Musical musings

One of the big treats for me when I travel is to go to a music shop (or shops) at every city that I am in. No exception this time also, I got a lot of CDs from my last trip and spent a few hours importing them into iTunes. This is really worth it, for example now I know I have three versions of "Brochevarevare". Exporting the karnatic music "recently added" play list from iTunes, this is what I got in 2008:

Artist	Album
B.K. Anantharam & Amith A. Nadig	Mohana Vamshi
N. Ramani	Divine Bamboo
N. Ramani	Dr. N. Ramani Flute Vol 1
N. Ramani	Dr. N. Ramani Flute Vol 2
Padmanabha Bapu	Vividha Many Moods of Love
Prapancham S. Balachandar	Venu Ninaada
Mysore R. Ramprasad	Jala Tharangam
U. Srinivas	Sangeet Sartaj
U. Srinivas & Michael Brook	Rama Sreerama (from lala.com)
Dr. Sheik Chinna Moulana	Nadhaswaram
J. Purushotham Sai	Palaniswamy Naadaswaram
Sheik Chinna Moulana	Mellifluous Nadhaswaram Recital
Kadri Gopalanath	Naada Maadhuri
Kadri Gopalanath	Nada Harshini
V. Doreswamy Iyengar	Lute Maestro
Bombay Sisters	Rhythmic Delights - Thillanas
Bombay Sisters	Sree Kanthimathim Vol 1
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar	Deekshithar Krithis
D. Pashupathi	Rhythmic Delights - Thillanas
D.K. Jayaraman	Sree Kanthimathim Vol 2
Hyderabad Brothers	Rhythmic Delights - Thillanas
Hyderabad Brothers	Tyagaraja Krithis
M. Balamurali Krishna	Maha Sangamam
M. Balamurali Krishna	Pibare Ramarasam
M. Balamurali Krishna	Thyagaraja's Utsava Sampradaya Krithis
M. Balamuralikrishna	Thillanas
M.L. Vasanthakumari	Legends
M.S. Subbulakshmi	Mela Raga Malika Chakrams
Srirangam Gopalarathnam	Bhagyada Lakshmi Vol 1
Srirangam Gopalarathnam	Bhagyada Lakshmi Vol 2
G. Balakrishna Prasad	Annamayya Ani Muthyalu Vol 1
G. Balakrishna Prasad	Annamayya Kirthanalu Vol 2
Ghantasala	Ashtapadhis and other Telugu Devotional Songs
Ghantasala	Ghantasala Bhakti Geethalu
P. Srinivas	Hanuman Suprabhatamu
Dr. L. Subramaniam & The Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra	Double Concerto - A Concerto for Violin and Flute
Pandith Puttaraja Gawal	Harmonium
Pt. Rambhau Bijapure	Meru
Pt. Narasimhalu Wadavati	Mangala Dhwani
Amjad Ali Khan	Maestros - Amjad Ali Khan Sarod
Bismillah Khan	Maestro's Choice Bismillah Khan Shehnai
Ustad Bale Khan	The Singing Sitar
P. Bhanumathi	Maha Mahila P. Bhanumathi Memorial Volume

I have already quickly sampled some of the songs in all the CDs. I have found new (to me) gems by Shyama Sastri and Muthuswamy Deekshidar. I really cannot adequately express the intense musical, emotional, and bhakti high I am getting from these songs. Right now, I have discovered these keerthanas and listening to them at least twice every day:

Ranganayakam sung by D K Pattammal: I was unaware that D K Pattammal was one of the women trinity or the matriarchs of karnatic music. What a voice! Subbulakshmi has that ethereal CNC machine sculptured perfect rendition. MLV has a most beautiful light voice which carries you aloft on waves of bliss. DK Pattammal's voice is so pleasant to listen to, clear as a bell, very homely, deeply expressive emotionally. I found that this keerthana is one of the Srirangam Pancharatna Krithis of Muthuswami Dikshidar, the most famous one being Rangapura Vihara. Indeed it has similar sahityam:

Ranganayakam Anupallavi:
Angaja Taata Mananta Mateetam Ajendraadyamaranutam Satatam
Uttungavihanga Turangam Krupa Paangam Ramaantarangam Sri

Rangapura Vihara Anupallavi:
Angaja Janaka Deva Brndavana Saarangendra Varada Ramanta
Ranga Shyamalaanga Vihanga Turanga Sadayapanga satsanga

The Adi Tala mridangam beat is captivating, and DKP's voice is evocative, wistful, and yearning for Sri Ranganayaka.

Mayamma sung by K V Narayanaswamy: Shyama Sastri's music has been compared to a sweet kadali-phalam (banana) which easily disperses sweetness into your mouth without your having to work hard for it. His musical expressions are the most complex (listen to the Swarajatis!) but the most emotionally and intellectually pleasing. The sahitya in this song is so simple, but so great, I love it.

Mayamma ani nenu pilichite, matlada ravemi? Idi nyayamena Sri Meenakshamma? Ninnu vina, vere dikkevarunnaru?

Rough translation: I call you, my mother, but you do not come and talk with me. Is this just, mother Sri Meenakshi? Other than you, who else can I go to?

I like the part in italics where it goes "nammiti nammiti nammiti":

sarasijabhava harihara nuta sulalita nI padapaMkajamula sthiramani nammiti nammiti nammitini karuNajUDavE kAtyAyani kALikA bhavAni paramEshvari sundarEshu rANi bAlAmbA madhuravANi

Devi Brova sung by K V Narayanaswamy: This Shyama Sastry song was intense and stunning when I heard it at about 9:30 PM. It is charming where K V Narayanaswamy goes an octave lower when the sahitya is "da" in "ni dasuda" and "aa" in "bimbadari":

C1: lOkajananI nApai dayalEdA leda nI dAsuDa gAdA shrI kAnci vihAriNI kalyANI EkAmrEshvaruni priya bhAmayai yunna nee kEmammA entO bhAramA vinumA talli
C2: shyAmakRSNuni sOdari kaumAri shaHNkari bimbAdari gauri hEmAcalajE lalitE paradEvatE kAmAkSi ninuvunA bhUmilO prEmatO kApADEvareva runnArammA nannu

I appreciate that Shyama Sastry entreats the mother to come "ati vegame" = very quickly.

Among the other CDs I got, on the Hyderabad Brothers CD I am enjoying Brochevarevare so much. These guys are really good at Thyagaraja keerthanas. The version of Sri Saraswati on U Srinivas' Sangeet Sartaj is simply great. I don't know if you heard it, it is on many Music Today CDs. I have BMK Thillanas and MS Mela Raga Malika Chakra on tape but bought them again on CD for the better quality.