportion which made it a very enjoyable Thodi. This was followed by an imaginative tanam for 8 minutes with the accompaniment of Mridangam and Ghatam. His abundant manodharmam was revealed in the ragam and tanam segments. The pallavi was in Malayalam on Guru Chembai. It was in a tricky Khanda Matya talam and the elaborate neraval and trikalam in Matyam all rendered with amazing precision. Ragamalika swarams in Nalinakanti, Hamsanadm and Kharaharapriya gave further ornamentation to the pallavi. The two hour concert ended with Maname kanamum maravathey.

Akkarai Sornalatha in the violin played with fervour and her raga alapanas and swara returns were reflective of her manodharmam. She handled the tricky pallavi commendably. Melakkaveri Balaji and Guruprasanna played with lot of anticipation and understanding. Balaji’s filling of gaps were very interesting and the entire team jelled well to make the concert highly enjoyable. An excellent concert for two hours.

[rshankar]

CRama - can you please translate the pallavi? I think I get the general gist, but am not entirely sure.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Pallavi:
"Vaathapuraadheesa daasanaam Vaidyanathan
Vaathaabdhiyil theerthu Sangeeta saarasudha"

Means:
Vaidyanathan, devotee of Vaathapuraadheesa (GuruVayurappan), created nectar of music from an (ocean)of air (vaatha).

[kssr]

I think he has been very much in kerala. No US as far as I know. Very good singer.

[rshankar]

Pallavi:
"Vaathapuraadheesa daasanaam Vaidyanathan
Vaathaabdhiyil theerthu Sangeeta saarasudha"

Means:
Vaidyanathan, devotee of Vaathapuraadheesa (GuruVayurappan), created nectar of music from an (ocean)of air (vaatha).

Thank you!

[hnbhagavan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuV_gLkirdg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHsuyXOe_IA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kghrSLoQnDw
This is found in Utube Concert held in USA