January 31, 2013 - Madras Music College

accompanied by senior students of the college

2-4pm

1. varnam - bhairavi - ata - pachaimiriam adhiapaiyya
2. padavendume - hamsanadam - rupakam - mm dandapani desikar (n,s)
3. kaalai thooki - yadhukulakambodhi - adi - marimuthapillai (r)
4. manavyalakim - nalinakanthi - adi - thyagaraja (s)
5. bhajare re manasa - aberi - adi - mysore vasudevacharya (r,s,t)
6. pagaivanukkarulvai - ragamalika - tisram - subramania bharathi
7. thillana - darbaari kaanada - misra chapu - thanjavur s kalyanaraman

January 24, 2013 - Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Calcutta

violin - b ananthakrishnan
mrudangam - r srinivasan

630-910pm

varnam - hindolam - adi - tiger varadachariar
ragasudha - andolika - adi - thyagaraja (s)
paridhanamichithe - bilahari - khanda chapu - patnam subramania iyer (r,n,s)
hidako bida beda - atana - adi - purandaradasa
emi jesithe - todi - misra chapu - thyagaraja (r,s,t)
sabhpathikku - aboghi - rupakam - gopalakrishna bharathi
rtp - hamirkalyani - adi - "sAdhikaL illaiyaDi pApA | kulathAzhchi uyarchi sollal pAvam"
-ragamalika: bageshri, vaasanthi, sindhubairavi
pagavanukkarulvai - ragamalika - tisram - subramania bharathi
tum bin more - kapi - adi - meerabai
thillana - khamas - adi - patnam subramania iyer
pavamana - saurashtram - adi - thyagaraja

First time in Calcutta. Never knew a place in India could be so cold. Now I'm in Delhi, and again - never knew  place in India could be so cold!

January 12, 2013 - Nada Sudha, Velachery

violin - mysore srikanth
mrudangam - thnajavur murugabhoopathy

630-915pm

varnam - kathanakuthuhalam - adi - ks krishnamurthy
ananda natana - kedaram - misra chapu - muthuswami dikshitar (n,s)
karavaigal (thiruppavai) - kambodhi - adi - andal (r)
thunai purindharul - varamu - adi - papanasam sivan (r,s)
deva deva - purvikalyani - adi - swathi thirunal (r,s,t)
niravathi sukhada - ravichandrika - adi - thyagaraja
rtp - karnarajani - tisra triputa (2 nadai) "vaanchitha phala dhaayaki | sri valli guhuni manasu karaga"
ragamalika swaram: chalanatta, sindhubairavi
ramanai bhajithal - mand - adi - papanasam sivan (requested)
thillana - darbaari kaanada - misra chapu - thanjavur s. kalyanaraman
pavamana - saurashtram - adi - thyagaraja

January 1, 2013 - Anjaneyar Temple, Nanganallur

violin - mullaivasal chandramouli

mrudangam - madipakkam suresh

ghatam - n guruprasad

630-9pm

entho prema - surutti - adi - pallavi gopala iyer

narasimhagacha - mohanam - misra chapu - muthuswami dikshitar (s)

ennadu joothuno - kalavathi - adi - thyagaraja (r)

appan avadharitha - karaharapriya - adi - papanasam sivan (r,n,s)

pamarajana palini - simhendramadhyamam - rupakam - muthuswami dikshitar

shanthamulekha - sama - adi - thyagaraja (r,s,t)

kakkai chiraginile - brindavani - adi - subramania bharathi

dhanya anjaneetsa - aboghi - adi - saint tukaram

pavamana - saurashtram - adi - thyagaraja

It's been a great season with a lot of new experiences... I have one more concert on January 12th, but today felt like the end of the 'season' for me. Was happy to end with a really memorable concert at the Anjaneya Temple in Nanganallur... 

Made it all the better having known I received the 'Best Vocalist' award from The Music Academy.

Thank you everyone for your support as always.

December 30, 2012 - Narada Gana Sabha

2-4pm

violin - b ananthakrishnan

mrudangam - sj arjun ganesh

ghatam - h prasanna

varnam - sankarabharanam - adi - veenai kuppaiyer

panipathishayi - jankaradhwani - adi - thyagaraja (r)

mamava sadha - nattaikurinji - rupakam - swathi thirunal (r,n)

eppadi manam - huseni - misra chapu - arunachala kavi

anupama gunambudhi - atana - kanda chapu - thyagaraja

paramaathmudu - vagadheeshwari - adi - thyagaraja (r,s,t)

vaanathin meedhu - mand - adi - ramalinga swamigal

panimathi - ahiri - misra chapu - swathi thirunal

thillana - gavathi - adi - s. kalyanaraman

I have been overwhelmed with the number of rasikas this season. I apologize to those of you who couldn't find a place to sit in the hall today, and especially for those who I'm told came and left after finding no room. Made for an enjoyable experience being surrounded on stage by rasikas in addition to the aisles and doorways of the hall being full. Has been a great season to say the least. Today was my last concert in Mylapore for 2012. Glad to have ended on a high note with musicians who I am very close with off stage as well as on stage.

On Tuesday I start 2013 with a concert in the Anjaneyar Temple in Nanganallur :)

December 29, 2012 - Krishna Gana Sabha

2-4pm

violin - nagai sri sriram

mrudangam - dr. umayalpuram k sivaraman

ghatam - dr. s karthick

varnam - sahana - adi - thiruvottriyur thyaagayya

gajavadana - hamsadhwani - rupakam - md ramanathan (s)

vaananai - keeravani - misra chapu - appar (r)

bogeendra shaayinam - kunthalavarali - kanda chapu - swathi thirunal

ethavunara - kalyani - adi - thyagaraja (r,n,s,t)

vidajalathura - janaranjani - adi - thyagaraja

vetta veli - cenjurutti - misra chapu - kudhambai siddhar

sarvam brahmamayam - madhuvanthi - adi - sadasiva brahmendra
ramanai bhajithal - mand - adi - papanasam sivan

thillana - khamas - adi - patnam subramania iyer

malasai (thiruppugazh) - jonpuri - adi - arunagirinathar

There are things I've thought of as a child that were like dreams I never imagined would happen in real life. Yesterday, one of those dreams came true for me. I got to sit right next to one of Carnatic music's greatest artists and perform a concert with him. The experience from start to finish is one that I'll never forget, and hopefully there will be many more to come with him. Thanks to Nagai Sriram and Karthick anna for being very supportive and encouraging as I was nervous going into this concert with Sivaraman mama playing mrudangam. I realized after a couple songs that I need not be so nervous cause Sivaraman mama himself was being extremely encouraging, appreciative, and supportive not only with his playing, but with his jovial nature and appreciation of the other artists on stage. I have always enjoyed hearing mama play, but I felt so different being just inches away from his mrudangam, and getting to see how he makes those beautiful sollus and special sounds on the mrudangam thoppi!

Sorry if this post is shorter and less informative than the others. I know some of you were looking forward to reading more about this concert... I have so many thoughts in my mind after having this great and rare opportunity, that I don't even know where to start or what to say! Special thanks to the rasikas who made it despite the rain coming down hard, and the roads becoming quite difficult to travel.

This season has been a really special one. But its not over yet... Singing today at 2pm in Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall with B Ananthakrishnan and SJ Arjun Ganesh. Hope to see you there :)

December 27, 2012 - Brahma Gana Sabha

violin - delhi sunder rajan
mrudangam - neyveli venkatesh

4-7pm

1. varnam - saveri - adi - kothavaasal venkatrama iyer
2. bhajana seyave - kalyani - rupakam - thyagaraja (s)
3. nannu vidachi - reethigowla - misra chapu - thyagaraja (r)
4. palaya sadha - nalinakanthi - adi - swath thirunal (s)
5. aaro ivar aaro - bairavi - adi - arunachala kavi (r,n,s,t)
6. edayya gathi - chalanattai - adi - koteeshwara iyer
7. nagagandhari - nagagandhari - adi - muthuswami dikshitar
8. rtp - dvijavanthi - khanda triputa - 'oru dharam shiva chidambaram enru || uraithaal podhume'
• tanam ragamalika: sumanesa ranjani, begada, kaanada
• swaram ragamalika:  surya, surutti, sindhubhairavi
9. aarumo aaval - mand - adi - kannan iyengar
10. thillana - basanth - adi - tn seshagopalan
11. pavamana - saurashtram - adi - thyagaraja

Pictures by Prasanna Viswanathan

Last night I sang a 3 hour concert in Chennai after a very long time. Originally the time slot was 2.5 hours but due to some delays in the 7pm's dance, I was requested to sing an additional 15-30min. It felt good to sing a 'full' concert in Mylapore, as we don't often get that chance in the junior and sub-senior slots. Having Venkatesh anna accompanying this concert reminded me of our tour earlier this year where we regularly performed 3 hour concerts two to three times a week. I've known Sunder Rajan Sir since I was a little kid, and have known him especially well the last several years that we have been crossing paths both in Chennai and in Los Angeles (he visits regularly as he has many students on the west coast). Although I have asked him before, he was never free. But in the last two months I have been fortunate to have him accompany me twice. He is another very senior artist who I now have the privilege of singing with.

Pictures by Prasanna Viswanathan

Just when I think a concert is over and I can relax, I seem to have another big one just around the corner! Tomorrow (December 29th) I'm singing at Krishna Gana Sabha at 2pm with Nagai Sri Sriram, Umayalpuram Sri Sivaraman, and Sri S. Karthick.