And a Carnatic concert in the evening

The concert festival at Nadasurabhi, Koramangala was almost drawing to its conclusion and Shri Maharajapuram Ramachandran sang on Sunday evening after a felicitation ceremony where Vidwan R.K.Srikanthan was conferred the Sangita Surabhi title by the association. There were speeches by Sri Kamalnath of Gayana Samaja and musicologist Mysore Subramania praising Srikanthan and his music. Dr. Srikanthan gave a short and sweet thanking speech too.

Getting to the concert, Ramachandran was accompanied by H.N Chandrashekhar on the violin, Giridhar Udupa on the Ghatam and V. Praveen on the Mridangam. Ramachandran has a voice almost like that of his late father, Santhanam. Maharajapuram Santhanam's was sweeter and had more timbre.

1.) Gananayaka in Sunadavinodini. Wonderfully sung and I was constantly thinking of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi's Hindol, the Hindustani equivalent of Sunadavinodini.

2.) Jaya Jaya - Naattai - Purandara Dasa

3.) Saranganatham - Gowla - Gopala Krishna Bharati Adi Talam

4.) Tsakalla Ladu - Arabhi - St. Thyagaraja - Adi Talam. This was an SSI favorite :-)

5.) Kamakshi Bangaru - Varali - Shyama Shastri. Detailed alapanai sung and played on the violin. Chandrashekhar was in excellent form. Neraval and swarams at Shyama Krishna Paripalani. Good tani avartanam

6.) Karuna Joodu - Shri Ragam - Shyama Shastri.
It was a Ghanamana concert (pun intended) . He sang all 5 Ghana ragams and did justice to all of them. One rarely gets to hear all five and the kritis he sang in Arabhi, Varali and Shri ragam are rare ones.
7.) Naliankantimati - Ragamalika (Nalinakanti, Bhairavi, Vasanta Bhairavi, Kedaram, SAma, SAveri, LalitA, ShankarAbharanam, SArAmati, Bageshri, Ananda Bhairavi, Saraswati, Nayaki, Hamsadhwani ) popularized by Santanam

8.) RTP in Brindavani Saranga (was simply too good.) Was doubly rejoicing on listening to this raga again the same day- the second time without requesting for the same. Pallavi - NAthan Dinam Nanai Maname Brindavana SAranga Ranganathanai .Adi talam - Ragamalika in BhupKali and JogKauns (Don't know Carnatic equivalents of these ragas)

9.) Kelo Sa charita -Purandara Dasa - Ragamalike

10.) Shanmukham Bhaja - Sindhu Bhairavi - Dayananda Saraswati

11.) Virutham in ragamalika (/, Hamsanandi, Hamir Kalyani, Shuddha Dhanyasi)

12.) Talatu Paatu- Neelambari

13.) Revati - Bho Shiva Bho - Santhanam had promised to sing this bhajan in 100 concerts but couldn't due to his untimely device. Am glad his son is keeping up his father's word

14.) Mangalam
Ramachandran proved that he is the inheritor of the Maharajapuram legacy of his grandfather Vishwanatha Iyer and father Santhanam. On the whole a well planned and executed concert.