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I didn't attend many concerts this year like last year. But the first concert itself was overwhelming.
Here, at Kalakshetra, Besant Nagar, an Annual art festival is going on now. Nowadays, I have started enjoying Hindustani music. Though I am familiar with the famous singers of Hindustani music, the name of Pt./Prof. Venkatesh Kumar is new to me. Even last year, I had attended a concert of a singer whom I hadn't heard much before, Ms. Lalita Sharma and it turned out to be a very good one. Now, Pt.Venkatesh Kumar was very good. The 2.15 hour concert took the audience to another level. Kalakshetra's audience are always very devoted to music, as far as I have seen. People come and sit before the concert starts and nobody leaves in between the songs. This time the whole crowd sat through the whole concert and he had a standing ovation for a long time. The auditorium is not very big. The ambiance, even without the a/c and nearly open area with a roof and side coverings, it was good to hear soulful music in a homely atmosphere.
Pt.Venkatesh Kumar is a Gwalior/Kirana Gharana Hindustani classical singer, born in Dharwad, Karnataka. A link says this about him:
Kumar learnt Hindustani vocal in the Gwalior and Kirana gharana styles under Gawai. Kumar blends these styles effortlessly in his presentations, though he admits to influences beyond these gharanas, chief among them being Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala gharana. His guru was also trained in Carnatic music, and as a result, there are traces of Carnatic elements – especially in his sargam patterns – in Kumar’s music.
He has got a booming voice like Pt. Bheemsen Joshi and Pt. Jasraj. Sometimes loud voices irritate the ears, but the whole crowd was enjoying his music, applauding whenever he sang a beautiful gamak. We cannot hear Hindustani music singers using sargams in the old records normally. But nowadays, Carnatic music is influencing Hindustani music and they have started using sargam even in aalaap. Pt.Ajoy Chakraborthy liked the sargam way of singing so much that he had started learning Carnatic music from Sri Balamurali Krishna, it seems. He said so in a concert last year. I heard that Carnatic music singers have started learning Hindustani music also which trains the vocal chords better, it seems.
Pt.Kumar is still working at the University College of Music, Dharwad, which prevents him to turn down important concerts. But wherever he sings, he gets accolades which cannot be forgotten. He has won many awards...I should have noted them down when they listed it out at the concert.
He sang raag Poorya Dhanashri for nearly an hour and then Raag Kedar and a Purandara dasa kruthi. A Bhajan in the end. Because of the time limit, he could not entertain us further even though the whole crowd wanted to hear more.
Now, to some music of Pt.Venkatesh Kumar.
Raag Kedar can be heard here.
I look forward to hearing his music again, in the years to come.
I went to the dance programme of Ms. Shobana, last week. I don't know much about dance, but out of curiosity, I went there, to Narada Gana Sabha. I can understand why she has become so famous. Her movements are very smooth. 2 dances were from Geeta Govindam, which is about Krishna. The last one was unbelievably good. The subject was Dashavataram. All the avatars of Lord Vishnu, were shown so well in the dance form, with other dancers. It is difficult for me to explain We, normal people also could recognise the shapes of the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu - MATSYA (The fish), KURMA (The tortoise), VAMANA (The dwarf), NARASIMHA (The half lion half human), PARASURAMA (The sage), RAMA (The King of Ayodhya), KRISHNA (The King of Dwaraka), BALARAMA (Brother of Krishna) and KALKI (Eternity or Time, 'The destroyer of evil' who is expected to appear at the end of Kali-Yuga).
Well, I am not a good dance programme reviewer! I enjoyed her dance. Here is one video of her dance. She was a good movie actress. Remember 'Mitr, my friend' She has acted in many other South Indian movies. More than a good actress, she is a good dancer, it seems. But no more dance programmes for me. I enjoy music more!
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/z0gnftzFH50" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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| Pt. M.Venkatesh Kumar |
Here, at Kalakshetra, Besant Nagar, an Annual art festival is going on now. Nowadays, I have started enjoying Hindustani music. Though I am familiar with the famous singers of Hindustani music, the name of Pt./Prof. Venkatesh Kumar is new to me. Even last year, I had attended a concert of a singer whom I hadn't heard much before, Ms. Lalita Sharma and it turned out to be a very good one. Now, Pt.Venkatesh Kumar was very good. The 2.15 hour concert took the audience to another level. Kalakshetra's audience are always very devoted to music, as far as I have seen. People come and sit before the concert starts and nobody leaves in between the songs. This time the whole crowd sat through the whole concert and he had a standing ovation for a long time. The auditorium is not very big. The ambiance, even without the a/c and nearly open area with a roof and side coverings, it was good to hear soulful music in a homely atmosphere.
Pt.Venkatesh Kumar is a Gwalior/Kirana Gharana Hindustani classical singer, born in Dharwad, Karnataka. A link says this about him:
Kumar learnt Hindustani vocal in the Gwalior and Kirana gharana styles under Gawai. Kumar blends these styles effortlessly in his presentations, though he admits to influences beyond these gharanas, chief among them being Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala gharana. His guru was also trained in Carnatic music, and as a result, there are traces of Carnatic elements – especially in his sargam patterns – in Kumar’s music.
He has got a booming voice like Pt. Bheemsen Joshi and Pt. Jasraj. Sometimes loud voices irritate the ears, but the whole crowd was enjoying his music, applauding whenever he sang a beautiful gamak. We cannot hear Hindustani music singers using sargams in the old records normally. But nowadays, Carnatic music is influencing Hindustani music and they have started using sargam even in aalaap. Pt.Ajoy Chakraborthy liked the sargam way of singing so much that he had started learning Carnatic music from Sri Balamurali Krishna, it seems. He said so in a concert last year. I heard that Carnatic music singers have started learning Hindustani music also which trains the vocal chords better, it seems.
Pt.Kumar is still working at the University College of Music, Dharwad, which prevents him to turn down important concerts. But wherever he sings, he gets accolades which cannot be forgotten. He has won many awards...I should have noted them down when they listed it out at the concert.
He sang raag Poorya Dhanashri for nearly an hour and then Raag Kedar and a Purandara dasa kruthi. A Bhajan in the end. Because of the time limit, he could not entertain us further even though the whole crowd wanted to hear more.
Now, to some music of Pt.Venkatesh Kumar.
Raag Kedar can be heard here.
I look forward to hearing his music again, in the years to come.
I went to the dance programme of Ms. Shobana, last week. I don't know much about dance, but out of curiosity, I went there, to Narada Gana Sabha. I can understand why she has become so famous. Her movements are very smooth. 2 dances were from Geeta Govindam, which is about Krishna. The last one was unbelievably good. The subject was Dashavataram. All the avatars of Lord Vishnu, were shown so well in the dance form, with other dancers. It is difficult for me to explain We, normal people also could recognise the shapes of the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu - MATSYA (The fish), KURMA (The tortoise), VAMANA (The dwarf), NARASIMHA (The half lion half human), PARASURAMA (The sage), RAMA (The King of Ayodhya), KRISHNA (The King of Dwaraka), BALARAMA (Brother of Krishna) and KALKI (Eternity or Time, 'The destroyer of evil' who is expected to appear at the end of Kali-Yuga).
Well, I am not a good dance programme reviewer! I enjoyed her dance. Here is one video of her dance. She was a good movie actress. Remember 'Mitr, my friend' She has acted in many other South Indian movies. More than a good actress, she is a good dancer, it seems. But no more dance programmes for me. I enjoy music more!
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/z0gnftzFH50" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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