AndyMusicBlog-thodi

On 25th April (07), We attended a concert by famous flautist Master Shashank. Reached the venue with Great expectations as it has been good listening to Shashank live. The concert began almost 30 minutes behind schedule which is a rarity at Rama Bhajana Seva Mandali. Shashank began with an Ata Tala Kanada Varnam (after providing the audience with a Hobson's Choice of the same). The Latangi he played after that was very elaborate. He was alternately brilliant and lack lusture. The Saramati that followed was equally detailed and he managed to put a few people in the audience to sleep (saw a couple of them seated in the same row as us itself.) The Hindustani influence of Pandit Jasraj with whom Shashank is learning now became highly evident. I have nothing against Hindustani music or Panditji but when people begin to mix both styles, the end effect somehow doesn't sound appealing. I've heard violin maestro N. Rajamji play both styles; but when she plays Raga Bageshri it is pur...

On 18th April (07), I attended a concert by Shri Vijay Siva. Reached the venue a little late as we went directly from office. Vijay was singing the Thyagaraja Kirtanam "Entaninne " in Mukhari. This was followed by the Begada kirtanam 'Abhimanamendu' - Ragam Saveri was taken up by Vijay and RK Sriramkumar next with detailed Aalapanai. I was hoping he would sing DKJ's favourite Thyagaraja Kirtanam in Savei - Rama Bana but what follwed was the Dikshithar masterpiece - 'Shri Rajagopala'I listened to the Ragam and Tanam in Kanada and then left as we had to get home in order to reach office on time the next day. Sangeeta Kalanidhi DKJ must have been all smiles in heaven listening to two of his best disciples.

Yet another post describing yet another concert I attended. The artist of the day (14th April,07)Mandolin U Srinivas. I've listened to him solo on many occasions) but this was the first time I listened to him with his younger brother (and disciple) U Rajesh. They began the concert with the Thodi Varnam Eranapai followed by VaraVallabha in Hamsadhwani (the speedy notes played towards the end of this kirtanam deserve special mention.) The next set of compositions were Saint Thyagaraja's Raghuvara in Pantuvarali, St. PurandaraDasa's composition in Hindolam (wasn't able to decipher which) and the Dikshithar masterpiece Param Dhamavati in Dharmavati. Both Srinivas and Rajesh played this Ragam in an elaborate manner. H.K.Venkatraman's violin support was simply too good and recieved a round of well deserved applause. They played a few more Thyagaraja compositions - a rare one in Kotipriya (I guess I've gotten the name right - the ragam is a janyam of Mayamalavagowla me...

I listened to a radio recording of Violin Maestro Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu released by All India Radio from their archives. He has been accompanied on the violin by his daughter Dwaram Mangathayaru in this recital. Attaching a snippet from the sleeve notes on the CD - "Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, was well known for his deft handling of complex ragas. Though a traditionalist at heart, even as he adhered to the orthodox Carnatic style, he was receptive to fresh ideas. He won many laurels and great praise for his exquisite handling of violin." The concert began with the Dikshithar masterpiece "Vathapi Ganapathim" in Hamsadhwami. This was followed by Subbaraya Shastri's "Janani Ninnuvina". The next three Kirtanams were Thyagaraja masterprices - Durmaga Charadhamulanu in Ranjani (the swara improvisations were mind-blowing), Brovabarama in Bahuari and Kshirasagara in Devagandhari. I hope AIR releases more recordings of the Violin Virtuoso as they are a real...

Last weekend I was able to attend some of the concerts 30th Annual Music Festival held at Mumbai as a musical tribute to Ustad Khansaheb Alladiya Khan, the doyen vocalist and founder of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana of music. This school has provided many wonderful gems such as Smt. Kesarbai Kerkar, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar and her daughter Kishori Amonkar, Pt. Nivrtibua Sarnaik, Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan etc. I got to listen to a vocal recital by Pandit Sudhit Pote from Kolhapur and a sitar recital by Smt. Shaswati Ghosh. Panditji commenced his recital with Raga Bhimpalasi-Dhanashree. (I missed the announcement and racked my brains during the initial half to figure out the raga. This being a JOD(combination) raga proved to be a Herculean task.) This was followed by Raga Gauri from Bhairav Thaat and not the one from Marwa Thaat that is more commonly rendered by the Jaipur school. Smt. Shaswati Ghosh was born in a musical family and initiated into Sitar played by her parent...