Performers:
Arya Venkat (student of Smt Nandini Ramamurthi)
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String accompanists:
Aditya Satyadeep (student of Smt Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi)
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Mrudangam accompanists:
Akshay Suresh (student of Sri Gopi Lakshminarayanan)
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Dear members,
It feels like we just celebrated our 10th anniversary Dasha Tarangini event in January and the year has rolled by so quickly. We had the last CCC event of the year Sunday at our favorite Sai Mandir venue and each of our 28 performers gave us a wonderful event to wrap up the year. Thanks to each of you who made time to attend the event and grateful to those of you who stayed for the entire event J in support of ALL our performers!
We introduced three new vocalists Neha Suresh, Renu Srivatsa and Suraga Nallan, one violinist Veena Krishnan and the rest of them showcased improved renderings with some of them wearing a different hat (as an accompanist or as a soloist). Please stay tuned for detailed summaries of all performances by our Reflections Team!
A Big thanks to all our performers, accompanists and the teachers who helped keep the performances within allotted duration, at all our events this year, CCC has won accolades for starting and ending on time with minimum delays!
Hearty thanks to our CCC core team for helping me pull through three events in six weeks J and they can all rest a bit easy until January 2020! Thanks to Barath for covering the event photography and uploading these lovely pictures pictures. Vidya diligently assembled this precious excerpts video clip, for your viewing pleasure, hope you enjoy both!
Please save January 12th Sunday for our next event, hopefully at our usual SSP venue.
Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!
Regards,
Padma
Comments
The December event was my first time accompanying at CCC, and there was certainly a difference between my feelings as a solo performer whereas an accompanist. It is very relaxing and fun to accompany someone, since you are not the main artist and your job is to simply support the main artist as best as you can. I enjoyed the opportunity and I’m looking forward to accompanying more people in CCC
We enjoyed listening to you accompany as well Sudiksha! Welcome aboard our accompanist pool and look forward to hosting you many more times in the future!
Best Wishes!
It was a great experience singing at CCC for the first time. I was a bit nervous at first but that went away quickly. I look forward to singing more at CCC.
Carnatic Chamber Concerts – December 2019 CCC Event
Authored By: Anirudh Ramadurai, Pranav Satyadeep, Prahlad Saravanapriyan, Urmika Balaji, and Adithya Narayanan
Slotted in the first position for the December CCC event, the performance of Neha Suresh ensued, in which Sudiksha Vaidyanathan accompanied her on the veena and Akshay Suresh on the mridangam. For her debut, Neha exhibited remarkable poise, as she was delivering the varnam “nInnukOrI” in the ragam Mohanam, a janya ragam of Harikamboji. In this process, she further proceeded to render this prevalent composition in both kalams, while maintaining a sense of steady kalapramanam, which is a testament to the constant practice that she had to commit to, to ascend to this stage. In this manner, she confidently continued through the remaining last half of the composition, comprised of the charanam and chittai swarams. Shortly after Neha’s final repetition of the charanam line, Akshay played a brief, yet energetic theermanam, cementing his experience as a percussionist. With that, though, Sudiksha, herself a first-time accompanist in CCC, immaculately shadowed every phrase of Neha, and provided a much-needed facet to this concert that would have been otherwise lost through her expertise as a vainika. Shortly after this, in preparation for the second piece, Sudiksha presented a short sketch of the ragam Kalyani, and even with the constraints of this time frame, effectively highlighted the defining prayogas, such as “G₃-M₂-P-D₂-N₃-D₂-P-M₂-D₂-P-M₂-G₃…” and “D₂..N₃-N₃-D₂…D₂..N₃-N₃-D₂-P..M₂,” which expressed the inherent bhava-laden, picturesque phrases, serving as an enrapturing melody to the ears. As well as that, this provided a mellifluous entrance to the next item, the krithi “dayamAdO ranga dayamAdO” in the ragam Kalyani, a creation of the eminent composer Purandara Dasa. In doing so, Neha provided a comprehensive demonstration of the scope Kalyani offers, as it relates to this composition, and as a result, enhancing its appeal for all the audience members present. To provide a suitable flourish for the exciting features of the performance already revealed thus far, Akshay hastened to a befitting finish, replete with a mora and a korvai, which was well-received by everyone, while functioning as a proper conclusion for this vibrant initial presentation.
Following Neha was vocalist Arya Venkat and his accompanists, Sanika Pande, on the Veena and Vaibhav Prakash on the mridangam. Arya started with a viruttam, “mushika vahana” in the ragam Reethigowla on Lord Ganesha, which was appropriately emulated by Sanika. Arya then proceeded to sing Sri. Papanasam Sivan’s composition, “tatvamariya taramA,” set to Adi thalam. Arya and Sanika exchanged several kalpana swaram at the Charanam line, “madisEkaran maganE,” and ended with an exciting korvai. Throughout the performance, Vaibhav gave strong support to Arya and Sanika and aptly concluded the performance with a long thermanam.
The next slot was Tejas Bharadwaj’s violin solo. Accompanying him on the mridangam was his brother Varchas Bharadwaj. Tejas chose to present the popular kriti “Brochevarevarura,” a composition of Sri. Mysore Vasudevacharya in Khamas (janyam of Harikambhoji) in Adhi thalam. He commenced his presentation with a short and sweet alapana and followed it with a soulful rendition of the song. He proceeded to explore swarams in two kalams for the Pallavi and capped it with a fitting korvai. Varchas followed it with a short thani. Tejas’ crystal-clear playing and Varchas’ complementary beats were a pleasing combination to hear.
Next was a debut vocal performance by Renu Srivatsa, accompanied by Deeksha Venkateswaran on the violin and Maanav Balan on the mridangam. Renu began with a beautiful sketch of ragam Nattai, a janyam of the 36th Melakartha, Chalanattai. Deeksha’s alapana on the violin was equally sweet. Renu then sang Swaminatha Paripalayashumam, a Muttuswamy Dikshitar’s kriti set to Adi thalam. This krithi, on Lord Subramanya, is said to have been composed in Swamimalai in Tamilnadu where Subramanya is supposed to have taught his father, Lord Shiva, the significance of OM and became the teacher to his own father, hence referred to as Swaminatha. After a brisk rendering of the krithi, Renu and Deeksha presented kalpanaswarams on the line “Vamadeva Parvathi.” The sarvalaghu swaram exchange between Renu and Deeksha leading to a edam-to-edam korvai was impressive. Maanav’s vibrant support on the mridangam truly enhanced this performance.
Following Renu was Shreyas Garimella on the vocals, accompanied by Shravya Srinath on violin and Lalit Kovvuri on the mridangam. Shreyas started his performance with an alapana in the ragam Kharaharapriya, in which he highlighted the key phrases of the ragam. Shravya emulated this on her violin, and she also played a captivating alapana where she showcased a variety of expressions that bring out the ragam. Shreyas then proceeded to present Sri. Papanasam Sivan’s composition, parAmugam yEn aiyyA, set to Adi thalam. Shreyas and Shravya exchanged several kalpanaswarams at the Pallavi line and ended with a korvai. Then, Lalit played a spirited mohra-korvai, which aptly concluded the entire performance.
Following this, the subsequent concert featured Monisha Murali, with Thejeswini Sai Swaminathan on the violin and Umesh Gopi on the mridangam. Poised and well-prepared, she duly commenced with a ragam in Poorvikalyani. With every indelible addition that she made, aptly structuring the phrases to showcase its multifaceted characteristics, the essence of the raga was entirely on display. Coupled with her state of complete absorbance and total involvement, while being enveloped in sheer ecstasy, the divine qualities of the raga, as well as its quintessential phrases, exuded from the singer, which gave the listeners an intact and unmistakable outlook of Poorvikalyani. Along with that, during her presentation, by emphasizing the Chatushruti Dhaivatam as the jeeva swaram, she delineated a wide-ranging. Yet, the detailed description of this ragam, made all the more evident in the ending phrase, “R₁…G₃-R₁-R₁-S-S-N₃-D₂…S-N₃..P-D₂-P..S,” where every one of her phrases combined to form a broad picture of the raga. To further embellish this part of the performance, the violinist, Thejeswini, singled out only the most essential components of Poorvikalyani, to provide a general shadow of the vocalist’s outpouring of the ragam, while subduing everyone in an atmosphere echoing with the brunt of Poorvikalyani. Unsurprisingly, this translated to the chosen krithi unveiled by Monisha, “Ananda naTamAdum vAr thillai,” in the same ragam, while being one of the most well-known compositions of Neelakanta Shivan, reputed for its lyrical beauty. With the exposition of each sangathi, the audience became entranced, owing to Monisha’s effortless handling of the song, persistently marked by her powerful, versatile voice. More so, this was, in part, due to Umesh’s constant presence on the mridangam, and his remarkable ability to play with a sense of timeliness, precisely replicating the laya intricacies of the krithi with his various jathi patterns. Consequently, the performance retained the same level of boundless energy, which persisted until Monisha reached yet another stage of manodharmam, in the form of kalpanaswarams on the line “pAdi madi jOthi.” In this stage, she briskly began with mel kalam swarams, and to make the concert all the more entertaining, she used various jantais, swaram patterns, like prayogas, linear progressions/assorted combinations and yatis, giving every part of her Swara Kalpana a vastly deeper meaning. By implementing this same technique, especially in the portion of the korappu, she included various sarvalaghu phrases, expounding on the scope of the raga, as well as adeptly segueing into the Korvai. Throughout, Thejeswini’s artfully crafted responses, expertly mimicking the vocalist’s swarams, added yet another dimension to the concert, which catapulted the already lofty standard of Poorvikalyani to the next level. Likewise, the chemistry between the vocalist and violinist resulted in a constant, unrestricted/unimpeded flow of swarams, and due to the phenomenal vigor coursing through every one of the individual performers, it enshrined the Kalpanaswaram section as pivotal to making the concert a memorable experience. In the aftermath of Monisha’s Korvai, Umesh promptly appropriately concluded the concert with a thematically oriented, yet spellbinding rhythmic pattern-infused mora, profuse with embellished phrasing. Utilizing this, he swiftly transitioned to the korvai, which was done in a state of complete steadfastness, such that there was an utmost adherence to the thalam, allowing the vocalist, Monisha, to take back the rains and hasten the end of the performance. In summary, due to Monisha’s able capabilities on the vocal side, with Umesh’s durable support on the laya side of the mridangam and Thejeswini’s expertise in handling Poorvikalyani on the violin, it resulted in the formation of an enthralling, scintillating concert for everyone in attendance.
The next slot was a vocal performance by Suraga Nallan, with Veena Krishnan on the violin, and Sathvik Prasanna on the mridangam. Suraga began with a brief virutham in Brindavana Saranga, in which she aptly brought out the essence of the ragam. Then, she proceeded to sing the famous classic, “Rangapuravihara,” a composition of Sri Muttuswami Dikshitar. Suraga rendered many complex sangathis with ease, while also maintaining perfect pronunciation and shruti. Both Veena and Sathvik’s close following contributed to the wholesome listening experience of the song. After her phenomenal delivery of the krithi, Suraga sang a few kalpana swarams at the pallavi line, which were accurately mirrored by Veena. Sathvik further enhanced the rhythmic patterns in the swarams. Even with the slow tempo, Sathvik kept the kalapramanam, without rushing the thalam. Overall, it was a lively and energetic performance by the entire team.
The next slot was a violin solo by Pramati Barath, with Amogh Kuchibotla on the mridangam. Pramati started with a short alapana in Sindhunamakriya and proceeded to play “Sudha madhurya,” composition of Saint Thyagaraja. Amogh well supported Pramati’s brisk and energetic delivery of the song on the mridangam. Then, Pramati played a brief alapana in Pantuvarali, covering all three octaves, while also highlighting the signature phrases and patterns. After her enlightening alapana, she played “Aparamabhakthi,” a composition of Saint Thyagaraja. Her clear bowing emphasized the sahityam in the song. She then went on the playing both keezh and mel-kalam swarams at the anupallavi line. She had a good mix of both sarvalaghu and kanakku patterns, while also including a detailed korappu at the end. Amogh followed closely and played all of the kanakku patterns with ease.
Next was a vocal performance by Shriya Krishnan, accompanied by Urmika Balaji on the violin and Ramanan Ganesan on the mridangam. Shriya began with a bright and elaborate alapana in the ragam Bhairavi, a janyam of the 20th melakarta Natabhairavi. Her mellifluous alapana included many akaaram phrases and classic sancharams in this ragam. Urmika’s response was equally melodious. Shriya proceeded to sing Saint Tyagaraja’s composition Upacharamu Jesevaru, set to Rupaka thalam. In this krithi, Saint Tyagaraja pleads Lord Rama to not forget him. Shriya sang the krithi with ease and took up a couple of rounds of Niraval followed by kalpana swaram on the anupallavi line “Krupakavale Nani Neni kirtini balkucu nundaga.” Shriya sang a few sarvalaghu Keezh kalam swarams before moving onto an elaborate mel kalam swaram exchange with Urmika. The team then presented a korraipu on thara sthayi sa before concluding with a edam-to-edam korvai and a mora korvai by Ramanan. Urmika’s wholehearted support and Ramanan’s energetic accompaniment thoroughly enhanced the concert.
The concluding slot of the event was Avinash Anand’s Ragam Thanam Pallavi (RTP). Avinash was ably accompanied by Aditya Satyadeep on the violin and Pranav Tirumalai on the mridangam. Avinash started with an alapana in the ragam Shanmukhapriya and followed it with a tanam. Aditya responded equally well on his turns. Following this, Avinash presented the Pallavi “Ka Guha Shanmuga Malaiurayum Muruga, Kumara Gurupara Kanindhu” set to Khanda Jathi Thriputa Thalam. The eduppu was 1.5 aksharams from the samam with a 7 aksharam arudhi karvai. Avinash presented a neat niraval of the pallavi and proceeded to deliver the trikalam, tisram, and various mixed kalams. The kalpana swara section included swarams for “Ka Guha”, “Malaiurayum”, and “Kumar”. Avinash also explored mel-kala thisram swarams at “Ka Guha.” Then, he transitioned into the ragamalika section, with Sahana, Malayamarutham, and Desh and finished it with a fitting korvai. Throughout the whole performance, Aditya’s soothing bowing and Pranav’s harmonious beats were a great blend. Pranav’s thani portion included a mora and korvai. Finally, Avinash sang Sri Tyagaraja’s auspicious mangalam in the ragam Saurashtram and concluded the CCC 2019 year.
I’m so humbled by the reflection team’s description of my performance, and singing in the fifteen minute slot for my second performance at CCC was definitely a success and a learning experience. I enjoyed performing for an appreciative audience, and with the two amazing people who accompanied me, I felt everything come together and became super engaged in the music. Even though I felt a little nervous for experimenting with a versatile and emotional ragam (Poorvikalyani) in manodharmam for the first time onstage, my nerves went away from realizing how melodious everything sounded! Again, I’m glad I got to sing in the fifteen minute slot, and I’m excited for more opportunities to perform in the future!