2013 Oct 27 Sanjay Subrahmanyan, S Varadaraj, Neyveli Venkatesh, KV Gopalakrishnan @ 45th BGS Music Conference

This concert requires a special review. Hats off to the master.



Vocal      : Vid Sanjay Subrahmanyan
Violin     : Vid S Varadarajan
Mrudangam  : Neyveli B Venkatesh
Khanjira   : K V Gopalakrishnan

Song list:

01  ninnu kOri ( varNam)  mALavi - Calcutta Krishnamurthy

02 brOva samayamidE rAmayya - gowri manOhari - Garabhapurivasa  ( S )

03  sArasadaLa nayana - khamAs - m.dhIkshitar ( A )

04  mahA tripurasundari - bhairavi - Pallavi Gopala Iyer ( A,N,S)

neraval & swara @ ‘ kAppAdutaki ippuDu samayamammA kamanIyamaku bangAru bomma’

05  praNatArthihara prabhO purArE - mELarAgamAlika - 1-12 - Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan

06  kApAli - mOhana - PapanAsam Sivan ( S )

07 vidhi shakrAdulaku - yamunA kalyANi- Thyagaja

08  RTP - rAmapriya - misrachapu x 6  Eduppu at +2
pallavi: ellAm shivan seyal enrE, kavalai inru iruppai maDa nenjamE
ragamalika swaras in SAma, vasantha, husEni, sindhuramakriya, kApi

09 kaLilO harismaraNa - kApi - Muthaiah Bhagavathar

10 lALisidaLu maganA -dEsh - Purandara Dasa

11 viruttam ( vizhikku tuNai ) - sindhubhairavi

vA vA vElmurukA -sindhubhairavi - Mayuram Viswanatha Shastri

12 riNmadhumita - behAg- Swathi Thirunal

13  thillAna ( dhIm dhIm tadana dhiraNA) - tODi - Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar

14 mangaLa - saurAshtra - thyAgrAja

2013 Oct 26 Trichur Brothers MA Sundaresan Trichur R Mohan, SV Balakrishna @ 45th BGS Music Conference

Vid. Sri Krishna Mohan and Vid. Ramkumar Mohan : Vocal Duet
Vid. M. A. Sundareshan: Violin
Vid. Trichur Mohan: Mridanga

Vid. S. V. Balakrishna: Morsing

01 evvari bOdhana AbhOgi Adi PSI
02 sri mahAgaNapathiravatumAm gaULa tripuTa mysUru vAsudeva AchArya
03 sAkEta nagara nAtha harikAmbOdhi rUpaka thyAgarAja
04 amrithavarshini AlApane followed by AnandAmrtakarSiNi amrtavarSaNi amrutavarSiNi Adi m.dhIkshitar
05 nannu viDachi kadalakurA rItigaULa tripuTa thyAgarAja
06 lakshmI kAntA bArO mOhana Adi p.dAsa
07 tODi AlApane followed by  enduku dayarAdura tODi miSra cApu thyAgarAja and tani
08 rAga tAna pallavi in jOg
pallavi  chEta shrI rAmam chintaye sadA c tripuTa 
ragamalika swaras in jOg Anandabhairavi rItigaULa bEhAg rEvati
09 taruNi nyAn enda cheyyo dwijAvanti chApu swAthi thirunAL
10 pibare rAma rasam Ahir bhairav Adi sadAshiva brahmEndra
11 rAmachandrAya jana navarOj tiSra Eka bhadrAcala rAmadAs

The concert  that lasted 20 minutes more than the scheduled 3 hrs had all the punch, classicism and quality required for a great concert.

Once the stage was setup for the show by  6.15 pm, the concert started with a brisk varNa. The humming before the varNa did not specifically indicate any rAga, but the started off with the AbhOgi varNa.

Mic played its role, at the end of the first song. MAS had to change his Mic to a pickup. The change of timber was very evident and it sounded hollow all throughout the concert ( I liked the first sound than the sound off pick up... In my view it marred the concert quality)

Swaras flowed like flooding Ganga..when the gaULa krithi was presented.

With a detailed HarikAmbOdhi..they elevated the standards of each krithi they presented.

It had just stopped raining... when they started off the AmruthavarSini Alapane. (pun Intended: It was more used to stop the rain than bring down the rain . Downpour was so heavy that it was disturbing the concert both to audience and the artists.) Krithi was presented short as compared to the detailed alapane. Brothers interwound the alapane with alternate sangathis. Except for the difference in the voice, one could not have concluded that it is a pair that is presenting the concert.

The same class was demonstrated even while the tODi and jOg Alapane were presented.

nannu viDachi was presented with a mellifluous tempo , Almost rAma decided to come down to be be an audience.

With least  ado, the mOhana krithi was presented. The senior of the Brothers was quick to start off tODi alapane even while audience were applauding. A detailed alapane in tODi ensured a full 1 hour slot for the main piece of the concert.

As it was almost 8.50 pm, organisers were quick to occupy the stage for a quick VOT. Junior Bro vetoed Senior Bro's offer to quickly close the concert. 

The best package of the day was ready at 9.00 pm. Brothers offered a short RT, but it was no short.. it was presented in a detailed fashion in jOg and ragamalika swaras of mostly poplar rAgAs.

taruNi nyAn and pibare rAma rasam mellowed down the tempo of the concert to ensue that all the power packed presentation had the right icing.

Both senior accompaniments in Violin and Mridanga were pretty apt in their contribution ensuring the Brothers were always in the limelight. Morsing presentation during tani was exceptionally good.

Overall it was a good to great concert owing to 3.5 hrs of presentation with everyting that is required to showcase the talent.

2013 Oct 23 Dr. Sreevalsan J Menon , HS Sudheendra, HK Venkatram @ 45th BGS Music Conference

When you are stumped with too many lucrative choices, it would always be a tough decision. But if the decision that is made turns out to be a super hit, you will further start believing in your 6th sense.

It happened the same way yesterday. I could have slurped hot hot soup and bonda at home watching Cricket Match / listen to Sreevalsan J Menon @ Gayana samaja in not so comfortable ambience. But I chose to do the second one inspite of a threat of a heavy rain in the evening.

Reached the venue on time and the preparations were in progress behind the curtains. The curtains came down at 6.15 to offer what could be one of the finest concert of this monsoon here in Bangalore.

Vid Dr. Sreevalsan Menon: Vocal

Vid. H. K. Venkatram: Violin

Vid. H. S. Sudheendra: Mridanga

Sreevalsan J Menon and his team was in the right most frame of mind to deliver a great concert.

01 ErA nA pai tODi Adi PSI

                Started with a guruvandana "Om namO vAsudEvAya" in memory of his guru for 18 years neyyATinkara vAsudEvan and dwelled into a vilamba kala presentation of varna in 2 speeds. The "kanchina kaNTa' was reverberating in the partially filled hall. It set the right mood for the rest of the performance.

02 dhanyDevvaDO dAsharathe malayamAruta paTNam subramaNya Iyer

                raga sketch and a detailed set of swaras were presented at an apt gati. Even thought the composition was performed over 14 minutes.. it appeared as though it was much shorter than 8 minutes.

03 annapurNE visAlAkshi sAma Adi m.dhIkshitar

                raga sketch and a detailed set of swaras were a welcome change

04 brihadambikAyai namaste vasantha m.dhIkshitar

                A vennila presentation... no frills. was small in size but was rendered with good impact.

05 dharmavati AlApane followed by bhajana sEya rAdA dharmavati rUpaka mysUru vAsudEvAchAr

06 ninnu jeppa mandAri Adi paTNam subramaNya Iyer

07 kAmbOdhi AlApane followed by O ranga sAyi kAmbOdhi Adi thyAgarAja

                was as serene as it can be.... The AlApane had a touch of class and so was the composition presentation. Even though few... the manOdharma reverberated with good sangathies. Tani that followed was a memorable on with Tisra and Khanda naDai presentatation.

08 rAga tAna dhanyAsi pallavi in tiSra tripuTa 2 kaLai rAgamAlikA behAg rItigaULa hamsAnandi

" nIrajAkshi kAmAkshi nikhila lOka janani niranjani "

                The most surprise package came after the speech, SJM asked for audience permission (time) to present a pallavi. And the justice was done with a 30 min rendetion of dhanyAsi RTP. Even though an old pallavi line in tiSra tripuTa, it was as refreshing as it could be. The nereval ended with a couple of tiSra and khaNda presentations. This made me feel it was worth ditching the other options that I had to spend the evening..

09 rAmA krishNaru manege bandaru

                May be the artist is not as comfortable as other languages, barring a few wrong pronounciation of kannada words, the presentation soothed the whole concert to its end.

10 nI nAma rUpamulaku sourAShtra Adhi thyAgarAja

                After a cuople of deep  breaths.. he concluded the concert with a vilamba presentation of the mangala.

Vid HS Sudheendra and Vid HK Venkatram were at their best. Being accoustomed to listening HSS accompanying pitch 5 artists, this was a welcome difference and would look forward to more of his performances accompanying male artists. (upcoming concert with TMK later in nAdasurabhi !!)

The trio performed as a team than 2 supporting 1.

Overall it was a memorable concert :) Thanks to my daughter who was very reluctant, but agreed for me to spend my time on music than at home.

2013 Oct 20 gaNEsh kumaresh ShankarnArAyanan Trichy kriShna @ Bangalore Gayana Samaja - 45th Music Conference

After a 2 day hectic MUSIC WORKSHOP by Prince Rama Varma, I had left with no energy. In spite of it made an unexpected decision to attend the inaugural concert of the 45th music conference at Gayana Samaja. While the list of concerts was mind blowing.. I was of a disappointment when I arrived at the venue... The hall was filled to 25% of its capacity. The hall had filled to 90% by the beginning of the concert.

The artists arrived on time, the concert started around 6.10. While the memories of the (un)sound system from previous year conference is still fresh in the mind, it did come back to reality with Ganesh finding some issue with the mic as it was not picking up from his voilin.

The abrupt start to Bilahari varna was completed mostly by Kumaresh. In the break, the mic issues were addressed and rest is history.

It was yet another masterly concert by "FIDDLING MONKS" who did not disappoint.

Full house at ground level and a standing ovation for pUrvikalyANi and tri-rAga RTP was the hallmark of the concert.

2 new young guns who accompanied the brothers , did leave their impression and class. Wish them the best and looking forward for more performances from this team.

Both percussion artists showed a great temperment in anticipation and played exactly (rAgapravAham) as i have heard it earlier in their CDs.

01 bilahari varNa

02 rAgapravAham in mAyAmAlavagaula

       - -this piece was good enough to infuse a punch to the rest of the concert.

03 sarasa sAma dAna - kApinArAyaNi

04 rAgapravAham in rItigauLa

05 pUrvikalyANi alapane followed by parama pAvana rAma and tani

06 RTP in kAnaDa , bahudAri and hindOla, khanda triputa 2 kaLai

07 ODi bArayya vaikunTa pati - vocal by gaNEsh – rAga ?

      -have heard the bhairavi version of this song from the greats of Radha-Jayalakshmi.. This composition in any other raga is not as impressive as in bhairavi

08 sindhubhairavi tillAna

09 medley of bhAgyAda lakshmi bAramma, harivarAsanam and nagumOmu

A full 3 hrs of power packed concert. Memories are attached herewith for those who missed it.