I really enjoyed this past weekend. I got a chance to teach the Saveri and Charukesi varnams to my violin students and Nadanamakriya to my vocal students. Talk about a pathos filled couple of days.
While I've always found that Saveri and Charukesi are easy for me to play by nature, it wasn't as easy for me teach them. I did not realize that subconsciously, I was playing so many gamakams in the two ragas. Saveri especially was tough to break down for the kids. I really had to think through all of the gamakams very slowly to be able to teach them. Each note in Saveri is filled with gamakams and it is interconnected with its predecessor and successor.
The Lalgudi Charukesi varnam, Innum Yen Manam is a beautiful piece. However notating it into distinct notes is quite the challenge, as is the case with many of Shri. Lalgudi's varnams. I posted a recording of Maharajapuram Santhanam singing this piece under the Recordings section of this site. Did I mention that when I was 10yrs old, I got a chance to sing in front of Shri. Santhanam and he was so impressed that he pulled me onto his lap and said, "Tell me you are learning vocal music!". When I replied that I was learning violin, his response was, "kural irukkaravanukku yethukku virral?". (why does one with a voice like this need fingers)?
On Sunday, I got so engaged with my vocal students, that we got through 3 songs - nAn oru vilayAttu bommayA in Navarasa kAnadA, Shiva Shiva Shiva Bho in NadanAmakriyA and Nambi Kettavar YevarayyA in Hindolam. The first and third are Papanasam Sivan kritis and were a staple of DKJ concerts in the late 80s. The nAdanAmakriyA piece is a trademark of MS Amma. She sang it at the UN Concert in the US with a viruttham (petra thAi thanai magha maranthAlum). The notes of that Viruttham are haunting me even today.
Papnasam Sivan wrote such beautiful songs in Tamil. The Hindolam piece is one such composition. It's instructive in nature and tells a simple yet powerful message (don't wait until the end of your life to take to Godliness, do it today when you still have strength and energy left in your body). nAn oru vilayAttu bommayA is one of two songs that I know in Navarasa kAnadA (MD's DurgA devi is the other). Such an simple yet elegant raga filled with the karuna-rasam.
Kudos to my vocal students for being so passionate about learning and picking the nuances up really well!
Looking forward to the next session. Until then, Ciao!
While I've always found that Saveri and Charukesi are easy for me to play by nature, it wasn't as easy for me teach them. I did not realize that subconsciously, I was playing so many gamakams in the two ragas. Saveri especially was tough to break down for the kids. I really had to think through all of the gamakams very slowly to be able to teach them. Each note in Saveri is filled with gamakams and it is interconnected with its predecessor and successor.
The Lalgudi Charukesi varnam, Innum Yen Manam is a beautiful piece. However notating it into distinct notes is quite the challenge, as is the case with many of Shri. Lalgudi's varnams. I posted a recording of Maharajapuram Santhanam singing this piece under the Recordings section of this site. Did I mention that when I was 10yrs old, I got a chance to sing in front of Shri. Santhanam and he was so impressed that he pulled me onto his lap and said, "Tell me you are learning vocal music!". When I replied that I was learning violin, his response was, "kural irukkaravanukku yethukku virral?". (why does one with a voice like this need fingers)?
On Sunday, I got so engaged with my vocal students, that we got through 3 songs - nAn oru vilayAttu bommayA in Navarasa kAnadA, Shiva Shiva Shiva Bho in NadanAmakriyA and Nambi Kettavar YevarayyA in Hindolam. The first and third are Papanasam Sivan kritis and were a staple of DKJ concerts in the late 80s. The nAdanAmakriyA piece is a trademark of MS Amma. She sang it at the UN Concert in the US with a viruttham (petra thAi thanai magha maranthAlum). The notes of that Viruttham are haunting me even today.
Papnasam Sivan wrote such beautiful songs in Tamil. The Hindolam piece is one such composition. It's instructive in nature and tells a simple yet powerful message (don't wait until the end of your life to take to Godliness, do it today when you still have strength and energy left in your body). nAn oru vilayAttu bommayA is one of two songs that I know in Navarasa kAnadA (MD's DurgA devi is the other). Such an simple yet elegant raga filled with the karuna-rasam.
Kudos to my vocal students for being so passionate about learning and picking the nuances up really well!
Looking forward to the next session. Until then, Ciao!