The year is 1976, Parvathi is again celebrating the Ramanavami music festival. A grand pandal is in place, and fills every evening with crowds eager to soak up truly classical music. And on this day, Lord Rama and his devotees decide to enjoy some flute music.
The tender breeze that prefaces the onset of monsoon is specially delightful in these idyllic parts of old Mysore state. It blows over the western ghats from Malabar, and in Sanskrit it is called Malayamaruta….
[ Courtesy: The Hindu ]
On this day in April 1976, the music blows across from the flute of Vidwan K.S. Gopalakrishnan. Vidwan KSG as many refer to him fondly, hails from Kerala and lives in Trivandrum. After initially impressing everyone with his vidwat on ample display in many memorable concerts, Vidwan KSG had turned reclusive and subsequently was not seen in the active Chennai concert circuit for reasons unknown. But many Carnatic aficionados have been blogging about his excellent music and also his wonderful serene personality. He seems to have made a deep impression among the cognoscenti.
Vidwan KSG reportedly had his initial training under his father, K.Shankaranarayana Iyer and later studied under K.Raghava Warrier of Thiruvananthapuram.
In this Parvathi concert from 34 years ago, a young Vidwan K.S. Gopalakrishnan is accompanied on the violin by Vidushi T. Rukmini, whom many consider Karnataka’s gift to Chennai. Over many decades, she has accompanied many stalwarts like Mali and Balamurali and younger vidwans like Gottuvadyam Ravikiran. In this concert, her violin has a limpid tonality and adds a very cheerful touch.
Vidwan Tanjore Upendran,, a southpaw, has enlivened the concert on the mridangam. He has a solid presence in all songs, especially brisk ones like Vathapi and Marivere in Lathangi, where again Vidwan KSG has played with a sparkle.
In the middle of the concert, Vidwan KSG takes up Kharaharapriya. To many of us, it seems that the Parijatha and Audambara trees in the Parvathi precincts harboured not only well-known gods but also the Raga Kharaharapriya. Almost every top artiste has exulted in presenting this wonderful raga in his or her Parvathi concert. Merely as an archive of the kaleidoscope of Kharaharapriya manodharma and its wide lyrical repertoire, this blog would occupy a great place in Carnatic music. Vidwan KSG’s elaborate Kharaharapriya and his delectable rendition of Raama nee samaanamevaru lasts nearly 60 minutes. Vidushi Rukmini gives an excellent swara response at the end of the song.
In this Parvathi concert from 34 years ago, a young Vidwan K.S. Gopalakrishnan is accompanied on the violin by Vidushi T. Rukmini, whom many consider Karnataka’s gift to Chennai. Over many decades, she has accompanied many stalwarts like Mali and Balamurali and younger vidwans like Gottuvadyam Ravikiran. In this concert, her violin has a limpid tonality and adds a very cheerful touch.
Vidwan Tanjore Upendran,, a southpaw, has enlivened the concert on the mridangam. He has a solid presence in all songs, especially brisk ones like Vathapi and Marivere in Lathangi, where again Vidwan KSG has played with a sparkle.
In the middle of the concert, Vidwan KSG takes up Kharaharapriya. To many of us, it seems that the Parijatha and Audambara trees in the Parvathi precincts harboured not only well-known gods but also the Raga Kharaharapriya. Almost every top artiste has exulted in presenting this wonderful raga in his or her Parvathi concert. Merely as an archive of the kaleidoscope of Kharaharapriya manodharma and its wide lyrical repertoire, this blog would occupy a great place in Carnatic music. Vidwan KSG’s elaborate Kharaharapriya and his delectable rendition of Raama nee samaanamevaru lasts nearly 60 minutes. Vidushi Rukmini gives an excellent swara response at the end of the song.
The Parvathi Concert
( Ramanavami Series April 11, 1976 )
Vidwan K.S Gopalakrishnan ---Flute
Vidushi T.Rukmini -----------Violin
Vidwan Tanjore Upendran -----Mridangam
Vidwan M.A.Krishnamurthy ----Ghatam
[ 01.Vathapi Ganapathim – Hamsadhvani – Muthuswami Dikshithar*** 02. Mokshamu galada – Saramathi – Thyagaraja *** 03. Marivere Dikkevvaru (first part) – Lathangi – Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer *** 04. Raama nee samaana– Kharaharapriya – Thyagaraja 05. Alasara paritapamu (padam)– Suruti – Swathi Thirunal*** 06. Marulu konnadira Javali – Khamach – Ramnad Srinivasa Iyengar*** 07. Piloo??? *** 08. Bhajan - Desh *** 09. Dhanashree Thillana – Swathi Thirunal 10. Mangalam ]
( Ramanavami Series April 11, 1976 )
Vidwan K.S Gopalakrishnan ---Flute
Vidushi T.Rukmini -----------Violin
Vidwan Tanjore Upendran -----Mridangam
Vidwan M.A.Krishnamurthy ----Ghatam
[ 01.Vathapi Ganapathim – Hamsadhvani – Muthuswami Dikshithar*** 02. Mokshamu galada – Saramathi – Thyagaraja *** 03. Marivere Dikkevvaru (first part) – Lathangi – Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer *** 04. Raama nee samaana– Kharaharapriya – Thyagaraja 05. Alasara paritapamu (padam)– Suruti – Swathi Thirunal*** 06. Marulu konnadira Javali – Khamach – Ramnad Srinivasa Iyengar*** 07. Piloo??? *** 08. Bhajan - Desh *** 09. Dhanashree Thillana – Swathi Thirunal 10. Mangalam ]
Acknowledging our Rasikas
Thanks to the keen interest evinced by 'Rasikas' towards the music brought forward from "Parvathi", the internet, somewhere, might have reached some sort of a critical mass bringing to its fold the attention of a reputed journalist of Mysore like Mr.M.R. Shivanna who wrote the following piece on July 21, 2010 in the popular paper The Star of Mysore. We are pleased to reproduce the article in our indebtedness to both the 'Rasikas' and to Mr.Shivanna.
Thanks to the keen interest evinced by 'Rasikas' towards the music brought forward from "Parvathi", the internet, somewhere, might have reached some sort of a critical mass bringing to its fold the attention of a reputed journalist of Mysore like Mr.M.R. Shivanna who wrote the following piece on July 21, 2010 in the popular paper The Star of Mysore. We are pleased to reproduce the article in our indebtedness to both the 'Rasikas' and to Mr.Shivanna.
