ganesh and kumaresh violin at bharath kalachar

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 01 Jan 2009, 21:17

accompaniments: Patri Satish Kumar Mruthangam, S V Ramani Ghatam

song list:
1. Kanukontini bilahari
2. Maapala Velasi Saveri
3. Naadhupai Madhyamavathi
4. Ksheera sagara Devaghandhari
5. Raga prabhavam Janaranjani
6. RTP Ranjani
7. Isai thendral veesidum Hindolam
8. English Note
9. Thillana Sindhu bharavi

It was a wonderful concert. Ksheera sagara was played in such a way that it reflected the original mood of the song. Naadhupai had a detailed alaapana, neraval and kalpanaswaram. The senior of the twins was explaining at length what raga prabhavam was all about. he said it a step ahead of carnatic music and was quoting technical terms like vadhi samvadhi and tribinna. the scheme of this from the view point of a layman like me was like listening to a church choir. when one was at some swaras the other was at different octaves and the missing swaras.
the twins however compensated in the rtp which read as 'vaa muruga vaa, saravanabava vaa, sivakumara vaa, vadivelane, parvathi thantharul kumarane' set to elaborate ranjani. they made as an after thought an electric kalpana swara in natakurinchi, begada, reethigowla, gowla, aarabhi, varaali, sriragam, mayamalavagowla kambhodhi sumaneesha ranjani, marva behag, vitapi, sivaranjani and revathi. this was followed by a song dedicated to the music season in chennai whcih started in hindolam and charanam in nattai, dharmavathi, ataana.
the senior has the habit of substantiating with his vocal rendition here and there. his voice doest not seem to cooperate and the deficiency in very obvious because a mental comparison between his violin and voice is inevitable by the listeners.
in my opinion experiments like raga prabhavam can be restricted to special programmes and the artists should not confuse the same with the traditional music.
patri puttaparthi look alike is andhra's tiruvarur bhakthavatsalam. his play was marked with precision, speed and superior quality of sound.
the sabha managers should recheck the speakers. the mruthangam seems to jarr on the ears.

Varnam · Post by **Varnam** » 02 Jan 2009, 10:17

Hi CN,

I've also been to Ganesh & kumaresh's concerts a couple of times this season.

"Thendral veesidum" sounds extremely semi classical and not the right idea to present it in season concerts by any means (although its been composed specifically for chennai season). As u said, his voice doesnt seem to cooperate & it was blatantly evident in his rendition at NGS... the pitching was too high. But for that the concert was too good.

Again Raaga Prabhavam although a brilliant listening experience, but it sounds extremely westernised & falls out of place from the mood of the season standpoint. Infact they call it "contemporary carnatic music" , fine, fair enough but not in the season concerts!!!

Thanks for initiating this debate... i was waiting for it!!!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 02 Jan 2009, 13:43

...fine, fair enough but not in the season concerts!!!

Ganesh and Kumaresh have cultivated a certain style, and a certain sound which is very much their own. They are not the only performers to innovate, and to say that they should change their program or their style to whatever hard-core traditionalists consider hard-core-traditional is way to restrictive.

Varnam · Post by **Varnam** » 02 Jan 2009, 16:26

Nick"¦ Thanks for naming me a traditionalist. Being a traditionalist & also a layman trying to explore the fathomless ocean of CM, it could be a lethally "restrictive"

sama · Post by **sama** » 02 Jan 2009, 20:34

Maapala Velasi is in Raga Asaveri & not Saveri.

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 02 Jan 2009, 20:41

sama wrote:Maapala Velasi is in Raga Asaveri & not Saveri.

you are right; in a hurry i wrote the post and that is why the mistake. thanks for correcting me.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 03 Jan 2009, 00:37

Varnam, although you describe yourself as a layman, you are way ahead of me. I wish I had attended the concert (although I may have needed translation, for which I take along a useful wife!) so as to be better aware of what you are talking about. Is it the part of their "sound" which registers to me as being more like a Western chord sound rather than a CM single-note sound?

In fact, generally, I wish I had seen them this year. I had tickets covering this very concert but was taking a couple of days off.

I wonder if, were we to sit down with some of their recordings, we might not find ourselves agreeing quite a lot. I have hugely enjoyed a lot of their music, and I expect to enjoy more. There are times, though, when I do not enjoy so much, and might find that those times are the times you describe as 'fusioned'.

Shyamala Rangarajan · Post by **Shyamala Rangarajan** » 26 Jan 2009, 20:26

I attended another concert of Ganesh and Kumaresh during the festival that was unique and out of the world. They performed in the Pancha Muka Anjaneya Temple in Mylapore on the 28th Dec. The concert started at 05-30 AM (Yes - in the early morning). The occasion was Sahasra Deepa Aradana for Anjaneya. No electric lights were there and the the lighting was provided by the 1008 earthern lamps. Early morning visitors to the temple formed the audience and ofcourse Lord Anjaneya was there. The brothers brought out the essence of Carnatic Music - completely soaked in devotion. The memory of the concert which lasted for about 2 hours would remain etched in my mind for ever.