NJ Nandini

Celebrating with music P. Vijayambika Recital Navarati celebrations of the Swathi Sangeetha Sabha, Palakkad, featured fine Carnatic vocal concerts. P. Vijayambika I t was a dual celebration for the Swathi Sangeetha Sabha, Palakkad. The organisation celebrated its fifth anniversary and the Navarati season with a three-day music fete. The celebrations kicked off with a concert by up-and-coming vocalist N.J. Nandini at the Chinmaya Thapovanam hall. Jayaprakash Gopalan (violin) and Nandini's brother Nandagopal (mridangam) provided able accompaniment. The opening Bhairavi Ada tala varnam ‘Viriboni,' saw her rhythmic skill. She rendered the pallavi and anupallavi in three speeds. An enlivening ‘Salakallala' of Tyagaraja (Arabhi), embellished with chittaswara and manodharma swara, was followed by an Anandabhairavi, that harmonised both lakshya and lakshana. ‘Pahitharakshu' (Adi tala, two-kala), a rarely-heard composition of Swati Tirunal, and an eulogy on the deity

  Innikkenna main?? Nagumovaa?? Pakkaalaavaa?? The first thing the organizer would have to say as soon as we reach the concert venue will be… please sing popular pieces ( inge popular pieces porum sir..ethukku veenaa…)…since the audience are more used to it!! But when we think deeper, the reality is even if we sing those   “ So- Called” popular pieces,   only 10 or 15   people end up   listening to the concert . SO WHY SHOULD THE MUSICIAN SACRIFICE THE STANDARD OF THE CONCERT BY SINGING THE SAME PIECES WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN SUNG AT THE VENUE ON ALL THE PREVIOUS   DAYS ??? ( I am referring to Navarathri festival) . As the “so – called” popular pieces are limited in number ( say 10 or 15) most of the artists   are forced to repeat the pieces which would have been already   performed at the venue I personally feel, if this trend continues,   a decade from now will have listeners who unfortunately, will believe that these are the only pieces that can be performed in a concert.