Classical music concerts in Chennai in December...!

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I have already written about Ajoy Chakraborthy's concert in Chennai here.  As I said there, nowadays we are attending both Hindustani and Carnatic music concerts, here in December season. I make it a point to attend Bombay Jayashree's at least once in the season.  She is a great singer, trained in both Hindustani and Caranatic classical music.  Her wikipedia link is here, which is very interesting to read.

I enjoy her bhajans in Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit.  Her voice is very expressive and soft. This time we went to Krishna Gaana Sabha for her concert.  It was housefull. She never speaks in between two songs.  Never explains the raagas...some singers do explain. She sang continuously for 2 1/2 hours without break. Normally people go out, have coffee and snacks in between songs. Every sabha arranges for food from famous caterers and some people attend concerts in different venues and finish their breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner and go home! We can see many foreigners who attend these concerts seriously.  I didn't see much poeple getting up and going out in this concert!

Now, hear her beautiful, melodious voice here in different type of songs:

This is a thillaana (type of song) in raaga Desh:




Yaadava nee baa yadukula nandana... a soft song:




Jagaddhoddhaarana...Purandara dasa krithi in Kannada....fusion...It's different!




She has sung some film songs in Hindi and Tamil.  This is a Bharatiyar song from the film 'Bharathi'...music Ilayaraja...a beautiful song!



I like the way she closes her eyes and enjoy singing.  She enjoyed thoroughly in the concert we went this year.  She moves her hand like Pt. Jasraj and enjoys singing. And we enjoyed with her.

Here she is singing at the Sai aradhana festival.  Amjad Ali Khan's son, Ayaan ali  plays sarod later in this video.




The next concert we went was Pt.Jasraj's.  I have got some very good cd's of his songs.  He has got a booming voice! This concert also was 'housefull'.  The standing ovation after the concert was nearly for 5 minutes! Now, nobody will say that Chennai music festival is just for Carnatic music lovers! We love Hindustani music too! And the concert was at the famous Music Academy.

Mata Kaalika...Pt.Jasraj is singing this bhajan on Mata Kaali...normally I don't like to listen to male singers.  But hear Pandit's voice...beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVkdkl1yxBU

Pt. Jasraj with Ustaad Zakir Hussain



Pt.Jasraj is singing here...a clear live concert video:



The concert we attended was a bit like this.  He was singing with his disciples.  They call it 'vocal support'.  Still, we enjoyed this concert because  of his voice.

In this rare video, you can watch our Carnatic singer Smt.M.S. Subbulakshmi and Pt. Jasraj singing during Gandhi Jayanthi (1988). A young Durga Jasraj (Pt.Jasraj's daughter) can also be seen.  The then President Venkatraman, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and other political leaders can also be seen.  Smt. Subbulakshmi is so comfortable here. She had the opportunity to sing in front of Gandhiji, just a few months earlier to his assassination, a commentor says.





The last concert we attended this year was Swamy Haridas Mohotsav... Hindustani music concert.  My niece Ashwini was compering and I went there to watch her...she is learning Hindustani music now and is quite a good singer.  But we had a feast of the year! Smt. Lalitha Sharma, about whom, we had never heard of, sang for more than two hours! Her voice was too good to believe.  She is a desciple of Pt. Jasraj.  She finished graduation in the Madras Music college (carnatic music) and then went to Calcutta and Bombay and learnt Hindustani music.  You can know more about her here.  I noticed her mannerisms...it was just like Pt. Jasraj's! The mini hall of Narada gaana sabha was full! Actually, Chennai audience are famous for leaving the concerts as soon as it was 9 pm.  But on that day, we wanted to hear more of her songs! Will wait for next year! I looked for more good videos of her songs, but couldn't get. Again, I will do a post on her concert next year!

A video of Smt.Lalitha Sharma is here.  It is not very clear, though.  I couldn't get more of her videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXKltH9ZRXw

Sorry, the post is too long...as usual...no, too longer than usual!

EDITED TO ADD ON 9.1.13: I came across this photo today and thought I will add it here in this post, so that you can know how we felt while watching Smt. Lalitha Sharma's concert.  The hall was very cozy with minimum audience.  We were sitting closer to the stage and could watch the expressions and mannerisms of the artist clearly.  And this was a free concert.  We paid Rs.100 or Rs.200 for other concerts! Have a look at the atmosphere:

Smt.Lalitha Sharma's concert! Click on the photo to get a bigger picture!