Kalpakam Swaminathan, Dikshitar Day, Nada Inbam

Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan - Veenai
Sri L Ramakrishnan - Veenai Support
Smt. Sivasree Gopalakrishnan - Vocal Support & Commentary
Smt. Vasumathi Desikan - Vocal Support
Kum. Amritha Murali - Fiddle
Thanjavur Sri R Kumar - Mridangam

Dikshitar Jayanti.
Nada Inbam, Raga Sudha Hall
30 March 09. 6 pm

hastivadanAya - navarOj - misra cApu
kumArasvAminam - asAvEri - Adi
hATakEsvara - bilahari - rUpakam
gauri girirAjakumAri - gauri - rUpakam
stavarAjAtinuta - stavarAjam - misra cApu
gOvindarAjam upAshmahE - mukhAri - misra cApu
vamsavati shivayuvati - vamsavati - Adi
srI nIlOtpala nAyikE - nAri rItigauLa - rUpakam
rAmacandrAya namastE - tODi - tisra tripuTa
EkAmranAtEsvarENa - caturangiNi - Adi
kAsI visvEsvarO Ehi - kAmbhOji - kANDa aTa
parimaLa ranganAtam - hamIr kalyANi - rUpakam
vEnkaTAcalapatE - karnATaka kApi - Adi
simhAsanastitE - rAgamAlikA - rUpakam
suruTTi short sketch

It was an evening of blissful music. Smt. Swaminathan chose rare pieces of Muthuswami Dikshitar to present for the concert. Smt. Swaminathan played small sketchy AlApanais for almost all the kritis. Sri Ramakrishnan played bilahari sketch and Kum. Murali played tODi. The kAmbhOji AlApanai was elaborate and followed up with a grand tAnam as well. All the pieces were rendered in a very grand fashion with a lot of involvement and bhAvam. Smt. Swaminathan also sang quite a few of the lines while playing them on the vINai. Smt. Gopalakrishnan gave some insightful commentary about each of the pieces that were presented and highlighted the essential points to be noted and known for each piece. Along with Smt. Desikan, she also sang the kritis. Sri Kumar was very supportive played in an appropriate fashion. The full set performed in perfect tandem and made it a perfect concert to celebrate the Jayanti of the great composer.

S Balambal, Nada Inbam

S Balambal - Veenai
Umayalpuram Mali - Mrudangam

Nada Inbam, Raga Sudha Hall
26 March 09. 6 pm

sarasija nAbhA - kAmbhOji - aTa (R)
mahA gaNapatim - nATTai - Adi - MD (RS)
janani ninnuvinA - rItigauLa - misra cApu - Subbaraya Sastri (R)
Ananda naTamADuvAr - pUrvikalyANi - rUpakam - NS (RS)
telisi rAmA - pUrNacandrikA - Adi - T
Emi jEsitEnEmi - tODi - misra cApu - T (RtS)
tani
navanIta chOra - bEhAg - Adi (R)
alai pAyudE - kAnaDa - Adi - OVK (R)
puLLi kalAba mayil - kAvaDi chindu
English Notes
bhAgayAda lakshmi bArammA - madhyamAvati - Adi - PD

It was a very good concert. All the kritis were rendered with a lot of bhavam and the grandeur of the compositions kept intact. The AlApanains were very traditional and classicism filled. The svaram parts were all measured and fitting for the pieces presented. The mridangam was particularly suited for the concert. Artists played in perfect tandem.

Gayathri Venkataraghavan & Aruna Ranganathan concerts

I had been to two concerts on the same day. I walked into Ragasudha a little late for the following concert.

Gayathri Venkataraghavan - BU Ganesh Prasad - N Manoj Siva

Music Circle, Raga Sudha
23 March 09. 6 pm

nATTai varNam
lambOdaramavalambE - kAmbhOji (short sketch, NS)
nija mukha rAmA - kIravANi (RNS)
nIvADa nE gAna - sArangA (S)
mOkshamu galadA - sAramati (R)

The varNam was just finishing. Kritis were well rendered. kAmbhOji was ok. kIravANi AlApanai was good. The neraval svarams exercises for both kAmbhOji and kIravANi and the svarams from sArangA were good in parts.

I left during the sAramati and went to the concert listed below.

Aruna Ranganathan - Amritha Murali - Melakaveri K Balaji

Umayalpuram Swamy Bhagavathar Memorial Concert Series
Nadopasana, Dakshinamurthy Hall, PS High School
23 March 09. 6:30

tanavAri - bEgaDa
kanna tanRi - dEvamanOhari (RS)
emAnadichEvO - sahAnA (RS)
dAtsukOvalEnA - tODi (RNST)
suruTTi kriti of Thyagaraja (R)
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram

The dEvamanOhari AlApanai was being wrapped up as i entered. The kritis were well rendered. sahAnA and tODi were both good.

Raji Gopalakrishnan, Hamsadwani

Raji Gopalakrishnan - Kumbakonam M R Gopinath - Chertalai R Ananthakrishnan

Hamsadwani, Youth Hostel Lawns.
19 March 09. 6:15 pm

viribhONi ninnEkOri - bhairavi - aTa - PA
mahAgaNapatim - nATTai - Adi - MD (S)
raghuvara nannu - pantuvarALi - Adi - T (RNS)
Ananda naTana prakAsham - kEdAram - misra cApu - MD (R)
samAna rahitE - sAranga tarangiNi - rUpakam - GNB (R)
pArvati ninnu - kalkaDa - catusra Ekam (tisra naDai) - SS
RTP - nATTakuranji - Adi (2 kaLai) 1/2 eDuppu, 6 aridi
'vElai paNivadE eN vElai adikAlai vaDi'
rAgamAlikA svarams in bauLi, kAnaDA, valaji, varALi, naLinAkAnti, hamsAnandi
tani
slokham - 'nIlAmbarIshya shyAmaLa' - hamIrkalyANi
khElati mama hrudayE - hamIrkalyANi - Sadasiva Brahmendra
hari amsanE hara vamsanE - ratipatipriya - K Ramaraj
Adideva paramAtmA - sindubhairavi - AC

i reached late for the concert. I could hear only from the kEdAram.
i liked whatever i heard.

Smt. Gopalakrishnan did a very good job in both manOdarmam and kalpitam parts. To sing a rare rAgam like sAranga tarangiNi, without getting the rasika bored, to such an elaborate extent, was indeed a great thing. She was equally at home with a rare rAgam like sAranga tarangiNi or with relatively popular rAgams like kEdAram and nATTakuranji. It was all done very well. The kriti renditions were very good as well. The elaboration of the pallavi itself, with trikAlam and the rAgamAlikA svarams were all done very well with utmost ease.

The accompanists were very supportive and played very aptly for the occasion.

A totally enjoyable concert.

Palladam Venkataramana Rao, Music Club IIT Madras

Palladam S Venkataramana Rao - M R Gopinath - Chertalai R Ananthakrishnan - E M Subramanian

Music Club IIT Madras.
CLT. 13 March 09. 6:45 pm

chalamEla jEsE - nATTaikuranji - Adi - Rangaswami Nattuvanaar (short sketch)
praNamAmyaham - gauLa - Adi - MV (short sketch)
evarani - dEvAmrutavarshiNi - Adi - T
vandE vAsudEvam - srI - kaNDa cApu - A (R)
gOvardana girIsham - hindOLam - rUpakam - MD (RS)
nidhichAla sukhamA - kalyANi - misra cApu - T (RNS)
tani
kandA vandaruL - AbhEri - Adi - PS (short sketch)
jagadhOdhAraNa - kApi - Adi - PD (R)
bhAgyAda lakshmI bArammA - madhyamAvati - Adi - PD
nI nama rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a very good concert. Very different song selection. The srI rAgam was played brilliantly. hindOLam and kalyANi were very good as well. The songs were all beautifully rendered. The accompanists did a very good job in playing according to the composition that was presented.

S Srinivasan, Raga Tarangini Trust

S Srinivasan - Veenai
Vellore Ramabadran - Mridangam
T V Vasan - Ghatam

Raga Tarangini Trust, Dakshinamurthy Hall, PS High School.
11 March 09. 6 pm

chArukEsi varNam
tatvamariya taramA - rItigauLa (short sketch S)
amba nIlAmbari - nIlAmbari
vENugAna lOluni - kEdAragauLa (R)
ninnuvinA gamari - pUrvikalyANi (RS)
innu daya bAradE - kalyANa vasantam (short sketch)
nannu pAlimpa - mOhanam (RST)

It was a good concert. All pieces were rendered well. The accompanists played very well and added to the concert. The audio system wasnt particularly cooperating.

Ritha Rajan, Dilip Memory Concert, Music Club IIT Madras

Ritha Rajan - Kumbakonam M R Gopinath - Thanjavur R Kumar

Dilip Veeraraghavan Memorial Concert
Music Club IIT Madras, CLT
6 March 09

sAmi nIpai - Anandabhairavi - aTa tALam (short sketch)
nI muddu mOmu - kamalA manOhari - Adi - T (S)
himAdri sutE - kalyANi - tisra Ekam - SS (RNS)
pAhimAm ratnAcala - mukhAri - Adi - MD (R)
idhE bhAgyamu - kannaDa - misra cApu - T (RS)
shrIpapriya sangItOpAsana - aTANA - Adi - T
naDaci naDaci - kharaharapriyA - Adi - T (RNS)
tani
tAmarasAksha - yadukulakAmbhOji - tisra tripuTa - MuvvAnalloor Sabhapathayya
brOVavammA - mAnji - misra cApu - SS
samayamidE rA rA - bEhAg - rUpakam - PSI
slOkam from vairAgya pancakam of vEdAnta dEsikA - saurAshTram
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a concert of its own kind. Truly traditional and perfectly fitting for the occasion.

Each kriti rendition was weighty. The choice of pieces was refreshingly different from the usual. Each AlApanai was absolutely fantastic. Each phrase falling in place and totally moving. The neraval and svarams were all superb as well.

The accompanists made a perfect team and played in a very matching fashion of the concert.

Kalpakam Swaminathan, Dilip Memory Day, Nada Inbam

Kalpakam Swaminathan, Gomathi Shankar - R K Shriram Kumar - K Arun Prakash

Dilip Memory Day. Nada Inbam. Raga Sudha Hall
28 Feb 09. 7:30 pm

entO prEma - suruTTi - Adi
srI mahA gaNapatim - aTANA - Adi - JCW
sarasvatyA bhagavatyA - chAyAgauLa - misra cApu - MD
rudrakOpa - rudrapriyA - rUpakam - MD
krishNAnanda mukunda - gauLipantu - misra cApu - MD (R)
sarasvati nannipuDu - kalyANi - Adi - MV (Rt)
visvanAtEna - sAmanta - Adi - MD (R)
ganEsha kumAra - senjuruTTi - Adi - MD (R)
madhyamAvati short sketch
nI nAma rupamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

Rama Ravi, Dilip Memory Day, Nada Inbam

Rama Ravi, Nandita Ravi - R K Shriram Kumar - K Arun Prakash

Dilip Memory Day. Nada Inbam. Raga Sudha Hall
28 Feb 09. 5:30 pm

vanajAsana vinuta - srI rAgam - rUpakam - Subbaraya Sastri
vinarAdanA - dEvagAndhAri - Adi - T
ranganAyakam - nAyaki - Adi - MD
durusuga krupajUchi - sAvEri - Adi - SS (short sketch)
mODi jEsevElarA - khamAs - Adi
mOsamAyE - Ahiri - misra cApu
vANipondu - kAnaDA - rUpakam

T S Pattabhirama Pandit, Purandara Dasa Day, Music Club IIT Madras

TS Pattabhirama Pandit - B Ananthakrishnan - Trivandrum V Balaji

Purandara Dasa Day. Music Club IIT Madras
20 Feb 09. 7 pm

sarasijanAbhA - kAmbhOji - aTa
jaya jaya jaya jAnakI kAnta - nATTai - kaNDa cApu - PD (S)
raghuvara nannu - kAmavardini - Adi - T (RNS)
ranga - vasantA - Adi - PD
heccarika gA rA - yadukula kAmbhOji - kaNDa cApu - T (RNS)
viruttam/slOkam in tODi
Enu danyaLO - tODi - rUpakam - PD (RN)
hOgatiraLO rangA - shankarAbaraNam - misra cApu - PD (RNST)
yAdava nIbA - tilang - Adi - PD
nArAyaNa nAma pArAyaNa - slOkam/viruttam in bEhAg
kaNDu dhanyanAdE - bEhAg - rUpakam - Kamalesha Vittala
jagaddhOdhAraNa - kApi - Adi - PD
harihara ninnanu - sindhubhairavi - rUpakam - PD
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

I m not sure of the lyrics of some of the kannaDa songs. Decent concert. Main artist was good. The violinst was good in parts. The mridangist was very good.