Concerts at Mumbai

The Mumbai trip was eventful - two concerts at Vashi Fine Arts and Rasika Ranjani Sabha (Ghatkopar) respectively. Made it a point to sing something which I have not sung before in each of those concerts.

For the Vashi Fine Arts concert, I elaborated Janaranjani and sang one of my favorite kritis 'Naadaadina Maata' - this kriti I learnt from my guru Sri RK Srikantan sir many years ago. I can not forget the way he sang neraval for the line 'thalaku vachchina baadha' in class back then!! It had Musuri Subramanya Iyer stamped all over it!!!! So I sang this for the first time in a concert with raagam, neraval and swarams. Came off decently well. I also began the concert with a kriti which I had learnt years ago but had never sung in a concert - viz. - Bhavanutha.

For the Ghatkopar kutcheri, I elaborated, among other ragas, Abhogi - I have told myself so many times on the way to concerts to take up Abhogi but invariably would end up choosing its cousine Sri Ranjini due to various reasons...this time Abhogi it was!!! The kriti was again a first time for me as far as singing it in concerts is concerned - Sri Lakshmi Varaham - a beautiful kriti attributed to Muthuswami Dikshitar. It is most probably not a Dikshitar kriti as the raaga Abhogi does not exist in the Venkatamakhin Sampradaya.

The complete song lists of both concerts follows. I will post concert clippings soon.

5th September 2009 - Vashi Fine Arts,

Violin: Vidwan Sri Shivakumar Anantharaman

Mridangam: Vidwan Sri R Shankaranarayanan

1. era napai - todi varnam - adi - patnam subramanya iyer (S)
2. bhavanutha - mohana - adi - thyagaraja (S)
3. naadaadina maata - janaranjani - misra chapu - thyagaraja (R,N,S) at 'thalaku vachina baadha'
4. atukaaraadani - manoranjani - adi - thyagaraja
5. balagopala - bhairavi - adi - muthuswami dikshitar (R,N,S) at 'drona karna'
6. madhava mamava - neelambari - adi - narayana theertha
7. aghalakillen enru - virutham - ragamalika - nammazhvar pasuram
8. srinivasa thiruvenkata mudaiyan -hamsanandi - adi - papanasam sivan
9. misc. tukkudas

6th September 2009 - Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Ghatkopar,

Violin: Vidwan Sri R Madhavan

Mridangam: Vidwan Sri R Shankaranarayanan
Morsing: Vidwan Sri R Venkatesh

1. vanajaksi - kalyani varnam - khanda ata - pallavi gopalayyar
2. aparadhamulanorva - rasali - adi - thyagaraja (S)
3. sri lakshmi varaham - abhogi - adi - muthuswami dikshitar (R,S) at 'pankajasaana pramukha sevitham'
4. ennaga manasukurani - neelambari - adi - thyagaraja
5. tholi nenu jesina - kokiladhwani - adi - thyagaraja
6. ksheenamai - mukhari - adi - thyagaraja (R,N,S)
7. cheli nenetlu - paras - javali - adi
8. rathnakaroshti sadanam - shloka - ragamalika - adi
9. govardhana giridhara - darbari kanada - adi - narayana theertha
10. misc tukkudas

Photos are courtesy my good friend and veteran rasika Sri Hariharan Sankaran.