Concert with Sri Guruvayur Dorai

I have been unable to update my blog regularly. Anyway, this was one concert which I definitely wouldn't miss writing about.

Sri Guruvayur Dorai accompanied me on the mridangam for a concert on the 2nd of September, 2007 at Bangalore. Sri Balu Raghuram played the violin. It was a revelation of sorts to sing with a mridangam vidwan who has over six decades of experience!! He was gracious enough to appreciate and encourage me. 

The song list is as follows:

1) viriboni - bhairavi - khanda ata tala - adi appayya
2) deva deva kalayami - maya malavagowla - rupaka - swati tirunal (N,S)
3) chedey budhdhi - atana - adi - thyagaraja (S)
4) eti janmamidhi - varali - misra chapu - thyagaraja (R,N,S)
5) parvati ninnu - kalgada - adi tala trisra nadai - shyama shastry
6) sri subramanyaya namaste - kambhoji - rupaka - dikshitar (R,N,S) + thani
7) jagadodharana - kapi - adi - purandaradasa
8) irakkam varamal - behag - rupaka - gopalakrishna bharathi
9) tillana - purna chandrika - adi -  poochi srinivasa iyengar
10) mangalam

Dorai mama's accompaniment especially for 'Parvati ninnu ne' and 'Sri Subramanyaya Namaste' is something that would be permanently etched in my mind.  He reminisced later that it was the Naina Pillai school which popularised the Kalgada composition. I was very eager to sing Jagadodharana because I had learnt the song listening to an MSS tape in which Dorai mama had played.  Irakkam Varamal is one of Dorai mama's favorite pieces and it was a pleasure hearing him virtually sing it on his mridangam.

After the concert was over, Dorai mama and I were talking and he said something which I would never forget. He said that after playing the mridangam for over 60 years, it is only now that he is happy with what he is playing!!! 

To me, this was a gentle reminder that the journey has barely begun...