Deenarakshaka - Ahiri - Sanjay Subrahmanyan

  January 2014 at Srinivasa Sastry Hall, Mylapore, Chennai


One of the best rendering ofAhiri I have listened to. Unfortunately, this clip does not include the raga alapanai.

The concert, held to commemorate the memory of the veena maestro Dr S Balachander, was very pleasing.. (The accompanying artistes were S Varadarajan on the Violin and Neyveli Venkatesh on the Mrudangam. The tani avartanam, in various speeds, was very good. Sanjay chose to make a special comment about it after completion.)

The hall:  While I expected the small SS hall to overflow for a free-to-attend Sanjay concert, the sheer number of people who chose to stand and listen right through the entire concert was amazing. Sanjay's thoughts on the hall, post concert.

Samukhana Nilva in Kokila Varali - Prasanna Venkatraman

One of the best renderings of Samukhana Nilva (in Kokila Varali ragam) -after T.M.Krishna in Dec 2006 (Parthasarathy Swami Sabha).

April 2014 at Ragha  Sudha Hall, Mylapore, Chennai


Link for full concert (which was throughout pleasing)

Link to the translation of this song

Carnatic Music is Globalized

Super Stuff: Chennai Kosu; Raga: Anandha Bhairavi

Enjoyed Krishna's theme concert

I typically find theme concerts (especially, ones featuring compositions of a single composer) quite boring. However, I enjoyed the recent (painfully short) concert by T.M.Krishna on Goddess Sharada. Why? I guess Krishna's regular concerts are becoming slightly too predictable in terms of raga and keertana choice.

Best concerts of 2005

I was traveling so much during the first 20 days of December that I couldn't attend too many concerts this music season. However, falling back on my vast experience as a rasika, I decided to focus on quality rather than quantity.

I attended three concerts of T.M. Krishna - with his concert at Kalarasana on Dec.26 being the pick of the lot.

TMK/ S Varadarajan/ Trichy Sankaran/ BS Purushottaman

Viribhoni - Bhairavi
Pankaja Lochana - Kalyani (Short R sketch, S)
Vachamago - Kaikavasi
Nadamadi Thirinda - Kambhodi (R,S)
Kaligiyunte - Keervani (RNS)
RTP - Varali (Pallavi - Kana Kidaikkumo Sabesan Dharisanam KandAl Kali Theerume - Ragamalika swara in Sahana, Simhavahini)
Aduvome - Maund
Jagadhodarana - Misra Kapi
Thillana - Chenjurutti

Krisha rules. Period.

The second best concert I attend this season was U. Shrinivas at Karalarasana on January 1. Shrinivas selection of ragas and songs were absolutely great - until the main raga (Shanmugapriya), that is. Even the thani shani-despite the long line up of accompanists-was tolerablely short and sweet. After that, however, like in several Shrinivas concerts, it was all down hill with way tooooooo many thukkadas including one Bhartaiyar song,Magudi (which Shrinivas-amost embarrassedly-announced was someone's request) and the inevitable (with Shrinivas) Sai Bhajan.

A concert without an Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi is simply not complete.

That said, here's a big thanks to Krishna and Shrinivas for making the 2005 season - though short - a memorable one.

Can you identify the Violinist and Mridangist?

Can you identify these "cowboys"?