Dear Sivaraman:

Nobody is angry at you! It is just your misunderstanding! Not only that coolkarni not insult BMK but was complimenting his versatility in his inimitable fashion (we are used to his dialect) which you misunderstood (for no fault of yours!). This forum is dedicated to honouring our CM greats and to appreciate their greatness objectively and to broadcast it for the rest of the world. At the same time we do not deify anybody and do not worship them as deities. Even Rama says through Valmiki "AtmAnam mAnuSham manyE...' (I consider myself a human being!). If we discuss the foibles of humans (since 'to err is human..') we do it without consciously offending the sentiments and objectively. Knowing the limitations of language if anybody misunderstands we promptly rectify to the best of our ability. There is no need for you to be defensive or apolegetic for your love of BMK; but don't expect us to reciprocate the same devotion towards him. De gustibus non est disputandum (I am quoting you)! Forget the tempest in the teapot and be a part of our Rasika Family, share your experiences and enjoy!
Let us shake and forget! OK!

Sivaramanji,

I hope you dont assume anything:

1. That people here are insulting Dr BMK
2. That people here are insulting you
3. That you are not welcome... etc.

I am sure no one wants you to leave... they just want to keep speaking their thoughts and want you also to keep enlightening us. I am sure at least I, will immensely benifit by reading your insights about the great Dr BMK, and with your over 40 years of listening experience, you will surely have a lot of anecdotes and information to share.

Please therefore accept my apologies if anyone in the group sounded offensive..

<< " If Music be the Food of Love, Play on, Play on">>

You can bet on me to keep playing On and On.
I have posted a wonderful rendering on Meenakshi in your new Thread , Sivramanji.

And as someone who Paid Rs 100 for the BMKs last professional performance in chennai -thinking that the astronomical sum would guarantee me a ring side seat - I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS.
(for the records I had the mortification of settling down for standing space on the staircase at Sastri Hall.And all i Got to see was Upendran on the mridangam and BMKs student ..a wonderful singer -i do not remember the name, only that he was blind and was being supported beautifully by BMK )
A wonderful experience , nevertheless

Point taken Mr Srikanth.

Mr Sivaraman: My humble request to you: Please continue your participation.

All others: Let me state that those who enter this forum have NO right to quit. I am sure that Srkris intended to say this. I am just echoing his views.

Kaumaaram

>>Let me state that those who enter this forum have NO right to quit. <<

I like that! Like our Hindu wedding where there is no provision for divorce. Once the saptapati is performed wedding is irrevokable!

Sivarman

Hence you are bonded to us; like it or not! Express your views free and fair and take-in the comments! On the QT let me confide one senior to the other; do we quit in spite of the husband abuse which nobody talks about

Bring out your beat on BMK for all of us to enjoy!

Dear VK/cmlover/srkris/Coolkarni and Kaumaaram,
I am deeply touched with all your kind words and I certainly want to be very much a part of your carnatic music loving fraternity..All of you have been making great and momentous contributions in this forum, which I found to be exceptional in it's intent and purpose, rarely found in the other umpteen number of music groups and forums on the Net.I shall feel honoured and privileged to continue to contribute what little I can towards the cause of spreading the divine message of our rich heritage of carnatic music.I am sure with the really erudite and magnanimous philanthropists like SRKris, Sri Coolkarni , DR.Srikant and all the rest of you being the guiding lights , this forum is already the leading intellectual forum fostering the cause of carnatic music, and we all can look forward to gaining a lot from them emotionally and spiritually to keep us all bonded togther with our common love of CM.

all is well

An interesting speech by BMK at Bangalore.

http://rapidshare.de/files/13938858/07_ ... h.mp3.html

AN OPEN INVITATION

parama mAnanIya pUjya AcArya BMK:

praNatO'smi!

Welcome to the cyber-world! Now you truly belong to us; the global CM Rasikas without any barriers. We regard you as our precious common heritage through your Guru parampara as also the native classicism ingrained in you. We also know that you are a born Genius of gargantuan stature and your full potential was never made available for the service of CM. Now that you have decided to retire from active concerts we are sure you will devote your full energy to enrich CM and educate the myriads of your Rasikas spread all over the world. What better gateway of communication is there other than a Forum like this with unlimited access to the global community of CM enthusiasts! We welcome you into our fold as a learned Guide, a respected Friend and as our revered Guru!

Please consider this a personal invitation on behalf of the thousands of your cyber-Rasikas to lead us into those undiscovered and unchartered mysteries of the CM world as our beacon light!

a~jnaana timirAndhasya ~jnAnAncana shalAkayA!
cakShurunmILitaM yEna tasmaai shrIguravE namaH||

We are sure this message will reach you through one of your myriad admirers!

prArthayatE
tava prEmI CMLOVER
nArAyaNasm^Riti

CML

Hats off!

Sivaraman,

Do you have Umasutham Namami composed by Dr BMK - the raag had only three swaras: Sa Ma Pa

Kaumaaram

Sorry kaumaaram, I do not have this one.I think that it is a commercial recording from the album," Sarvashree".

CML,
That was an inspired thought,inviting the maestro to be our guide in this forum.I would like to supplement this effort of yours.Can you furnish his email id/phone no. so that we may approach him personally with the request?

sivaraman

Since I am abroad not much I can do! You should have him approached through somebody at Chennai. If he responds positively I am sure coolkarni or chembai could meet with him personally!

Wow, inviting Dr. BMK here? Assuming he does accept, will there be a discussion in his presence? Won't we all become mute spectators before him? Worth a try, though I'm not sure he'll say OK.

let me know in advance please.to slip away from chennai for a Holiday !!

Just joking .

Though i did once come within a few inches of the maestro.I had brought my father to the Music academy for the first time in 1983 (or maybe 84) .It was around 4.30 pm and as we entered I could observe that TT Vasu was sitting on the bonnet of a car in a casual manner.S Ramnathan was talking to him very seriously and Balmuarli was also around with a few other people .My dad , as soon as we entered ,moved to a vantage position - absorbing the whole image - remarking to me _So this is it .Looks great_
(He was a tall person, wearing white and white and a bit boisterous.)
This caught the eye of TT Vasu and he immedaitely directed one of his assistants to go and check up who we were etc...That chap did not get the message properly I guess and in the meanwhile we were happily moving around ,chatting , unmindful of the effect we had created.
Immediately BMK moved to my father and asked him if he needed some help(any problem?)
Boy we were thrilled to say "No "and we took leave though I had to request my dad to speak in a low tone thereafter.(he was already onto enquiring why most chennaites like using "Problem"("No Problem","any problem") in casual conversations...

That was the nearest I ever got to him .

One of the many wonderful things about chennai.
One can watch Vijaysiva strolling around the West mambalam market , a GS Mani go past you on his scooter , a TVG sip tea by your side at a besantnagar resataurant , or even a person like MSG buying vegetables like very very ordinary folk

Thanks coolkarni
for that delightful episodes. So your dad was tall and boisterous! We now know where that look of Royalty comes from Any problem

BMK just loves CM! BMK loves those who love CM! Why wouldn't he love to spend his evenings with us!

Coolkarniji,
Can you arrange to get his email id or phone no.
I can write to him or speak to him, giving reference of the meeting we had with him way back in 1972 at Chembur, when we invited him to our home.He had come to Chembur to give a concert at our newly inaugurated chamber music sabha, "Rasikapriya", and I still vividly remember the grand and eloquent Rasikapriya (the 72nd and last mela) that he sang there, with his own composition, "Pavana thanaya paalayamam", an invocation to Lord Hanuman..Also must mention again that he was so generous in accepting to sing for our small sabha at just a token amount of Rs.100/-!.Not only that, he also gave a solo instrumental recital later ,after a few months, in our sabha on Viola, a bass based instrument resembling a violin., for which also he accepted only the same token amount.
Must also mention here that our sabha was inaugurated by another genius, the Late Veena Maestro, S.Balachander, who again rendered an exhaustive and inspired Rasikapriya in that concert, which still hauntingly echoes in my memory.

http://rapidshare.de/files/14477739/07_ ... a.mp3.html

Sivraman

Here is the track i had promised -sangeethame varasukhadayaki

sangItamE varasukhadAyi. rAgA: kalyANi. Adi tALA.

P: sangItamE varasukhadAyi sa ri ga ma pa dha nI susvara
A: mangaLadAyI manasuku hAyI manjuLa nava mOhana muraLI
C: rAgamulO anurAgamu dAnamulO varadAnamu
tyAgarAjAdi gAna bhAratulu vAgadhipati sannidhi pondina

Coolkarni,
Thanks for that divine kalyani.I remember that this was also rendered as a jugalbandi ( BMK and Bhimsen Joshi) on an old national TV program on Doordarshan.Any chance that you have the video of this jugalbandhi?

A question:
re suswara sangIthamE varasuKadhAynI: is this considered to be in very chaste and sanskritized telugu, or is it in maNipravALAM with sanskrit and telugu?
A request (hope the admin is OK with this):
Can we use the vidwan thread for posting songs of 'other composers' and post the artists' own compositions in the vAgEyakar thread? - just my OCD peeping thro'!
On a lighter note:
Not everyone was as considerate as GNB! Since he did not sing his own creations, there is a very sharp and natural divide between his compositions and his renditions!
Thanks.
Ravi

Sivraman.Yes we do have it with us.
I will request kalgada (sharma) to upload it in full -sine i do not have facilities for such huge file uploads.

Sankar !!!
That song is in telugu. However, I would have to say that since telugu is more related to sanskrit than any other south indian language, it has got more sanskrit words in it. I mean words from sanskrit which are directly used without any alteration in either prnounciation of meaning

Here is a link for a BMK concert at one of my friends residence 10 years back.
http://rapidshare.de/files/14596085/BMK ... i.zip.html

Coolji,
Thanks for the effort.look forward to the uploaded video file.Please convey my sincere thanks to sri kalgada also for his contribution.