Gayatri Venkataragavan's vocal concert in Orlando,FL, October 28, 2022

[Sundara Rajan]

Gayathri Venkataraghavan Vocal
Mysore Srikanth Violin
B. Sivaraman Mridngam
Malathi Prasad Kanjira

In the desert named Orlando,FL today we had a welcome shower of Carnatic music in the form of a vocal concert by Vidhushi Gayathri Venkatraghavan. In my twenty years in Orlando, this is perhaps the third or fourth carnatic concert here!

Gayathri did not sing any ONE RAgamAlika composition, but created her own "keerthana mAlika" of a dozen compositions by different composers in different languages. Starting with Dikshitar's composition in Samskritham on MahAgaNapathi , she concluded the programwith one on his younger brother Muruga in Thamizh by ArunagirinAthar.
In between she sprinkled the program with songs in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and even Hindi by different composers.

Song List:

1. Sri mahAgaNapathim- NAttai- Dikshitar 6 min + 6 min Swara
2. Evarani- dEvAmritha Varshini (old name- NAdha ChinthAmaNi)- ThayAgarAja- 5 min
3. SmaraNE ondhE sAladE- Malaya mArutham, Purandara Dasa- 12 min
4.. ChArumathi/ sAramathi rAga AlApana 9 min + violin return 6min
MOkshamu GaladA of ThyagarAja - 8min + 6 min swara
5. AruL seyya vEndum ayyA- Rasika priya- Koteeswara Iyer
6. mAkElarA vichAramu-Ravichndrika-Thyagaraja + swaram 7 min
7. EnnagAnubajana- PanthuvarALI- BadrAchala RamadAS 10 min
8. Main item; AbhEri rAga Alapana 13 min + violin return 7 min
(Did I note a little slip into karnAtaka dEvagAndhAri ?)
BajarErE mAnasa- Mysore vAsudEvAchAr- 8 min + 10 min Swara
Thani Avarthanam-18 min.
Budding teenager MAlathi on Kanjira did her best to keep up with the professional Mridangist - an upa pakka vAdyam artist in the making!
9. a kannada composition in Desh raga- Puranadra dAsa ?
10.GangAdara mahAdeva sivam ?? rEvathi ?
11. bAvayAmi gOpAlam- YamunakalyANI- AnnamAchrya
12. Mera Bhajaan ?
13. nAdavindu kalAdee namOnama- chenchurutti- AruNanagirinAthar

The accompanists Srikanth and Sivaraman provided very good support to the vocalist

Overall a very pleasing well attended concert for 2hrs 40 min.

Many thanks to the organizer of the concert, local violinist Kalpana Prasad. It is about time Orlando rasikas come together and arrange more such concerts. There are many carnatic music teachers and students in the area !

[rajeshnat]

9. a kannada composition in Desh raga- Puranadra dAsa ?

There is a chance 9 is vittala salaho swami -Desh -PD.
Thank you for your review sundara rajan sir.

[arasi]

Thank you Sundararajan for taking the trouble to write a detailed review--even with the duration of each piece--a la Rajesh!

I suppose Miami holds more concerts which you used to attend. Yes, if many children are learning music, it means the parents are interested in music at least in a reasonable way. They would also like their children to be exposed to live music, wouldn't they? Yes, there is much of streaming (and learning that way too). Yet, a live concert would truly enhance their musical and cultural experience.
They have made a good start after some years to bring an accomplished artiste like Gayathri Venkatraghaaan to the area. Very good supporting artistes and a local youngster too, to add extra flavor!

4: mOkshamu galadA in sAramati (what you meant to type).

[Sundara Rajan]

Thank you, Rajesh. You are correct about the Desh raga Purandara Dasara composition.

Thank you, Arasi for the correction of SmaraNE ondhE sAladE.
The pentatonic raga sAramathi IS sometimes referred to as ChArumathi.
Miami is too far, 4 hrs. drive from Winter Springs,FL. I drove that far for one or two concerts, in my younger years of my seventies. In more recent years I used to go to Tampa, only 90 minutes drive, for concerts. In very recent years my good friends take me with them.