[ Courtesy: Ganesh-Goddesses-New-Year-2013-HD-Wallpapers ]
We bring you our warm Greetings of the Season and Sincere Wishes for a Very Happy 2013!
We thought we will feature this time a lovely concert held in "Parvathi" in 2005 of Vidushi M.S. Sheela.
We thought we will feature this time a lovely concert held in "Parvathi" in 2005 of Vidushi M.S. Sheela.
The following review of the Music comes to us from Sri R. Sachi ....
" Vid. Sheela is very well known in Carnatic music circles for many years now. She features in prime time slots in big music festivals in the company of well-known accompanists. She has performed in Parvathi festivals four times so far, including in this year’s Puttu Rao Memorial festival.
Hailing from a musically endowed family, Vid. Sheela sang her first notes under the guidance of her mother late Smt M N Rathna, a popular musician of yesteryears. Strict and rigorous training under Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr R K Srikantan added lustre to her musical prowess. She has a postgraduate degree in Music from Bangalore University, and is a Gold medallist.
We quote a critic who heard her many years ago:
We quote a critic who heard her many years ago:
"This disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi R K Srikantan has learnt kritis with purity of padanthara and attention to bhava that her rendering of Dikshitar classic "Madhurambikayam" (Hemavathi) touched one's heart. Later, her detailed sketch of Sankarabharanam had a diaphanous harmony that brought out the leonine character of this raga - both in the middle register and the top one - her melody enveloping herself and the audience in a warm embrace. "Enduku Peddalavale", the Tyagaraja masterpiece was striking, in the panoply of moving sahitya, raga enchantment and intellectual application."
- K S Mahadevan, The Indian Express, Chennai, December 18, 1997.
Here, Vid. Sheela has given a most delectable concert effortlessly. To this writer, her singing style is unique in appearing to make classical singing so simple. No doubt that is the result of God’s gift of a voice with depth and range, a keen musical intellect, and excellent training. Her repertoire spans many great composers including Veene Sheshanna, Mysore Sadashiva Rao, Mysore Vasudevachar, Mysore Maharaja, and Dasasahitya, apart from the weighty compositions of the trinity.
The highlights of this concert, with enthusiastic accompaniment by Mysore H.N. Bhaskar on the violin and Vid. Krishna on the mridangam (also Vid. Manjunath on the ghatam) are Lathangi and Bhairavi.
Lathangi is according to “A Raga’s Journey”, a sweet and sour raga. Lathangi could invoke in one’s mind images of a tribal tableau during the Republic Day Parade, showcasing grass-skirted, feather-crowned dancers from the North East, sporting bows and arrows. It is enchanting as well as intriguing. Its instant charm is not without reason. It poses challenges to musicians as this melakarta is quite gingerly positioned with just one-note variations from the scales of popular mainstream ragas like Pantuvarali, Simhendramadhyama and Kalyani. In the words of Prof. S. R. Janakiraman, “when you sing the Chatushruthi Rishabha in Lathangi, you should immediately bring in Anthara Gandhara and Shuddha Dhaivata, to ward off Kamavardhini (Pantuvarali), Kalyani and Simhendramadhyama, as the three fellows will be waiting to seek entrance...” Maybe for these reasons, Lathangi is sparingly attempted by less-than perfect singers. There are also only 11 krithis listed in Lathangi in a popular compilation as compared to 144 krithis in Kalyani!
Here, in this concert, Vid. Sheela seems to thrive as she unfolds the raga and sings Marivere by Patnam Subramanya Iyer, with élan. Then comes Bhairavi. Upacharamu, a classic composition of Thyagaraja, receives royal treatment. She elaborates the raga and also does great niraval and swara prasthara at “Kapatanatakasutradhari”. Bhaskar’s responses, as well as the following tani by Krishna and Manjunath, show how she has built up the tempo in the concert and inspired them.
The closing items in Janasammodini and Pilu establish a clear position in our minds of a great artiste with mastery over the Carnatic idiom in both classic and devotional segments.
So let us welcome 2013 in a fitting way, listening to Vid. M.S. Sheela and her ensemble! "
The highlights of this concert, with enthusiastic accompaniment by Mysore H.N. Bhaskar on the violin and Vid. Krishna on the mridangam (also Vid. Manjunath on the ghatam) are Lathangi and Bhairavi.
Lathangi is according to “A Raga’s Journey”, a sweet and sour raga. Lathangi could invoke in one’s mind images of a tribal tableau during the Republic Day Parade, showcasing grass-skirted, feather-crowned dancers from the North East, sporting bows and arrows. It is enchanting as well as intriguing. Its instant charm is not without reason. It poses challenges to musicians as this melakarta is quite gingerly positioned with just one-note variations from the scales of popular mainstream ragas like Pantuvarali, Simhendramadhyama and Kalyani. In the words of Prof. S. R. Janakiraman, “when you sing the Chatushruthi Rishabha in Lathangi, you should immediately bring in Anthara Gandhara and Shuddha Dhaivata, to ward off Kamavardhini (Pantuvarali), Kalyani and Simhendramadhyama, as the three fellows will be waiting to seek entrance...” Maybe for these reasons, Lathangi is sparingly attempted by less-than perfect singers. There are also only 11 krithis listed in Lathangi in a popular compilation as compared to 144 krithis in Kalyani!
Here, in this concert, Vid. Sheela seems to thrive as she unfolds the raga and sings Marivere by Patnam Subramanya Iyer, with élan. Then comes Bhairavi. Upacharamu, a classic composition of Thyagaraja, receives royal treatment. She elaborates the raga and also does great niraval and swara prasthara at “Kapatanatakasutradhari”. Bhaskar’s responses, as well as the following tani by Krishna and Manjunath, show how she has built up the tempo in the concert and inspired them.
The closing items in Janasammodini and Pilu establish a clear position in our minds of a great artiste with mastery over the Carnatic idiom in both classic and devotional segments.
So let us welcome 2013 in a fitting way, listening to Vid. M.S. Sheela and her ensemble! "
Concert Details
M.S. Sheela -Vocal
H.N. Bhaskar - Violin
V. Krishna -Mridangam
Manjunath -Ghatam
Held in Parvathi Ramanavami festival, April 20, 2005.
Song List
01. Kambhoji Ata tala Varnam – Swathi Thirunal *** 02. Gananathaya – Gowla- Ambi Dikshitar *** 03. Soagasuga – Sriranjani – Thyagaraja *** 04. Marivere – Lathangi – Patnam Subramanya Iyer *** 05. Sogasujuda – Kannadagaula – Thyagaraja*** 06. Intakante – Kannada – Patnam Subramanya Iyer*** 07. Paripahimam – Shubhapantuvarali – Mysore Vasudevacharya *** 08. Upacharamu – Bhairavi – Thyagaraja ***09. Tani*** 10. Shloka – Hamsanandi, Janasammodini *** 11. Ramamantrava Japiso – Janasammodini – Purandara dasa *** 12. Karuna Jaladhe – Pilu – Traditional *** 13. Sitakalyana – Kurinji – Thyagaraja *** 14. Mangalam ***
M.S. Sheela -Vocal
H.N. Bhaskar - Violin
V. Krishna -Mridangam
Manjunath -Ghatam
Held in Parvathi Ramanavami festival, April 20, 2005.
Song List
01. Kambhoji Ata tala Varnam – Swathi Thirunal *** 02. Gananathaya – Gowla- Ambi Dikshitar *** 03. Soagasuga – Sriranjani – Thyagaraja *** 04. Marivere – Lathangi – Patnam Subramanya Iyer *** 05. Sogasujuda – Kannadagaula – Thyagaraja*** 06. Intakante – Kannada – Patnam Subramanya Iyer*** 07. Paripahimam – Shubhapantuvarali – Mysore Vasudevacharya *** 08. Upacharamu – Bhairavi – Thyagaraja ***09. Tani*** 10. Shloka – Hamsanandi, Janasammodini *** 11. Ramamantrava Japiso – Janasammodini – Purandara dasa *** 12. Karuna Jaladhe – Pilu – Traditional *** 13. Sitakalyana – Kurinji – Thyagaraja *** 14. Mangalam ***
