Abhishek Raghuram@Vanimahal On Jan 02nd,2022
----------------------------------------------
Vocal: Abhishek Raghuram
Violin : H N Bhaskar
Mrudangam : NC Bharadwaj
Ghatam: Giridhar Udhappa
Tambura : Abhilash Ravishankar ???
Concert Type : Nirvana - Ticketed concert. No concert to follow
Day/Duration : Sunday/ 18: 30 to 21 :10 pm
Concert Type: Nirvana Concert, No concert to follow
Hall : Vanimahal Main Hall
Sabha : Sri Thyaga brahma gana sabha
01. pagavari bOdhana - varnam (S) - hamsadhwani - Patnam
swaras for few rounds
02. sooryamurthE (Ragasketch) - sowrashtram - MD
03. balAmbikAya param nahiRe (R) - kAnadA - MD
7 mins alapana and 3 mins violin return
04. deva deva jegadEEshwara (R N S) - Poorvikalyani - ST
13 mins alapana and 5 mins violin return
neraval in dArita magadha mahipa yadoottama for 6 mins
swaras for 3 mins
05. lekena ninnu (R) - asaveri -T
3 mins alapana with no violin return
06. pAhimAm brhannAikE(R) - huseni -ST
3 mins alapana and no violin return
Vanimahal has interestingly kept their series all centered from Jan onwards . That way they dont compete in scarce footfall with NGS,BGS . It is certainly a good strategy . THe hall was roughly 60 percent full, considering no NRIs and being Jan 02nd, it is certainly a great crowd for one of the most favoured young artist who in the last 15 years is surely a top star.
As i finished my tour with the caterers with dosai, sweet and bonda and finally hot coffee, hamsadhwani varnam was the starter that added to my brisk coffee. Abhishek sang a short varnam , hamsadhwani usually has its share of swaras and the team did well. Percussion was heard well . With a short sketch of sowrashtram , Abhishek sang a beautiful sowrashtram , of late i am observing Abhishek repertoire of MD krithis is extensive and in this concert it was almost like a MD tribute concert. Sowrashtram ragam is a sunday raga and this sunday krithi was a icecream sundae
When abhishek took kAnadA i was ecstatic . This raga has so much contours to impress, atleast 7 or 8 years back in one RTP carnatica concert abhishek disappointed by having shurutti landings in kAnadA in pallavi mela, in this raga alapana i found may be one sangathi he kind of landed bit like shurutti. I thoroughly enjoyed his krithi rendition,the kalapramanam was beautiful and MD long lines where md did hide so many facets of KAnadA ,abhishek few centuries later delivered exceptionally well and opened those unheard vistas of kAnada. I would have been very happy if he had gone for swaras or some neraval but he skipping that did not gel well
The standard submain of poorvikalyani showed its head but the approach of abhishek was certainly non standard. This is abhishek creating very very spontaneous music that clicked . Alapana was bit a off tangent take off ,but he brilliantly layered it so well and did a great submain alapana . Alapana is abhishek strength and he did that well ABhishek exceptional control over laya vyaharam was aptly demonstrated in deva deva jegadeeshwara . I especially liked his swaras where he alternated with ending phrase of deva and jegadeeshwara.
From there on abhi kept singing with 4 short alapanas with zero violin return. HNB joined as tambura artist from there on. Abhi sings asaveri exceptionally well the krithi lekena was sung with gusto till the last minutes where he robbed the pristine asaveri with too much kanakku that robbed the asaveri rasa . What a lovely huseni , there is a chance that karaikurichi arunachalam must have blessed abhishek in his centenary. Bit of folkish to start with , huseni was so grand despite he singing just the krithi. Abhishek intensity in this concert particularly in the rare krithi of huseni was phenomenal to me, very original treatment
Abhishek Raghuram@Vanimahal On Jan 02nd,2022
-
rajeshnat
- Posts: 9991
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04
Re: Abhishek Raghuram@Vanimahal On Jan 02nd,2022
07. shAlivatisvaram (R)- devagandhari - MD
2 mins alapana and no violin return
08A. KApadhu unbhaaramEnru -is that viruththam or may be it is few lines - Had both Todi and Sindhubhairavi - ???
08B. taamadamA innum taamadEmE kaatharula(S) - todi - ???
09A. amma rAvammA (R N S T) - kalyani - T
6 mins alapana with no violin return
neraval in tamarasa tala nEtri for 5 mins
4 mins swaras
09B. tani for 16 mins
10. anjAthE nenjE - kamAs - Vallalar Tiruvarutpa tuned by Shri PSN
11. nee naama - sowrashtram -T
THen a rare devagandhari MD krithi came in , slight irritancy reached me as the words were not clear but still a good devagandhari , i was thinking then , like one of his paramaguru SSI recorded concert he will give tani with devagandhari filleer (there is one famous karuna samudhra where SSI gives tani). Then the next one was a dampener . Abhishek sang some lines was that a viruththam or was that lifted from the next unknown krithi , i could hear a significant todi and also sindubhairavi . The krithi was bit haphazard though only stayed in todi was bit not that deep in carnaticness of a usual todi. Abhishek takes some line here and there and sings like neraval sketch but as such there was no neraval. Abhishek todi with this unknown composer krithi tammadamA innum was bit of gloomy todi . I dont even knew whether he started with anupallavi or second half of pallavi , too much of vocal gymnastics. Still the tani was not on
Atlast kalyani alapana and again with no violin return. Abhishek showed his class here he distilled the best of kalyani phases that goes organically with amma rAvamma . I have heard this krithi more as a submain but not a main , despite my dislike for few kalyani krithis (kalyani rasa is best with kamalambam or abhayamba or vasudevayani ,rest mostly just pass to me), one has to give it to abhishek for the way he sang with such verve the amma ravamma krithi and neraval . Swaras were intense but short .THe last in ,,,,was fantastic, he announced his guru PSN tuned , anjaathE was well done. kamas contours was deep and abhishek showed his class there. HN Bhaskar played very well but i would have been bit happier if i had heard bit more . The days hero who was consistent was NC Bharadwaj with Giridhar Udhappa . PErcussion team was really superb for almost the full course of the concert . I recollect NCB despite now branded as UKS has learnt mostly from a guru Nanganallur ????, who has learnt from karaikudi mani. Lots of places NCB was like his paramaguru KM , the way he fills with intensity in anupallavi was almost like KM to me. In the last 15 years i have only heard KM once in a live concert as he is so rare , but we can hear NCB to get a glimpse of KM. IS that giridhar uthappa , he looked like a tamil hero taken in madurai, so many years since i have seen him , his patterns in tani was matching so well and gelled so well with the concert
Few misfires of decreasing annoyances
-------------------------------------------
1.Abhishek please Sing straight to the microphone . This problem is coming back to abhishek, for every song drifting away from the microphone , he seems to only look at violinist and forgets all the rest . First rasika is your microphone - abhishek
2. Excessive liberty of taking different different lines to start with the krithi and singing neraval like sangathis throughout the krithi without singing a neraval was irritating. I wish he had cut say todi ,abhishek is usually known to take lesser count of krithis but yesterday he took far higher count of krithis, abhishek cohesiveness did not reach me. Most of the rasikas were coming with the built in aura of abhishek past , he has to be bit more into his zone of 2010 to 2016 .In general he has to also reach non musical rasikas and definitely fresh blood rasikas . Most of the rasikas of his are all dropouts having learnt music .Abhishek should Please give more clean krithis . He was speaking in the microphone before devagandhari to NCB and said in thamizh that he is taking few rare krithis . He appeared to experiment way too much with his musical partners in stage who are all learned rasikas forgetting the 100s of rasikas in front of him .
Abhishek is my 2nd/3rd most favourite performer, his manodharmam clicks a lot like huseni , poorvikalyani and kAnadA at the same time makes me wonder what is he doing in this particular todi krithi.
All said "Goto LIve Concert Show PAtronage Without Excuses Series" (GLICSPAWES 2021 for short) concert #6 is done , 2 more to go. Season usually extends into 2022 till few weeks of jan. Hopefully i catch with 2 more, most likely it may be in vanimahal as it is the only sabha active in next 3 weeks with great line up till jan 20,2022.
Overall a very good to excellent concert for 2 hours and 40 mins.
2 mins alapana and no violin return
08A. KApadhu unbhaaramEnru -is that viruththam or may be it is few lines - Had both Todi and Sindhubhairavi - ???
08B. taamadamA innum taamadEmE kaatharula(S) - todi - ???
09A. amma rAvammA (R N S T) - kalyani - T
6 mins alapana with no violin return
neraval in tamarasa tala nEtri for 5 mins
4 mins swaras
09B. tani for 16 mins
10. anjAthE nenjE - kamAs - Vallalar Tiruvarutpa tuned by Shri PSN
11. nee naama - sowrashtram -T
THen a rare devagandhari MD krithi came in , slight irritancy reached me as the words were not clear but still a good devagandhari , i was thinking then , like one of his paramaguru SSI recorded concert he will give tani with devagandhari filleer (there is one famous karuna samudhra where SSI gives tani). Then the next one was a dampener . Abhishek sang some lines was that a viruththam or was that lifted from the next unknown krithi , i could hear a significant todi and also sindubhairavi . The krithi was bit haphazard though only stayed in todi was bit not that deep in carnaticness of a usual todi. Abhishek takes some line here and there and sings like neraval sketch but as such there was no neraval. Abhishek todi with this unknown composer krithi tammadamA innum was bit of gloomy todi . I dont even knew whether he started with anupallavi or second half of pallavi , too much of vocal gymnastics. Still the tani was not on
Atlast kalyani alapana and again with no violin return. Abhishek showed his class here he distilled the best of kalyani phases that goes organically with amma rAvamma . I have heard this krithi more as a submain but not a main , despite my dislike for few kalyani krithis (kalyani rasa is best with kamalambam or abhayamba or vasudevayani ,rest mostly just pass to me), one has to give it to abhishek for the way he sang with such verve the amma ravamma krithi and neraval . Swaras were intense but short .THe last in ,,,,was fantastic, he announced his guru PSN tuned , anjaathE was well done. kamas contours was deep and abhishek showed his class there. HN Bhaskar played very well but i would have been bit happier if i had heard bit more . The days hero who was consistent was NC Bharadwaj with Giridhar Udhappa . PErcussion team was really superb for almost the full course of the concert . I recollect NCB despite now branded as UKS has learnt mostly from a guru Nanganallur ????, who has learnt from karaikudi mani. Lots of places NCB was like his paramaguru KM , the way he fills with intensity in anupallavi was almost like KM to me. In the last 15 years i have only heard KM once in a live concert as he is so rare , but we can hear NCB to get a glimpse of KM. IS that giridhar uthappa , he looked like a tamil hero taken in madurai, so many years since i have seen him , his patterns in tani was matching so well and gelled so well with the concert
Few misfires of decreasing annoyances
-------------------------------------------
1.Abhishek please Sing straight to the microphone . This problem is coming back to abhishek, for every song drifting away from the microphone , he seems to only look at violinist and forgets all the rest . First rasika is your microphone - abhishek
2. Excessive liberty of taking different different lines to start with the krithi and singing neraval like sangathis throughout the krithi without singing a neraval was irritating. I wish he had cut say todi ,abhishek is usually known to take lesser count of krithis but yesterday he took far higher count of krithis, abhishek cohesiveness did not reach me. Most of the rasikas were coming with the built in aura of abhishek past , he has to be bit more into his zone of 2010 to 2016 .In general he has to also reach non musical rasikas and definitely fresh blood rasikas . Most of the rasikas of his are all dropouts having learnt music .Abhishek should Please give more clean krithis . He was speaking in the microphone before devagandhari to NCB and said in thamizh that he is taking few rare krithis . He appeared to experiment way too much with his musical partners in stage who are all learned rasikas forgetting the 100s of rasikas in front of him .
Abhishek is my 2nd/3rd most favourite performer, his manodharmam clicks a lot like huseni , poorvikalyani and kAnadA at the same time makes me wonder what is he doing in this particular todi krithi.
All said "Goto LIve Concert Show PAtronage Without Excuses Series" (GLICSPAWES 2021 for short) concert #6 is done , 2 more to go. Season usually extends into 2022 till few weeks of jan. Hopefully i catch with 2 more, most likely it may be in vanimahal as it is the only sabha active in next 3 weeks with great line up till jan 20,2022.
Overall a very good to excellent concert for 2 hours and 40 mins.