TNS over the years-by rasika

Visit also my website to see TNS concert and other photos and an lso hear his music

www.freewebs.com/sarojaramanujam

TNS over the years-by rasika_tns

TNS over the years- -added maturity, gaambheeryam ,tejas over the years and has grown in status approaching divinity which will be completed in a few years.Krishna was delightful as a child, attractive as a boy, loveable as a youth and revered and worshipped in adulthood.Though it is difficult to say which is the most beautiful form as He is a soundaryalahari, the visvaroopa is the most enchanting of all. TNS 's visvaroopa is on stage and most unforgettable and inspiring by its splendour and beauty. His music has grown more and more attractive over the years. One thing has remained as enchanting as ever. That is his smile and hismanodharma. prathipadhalalitham prathyaham noothanam

Read what the raikas say about him

TNS enthralls Toronto Rasikas… Carnatic

Among musical forms, the “Harikatha” has come to grace a special place in the Carnatic music circuit.

A composite art form, comprising elements of poetry, music and philosophy woven in story telling format, it stands out as an excellent medium for propagating cultural and religious values to the masses.

On March 30 the Toronto music Rasikas were treated to one such refreshing traditional art in the form of a Harikatha-“Seetha Kalyanam”. Yes, the three hour presentation on March 30th by Sangeetha Kalanidhi TN Seshagopalan at the Ayyappan auditorium in Scarborough wa a resounding success

The traditionally attired accompanists (on mridangam, violin and kanjira) coupled with the use of the cymbals to keep beat enhanced the aura and mood of “Seetha Kalayanam”- that was succinctly portrayed in dramatic style. Prasangam- sloka interpretation and music in these expositions relies heavily on the musical ability of the individual. Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan, a musician par excellence is a natural speaker and the lyrical beauty of the compositions rendered in Sanskrit, Telegu, Marathi, Hindi and Tamil complemented his music to perfection.

He spoke of the importance of Rama avataram, the Rama mantra and the special place accorded to ThAyAr. Anecdotes, episodes from the Ramayana were roped in well in keeping with the humour of our time, making the Harikatha contemporary and relevant. Passages from Valmiki RAmAyaNam, Vishnu SahashranAmam, Kamba RaamAyaNam, pAsurams, abhangs and krithis from Thyagarajar, Arunachalakavirayar, Uthukkadu Venkata Kavi came across in a stream of musical fireworks. Indeed, one may be bold enough to say that Thyagarajar himself is fortunate to have the likes of TNS propagating his music via this medium.

A few bars of the krithi “yArO ivar yArO” (Arunachala Kavirayar)originally set to Saveri - Saveri being a better choice for nAdagams, was demonstrated in both Bhairavi and Saveri. Particularly enjoyable was the rasa effect captured by TNS as in a dramatic flourish he delighted us with few lines of a krithi sung as it were by both Seetha and Surpanaka! Snippets from Sri Raghukula (Hamsadhwani), Manasuloni(Hindolam), Nagumomu (Abheri) and several other krithis in their lyrical splendour were presented in an enjoyable musical narrative. A famous Thamizh verse “aNNalum nOkkinAL” (Hameer Kalyani) from Kamba RaamAyaNam was pleasantly soothing. Three of the six charanams from Thyagarajar’s Seetha KalyANam in Kurinji were rendered for full effect. All the events concomitant to the marriage ceremony- the vil (bow) scene, the unjal, nalangu,were represented well and laced with humour in terms of modern day parlance. He had several people laughing as he maintained a serious countenance with jokes interspersed in the numerous episodes dwelling on various aspects of human nature. Seshagopalan’s superior vidhwat in both the Hindusthani and Carnatic idiom was reflected in his smooth delivery. He is a phenomenal and versatile artiste and to many of us who have not been privy to his histrionic talents, it was a pleasure seeing the well known musician in a different light.

Excellent support by Jaisankar Balan (violin), Vinod Seetharam (Mrudangam) and Karthik Venkatraman (Kanjira) made for a presentation both entertaining and instructive.

The function, which began with an introduction of the artistes by Thyagarajan, President of Bharathi Kala Manram ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. Krishnan followed by a presentation of a veNpA by Professor Pasupathy honouring the artiste.

Rajeshwari Iyer

Pics Courtesy : Murali GopalakrishnanMore Articles April 9th, 2008

geekunnel comments: on Oct 30 2007 2:34AM

Saroja R

well said about music.. heavenly gift. a non stop concert for 5 hrs is really a gift.

As a review coming from a rasika simply dumbstruck and awed by the energy and zest of
a man (or should I say superhuman) who has just sung for five hours almost non-stop,
please excuse the relatively large number of superlatives you're going to read in what
follows. It's hard to keep objectivity after concerts like this!

Concert details and listing:

TN Seshagopalan: Vocal, Mullaivasal Chandramouli: Violin, Thanjavur Murugabhoopathi: Mridangam

EnthO premA - Surati - Veena Kuppiar (AS)
Gam Ganapathe - Hamsadhwani - Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar (ANS)
Ranganayakam - Nayaki - Muthuswami Dikshitar (A)
Madhava Mamava - Neelambari - Narayana Theerthar
Santhana Manjari - Santhana Manjari - Muthuswami Dikshitar (A)
Madura Madura - Atana - OVK
Akshaya Linga Vibho - Shankarabharanam - Muthuswami Dikshitar (ANST)
Vanchathonu - Karnaranjani - Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar
Ragam, Thanam - Hameer Kalyani
Pallavi - "Maa Mayan Madhavan Vaikunthan Sriman Narayanan" - Khanda Triputa?
Ragamalika swarams in Hameer Kalyani, Revati, Neelambari, Bowli, Kuntalavarali,
Kalyana Vasantham, Nattai, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali, Sri, Kapi, Devamanohari, Vasantha,
Kathanakathuhalam, and many more....
Mohanavalli - Manji - Kavi Kunjara Bharati
Virutham - All the remaining well known ragas in carnatic music, maybe excluding Thodi (about 20)
Marubari - Kamas - Dharmapuri Subbarayar
Thiruppugazh - Hamsanandhi
Pavamana - Thyagaraja - Sourashtram
Mangala Slokam - Sri Ragam

Today, TNS redefined what a "marathon" concert is, at least relative to carnatic concerts in this
century. The concert began at 4.45 pm and at 10 pm, more than five hours later, we were still
sitting in the auditorium glued to our seats, captivated by what, IMHO, was the "concert of the year"
(quite easily) here in Boston. And an unforgettable experience for me, being my first TNS live concert,
and quite easily one of the best live carnatic concerts I have been to. Chandramouli provided excellent
support on the violin (though I felt he hurried a bit at times, and had a couple of shruti lapses towards
the fag end of the concert) and Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy did a great job on the mridangam, being
TNS's co-conspirator in the many kanakkus that were laced throughout the concert.

TNS opened with Veena Kuppier's beautiful Surati varnam, "Entho Prema", delineating Surati captivatingly
in the opening alapana of the concert. An exquisite set of innovative kalpana swarams, both in vilamba
and faster kala followed, setting the stage for the rest of the concert.

The next, "Gam Ganapathe", saw TNS go through some voice problems, though his vidvat was as strong
as ever, shining through. The kriti was rendered with complex kanakku in Hamsadhwani swarams, which
was to be honest not too enjoyable, given the voice problems he was having (but this wasn't the last
kanakku by any means in the kacheri -- read on!)

TNS then began a beautiful, slow alapana of Nayaki and his voice, while still a little hoarse at the beginning,
kept improving as he progressed through the alapana, and culminated with some vintage Nayaki phrases.
MD's masterpiece naturally followed, rendered beautifully with a lot of azhuttam and feeling. TNS's voice
was now picking up really well, and a nice rendition of "Madhava Mamava" in Neelambari followed Nayaki.

When you hear an elaborate alapana in a vivadi asampurna melam, no prizes for guessing the singer: it's
probably going to be TNS -- very few have the caliber to do this today. A thrilling alapana laced with
brigas in the relatively rare 67th asampurna melam, Santana Manjari (the sampurna equivalent I think is
Sucharitra), followed Neelambari, taking the concert to heights not reached before. MD's rare, but thrilling
piece "Santana Manjari", the defining kriti in this raga (?), was rendered nicely, giving us a lovely glimpse
of the vivadi nature (the medium range passages sounded Amrithavarshini-like, and the raga has two
vivadi swarams, one in the purvanga and one in the uttaranga).

TNS fired away a quick, lilting "Madhura Madhura" (an OVK composition?) in Atana, which seems to be a
composition set for dance. The sangatis he sang in some of the faster passages of Atana were quite delectable.

The main piece was a grand Shankarabharanam, lasting for an hour and given the elaboration the raga
deserves. The alapana was memorable, not least for a cleverly woven graha bedam to Thodi right in the middle.
Chandramouli responded really well though he did not attempt to replicate TNS's excursions into Thodi. A grand
rendition of MD's masterpiece, Akshaya Linga Vibho (the third MD composition in a row -- they just kept on
coming this evening!) followed, with neraval and swarams at the usual "Badari Vana". The swarams had elaborate
kanakku as with Hamsadhwani, with interesting patterns of different lengths, lasting for nearly half an hour! It
was a laya treat, and the thani by Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy that followed was the icing on the cake.

There was a brief intermission announced by TNS, which lasted roughly 10 minutes (which doesn't at all take
away from his singing for five hours!) -- the word "intermission" gives one the impression that the concert is
halfway through, and we weren't wrong -- the concert was actually just beginning!

Vanchathonu, Muthiah Bhagavathar's composition in Karnaranjani started off the proceedings after the intermission
with an especially nice rendering of the chittaswarams in this kriti.

What followed was the best alapana of Hameer Kalyani I have ever heard. I have very few words to talk about that
Hameer Kalyani, except to say that it was divine. TNS's voice by now was flowing like honey, with no problems
even barely detectable with it. That alapana made me think about a statement I've heard -- "True brigas in
carnatic music died with GNB". Well, TNS seemed determined to prove it wrong and I think he succeeded, briefly
reawakening the spirit of GNB. The rest almost seemed redundant after that glorious alapana -- easily the highlight
of the concert, but of course it was followed by a beautiful thanam and an elaborate pallavi, which *also* lasted for
over an hour (now you get an idea where the 5 hours is coming from!).

The pallavi line was from "Thoomani Madathu", the Hameer Kalyani Thiruppugazh (I think), and it was sung with
intricate kanakku (though this did compromise the bhavam of the raga slightly). A torrent of ragamalika swarams
in well over a dozen ragas followed, with the swarams in Revathi being particularly soulful, and reminiscent of
Vedic chants. Chandramouli's responses on the violin and his own swarams were excellent as well.

As if this was not enough, TNS followed up with the rare Manji padam by Kavi Kunjara Bharati, "Mohanavalli". Rendering
was beautiful and quite gut-wrenching, with some lovely Manji phrases coming out very well in both halves of the
octave. This Manji does seem different from other Manji s I've listened to (e.g. of Shyama Shastri, MD) but then again,
every version of Manji seems to be slightly different (part of the raga's charm?)

A long and lovely viruttam followed, in over a dozen more ragams. Between the ragamalika swarams in the RTP and the
ragas covered by the viruttam, TNS sang most of the popular ragas of carnatic music -- I have said "with the exception
of Thodi" in the list above mainly because it was easier to remember what he didn't sing than what he sang!

Never satisfied, the concert went into its last half hour with the classic Kamas javali, "Marubari", with TNS showing
beautifully how to render "Talalenura", catching the beautiful descent curve of Kamas perfectly. The penultimate piece
was a Thiruppugazh in Hamsanandhi, with a bonus grahabedam to Hindolam thrown in.

Pavamana was astonishingly the only Thyagaraja composition in a five hour concert, and TNS wrapped up with a nice
Mangala slokam set to Sri ragam.

Overall, very few words more to praise the concert -- wish we had more concerts like this more often, and artists
actually had the time to sing like TNS did today. More often than not it seems that time pressure restricts today's
concerts, and to sit through a concert with both the main piece and the pallavi lasting over an hour each was quite
a wholesome and unique experience. Hail TNS, for transporting every rasika here to another world today!

TNS at MITHAS, Boston, October 28th (5 hour concert!!!)

arvindtpallavi raagamalika 15 raagas mentioned AND MANY MORE, VIRUTTAM about 20, when can hear such a performance in bangalore? you guys are the luckiest people on earth. ninaikka,ninaikka pullarikuthu, great fortune, we are blessed to live along with him inthis century ..last sentence ofarvindt's review. hail TNSfor transporting quite a few rasikasto another world today? what about the rest? .did you pinch yourself after the performance?

Gobilalitha

must have been a concert of a life time...

ranganAyakam, santAna manjari, akshayalinga vibhO, mOhana valli, hamIr kalyANi RTP...

god!

rbharath

By "quite a few" I obviously meant everyone in the auditorium (at least 100 to begin with, but dwindled later towards
the end). I'm sorry if it seemed like I meant anything else!

And yes, we were certainly lucky, and we certainly tried to pinch ourselves

KathaKalakshepam by TNS at Rush, NY - Oct 19, 07

Meenakshi Vaibavam
It was an ecstatic experience for us audience. The sheer energy of the maestro was just flowing like a stream. His immense knowledge on so many topics, his attention to details in general and in detailing the ragas based on the situation, his resonant voice, the admirable accompanists - it was all truly outstanding.

TNS said that this was the first time he did "katha" on this topic. He did digress quite a bit off topic into the "Rama/Krishna" zone, but nevertheless, it was a performance of the highest calibre. Given the small size of the city, one could say that it was well-attended. This was done in connection with the navaratri celebrations at the Devi temple in Rush, so this program fit perfectly well into the agenda and added color to the already festive atmosphere.

sankriti

Knowing TNS it is not at all surprising that he sang for 5hours. He would go on singing the whole night and he usually finishes his concert within 3hours (Minimum-he cannot sing for less than that!) out of sheer consideration for the rasikas who had to catch the transport to reach home!It would be fortunate for the rasikas who could not attend the concert if any recordings were available of his concerts abroad. If any one can upload it in rapidshare or similar website we can download it and enjoy hearing it.
Whata has been a drought for Chennai rasikas has proved to be a monsoon for US rasikas!But never mind you Chennai rasikas. The monsoon is only round the corner.

By the way TNS sang for the whole night on vaikuntaekadasi in Ayodhya mandapam Chennai few years ago and only the accompanists changed and he was singing through out.

sarojaramanujam

To the groups

I have forwarded the review of Srinivasan mahalingam of the concert of TNS in Hyderabad on 15-3-2008.

Incidentally this pallavi was sung at a recent concert in Chennai of which I have already given a writeup. It was svarakshara dha ma dha ma -----sa ga  sa ma

dear rasikas,sica hyd organised a concert of tns on

16th march at ravindra bharati hyd.was a thrilling

experience.

tns was accompanied on the violin by sri s.d.sridhar &

on the mridangam by sri trichur narendran.

tns started his concert with a atathala varnam of

veena kuppa iyer vanajaksha which was interwoven with

swara pattern.he followed it up with kanjadalayadakshi

in kamalamanohari a dikshitar krithi.this was sung

with a lot of bhava & bhakti.next was ganamurthi with

an intricate alapana followed by a slokam & kriti with

neraval & swaram.was an outstdg exercise.madura madura

a composition of uthakadu in raga atana followed.tns

took up kalyani raga next with an elaborate alapana in

which he did graha bedham with raga sudda

danyasi.pankaja lochana kriti of swati

tirunal followed with as usual neraval & swaram.tani

avartanam by tiruchur narendran was good.next was

mayamma comp of syama sastri in raga ahiri.was sung in

slow tempo with lot of bhava.next he took up hindolam

rtp.in the alapana again he did graha bedham with the

raga suddhasaveri.pallavi was thamadama kanna odi

vandhu ennai kakka saagasamaa.ragamalika was set in the

ragas nattai,durbar,bowli,suruti,behag etc.next was

padavini a kriti of tyagaraja in the raga salaga

bhairavi.the curtain came down with nirupamana sami

nannu,tirupugazh followed by mangalam.a memorable

concert. srinivasan

CMANA awarded, Saturday 6 Oct 2007, evening, Sangeetha Saagara award to Sri Madurai TNS at the packed audience Bridgewater Hall in New Jersey.

TNS chose to celebrate the Thayar Perumal Kalayanam on the auspicius day of Purattasi Sanikkizhamai Saturday. He was beautifully dressed in Panchakacham and the long angavastram and Thiruman Srichurnam and was garlanded by Sri Sankara Narayanan, the President. From the audience view, he stood right below lotus feet of Lord Srinivasa, as, one can see the Lord Venkateswara's huge painting right above the dias. Sri Murugabhoopathy was on the left with Mrudangam and Sri Chandramouli on the right with violin.

He invited us with 'Kolam kaana vareer" with a melodius music note. The whole Hari Katha was very interesting for audience of all age, filled with Bhakthi, Bhavam, opportunity for listeners to identify various apt ragas, he sang the sacred Ramayanam from almost author, notably, Valmiki, Thyagaraja and Kamban for Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil. During his Harikatha, he beautifully rendered the Saranagathi thatvam highlighting the supremacy of Sri. Lakshmi Narayana. The importance of Thayar as Purshatkaram was spelt and explained, how Thayar decided to reside with the Lord, who left for Himself will run away for the sake of call of a bird or an elephant. He quoted "Agalagillen..Marai marba". He emphasized that Thayar's kataksham is imperative in order to get the grant of Moksham from Perumal.

The entire Harikatha was punctuated with humor every now and then, keeping the audience alive, all through.

He took us from Vishwamitra taking Rama and Lakshmana from Dasaratha for a protection from the demon. TNS explained, why, Kamban described the residence of Emberman as Karungadal, though it was Paarkadal. He explained that Emberuman as "Pachai Maa malai pol meni' and equated Him to an emarald. A pure Emarald when dropped in unadulterated milk, wil turn the milk into black, hence karungadal.

While explaining, why Viswamitra chose to sing suprabatham as "Kausalya supraja" TNS quoted Thayragaja singing "Sri Vasudeva'a anda ko'otla" of Brova Barama in Bahudari. He praised Thayagaraja, how in one word he captured the supreme being, who during pralaya kalam, consuming the entire universe sleeps on an 'Aal ilai' was held in Kausalya's Garbham. Thus Kamban said "Thiram kol Kosalai" with a pride. This, TNS contrasted with Thayar, who was Ayonijai, i.e, without the garba vasam, thayar was found as a new born baby, found bythe tip of a plough, hence named Sita.

Viswamitra made Rama and Lakshmana to walk till the forest because, the bhooma devi was tired of demons walking and hence she preferred that Rama walk and place His foot on Her.

TNS quoted Kamba Ramayanam which described how a Veena should be played or a Bharata natyam should be performed. All string instuments were called Veena and needs to be applied with nei, clarified butter. Veena should be played with a subtle mrudangam, called Thannumai. He mocked at the the modern day attempts to make Veena more poratble more than playable.

He said Veena strings, when played 'well' will impact the listener's veins, hence during Seemantham, veena recitals were arranged. He joked, that with current days, some veena players, the garbha sthree may get 'Durswapnam' after listening.

TNS redifined the word Tradition to that which resulted after constant research of centuries. The word tradition should not be equated to 'Old' and looked upon with contempt. He discouraged the attempt made by moderners to modify the musical instruments.

The Harikatha also included beautiful songs from Ramayanam like 'Meru Samaana' in Mayamalava Gowla, Yaaro ivar yaro in Saveri instead of Bhairavi as introduced by 'Iyengar'. "Nagumo mu", "Manasuloni" "Annalum nokkinaal" and applied various notes to sanskrit versions like "Iyam Seetha Mama sutha".

He quoted why Valmiki equated Him to an Elephant in 'Gajasimha gathiveera'. Because if you want to climb on an elephant, you cannot do it unless, the elephant offers its leg, Similarly, He offers His Charanaravindam to our rescue. TNS said to remove our Padhaka Malam He offers His Padha Kamalam.

TNS equated Thyagaraja to a kid, who when flipping through his parents wedding album did not find his photo on that. While describing the visitors to Seetha Kalyanam, Thyagaraja wanted Anjaneya to be on the first of the list of attendees quoting "pavanaja shtuthi patra".

TNS mentioned that for marriages, one should not expect invitation, it is only to say the address of the marriage, Even without invite, Bharathan's Mama yugajith attended the marriage.

Vashishta named Him as Rama being the jeeva aksharam of 'Ra' from Ashtaksharam and 'Ma' from Panchaksharam.

There were several quotes like "Periazhwar petredutha pen pillai", Vayinal paadi mathinaal sindhikka" etc. and finally concluded with Pavamaana suthadu.. and Sriyah kanthaya kalyana nidhaye nidhaye..Sri venkata nivasaya Srinivasaya Mangalam.

At the end Sri Sankara Narayanan was speechless; with koral thazhuthazhukka delivered his vote of thanks to Sri TNS. What a great fall festival organized by CMANA.

Please excuse me if anything is wrongly quoted, would be only my misunderstanding and lack of adequate knowledge!

Sridhar Vasudevan
New Jersey 609 240 7369 September 15 - Saturday – 4 P. M. – HTA Auditorium
Sangeetha Kalanidhi Madurai Sri T. N. Seshagopalan (Vocal)
Mullaivasal Chandramouli (Violin)
Tanjore Murugabhoopathy (Mridangam)

What a "Vinayaga Chaturthi" Atlanta had! A concert beyond all imagination. While one has heard TNS greatness, it is truly a magnificient experience in live concert.

The concert was delayed as T.N.Seshagopalan, Tanjore Murugabhoopathy and MullaiVasal Chandramouli had landed in US the previous day, had a concert at Nashville and arrived in Atlanta just few hours before the start. The concert had to be postponed for the artists to take much needed rest after nearly 40 hours of travel. Of course, the concert that followed never showed any signs of that. It went for slightly over four hours.

As there was time to kill, people were trying what TNS might might start with. No guess came anywhere close. The start had just everyone stunned. After a short Vinayakar slogam, the song was "Sri Gananadha" - the first gitam in Malahari every student learns. I tried to see whether the kids recongnized the song. The gitam sounded so sophisticated that not many kids could have guessed it. Of course, it takes a TNS to do that. Some quick swarams followed the gitam.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Song List
=========

srI gananAdha - malahari gitam
vallabhA nAyaka - Begada
sri Maha Ganapathi - Gowlai
siddhI Vinayakam sevEkam- Mohana Kalyani - Adi-Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar
Gaja Vadana - Sriranjini
Ganapathe Sugunanidhe - janaranjini - HMB
Eka dantam - bilahari
girirAjasutA - baNgaLa - deshadi - tyAgarAja
velAmukhe tharase va va - darbAr
swamin (???) - kAnaDa
RTP - Shanmukhapriya + 16 ragams
Thillana - ? -
Mangalam - Surutti
Mangalam - Madhyamavathi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Almost every song till RTP was preceded by a beautiful alapanai and followed by excellent svarams. Like a gymnast using the entire floor stretching from one edge to other edge he used his entire voice range during the alapanai. All were complex phrases and many a time many of us did not get the raga until the violin started. The violin accompaniment was excellent and the raga was clear in the very first phrase itself. He played very calmly and matched the style and gati appropriately. RTP was masterpiece. Rasika # 1 for TNS was not anyone in the audience but right there on the stage in Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy. He closely watched him and was fully absorbed in TNS music nodding his head during alapanai. When TNS handed over to Thanjavur Murugabhoopathy for tani avartanam some quick conversation flowed in between their mikes. As a result we were in for more pallavi from TNS in which he sang in superfast gati! This was followed by tani avartanam. That was wonderful. Throughout the concert, his accompaniment was as correct as it could be following closely and never trying to overplay.

Coming back to TNS swarams they were so exquisite and such a beautiful combinations that we were left in total awe and were in dazed condition. We were left wondering as to how he can come up with so many combinations and speed and all with perfectlaya. While we have yet to come out of dazed state, he will end the song and go on to the next one matter-of-factly as if he has just recited ABCD. And while he is singing, the combinations seemed endless and it looked like he can forever ad-infinitum. Truly stunning! Now,
I can understand Saroja Ramanujam poetry on TNS concerts!

Being Vinayaga Chaturthi, all songs were on Ganesha. He made it up in the "Surutti" Mangalam by invoking all other gods as well as "Bhakthars"and another one for Srinivasa in Madhyamavathi.

An outstanding concert that Atlanta will remember for years!

P.S I am sorry for the incomplete song list. I hope one of the other more knowledgeable Atlantan(s) will fill in the gaps!

Last edited by srama

COURTESY : rasikas.org

concert in san jose on 4-11-2007

Note: This is not a review, but only a rasika's view

Sri TN Seshagopalan, accompanied by Sri Mullaivasal Chandramouli on Violin and Sri Tanjavoor Murugabhupati on the Mridanga.

List of compositions, from my memory:

1. Kalyani aTa tALa varNa
2. manavi cE konavayya - sarasAngi - Patnam (A,S,N)
3. kana kana ruchirA - varALi - tyAgarAja
4. kanakAngakA - kanakAngi - kOTIswara ayyar
5. nenarunchi nAnu - mALavi - tyAgarAja
6. subramanyAya namastE - kAmbhOdi - MD (A, N , S)
7. bAgAyE - sAvEri - kshEtraj~Ja
8. marubAri - kamAch - Dhamapuri Subbaraya?
9. sAyankAlE vanAnte - rAgamAlika shlOka
10. bEga bArO - miSra mAnD, rEvati - vAdirAja
11. tillAna in kalyANa vasanta

It was a 4+ hour long concert. Started off about 30+ minutes. Sarasangi was sung quite elaborately. Two vivAdi rAgas back-to-back, but it did not take away anything from the concert. Kambhoji was a cascading ocean, with very elaborate AlApane, svarakalpane, neraval, and trikAla (as in a pallavi).

The rAgamAlika shlOka was almost another main piece. It was sung in vasanta, candra jyOti, mOhana, kApi. miSra mAnd and a host of rAgas depicting navarasas for the phrase "navarasa bharitaiH" - some I can recall are nIlAmbari, sAma, aThANa, bEgaDe, bouLi, SubhapantuvarALi, mukhAri, kadanakutUhala, kuntala varALi, Ananda bhairavi, kEdAragouLa etc.

I really enjoyed the concert. The supporting artists were excellent throughout. In the mALavi composition, the violinist had some interesting replies. Needless to say this was sung at a breakneck speed! During the mOhana ( in the shlOka), there was a grahabhEda to hindOLa. was listening to him live after almost a decade. That took me back to my childhood memories. I distinctly remember a concert of TNS as one of the earliest I attended.

The range of ideas in kambhoji was simply spectacular.
He did some very clever modifications of the Madurai Mani Iyer staple - "GMP,MG,, RGS,RG,," - singing it in three speeds, and in tisram. Also notable were the various eduppus in the swarams at "needupai" for "nenarunchi naanu". The chittai swarams for this kriti also saw him render them as chatusram and a combination of chatusram and tisram. It was a master technician at work!

courtesy : www.rasikas.org

A heartfelt review capturing the genius's genius in the right manner.

Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan - Vocal

T.N.S. Krishna - Vocal

V.V.Ravi - Violin

Manargudi Easwaran - Mridangam

Ravi Balasubramaniam - Ghatam

One line to summarize the concert !!!

I would not be exaggerating if i stated that a musical encyclopedia

was published yet again the form of a concert on March 29th 2008, at

the Cleveland aradhana festival between 8pm and midnight !!!

Much to the despair of the audience the concert started late because

of a delay in the program schedule of the day.

Nevertheless, only one musician is capable of commanding such a

mesmerizing control over his audience making them loose every

awareness of such logistic inconveniences. And by control i dont mean

for 5 min during the main raga or every time they change the pallavi

line during the ragamallika swara rendition or during a 3 min blitz

kreig paced swara rendition only, but from the very first song !!!

With not a single lapse in energy or momentum through to the last

note uttered from his divine vocals !!! (that should attract some

anxious fans of the respective categories )

Varnam - Reethigowlai - Ata Thalam (R,S)

Nee Bhajana Gaana - Nayaki

Epaniko - Asaveri

Ninnuvinaga - Poorvikalyani - (R,N,S)

Ganamurthe - Ganamurthi

Ambaneelayadakshi - Neelambari

Emani Matladitivo - Thodi (R,N,S,T)

Slokam - Ragamaillika

VangaKadal - Thirupavai

Thillana – Sindu Bairavi

Mangalam

Some highlights of the Concert............

I am in no way qualified to comment on such great vidwath but was

very discomforted by seeing that there was not a single comment on

undoubtedly by far the best concert of the Cleveland Season this

year !!!! So here is an humble attempt !!!

The Varnam was the definition of kalaprana shudham. it set the pace

for the concert. many a times the varnam often considered more like a

warm up item and is payed little or no attention by the artists and

audience alike. But TNS proved otherwise....the grandeur of the

varnam in the manner he presented it in its entirety and glory was no

less than the effect than the main of the evening. The kizhu kalam

and mel kalam swara rendition were a classic in their own right. the

interwoven play of swara porutham and precision sarvalaghu was

perfection at its pinnacle. Vidwans in the front row were litterally

applauding on their feet !!! at the end of the swara rendition for

the varnam.....

Nee bhajana gana in Nayaki to offset the mood to a more tranquil one

Followed by a brisk Epaniko...in Asaveri......both depicting the

classic veena style of presenting such ragas by imbibing the gamaka

prayogas.....

Then a masterpiece........i could recollect the Maestros expert

comment on misra chapu during the Music academy morning sessions...a

simple yet profound justification for Syama Shastri to portray the

krithi Ninnuvinaga in villoma chapu !!! His rendition just

personified raagaanubhava and rasaanubhava portraying a new realm of

greatness......precise perfection in the coalescence of sowkhyam and

vidwath !!!! The swaras were elaborate with the usual vyavaharaam

employed by TNS at his will.....It is as though nandi baghavan is

waiting eagerly to leap to every dictate and command of the living

legend. krishna followed his fathers shadow and ever so slghtly

triggered the genius's mind by notching up the complexity of the

pattern....i distinctly remember krishna involving a vyavaharam in

thisra nadai and the whole vidwan ensemble on and off stage errupted

in appreciation of the youngster.....then there was no holding back

Sri. TNS, once the thisram was established he indugled himself in

some kizhu kalam thisram swara singing, a rarity even in thani

avarthanams these days. every one is so busy proving their physical

dexterity in speed that they forget such elements of aesthetic appeal

such as kizhu kaalam and ammuthal patterns. Krishna's korvai as a

finale to this magnum opus composition based on the very same

framework of Paanaga Bhoosha nudaina......was a classic.....such

maturity is profound for a youngster of this day and age....

After an elaborate and captivating purvikalyani rendition he shifted

gears to a pleasant and stimulating.....rendition of

ganamurthe.....IMHO he is by far the only musician to have the

distinct capacity to embellish any raga with the same grandeur that

is deserved by a shankarabharanam, bairavi or kalyani. Not a single

briga or flash was used in this raga presentation or during the

krithi.....only embellishments of the raga swaroopa were presented..a

starking contrast to the previous piece. Perfect Harmony !!!

AmbaNeelayadakshi was the epitome of kala pramana

shudham.....inevitably every musician i have heard today has a

certain degree of variability in their kalapranam be it swara

rendition or krithi rendition itself.....One musician who has

kalapramana control at evry tip of his finger is Sri. TNS. the

comfort with which this song rendered could have even put the lord to

sleep. the accompaniment of sri. easwaran was particularly noteworthy

is this piece.....

then came the raga the maestro is proclaimed

for.......Thodi........no words can describe the majesty with which

evry sanchara was presented....... the weight of evry flash and the

depth of each gamaka.....was just unnerving....although there were

signs of age taking over his stamina and determination were

unstinted.....the power of his voice and his control over the open

throated vocals were a treat to any true sangeetham rasika.......not

a soul stirred an inch during the comprehensive thodi

alapana...another great aspect of this genius's music is his 100%

usage of aakaram and no other sounds and phrases......full throated

powerful aakarams...The Tyagaraja krithi was rendered in perfect

bliss, although the audience dwindled in number after the alapana due

to the untimely hour of the day.......many of the true rasikas

lingered to witness the genius at his best.....the gamakas and

sancharas alike were so pregnant with the life and essence of the

raga that it was just beyond an applause.....the audience were most

definitely awestruck by the virtuosity and power of this musician.

Beautiful heart warming and skin tingling composition......the

bhakthi and bhava with which it was presented was as though he was

one with Tyagaraja both emotinally and spiritually....like a

thiruvizha elephant in all its splendour walking down the temple

yards.....The swara patterns exchanged between TNS and Krishna

patterned the misra koraippu structure. They exchanged their renowned

play with karvai and pattern increment and decrement formations. To

enjoy this one need not have looked too far, Sri. Easwaran was

thoroughly enjoying every single pattern TNS sang and we witnessed

him saying to TNS at a point "romba osathyya

irukku !!!"..........Needless to say Krishna was on par with the

vyavaharam and accrued mutiple affirmations from both his father and

the fellow artists for his creativity...........

this was followed by a very short thani avarthanam easwaran

(considering this was easwaran's 2nd concert of the day) and

ravi..........sri easwaran inspired by the patterns involving thisra

nadai and kala bedha prayoga employed by Sri. TNS....framed the

enitre thani on those lines. unfortunately ravi balasubramaniam fell

heavily short in his attempts...even his accompaniment was

irritating; many a times intrusive even after several hints by the

artists on stage to adhere to aesthetic accompaniment.......

This was followed by a brisk ragamallika sloka concluding with the

thirupavai Vanga Kadal. The very art of singing a virutham is lost

these days or usually taken for granted. everyone these days ends up

saying the words of the slokam followed by merely highlighting the

ragam. TNS on the other hand is a grand master in embedding the raga

swaroopa in the slokam lines, the true art of slokam singing. the

lines flow as seemlessly as the ragam being portrayed and vice versa.

Following the thirupavai was a fast tempo Oothukadu thillana in sindu

bairavi (even there TNS employed thrikala prayoga in the jathi

patterns) and then the mangalam.

One of the highlights of the concert was that it involved every

manodharma style in carnatic music distinctly in each piece (one of

my friends was so kind as to point this out to me)

Varnam - sarvalaghu swaram patterns

Nee Bhajana Gana - Predominant Gamakam prayoga

Ninnuvinaga - Kanaku Vyvaharam in the form of patternss and thisra

nadai

Ganamurthe - Sowkhyam Sowkhyam Sowkhyam

Thodi ragam - Briga, Gamakam, Nerithi pAdarathu or Ninnu pAdarathu,

Flashes (all across the scale in every which way possible),

Nadhaswaram phrases.You name it was there....If anyone is to witness

the evolution of thodi over the past 100 years....all you need to do

is listen to TNS's thodi once.......it has every prayoga or sanchara

ever conceived by a human being.

Thodi Krithi - Kannaku vyavaharam in the form of a traditional

koraippu followed by korvai

All in all one of the best concerts in Cleveland after a long

time............

-----------------------------------------------------------

Subbarayan Pasupathy

More options Apr 7 1998, 12:00 pm

Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical

From: [email protected] (Subbarayan Pasupathy)

Date: 1998/04/07

Subject: T.N.Seshagopalan at Toronto; a report

The second day of Thyagaraja Festival (5 April, 98 and Rama navami)

at Toronto featured the 4-hour

vocal concert by Sri T.N.Seshagopalan to the accompaniment of Sri A.

Ananthakrishnan on the Violin and Professor Trichy Sankaran on the

Mridangam. Being the professional that he is, TNS did not let a 'small'

thing like three days of tiring Air Travel ( having been bumped off

a flight at Chennai ) stand in his way of giving his fans what they

looked for. The first 2.5 hours featuring seven Thyagaraja songs and

an excellent Solo by Sri Sankaran was a mini-concert all by itself.

A few songs, like "nee bajana"(Nayaki) and "seethavara"(Devagandhari)

have not been heard in these parts recently.

The highlights of the concert were:(R=raga alapana, N=neraval,

S=swaraprasthara)

* apparaamabhakthi-panthuvarali-thyagaraja(RNS)

* saamajavaragamana-hindholam-thyagaraja(RNS)

Many in the audience who normally associate this song with the movie

"SankarabaraNam" were perhaps astonished to hear how the same song

can be handled in such a different and of course, typical TNS-way!

The raga alapana had the majesty of "saamaja"(elephant); the neraval

of the line "sapthaswara naadha achala dheepa" ( the one who lighted

up the hill of naadha containing the seven notes ) was at once a

tribute to Rama as well as to Thyagaraja himself;

and the swaras mimicked the playful, rhythmic steps of

a dancing "saamaja" ( aided and abetted gleefully by the

"naadha thanum ..sankaram" on the mridangam.) The laya-lion that

TNS is, I sometimes wonder if his name is Gopa-lan or Gopa-la(ya)n!!

* endhuku dhaya-thodi-thyagaraja(RNS)

A flash of mohana-kalyani in the alapana through modal-shift .

* saravaNa bhavaa-pasupathipriya-muthiah bhagavathar(R)

Perhaps a tribute by TNS to his musical lineage..

his guru Sri Ramanathapuram Sankarasivam (the brother of the

veteran mridangist Sri C.S.Murugabhoopathi) was a disciple of

Sri Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar(HMB).

The raga is creation of the gifted composer and has a story

behind its creation. When HMB went to Karur (in Tamilnadu) , his

patron, Sri Peddhaachi Chettiyaar ( Zamindhaar of AaNdippatti)

bemoaned the fact that HMB has not still composed any song in praise

of any of the gods at Karur temple. The Siva in Karur temple is called

Pasupatheeswara. HMB satisfied his patron the next day itself ,

by composing "saravaNa bhava" in a new Raga named after the

presiding deity. The patron only wanted a song, HMB gave a Raga too!

* Ragam, Thanam and Pallavi-thilang-kanda jaathi thriputa (2 kaLai)

"dheera veera maaruthi gambeera maaruthi

^^^

lankaa bayankara "

^^^^

There is always a "S(p)esha(l)" (special) in every TNS concert ...

at least in Toronto! RTP in Thilang, generally considered as a

pleasing raga with limited scope for elaboration, was the "(vi)Sesha"

in this concert! Note the insertion of the raga-name

in the pallavi.[ The only other clever insertion of the raga name in

a Thilang-composition that comes to my mind is Sri Lagudi Jayaraman's

Thillana, (in Tamil), containing the words "... puLLi

kalabath thilangu kumaraa..." ( O Kumaraa(Murugaa), sitting on top

of the dotted-peacock)].

Note:

This raga is a

relatively new entry to South Indian music from the North.

While the raga has probably been used in many film songs (

e.g. I recall Sri C.S. Jayaraman's soulful Thilang in "indru pOy

naaLai vaa" ( Go away and come back(to fight) tomorrow ...Rama to

Ravana in "SampoorNa RamayaNa"), the first song I have heard on

a Carnatic Music Concert stage was "saanthi nilava vENdum"

(Peace should prevail) popularized by Smt D.K.Pattammal ( and also

recently by Sri T.V.Sankaranarayanan ). I don't know if the

composer of the above song also tuned it.

I believe that perhaps the first-song in Thilang by a vaggeyakkara

is "Sri GaNesa charaNam" by Sri Papanasam Sivan.

S.Pasupathy

[email protected]

CN.KRISHNASWAMY wrote:

Dear Mrs. Saroja Ramanujam:

Thank you for your heavenly wonderful narration of each performance of TNS.
S.o.o.o.o scripto-visual.
Befits the Graetest's heavenly audio-visual of krtis.

Best Regards.

! From: Krish Srini
To: group <rasika_tns
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:34:38 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: [rasika_tns] Harikatha by TNS in Music Academy on 3/2/08

If TNS desrves an OLYMPIC GOLD for the Harikatha that day,

Mrs.Saroja Ramanujam deserves no less than a SILVER,

for the photographic presentation of the days events !

With utmost involvement and integrity she has presented

every detail that was elaborated by TNS at the Academy.

He presented Tyagraja as a "Musical Genius " par excellence

and hence the title Sadguru is most deserving to him.

However let me just add on additional detail to the report.

The kanakku genius that TNS is gave an interesting piece

of arithmetic on the sishyas and the total no.of songs by Tyagaraja.

Acc. to him ,

Tyagaraja had 120 sishyas (reportedly).

Tyagaraja is said to have composed 24000 songs (reportedly)

Even if 200 songs were documented by each of the sishyas ,

we should be having all the songs today. Due to the lack of

reporting and documenting facilities those days, this might not

have been possible and hence we are left with a few hundred songs.

Out of these about 50 songs are known to many artists, which in

itself is a tall order for an artist. 20 -25 songs maybe in the popular list.

Even if he or she were to sing any other song other than these,

they would get a review that the concert was not interesting , as

the artist presented songs not in vogue and hence kept the audience guessing !

What is interesting about TNS's delivery style is that, it is interesting,

informative and frank and firm in a reasoned way.

What is interesting about Saroja mami's write up is that, she literally

takes the non listener on a guided hand held tour of the day's

proceedings, making him feel both good and also slightly sad at the same time.

Good because, he or she gets a "Sanjayan to Dhritarashtra " style reporting,

sad because, like Dhritarashtra, there will still be a yearning to go and listen

to the concert or katha, directly and the inability to do so !

"Vijaya Venkatesh"

Subject: Re: [RaamaBhakthi] Harikatha by TNSeshagopalan

at The Music Academy on 3-2-2008-SadguruThyagaraja

Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:16:53 -0500

To: "rasika_tns" This is superb! I haven't had a chance to listen to any

of TNS's Harikathas yet, but, I have been a fan of TNS for decades.

This review is fantastic as it not only brings out the quality

of the genius's Harikatha, but also gives the details of the Harikatha,

which, with ample and obvious examples brings out the level of

spirituality in Tyagaraja's compositions! Very nicely written!

Thanks!

Vijaya


	"keyboardsathya"
	Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:23:05 +0530
	Re: [carnaticsangeetham] My writeup on the harikatha by TNS on 3-2-2006 at The Music Academy on Thyagaraj

TNS Rasika quotes "I only endeavour to convey an idea of his

harikatha to the rasikas who did not have the opportunity to witness it

personally. I hope that I have done a reasonably good job of it."

I am sure who ever has not attended his harikatha before and if they

read this article will be making sure to look at the newspapers to find

out his next Harikatha performance to attend. TNS Rasika has been

so detailed that one actually gets the feeling of having been there.

Kudos to you TNS Rasika!!!

TKB (keyboard Sathya)

----- Original Message -----

From: Murali Bala

To: carnaticsangeetham@ yahoogroups. com

Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 11:21 PM

Subject: Re: [carnaticsangeetham ] My writeup on the harikatha

by TNS on 3-2-2006 at The Music Academy on Thyagaraj

That was a wonderful review. Thanks for the same.

Murali

Dr. Saroja,
Your coverage of the program would have given a live

listening experience to the readers of the post below.
I just want to remind a point to you (which you have missed to mention)

1. the basis of naming the child as 'rAmA' by Guru Vashishta.
I request you to explain this part in your own words, as you

2. are more learned in this subject than me. I thoroughly enjoyed the reasoning given by TNS.

regards
yessel

Thank you MrNarasimhan,
I will try to explain what TNS has said abouththe significance of
Ramanama but I lack his eloquence. I tried to bring out all points but
missed on this as it was an ocean and what I could write was only the
tip of the iceberg.

Thyagaraja says in his krthi'evarani nirNayinchirira,' "who can
ascertain the identity of Rama? Did the sages look upon his as Rudra,
Vishnu or Brahma?' Explainingthe meaning of this line TNS said that
Thyagaraja normally asks the question in the pallavi and supplies the
answer in the charanam.

It was Vasishta, who knew theavatarakarya of Rama named him.In the
charanma of the krthi Thyagaraja says, 'sivamanthramulanu maa jeevanu
maadhavamanthramulanu raa jeevanu.'

TNS explained this as, in the siva manthra."om Namasivaaya, the letter
or syllable 'ma'is the life force because if it is taken away the
mantra loses its power and sounds as 'na sivaaya ' giving the opposite
meaning. Similarly in the narayanamanthra Om namo narayanaya the
letter raa is the life giving one. If it is taken away the mantra
reads na ayanaaya which meas one without abode.Thus the two letters
that form the life of the two mantras are taken together and was made
into a word Rama.
Thus ramanama was constructed according to Thyagaraja.
I hope that I have done full justice to the explanation of Thyagaraja
as well as TNS.

Thanks a ton Dr. Saroja
Members who missed the program would now feel the loss.

i went thr ur review.its as usual wonderful. u have shown the full picture. very nice to read. thank u very much. longlive sri tns and his divine music

shankaribala

From: vkraman44 Subject: [carnaticsangeetham] Re: Ramayanamrtham by TNS16-10-2008
To: [email protected]
Date: Sunday, October 26, 2008, 9:27 PM

Sir: God Bless you for publishing the brief of TNS Ramayanamrtham.
Please continue to share this with us who are not so blessed to be
present at the harikatha pravachanam.

Thank you

bhaktha

Member

Re: Concert of TNS at SriKrishna gana sabha on 16-8-2007

I have said it often and say it once again: I really donot know which is sweeter- TNS's music or sarojaramanujam ji's reviews. From the review I assume the concert must have been explosive (as is usual with TNS).
KGS's ambience, TNS's music, SVR's accompaniment, and to top it all- Gokulashtami series...it must have been sheer bliss!
-bhakta

TNS Concert at BVB
It was such a wonderful performance on 10th of Dec. Kamboji was the main ragam....beautifully woven.
Began with Begada Varnam, followed by Sobillu sapthaswara in which kalpanaswaras poured like powerful waves from an ocean.
Can any artist sing Chandrajyothi just like a Kalyani or Thodi, only TNS could do this he really mesmerized the jam packed audience by his chandrajyothi alapana. After which he sang Bhagayanayaa.
I am not sure of the ragam of the song which is a compostion of muthaiah bhagavathar.(Ithisamaya, does anybody know)
For me the highlight certainly was Kamboji Piece Rathnakanchuka dharini .The Ragamalika he sung was just awesome they way he delivered ragams one after another was breathtaking .He concluded the recital with a song of purandaradasar in durbari kanada.
Hats off to the Mahavidwan for making it a memorable evening.
Ramesh and sunder kumar rendered a lively thani with intricate korvais

Sathej

Saroja:

Thanks for your wonderful reporting of TNS's hari kathaa on Srimad Raamaayanam.

Enjoyed it much!

Annasamy from US

From: venkat raghavan <[email protected]>
Subject: T_NS__RAMAYANAM
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008, 2:19 PM

MADAM, Blessed are those who were present physically and heard the entire harikatha in person.we are all blessed to have read your equally erudite review. It would be a great contribution if some one who may have recorded the audio version ,uploaded the entire harikatha and sent the link.Of course it should be done with the consent of the artist and I am sure that a largehearted artist like TNS would give a spontaneous yes for such a request. Thanks for your wonderful review. I pray to Lord Rama and his consort,and Anjaneyan to bless you and your family with a healthy and prosperous life.With kind respects,Venkat Raghavan

From: Ramkumar R Subject: Re: [rasika_tns] RamayanatthEn by TNS in KGS -day1
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, October 20, 2008, 1:10 PM

Thank you so much for this! I cannot tell you how valuable this is for someone like me who couldn't attend the series. Thanks for taking so much effort to share the joy you experienced.

Regards,

Ram

From: Padma Venkatesan <[email protected]>
Subject: TNS= Harikatha
To: "Saroja" <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 10:39 PM

Madam/Sir:

I see that you are a devout follower of TNS. Do you have any of his harikathas

recorded? I will be interested in procuring copies of the same. I have heard so

much about his profound knowledge of the individual compositions of Saint

Thyagaraja, Arunachala, Kavi Kamban etc etc.plus his musical vidwat.

I live in Knoxville, TN, but will be spending the next three months in Chennai.

I have not been to any harikaths by TNS.

Thanks

Padma Venkatesan

From: vkraman44 <[email protected]>
Subject: [carnaticsangeetham] Re: Ramayanamrtham by TNS16-10-2008
To: [email protected]
Date: Sunday, October 26, 2008, 9:27 PM

Sir: God Bless you for publishing the brief of TNS Ramayanamrtham.
Please continue to share this with us who are not so blessed to be
present at the harikatha pravachanam.

Thank you

Annaswamy Natarajan from US

Saroja:

We are looking forward to a few drops from you of the nectar that Brhmadree Seshagopalan may have showered at that function on those nine days!

vayam tu na vithrupyaama: uttamasloka vikrame
yat srunvataam rasajnaanaam svaadu svaadu pade pade

Regards

Annaswamy Natarajan

Gopalkrishanan posted 56 mins ago-sulekha.com

thank you. you brought the concert live in front of my monitor. I have already heard Meenakshimemudam of TNS in similar fashion abd also the kapinarayani. of late if at all any musician is paying attention to sahityabhava then it is TNS only.

From rasika.org

TNS sir is a ocean of vidhwath rightly said, his concert is not just enjoyment for the audience it is a music education for other musicians and young musicians of present generation, wow!!what a Mayamma he sang that day , he did niraval for veena gaana dasagamakakriye' (minakshimemudham dehi) and really displayed dasavidha gamakam in that line in his niraval We are all blessed to be alive during the time that such legend like TNs sir is alive and still performing

TNS is class apart. i have heard him more in an informal manner than in concerts. Thank you. you brought the concert live in front of my monitor. I have already heard Meenakshimemudam of TNS in similar fashion and also the kapinarayani. of late if at all any musician is paying attention to sahityabhava then it is TNS only.

Gopalakrishnan

Thank you mam.Pleasure reading your post.

Kala.BN

To Rasika_tns from Dr.V.sadagopan,USA

Dear SrI TNS Rasika :

Thanks very much for your bhakthi
laden tribute to the depth of the Vidhvath and
Jn~Anam of Sangeetha Kalaanidhi , Sri T.N.Seshagopalan .

Rare indeed is the combination of the Lakshya, LakshaNa
Sangeetha Jn~Anam , the depth of Raama Bhakthi , AchArya
kruTajn~athai as well as thyAgam of bodily comforts ,
BhAsha knowledge and humility in one Sangeetha VidhvAn .
Sri TNS is unique and he is indeed an apara ThyAgarAja Swamy in
my humble opinion . SusvarAlaya , SunguNa dhAma ,
Suddha Seemanthini Raaga Priya Sri SeshagOpAlan
is a rarity among the constellation of Sangeetha VidhvAns .
His talent is multifaceted . It will be wonderful to have
a digital recording of his HarikathA KaalkshEpam
on Raama Bhakthi a la Thyaaga Brahmam for all
music lovers all over the world to enjoy .

Dr.V.Sadagopan

TNS - The phenomenon

Published February 19, 2008 Carnatic Music , Concert/Album Experience

There are quite a few Carnatic singers whose music I love to listen to. But if there is one Carnatic singer who has inspired me the most and has never ceased to amaze me with his vidwath, it is Sri T.N. Seshagopalan (TNS)

I had not been able to attend most of his concerts this season but had the good fortune of listening to him at least five times in the last one month. TNS seemed to be in brilliant form in all these concerts. The first opportunity, which was also probably the most memorable, was his performance in a marriage concert. The environment there was far from conducive. Almost everyone assembled there was talking non-stop and there was a lot of noise which didn’t show any signs of abating till the end. Yet, TNS gave one of the most outstanding performances I have heard by anyone in the recent times - one that will stay in my mind for a long time to come. The brindAvana sAranga and hamsanAdam he sang that day will remain etched in my memory forever.

Another very good concert was the one he gave for Hamsanadam (Music School) at MFAC last Sunday. The neraval and kalpanA swaram he sang that day for heccarikagA rArA (yadukulakAmbOji) in kanDa Ekam and the behAg RTP in kanDa cApu were just phenomenal. The pantuvarALi and kalyANi he sang at Sri Ananthapadmanabhaswamy Temple, Adyar just a few days back were just too good. It’s been a long time since I heard someone sing such a brilliant pantuvarALi.

TNS backed all this up with a splendid performance today at Sri Vedanta Desikar Devasthanam in Mylapore. There are so many things about the concert worth mentioning. The hour long subhapantuvarALi was top class. So was the brilliant bahudAri alapana. Some of the calculations used in the kalpanA swarams for “shrI satyanArAyaNam” were so beautiful and effective. The extensive swaram patterns and kOrvais that were put in kanDa gati showcased how adept he is mathematically. Not long back, while speaking at a function organized to pay homage to the khanjira maestro Sri G. Harishankar, TNS had held the audience spell bound not only with his speech but also with his konnakkOl !!!

TNS’ humorous side also kept surfacing in these concerts. When violin vidwan Sri M. Chandrasekaran told him at MFAC that he was feeling very hot and asked if there were any bright lights focused on the stage, TNS immediately requested the organizers to dim the lights thus: “Konjam light light-aagave irukkatume!” While singing the anupallavi of “alaippAyudE kaNNA” almost near the stipulated end time of today’s concert, TNS looked at his wrist watch and sang “nEramAvadariyAmalE miga vinOdamAna muralIdharA en manam” :-) . While singing the caraNam of the same song, he had a few words to say to the team that was shooting the video of the concert with bright lights directed towards the stage: “teLinda nilavu paTTappagal pOl eriyudE un dikkai nOkki enniru puruvam neriyudE” :-)

Finally, a couple of points from today’s concert to illustrate how TNS intelligently sings the lyrics: While singing Sri Kulasekara Azhwar’s pAsuram “ceDiyAy valvinaigaL tIrkkum tirumAlE” from Perumal Tirumozhi as viruttam in the rAgam hamsAnandi, TNS sang the word aDiyArum in the lower octave and vAnavarum in the upper octave, as though illustrating their respective positions in this world. The word paDiyAy was sung repetitively and progressively using the notes “s-s-s”, “r-r-r”, “g-g-g” & “m-m-m” as though illustrating the steps (paDi)!!

There are so many more things that can be written about this multi-faceted genius. But I would stop here for now and end this post by praying God to bless TNS with a long life filled with many more years of such distinguished service to the world of music

Award for TNS

Akhila Ilangai Kamban Kazhagam, Srilanka, honoured Madurai T.N.Seshagopalan, with ‘Kamban Pugazh’ award at an event held on May 20 at Colombo Kamban Kazhagam. This is an international award given to individuals for exemplary service to T amil music (Ulagalaviya Isai Panikkaaga). The event also featured a talk on ‘Kambanil Guruthuvam,’ by T.N.Seshagopalan

Courtesy- the Hindu-Friday supplement-dt.23-5-2008

Courtesy Kutcheribuzz

Seshagopalan honoured in Colombo

Senior Carnatic music artiste Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan was recently decorated in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with the title of 'Kamban Pugazh Virudhu'.

This award was given to him at the annual festival of the Akhila Ilangai Kamban Kazhgam based in Colombo. This award is given to individuals for exemplary service for the propagation abd promotion of Tamil music.

The award ceremony took place on 20th May.
This was followed by a talk on 'Kambanil Guruthuvam' by Seshagopalan.

TNS concert at Rathagireesvarar temple 29-2-2008.

It was a great concert. The ambience of the temple was very good with Rasikas sitting on the floor. A few artistes too were there, some senior Vidwans as well.

Starting off at around 7 PM with the Shri Raga Varnam, TNS went on to sing Nadopasana. The great Krithi that it is, it deserved the round of Swarams. Then the Chitharanjani Krithi was rendered soothingly with a fine round of Swarams SRGMPDN. The Purvikalyani piece was also sung well. The Swarams here were very elaborate with Kanakku. Then, a detailed Virutham was sung in Dwijvanthi followed by the song. Very emotive rendition. Kumudakriya Alapanai was refreshing and the Dikshithar Krithi was sung with the usual TNS Briga laden Sangathis. Enneramum was leisurely. Bhava Sagaram with rapid Neraval and Swaram set the stage for the centre piece.

The Kapi Alapanai was very elaborate and went on for atleast 15-20 minutes. The Tanam was good and then TNS announced that the organiser had called him at 4:30 and requested that Kapi be sung as main(later testified by the organiser in his speech). He had decided to sing Intha Sowkhya but then the occasion stimulated him to opt for a Pallavi after the elaborate Ragam. His Manodharmam during the Ragam was wonderful. He said he had composed the Pallavi on stage and set it to Khanda Triputa Talam. The Pallavi line was something like Unnai Thudhikka Nee Enakku Arul Tha Ka Pinakapane (hope I got it right). Ragamalika was in Hindolam, Neelambari, Bowli and then back to Kapi (thoughtful sequencing).

One nice mentionable feature. By the time, TNS started Kapi, it was 8:40 and he went on upto 9:40 before he gave Thani. And just before the Thani, he made a request to the Rasikas saying he had got carried away with the Pallavi and so didn't take note of the time. He requested the Rasikas to stay behind for the Thani and that he would wind up with only a Devarnama after that. Not a single Rasika present till then left during the Thani.

Then there were the customary speeches after the Thani. And TNS wound up at around 10:15 PM with a short Ragamalika Virutham followed by a Dasar Devarnama.

Shri VV Ravi and Shri Trichur Narendran gave admirable support throughout. The Thani too was nice.

Overall, one of the best concerts I have attended in recent times.

Sathej

1) Shri Raga Varnam - S

2) Nadopasana - Begada - S

3) Nada Thanumanisham - Chitharanjani - S (Swarams at SRGMPDN)

4) Ananda Nadamaduvar - Purvikalyani - AS

5) Detailed Virutham in Dwijavanthi followed by Appa Naan Vendudhal - Dwijavanthi

6) Ardhanarishwaram - Kumudakriya - A

7) Enneramum - Devagandhari

8) Bhava Sagaram - Shanmukhapriya - NS

9) RTP - Kapi - Khanda Triputa - Ragamalika Swarams in Hindolam, Neelambari, Bowli

10) Ragamalika Virutham followed by Chandrachuda-Dasar Devarnama

11) Mangalam

Dear members ,
TNS was honoured in Colombo by the kamban kazagam in a never -seen
--before manner like a sovereign as he truly is of the music world.The
sessions and speech by him was attended by thousands of rasikas with
TV facility outside the hall.

Courtesy –a rasika from Ceylon

Hope you all enjoyed seeing the photos showing TNS being welcomed like a maharaja and seated on the
throne under the royal umbrella and his durbar etc. You can see more photos of the same and also all the
other photos of TNS in the photo section of my blog sarojaramanujam. sulekha.com
in sulekha.com. The group page does not take them as they are of high resolution. I intend to make a power point presentation of the same and will upload it in the files section if possible.
His speech on guruthvam of Kamban was acclaimed as something wonderful as it showed that his
manodharma is unexcelled not only in music but also in his interpretation of the lyrics and epics. it is to be
noted that the other speakers of the conference were poets, learned pundits and renowned speakers who were
as wonderstruck as the rasikas. It showed that vidvaan eva vijaanaathi vidvajjanapariSrama m, provided they are
openhearted enough to appreciate merit in others.
I thank the rasika from Ceylon, who has sent me the details and the photos.

rasika_tns

Translation of the write up in Tamil in Anandhavikatan

The festival of Ramayana in the country of Ravana.

The organization called Kamban kazagam in Tamilnadu is well known. They are conducting festivals in various parts of the state every year. There is such an organisation also in Ceylon which invites the learned scholars in Tamil literature from all over the world and conduct lectures and seminars in a large scale and some of the scholars who have dived deep into the ocean of Kamban are given the award of moodharjnar . An exemplary exponent of Tamiz isai is chosen for the award, ulagaLaaviya isaitthamiz paNikkaaga kamban pugaz virudhu, and this year, this prestigious award has been given to TNSeshagopalan, whose flag flies high on the fortress of carnatic music today. The awards and titles so far given to Seshagopalan are innumerable.

TNS said,

“ My happiness in receiving this kamban pugaz award exceeds that of getting all the others. The grandeur with which the Tamilians in Ceylon conducted the award function is an unforgettable experience. It was exhilarating .to speak on Kamban for one hour and forty five minutes among the renowned scholars who are authorities on Kamban.

Tamilians from Ceylon come to this festival from whichever part of the globe they happen to be. They celebrate this as a national festival. From India alone, there were more than 100 spectators and more than 20 speakers.. Ardent lovers of Tamil literature gather here every year as the music lovers do in Thiruvaiyaru during Thyagaraja utsavam or in Chennai during the music festival. To see music, and literature flourishing afresh in a country where guns, rifles and landmines abound, is a wonderful and a joy to behold.

Interviewer asked,

“All know that you sing, play Veena and do Harikatha. But how did the kamban kazagam in Ceylon knew that you are also an eloquent t speaker?”

TNS answered,

“Eloquence is a part of harikatha is it not? There they asked me to speak on the ‘Guruthvam of Kamban.’ At first I was reluctant to speak among the lions of literature. They encouraged me and made me speak. The audience consisted of more than 6000 people. I spoke for longer than the allotted time. Every one listened with pin-drop silence.

Before the award was bestowed, vedic scholars welcomed me at the entrance and I was conducted to the dais in a manner fit to an emperor, with poornakumbha, white royal umbrella, silk turban, two ushers and two with chamarams etc. When I entered in, all got up and were clapping till I was seated on the throne, put on the stagefor that purpose. I was extremely moved and touched by their mode of acclaim shown to an artiste.”

Seshagopalan talking thus in a manner akin to attunement with sruthi, created an impression of having heard a full concert.

Story of the story-teller

GOWRI RAMNARAYAN

Why did renowned vocalist Seshagopalan pick up the cymbals? And how did he acquire the skills?

Can’t let music overload the story. Proportion is the key. Balance is crucial.

Photo: R.Shivaji rao

Multi-faceted: T.N.Seshgopalan and (right) performing Harikatha.

In the past, several Carnatic musicians— from Mahavaidyanatha Sivan to Muthiah Bhagavatar — were also Harikatha specialists. Yet, Madurai TN.Seshagopalan’s midlife launch of harikatha performances came as a surprise. How and why d id this star vocalist reinvent himself in an entirely new genre?

“Guru’s blessings,” says TNS. At the felicitation function organised by disciples for Ramanathapuram Sankara Sivam (1999), the vidwan announced, “My guru Muthiah Bhagavatar had 40 sishyas – all singers and instrumentalists. No one took up harikatha. They say inherited skills skip a generation. When Ambi (TNS) does harikatha I will give him vocal support.” He told a stunned TNS, “God will make this happen.”

In 2004, at the centenary celebrations of his guru (2004), a friend suggested that TNS’s offering should be special. Something clicked. TNS spent the afternoon preparing to sketch the life of his guru’s guru — Gayaka Sikhamani Muthaiah Bhagavatar — complete with the customary panchapadi, purva pitikai, and composed invocatory slokam and prathama padam on the maestro.

English too

The planned hour stretched to four and a half. Listeners stayed to applaud vociferously. Soon TNS found himself telling stories of the first three Azhwars, Jayadeva, the Ramayanas of Tyagaraja, Kamban and Valmiki, Sita Kalyanam, Tyagabrahmam, Ramanama and Subrahmanya Prabhavam, Valli Tirumanam, even English harikathas in Udipi and Hyderabad (“I had my doubts, but the spirit was not all lost.”)

How did a Carnatic vocalist acquire the scholarship, multilingual skills, methodology and repertoire for this specialised genre? “First of all, my guru trained me to think for myself by asking stimulating questions – why did Syama Sastri use viloma chapu? Did Tyagaraja believe in caste discrimination? I would come up with answers the next day and he would bless me.”

When others applauded TNS for some notable feat like a spectacular shadjam, the guru would guard him from addiction to praise by saying casually, “Ambi, Chinnapakkiri’s nayanam is playing patterns with panchamam, dhaivatam and nishadam in Rajagopalaswami’s procession around the Mannargudi temple. He pauses. Listeners tuck tobacco into their cheeks. Just as they start applying lime paste on the betel leaf, Pakkiri plays shadjam. Twenty hands freeze in midair!”

TNS studied Tamil and Sanskrit, won school and university elocution competitions in both, topped in Tirukkural, Sahasranamam recitations. At age seven he played the harmonium for Kripananda Variar and frequented harikatha and upanyasam by everyone from Anantarama Dikshitar and Manjakudi Rajagopala Sastri to Sivananda Vijayalakshmi. He attended the annual Karaikkudi Kamban Vizha, and lectures by Keeran, Periyar, C.N.Annadurai, Kundrakudi Adigalar, et al. “I was fascinated by their different styles. Ki.Va.Jagannathan’s classic depth, humour and flow enchanted me.”

He did not hear them in vain. As secretary of the college fine arts association he introduced M.D.Ramanathan with élan. “Who is this MDR? A man with a tuft, western bass voice, singing in an underworld (patala) pitch, in extreme chowka kalam, at a time when madhyama kalam reigns supreme. His ‘Endaro’ mesmerises everyone in any row. This man was nourished not by mother’s, but Tiger’s milk!” The delighted MDR took a pillion ride on the boy’s motorbike to see Sankara Sivam “If your guru Muthiah Bhagavatar had been alive, he’d have taken this boy away!” he said.

TNS was initiated into namasankirtanam and ashtapadi by his mother, the secretary of a women’s association conducting frequent bhajan sessions. After doyen Krishnamurti Bhagavatar’s sporadic classroom teaching, she recorded fully at his evening recitals the compositions of Oothukadu Venkatakavi and Bhadrachala Ramadas. Regular attendance at the Narasimha Jayanti Festival, Pudukkottai, equipped TNS with the authentic repertoire of the south Indian namasankirtana paddhati. From Anayampatti Sethu Madhava Rao he imbibed the tradition of abhangs and devarnamas.

Loving mentor Embar Vijayaraghavachariar taught him Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam, Nauka Charitram and Azhagar Kuravanji. Embar challenged TNS with tricky questions and enjoyed the boy’s canny explanations. “If you take up harikatha, you’d soar!” he exclaimed.

“So you see, by the time I began to do harikatha, I’d acquired the necessary qualifications for it.” TNS muses. “I see this as a grave responsibility. After all these years this is what Perumal wants me to do.”

His load was lightened when, after hearing his Papanasam Sivan story, awed son Krishna began to help by collecting reference material, as does devoted disciple Sribala Ramakrishnan. A time consuming period of reflection follows when everything is analysed, internalised. “No chits-notes on the stage,” laughs TNS, adding that harikatha has deepened his understanding of sangitam. Sometimes he is overwhelmed by its emotional charge. Humour (hasyam) and wit (chaturyam) are great assets. “But they must be integral and proportionate to the story. Jokes must be spontaneous, digressions must highlight, not destroy the main mood.”

So, is TNS the story teller different from TNS the singer? “In harikatha character and situation determine the singing. Can’t let music overload the story, cloud my thoughts. No showing off. Proportion is the key. Balance is crucial. I stop when people feel they want more. I have to also satisfy those who come to hear music, but my Nilambari can’t be at the cost of the story.”

TNS believes that today’s listeners have specific likes and dislikes for a certain style, form or performer. But in harikatha people come to hear the story, oratory, music, jokes, verse, sastra and dharma. Some have queries, doubts.

Once vidwan T.V.Sankaranarayanan broke into speech midway through a TNS harikatha. “I am so happy that Gopu is doing this. The vairagya bhavam in his ‘Padavinee’ is exemplary!” he exclaimed. The spontaneous tribute of a fellow musician of stature was an unforgettable experience.

How can his voice remain unaffected by four hours story telling through many days? “I don’t bother too much about this,” TNS answers. “I do my best and leave the rest to Him.”

Interviews

"My happiness and sorrow are all reflected in terms of Music" â€“ T.N. Seshagopalan

A child prodigy, a Mother's disciple and an untaught student of many a guru. That is Madurai T.N.Seshagopalan for you. A stickler to tradition, life revolves around music for him. The senior vocalist opens up his mind in an exclusive interview with Sudha Jagannathan. Here are the excerpts.

You have a come a long. What does music mean to you? What have you got from it? What have you given it back? What is it that you want to achieve? You might have achieved in terms of winning awards. I am not asking you from the award angle.

TNS: In my view, a child begins to understand and demand a thing at the age of 2 to two-and half years. A child starts demanding this or that from that age. That is the age it starts understanding something other than basic feelings. I had the perplexity of music from that age itself.

I used to sing well from the age of three. My mother Tiruvenkadavalli began to teach me Raghuveera Gadyam, Tiruppavai, Tiruvenpavai and Tirupalliyezuchi from that age itself. My mother used to say that I sang Nalangu in marriages in the manner of a child's prattle. From that early age, the `music feeling' took a predominant role in me along with the playfulness and other feelings of a normal child. To me, any event or any activity in my life is only in the background of music. They are only in terms of music. That is how it has become for me. It has become an inseparable feeling in my body. It has become a dominant feeling. What it means to me? It means everything to me. Instead of saying I breath music, I will say music is more than breath for me. I see music always. Music is my friend. Music is my entertainment. Music is recreation. Music is my living. Music is my pravirthi. Music is my humour. My happiness and sorrow are all reflected only in terms of music. I don't know anything other than music. I know nothing without music.

Even after such a long journey in music, do I know much? I will say no. It is impossible to know all about music. Like the Tamil saying "Kalvi karai alla" "karpavai naal sila", a single birth is not enough to learn. It needs several births. When you know a little about something, then only you realize that you don't know many aspects of it (music). When you understand a thing, you have a feeling that you don't know several other aspects. Then you begin to have the feeling of longing for more information. We begin to wonder how much more knowledge you would acquire in this birth. How justifiable are you going to be? All these thoughts instill a sense of fear as you age. Should the thought that we have achieved something cross our mind any time, mere thinking of things to be achieved will make us realize how we have wasted life. To avoid this regret, we don't even entertain any thinking that we have achieved.

What have you given it back to music?

TNS: Music is an expression of human feelings. It can be conveyed in many forms, catering to the tastes of others' instincts. For those who have chosen classical music as their idiom or abstract language, their prime duty is to define and display divinity felt by them. This should be conveyed to the audience or listeners. Music is not only to ears. It is also to the hearts. It is to the brain as well. It is to the soul. That is why it is called the easiest path or boat to attain salvation. Music should show the God. The God whom I have seen should also fill the hearts and minds of others. What many a religious head could not do, we should do through this Nada Upasana. That is our duty.

This is true if somebody takes Carnatic music as a profession. If we start worshiping the stage as a professional, the fruits of the worship should not only reach us but all those who see and listen. On the stage once the sruthi is on, I go on a different trance. I don't worry about the payment I receive and the audience before me. I go beyond this materialism. It is an entirely different equilibrium. At some places, I got fully and emotionally involved. Others would not have noticed. Later, I returned to reality. If listeners also reach the same status, stage and the divine constant as I have at any given concert - then I think I have touched the first footstep of achievement. If I am able to take along with me the entire audience to see God as I do all through my rendition, then only I will say that I have worshiped the God in the right way and my prayers have fallen into HIS ears.

Have you ever felt that way in any of your kutcheri?

TNS: There have been good experiences. Many stories can be told on that. The audience participation I am talking about is a higher level one. At that point, the audience doesn't applaud, does not go into instant `sabhash saying,' doesn't speak and doesn't even know if the kutcheri has ended. You reach a standstill stage. You should realise only after you come out of the concert hall.

Do you have a music background?

TNS: My mother used to sing through listening knowledge. She was involved in Nama Sankeerthanam. She was an expert. There was none in our immediate past generation who had taken classical music as a profession and learnt it the way it was meant to be.

Do you think a Guru is required for a child prodigy like you?

TNS: There is nothing without a guru. It holds true for any art. It does not mean that one should go through the gurukulavasam and involve in guru service. He may not have taught you. Yet, he can be your `maanaseeka guru'. We learn what to do from some. We also learn what not to do from some others. Even that needs to be taught. Only when you know one good thing, you realise that 10 others are wrong. For arts like Veda, Ghana et al, guru alone can take us to the right way. We may have acquired the talent to travel. But it is the guru who guides us to the right way. What we think, what we talk and what we do (they say this as manasa, vaacha and karmana) - if all these three have to come in the right way, you need the help of a guru. You will wander all over and reach the right place at the evening of your life. By then, you would have wasted all your time, in the process. A guru will correct your journey in the beginning itself.

Who is your `maanaseeka' guru?

TNS: Other than my mother, all those learned people whose kutcheries I had attended were my `maanaseeka gurus'. I had a lot of good associations in Madurai. Nama Sangeetham - Thirupugazh and Thevaram. Then Sanskrit. Then the college. I used to go to a number of Kutcheries. When I was in Madurai, it was sort of a golden time with all the branches of music blossoming well. My parents had given me training to exploit the Madurai surroundings. Further, the school I studied, the association I had developed and fellow people - all of them have blessed me. It was a gift of God to me. From whomsoever I had learnt the good - they were my gurus until the age of 16 when I joined Ramanathapuram Sankara Sivam.

From gurukulavasam to teacher visiting students and now the Internet mode of learning - What is your view?

TNS: Communication for information is a happy thing to have happened. Time was when there was no communication. To take out any information from a place, one has to suffer a lot. People never easily parted information. That was when students thought it to be disrespectful to ask a guru about any doubt. They just watched the guru, read him and got clarified. They used to assimilate materials as they came by their way and tried to adopt them to their needs. Thanks to technology, however, information is available these days.

At the same time, if you start asking `why' for everything, he will miss out on things you ought to know. You must know a lot of things, understand them, assimilate them and then only try to differentiate. If you ask `why' at that stage, then it is reasonable. A doubt should come at a later point and not at the beginning. You must first obey, understand, assimilate and then scrutinize yourself as to what you have learnt. You ask questions only after doing all these. Then alone you will get a clear idea. If you start asking questions without learning, it will only upset the equilibrium of a teacher.

A child may not have the intelligence to know how to employ the freedom and right. Only after a level of learning, the child begins to understand this. Traditions and conventions are by definition do not mean `superficial acts'. To say that one should follow all that had been done by our ancestors is a wrong explanation. Tradition is the result of a constant research made over decades or centuries. The final thing, which is termed to be permanent - stood, it stands and will stand. It had withstood the test of time. So we can't just simply ignore tradition.

Parents these days want their children reach the stage fast. What is your view?

TNS: Everything is fast in modern days. The rate of intelligence is moving up fast in line with the time. There is nothing wrong. But you must deserve and then decide. If you deserve and achieve that - then there is nothing wrong in giving that privilege to a child. If you start doing this to all children just because you have done it to a child, then comes the danger. People say we need half-hour duration kutcheries. There is nothing wrong to think of giving one-hour concerts to kids. If you let all kids participate in a concert since it is just for an hour, then it is wrong. For a one-hour concert, you can have a package just like preparing for an exam and vomiting. Here the art form is missing. This is a big malady and is spreading like a virus. This is a danger for the Carnatic music.

Don't you think that this helps clear the stage fear in a child

TNS: People who come to see get the fear. They may fear that the Carnatic music will disappear. In former times, only those who were too keen to take music as a profession went to gurukulavasam and, hence, were ready to do service to the teacher. Gurus also knew that their wards had talent. They would correct their wards as they learn. They went to gurukulavasam those days to do multi-PHDs and not for basic learning. My Guru went to Muthiah Bagavathar to do gurukulavasam at the age of 16. By then, he had learnt a lot of kritis and become an expert on `layam'. The gurukulavasam teaches quite a number of other things in life.

Besides study time, a student should spend some hours every morning for a few years with the guru. He should get his doubts cleared with his guru. He should devote time for practice. If one can use and exploit all the information and facilities of modern techniques and media - then there is nothing like a better gurukulavasm in the current day. I will say it is possible. But all these should happen under strict observation.

Music is all about creativity. In the name of creativity, upcoming artistes do quite a lot of things and throw up innovations like fusion music. What is your view?

TNS: Without crossing the traditional border, one can express his/her mind and style through creative singing. This is known as style creativity. Big creative artistes will keep cropping up in huge numbers for many years to come. We welcome such creative artistes and we need more of them. But discovery of new ragas and the like stuffs - if you are telling something new, you should know the old completely. If we can learn the kritis composed by great saints and render them properly that will alone be suffice.

To attempt composing something similar or even better than them ... Many greats - incarnations of God - have already done that. If you still want to do something, you need to know those existing already. I concur with Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer in this regard. Our predecessors have dug up many wells that can give nectar. We have not been to drink them fully yet in this birth. Where is the need for digging a fresh well to discover the nectar? One can claim to have discovered a new raga. One should have known the old in its entirety. The new one should have either the influence of the old or independent stature of its own to gain stability. One should do a composition and the `raga swarupam' should be familiar and sung by many even after several decades.

Only then can it claim to have stood the test of time. One can legitimately claim to have discovered something only after that. If Marugesa Muthiah Bagavathar created a raga, people sang it even in those days. Within 20 years, people began singing those ragas and they become popular. Even Tyagaraja Swami did not have that luck. Tyagaraja kritis had come to light a long after his demise. For others, the luck came a little early.

What do you think of fusion music?

TNS: Fusion is a venture to show something differently to the audience. Within Indian music, they are number places where the fuse goes off between two systems.

Ours is a raga sangeetam. If swaras come in an octave where raga is affected, the raga will lose its life. Some ragas in Carnatic music should come with `gamakkam'. Only then will we be able to identify with certainty the raga. If you sing in `suddha swaram' without the gamakkam, the right raga will not be heard. It will just be a skeleton. It will have no life. If anyone tries to do harmony with swaras without `gamakkam,' it will not jell with carnatic music.

But people wish to see something new always - whether good or bad. How many fusion programmes are happening these days? Fusion music providers basically exploit the inquisitiveness of the people. If it is successful, it should keep happening. Why is it not coming back? This goes to prove that it is not correct.

Long duration kutcheries were quite in vogue in those days. Do you think the trend will return?

TNS: Only in Chennai people advertise the four-hour kutcheries. Most mofussil kutcheries I sing are for four hours. In 2000, for Vaikunda Ekadesi, I had sung 12 hours non-stop.

Madurai means Mani Iyer. Now it is you. Can you share some experience about him?

TNS: Mani Iyer is a Nada Yogi. Despite his physical disability, he had some distinct qualities. He had the uncanny ability to convert any sound into music. He had that `yoga stage.' He had that `siddhi.' Nobody asked if he had sung this or that. But they all listened and accepted what he sang as music. Even as he sang that simple, he used to sing simple nava varnams. He would do it in his own simple but great style.

Do you think music has become less divine these days?

TNS: Music for the sake of music. The divinity and depth will come only if this comes to the mind. If it is done for professional sake or to win a few applauds, then the true swarupa and greatness of music will diminish.

What to do to prevent?

TNS: I don't compromise for others. If I feel correct, I will do that.

Is packaged way of giving music right to bring more people into the fold?

TNS: It does not mean that you compromise on quality. You can tell in a simple manner. But you have to say it in a great way. If you have chosen to tell it in a great way, then you will have to prepare them to understand. Then only will they be ready to take it.

Do you think the current crop of musicians have patience to teach?

TNS: The profession tends to become sound even at a very initial stage. Who are going to really matter in the field and who are going to stand in the end - only the time and their effort alone will decide. One has also to see how these youngsters are going to manage the pressures by organising themselves.

A toast to TNS

A Pink Floyd fan strays into a T. N. Seshagopalan concert and comes back converted

CREATIVE JOURNEY T. N. Seshagopalan

On a fine evening, this December, I was invited to attend a concert of Vidwan Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan. The name rang a bell somewhere in my rather un-Carnatic consciousness. I could immediately imagine an old aunt saying “Oh, he’s one of the doyens. But how should you know? Your generation is not interested in any of this.”

With due respect to many in my generation, this stereotyping was not too far off the mark. A huge chunk of us have grown up feeling closer to the Beatles, Floyd, and even Bach than those performing at the sabhas in our neighbourhood. This was largely because the semantics of Carnatic music, for us, formed an impenetrable cloud. You had to be able to detect and distinguish ragas, intellectualise a singer’s manodharma, and your heart almost skipped a beat out of fear if the person in the next seat caught you getting the tala wrong! While deferring to the complexities of a highly evolved tradition that Carnatic music embodies, I naively wondered if the uninitiated and unfamiliar could have a wholesome, musical experience without feeling a rather humbling lack of comprehension. Vidwan Madurai TNS (as he is fondly called) showed me you could, and how!

With these doubts plaguing me and reluctant to switch off Roger Waters’ voice that was crooning in my head, I walked into his concert. I even wondered: why TNS? Couldn’t someone younger and perhaps of my generation help me make the transition more easily? I couldn’t have been more wrong. TNS’s overpowering music transcends form, genre and even generations. It is, simply put, a pure tribute to creativity and sound.

Magic with sounds

For the first time, it seemed like the raga and the laya were just a framework. At the heart is sheer magic with sounds, woven effortlessly and with a level of honesty I had never witnessed before. The sounds could have formed any pattern and accordingly belonged to any tradition. It really didn’t matter because what was being evoked was your basic human instinct to connect with music.

This also explains why TNS’ concerts are full of pleasant surprises. His is not a typical concert for a clean three hours with a few ragas packed in - distributed evenly, and a fair amount of aalapana. Apart from the lack of predictability which has its own charm, one actually doesn’t want him to finish his raga delineation, however long it may take, until all those intractable notes that a listener is only sub-consciously able to sense, are conquered. You only had to look at the gratified faces around to realise that this was an artist who had the audience with him, every minute of his journey.

A rather unexpected connection I made during the course of the concert was with George Orwell’s description of a good book in his political masterpiece “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. The protagonist, Winston, is moved to realise that the best books are those which tell you what you already know, which you yourself could have said. TNS’ music is somewhat similar. Upon the pronouncement of every note, you feel that it is exactly what was lurking in the nuanced sphere of your mind. I was left to wonder how TNS had, in a few hours, managed to undo more than two decades of my conditioning; conditioning which had put me and many of my age and kind, miles away from Carnatic music and its construct, which we found imposing. Was it the fact that the music was so original and powerful that it rendered its form irrelevant? After all, I suppose that it is only form which separates the great music of Bach from that of TNS. Or could it be the fact that with TNS, the music that emerges is itself the product of a seminal mind? There is a complete absence of posturing and presumption with TNS. His message is simply that he is on a wonderful trip and you can join him. Even if you don’t know your Mohanam from your Hamsadhwani!

If I came back with a sharpened sense of music that led to a more refined enjoyment of the Beatles and Floyd, I have TNS to thank for it. More significantly, TNS had become my vehicle to visit tradition with renewed imagination.

PREETI MOHAN

Here's an article that took me on a heart-warming trip down memory lane...happy to note TNS is still having the same effect on rock fans!

Vijay

as a diehard tns fan,i relished every word of the article . gobilalitha

it's a nice one.The legend that he is, he would surely have such an effect.

Vasanthabhairavi

Nice article. Her appreciative experience sounds genuine.

Vasnthakokilam

The article is well written with no pronouncements or presumptions. It seems straight from the heart, whatever be the motivation of the writer then.

I believe that it is a tibute to Carnatic Music and that a stalwart like TNS is one of the musicains in this generation to be able to bring more of the Floydians to Karnatakam ! Speaks volumes of his music !!

saveri

From Sundararaman to rasika_tns

hello,

So as to introduce myself, I guess there is no better way than to say that I am a TNS fan, a fanatic rather- so much that I just dont want to listen to ANY other musician. I have listened to several inexplicably brilliant concerts of TNS aka god, in which he has sung like a man possessed. I especially savour one in which he has sang subhapanthuvarali raga alone, for about 50-55 minutes, followed by a breathtaking pallavi. The raga alaapana was received with a non-stop 52 seconds applause- YES! 52 seconds applause by a crowd that I guess should have been driven to unbelievable heights by the raga alapana. I have never known of any other musician to have received have as much applause in my life. Thus, I consider TNS to be one of rare breed of musicians.

I read all the concert reviews in the groups, and I must say you are doing a great service, especially to the rasikas of TNS, just like me.

T.M.Sivaraman wrote in rasikapriya yahoogroup on 9-7-2008

A Living Legend

A quaint smile plays on his lips as he handles, dextrously with great
skill, the most intricate of sangathis and swaraprastharams, preluded
by a highly creative and innovative exposition of a major raga like
karaharapriya or thodi in his exquisite,velvety, soft,melodious voice
that is still enchantingly rich in it's tonal quality .He
can,effortlessly, touch all the three octaves,often giving us a flash
ride of a sangathi from it's anumanthra-sthayee, traversing the
madhyama sthayee and racing along to it's grand finale with a briha-
laden thara-sthayee of the sangathi.His briha-laden voice reminds you
of the great legendary maestro,the Late
G.N.Balasubramaniam (GNB).

And,at no point in his singing does one find any slip-up of the
"kanakku" on the thala front also, for he is a master of thalas, often
posing a challenge to the accompanying percussionartiste to take him
on in the
intricacies of the thala.

That,in short, for you is the legendary Madhurai Thirumalai Nambi
Seshagopalan( TNS), born at Nagapattinam in 1948,and later settled down
and made Madhurai his home.He is a musical genius,who has carved a
prominent niche for himself in the hearts of global carnatic music
lovers and ensured a permanent place as one of the pantheons of the
20th-21st century carnatic hall of fame.

And sample the praises showered on him, both for his musical genius
and other multi-faceted talents,by a number of vidwans and
celebrities:

-at the felicitation function to award thee title of "Sangeetha
Kalanidhi" by the Chennai Music Academy for 2006:

Shri N.Murali,President of the Academy said: "Mr. Seshagopalan was
given the award for his "versatile and creative" music and for being a
"multifaceted personality" and "a respected guru with many disciples."

At the same function,Shri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy ( a Sangeetha
Kalanidhi himself) said : " Mr. Seshagopalan was a musician of
profound wisdom"

At the function, awarding him the "Bharat Sangeet Samrat" title by
Carnatica in their Bharat Sangeet Utsav,2006, musician Alleppey
Venkatesan called T.N. Seshagopalan a `"MAHAVIDWAN" ' who was most
complete and comprehensive in his repertoire.

Though he has received scores of titles,awards and honours during his
music career of over 50 years,some of the more notable of these are
listed hereinunder:

List of Awards and Titles conferred on TNS:

# "Sangeetha Kalanidhi" by The Music Academy, Chennai (2006)
# "Padma Bhushan" , by the Government of India (2004)
# "Sangeetha Kala Nipuna", by Mylapore Fine Arts Club (2003)
# "Isai Perarignar" by the Tamil Isai Sangam (2000)
# "Sangeetha Rathnakara" by Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana Committee
(1998)
# "Sangeetha Kala Sarathy" by Parthasarathy Swami Sabha (1997)
# "Tamil Isai Vendar" by Karthik Fine Arts, (1996)
# "Kalaimamani" - by the Government of Tamil Nadu (1985)
# "Sangeetha Sudhakara" by the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti peetam,
His Holiness, Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathy Swamigal in 1983.
# "Asthana Vidwan" of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam awarded by H. H.
Jayendra Sarawathy Swamigal on Deepavali day 1984.

TNS,accepting the numerous awards and titles bestowed on him during
his long carnatic innings,starting in 1955 and still going strong in
2008, has always felt very modest about his achievements, and has
articulated, in his own words, that:

"Awards meant additional responsibilities placed on the musician's
shoulders. "Music is the easiest path to attain salvation and `shruti'
and `laya' are the two oars of the boat of music to cross the ocean of
existence."

And expressing his distress about Carnatic Music not reaching the
general public or "Masses" he said:

"Even though, classical music is meant for (people of) class, it is
our responsibility to turn the mass into class,".

In shaping his musical career and bringing him to the limelight and
forefront of the carnatic world, TNS owes a debt of gratitude to two
people, who contributed significantly :

- his mother,Thiruvenkata valli, who initiiated him into devotional
music,training him in "nama sangeerthanams" ,leading up to his giving
his first namasangeerthan concert at the tender age of 7 and amazing
the audience with his skills.

- his guru, Ramanaathapuram C.S.Sivasankaran, brother of noted
mridhangist, C.S.Murugabhupathy, and primary disciple of the legendary
Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, who honed his inborn creative and
dynamic skills and was instrumental in his exploding as a rising star
on the carnatic firmament

The dynamism and genius of TNS is reflected also in his many,not
prominent, multi-faceted talents:

-as already said, he is a noted "Namaasangeerthan" or "Harikatha"
performer,enthralli ng audiences with his deep knowledge of our
puranas and enriching his performances with his musical skills.

-he is also an equally talented Vainika,whho has brought his "gayaki"
or "vocal" style to his veena playing, but who regrets that his
popularity as a foremost vocalist has overshadowed his veena
talent,and he is not able to do full justice as a vainika.

-he is also adept at playing the flute
>
- he is also a composer of note with over 300 compositions to his
credit

In conclusion, musical geniuses like TNS have contributed in immense
measure to preserving and enriching our glorious heritage of carnatic
music,popularising and propagating it to all corners of the globe and
ensuring a permanent place in the hearts of music lovers with the joy
and happiness they havebrought into their lives with their immortal music.