Ten Types of Applause

[Sachi_R]

1. I know this song!
2. I like this song!
3. My partner elbowed me to applaud!
4. I just woke up to applaud
5. Why not join the others?
6. It feels good to be here!
7. Thank god it is over!
8. This is a famous singer/performer!
9. Wow what music, improvisation!
10. Bliss! I am connecting with you, oh performer!

[shankarank]

No 5.

I was once asked by my mentor to start an applause after the first round of tAnam was over in a concert by a duo. He said the last round of Alapana went without applause , as the vocalist continued into tAnam. And all others joined once I started.

That was rAgA sisters concert in Chicago!

[Sachi_R]

Well done, Shankaran.

This has happened to me a lot, I mean my starting the applause chain.

I also remember once an embarassing moment of my applause excess. It was in Mysore in 1966/67. Vid. T. K. Rangachari. I was young and reckless enough, and sat on the dhurrie or as you call it jamakkalalam some 7-8 ft in front of the stage behind the who's who of Mysore musicians and connoisseurs.
Sri. TKR built up a superb Kambhoji alapana and hit that great point in the upper octave touching Pa. I burst into applause, thrilled to bits. But everyone around looked at me as if I had released some smelly gas loudly from my behind. My fellow concert goer and classmate who was also learning violin assiduously distanced himself, from that very moment, from my company forever.

[Nick H]

11. Someone at the mic is telling the audience to applaud.

Applause is a natural response and should be spontaneous. I hate it when some organiser or other person asks for more!

[Sachi_R]

Nick, I thought I have seen it all, but the stage manager prompting from behind the screen.... Never knew it happened in CM!

[Nick H]

I meant... as part of the post concert speech! That odd thing we have called vote of thanks

[arasi]

At times, the applauding at the end of a 'vote of thanks' comes as a sign of relief from the audience.

[shankarank]

There was this famous one from Uday in sangeetham.com which I remember. If tIrmAnams fall in place you get an applause.

namma ninaikira mAdiri illai, laya gnAnam poduva niraiya irukkiradu ellOrukkum [ it is not what we think, people have good appreciation for laya ].

I guess that would sort of go into No. 7, through a musical cause

[shankarank]

hit that great point in the upper octave touching Pa. I burst into applause, thrilled to bits.

You were indeed encouraging some not desirable approaches to music. In the words of SSI: " ennaDa ippaDi orEdiya mEla poi utkAndunDU suttarELE", [ what is all this thing about circling in high notes ].

[Sachi_R]

I am afraid I find SSI also given to excesses

[arasi]

"kIzh kAlathilA?"(in the low notes?)

[Ranganayaki]

Did you forget the “Please stop, get out of here” type of applause? Not heard in Carnatic concerts though!

[Nick H]

Did you forget the “Please stop, get out of here” type of applause? Not heard in Carnatic concerts though!

I have heard it, coming at the end of sections of a long speech, at first with increasing hope, and then with increasing despair

[Sachi_R]

Did you forget the “Please stop, get out of here” type of applause? Not heard in Carnatic concerts though!

Yes, that of course.

In 1965 or so, a jam-packed Aralikatte Ramamandira crowd in Mysore was waiting for nearly 90 min for Mali to arrive. As the crowd got restless, an organiser got a bright idea to invite ANYONE from the audience to come on stage and sing. One braveheart volunteered.

Poor man, he must have been never told the truth that he had no idea of raga, sruti, tala etc and his music was a total disaster. Many people tried to understand what he was trying to sing, but without any success.

Some noises from the teeming and restive audience got the man off the stage.

Mali did eventually arrive, but he did not pick up the flute for 45 min. He asked Dwaram Mangatayaru to play solo. I think she played Kalyani.