A student’s experience from a Carnatic Concert

--------------------------    Abirami Srivatsan

 It was Monday, December 16th of 2024, the first day of Margazhi. The concert was at Krishna Gana Sabha at 4 pm by vidushis Nisha Rajagopalan and Amritha Murali. It was a brilliant concert, to say the least!

Every concert has a set synopsis namely the concert begins with a varnam and ends with a thukkada. Here too, Nisha and Amritha started with a varnam, a navaragamalika (a set of 9 ragas that begins with Kedaram and has Shankarabaranam, Kalyani, Begada, Kambhoji, Yadukula Kambhoji, Bilahari, Mohanam, and Sri) composed by Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer, known for his brilliant composition of many varnams. 

Moving further, a composition of  Shyama Shastri "Shankari Shankuru Chandramukhi" in the ragam Saveri and in Thishra Nadai was brought out very well and the neraval in the line "Shyama Krishna Sodari Shyamale Satodari" was amazing

The sub-main of the concert was Begada and a composition of Ramaswamy Sivan in Mishra chapu. The neraval was sung in the line "Kadaikaan Vaithennai Alamma," the Pallavi of the composition. Begada is a rakthi raga which needs many more hours of practice to present well in a concert and the singers did that well.

Before moving to the main, a short composition of Muthuswami Dikshithar in the raga Hamirkalyani ,"Parimala Ranganatham Bhajeham" following a viruttham was presented beautifully. 

The main of the day was Bhairavi and the composition is the magnum opus composition of Saint Thyagarajaswami - "Raksha pettare". The Neraval was brought beautifully in the line “Sangitapriya Thyagaraja” which is the charanam. 

A short RTP in the ragam Vakulabharanam was sung next. The Pallavi lines were “Kamala Vakula Maaladi Dharanam Yaadava Kulaabharanam Krishnam Kalaye.” This Pallavi was rendered in Thriputa jamba thalam. The ragamalika swarams were from the ragas like Umabharanam, Natabharanam, and Shankarabaranam. The notable fact is that the Pallavi is composed by another brilliant vidwan R K Shriramkumar. 

The concert ended with a composition of Purandaradasa in the raga Jaunpuri, “Hari Chitta Satya” and “Nirguna Niramaya” in the raga Yamankalyani followed by a viruttham from Thirumurai “Ulagelam Unarndu Odar Kariyavan.” The Mangalam was a composition of Bhadrachala Ramadas - “Ramachandraya Janaka Rajaja Manoharaya.” Vidwans Arjun Ganesh and Anirudh Athreya played very well throughout the concert. R K Shriramkumar’s magic in the RTP and Begada were the highlight of the concert.

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Margazhi Music & Marvellous Photo display at Narada Gana Sabha

'Madras, Margazhi & Music' by Amar Ramesh is a nostalgic series that captures the essence of Chennai’s Margazhi season. As part of Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB) Edition 4,  Amar Ramesh celebrates the city’s rich cultural heritage, offering viewers a unique lens into the traditional and modern facets of the Margazhi festivities.

Now, the Narada Gana Sabha facade has a stunning display of photographs of musicians put up by Amar Ramesh and his team. 

Photo by Vidhya Mahadevan

If you are at the venue, you may also buy a copy of a Coffee Table book with these amazing photos.

The exhibition is on from December 20, 2024 to February 3, 2025

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A pull at the heart strings Scintillating concert by Jayanthi Kumaresh

------------------------------   By Vidhya Mahadevan

When there is unison of creativity and technicality and the music is soul-filling, that is an ultimate concert experience and Jayanthi Kumaresh’s performance for Narada Gana Sabha’s Margazhi Festival exemplified this. 

Invoking Lord Ganesha, she began the concert with Gajananayutham in Chakravakam (Vegavahini in Dikshitar school) and added a rich garnish of swarams to enhance the composition. Pallavi Seshaiyer’s Entani vinnavintura in Urmika, a janya ragam of Simhendramadhyamam, followed. Her clarity in sangathis and the pace of the krithi brought out the beauty of the ragam very well. Jayanthi’s alapana of ragam Sama was a picture of serenity and calmness and led into Annapurne Visalakshi by Muthuswami Dikshitar in Adhi thalam. 

She next presented the 45th Melakartha ragam - Shubapanthuvarali. An artist shines when they lead the listener to look beyond just the notes and absorb the essence of the ragam in its entirety. Jayanthi’s incredible raga essay, the silence between the bhava-laden phrases and the poignant glides took us on a beautiful journey into the soul of the raga. Ennalu Urake, a nindha-stuti by Thiagaraja was the chosen kriti and her rendition conveyed the frustration expressed by the composer where he questions Rama for being so unconcerned. The detailed kalpana swarams and kuraippu was elevating. Her rendition of Papanasam Sivan’s Kapali in Mohanam provided a complete shift in the musicscape that she created. 

There are so many lessons to be learnt while listening to established artists and one of them is creating a song list which catered to various rasas and this concert’s repertoire addressed the key ones - bhakti, shanti and karuna rasa. 

She then presented a ragam, thanam and pallavi in ragam Bahudari. The garland of raga phrases woven together with soulful glides made for an impactful alapana. Her mastery over the instrument music was highlighted in her ragamalika thanam where she shifted the Gandharam from Bahudari (S G3 M1) by one note to Suddha Dhanyasi (S G2 M1) to Arabi (S R2 M1) and then to Saveri ( S R1 M1). The raga shifts were seamless and the kaleidoscopic rendition of thanam in varying speeds was spellbinding. A lilting pallavi and a melody-percussion dialog came next. Kalpana swarams came with the same Gandharam shift but with new ragams - from Bahudari (S G3 M1) to Varamu(S G2 M1), Brindavana Saranga (S R2 M1) and then to Revathi ( S R1 M1). 

Perform in an instrumental concert is much more challenging than a vocal concert, and both K.U. Jayachandra Rao on Mridangam and Trichy Krishnaswamy on Ghatam demonstrated their percussion expertise with this in mind, providing an exciting and sparkling thani avarthanam and allowing the tones of the veena to bloom during the krithis. 

Kanda Naal Mudhalai in Madhuvanti, Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Thillana in Khamas and Kamakshi Lokasakshini in Madhyamavati by Shyama Sastri brought the serene evening to a close. 

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Sanjay Subrahmanyan Announces Free Access to All Episodes of Sanjay Sabha on YouTube

Renowned vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan announced in a recent Social Media post that he will discontinue YouTube channel memberships. This significant change means that all episodes of the four seasons of "Sanjay Sabha" will now be freely accessible to everyone.

The initiative, originally launched during the pandemic when performance opportunities were scarce, has garnered immense support from his dedicated audience over the past four years. Expressing his gratitude, Sanjay acknowledged the invaluable patronage of his members which inspired him to build a direct connection through "Thamizhum Naanum" and "Sanjay Sabha Live" shows.

Moving forward, Sanjay Subrahmanyan will continue to offer more concerts and videos on his channel at regular intervals, ensuring his fans have free access to his performances. 

Margazhi Maha Utsavan Telecast from Dec 15, 2024

The telecast of the Silver Jubilee series of concerts of Margazhi Maha Utsavam will begin on Dec 15, 2024.

Telecast will be on STAR  VIJAY TELEVISION HD/SD, every morning 6.30 am during weekdays, Monday to Friday

Every evening at 7 pm the unedited full concerts will be streamed on https://youtube.com/RagamalikaTV  Monday to Saturday.

The series starts with the nadaswaram concert by Thirumeignanam Brothers TKR Ayyappan & TKR Meenakshi Sundaram. With Idumbavanam Manikandan and Panapakkam Tamil SElvan - Tavil. This concert is exclusively on the YouTube channel.

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Sruthi Laya Kendra Winter Music Festival - Dec 15, 2024

Sruthi Laya Kendra of Guru Kaaraikudi Mani is holding its 37th Winter Music Festival on Dec 15, 2024 at Arkay Convention Centre, Mylapore.

As part of the festival, Nandhikeswara Utsav, award presentation and a music concert are scheduled.

Schedule: 

2 pm - Nandhikeswara Utsav by Senior Disciples of Guru Kaaraikudi Mani

5 pm - Presentation of Guru Surajananda Award to 'Drums' Shivamani, Gowri Manohari Award to Bombay Gnanam

6.15 pm - S Mahathi - Vocal with H N Bhaskar (violin), Delhi Sairam (Mridangam), Anirudh Athreya (Kanjira)

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An Enthralling Prelude to Margazhi and Carnatic Music Season

-----------------------------   By Abirami Srivatsan

It’s that time of that year and Chennai’s most important music festival has begun. On Thursday,  December 5, 2024, Arkay Convention Centre set the stage for a brilliant concert by Aishwarya Vidhya Raghunath.

The concert began with a varnam in ragam Gowla and transitioned to a composition in Jaganmohini, Mamava Satatam Raghunatha. Moving further, she brought out Reethigowlai amazingly well. The composition is a magnum opus composition of Saint Thyagaraja - Chera Ravademira Ramaiyya. The sub-main part of the concert was Kalyani. She took up a rare composition by Tharangampadi Panchanaada Iyer - Birana Brova Idi Manchi samayura.

A short composition of Sri Muthu Thandavar - Kanamal Vinile Kalam Kazhithome in the ragam Neelambari provided a lilting interlude before the main part of the concert.

Then came the most popular raga Thodi, which can easily be the core raga of the season. The Mel Kalam and Keezh Kalam swarams , koraippu, korvais were very intricate and rendered very well. The song , a composition of Shyama Shastri one among the Carnatic Trinity Ninnenamminanu Sada Na Vinnapamu Vini Nannu Brovumu, with an exquisite Neraval in the line 'Kamakshi Kanchadalayathakshi ' was sung very well.

The concluding part of the concert was a javali in ragam Kamas  Marubari Talalenura by Dharmapuri Subbaraya Iyer. This javali is a favourite of Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Aishwarya's singing evoked nostalgia of his rendition. The concert concluded with a blissful devara nama of Sri Purandara Dasa in ragamalika - Devaki Nandana Nanda Mukunda.

The accompanists Madan Mohan, Arun Prakash and N Guruprasad supported extremely well throughout the concert. 

~~~~ The writer is an aspiring Carnatic musician and a student of Carnatic music ~~~~

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A Captivating Evening of Music: Pranathi Ganapuram’s Concert

-------------------------------  By Deepa Iyer S

On the evening of December 13, 2024, Raga Sudha Hall in Chennai witnessed an unforgettable musical offering as part of Naada Inbam’s Sri T.A. Narayanan Memorial Concert Series. From 4 pm to 6 pm, the young and talented Pranathi Ganapuram, a disciple of Smt. Shyamala Venkateswaran, presented a thoughtfully curated concert. She was accompanied by Haritha Narayanan on the violin and Mathur Krishna Kumar on the mridangam, whose sensitive and skillful accompaniment enriched the overall performance.

The concert began with the varnam Sarasakshiro in Natakurinji, a rare gem in Misra Capu tala, composed by Ponniah Pillai. It set the tone for the evening, immediately capturing the audience’s attention with its unusual rhythmic choice. The progression of the repertoire demonstrated a careful blend of classical rigour and creative exploration. From Re re manasa in Nata to Sadacaleswaram in Bhupalam, the pieces unfolded seamlessly, each one leaving its own indelible mark.

One of the standout aspects of the evening was Pranathi’s focus on rare compositions, an admirable effort to highlight lesser-heard compositions. Her rendition of Evaru Manaku in Devagandhari, a composition from Tyagaraja’s Nauka Caritam, was especially striking. With a clean and powerful delivery, she brought out the poignant essence of the raga. 

For the sub-main piece, Mamava Minakshi in Varali, Pranathi chose the phrase “Shyame shankari digvijaya pratapini” for her niraval. Her main piece, Ika Nannu in Bhairavi, was another highlight of the evening. The niraval on the anupallavi, “Agadu seyuta niku nyayama rama”, was delivered with both technical precision and emotional depth, showcasing her ability to bring a balance of intellect and bhava to her performance.

The technical prowess of the vocalist was evident in pieces like Ni Padamule Gatiyani in Navarasakannada, a challenging composition with intricate chitta svaras arranged in syncopation. Pranathi handled it with impressive ease, demonstrating her command over rhythm and melody.

The concert concluded with Tedi Alaigiraye of Gopalakrishna Bharati in Nadanamakriya followed by Paravaikku Ettanai in Senjuruti, a Tiruppugazh set to tune by Sri Rama Iyer. The melody, bearing a striking resemblance to the style of a cindu, brought a sense of familiarity and joy to the audience. Was this arrangement by the composer intentional, given that both thiruppugazh and kavadi cindu are in praise of Lord Murugan? Regardless, it undeniably gave the rasikas the experience of listening to both forms in harmony.

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Pranathi Ganapuram’s performance stood out not only for its repertoire but also for the care with which it was executed. Her ability to present both the familiar and the rare with equal confidence and artistry left the audience deeply satisfied.

Teamwork spells Sowkhyam : Melodious concert by Ashwath Narayanan

------------------------------   By Vidhya Mahadevan

Ashwath Narayanan’s concert for Naada Inbam at Raga Sudha Hall on 13th December was a beautiful journey of aesthetics and creativity. The evening began with Veenai Kuppaiyer’s varnam Pagavari in Hamsadwani set to Adi thalam. A quick display of Reetigowlai raga alapana led to Nannu Vidachi by Thyagaraja in Mishra Chapu which was presented in all its glory, making one pause to savour each moment.

Saketa Nagaranatha, a composition of Mysore Sadashiva Rao in Harikamboji arrived in style, with impressive neraval and racy swara kalpana. Chethashree Balakrishnam in Dwijavanthi by Muthuswami Dikshitar came across an outpouring of Bhakti, welcoming little Krishna to the concert in a slower gait. Karunanidhiye Thaye in Bowli by Papanasam Sivan changed the landscape and Ashwath brought in the essence of compassion through his singing. Praveen Sparsh’s ability to weave in the perfect rhythmic combination to match the emotion of this song deserves special mention. 

Kanada was the main ragam for the evening and it was celebrated, revered and explored with great mastery by both Ashwath Narayanan and Kamalakiran Vinjamuri. The interweaving of Vocal and Violin throughout the raga alapana and tanam provided two different music perspectives in quick succession and the musical camaraderie displayed by the artists was lauded by the audience. Sukhi Evvaro by Thyagaraja was the chosen composition. The synchronization between the melody and percussion section created Sowkhyam - that perfect moment where one hopes the song continues!

Praveen Sparsh on Mridangam and Guruprasad on Ghatam provided excellent coverage, in the right proportions with so many variations that added a new dimension to the entire concert. Their thani avarthanam was charged and the percussion conversation enthralled the audience.

A verse from Kandhar Alangaram by Arunagirinathar led to Thanjavur Shankara Iyer’s Manadhirkugandadhu Murugan Roopam in Sindhu Bhairavi. Marubari Talalenura, a javali in Khamas by Dharmapuri Subbaraaya Aiyyar and Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Thillana in ragam Pahadi were the closing pieces to the concert. 

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Sringaram : Film Screening - Dec. 13, 14 and 15, 2025

The critically acclaimed film Sringaram is the only movie for which violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman scored music and won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction in the year 2007.
This movie is back in a new digitally remastered version. This masterpiece will be gracing the screens again during this December Season.

Screening Details:  

Dates: December 13, 14 and 15, 2024

Time: 3:40 PM  

At Escape Theatre, Express Avenue Mall, Chennai

Sringaram not only boasts an enchanting score but also won National Film Awards for Best Choreography (Saroj Khan) and Best Cinematography (Madhu Ambat). Starring the talented Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead role, this period film directed by Sharada Ramanathan captures the era's social milieu.

Adding to its charm, the film features the voices of Bombay Jayashri, S. Sowmya, and O.S. Arun. The maestro's daughter and disciple, Lagudi Vijayalakshmi has also lent her voice for a song in the movie.

For tickets, visit: https://www.pvrcinemas.com/m.movie-details/32231/ns

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Soulful performance by Bharat Sundar

------------------------- By Vidhya Mahadevan 

As a rasika and a student of music, there’s so much to learn and it's refreshing to hear compositions that vary in styles and emotions, yet providing the musical meditation that one seeks when attending concerts! Bharat Sundar’s concert on 10th December, 2024 for Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Margazhi 2024 festival checked these boxes with great aplomb.

Rishabapriya was the main ragam for the evening and the alapana brought out some beautiful facets of the ragam. Ghananaya Deshika, a composition of Kotiswara Iyer set to Aadhi thalam was rendered at a sedate pace, allowing one to enjoy the lyrical aspects of the song as well. This was preceded by ragam Bhairavi, with a raga essay and rendition of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Chintaya makanda mulakandam in Roopakam. 

The concert opened with a brisk Bantureeti in Hamsanadam by Thyagaraja and was followed by Ivan Yaro Ariyen, a padam in ragam Kamboji by Kavi Kunjara Bharati. This padam was handled with so much grace, highlighting the emotions that the composer intended to convey through his words. 

A thirupugazh in Bageshri, Subramanya Bharatiyar’s Kaani Nilam Vendum in ragam Kosalam and Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Khamas thillana brought the evening to a close.  

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Are you looking for an option to find concert lists easily on your phone?

 Chennai December Season team has put together a master Google Calendar that you can easily add to your calendar and view the daily schedules, artist information, concert time, location & ticket links of more than 40 sabhas all from within a single calendar app!

How to add this calendar to yours:

• Open your browser and navigate to chennaidecemberseason.com

• Click the concert calendar tab on the top

• Now click the Google Calendar link on the page

(Refer the image below)

Click Add to Google Calendar link on the bottom left

Choose - Add Calendar at the prompt

Choose - Schedule view option

Congratulations!

You have the entire 2024 Margazhi season schedule on your calendar.

To sync to Google Calendar app on your phone

 • Open Google Calendar app

• Click the 3 horizontal line icon on the top left corner 

• Choose your default calendar

• Click Show more

• Choose Chennai December Season

• Enable "Sync"

Now you will see this on your phone:

Add Chennai Season calendar to your calendar

Use Calendar SEARCH feature to find your favourite artists

View details to find out the location and ticketing links

Attend as many concerts as you like to!

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Margazhi Delights: Where Music Meets Flavour

Who said only musicians have concert schedules?

During the music season, it is not just the performances that draw a crowd; the canteens at concert venues are an attraction of their own. The Music Academy, a staple of the season, features its beloved canteen. Meanwhile, in its The Hindu ad for the December 1, 2024 music festival, Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha highlighted its caterer, the renowned Arusuvai Arasu.

With an array of flavours to complement the ragas inside the hall, these caterers are a vital part of the season’s charm. Margazhi isn’t just a treat for the ears—it’s a feast for the taste buds too!

So, which caterer's fare are you most looking forward to savouring this year?

Here is the Margazhi Season Schedule of a caterer who will have his catering stall put up at various concert venues, as published in the special edition of The Hindu dated Dec. 1, 2024 :

Where to watch Season's concerts online?

Chennai's iconic Music Season is best experienced by attending live concerts at various venues, soaking in the unique ambience of each auditorium and the festive vibe of Margazhi. However, if you cannot visit the concert halls in person, a few organisations offer online streaming options to enjoy the music from the comfort of your home.

Madhuradhwani and Arkay Convention Centre

Most concerts held at Arkay Convention Centre are streamed online, unless the performing artists opt-out. You can watch these concerts here: https://www.youtube.com/@ArkayRamakrishnan/streams

Naada Inbam and Raga Sudha Hall

Many concerts at Raga Sudha Hall are streamed through the Parivadini YouTube Channel for free, making it accessible to everyone. Watch them here:  https://www.youtube.com/@ParivadiniMusic/streams

Mudhra’s Art Festival

Mudhra has been streaming its festival online for several years now. Concerts can be viewed on paalamtv.com or via the Mudhra Bhaskar YouTube Channel. Donations are welcome to support their initiatives.

Charsur Arts Foundation

Charsur hosts live concerts at their venue, which are also available for online viewing at a nominal charge. Tickets can be booked here: https://charsurartsfoundation.org/kaavyam-2024/

Whether you attend in person or tune in online, enjoy the rich music and spirit of the season!

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