2018 Mar 31 SSaketaraman HKVenkatram TiruvarurBhaktavatsalam MGururaj Bidaram @ Mysore

Vocal: Vid. SSaketaraman 
Violin: Vid. HKVenkatram 
Mridanga: Vid. TiruvarurBhaktavatsalam 
Morsing: Vid. MGururaj 

Venue/ Occasion: Ramanavami Sangeethotsava , Bidaram Krishnappa Rama Mandira @Mysore

01 jaya jaya jaya jAnaki kAntha nAta khanda chApu puranDhara dhAsa
swaras @ sAkEta puravAsa and bhaktavatsala

02 nannu viDachi kadhalaku rA rIthigowLa chApu tyAgarAja (A)

03 birAna varAlichchi kalyANi rUpaka shyAmA shAsthri (O, N, S)
nereval @ nIpada pankajamu

04 kANa vENDum laksha kangal suruTI aruNachala Kavi (A)

05 AnjanEya raghu rAma sAvEri Adi swAti thirunAL (A, N, S, T)
nereval @ janaka sutAdi vimOchana

06 ninE dayAlO nirmala chitta rEvati purandaradAsar

07 DAsa che sampatti rAma sitA miSra shivaranjani TALA COMPOSER

08 mAmava paTTAbhirAma maNirangu m Eka m dhIkShithar

09 tillAna brindAvana sAranga LGJ

10 nI nAma rUpamulaku sourAshtra Adi tyAgarAja

2018 Mar 30 LalgudiSiblings TiruvarurBhaktavatsalam CPVyasaVittala Bidaram@Mysore

Violin Duet:  Vid. Lalgudi GJR Krishnan, Vid. Lalgudi Viji
Mridanga: Vid. TiruvarurBhaktavatsalam 
Khanjari : Vid. CPVyasaVittala 

Venue/ Occasion: Ramanavami Sangeethotsava , Bidaram Krishnappa Rama Mandira @Mysore

01 nAda swarUpiNi dEvi nIlAmbari Adi LGJ

02 shrI nArada nAda sarasIruha kAnaDA rUpakA tyAgarAja (O, S)
swaras @ Sri nArada

03 shrI kanta nIyeDa balati bhavapriyA tyAgarAja
swaras @ srikAnta nI yeDa

04 harihara putram vasanta khaNDaEka m.dIikshitar (S, S)
swaras @ harihara putram

05 pAlintuvO pAlimpava kAntAmaNi Adi tyAgarAja (O)

06 EnATi nOmu phalamO E bhairavi Adi tyAgarAja (A, N, S, T)
swaras @ sundarEsha aravinda

07 sompaina manasitho Ahiri tyAgarAja

08 rAga tAna pallavi mOhana khaNDa jhampe khaNda naDai
rAgamAlika in : karNaranjani, Janaranjani, KalyANavasantha, rItigaULa, dEsh, darbAri kAnaDa

09 rAma mantrava japisO jOnpuri Adi purandara dAsa

10 rAma rAma rAma rAma rAmA ennirO tilang Purandara Dasa

11 tIrAda vilayAttuppillai rAgamAlika mahAkavi subramanya bArati

12 tillAna rEvati LGJ

13 nI nAma rUpamulaku sourAshtra Adi tyAgarAja

2017 Nov 19 ShashankS BUGaneshPrasad TVBhanktavatsalam NAmrith @ kAnchanOtsava2017

Flute: Vid. ShashankS 
Violin: Vid. BUGaneshPrasad 
Mridanga: Vid. TVBhanktavatsalam 
Khanjira: Vid. NAmrith

Organiser: kAnchanOtsava 2017

01 chalamEla varNa darbAr Adi tiruvoTTiUr thyAgayya

02 sarasa sAma dhAna kApinArAyaNi Adi tyAgarAja (O, N, S)
Fast paced nereval at hitavu mATalento

03 nIvADa nEgAna nikhilalOka sAranga k.cApu tyAgarAja (S)
Swaras at nivADane gAna

04 gItArthamu sangItAnandamu nI tAvuna jUDarA surUTi dEshAdi tyAgarAja (A, N, S, T)
nereval @ harihara bhAskara

05 rAga tAna pallavi shubhapantuvarALi misra cApu / Adi
tAna in shubhapantuvarALi, mOhana, bEhAg
Pallavi line: tEn palani vaDivElane devAnai manavALanai
rAgamAlika: mOhana, bEhAg, kApi (to name a few)

06 kanDu dhanya nAdhe behAg Adi mOhanaviTTala dAsa

07 rAma mantrava japisO jOnpuri Adi purandara dAsa

2016 Oct 01 AbhishekRaghuram VPRamamurthy TVBhaktavatsalam BSPurushottam @ KanchiMutt Navaratri Celebrations

Vocal: Vid. AbhishekRaghuram 
Violin: Vid. VPRamamurthy 
Mridanga: Vid. TVBhaktavatsalam 
Khanjari: Vid. BSPurushottam KanchiMutt EDI


01 valachi navarAgamAlika Adi paTNam subramaNya Iyer

02 dEvadEva kalayAmi mAyAmALavagauLa SwAtithirunAL (S)
swara @ jAtaruPa nibhachEla

03 yOchanA kamalA lOchanA dharbAr Adhi tyAgarAja (S)
swara @ sEshana nijabhakata (madhamakALa sAhitya

04 shrI kAntimatim shankara yuvatim hEmavati m dikshitar (O, S, T)
swara @ srI kAntimAtim

05 shrI kAmakOti pItashithE sAvEri Adhi MysUru sadhAshiva rAo (A, N, S)
nereval @ kadmaba vana nilaye

06 kAtyAyani mahAvAhe kalA vijayE miSra pahAD TALA COMPOSER

07 mAyammA eni nI pilachithE Ahiri Adhi shyAmA shAsthri

08 tappu nODade bandeya nannaya tande tillAng COMPOSER

09 elara nidaya sahAna tALA COMPOSER

10 niri niri gama garisA thillAna pUrvi rUpaka T thirugokarnam vaidhynadhaiyer

11 nI nAma rUpamulaku mangaLa sourAshtra Adhi thyAgarAja

2016 Apr 15 Unnikrishnan HKVenkatram ThiruvarurBhaktavatsalam AmruthN @ Vani Shool

Vocal: Vid. P Unnikrishnan 
Violin: Vid. HKVenkatram 
Mridanga: Vid. Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam 
Khanjari: Vid. Amruth N 

Ocassion: 25th Ramanavami Music and Dance Festival @ Vani School, Basaveshwara Nagar, Bangalore

01 Jaya Jaya swAmin-nAta-Adhi-nArAyana thIrTha (O S ) 
Swara @ jaya jaya 

02 suguNamulE jeppukoNTi chakravAka rUpaka thyAgarAja (o s) 
Swara @ suguNamule 

03-mOkshamu galadhA-sAramathi-Adhi-thyAgarAja (O)

04 brOva bhAramA raghurAmA-bahudAri-Adi-tyAgarAja (A, S)
Swara @ brOva bhArama 

05-shEshAchala nAyakam bhajAmi-varALi-rUpaka-m.dhIkshithar (N, S)
Nereval @ aravinda patra nayanam 

06 inta soukhya manInE-kApi-Adhi-thyAgarAja (A, S, T)
Swara @ inta sowkhya manine 

07 rAma mantrava japisO-jOnpuri-Adhi purandara dAsa

08 rAma rAma rAma rAma rAmA enniro tilAng thishra Adhi p.dAsa

09 parAku mADade parAmarisi yenna aparAdhaMgaLa sAvEri Adi p.dAsa

10-pibarE rAma rasam-Ahirbhairav-Adi sadASiva brahmEndra

11 nI nAma rUpamulaku mangaLa sourAshtra Adhi thyAgarAja

2016 Apr 10 Dr KJYesudas MahadevaSharmaSR ThiruvarurBhaktavasalam TRadhakrishnan @ Sree Ramasevamandali, Fort High School

Vocal: Vid. Dr K J Yesudas 

Violin: Vid. Mahadeva sharma S R 

Mridanga: Vid. Thiruvarur Bhaktavasalam 

Ghata: Vid. T Radhakrishnan 

Occasion / Venue: 78th Ramanavami National Music Festival, Sree Ramaseva mandali, Fort High School

01 valachi navarAgamAlika Adi paTNam subramaNya Iyer

02 shlOka followed by gaNapate enna pAlisO gambHira ratnakAnti TALA COMPOSER (A, S)

Swaras @ gaNapate

03 guru karuNa honduvudu parama durlabhavayya kIravANi Adi p.dAsa

04 nIkEla nAyeDa dEvamanOhari Adhi pUchi srinivAsa iyengAr

05 subrahmaNyEna rakshithOham shuDDha DhanyAsi Adhi MutthuswAmy dhIkshithar (A, S)

swaras @ SubrahmaNyEna

06 O ranga shAyI kAmbOdhi Adhi thyAgarAja (A, N, S, T)

nereval @ bhU lOka

07 SrIpatE nI pada nAgaswarALi dEshAdi thyAgarAja (S)

swaras @ rAjAdhi rAja

08 nAmADida karma balavanta vAdare kharaharapriyA m.cApu p.dAsa (A)

09 rAjIva nEtrAya rAghavAya namO shri aNNmAcArya

10 ellellu sangItave sAramati Adi? Chi, Udayashankar / Vijay Bhaskar (O) - from the movie malayamAruta

11 ajita hare jaya mAdhava krishna kathakali padam srI

12 jagadOddhArana kApi Adhi Purandara dhAsa

13 ennenjil paLLi koNDavan sriranga nAyakan kalyANi salem Eshwar (Updated)

14 krishNA nI bEgane yamunakalyANi chApu vyAsarAya

15 tiruppArkaDalil pallikondAyE bhairavi swamiayyappan movie (updated)

16 SwAgatham Krishna Mohana Adhi UtthukAdu Venkatasubba iyer

17 ayappa swAmi song

18 agre pashyami (shlOka)

19 nI nAma rUpamulaku mangaLa sourAshtra Adhi thyAgarAja

Only legends like KJY can deliver a concert lasting 3 hrs 15 mins even at this age. His voice was blending perfectly to shruti and loud applause from audience after every pause inspired the team to go long beyond the scheduled time of 9.30 pm.  The concert ended at 10.25 !! KJY was effortlessly singing in tAra panchamam and reached tAra nI few times in AlApane and swara prastAra. Infact it received thunderous applause in whole of the concert !

The highlight was the very second song of the concert, where he demonstrated the rAga (atleast new for me after listening to concerts for last 6 years).

KJY concert draw huge crowd, and yesterday was no different in that sense. However, kudos to organizers for commendable job in managing the crowd of around 9000+ !!

Some concerts are better listened than reviewed, just for the pure pleasure that English is a poor language to express the experience. What a memorable evening it was !

2016 Feb 28 Saketharaman, HKVenkatram, Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam, Trupurnitara Radhakrishnan @Odukattur

Vocal: Vid. Saketharaman
Violin: Vid. HKVenkatram
Mridanga: Vid. ThiruvarurBhaktavatsalam
Ghata: Vid. TrupurnitaraRadhakrishnan

01 shlOka ...pullAgi  puDAi puzhuvAi
[ Pullagi, poodai puzhuvai maramaki, 
Pala virugamagi pravayai , pambaki , 
Kallai , manitharai peyai , ganangalai , 
Val asuraragi , munivaraai , devaraai , 
Chellaaa nindra , ithathavara jangamathukkul , 
Yella pirappum piranthu ,ilaithen, yem perumaane ] 26 -31

inta parAkA mAyAmALavagauLa rUpaka Anaiyya (N, S)
nereval @ kaNNa talli

02 kaNDe kaNDe kaNDe Varamu Adi p.dAsa

03 uyyAla lUgavayyA shrI rAma nIlAmbari jhampa thyAgarAja (A)

04 anurAgamulEni saraswati rUpaka tyAgarAja

05 tiruvaDi sharaNam kAmbOdhi Adi gOpAlakrishna bhArati (A, N, S, T)
started at anupallavi marupaDiyum enna....
nereval@ aDutta vanda ennai

06 RTP AbhOgi
rAga: AbhOgi
tAna: ranjani mOhana pUrvikalyANi Bilahari
pallavi : AbhOgi tiSra aTa 2 KaLai
Pallavi Line: Ananda naTana prakAsham sabhEsham naTEsham.. AshrayAmi satatam
Based on panchalinga compositions of m.dIkshitar

rAgamALika in kEdAra(AkAsha), HusEni(vAYu), SAranga (Agni), bhairavi(prithvi),  yamuna kalyANi(jala)
at the end of each rAgamAlika... sang the pallavi line of the respective composition

07 ChandrasekharaEsha SindhuBhairavi Aadi AnaiVaidyanathaIyer

08 Chandra chUDa Shiva Shankara pArvati darbArikAnaDa Adi PurandaraDasa

09 nI nAma rUpamulaku mangaLa sourAshtra Adhi thyAgarAja

Today's decision on how to make this an evening of a well-spent life was no tough choice. After a sumptuous lunch at a family function, I was ready for another sumptuous treat in the evening. (of course after sacrificing quality time at home as my kid has exams Monday onwards)

The concert of the evening started a bit late due to a junior concert that got extended beyond its scheduled closure time. I was cribbing that the main course would be shortened as a result of it. However, you attend such master concerts to have a heavy dose of music from the very word go. So no qualms there.

Since the series is organised to celebrate Shivaratri, the theme of the concerts are mostly around shiva. Only at the end of the season, we see the artists bringing in other deities in the concerts.

Vocalist started off with pullAgi  puDAi puzhuvAi, 26 - 31 shloka verses from shiva purAnam by saint Manika vasagar. There was a whiff of familiarity among the tamil speaking people. 

http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Shiva_Puranam_(Tamil)

The tamizh verses were followed up by a telugu song in mAyAmALavagaula (2 in 2 days). 

Usually the mikAsura appears on the first day of the season, here he was a day late. There were few instances of sound looping. However, it did not mar the manOdharma of the artists. That differentiates masters from the rest.

It was followed up with a quick presentation of purandara dAsa composition tuned to varamu. 

The first detailed mellifluous AlApane came in form of nIlAmbari. For a fast paced artist like Saketraraman, this was really slow and deep presentation. It had all nitty gritty that was needed for a short 6 minutes AlApane. Guessing uyyAla lUgavayya would follow was no brainer. A simple presentation without any elaboration.

anurAgamulEni in Saraswati was presented in a whiff. The whole presentation did not last more than 4 minutes.

kAmbOdhi AlApane which took the place of main song for the concert clearly indicated that it would be a composition on shiva. A small scratching the head, and coincidental alapane note indicated it would be a tiruvaDi charaNam. The karuNa rasa was well extracted by both the artists. A detailed nereval followed the krithi. While vocalist handed over to tani, Bhaktavatsalam was reluctant to start off tani. He indicated he wanted to listen to more of kAmbOdhi, which was smilingly accepted . Pretty new and creative patterns of swara prastara followed and the percussionists gradually drifted into a multi-phase tani. Without any exaggeration, it was the longest piece of the concert !!

There were no filler before RTP. AbhOgi rAga AlApane provided some clue to sabhApatikku (popular composition on siva of chidambaram by kavi GKB). However, there were twists and turns keeping the audience guessing when both the artists dwelled into rAgamAlike in tAna that composed of ranjani, mOhana, pUrvikalyANi and Bilahari which did not indicate any distinct pattern !!

Vid. Saketaram is known to do good homework (applaud the lineage) before each concert. He took time to explain the pallavi line which was based on panchalinga / panchabhUta kritis of muttuswAmi dIkshhitar.

The presentation of pallavi in tiSra aTa was another intersting aspect that highlighted the command not only over rAga but also on tALa. The rAgamALika in kEdAra (AkAsha), HusEni (vAyu), sAranga (Agni), bhairavi (prithvi), yamuna kalyANi (jala) demonstrated his deep command over the subject. The rAgamAlikas were ended with the pallavi line of each composition and necessarily did not end with the pallavi line of the RTP.

2 more filler songs were mellifluous and had an overdose of bhakti !! The ecstatic audience joined in chorus as the songs were pretty familiar.

Concert had a formal ending with pavamAna. 

I had a overdose of endophrine generated at the end of the concert. Could not sleep quickly as I went to bed, the concert was / is still ringing in my ears.

PS: A very interesting writeup on panchalinga krithis is available in this link

https://www.facebook.com/notes/mantra-shlokas/panchalinga-sthala-kritis-dikshitars-tribute-to-lord-shiva/182668781745954/