BRINDA MANICKAVASAGAM- FOUR HOUR CONCERT- 23/6/19

[CRama]

Organised by Sarvana Sangeetha Sabha in Ragasudha Hall. Concert started at 4.15 P.M.
Accompanists.
Shradha Ravindran- Violin
B. Sivaraman- Mridangam
B.S. Purushothaman- Ganjira.
List of songs.
• Vanajakshi- Ata tala Varnam- Kalyani
• Raa Raa maainti daka- Asaveri –T (R,S)
• Abhimaanamennadu- Begada – PSI
• Arulvaay Angayarkanniye- Dharmavathy- MMD (R,N,S)
• Soundararajam- Brindavanasaranga- MD (R)
• Vandaalum varattum-Hindolam GKB
• Jaya Jaya Padmanabha- Manirang- ST(R)
• Narayana divya namam- Mohanam- PS (R,N,S)
• RTP- Natakurinji- Tisra jhampa- Mishra nadai.
• Pallavi- Nannu brova neeku bharama
Sree Ramachandra
• Tanam- Ragamalika- Nata, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali, Sree
• Swara Ragamalika- Lalitha, Kalyani, Abhogi
• Virutham- Anbenum pidiyil agappedum malaye-
Hamsanadam, Dhanyasi, Hameerkalyani, Sahana, Chenjuruti
• Kallaarkkum katravarkum- Chenjuruti-Arutpa.
• Elaradayane kamini- Javali- Bhairavi
• Taaraadi panana- Thillana- Kapi
• Virutham-Enthayum enakkarul thandhayum nee- Suruti
• Mathiyaal vithaganaagi- Tiruppugazh- Suruti
• Mangalam

The concert of Brinda Manickavasagam was much inspiring, with bhava laden exposition of all he heavy duty kritis, with sruti sudham, voice felicity, abundant manodharmam and planning. Brinda took care to include a wide variety of composers, in different ragams and talams and she needs to be appreciated to keep the audience hooked to their seats throughout the lengthy four hours concert. The concert had enough vishranti in it, but there was no dull moment in the four hour concert duration and the audience liberally showered their applause at the vantage points.

The concert had an appropriate start with the Kalyani Ata tala varnam. There were six alapanas in the concert. Wow. The alapanas of Dharmavathy, Brindavanasaranga, Mohanam and Natakurinji were elaborate and Asaveri and Manirang were brief. The alapanas had depth, spacing, choicest phrases pointing to the murchana of the ragam and were on the characteristic lines bringing out the swaroopam of the ragam in the opening phrase itself. Be in Dharmavathy or Brindavanasaranga, the raga got revealed in the start itself and there was no ambiguity in her exposition. Her voice felicity enabled her to traverse the octaves with considerable ease. Being the student of Guru Suguna Varadachary, the kritis were presented in the authentic patantharam with the cascade of sangatis presented with diligence. The GKB kriti Vandalum Varattum is new to me. One rasika from the audience went upto her and requested for Mamava Pattabhirama in Manirang, and she said she will sing Jaya Jaya Padmanabha in the same ragam, as there is already a MD kriti- Soundararajam Ashraye. For the Dharmavathy kriti, neraval was on the lines Unmai uyar gunangal ellam ullamadile tigazha and in the main kriti the neraval on the lines Maarajanakan karunaalayan anbar tunbam agala mangalam arulvon. The Musiri school is famous for the neraval and here also the neraval was quite elaborate underlining the manodharmam of the singer. The swarams had variety and embedded laya complexity but never compromising on the aesthetics of the concert. The quarter avartana swara were sumptuous- may be around fifty avartanas. Really a feat.

The RTP in Natakurinji was presented with the respect it deserved. The pallavi was in the complex talam of Tishra jhampa in Mishra nadai. All the elements of the RTP including the trikalam were presented with precision. The tanam had the ragamalika in the Ghana ragams. In the ragamalika swarams, she chose ragams in respect of kritis starting with Nannu brovu- like Lalitha, Kalyani and Abhogi. The virutham and other post tani items were rendered with overriding raga bhavam and devotion.

Shradha Ravindran, the upcoming violinist played with good manodharmam and concentration with admirable thick and thin shades . Her raga essays were succinct and swara returns were appropriate. With gaining more experience she will blossom into a consummate violinist very shortly. B. Sivaraman and B.S. Purushothaman on the percussion front embellished the concert with their sunadam, dexterity, clarity of strokes, imagination and understanding. The thani for twenty minutes were all thunder and lightning but only the rain continue to play hide and seek in Chennai.

A wonderful concert.

[CRama]

The link for the above concert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw-12EhIvFw

[rbharath]

The RTP in Natakurinji was presented with the respect it deserved.

Beg to differ here. In one's humble opinion, the vocalist did not delve sufficiently in nATaikuranji during the tAnam. It was a rather short affair of nATakuranji and the rAgamAlikA had brief bouts of the ghana panchaka rAgams. A more detailed tAnam would have been nice. May be she was watchful of the clock and her throat and voice, since the pallavi started, a good 3 hours into the concert. Event he svaras were quick.

It was a well rendered pallavi overall however.

Shradha Ravindran, the upcoming violinist played with good manodharmam and concentration with admirable thick and thin shades . Her raga essays were succinct and swara returns were appropriate. With gaining more experience she will blossom into a consummate violinist very shortly.

She has been in the concert circuits for more than a decade now and has been regularly accompanying youngsters and senior artists since a long time now. She has been a promising talent and seems to be growing in the right direction.

[Nick H]

Super concert. What amazing stamina to keep up the energy and the depth of feeling.

I had doubts about my stamina to sit through four hours. I did take one ten-minute break --- but the credit is entirely Brinda's for holding my attention from beginning to end. I wish for more concerts like that!

[HarishankarK]

Vandalum varattum sounds better in balahamsa ragam as sung by Sowmya

[HarishankarK]

I heard little of this concert yesterday
Mohanam alapanai really good
Good voice and music

[rajeshnat]

Brinda singing for 4 hours . So nice to hear but sad i am not there. Brinda has a great flair in presenting spectrum of compositions all with ease. I have noticed in the past she has presented lot of thamizh numbers which are rare and the word complexity does not make her lose music. Best wishes for Brinda and the team .