I know that there are only a few of you who read my posts on Carnatic music. Considering the fact that it is one of the posts that I really enjoyed writing in the recent times, I would like to know how many of you read ‘Carnatic Music & Me’ series of posts. Just curious!
I did
Very honestly, I don’t read it regularly. Reason being I don’t know a thing about Carnatic music… But it’s beautiful to read someone describing their passion. I simply love it!
I did 🙂
Maybe you can do a post on “Carnatic music & you” that helps people who have no clue about carnatic music to help get initiated, like suggesting music that would interest mainstream audiophiles.
I don’t need to tell u here i don’t read them ..u already know it 😛
Oh!! Just saw your posts. Hadn’t been able to visit our blog for 2-3 days. Read those two posts – parts 2 and 3 fully. Wonderfully written. To me, these three posts are among the three best posts that you’ve made! 🙂 The passion has been brought out excellently. Have to comment in detail on those two posts. Shall go home and do it 🙂 Listening to Sahana on phone! 🙂 well, there are so many things in those two posts that I can identify with readily! Wonderfully written!
Sathej
*visit ‘your’ blog’:)
Visiting ur blog after nearly a week and find so many posts…Read them one by one. Though I do enjoy Carnatic music especially Instrumental but cant really identify the raagam and all…
I have added my comments too 🙂
Don’t blush, but your blog has become central to my informal exploration of Carnatic music. I click on it at least once a week. Your personal notes on your own career as a Carnatic rasika – am I using the word right? – are more valuable from an “educational” standpoint than you probably intended.
You may recall from my email last September that I stumbled upon your blog while googling “Guitar Prasanna” before his concert in St Louis, Missouri, USA. This was four months after my wife and I had, through a chance process too tedious to relate, first encountered Carnatic music, and I was still looking for all the clarifying input I could find, given the depth of the subject and the shallowness of my capacity for musical understanding in general.
I was struck by the fact that you also were a fan of A.R.Rahman – my interest in Indian film music preceded that for Carnatic music by all of three months, and I had already decided that A.R.Rahman was the best of the contemporary composers – so you were first to “confirm” that!
Then there was the batch of Sanjay Subrahmanyan posts. Sanjay Subrahmanyan was the guy whose concert in St Louis cinched the deal for my continued enthusiasm for Carnatic music, tho’ I didn’t know him from Adam when I first saw him. I hope he returns here soon, and have already secured a “St Louis edition” Monopoly game to present him on arrival. I fear for his board-gaming though, now that he’s bought himself a Wii.
So, thanks for the blog, thanks for your autobiographical notes, and thanks for the leads you sent me earlier in reply to my September email.
(If there are other “beginners” reading this, I’d also like to refer same to raagarasika.com, a weekly podcast dedicated to presenting basics of Carnatic music. It’s a joint, cross-country project of Devesh Satyavolu in Washington State and Vidya Subramanian in upstate New York.)
I am a regular reader of your blog and especially your crisp and interesting review of Carnatic music concerts.
Please do continue.
I did and I was eagerly waiting for part 3. Does that help boost your self-esteem? 🙂
I did too.
Arun
carnatic nope!!! those things dont fascinate me!!! ARR all the posts I guess 🙂
Guilty as charged!
I got done by Maharajapuram Santhanam in the 90’s 🙂 Though he had passed away by the time I had the inclination to go to concerts. The again, Madurai where I grew up and studied didn’t offer much in terms apart from the annual festival.
Once my folks moved to Madras, I used to come from Madurai almost on a weekend basis and hear a few concerts, Semmangudi, Ramani, TVS, TNS and Neyveli used to be my star ones that I looked out for, especially since at the point Umayalpuram Sivaraman almost accompanied Neyveli in every cocnert. MSG was mostly with TVS or Ramani. I even got to hear MSS live a few times … the Swarala Puraskaram award ceremony being the highlight. Not to mention, MSS standing up and singing solo at a wedding, think it was Ramani mama’s daughter’s wedding in Anna Arivalayam, I invited myself there with a friendly mama who knew the family!
At first I had to use public transport, which is a mother of all pains, especially where Shastri Hall, Academy and Narada Gana Sabha were located. Living in Mambalam meant that Krishna Gana Sabha and my ever favorite Ayodhya Mandapam was within walking distance. Once I inherited my brother’s Hero Puch, things became a bit simpler. Though driving in Madras is a battle in its own right, not to mention me without a license and having to dodge coppers in that Nandanam signal 🙂 I know, I know, I am old and wiser now. It did take me a while to get used to the Madras lingo as well., mebeing used to the slightly purer version of Tamil in Madurai.
Though in the rainy season everything went pear shaped as I had to cross either Madley or Duraiswamy Subway. I can fondly remember me two wheeler not starting and having to push it all the way home. NOT.
One of the things I miss about Madras, though that road side mama kadai at the end of Venkatnarayana Temple and Saravana Bhavan rank a wee bit higher 🙂
Hi
I too stumbled on to your website a few months ago. Love your analysis of TMK and SS concerts. I have been a huge fan of Sanjay since the time someone handed a me pre-recorded tape titled “rasanubhava” back in 1993 – it begins with a blissful “kanchi nayike” in asaveri and goes through the fast paced “kandajutumi in vachaspati (loved the pace of sanjay in that piece) cresending in the immortal “Tiruvadi Charanam” in Kambhoji. That raspy voice and strong presence of classicism attracted me to his music. These days he seems to be singing more of non-trinity composers esp the likes of Koteeswara Iyer but I still love his style and presentation. Among females I have been a big fan of Sangeetha Sivakumar – again the no-gimmick pure classical music (and a distinctive GNB bani) is the attraction there. Listen to some of her pre-recorded ones like “marvels of melody” and “Yaro Ivar Yaro”.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your (saree) shopping experiences also 🙂
I do read it, its become my passion now, love ur posts on Sanjay, thaey make me listen to Sanjay even more. Thanks for the wonderful blog. :-)))
@All,
Thanks a lot for your comments! 🙂 Made my day! 🙂
Prasad,
That sounds like a good idea. But, I seriously have no clue about what kind of songs will get someone initiated into Carnatic music!
Postcard,
Thank you! 🙂 Great to know that you went for a concert of Sanjay too!!
Thanks for that link. I will be listening to those podcasts soon.
Sridhar,
I have listened to some recordings of Sangeetha Sivakumar & have also attended a few of her concerts too.
Thanx for exchanging lot of valuable information. Keep it up !!!! Best wishes
Vijaya,
Welcome to my blog! Thank you