2012 Sep/Oct Concerts by TVS, OST and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi

Vocal – Sri TV Sankaranarayanan, Violin – Sri VVS Murari, Mridangam – Sri Thiruvaroor Bhakthavatsalam

In my writing career this is certainly a high point to have the privilege of writing about the concert by the well respected TV Sankaranarayanan.  Musical heritage is not a guarantee of talent but in case of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri TVS it is certainly true – Sri TVS is Madurai Mani Iyer’s nephew.  Let us go straight to the concert.

It is certainly one of the best concerts I have listened to in several years.  First let me applaud the sound technicians who did some innovations for this concert.  I don’t know how they got the normally finicky musicians to agree to this significant change.  The monitor speaker was set up behind the artists so they could hear exactly what the audience heard.  The sound was balanced so perfectly it made the entire concert a great treat.  Even the artists mentioned about how great the set up was and they were going to try and use this method in future concerts.  Kudos, great job Arun and Dr. Ramakrishnan!

Vigneshwara Subha in Arabi/Rupakam – great start to the concert in a peppy ragam that set the tone for the entire concert.  Fantastic voice dynamics, Sri TVS owned the stage.  The swaras were borrowed from Pancharathna Krithi initially and then skillfully shifted away.  Just like one can expect in any TVS concert swaras started pouring.  Both violinist and the mridangist made their mark early in the concert.

Subrahmanya Rakshitham in Suddha Dhanyasi/Adi – very energetic song in a popular ragam; several more bushels of swarams;  Bhakthavathsalam on the mridangam knew he had many fans in the audience and did not disappoint them.  He showed tremendous speed and clean strokes to match the gamakams from the singer.  Borderlines on being a little theatric but the audience just loved it.

Ravichandra Budha in Atana – short and sweet

Guruvayoorappa in Chakravaham/Adi – Nice change of pace with alapana; soulful rendition.  Mridangam sound was a bit too loud

Sarasa Samadhana in Kapi Narayani/Adi – evergreen song, fast number and everyone’s favorite popularized by his uncle Madurai Mani Iyer.  Niraval was remarkable going from soft and slow to fast and furious.  Took a small song and elaborated with niravals and swaras showing his mastery over the art

Venkataramana in Lathangi/Rupakam – Elaborate alapana with some tastefully mixed Hindustani phrases.  My father used to say one should show bhakti bhavam even in alapana by blending in words like “hari ….”, “hara …” instead of meaningless “Ta da ri na”.  Sri TVS is one of the few to still follow that age old tradition.  Violin had done a great job till this point but the alapana here was a bit lackluster.  Could have selected a different ragam for the afternoon concert. 

Main Piece – Intha Sowkya Manine in Kapi/double branched Adi – I thought it was rare to hear Kapi as the ragam for the main piece.  Alapana was powerful, he quickly got through the words and got to the swaras.  The swara spigot opened at full speed.  Great rendition.

Thani – had to make a special mention of Sri Bhakthavathsalam Sir’s Thani.  People come with certain expectations of energy, speed and combination of strokes.  He did not disappoint.  Absolute magic, fantastic Thani that made the audience totally engaged.

RTP in Mohanam/Tisra Tiruputai – thanam part was beautifully done, wow, what command over the ragam.  Violinist came to his full height.  The ragamalika section was very entertaining with popular ragams like Hindolam, Shyama, Bhageshwari.

Eppovaruvaro in Jonpuri preceded by a Virutham – gamakams were fantastic

The concert ended with the ever popular Madurai Mani’s Note, a toe tapping number.  The energy was maintained from the beginning to the very end. 

None of us wanted the concert to end that included the artists.  When we all went up to the artists to mention how well they sang and played for us, Sri TVS humbly said it is because you were great rasikas - please come back.

Vocal – Sri OS Thyagarajan, Violin – Ranjani Ramakrishnan, Mridangam – Dr. S. Ramakrishnan

It was a traditional concert with the pentatonic raga medley (5-note ragas) being the highlight of the concert in Hindolam, Mohanam, Suddha Saveri and Hamsa Nadham.  He moved from ragam to ragam without giving a chance for a applause in between.  He also showed a unique capability in displaying Ragam-in-Ragam. – he brought out Suddha Dhanyasi within Kalyani Ragam by doing a Graha Bhedam or Swara Bhedam.  This is a skill that is very difficult to master, only a few will even attempt.  It seemed like the artist was holding himself back.  An open throated singing would have made the concert even more enjoyable.

Here is the write-up for the concert from Prasanna Padmanabhan:

He started off with Dikshitar's Vatapi Ganapathim followed by a small but brisk kalpana swaram. This was followed by Tyagaraja's beautiful Evarani nirNayincirirA in the ragam Devamrithavarshini (or also Nadachintamani in some circles), a very close cousin of Karaharapriya. 

 
The next was Samagana Lolane in Hindolam. Ranjani showed great dexterity on the violin in the aalapanai. OST cleverly exposed the swaraksharam built into the song (Sa Ma Ga...) in the kalpana swaram.

Without any gap, he started Evarura Ninuvina in Mohanam, Korvais were beautiful crafted by Ranjani in the kalpana swaram. Again, without any gap, he started a brisk paced song in Sudhasaveri called Kala Karane Mela Raghave, which also included a fast Kalpana swaram. It felt almost like a singing marathon when he quickly moved on to Bantureethi in Hamsanadham, once again, without any gap, which I felt he could have gone a little slower and taken the time to bring out the depth of the ragam. I also saw that because there wasn't a lot of breathing room between songs, Dr Ramakrishnan was forced to fine tune the mridangam on the fly although he seemed to do it quite seamlessly!

Then there was the main piece in Kalyani - Tyagaraja's Ethavunara. In the elaborate aalapanai, he was demonstrating "swara bedam". The audience was completely wired to Dr Ramakrishnan's tani. 

He entertained the audience's request for Sabapathi (although usually Abhogi is sung earlier in the concert) - it was a nice treat to my ears. Then there was Muruga (Saveri), followed by Pashyati and a Tillana in the ragam Sankarabharanam (sung in tishram). He finished with Nadupai in Madhyamavati starting with the anupallavi first!

Overall I enjoyed the concert. While I felt he could have gone a little slower in some places, it was well rooted in a refreshingly traditional, old-school style and quite authentic which you don't see very often these days. 

 

Violin – Vijayalakshmi, Mridangam – Bangalore Praveen, Tabla – Nitin Mitta

Comments from Bhavani Nirmal – She chose all lively ragas and elevated the mood of the audience. Normally in writing about a dance performance we talk of "Konjum chalangai" I can describe today's concert as "Konjum violin" The melody and her handling of the ragas and swaras are ringing in my ears.  The thani between the mridangam and tabla players was masterful and engaged our attention totally.  I didn't see a single person treating it as a coffee break because we were totally absorbed by the performance. 

Let me add my comments but it may not be as flowery.  Frankly, I had low expectation for this concert.  But Smt. Vijayalakshmi has blown that away with her sheer violin prowess.  But I have a fundamental question about the concert – what is the true reason for adding tabla to the concert?  The violinist did not add Hindustani touches anywhere in the concert which could have brought out the beauty with the tabla accompaniment.  She just powered through with her traditional Carnatic style playing.  Other than creating a balanced appearance on the stage with the violinist in the middle with mridangam and tabla players on either side, in my view the tabla did not add much to the concert.

Varnam in Garudadhwani – a clever choice, with this peppy number she instantly connected with the audience.  She had a very good command over the instrument

Mamalu Sadha in Kanada/Rupakam – very nice, clean rendition in another peppy ragam.  I had difficulty accepting tabla in a Carnatic concert. 

Arul Seyya Vendum in Rasikapriya/Adi – soulful alapana, very nice touches with her gamakams.  Soft mridangam was very enjoyable

Mati Mati in Mohanam/Mishra Chapu – Smt. Viji rose to her full height in the alapana,  Swaras with alternating mridangam and tabla was an enjoyable section of the song.  Derailed a bit in second speed.   Could have tastefully injected some Hindustani Bhupali touches

Amritha Vahini – energetic song with fantastic control of the bow even at top speed

Hechariga Ra Ra in Edukula Kambodhi/Kanda Chapu – another peppy ragam that captivated the audience.  Well executed gamakams and she glided through the swaras

Kamalamba Bhajare in Kalyani/Adi – favorite of many in the audience.  Alapana was very clean.  But in a long song holding the audience was tough.  I am finally getting used to the Tabla – actually enjoyed it. 

Thani – I agree with Bhavani, the Thani was simply amazing.  The back and forth between the two percussion players was done in misra kuraippu – 7-count inside the 8 beat Adi talam.  This allowed the luxury of a gap of one count making the give and take very easy and enjoyable at the same time.  The energy, speed and stroke combinations were brilliant.

Kaliyuga Varadan in Brindavana Saranga/Adi - Nice

Baro Krishnayya – very enjoyable rendition

Akhilandeshwari in Dwijavanthi/Adi – beautifully executed with very nice touches. 

Thillana in Behag/Adi Tisra Nadai – very good audience involvement, well done.

Arangetram by Nitya Ramalingam

The Bharathanrityam Arangetram of Nitya Ramalingam was a delightful treat to the knowledgeable South Florida audience on Jul 14, 2012 at the Sunrise Civic Center in Sunrise, Florida.  It was our privilege and pleasure to have the presence of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Trichy Sankaran.  In addition to being present he has also reduced my workload by reviewing the performance as well.

(Transcription of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Trichy Sankaran's Speech)

From time immemorial, dance has been an important part of ritual in Indian tradition.  Bharatanatyam is grounded in bhakti besides other sentiments.  In fact bhakti is at the centre of all the arts in India.  Our music and dance are two important offerings to god.  As one gets involved in the art, with greater dedication, one can experience throughout the hours of dancing a greater joy, a complete well-being, especially when music and dance mingle indistinguishably.

Music and dance or any fine art for that matter, knows no barriers.  Although the roots of Bharatanatyam run deep into the culture of South India, it has a universal domain and acclaim.  So it is not surprising that Bharatanatyam is being taught and performed everywhere around the globe.  We have many dance systems, styles and banis.  The very life-breath of art is unity in diversity.  This is what I see in many of our dance systems.  I express my sincere admiration for all these systems, be it Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi or Kuchipudi for which the divine god-centered aspect is common.

Tradition is a stronger force.  We must use tradition as a basis to develop art; otherwise the art will decline and disappear.  In this respect, innovations are an integral part of any great art.  Innovations and modifications are taking place all the time and our music and dance are evolving and changing.  But we want to make sure that these changes take place within the boundaries of tradition.  Dr. Padma Subramaniam, a dance legend herself is known for her unique style of dancing based on Natyasastra, under whom Smt. Sangita Sridhar has received her training in Dance.  It is quite evident in today’s arangetram of Kumari Nithya, how well she has trained her student and how wonderful a teacher she is.  The blending of Vazhuvoor Bani and Padma Subramanyam’s style showed beautifully in today’s performance.  Music is integral to a dance performance; particularly vocal music where lyrics become important for the portrayal of abhinaya and this has been followed very faithfully in today’s performance. Her choreography was excellent.  The Nattuvangam, the very essence and the bedrock of the whole concept of dancing performed by Sangita Sridhar herself showed her versatility on this particular aspect as well.

About the artists: 

Vocal:  Sudev Warriar, who is the disciple of Padmavibushan Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, has enthralled us with his captivating music.  His music reflects on the experience he has gained over the years by singing for eminent dancers as well as his collaborative work with famous playback singers such as Dr. J. Yesudas, Sri S.P. Balasubramaniam and others.

Mrdangam:  On the mrdangam, we have Sri Sudhaman who demonstrated his excellent skill in accompanying the dance.  He has performed with eminent dancers like Dr. Padma Subramaniam, Chitra Viswesvaran, and others besides performing in regular Carnatic recitals.  His father K.N.S. Namboodhri was my disciple and I have known Sudhaman very well on a personal basis.  I wish him well in the future.

Flute:  On the flute, Sri Chitoor Pathanjali beautifully demonstrated his skills.  He comes from a family of musicians.  I have known and performed with his grandfather Sri. Chitoor Gopalakrishnan.  His melodious accompaniment was quite delightful.  My blessings and best wishes to all the artists on stage.

It was quite graceful to see Nitya Ramalingham dance and make her debut on this auspicious occasion at a young age.  Her coordination of feet and body movements to the rhythms of jatis, facial expressions and mudras in abhinaya, dancing to the tirmanams etc. were excellent.  Her training in vocal music, am sure, must have helped her dancing in many ways.  As I pointed out earlier, knowledge of vocal music is essential for the dancer as well as accompanying artists.  No wonder for a bright and brilliant girl like Nitya who is an honors students holding top rank in her high school studies, the art of dancing, singing, and piano playing must have come naturally, of course with arduous practice.  Once again, my hearty congratulations to Nitya for her successful debut.  

Arts are tremendous source of inspiration for any culture.  Arts and cultures dialogue in a number of different ways.  I am very glad to see teachers like Sangita Sridhar helping the community to get involved in learning the fine arts.  Similarly Dr. Ramakrishnan has been training many students in Mrdangam and am sure there are many others teaching different arts in this part of the world.  Holding on to their professional careers, these individuals have been devoting their time and for the propagation of arts, thus serving the cause of Carnatic music and dance, a fact that should really be commended.

With these closing remarks, I want to thank the proud parents of Nitya, Smt. Lalitha and Sri Prabhakar Ramalingham for having invited me to be the chief guest for the arangetram.  I wish Nitya a great success in all her artistic endeavors in future.  Thank you all.
(End of Dr. Sankaran's remarks)

I want to make a special mention of the choreography, it was absolutely stunning.  The Ananda Sandhya Thandavam describing the Prodhosham day and time (thirteenth moon day at sunset and moonrise) was just fantastic.  The composition of Smt. Vasumathy Swamy, choreograhy and the execution of Nitya - transported us Kailash.  My request to Sangeetha Sridhar is to choreograph a group dance for this song.  Also it will be great to sing this song during Pradhosha Kala pooja - great work.  Thanks to Nitya, we were able to witness a 45-min long solo varnam performance after a long time.     

Jayanthi aunty joins me in congratulating Nitya for a wonderful performance and blessing you in achieving everything your heart desires.

Vibrations by Sri Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan

For a long time Mridangam professionals have been dealing with the audience walking out on them during their Thani Avardhanam, their solo part. It is a very rude behavior and actually shows the ignorance of some of the Carnatic music audience. Lately the trend has been positive in this behavior but the scar is deep. Mridangists have their own ways of coping with this. Some adapted a lot of flair and theatrics in playing keep the audience engaged. Some have taken the “Mrid” or softness out of the Mridangam to keep the audience entertained. Some have even tried admonishing the audience.

This situation may have also forced some creativity out of some mridangists. We shall call it the “reengineering” of the Carnatic musician ensemble. They are asking questions like – Why not try placing the mridangist at the center of the stage instead of being on one side? Why not start the concert with a Thani Avardhanam instead of sticking it towards the end of the main piece? Why don’t we use “konnakkol” alongside mridangam playing? And so on and so forth. By the way, Konnakkol is the language of the mridangists. Many of you will remember the song from Thiruvilaiyadal, Pattum Nane in the Ragam Gowri Manohari. Konnakkol is extensively used during the swara section (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg_hBWlR3h0). In the west the music is notated extensively but the beats are not notated. In Carnatic music it is the reverse with Mridangam strokes extensively notated. We will talk more about this “reengineering” and the Vibrations concert in a bit.

As Carnatic music fans, we owe it to ourselves to learn the basics of tala. Driving my son every Saturday morning to the mridangam class and staying behind gave me a fairly decent exposure to appreciate mridangam playing. During the weeks preceding Prem’s arangetram I was drinking from the fire hose. But in general, I think even a small amount of exposure to the mridangam basics will make Carnatic music more enjoyable. For those with an analytical or mathematical bent of mind, the “laya” part of our music will be particularly attractive.

Chaturasra Eka – 4 beat cycle

Khanda Chapu – 5 beat cycle

Rupaka – 6 beat cycle

Tisra Triputai – 7 beat cycle

Mishra Chapu – 7 beat cycle (my favorite)

Adi – 8 beat cycle (most popular)

Khanda Jathi Triputai – 9 beat cycle

And son on.

There is a lot more to the field of laya. Some songs are played in double count of the same base tala called “Rettai Kilai” or double branched. The “nadai” or the flow pattern might change. For example, a favorite of everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, is the Adi Talam in Tisra Nadai – sounds like the Western Waltz, makes you want to get up and dance. Here you stay for three counts on every beat of the Adi Talam.

It only takes minimal effort to understand the basics our tala system. Once you are able to follow along the beats of the singer or some advanced rasikas your enjoyment will double – guaranteed. But do the talam subtly until you have mastered the basics. If you place wrong talam loudly you may encounter the wrath of the fellow rasikas or even the artists. Alright, let us go to the concert.

Vibrations led by Sri Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan on the Mridangam and Konnakkol, Raghavendra Rao on the Violin, Sundar on the Tabla and Morsing, Guruprasad on the Ghatam, Vocal music by Kashyap Mahesh and Janardhan on the Guitar and Mandolin. Let us discuss this type of “reengineered” concerts as genre first before going into the specifics of this program.

In this genre of music, I think you will agree that we are at the point of departure and the point of arrival is nowhere in sight. Currently we are experimenting with both the artists and the audiences delicately positioned. The artists who are promoting this genre are either top rated in their fields or budding musicians aspiring to grow. Talent is certainly not in question. It is definitely in a novelty category given that carnatic music tradition is over several centuries. There is definite appeal to the crossover audience into this genre. Highly traditional audiences and some artists might consider this as blasphemy. And then there is a whole spectrum in between. We have a long way to go before this is time tested. Personally, I welcome experimentation like jugal bandi’s with Hindustani, fusion with Jazz and percussion centric concerts like this one.

Alright, let us talk specifically about the concert. Sri Vaidyanathan has a supreme command over the instrument and has a very rich voice suited for delivering konnakkol. Initially the singer’s voice was completely drowned by the percussionists but his later song renditions were excellent. The violinist Sri Raghavendra Rao, who I consider one of the best in the traditional concert circuit, played with flair especially in one Jazz fusion number. There were too many instruments in the concert which distracted more than add value. At times when all the percussionists were playing together it was jarring. In a percussion centric concert, I expected a variety of talas to be presented but this concert had an over emphasis on Adi talam. Overall, it is an E for effort. Let us go song by song.

Adi Tala – concert started with a Thani in Adi. When tabla joined in for a low voice rendition of Vakra Thunda Maha Kaya in Arabi, is sounded more like light music program. Konnakkol was rendered very effectively in a rich voice and the phrases were nicely replicated by the Tabla player.

Song in Nasika Bhushani/Kanda Chapu - Lyrics were barely audible

A special composition in Thilang – had no lyrics. Sounded a bit cinematic, fast paced. Konnakkol again was great.

Mana Vyala Kim in Nalina Kanthi/Adi – started with a Thani. Playing the mridangam on the Toppi side only (the side usually without the black part) was unique. The experience was like listening to a western song.

Suddha Danyasi song – great energy and good fusion.

Maya Malava Gowle song – staged some unique duos like konnakkol/morsing, guitar/table. But the hand offs were not clean.

Main piece in Saraswathi/Adi – turned Mandolin into a percussion instrument for a brief period by repeating the konnakkol phrases. Mrigandam Thani was amazing. Ghatam was played with deft. The control displayed by Morsing vidhwan was fantastic. Tabla added a nice departure from the usual routine. Clarity at high speeds was amazing. The part for singer was only the Thanam. Violinist showed amazing talent. Engaged the audience in the entire song – best song of the concert.

Keeravani – Devi Neeye Thunai/Adi – soft song, quite a contrast to the rest of the concert. Very traditional

Brahmam Okate – brisk number

Special composition in Sri Ranjani by the violinist – nicely executed

Sri Chakra Raja – for the traditional fans in the audience. Well rendered

Chinnanchiru Kiliye, Tisra Nadai Adi – Great singing

A song in Revathi and Dhaneshri Thillana – Fantastic

Abhishek Raghuram Vocal Concert

It is a good thing that Moammar Gaddafi is out of power in Libya. Ending his life in a gutter is a fitting end to this ruthless tyrant. It is hard to believe even after centuries since tyrants like Narakasura received their brutal end, we still got them ruling sections of this world. So called civilization is yet to have its complete hold when it comes to forms of government and how we accept being ruled. Anyway, for those of us celebrating Diwali to commemorate the death of Narakasura at the hands of Krishna, it got a little sweeter with the end of Gaddafi. Though I will admit it is difficult to imagine how an Indian sweet can be sweeter. Wish you all a Happy Diwali season moving right into Kanda Sashti celebrations.

Sri Abhishek Raghuram’s concert was very different from the beaten path. Not that there is anything wrong with the path we have been. I came out of the concert a bit confused. How come Hindolam did not sound like Hindolam in a few places and the same with many other songs and alapanas. I discussed with several musicians among the audience to find out about the Sruthi Bhetham or Graha Bhetham. It is a deliberate attempt on the part of the musician to go off track and come back in. It takes incredible talent to perform this feat. I understood that stalwarts do this only for a few seconds and snap right back. Also, they do it for one or two songs in a concert. But many in the audience believed that Sri Abhishek did the Shruthi Bhetam for longer and also too many times in one concert. Beauty is very subjective and in my own subjectivity this took the beauty away from the concert.

Mridangam by Sri Anantha Krishnan (aka Anand) carried the entire show. Anand and Abhishek are cousins and they are both grandsons of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Palghat Raghu.

Not everyone felt that way I felt. Here are the comments from a local supporter, singer Sri Prasanna Padmanabhan. Prasanna Wrote:

Abhishek Raghuram started the concert with a brisk Tyagaraja keerthana, Nadatanumanisam, in the rare ragam Chittarajnani. In a small but creative aalapanai, he was able to bring out the subtle prayogam differences with its almost identical twin Karaharapriya. This was followed by Muthuswami Dikshitar's Suryamurthe in the ragam Sourashtram (moola kriti in the Navagraha set of kritis). What better song for a Sunday afternoon in the Sunshine State (ironically, it was raining outside.. but we do need the rain here in South Florida, so I am not complaining)!

Next was an elaborate aalapanai in Hindolam which he seemed to explore in a refreshingly unconventional way (with a touch of the Hindustani Malkauns) as the basis for Tyagaraja's keertana Manasuloni. Vittal Ramamurthy on the violin responded well to Raghuram's intricate and mathematically brilliant kalpana swarams.

He then went on to Dwijavanti. For the aalapanai, he did something very creative - he used an interesting iPad/iPhone app called iTanpura (Incidentally, I had stumbled upon the same app and download the "Lite" version, just a few weeks back) which not only gave a nice dual-tanpura effect but also soothingly interspersed the aalapanai with interludes of the raag played on a santoor (or some sort of similar stringed instrument). While Dwijavanti/Jaijaivanti is originally a Hindustani raag, his aalapani was uniquely Carnatic. I felt he could have slowed down a little to bring out the essence of the Hindustani style. While the audience seemed to be holding their breath for Akhilandeshwari Rakshamaam, he pleasantly surprised us all with another genuinely Dikshitar composition - Chetasri Balakrishnam. Again, I felt with a little more slowness, he could have done better justice to the vilambit style in which the song was probably conceived by Dikshitar. However, Vittal Ramamurthy, brought out the grace of the raag through deliberate slowness in his aalapanai. So overall, the entire song was a nice treat to our ears.

For the next piece, Raghuram intelligently substitued a request from one of the audience members for Tyagaraga's Ksheera Saagara with another (perhaps less heard of but very beautiful and fast-paced) composition of Tyagaraga in the same ragam, Devagaandhari, called Koluvai Unnaade.

The main piece for the concert was Muthuswami Dikshitar's Sri Krishnam Bhaje in the raagam Thodi. After a very elaborate and somewhat complex aalapanai (whereas the violinist seemed to respond in a more traditional and simpler style), he started the song with a slight twist - starting with the anupallavi (Paakashaasanaadi vinuta charanam) and then going on to sing the Pallavi. I am not Mridagnam expert to talk about the intricacies, but for sure, Anantha Krishnan's ThaniAavardhanam kept the audience fully engaged.

The thukkada section of the concert was filled with songs like Purandara Dasar's Chandrachuda Shiva Shankara (in Darbari Kaanada - which he nicely elaborated in a short aalapanai), Manadirkku Ugandadu in Sindhu Bhairavi (there seemed to be a slight but intentional diversion to subhapantuvarali in the aalapanai.. not sure why he did that!) and Yenna Tavam Seidanai (Papanasam Sivan's masterpiece, which again, he started with anupalllavi first).

Overall the concert was a feast to everyone's ears. Although only 26, Abhishek Raghuram's brilliance and prodigy was clearly evident. He was somewhat unconventional in his style, but that made it quite refreshing. With some more clarity and crispness in his presentation style, there's no stopping him from reaching the stars.

Sikkil Gurucharan Concert

South Florida finished another fantastic Navarathri season. Every year the Navarathri activities have shown an increase. Jayanthi and I have crossed over two decades of celebrating the Navarathri here in South Florida and we wish our community all the best. It was heartening to see our children participate eagerly in this colorful tradition. Along with celebrations it is great that our culture is being preserved.Our Shiva Vishnu Temple also conducted a special function with over 101 ladies participating in a special pooja during this season. In short, this is a festival highlighting our respect for women in society, passing our tradition to our youngsters, growing our rich heritage in a variety of art forms, sharing, displaying our creativity, food (of course) and many more. Nice job by our entire community in doing our part to lift the spirits during this economy.

Apparently, I missed a great concert by Sri Sikkil Gurucharan that happened right in the middle of this Navarathri celebrations. But thanks to our resident Violin Vidhwan Sri Sanjay Chandran, we have write up on the concert. See his comments below:

Sri Sanjay Chandran wrote:

Sikkil Gurucharan treated South Florida carnatic music rasikas to a sumptuous concert on Oct 1^st, 2011 (Sun) evening. He was accompanied on the violin by H.K. Venkatram and on the mridangam by Thiruvavur Bhaktavathsalam.

Gurucharan began the concert with Sriragam varnam, Saami Ninne. He followed that with the Muthaiah Bhagavathar krithi, Bhuvaneshwariya in Ragam Mohana Kalyani and the Shyama Sastry Krithi Devi Brova Samya Midhe in Ragam Chintamani. Rounding out the 1^st half of the concert was the krithi Muruga Thirumal Maruga, a composition of Tanjavur Sankara Iyer in Ragam Harikamboji, set to Roopaka Thalam. Both the vocalist and violinist delivered elaborate alapanas in Ragam Harikamboji. Gurucharan showed his creativity in doing Neraval for Karunai Kadale (charanam). Surprisingly, there were no Kalpana Swaras for this item.

The 2^nd half of the concert started out with the popular Thyagaraja krithi Chala Melara in Ragam Marga Hindolam. Following that was the main piece Kamalamba Bajare, the Dikshitar krithi in Ragam Kalyani. All the major facets of the Ragam Kalyani were elaborated and expressed by both the vocalist and violinist. The Kalpana swaras, while mathematically complex at times, flowed nicely. The mridangist played a very energetic Thaniyavarthanam. In playing the Nadais, he showed his mastery over the thalam; in playing the Farans, he showed his skill/dexterity and in playing the Mohara and Theeramanam, he showed his mathematical creativity. After the main piece, Gurucharan sang the somewhat rare krithi, Enrikku shiva krupai varumo, composed by Neelakanta Sivan in Ragam Mukhari, set to Roopaka Thalam.

Just as Rasikas were wondering if the concert was coming to an end, Gurucharan pleasantly surprised the audience by singing a Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Ragam Lalitha in Khanda Jathi Triputa Thalam. The Kalpana Swaras had a Ragamalika component and he sang some pleasing ragams such as Ahir Bhairav. The concert ended with lighter pieces such as the popular Annamacharya krithi Ksheerabdhi Kanyakaku in Ragam Kurunji.

The violinist, H.K. Venkatram provided good support to the vocalist at all times and the mridangist, Thiruvavur Bhaktavathsalam was at his energetic best. Overall, the concert was a feast to the listeners’ ears.

Branavan Varathan Mridangam Arangetram

Branavan Varathan successfully completed his Mridangam Arangetram on Aug 14, 2011 in the Audirorium at Bahia Mar Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Before we discuss the Arangetram let us talk a little bit about Branavan’s heritage, Tamils from Ilangai. Until I stepped foot in the United States, I did not know many Tamils from Sri Lanka with the exception of one kid for a year in my Eighth grade class. In Florida, Jayanthi and I have had the pleasure of developing good friendship with several Sri Lankan Tamils in our community. They have truly enriched our family as we brought up two children in Florida. Our daughter, Deepa, learned dance from Mrs. Harija Sivakumar and our Son, Prem, attended Sai Bala Vikas classes conducted by Sri Gobinathan. Both these teachers were from the Sri Lankan Tamil tradition. Over the years I have developed a great affinity for them and our heartfelt thanks for their incredible contribution to the art forms and religion that originated in India.

Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora is most definitely one of the most impressive one in human history. Tamil language and their devotion to Lord Muruga are the main links that connect the two cultures. As we move south from Chennai, Tamil becomes sweeter. It is certainly the sweetest in Sri Lanka in my view. It took me a while to get in tune with their beautiful accent and usage of the language. A Sri Lankan Tamil can live anywhere in the world, but their patriotic spirit and affection to the Tamil language will never go away.

Tamilians have broadly classified the language into three parts – poetry, music and drama. Sri Lankan Tamils have excelled in all three. In every function a Sri Lankan Tamil is always ready with a lovely poem written specifically for the event. Their contribution to music, dance and drama has been really incredible. Language, religion and culture have seeped into them at their DNA level. Hats off to this wonderful community! My heart truly goes out to those still suffering in Sri Lanka. In this social networking era, many oppressive regimes are being toppled one-by-one around the world. Hoping Lord Muruga will hear the prayers of Tamils around the world and bring relief to those who are still suffering. Peace.

Branavan is another wonderful example of the next generation Tamil to absorb the culture. He delivered a wonderful Mridangam Arangetram to the vocal music of Sri Madhu Chandrasekar and violin support of Sri Sanjay Chandran. Let me first congratulate Dr. S. Ramakrishnan, Branavan’s mridangam teacher for a wonderful job in bringing out the student’s talents. Let us go program:

Varnam in Vasantha/Adi (8-beat cycle) – very good start to the program. Madhu was at his best delivering a fluent rendition of the varnam. Branavan started to warm up

Mooladhara Moorthe in Hamsadhwani/Adi – On the violin, Sanjay’s swara passages were excellent. Branavan’s hard work was evident in this. He matched the song with speed and pitch with his instrument.

Sogasuga Mridanga Thalamu in Sri Ranjani/Rupakam (6-beat cycle) – very apt song for a mridangam centric concert. Branavan is completely warmed up by now and ready for the rest of the evening.

Idathu Padam in Kamas/Adi – very peppy and a popular dance number. In this version the singer gave a lot of room for the mridangam artist to showcase his talent in changing the Nadai (flow pattern). Mridangam playing is very mathematical and when the teacher is a professor of mathematics there is no end to the permutations and combinations. Adi is an eight beat cycle. However, the Nadai can be in a sequence of four (chathurasra) or a sequence of three (tisra) or a sequence of five (khanda) etc. This is all expressed within the framework of an 8-beat base thalam . The change between the Nadais is really beautiful to listen to and Branavan executed them nicely.

Bhajarere in Kalyani/Mishra Chapu (7-beat cycle) – Madhu’s voice during the alapana was very powerful. Both Sanjay and Madhu traveled through this mesmerizing ragam. Mridangam blended beautifully with the song. Mridangam, by design, is a supporting instrument to vocal or instrumental artist. When the supporting instrument dissolves into the song the audience will experience divinity. This song had a small solo piece for Branavan. Great job!

Thunai Purindarul in Varamu/Adi - the artists were very comfortable on stage

Main Piece: Punniyam Oru Kodi in Keeravani/Double branched Adi(16-beat cycle) – alapana was very elaborate. I am not very familiar with this ragam but it was quite evident that Madhu had worked very hard to deliver a fantastic alapana. Song was a bit on the slow side.

Thani Avardhanam, percussion solo – this is the main part of the mridangam arangetram. The artist shows his mastery over the fundamentals and also attempts some advanced combinations. Branavan has worked hard through the years under the able guidance of Dr. Ramakrishnan and it clearly showed. The strokes were clean and the audiences were able to hear clear separation of sound between strokes even at high speeds. Since Branavan did not have another supporting percussionist, it put a lot more pressure on him but he came out in flying colors. Awesome!

Bhogeendra Sainam in Kundalavarali/Khanda Chapu (5-beat cycle) – Nice peppy number. Branavan had a lot of opportunities to show some nice flourishes.

RTP in Shanmuga Priya/Khanda Jathi Triputa - double branched (18-beat cycle) – Alapana was fantastic. This is a beautiful ragam and there are many songs on Lord Muruga sung in this ragam. Branavan executed the patterns in three speeds and it takes a lot of concentration. Dr. Ramakrishnan was in the front row working much like an orchestra conductor. The ragamalika section of the song was very entertaining with a lot of popular ragams like Mohanam, Hindolam and Ranjani.

Enna Kavi Padinalum in Neelamani/Adi – great bhavam in the singing. Madhu is gifted with his ability to bring out the emotions of the song. Nice job!

Bhaktha Jana in Brindavana Saranga/Chathurasra Eka (4-beat cycle) – energy!

Unnaiye Ninaindu Urugum in Madhyamavathi/Adi – Soulful Sai Bhajan!

Thillana in Revathi/Mishra Chapu – very powerful.

The concert ended with few verses of Thevaram followed by Mangalam.

With the permission of the South Florida listening audience, I would like to make a special recognition to our resident singer Sri Madhu Chandrasekar. He has put in immense effort in practicing for this concert. Madhu has a wonderful voice that can pack a lot of power especially when he sings in Revathi. He can show the beauty of Kalyani ragam and can bring out the emotion of the lyrics. I especially liked his alapana before every song. I am sure you will agree that it won’t be an exaggeration if we call him “Alapanai Arasan” (king of alapana). Nice job, Madhu – save that voice!

If you notice the thalams played by Branavan is a wide variety from 4-beat cycle to 18-beat cycle. He clearly showed a breadth and depth of his learning. As I always have said, arangetram is not the end but the beginning. There is no end to how much you can learn in this. But in keeping with your heritage, I have not doubts that you will surely learn, perform and eventually teach this art form. Jayanthi auntie joins me in blessing you to receive everything your heart desires in life. Our congratulations to parents Varathan and Pragashini and also to elder sister Arabi, you have all done a great job in bringing Branavan to this level.

Neha Govindaraj Arangetram

Once More!

Neha Govindaraj gave a riveting performance on Aug 13, 2011 at the Miramar Arts and Cultural Center. Yes, let us call it a performance rather than an Arangetram.

Couple of years ago, when I was watching a group performance of Sangeetha Sridhar’s students, it was very clear that Neha was separating from the group and moving faster and farther in this art form. Naturally I had great expectations for her Arangetram performance. Neha blew through my expectation and took the evening to a level of a professional dance performance. “Once More” is a cliché that receives the attention but let me ask you Neha – Many More!

Sangeetha Sridhar, the Guru, is well known in the community as a creative choreographer. We all come with great expectations. Her repertoire seems to be so extensive that she can do a hundred programs and not repeat a single item. Congratulations in bringing out contemporary themes as the tough economic times, manmade/natural disasters and wars around the world into the performance and at the same time reminding us share the wealth, friendship across religious and cultural borders as solutions to such problems. All with a song written by Kanchi Maha Periyaval in 1966 – great work. I am sure all of us would like to see more such inclusions in future performances as the contemporary themes always strike a chord with the audience and help to keep the art form alive.

Jayanthi auntie is tickled pink that Neha decided to join Northwestern University, the alma mater for our daughter (Deepa) and the current school for our son, Prem. We wish you the very best and bless you to achieve everything your heart desires. Let us revisit the evening.

As we entered the hall the decorations were a feast for the eyes. As if that is not enough the Govindaraj family has provided a real feast as well with sumptuous appetizers and a grand sit down dinner at the end of the program. The flow of the program was excellent. The MC’s, Prerana and Pinky, did a superb job keeping the audience engaged. I really liked their pronunciations of the difficult dance terms in a variety of Indian languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil and Kannada. The backdrop of Lord Nataraja inside a Temple that is depicted in Earth tones added to the beauty of the performance. Jayanthi joins me in congratulating Padmaja and Govindaraj – you should be extremely proud of your accomplishments as parents of such beautiful children, Pinky and Neha. God bless.

Bhavani did it again. Below are her comments about the performance. Enjoy.

Mrs. Bhavani Nirmal wrote:

Yesterday’s arangetram of Neha Govindraj at Miramar Civic Cultural Center is yet another rose in the bouquet of achievements of Smti. Sangeetha Sridhar, our renowned dancer/teacher in South Florida. As expected, the songs selected for the performance were carefully selected to bring out the best in the debutante. As Sangeetha herself mentioned, she gave Neha the opportunity to learn not merely the nuances of the art form, Bharatanrityam but understand the meaning of the songs and learn the cultural and religious significance of the songs. At a time when we elders are worried about the future of our religion and culture, I must say that last night I could sleep peacefully.

As usual, the highlight of the performance was the Varnam which kept the audience in an euphoric state. Neha, I must say became Andal herself and I was expecting Lord Ranganatha to appear on the stage from Srirangam to bless his ardent devotee. Neha’s facial expressions of the longing for her Lord and the pangs of suffering from the separation from her beloved were very elegantly portrayed. As a devotee who is partial to Sri Krishna, I enjoyed the abhinaya of Neha for both Chikavane Ivanu and Baro Krishnayya But Idadu padam Thooki was another highlight of the evening’s performance and Smti.Padma Subrahmanyam’s style of typical movement of the legs and the hips was beautifully executed by Neha. As the anniversary of 9/11 tragedy is coming soon, I was moved by the message of peace so artistically presented by Neha to H.H.. Shri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi’s Maithreem Bhajatha. When the compere’s were describing the item, I was wondering how Neha was going to portray the Twin Tower terror air strike. I liked the way Neha depicted it so swiftly which reinforced my faith that terrorism can never succeed in our soil or destabilize our democracy. Sangeetha’s choreography was as usual splendid but I was told that Neha also had her input in it. This is what makes a performance memorable when the learning objective is achieved through a synchronization of the mind of the teacher and the taught. The music by Mr Sudev Warier and the Mridangam by Shri Sudhaman and the flute bt Shri Krishna Prasad was divine and added to our enjoyment. Priyanka and Prerana were great as Masters of Ceremony and tried their best to pronounce the names of the Ragam and composers correctly and their introduction and description of the items helped all of us understand the expositions on the stage better.

Neha: It was a memorable arangetram and I only have a satisfied feeling about the whole event. That does not mean that you cannot continue to practice and achieve greater heights. Please enjoy the art form and enrich your experience by experimenting with innovations and additions from not merely Bharathiya culture but from World culture. The language of art is universal and for any art form to survive, its appeal must be universal. At the same time I do not expect you to convert it to a tap dance or Boogie Woogie! May Lord Nataraja bless you in all your future endeavors.

Padmaja and Govindraj you both outdid your selves in making the entire arangetram an enjoyable experience for all of us and it was not merely a feast for the eyes but our palate too. You are really my vision of ideal parents and I must specially commend both of you for providing a growth and nurturing environment to your two charming daughters to succeed in life. Hopefully, your humility, despite all your achievements in life should set an example for Neha and Priyanka to follow. Now it is up to them to take up the challenge and live up to the expectations of not merely you but all of us in the community.

Bhavani Nirmal