VenkataNagarajan@IFAS (in Saraswati Vidyalaya , Vadapalani) On Apr 16th, 2022

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
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rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

VenkataNagarajan@IFAS (in Saraswati Vidyalaya , Vadapalani) On Apr 16th, 2022

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VenkataNagarajan@IFAS (in Saraswati Vidyalaya , Vadapalani) On Apr 16th, 2022
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Vocal: Venkata Nagarajan - Student of Late Ambujam Vedantham , Now a student of both Sanjay Subrahmanyan and S Varadarajan
Violin : Gayatri Sivani - Present Student of M Chandrasekaran and her first guru is Srinavasamurthy
Mridangam : Shertalai Ananthakrishnan
Tambura : Radel Shruthi

Concert Type : Nirvana - Non Ticketed concert. No concert to follow
Day/Duration : Friday/ 18:06 to 20 :10 pm
Hall : Saraswati Vidyalaya School, Vadapalani
Sabha : Indian Fine Arts Society in collaboration with Aanmajothi (cultural wing of Saraswati Vidyalaya)
Occasion : all songs of Swati tirunal

01A. Slokham -sadaa mAnasa gochaaram - ???? - ???
01B. Varnam - O janani nannu brova - bowli ??? Or may be revagupti - is that SwaiTirunal or some one who praised Swatitirunal (Lakshman Sir help)

02. paripAlayamAm (R,S)- reetigowlai
8 mins alapana and 6 mins violin return
Swaras for 5 mins

03. Jaya jaya padmanAbha (S)- sarasangi
Swaras for 8 mins
04. Deva pAlaya murArE (R,S) - asAveri
4 mins alapana and 3 mins violin return
Swaras for 8 mins


05A . Satatam taavaka (R , Taanam, N, S, T) - Kharaharapriya
11 mins alapana and 7 mins violin return
8 mins of non metered Tanam
Neraval in mama hrudi vasAniSam madhusudana SaurE for 5 mins
Swaras for 4 mins
05B. Tani for 10 mins

06. gOpAla bhakthim Dehi - bhAgeshri
Last edited by rajeshnat on 20 Apr 2022, 18:31, edited 1 time in total.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: VenkataNagarajan@IFAS (in Saraswati Vidyalaya , Vadapalani) On Apr 16th, 2022

Post by rajeshnat »

After hearing the previous day concert at Alwarpet which was my first live concert of Venkatanagarajan, I saw the newspaper the next day. There it stated Saraswati Vidyalaya school and it was a 6 PM Start . Many times when newspaper has schedule stated as 6 pm , we usually have another 07 30 pm second concert which is a new unwanted avatar that has started in the last 5 years or so in chennai sabhas . For sure that 90 mins back to back combo has to go ,as I am sure each of that is going to cannibalise and make another concert suffer without enough classical oomph

I went to Vadapalani and into this school for the first time. I do know that the cultural wing of Saraswati Vidyalaya is called as aanmajothi. I also know the extraordinary phenom gentleman shri Kannan who is known to have created the raga diary that comes in season is a big patron , As I entered Saraswati Vidyalaya school, who else I saw other than the ever smiling Shri Kannan. Polite namaskaram and we got seated at two extreme positions

IT was a nightmare to reach this school as there is metro construction - but did go about 5 mins late thinking did I lose deva deva kalayamithE . But there was no loss the concert was just about to start .The familiar Shertalai Ananthakrishnan and somewhat familiar Venkat Nagarajan teamed also with a surprise half saree young girl Gayatri Sivani playing the violin. Is the violinist talent promotion or is gayatri sivani another half saree early prodigy like akkarai Subbulakshmi or a charumathi raghuraman was the only thought I had at that time

The concert start in varnam was not a best start . The first varnam was not having a clear lakshanam approach in varnam. I am assuming he was singing bowli varnam (hopefully not revagupti), I could hear a bit of kharaharapriya sangathis at few places and also few notes having a shade of prati madhyama like feel. Usually KJ Yesudas sings like that , bit all over the place . All said not the best of enjoyable start , I am not nitpicking on words as I know for sure most varnams you cannot decipher words but as such there was not intense ragabhavam focus on the varnam. Perhaps he did not stick with Ambujam Vedantham mami there or may be Ambujam mami or sanjay only taught this varnam but he may need bit more rehearsals at home.

Post the varnam there was lovely consistency of brilliance and ideas and I enjoyed for most part with a significant touch of sanjay . The reetigowlai was well done in alapana with cute sampradaya return. I was breaking my head what is the swati tirunal reetigowlai , I completely forgot the sitter paripalayamam till the krithi came out . Nice and sampradaya reetigowlai.

The next two sarasangi and asaveri was really the most enjoyable . Though I personally feel Venkatnagarajan has to work bit more in alapana as there are pockets of sudden bit flat note singing with voice bit slight off in shruthi , but his confidence in taking krithis and cruising with swaras or neraval with lot of creativity in the direction of Carnatic vocal trininities like MMI-SSI-GNB is very fantastic. Jaya jaya Padmanabha second half was well done , the asaveri with alapana and krithi rendition was well done and the best pick to me . Possibly two long violin returns within asaveri he could have cut but well done by the team .for this sarasangi - asaveri it was a concert worth to attend

Someone in the audience crowd asked Tanam for main to suit a typical swati Thirunal Trivandrum typecast concert . Alapana was well done and I was recollecting the main krithi then. After failure of non recognition of reetigowlai krithi , but I ran few words like shaure , Paripalayamam, and then satatam came in and I mentally got the main krithi of ST of kharaharapriya in my mind before the singer sang . Kharaharapriya belongs to either Thyagaraja or Papanasam Sivan , this krithi satatam taavaka has only 80 percentile oomph , possibly venkatanagarajan rushed neraval and definitely he did not do justice to swaras . The preceding Taanam was well done by Venkatanagarajan , taanam was not metered with mridangam but he gave a joy of raga bhaavam of majestic melakartha 22. The last bhageshri was well sung and I am wondering did the great MDR who has sung so many concerts of ST in trivandrum took this kithi as a baseline and created and tuned his saagara sayana vibho.

At the end of the concert I asked the violinist if she is in school or college . She said college and I asked her guru , She said M Chandrasekaran .Wow indeed she is the next violin lover , nice flow , press and most importantly great attention to repeat with precision long kalpana swara. Gayatri is not a talent promotion material she is headed significantly in the direction of akkarai and Charumathi.

The most experienced Shertalai Ananthakrishnan has great sound , though bit slow for few faster sangathis, but he brings a great balance to overall aural experience . Not even one stroke did he try to bang and one has to give it to him that he has yet to show any seniority show off trait in kutchery medai which generally gets into many senior accomplished artist when they team with youngsters. Toni was with the flow of kharaharapriya krithi , just well done.

I don’t know why the concert ended around 08 10 atleast if it was for 2 and Half hours there would have been more kharaharapriya swaras and definitely one or two nicer thukkadas with even a dash of hindustani tukkada raga of swati. The start was 6pm and not 6 30 PM .

Venkata Nagarajan was very obedient Srirangam boy he completed with bhageshri and did not end with bhujaga sayino Mangalam or even hum a 10 second shurutti alapana as Mangalam. Artists are afraid to antagonise the Sabha organisers , perhaps Shri Kannan and another gentleman who was either from Indian fine arts or Saraswati Vidyalaya school can guarantee 2 and half hours concert . I know for sure kannan sir will oblige

Vadapalani once had a long concert of Madurai Somu which my parents have told me I attended as a toddler or small boy which I faintly recollect , though for sure I did not attend the whole concert, I wish to hear more impactful concerts where more time of atleast 2 and half hours to max of 3 hours is given to artist.This venue starts at 6pm and not 06 30 pm which increases the chances of having a more impactful concert.

I don’t think in my lifetime I have heard heard the same artist in 2 consecutive days considering the first day as the first live concert experience of that artist. Best wishes to Venkatanagarajan and also the young Gayatri Sivani who is surely a precocious talent.

Overall a very good to excellent concert for 2 hours and 5 mins

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: VenkataNagarajan@IFAS (in Saraswati Vidyalaya , Vadapalani) On Apr 16th, 2022

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Venkatanagarajan-GayatriSivani-ShertalaiAnanthaKrishnan@SaraswatiVidyalaya-Vadapalani on April16th,2022

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