Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Links and Connections

With howling winds and frigid temperatures, I feel like I am living in an Arctic tundra or in a Siberain gulag. Then I listen to music (thanks to Chennai music season), and I feel that I am transported to tropical paradises of Bora Bora and Tahiti! - Such is the power of music. Even though I am not well versed in music and cannot appreciate the subtle nuances, I am grateful I can appreciate music at all and that appreciation fills me with happiness. Here are some of the links where you can listen to the current music season.

Markashi Mahotsavam (Jaya TV broadcat)
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Vishnu, a student of RPI and Albany Medical College gave a concert in Boston. He has uploaded his concerts here - Fall 2009 AASAI Benefit Concert

Dr. Nalini, one of Pallavi's board members and an accomplished vocalist, is giving concerts in Pune and Delhi (places in India where Ghazal experts gather and exhange notes).

Mrs. Vidya Subramnian, accomplished musician, music teacher and a student of Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman, gave a fine concert during the Vaikunta Ekadesi Celebrations in Hindu Temple in Albany - She sang quite a few songs from Tiruppavai. In case you missed hearing that concert, Vidya has a website where you can hear her singing - Link to Thiruppavai Songs
(Towards the end of the page you will see the renditions)

Students of Smt Kiranavali (She gave a concert in Oct 2004 in Pallavi - Saint Purandaradasa Day COncert) giving a concert for Sruti, Philadelphia - singing three of Shyama Sastry's swarajathi.


Kamakshi - Yadukulakambhoji - Part 1



Kamakshi - Yadukulakambhoji - Part 2



Rave himagiri - Todi



Kamakshi - Bhairavi - Part 1



Kamakshi - Bhairavi - Part 2




At this year's Navaratri festival in Wesleyan, there is again a fine rendition of one of Kamalamba Navaavarna kritis - Kamalamba Samraksatu
Embedded video



If you want to listen to behind the scenes of the Madras Music season (what is the current, who is better TMK or Sanjay or is it fusion or confusion or which sabha canteen is best and to read the opinions of well informed rasikas), please take a look at http://www.rasikas.org

We miss our Music Guru Sri P.N. Krishnamurthy who passed away earlier this year. If you want to write about him, please express your feelings in http://rasikas.org/forum/topic11395-end-of-an-era-shri-pnkrishnamoorthy.html (You have to register to write - but registration is fairly straightforward)

Happy Listening

Moorthy (Mukkai S. Krishnamoorthy)

1 comment:

  1. Hi,
    The Margazhi Mahotsavam is becoming enjoyable year after year. The 'theme-based' program this year left me in utter amazement!
    T.M.Krishna's theme of 'Bhakti' was suspense until the very end. He covered 'love' (kadhal), 'nature', 'Joy', 'The Lord', etc., and his elucidation that 'every second of what I sing is nothing but Bhakti' brought out the very essence of Carnatic classical music. The best I liked was when he elaborated about ‘brain-drain in music’. His belief is that ‘the moment mind loses creativity, brain-drain begins’. His rendering of Kalyani this time was simply 'Celestial'. The Bharatiyar song ‘Chinnan chiru kiliye’ in the creative combination of ‘Salagam, Hamirkalyani, Kharaharapriya, Bhairavi, Salagam’ was an exquisite feast!

    Aruna Sayeeram's theme of 'Mother' made the audience very emotional and I could see several of the audience wiping tears!!! With a unique voice of her own, all her songs were on 'Ambal'.
    Unnikrishnan literally took me on a free ride to all the ‘Kshethras’. It was a

    Ranjani-Gayathri, apart from a terrific performance impressed me with a demo of difference between ‘Sudhdha Saveri’ and ‘Durga’.

    Sowmya's theme of 'folk-and-classical' was superlative. Her rendering of 'Enthaninne - Mukhari' although perfect, could have been a little slower. In my opinion, classical Mukhari is more enjoyable in a slower gathi. Her explanation of subtle differences and unique prayogas of the same raga in classical and folk, with examples, was truly enjoyable.

    I was recently in NJ at the CMANA competitions, where I understood that kids belonging to grade 5 are ‘Chennai bound’ for the Margazhi Mahotsavam to give concerts at the ‘Nageswarao Park’ location.

    Rajan.

    ReplyDelete