Sanjay Subramanyan- Sri. Tanjore Upendran Remembrance day- 24th July 2016

Tanjavur Upendran’s 25^th remembrance day was celebrated on 24^th July 2016 at NGS, Chennai.

Full credit to Neyveli narayanan and Murugabhoobhathi  for this whole day’s programme.  The stage itself was very beautiful,  Temple bell-like a set hanging above the stage-was something unique.  Disciples celebrating  “remembrance Day”  for their Guru at such a level is very appreciable.   As a left handed player, like pazhani, his photo itself, showing his left hand, was very majestic.

When I was entering the hall, stalwarts, Shri VVS, Karikudi mani, Sikkil baskaran and Smt. Vedavalli and 2 more people were at the stage and paying “huge’ tributes to TU. 

I could go to the evening session half an hour before Sanjay’s concert.  Sanjay’s concert started at 7.35, instead of the scheduled 7.15.  The concert, unusually, went upto 9.35.  After a longtime, I could listen to Sanjay’s  2 hours concert deviating from his customary 3 hours and more…..

Nagai Sriram

Srimushnam rajarao- mridhangam

S.Venkatraman

Sanjay, growing beard,  partially white, looked like kabAli star.  Immediately, I have a “kavidhai”

இவருடைய கச்சேரி என்றால் ஜாலி

தமிழை அழகுற தருவதில் அவர் இன்னொரு வாலி

அவரின் கற்பனை ஸ்வரங்களுக்கு ஏது வேலி

அவர் சங்கீத உலகின் கபாலி

--Sri ramya chittAlanAra swaroopa- JayamanOhari-Adi- Thyagarajar  (S)

It looked like sriranjani  intiatlly to me and I was wrong.

--kedhAram-rAgam for 1 minute-ThyagarAja Gurum AshrayE-MDR

Very melodius one,  lovely chittaiswaram.

--LathAngi-Sub-main- dinamE sudhinamU IsvarI kripa-  Neraval in “Sri Lathangi yani satatamu ninu kOri”        

   ThyAgarajar  (S)

Very interesting neraval.  Sanjay displayed all his “swara jAlam in lathAngi- Nagai Sriram equally carried that brilliantly.   This concert was supposed to have Nagai muralidharan, instead it was replaced by over by Nagain Sriram.   For me there is no difference, both the violinists are superb. 

Interesting note about this kriti is as per T.K.Govinda Rao’s book, this was not ThyAgarAja kriti.  When he started I thought this would be Badrachala armadas kriti, as later’s  kriti also starts with “dinamE”

There is a word “bhava sAgara” in this kriti.  Sanjay did a slow-“water fall like descending note in this, which was repeated in violin by NS.    “So delicious”

--Kambodhi-Main- rAsA vilAsa-Swathi TirunAl- (S)

What a rendition.  Full throat AlApana.  Sanjay’s full energy was displayed.  Excellent rendition.

-Adugalum mAdugalum azhagudaiya pariyum”- virutham  (must be Ahir bairavi).

“Nittham unnai tEdi manam ninaippathellAm poyyA- (Whose kriti)

The above kriti was never heard from Sanjay.  Though, it was nice,  some other virutham would have been better.

PavamAna

The crowd was 75% expecting some more (may be RTP). But he finished it in 2 hours.  May better luck next time.

Srimushnam rAja Rao- I think he was like TiruvArur bhakthavatsalam.  He was slapping, blasting the instrument.  If anyone went near to him that time, he would have slapped that person also.  I thought 

Mannargudi or his usual Neyveli would have been better …

Violin-Cool-Nagai  Sriram with his “killing smile” captured  the heart of full crowd with his instrument.

Tani was good.