Thamarakkadu Govindan Namboodri, Nada Inbam

Thamarakkadu Govindan Namboodri - V V Ravi - Trichur C Narendran

Nada Inbam
5 April 2012. 6 pm

pagavAri - hamsadvani - Adi - PSI
smara mAnasa - darbAr - rUpakam - ST
kamalAmbhikAyAi - kAmbhOji - aTa - MD (short sketch)
ninnuvinA - pUrikalyANi - cApu - SS (RNS)
rAma nIve gAni nannu - nArAyaNi - Adi - T
dAni sAmajEndra - tODi - Adi - ST (R)
gOpAlaka pAhimAm - rEvagupti - misra cApu - ST
shankarAchAryam - shankarAbaraNam - Adi - Subbarama Dikshitar (RNST)
gOpala baktim - bhAgE srI - Adi - ST
aligitE - husEni - misra cApu - Kshetragna
tillAnA - suruTTi - Adi - MV
nI nAma rUpamulaku
madhyamAvati

One was caught in traffic and reached for the darbAr kriti. The stunning rendition of the kAmbhOji navAvarNam made one sit up. This was probably the first and only time, this writer has heard this kriti in a non-thematic concert. And it was rendered so well. The AlApanai of pUrvikalyANi was wonderfully woven. The kriti was rendered with a lot of bhavam and with a fitting round of neraval svarams. After a quick nArAyaNi, Sri Namboodri launched into a leisurely tODi. The AlApanai was elaborate and soothing. The pada varNam was rendered with utmost bhavam and in a fitting kAlapramANam. The rEvagupti kriti was great too.

After all this buildup, it had to be shankarAbaraNam to fit well as the main. The AlApanai was superb. The kriti and neraval, svarams were all outstanding. After a quick bhAgE srI, the husEni padam that he sang, on-request from a rasika in the audience, was very well presented. The suruTTi tillAnA was nice as well.

It was a wonderfully stunning and outstanding concert from the vidwan. The accompanists were very good and gelled well in accompanying and in their responses. It was a concert to remember.

Kalyani Ganesan, Chennai Fine Arts

Kalyani Ganesan - V M Ganesan - Chandrasekara Sarma

Chennai Fine Arts
Visesha Vadhyanubhavam. Concert in memory of Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan
28 April 2012. 6:30 pm

nEranammiti - kAnaDA - aTa
vandEnisamaham - hamsadvani - Adi - MV (S)
dEva dEva - mAyAmALavagauLa - rUpakam - ST (RNS)
danyUDevvaDO - malayamArutam - Adi - PSI (RS)
paradEvatA - danyAsi - Adi - MD (R)
EtAvunarA - kalyANi - Adi - T (RST)
karuNajUDa ninnunammina - srI - Adi - SS (R)
nI nAma rUpamulaku
madhyamAvati

One's second concert at this venue. As one entered, it was heartening to see an imposing backdrop with a huge portrait of Kalpakam mami. Smt. Kalyani was playing the hamsadvani kriti. It was a neat rendition with a round of svarams. The mAyAmALavagauLa AlApanai was crisp. The kriti was rendered well with a nice round of neraval and svarams. The AlApanai of malayamArutam right next was pretty surprising but it was presented wonderfully. The kriti and svarams were much enjoyable as well.

The AlApanai of danyAsi was heavy and classical. All the phrases sounded so wonderful on the vINai. The kriti was rendered in an engrossing fashion. The main kalyANi was an absolutely classical affair. The srI rAgam was elaboration and kriti were awesome tooo.

Later as an aside, Smt. Kalyani said she played kritis that she learnt from Kalpakam mami. After such a wonderful concert and some personal talking about Kalpakam mami it indeed was an emotionally touching evening. It is already more than an year since Kalpakam mami left us.

Neela Ramgopal, Nada Inbam

Neela Ramgopal - B U Ganesh Prasad - Mannarkoil J Balaji - Nerkunam Sankar

Nada Inbam
16 April 2012

namAmi vigna vinAyakam
kArubAru - mukhAri - Adi - T (sketch)
madurAmbikAyAm - hEmavati - rUpakam - MD (RNS)
gItArtamu - suruTTi - Adi - T (R)
mAmava raghurAmA - sArangA (S)
nannu brOvakanu - shankarAbaraNam - misra cApu - T (RNST)
gathienRum nIyE ammA - naTabhairavi - Adi - Tafe Mahadevan
tillAnA - darbAri kAnaDA
nI nAma rUpamulaku

It was a concert in memory of Sri SVK on the occasion of his birthday

The concert had a good beginning with the quick hamsadwani and a stunning rendition of the mukhAri kriti. kArubAru was rendered with a lot of bhavam. Having it first up raised the audience expectations on what was coming up. After a neat presentation of the hEmavati, the AlApanai of suruTTi was very classical and soul-filling. The kriti was rendered so well.

After a quick sAranga with a nice round of svarams, came the main course. shankarAbaraNam AlApanai was a classy affair from the beginning. It was mix of rare and innovative phrases and yet very moving and classical and so wonderful. It was a very rare kriti that was presented with a grand round of neraval and svarams. With two quick tukkaDAs, the concert ended. All the accompanists matched well with accompanying appropriately and in their responses.

It was a great concert and a fitting concert for the occasion. Raga sudha hall and Nada Inbam always means good classical music. Whenever there is a good concert there, it feels that Sri SVK is sitting somewhere and enjoying it himself, as his usual self. This was definitely an occasion of that kind.

Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman, Nada Inbam

Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman & Palani - Nadasvaram
Kongampattu A V Murugayyan & Vellore P R M Venkatesan - Tavil

Nada Inbam
13 April 2012, 6 pm

sarasUDa ninnE - sAvEri - Adi - KVI
gaNapatE - janaranjani - Adi - HMB (S)
marivErE - Anandabhairavi - misra cApu - SS (R)
unnaDiyE gathiyenRu
mariveradikkevvarO - latAngi - kaNDa cApu - PSI (RNST)
kaNNE en kaNmaniyE - kuranji
tillAnA - rEvati - Adi
karpUram nArumO - khamAs - kaNDa cApu (R)
thiruppugazh - Anandabhairavi
nI nAma rUpamulaku
madhyamAvati short sketch

The concert began with a gripping rendition of the sAveri varNam. The janaranjani kriti was beautiful with a crisp round of svarams. Anandabhairavi rAgam was presented with its due grandeur. The AlApanai was so engrossing and the kriti was rendered so well. After the quick filler, the AlApanai of latAngi started in a very classical fashion. The first half of the AlApanai was very good and developed very well. The phrases were heavy and classical. However, it went on a little too long. The post-main segment was much enjoyable too. The kuranji piece was well rendered as well. The khamAs AlApanai was superb. All the kritis were rendered very well.