VEENAVAADHINI Chamber Concert

We invited Shri Poorna Pragna Rao to present a chamber concert on May 14, 2007 with emphasis on Syama Sastri Compositions. His accompanying artists were, Shri Madurai Balasubramanian (Violin), Shri Manikantan (Mridangam), and Shri Papanasam Sethuraman (Ganjira).

The Song List:

1. Sree Ganapathini - Sourashtram - Thyagarajaswamy

2. Shankari Neeve - Begada - Subbaraya Sastri

3. Shankari Shankuru - Saveri - Syama Sastri

4. Marivere - Anandabhairavi - Syama Sastri

5. Kamakshi - Yadukulakambhoji - Syama Sastri

6. MeenaLochana - Dhanyasi - Syama Sastri

7. Sarojadala Netri - Shankarabharanam - Syama Sastri

8. Kanakasaila - Punnagavarali - Syama Sastri

9. Mayamma - Ahiri - Syama Sastri

What made the concert very special was that each and every song,
save the opening piece, was prefixed with expansive and pristine
raga alapanas (including those of Punnagavarali and Ahiri),
demonstrating the artist's vidhwath in ample measure. The violinist
was equally sophisticated in his replies. Shri Manikantan, standing in
for his guru Kumbakonam Saravanan, who could not participate as he was
not well, acquitted himself very creditably. He accompanied
beautifully for all the songs and played a commendable thani for the
main piece Sarojadala netri, with competent support from Shri
Sethuraman.

Concerts in New Delhi

Last month we were invited to present concerts in New Delhi. One of them was organized by The Veena Foundation jointly with the Indira Gandhi National Centre For The Arts. The IGNCA videographed the concert for their archives and also took a formal video interview for their record.

The second concert was under the auspices of Veenalaya, New Delhi, in conjunction with Veena Sangeetha Sangha of Trivandrum. The venue for the event was Tamil Nadu House in Chanakyapuri.

Given below are the relevant Review Links:
World Music Central Review
The Hindu Friday Review

श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः

Our Guru Sri A. Anantharama Iyer performing Arati to Muthuswamy Dikshitar. Also seen are photos of Lord Ganesha, Lord Karthikeya, Srividya Mandalam worshipped by Sri Dikshitar and, a photograph of our Guru's father Sri Ananthakrishna Iyer.