Abhishek Raghuram @ Music Academy

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 26 Dec 2007, 11:38

Date 25 Dec 2007

Abhishek Raghuram, grandson of sangeetha kalanidhi elect Palghar R Raghu gave a performance in afternoon slot yesterday. He has a good voice, and didn't go a good justice though. Starting with vatapi in hamsadwani, he explored natabhairavi for sivan's sree valli devasenapathe. Main was madhamavathi and thyagaraja's rama katha sutha. Both natabhairavi and madhyamavathi had lot of imagination, but lacked classical pidis and sangathis. In my opinion he was going up and down the octave. He has good potential though.

I don't have the songlist. Sorry

Among the audience, In the front row were Kumaresh, his mother-in-law rajalakshmi (lalgudi's sister), Palghar R Raghu (he seem to have problem with one hand and one leg, he came with some help), and OST's father.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 26 Dec 2007, 11:40

Same point was made by Vainika with which I concurred. We heard only the Madhyamavathi. Certainly has loads of potential. Concert at KGS with Kaapi as main some months back was a far better effort

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 26 Dec 2007, 11:43

who is his guru?

-hari

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 26 Dec 2007, 11:46

PS Narayanaswami I believe

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 26 Dec 2007, 12:26

Vijay/s_hari:

It is indeed PSN. However, one cannot ignore / tule out PR (Palghat Raghu's) contribution to Abhishek's music as well, so to that extent PR can also be considered to be his guru.

Apasruthi

vvmri · Post by **vvmri** » 26 Dec 2007, 17:14

ramakatha is always a good main piece for anyone in a concert

mahesh_narayan · Post by **mahesh_narayan** » 26 Dec 2007, 18:18

Is Raghu Sir going to be able to perform in future? From some of the descriptions, he seems to be in real bad shape with this problem in his leg. I hope he recovers and starts performing soon.

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 26 Dec 2007, 20:51

Abhishek also need to watch out on things like splitting sahityam correctly. He repeatedly sang "Sree Valli devase napate", it should have been "sree valli devasena pate"

-hari

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 26 Dec 2007, 21:17

Compared to his performances this season for Kartik fine arts (@ Narada mini) and Brahma gana sabha (@ Pethachi auditorium), I felt a little let down here. Although I agree with s_hari about the lack of all the classic pidis, I think this is what makes his presentation rather unique and fresh. I found this concert wanting for some of the following:

1. Voice broke too frequently interrupting smooth flow of sangathis
2. Thani was too long (although it was good).
3. The main piece was short on time. May be too much of time was spent on the earlier items.

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 26 Dec 2007, 21:49

Apart from all his laya wizardry, the thing that amazes me about Abhishek is he already has an original approach for one so young. Though he might belong to the Semmangudi school, I don't find any kind of imitation or similarities with that school. I just hope that he understands the art of concert presentation with age and takes proper care of his voice. Right now, it appears hes just singing for himself and his close buddies who can understand the intricacies of his music..Once he realises that a majority of us still struggle with Adi chatusra gathi, he will fine tune his style...If and when that happens, we could see a genuine star.

apasruthi · Post by **apasruthi** » 26 Dec 2007, 22:45

You are right sbala. Abhishek is so original in his approach and does not follow any bhaani or style and sings with such gay abandon, that one wonders if he belongs to an era before Ariyakkudi set a pattern for concerts or kutcheri sampradaya. Such is his creativity, when allowed to explore and explode. He is a kind of maverick singer - one who sings for the pure singing sake and one who is the "art for art's sake" type, therefore risks losing out on popularity-something he hardly cares about, so it seems.

If he indeed would like to have a mass appeal or wants to have the popularity that he indeed deserves, he should adjust his style and try to settle down a bit in his music.

Apasruthi

venkatr · Post by **venkatr** » 26 Dec 2007, 23:36

I was there till he finished the alapana of madhyamavathi. I had seen him a couple of years before in NGS where he sang a good Thodi as main to the accompaniment of his grandfather and also his Guru . He has mentioned this a couple of time s that both Raghu Sir and PSN are his Gurus.

He is an artist with a good potential but should watch out in raga alapnas. Natabhairavi definitely lacked the pidi or the bhava - In fact the violinist did a good alapana. In madhyamathi there were traces of HM style alapana in many places - It lacked the gamakam / pidi which one generally associates with this raga. Just reminded me of what Thanjavur Shankara Iyer had mentioned in the morning on madyamavathi and the rendition of the raga without azhutham by many of present day artists.

krishna212001 · Post by **krishna212001** » 27 Dec 2007, 11:50

Hi Guys

Once i heard a concert of Abhishek Raghuram in Coimbatore for Rama Navami in RS Puram.

He sang the main piece Chakkani Raja in Kharahapriya.

Reminded me of Semmangudi Mamma's Chakkani Raja.Was something splendid.

Abhishek Raghuram has an excellent base voice.

Regards
Nakul Venkataraman

thathwamasi · Post by **thathwamasi** » 27 Dec 2007, 19:15

I had been to the concert too. I was there half way through his Alapana of Natabhairavi. I concur with the earlier views about classical pidis. I thought as much. Lets look at the positives of the concert in my view.

+1) The Khamas song he sang was super fabulous. I dont remember the song. Its a rare one in khanda Chapu thaalam and Anand, who played Mridangam was fantastic for this song.
+2) The Swaram singing was too good for Madhyamavathi. Especially the Kuraippu was filled with not so complicated but aesthetically pleasing formations.
+3) Palghat Anand on Mridangam. He was just excellant. He was the right mix of nidhanam and vegam. The thani was a bit too long as mentioned earlier but since it was very good, it makes up for its length.
+4) Mysore Srikanth on violin was very good.
+5) Chandrashekara in Sindhu Bhairavi was brilliant and he finished dot on time which is 3.45 pm. I am sure Academy would be pleased with that effort.

Now the negatives.

-1) Lack of classicalism if you can call it that. The Swara singing of Natabhairavi as well as the keerthana rendition was not very carnatic. A bit cinematic I must say. So was the case with Madhyamavathi Raagam as well.
-2) Kaavaa vaa could have been avoided. I felt it was a bit out of place singing that in between the Khamas kriti and Madyamavathi. I would have rather loved to hear him sing some kriti like 'Tulasamma' in Devagandhari.
-3) His voice has some issues. But I am sure he is working on it and with PSN Mama's guidance he is going get better.

All in all it was a lovely concert.

mahesh_narayan · Post by **mahesh_narayan** » 27 Dec 2007, 22:57

Was the khamas kriti 'Avadharu Raghupati'? If so, it is an Annamacharya piece tuned by Nedunuri Sir. It is set to Khanda Chapu Thalam. Abhishek has rendered it in the past. Of course, Nedunuri Sir himself has rendered it on more than one occasion.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 28 Dec 2007, 03:07

Yes it was. And he announced the same.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 28 Dec 2007, 03:09

He reminds me of Dr. M.Balamuralikrishna in his treatment and choice of kritis. Wonder if anyone else feels the same?

krishna212001 · Post by **krishna212001** » 28 Dec 2007, 09:19

Yes Suresh you are absolutely correct.
Even i feel the same !

Regards
Nakul Venkataraman

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Dec 2007, 22:10

The first time I heard him sing. He has potential, potential, and a lot of it. Imagination, yes, he is endowed in that department. Yes, I noticed too the padac chEdam (odd splitting of words) in sAhityam. PiDis? Yes, somewhat elusive. His singing has a lot of charm. Hope he gets to be a front liner. Has lot of promise...

saveri · Post by **saveri** » 28 Dec 2007, 22:37

I could listen only till the third song,by which time i lost patience.

He has a fascile voice and good laya gnanam, with a feel for brigha laden singing.

But somehwere he seems lost and is unfocussed. Why he is he trying to present things always out of boundaries? Infact i am listening to him after a very long gap and i was hoping , based on his child days, that he would matured into a truly classical artist, but sadly enough , he seemed all over the place. One had to search for the raga jeevan in every item he rendered. He would do well to focus himself soon.

saveri · Post by **saveri** » 28 Dec 2007, 22:37

I could listen only till the third song,by which time i lost patience.

He has a fascile voice and good laya gnanam, with a feel for brigha laden singing.

But somehwere he seems lost and is unfocussed. Why he is he trying to present things always out of boundaries? Infact i am listening to him after a very long gap and i was hoping , based on his child days, that he would matured into a truly classical artist, but sadly enough , he seemed all over the place. One had to search for the raga jeevan in every item he rendered. He would do well to focus himself soon.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 29 Dec 2007, 17:34

Other than the last sentence your observations are taken as a litany of compliments

in my book at least!

babaji · Post by **babaji** » 31 Dec 2007, 10:55

actually when i heard his natabhairavi starting take off for his raaga the next day i heard him render shanmukhapriya he started his shanmukhapriya take off in the same way he started his natabhairavi.so i get it tthat he has focussed entirely on laya and based on that music is presented it is excellent but when it comes to rendering a raaga it is entirely a different field.you can't use swara phrasings for ragas
always because you can use it now and then like seshagopalan mama uses in his raga presentation middle using his ummmm or eeeees or ahhhhs as a long karvai.
however i know for one abhishek is bothered about setting his audience like seshagopalan mama because i am also one of his buddies.which is good.only if he slows down and shows some bhava like thyagaraja insisted i believe there would be nobody to top him.it is not a matter of popularity it is a matter of sowkhyam and margam.Is'nt korvai swara singing also a matter of popularity treatment."WHAT HE HAS IS LAYAM,WHAT HE NEEDS IS NAYAM HOWEVER TO FIT ALL THIS IN HIS SCHEDULE HE NEEDS THE TIME(TAMIL SLANG)."

thathwamasi · Post by **thathwamasi** » 04 Jan 2008, 20:37

Sureshvv and others - Got it clarified from Abhishek himself. The Khamas song is not Avadharu Raghupati. Its Shringara Moorti. Please find it in the following link.

http://www.karnatik.com/c2639.shtml

mahesh_narayan · Post by **mahesh_narayan** » 04 Jan 2008, 20:55

Sorry, that song should indeed have been Shrinagara Mooritivi. Nedunuri Garu tuned it. The other khamas song was tuned either by his guru Pinakapani Garu or by Voleti Garu.

mnsriram · Post by **mnsriram** » 04 Jan 2008, 23:08

Avadharu Raghupati was also tuned by Sri Nedunuri.

sudha_114 · Post by **sudha_114** » 11 May 2008, 22:58

how old is he by the way

appu · Post by **appu** » 12 May 2008, 10:50

Who Nednuri or Abhishek.? Abhishek is about 23 and Nednuri I believe is in his late 70's

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 12 May 2008, 18:07

Nedunuri sir turned 80 in 2006. There was a large function in Chennai and it received much coverage here under the Nedunuri thread (in Vidwans-Vidushis).