Vid.Smt.T.Brinda centenary concert by Hyderabad Brothers

[Neeraja veni]

Vidushi Smt.T.Brinda Centenary concert
organised by Bharathiya Sangeetha Vaibhavam trust-July 1st , 2012
Ragasudha Hall, Luz, Chennai

Hyderabad Brothers Sri.D.Sesha Chary & Sri. D.Raghava Chary – Vocal
Sri.H.N.Bhaskar-Violin
Sri. Mannargudi Easwaran- Mridangam
Sri.Guruprasad- Ghatam

1.Neramora jara chora maru balkarada- Hamsadhwani- Misra Chapu- Tachur Singarachary
2.Ayyo Vibhudu nannu marache-Kedaragowlai- Adi- Dharmapuri Subbarayer
3.Bhayarani baliche bamanampina raade- Kapi –Rupakam -Tirupati Narayanaswami
4.Enthane varninthune sakhi- Kedaram- Rupakam- Pattabhi Ramayya
5.Charumathi upacharamu letike-Kanada- Misra chapu- Pattabhi Ramayya
6.Enthati kuluke- Kalyani-Rupakam-???
7.Mera gadu lechi ra ra- Atana- Adi-Chinnaiah
8.Rama Rama prana sakhi -Bhairavi- Adi- Kshetrayya
9.Samayamidera ra ra sami- Behag- Rupakam- Patnam Subramanya Iyer
10.Valapu daasa nerene, vaari veeri vallane – Varali- Misra chapu- Kshetrayya
11.Kaasikki poyene, nee vallane –Mukhari- Misra chapu-? Muthu thandavar? muthu Natesa
12. Cheliyane netumarathunate- Neelambhari- Misra Chapu- Pattabhiramayya
Mangalam

When Sri Sesha Chary announced that it is going to be a thematic concert comprising of only padams and javalis, I was not sure how it will turn out to be. Having read A.K.Ramanujam’s incomparably researched, scholarly writings on Telugu padams , the evolution of the padams as a genre and his stunning translations of Kshetrayya and sarangapani padams in to poetic forms, and having drowned in Brindamma and mukhthamma’s recordings so many times, I still was wondering - how it would be to hear a concert without a single kriti by the trinity? My ears are very low on risk taking. What might uplift the concert from sagging ?

I was floored, at the end of the two and a half hour concert –of only javalis and padams. It was largely due to the excellent planning of the song line up by the brothers and the sheer sparkling musical notes. Yes, I agree with A.K.R that the beautiful sound of the songs in lovely soft dental double consonants and the gliding lingual sounds of Telugu language is best suited for padams. ( Like `Kaliki chilukula paluku' in the Bhairavi padam.) and the weight of the music itself helped the concert move on flawlessly without any sagging. Most rasikas stayed till the end. The Hyderabad brothers were releasing so many exotic padams from their corpus fund! And I know for a fact that they know atleast a thirty more in their vast repertoire which I have personally heard.

The selection of Hamsadhwani, Kedara gowlai and Kedaram to occupy the opening slots of the concert was a great idea. Gave the flavor of a ``regular’’ concert. The kapi javali was dripping with sensuality.

Charumathi upacharamu in Kanada is a piece which is refreshing to listen to , every time. The brothers have been singing it with total enjoyment for many years, and it never tires me.
Kalyani started as a submain piece but slowly gathered an unplanned momentum and evolved as another main piece. It was Sri Raghavachary’s show most of the way. The alapana phrases, the gorgeous neraval that they sang and the elaborate swara kalpana, his singing was remarkable . Relaxed, unhurried and mellowed singing.

Other than this the rest of the concert was filled with Sri Sesha Chary’s deep , full voice, his verve, enjoyment , an absolutely clear diction , intonations to match the mood of the padams. He gave brief alapanas befitting the padams.

Bhairavi is an intense ragam. With a label `handle with care’ on it. Both in its complexity of structure and the intensity of its bhavam. Sri Sesha Chary showed all the way how well it could be handled. I have not heard a gentler Bhairavi. Very elegant, extremely subtle and refined phrases, all sung with gentleness and bhavam to match the lovely padam Rama Rama prana sakhi. So many Brindamma-Mukthamma phrases flowed with delight. And with perfection. Swara kalpana at Kaliki chilukula paluku. No neraval, sigh!

The misra chapu hat-trick followed the Bhairavi. And what an awesome hat-trick! They elevated the concert to a very high level of musical experience. The exquisite varali padam which sparkled like a jewel-Valapu dacha nerene- The haunting quality that Brindamma and Mukthamma brought in to their rendition was matched by Sri Sesha Chary. He showed what a master musician he was in every subtle phrase of his music. Such indescribable varali. It is indeed a master piece. Before I could recover, the next gem followed.

Kasikku poyene- a mukhari which so effectively brings out the torment. They sang it in an even slower kalapramanam than usual. Lingering on every note and every syllable.
After this Sri Sesha Chary stopped singing for while and started speaking about Brindamma’s special and supreme music. How certain sangathis could be sung only by them. He remarked that some of their sangathis would not fit in to the thalam while attempted by others. He emphasized that this is not `general music but their special music’ . He recalled with gratitude as to how they carried this special bani through their families. He also was worried , he said, as to how this is going to be preserved for generations to come. Sri Mannargudi Easwaran joined in the talk in an informal way and reminisced about the sastri hall concert where he played for Brindamma and Mukthamma at their request because he had heard and learned from sri Ramasamy Pillai whom they respected a lot. Sri Sesha Chary joined in and explained, hummed the phrase thamara sakshuni in Rama Rama prana sakhi and demonstrated the way Sri Ramnad Kandasamy Pillai played for the phrase. Very enjoyable.Asthika Samajam Narasimman joined in, praising the adherence of the brothers to the B & M bani of padam-javali singing, There were reminiscences, reminiscences,about B&M's concerts so much so sri.Sesha chary called it pechu kutcheri towards the end.
Sri H.N. Bhaskar appeared to enjoy himself while playing and adhered to the vocalists pattern while he played the violin .I liked his kalyani and bhairavi.

Sri .Mannargudi Eswaran, was unanimously agreed by all on stage and some off stage as the most befitting player for a padam concert. His playing was top class. His mridangam spoke a very elegant sollu and where it did not speak was even more awesome. Such is the aesthetic sense in his playing.
Sri Guru Prasad rose to the occasion and played to enhance the tani. There were actually 2 thanis. Sri Sesha Chary asked sri ME to play a thani after Kalyani and he was hesitating since it was not the main piece. After the Bhairavi main, he egged him on to play another thani and there it was, a delight to all mridangam lovers.
I am really greatful to the Hyderabad brothers to have circulated these exotic padams- Their contribution in preserving for the future generations. I wish they come out with a entire collection in their repertoire as a CD soon.
A delectable concert.

[mahavishnu]

thanks, Neeraja Veni. Sounds like an excellent concert. What a song list!

#6 composer is Dharmapuri Subbaraya Iyer.
#11 is the famous composition that is usually sung from the Anupallavi (Ososi); It is in triputa talam that morphed to Misra chapu. The composer is Muthu Natesar (I believe). Muthu Tandavar is a pre-trinity Tamizh composer.

[sridhar_ranga]

A delectable concert.

A delectable review too....thanks a lot. Yes, a recording please!!!!!

[bilahari]

What an enjoyable review! Thank you, Neeraja. Several compositions here I have not heard before... I have recently been hooked to a recording of the brothers singing cArumati upacAramu - it has some delectable phrases in the D/N region, and the brothers sing it ever so delicately!

[varsha]

An enjoyable review . But a miserable concert for one who has heard lots of Brindammas music . With awe .
The strident nature of the voice was the first enemy to reproduce the magic of that school. Then who would have thought that Javalis and Padams were the only legacies of the great lady .
There was a 52 second alapana sung for kedargowla without the slightest trace of the greatness of that raga .
It was caricature stuff .. hordes swaying to words like Ayyo or Nirakarinchi , kasiki poyene , aha to gestures like knocking ones own head ......
And those gestures that included mudras for a kid twirling both wrists singing tharammayya , or the hilarious one for coffee which looked more like a request for a bottle of vat 69 , or the one similar to an warrior extending his bow to shoot an arrow .

And that dreaded enemy - talk talk talk . Sickening talk . Let us start Peshu Kacheri he announces and implements it too.
I am waiting for 2013 to pass so that all this humbug of centenaries will pass . Does any one really care about this heritage ?

[rajeshnat]

Asyhika Samajam Srinivasan joined in, praising the adherence of the brothers to the B & M bani of padam-javali singing,

Asthika samajam Narasimhan

[natakapriyan]

Asthika Samajam Narasimhan gave an open invitations to Hydrabad Brother to perform an exclusive concert on Padam and Jawali during December ,in reply to that he said let it be on Brindama's Birthday and assured he will come and perform. He also talked about the greatness of Palghat Mani Iyer and listed how many Varnam Mani Iyer knows and emphasised that the mridhangist should vocal music which will enhance playing. Looong pechu katcheri was boring.

[arasi]

Rajesh, Nadopasana Srinivasan's name perhaps was the reason for Neeraja veni's mix up of names, I think.

Any hands going up for speeches?
The inevitable 'have to have them' situations arise. It's not the speeches themselves, if they follow a few strict rules.
Organizers asking just one or two to speak--specifying the time limit. Making sure that at least one of them is a GOOD speaker.
Gopalakrishna Gandhi's speech was a good one on Brinda, though it wasn't short!

Leaving speeches alone, we come to the reviews.

Neeraja veni,
An excellent review befitting the honoree's music.

Have wondered about your name, my mind conjuring up a picture of your walking about in wet shampooed hair!

[rshankar]

Have wondered about your name, my mind conjuring up a picture of your walking about in wet shampooed hair!

Should be hair decorated with lotuses or water-lillies (neeraja), perhaps?
A lovely review! Thank you.

[arasi]

Ravi,
I had this karu nILak kuzhal imagery instead--that's why the a contemporary picture of youngsters hurrying to work came to mind.
I'm going by the name, of course. I do not know if it's Ms or Mr neerajaveni!

[Lakshman]

Item # 1 is by Pallavi Doraisami Iyer. The reason is that in Tachur's mudra is not there in the song.
Item # 11 is by Muttu Natesar.

[harimau]

Item # 1 is by Pallavi Doraisami Iyer. The reason is that in Tachur's mudra is not there in the song.

Seshachary (or, is it Raghavachary?) announced it as a composition of Tachur.

Too bad we can't ask Singarachary!

[Neeraja veni]

That was a terrific one, Harimau!

Thanks Arasi Ma’m, It’s very much a Ms. Neeraja veni -both pheno and genotypically! You are right on spot about the shampooed wet hair –in a hurried commute. Though the waterlillies adorning the hair sounds very Ravi varma-esque, it’s a luxury in sweltering Chennai. One has to do with the occasional Jaadhi malli !

Even I wondered as to how one of the Tamizh Moovars composed a lovesick padam like Ososi, in a little bit quirky mood, I thought. The mudra Muthu Natesa is there of course. The Hyderabad Brothers too start it with the anupallavi , without any preamble, but then it does not need any preamble. It was stunning. Still lingers.
What is Tachur’s mudra? I tried looking for a clue in Vasantha varnam but could not guess.

[Lakshman]

His mudra is singara. I am posting a couple of his jAvaLis below:

ennALLu sairintunE (j). rAgA: cenjuruTi. cApu tALA.

P: ennALLu sairintunE O celiyanE sAmini tODitEvE
A: kronnana viltuDu kOpamutOnu tinnaga nApai sharamulEsenE
C1: kanula paNDuvai kAceDu vennella manasu kentO gAsini buTTincenE
2: kOkilalella gumpulu gUDi O kAmAkSi ravamulu gAvincenE
3: singaranutuDu cengaTabAsi anganagUDi indurAkunnADu


kanikaramunci kAvaga (j). rAgA: pancama. Adi tALA.

P: kanikaramunci kAvaga rAdA garuDagamanA I tAmasamEla
A: dinamaNi vamsha bhuSaNA vidhuvadanA dInajanAvanA dhitijA-haraNa
C: sharanAgata vatsaluDanu birudu dhariyincina nannu brocuTa baruvA
varaguNa jAla vAraNa pAla dharaNijA lOla singara paripAla

[keerthi]

Lakshmanji,

Kanikaramununci is a kRti, not a jAVaLi. it is in the recondite rAga pancamam which is now all but forgotten. Mysore VINE shESaNNa was supposed to have been very fond of this rAga, and would play it elaborately; they say. HMB has used it in his songs.

Besides 'singara' the Tacchur brothers have used 'pArthasArathi' and 'rAjagOpAla' as mudrA-s.

We may not be able to ask SingarAcAri about the pedigree of this jAvaLi, but can look up their books - gAyakalOcanamu etc.

Can anyone confirm, if this jAvali was indeed part of Srimati T.Brinda's repertoire. As far as I know, their family hasn't sung it. It is a regular with Smt. Rama Ravi, of course.

[arasi]

kIrthi peridu--vayadhilE aPPaDi Or iLaiyadu...

His repute grand, yet so young...

[Lakshman]

Thanks keerthi,

[anandalakshmi]

Thanks Neerajaveni , for the nice writeup about a very good concert. Like neerajaveni mentioned, i was also not sure of what to expect, when the artistes announced it is a concert comprising of only padams and javalis. But it turned out to be an excellent concert, full of melody and full of bhavam. I listened to the concert until the Behag song, and found the swaram patterns in Kalyani interesting. Even though the ragam outlines for a few songs were short, they oozed with the lakshana of the raga, and with so much melody, it was such a pleasure to listen to them sing. The accompanists also were in full form, and enhanced each song with their bueatiful playing