The Doyen at Parvathi - Vid. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, 1978

Excerpts from the Doyen's Concert

1978 Sri Ramanavami Concert

Vid. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer - Vocal

Vid. T. Rukmini - Violin

Vid. Tanjore Upendran - Mridangam

Vid. Ramachar - Khanjira

Vidwan Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer strode the Carnatic scene for about 80 years as a colossus with his hugely charismatic and energetic vocal style that earned him the Sangeetha Kalanidhi when he was just 39. He had musical lineage and shone brightly as a torch-bearer for an energetic Carnatic music style that perhaps dominated the minds of students of Carnatic music who subsequently rose to become stars. His legion of Bhaktas included great singers like Vid. MSS herself, and instrumentalists like Vid. T.N. Krishnan and Vid. Vellore Ramabhadran and so on. Vid. Semmangudi also gave us his unforgettable musical creations through tuning a major portion of King Swathi Thirunal's compositions. The music and sahitya that came together in the final body of work made Swathi Thirunal a unique composer in Carnatic music.  

The home of Parvathi played host to the doyen many times. We have managed to retrieve for the Finale excerpts from his concert in 1978. He is ably assisted by Vid. T. Rukmini and Vid. Tanjore Upendran and Vid. Ramachar. The musical value of these excerpts is immense as it celebrates the coming together of two great personalities in Carnatic music - Vid. Semmangudi and Sri. K. Srikantiah.

Details (Parvathi Sri Ramanavami festival, 21.4.1978)

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer – Vocal

T.Rukmini - Violin
Tanjore Upendran – Mridangam

H.P. Ramachar - Khanjira

Song List in the Excerpts

01. Enduku Nirdaya - Hari Kambhoji - Thyagaraja *** 02.     Nannu Kanna Talli - Sindhu Kannada - Thyagaraja *** 03. Ksheenamai - Mukhari - Thyagaraja *** 04. Ramachandrena Samrakshitoham - Manji - Muthuswami Dikshitar *** 05. Rama Jogi - Khamach - Bhadrachala Ramadas 06. Shloka Ragamalika - Kharaharapriya, Varali, Bilahari, Saveri, Keeravani, Kapi ***. 07. Parulannamata - Javali - Kapi *** 08. Sapashyat Kausalya - Jaunpuri - Panchapakesha Shastri

A Vibrant Musician from Andhra – Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana

The year 2013 has witnessed already the passing of many doyens of Carnatic music. Vid. Satyanarayana passed away recently and we quote excerpts from The Hindu below.

Mahamahopadhyaya Padma Bhushan Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana was born in 1923 at Anakapalle in Andhra Pradesh. Nookala was spotted as a young talent and came under the initial guidance of Vid. Balamuralikrishna’s father, Vid. Mangalampalli Pattabhiramayya. At Vizianagaram he learned to play the violin from renowned musician Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu. But the influence of Dr. Pinakapani made him take up Carnatic vocal. Nookala’s personality changed as a musician under Dr. Pinakapani’s tutelage.

Over the years, Nookala became an icon in the field of Carnatic vocal. His analytical approach to music was stupendous and he passed on the same to his students, making their knowledge of musical science complete. Ahead of his times, Nookala was engaged in comparative studies of western and Hindustani music, and was an active author and even teacher on Skype to his overseas students.

Sri K. Srikantiah draws our attention to a special quality of attractiveness in Nookala’s music and also his impeccable diction in Telugu and other languages. Indeed Nookala is a vibrant musician from the great land of Andhra Pradesh.

In this concert, we also feature Vid. M. A. Krishnamurthy on the Ghatam. This artiste also passed away recently. He was a very popular ghatam artiste and played with all the stalwarts of Carnatic music. Trained under Vid. P.G. Lakshminarayana, he played the mridangam as well as ghatam.

Sri K. Srikantiah recalls fondly his association with Parvathi and mentions that he must have performed over 60 times in Parvathi concerts over many decades. Vid. Krishnamurthy also served as a staff artiste on AIR, Bangalore.

Vid. Krishnamurthy’s cheerful presence on the concert stage will be missed by many.

The other stars featured in this concert are Vid. Palghat Raghu and Vid. T. Rukmini.

CONCERT DETAILS

Parvathi Ramanavami Concert, Mysore (12 April 1976)
Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana ------ vocal
T.Rukmini ------------------ Violin
Palghat Raghu ------------ Mridangam
M.A.Krishnamurthy ------------ Ghatam

SONG LIST

01. Vatapi –Hamsadhvani- Muthuswami Dikshitar 02. Bantureethi – Hamsanada – Thyagaraja *** 03. Brovabhaarama – Bahudaari – Thyagaraja *** 04. Nee pogadakunte- Shubhapantuvarali – Thyagaraja *** 05. Anaathudanu kaanu – Jingla – Thyagaraja *** 06. Ranganaathude – Sowrashtra –Ponniah Pillai *** 07. Kaddanu variki – Todi – Thyagaraja *** 08. Undedi Ramudu- Harikambhoji – Thyagaraja *** 09.Chellare – Ahiri – Thyagaraja *** 10. Ramakatha Sudha – Madhuvanti – Thyagaraja *** 11. Sri Ramachandra Kripalu – Tulsidas Bhajan *** 12. Kapi Madhuripunaa – Jayadeva Ashtapadi *** 13. Dooru Maduvarene – Behag – Purandara dasa ***

The cool breeze from Kerala’s climes – Flute Vidwan K.S. Gopalakrishnan

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.

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 ]

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.