Swathi Sangeethotsavam Jan 6 to 13, 2008.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 26 Dec 2007, 14:52

Dear lovers of great music. We soon will have another New Year :2008 and with it as always the 7 days of great music concerts "SWATHI SANGEETHOTSAVAM" popularly known as "KUTHIRAMALIKA CONCERTS" from 6th to 12th January as always at the same venue, the Kuthiramalika, the palace built over 160 years ago by the legendary king and composer Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma at the Fort Palace Complex, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala State in South West corner of India. As always the same timings too at 6pm every day. BUT in 2008 there is a small change which is expected to be a great bonus for the lovers of great music. In addition to the seven days there will be a special additional concert in 2008 on the 13th January - another of these special concerts is expected only in January 2014. This is to celebrate the Murajapam at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple - a once in six years glorious event - culminating with the Lakshadeepam on 14th January 2008. Here is the list of main artists for 2008.

One could contact kuthiramalika@gmail.com for further details.

REMEMBER the concerts are free to lovers of music. Please try to attend and bring other friends and/or pass on this information to others who would be interested.

PLAN FOR KUTHIRAMALIKA CONCERTS 2008
(SWATHI SANGEETHOTSAVAM)
Kuthiramalika, Fort Palace Complex
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala State
South India

2008 Jan 6th 6pm Vocal Music : SRI SANJAY SUBRAHMANYAN

Jan 7th 6pm Vocal Music : PRINCE RAMA VARMA

Jan 8th 6pm Vocal Music : MS. MANASI PRASAD

Jan 9th 6pm Vocal Music : SMT. PARASSALA PONNAMMAL

Jan 10th 6pm Vocal Music : MASTER BALAMURALIKRISHNA

Jan 11th 6pm Hindusthani Vocal Music : PROF VENKATESH KUMAR

Jan 12th 6pm Violin duet : Lalgudi G.J.R.Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi

Jan 13th 6pm Special concert : Dr.Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna

Please read the review of the 2002 series in The Music Magazine
http://www.themusicmagazine.com/swathifete02.html
Please read the review of the 2003 series on Carnatica.net http://www.carnatica.net/kudiramalika03.htm
Please read : A Royal gift of Music (Kuthiramalika Concerts)http://www.kuwaitsamachar.com/ks/news/music.htm

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 03 Jan 2008, 23:34

Musique4ever,

If possible please post excerpts on You tube as you have done in the past

-Ramakriya

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Jan 2008, 23:59

What a treat! In the mAnasIka presence of HH SvAti tiruNAL....

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 04 Jan 2008, 00:28

And with special Guest of Honour --- The Owl!

devi · Post by **devi** » 04 Jan 2008, 11:03

A nice article about Swathi Sangeethotsavam from today's Hindu.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/01/04/stor ... 030200.htm

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 04 Jan 2008, 17:35

Ramakriya.....I certainly will try, though it maybe February/March by the time I get the videos edited and converted
to mpeg files.

venkatr · Post by **venkatr** » 04 Jan 2008, 21:49

Also I would like to put in a request for upload of mp3 versions of the concerts if possible (of course without violation of copyrights) elsewhere for listening pleasure of us rasikas who are not able to attend atleast of Ponammal, the Guru (special concert) and the disciple (to my knowledge he is the only one in this series) and Sanjay. Of course the others would be a bonus.

Hope sometime in future we can enjoy webcasts of these concerts from wherever we are i.e an internet attendance (perhaps for a fee which can cover costs).

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 04 Jan 2008, 22:11

Rama Varma announced, at his recent concert of BMK's compositions, that he had video-ed many of them and uploaded them to You Tube.

Perhaps he might be inclined to do the same with these concerts?

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 09 Jan 2008, 01:36

Here's a podcast about the festival from Heartbeat Audio Travel Guide. (They played the wrong CD though.)
http://www.heartbeatguides.com/free-fes ... dcast.html

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 21 Jan 2008, 12:34

And the review from The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/01/18/stor ... 190300.htm

Do block off Jan 6 to 12, 2009 for a soujourn to Trivandrum

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 21 Jan 2008, 16:09

Thanks Musique4ever! I thought I had done so this year but failed to make it...let's hope for better luck next time!

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 21 Jan 2008, 18:24

Musique4ever wrote:And the review from The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/01/18/stor ... 190300.htm

Do block off Jan 6 to 12, 2009 for a soujourn to Trivandrum

Nice to know that Dr Balamurali created a raga named "ASWATHY" dedicating it to his discple Musique4ever.

Can we have a glimpse of this raga in youtube/audio ??

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 22 Jan 2008, 02:46

Yes, for sure. It may take some weeks before I get the DVDs edited and Mpeged and ready to be uploaded on
youtube. But rest assured that many clippings Will be uploaded before April, God willing.

songtales · Post by **songtales** » 22 Jan 2008, 12:26

http://www.worldspace.in/worldspace/blo ... php?cat=16

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 22 Jan 2008, 12:38

Thanks for this link !!!

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 22 Jan 2008, 19:28

Here's the Kutchery Buzz team's take on the festival.

http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/200801 ... hi2008.asp

songtales · Post by **songtales** » 23 Jan 2008, 11:04

Thanks for that link

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 23 Jan 2008, 13:08

Musique4ever wrote:Here's the Kutchery Buzz team's take on the festival.

http://www.kutcheribuzz.com/news/200801 ... hi2008.asp

I love to take part in this music festival definitely NEXT YEAR.

gundakriya · Post by **gundakriya** » 25 Jan 2008, 17:12

I'm not sure I like that comment in KBuzz about Ponnamal mami's music: "Ponnammal lives and performs in a different world and if you feel tired after an hour of her performance it is understandable. A monotony sets into the kutcheri."

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 25 Jan 2008, 18:08

Yes Gundakriya , I went through the write up in KBuzz only after your message &
I was equally surprised by the comment on Parasalla Ponnamal :rolleyes:

I had attended the concert of Smt Ponnamal at Raga Sudha and her rendering of Aliveni (Swati Tirunal) moved me to tears.

I think the word "introspective" would have been a better substitute for "tired" and as far as "monotony" is concerned , I can only say for myself that I can sit through a 4 hour concert of the Grand Old lady feeling fully refreshed. The fact that age will not permit her such a strain is a different matter altogether.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 25 Jan 2008, 18:55

Listening to Parasala Ponnammal in Swamy Hall (Carnatica concert series in December) was magic for me. She seemed to be in a trance and it permeated the auditorium. Such music makes me realize that CM is more than what my little mind can fathom--one of those moments when I realize how immeasurable the depth of that ocean is.
Monotony? To me, her music was bordering on bliss...

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 25 Jan 2008, 22:44

Kutcheribuzz's comments are quite strange indeed...but we must allow for differing tastes.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 26 Jan 2008, 13:46

but we must allow for differing tastes

AND HOPE THAT VIJAY MAKES IT TO THE PALACE IN 2009 WITH HIS CAMERA , PEN AND PAD ....
I AM SMACKING MY LIPS AT THE VERY THOUGHT OF HIS CONCERT REVIEWS WITH PHOTOS.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 28 Jan 2008, 00:46

I second your comments totally about Ponnammal's music. And yes. It would be wonderful if classy rasikas like
you made it to the festival....and wrote about it too....and took photos too which do justice to the place. And remember....2009 is the Tenth Anniversary edition of the festival. So I am sure there would be some pretty
special concerts, God willing

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 28 Jan 2008, 01:02

What if V Subramanian made it instead

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 28 Jan 2008, 01:53

V Subramanian was there when I attended this festival in 2006.

2009 sounds like a good year to hold a Rasikas meetup for the event!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Jan 2008, 08:27

Meanwhile, I hope they have more concerts in Mumbai so that we would be getting sparkling reviews from 'SivAji' , Prashant and others...

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 28 Jan 2008, 11:07

I am sure inspired to attend next year! God willing...rasikas meet-up sounds like a great idea too! Maybe a concert at Kovalam Beach prior to the festival!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 28 Jan 2008, 12:11

Kovalam beach only...

If you want an audience of scantily-clad foreigners, complete with its audience of local boys!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 Jan 2008, 17:01

Vijay,
I shall not call you names

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 30 Jan 2008, 23:55

Please check out www.thapovan.com for your stay

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 31 Jan 2008, 01:00

It is a nice place, and I may well stay there too on our next trip, although drivers are making it very expensive to make the trip to Trivandrum.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 31 Jan 2008, 23:07

Thapovan +
Great view, excellent food, wonderful propreitor, reasonable tariff, daily hotel transport for the Swathi Sangeethotsavam concerts
Thapovan -
Very expensive Ayurvedic treatment, non air conditioned rooms

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 05 Feb 2008, 16:33

Musique4ever- Can u please post a portrait/photo of Lalthadasar, the composer ?

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 06 Feb 2008, 09:04

I am afraid I don't have one, Ji. Sorry.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 09 Mar 2008, 18:13

Please search for musique4ever at youtube.com if you would like to watch videos of Balamurali Sir's concert at the Swathi Sangeethotsavam this year.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 09 Mar 2008, 22:15

Thank you very much Musique-4ever. It is indeed a rare musical treat !

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 09 Mar 2008, 22:45

You are most welcome

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 10 Mar 2008, 00:05

Thank you sir for your painstaking efforts...a bit of a consolation for those of us who missed the fest again this year...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 10 Mar 2008, 02:02

Thanks very much Musique4ever. The Aswathi raga is quite intriguing indeed. Shri. Balamurali Krishna mentions that he just sang the Paripahi composition and what came out was a raga that does not exist. He named it Aswathi. Musique4ever, can you please share with us the characteristics of this raga: Nominal Arohanam - Avarohanam / Mela / prayogams/ gamakams and other details of interest? Though the swaraprasthara provides a lot of information along these lines, it will be good to get the full characterization. Thanks.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 10 Mar 2008, 11:20

Musique4ever - Really nice to enjoy these videos. Thank you very much for posting.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 10 Mar 2008, 11:46

You are most welcome once again. Aswathi is like Malahari, with a Prathi Madhyamam instead.
Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Sa, Sa Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa.
The beauty of this song is that unlike with many songs on Ganapathi where He is described with negative adjectives like Lambodara (Big Stomach), Vighneswara (God of obstacles), Eka Dantha (One tooth) and so on,
He is described in consistently....and rightly....complimentary light if you look at the lyrics.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 11 Mar 2008, 00:31

The song was originally notated in sAvEri by SSI. I have never heard it sung. Indeed the shades of Malahari are evident in BMk but the pratimadhyamam does show off giving the eerie feeling in which BMk is a past-master. The lyric is simply wonderful and BMK does sing all three charaNams in the viloma order.

Again designating the raga as ashvati in honour of Prince Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma who is a descendant of Svaati is quite appropriate indeed.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 11 Mar 2008, 09:07

cmlover wrote:The song was originally notated in sAvEri by SSI. .

I too wanted to mention the same.The book published in 1969, this song appears tuned in sAveri by SSI.

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 11 Mar 2008, 10:27

Yes, that is true. But people sadly seem to forget that Sri Swathi Thirunal (SST) was not SSI. I myself have seen
books published pre SSI which list Ragas of many popular Swathi Krithis differently from how we hear them
these days. (Bhaja Bhaja Maanasa which is sung in Sindhubhairavi these days is listed as Parasu in a 1920s book and as Dhanyasi in an older book. The popular Telugu Javali Saaramaina Maatalentho sung in Behag these
days, is shown as Neelambari in an older book. Pankaja Lochana is played in a totally different way even today
(Though in Kalyani) by the Naadaswaram Vidwans at the Shri Padmanabhaswami temple. SSI simply lifted.....or
"Borrowed"....to use a milder expression....the tune of "Birana Borva Ithey"..... made it fit Mishra Chapu Thaalam
and we get Pankaja Lochana in it's present form. While SSI did whatever he could and his efforts are totally appreciated, it is sad to take the voice of SSI as the last word in SST music though of course people are most
welcome to do so if that is what they wish. Dif'rent folks, dif'rent strokes, as they say. I personally find "Authentic" Swathi music preserved only in the Chittaswarams (And their Amazing Sahithyam, bursting with Swaraksharams) of his brilliant Pada Varnams.
The two reasons why I like Dr.M.Balamuralikrishna's tuning of Maharaja's kirthis are
1) His tunes never mangle the lyrics for the sake of the music and
2) His affinity for Swaraksharams remarkably mirrors Maharaja's own talents in this area.
But I guess "Songs of Vaggeyekaras tuned by others" would merit another discussion altogether.
As for me, I just wanted to share some good music with those of you who are interested. That's all. So sit back, watch, listen and enjoy the videos

*With these few words musique4ever quietly fades away*

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 11 Mar 2008, 10:36

And here's the Saveri version, sung exquisitely by Golden Girl, Parasala Ponnammal

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nxuDdlXZcY8

gopalank · Post by **gopalank** » 11 Mar 2008, 20:13

Musique4ever wrote:While SSI did whatever he could and his efforts are totally appreciated...

Oh, cut the patronizing crap, Mr. Prince... you have always had a chip on your shoulder w.r.t. SSI and his special relationship with your family. God knows why. It's evident from your various public statements as well as that article on the Navaratri Mandapam wherein you made totally unwarranted snide references to "the musician who came disguised to the temple steps during GNB's concert". You may or may not like Semmangudi, but let us not forget that it was mainly due to his efforts that your noble ancestor broke away from the ranks of the 'also-rans' and reached a stage where he is now placed almost on par with the Trinity. No one in the Carnatic firmament outside of Trivandrum cared two hoots about ST until Semmangudi single-handedly popularized his kritis. Mr. BMK's distaste for ST was well known... if you have succeeded in bringing him round to the point where he retunes a Swati kriti in your name, well done, and leave it at that. Leave the potshots at home, thank you very much!

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 11 Mar 2008, 20:26

What a treat! Thank you sir, for sharing this with us.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 11 Mar 2008, 23:40

Thanks Musique4ever for the Ponnammal version. That is distinctly the SSI stamp. It is likely that she did learn it from him! But the BMK version is mind-blowing sung with imagination. Yet it is still obviously BMK and not Swati! I do not want to provoke a controversy or stir-up old embers. But here is what I know.

I was with the Respected SSI for some time during the time he was tuning some of ST while if you indeed are the "prince" was not yet born. SSI used to share his ideas with the students one of whom also was my very dear friend who used to discuss the meaning of the sanskrit lyrics with me because of my special interest. As I understand SSI focussed more on the musical excellence than look into the historical accuracy of the tunes. Musical Giant that he was, SSI could easily see through the musical potential of the compositions but not being a sanskrit scholar he was chary of appreciation for the sahitya. One of the reasons, he has missed out on the svarAkSharas and niceties that the Monarch would have contemplated while creating the compositions. Undoubtedly we see the genius of SSI gleaming through the tuned lyrics rather than the original vision of the Maharaja himself! The blame should be partly borne by the Royal household for the secrecy of clutching on to these treasures over the years.

I commend the efforts to recover historical authenticity for at least some of the compositions through the generations of Nadasvara vidvans who were coeval as well as from related Royal households. Swati is a shining star in the CM firmament and he ought to be restored to his legitimate place in the CM history!

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 11 Mar 2008, 23:55

Mr.Gopalan,
I decided never to post stuff in the forum specifically because of people like you. I have never raved and ranted and used abusive language hiding in the cowardly anonymity of the net and have expressed whatever I felt about Semmangudi TO SEMMANGUDI HIMSELF. Not once but several times. Apart from music related queries
like
!) How can you sing the big Dhaivatham in Shanmukhapriya (When it is a Melakartha Raga...which doesn't allow
for foriegn notes) in Aum Sharavanabhava ?
2) Why do you sing "Harey" in Jaya Jaya Padmanaabhanujesha when it is a song on Siva ? and dozens of other
Saahithyam Mangling related queries, I have also asked him why he kept people like Madurai Mani Iyer, Chembai, M.S.Gopalakrishnan, Karaikudi Mani and others away from my family. I have asked him why he was the sole voice which voted against M.D.Ramanathan when the others decided to award him the Sangeetha Kalanidhi.
His normal response would be "Vishesha prayogam" and an embarassed laugh for the music related stuff. And a deft change of subject for the other awkward questions. I wrote the Navarathri article when he was still Very much alive and continued to meet him and enjoy conversations with him till the end. And I respect his many many
abilities though not much as a tuner of other people's sahithyams, be it Maharaja's, Jayadeva's or Sadasiva Brahmendras. I guess tastes differ. (And if you care to check, you will see that I have uploaded the SAVERI version of Paripahi many many months ago on youtube while the recent Balamurali Sir version came as a total surprise even to me.)
As for people knowing or not knowing Maharaja.....I myself have seen a
hand written book owned by Balamurali Sir's Guru's Guru....Sir Susarla Dakshinamoorthy....which contained more than 35 compositions of Maharaja. And this was in Andhra Pradesh.....in 1890s. (Balamurali Sir still has
the book with him by the way.) Millions of people in the world may not have a clue about who Mozart was or
what amazing music he made. But then the loss would be purely theirs. Same with Maharaja. I will continue my
efforts to bring good music to lovers of good music and I also will continue to speak my mind. That is who and what I am. What you have written and how you have expressed yourself reveals what and who you are.
Dif'rent folks, dif'rent strokes, as I said. It takes all kinds to make the world. And I am grateful that I am the
kind who gets fantastic musicians to make wonderful music....and shares it with the rest of the world too. I can
only pray that my love for music itself will continue to give me the motivation to sit and upload further videos, thinking of the genuine lovers of music who watch and enjoy them, though I admit that the irritation brought about by one Gopalan can do a lot to curb said motivation. So "Cut the crap" yourself Gopalaa. Otherwise you
would be depriving a lot of listeners of a lot of good music. That wouldn't be very nice now, would it ?