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The audio system wasn’t all that all right. Yet, Bombay Jayashri managed to cast a spell on the rasikas when she gave her concert for Mylapore Fine Arts Club on December 24, 2005. Her choice of kritis for the day came in for much appreciation. A pasuram of Andal from Tiruppavi in raga Dhanyasi, “Kizvanam Vellendru,” set the tone for the evening concert. She took up raga Suddha Saveri for an expansive alapana. Her raga trek combined with her majestic voice had many nod their heads. She followed it up with a Tyagaraja kriti, “Darini Telusukonti Tirupurasundari,” and nerval with “Mani Gana bhushani.” She pleasantly surprised the audience with a GNB composition in Amirtha Bihag “Kamala Charane” – a rarity on concert circuit. Her alapana in raga Sahana was absorbing. She drew the attention of the rasikas when she chose a Kamalamba Navaravarana “Sri Kamalaambikaayaam Bhaktim Karomi” of Dikshitar. It has striking lyrics and adjectives. It had consumed around 40 minutes of her concert. It was a fine effort, indeed. A Tyagaraja kriti in Ritigaula “Nannuvidachi” was rendered with poise. When she approached the manodharma sangeetham (RTP), there was quite an excitement among the audience. Jayashri excels in this area with her creative talent. She chose mela raga “Pavani,” a rare one, for elaboration. Her tanam-rendering was charming. She then chose the pallavi line “Panniru Nayanam Kumaran Kripa Karan.” Her swaras rendering in rakti ragas brought out the dynamic facet of the artiste. She elegantly reversed back to the original raga Pavani. An Astapati of Jayadeva “Yaramitha Sakhi” in Hamir Kalyani was rendered with melody She concluded the concert with a verse “Aniarangan” and a splendid Tillana in Brindavana Saranga. H.N.Bhaskar on violin, J.Vaidyanathan on Mridangam and D.Rajagopal on Kanjira provided the artiste with good support.
Scales Creative Peak At Music Academy Bombay Jayashri scaled the creative peak at the Music Academy on December 27, 2005. It was an evening to savor. She kept the audience riveted for 2-1/2 hour with her inspiring performance. Some of the kritis she had chosen for the day like “Teratiyakarada” in Gaulpantu, a Dikshitar kriti, “Anandanatana Prakasham,” in Kedaragaula and “Anumane” in Malayamarutham went down well with the audience. She took raga Todi for expansion. The alapana was well conceived. Particularly noteworthy was the way she traveled the upper octaves. Her sancharas at the lowest octave were a beauty. She then selected a Shyama Sastri kriti “Ninne Nammi.” She did a neraval at “Kamakshi Kanchadalayadakshi” with a korvai of swaras. A Dikshitar kriti “Santana Ramaswaminam” in raga Hindola Vasantham was appealing. Then came her RTP in the popular raga “Natakurinji” The Pallavi line “Sri Lalitha Maam Pahi Pathitha Pavani Papashamani” was well chosen. The RTP saw her form scintillating swara formations and weave a garland of ragas comprising Brindavasaranga, Madhukauns and Bagyashree around the Pallavi line. “Tirupati Malai Mel Erukindra Perumane” in Yaman, composed by Neela Ramamurthy and tuned by Sabesh, was sung nicely. The tillana in Sivaranjani was invigorating. Manoj Shiva played the Mridangam remarkably. B.U.Ganesh Prasad on the violin matched the vocalist with his bow and Trivandrum Rajagopal played the Kanjira with vigour.
A fitting finale at Narada Gana Saba It was an elegant show by Bombay Jayashri at Narada Gana Sabha on December 30, 2005. Embar Kannan, who accompanied her on the violin, played brilliantly. P.Satish Kumar on the Mridangam and Udipi Sridhar on Ghatam played the Tani with amazing strokes.
In her obeisance to Tyagaraja, Bombay Jayashree Ramnath underlined her faith in singing with emotion.
In the Tyagaraja aradhana concert at Hamsadwani, Bombay Jayashree Ramnath stood up felicitously to the emotional demands of the saint's compositions. This she achieved by the finely shaped classicism, dignified in content, springing from a finesse-filled fluent melodic mind, responding to the promptings of inspiration. Her objective always dwells on the delicacy of expressional elegance.
Emotional singing has become an article of faith with Jayashree. She is gifted with a voice framed to represent sangita's subtlety and we do not expect anything less from her.
The first three songs, "Dasaratha Nandana" (Asaveri) "Hechchariga" (Yadukulakamboji) and "Enta Muddo'' (Bindumalini with a short alapana of rustling charm) were in the nature of preparing her voice to reach realms of ravishing resplendence in the items that followed.
The Sriranjani alapana was impressively inlaid with sparkling sancharas and its beauty lay in its quiet calming effect. The development had poetic and lyrical flavour fondling the delicate nuances. The rendering of the kirtana, "Soga Suga Mridanga Talamu" was reflective and gentle.
The next major raga was Bhairavi and its vinyasa represented the results of her explorations of its aesthetics. Sancharas marked by ease and grace served as richly crafted gateways to the monumental song, "Koluvai Yunnade." The rendering with all its delicious sangatis was delightfully first rate.
Sankarabharanam was the crowning item in the programme. It was her precious offering to the listeners. Anchored in a perceptive vision of the raga's exalted quality to keep the rasikas under a spell, with shimmering threads of sancharas executed with grace and karvais in the top octave like a devotee in prayer, majestic in stance, calm and controlled, Sankarabharanam spread enchantment from the start.
The supremacy of exquisite manodharma was woven into her alapana structure. The kirtana, "Swara Raga Sudha" and the neraval at the point, "Moolaadharaja Nada Merugudey" were musing music at its best. The raga-song-and-neraval provided a symphony of serenity.
H. N. Bhaskar was the violinist whose solo versions of the ragas gave adequate support. But the impact would have gained in appeal if the pressure of the bow had been tempered with softness.
Mridangist S. Vaidyanathan collected sheaves of the laya patterns to make his accompaniment sumptuous. His tani with B. S. Purushottaman (kanjira) was imaginative in design and dexterous in display.
On the eve of Tyagaraja aradhana at Sri Thiagaraja Sangita Vidwat Samajam, V. V. Subramaniam, V. V. Ravi and V. V. S. Murari presented a violin performance. To an ordinary listener, Tyagaraja's kirtanas are pleasurable music.
The subtle experiences of the saint composer, his devout mind and intuitive God-realisation appeal to those who intensely yearn to share his divinity. The target of the violin trio was the latter.
V. V. Subramaniam, Ravi and Murari. Photo: K. V. Srinivasan.
When they rendered the songs, "Paramaatmudu" (Vagadeswari), "Gnanamosaga Radha" (Poorvikalyani) and "Chakkaniraja Margamu" (Karaharapriya) they created an impression of being in the shadow of the saint and their recital derived strength from it.
Umayalpuram Sivaraman (mridangam) in association with T. V. Vasan (ghatam) was fully reflective of the mood of the violinists. The whole team gave primacy to the sanctity that the occasion demanded.
The inaugural concert for Sarvani Sangeetha Sabha in the Tyagaraja aradhana series was by Nisha Rajagopal. Her fluent appealing vocal manipulations exercised special charm on her interpretative method. The deep impression was a sense of intimacy between her and the songs she rendered.
Remarkably restrained, her presentation of the gracefulness of Sahana even at the beginning revealed her ability to grasp the brilliance of the raga.
She made it sure that each sanchara had a purpose set to accomplish the aim kept in view. The sancharas were perfumed with tonal felicity. The kirtana was "E Vasuda."
There was fullness of appeal in her Bhairavi alapana (``Raksha Bettare"). Fine vocal balance with gana naya in the range of beautiful sancharas spoke of the selective aspects of her manodharma. One could discern that Nisha has music vision to go with her natural delicacy of voice.
The other songs included "Sugunamule" (Chakravakam), "Enta Nerchina" (Udaya Ravichandrika) and "Aparadamula" (Durbar).
Usha Rajagopalan, on the violin, was competently supportive. Thanjavur Kumar (mridangam) and K. V. Gopalakrishnan (kanjira) were the percussion accompanists.
Brahmanandam is among the Anandam series of albums. It is a compilation of popular kritis and rendered by Bombay Jayashri. She begins the CD with an absorbing Koteeswara Iyer kriti “Edaya Gati(Adi)” in raga Chalanatai. It is indeed an excellent beginning. This one is composed with expertise, expressing the raga mudra in the kriti.
A Dikshitar kriti “Sri Satyanarayam Upasmahe(Rupakam)” in raga Shuba Pauntuvarali, comprising lovely phares, is rendered with melody. ”Chittam Irangadu(Misra Chapu),” Papasanasam Sivan kriti in Sahana, is pleasant to hear what with some enchanting Tamil lyrics. A small piece - “Punkuyil Kuvum(Adi)” of Kalki Krishnamurthy in Kapi – falls very soft on the ears. This song is, perhaps, one among those most beautifully rendered by late M.S.Subulakshmi. Jayashri’s rendering is equally exquisite here. She follows this one with a Viruttam from Divya Prabhandam “Pallandu.” She then takes up the Tiruppavai of Andal “Ambarame(Adi)” in Kalyani. She has done justice to this composition.
``Manasa Sancharare(Adi)” in Sama by Sadasiva Brahmendra is rendered with poise. One of the distinguishing features of the artiste is the clear expression of the lyrics even for a layman to follow. She has chosen a Gopalakrishna Bharati kriti “Irakkam Varamal(Rupakam)” in Behag. It is pleasant to listen. A Papanasam Sivan kriti “Sivaganga Nagara” in Punnagavarali, a Sanskrit composition, is sung with lot of dedication. “Thunbam Nergayil”(Desh)of Bharati Dasan comes as a tranquilizer.. “Hari Tumaharo” in Darabari Kanada of Meera is one of Jayashri’s favourites. “Thirada Vilayatu (Kanda Chapu),” a Ragamalika composition of Subramanya Bharatiyar (Sindu Bhairavi,Kamas,Shanamukhapriya and Mandu), could prove a listener’s choice. Jayashri has rendered this composition enchantingly. “Jagadho Dharana(Adi)” of Purandara Dasa in raga Pilu consists of most absorbing lyrics. She has excelled in rendering this. Finally, the Thillana(Misra Chapu) of Lalgudi Jayaraman in Revati is arresting.
Jayashri is accompanied by artistes H.N.Bhaskar on violin,.mridangist J.Vaidyanathan and Ghatam by Udipi Sridhar. The artistes have provided her with good percussion support.
The Audio CD is priced at Rs.150 and produced by Rajalakshmi Audio.Neatly printed lyrics comes along with the audio cd.
It's an annual festival that enlivens Delhi's Carnatic music and dance scene. One of the highlights of the Thyagaraja Music and Dance Festival organised by Sree Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha was the colourful concert of Bombay Jaishri Ramnath.
Her opening song, Dikshitar's "Sri Varalakshmi" in Shri raga was marked with crisp and melodious swaraprastaras. This was followed by Swati Tirunal's "Deva Deva Jagadeeswara" in the raga Poorvikalyani. She followed it up with a scintillating alap of Malayamarutam, prefixed to "Hanumane Swamikkindha" of Arunachala Kavi, adding a lively swaraprastara.
While presenting Dikshitar's slow tempo "Amba Nilayatakshi", in the raga Neelambari, Jaishri brought the raga bhava as well as the sahitya bhava to the fore. She also excelled while presenting the main item, Tyagaraja's "Katthanuvariki" in the raga Todi, which was marked by a comprehensive delineation of the raga, niraval and swaraprastaras rich in creativity. Similarly, in the ragam-taanam-pallavi session, she revelled in manodharma while singing the pallavi "Sri Lalithemampahi Sri the pathithapavani papa samanee" in the raga Natakuranji, set to Mishra Jati Triputa tala with ragamalika swaraprastara in Sunadavinodini, Vaasanti and Ranjani.
In another concert, T.M. Krishna captivated listeners' hearts with a good variety of items. He began with an Adi tala varnam in the raga Sahana, which had considerable depth. His rendering of Dikshitar's "Ananda Natana" in raga Kedaram, with the niraval of the phrase "Sangeeta vadya vinoda tandava jala" and swaraprastara was heart-warming. In Shyama Sastri's "O Jagadamba" in Ananda Bhairavi, Krishna portrayed the raga as well as the sahitya bhava very well. In the alap, the emotions associated with the raga flowed in abundance. Tyagaraja's "Nadopasana" in Begada was handled similarly, the niraval of the phrase "Tanthri laya swara ragavilolu", undergoing fine treatment.
Even in the not-so-elaborate ragam-taanam-pallavi, Krishna excelled. He presented the pallavi "Brahmmai vaham kila sa guru kripa" in the raga Varali, set to Chaturasra Jati Rupaka tala. He followed it with rich ragamalika swaraprastara in Kamboji, Sama and Kapi.
B.U. Ganesh Prasad on the violin, Manoj Siva on the mridangam and Trivandrum Rajagopal on the kanjira ably supported the soloists in both the concerts. Ganesh Prasad, apart from rising to expectations, made good use of the opportunity to display his talents - whether it was delineating a raga, handling niraval, swaraprastara or rendering the taanam or pallavi. In particular, his alapana of Todi, Ananda Bhairavi and Begada and his swaraprastaras in Sunadavinodini, Vaasanti and Kapi displayed a fine imagination. Manoj Siva and Rajagopal provided understanding support, though they were a little subdued while providing support to Jaishri due to the poor microphone system.
The list of awards of the Sabha this year includes a newly instituted Delhi Yuva Kalakar award, which was given away to O.S. Sudha, K.N. Padmanabhan and G. Raghuraman. Sadly, while a big list of achievements and contributions of each of the other awardees was read out at the presentation ceremony, none of the achievements or contributions of these Delhi awardees was read out. Even the citation was not read out in their case.
The challenge for today's Carnatic Musicians is to how to leave an imprint of a concert when there is a glut of offerings.
orthodox copybook steady style. It is also tempting to take a populist route when it comes to new audiences overseas.
OST stuck to the well established contours. He almost sang only Trinity compositions, at least for the first two hours of the concert, including Nidhichala sukhama (Kalyani) as a surprise second item, he chose conventional suite of ragas and brought in a fine balance of proportion with four Raga essays, four complex but succinct swara journeys and enthused his co-artistes very well. These are mere statistics and do not convey the Sowkhyam in the renditions. I cannot do justice to this even with the best words of English. It had to be experienced.
Varali was the shining piece, with a gamaka-laden alapana and the grand kriti Kamakshi of Syama sastry embellished with his guru Sri TMT's nuances in sangathis. The other major elaborations in raga were Kedaragowlai (Nilakantam, Dikshitar), Hindolam (Samaja varagamana, Tyagaraja) and Shanmukhapriya (Ekambresa nayaki, Dikshitar). Kedaragowlai and Shanmukhapriya had authenticity and skill written all over. The welcoming feature in his ragas is the complete absence of any dubious or corruptive phrases that lean towards adjacent ragas. OST's voice was his greatest asset, staying true for nearly three hours. Sriram Kumar was the perfect foil especially in Varali and Shanmukhapriya he added to the Sowkhyam even in the brisk phrases of the alapana, a trait he excels in.
Jugalbandhi has come to be the surrogate for fusion among foreign audiences, especially to woo more ears to the classical style. While the format itself is very entertaining and justifies the inclusion in the festival, the performance sometimes borders the ordinary as was the case on 11th March. Dr. Ramani played a beautiful Harikambhoji (Sani Todi) in the individual segment of the concert and some like me in the audience would have yearned for more of that. The joint effort in Pantuvarali (Purya dhanasri) was predictable, especially the Hindustani segment and was incommensurate with the occasion. Music-neutral audiences tend to like rhythm and speed over melody and craft and were surely fed with that diet. Sometimes I wonder if the musicians are getting the right advice on what is expected from their concerts, even those involving foreign audiences. Ramani's seamless mixing of ragams Pantuvarali, Mohanam, Kapi in the swara korvai was very artistic and helped steer the concert to safety. The overt rhythm slant was continued in the tani avarthanam of Mannargudi Easwaran and Ramkumar Mishra.
There is a view that pure art is mutually exclusive to commercial art. Is this really true? How do you then explain the massive audiences (4000-5000 people sometimes) that yesteryear performers attracted and they did not practise commercial art in the current sense of the term?
The joint effort by Valli (Bharathanatyam) and Madhavi (Odissi) promised a great deal. It is a rare combination and was the first ever such programme in Singapore. It was amazing to see how the two great artistes found enough common ground between the two styles to present what was comparable to Synchronized swimming, sticking to their individual art nevertheless. Madhavi�s piece heralding the vasant ritu was attractive. The dance programme appetized the senses. The short duration meant an austere lighter version of what Valli is known for.
A silky smooth voice, benefits of the Lalgudi association and an intellectual mind have rocketed Jayashri to the top echelons of Carnatic Music. She has evolved a unique style placing melody and voice purity above everything else. This space has been vacant since MS stopped singing ten years ago. Will Jayashri enhance this formula more and get to that lofty place? Time will tell.
Her concert, on the concluding day of the SIFAS festival at the Esplanade, oscillated between technical brilliance (Todi Karthikeya Kangeya) and banal. The start was pedestrian, with simple renditions of Maya tirtha swaroopini (Mayamalava gowlai) and Seethapathe (Kamas) with simple sangathis, mostly sung once and it seemed like a Shraddhanjali concert. Brief elements of her true scholarship were heard in the kriti Janani Ninnuvina (Ritigowlai) and the alapana, even if the neraval sounded as an afterthought.
Todi made up for all the soft start as Jayashri unleashed a rich array of sangathis, especially chosen from the Nadaswara style. It was clear that she herself enjoyed it and gave it a longer lease than her otherwise crisp measure. Jayashri presented a skilful neraval in Velmaruvum amala Karakamala singing mostly in the upper octave. Amba Neelayatakshi, the poignant Dikshitar kiiti in Nilambari was consistent with the slithering melody of her style.
Jayashri chose Nattakurinji for the Pallavi in Misra Triputa. The preceding Todi orphaned the Pallavi, although Jayashri brought some life to it in the swara phase. Sriram Kumar joined the melody party � it almost seemed to suit his style perfectly. He reveled in the Todi alapana and in the swara phase of the Pallavi. Easwaran was reined in by Jayashri's madhyama-vilamba kala anchor and used a more sedate soothing style.
Bombay Jayashree's recital was full of melody, free from gimmicks.
TREMENDOUS VOCAL BALANCE: Bombay Jayashree Ramnath.
Bombay Jayashree's total involvement and commitment in a kutcheri establish her as a sensitive and refined artiste. Her recital in memory of the late Neelaveni Thayarammal at Mani High School, Coimbatore, was ample demonstration of how her music is a synthesis of elegance and silkiness.
Jayashree's lyricism was melodiously sanguine throughout the concert, free of frills and gimmicks. "Deva Deva Jagadeeswara" (Poorvikalyani), the opening song, was chaste with sarvalaghu swaras reflecting raga bhava followed by "Sogasujuda Tharama" in Kannadagowlai. The Devagandhari raga alapana revealed her tremendous vocal balance with good gana naya. Her passion in negotiating tharasthayi sancharas in the raga vinyasam of Lalitha added to the charm of the presentation of Hiranmayi with lilting swaras. Her spirited exploration of Surati raga with effective voice modulation in the higher octaves and the charming presentation of the kriti, "Sree Venkatagireesam Aasraye" with neraval and swaras drew wide acclaim.
Kharaharapriya, the main raga of the concert, was expanded with breathtaking prayogas, weighty sancharas and meaningful karvais for the kriti, "Rama Nee Samaanamevaru."
The recital concluded with evocative tukkadas. Srikanth excelled on the violin in his picturisation of ragas Lalitha, Surati and Kharaharapriya as well as in the swara repartees. Sateeshkumar (mridangam) and Rajeshkumar (kanjira) provided flashy beats while embellishing the songs. Their tani was replete with variegated methods of rhythmic patterns.
Salokyam is the title chosen by Bombay S.Jayashri for this CD. Salokyam is the Sanskrit word. It means moving the focus from the affairs of the world to the realm of divinity. Jayashri has effectively employed a number of captivating ragas for some delightfully beautiful compositions in this CD.
Jayashri’s command over the Hindustani music comes out ever so cleanly as when one listens to this album. She is supported by Mithilesh Kumar Jha and Sai Shravanam on the Tabla. The CD is produced by Charsur Digital Workstation and is priced at Rs.195/- “Jagadeesha Sudheesha” is the beginning of the first song in this album.
This song is rendered in raag “Hamir Kalyani”. The lyrics flow gently and melodiously. “Ehi Murare” is an Astapadi with charming lyrics. This was composed in the 12th century by poet Jayadeva. It is a Gopika Biraha Geetham.While playing hide and seek, Lord Krishna disappears from the sight of gopikas of Brindavan.
He is not to be seen. They shout out his name and implore him to return. Jayashri renders this Astapadi with her alluring voice in Raag Nat Bhairav. Her voice shows up the dedication in her. As she sings this one, she sort of transforms herself to be the subject matter of this composition. It is an involved rendition.Her silken voice nourishes the lyrics with beauty.
While rendering “Raamam Ghanashyamam” in Raag Bhagyashree, Jayashri is at her expressive best. “Kaatyayani Mahaa Bhaage” is another scintillating composition. Jayashri is at ease in bringing out the charm of the song in raag Durga. ``Gopala Gobinda” of Meera in Raag Shaam Kalyan is enticing.
Jayashri handles the lyrics with quite fineness. She follows this one with “Ksheerasaagara Taranga” of Kulashekara Perumal. She has set her own music in Raag Sindhubhairavi. There is a divine touch to the rendition of this song. Finally, there is a Kabir’s poem “Rehna nahin des birana hai”.
This particular poem expresses philosophically the maya or the illusion that encompasses the world. Jayashri handles the poem exquisitely in Raag Shubapantuvarali. All in all, the CD is a must buy for all those who wish to have food for the mind.
Abu Dhabi, April 25: "When music seeps into the hearts of Rasikas without themselves perceiving it, then it can be said to have served its ethereal purpose. For sangita's tranquil delights lie hidden in the depths of the heart, waiting to be activated by a sensitive artiste like Bombay Jayashri Ramnath. Her sensitivity is rooted in tenderness, stimulating music and music, in turn, lending itself to contemplation. .states a renowned critic in "The Hindu".
Born into a family of musicians with rich lineage and steeped in pedigree music, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath represents the fourth generation of music practitioners in her family. Jayashri has been groomed under the guidance of the legend Shri Lalgudi G Jayaraman and Smt T R Balamani. Jayashri, today not only bears the torch of the Lalgudi tradition, but has also evolved a distinct style of her own.
With a career extending over two decades, Jayashri is today among the most sought after Carnatic musicians. The myriad aficionados, spanning generations, that throng her concerts would bear ample testimony to this.
Her work has won her the acclaim of prestigious institutions in the form of prestigious awards such as the Sangeetha Choodamani and Nadabhooshanam.
Jayashri's repertoire of meditative music and rare poetry are best experienced through her compositions in her albums. She has also composed music for dance ballets and documentaries. In this manner, Jayashri has deployed the essence of the classical idiom most effectively in her search for avenues beyond the concert format.
More recently she has harnessed her skills towards composing music as a powerful catalyst in promoting our rich legacy in literature and other art forms which opens up new vistas for exploring her creative instincts. Her recent composition for the operatic ballet based on the Tamil Epic - 'Silapadhikaaram' is an example of this.
In her voyage as a cultural ambassador of India's rich heritage, Jayashri has performed extensively in India and abroad in the most prestigious fora, drawing critical acclaim wherever she performed.
Jayashri has the rare privilege of being the first Carnatic classical performer in the Opera House in Durban and the Russian Opera House in Helsinki, Finland.
To say that her music is global would indeed be a truism. Her training in Hindustani Classical system has further helped her in this musical odyssey. Her researches into music are unending, and besides her musical performances, she continues to deliver workshops all over the world on the subject of World Music. Her contribution and involvement with schools where she has conducted workshops and interactive sessions to kindle interest amongst school children into our rich tradition of music is her way of giving back something of what she has gained. Her very limited foray into film music has won her the Flimfare award for the popular "Vaseegara', 'Ninai Charan' (Bharathi), Narumugaye (Iruvar)" etc. and the recent blockbuster hits "Chuttum Vizhi Chudarey' (Ghajini)" that has drawn a new class of listeners into the world of classical music.
Jayashri represents the model emerging new generation musician India is proud of. A skillfull blend of uncompromising adherence to the core tradition of classical Carnatic music as well as a ceaseless quest for quality music in any form would best personify Jayashri.
Ragamalika has decided to fulfill your long cherished dream of bringing her melliflous voice live in UAE on Friday - the 28th April 2006 at 5.00 pm at the Al Dhafra Hall, W.E.D Club Premises, Mina Road, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
She will be accompanied by Shri. Embar Kannan, Violin Shri. J. Vaidyanathan, Mirdangam Shri. D. Rajagopalan, Khanjira.
Bombay Jayashri was at her expressive best while presenting some exclusive Shyama Sastri kritis on July 8, 2006 at the Music Academy for Aanandaa Festival. Setting an upbeat tone for the evening concert, Jayashri began by rendering a few popular kritis like “Deva Deva Jagadeeshwara Jayabhujagashana” (Poorvi Kalyani) of Swati Tirunal, Bhajare Re Manasa (Abheri) of Mysore Vasudevachar and Akilandeshwari (Dvijavanti) of Muthuswami Dikshitar with poise.
The audience appeared appreciative. Her alapana in raga Begada drew receptive ears and saw many heads gently nod as she brought various hues of the raga when she traversed up and down the octaves in her magical voice.
``Shankari Nevani” of Subbaraya Sastri was delicately delivered. “Teliyaleru Rama” (Denuka) of Thyagaraja brought out the dedication in her. It was an involved singing. Her bhava-soaked rendition of this Thyagaraja kriti had a vibrating impact on the listeners.
She gave the concert an elevation when she took up raga Bhairavi for an elaborate expansion. She explored the raga with fineness. Violinist V.V.Murari did an admirable job of weaving some really nice Sangatis with his bow.
He, in fact, changed his instrument for a brief while to make it more attractive. Jayashri revealed her distinct class in her presentation of “Kamakshi (Kanchi Kamakshi Amba),” a Swarajati of Shyama Sastri comprising eight Charanams. The presentation of the sahitya and rendering of swaras were marked for her inimitable style and put the audience into a trance. She took up the Charanam line “Shyama Krishna Sahotari Shiva ” and eloquently improvised on it. What followed proved a nice dessert after a sumptuous meal.
“Madhava Mamava” (Nilambari) of Narayana Tirtha and Shyama Sastri’s Sanskrit composition “Kanakashaila Viharini” in Punnagavarali – one could not have asked for more. A Desh Tillana came as a fitting finale for an evening of Anandham concert. Like the proverbial Pied Piper, she held the audience on a string.
J.Vaidaynathan on Mridangam and Trivandrum Rajagopal on Kanjira played with enthusiasm, giving the artiste just the right pep.
Classic in content and contemporary in appeal, Bombay Jayashree Ramnath was simply top class.
UBTLE IN PERCEPTION: Bombay Jayashree Ramnath.
Good music evokes introspective imagery achieved when sangita's inherent values and the steadfast pursuit in that direction go hand-in-hand as Bombay Jayashree Ramnath's concert for the festival of Aanandaa Foundation exemplified. Her melodic mind, fluent voice, fertile manodharma, inspirational traits and delicate dynamism made the recital at the Music Academy simply top class.Classic in content and contemporary in appeal, for Bombay Jayashree ragas are nothing but delicious sound patterns expressed in the sanchara format and kirtanas in the sahitya framework. The impeccable application of gana-naya in tapering raga phrasings and in sahitya articulation is to her a unique gift.
This factor had a major say in the elevated level of her concert. In every aspect of Carnatic music's elegance, the classical dignity and propriety were well preserved. The two kirtanas at the start "Akhilandeswari" (Dwijavanti) and "Bhajare Re Manasa" (Abheri) were sung with lyrical intensity which conferred poetic dimension on them. The Begada alapana and song "Sankari Neeve" laid stress on the characteristic shades and nuances of the raga.
Bhairavi was the outstanding item in the concert. The alapana was an expression of spontaneity with a plenitude of aesthetic touches to present the raga's rich image in soft idiom.
The swarajati, "Kamakshi" is a frozen beauty of Bhairavi in depth. Jayashree's rendering of this piece revealed her contemplative emotionalism and subtle musical perception. A monumental composition handled with masterly involvement. The recital concluded with "Maamava Madhava" (Nilambari) and "Kanakasaila Vihrini" (Punnagavarali) as crowning items on pensive lines. On the Bhagavata anubhava, Tyagaraja in one of the songs hails Sri Rama as one whose name is ("Chevulaku Amritamu") nectar to the ears and ("Manasuku Sukhamu") bliss to the mind. On the Sangita anubhava, Bombay Jayashree's programme conveyed these two exalted ecstatic sentiments to the rasikas. The concert progressed on such sheer brilliance that it provoked not only admiration but also envy.
The violin accompanist V.V.S. Murari and the percussive support from J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam) and Trivandrum Rajagopal (kanjira) were responsive to Jayashree's musical thinking. In particular, Vaidyanathan's vibrant and concise rhythm created the impression that laya artistry and varied patterns came seeking him.
The next recital was by V.V. Subrahmanyam (violin solo) with support from V.V.S. Murari and V.V. Ravi accompanied by T.V. Gopalakrishnan on the mridangam and T.V. Vasan on the ghatam. Subrahmanyam is a vidwan who has imbibed the heritage of decades built on patience and perseverance. He is an evolved artiste who gives reverential exposition musical legitimacy.
In his concert these qualities formed the niche in the raga alapanas of Vachaspati ("Paraatpara"), Ritigowla ("Janani Ninnu Vina") and Hamsanandi (ragam, tanam and pallavi). The sancharas in them were an epitome of all that venerated tradition speaks about.
The programme commenced with a varnam in gana raga panchakam, a composition of Subrahmanyam, which gave a solid start. But the kirtana session belied expectations. The interpretative method and swaraprastharas were dedicated to the decibel-filled mridangam of T.V. Gopalakrishnan whose play was just sound and fury.
The presentation of the kirtana "Janani Ninnu Vina" was in the nature of gilding the lily.

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