(Another version of this review appeared in The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/01/08/stories/2010010851190400.htm) on 7th January 2010
I was just coming out of the concert of Dr Prapancham Sitaram at Indian Fine Arts, when Ashok Ramani, who was to sing next, met me in the corridor.
“Anna,” he said, (that is how we greet each other), “I would like you to stay on for my concert..” I told him whether to stay on or not depended upon what he intended to sing.
“What do you want me to sing?”
“Dharmavathi?” I said, after a moment’s thought.
“Sure. I’ll sing Dharmavathi,” Ashok Ramani said, with the easy confidence of a master.
It turned out to be a superb concert. I always go to concerts with my two other friends, Sivaramakrishnan (of Tafe Ltd) and Govindarajan (Karur Vysya Bank). My only regret that day was that Govinda could not make it to the concert.
Ashok Ramani sang that day as though he was possessed. I submitted a review of the concert to The Hindu the next day, which appeared in the paper on 8th January, 2010. The following is an expanded version of that review. Read on……..
Perhaps inspired by a rasika’s choice expressed just before the concert, Papanasam Ashok Ramani produced a thrilling Dharmavathi. Discerning lovers of carnatic music have long held Ashok Ramani to be a fine musician in terms of depth of knowledge, but for some years the vocalist’s performance was a duel between a recalcitrant voice and a compelling manodharma. Fed on a diet of manodharma, rasikas were prepared to wait for the return of Ramani. Since the last one year or so, singer’s vocal strength has steadily improved. The Dharmavathi showed that the wait was not in vain.
It was a superb Dharmavathi alapana and it is a regret that only a smattering of audience was there to listen to it. What was impressive was the consummate ease with which he delivered the alapana – he sang it as though he had been practicing it for that concert for several weeks. Mysore Vasudevachar’s Bhajana Seyarada followed an equally good follow-through by violinist M S Varadarajan. Ashok Ramani took the line ‘niravadhi sukha dayaka’ for niraval and swaras.
The swara sequences landed in the nishadam, which was a bit unwise because it resulted in an inevitable whiff of Kalyani. The vocalist would have done better ending the swara chains in either ‘ri’ or ‘da’, both being defining notes of Dharmavathi. Dr Prapancham Sitaram was sitting next to me and I asked him if a nishadham-ending was appropriate. The veteran flautist agreed with me that ‘da’ would have been a little better, the note being one of the jeevaswaras of Dharmavathi. But this minor blemish did nothing to rob the rendition of its beauty. Also notable was the violinist’s brilliant support.
Then came a nice, relaxing Nalinakanti (Manavyala of Thyagaraja). Here again Ashok Ramani’s manodharma shone. Once while on a karvai on the word ‘sri’ in the line ‘ghanulaina sri ramachandruni’, sruthi deserted him, but except for that, the Nalinakanti was a charm.
Earlier in the concert, came a sprightly Sindhuramakriya (Sudha Madhurya of Thyagaraja) and a Khamas (Idadu padam of Sivan). To the singer’s right sat a master drummer, Srimushnam Raja Rao, who had no difficulty in meshing with the vocalist.
I was just coming out of the concert of Dr Prapancham Sitaram at Indian Fine Arts, when Ashok Ramani, who was to sing next, met me in the corridor.
“Anna,” he said, (that is how we greet each other), “I would like you to stay on for my concert..” I told him whether to stay on or not depended upon what he intended to sing.
“What do you want me to sing?”
“Dharmavathi?” I said, after a moment’s thought.
“Sure. I’ll sing Dharmavathi,” Ashok Ramani said, with the easy confidence of a master.
It turned out to be a superb concert. I always go to concerts with my two other friends, Sivaramakrishnan (of Tafe Ltd) and Govindarajan (Karur Vysya Bank). My only regret that day was that Govinda could not make it to the concert.
Ashok Ramani sang that day as though he was possessed. I submitted a review of the concert to The Hindu the next day, which appeared in the paper on 8th January, 2010. The following is an expanded version of that review. Read on……..
Perhaps inspired by a rasika’s choice expressed just before the concert, Papanasam Ashok Ramani produced a thrilling Dharmavathi. Discerning lovers of carnatic music have long held Ashok Ramani to be a fine musician in terms of depth of knowledge, but for some years the vocalist’s performance was a duel between a recalcitrant voice and a compelling manodharma. Fed on a diet of manodharma, rasikas were prepared to wait for the return of Ramani. Since the last one year or so, singer’s vocal strength has steadily improved. The Dharmavathi showed that the wait was not in vain.
It was a superb Dharmavathi alapana and it is a regret that only a smattering of audience was there to listen to it. What was impressive was the consummate ease with which he delivered the alapana – he sang it as though he had been practicing it for that concert for several weeks. Mysore Vasudevachar’s Bhajana Seyarada followed an equally good follow-through by violinist M S Varadarajan. Ashok Ramani took the line ‘niravadhi sukha dayaka’ for niraval and swaras.
The swara sequences landed in the nishadam, which was a bit unwise because it resulted in an inevitable whiff of Kalyani. The vocalist would have done better ending the swara chains in either ‘ri’ or ‘da’, both being defining notes of Dharmavathi. Dr Prapancham Sitaram was sitting next to me and I asked him if a nishadham-ending was appropriate. The veteran flautist agreed with me that ‘da’ would have been a little better, the note being one of the jeevaswaras of Dharmavathi. But this minor blemish did nothing to rob the rendition of its beauty. Also notable was the violinist’s brilliant support.
Then came a nice, relaxing Nalinakanti (Manavyala of Thyagaraja). Here again Ashok Ramani’s manodharma shone. Once while on a karvai on the word ‘sri’ in the line ‘ghanulaina sri ramachandruni’, sruthi deserted him, but except for that, the Nalinakanti was a charm.
Earlier in the concert, came a sprightly Sindhuramakriya (Sudha Madhurya of Thyagaraja) and a Khamas (Idadu padam of Sivan). To the singer’s right sat a master drummer, Srimushnam Raja Rao, who had no difficulty in meshing with the vocalist.
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