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Sudha Ragunathan
Stress on sahitya
SVK
Sudha Ragunathan’s music was enjoyable, but the bhakti element was missing.
Photo: S. Thanthoni
ORNATE IN ESSENCE: Sudha Ragunathan.
Gopalakrishna Bharati is a composer whose kirtanas are at their best when the intense bhakti contained in them get their deserved treatment at the hands of performers.
Sudha Ragunathan, who sang after a function organised by the Festival Committee in association with Maadhyama Dharma Samajam, could not bring such a devout mind to the rendering of the kirtanas. For, Sudha’s briga bhani hardly reflected the subtle inter-relationship between emotion and sangita.
To the audience in general, her music was pleasurable but did not convey Gopalkrishna Bharathi’s yearning for Thillai. The sahityas were there, but not the serenity. In fact, such music of great composers has to be felt and not thought out. It is not enough if music is based merely on sapta swaras, but has to be on contemplative experience.
If this aspect was set aside, Sudha’s performance revealed enormous creativity loud and clear. Technical competence took care of expansiveness. Her objective in interpreting songs was to be emphatic even at the cost of daintiness. Exuberance of sangatis, startling expressions and vocal amplitude were the characteristic features. Being Tamil songs, the concert ought to have been a journey along their devotional contents making them transparent to Gopalakrishna Bharati’s bhakti.
Sudha’s Poorvikalyani raga sancharas were meticulously chiselled. Soaring manodharma covered the several shades of the raga’s terrain. Her’s was a continuous alapana process from the manobhava sthayi to the tarasthayi panchamam, at each level accurate.
Studded with swaras
The kirtana was ‘Thillai Chidambaram’. Sudha studded the song with a volume of swaras and sangatis. Her method of handling kirtanas was conducive to endowing impressiveness, ornate in essence. When at the beginning, she took up ‘Sivaloka Naathanai” (Mayamalavagowla), the mind switched back to the glorious way Dandapani Desikar sang in the film ‘Nandanar.’ That still remains an acme of serene singing. ‘Kanaka Sabhapatikku’ (Atana) and ‘Chidambaram Endrorudaram’ (Begada) were the other items.
The mridangist Neyveli Skandasubramaniam was quick to take advantage of the vocalist’s musical ways. His accompanying style was fanciful in design and dexterous in display.
His percussion partner was Gopalakrishnan (ganjira).
The violinist Raghavendra Rao was effective in his solo versions emphasising beauty in brevity.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/20/s...2051300300.htm
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Nithyasree
An evening of melody
Nithyasree Mahadevan will enthral music lovers with a selection of raga-based film songs in an event titled ‘Vellithirai Ragangal’ on April 5, at Kamarajar Hall, Teynampet.
Organised by Abbas Cultural, the singer will be have orchestral support from Ganesh-Kirupa Orchestra.
Nithyasree will presents old Carnatic-based numbers such as ‘Mannavan Vandaanadi’ (Kalyani), ‘Pazham Neeappa’ (Shanmukhapriya), ‘Anandha Ragam’ (Simhendra Madhyamam) and ‘Om Nama Shivaya’ (Hindolam).
She will also perform her own hits such as ‘Minsara Kanna’ and ‘Kannodu Kaanbathellam’.
Her co-singers for the evening are Kovai Murali, Ananthu, Lavanya Sundararaman (Nithyasree’s disciple and niece) and Anusha Karthick and others.
The programme is dedicated to the memory of V. Jayaraman, secretary, ABBAS, who passed away recently.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/20/s...2051310300.htm
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SPB, naturally
The singer reveals little known things about himself
On a high note S.P. Balasubramanium
S.P. Balasubramaniam looked a bit groggy as he stepped out of an early morning flight in Kochi. But, after getting into the car, he got to do something he loves to - talk. As he once said, he loved talking and making friends, for he did not "want to turn into an island".
"The flight was okay. For me business or any other class is all about the size of the seat," he laughs. "Very often I ask them to give me the adjacent seat, if it is free." Has he always been like `this'? "No. As a child I was skinny, almost malnourished. Putting on weight was because of the lifestyle - not eating on time and junk food, perhaps."
But a `pucca' vegetarian and junk food? "Anything not cooked at home is junk food to me. In Chennai and Hyderabad, I get homecooked food. But in Bangalore and other places, it is hotel food - the same rotis, curries and all. I stick to one hotel wherever I go; at least you have the regular, familiar, junk food."
"I remember Naushad saab telling me about Mohammed Rafi saab. The singer once complained of pain in the knees. Naushad saab asked him to cut down on his weight, and try exercises such as playing badminton regularly. In fact, I remember how meticulous Naushad saab was with his daily walk - even when he was well past eighty." Does he try some sort of workout? "No. I have never tried anything. Call it sheer laziness. I used to be quite agile, despite the weight, but of late I become breathless when I take a flight of steps. I think I must get working on my fitness."
Rafi saab
"I met Rafi saab only once. It was at Prasad Studio where he was recording, and I was there too. I was recording for Ilaiyaraaja, and as soon as I completed a song, ran to where Rafi saab was. They were having a break. I rushed in, touched his feet and literally ran back. I was told Rafi saab had asked who that young man was. That was the only meeting with the great man."
Among his many `avatars' one that is quite surprising is that of a dubbing artiste. And like everything else, SPB has plunged into it with unbridled enthusiasm. A clear voice, excellent diction and his uncanny ability to empathise with the character for which he lends his voice, SPB is now a much soughtafter dubbing artiste in Telugu.
Dubbing
"It is great fun, and I enjoy it. I don't do anything that I don't like. Dubbing happened by chance. You could say I was trapped. The puja for the film `Manmadha Leelalu' was on, and I went there. Even before this, the people involved in the film had sounded me on this possibility, but I had politely refused asking them to give me songs instead.
"At the puja, they were running a scene, and asked me to read out a dialogue, which I did. At the end of it, the people around clapped, and said my voice was recorded. They also told me that I could not go back now, and had to do the whole film. Gradually, I began enjoying this."
SPB has been the Telugu voice for Kamal Hassan, with `Dasavatharam' being the biggest challenge. "Except for the three characters that speak English, I dubbed for the rest, including the female voice. I have often asked Kamal why he does not go with his voice for the dubbed versions when he does it for the original Telugu films. His reply was, why should he do it when I was there."
SPB has dubbed for stars such as Mohanlal, Bhagyaraj, Salman Khan, Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh, Nagarjuna, Girish Karnad, and Ben Kingsley (in the dubbed version of "Gandhi"). "I just did the dubbing for Anil Kapoor in `Slumdog Millionaire' (Tamil)."
The car draws up the porch of a heritage hotel. Stepping in, SPB stands in awe of the sea, a stone's throw from his balcony.
"This is wonderful. I would now simply relax here listening to Naushad saab's classic `Kal raat zindagi.' I don't know how many times I must listen to it to sing it anywhere close to the way Rafi saab has."
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/03/25/s...2550310600.htm
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1. It rained thumris and taans
HINDUSTANI Shehnai maestro Pandit Krishna Ram Choudhary and sitar player Irshad Khan played with effortless ease at the Gharana Music festival. Gowri Ramnarayan
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/27/s...2751330300.htm
2. That special touch
IMPRESSION Sudha Ragunathan’s concerts, dedicated to RRC, are always memorable.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/27/s...2751370300.htm
3. Reign of ragas
Hindustani Mala Ramadorai’s exercises were delicately feminine and artistically structured making the listening ethereal.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/27/s...2751430400.htm
4. Rendered with finesse
The concerts of Varalakshmi and Bangalore Shankar were enjoyable.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/27/s...2750690300.htm
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Graceful notes
Little Ananya's dance showed high level of involvement and Ravishankar Mishra's recital had an alluring simplicity
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/27/s...2750950300.htm
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1. Mozart and more
The Madras Chamber Orchestra is back with a
concert
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/03/31/s...3150050100.htm
2. Global local
Lakme Fashion Week’s grand finale today will feature the works of Anamika Khanna
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/03/31/s...3150020100.htm
3. A different tune
Audio of “Alaiyodu Vilaiyadu” was released
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/03/31/s...3150080300.htm
4. Prints charming
Of saris in block prints
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/03/31/s...3150310600.htm
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T.M. Krishna, Bombay Jayashri, Priyadarshini Govind and Leela Samson created an unforgettable experience.
A moment to cherish T.M. Krishna, Bombay Jayashri, Priyadarshini Govind and Leela Samson during the performance.
Samyukta, the creative collaboration envisioned by Seher, featuring Carnatic musical giants T.M. Krishna and Bombay Jayashri interacting with two of the top names in Bharatanatyam, Priyadarshini Govind and Leela Samson, was what dreams are made of. Not since Hafiz Ali Khan and the Dagar Bandhu provided music for the Kathak Kendra’s productions over half a century ago, or Ravi Shankar and Timir Baran’s music for Uday Shankar’s ballets, have musical greats participated in live dance performances. One lauds the open-mindedness and innovative zeal of the two musicians by agreeing to ‘call the tune’ for dance.
An overflowing audience at the India International Centre fountain lawns watched the innovative Krishna/Priyadarshini interaction which accommodated compositional integrity with creative improvisational flourishes, with the more structured dance construct and the freewheeling music aspirations finding space. The mallari start visualised a temple procession within the Tiruvalur temple complex, the interspersed dedicatory Sanskrit passages (composed by violinist Ramkumar), having Tyagesha the main deity, offering homage at the shrines of Vallabha Ganapati, Achaleswarar, Durga, Kamalamba and Neelotpalamba, and Nandikeswarar, the varied pacing of the sequences indicating the location of the procession.
The piece-de-resistance was the Shankarabharanam ragam-taanam-pallavi, the crisp raga alap by Krishna and Ramkumar (violinist) followed by the impromptu ecstasy of the taanam, Krishna’s forte, the dance after each sequence exuberantly visualising a jati each of three, four, five, seven and nine syllabic permutations highlighted through Balakrishnan’s excellent nattuvangam with Vijayaraghavan’s mridangam.
The pallavi line composed by Ramkumar “Sri Krishnapaatuyushmaan kamaneeyavatara” became an elaborative music/dance treat. “Malleshailendra Kalpaha” inspired by the Krishnakarnamritam episode of how the assembled elders, maidens, Kamsa and the wrestlers in Kamsa’s court respond to young Krishna as he enters, saw soaring music from Krishna, with Priyadarshini keeping pace with impromptu interpretative elaborations. The singer was in his element in Kshetrayya’s “Kuvalayakshiro” in Gaulipantu with the dancer seated miming the nayika’s full confidence despite the sakhi’s tales about various escapades, that what Krishna and she had shared was special. Through the overpowering sweetness of Krishna’s Behag in “Vagaladi”, Priyadarshini performed abhinaya. A tani-avartanam nritta conclusion, set to notes of Nalinakanti, formed a wonderful end. Against artistry with mathematical rhythmic challenges, Priya managed to hold her own.
Sans introductory preludes after the almost loquacious earlier pair, Leela Samson’s recital was more in the traditional margam vein and one bowed to Bombay Jayashri’s humility in making no effort at projecting herself separately. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s “Ardhanareeshwara” in Kumudakriya was followed by the varnam in Natakuranji “Chelamelajesevaiyya”, the nayika yearning, asking the Lord (in the charanam refrain) if he finds her devotion a burden “Nannu brova neeku bharama?”
The strongpoint of the recital was the excellently balanced accompaniment, the nectarine melody of the veena (now rare in Bharatanatyam) by Anantakrishnan adding a new dimension. Notwithstanding shaky balance, Leela’s simple intensity was powerfully communicative, reaching its peak in the item visualising the descent of the Ganga, Jayashri’s meditative singing having the added thrust of Sheejith Krishna’s nattuvangam, emotively potent in tonal variety.
Jayashri was in full flow in the javali “Smarasundaranguni” in Paras, with Leela’s savoured abhinaya of the swadheenapatika nayika supremely confident of her enamoured lover. The piercingly melodic singing of the Kamas javali “Janaro ee Mohamu sahimpalene” had the dancer equally involved.
Finale
The music concert of the two vocalists, starting with a Muthuswami kriti in Lalita, excelled in the Bhairavi Shyama Sastri swarajati “Amba Kamakshi”, the interaction, with one singing the swara passages and the other the sahitya, complementing each other — raga and bhava finding the combined richness of two artistes who derive creative inspiration from each other. Long will one remember the ashtapadi “Priye Charusheele”, Krishna’s rendition in Mukhari and Jayashri’s in Sivaranjani mesmerising in pleading appeal, the alternate singing not disturbing the flow even while keeping to respective raga domains. What many felt on the final day could become a recipe for disaster, with one artiste too many, worked, because of the artistes’ accommodating spirit. With both singers rejoicing singing the Navaragamalika Dandayudapani Pillai varnam “Saamiyai azhaittodi vaa”, both dancers presenting individual interpretations and jatis stuck to their respective styles providing a contrast — the younger physicality and exuberance with ‘paichals’ (leaps) and mandi adavus and sarukkais and the more experienced, centred, underplayed, tradition-oriented strength. Leela’s gut emotions communicated while Priyadarshini’s abhinaya, her strong point, looked forced.
Dharmapuri Subbarayar’s “Sakhi Prana” in Senjurutti saw the singers in full play, and the tillana in Kamas was a deft interlacing of two Kamas tillanas by Patnam Subramania Aiyer and Lalgudi Jayaraman.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/27/s...2750070200.htm
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1. Relevance of Ramayana
A three-day seminar saw eminent scholars share their views.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0351400300.htm
2. Distinctly mellifluous
LEC-DEM The discerning audience enjoyed every moment of the all-Telugu music session presented by Balakrishna Prasad of Tirupati.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0351450400.htm
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1. Lively and unusual
The French musicians' concert was unabashedly appealing
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0350800300.htm
2. Sisters in concert
Music And more music
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0350890300.htm
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1. Going steady
Kannada journal turns 35\
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0350760100.htm
2. Music festival
Weeklong music programmes
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0350810100.htm
3. Songs all the way
Check out all the unusual concerts during this Ramanavami music season
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/04/03/s...0350840200.htm