The past two weeks went melodious with all the Sabhas around. Had some good concerts and you can write a separate title for each of them. But that would be boring for you to read. So I will present as crisp as possible here. This would include the history (!) of my music journey
this season. I bit in the Sujatha format !
Total number of Concerts attended : 15
My first concert : Gayathri Girish @ Music Academy
My Last concert : T.N. Seshagopalan @ Nanganallur Aanjaneyar Temple
The min. age of performer : Keyboard
The max. age of performer : Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan (Never seen such an exuberant and animated show !)
Best Female singer : Nithyashree Mahadevan @ Kalarasana, Rani Seethai Hall (Simply great niravals which were very bold and clear even at high pitches)
Best Male singer : Sikkil Gurucharan
Highest pitch : Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan
Lowest pitch : Sudha Raghunathan
Flops (i.e not as expected) : Sudha Raghunathan (may be due to her cold or throat Infection !)
Max. duration of concert / day : 6.5 Hours (Mandolin Srinivas @ Naradha Gana Sabha and Sudha Raghunathan @ music academy in a stretch !)
Min. duration of concert / day : 1 hour (T.N. Seshagopalan and Master keyboards !
could not attend fully as the sound system was horrible !)
Song that I knew this season : Jagadhodharana, Kurai ondrum illai, Vaiyathu vaazhveergaal from Thiruppaavai.
Most crowded : Sudha Raghunathan
Non vocal performances : Mandolin U.Srinivas @ party, Violin Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan
Other art - forms : Mohiniattam (Dance), Y.G. Mahendra's "Thanthramukhi" (drama)
On T.V (courtesy Jaya t.v) : Priya Sisters, Ranjani and Gayathri, Sowmya, Aruna Sairam, Silent Veena
Missed Concerts : Shri Balamuralikrishna, Bombay Jayshree, T.M. Krishna, Veena E. Gayathri, Sowmya, Aruna Sairam, Unnikrishnan & Sanjay Subrahmanyam
Missed Dance Shows : Srinidhi Chidambaram, Vyjayanthimala Bali and Shobana.
Celebrities I saw during concerts : Sujatha, Kittu mama, Ramesh Vaidhya (Veena Player)
To the List I will add some trivia from the Spencers!
Wierd Children Book titles I came across : Elvis and his Pelvis, A book of Insults (This is a dictionary of all the bad words and phrases used in US)
Disgusting Children Book Title : Vaalameenukkum Vilaangu meenukkum by Gana Ulaganathan
Costliest product (Cost Vs Size and Use) : A glass cup (Just 6500 Rupees ! @ landmark, Spencers)
The most crowded Shop : Pizza Hut (Even at 3:00 P.M, I waited for an Hour for a seat)
The deserted one : Srilankan mart... (Real quality items at a affordable cost..!)
And as the New Year is nearing, one of my resolution should be...
I wont write another blog without atleast a pic in it... Else this cannot be called as demi- photo blog...
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Love You, Odetta !
The past week went with a bit of variety. In one of the weekdays I was lucky enough to leave office early (6.00 p.m !) and I thought of going to another kutchery in order to increase my music experience. We went to the Naradha Gana Sabha and this show was a different one. We got a chance to taste a new art form, The Mohiniattam. At first I was a bit hesitant to go because, I knew nothing about the dance and that too the name sounded a bit strange. I was so ignorant that I did not knew the difference between Kathakali and Mohiniattom. My thought was some green faced hard robed dancer with demoniac expressions would come on stage, and I supposed that would not entertain me much. But in a curiosity, I accepted for the show and we entered for a 30 rupees ticket inside the theatre. Not bad for a 30, we got a nice comfortable push back seat and a nice view on the stage. The crowd was also not much, leaving a serene atmosphere, bringing a perfect ambience for the show.
The show started with a rich french music (!) and the lighting effects was fantanstic. I felt that I am in a different country as the dance show was based on a western love story and the experience so novel. Odetta was the Heroine of the story and she was like a heroin to a prince, the hero of the story. They both love each other. As a typical cinematic mother, The Queen arranges a "Swayamvara" for her son. The prince then to marry them and tells his mom about his love and leaves his nation sacrificing all his wealth and power to join Odetta. This is a normal short story but what haunted me was the presentation. Special thanks to the lighting and special effects person. I was astonished at the different semblances thay were able to create with just the lights, clothes and some smoke. The jungle, the seaside and when odetta was longing for beloved in solitude the lighting just reflected the mood without any taint. The dance was also very gracious and it had its own richness of Kerala. To me it looked like a perfect blend of charm of Bharatham and exuberance of Kalari. The performers were great in the expressions especially the prince and Odetta.
The danseuses were awesome but the only dis-satisfying thing was their lack of
sync. When compared to some western performances, I believe this show lagged in the precision of sync in void of which the show would have been a perfect harmony.
There were visitors for this from even Japan and Dubai, and I was proud when she said that she loved the tradition and the richness of indian music and that she is going to be in Chennai until the end of the season. Inspired by the performance, later I came to know some history of the mohiniattam. One verison says that When Amirtha was churned from the Parkadal (Sea of Milk) the asuras where denied for them. The gift of immortality was reserved for the Devas, as the asuras where immoral. When Dhanvanthri, the doctor of the Gods was taking the Amirtha to the Devas, it was snatched from him by the asuras by force. Unable to attack them, the devas all went to Lord Vishnu, the almighty. Vishnu then incarnated into a beautiful damsel and went to the Asuras. She amazed them all with a dance of Mohiniattam and got the Amirtha back to Devas.
No wonder in the Asuras getting mesmerized to such a sensuous and a charismatic dance form and that too by Lord Vishnu himself...!
The show started with a rich french music (!) and the lighting effects was fantanstic. I felt that I am in a different country as the dance show was based on a western love story and the experience so novel. Odetta was the Heroine of the story and she was like a heroin to a prince, the hero of the story. They both love each other. As a typical cinematic mother, The Queen arranges a "Swayamvara" for her son. The prince then to marry them and tells his mom about his love and leaves his nation sacrificing all his wealth and power to join Odetta. This is a normal short story but what haunted me was the presentation. Special thanks to the lighting and special effects person. I was astonished at the different semblances thay were able to create with just the lights, clothes and some smoke. The jungle, the seaside and when odetta was longing for beloved in solitude the lighting just reflected the mood without any taint. The dance was also very gracious and it had its own richness of Kerala. To me it looked like a perfect blend of charm of Bharatham and exuberance of Kalari. The performers were great in the expressions especially the prince and Odetta.
The danseuses were awesome but the only dis-satisfying thing was their lack of
sync. When compared to some western performances, I believe this show lagged in the precision of sync in void of which the show would have been a perfect harmony.
There were visitors for this from even Japan and Dubai, and I was proud when she said that she loved the tradition and the richness of indian music and that she is going to be in Chennai until the end of the season. Inspired by the performance, later I came to know some history of the mohiniattam. One verison says that When Amirtha was churned from the Parkadal (Sea of Milk) the asuras where denied for them. The gift of immortality was reserved for the Devas, as the asuras where immoral. When Dhanvanthri, the doctor of the Gods was taking the Amirtha to the Devas, it was snatched from him by the asuras by force. Unable to attack them, the devas all went to Lord Vishnu, the almighty. Vishnu then incarnated into a beautiful damsel and went to the Asuras. She amazed them all with a dance of Mohiniattam and got the Amirtha back to Devas.
No wonder in the Asuras getting mesmerized to such a sensuous and a charismatic dance form and that too by Lord Vishnu himself...!
The Power of Music !
The day started out as normal as any usual day. Though it was my family (me, mom and dad) re-union time after many days, my previous day work pressures did not allow me to taste that joy. Bed was the most compelling exigency for me that time. The pillow seemed to be more softer my mother's hands and the cushion, more supporting than my father's presence. All that morning schedule was swallowed by the idiot box, and the afternoon went with the sun music vj's. Though it was very soporific to see them blabber with style, I knew no other go else that.
So in the evening we thought of smelling some outside air. After a day long dwell inside the small room, my mom suggested a classical music concert would change our mood. After a weeks long tormented mind, I also felt it to be the apt way to appease it. I gave a quick run to all the sabhas in Chennai on the news daily and to my disappointment, I found many of my favourite singers like Sudha Raghunathan, Unnikrishnan, Nithyasree and instrumentalists like Kadri Gopalnath and Mandolin Srinivas have already rendered their part for the day. Cursing the sluggish day I had, I once again gave a fast browse on the paper, expecting a name least known to me. I got a name which abated all my regrets. Not obviously its the vocalists name, but the place where the concert took part.
The Music Academy
The place was not too far from my home, just only at a walkable distance. I was waiting for some programme to happen there, so that I could have a visit inside it.
Whenever I cross the bridge near it, an urge to go in it will billow in my heart and that was the day that had to happen. A dream come true for me. With my parents I went there on a fine Sunday evening for a kutchery by Ms. Gayathri Girish. But I went there for a different story. For me the place is equal to a temple. Because this is where M.S.Subbulakshmi amma started her professional career and eventually it also got a physical end here. So I wanted to feel an ambience, with which I would be a to make a transcendental rapport with the queen of classical music. I had a video of her performance (Thanks to Doordharshan Archives) at the Music Academy, which I see daily in absence of which my day, I feel is not completed.
As soon as we opened the balcony entrance, the chill of air and warmth of the swara gave a good feel. I was exited and we were very anxious about the concert as that was my first ever kutchery. Though we had some open air classical performances by U.Srinivas and Sudha Ragunathan in Coimbatore, this I feel was the first nascent one. The image I had about that place gave me an illusion like that, you can say...
We went there an hour in advance to find another performer (Sorry, I didn't knew her name !), showing her talent in front of the few audience present there. It was a large amphitheatre, which had a right climate for a good music. We sat at the back and I could clearly see the happenings on the stage. The theatre was not crowded with many people and we had a place in solitude to enjoy music, the way we knew. My mind was full of M.S and her songs and virtually I was seeing her perform in that theatre. What a feeling that was...!
No words could explain that feeling of hearing M.S ammas songs in person. Her graceful face and her bhakti embodied songs came to my mind often and made me feel her presence. I could feel the power of music working on my mind and making it understand a new strata.
After I came back to this world after that awesome virtual concert, I could hear the song from the theatre. Thanks to the BOSE speakers which gave a high clarity without the change of feel. We were in that theatre for 4 hours and though we could not understand many of their swaraprastharas and aalaapanaas, though there were a lot of Thadharinas and thomdhanamthoms for long times, we felt them to be good and they were very soothing to the heart. The impact of the music was so new and fresh eventhough we didn't understand the theory of ragas and its other domains. Ms. Gayathri Girish had a nice bold voice and intricate nuances of ragas very beautiful. We were all thrilled to have a peg of the past glory.
At the end, I bowed to the stage as pranams to M.S. amma to my heartfull and came out of the temple with a very satisfied heart and rejuvenated mind...!
So in the evening we thought of smelling some outside air. After a day long dwell inside the small room, my mom suggested a classical music concert would change our mood. After a weeks long tormented mind, I also felt it to be the apt way to appease it. I gave a quick run to all the sabhas in Chennai on the news daily and to my disappointment, I found many of my favourite singers like Sudha Raghunathan, Unnikrishnan, Nithyasree and instrumentalists like Kadri Gopalnath and Mandolin Srinivas have already rendered their part for the day. Cursing the sluggish day I had, I once again gave a fast browse on the paper, expecting a name least known to me. I got a name which abated all my regrets. Not obviously its the vocalists name, but the place where the concert took part.
The Music Academy
The place was not too far from my home, just only at a walkable distance. I was waiting for some programme to happen there, so that I could have a visit inside it.
Whenever I cross the bridge near it, an urge to go in it will billow in my heart and that was the day that had to happen. A dream come true for me. With my parents I went there on a fine Sunday evening for a kutchery by Ms. Gayathri Girish. But I went there for a different story. For me the place is equal to a temple. Because this is where M.S.Subbulakshmi amma started her professional career and eventually it also got a physical end here. So I wanted to feel an ambience, with which I would be a to make a transcendental rapport with the queen of classical music. I had a video of her performance (Thanks to Doordharshan Archives) at the Music Academy, which I see daily in absence of which my day, I feel is not completed.
As soon as we opened the balcony entrance, the chill of air and warmth of the swara gave a good feel. I was exited and we were very anxious about the concert as that was my first ever kutchery. Though we had some open air classical performances by U.Srinivas and Sudha Ragunathan in Coimbatore, this I feel was the first nascent one. The image I had about that place gave me an illusion like that, you can say...
We went there an hour in advance to find another performer (Sorry, I didn't knew her name !), showing her talent in front of the few audience present there. It was a large amphitheatre, which had a right climate for a good music. We sat at the back and I could clearly see the happenings on the stage. The theatre was not crowded with many people and we had a place in solitude to enjoy music, the way we knew. My mind was full of M.S and her songs and virtually I was seeing her perform in that theatre. What a feeling that was...!
No words could explain that feeling of hearing M.S ammas songs in person. Her graceful face and her bhakti embodied songs came to my mind often and made me feel her presence. I could feel the power of music working on my mind and making it understand a new strata.
After I came back to this world after that awesome virtual concert, I could hear the song from the theatre. Thanks to the BOSE speakers which gave a high clarity without the change of feel. We were in that theatre for 4 hours and though we could not understand many of their swaraprastharas and aalaapanaas, though there were a lot of Thadharinas and thomdhanamthoms for long times, we felt them to be good and they were very soothing to the heart. The impact of the music was so new and fresh eventhough we didn't understand the theory of ragas and its other domains. Ms. Gayathri Girish had a nice bold voice and intricate nuances of ragas very beautiful. We were all thrilled to have a peg of the past glory.
At the end, I bowed to the stage as pranams to M.S. amma to my heartfull and came out of the temple with a very satisfied heart and rejuvenated mind...!
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