Venue: Balamandir German Hall, Prakasam St, T.Nagar, Chennai
Date: 01 May 2007
Organizer: The Indian Fine Arts Society (G.N.B. Day)
Vocal: Trichur Brothers – Vid Srikrishna Mohan & Vid Ramkumar Mohan
Violin: Vid V.V. Suresh Kumar
Mridangam: Vid Trichur Mohan
Ghatam: Vid B. Subba Rao
List of songs:
1) calamEla (varnam) – nATTakurinji – Adi – mUlaivITTu rangaswAmi naTTuvanAr
2) varavallabha ramaNa – hamsadhwani – Adi – g.n. bAlasubramaNiam (OS)
3) angArakam AshrayAmyaham – suruTTi – rUpakam – muthuswAmi dIkshitar (O)
4) suguNamulE – cakravAkam – rUpakam – thyAgarAja (AS)
5) viDajAladurA – janaranjani – Adi – thyAgarAja
6) nI samAnamevaru – shubapantuvarALi – Adi – g.n. bAlasubramaNiam (ANST)
7) slOkam – madhyamAvati
(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)
I have been wanting to hear Trichur Brothers for a long time now after reading their names mentioned many times in “The Hindu” but finally got the opportunity only today. The first thought that came across my mind as they started the nATTakurinji varnam was what beautiful voices God has blessed them with. For me, it was almost like hearing Balaji Shankar again !!
The positives that made me enjoy the concert were their appealing voices, good control over breath as exhibited multiple times by both the brothers during the concert and good shArIrams. They took turns at doing the alapanas of cakravAkam and shubapantuvarALi, assisting and complementing each other well. The shubapantuvarALi alapana lasted about 17 minutes. At many places, while one of them sang the alapana, the other just continuously sang the note with which the sancharas began, with good control over his breath. The brothers did neraval in the shubapantuvarALi composition of Sri GNB at “vAsudEvuni priya sOdari pAsamAna sharadindu kalAdhari“.
I would highly recommend the brothers to anyone who hasn’t heard them yet. If they keep going like this and keep learning from their experience, the day is not far when they will make it really big in this field.
Ramkumar R 