Rajalaxmi fine arts – Musings from Madampatti

Sanjay’s Madurai Mani To Madurai Somu@RFA,Cbe

Madurai Mani To Madurai Somu.. Sanjay@RFA

Sanjay Subramanian’s Concert at Rajalakshmi Fine Arts Coimbatore on 7th can be described as a tribute to Rare Vaggyekaras like Pallavi Gopala Aiyer, Annaswamy Sastri, with glimpses of Madurai Mani To Madurai Somu..as usual a Master in mesmerizing his audience, with varieties and novelties!

With a Mudikondan Varnam in Karakarapriya (Sami)
Sanjay paid tribute to Shri Kanchinayike (Asaveri-Annasamy Sastri)
Gopala Krishna Bharathi’s Enneramum in Devagandhari brought memories of KVN!
Pallavi Gopala Iyer is one of the composers from the pre-trinity period who adorned the Tanjore Court and was a vaggeyakara par excellence, in his own right, who taught Avudayappa who in turn taught Syama Sastri.Gopala Aiyer’s
-Sri Rama in Mohanam was beautifully rendered by Sanjay.
After a Papanasam Sivan’s Bhairavi- Thaye
Sanjay’s
Sankarabaranam was elaborate and a great ornamental tribute to A Great Sri Vidya Upasakar, Dikshitar’s-Sri Kamalamba-
Dikshitar was well versed in all aspects of Sri Vidya Upasana. Out of his devotion to Sri Kamalamba, (one of the 64 Sakti Peethams in India), the celebrated deity at the famous Tyagaraja Temple in Tiruvarur and his compassion for all bhaktas, Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar composed the Kamalamba Navavarana kritis, expounding in each of the nine kritis, the details of the each avarana of the Sri Chakra, including the devatas and the yoginis. Singing these kritis with devotion, sraddha and understanding would be the easy way to Sri Vidya Upasana!
I was delighted with Sanjay’s Excellent Sankarabaranam! Sanjay’s
Bogendra sayeenam in kunthala varali of Swati Thirunal is such a beautiful lyrical Masterpiece that I was wondering why S.Balachander despite his genius, spoilt his name unnecessarily throwing mud on a very great Vaggyekara!

The RTP in Gopika Thilakam,a rare
Raga , made famous only by Madurai Somu,not heard often in concerts was beautiful with a call to”Puthiyathor ulagam seivom ketta poridum ulagai saaipom ” in kannada-dhanyasi-lalitha-brindavana saranga-Chandra kaus did us all Senior Citizens from Madhampatti to have enjoyed yet another Musical Treat ,thanks to Rajalakshmi Fine Arts of Coimbatore,we left murmuring Bogendra Sayeenam!

Malladi Bros@Rajalaxmi Fine Arts, Coimbatore

MalladibBros ….@Rajalaxmi Fine Arts , Coimbatore on 5th September..

Overall view..Could have been a bit more innovative with their vidwat!Too many Thiagarajas whereas a Syama Sastri in Varali or Mukhari Wd have added more reverberance in the Kikani Auditorium!

Starting with a Lalgudi Asaveri Varnam,’jalajaksha Ni .. ‘ Dikshitar’s Sri Ranjani -‘parvatharaja Kumari’ heightened my expectations of this sincere Carnatic Duo!
A Thiagaraja thodi -‘ninnuvina sukhamugana’ followed by a Dikshitar’s pancha butha Kshetra master piece on Chidambaram in
Kedaram -‘Ananda natanaprakasam’ – led to a Varali -where a Syama Sastri’s ‘Kamakshi’ wd have been more soothening than again a Thiagaraja!
Sivan’s kamas-‘idathupatham ‘
followed by another Thiagaraja in Mukari -‘muripemu kalige’ cd have been replaced by a Neelakanta Sivan’s ‘Yendraikku Sivakrupai’,I felt!
Again an embellished Dikshitar’s vasantha -‘brihadambe ‘ was well rendered by Malladi Bros but my disappointment for the above mentioned reasons lingered for a while..
Please listen to their ‘Muripemu..’ in Mukhari..
HNBhaskar on Violin and Neyveli Narayan on Mridangam,Srijit on Ghatam gave excellent support!

Long live this Sangeetha Parampara!

நானொரு விளையாட்டு பொம்மை? By Vijaya Siva

Vijay Siva
Charumathi Raghuram
Baradwaj /Sai Subramanian

Vijaya Siva never disappoints and a majestic Nattai – (Jagathananadha) followed by a superb Syama Sastri’s Rithi Gowla
‘Ninnuvina marigalada’ gave a Friday evening crowd of Coimbatore the Benign Blessings of Kamakshi!
But DKJ, his Guru’s favourite in Poorvi Kalyani – ‘இந்த பாராமுகம் ஏது’ took us to a different world.

Rajalaxmi Fine arts’ enthusiasm to educate everyone in Carnatic Music is Commendable as they have a Computer and a Big screen to display the Ragas and Vaggyekara! I felt
that this ‘இந்த பாராமுகம் ஏது’ is by Veda Nayakam Pillai but some feel this song is by Shankaradas Swami!
(see note below)
Dikshitar’s Pahimam ratnacalayanaka in Mukari was a beauty! I felt morsing was a bit not in synchronization!
Next Siva begged Rama ‘Give me a chance to be a servant for you!’ in a quick fire ‘Bandureethi’ in Hamsanadham, followed by Thiagaraja’s Sankarabaranam-(Manasu Swadhinamu) in, he fervently asked ‘what is the need for all these Rituals for already a Self Realised Soul, Oh Son of Dasaratha? ‘

My native Genius Koteeswara Aiyer’s ‘வேலவா வினைதீரவா ‘ in Keeravani followed by an RTP of Dhanyasi- – Nalina kanthi – Darbar – suruti – ‘ தென்பழனி வடிவேலனே’ were superb Subramanias!
Bakthi Pravaham was visible in ‘Sri Saradambal bhaje’ in Kamas by Sringeri Bharathi Theerththa Mahaswamy was a Gem!
விருத்தம் continued in Kamas then
-ahiri – navarasa kanada Raga Malika led to a Scintillating ‘நானொரு விளையாட்டு பொம்மையா'(please listen to DKJ)

Abhang and
திருப்புகழ் blinded us of an unimaginable downpour outside , we realised only when we came out of the Auditorium!
Vijaya Siva is very sincere and humble as often he remembers my manni Janaki who taught him Carnatic music in Padma Seshadri!
A great concert indeed!
NOTE :
1.Vedanayagam Pilliai was born in Thanjavur in 1826. His father was his first tutor and later he learned Tamil and English under a tutor named Thayagaraja Pillai. On completing his education, Vedanayagam joined the judicial court of Trichinopoly as record keeper and soon was elevated as a translator.He learnt Sanskrit, French and Latin during his tenure and then cleared his law exams.
Vedanayagam’s contribution to carnatic music is immense. On the lines of Tyagaraja’s “Nidhichala sukhama” he wrote “Manam Peridha, Varumanam Peridha?” KV Narayanasamy ‘s“Naale Nalla Nall,” “Nee Malaikkade Nenje,” “Tharunam, tharunam…used to be captivating!

He was a secular person and his songs never addressed to any particular religious deity.He suitably titled his collection of songs as ‘ Sarva Samaya Samarasa Kirtanaigal’. People like Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai and Ramalinga Swamigalwere admirers of his works.

2.The famous Sankaradas Swami of 1920 Boys Theatre:

He was a Tamil writer, actor, playwright, songwriter and drama producer whose boys company is known for launching the careers of Tamil artists such as S. G. Kittappa, K. B. Sundarambal, M. R. Radha, S. V. Venkataraman and K. Sarangapani. Sankaradas Swamigal is considered one of the pioneers of Tamil theatre along with Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar.

Sanjay Subramanian Floods Coimbatore!

Sanjay Subramanian @Rajalaxmi Fine Arts, COIMBATORE

What I always admire in Sanjay is his preparation to present a unique variety in each concert. When he started with 17th century Pallavi Gopala Iyer’s Kamboji Varnam, at Rajalaxmi Fine arts, COIMBATORE, in ‘Intacalamu’ followed by a fervent appeal to the Lotus Eyed Lord Rama “why are you still hesitant to help me?” in Yocana kamala locana (Darbar) I was taking a walk on the thiruvaiyyaru banks with Greenery all around and No greedy anywhere!

Muthu Thandavar is a great Vaggyekara of even earlier to the Trinity who gave a format for Carnatic music singers like Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam which is being followed even Today and His “Darisithalavil Mukthi peralam “in Latangi really gave Mukthi to many, with thunder and downpour flooding the dry belts of Coimbatore.

In old age one must be really blessed to enjoy such an atmosphere! Sanjay when he indicated a Mukari, I told my learned Sri Padmanabhan, neighbour and guide, it will be Neelakanta Sivan’s ‘Endraikku Siva Krupai’ which wd have been more appropriate, I felt, as Sanjay was travelling in the 17th century but he chose, his Disciple’s Sivakama Sundari! I was a bit disappointed of the selection but rendering was Champagne indeed!

Next a kalyani – Nannu brova thalli of Badrachalam Ramadas led to a slow paced sublime Saveri – Rama Bana of Thiagaraja, when we were all literally travelling in a different world, and an SMS said ‘Taxi has arrived’!

But we had to plough through knee deep waters of KIKANI school and requested all speeding bikes to allow us, the Senior Citizens just to cross to reach our Taxi on the Other side! When we, all of us did in one piece into the Taxi, we attained Mukthi indeed on that downpour evening!

To enjoy Sanjay and Varadarajan combo please listen to, the concert below, when he starts with a rare Kalavati by Koteeswara Aiyer who owes it to Ramnad Sethupathis for all his Songs :