Vijay Siva and his "UA" Concert in Vani Mahal

N Vijay Siva

Manoj Siva

Charumathy raguram

Chandrasekhar Sharma-Ghatam

Date 20-12-2016

Thyaga brahma Gana Sabha

VS  has limited concerts this time.  He has decided not to perform in Music Academy,  MFAC,  NGS.  I thought of attending some of his concerts as he is always the best in “deliverables” of pure CM

Interesting point needs to be mentioned here.  Those who did not attend were fortunate.   In the name of innovation, in line TM Krishna , he started one new “concept’ in this concert, which went  “ugly

Let us see the list

·         DarbAr- varnam

·         Dinamani vamsa-Harikambodhi- (N) in sharva vinuta nanu”  and (S) in dinamani vamsa

·         Gowlipantu ragam for 3 minute s followed by “teradee yagarAda”  (T)

·         Bilahari-Sub main- shrI bAlasubrahmaNyA agacchAgragaNya-MD-  N in  AbAla gOpA vidita dInasharaNya- (S)

·         mAyammA-Ahiri-Shyama sastri

·         MadhyamAvathy-rAgam- SaravaNa bhava guhanE- P.Sivan

N in “annaiyOdu thandhai nee….. nambinEnE”

·         Bairavi- RTP- Kanta jati triupta-  pallavi line “ ஆனந்த நடனம் ஆடும் சபை, சித்சபை, ரவி சந்திர அக்னி நயனன்” followed in gowda malhar, vasantha bairavi.

·         Tani

·         jAvali-samamidhE rArA swami- PSI

·         Adu rAttE- nAmakkal rAmalingam pillai- behag and few other rAgAs

·         mahAyOga pEEtE- virutham- “pandarEEchA”- PahAdi  (Raga set by Violinist R.K.Sriramkumar)

·         iyal isai- husEni-Tiruppugaz-ArunagirinAthar.

·         Mangalam

Whenever I leave VS’ concert, I feel so sorry for the great musician who has been deprived of (now or never, I don’t know.  In my opinion, those who are not performing in MA will not get Sangeetha Kalanidhi (SK), the coveted SK.   He deserves it and his photo needs to be placed among the giants in MA wall. 

Just folding his hands, (like a student in front of the teacher (those days)), his control over the rAga, at any level, is amazing.  Though his bairavi RTP (was taken at 7.55 PM) was short,  his rendition was top class.   Any  rAgA for that sake.   He encouraged his two disciples to render some  swarA portion  in RtP and they did admirably well.    During the concert,  CR’s violin strings got detached and she took some time to repair it. VS filled beautifully that gap by rendering the rAgA.

Even in Parthasarathy sabha concert,  his tOdi, followed by   “Sri krishnam bhaja mAnasa” was the best of tOdi, I heard in recent times.  With Trichy Sankaran (in PSS), he created an aura of beautiful music around us.

Manoj Siva & CSS are one of the top 5 pairs to watch.  Together they perform well.  Understanding and execution are perfect sync.

Violinist does  not need any appreciation.  At this young age, her talent is exemplary.

Let me come to the main point.  VS had two screens ,as you see in Corporate Board Rooms, on both his sides.   When I entered the hall, I was surprised to see the screens,  the words of his song  appear in the screens in Tamil and meaning in English.   I thought  the sabhA  has fixed it for all the concerts for the rasikAs to know the rAgAs and the kritis and of course, meaning.  Later, I came to know that is the produce of VS.

It was new to me and though I enjoyed it initially and after some time, I felt irritation for the following reasons:

·         The font size is not uniform and sometimes, I don’t see what is written in English, sitting in the second row.

·         I don’t want to know the meaning of any of the kritis as I have listened these kritis, so far, without knowing the meaning.   If you ask me, what is the meaning  “dinamani vamsa”,  I don’t know even today, though, I have heard this song at least 50 times.   I know only the news paper “dina mani”

·         Even if the rAgA identification sake,  those rasikAs in Vani mahAl, definitely knows,  madhymavathi and bairavi.  This does not need any screen

·         It is a distraction for me from listening the music.

·         The good part is, meaning of mAyamma and abhang (pahadi), as appeared in the screen was very good and really made me to appreciate the composers.  Some tamil words need correction like  காமாக்க்ஷி

All well, now come to  climax.

·         When jAvali was sung by VS, he also tried to show the meaning in the SCREEN.  All of us know about jAvali and the meaning.  It is better not to sing in concert and even one sings, not to discuss the meaning.

·         It was so bad on the part of VS to show the English translations like “my husband is not there’, my father in law is also not there”, you e…..ed me, last night….etc….

·         I was shocked to see the lines and even the violinist was so embarrassed along with other artists.  It was very disturbing for the rasikAs.   The “project”  was managed by two young girls and one boy.  (at the end, I talked to them, in general).  I don’t know how these kids felt.

I don’t want to tell more about this, but, this is not in good taste that to from a senior artist VS.   His guru DKJ would not have agreed for this.  

I thought for a while whether it is “UA” certifed CM Concert !!!!