Neyveli Santhanagopalan’s cathartic fulmination upon spotting me among the audience points to how deeply he has been hurt by my review of one of his earlier concert in The Hindu (http://rameshsaregama.blogspot.com/2009/12/neyveli-santhanagopalan-is-not-artiste_17.html ) Despite my requests to calm down – his outburst came mid-way through a Begada alapana – he carried on his harangue. I had to say something in response, which I did by pointing out that I expected better music from an artiste of his caliber. A few other members of the audience lunged-in, some voicing their opinion about reviewers, some asking us end the debate, and the result was boisterous pell-mell, something rarely seen in concert halls.
This remarkable incident happened on January 2, 2010, at Sastry Hall, where Santhanagopalan was singing for the G K Foundation. Sitting with him were Delhi Sundararajan (violin), Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam (mridangam) and H Sivaramakrishnan (ghatam). While Sundararajan and Sivaramakrishnan maintained quiet, the mridangist took the mike (as is his wont) and after a word about how pained the reviewers leave the artistes, added an absurd question: ‘what do they know about mridangam’? This truly got my goat and I retorted, rather sharply I must say, with a counter: ‘What do you know about writing?’
That silenced him. Bhaktavatsalam has a peculiar and unpleasant style of playing his instrument. When a singer takes a note, say upper shadjam, for a karvai, his usually thins his voice for good effect. At that time the mridangist ought to play along—a few low gummikis or some gentle nadai taps would nourish the music. Bhaktavatsalam would pick exactly on this point to produce a loud rumble. The cause is not deficient talent, but mindset. One can only infer that Bhaktavatsalam wants to bring himself and his performance to the fore, rather than support the concert. This was what happened at the Neyveli Santhanagopalan concert for Nungambakkam Cultural Academy and the inevitable comment in the review was his own comeuppance—I’m scarcely to blame.
Now, coming back to Neyveli Santhanagopalan, there was a little pell-mell with some among the audience standing up and asking us to pipe down. There was once spectacled chap who told me, rather curtly, to stop and I screamed back at him telling him to shut up. (He obeyed). The exchange between me and Santhanagopalan went on for sometime, he telling me that I was wrong in writing what I did “while being a friend”, and me telling him that what came out as my review was only the outpourings of an anguished fan.
The turbulence did impact his Begada a bit and it was evident from his demeanor that he was still seething within. That is understandable. To ease up the situation a bit, I gave him a request-slip, asking him to sing Sadananda Tandavam (Bahudari), which he did after a brief word with the violinist. It was a brilliant Bahudhari. Here is a tip to the world of rasikas—Santhanagopalan performs better when he is angry and aggressive. (We have seen this before. Last year, he got delayed by traffic and hence arrived aggressive to the concert and what a concert it was!)
Well, at the end of the concert Santhanagopalan made up with me. I reasoned with him, pointing out that we as rasikas come to his concert with great expectations and he disappointed us. I asked him how come he did not have time to do a niraval on a kirthana like ‘upacharamu’, but had enough time to indulge in garrulous praise of the accompanists. I told him it was about time he stopped singing Nalinakanti, a raga worn away by over use. He seemed to agree with me.
Guru Purandara Dasa, who extracted music from the Vedas and brought it to us
dear sir..
ReplyDeleteif i may..
Santhanagopalan sir was, by no means, "seething from within", although he was considerably shocked and rumpled up in spirit when he read that thing.
The well meaning words,"Neyveli Santhanagopalan has either lost interest in singing or confidence in his abilities",is so replete with falsehood and thoughtlessness that it is natural that a "little pell mell" was created on this account.
not this to shri neyveli santhanagopalan, who has sung pallavis in DEVAGANDHARI, KEDARAM, NARAYANI, JANARANJANI, YADUKULAKAMBHOJI, or took up for main, nattakurinji, hamir kalyani,dvijavanthi, or for sub main, phalamanjari,asaveri,dhenuka, etc in his other concerts , that very season(december 2009-2010).
not this to one who has dedicated his life to music, and thinks of nothing but the SAME OLD BALLY THING!
"neyveli santhanagopalan has lost interest in music" indeed!! :D *chuckle*. forgive me for saying --"FIDDLESTICKS!!!"
The supposedly "seething" neyveli santhanagopalan , after the initial shock had worn away, fondly recollected having worked on the kalyani varnam "karunai kadale" with you and also the enormously enlightening musical tete a tete s that you both had during the past.
the mention of this might have probably deceived you into writing "he telling me that I was wrong in writing what I did “while being a friend”, and me telling him that what came out as my review was only the outpourings of an anguished fan"
on behalf of the sea of rasikas , including the aggressive , bespectacled ones , and the artistes,i humbly request you to "think twice before writing and PUBLISHING such unfounded and highly individualized statements"
thanking you
sri ranjani santhanagopalan
(disciple of NSG)
I thank Sri Ranjani for her comments, and for the candour. I can understand the hurt.
ReplyDeleteI yield to none in my admiration for Neyveli Santhanagopalan, who in my opinion, is an artiste of a very rare calibre. If Sri Ranjani were to look a little closely at the ‘sea of rasikas’, she’d find me right there, leading others. And nobody knows this better than Neyveli Santhanagopalan.
Santhanagopalan and I go a long way back. I speak as a person who knows what Santhanagopalan is capable of. Back in the early 1990s, I became a die-hard fan of Neyveli Santhanagopalan – I still am one.
There are many artistes in the field today. Most of them fill-in templates handed down by their gurus. If you discount these pseudos, we are left with just a handful of ‘good’ musicians. Some of them work their manodharma to produce brilliant musical fireworks – but they lack bhava depth. Some others provide a deep meditative experience, but we don’t see any great musical talent – the gift of karpani – in them.
Neyveli Santhanagopalan is among the very, very few artistes who have both manodharma and bhava. It pains me enormously to note that such a great artiste no longer draws the crowds that the others do.
Why? To look for a clue, we have to inevitably turn to the concert that was the subject of my report in The Hindu.
The review was not just a mass of sweeping statements. I have backed my views with facts. To recount:
1. For until one-and-a-quarter hour into the concert, there was no raga alapana. I was sitting there waiting for a nice raga…..waiting in vain.
2. In fact, whatever he sang until then were all ‘the old Santhanagopalan favourites’ – nothing novel, all to familiar and lacking in appeal.
3. The Nalinakanti was good but again there has been such an overdose of the raga from Santhanagopalan that it is difficult to listen to it without a sense of ennui.
4. The main piece, Bhairavi, featured no niraval. I felt disappointed.
5. One can understand that in today’s quick concert format the artiste does not have time for niraval. But was that the case?
I do understand the need for the main artiste taking the accompanists along. But not like this!!! Santhanagopalan tells the audience of V V Ravi: “Oh! What a Bhairavi he has just played. What can I give him for such a Bhairavi? All I can do is to take up my diary and book him for the next three concerts!” A little earlier, he told the audience that he was going to sing Nalinakanti because it was the choice of “Ravi Sir”. Then to Tiruvarur Bhakatavatsalam; “Wow! What a play! It is as though the song was composed for your sake!”
For his part, Bhaktavatsalam broke off into a speech heaping fulsome praises on Santhanagopalan and during the tani, he urged upon the audience to applaud the kanjira artiste (Gopalakrishnan), who he said, was an “emerging star”.
For Godssake, we don’t need commercial breaks like this in the middle of a concert! Not, especially, when the vocalist does not have time for a niraval!
Sri Ranjani will probably ask me: Should there be a niraval? Should there be something new? Should there be a raga in the early part of the concert?
Maybe not. But if somebody as capable as Neyveli Santhanagopalan delivers such a truncated concert, I may be excused for taking it for apathy.
Ten concerts happen in the city. A rasika who has come to a concert, has chucked the other nine and come to listen to his favourite. If that rasika is treated with apathy, then he will not come anymore. Santhanagopalan has in the past said (to others and to me) that his rasikas are his ‘real wealth’.
I am his friend, fan and well-wisher. I don’t want him to lose his wealth.
I can do no better than to recall a thirukural here:
“Sevi kaippa sol porukkum vendar tam
Kavigai keel tangum ualgu”
“The entire world will come under the umbrella of the king who listens to the bitter words (counselling of his well-wishers)”