T T Narendran, Veenai Navarathri

T T Narendran - Thirucherai Koushik - G Sainath

Veenai Navarathri. NGS mini
26 Sept 2010. 12:30 pm

nAma kusuma - srI - Adi - T (RtS)
kaNamum maravAdE - sAmA - Adi - AK

It was a wonderful exploration of srI rAgam and the AlApanai and the tAnam were much enjoyable. The kriti was rendered beautifully with a grand round of swarams. The sAmA kriti was nicely rendered as well.

Kalpakam Swaminathan, Veenai Navarathri

Kalpakam Swaminathan & S R Padmavathi - Trivandrum Vaidhyanathan - Pudukkottai Ramachandran

Veenai Navarathri. NGS mini
24 Sept 2010. 7:30 pm

viribhONi - bhairavi - aTa - PA
gaNarAjENa - Arabhi - rUpakam - MD (R)
varashikhi vAhana - supradIpam - Adi - T (S)
purahara nandana - hamIrkalyANi - Adi - MD (R)
ikane tALa - guha ranjani - Adi - HMB
sankari ninnE - pantuvarALi - misra cApu - MV (RNST)
sogasugAda - sahAnA - misra cApu - Sarangapani (R)
simmAsanastitE - rAgamAlikA - Adi - MD

It was a very enjoyable concert. The pieces were all rendered with the traditional gait and vigour by the veteran. All the rAga AlApanais had a lavish dose of classical phrases. The concert, barely more than an hour was still much enjoyable and very educative too.

The accomapanists were very good and played with good anticipation.

T M Krishna, Vedic Sangeeta Foundation

T M Krishna - R K Shriram Kumar - K Arun Prakash

Vedic Sangeeta Foundation
Infosys Hall
22 Sept 2010. 6:30 pm

nAda tanumanisam - cittaranjani - Adi - T (NS)
dEvi brOva - cintAmaNi - Adi - SS
dakshiNAmUrtE - shankarAbaraNam - misra jhampa - MD (R)
sabhApatikku - AbhOgi - rUpakam - GKB
mOkshamu galadA - sAramati - Adi - T (RNS)
tani
bhaja gOvindam - rAgamAlikA - Adi
mAtrariyAda sezhum ponnE - suruTTi - misra cApu
nejukku nIdiyum - sindhu bhairavi - Adi
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a good concert. The orthodox beginning with nAda tanumanisam was very nice. The neraval and svarams in cittaranjani were interesting to listen. The Alapanai of shankarAbaraNam was kept short and the kriti was very effectively rendered. The main sAramati was very elaborate and the kriti was rendered well with neraval at 'praNavanAda' and svarams.

The renditions of all the other kritis was very good and enjoyable. The accompanists were very good and added much to the enjoyment of the concert, by playing very appropriately.

Sriram Parasuram, Music Club IIT Madras

Sriram Parasuram - Violin
Palghat A M Hari Narayanan - Mrudangam
B Shree Sundar Kumar - Kanjira

Music Club IIT Madras
21 Sept 2010. 6:45 pm

mahA gaNapatim - nATTai - Ekam - MD (RS)
rAmA ninnu namminA - mOhanam - Adi - T (RS)
vA vElavA - tAnarUpi - kaNDa cApu - KI (R)
viribhONi ninnukOri - bhairavi - aTa - PA (R)
jayati sivE bhavAni - bhavAni - catusra rUpakam - MD (R)
ADamODi galadE - chArukEsi - Adi - T (RS)
tani
rAma mantra - jaunpuri - Adi - PD (R)
mODi jesevElarA - khamAs - Adi
vaishNava janatO - khamAj - Adi
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T
madhyamAvati short sketch

It was a great concert. The AlApanais of mOhanam, bhairavi and chArukEsi were very elaborate while all the others were short and sketchy and crisp. The compositions were rendered very well. The beginning of the concert with a crisp nATTai, set stage for a grand evening. The mOhanam AlApanai was very good and classical. The kriti was rendered well. The AlApanai of bhairavi was very indicative of a very grand piece. The varNam being nothing short of that. The AlApanai of the asampUrNa mELA bhavAni was pretty interesting and nice on the ear. The kriti was rendered very well. The main charukEsi was very good and displayed all the colours of the rAgam. The kriti was rendered well too.

The accompanists were good and did a very nice job in accompanying appropriately for the concert. The tani was good too.

Neela Ramgopal, Music Club IIT Madras

Neela Ramgopal - Dr Hemalatha - Thanjavur Ramadass - E M Subramanian

Music Club IIT Madras
16 Sept 2010. 6:45 pm

chalamEla - nATTaikuranji - Adi - Rangaswami Nattuvanar (short sketch) [varNam]
mahAgaNapatim - amruta vAhini - Adi - JCW (S)
kAru bAru - mukhAri - Adi - T (R)
shankari nIvE - bEgaDa - rUpakam - Subbaraya Sastri (RNS)
mAmava raghurAmA - sArangA - rUpakam - T
azhagA azhagA - suddha danyAsi - kaNDa cApu - AK
kAmAkshI gauri - sAvEri - Adi - PS (RNS)
tani
nIrada sama - jayanta srI - Adi (tisra naDai)
kunitta puruvamum - sung a viruttam in nIlambari, kharaharapriyA, mOhanam, sindhu bhairavi
manadirkkugandadu - sindhu bhairavi - Adi - TSI
Eru mayil - hamsAnandi - Adi (kaNDa naDai) - Arunagirinathar [Thiruppugazh]
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a wonderful concert. Each piece was rendered the traditional fervour and gait. The rAgams chosen were all classical and elaborated in a very heavy classical fashion. The manOdarma parts were great as well.

The grand opening with nATTaikuranji varNam was great. The rare amrutavAhini number that followed had a crisp round of svarams. The mukhAri AlApanai and the kriti that followed was a totally classical affair with many rare prayOgams handled. The mukhAri response of the violinst was a shade better than the main artist.

The bEgaDa was very absorbing and classically rendered. The main sAvEri AlApanai was absolutely out of the world. The kriti was backed up with a round of neraval and svarmas which were great as well. The viruttam that came later was also very touching.

From a veteran musician, it was all great music from end to end. A totally classical affair with a good measure of vyavahArams and saukyam and vishrAnti. The violinst was very good and matching, if not better replies to the main artist all thro' the concert. Her following for the kritis was great as well.

The mrudangist played with much anticipation and perfectly matched each line and sangati well. His structuring of the tani was also very interesting to listen, even to novices like me. He was well supported by the Ghatam artist.