Sanjay stuns audience at Barathi Moovar Concert!

Sanjay’s homework and concert planning wins him a big applause at Jaya TV’s Markazhi Maha Utsavam. He had chosen “Barathi Moovar” as a theme for this year’s concert. So who could the trio be? Is it Gopalakrishna Barathi, Subramanya Barathi (today is his birthday) and Suddhananda Barathi? Well it was Kavikunjara Barathi, Mazhavai Chidambara Barathi and Suddhananda Barathi.

Sanjaya uvacha:
1.Siddhi Vinayakane – Kalavathi – Kavikunjara Barathi
2.Poomel valarum annaiye – Ananda Bairavi – Swaram - Mazhavai Chidambara Barathi
3.Ullam urigi urigi – Kanakangi – Suddhanandha Barathi – Alapana
4.Karunai thandhu yennai aalamma – Begada – Alapana, Nereval, Swaram - Mazhavai Chidambara Barathi
5.Deivam undu yendru nambu manamey – Kalyani – Kavi Kunjara Barathi - Alapana, Nereval , Swaram, Thani
6.Ivan yaaro ariyen sakhiye – Kambodhi - Kavi Kunjara Barathi
7.Paaril uyarntha nilam – Virutham – Ragamalika – Suddhanandha Barathi

Sanjay started the concert invoking Ganesha in Kalavati ragam. Hindustani too has “Kalavati” and Muthuswami Dikshithar also refers to Yagapriya as Kalavati. But this kalavati falls under Chakravaham s,r,m,p,d,s and s,d,p,m,g,r,s.

After the brisk Kalavathi Sanjay moved on to Ananda Bairavi. He gave an outline and started the beautiful kriti Poomel valarum Annaiye paying tributes to Goddess Saraswathi. The pallavi is lyrically melodic with alternate lines ending with Vani, Veni, Sarvani and Sukhavani. The song was definitely new to violinist Varadarajan and he had to wait for Sanjay at many places.

Before starting the next kriti in Kankangi, Sanjay gave this little information that Suddhananda Barathi has composed songs in all the 72 melakarthas. Sanjay’s raga detailing of Kanakangi was Suddham like the notes in Kanakangi (shuddha rishabham, shuddha gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham, shuddha nishadham). There are not too many krithis in this raga, thus making the scope of raga alapana limited.

Ullam urigi urigi anbu vellam aagatho parama was the pallavi of the song. It made me wonder, if it was a question, a statement or it was a thaapam Suddhananda Barathi was sharing with almight. Charanam has some wonderfully penned lines – aaviyagi, velli paniyaagi, minsaram aagi – Sanjay’s voice became all that he sang.

Sanjay now moved on to Suddhamadhyama ragas. He picked up Begada and flashed the trademark phrase creating instant recall in the minds of rasika. Varadarajan further embellished the raga before the lyrical beauty of the kriti Karunai thandhu aalamma was presented. Nereval was picked up at Anbarkkau arul kataakshi, Akhila bhuvana saakshi and culminated in garland of kalpanaswarams.

Do we have tamil krithis that can take Vasudevayani or Sri Subramanyena head on? Sanjay starts to answer with a detailed Kalyani alapana. This is the first Kalayani that I am hearing for the season and Sanjay has sent the benchmark really high. He renders the krithi “Deivam undu yendru nimbu manamey” on Subramanya and people around me get deeply involved using both their hands for a simple aadhi talam. The exercise of nereval, swaram and thani was done with perfection.

Do we have tamil padams? Yes! Ivan yaaro ariyen, Kuravanji padam in Kambodi was brought out and presented like a pearl. Charanam has some beautiful lines “Paadhathil oru mangai, pakkathil oru mangai, thirumaarpil oru mangai”. If Kavikunjara Barathi was around, I would like to ask who inspired him to write such lines.

Sanjay finally finished a concert with a patriotic virutham Paaril uyarntha nilam, thanga pacchai sezhitha nilam and used multiple ragas to pay his patriotism. I was engrossed in writing the lyrics and I remember hearing Sindhubairavi, Kaapi and Madhyamavathi. I know there was one or two more to this.

What went missing in yesterday concert today came to life. Only 7 songs were presented for the evening and selection of songs, mix of suddha and prati madhyama ragas and concert structure gets Sanjay a homerun straightaway. All of them were new krithis and unheard for rasikas and the violinist. Sanjay proved that Tamil compositions are in no way inferior to Trinity’s composition and we have tamil equivalents that can take on Ammaravamma, Vasudevayani and Himadri Suthe. Infact Sanjay presented a tamil padam towards the end of the concert. One could see Sanjay investing so much time picking the right ragas, krithis and was fully prepared to deliver the concert without a piece of paper in front on him.

Sanjay, thanks for giving us the faith that Carnatic Music is in the right hands of a few people. Hope you create more you through your students. We also sincerely hope your colleagues will learn from you. We look forward hearing more of you this season and in the coming years!