Manakkal Rangarajan, Music Club IIT Madras

Manakkal Rangarajan - M S Anantharaman - Manakkal Sriram

Music Club IIT Madras, DoMS 101
17th April 2007. 6:45 pm

slOkham "sukhlAm bharatharam vishnUm" - ravi candrikA (short sketch)
niravati sukada - ravi candrikA - Adi - T (NS)
ini namakOru kavalayum illai - bilahari - rUpakam - KI (short sketch)
shivam vrushabhArUDam - mOhana kalyANi - kaNDa cApu - HMB (RNS)
cEta srI - dvijAvanti - rUpakam - MD (RS)
anupama guNAmbudi - aTANA - kaNDa cApu - T (Time was 8:31 pm)
saraswati annayE - kharaharapriyA - PS (RS)
tani Avarththanam
kArthikai bAlanai - mAnd - Manakkal Varadarajan (R)
slOkham "krishna rekshAtumAm"
giridhara gOpalA hare krishna - yamunakalyAni - Manakkal Varadarajan
ayyE metha kaDinam - punnAgavarALi + kAmbOdhi- GKB
kARRu veLiyiDaik kaNNammA - kApi - bharathi (R)
tillAna - pUrnachandrikA - Adi - RSI
srI rAmachandranakkU - madhyamAvati - AK

I found it really interesting to hear ravichandrikA, bilahari and mOhanakalyANi back-to-back.

The ravicandrikA short sketch and the slOkam were good. The kriti was rendered with the usual vigour and round of svarams with nice patterns. The short sketch of bilhari was nice and the kriti, was nicely rendered. The mOhanakalyANi AlApanai was good. Contrary to what rajesh says, i could not find it slipping into any thing else. I have heard him sing the same piece at carnatic last year. He rendered it very well, with an elaborate round of neraval and svarams.

The dvijAvanti AlApanai was very outstanding. I was expecting him to take up, the quicker, akhilANDEsvarIm. However, his cEta srI was amazing. The svarams which followed were really good as well.

I had to leave as he began the kharaharapriyA.

Sri Rangarajan was in full form and made it a very good and memorable evening for me. Sri Ananatharaman, was very good in accompanying. The old veteran was to the point in all his replies. Both of them were very innovative and creative, and yet well within the sampradaya suddham.

Both Sri Rangarajan and Sri Anantharaman, were showing the musical capablities and the power of the practice (sAdakam) which has gone down in their 70+ years of concert experience. Age or Health Problems might have reduced their energy or reflux timings or anything else. However, the music is still very melodious and free flowing.

Smt Padma Rangarajan provided good vocal support. The tara - mandara sthAyI combinations of Smt & Sri Rangarajan need to be mentioned. Sri Sriram on the mrudangam was good in accompanying the kritis. I couldnt stay for his tani.