Venue: Sringeri Jagadguru Pravachana Mandiram, Sringeri Mutt Road, R.A.Puram , Chennai

Date: 10 Mar 2007

Organizer: Raja Annamalaipuram Bhakta Jana Sabha

Vocal: Sri Madurai G.S. Mani

Violin: Sri Sikkil Bhaskaran

Mrudangam: Sri Madrimangalam Swaminathan

List of songs:

1) inta chAlamu (varnam) – bEgaDa – Adi – vINai kuppaiyer (O)

2) varaguNa gambhIra gajavadanam – kAnaDA – Adi – madurai g.s. maNi

3) rArA mAyiNTi – asAvEri – Adi – thyAgarAja

4) manavyALakin – naLinakAnti – Adi – thyAgarAja (AS)

5) mEru samAna – mAyAmALavagowLa – Adi – thyAgarAja (ANST)

6) srI rAma pAdamA – amritavAhini – Adi – thyAgarAja

7) chalamElarA – mArgahindOLam – Adi – thyAgarAja

8 ) mucchaTa brahmAdulaku – madyamAvati – Adi – thyAgarAja (A)

9) chinna nADE nA – kalAnidhi – Adi – thyAgarAja

10) viruttam – yamunA kalyANi

     namAcha bajara panDarI (abhang) – yamunA kalyANi – chatusra Ekam -sant bAlakadAsa

11) dO din kA zindagi (viruttam) – ??

bhajO rE bhaiya – ?? – Adi – kabIr

12) slOkam – sindhubhairavi

bhajarE srI rAmam – sindhubhairavi – Adi – bhadrAchala rAmadAs

13) dhiranA tana ta dhIm (tillAnA) – kAnaDA – Adi – jalatarangam bAbu iyengAr ?

14) Eru mayil – rEvagupti – kanDa chApu – aruNagirinAtar

15) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) – sowrAshTram – Adi – thyAgarAja

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

The bEgaDa outline with which Sri G.S. Mani started this concert was simply out of the world. The use of three not-commonly-heard-but-beautiful patterns in the outline had me floored. The bEgaDa varnam was elevated by Sri Swaminathan’s mrudangam accompaniment which was full of beautiful ghumukis. The second song was truly top class stuff. kAnaDA rAga just flowed with all its beauty. Sri G.S. Mani sang the song beautifully. I think it is his own composition as it has the mudra “rAjapUjitar” in it. This is probably the most brilliant start to a concert I have seen in a long time now. The other highlight of the concert was Sri G.S.Mani’s good rendition of some of the kritis.