Saketharaman @ SPSS, Chennai

Venue: Vidya Bharati, Bheemasena Garden St., Chennai

Date: 17 Dec 2006

Organizer: Sri Parthasarathi Swami Sabha (SPSS)

Vocal: Sri Saketharaman

Violin: Sri Nagai Sriram

Mridangam: Sri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman

Ghatam: Sri T.V. Vasan

List of songs:

1) ninnu kOri – vasantA – Adi – tAchUr singArachAri (O)

2) mahA gaNapatim – nATTai – chatusra Eka – muthuswAmi dIkshitar (O)

3) chAla kallalADu – Arabhi – Adi – thyAgarAja (OS)

4) sEshAchala nAyakam – varALi – rUpakam – muthuswAmi dIkshitar (ANS)

5) bhOgIndra sAyinam – kuntalavarALi – kanDa chApu – swAti tiruNAL

6) O ranga sAyi – kAmbOji – Adi – thyAgarAja (ANST)

7) enna tavam – kApi – Adi – pApanAsam sivan

8 ) gOvardana giridhara – darbAri kAnaDA – Adi – nArAyaNa tIrtar

9) smara sundarAnguni (jAvaLi) – paras – Adi – darmapuri subbarAyar

10) dhIm tana dhIm (tillAnA) – behAg – Adi (tisra gati) – lAlguDi g. jayarAman

11) tiruppugazh (don’t remember the words now) – hamIr kalyANi – Adi (tisra gati; kanDa chapu initially in slow speed) – aruNagirinAthar

12) raga alapana – madyamAvati

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

Well … what shall I say …. a concert that was very well presented by Sri Saketharaman and embellished to the degree of excellence it ultimately achieved by the two maestros Sri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and Sri T.V. Vasan.

One can easily suspect the capabilities of the youngster Sri Saketharaman after seeing his frail form and dimunitive appearance. That he is a singer who, if he continues this way, might one day become one among the all time greats is evident once he starts singing. To me the pick of the concert was his kAmbOji alapana. It was so wonderfully done and showed that Sri Saketharaman has heard music of the great masters and tried to incorporate many good things in his own music. Sri Nagai Sriram’s reply to Sri Saketharaman’s kambOji alapana was excellent.

The people who however made the concert reach great heights were the two maestros, who despite their age and seniority, had chosen to play for and support a youngster. Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman was simply unmatchable and in peak form throughout. Sri T.V. Vasan showed he is a great upa-pakkavadyam player in the way he combined with Sri Sivaraman to delight the morning crowd that had assembled to hear the concert. I did not see even a single person move out of the hall during the taniavartanam.