Junior Subbudu
a mail from a friend
சுமார் ஒரு வருடத்துக்கு முன்பு வரையிலும், ராகாகியிலும், மரத்தடியிலும் இசை விமர்சனம் எழுதிக் கொண்டிருந்த லலிதராயர் என்கிற ராமை, புதிதாக தமிழ் இணையத்துக்கு வந்த நண்பர்களுக்கு எத்தனை பேருக்குத் தெரியும் என்று தெரியவில்லை. சமீபத்தில் தான் படிப்பை முடித்து விட்டு, பெங்களூரில் வேலைக்குச் சேர்ந்திருக்கிறார். ரொம்ப வெவரமானவர். வேலை நேரத்தில், வேலையை செய்வதை விடுத்து தமிழில் எழுதுவது, படிப்பது போன்ற 'அடாஸ்' வேலைகளை செய்யமாட்டேன் என்று சொல்கிற அளவுக்கு தொழில் பக்தி கொண்டவர். முதல் மாச சம்பளம் வந்தோடனே, கம்ப்யூட்டர் வாங்கி, மீண்டும் ஜோதியில் கலந்து கொள்கிறேன் என்று அஞ்சு மாசமாகச் சொல்லிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். நம்ம ஊர் இசையைப் பற்றி யாராவது (விஷயம் தெரியாமல்) கோக்கு மாக்காகப் பேசினால் போட்டு கிழித்து விடுவார். . அன்னாருடன், அவ்வபோது இளையராஜா, ஏ.ஆர்.ரஹ்மான், எல்.சுப்ரமணியம், எஸ்.பி.பி , ஓ.எஸ்.தியாகராஜனின் கான்சர்ட் என்று நானும் இன்னும் சில நண்பர்களும், நேரிலும் மடல்களிலும் கதைப்பது வழக்கம். அப்படியாகப் பட்ட ஒரு சுவாரசியமான விமர்சன மடலை ( அவருடைய அனுமதியோடு) இங்கே பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறேன்.
Hi Prakash/Era.Murugan sir,
Hope everything fine at ur end. Life is fine here. I'm learning a lot at work. The good part is, my work isn't too demanding that it affects my music listening. There is atleast 1 concert at some part of bangalore every weekend, so that keeps me busy during weekends.
Out of several concerts I attended after coming here, I've become a big fan of O.S.Thyagarajan. He seems to be pretty consistent and offers a good variety songs with commendable diction and above all his music is free from gimmicks. This weekend I attended his concert. He started of with a sahana varnam and sang a brief sketch of kalyani. When he started kalyaNi, I was 200% sure that he was going to sing 'amma raavammaa'.(ofcourse it must have been an Alathur influence). I was eagerly waiting for a neraval at "tAmarasadaLa nEtri" but he disappointed me by going onto finish the song and started singing kalpana swarams at the pallavi.
A crisp aarabhi followed the kalyani. "Chuthaa muraarE" was sung with its typical briga-oriented sangatis. It was rounded off with a few rounds of crisp kalpana-swarams.
The highlight was the concert was the VaraLi aalapanai. His detailed exploration set a meditative mood and the adhi-vilamba kaala shayama shashtri krithi "kamakshi" was very apt. He sang neraval at "sukha shyamaLE shivashankari". The interesting part in that line was "shyamaLE" fell at the samam of the misra-chapu thaaLam. The offset eduppu was slightly tricky to handle, which OST managed to do commendably. Usually when people sing swarams and do a kuraippu, they revert back the kuraippu to samam. I've heard even OST sing that way. However, this concert being organised by percussive arts association of bangalore, he sang the kuraippu at the same off-set idam. There were several complex laya-oriented kalpana-swarams soaked with the bhaavam of varaaLi, which was a real delight for the listener.
After the varaLi, he immedietly took up the main raga, bhairavi, for exploration. Initially he was singing typical bhairavi phrases, however dint deal it elaborately. After the violinists crisp response, OST's second innings was perfectly paced and created several beautiful contours of the brilliant raga. He took up "upacharmulanu" (I have not heard anyone except GNB sing this song). It would be needless to say he sang tremendously well.
A few interesting points...
A 70-yr. old bangalore veteran one Mr. Anand (or ananthan) played with tremendous enthusiasm. A young kanjira player matched the veteran stroke to stroke. I personally think that a mridangam player's calibre comes out not on how he plays thani but how he accompanies for a krithi. In this concert, the mridangist was extremely pro-active, infact in some cases he played a few sangathis which OST followed. His anticipation during swara-prastharam was also impeccable.
I enjoyed the concert every bit. I thought I would share my experience with you. There was nothing flashy or extra-ordinary in the concert. It was just a simple case of choosing the right songs and singing it in the right way.
regards,
Ram.
சுமார் ஒரு வருடத்துக்கு முன்பு வரையிலும், ராகாகியிலும், மரத்தடியிலும் இசை விமர்சனம் எழுதிக் கொண்டிருந்த லலிதராயர் என்கிற ராமை, புதிதாக தமிழ் இணையத்துக்கு வந்த நண்பர்களுக்கு எத்தனை பேருக்குத் தெரியும் என்று தெரியவில்லை. சமீபத்தில் தான் படிப்பை முடித்து விட்டு, பெங்களூரில் வேலைக்குச் சேர்ந்திருக்கிறார். ரொம்ப வெவரமானவர். வேலை நேரத்தில், வேலையை செய்வதை விடுத்து தமிழில் எழுதுவது, படிப்பது போன்ற 'அடாஸ்' வேலைகளை செய்யமாட்டேன் என்று சொல்கிற அளவுக்கு தொழில் பக்தி கொண்டவர். முதல் மாச சம்பளம் வந்தோடனே, கம்ப்யூட்டர் வாங்கி, மீண்டும் ஜோதியில் கலந்து கொள்கிறேன் என்று அஞ்சு மாசமாகச் சொல்லிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். நம்ம ஊர் இசையைப் பற்றி யாராவது (விஷயம் தெரியாமல்) கோக்கு மாக்காகப் பேசினால் போட்டு கிழித்து விடுவார். . அன்னாருடன், அவ்வபோது இளையராஜா, ஏ.ஆர்.ரஹ்மான், எல்.சுப்ரமணியம், எஸ்.பி.பி , ஓ.எஸ்.தியாகராஜனின் கான்சர்ட் என்று நானும் இன்னும் சில நண்பர்களும், நேரிலும் மடல்களிலும் கதைப்பது வழக்கம். அப்படியாகப் பட்ட ஒரு சுவாரசியமான விமர்சன மடலை ( அவருடைய அனுமதியோடு) இங்கே பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறேன்.
Hi Prakash/Era.Murugan sir,
Hope everything fine at ur end. Life is fine here. I'm learning a lot at work. The good part is, my work isn't too demanding that it affects my music listening. There is atleast 1 concert at some part of bangalore every weekend, so that keeps me busy during weekends.
Out of several concerts I attended after coming here, I've become a big fan of O.S.Thyagarajan. He seems to be pretty consistent and offers a good variety songs with commendable diction and above all his music is free from gimmicks. This weekend I attended his concert. He started of with a sahana varnam and sang a brief sketch of kalyani. When he started kalyaNi, I was 200% sure that he was going to sing 'amma raavammaa'.(ofcourse it must have been an Alathur influence). I was eagerly waiting for a neraval at "tAmarasadaLa nEtri" but he disappointed me by going onto finish the song and started singing kalpana swarams at the pallavi.
A crisp aarabhi followed the kalyani. "Chuthaa muraarE" was sung with its typical briga-oriented sangatis. It was rounded off with a few rounds of crisp kalpana-swarams.
The highlight was the concert was the VaraLi aalapanai. His detailed exploration set a meditative mood and the adhi-vilamba kaala shayama shashtri krithi "kamakshi" was very apt. He sang neraval at "sukha shyamaLE shivashankari". The interesting part in that line was "shyamaLE" fell at the samam of the misra-chapu thaaLam. The offset eduppu was slightly tricky to handle, which OST managed to do commendably. Usually when people sing swarams and do a kuraippu, they revert back the kuraippu to samam. I've heard even OST sing that way. However, this concert being organised by percussive arts association of bangalore, he sang the kuraippu at the same off-set idam. There were several complex laya-oriented kalpana-swarams soaked with the bhaavam of varaaLi, which was a real delight for the listener.
After the varaLi, he immedietly took up the main raga, bhairavi, for exploration. Initially he was singing typical bhairavi phrases, however dint deal it elaborately. After the violinists crisp response, OST's second innings was perfectly paced and created several beautiful contours of the brilliant raga. He took up "upacharmulanu" (I have not heard anyone except GNB sing this song). It would be needless to say he sang tremendously well.
A few interesting points...
* He sang just 5 songs (including the varnam) in 2.5 hours. Which is a rarity in present day concerts.
* Out of the 5 songs he showed great variety by singing song set in Adi, rupakam, kanda-chapu and misra-chaapu.
* Although the eduppus for the swarams was off-set, he dint sing it in such a way that people were stumped by the laya-oriented swarams, instead his sweara singing was effortless yet complex, with subtle intricacies without giving away on the melody of the raga.
* A special mention must be given to the Thani.
A 70-yr. old bangalore veteran one Mr. Anand (or ananthan) played with tremendous enthusiasm. A young kanjira player matched the veteran stroke to stroke. I personally think that a mridangam player's calibre comes out not on how he plays thani but how he accompanies for a krithi. In this concert, the mridangist was extremely pro-active, infact in some cases he played a few sangathis which OST followed. His anticipation during swara-prastharam was also impeccable.
I enjoyed the concert every bit. I thought I would share my experience with you. There was nothing flashy or extra-ordinary in the concert. It was just a simple case of choosing the right songs and singing it in the right way.
regards,
Ram.
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