Obsessive Compulsive Asaveri Listening Disorder ?

I seem to suffering from OCALD (My sister who is a doctor and practicing psychiatrist while discussing her cases talks about OCD wherein people continue to do the same thing again and again.) In my case I have been hooked on to listening to Ragam Asaveri since last week. Developed a liking for this Ragam after listening maestro Veena Balchander's Dikshithar Kirtanam "Chandram Bhaja Manasa". Balchander, supported by a couple of his disciples, has rendered this song both vocally and on the veena. I have a vintage recording of M.S. Subbalakshmi singing this song self accompanied on the Veena (at Kalki Gardnes). I also seached Sangitapriya and found renditions of this song by Brindamma , DK Pattammal and Sowmya.

Some more on the details on Asaveri. It is a janyam of HanumatThodi .In its Arohanam, Ga and Ni are omitted. In Avarohanam, all the seven swaras are included. Hence, its Jati is Audava-Sampoorna. It is an early morning raga which is very pleasant to hear. It is an ancient raga and finds place in Sangitha Ratnakara. This raga portrays Karuna rasa.

Arohanam: Sa, Ri1, Ma1, Pa, Dha1, SA*
Avarohanam: SA*, Ni2, SA*, Pa, Dha1, Ma1, Pa, Ri1, Ga2, Ri1, Sa

Compostions in Asaveri
Ones I have
Tamasimchaka,Krithi,Adi,Patnam Subramania Iyer
Chandran bhajamanasa,Krithi,Matya,Muthuswami Dikshitar
Kumaraswaminam,Krithi,Adi,Muthuswami Dikshitar
Lekhana ninnu,Krithi,Adi,Thyagaraja
Saranam saranam,Krithi,Adi,Periaswami Thooran
Mam palavelasita,Krithi,Adi,Thyagaraja
Ranga Sri Ranga,Krithi,Adi,Ambujam Krishna
Rara Mayintidaka,Krithi,Adi,Thyagaraja
Dasaradha nandana,Krithi,Adi,Thyagaraja
Sri kanchi nayike,Krithi,Rupaka,Annaswamy Sastri

Ones I don't
Ayyan tiruvadi,Krithi,Adi,Periayaswami Thooran
Bhagavan samayoyam,Krithi,Adi,Swati Tirunal
Enda nalillum,Krithi,Misra Chapu,Vedanayakom Pillai
Janakaja sametha,Krithi,Rupaka,Thyagaraja
Kadaikannal,Krithi,Adi,Arunachala Kavi
Katchiyudane,Krithi,Adi,Arunachala Kavi
Naatapulani,Krithi,Adi,Bhadrachala Ramadas
Nammakane mosabodhu,Krithi,Rupaka,Thyagaraja
Nandatmajananda,Krithi,Misra Chapu,Bhadrachala Ramadas
Pahi pankajanabha,Krithi,Adi,Swati Tirunal
Palaya Madhava,Krithi,Adi,Swati Tirunal
Pappattil,Krithi,Adi,Lalithadasar
Rama naa manavi,Krithi,Rupaka,Bhadrachala Ramadas
Samayumu telisi,Krithi,Misra Chapu,Thyagaraja
Sarivedalina,Krithi,Adi,Thyagaraja
Sri Ramachandra,Krithi,Adi,Gopalakrishna Bharathi
Ye panika,Krithi,Adi,Thyagaraja
Arunasincha,Padam,Triputa,Kshetragna
Entaho vallabha,Padam,Adi,Irayimman Thambhi
Kalamozhi mama,Padam,Triputa,Swati Tirunal
Yedu kinta,Padam,Eka,Krishnamacharyar
Yedukku vinnil,Padam,Triputa,Kavikunjara Bharathi
Yemandu bettiro,Padam,Triputa,Kshetragna
Yenduku paga seehenu,Padam,Misra Chapu,Kshetragna

Getting back to other renditions, found a recording of Dikshithar's KumaraSwami by Sanjay Subramaniam. (It is rarely sung as compared to ChandramBhaja and Sanjay has sung this with gusto and done full justice to the composition.) I guess that this raga was a favorite of DKP and DKJ. Got hold of DKP's "Mapala velasi" by St, Thyagaraja and a Tirupugazhu. DKJ has sung multiple compositions "RaRaMayinti" , varnam "Tamasimcha" and "Mapala Velasi". Writing about Asaveri and not mentioning KVN's renditions would be sinful :-) He has sung "Ra Ra Mayinti" on multiple occasions in his masterly and sweet voice. His "Sharanam Sharanam" is a personal favorite. I have been listening to Semmangudi Srinivasiyer's "Lekana" almost every day as it is a crisp and racy rendition by the maestro. Another veteran whose Asaveri I've liked a lot is that of Sangita Kalanidhi R.K.Srikanthan's. I got this from a live concert of his which my grandma and I purchased a couple of years ago. Nedunuri's kirtanams in Asaveri deserve a special mention too.

Guess I will go on and on about Asaveri as you have gauged from the title. So thats it on this post.

Comments

Padmaja Ganti said…
Can I please request for sri kanchi nayaki in asaveri either by sri RKSrikanthan or sri nedunuri, if you have?
Unknown said…
Do you have a website from where I could get some of the many songs that you have listed in your blogs?
Ramalingam K said…
where can i get the CD/DVDs of Chinna chinna padam composed by ambujam krishna.

Please guide me.

Regards
Ramalingam K
ramalingam007@gmail.com
Anand said…
In common practice, asAvEri has come to be accepted as a auDava vakra sampUrNa, bhAShAnga janya of the 8th mELa hanumatODi. Arohanam / avarohanam is: SR1M1PD1S’ – S’N2S’PD1M1PM1R2G2R1S (brings out the raga bhavam effectively)
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
I am sorry that I can only help increase your (in my opinion) healthy obsession by adding Ranjani Hebbar's "Tarakka Bindige" to your list. I have been listening to this repeatedly over the last several days and I just do not seem to be able to do anything about it (of course, I enjoy it totally!). May you have a good time.

Popular posts from this blog

My tribute to Kanekar Uncle ( Pandit Narendra Kanekar)

TN Sheshagoplan @ Fort High School , Ramanavami, 2008