N Ramani, Layamrita

N Ramani - Nagai Muralidharan - Bombay Balaji

Layamrita, Astika Samajam Venus Colony
27 July 09. 6:45 pm


bhajana sEyarAdA - dharmavati - rUpakam - MV (RS)
marivErE - Anandabhairavi - misra cApu - SS (R)
cakkani rAjamArgamu - kharaharapriyA - Adi - T (RS)
tani
akhilANDEsvari - dvijAvati - Adi - MD
vANi pondu - kAnaDA - rUpakam
bhajan
dhanAsrI tillAnA
sindhubhairavi
pavamAna,
madhyamAvati short sketch


Partial list. I reached late and hence must have missed a couple of songs in the beginning. The pieces were all rendered very well. The AlApanais were all done in the distinct style of Sri Ramani and the svarams were perfectly fitting as well. The accompansits were very good and did a wonderful job in accompanying the main artist.

My sincere apologies for the partial song list. I couldnt make out the pieces which were played. Others who were present could fill in.

It was an amazing concert with traditional music in full flow. I particularly liked the Anandabhairavi that was played.

N Ramani, Nadopasana

N Ramani - R K Shriram Kumar - Trichur C Narendran - E M Subramanian

Nadopasana, PS High School
6 July 09. 6:30 pm

sarasijanAbha - kAmbhOji - aTa tALam - Vadivelu
srI maha gaNapati - gauLa - misra cApu - MD (RS)
calamElarA - mArgahindOLam - Adi - T
raghuvara nannu - kAmavardhani - Adi - T (RNS)
kamalAmbhA samrakshatumAm - Anandabhairavi - misra cApu - MD (R)
nAdOpAsana - bEgaDa - Adi - T (RS)
tani
RTP - sAvEri - catusra tripuTa (2 kaLai) 4 akshara eDuppu, 4 akshara aridi
lambOdara lagumikarA ambAsuta AmaraviNuta
rAgamAlikA svaram in bEhAg
short tani
sAdhO sAdhO - Ahir bhairavi - Adi - Meera bhajan (short sketch)
tillAnA - dhanA srI - Adi - ST
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T
madhyamAvati short sketch

It was a fantastic concert by the senior vidwan. Each piece was rendered with a lot of feeling. The manOdarma parts were all marvellous. The choice of kritis and ragams was very nice and fitting too. After the tani was over, Sri Ramani announced that he has quite some time to finish and hence would play a short RTP. It was a fantastic. The pUrvAngam was set to catusra naDai and the uttarAngam to tisra naDai. Svarams were played in both naDais. The accompanists were very and gave perfect support to the full concert on the whole.

N Ramani, Music Club IIT Madras

N Ramani - Nagai Muralidharan - Guruvayur Durai - E M Subramanian

Clasfest 2008, Music Club IIT Madras, CLT
12th August 2008. 6:45 pm

sAmi ninnE - srI rAgam - Adi - Karur Devudu Iyer
vAtApi gaNapatim - hamsadvani - Adi - MD (S)
gurulEkha - gauri manOhari - kaNDa cApu - T (S)
gOvardana girIsham - hindOLam - rUpakam - MD (RS)
mAmava mInAkshi - varALi - misra cApu - MD (RNS)
manasu vishaya - naTTAikuranji - Adi - T (RS)
tani
parulanna mATa - kApi - rUpakam
surdas bhajan - janasammOdini - Eka tALam (R)
tillAnA - sindhubhairavi - Adi - LGJ
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T
madhyamAvati short sketch

It was an amazing concert. Sri Ramani's initial short sketch of srI rAgam was so soulful that one felt it was going to be a great concert. The varNam was rendered effortlessly. The next number, which has become rare these days, was rendered beautifully with all its sangatis and some nice svarams as well. gauri manOhari was awesome, the svarams were just flowing.

The first AlApanai was a very elaborate hindOLam. Sri Ramani traversed across the octaves with utmost ease. I m told that it is very tricky to play tAra sthAyi notes in a flute. However, hearing Sri Ramani reach the notes up to the atitAra shadjam with ease dint seem so. The seasoned veteran he is, he knew how to get what he wanted to play. The varALi (another toughie for a flautist) was marvellous and rendered beautifully. The main nATTaikuranji was completely binding. One could easily get lost in the music. Sri Ramani weaved magic, with phrase after phrase. The kriti, another rare entity in the concert circuits, was rendered beautifully with elaborate round of svarams. The kApi jAvaLi, the bhajan and the tillAnA were all rendered beautifully. The janasammodhini AlApanai was surprise and very enjoyable.

Sri Ramani also used the base flute in some parts of the hindOLam and nATTaikuranji AlApanais. It was tooo good a concert to end in 2 hours. One wanted more. What i enjoyed beyond the rAga bhAvam was the not-so-intricate and yet beautiful kaNakku which he played in all his svaraprasthArams.

Sri Muralidharan on the violin was totally accomodative and played everything gelling with the main artist's renditions. Sri Durai was playing for the kritis, as he must have been playing for them, for decades now. His playing for each sangati and for the manOdarma parts was very inspiring. Sri Subramanian ably supported him. The tani they shared was good as well.

N Ramani, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

N Ramani - S Varadarajan - Thirvarur Bhaktavatsalam - Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
5th Dec 2007. 7 pm

chalamEla - nATTaikuranji - Adi - Rangaswami Nattuvanaar
vinAyakA - hamsadvani - Adi - Veenai Kuppaiyer (S)
dAriNi telusukONTi - suddha sAvEri - Adi - T (S)
bhajana sEya rAdA - dharmavati - rUpakam - MV (RS)
O rangasAyI - kAmbhOji - Adi - T (RS)
tani Avarththanam
karuNai deivamE - sindhubhairavi - Adi (R)
tillAnA - dhanasrI - Adi - ST
tiruppugazh
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

The concert started about 15-20 minutes late. The varNam and the first kriti with nice svarams were rendered very well in a fast tempo.

Sri Ramani was felicitated by the organisers and Sri Bakthavatsalam on the occasion for it was his 51st wedding anniversary. Thankfully it was only a 5 min break for the divine music.

The suddha sAvEri kriti was rendered with nice round of svarams. The AlApanai of dharmavati was good and so were the kriti and the svarams. The main kAmbhOji AlApanai was amazing. It was structured quite differently and was followed up with an beautiful rendition of the kriti. The svarams were nice also. The sindhubhairavi AlApanai and the kriti were rendered in the longer flute (base flute?).

Sri Varadarajan was amazing and his replies were very much up to what Sri Ramani played. Sri Baktavatsalam was his usual self, in keeping up the beat. He was well assisted by Sri Gopalakrishanan.

A concert to remember.